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fig1 is a surface depiction of a balloon catheter capable of incorporating the various aspects of this invention . fig2 a is a schematic representation of the distal portion of the above catheter wherein various aspects of this invention are revealed . fig2 b is a schematic representation of a cross - section of the distal portion shown in fig2 a . fig2 c is another schematic representation of a cross - section of the distal portion shown in fig2 a wherein the walls of the two tubes are depicted as layers of material . fig3 a is a schematic representation of a braided reinforcing member of this invention . fig3 b is a schematic representation of a cross - section of a single strand of the braided reinforcing member shown in fig3 a . fig4 is a schematic representation of a section of the outer tube comprising the distal end of a catheter of this invention wherein longitudinally varying the composition of the material from which the tube is formed is depicted . fig5 a is a schematic representation of the balloon - forming structure of a catheter of this invention about to be butt - welded to the outer tube of the body of the catheter . fig5 b is a schematic representation of a balloon - forming structure butt - welded to the outer tube of a catheter showing a braided reinforcing member of this invention overlapping the weld . fig6 is a schematic representation of the distal end of a catheter of this invention showing the braided reinforcing member extending from the distal end of the outer tube completely over the balloon - forming structure . fig7 is a schematic representation of the distal end of a catheter of this invention showing a separate reinforcing member extending from the distal end of the balloon - forming structure over the weld and onto the outer tube of the catheter . fig8 is a schematic representation of a channel created in the distal end of the balloon forming structure to permit escape of air when the structure if filled with liquid to expand it . this invention relates to the distal portion of a balloon catheter . the distal portion is generally anywhere from the distal 2 cm to the distal 30 cm of the catheter although , depending on the tissue area to be reached , the distal end may be of any desired length and , regardless of the length , would be within the scope of this invention . the distal portion has a small over - all cross - section that allows it to be used to reach remote areas of tissue such as the brain and the liver . the small cross - section is achieved by reducing the wall thickness of both the tubes making up the catheter . structural integrity of the outer tube , which is subjected to high pressures during inflation of the balloon - forming structure is maintained by incorporating a reinforcing member into the wall of the outer tube . in a presently preferred embodiment of this invention , the reinforcing member is comprised of braided strands . a braided reinforcing member provides kink resistance to the outer tube when the tube is being bent to traverse tortured pathways in the vascular system . the inner tube likewise includes a reinforcing member , the purpose of which is to provide structural integrity against kinking when the tube is being bent to conform to the shape of the outer tube . the inner reinforcing member is also a braided reinforcing member in a presently preferred embodiment of this invention , fig1 is an exterior view of a typical balloon catheter 100 . catheter 100 is shown solely for the purpose of aiding in the understanding of the present invention and does not constitute the only assembly covered by this invention . any manner of balloon catheter assembly incorporating the aspects of this invention is within the scope hereof . in any event , catheter 100 consists of a luer assembly 110 for guide - wire 112 manipulation and for liquid introduction into the balloon - forming structure 120 . within balloon - forming structure 120 are radiopaque regions ( not shown ) which permit visualization of the position of the distal end of the catheter in a patient &# 39 ; s body . catheter 100 is shown as having several portions 102 , 104 and 106 . these portions have differing degrees of flexibility with portion 106 being the lease flexible , portion 104 being intermediate in flexibility and portion 102 being the most flexible . a catheter of this invention , however , is not limited to any particular number of such portions and may have fewer than three areas of different flexibility or many more . as described with regard to catheter 100 , in general , as one progresses toward the distal end of the catheter , the assembly becomes increasingly flexible . the present invention relates to the most distal and most flexible portion 102 of a balloon catheter . fig2 a is an isolated blow - up of portion 102 of catheter 100 . portion 102 comprises two tubular sheaths 200 an 210 , tubular sheath 210 being disposed within tubular sheath 200 as shown in fig2 b . each tubular sheath , hereinafter referred to simply as a โ tube ,โ has an inner and an outer surface . that is tube 200 has inner surface 201 and outer surface 202 and tube 210 has inner surface 212 and outer surface 211 . the two surfaces of either tube may constructed of the same or of different materials . if they are comprised of different materials , then the tube is composed of layers with the inner surface of a tube comprising the surface of one layer and the outer surface of that tube comprising , a surface of another layer . that is , inner surface 201 of tube 200 may be comprises of a layer of material 201 a and outer surface 202 may be comprised of a different layer of material 202 a . the composition of tube 200 or tube 210 is not limited to two layers and there may optionally be additional layers of different materials between the layers having surfaces 201 and 202 . a wide variety of materials may be used to make tubes 200 and 210 . for example , without limitation , polytetrafluoroethylene ( teflon ), polyethylene , polypropylene , the nylons , polyesters , polyimides , polyamides and the like . presently preferred polymers for use in manufacture of the various aspects of this invention are various pebax ( polyether block amide ) thermoplastic elastomer resins such as pebax 4033 , pebax 5533 and pebax 6333 , alone or in combination . disposed between surfaces 201 and 202 or layers 201 a and 202 a is a reinforcing member . while the reinforcing member may have a number of different structures including , but not limited to , helically wound strands , longitudinal strands , etc ., in a presently preferred embodiment of this invention the reinforcing member is a braided reinforcing member 220 . braided reinforcing member 220 is comprised of a plurality of strands 221 each having a ribbon - like structure , that is , each strand has a cross - section having a width 223 and a thickness 222 where the width is greater than the thickness as shown in fig3 b . fig3 shows a blow - up of a portion of braided reinforcing member 220 . braided reinforcing member 220 is comprises of individual strands 221 . individual strands 221 may be constructed of a variety of different materials . they may be metallic or nonmetallic . metals that may be used include , without limitation , stainless steel , platinum , palladium , gold , rhodium , tantalum and the like . metal alloys may also be used such as , again without limitation , nitinol ( a titanium / nickel alloy ). non - metallic substances that can be used include , without limitation , aramids ( e . g ., kevlar ), liquid crystal polymers and carbon fibers . when individual strands 221 are metallic or alloy , each strand 221 has a width 223 of from about 0 . 002 inches to about 0 . 004 inches with about 0 . 003 inches being presently preferred . the thickness 222 of such metallic strands 221 is from about 0 . 0004 to about 0 . 00075 inches with about 0 . 0005 inches being presently preferred . braided reinforcing member 220 is disposed between surface 201 and surface 202 of tube 200 . if the surfaces are of the same materials , i . e ., there are no layers of materials as discussed above , braided reinforcing member 220 may simply be embedded in the material of which tube 200 is constructed . or , if surface 201 is of a different material than surface 202 , that is , if tube 200 is composed of at least two layers of different materials , braided reinforcing member 220 may be sandwiched between any two layers . when tube 200 is constructed of layers of different materials , an adhesive may be placed between the layers to assist in binding braided reinforcing member 220 to the materials and the materials to one another . in order to accommodate braided member 220 while maintaining as small an overall cross - section as possible , the thickness of the materials of which wall 225 of tube 200 ( fig2 b ) is comprised must be reduced . when tube 200 is made of a single material , this amounts to simply using less material to encapsulate braided member 220 . when two or more different materials are used , the thickness of any of them may be reduced . in a presently preferred embodiment of this invention , inner layer 201 a is necked down , which can be accomplished during the fabrication or some of the material can be removed by , for example , laser milling . braided reinforcing member 220 can then simply be slid onto inner layer 201 a and outer layer 202 a can then be applied over the entire structure to encapsulate braided reinforcing member 220 . it is also within the scope of this invention that each layer of tube 200 is constructed of different materials longitudinally . fig4 shows such a structure wherein outer surface 202 is constructed of materials 300 , 301 and 302 along its length . as shown in fig2 the distal end of catheter 100 comprises a balloon - forming structure 120 . balloon - forming structure 120 is shown in its inflated state in fig2 and the other figures herein so as to more easily depict the aspects of the present invention . it is understood , however , that , in its deflated state , balloon - forming structure 120 compresses down until it has essentially the same profile , i . e ., cross - section , as portion 102 of catheter 100 proximal to it . balloon - forming structure 120 is coupled at its proximal end to the distal end of outer tube 200 . this may be accomplished by overlapping a proximal portion 121 of balloon - forming structure 120 with a distal portion of tube 200 and binding the two portions using an adhesive ( fig2 a ). in making this sort of connection , a bead 122 is usually created where the overlap occurs and the adhesive is applied ( fig2 a ). this bead may adversely affect the cross - sectional profile of the catheter . thus , it is an aspect of this invention that the proximal end 330 of balloon - forming structure 120 is butt - welded to the distal end 340 of tube 200 as shown in fig5 a . this can be accomplished by , for example , laser welding . regardless of whether balloon - forming structure 120 is overlapped and adhesively bonded to tube 200 or whether it is butt - welded to tube 200 , braided reinforcing member 220 overlaps the joint as shown in fig5 b to add strength and rupture resistance to the joint . it is also within the scope of this invention that braided member 220 extends completely over balloon - forming structure 120 to provide rupture resistance to the structure as shown in fig6 . to accommodate the increased diameter of balloon - forming structure 120 when inflated , the weave may be relaxed , that is , the distance between strands of braided reinforcing member 220 may be increased . alternatively , balloon - forming structure 120 may incorporate a separate reinforcing member 430 that extends from its distal end 415 to beyond its proximal end 420 , as shown in fig7 . braided member 220 is then terminated at a distance 400 from the distal end 410 of tube 200 . when proximal end 420 of balloon - forming structure 120 is bonded to the distal end 410 of tube 200 , reinforcing member 430 can overlap the joint to provide additional strength and rupture resistance . inner tube 210 ( fig2 ) is constructed similarly to outer tube 200 . that is , inner tube 210 has an inner surface 212 and an outer surface 211 . the two surfaces of may constructed of the same or of different materials , in the latter case the surfaces can be considered as comprising layers . that is , inner surface 212 may comprise the surface of a layer of material 212 a and outer surface 211 may comprise the outer surface of a different layer of material 211 a . as before , the structure of tube 210 is not limited to any particular number of layers and the number and types of materials used can be varied depending on the characteristics to be imparted on tube 210 . disposed between surfaces 211 and 212 or layers 211 a and 212 a is a reinforcing member 500 ( fig2 b , 2 c ). reinforcing member 500 may be a braided member such as braided reinforcing member 220 in tube 200 . in such case , reinforcing member 500 is likewise comprised of more than 4 individual braided strands each having a ribbon - like structure , that is , each strand has a cross - section having a width and a thickness where the width is greater than the thickness . the width and thickness of each strand are also similar to that of braided member 220 . the materials from which reinforcing member 500 may be constructed are also the same as those described above for braided member 220 . that is , the strands of reinforcing member 500 may be metallic or non - metallic . if metallic , the metals that may be used include , without limitation , stainless steel , platinum , palladium , gold , rhodium , tantalum and the like . in addition , metal alloys may also be used such as , again without limitation , nitinol ( a titanium / nickel alloy ). non - metallic substances that can be used include , without limitation , aramids ( e . g ., kevlar ), liquid crystal polymers and carbon fibers . in a catheter of this invention , the material from which reinforcing member 500 is constructed may be the same as that used to construct braided reinforcing member 220 or it may be another material selected from those described . when metallic strands are used to form reinforcing member 500 , the dimensions of each strand are similar to those of each strand of braided reinforcing member 220 . that is , each strand has a width of from about 0 . 002 inches to about 0 . 004 inches with about 0 . 003 inches being presently preferred . likewise , when the strands are metallic , the thickness of each strand is from about 0 . 0004 to about 0 . 00075 inches with about 0 . 0005 inches being presently preferred . reinforcing member 500 need not , however , be braided . it may , for example be a single helically - wound strand . it may comprise a single helical wrap in one direction , proximal or distal or it may be wrapped in two directions , e . g ., a first helical wrap going from proximal to distal and then a second wrap on top of the first going from distal to proximal . jointly owned u . s . pat . no . 6 , 152 , 912 describes such helically - wound reinforcing members and is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein . reinforcing member 500 , like braided reinforcing member 220 is disposed between surface 211 and surface 212 or layers 211 a and 212 a of tube 210 . if the two surfaces are made of the same material , reinforcing member 500 may simply be embedded in that material or a first layer of the material can be formed into a tube , reinforcing member 500 may then be wrapped around that tube and then additional material may be applied over reinforcing member 500 to complete the structure . if , on the other hand , surface 211 is of one material and surface 212 is of another such that tube 200 is made of at least two layers , 211 a and 212 a , reinforcing member 500 is sandwiched between them by wrapping layer 212 a with reinforcing member 500 and than applying layer 211 a over it . when tube 210 is constructed of layers of different substances , an adhesive may be used to assist in binding reinforcing member 500 to the layers the layers to one another . as with tube 200 , in order to accommodate reinforcing member 500 while maintaining a small overall cross - section , the thickness of the materials of which the wall of tube 210 is made must be reduced . in a presently preferred embodiment of this invention , inner layer 212 a is necked down , either during manufacture or by subsequent laser milling , a braided reinforcing member is slid onto inner layer 212 a and outer layer 211 a is applied over the structure to encapsulate the braided reinforcing member . it is also within the scope of this invention that each layer of tube 210 is constructed of different materials longitudinally as shown in fig5 for tube 200 a final aspect of this invention is a channel 600 created at the distal end of the balloon - forming structure 120 ( fig8 ). the channel is constructed such that , when pressurized liquid is injected into annular space 610 between the outer surface 201 of tube 200 and the outer surface 212 of tube 210 , any air trapped in the annular space is expelled through the channel . the channel is small enough , however , that the viscosity of the injected liquid keeps it from following the air through the channel resulting in deflation of balloon - forming structure 120 . in addition , when liquid is being withdrawn from the annular space to collapse balloon - forming structure 120 , usually by applying a vacuum to the system , channel 600 will also collapse thus preventing any significant amount of blood or other bodily fluid from being drawn into the annular space . thus , it will be appreciated that the devices disclosed herein will be useful in catheters , particularly the distal end of high - pressure vascular balloon catheters , wherein they will provide structural strength to resist bursting under pressure , torsional and longitudinal directivity and kink resistance while maintaining the small diametric profile necessary for traversing small tortuous vascular channels . although certain embodiments and examples have been used to describe the present invention , it will become apparent to those skilled in the art that changes in the embodiments and examples may be made without departing from the scope of the invention herein . | 0Human Necessities
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in fig1 an injection - molding machine comprises a stationary platen 2 , which is fixed to a base ( not shown ) of the molding machine and fitted with one die half 1 , and a movable platen 4 fitted with the other die half 1 . reference number 3 indicates a rear platen . the platens 2 3 and 4 are connected to each other by means of four tie bars 7 . further , the injection - molding machine comprises a mold clamping apparatus which includes a double - link toggle mechanism 5 formed of a pair of toggle links arranged between the rear platen 3 and a movable platen 4 . each toggle link of the toggle mechanism 5 is composed of first and second link members 5b and 5c , the outer ends of which are rockably connected to the rear platen 3 and the movable platen 4 , respectively , and a third link member 5d , the two opposite ends and an intermediate portion of which are rockably connected to the respective inner ends of the two link members and a crosshead 5a , respectively . a ball nut , which is threadedly engaged with a ball screw 6 , is fixed to the crosshead 5a for integral axial movement therewith . the ball screw 6 is rotatably supported by the rear platen 3 , and is operatively connected to a servomotor 13 for mold clamping by a timing belt 16 , a timing gear 15 , etc . thus , both the toggle links of the toggle mechanism 5 are arranged to bend and stretch when the crosshead 5a reciprocates as the servomotor 13 rotates forwardly and reversely , thereby causing the movable platen 4 to reciprocate along the tie bars 7 . the tie bars 7 are arranged to stretch to produce a mold clamping force when the two die halves 1 fitted on the platens 2 and 4 are locked up against each other . furthermore , the mold clamping apparatus comprises tie bar nuts 9 which are threadedly engaged with screws 8 formed on those end portions of the tie bars 7 on the side of the rear platen 3 . these tie bar nuts 9 are rotatably supported by rear platen 3 so as to be immovable in the axial direction , and are operatively connected to a geared motor 12 for mold thickness adjustment , which is fixed to the rear platen 3 , by means of sprockets 10 fixed to the nuts 9 and a chain 11 stretched between the sprockets . the motor 12 is a general - purpose motor , e . g ., an induction motor . the rear platen 3 is arranged to reciprocate integrally with the tie bar nuts 9 along the tie bars 7 as the motor 12 for mold thickness adjustment rotates forwardly and reversely . a numerical control unit ( hereinafter referred to as nc ) 20 for controlling the injection - molding machine comprises microprocessors ( hereinafter referred to as nccpu and pmccpu , respectively ) 21 and 22 for nc and programmable machine control . the pmccpu 22 is bus - connected with a rom 26 , which is stored with a sequence program for controlling the sequence operation of the injection - molding machine , a look - up table ( mentioned later ), etc ., and a ram 27 utilized for temporary storage of data and the like . the nccpu 21 is connected with a rom 24 , which is stored with a management program for generally controlling the injection - molding machine , and a ram 25 utilized for temporary storage of data and the like , and is further connected , through a servo interface 28 , with servo circuits for controlling the drive of servomotors for various axes for injection , clamping , screw rotation , ejector , etc . ( only the servomotor for mold clamping and a servo circuit associated therewith are denoted by numerals 13 and 29 , respectively ). a bus arbiter controller ( hereinafter referred to as bac ) 23 , which is bus - connected to both cpus 21 and 22 , is connected with the respective buses of a nonvolatile shared ram 30 , composed of a bubble memory or cmos memory , an input circuit 31 , and an output circuit 32 , and the bus to be used is selected by means of the bac 23 . further , the bac 23 is connected with a manual data input device ( hereinafter referred to as crt / mdi ) 34 with a crt display unit through an operator panel controller 33 . the shared ram 30 includes a memory section for storing an nc program for controlling various operations of the injection - molding machine and the like , a memory section for storing various set values , parameters , and macro variables , and a current value register for renewably storing the current shift position of the crosshead 5a . the input circuit 31 is connected to various sensors ( not shown ) provided at various parts of the injection - molding machine , while the output circuit 32 is connected to the servo circuits 29 and various actuators ( only a switching device including a forward - rotation switch and a reverse - rotation switch and connected to the motor 12 for mold thickness adjustment is denoted by numeral 40 ) provided at various parts of the injection - molding machine . the position , speed , and output torque of the servomotor 13 are controlled by means of the servo circuit 29 which includes an error register ( not shown ) adapted to receive a command signal from the nccpu 21 and an output signal from a pulse encoder 14 , attached to the seromotor 13 and adapted to detect the rotational position of the servomotor , and operates in response to those two signals . also , a torque command value from the servo circuit 29 is limited in accordance with a torque limit value from the pmccpu 22 , so that the output torque of the servomotor 13 is restricted . referring now to fig2 to 7 , a method of mold thickness adjustment by the mold clamping apparatus of fig1 will be described . first , an operator sets various conditions for injection molding , including the mold clamping force , by the crt / mdi 34 . in response to this setting operation , the pmccpu 22 calculates a crosshead shift position ( rotational position of the servomotor 13 ) lo shown in fig6 which position permits production of the set mold clamping force , and causes the shared ram 30 to store the calculated value along with the other molding conditions . a coordinate system for representing the shift position of the crosshead 5a is set so that the direction of the rear platen 3 is a positive direction , and various movement commands are given in accordance with this coordinate system . then , the pmccpu 22 reads a mold thickness adjustment program ( fig2 and 3 ) from the rom 26 in response to the entry of a mold thickness adjustment command through the crt / mdi 34 , and executes this program . first , the pmccpu 22 delivers a torque limit value t1 , determined beforehand in accordance with the type of the toggle mechanism and the like and stated in the program , to the servo circuit 29 through the bac 23 and the output circuit 33 , and writes a coordinate position ( value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; corresponding to the coordinate origin , in the present embodiment ) of a lockup position ( fig7 ) of the crosshead 5a where the toggle links stretch to their full length , in the aforesaid coordinate system , into the shared ram 30 through the bac 23 . further , the pmccpu 22 delivers a lockup position write completion signal to the nccpu 21 . in response to this signal , the nccpu 21 distributes pulses to the servo circuit 29 through the servo interface 28 so that the crosshead 5a reaches the lockup position &# 34 ; 0 .&# 34 ; as a result , the servomotor 13 for mold clamping is driven in a manner such that its output torque is restricted to the torque limit value t1 . as the motor rotates , at this time , the ball screw 6 rotates , so that the crosshead 5a , which is integral with the ball nut threadedly engaged with the ball screw , advances to the right of fig1 . consequently , the individual toggle links of the toggle mechanism 5 stretch , thereby causing the movable platen 4 to advance ( step s1 ). in the meantime , the nccpu 21 periodically reads an error amount ฮต , stored in the error register of the servo circuit 29 , through the servo interface 28 , and writes the error amount into the shared ram 30 . also , the nccpu 21 writes a current shift position l of the crosshead 5a corresponding to the current rotational position of the servomotor 13 into the current value register in the shared ram 30 . further , when pulse distribution up to the lockup position &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is finished , and therefore , when the crosshead 5a reaches a command shift position ( lockup position ) or thereabout , thereby entering an in - position width , the nccpu 21 writes an in - position signal into the shared ram 30 . meanwhile , the pmccpu 22 reads the error amount ฮต from the shared ram 30 via the bac 23 , and repeatedly determines whether the read amount is not smaller than a predetermined amount ฮต0 ( step s2 ), and repeatedly determines whether the in - position signal is written in the shared ram 30 ( step s3 ). if a die - touch state is attained , thereafter , such that the two die halves 1 engage each other , as the movable platen 4 advances before the in - position signal is written , the advance of the platen 4 , that is , the rotation of the servomotor 13 entailing an output torque restricted to the torque limit value t1 or less , is prevented . in this case , the supply of the distribution pulses from the nccpu 21 to the error register is continued , while the supply of a feedback signal from the pulse encoder 14 is stopped , so that the error amount ฮต increases . if the pmccpu 22 determines in step s2 that the die - touch state is attained , seeing that the error amount ฮต is not smaller than the predetermined amount ฮต0 , the pmccpu 22 stops the drive of the servomotor 13 , thereby stopping the advance of the movable platen 4 ( step s4 ). then , the pmccpu 22 reads the current crosshead shift position l from the current value register of the shared ram 30 , and determines whether the value l is not smaller than the previously calculated value for the crosshead shift position ( position which permits the production of the set mold clamping force ) lo ( step s5 ). if it is concluded in step s5 that the value for the current crosshead shift position l is smaller than the calculated value for the position lo , the pmccpu 22 reverses the servomotor 13 to move back the crosshead 5a to a predetermined shift position behind the calculated position lo ( step s6 ). as the crosshead 5a moves backward in this manner , the movable platen 4 retreats , thereby removing the die - touch state . if the decisions in steps s2 and s3 are negative and positive , respectively , that is , if the in - position signal is written before the die - touch state is attained , the value for the current crosshead shift position l is equal to the value &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; or thereabout and is smaller than the value lo , so that the program proceeds to step s6 . subsequently , after changing the torque limit value to be applied to the servomotor 13 for mold clamping from the torque limit value t1 to a value t2 ( step s7 ), the pmccpu 22 turns on the forward - rotation switch of the switching device 40 to rotate the motor 12 for mold thickness adjustment forwardly , thereby causing the rear platen 3 to advance ( to the right of fig1 ) ( step s8 ). thereupon , the movable platen 4 advances , and when the die halves 1 engage each other again , the advance of the movable platen 4 is prevented . as the rear platen 3 further advances , therefore , the toggle links are caused to bend gradually , with the servomotor 13 for mold clamping caused to rotate through the ball screw 6 threadedly engaged with the crosshead 5a , and the error amount ฮต in the error register of the servo circuit 29 increases gradually . since the torque limit of the value t2 is applied to the servomotor 13 , however , an overcurrent can never flow through the motor 12 for mold thickness adjustment . while the rear platen 3 is advancing , the pmccpu 22 repeadtedly determines whether the error amount ฮต is not smaller than the predetermined amount ฮต0 ( step s9 ). when the error amount ฮต becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined amount ฮต0 , it is concluded that the die - touch state is attained , and the forward rotation of the motor 12 for mold thickness adjustment is stopped , so that the advance of the rear platen 3 is stopped ( s10 ). at this point of time , the movable platen 4 is at a die - touch position p , and the value for the current crosshead shift position l is greater than the value for the position lo which permits the production of the set mold clamping force ( fig4 ). subsequently , after changing the torque limit value to be applied to the servomotor 13 for mold clamping from the torque limit value t2 to a value t3 ( step s11 ), the pmccpu 22 causes the rear platen 3 to retreat in the following manner , and at the same time , causes the movable platen 4 to advance at the same speed as the retreating speed of the rear platen . also if the decision of step s5 is positive , the following processing is executed . in order to move the movable platen 4 at a certain constant speed , the moving speed of the crosshead 5a ( rotating speed of the servomotor 13 ) must be changed depending on the state of bending of the toggle links of the toggle mechanism 5 ( crosshead shift position ). in the present embodiment , therefore , override values v1 , v2 , . . . , and vn , which correspond to a plurality of crosshead positions ( override value switching positions ) l1 , l2 , . . . , and ln , respectively , are tabulated and stored in the rom 26 , and a reference speed of the servomotor 13 specified by the program is corrected by means of an override value read out in accordance with the current shift position of the crosshead 5a . in step s12 next to step s11 , the pmccpu 22 reads out an override value from the look - up table ( not shown ) in the rom 26 in accordance with the current shift position of the crosshead 5a read from the current value register of the shared ram 30 , and writes the read value into the shared ram 30 ( step s12 ), and then delivers an override value write completion signal . in response to this signal , the nccpu 21 multiplies the reference speed , specified by the program , by the override value read from the look - up table , thereby calculating a speed equal to a predetermined rear platen retreating speed ( mentioned later ), and drives the servomotor 13 to a rotational position which corresponds to the position lo for the production of the set mold clamping force , at the calculated speed , thereby causing the movable platen 4 to advance ( step s13 ). meanwhile , the pmccpu 22 turns on the reverse - rotation switch of the switching device 40 to rotate the motor 12 for mold thickness adjustment reversely , thereby causing the rear platen 3 to retreat at the aforesaid predetermined speed ( step s14 ). as a result , while the advance of the movable platen 4 and the retreat of the rear platen 3 are being executed simultaneously , the movable platen 4 is always kept at the die - touch position p , as shown in fig5 . while both the platens 3 and 4 are moving simultaneously , the pmccpu 22 repeatedly determines whether the override value switching position is reached by the crosshead 5a , in accordance with the value for the current crosshead shift position periodically read from the current value register of the shared ram 30 ( step s15 ), and repeatedly determines whether the in - position signal is written in the shared ram 30 ( step s17 ). every time the next override value switching position li ( i = 2 , . . . , and n ) is reached , moreover , the pmccpu 22 writes the next override value vi , read from the look - up table , into the shared ram 30 ( step s16 ), in order to use the value vi for the rotational speed control of the servomotor 13 by means of the nccpu 21 . when the crosshead 5a reaches the position lo for the production of the set mold clamping force , thereafter , the nccpu 21 writes the in - position signal into the shared ram 30 , and stops the drive of the servomotor 13 for mold clamping . if it is concluded in step s17 that the in - position signal is written , the pmccpu 22 stops the drive of the motor 12 for mold thickness adjustment . as a result , the advance of the movable platen 4 and the retreat of the rear platen 3 stop simultaneously ( step s18 ), whereupon the mold thickness adjustment process ends . at this point of time , the crosshead 5a takes the position lo for the production of the set mold clamping force ( fig6 ). thus , if the servomotor 13 is driven with the aforementioned torque limit removed , during the execution of the injection - molding cycle after the mold thickness adjustment process , the crosshead 5a reaches the lockup position &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; on completion of the mold clamping , as shown in fig7 whereupon the tie bars stretch to their full length , thereby producing the set mold clamping force . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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a mechanism is provided that attaches to a member of a slide assembly . the mechanism is used to bias or cam a latch , with the latch being used to maintain at least two members of a drawer slide in a predefined position . for purposes of clarity , the mechanism is illustrated in a typical three member ball bearing slide application with c - shaped members . the mechanism is adaptable to slide assemblies with more members , or with fewer members . as illustrated in fig1 a drawer slide assembly 10 comprising an inner , or drawer , member 19 is slidably coupled to an intermediate member 13 . the intermediate member in turn is slidably connected to an outer member 18 . as illustrated , the slides are formed of elongate longitudinal webs having bearing raceways along their longitudinal margins . the slides are slidably coupled by bearings riding in the raceways . in alternative embodiments the slides are friction slides , slidably coupled by contact points along the slides . as illustrated , the inner member 10 includes a latch . the latch , in the embodiment described , includes an elongate member 15 pivotably or rotatably coupled near one end of the inner slide member . the latch includes stop surfaces , which are part of a cutout of the elongate member . the stop surfaces are adapted to engage , or lock , onto a lanced out tab 16 formed in the intermediate member 13 . release of the slide for closure or disconnecting for service is accomplished by rotating latch 15 away from tab 16 . often the elongate member , or latch member , is mounted near what is the rear of the inner slide member so that the latch member is approximate a forward end of the intermediate slide member when the inner slide member is extended from the intermediate slide member . the lanced out tab , therefore , is placed near the forward end of the intermediate member , with the latch locking the slides in the open position . to increase the safety in releasing the latch , a mechanism 20 is attached to a drawer member 19 with shoulder rivets 21 , as illustrated in fig2 . the shoulder rivets extend through linear slots in the mechanism . the use of shoulder rivets allows the mechanism to be moved , or translated , along the length of the inner slide member . pushing the mechanism , particularly along a tab 28 at a forward end of the mechanism , causes an end 23 of the mechanism to press against a leading edge 24 of a latch member 15 . this results in rotation of the latch member such that stop surfaces formed by a cutout 25 in the latch member do not engage a tab of the intermediate slide member ( not shown in fig2 ), thereby releasing the latch member . depending upon the shape of the cutout , or notch , in the latch member , and the amount of push applied , the slide can be closed or disconnected . for example , in one embodiment a forward stop surface , which restricts rearward movement of the slide member , clears the tab prior to a rearward stop surface , which restricts forward movement of the slide member . accordingly , greater pivoting of the latch is required to allow the inner member to move forward and disconnect from the other slide members . further , as illustrated in fig2 a spring 22 acts to oppose the pushing action and secure the latch while returning the mechanism to its original position . in addition , in one embodiment , a register 27 on the mechanism is used to prevent sufficient rotation of the latch through application of the mechanism to allow for sufficient rotation of the latch to allow for disconnect . instead , sufficient rotation for disconnect is accomplished by hand . a mechanism 30 can also be designed to activate a spring type latch arm 31 mounted on an intermediate member 39 , as shown in fig3 . as illustrated in fig3 an end of the mechanism 32 is shaped to cooperate with a spring latch 31 on its leading edge 34 to flatten the spring latch towards the web of the slide member . such motion results in cutouts of the latch being freed of contact with a tab extending towards the web from another slide member . the spring latch pushes the mechanism back to its original position . the simplicity of the design results in a low cost . return action of the release mechanism is provided by the spring qualities of the latch . however , for heavy duty applications or to satisfy a user &# 39 ; s preference , a spring 35 can be installed between the mechanism 30 and a lanced tab 36 on the member 19 . beneficially , the spring type latch includes both upper 37 and lower 38 cutouts , thereby allowing the latch and slide member to be used with both right and left hand slides ; i . e ., the slide member is unhanded . [ 0022 ] fig5 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which the mechanism is pulled in order to achieve much of the effect as is accomplished with respect to the embodiment in fig3 . in the embodiment of fig5 a latch arm 51 , coupled to a drawer slide member web by rivets 58 , is adjusted through use of a mechanism 52 . the latch includes a cutout 53 which is adapted to receive a tab extending from another slide member . the latch is bent , as in the embodiment of fig3 such that the portion of the latch including the cutout extends towards the opposing slide member . the latch also includes a second cutout 55 . the second cutout is adapted to receive a protrusion 59 extending from the mechanism . moreover , in one embodiment , the mechanism also includes a mechanism cutout 57 which is adapted to receive a protrusion extending from the latch . pulling a mechanism tab ( not shown ) on the mechanism effectively lengthens the latch arm and thereby cause the latch arm to flatten against the slide member . this movement of the latch arm results in the cutout being removed or biased away from the tab . thus , in alternative embodiments , pulling of the mechanism away from the latch is used to disconnect the latch from a tab extending from another slide member . the mechanism in various embodiments is thin . typical construction can be from 16 gauge steel . if the member size permits , the mechanism can be designed to fit inside the shape of the member allowing elimination of rivets . in an exemplary embodiment , the mechanism 20 fits slidably inside the radius 41 of the drawer member 19 as shown in fig4 . as indicated , the mechanism is held in place against a web of the slide member through contact with the interior of a bend in the drawer slide forming a bearing raceway . thus , in one aspect the mechanism is placed in position , with the bearing raceways thereafter formed as part of a bending operation . although illustrated in fig4 as not impinging on the bearing raceway , in other embodiments the mechanism does so , but outside of the travel path of the bearings . moreover , the mechanism is not itself bound by interaction between slide members , as is the latch , thereby increasing ease of operation . those skilled in the art will recognize that changes in the shape of the release mechanism and latch can result in different actions . one shape may create release action by pushing , while another cause release by pulling . more refined shapes could allow a release action for closing , but prevent disconnecting of the slide . furthermore , although illustrated in a ball bearing slide , the release device will work equally well in slides with roller bearings or of the friction type , with no bearings at all . construction of the slides and release can be from metal , plastic , or other similar materials suitable to the function . accordingly , the present invention provides a mechanism for use with drawer slide latches . although this invention has been described in certain specific embodiment , many additional modifications and variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art . it is therefore to be understood that this invention maybe practiced otherwise than as specifically described . thus , the present embodiments of the invention should be considered as illustrative and not restrictive , the scope of the invention to be indicated by the claims and their equivalents supported by this application rather than the foregoing description . | 0Human Necessities
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fig3 is a flow diagram of an ocr process 30 in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention . with reference to fig3 , a document 32 bearing physical textual data is scanned using an optical scanner 34 , which produces a digital pixel image of the physical data on document 32 . a segmentation process 36 of the ocr process 30 receives the pixel image from the optical scanner and segments the pixel image into data segments for processing by a recognizer 38 . recognizer 38 analyzes the data segments to produce a possibility set (โ pos - set โ) for each data segment . empirical uncertainty in the physical data and inaccuracies of the scanning , segmentation and recognition process are represented in the pos - sets by including multiple child possibilities in each pos - set and by assigning child confidences to the child possibilities . for example , recognizer 38 separates a parent string ( as in the parent word 24 of fig2 ) into its sibling glyphs and outputs a pos - set for each glyph . the pos - sets are output to a data verification routine 40 , which uses a rollup function 60 ( fig4 ) and possibly one or more dictionaries 150 ( fig4 ) in accordance with the present invention . fig4 is a flow diagram of rollup function 60 of data verification routine 40 ( fig3 ). with reference to fig4 , a matrix initialization routine 62 of rollup function 60 , receives pos - sets 64 from recognizer 38 . fig5 is a pictorial view of a three - dimensional data array 66 , which represents a data matrix in accordance with the present invention . data array 66 , includes rows 70 , columns 72 , and tiers 74 that together form nodes 76 . with reference to fig4 and 5 , matrix initialization routine establishes a size of data array 66 based on pos - sets 64 . for purposes of a simple illustration , table 3 presents four sibling pos - sets . a first pos - set shown in table 3 includes two child possibilities , โ a โ and โ o โ, which are assigned child confidences 2 and 1 , respectively . a second pos - set includes child possibilities n and u , having associated child confidences 1 and 0 , respectively . and so on . the matrix initialization routine calculates a sum of the maximum confidences of the four pos - sets ( 2 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 5 ) and adds one ( 5 + 1 = 6 ) to establish a height 80 of data array 66 . data array 66 , thus , includes six rows 70 , having row heights r 0 , r 1 , r 2 , r 3 , r 4 , and r 5 . a width 82 of data array 66 is equal to the number of pos - sets 64 . a depth 84 of data array 66 is equal to the largest number of child possibilities in any of the pos - sets 64 . in this example , three of the pos - sets are equally large , having two child possibilities . once data array 66 has been established and sized , a loading routine 90 of rollup function 60 loads pos - sets 64 into data array 66 . fig6 a , 6 b , 6 c , and 6 d depict a loading sequence followed by loading routine 90 . with reference to fig6 a , a data table 92 provides a two - dimensional representation of the three - dimensional data array 66 of fig5 , including four columns c 1 , c 2 , c 3 , and c 4 , each of which is divided by broken lines to indicate tiers 74 of data array 66 ( fig5 ). loading routine 90 loads the child possibilities 94 of the first pos - set into the first column c 1 so that each child possibility 94 is loaded in a node 96 at a row position equal to the child confidence 98 corresponding the child possibility 94 . thus , child possibility โ o โ, which has an associated child confidence of one is loaded at the node located at row r 1 , and child possibility โ a โ is loaded at row r 2 because it has an associated child confidence of two . when loading routine 90 completes loading of the first pos - set ( fig6 a ), it proceeds to load the second pos - set into data table 92 . with reference to fig6 b , each child possibility of the second pos - set is loaded in one node 96 of the second column ( c 2 ) for each row of the first column ( c 1 ) having filled nodes , but at a row height greater than the row height of the filled nodes 96 of column c 1 by an amount equal to the child confidences being loaded . thus , child possibility โ u โ having a child confidence of zero is loaded in nodes located at rows r 1 and r 2 of column c 2 , since rows r 1 and r 2 are filled in column c 1 . child possibility โ n โ is loaded in nodes located at rows r 2 and r 3 of column c 2 , which are greater than the row positions of the filled nodes ( r 1 and r 2 ) of column c 1 by an amount equal to the child confidence ( one ) associated with child possibility โ n .โ because the node located at c 2 , r 2 , to , is already filled with child possibility โ u โ, loading routine 90 loads child possibility n at node c 2 , r 2 , ti so that no more than one child possibility is loaded in each node . loading routine 90 then continues to load successive pos - sets 64 in sequence in successive columns , as depicted in fig6 c and 6d , until all pos - sets 64 have been loaded in data table 92 . as in column c 2 , child possibilities 94 are loaded in nodes 96 located at row positions that are greater ( by an amount equal to the child confidence of the child possibility being loaded ) than the row position ( s ) of rows of the immediately preceding column that have filled nodes . nodes of the last column ( c 4 ) that are loaded with child possibilities contain data entities that are known as terminal elements 100 . fig7 is an exploded view of the loaded data table 92 of fig6 d showing its loaded data in a three - dimensional representation in accordance with three - dimensional data array 66 of fig5 . to extract parent candidate strings from data table 92 , a roll - out routine 110 of rollup function 60 is provided ( fig4 ). fig8 a depicts the steps taken by roll - out routine 110 , in rolling out parent candidate โ ants โ, i . e ., the parent candidate comprising the sibling characters โ a โ, โ n โ, โ t โ, and โ s โ. parent candidate โ ants โ has the greatest aggregate confidence of any of the parent candidates because its terminal element (โ s โ) 100 is located in the row of data table 92 having the greatest row position ( r 5 ), i . e ., a maximal terminal element 112 . with reference to fig8 a , roll - out routine 110 reads from columns c 4 , c 3 , c 2 , and c 1 , in the order opposite to which the columns were loaded . terminal element โ s โ 100 ( which is also the maximal terminal element 112 ) is read initially . next , roll - out routine 110 reads next - to - last child element โ t โ 116 from the immediately previous column ( c 3 ) and from row r 4 , which has a row position less than the row position of terminal element โ s โ by the amount of the child confidence associated with terminal element โ s โ ( i . e . one ). roll - out routine 110 prepends next - to - last child element โ t โ to the terminal element โ s โ to form a string tail of โ ts .โ the child confidence of one associated with next - to - last child element โ t โ 116 then directs roll - out routine to read prefix element โ n โ 118 from row r 3 , column c 2 ( because row r 3 has a row position one less than the row position of r 4 ). roll - out routine 110 prepends prefix element โ n โ 118 to the string tail โ ts โ, to form the partial string โ nts .โ element โ a โ 120 , is then read because it is loaded in row r 2 , which is one less ( the child confidence associated with prefix element โ n โ 118 ) than the row position of prefix element โ n โ 118 . element โ a โ 120 is prepended to complete the formation of candidate parent string โ ants โ. the parent confidence associated with โ ants โ is equal to five , which is the row position of the terminal element 100 a used to extract โ ants โ. fig8 b depicts the steps taken by roll - out routine 110 , in rolling out parent candidate โ ant 5 โ. with reference to fig8 b , terminal element โ 5 โ has an associated child confidence of zero , which directs roll - out routine to read next - to - last element โ t โ from the same row position ( r 4 ) in column c 3 . the parent confidence associated with โ ant 5 โ is equal to four , which is the row position of terminal element โ 5 โ 100 b used to extract โ ant 5 โ. fig8 c and 8d depict the steps taken by roll - out routine 110 , in rolling out respective parent candidates โ auts โ and โ onts .โ because there are two entries in row r 2 , column c 2 , roll - out routine 110 rolls out two unique parent candidates ending with terminal element โ s โ 100 c , both having an associated parent confidence of four , which is equal to the row height of row r 4 , where terminal element โ s โ 100 c is located . in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention , fig9 shows the loaded data table 92 of fig6 d and 7 embodied as a linked - list rollup matrix 126 . with reference to fig9 , rollup matrix 126 includes a pointer structure 128 to nodes 96 . to roll - out the parent candidate โ ants โ, roll - out routine 110 starts at an initial entry point 130 that includes terminal element 100 a ( element โ s โ of maximal terminal element 112 ). roll - out routine 110 then reads out elements โ t โ 116 , โ n โ 118 , and โ a โ 120 by following respective pointers 134 , 136 , and 138 and prepends them to element โ s โ 100 a . a return pointer 140 indicates to roll - out routine 110 that it has completed construction of the parent candidate . a parent confidence 141 of the parent candidate โ ants โ is stored in association with the terminal element โ s โ 100 a . all terminal elements of rollup matrix 126 serve as entry points 142 for rolling out one or more parent candidates . as in the roll - out sequences shown in fig8 c and 8d , two parent candidates can be rolled out of rollup matrix 126 by beginning with terminal element โ s โ 100 c . a branch node 144 of rollup matrix 126 includes two pointers 146 , 148 , which indicate to roll - out routine 110 that two different parent candidates use branch node 144 and that roll - out routine 110 needs to execute a branch at branch node 144 . those skilled in the art will understand that more than one branch node may clearly exist in rollup matrix , and that some branch nodes will have more than two pointers ( if the matrix is โ deeper โ than 2 tiers ). after rolling out of each parent candidate ( typically in decreasing order of parent confidence ), rollup function may output each parent candidate to a dictionary routine 150 ( fig4 ) for validation using an appropriate parser and dictionary . one embodiment of handling dictionary processing is shown in fig4 , and includes conditional iteration of roll - out routine 110 . an iteration step 154 is conditional upon whether the parent candidate output by roll - out routine 110 passes the dictionary test ( 160 ) and , if it does , whether some other stop limit 170 has been met . for example stop limit 170 may trigger ocr process 30 ( fig3 ) to terminate verification of the parent element represented by rollup matrix 126 ( and rollup table 92 ), and to load the next series of pos - sets scanned and recognized from document 32 . fig1 is a flow diagram showing steps taken in preparation and validation of n - gram alt - sets for loading in a rollout matrix for a parent string of the n - grams . with reference to fig1 , an n - gram verification process 200 receives pos - sets from ocr system ( step 210 ) and assembles them in computer memory to form a ranked list of n - gram candidates ( step 212 ). n - gram candidates within a single ranked list may have different lengths , for example when one of the pos - sets includes both an โ m โ possibility and an โ rn โ possibility . to accommodate n - gram candidates having different lengths , a length gage routine 214 of n - gram verification process 200 determines the length of each n - gram candidate . the n - gram candidates are then processed by an appropriate n - gram dictionary 216 . n - gram dictionary 216 is a specialized dictionary or collection of specialized dictionaries that includes information about frequency of occurrence of n - grams ( for example 2 - grams , 3 - grams , etc .) in written language or some subset of written language . n - gram dictionary 216 assigns an n - gram confidence to each n - gram candidate based on ( i ) the dictionary frequency rating for the n - gram and ( ii ) a child confidence associated with a central character of the n - gram candidate . n - gram and its associated n - gram confidence are then appended to an n - gram alt - set ( step 218 ). steps 214 , 216 , and 218 are then repeated until all of the lists of n - gram parent candidates have been processed through the dictionary and output as n - gram alt - sets . after all n - gram alt - sets have been completed , a string - sized rollup matrix is built using the alt - sets as sibling entities ( step 220 ). parent string candidates can then be rolled out of string - sized rollup matrix in ranked order ( step 222 ) and processed using a string dictionary ( step 224 ) before outputting ranked parent strings ( step 226 ). fig1 is a two - dimensional pictorial view showing nested rollup matrices 240 established in accordance with the present invention . with reference to fig1 , nested rollup matrices 240 include a child rollup matrix 250 nested within a parent rollup matrix 260 . child rollup matrix 250 is said to be โ nested โ because complete candidates that may be rolled out of child rollup matrix 250 are referenced by pointers within parent rollup matrix 260 . in this example , child rollup matrix 250 represents candidate city names in a typical rollup matrix in accordance with the present invention . however , any child entity can be represented in a nested child rollup matrix . parent rollup matrix 260 is a typical rollup matrix in accordance with the present invention . in this example , parent rollup matrix 260 includes sibling city , state , and zip - code alt - sets . first and second city nodes 262 , 264 of parent rollup matrix 260 include respective first and second city pointers 266 , 268 to respective first and second entry points 270 , 272 of child rollup matrix 250 . first and second entry points 270 , 272 are terminal nodes of child rollup matrix 250 having associated city confidences 274 , 276 . while the nested rollup matrices 240 of fig1 include only one nested child matrix , it would be straightforward to nest multiple child matrices within a single parent rollup matrix . likewise , it would be simple to create a hierarchy of nested rollup matrices including three or more layers of rollup matrices , rather than the two layers ( child rollup matrix 250 and parent rollup matrix 260 ) of fig1 . in setting up nested rollup matrices 240 , child rollup matrix 250 is established before establishing parent rollup matrix 260 . this order of establishing nested rollup matrices 240 insures that city confidences 274 , 276 of child rollup matrix 250 may be taken into account when establishing , sizing , and loading parent rollup matrix 260 . when loading first and second city pointers 266 , 268 in parent rollup matrix 260 , city confidences 274 , 276 of child rollup matrix 250 determine how parent rollup matrix 260 is loaded . fig1 is a flow diagram showing steps for establishing and loading of the nested rollup matrices of fig1 . with reference to fig1 , a child rollup matrix is first established and loaded ( step 300 ). once loaded , entry points for child candidates of the child rollup matrix , and their associated child confidences are available . these child candidates , entry points , and child confidences are then taken into account in establishing and sizing parent rollup matrix ( step 310 ). parent rollup matrix is then loaded ( step 320 ). in the example of fig1 , parent rollup matrix 260 is loaded with a zip - code ( postal code ) alt - set in its terminal column and a state alt - set in its next - to - last column . parent rollup matrix is also loaded with city pointers 266 , 268 to appropriate entry points 270 , 272 of child rollup matrix 250 . after parent rollup matrix has been loaded ( step 320 ), ranked parent candidates may then be rolled out ( step 330 ) for processing by a dictionary . the dictionary required for use with the nested rollup matrices 240 shown in the example of fig1 would be a city - state - zip dictionary for verifying specific city - state - zip combinations . fig1 is flow diagram showing a sequence of steps for rolling out a parent candidate from the nested rollup matrices 240 of fig1 . with reference to fig1 , a nested roll - out routine 400 starts at an entry point , which is a terminal parent node of a linked list of parent matrix ( step 410 ). all subsequent steps shown in fig1 are identical regardless of whether the current node is a terminal node or another node of nested rollup matrices 240 . nested roll - out routine 400 next determines whether the parent node includes a pointer to a nested child matrix ( step 420 ). if not , then nested roll - out routine 400 reads the element stored in the current node ( step 430 ) and prepends it to a parent candidate tail . nested roll - out routine 400 , then determines whether the node includes a return pointer that would indicate completion of the parent candidate ( step 440 ). if not , then nested roll - out routine advances to the next node in the linked list ( step 450 ) and returns to step 420 . if a parent node includes a nested matrix pointer to a nested rollup matrix ( at step 410 ) then nested roll - out routine 400 proceeds to store in memory an address of the parent node that includes the nested matrix pointer ( step 460 ). nested roll - out routine 400 , then rolls out a child candidate from the nested child matrix ( step 470 ), prepends the child candidate to the parent candidate tail ( step 480 ). nested roll - out routine then restores the address of the last - read parent node , which was previously stored in memory and returns to the parent rollup function ( step 490 ), continuing on at the last read parent node . when a parent node includes a return pointer ( step 440 ), nested roll - out routine completes its assembly of parent candidate and processes it using dictionary process 500 . if the parent candidate passes the dictionary test , it is output . the nested roll - out function can be repeated for each terminal node of parent roll - out matrix to complete roll out of all parent candidates . it will be obvious to those having skill in the art that many changes may be made to the details of the above - described embodiments of this invention without departing from the underlying principles thereof . the scope of the present invention should , therefore , be determined only by the following claims . | 6Physics
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detailed embodiments of the instant invention are disclosed herein , however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention , which may be embodied in various forms . therefore , specific functional and structural details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for the claims and as representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure . referring now fig1 and 2 which shows a version illustrating the major components of the instant modular therapy frame device , or assembly , generally referred to as 10 . fig1 is right side view of a basic modular therapy device in the flexed position , wherein the modular frame assembly the can be either folded up or disassembled for easy transport and storage . the device 10 includes a proximal sling module 30 , a distal sling module 40 , a heel plate module 50 with wheel assembly comprising left and right wheels 53 , 54 and an operating system 63 with a motor 64 ( fig3 ) mounted to the distal sling module 40 , the motor 64 in communication with a controller 67 . fig2 is right side view of the same basic therapy device 10 shown in fig1 . fig2 illustrates a patient &# 39 ; s limb 73 within the device 10 , in the extended position . preferably , the modular components 30 , 40 of the frame are constructed of , albeit not limited to , a hollow rectangular box beams of lightweight materials , such as aluminum or thin gauge steel or plastic , which make it easy for the user to transport . in addition , other materials and shapes , having the requisite strength , rigidity and weight , may be utilized . one example of a means for connecting the modules 30 , 40 are illustrated in the exploded view in fig1 , which illustrates apertures formed along at least one of the ends the frame members which are constructed and arranged to cooperate with at least one pin 62 to form pivoting connections between modules 30 , 40 . however , the means for connecting the may be attached by bolts and nuts , bolt and coddle pins or any other similar means of removable connection known in the art . referring now to fig3 โ 4 , which illustrate the various components of the preferred embodiment of the present invention . the embodiment shown in fig3 - 9 , is preferred as it is lighter and less cumbersome and may be used with the patient in the sitting position . the device 10 of this embodiment weights about 14 pounds and folds into a transportable package of about 12 inches by about 14 inches . at the distal sling module 40 , a cross member 47 is attached at each end to two elongated rods 41 , 42 which extend parallel along the distal portion of the patient &# 39 ; s limb during flexing of the joint . at least one adjustable or permanent lower support means 43 extends between the two elongated rods 41 , 42 to cradle the lower portion of the patient &# 39 ; s limb as the two elongated rods 41 , 42 pivot through a preselected range of motion . the opposite ends of the elongated rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module 40 can be either pivotally connected to the lower end of elongated beams 31 , 32 of the proximal sling module 30 , using any removable connection means 62 , shown here as , albeit not limited to , a removable pin ( fig5 , 6 ). otherwise , the elongated rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module 40 are pivotally connected to distal module extensions 75 , which telescope into the ends of the elongated beams 31 , 32 of the proximal sling module 30 . if the elongated rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module 40 are pivotally connected to distal module extensions 75 , then distal ends of the elongated beams 31 , 32 of the proximal module 30 have at least one of aperture or detent 44 a for cooperating with spring loaded buttons located on two extensions 75 connected to the distal sling module 40 . the two extensions 75 telescope into the ends of the elongated beams 31 , 32 of the proximal sling module 30 . these cooperating fasteners permit the precise adjustment in length to virtually any limb , such as , knee to hip length . similarly , the distal ends of the elongated rods 41 , 42 of the distal module 40 have a series of apertures or detents 44 b for cooperating with spring loaded buttons on the heel plate module 50 . the heel plate module 50 has two extensions 51 which telescope into the ends of the rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module 40 . these cooperating fasteners permit the adjustment in length to fit limbs of different height , for example , the length from knee to foot . the proximal sling module 30 and / or a distal sling module 40 can each include at least one adjustable upper support means . although not limited to , the embodiments of fig3 - 9 , illustrate two separate support means 36 , 37 , 48 , 49 to provide pressure to the upper portions of the patient &# 39 ; s limb to achieve the maximum possible extension , similar to the manual techniques employed by most physical therapists . the adjustable upper support means 36 , 37 , 48 , 49 can be removably or permanently attached to the proximal sling module 30 and / or distal sling module 40 by any means of attachment ( not shown ) known in the art , i . e ., adhesives , rivets , or the like . moreover , the removable , adjustable upper support members 36 , 37 , 48 , 49 can be any made into any length along the longitudinal axis of the elongated beams 31 , 32 and / or elongated rods 41 , 42 . this is advantageous since after most post - operative situations , more pressure along the upper portion of proximal and / or distal portion of the patient &# 39 ; s limb is desired . thus , a longer upper support member 36 , 37 , 48 , 49 is needed , as shown in fig7 . however , during the physician prescribed period of use of the instant cpm device , the longer upper support member 36 , 37 , 48 , 49 can be removed and replaced with thinner upper support members , that will provide less pressure along the upper portion of the patient &# 39 ; s limb . the upper support means 36 , 37 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 49 can be constructed of a rigid , semi - rigid material or a composite , for example , aluminum , thin gauge steel or plastic . in addition , other materials and shapes , having the requisite strength , rigidity and weight , may be utilized , ( i . e . leather , nylon , or the like ). in cpm , the patient exerts no active resistance to the movement of the patient &# 39 ; s limb nor is there any positive muscular contractions . the lower support material 43 , 45 must be constructed from a material strong enough to carry the weight of the patient &# 39 ; s limb , for example , flexible cloth , film or relatively stiff sheet . additionally , the adjustable upper and / or lower support means 36 , 37 , 43 , 45 , 48 , 49 can include an inner lining , or padding , which is in direct contact with the patient and will provide additional comfort and protect the patient &# 39 ; s limb from irritation and / or chaffing during cpm movement . fig5 is left side view of the modular therapy device 10 of fig3 โ 4 in the flexed position , wherein the modular frame assembly is in the process of being folded for easy transport and storage . fig6 is left side view of the same therapy device 10 shown in fig3 โ 4 in the extended position . fig8 . is left side view of the modular therapy device 10 of fig3 โ 4 in with the wheel assembly 53 , 54 in contact with the floor surface , for a patient in a sitting position . in the less preferred embodiment depicted in fig1 โ 16 , wherein like elements are number consistently throughout , the device 10 includes a proximal sling module 30 , a distal sling module 40 , a base module 20 with an adjustable link 79 , a heel plate module 50 and an operating system , i . e . power assist system , comprising at least a motor 64 and controller 67 . the base module 20 serves to support the device 10 on a surface such as a floor , table , or bed . the base 20 has an elongated shape constructed and arranged for being placed horizontally on a surface . in one preferred embodiment of the base 20 , the proximal portion 82 of the base 20 includes arms 22 , 23 that are pivotally connected to the proximal sling module 30 via any connection means known in the art , i . e . pin 90 . like the previous embodiment , the proximal sling module 30 supports the patient &# 39 ; s thigh or upper arm during operation of the device 10 . the distal portion 24 of the base 20 can include lateral extensions 25 to increase stability . though not shown in fig1 , the extensions 25 may be completely removed from the distal portion 24 . moreover , the extensions 25 are laterally adjustable via retainers 26 to secure the extensions in a selected position . the retainers 26 may be spring biased protrusions in the distal portion 24 cooperating with apertures 26 in the extensions or a series of apertures in both the extensions and the bottom through which pins may be inserted ( not shown ). as illustrated in the exploded view of fig1 , the base 20 includes a shaft portion 80 which joins the proximal 82 and distal 24 ends of the base 20 . in one embodiment , the shaft 80 of the base 20 is bifurcated into legs 27 , 28 connecting the distal end 24 to the arms 22 , 23 . the legs 27 , 28 of the shaft 80 have a series of apertures 29 for selective pivoting connection of the adjustable link 79 . the distal sling module 40 is connected to the base 20 by via the adjustable link 79 which is variable in length by telescoping components 32 , 33 selectively positionable by retainers 34 similar to those on extensions 25 . preferably , the adjustable link 79 is centered between the legs 27 , 28 and pivotably connected to the base 20 by a pin 84 extending through both legs 27 , 28 and the end of the pin 84 . the other end of the link 79 is pivotably connected to the distal sling module 40 by another pin 35 extending through bracket 86 connected to cross member 47 , shown in fig1 โ 13 . similar to the previous embodiment of fig3 โ 8 , the cross member 47 of fig1 โ 14 is attached at each end to two elongated rods 41 , 42 which extend parallel along the distal portion of a patient &# 39 ; s limb during flexing of the joint . a support material 43 extends between the two elongated rods 41 , 42 to carry the limb as the elongated rods pivot through a preselected range of motion . the material 43 may be flexible cloth , film , or a relatively stiff sheet . as illustrated in fig1 , the distal ends of the elongated rods 41 , 42 have a series of apertures or detents 44 b for cooperating with spring loaded buttons on the heel plate module 50 . the heel plate module 50 has two extensions 51 which telescope into the ends of the rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module . these cooperating fasteners permit the adjustment in length to fit limbs of different height . the opposite ends of the elongated rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module 40 are pivotally connected to the lower end of elongated beams 31 , 32 using removable any removable connection means 62 , shown here as , albeit not limited to , a removable pin ( fig1 ). otherwise , the elongated rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module 40 are pivotally connected to distal module extensions 75 , which telescope into the ends of the elongated beams 31 , 32 of the proximal sling module 30 . the patient &# 39 ; s joint to be flexed will be situated adjacent this pivotal connection means 62 with the proximal portion of the limb supported by the proximal sling module 30 . elongated beams 31 , 32 extends along each side of the patient &# 39 ; s limb with a lower support material 45 between the elongated beams 31 , 32 supporting the proximal portion of the limb . if the elongated rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module 40 are pivotally connected to distal module extensions 75 , then the distal ends of the elongated beams 31 , 32 have a series of apertures or detents 44 a for cooperating with spring loaded buttons on the distal module extensions 75 , as they telescope into the ends of the elongated beams 31 , 32 . these cooperating fasteners permit the precise adjustment in length to virtually any limb , such as , knee to hip length . similarly , the distal ends of the elongated rods 41 , 42 have a series of apertures or detents 44 b for cooperating with spring loaded buttons on the heel plate module 50 . the heel plate module 50 has two extensions 51 which telescope into the ends of the rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module . these cooperating fasteners permit the adjustment in length to fit limbs of different height , for example , the length from knee to foot . although not shown in fig1 - 14 , the proximal sling module 30 and / or a distal sling module 40 can each include an adjustable upper support means 36 , 37 , 48 , 49 to provide pressure to the upper portions of the patient &# 39 ; s limb . the adjustable upper support means 36 , 37 , 48 , 49 can be removably or permanently attached to the proximal sling module 30 and / or distal sling module 40 by any means of attachment ( not shown ) known in the art , i . e ., adhesives , rivets , or the like . moreover , the removable , adjustable upper support members 36 , 37 , 48 , 49 can be any constructed into any length along the longitudinal axis of the elongated beams 31 , 32 and / or elongated rods 41 , 42 . the upper support means 36 , 37 , 45 , 46 , 48 , 49 can be constructed of a rigid , semi - rigid material or a composite , for example , aluminum , thin gauge steel or plastic . in addition , other materials and shapes , having the requisite strength , rigidity and weight , may be utilized , ( i . e . leather , nylon , or the like ). the lower support material 43 , 45 must be constructed from a material strong enough to carry the weight of the patient &# 39 ; s limb , for example , flexible cloth , film or relatively stiff sheet . additionally , the adjustable upper and / or lower support means 36 , 37 , 43 , 45 , 48 , 49 can include an inner lining , or padding , that will provide comfort and protect the patient &# 39 ; s limb from irritation or chaffing during movement . as illustrated in fig1 , the operating system , or , power assist device can include , albeit not limited to , a low powered ( i . e . about 10 to about 20 vdc ), hi - torque linear actuator 63 , having a motor 64 mounted to the upper end of the distal sling module rod 42 . the linear actuator 63 comprises a motor output shaft 65 and a complementary power transfer part , shown here as , albeit not limited to , a circular , or worm , gear 66 fixed by the pin 62 to elongated beam 31 as shown in fig1 . the linear actuator 63 can comprise any means for providing power , for example , stepper motor or the like . an optical or mechanical encoder ( not shown ) may be used for the precise control of the linear actuator 63 . the rotation of the output shaft 65 causes the circular gear 66 to turn which moves the distal sling module 40 relative to the proximal sling module 30 . the motor 64 is operatively connected through either elongated rods 41 , 42 with the controller 67 . the controller 67 can be as simple as an off / on switch or include a programmable system which can include a speed control means for the motor 64 . such other features which may be included into the controller 67 include , a timer for session duration , repetitions over time , and length of throw of the worm gear 66 controlling angle of flex . also , a safety circuit may produce a signal , ( i . e . audio or visual or both ), if there is an extension beyond the programmed parameters . additionally , the controller 67 and / or linear actuator 63 may be powered by any means for supplying power known to the skilled artisan . for example , the controller 67 and / or linear actuator 63 may include a battery pack ( not shown ) and be connected to the motor 63 through interior portion of either elongated rods 41 , 42 or preferably by a wireless remote 68 , ( i . e . rf , ir , etc . ), shown in fig1 . the wireless remote 68 is preferred to obviate the possibility of entangling the operating system with the bed clothes or any moving parts of the device 10 . a wireless receptor ( not shown ) may be on the controller 67 or directly on the motor 64 . although not limit to , the controller 67 is mounted on the heel plate module 50 in fig1 โ 14 . preferable , the heel plate module 50 has a flange 88 for supporting the extremity of the patient &# 39 ; s limb to assist in the proper location of the patient &# 39 ; s limb in the device . the flange 88 is mounted on an axle 52 intermediate a set of wheels 53 , 54 , one at each end of the axle 52 . the extension 51 is mounted near each wheel 53 , 54 normal to the axle 52 . as previously discussed above , the ends of the extensions 51 are adjustably telescoped into the ends of the elongated rods 41 , 42 of the distal sling module 40 . thus , the heel plate 50 and the distal sling module 40 may be further adjusted to comfortably conform to the length of the patient &# 39 ; s limb . to perform cpm on a patient &# 39 ; s knee , for example , the patient is supine and the patient &# 39 ; s leg is placed on the device 10 so that the thigh supported by the proximal lower support mean 45 and the calf supported by the distal lower support means 43 with the knee adjacent the pivot point between the distal sling module 40 and the proximal sling module 30 , as shown in fig2 . the proximal sling module 30 is then strapped to the patient &# 39 ; s limb with appropriately sized proximal upper support means 36 , 37 . the distal sling module 40 is fastened about the calf with distal upper support means 48 , 49 . in this position , the wheels 53 , 54 are in contact with a supporting surface , such as the floor , so that the wheels move across the surface in response to the actuation of the linear actuator 63 ( fig8 ). the articulation of this embodiment is similar to that shown in fig3 , 4 of the first embodiment and fig1 , 13 of the second embodiment . next , the controller 67 is programed , as desired , and the motor 64 is energized . as the linear actuator 63 moves the proximal sling module 40 relative to the distal sling module 30 , the patient &# 39 ; s leg can achieve a full range of motion , for example , albeit not limited to , about โ 30 degrees to about + 155 degrees . in addition , a track or rail system can be included on either of aforementioned embodiments of the instant device to provide unobstructed movement of the wheels 53 , 54 , either across the floor or across other surfaces , such as rumpled sheets on a bed , ( fig9 ). in one preferred embodiment , the track is formed as a c - shaped channel 71 , 72 enclosing each wheel . the tracks 71 , 72 may or may not be joined by cross ties ( not shown ) and the tracks 71 , 72 may or may not be flexible . the length of the tracks 71 , 72 is commensurate with the distance the wheels 53 , 54 move in response to the operation of the linear actuator 63 . it is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated , it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings / figures . one skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned , as well as those inherent therein . the embodiments , methods , procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments , are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope . changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims . although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments , it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments . indeed , various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims . | 0Human Necessities
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embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings , where like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views . reference to various embodiments does not limit the scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto . although many of the examples described herein refer to file systems and searchable indexing of the file system , the indexing methods are not limited to file systems . the described indexing system and method is equally applicable to any other application program , database , service , or system that may benefit from an indexing service , including but not limited to : email applications , databases , contact managers , help systems , file services , web content servers , web page hosting services and search tools generally . the examples set forth in this specification are not intended to be limiting and merely set forth some of the many possible embodiments for the claimed invention . with reference to fig1 , an example system for implementing the invention includes a computing device , such as computing device 100 . in a very basic configuration , computing device 100 typically includes at least one processing unit 102 and system memory 104 . depending on the exact configuration and type of computing device , system memory 104 may be volatile ( such as ram ), non - volatile ( such as rom , flash memory , etc .) or some combination of the two . system memory 104 typically includes an operating system 105 , one or more applications 106 , and may include program data 107 . in one embodiment , application 106 may include a user interface such as a search tool , a query process , an index service , an email application program , a contact manager program , a database program , a file system service , or some other service , process or program 120 . this basic configuration is illustrated in fig1 by those components within dashed line 108 . computing device 100 may have additional features or functionality . for example , computing device 100 may also include additional data storage devices ( removable and / or non - removable ) such as , for example , magnetic disks , optical disks , or tape . such additional storage is illustrated in fig1 by removable storage 109 and non - removable storage 110 . computer storage media may include volatile and nonvolatile , removable and non - removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information , such as computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules , or other data . system memory 104 , removable storage 109 and non - removable storage 110 are all examples of computer storage media . computer storage media includes , but is not limited to , ram , rom , eeprom , flash memory or other memory technology , cd - rom , digital versatile disks ( dvd ) or other optical storage , magnetic cassettes , magnetic tape , magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices , or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by computing device 100 . any such computer storage media may be part of device 100 . computing device 100 may also have input device ( s ) 112 such as keyboard , mouse , pen , voice input device , touch input device , etc . output device ( s ) 114 such as a display , speakers , printer , etc . may also be included . computing device 100 may also contain communication connections 116 that allow the device to communicate with other computing devices 118 , such as over a network . communication connection 116 is one example of communication media . communication media may typically be embodied by computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules , or other data in a modulated data signal , such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism , and includes any information delivery media . the term โ modulated data signal โ means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal . by way of example , and not limitation , communication media includes wired media such as a wired network or direct - wired connection , and wireless media such as acoustic , rf , infrared and other wireless media . the term computer readable media as used herein includes both storage media and communication media . fig2 illustrates a query system that is arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention . in a simplest implementation , the system employs a query process and an index process . the index process may be logically divided into a data store and an indexing service . in one implementation , the data store and the indexing service may be logical partitions that are located within a single program module . in another implementation , the data store and the indexing service are located in separate modules on a single computing device . in still another implementation , the data store and the indexing service are located in separate modules on separate computing devices . in yet another implementation , the data store and the indexing services are located on different virtual machines such as a client and host within the same physical computing device . the query process receives index request 201 from a user through a user interface or some other configuration that is configurable by a user . the query process processes index request 201 and interacts with the data store ( e . g ., retrieving data through request 202 ) to determine if all of the items within index request are currently indexed and up - to - date . when the index request is not currently up - to - date , the query process notifies the indexing service to begin indexing the identified index request through notification 203 . the query process communicates with the data store to retrieve initial results 204 , which are already indexed and up - to - date . initial results 204 are received by the query process and returned to the user as data 205 , which can be retrieved and displayed on an user interface such as a graphical display . when the currently indexed items from the data store are incomplete with respect to the full scope of the index request , additional indexing must be performed . in this instance , the indexing service enumerates items that have not yet been indexed ( or are stale ) and initiates indexing for every remaining item . batch processing is used by the indexing service to break the remaining items into groups such that partial indexing results can be retrieved until all of the items are indexed . the indexing service communicates indexing results 206 to the data store as they are completed , and sends notifications 207 to the query process as each batch is completed . the query process retrieves batch index results 208 from the data store after receiving notification of batch completion . the query process returns the batch processing results to the user as data 209 , which can also be retrieved and displayed on the user interface . batch indexing continues until either all batches are processed or the indexing process is terminated . queries result in searchable / reviewable indexes faster than those observed in other conventional implementations . the indexes are created dynamically such that the partially indexed results are displayed while the remaining indexing continues ( e . g ., in a background process ). query results for previously indexed documents are reused , and supplemented with the additional dynamic indexing methods described above . the indexing process is typically configured to execute on a client machine . the client machine may be configured to operate as a virtual machine that serves as both client and host / server for various purposes . the items that are indexed can be physically located on the client machine , on a host machine ( either the same physical machine as the client or a different machine ), and / or across one or more networked system ( e . g ., lan , wan , uwan , etc .). the items that can be indexed can consist of any data , document , executable , or any other information that can exist in a searchable system . example items include program objects , macros , scripts , word processing documents , text documents , spreadsheet documents , graphical images , data files , email files , contact databases , or any other appropriate form of stored information that may exist on the system . the indexing query to the query process may designate a scope such that a limited portion of the searchable space ( e . g ., a portion of a file system , a user &# 39 ; s emails , a groups project workspace , etc .) is searched for a particular query . efficiency of the indexing process is improved by implementing batched indexing rather than handling single documents at a time . the batch size can be adjusted so that the trickling in of indexing results is more frequent and the overall user experience is enhanced . results for each batch are returned to the query process . the process is continued until the index is up - to - date with respect to the selected scope . the data store can consist of a database , a data construct such as a table , or any other appropriate mechanism that can store information that relate items within the specified scope to indexing key terms . in general , the data store can be any data construct that includes a persistent queue that tracks changes to the items in the specified scope . fig3 is a diagram illustrating a sequence of processing flows in another example query indexing system that is arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention . the example processing flow is divided into three logical processing portions , namely , a user interface , a query process , and an index process . in example implementations the query process , index process and user interface may be combined into a single module , or separated into further logical partitions . the example process flow illustrated in fig3 includes two queries that have two separate designated scopes ( scope 1 , and scope 2 ). initially , an indexing query is initiated through a user interface such as a search engine . each indexing query has a limited search domain ( e . g ., a particular portion of the file system , a user access area , etc .) that is designated as the โ scope โ of the search . in a first example , an indexing query ( initiate query 1 ) is communicated from the user interface to the query process , where the indexing query is bound by search scope 1 . the query process in turn sends a request for an index ( request index ) to the index process using search terms ( e . g ., text strings ) from the request over the designated search scope ( scope 1 ). the index process checks for an existing index ( check index ) for the query ( query 1 ) within the designated scope ( scope 1 ). for this first example , the search terms ( or key terms ) that were included in the query ( query 1 ) are fully indexed within the selected scope ( scope 1 ), and the index process returns the complete search results ( complete results ) to the query process . the query process in turn sends the indexing results to the user interface , which can display the indexing results ( display results ). in a second example , a second indexing query ( initiate query 2 ) is communicated from the user interface to the query process , where the second indexing query is bound by search scope 2 . the query process again sends the request for an index ( request index ) to the index process using search terms ( e . g ., text strings ) from the request over the designated search scope ( now scope 2 ). the index process checks for an existing index ( check index ) for the query ( query 2 ) within the designated scope ( scope 2 ). for this second example , the search terms ( or key terms ) that were included in the query ( query 2 ) are not fully indexed within the selected scope ( scope 2 ), and the index process returns partial search results ( partial results ) to the query process . the query process in turn sends the partial indexing results to the user interface for display ( display partial results ). the partial results corresponds to previously indexed items from a previous indexing operation . recognizing that the indexing results are not complete , the index process initiates a batched indexing procedure to handle the indexing of the remaining items within the selected scope ( scope 2 ). in general terms , the batching procedure applies rules to the remaining items and creates groupings of these items for indexing . example batching procedures will later be described in further detail . as each batch of indexes are completed the batch results ( e . g ., batch 1 results , batch 2 results , . . . , batch n results ) are reported to the query process . as the batch results are received , the display on the user interface ( if applicable ) is updated to indicate the additionally indexed items . fig4 is a diagram illustrating a sequence of processing flows in still another query indexing system that is arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention . the example processing flow is divided into three logical processing portions , namely , a query process , a data store ( e . g ., the winfs data structures ), and an index service . in other example implementations , the query process , data store and index service may be combined into a single module , or separated into further logical partitions . in a third example , and indexing query ( initiate query 3 ) is communicated to the query process through some sort of user interaction , where the indexing query is bound by another search scope ( scope 3 ). the query process in turn communicates with the data store ( e . g ., an sql request to a database ) to determine if the query and the selected scope ( query 3 , scope 3 ) is current . for this third example , the data store does not include an index for the query over the selected scope and the data store communicates with the index service to request indexing ( request index ), which is then initiated with a batched indexing process . the data store also returns an out - of - date indicator ( out - of - date ) to the query process along with an identifier ( e . g ., query id = qid 3 ) corresponding to the requested indexing ( query 3 , scope 3 ). the query process can then registers for notifications with the data store for all indexing results that are associated with the query index ( qid 3 ), and sends a request to the data store for the indexing results ( query results ). the data store communicates with the index service ( request index ) to request and receive results ( partial results ) related to the query index ( qid 3 ). the partial results are retrieved by the query process from the data store for further processing and / or display ( display ). recognizing that the indexing results are not complete , the index process initiates a batched indexing procedure to handle the indexing of the remaining items within the selected scope ( scope 3 ). as each batch of indexes are completed the batch results ( batch results ) are reported to the query process with reference to a batch identifier ( batch id = bid 1 , bid 2 , . . . , bidn ). once the batch results are received by the data store , a notification is communicated to the query process ( batch done ) that indicates the query id ( qid 3 ) and the batch id ( bidx ) for the completed batch . once notified of completion , the query process can request retrieval of the specified batch results . after all batches are processed , the data store notifies the query process that the last batch is completed and retrieval of the final batched indexing results can be retrieved by the query process from the data store . the query process can then terminate the registration with the data store or simply drop the logical connection handle . the format that is employed for storing indexing information in the data store is unimportant . data structures , data bases , and other specific data types can be arranged to provide sufficient information to index items according to text strings , as well as other information such as locations with the item ( e . g ., a position within a word processing document ). for illustration purposes , the following table is provided to illustrate the types of indexing information that can be stored therein : the scope and version stamp associated with each item can be found in another data table such as illustrated below . for this example , the scope is determined according to relative file path names , http addresses , or absolute file path names . the version stamp can be used by the various processes to determine if a particular document has been modified using a procedure such as a hash of the document or item , a creation / revision date and time , or some other criteria to identify the version of the item . a version table can be employed to track the current version of the item , while a history table can be employed to track the current version of the item that is indexed in the index table . example process flows are illustrated by way of fig5 - 10 . each of the process flows can be configured to operate a separate process that is running in a multi - tasking or multi - threaded environment , or as integrated processes . fig5 . is a diagram illustrating processing flows in an example query process , arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention . the query process may be idle until it either receives a query , or until a notification related to a previous query is received . when a notification is received by the query process , the query process reviews the notification and queries for the results from another process based on the batch id ( bid ). when a query is received by the query process , the query process initiates a scope check for the query to determine whether or not the indexes for the selected scope are out - of - date . when the scope is out - of - date , the query process registers for notification and initiates batch processing in another process . after registration , or when the scope is up - to - date , the query process requests index results for any partial results that may be available and returns those results . fig6 is a diagram illustrating processing flows in an example scope check process , arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention . the scope check process is idle until a query is received . upon receipt of a query , the scope check process identifies the scope ( e . g ., pathname ) found in the request and determines if the items in the selected scope are out - of - date . each item has an associated version number , as well as the historical version number that corresponds to the version number that was used to create the last indexing associated with the item . when any one of the items has a difference in the indexed version number and the current version number , the index is out - of - date with respect to that item . the out - of - date items are identified , sorted into priority queues , assigned a query id ( qid ) for indexing , and a notification is returned indicting that items are out - of - date . when all of the indexed versions and the current versions are the same , a notification is returned indicating that the items are up - to - date . fig7 is a diagram illustrating processing flows in an example query results process , arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention . the query results process is idle until a query is received . upon receipt of a query , the query results process retrieves the queue index associated ( qid ) with the query the scope , and determines if the query indicates a batch process . when the queue index does not indicate at batch process ( no bid ), notification is returned to indicate that the results are up - to - date . for queue indexes that indicate a batch process , the priority queues for the identified batch process ( qid , bid ) are evaluated and the batch results are returned with reference to the batch identifier ( bid ). fig8 is a diagram illustrating processing flows in an example batch process , arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention . the batch process is idle until a notification registration is requested . after the registration request is received , a batching heuristic is applied to the items in the selected scope to determine a groupings of items for indexing . each grouping is indexed according to the query identifier ( qid ) and a batch identifier ( bid ), and a notification of the completion of the batching process is returned . after all of the items in the requested query are batched , the batch process returns to the idle state . fig9 is a diagram illustrating processing flows in an example create index process , arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention . a batch identifier ( bid ) is created and the queues from the batching process is evaluated for highest priority items . indexing is initiated for all of the items in the highest priority batches until all batches are processed . fig1 is a diagram illustrating processing flows for an initiate indexing process , arranged in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention . each item associated with the batch identifier ( bid ) is indexed in turn until all items are indexed . notification is returned when the batch is completely indexed . the above specification , examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention . since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention , the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended . | 6Physics
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the first preferred embodiment of the wall - attached plumbing connector of this invention is generally indicated at 10 in fig1 and 3 . the connector 10 comprises a wall plate 12 which is rectangular or square in configuration , as shown in fig2 . the wall plate has fastener holes 14 , 16 , 18 and 20 adjacent its four corners . the fastener holes are spaced an appropriate distance for attachment to the building structure to which it is attached . in one preferred embodiment , holes 14 , 16 , 18 , and 20 are equally spaced three inches apart from one another . in addition to those fastener holes , additional holes can be provided as would be appropriate for particular installations . the wall plate 12 carries indicia 22 which indicates the up direction for reasons which are described below . while wall plate 12 in a preferred embodiment is shown as a substantially square structure , it will be obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that the shape of wall plate 12 can be highly application specific . accordingly , the principles of the present invention specifically contemplate the formation of wall plate 12 as any geometric shape required for a given application . such shapes include , but are not limited to triangles , squares , rectangles , regular and irregular polygons , circles , arcs , circular sections , ellipses , and elliptical sections . connector tube 24 has an opening therethrough and extends out of both sides of the wall plate , as seen in fig1 . the outside of the wall plate is the side seen in fig2 which carries the indicia thereon . the inside portion 26 of the connector tube extends inward from plate 12 , and the outside portion 28 extends outward from plate 12 . the inside portion 26 of the connector tube defines an inner surface to receive a connecting plumbing fitting . the surface may be threaded for insertion of pipes or nipples , or may be slip - fit for soldered copper or glued synthetic polymer tube to be attached . the outside portion 28 is similar and has a female threaded surface 30 for the introduction of a nipple , pipe or the like . the exterior of the outside portion is a hexagonal surface 32 to which a wrench can be applied to counteract applied torque during the insertion and removal of a threaded pipe into the threaded surface 30 . the wall - attached plumbing connector 10 provides a rigid mounting through walls for plumbing systems during the fabrication stage of construction by mounting to the framing members which can be horizontally or vertically constructed for attachment of the invention . the connector 10 is particularly suited to be made of copper , chrome plate , brass , stainless steel , corrosion - resistant steel , and synthetic polymer composition material such as pvc and cpvc or other polymers . where connector 10 , and especially plate 12 thereof are formed of fire - proof , fire - retardant , or fire - resistant materials , ( such as brass or stainless steel ) connector 10 can further serve as a fire block at the point where the plumbing system effects the wall penetration . the connector comprises a wall mount that has an inner wall contacting surface and an outer portion of sufficient length to extend through a wall of predetermined thickness . the outer portion , which penetrates the wall sheathing , defines an inner and outer diameter sufficient for a pipe or fixture of predetermined diameter to be attached . in this manner , the inside portion and the outside portion , separated by a plate secured to the framing member , define a rigid plumbing passage through a wall to which can be soldered , glued or fitted , in any manner , a plumbing fixture or pipe by adapting variations of connections between the inner and outer tube portions . this would include , but not be limited to variations such as female to male threads , female thread to solder joint , male thread to solder joint , male thread to male thread , female thread to male thread , female threaded to female thread , etc . the connections are secured to the wall by a flange or plate 12 which is attached to the wall with screws or nails to the framing member . this provides backup or rigidity for installation and removal for repairs of a fixture or pipe from the finished side of a wall . the outside portion 28 of the connector tube 24 penetrates the sheathing 34 , as seen in fig3 . it includes a circumferential engagement portion so that the wall plate and stem can be secured for attachment of fixtures using something such as a hexagonal shaped circumference for engagement by a wrench or like device . in an alternative preferred embodiment , it is not necessary that the supply pipe extending into the inner wall connection and the pipe or fixture extending from the outer wall connection be of the same diameter . for example , a three - quarter inch supply line may be inserted into the inner wall connection , whereas a half - inch line may extend from the outer wall connection , with the plate securing the fittings to the framing separately and adapting the two size connectors together . fig3 shows the connector 10 installed on a wall . the wall has studs 36 onto the exterior of which is secured the sheathing 34 . before the sheathing is installed , the connector 10 is secured in place , as by nails 38 through the holes in the corner of the plate 12 . interiorly of the wall , the inside pipe 40 is attached to the inside portion 26 . the illustrated pipe is a soldered copper tubing . in such a case , the connector 10 is made of copper or brass to be compatible with the soldering connection . if the interior piping is of synthetic polymer composition material , then the inside portion 26 needs to be threaded to be connectable thereto or needs to be made of a material which is suitable for gluing thereto . the connector 10 is thus made of one piece of material , and the material is chosen to be compatible with the piping system . as is seen in fig3 the outside portion 28 extends through the sheathing 34 . when the exterior siding 42 is applied , a nipple or other extender is screwed into the exterior portion to protect the tube 24 and to provide a hole in the siding through which a fitting can be installed after completion of the siding . in the present case , hose bib 44 with an integral long nipple 46 is installed upon completion of the exterior siding 42 . in those cases where the fitting is to be used out through an exterior wall , such as to carry a hose bib , as illustrated in fig3 it is preferable that the inside and outside portions of the connector tube each be angled slightly downward with respect to the horizontal axis 48 . this is to permit drainage of both the interior and exterior plumbing with respect to plate 12 . as indicated in fig1 the axes of these portions each have about a 2 degree downslope with respect to the axis . for this reason , the indicia 22 is provided to make sure the connector is correctly installed . the connector 10 can also be used on an interior wall of the structure . it may be used to carry a shower arm and shower head . it may be used for installation of a toilet supply valve , or the like . the connector 50 shown in fig4 and 6 has the same wall plate with its fastener holes . it also has indicia 52 , which indicates the up direction . it has a connector tube 54 which has an interior portion 56 and exterior portion 58 . as contrasted to the connector 10 , the exterior portion 58 has screw threads 60 on the exterior thereof . the exterior portion 58 is sufficiently long with respect to the wall plate that the threaded portion extends out past the wall material 62 , which is secured to the studs over the plate of connector 50 . the screw - threaded portion 60 thus extends beyond the wall material . valve 64 can be threaded thereon to control outflow of liquid . this structure is particularly suitable for the water supply tube to a toilet , but can be employed in many other similar uses . in fig6 the valve 64 is shown in exploded position . as seen in fig4 both the interior and exterior portions of the connector tube are downsloped . in this way , a through - wall plumbing connector is securely affixed to the structure for rigid attachment on both sides of the plumbing connector . the plumbing connector is preferably made in a single part , such as by casting or molding . post casting machining may be required to clear the bore through the center , cut the threads , and / or machine a smooth cylindrical surface for the soldering of copper tube therein . the casting of the structure in a single piece is particularly useful when the inside portions and outside portions of the connector tube are not axially aligned , but are each aligned at 88 degrees with respect to the plane of the wall plate . however , the structure can be made of two parts . the connector tube can be fashioned , preferably with a flange in the proper location , and the connector tube can be inserted into an opening in the wall plate and soldered , brazed or welded therein . this invention has been described in its presently contemplated best modes , and it is clear that it is susceptible to numerous modifications , modes and embodiments within the ability of those skilled in the art and without the exercise of the inventive faculty . | 4Fixed Constructions
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the electronic data transfer system and method set forth herein provides a transparent use of bandwidth for transferring data along with efficient error recovery . using the invention , a large file may be transferred over a limited bandwidth connection without interfering with other traffic . this is accomplished by relinquishing the bandwidth whenever other traffic is present , such that the large file is received during the times when bandwidth is not being used . as soon as there is other traffic present contending for the bandwidth , the present invention yields to the other traffic . although surrendering the bandwidth frequently causes gaps in the data received , later acquisition of the missing data is accomplished in a bandwidth - efficient manner using error recovery . this error recovery of the present invention allows k pieces of lost data to be recovered by obtaining k plus a safety value ( k + safety value ) pieces of error correction data . the error recovery is achieved by constructing the error correction data in a novel manner , as described in detail below . by way of example , in a computer network environment a client can download from a server a large file having no latency constraint ( for example , the file is not a real - time audio or video stream ) without interfering with other applications running on the client . thus , if a user wants to use a browser application to surf the internet while downloading the large file , the invention will back off or stop altogether the downloading of the file . this avoids slowing down the user &# 39 ; s internet experience . if any packets of data are lost due to the backing off , the acquisition of the lost data is simple and efficient due the error recovery scheme used in the invention . the present invention includes an electronic data transfer system and method for transferring data using at least two signals . the first signal includes a data signal containing data to be transferred . this data is typically divided or segmented into discrete data . the second signal is an error correction signal containing error correction data for efficient error recovery . the error correction data includes a probabilistic weighted combination of the discrete data . if any one of the discrete data are lost during the transfer , each of one of the lost discrete data may be obtained by acquiring a small number ( relative to the number of discrete data ) of the error correction data . fig1 is a block diagram illustrating a general overview of the electronic data transfer system and method disclosed herein . in general , the electronic data transfer system 100 transmits data from a transmission unit 105 to one or more reception units ( reception unit ( 1 ) to reception unit ( m )). the data may be transferred in several ways , such as over the air , using a satellite , or through a wire . the electronic data transfer system 100 transmits the data such that any portion of the data lost in the transmission can be recovered by receiving a minimum amount of error correction data . specifically , the transmission unit 105 includes an error correction module 110 that generates a discrete error correction data 115 using a discrete data 120 . the discrete error correction data 115 and the discrete data 120 are designated as discrete because they are divided into separate segments ( such as packets used in a computer network ). the discrete data 120 is sent to a first transmission point 125 where the discrete data 120 is transmitted as a data signal 130 . similarly , the discrete error correction data 115 is sent to a second transmission point 135 where the discrete error correction data 115 is transmitted as an error correction signal 140 . the data signal 130 and the error correction signal 140 are transmitted on different channels or frequencies . in addition , each of the pieces of discrete data or discrete error correction data may be sent over different channels or frequencies . each of the reception units includes a transparent download module 145 and a data recovery module 150 . the transparent download module 145 manages the acquisition of the data signal 130 . the data recovery module 150 receives the error correction signal and uses the received error correction data to obtain any data missed during transmission . the data signal 130 is received by reception unit ( 1 ) using a first reception point 155 and the error correction signal 140 is received using a second reception point 160 . reception unit ( 2 ) receives the data signal 130 using a third reception point 165 and the error correction signal 140 using a fourth reception point 170 . similarly , reception unit ( m ) receives the data signal 130 using a ( m โ 1 ) th reception point 175 and the error correction signal 140 using a m - th reception point 180 . as shown in fig1 , depending on the need , each of the reception units can received either the data signal 130 , the error correction signal 140 , or both . for example , reception unit ( 1 ) is obtaining the discrete data 120 by listening to the first reception point 155 and receiving the data signal 130 . reception unit ( 2 ) is receiving the data signal 130 and the error correction signal 140 . reception unit ( m ) is only receiving the error correction signal by listening to the m - th reception point 180 . this situation may occur if reception unit ( m ) had previously downloaded the data signal 130 and had not received all of the discrete data 120 . reception unit ( m ) is listening to the error correction signal to obtain the lost discrete data . fig2 is a block diagram illustrating a network data transfer system 200 , which is an implementation of the electronic data transfer system and method of fig1 in a computer network environment . the network data transfer system 200 includes a server computing device 205 , which is an example of the transmission unit 105 of fig1 ) and a plurality of client computing devices ( client computing device ( 1 ) to client computing device ( p )), which are example of the reception units of fig1 . the server computing device 205 serves data to the client computing devices upon request . the server computing device 205 and the client computing devices communicate over a network 208 . the server computing device 205 includes the discrete data 120 and a data socket 210 for transmitting the discrete data 120 . in addition , the server computing device 205 includes the discrete error correction data 115 and an error correction socket for transmitting the discrete error correction data 115 . the discrete error correction data 115 includes a weighted combination of the discrete data and allows a client computing device to obtain recover missing data packets in an efficient manner . the discrete data 120 and the discrete error correction data 115 are divided into discrete pieces , such as packets of data for sending over the network 208 . the data socket 210 and the error correction socket 215 allow the client computing devices to subscribe and obtain the discrete data 120 and discrete error correction data 115 sent by the server computing device . the server computing device 205 also includes the error correction module 110 generating the discrete error correction data 115 . each of the client computing devices includes the transparent download module 145 , for downloading from the server computing device 205 in a transparent manner , and the data recovery module 150 , for recovering missing pieces of the discrete data 120 from the discrete error correction data 115 . client computing device ( 1 ) is shown listening ( or subscribing ) to the data socket 210 for obtaining the discrete data 120 . client computing device ( 2 ) is shown subscribing to both the data socket 210 and the error correction socket 215 for obtaining both discrete data 120 and discrete error correction data 115 . client computing device ( p ) is shown subscribing only to the error correction socket 215 to obtain the discrete error correction data 115 . the network data transfer system 200 shown in fig2 is designed to operate in a computing environment . the follow discussion is intended to provide a brief , general description of a suitable computing environment in which the invention may be implemented . fig3 is a block diagram illustrating a computing apparatus suitable for use with the network data transfer system shown in fig2 . although not required , the invention will be described in the general context of computer - executable instructions , such as program modules , being executed by a computer . generally , program modules include routines , programs , objects , components , data structures , etc . that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types . moreover , those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced with a variety of computer system configurations , including personal computers , server computers , hand - held devices , multiprocessor systems , microprocessor - based or programmable consumer electronics , network pcs , minicomputers , mainframe computers , and the like . the invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network . in a distributed computing environment , program modules may be located on both local and remote computer storage media including memory storage devices . with reference to fig3 , an exemplary system for implementing the invention includes a general - purpose computing device 300 , where the server computing device 205 and the client computing devices shown in fig2 are examples of the general - purpose computing device 300 . in particular , the computing device 300 includes the processing unit 302 , a system memory 304 , and a system bus 306 that couples various system components including the system memory 304 to the processing unit 302 . the system bus 306 may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller , a peripheral bus , and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures . the system memory includes read only memory ( rom ) 310 and random access memory ( ram ) 312 . a basic input / output system ( bios ) 314 , containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computing device 300 , such as during start - up , is stored in rom 310 . the computing device 300 further includes a hard disk drive 316 for reading from and writing to a hard disk , not shown , a magnetic disk drive 318 for reading from or writing to a removable magnetic disk 320 , and an optical disk drive 322 for reading from or writing to a removable optical disk 324 such as a cd - rom or other optical media . the hard disk drive 316 , magnetic disk drive 328 and optical disk drive 322 are connected to the system bus 306 by a hard disk drive interface 326 , a magnetic disk drive interface 328 and an optical disk drive interface 330 , respectively . the drives and their associated computer - readable media provide nonvolatile storage of computer readable instructions , data structures , program modules and other data for the computing device 300 . although the exemplary environment described herein employs a hard disk , a removable magnetic disk 320 and a removable optical disk 324 , it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of computer readable media that can store data that is accessible by a computer , such as magnetic cassettes , flash memory cards , digital video disks , bernoulli cartridges , random access memories ( rams ), read - only memories ( roms ), and the like , may also be used in the exemplary operating environment . a number of program modules may be stored on the hard disk , magnetic disk 320 , optical disk 324 , rom 310 or ram 312 , including an operating system 332 , one or more application programs 334 , other program modules 336 and program data 338 . a user ( not shown ) may enter commands and information into the computing device 300 through input devices such as a keyboard 340 and a pointing device 342 ( such as a mouse ). in addition , other input devices ( not shown ) may be connected to the computing device 300 including , for example , a microphone , joystick , game pad , satellite dish , scanner , or the like . these other input devices are often connected to the processing unit 302 through a serial port interface 344 that is coupled to the system bus 306 , but may be connected by other interfaces , such as a parallel port , a game port or a universal serial bus ( usb ). a monitor 346 , such as a display device , is also connected to the system bus 306 via an interface , such as a video adapter 348 . in addition to the monitor 346 , computing devices such as personal computers typically include other peripheral output devices ( not shown ), such as speakers and printers . the computing device 300 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers , such as a remote computer 350 . the remote computer 350 may be another personal computer , a server , a router , a network pc , a peer device or other common network node , and typically includes many or all of the elements described above relative to the computing device 300 , although only a memory storage device 352 has been illustrated in fig3 . the logical connections depicted in fig3 include a local area network ( lan ) 354 and a wide area network ( wan ) 356 . such networking environments are commonplace in offices , enterprise - wide computer networks , intranets and the internet . when used in a lan networking environment , the computing device 300 is connected to the local network 354 through a network interface or adapter 358 . when used in a wan networking environment , the computing device 300 typically includes a modem 360 or other means for establishing communications over the wide area network 356 , such as the internet . the modem 360 , which may be internal or external , is connected to the system bus 306 via the serial port interface 344 . in a networked environment , program modules depicted relative to the computing device 300 , or portions thereof , may be stored in the remote memory storage device 352 . it will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used . fig4 is a detailed block / flow diagram illustrating data transfer between a client computing device and several server computing devices using the network data transfer system and method . in general , a client computing device 400 , which is an example of the client computing devices shown in fig2 , subscribes to different streams of data transmitted by a server computing devices ( server computing device ( 1 ) to server computing device ( y ). the client computing device 400 and the server computing devices communicate through a network connection 410 . the client computing device 400 includes the transparent download module 145 and the data recover module 150 . the transparent download module 145 includes a plurality of channel downloaders ( channel downloader ( 1 ) to channel downloader ( x )). the channel downloaders connect ( or subscribe ) to a particular data stream being sent by a server computing device to download data . the downloading of the data is under the control of a policy manager 420 , located on the transparent download module 145 , which controls each of the channel downloaders . the policy manager 420 determines how many of the channel downloaders should be active at any time based on congestion in the network connection 410 . the policy manager 420 ensures that the download of data occurs in a transparent manner . for example , if a browser 430 and an e - mail application 440 are using the bandwidth in the network connection 410 , the policy manage 420 instructs one or more of the channel downloaders to unsubscribe from a server computing device . if the network connection 410 is clear , then the policy manager 420 instructs one or more channel downloaders to subscribe from a server computing device . fig5 is a detailed block diagram illustrating the modules of the server computing device and client computing device 400 shown in fig4 . generally , the client computing device 400 subscribes to a server computing device 500 to receive the discrete data 120 and , if needed , the discrete error correction data 115 . the server computing device 500 includes the discrete data 120 , discrete error correction data 115 and the error correction module 110 . the error correction module includes a weights generator 510 that generates weights . the error correction module 110 receives the discrete data 120 , processes the discrete data 120 using the weights generator 510 , and outputs discrete error correction data 115 . both the discrete data 120 and the discrete error correction data 115 are available to the client computing device 400 upon request . the client computing device 400 includes the transparent download module 145 , as described in detail in fig4 , and the data recover module 150 . the data recovery module 150 includes an equation system constructor 520 , which generates a system of equations from the discrete error correction data 115 . the inputs to the equation system constructor 520 are a listing of discrete data not received 530 , a number of discrete data that are missing 535 , and a listing of discrete data received 540 . the output of the equation system constructor 520 is a system of equations 550 which , when solved , recover any missing data packets or discrete data 120 . in addition , the data recovery module 150 includes an equation systems solver 560 , which solves the system of equations 550 to recover the missing pieces of discrete data 120 . this recovered discrete data 570 represent the pieces of discrete data lost or dropped during transmission or reception . in general , the method includes provides a transparent use of bandwidth for transferring data along with unique and efficient error recovery . the error recovery provides a means to obtain any lost segments or pieces ( such as packets ) of discrete data using the segments of discrete data received and a number of discrete error correction data segments equal to the number of lost segments of discrete data plus a safety value . for example , assume that an entire discrete data set includes n pieces of discrete data that k segments of discrete data are lost or missing . this means that ( n โ k ) pieces of discrete data were received . using the error recovery disclosed herein , the k pieces of lost or missing discrete data can be recovered from the ( n โ k ) pieces of discrete data received and ( k + safety value ) pieces of discrete error correction data . fig6 is a general flow diagram illustrating an operational overview of the electronic data transfer system and method . in particular , the discrete data is requested ( box 600 ). by way of example , the discrete data may be requested by a client from a server over a computer network . the discrete data contains pieces of discrete data equal to a total number . next , it is determined that only a first number of pieces of the discrete data was received , and that a second number of pieces of discrete data are missing or lost ( box 610 ). once the loss is discovered , the lost data can be recovered by obtaining pieces of discrete error correction data ( box 620 ). the number of pieces of discrete error correction data needed is equal to the second number plus a safety value . using the discrete error correction data and the first number of pieces of the discrete data , the missing pieces of discrete data equal can be recovered ( box 630 ). the following working example is used to illustrate the operational details of the invention . this working example is provided as an example of one way in which the electronic data transfer method and components of the electronic data transfer method may be used . it should be noted that this working example is only one way in which the invention may be implemented , and is provided for illustrative purposes only . fig7 is a detailed flow diagram illustrating the operational details of a channel downloader 700 , where the channel downloaders shown in fig4 are examples of the channel downloader 700 . the channel downloader allows bandwidth efficient recovery from gaps in data received because of network congestion or voluntarily desubscribing from a channel . in particular , the channel downloader 700 initially must obtain permission from the policy manager to make a request to a server ( box 710 ). if the policy manager allows , the channel downloader 700 request data from the server ( box 720 ) and begins downloading the data ( box 730 ). next , a determination is made whether congestion is detected ( box 740 ). if not , then the data downloading continues ( box 750 ) and the check for congestion is performed again . if there is congestion detected the policy manager is notified of the congestion ( box 760 ). a determination then is made whether the policy manager gives permission for the channel downloader 700 to continue the download ( box 770 ). if so , then the data download continues while continually checking for congestion ( box 750 ). otherwise , the server is notified to stop transmitting data and the channel downloader 700 stops receiving data ( box 780 ). the working example involves a server and a client connected in a network configuration . the present invention was running as a client application on a pentium ii 450 mhz machine . a plurality of channel downloaders were used to facilitate recovery when the client had to back off due to congestion in the network pipeline . a server contained a file that was divided into n packets , where x i is the i th packet of the n packet stream . the server also contained an error correction ( ec ) stream , where e j is the j th packet of the ec stream . when the client requested the file , the server transmitted the x i packet in a udp stream to the client . with each file to be served , the server will server the data packets x i at a rate b d and the error correction packets e j at a rate b ec . it should be noted that for multiple channel downloaders each of them do not necessarily need to download data at the same rate . to obtain a file , the channel downloader on the client first requested the udp stream x i and stored the packets as they arrived . the channel downloader periodically sent acknowledgments to the server to signify that the channel downloader was still downloading . congestion caused some packets to be lost , and the client informed the policy manager . congestion was detected mainly by noting missing packets from the ordered stream . this information was supplied to the policy manager . where multiple channel downloaders are present , the policy manager aggregates the information coming from each of the various channel downloaders . packets may be lost also if the policy manager instructs the channel downloader to desubscribe from the data stream . either way , the client ended up with less than the total n packets contained in the file . using the error recovery of the invention , the channel downloader requested the error correction stream from the server ( at a time when the policy manager allows it to do so ). once the client received enough e j s to recover the missing packets , the channel downloader desubscribed from the server . as explained in detail below , the file was successfully decoded . once this occurred , the channel downloader terminated , thus allowing the policy manager to launch other channel downloaders if the policy manager desires . the channel downloader was able to request either the data stream or the error correction stream when the policy manager gave permission . in addition , the channel downloader had to desubscribe or request that the stream be halted when commanded to do so by the policy manager . the total number of packets received by the channel downloader was n โ k + k p , where k is the number of packets lost and k p equals k plus a small number of additional packets . by requesting the error correction packets instead of the packets that were lost , the server was spared the burden of fetching specific packets for a specific client . this task does not scale well as the number of clients increases . this is especially important for multicasting , where a server could be easily overwhelmed if it were to accept individual requests from clients . fig8 is a detailed flow diagram illustrating the operational details of the policy manager 420 shown in fig4 . the policy manager receives status of congestion in the network connection from each of the channel downloaders ( box 800 ). a determination is made whether there is any unused bandwidth available in the network connection ( box 810 ). if not , then the policy manager 420 decreases the number of active channel downloaders ( box 820 ). if necessary , the number may be reduced to zero so that none of the channel downloaders are active . otherwise , if there is unused bandwidth available , the policy manager 420 increases the number of active channel downloaders ( box 830 ). because channel downloaders do not necessarily have to be at the same rate , the policy manager can intelligently manage how much bandwidth is used based on the rate of each channel downloader . in addition , the policy manager can control which channel downloaders are active in a manner calculated to spread the percentage of lost packets equally across the channels . in the working example , the client application included a policy manager controlling the channel downloaders . the policy manager dictated when subscribe and desubscribe operations should occur . the policy manager received information from each channel downloader as to whether the channel downloader is experiencing congestion . based on this information , the policy manager decides how many channel downloaders should be active at any time . the policy manager generally was an algorithm that accepted as input the congestion status from each active channel downloader . using the congestion status information , the policy manager decided how many channel downloaders should be active . if there was little or no congestion , the policy manager launched one or more new channel downloaders . in this example , the policy manager increased the number of active channel downloaders by one if there was little or no congestion detected . if there was congestion detected , the policy manager halted active channel downloaders as appropriate . in this example , the policy manager immediately decreased by half the number of active channel downloaders . this alleviated any contention for available bandwidth and made the system transparent . moreover , in this example the policy manager maintained at least one single active channel downloader to notify the policy manager when network congestion has eased . this generally is acceptable as long as the channel has a very low rate . fig9 is a detailed flow diagram illustrating the operational details of the error correction data module residing on the server computing device and shown in fig1 and 5 . in general , the error correction module 110 generates the discrete error correction data . specifically , the error correction module 110 operates by inputting the discrete data ( box 900 ). next , probabilistic weights are generated ( box 910 ). the discrete data and probabilistic weights are combined to form the discrete error correction data ( box 920 ). the weights are generated in a probabilistic manner such that each piece of discrete error correction data is a random sampling of all pieces of the discrete data . in other words , the weights are selected such that each piece of discrete error correction data is a unique combination of the discrete data . the weights can be chosen either randomly or deterministically . fig1 is a detailed flow diagram illustrating the operational details of the data recovery module 150 residing on the client computing device and shown in fig1 and 5 . the data recovery module 150 uses discrete error correction data to recover any missing or lost pieces of discrete data . in particular , the data recovery module 150 first determines the number of pieces of discrete data not received ( box 1000 ). if all the discrete data was not received , the client listens to the error correction stream to obtain the missing data . discrete error correction data is obtained from the server in a quantity that is equal to the number of pieces of discrete data not received plus a safety value ( box 1010 ). this equals the total discrete error correction data obtained . the safety value is a small number that ensures that a system of equations can be solved . there may be some equations that do not uniquely determine a solution , and the safety value ensures that a few more equations are available to overcome this problem should it arise . the safety value is dependent on the number of weights selected and the number of discrete data not received . a general rule of thumb is that the safety value should be approximately 3 % of the number of pieces of discrete data not received . the system of equations is constructed using the total discrete error correction data obtained ( box 1020 ). in general , the system of equations is a linear system of equations . this system of equation is solved ( box 1030 ) to recover the missing pieces of discrete data ( box 1040 ). following are the mathematical details of the error correction and recovery method of the invention . assume that each data channel is served in packets and that x i is the i th packet of an n packet data stream . an error correction ( ec ) stream is formed for each of the channels , e j = ฯ i x i b ij , where e j is the j th packet of the ec stream , the b ij s are weights ( equal to either zero or one ), and all sums are modulo 2 . suppose that n โ k packets from the data stream have been received by the client , in other words , k packets have been lost or are missing due to congestion or other losses . in order to repair these losses , the client receives some of the ec packets . suppose that the client receives any k p of the ec packets , in any order . thus , the client receives e j where j are any set of k p unique indices . denote by p a set containing the indices of the received ec packets . this gives , e j = โ i = 0 n - 1 โข x i โข b ij , j โ r = โ i โ a โข x i โข b ij + โ i โ a โข x i โข b ij , j โ r โ i โ a โข x i โข b ij = e j - โ i โ a โข x j โข b ij , j โ r ( 1 ) where x unknown is a kx1 vector containing the missing packets , x known is a n โ kx1 vector containing the packets received , e is a k p x1 vector containing the error correction packet e j received , and a and b are matrices containing the weights b ij that relate each error correction e j to the data packets x i ( these are of dimensions k p xk and k p xn โ k , respectively ). this is a system of k p equations having k unknowns ( the missing packets ). the system of equations can be solved for the unknowns so long as k p โง k , and the system is non - singular . this is true independently of a ( the indices of the missing packets ) and r ( the indices of the ec packets received ). in other words , it does not matter which k packets were lost and which k p ec packets were received . the system of equations can be solved using any standard equation solving method , such as , for example , gaussian elimination with pivoting followed by back - substitution . the size of the system to be solved is determined by the number of missing packets . in general , it is required that k p exceed k by some amount to increase the probability that the system can be solved . the weight b ij should be chosen so that the sequences b ij for i = 0 , 1 . . . , n โ 1 are in general all different . thus , each ec packet e j will be a unique combination of the data packets . the weights can be chosen at random or deterministically . for example , set b ij to be zero or one with probability one - half . clearly , there is a large number of possible b ij sequences . thus , there is no difficulty in generating a long stream of ec packets , if necessary . note that for an error packet to be useful in solving equation ( 1 ) it must be constructed of at least one missing packet . it should be noted that in the above discussion redundancy of the of the error correction ( kp โ k )/( n + kp โ k ) is determined by the weights b ij and there is no concept of minimum distance . thus , the error correction method is not comparable to block codes . blocking involves the breaking down of large files into smaller blocks to reduce the size of the system of equations needed to be solved . the limit on the number of errors that can be corrected for a stream of length n will be determined by the largest system of equations that it is feasible to solve . by way of example , with n = 1000 , a 3 % loss would imply k = 30 , and would require solving of system in 30 unknowns . larger files can be broken into more manageable independent blocks . for example , a file with 1 ร 10 6 packets could be broken into 100 blocks of 10000 packets each . thus , a 3 % loss could be repaired by solving 100 systems in 300 unknowns rather than the computationally challenging task of solving one system in 3 ร 10 4 unknowns . the form of the block decomposition should be to ensure that common forms of packet loss , such as desubscribing and congestion losses , result in uniform losses from all blocks , rather than many losses from a single block . one approach is to assign packets to blocks in a round robin manner . in the working example , the error correction and recovery running on the pentium ii 450 mhz machine took 192 seconds to invert all 100 systems . this does not include time to read the data from the disk . since the sum on the right - hand side of equation ( 1 ) involves reading the entire file once , it can be seen that computation time becomes small relative to disk access , which dominates . calculating the right - hand side involves storing a running sum of 300 ร 1 kilobyte for each of the 100 blocks . this implies a requirement of 30 megabytes of ram . thus , the error correction and recovery system and method of the invention are well within the means of even a client having modest computing resources . | 7Electricity
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a modern office communication network can include a variety of voice , data , and video cables which connect , for example , central office telephone equipment to individual telephones and main frame computers to remote personal computers . the terminal ends of these cables are provided with appropriate connectors for selective interconnection to remote equipment . the present invention provides a means to securely mount a variety of these connectors , possibly from different media , in one enclosure for subsequent connection to cables connected to various office equipment . in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , there is provided a 12 - port outlet box 10 , as shown in fig1 - 4 . the outlet box 10 is shown in assembled form in fig1 and disassembled form in fig2 . as seen in these figures , the box 10 includes a cover 12 that snappingly engages with , and is disengageable from , a base 14 . the cover includes the front surface 16 of the box and a generally perpendicular side wall 18 that contributes to the intermediate portion of the box when the cover and base are mutually engaged . the base includes the rear surface 20 of the box and a generally perpendicular side wall 22 upstanding therefrom that , like the side wall 18 of the cover , contributes to the intermediate portion of the box when the cover and base are mutually engaged . as best seen from the plan view of fig3 , the base and whole box have a distinctive geometry , including a top portion 30 , a pair of inwardly inclined portions 32 extending inwardly from the ends of the top portion , a pair of set - off portions 34 extending from the inner more ends of the inclined portions , and a bottom portion 36 extending from and between the opposite ends of the set - off portions . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the set - off portions 34 are generally perpendicular to the top portion 30 , while the bottom portion 36 is generally parallel to the top portion 30 , though these relationships need not exist within the context of the invention . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the outer more ends of the inwardly inclined portions 32 and the top portion 30 meet at rounded corners 38 . such rounded corners provide bend radius control for fiberoptic cables if they are wrapped around that portion of the box . sharper corners might cause damage to fiberoptic or other more fragile cables that might inhibit signal transmission thereover . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the inclined portions 32 are at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the top portion 30 , and / or relative to a vertical orientation , but this angle may vary significantly . as seen in fig2 and 3 , the base 14 includes bays for permitting the insertion into the box of various jack / connector configurations . for example , up to twelve single - position jacks may be accommodated along the interior side of the inwardly inclined portions , six on each side . alternatively , banks of jacks may be used , such as a single bank of six adjacent jacks or two adjacent banks of three jacks along each inwardly inclined portion . the connectors / jacks may or may not be of identical type , as any combination can be used in the multimedia box . fig2 , for example , shows fiberoptic connectors and standard telephone jacks in side - by - side configuration . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the base includes an inlet hole 24 generally in the center thereof for permitting cable to enter the interior of the box there through . in a preferred embodiment , the shape of the hole allows for the cables to flow to the connector positions more easily , and thereby deters unwanted slack within the interior of the box and unnecessary redirections that may increase the chances of damage to fibers or signal degradation . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , break - out portions 42 are found along the intermediate portion of the box to function as alternate inlets or outlets for cables , especially via means such as raceway . fig2 shows such a break - out in the top portion 30 of the box . notches 44 may be used to facilitate the break - outs . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the base includes mounting holes or bosses 45 that are compatible with nema standard single gang and double gang boxes . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the base includes spooling structures to facilitate cable slack storage . in the shown embodiment , some of the spooling structures 47 are attached to the bosses 45 . in the shown embodiment , the spooling pattern is generally a figure - 8 . the figure - 8 pattern allows for the fiber slack to be spread out over a larger area , thereby avoiding a large bundle of fibers residing about a single diameter . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the base includes one or more cable tie down structures 46 to facilitate the bundling , management , and / or routing of cables within the interior of the box . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the base includes one or more breakouts 48 for an mpo adapter to be inserted . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the base includes one or more magnet pockets 49 for retaining magnets as an alternate method for mounting the box on a surface . the box could alternatively or additionally be supplied with double - sided adhesive foam tape for mounting . in a preferred embodiment of the invention , the base includes labeling areas 52 for identifying the corresponding ports . such areas 52 may also act as screw covers , hiding screws that secure the cover to the base . in the shown embodiment , the base contains four notches to permit the cover to snappingly engage the base . at the notches are screwdriver release pads to facilitate removing the cover from the base . as can be seen from the figures , when the shown embodiment is installed in the orientation shown in fig1 and 3 upon a wall or other vertical surface , the inwardly inclined portions of the box facilitate โ gravity - feed โ connections in that the plugs approach the connectors at an upward angle . thus , the cables extending from the plugs do not encounter the same degree of kinking near the plug due to the weight of the cables themselves , as opposed to cables approaching horizontally , downwardly , or at a downward angle . rather , the more upwardly the approach , the less kinking that is caused . importantly , as best seen in fig1 and 3 , the rectangular section of the box , generally defined by set - off portions 34 and bottom portion 36 , sets the box off from any furniture or other obstructions that may be located just below the box along its vertical mounting surface . without such a set - off , cables approaching the box at an upward angle would likely encounter kinking issues against the furniture since the cable would have very little distance in which to turn a significant angle . thus , the shown embodiment of the invention includes a trapezoidal section defined primarily by the inclined portions 32 and the top portion 30 residing just above a rectangular ( or other quadrilateral ) section defined by the set - off portions 34 and the bottom portion 36 . the rectangular section provides set - off and thereby helps prevent breaking the minimum bend radius for optical cables . additionally , the section providing set - off also prevents the potential problem of difficulty or impossibility of inserting plugs into gravity - feed connectors wherein insufficient space is provided between the connectors and office obstructions , such as desks , cabinets , book cases , computer monitors , wall outlets , thermostats , and the like . thus , such obstructions can cause damage to optical cable or make difficult or impossible the insertion of plugs when no set - off section is provided . the rectangular set - off section of the shown embodiment need not actually be rectangular and the set - off portions need not actually be straight or mutually parallel , as any similar set - off structure could perform similar functions , and such similar structure is considered to be alternative within the context of the invention . in accordance with an alternate embodiment of the invention , there is provided a 24 - port outlet box , as shown in fig5 - 6 . the outlet box 110 is shown in assembled form in fig6 and disassembled form in fig5 . as seen in these figures , the box 110 includes a cover 112 that snappingly engages with , and is disengageable from , a base 114 . the cover includes the front surface 116 of the box and a generally perpendicular side wall 118 that contributes to the intermediate portion of the box when the cover and base are mutually engaged . the base includes the rear surface 120 of the box and a generally perpendicular side wall 122 upstanding therefrom that , like the side wall 118 of the cover , contributes to the intermediate portion of the box when the cover and base are mutually engaged . preferably , base 14 of the 12 - port embodiment and base 114 of the 24 - port embodiment are identical , and either cover 12 or cover 112 may be used with the common base , depending on whether the 12 - port or 24 - port embodiment of the outlet box is needed for a particular application . in the shown 24 - port embodiment , a bridge 124 is snapped into or otherwise engaged with structure of the base 114 to expand the capacity of the box from 12 ports to 24 ports . to provide space for the additional row of connectors , the cover 112 is deeper than its 12 - port cover counterpart . the cut - away portion 140 of the cover side wall 118 is also correspondingly larger than its 12 - port cut - away portion counterpart to accommodate the bridge and multiple rows of connectors . the 24 - port embodiment simply permits more like - sized connectors to be housed within the outlet box , while providing the same flexibility relating to different types , configurations , and orientations of connectors and corresponding plugs . as seen in fig6 , for example , fiberoptic connectors can adjoin telephone jacks in various combinations . in both shown embodiments , at least some of the connectors have openings configured for receiving a latched plug , the openings being oriented such that when corresponding latched plugs are disposed within the connectors , the latches extend toward the front surface of the outlet box . this orientation has the benefit that when various plugs are located within adjacent connectors , it is easier to activate the latch to permit disengagement of one of the plugs when the latch is not located between the adjacent plugs , as it would be if the connectors and plugs were rotated 90 degrees in either direction . additionally , such an orientation of the connectors may require less twisting of fiberoptic cables resulting from mating with the connectors . the decreased twisting decreases the risk of damaging the fiberoptic cables from an overstressed condition . the disclosed invention provides an improved multimedia outlet box . it should be noted that the above - described and illustrated embodiments of the invention are not an exhaustive listing of the forms an outlet box in accordance with the invention could take ; rather , they serve as exemplary and illustrative of preferred embodiments of the invention as presently understood . many other forms of the invention are believe to exist . examples inexhaustively include boxes wherein the inclined portions form angles other than 45 degrees relative to other portions of the box and / or to a vertical orientation , boxes wherein the set - off portions are not mutually parallel or parallel or perpendicular to any particular portions of the box or a vertical orientation , boxes wherein the top portion includes multiple segments not necessarily coplanar or collinear with each other , and boxes wherein the number of connectors housed is greater or lesser than 12 or 24 , or the number of rows of connectors is greater than two . | 7Electricity
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turning now to fig1 a , 2 and 3 , there is shown an electrical connector assembly 20 which incorporates a portion of the strain - relief device 21 described herein . a central portion 22 houses the electrical connector device 24 made up of contact assemblies 26 , 28 and 30 . the form of the electrical connector device 24 is that of a three prong plug with two flat blades and a ground pin projecting from the underside of a central portion 22 ( not shown ). each of the contact assemblies 26 , 28 , 30 has a screw operated conductor contact 32 , 34 , 36 , respectively . the bared ends of the phase , neutral and ground conductors of an electrical cable ( not shown ) are attached via the conductor contacts 32 , 34 and 36 to the plug blades and ground pin . a cover 38 insulates the contact assemblies 26 , 28 and 30 and the screw operated conductor contacts 32 , 34 and 36 . a threaded fastener 40 secures the cover 38 to the central portion 22 . extending from central portion 22 is a first split body portion 42 and a second split body portion 44 . first and second split body portions 42 , 44 are complimentary and have opposing surfaces which can be brought into engagement with each other when body portion 42 is folded about living hinge 46 and body portion 44 is folded about living hinge 48 . the body portions 42 and 44 can be held in assembly by means of the threaded fasteners 50 which pass through apertures 54 in body portion 44 and threadably engage the walls which define apertures 52 in extensions 56 of body portion 42 . the extensions 56 fit within recesses 58 about the apertures 54 in body portion 44 and hold body portions 42 and 44 in assembly until the fasteners 50 are tightened . the body portions 42 and 44 have end walls 60 , 62 respectively , each of which contains a semi - circular aperture 64 , 66 respectively , forming a complete electrical cable entrance for the electrical cable whose conductors are connected to conductor contacts 32 , 34 and 36 . a cable clamping tab 68 extends across body portion 42 and is spaced inwardly from semi - circular aperture 64 . a similar clamping tab 72 extends across body portion 44 and is spaced inwardly from semi - circular aperture 66 . the free ends 70 and 74 of the clamping tabs 68 and 72 , respectively , are curved ( see fig1 a ) to better engage the outer periphery of an electrical cable which enters electric connector assembly 20 ( not shown ). the spacing between free ends 70 and 74 define the cable diameter range and cannot be altered . some distortion of a round cable to the oval shape of the space between free ends 70 and 74 is permitted with power cables and some depressions in the cable insulation is permitted without injuring such cables . a slot 78 extends from the inside surface of end wall 60 to a further slot 80 of a lesser length and provides a step 82 at their joinder . similar slots 84 extends from the inside surface of end wall 62 to a further slot 86 of a lesser length and provides a step 88 at their joinder . referring now to fig4 to 8 and 12 , there is shown a removable clamp insert 100 constructed in accordance with the concepts of the invention . a first plate 102 has a rear surface 103 which will face the interior of end walls 60 or 62 . in that the removable clamp insert 100 can be used in either split body portion 42 or split body portion 44 in the very same manner , the description hereinafter will be with respect to split body portion 42 and it should be understood that this description applies equally to split body portion 44 . the bottom of first plate 102 is tapered as at 104 to facilitate entry into slot 78 . along the top edge are a pair of shoulders 105 having tapered portions 107 to facilitate the assembly of split body portions 42 and 44 . a somewhat recessed and curved surface 108 extends between the shoulders 105 and as will be described below engages an electrical cable placed in connector assembly 20 . a semicircular projection 110 extends from rear face 103 of plate 102 . projection 110 has a curved surface 112 that fits within and engages semicircular recess 64 . the engagement between surface 112 and the walls of recess 64 act as stop means and limit the insertion of the removable clamp insert 100 into split body portion 42 . front surface 109 of plate 102 has a projection 111 extending across a portion of it . projection 111 is as long as slot 80 and has at least two vertical ribs 113 . the ribs 113 engage the back surface of cable clamping tab 68 and with the projection 111 serve to force the rear surface 103 of plate 102 against the interior face of end wall 60 to fix the position of removable clamp insert 100 . clamp insert 100 has a second plate 116 having a width less than plate 102 and is also shorter . the top portion of plate 116 is defined by a pair of shoulders 118 , one at each end , and a curved surface 120 therebetween . along the bottom portion , plate 116 is relieved as at 117 to fit within slot 71 ( or within slot 73 in split body portion 44 ) with the bottom surface 119 resting against the interior surface of split body portion 42 . as shown in fig4 and 12 , the surfaces 108 and 120 are curved in two dimensions , a first curve extends between the respective end shoulders 105 and 118 , respectively , and a second curve front to rear as is shown in fig1 . projection 110 has a relieved region 114 along its top surface to receive the cable extending into the split body portions 42 and 44 . the plates 102 and 116 are connected by a bridge 122 as shown in fig4 and 12 . bridge 122 extends from the front surface 109 of plate 102 to the front surface 115 of plate 116 . tapered shoulders 124 lead to a well 126 in the center of the bridge 122 . the well 126 can receive a portion of the electric cable displaced by the closed strain - relief . referring now to fig9 and 10 the removable clamp insert 100 is shown installed in split body portion 42 . projection 110 is positioned in semi - circular recess 64 with surface 112 in contact the wall defining recess 64 . plate 102 is positioned in slot 78 while the projection 111 occupies slot 80 . plate 116 is positioned in slot 71 . this position leaves the curved surfaces 108 and 120 and the relieved region 114 exposed for engagement with an electrical cable . fig1 shows a rear view of the closed electrical connector assembly 20 without an electrical cable therein . the clamp insert 100 is positioned in split body portion 42 as was described above with respect to fig9 and 10 . although only curved surface 108 is shown , it should be remembered that curved surface 120 is aligned with curved surface 108 . when split body portion 44 is positioned in assembly with split body portion 42 , the clamping tab 72 is positioned in between the plates 102 and 116 and the curved free end 74 along with the curved surfaces 108 and 120 define an oval shaped cable aperture . one of the clamping tabs 68 and 72 and the removable clamp insert 100 together form the strain - relief device 21 . fig1 shows how the strain - relief device 21 functions . after the individual conductors of the electrical cable have been terminated to the electrical connector device 24 , the electrical cable c is extended over the curved surfaces 108 and 120 of plates 102 and 116 in split body portion 42 . the split body portion 44 is then closed upon and fastened to split body portion 42 . this assembly step brings the curved free end 74 of clamping tab 72 into contact with the electrical cable c . the pathway between curved surfaces 108 and 120 and the clamping tab 72 will depend upon the thickness of cable c and its construction . very thin cables c could follow the circuitous route over surface 120 , under tab 72 and over surface 108 without distortion . a larger diameter cable c may be distorted from its round shape to a more oval shape similar to the shapes of the surfaces 72 , 108 and 120 . larger still cables c may have portions thereof displaced into the well 126 in bridge 122 . relieved area 114 permits a highly compressed cable c to expand as it leaves the strain - relief device 21 . while there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiment , as is presently contemplated for carrying it out , it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes of the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art , without departing from the spirit of the invention . | 7Electricity
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in an embodiment of this invention shown in fig1 telephones 10 , 11 and 12 are connected in parallel between a pair of telephone lines l1 and l2 . relay coils 14 , 15 and 16 are connected to the telephones 10 , 11 and 12 , respectively . condensers 18 , 19 and 20 are connected in parallel with the relay coils 14 , 15 and 16 , respectively , each one of which has a small capacity , for example 0 . 5 microfarad . it is possible that an alternating constituent of a current such as a calling signal or a voice signal can pass through each one of the condensers so as to avoid weakening by the relay coils . when the relay coil 14 has been energized , normally closed contacts 14b1 , 14b2 , 14b3 and 14b4 are opened and normally opened contact 14a is closed . similar contacts relating to the relay coils 15 and 16 are shown by similar reference characters . a current holding circuit 22 is provided , which has a pair of zener diodes 23 and 24 and a pair of diodes 25 and 26 connected as shown . the breakdown voltage of each one of the zener diodes 23 and 24 is a little higher than the voltage between both terminals of the telephone in a used condition and less than the voltage between both terminals of the telephone in a non - used condition . for example , the voltage between both terminals of the telephone is 15 volts in a used condition and 48 volts in a non - used condition . therefore , the breakdown voltage of the zener diodes may be about 20 volts . when the receiver of the telephone 10 is first taken off , a current flows from the telephone line l2 to the telephone line l1 through the telephone 10 and the relay coil 14 . the relay coil 14 will be energized , then the other telephones 11 and 12 will be cut off from the telephone lines l1 and l2 . if the telephone 10 is a dial type , dial pulses will be created by dialling of the telephone . the relay coil 14 will be repeatedly disenergized at time intervals of every one of the dial pulses , therefore contact 14a will be repeatedly opened and the current holding circuit 22 will be repeatedly cut off from the telephone line l1 . in a case of transfer of a telephone conversation following an outgoing call from the telephone 10 to the telephone 11 where a current flows from the telephone line l1 to the telephone line l2 , the receiver of the telephone 10 should be hung up after the receiver of the telephone 11 has been taken off . when the receiver of the telephone 10 has been hung up , a current between the telephone lines l1 and l2 flows not through the telephone 10 but through the zener diode 23 of the current holding circuit 22 by application of the breakdown voltage to the zener diode 23 . the relay coil 14 will be soon disenergized and the contacts 14b1 , 14b2 , 14b3 and 14b4 will be closed , and the contact 14a will be opened . a calling signal from another telephone ( not shown ) rings all of the bells of the telephones 10 , 11 and 12 ; therefore any one of the telephones 10 , 11 and 12 can be used . a transfer between the telephones 10 , 11 and 12 in a telephone conversation following an outgoing call where a current flows from the telephone line l2 to the telephone line l1 can be done by the same method as the transfer in a telephone conversation where a current flows from the telephone line l1 to the telephone line l2 . in this case , the zener diode 24 has applied to it the breakdown voltage because a current flows from the telephone line l2 to the telephone line l1 . thus , the embodiment shown in fig1 enables a continuous flow of a current at a moment of call transfer between the telephones without any trouble . the current holding circuit 22 in the above described embodiment can be changed for various modified types shown in fig2 a - 2d . in fig2 a , the current holding circuit 22 has only the zener diode 23 and the diode 25 . therefore , in a transfer of a telephone conversation where a current flows from the telephone line l2 to the telephone line l1 , a current between the telephone lines l1 and l2 is cut off at a short duration of time . but , it does not usually make a finished condition of the conversation . in fig2 b , a current holding circuit 22 consists of a pair of zener diodes 23 and 24 being connected in series and opposite directions to each other . in fig2 c , a current holding circuit 22 has a rectifying circuit 28 and only one zener diode 29 to which is to be applied the breakdown voltage at transfer times of a telephone conversation where a current flows from the telephone line l1 to the telephone line l2 and a telephone conversation where a current flows from the telephone line l2 to the telephone line l1 . in fig2 d , a pair of zener diodes 30 and 31 which are serially connected are used instead of the zener diode 29 in fig2 c to obtain a suitable total breakdown voltage . in another embodiment of this invention shown in fig3 a pair of telephones 50 and 51 are connected in parallel between a pair of telephone lines l1 and l2 . rectifying circuits 52 and 53 are inserted between each one of the telephones and the telephone line l1 . relay coils 54 and 55 and condensers 56 and 57 each one of which has a large capacity are connected as shown . the rectifying circuits 52 and 53 are effective to prevent the voltage of each of the condensers 56 and 57 from becoming zero in a telephone conversation after an outgoing call owing to inversion of the current &# 39 ; s direction . thus , each of the relay coils 54 and 55 can maintain its energized condition in a telephone conversation after the outgoing call . when the relay coil 54 has been energized , normally closed contacts 54b1 and 54b2 are opened and normally opened contacts 54a1 and 54a2 are to be closed . similar contacts relating to the relay coil 55 are shown by similar reference characters . a current holding circuit 60 has a rectifying circuit 61 , zener diodes 62 and 63 and a switch 64 . the breakdown voltages of the zener diodes 62 and 63 are 20 volts and 31 volts , respectively , for example . therefore , the zener diode 62 can be used where the maximum voltage between both terminals of the telephone is less than 20 volts in a condition of conversation . the other case , the zener diode 63 will be used . the switch 64 is initially set for a selective use of the zener diode 62 or 63 . a condenser 66 is provided which has a small capacity , for example 0 . 05 microfarad . 67 and 68 designate a pair of limiters each of which is composed of a pair of varistors connected in parallel and opposite directions each other . the resistance value of the limiter becomes large when a small current flows therethrough . the limiters 67 and 68 are connected in parallel with the contacts 55b2 and 54b2 , respectively . when the receiver of the telephone 50 has been first taken off for calling another telephone , the relay coil 54 is energized , then the telephone 51 is cut off in the direct connection between the telephone lines l1 and l2 , and connected to the telephone line l1 through the current holding circuit 60 at one side and to the telephone line l2 through the limiter 68 at the other side . the condenser 66 is connected in parallel with the telephone 51 . the relay coil 54 is not disenergized at time intervals of dial pulses created by the telephone 50 , because the capacity of the condenser 56 is large . in a case of a conversation using the telephone 50 , when the receiver of the telephone 51 has been taken off , there is no current between the telephone 51 and the telephone line l1 , and if there is any leakage current between the telephone 51 and the telephone line l2 the current will be weakened by the limiter 68 . the condenser 66 is effective for absorbing the leakage current , a noise of radio broadcasting or the like which sometimes enters through the current holding circuit 60 . thus a secret conversation can take place . a transfer between the telephones 50 and 51 in a conversation can be done by the same method as described about the embodiment shown in fig1 . a current flows between the telephone lines l1 and l2 through the current holding circuit 60 , the telephone 51 and the limiter 68 at a moment of call transfer from the telephone 50 to the telephone 51 , for example . in this embodiment , various modifications will be made . for example , it is possible that only one limiter can be used so as to be selectively connected to the telephones 50 and 51 by using more contacts . it is very easy to make a similar circuit for three telephones . there is a case where the limiter 67 and 68 and the condenser 66 are not needed . the circuits described above have a number of advantages , particularly in that each circuit enables automatic call transfers between a plurality of telephones without bothersome operations and troubles and also enables secret conversations using each one of the telephones . the foregoing is of course considered as illustrative only of the principle of the invention . obviously , numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . | 7Electricity
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the following description is of the best - contemplated mode of carrying out the invention . this description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense . the scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims . fig3 shows an embodiment of a data receiver 300 according to the invention . the data receiver 300 comprises a data extractor 304 for sampling the equalized signal # d q and outputting an output value # d out . the data extractor 304 is also able to detect signal quality of the equalized signal # d q and accordingly adjust the boost value of equalizer 202 . in the embodiment , a boost value generator 412 is dedicated to provide the boost value . the boost value may be dynamically adjusted according to the signal quality detected by the data extractor 304 . the adjustment may be performed by various approaches . for example , the data extractor 304 may perform a calibration to directly determine an optimal boost value associated with the present cable . first , the boost value generator 412 recursively and incrementally issues various boost values to the equalizer 202 during an interval containing multiple symbol periods t p . the interval is used for calibration . the interval should contain sufficient symbol periods to get a meaningful result . in response to every incremental boost value , the data extractor 304 acquires corresponding quality information from the equalized signal # d q . basically , the estimated signal quality is proportional to the boost value , thus , the outcomes may organize a line of positive slope . when the signal quality is saturated no matter how the boost value increases , the boost value at the saturation point is deemed to be an optimal one . hence , the boost value generator 412 stops the incremental adjustment , and the equalizer 202 switches to normal mode and operates at the optimal boost value . in fig3 , the data extractor 304 uses an over sampler 404 to sample the equalized signal # d q , by which a plurality of sampled values # ds may be acquired per symbol period t p . the sampled values # ds are buffered in a buffer 406 for further analysis before an output value # d out is determined . the buffer 406 has a capacity to store a plurality of sampled values # ds correspondingly obtained from a plurality of consecutive symbol periods t p , and an edge detector 410 reads them to detect locations of transition edges of each symbol period t p . the equalizer 202 may use an inadequate boost value to equalize a distorted input signal # d in , rendering an unstable equalized signal # d q in which transition edges rapidly change throughout consecutive symbol periods t p . the more edge uncertainty increases , the shorter the hold time t h โฒ where an output value is ensured valid . the edge detector 410 may determine the transition edges by comparing amplitude levels of two consecutive time points . for example , two sampled values # ds sampled before and after the transition edge may have significant amplitude difference . a transition edge can be deemed found when the amplitude difference between two consecutive sampled values # ds exceeds a predetermined threshold . the edge detection may also be accomplished by various conventional approaches , however , it is assumed that those skilled in the art are knowledgeable of these approaches , thus , detailed examples are not provided further . thereafter , the edge detector 410 sends a location signal # edge to the quality controller 408 , providing location information of the transition edges of every symbol period t p for further analysis . the quality controller 408 receives the location signal # edge , and accordingly selects one optimal sampled value # d as an output value # d out of a symbol period t p . specifically , the over sampler 404 is performing an over - sampling operation whereby the equalized signal # d q is sampled at different phases within each symbol period t p . for example , a symbol can be sampled at 5 different phases within one period to obtain 5 values of the equalized signal # d q . according to the location signal # edge , the quality controller selects one of the sampled values # ds to be the output value # d out , which is associated with a time point most close to the center of two transition edges within the symbol period t p . in other words , if the first and fifth sampled values # ds are deemed to be on the transition edges , the third sampled value # ds would be chosen to be the output value # d out . for the quality controller 408 , there is a current pointer p pointing to the optimal phase ( or time point ) within a sample period . the current pointer p could be determined by previous 4 sample periods ( s 0 , s 1 , s 2 , and s 3 ). during the next 4 sample periods ( s 0 โฒ, s 1 โฒ, s 2 โฒ, and s 3 โฒ), the quality controller 408 determines transition edges of the sample periods ( s 0 โฒ, s 1 โฒ, s 2 โฒ, and s 3 โฒ). the quality controller 408 also checks whether the current pointer p is pointing to the middle of each sample period of the 4 sample periods ( s 0 โฒ, s 1 โฒ, s 2 โฒ, and s 3 โฒ). if the pointer p is pointing to the left side of the middle point of a sample period , the quality controller 408 may determine that the pointer p should jump up to be more close to the middle point . conversely , if the pointer p is pointing to the right side of the middle point of a sample period , the quality controller 408 may determine that the pointer p should jump down to be more close to the middle point . in this embodiment , the quality controller 408 determines a jump up or jump down every 4 sample periods . jump ups or downs are represented by a pointer shift flag . the quality controller 408 records the total number of shifts ( jump ups or downs ) over a long period ( 1000 sample periods for example ). the more the number , the more frequently the pointer shifts . frequent pointer shifts means that the quality of the equalized signal is poor . the shifts should be as less as possible . by testing several transfer functions of the equalizer 202 , one can determine a best transfer function that results in minimum shifts . it means that the particular transfer function is the optimum choice to compensate the input signal d in . fig4 shows an embodiment of sampling an equalized signal # d q . a plurality of consecutive symbol periods t p is illustrated , in which distortions are represented as shadowed areas where sampled data is deemed invalid . four sampled values # ds are obtained correspondingly at five time points t 1 to t 4 in each symbol period t p , among which an optimal one would be selected as the output value # d out ( denoted as o 1 to o 4 ). in one symbol period t p , the time points t 1 to t 4 may be five equivalently distributed points . the output value # d out tends to be the most central one within the white area of each symbol period t p . other than that , amplitudes v 1 to v 4 of the output values # d out o 1 to o 4 may also be considered as references for signal quality . hence , the data extractor 304 sequentially receives and analyzes the equalized signals # d q and outputs corresponding output values # d out . alternatively , the over sampler may comprise five different samplers each tracking a different phase in the symbol period t p . the embodiment does not limit the implementation of the over sampler 404 . the optimal sampling point for the sample period s 0 is t 3 , which is denoted by o 1 . however , the current pointer p may point to t 4 . the pointer p is pointing to the right side of o 1 . therefore , for the sample period s 0 , it would be better to shift the current pointer p to t 3 , which is the optimal sampling point determined by the quality controller 408 . similarly , for the sample period s 1 , it would be better to shift the current pointer p to t 3 , which is the optimal sampling point determined by the quality controller 408 . after checking 4 sample periods ( s 0 - s 3 ), the quality controller 408 may determine to shift the current pointer p to t 3 , and then proceeds similar checking flow during the next 4 sample periods ( s 0 โฒ- s 3 โฒ). obtaining 5 sampling points for each sample period and checking 4 sample periods to decide to shift the current pointer are merely an example . one can determine the number of sampling points for each sample period and the number of sample periods to be checked according to different design requirements . fig5 is a more detailed embodiment of the data receiver 300 shown in fig3 . with reference to fig5 , an input signal # d in is distorted because of cable transmission . an equalizer 504 is used to compensate the distorted input signal # d in and generates an equalized ( compensated ) signal # d q . the equalizer 502 has several transfer functions for a boost value to select . the equalized signal # d q is determined by a selected transfer function . an over - sampling operation is performed by the k * n sampler 506 . in this embodiment k can be 4 and n can be 5 . a sample period of the equalized signal # d q is sampled at 5 ( k ) different phases within a single period . 4 ( n ) consecutive sample periods ( s 0 , st , s 2 , and s 3 ) will be sampled 20 times at 20 different phases . in this embodiment , 20 sampled values are produced before determining the quality of the equalized signal # d q . however , the sampling number ( k * n ) is not a limitation . one can determine the sampling number depending on different design requirements . the frequency of the input signal # d in can be , for example , 1 g hz . the clock frequency can be , for example , 100m hz . a pll or dll module 514 can produce 20 sampling signals fs , where each sampling signal fs has a phase shift relative to another sampling signal . the 20 sampling signals fs can be used by the k * n sampler 506 to sample 4 consecutive sample periods at 20 different phases and then produce 20 sampled values # d s . subsequently , the 20 sampled values # ds are input to a data pick up 508 . the data pick up 508 can be a buffer , which is corresponding to the buffer 406 in fig3 . the 20 sampled values # ds are then output as the output values # d out . a transition edge detection / shift decision module 510 also receives the 20 sampled values # ds . the transition edge detection / shift decision module 510 determines the edges of the 4 consecutive sample periods . a current pointer p is stored in the transition edge detection / shift decision module 510 . the current pointer p is determined by previous 4 consecutive sample periods . the transition edge detection / shift decision module 510 also determines the optimal sampling point for each sample period based on the 20 sampled values and the edges . the transition edge detection / shift decision module 510 compares the optimal sampling points ( denoted by o 1 - o 4 in fig4 ) with the current pointer p ( pointing to t 4 in fig4 ) and then determines whether to shift the current pointer p to a new position ( denoted by p โฒ hereafter ). in the example given by fig4 , the current pointer p will shift left ( jump down ) to match the newly decided optimal sampling points o 1 - o 4 . the transition edge detection / shift decision module 510 sends shift instruction ( up / down ) to a digital loop filter & amp ; data pick - up pointer adjustment module 512 . the transition edge detection / shift decision module 510 also sends shift instruction ( up / down ) to an equalizer controller 504 . over a long period ( 1000 sample periods for example ), the equalizer controller 504 accumulates the number of shifts ( or jumps ) of the current pointer p . the accumulated number of shifts denotes the quality of the compensation performed by the equalizer 502 . the more the accumulated number , the worse the compensation is . then , based on the accumulated number , the equalizer controller 504 sends a boost value to the equalizer 502 to select another transfer function . the equalized signal # d q is determined by the newly selected transfer function and then a next round of quality determination process is performed . during the next 1000 sample periods , the quality of the newly selected transfer function will be examined to see whether the compensation is better . after certain rounds , a best compensation quality using an optimal transfer function of the equalizer 502 will be picked and the calibration is accomplished . the following input signal # d in can be compensated by the best transfer function the equalizer 504 could provide . the transition edge detection / shift decision module 510 and the digital loop filter & amp ; data pick - up pointer adjustment module 512 are examples of the quality controller 408 shown in fig3 . the equalizer 202 is an example of the boost value generator 412 . fig6 shows another embodiment of the data receiver 300 shown in fig3 . the embodiment is the same as that shown in fig5 except a transition edge detection module 610 and a shift decision & amp ; digital loop filter & amp ; data pick - up pointer adjustment module 612 . part of the functions performed by the transition edge decision and shift decision / shift decision module 510 is moved to the shift decision & amp ; digital loop filter & amp ; data pick - up pointer adjustment module 612 . in this embodiment , the transition edge detection module 610 only takes care of transition edge determination and sends the edge information to the shift decision & amp ; digital loop filter & amp ; data pick - up pointer adjustment module 612 . the shift decision & amp ; digital loop filter & amp ; data pick - up pointer adjustment module 612 does most of the work , including shift of the current pointer p and data pick - up pointer adjustment . the transition edge detection module 610 and the shift decision & amp ; digital loop filter & amp ; data pick - up pointer adjustment module 612 do the same thing as the combination of the transition edge detection / shift decision module 510 and the digital loop filter & amp ; data pick - up pointer adjustment module 512 . the transition edge detection module 610 and the shift decision & amp ; digital loop filter & amp ; data pick - up pointer adjustment module 612 are also examples of the quality controller 408 shown in fig3 . any portions of functions can be separately or integrally performed by a specific module . this is merely variations of the invention . while the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto . to the contrary , it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements ( as would be apparent to those skilled in the art ). therefore , the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements . | 7Electricity
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the present invention has utility in moving fluid relative thereto . the present invention utilizes an oscillating electromagnetic field or photonic source to move an array of bound molecules that contain a ferromagnetic , ionic , or photoactive moiety therein . the coordinated motility of bound molecules exerts a force on a surrounding fluid . depending on the geometry of the bound molecule array , the present invention is operative as a fluidic pump , a bath agitator , or a propulsion system for a miniaturized device . according to the present invention , a substrate is selected that is capable of forming a covalent or coordinate covalent bond with an electromagnetic responsive molecule . the formation of self - assembled monolayers or otherwise chemically binding molecules to a solid substrate is well known to the art . illustrative of these chemistries are the binding of organothiols to gold , silanol reaction with a silicate glass , the reaction of silicon hydride with an olefin and olefinic unsaturation reaction with metals in the presence of sulfur . a surface bound molecule according to the present invention incorporates as an operative moiety at least one ferromagnetic , ionic or photoactive moiety . preferably , two or more operative moieties would be distributed along the length of the bound molecule . the moiety may be part of the main chain or pendant to the main chain . a ferromagnetic moiety operative in the present invention illustratively includes a chelated ferromagnetic ion , ferromagnetic atom , or a ferromagnetic nanocrystal . an ionic moiety includes salts of carboxylic acid , sulfonic acid , phosphinic or phosphonic acid and the salts of primary , secondary , tertiary or quaternary amines and mercaptides or alkoxides . a photoactive moiety includes a species that undergoes rotation or steric changes under the influence of a given wavelength of light and illustratively includes rhodopsin and cytochrome 450 . preferably , the operative moiety is disposed proximal to the unbound terminus of the molecule or a repeating subunit of the molecule . it is appreciated that a bound molecule operative in the present invention is linear , branched or dendritic , and contains repeating subunits or is simply an asymmetric molecule having at least seven linear non - hydrogen atoms between the substrate and the operative moiety . preferably , the bound molecule would contain twenty or more linear non - hydrogen atoms with operative moieties spaced at regular intervals along its length . referring now to fig1 , the inventive device operative as a fluidic pump is shown generally at 10 . a conduit 12 has an interior surface 14 . molecules 16 containing operative moieties 18 are bound to the interior surface 14 through covalent bonds . the operative moiety 18 extended a sufficient distance from the interior surface 14 so that the remainder of the molecule 16 serves as a spring about which the operative moiety 18 flexes . a plurality of electromagnets 20 extend along the length of the conduit 12 in the case of a ferromagnetic moiety . leads 22 allow for the sequential activation of electromagnets 20 . upon an electromagnet 20 being energized , an operative moiety 18 is induced to move attractively or repulsively relative to the interior wall 14 of the conduit 12 , depending on the magnetic polarity relative to the orientation of the operative moiety 18 . the movement of the operative moiety 18 and the flexure of the remainder of the bound molecule 16 also causes movement of a fluid within the conduit 12 . by energizing each of the plurality of electromagnets 20 and for a controlled duration , various waveforms of bound molecules flexing and thereby propelling liquid through the conduit 12 is achieved . it is appreciated that a bound molecule is optionally allowed to return to a relaxed state through deactivation of proximal electromagnets . alternatively , an inventive device is also operative with a conductive wire or optical fiber conveying photoactive wavelengths therethrough . in the instance where a conductive wire is present , it alternates in polarity so as to urge an operative moiety 18 bound molecule 16 between attractive and repulsive conditions relative to electromagnet polarity . in a preferred embodiment , the electromagnets or conductive wire are activated along the length of conduit 12 so as to propagate a molecular - motility wave through the pump 10 . it is appreciated that relaxation of the molecules 16 to an orientation away from the interior 14 of the conduit 12 can occur either through propagating an opposite polarity electromagnet activation or by leaving the electromagnet in a deactivated state for a sufficient time to allow for molecular orientation relaxation . in a preferred embodiment , a course of electromagnets , a voltage lead , or an optical fiber is spiral wound relative to a substrate . activation of a spiral course , lead or fiber induces a spiral deflection of molecules proximal thereto , thereby creating a net fluid movement along the activation axis . optionally , two or more such spiral courses , leads or fibers are present to enhance the formation of a fluid vortex through coordinated activation and / or deactivation . as an alternate to a spiral field along the length of a surface coated with operative molecules , an alternating current activation is induced in a direction generally parallel to the intended direction of fluid flow . preferably , the activation field is such that about one - quarter of a full sine wave is induced along the length of a bound molecule . it is appreciated that the binding of different molecules of differing length and therefore a different modulation frequency can be stimulated by an alternative activation wave having temporally offset activation frequencies contained therein . an alternate embodiment operative as a fluidic agitator or locomotion system is depicted generally at 100 in fig2 , where like numerals correspond to those described with respect to fig1 . a core 102 contains at least one electromagnet 20 . a sheath 104 that defines the core 102 has an exterior surface 106 . the exterior surface 106 has bound thereto molecules 16 having operative moieties 18 . the activation of the at least one electromagnet 20 , optical fiber or a conductive wire urges the operative moiety 18 into either an attractive or repulsive orientation based upon the polarity of the electromagnetic field or the photo response induced . the movement of the molecules 16 causes movement of a fluid surrounding the sheath 106 and in contact with the molecules 16 . preferably , a plurality of electromagnets , fibers or wires are disposed within the core 102 . more preferably , a plurality of electromagnets , fibers or wires are sequentially activated and deactivated to induce a motility wave within the molecules 16 along the length of the exterior surface 106 . it is appreciated that the anchoring of the device 100 relative to a surrounding fluid creates a fluidic agitator whereas the ability of the device 100 to move relative to a surrounding fluid creates a locomotion system . a locomotion system finds particular application with respect to the movement of a mems structure . it is appreciated that while a single device 100 is capable of generating motion forward and backward relative to the linear axis of the device 100 , maneuverability requires at least two such structures 100 , each operable independently . examples of cilia - induced locomotion designs are found in numerous microorganisms and plankton . while electrical energy to operate an inventive device in a stationary setting operating as a pump or agitator is readily supplied , in a locomotion application , a battery source , static electricity , or photonic energy is utilized to energize the at least one electromagnet . in absence of an internal power source , an inventive device is optionally powered remotely by the inductive effect . it is appreciated that to create locomotion , the motion can be created and / or navigated by an externally generated field as well . in this case , its position could be tracked and directed by incorporating a low power photon emission source ( e . g . radio frequency ) and using triangulation for position management . the parameters considered in producing an operative inventive device include electromagnetic field strength , electromagnetic field waveform , wavelength of light stimuli and intensity , conduit diameter and the identity of the bound molecule and ferromagnetic or ionic moiety . the calculation of magnetic parameters upon the selection of a bound molecule is well known within the field of nuclear magnetic resonance . a glass capillary tube having an internal diameter of 1 millimeter was internally coated with a gold paste . upon drying to form a continuous gold film on the interior of the capillary , 16 - mercaptohexadecanoic acid ( 2 - chlorophenyl ) diphenylmethyl ester was adhered to the gold film to form a self - assembled monolayer as detailed in j . lahann et al ., science , 299 , 117 / 03 , pp . 371 - 374 . after self - assembly , the interior of the glass capillary was exposed to a 0 . 1 molar solution of fe ( iii ) chloride for one hour and allowed to dry . the capillary was rinsed with the ionized water and placed into a fluid reservoir at an angle of 45 ยฐ and surrounded by 6 equally spaced electromagnetic coils . energizing each of the coils to generate a field of about 0 . 5 tesla for 0 . 5 seconds followed by sequential activation of the next coil created a pumping of deionized water from the reservoir out through the upper end of the capillary . any publications mentioned in the specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains . these publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first , particularly , to fig1 thereof , there is shown an imbalance 5 of a printing plate 2 on a drum 1 of a plate exposer in the form of a sketch . the printing plate 2 is in this case clamped in between start clamps 3 and end clamps 4 . in the case illustrated here , the start clamps 3 are provided in a stationary manner on a surface of the drum 1 , while the end clamps 4 can be adjusted variably circumferentially . their position is matched to the format of the printing plate 2 . there are in each case a large number of end clamps 4 and start clamps 3 , which are fixed axially to the surface of the drum 1 and which are all displaced together . as illustrated in fig4 , the outer plate end clamps , which are provided at the ends of the drum 1 , are always connected to variable mass elements 11 and 12 via drivers 15 . see fig3 and fig4 . in the case of the printing plate 2 on the drum 1 illustrated in fig1 , the imbalance 5 of the printing plate 2 is not compensated for by a variable or fixed imbalance . fig2 shows a corresponding reduction in the imbalance 5 of the printing plate 2 according to fig1 by use of variable mass elements 11 , 12 and fixed mass elements 9 , 10 , as shown in fig3 . the mass elements 11 , 12 are fitted to a ring - shaped balance ring 13 , as shown in fig3 . by the driver 15 , the mass elements 11 , 12 are then rotated in accordance with the positioning of the plate end clamps 4 . by the variable mass elements 11 , 12 , overall a variable imbalance 7 โฒ in relation to a drum center 25 is produced ( fig2 ). as likewise illustrated in fig3 , the fixed mass elements 9 , 10 are also provided at the end of the drum 1 . as can be seen in fig2 , these produce a fixed imbalance 6 โฒ in relation to the drum center 25 . the imbalance 5 of the plate 2 is reduced by the fixed imbalance 6 and the variable imbalance 7 to such an extent that only a residual imbalance 8 remains . the plate imbalance 5 encloses an angle ฮฑ with the start of the plate 2 , which is held by the start clamps . the angle between the variable imbalance 7 โฒ and the plate end clamps 4 is in this case constantly an angle ฮณ . given a uniform mass distribution of the printing plate 2 , the angle between the variable imbalance 7 โฒ and the plate start of the plate 2 is therefore two ฮฑ plus ฮณ . the alignment of the variable imbalance 7 โฒ therefore depends only on the circumferential length of the printing plate 2 . the fixed imbalance 6 โฒ encloses a constant angle ฮฒ with the plate start clamps 3 . here , the start clamps 3 are not intended to be movable . the magnitude of the fixed imbalance 6 โฒ is in this case configured such that it reduces a maximum imbalance of a printing plate 2 provided . in particular , the imbalance caused by the start clamps 3 also being taken into account . fig3 shows a corresponding side view of the drum 1 with fixed mass elements 9 and 10 and variable mass elements 11 and 12 . as already outlined , the variable imbalance 7 โฒ results from the variable mass elements 11 and 12 , and the fixed imbalance 6 โฒ results from the fixed mass elements 9 and 10 . as mentioned , the mass elements 11 and 12 are provided on the balance ring 13 . the balance ring 13 is coupled to the end clamps 4 via the drivers 15 . the variable mass element 11 is in this case positioned on the balance ring 13 in such a way that it compensates for the end clamps 4 in each case . it has an appropriate mass for this purpose . on the other hand , the mass element 12 is positioned in such a way and has such a high mass that it reduces the printing plates 2 provided from a printing plate portfolio provided for the plate exposer in each case overall below a maximum residual imbalance value . the fixed mass element 9 in the case illustrated here is positioned in such a way and its mass is selected in such a way that overall it cancels the imbalance which is caused by the start clamps 3 . the second fixed mass element 10 is in this case positioned in such a way and has an appropriate mass such that overall the resultant residual imbalance of the printing plates 2 from the printing plate portfolio provided remains below a maximum residual imbalance value . in fig4 it is shown how the end clamps 4 are coupled via the driver 15 to the balance ring 13 which carries the variable mass elements 11 and 12 . in order to adjust the variable imbalance 7 โฒ, the driver 15 engages in an engagement or groove 14 in the balance ring 13 . as a result , a circumferential adjustment of the plate end clamps 4 leads directly to a corresponding positioning of the variable imbalance 7 โฒ, that is to say the variable mass elements 11 and 12 . the relative position of the variable mass elements 11 and 12 in relation to each other and to the end clamps 4 is maintained in this case . fig5 shows in schematic form the imbalances and their reduction for different printing plates 2 . here , different printing plate formats of a printing plate 2 are presented . overall , imbalances 16 , 16 โฒ, 16 โณ of three different plate formats from a printing plate repertoire are illustrated . the positions of the variable mass elements 11 and 12 , which are not illustrated here , in this case depend directly on the positions of the end clamps 4 , likewise not shown , which are matched to the formats of the printing plates 2 . the magnitude of variable imbalances 18 , 18 โฒ, 18 โณ is constant . only a direction of the variable imbalances 18 , 18 โฒ, 18 โณ is displaced , depending on the position of the end clamps 4 , that is to say on the formats of the printing plates 2 . in this case , an end point of the imbalances 18 , 18 โฒ, 18 โณ is in each case located on an imbalance circle 21 of the variable imbalance . the fixed imbalance 6 is produced by the fixed mass elements 9 and 10 . the fixed imbalance 6 initially reduces the plate imbalances 16 , 16 โฒ, 16 โณ of the different printing plates 2 . as a result of this reduction in the plate imbalances 16 , 16 โฒ, 16 โณ, first imbalances 17 , 17 โฒ, 17 โณ result . these are reduced further by the variable imbalances 19 , 19 โฒ, 19 โณ, not related to the drum center here , which results in that residual imbalances 20 , 20 โฒ, 20 โณ remain . the residual imbalances 20 , 20 โฒ, 20 โณ in each case lie within an imbalance circle 22 of the residual imbalances . the radius of the imbalance circle 22 is in this case the maximum imbalance occurring of the resultant residual imbalances 20 , 20 โฒ, 20 โณ. a printing plate repertoire which is provided for use in the printing plate exposer illustrated here can in this case contain still further printing plates . overall , given the selection illustrated here , the resultant residual imbalance 20 , 20 โฒ, 20 โณ will always remain within the imbalance circle 22 . fig6 shows a further illustration of the imbalances of different printing plates 2 reduced by the variable mass elements 11 , 12 . here , too , identical designations designate identical elements . by use of the mass of the variable mass elements 11 , 12 and their relative positioning in relation to the end clamps 4 , the plate imbalances 5 are in each case changed in terms of their direction and their magnitude in such a way that , for a specific plate portfolio , they lie within an imbalance lobe 24 . fig7 also shows an illustration of the fact that an imbalance lobe 24 of first resultant imbalances 23 is displaced by the fixed imbalance 6 โฒ such that the total imbalance lobe 24 remains within the imbalance circle 22 of the residual imbalances . in this case , the magnitude 26 of the maximum residual imbalance is the radius of this imbalance circle 22 . since the masses of the variable and fixed mass elements 11 , 12 and 9 , 10 are constant and the position of the fixed mass elements 9 , 10 is not varied , while the relative positions of the variable mass elements 11 , 12 in relation to the plate end clamps 4 are always the same , the resultant residual imbalance 20 , 20 โฒ, 20 โณ is always automatically kept within the imbalance circle 22 ; its magnitude 26 will never lie above a maximum value . the magnitude 26 is determined by the masses of the mass elements 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 and their position . it should be determined in such a way that a product q of the resultant eccentricity e of the drum 1 with its angular velocity w always remains less than or equal to 4 mm / s . in this way , automatic balancing is made simply possible without special effort . this application claims the priority , under 35 u . s . c . ยง 119 , of german patent application no . 10 2005 022 239 . 0 , filed may 13 , 2005 ; the entire disclosure of the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts , a conventional automobile wheel 10 secured by lug bolts 11 includes a projecting center hub portion 12 to which a wire - type wheel cover 13 is locked by a locking bolt 14 having a shaped turning head 15 . the locking bolt 14 shown in fig1 and 2 is one of a number of different types commonly employed to lock wheel covers in place , other commercial types being shown in phantom lines in fig4 - 8 of the drawings . the wheel cover 13 has a central opening 16 which receives the threaded end portion of the locking bolt , the opening 16 being surrounded by a flat disc portion 17 against which an annular flange 18 of the locking bolt bears . the threaded portion of the locking bolt 14 is received in a threaded central opening 19 of hub portion 12 , the shaped turning head 15 projecting outwardly of the disc portion 17 and being surrounded by a hub sleeve 20 of the wheel cover closed by a snap - on medallion 21 . in some instances , depending upon the spacing of disc portion 17 from the hub portion 12 , an intermediate adapter bolt 22 may be required . in these cases , the adapter bolt is threaded tightly into the opening 19 and the shaped locking bolt 14 is then threaded into a threaded opening 23 provided in the outer end of the adapter bolt . in any case , whether or not the adapter bolt 22 is employed , a special key or wrench is required to engage the shaped turning head 15 of the locking bolt 14 . other special wrenches are required to engage each of the diversely - shaped heads 15a , 15b , 15c , 15d and 15e of locking bolts depicted in fig4 through 8 . there are as many as twelve or more types of wheel cover locking bolts presently on the market , requiring a corresponding number of special wrenches . in lieu of locking bolts , some wheel covers are secured against theft by shaped locking nuts , in which cases the wheel structure 12 possesses an end threaded stud to receive the locking nut instead of threaded opening 19 . the key or wrench forming the subject matter of this invention operates in the same manner with a shaped locking bolt or locking nut , the latter not being shown in the drawings . the master wrench according to the invention , fig1 and 2 , comprises a straight cylindrical tube section 24 forming the body portion of the device . within one end portion of this tube section is positioned a fixed somewhat elongated lug or projection 25 , preferably having a tapered leading end 26 to facilitate engagement of the lug endwise into one of the recesses 27 of the shaped head 15 of locking bolt 14 . any selected one of the recesses 27 can receive the turning lug 25 of the wrench and the user of the wrench does not have to engage the lug in any particular one of the recesses 27 , thus making the wrench easier to engage with a locking bolt or nut under all conditions , such as in poor light . the lug 25 is spaced somewhat inwardly of the leading end face of the tube section 24 , as shown in fig2 and 3 . near its opposite end , the tube section 24 has a transverse through opening which receives therethrough slidably a rod 28 serving as a turning handle for the wrench or key . one end of the rod 28 carries a flattened blade terminal 29 to facilitate prying off the medallion 21 to expose the shaped head 15 of the locking bolt for ready removal by the master wrench . again referring to fig4 through 8 , it is shown that the master wrench can be easily engaged with any of the other diversely - shaped turning heads 15a . . . 15e of the other types of bolts or nuts commonly used to lock on wheel covers . in all cases , the tubular body portion 24 is slipped telescopically over the shaped turning head 15 . . . 15e and the end face of the tool will abut the flange 18 . each type of locking nut or bolt has a shaped head which will fit in the bore of body portion 24 and each has one or more peripheral recesses or spaces which can receive the rigid turning lug 25 , as depicted in fig4 - 8 . specifically , the turning head 15a is similar to the head 15 and has three peripheral recesses , any one of which can receive the lug 25 . the splined head 15c shown in fig6 can also receive the lug 25 in any of five grooves . the modified triangular head 15b , fig5 receives the lug 25 in a space between any of the side faces 30 of the head 15b and the bore of tube section 24 . in fig7 and 8 , the turning lug 25 is engaged in a shallow arcuate recess 31 of turning head 15d or with a flat face 32 on head 15e . other engaging arrangements are possible , and the arrangements shown in the drawings are merely illustrative of the universality of the master wrench . fig3 of the drawings shows an alternative embodiment of the invention in which a straight tubular body portion 33 has a fixed lock bolt or nut turning lug 34 located in one end portion thereof to manipulate bolts or nuts of one diameter size . a somewhat enlarged cylindrical extension 35 on the other end of the tool having a separate turning lug is employed to manipulate locking bolts or nuts of a larger size . the tube section 33 is also slotted longitudinally at 36 to receive the turning handle 28 slidably . the handle extends through a cylindrical plug element 37 which is slidable in the bore of tube section 33 , and is equipped with opposite end pin extensions 38 which are used to dislodged by knocking out any removed locking nuts which may become stuck in the bore of the wrench body portion . it may be seen that a master tool of great simplicity and convenience of use has been provided , which will enable an authorized user to quickly engage and turn virtually any of the variously - shaped wheel cover locking bolts or nuts . by virtue of its construction with only a single turning lug 25 , the device is more easily engaged with a locking bolt or nut than the prior art tools which require precise registration of the end of the tool with the shaped portion of the locking fastener . this can be difficult in dark quarters . the advantages of the invention over the known prior art are now though to be evident . it is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same , and that various changes in the shape , size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to , without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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referring to fig1 and 2 , a circuit breaker 10 includes a circuit breaker contact and operating mechanism 12 , an electronic trip unit 14 , and a removable and interchangeable display unit 16 . mechanism 12 may be a conventional mechanism including the operating linkages and energy storing devices for opening the contacts of circuit breaker 10 . additionally , mechanism 12 includes monitoring devices , such as current transformers and temperature sensors , which produce status signals representative of the current flows and various temperatures in circuit breaker 10 . the monitoring devices are electrically coupled to a connector 18 of mechanism 12 such that the status signals for the monitoring devices are applied to connector 18 . additionally , mechanism 12 includes tripping devices which are coupled to connector 18 and cause mechanism 12 to open the circuit breaker contacts in response to the application of control signals at connector 18 . electronic trip unit 14 is of the type including a programmed micro - controller 20 ( processor ) which has circuitry coupled to a connector 22 for monitoring the status signals applied to connector 18 . the circuitry includes devices for performing conditioning functions such as analog - to - digital conversion and filtering so that processor 20 may properly monitor and analyze the status signals at connector 18 . unit 14 also includes a plurality of limit set inputs such as potentiometers 24 . potentiometers 24 allow variables such as long time delay , short time pick - up , short time delay , instantaneous pickup , ground fault pickup and ground fault delay to be adjusted . based upon the values of the status signals and the settings at potentiometers 24 , processor 20 applies the appropriate control signals and display signals to connectors 18 and 26 , respectively . connector 26 is connected to processor 20 by a data bus 34 and appropriate interface circuitry . connector 22 is mechanically and electrically connected to connector 18 when circuit breaker 10 is assembled . of course , unit 14 could be appropriately wired to mechanism 12 without the use of connectors 18 and 26 . display unit ( module ) 16 may have a plurality of configurations , and , generally , includes a multi - digit display 28 , a multi - position switch 30 , a connector 32 , and a memory 36 for storing configuration data ( address ). memory 36 may take the form of dip switches , a set of jumpers ( presently preferred embodiment ), prom or other types of rom . display 28 , switch 30 and memory 36 are coupled to connector 32 such that data may be transferred between unit 14 and unit 16 along data bus 34 when units 14 and 16 are mechanically connected , and connectors 26 and 32 are mechanically and electrically connected . when unit 14 is operating , and coupled to unit 16 , unit 14 reads the data in memory 36 ( e . g . 4 bits , one associated with each of 4 jumpers 46 , 48 , 50 and 52 ) to determine the configuration of unit 16 . three ( 3 ) of the 4 bits of data are available for configuration data , thus , unit 14 can automatically recognize 8 different unit 16 configurations . upon recognizing the unit 16 configuration , processor 20 operates under the control of the portion of the program stored in unit 14 associated with the particular configuration . for example , one unit 16 may be programmed to display amperage , where each switch 30 setting is associated with different amperage readings while other units may be configured to display a circuit breaker variable such as temperature , power or energy use . furthermore , display unit 16 may be configured such that trip unit 14 reads switch 30 to acquire control or limit values such as alarm limits . by way of example , switch 30 may include 10 settings thus allowing the display of 10 different characteristics ( values ) of a given variable , control value or limit value . referring more specifically to the characteristics ( values ) associated with the ten switch positions of switch 30 , when switch 30 is associated with a display unit 16 configured to display amperage , switch 30 settings may include : present demand , which provides data for processor 20 so that the average amperage load for the last 15 minute period is displayed ; maximum demand , which provides data for processor 20 so that the maximum amperage load since power was applied to the circuit breaker is displayed ; phase a current , which provides data for processor 20 so that the amperage load for phase a is displayed ; phase b current , which provides data for processor 20 so that the amperage load for phase a is displayed ; phase c current , which provides data for processor 20 so that the amperage load for phase c is displayed ; 60 % load monitor set point , which provides data for processor 20 so that the maximum phase current is displayed and flashed when the current exceeds 60 % of the rated value ; 70 % load monitor set point , which provides data for processor 20 so that the maximum phase current is displayed and flashed when the current exceeds 70 % of the rated value ; 80 % load monitor set point , which provides data for processor 20 so that the maximum phase current is displayed and flashed when the current exceeds 80 % of the rated value ; 90 % load monitor set point , which provides data for processor 20 so that the maximum phase current is displayed and flashed when the current exceeds 90 % of the rated value ; and 100 % load monitor set point , which provides data for processor 20 so that the maximum phase current is displayed and flashed when the current exceeds 100 % of the rated value . subsequent to determining the configuration of a particular display unit 16 , processor 20 reads the status of switch 30 , and transmits display data to unit 16 over data bus 34 , where the display data is representative of the characteristic selected at switch 30 and the particular configuration of unit 16 ( i . e . the data in memory 36 ). thus , if processor 20 reads memory 36 and determines that unit 16 is an amperage display unit , reads switch 30 and determines that the rms current for phase a is to be displayed , processor 20 will access the appropriate programming and apply the appropriate display data to display 28 via data bus 34 to display the rms current value for phase a in digital form ( alphanumeric ) on display 28 . referring to fig3 fig3 illustrates the circuitry for display unit 16 . unit 16 includes switch 30 coupled to the four low order bits ( lines ) of data bus 34 by buffers 38 , 40 , 42 and 44 . as discussed above , the presently preferred embodiment of memory 36 may include a set for four jumpers 46 , 48 , 50 and 52 . jumpers 46 , 48 , 50 and 52 are coupled to the four high order bits ( lines ) of data bus 34 by buffers 54 , 56 , 58 and 60 , respectively . when address select line 62 of bus 34 ( address 2a00 hex ) goes low , switch 30 and memory 36 settings are read by processor 20 over data bus 34 . display unit 16 also includes four seven segment led &# 39 ; s 64 , 66 , 68 and 70 , and a display driver 72 . ( by way of modification , displays 64 , 66 , 68 and 70 , and display driver 72 may be replaced by a single chip unit depending upon the application .) data bus 80 couples display driver 72 to displays 64 , 66 , 68 and 70 . display driver 72 is coupled to data bus 34 and is controlled by address select lines 74 ( address 2800 hex ) and 76 ( address 2900 hex ). a data line 78 is the processor 20 read / write line . when processor 20 writes to address 2800 , lines 74 and 78 go low . address 2800 is used to send data to display driver 72 . when processor 20 writes to address 2900 , lines 76 and 78 go low . this address is used to send control commands to display driver 72 . when display unit 16 is plugged into trip unit 14 , data line j8 - 19 , j8 - 17 , j8 - 15 , j8 - 13 , j8 - 2 , j8 - 4 , j8 - 6 , and j8 - 8 ( d0 - d7 ) connect unit 16 to trip unit 14 via data lines j2 - 19 , j2 - 17 , j2 - 15 , j2 - 13 , j2 - 2 , j2 - 4 , j2 - 6 , and j2 - 8 ( d0 - d7 ), respectively . also , address select lines 74 , 76 , 62 , and 78 are connected to trip unit 14 via address select lines j2 - 16 , j2 - 14 , j2 - 12 and the read / write line j2 - 10 , respectively . referring to fig4 the trip unit circuitry includes a processor 20 ( motorola 68hc11f1 ) coupled to data bus 34 , and buffer 82 also coupled to data bus 34 . buffer 82 acts as an isolation buffer between display unit 16 and trip unit 14 for data lines e0 - d7 . the circuitry of unit 14 also includes an isolation buffer 84 coupled to a decoder 86 which in turn is coupled to an address bus 88 coupled to processor 20 . buffer 84 acts as an isolation buffer between display unit 16 and trip unit 14 address select and read / write lines . in addition to processor 20 , buffer 82 , buffer 84 and decoder 86 , unit 14 includes an eprom 90 coupled to data bus 34 and address bus 88 . the programming for processor 28 , which controls the transfer of data between display unit 16 and trip unit 14 , is stored in the memory of processor 20 and eprom 90 ( the source code for this programming is included in appendix a ). in operation , when processor 20 reads address 200 ( address line 62 ), data bit 7 ( data line j8 - 8 ) is tested for a high state . if it tests high , then processor 20 assumes that trip unit 14 and display module 16 are connected via connectors 26 and 32 . in response , a portion of the display module control code ( appendix a ) is activated . subsequently , the type of display unit 16 is determined by decoding data lines j8 - 8 , j8 - 6 , j8 - 4 and j8 - 2 . after the type of display unit 16 is determined , the position of switch 30 is determined by decoding data lines j8 - 13 , j8 - 15 , j8 - 17 , and j8 - 19 . based upon this data , processor 20 then selects the function from the display module software ( code ) which is to be activated such that data is applied to display 28 to provide proper alphanumeric information at the display . when the values displayed at display 28 are to be flashed due to a maximum phase current exceeding a set point , as discussed above , processor 20 sets the line connected to j2 - 14 ( connected to j8 - 14 of unit 16 ) of unit 14 high to signal that a load set point has been exceeded , and provide a flash signal to and gates 92 , 94 and 96 . the flash signal causes the gates to control display driver 72 such that display 28 flashes . it will be understood that the above description is of the preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention , and that the invention is not limited to the specific form shown . for example , various components of the above - described trip unit and display unit may be modified to combine various discreet components into single multi - function components . furthermore , it is contemplated that portions of the software may be replaced with appropriately configured hardware , and , alternatively , depending upon the microprocessor or controller used as processor 20 , the software may be modified such that hardware in the circuits may be eliminated . various other substitutions , modifications , changes and omissions may be made in the design and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit of the invention , as expressed in the appended claims . ## spc1 ## | 7Electricity
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with further reference to the drawings , the paint can holder or the like of the present invention , indicated generally at 10 , includes a backing member 11 and a bail support member 12 . the backing member is slightly curved as can clearly be seen in fig1 so that it will contour to the hip of the user 14 thereof . a pair of elongated slot - like openings 15 are provided in backing 11 and are adapted to supportingly receive the belt 16 worn by the user 14 . this belt would be the belt normally worn by such user and is threaded through the belt loops 17 of his pants 18 . a threaded screw - like shaft 19 extends outwardly from the lower central portion of backing 11 and is secured to backing plate 11 &# 39 ; which is either embedded in backing 11 or lies juxtaposed to the inside thereof . a bearing surface such as washer 20 is placed over shaft 19 juxtaposed to backing 11 . the central portion 21 of bail support member 12 is flattened and has an opening therein for receiving shaft 19 . a second bearing surface such as washer 22 is provided on the side of central portion 21 opposite washer 20 . finally a securing means such as wing nut 23 is used to not only secure the washers relative to the bail support member but also to adjust the tension thereon . as can clearly be seen from the figures , the bail support member 12 is preferably arcuate in configuration . the outer ends 24 of this arcuate member have an elongated slot 25 formed therein . a bail locking sleeve 26 is rotatively provided on each of the ends 24 . each of these sleeves are not completely closed thereby leaving a slot - like opening 27 in the side thereof . when the slot - like opening 27 of each of the sleeves 26 is aligned with the elongated slot 25 of its associated end portion 24 , the bail 28 of container 29 can be laid into the interior of the support member . when the locking sleeve 26 is rotated to misalign slot 25 and opening 27 , as shown in fig1 the container bail 28 is grippingly secured to the ends 24 of member 12 . to release the container bail 28 , the locking sleeve is simply rotated so that the slot 25 and opening 27 are again in alignment and the bail simply removed from the interior of such member 12 . the bail 28 of container 29 is rotatively mounted at connection 30 on either side thereof thus forming a generally horizontal axis of rotation . since the connections 30 are at the upper portion of container 29 , the weight of such container will cause the same to remain upright by pivoting about the bail axis . since the bail support member 12 is pivotably mounted on threaded shaft 19 , this forms a second axis of rotation perpendicular to the container bail axis of rotation . again , due to the fact that the majority of the mass of the container 29 is below this second mentioned axis , the container will by gravity remain in an upright position regardless of the movement of the user 14 thereof . in other words if the device 10 of the present invention is mounted on the side of the hip of the user 14 , as the user leans or sways from side to side , the container will rotate about the container bail axis and remain level . as the user leans forward or backward , the weight of the container 14 will cause pivoting movement about the axis of shaft 19 and the can will continue to remain level . likewise compound movements , for example leaning forward and to one side simultaneously , will be compensated for by movement about both the bail axis and the shaft axis . to use the device of the present invention , the user 14 loosens his belt 16 and threads it through slots 15 of backing member 14 . he then passes his belt back through belt loop 17 of his pants 18 and connects the belt in the normal manner . next the locking sleeves 26 are rotated to align the slot 15 in bail member 12 with the opening 27 in such sleeve . the bail 28 of the container 29 is then laid into these aligned openings and is secured to the ends 14 of such support member by rotating the locking sleeves to a position of misalignment . the user is then ready to climb ladders , lean over railings , stoop , bend , or whatever other movements are necessary to accomplish his work all the while being confident that the container 29 will remain in an upright orientation and will at all times be available at his side when he needs the same . once the painting or other use of the container 29 has been completed , the backing member 11 can simply be removed from the user &# 39 ; s belt 16 and the container with the present invention still attached set aside or , of course , the locking sleeves can be rotated and the device removed from the bail 28 as hereinabove discussed . from the above it can be seen that the present invention has the advantage of providing a relatively simple and yet highly efficient means of assuring that a container will at all times remain adjacent the user thereof and will also at all times remain in an upright or level position . the present invention is easily connected to and disconnected from both the user and the container and will greatly increase productivity of painters , windwow washers , and similar users thereof . the present invention can , of course , be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention . the present embodiments are , therefore , to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein . | 1Performing Operations; 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please note that dimensions discussed below are not to be construed as limitations , but are merely representative of preferred dimensions . many variations in dimensions are possible as will be obvious to one skilled in the art , and all are contemplated by the present invention . also please note that no attempt has been made to draw the layers and structures to accurate scale , and relative thicknesses of layers are not meant to be in true proportions or construed as limitations on relative dimensions of elements . as seen in fig1 , the p 1 protrusion 26 , which shall alternately be referred to as p 1 p 26 is formed by first forming the p 1 layer 20 , preferably formed from cofe , nife , cofen , or conife , and then plating the n 3 layer 22 , which is also high magnetic - moment material such as cofe , nife , cofen , and conife . the n 3 layer 22 then undergoes cmp ( chemical mechanical polishing ). the p 1 p layer 24 is then plated onto the n 3 layer 22 using a photoresist mask ( not shown ) to form the p 1 protrusion 26 , which is preferably on the order of 0 . 2 โ 0 . 3 ฮผm wide and 0 . 5 ฮผm in height and also preferably made from material such as cofe , nife , cofen , and conife . it is noted that the p 1 protrusion 26 can be thought of as having a longitudinal axis 2 , to which the other pole , p 2 ( shown in later stages ) is to be aligned if good performance is to be obtained . it may be noted that what is being referred to as the p 1 p or p 1 protrusion has also been historically referred to in the industry as a p 1 n or p 1 notch , from the practice of forming the protrusion from a flat plane which is then notched on either side of a protrusion which is left behind . the habit has remained of referring to this protrusion as a โ notch โ, however for the purposes of this application , this structure shall be referred to as a p 1 protrusion or p 1 p to conform more closely to common english usage . a gap layer 28 is then deposited which is preferably sio 2 , ta , rh , ta / rh , pd or ru or may be an al2o3 gap and seed layer , to produce the structure seen in fig1 . fig2 shows the result of the next stage of fabrication . a fill layer 30 of material such as sio2 , si3n4 , sic , or tac . is deposited to a depth of 0 . 5 โ 1 ฮผm , which reproduces the p 1 p protrusion 26 in a corresponding protrusion 32 of fill material . ion milling is then used to reduce the width of the fill material protrusion 32 to match the width of the p 1 p and gap layer 28 dimension . note that the fill material protrusion 32 and the p 1 p protrusion 26 are aligned on the common longitudinal axis 2 . fig2 shows the results of this series of operations . next , a layer of rie masking material 34 , such as nife , ta , w or cr ., is deposited to a preferable depth of 0 . 3 ฮผm , as shown in fig3 . cmp is next used to planarize the top surface of the rie masking layer 34 and expose the sio2 fill material protrusion 32 , as shown in fig4 . the rie masking layer 34 is resistant to reactive ion etching ( rie ) and acts as an rie mask 36 to the bulk of the fill material layer 30 , while leaving the fill material protrusion 32 and the material below it exposed to the rie process . the fill material layer 30 is thus formed to produces a kind of thick secondary mask or a mold mask 39 , as it will be termed here , having an opening 35 which extends into a hollow shaft 38 , in the fill layer material 30 . it is important to note that this hollow shaft 38 in the mold mask 39 is still aligned with a longitudinal axis 2 of the p 1 protrusion 26 . the gap layer 28 acts as a stop or endpoint layer 40 , to limit the extent of rie process which forms the hollow shaft 38 , thus producing the configuration shown in fig5 . photoresist ( not shown ) is then used to protect the gap layer 28 at the end of the hollow shaft 38 from chemical etching , which is then used to remove the rie mask 36 . the photoresist is then removed , producing the results seen in fig6 . next , the hollow shaft 38 ( see fig6 ) is filled by plating with preferably a material such as cofe , nife , cofen , conife or some other high magnetic moment materials to begin formation of p 2 42 . a mushroom portion 44 is preferably created , as shown in fig7 . the p 2 42 is then subjected to a light cmp polish to remove the mushroom 44 , leaving a flat top surface 46 to p 2 42 , as seen in fig8 . thus a p 1 p and p 2 have been produced which are in substantial alignment with each other without the need for attempting to orient two components of such minute dimensions in relation to each other . once the aligned poles have been established , then it is desirable to refine them by further processing . rie is used again to remove the sio2 fill 30 , resulting in the structure shown in fig9 . the p 2 42 is then left temporarily free - standing , and note that it is still aligned with the p 1 protrusion 26 on its longitudinal axis 2 to form a p 1 p / gap / p 2 structure 50 . ion milling is then used to remove the residual gap layer material 28 ( see fig9 ) to form the final write gap 48 . the p 1 protrusion 26 and the p 2 42 are also trimmed to the final track width 52 . the ion milling is performed by rotating the wafer 360 degrees so that material is removed equally from both sides of the p 1 p / gap / p 2 structure 50 , thus retaining the alignment of the p 1 and p 2 pole tips 26 , 42 and write gap 48 on the common axis , as shown in fig1 . a fill is then performed by depositing a second fill material layer 54 , preferably a material such as al 2 o 3 , sio 2 , si 3 n 4 or sic , to surround the pole tips 26 , 42 and write gap 48 . the deposition produces a corresponding al2o3 protrusion 56 above the p 2 42 , producing the structure seen in fig1 . cmp is then performed to remove the al2o3 protrusion 56 ( see fig1 ), and to expose the p 2 42 at its upper edge to produce the structure shown in fig1 . the remainder of the fabrication may be completed using standard techniques . the present invention thus allows fabrication of two very narrow poles that are very precisely aligned without the problems of alignment that previous methods had encountered . the present invention is expect to make the fabrication of very narrow pole pieces much easier and less costly , and will aid in increases in areal density for magnetic media , and thus higher storage capacities . while the present invention has been shown and described with regard to certain preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that modifications in form and detail will no doubt be developed by those skilled in the art upon reviewing this disclosure . it is therefore intended that the following claims cover all such alterations and modifications that nevertheless include the true spirit and scope of the inventive features of the present invention . | 6Physics
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referring to fig1 - 5 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention , a compact line illuminator 10 includes a circuit in the form of a pc board 12 ( fig6 ) supporting interconnected components for generating an oscillating electric signal suitable for tracing a buried conductor ( not illustrated ). the compact line illuminator 10 can operate in direct connection , inductive clamp and inductive antenna modes selectable through a control panel hereafter described . it can also operate at different frequencies and different power levels selected through the control panel . most of the mechanical structure of the compact line illuminator 10 is made of injection molded plastic parts . a pair of tubes 14 and 16 hold a portable power source in the form of six c battery cells ( not illustrated ) that can energize the circuit . a pair of leads 18 and 20 ( fig1 ) have inner ends connected to the pc board 12 and outer ends connected to corresponding alligator clips 22 and 24 for attaching the leads 18 and 20 to a buried conductor such as a gas or water pipe . the leads 18 and 20 may comprise , for example , insulated 7 ร 19 bundles of composite ( mixed strands ) of stainless steel and copper aircraft cable . where only one end of the buried pipe is accessible , one of the alligator clips 22 or 24 may be attached to a j - shaped ground spike 26 ( fig6 ) whose longer segment may be inserted in tubular receptacle 28 mounted inside the compact line illuminator 10 . instead of using the ground spike 26 , one of the alligator clips may be connected to a ground mat or sheet 96 as explained hereafter in connection with fig1 . a case 30 ( fig1 - 5 ) encloses the pc board 12 and the battery holding tubes 14 and 16 . the case 30 is configured for having the leads 18 and 20 conveniently wrapped around the smooth exterior of the case 30 . the case 30 includes mating upper and lower symmetrical shells 30 a and 30 b ( fig7 a ) that form an elongated flattened tube having rounded outer side walls connecting opposing planar sections as best seen in fig7 b . adhesive labels 31 a and 31 b are adhered to the rounded outer walls and seal the seam between the shells 30 a and 30 b . the case 30 further includes a pair of end cap assemblies 32 and 34 ( fig6 ). a leaf spring ( not illustrated ) presses against the shorter segment of the ground spike that is parallel with the longer segment when the longer segment is inserted into the receptacle . the shorter segment of the ground spike 26 slides through an aperture in the end cap assembly 34 . the leaf spring retains the ground spike 26 in its stowed position . elastomeric bumpers 35 a and 35 b ( fig1 - 6 ) surround opposite ends of the case 30 adjacent the end cap assemblies 32 and 34 . the bumpers 35 a and 35 b provide outer shoulders that retain the wrapped leads 18 and 20 and prevent them from sliding off the case 30 . both the end cap assemblies 32 and 34 seal to the case 30 in watertight fashion . pairs of h - shaped short legs 36 and 38 ( fig5 ) are integrally formed with , and extend from , the bumpers 35 a and 35 b on both the upper and lower sides of the compact line illuminator 10 . an adjustable carrying strap 40 is secured to the end cap assembly 32 . the strap can be lengthened by adding a segment ( not illustrated ) so that it can be used as a shoulder strap , or shortened so that it can be secured around the technician &# 39 ; s waste belt . the end cap assembly 32 can be removed by manually removing a large screw 41 ( fig6 ) by twisting on a knob ( not illustrated ) to thereby allow the six c batteries to be replaced . the circuit of the compact line illuminator 10 includes a phone jack connector 42 ( fig9 ) mounted to the end cap assembly 34 that allows an inductive clamp to be connected to the circuit on the pc board 12 . an example of an inductive clamp suitable for use with the compact line illuminator 10 is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 288 , 929 granted oct . 30 , 2007 of jeffrey a . prsha et al ., the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference . a hinged elastomeric cover 44 ( fig1 and 9 ) is mounted to the end cap assembly 34 for sealing the female phone jack when not in use . the case 30 further includes a rectangular top frame cover 46 ( fig6 ) secured to the top planar section of the case 30 . the top frame cover 46 surrounds an interface label 48 ( fig7 a ) and provides a pair of inner shoulders that keep the wrapped leads 18 and 20 separated , i . e . wound into their respective areas at each end of the case 30 . a first pair of inverted l - shaped lead hooks 50 and 52 ( fig2 ) are formed as part of the top frame cover 46 for holding the leads 18 and 20 in a fully wrapped state for transport and storage , or optionally in a partially wrapped state ( not illustrated ) while in use , around the exterior of the case as illustrated in fig1 and 2 . a second pair of inverted l - shaped lead hooks 54 and 56 ( fig3 ) are formed as part of a rectangular bottom frame cover 58 secured to the bottom planar section of the case 30 . the bottom frame cover 58 surrounds a lower serial number label 60 ( fig7 a ). the labels 48 and 60 seal holes in the top and bottom shells 30 a and 30 b . the second pair of lead hooks 54 and 56 can be used to hold the leads 18 and 20 in a partially wrapped state . on occasion a technician will fully unwind both the leads 18 and 20 and then connect one alligator clip 22 to an exposed end of the pipe to be traced , and the other alligator clip 24 to the ground spike 26 after it is inserted in the ground to complete the circuit . sometimes it is convenient to only unwind part of the leads 18 and 20 , and to keep the remainder neatly wound about the case 30 . in this situation a segment of each of the leads 18 and 20 intermediate its length is tucked under a corresponding one of the hooks 54 and 56 . the top and bottom frame covers 46 and 58 are preferably injection molded with the hooks 50 , 52 , 54 and 56 formed integrally therewith . the hooks 50 , 52 , 54 and 56 are suitably dimensioned and configured so that they will flex and allow the leads 18 and 20 to be pinched under the same . the top frame cover 46 is also formed with angled projections 61 ( fig2 ) around which the leads 18 and 20 are wrapped . they tension the leads 18 and 20 as they emerge from their final turns and help the hooks 50 and 52 perform their lead retention function . the bottom frame cover 58 also provides a pair inner shoulders that keep the leads 18 and 20 separated . attachment features in the form of upstanding inverted l - shaped flanges 62 and 64 ( fig2 ) are formed on the top frame cover 46 . the alligator clips 22 and 24 can pinch the vertical parts of these flanges 62 and 64 when the leads 18 and 20 are in their fully wrapped state to secure the alligator clips 22 and 24 in place . the bumpers 35 a and 35 b , together with the top and bottom frame covers 46 and 58 define parallel , spaced apart wrapping channels for holding the turns of the leads 18 and 20 . along with the flattened tubular case 30 , they define a spool or bobbin for the leads 18 and 20 to keep them neatly and compactly stored . a control panel mounted is on the top planar section of the case formed therein . push button switches 66 and leds 68 ( fig6 ) are mounted in the center of the pc board 12 in alignment with the central rectangular aperture of the top frame cover 46 . along with the interface label 48 ( fig7 a ), the switches 66 and leds 68 form the control panel . the control panel includes leds that provide a high voltage warning indicator , three discrete frequency indicators , a power indicator and an induction mode indicator . the control panel includes push button switches that can be manually actuated by depressing dedicated regions of the flexible interface label 48 . these switches include an induction mode toggle , a frequency and mode selection switch and a power on / off / select switch . thus the control panel provides a keypad and display for use by the technician . the control panel could optionally include an lcd for displaying useful information . by way of example only , the available operating frequencies for the u . s . version of the compact line illuminator 10 may include 128 hz , 1 khz , 8 khz , 33 khz and 262 khz . the operating frequencies for the european version can also include 93 khz replacing 262 khz . the circuit includes an inductive antenna 71 ( fig6 ) mounted inside the case 30 to allow the signal to be induced into a buried conductor when the compact line illuminator is placed on the surface of the ground above the buried conductor . the antenna is preferably a loop stick antenna that includes an elongate cylindrical ferrite inductor 70 supported within the case 30 beneath the pc board 12 . a resonator coil 72 ( fig8 ) is wrapped around the inductor 70 and is connected to a capacitor 74 . an exciter coil 76 is wound on top of the resonator coil 72 . the coils 72 and 76 are preferably made of litz wire in order to minimize losses . coil 72 is readily tunable by selectively removing turns of wire from around the inductor 70 after the coil 72 after connection to the pc board 12 . the excess wire that is unwound from around the inductor ( not illustrated ) is not cut and removed but remains as part of the circuit and is secured inside the case 30 . referring to fig8 , the circuit of the compact line illuminator 10 includes a conventional power supply 78 connected to the six c batteries 80 . a constant power output power supply 82 is connected to the conventional power supply 78 and the batteries 80 . most power supply circuits regulate voltage or current . the power supply 82 ensures that a constant amount of power is supplied through the alligator clips 22 and 24 , the inductive clamp , or the inductive antenna , in order to ensure that fcc limits are not exceeded and to maximize the life of the batteries 80 . a processor 84 controls the constant power output supply 82 . the processor 84 can communicate with a personal computer or similar device via usb , zigbee or bluetooth external interface 86 . the interface 86 can connect the processor 84 to other remote devices by any suitable means , for example , by using internet protocol ( ip ) and / or web services to retrieve and upload or download line illuminator usage data , new software , or operating frequency descriptions . the processor 84 can also communicate with a pc or other external device via port 88 ( such as a connector ) and accessory interface 90 which can drive both smart and dumb devices . an example of a dumb device is the alligator clip 22 which cannot communicate with the illuminator 10 and is driven by the illuminator 10 without significant feedback . an example of a smart device is any device that can communicate with the illuminator 10 through the port 88 and pass on information such as drive frequency , power level required , coupling efficiency , etc . the selected oscillating electric signal is generated and applied to the leads 18 and 20 via direct connection output driver 92 . the exciter coil is driven by an inductive output driver 94 . optionally the conventional power supply 78 and the constant power output power supply 82 could be combined to provide a constant power output signal . the compact line illuminator 10 can preferably operate in three different modes . in a direct connection mode the alligator clips 22 and 24 are connected directly to a suitable underground target conductor . where only one end of the underground conductor is accessible , one of the alligator clips 22 or 24 is connected to the ground spike 26 when it is inserted into the ground and functions to provide a return path . besides the ground spike , other convenient ways of establishing a connection to ground include another pipe , a metal fence post , or a metal sign post . the circuit of the compact line illuminator 10 is preferably capable of dual - frequency transmission , i . e . sending two or more frequencies onto a line simultaneously , in the direct connection mode . in an inductive clamp mode , the jaws of the inductive clamp encircle the target shielded conductor and there is no metal - to - metal contact . in the inductive antenna mode , the compact line illuminator is placed over the buried conductor to be traced and its internal antenna generates a dipole field which energizes the target conductor below ground , inducing a current in the target conductor . no ground connection is needed with the compact line illuminator is operating in its inductive clamp or inductive antenna modes . one example of a locator that can be used to trace underground energized pipes is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 7 , 009 , 399 granted to mark s . olsson et al . on mar . 7 , 2006 , and in u . s . patent application ser . no . 11 / 077 , 947 filed mar . 11 , 2005 also of mark s . olsson et al ., the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference . the compact line illuminator 10 preferably has three available power settings . low power provides approximately one - half watt output , medium power provides approximately two watts output and high power provides approximately five watts output . the low power setting provides the least current and therefore the longest battery life . in order to optimize the power delivered to the load at a frequency the locator can detect , and in order to minimize the generation of harmonic frequencies , the circuit on the pc board 12 preferably generates a stepped approximation of a sine wave which is illustrated in fig1 as pseudo sine wave 100 . in this example , the on time is approximately 74 . 2 % of the waveform and the off time is approximately 25 . 8 % of the waveform . this duty cycle maximizes the power delivered to the load at the fundamental frequency while minimizing the power consumed by the compact line illuminator 10 . fig1 and 11 compare the time domain and frequency domain representations of square wave , pseudo sine wave , and sine wave signals . the on interval is a fraction ( 74 . 2 %) of a square wave half cycle . this improves the proportion of energy transmitted at the fundamental of the switching frequency . establishing a useful ground connection can sometimes be difficult when locating in an area with no available space to attach the ground connection or no soil into which the ground stake can be driven . if a long wire is used to connect to a ground at some location , the long wire can act as an antenna and create another field that can interfere with tracing . use of metal plates laid onto a flat surface with a clip attached to a bent up edge is problematic . the plates are bulky to store , and worse , they do not conform to uneven surfaces . simply unwrapping and laying part of one of the leads 18 and 20 on the ground surface will improve signal coupling to some degree . the more length of lead in contact with the surface , the better the capacitive coupling of the signal , which is more effective at higher frequencies . fig1 is an isometric view of the compact line illuminator 10 of fig1 - 5 illustrating one of its alligator clips 22 attached to an electrically conductive chain mail grounding sheet 96 . the grounding sheet 96 is flexible and can be laid on an uneven cement or asphalt covered surface to improve signal coupling , particularly at transmitter frequencies of 33 khz and 262 khz . by way of example , the chain mail may be stainless steel four - in - one chain mail comprised of interconnected twenty - two gauge , 5 / 32 โณ welded stainless steel rings . the advantages of using the chain mail 96 include ease of storage , high durability , and conformability to uneven ground surfaces . electrical connections within the grounding sheet 96 are established by the point - to - point physical contact between the conductive rings . the grounding sheet 96 is one type of metal cloth that may be used . suitable materials of this general type have also been made that include rivets . the grounding sheet could also be made of steel or copper alloy . additional improvement in the ground connection can be obtained by pouring water , saline solution , potassium chloride solution or some other electrolyte solution on and / or around the grounding sheet 96 . thus the leads 18 and 20 can have their remote or distal ends connected to various means for applying the signal from the pc board 12 to a buried conductor , including alligator clips 22 and 24 or other mechanical attachment means such as terminals , jacks , clamps , etc . while we have described an embodiment of our compact line locator , persons skilled in the art will realize that our invention is not limited to this particular embodiment . for example , the inner or proximal ends of the leads 18 and 20 could be connected to the pc board 12 via removable plugs , jacks or other electrical connectors having mating parts attached to the leads 18 and 20 and mounted in one or both of the end cap assemblies 32 and 34 . the parts mounted in the end cap assemblies 32 or 34 can be connected to the pc board 12 through wiring inside the case 30 . other means for holding the leads besides hooks could be used such as channels with detents , velcro ยฎ straps , straps with snaps , split tubes , clips , bands , pivoting arms , clasps , screw on devices , snap on devices , bayonet locks , ratchet assemblies , and so forth . other means for holding the batteries can be used besides the tubes , such as frame elements molded into the inner side of the case itself , and slide in battery cradles . the case need not have the flattened tubular configuration , but its rounded sides are advantageous for wrapping the leads and its planar sections are advantageous for mounting the control panel . the case has a relatively low profile and is relatively small . preferably the case has a width at least twice its height , and a length of at least one and one - half times its width . the compact line illuminator 10 can continuously broadcast status information per bluetooth , zigbee or other wireless protocol for receipt by a similarly equipped locator . in this fashion the locator can receive and respond to status information , such as the current operating frequency and power level of the compact line illuminator , and send commands to the compact line illuminator 10 for changing its operating parameters . in such an arrangement , the illuminator does not even need to have any user actuated controls , and therefore the control panel can be eliminated and the illuminator can be turned on and off , and its settings monitored and changed , via controls on the locator using its graphic user interface ( gui ). the compact line illuminator 10 need not have any internal antenna and may rely strictly upon direct connection via the leads and alligator clips , or inductive coupling via an inductive clamp . the batteries need not be contained within the case 10 and the circuit could instead be connected to an external power source . therefore , the protection afforded our invention should only be limited in accordance with the following claims . | 6Physics
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the detailed description as set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the present invention , and does not represent the only embodiment of the present invention . it is understood that various modifications to the invention may be comprised by different embodiments and are also encompassed within the spirit and scope of the present invention . referring particularly to fig1 and 2 , there are shown a top and bottom perspective views , respectively , of the dermoscopy epiluminescence device 12 of the present invention . the device 12 is lightweight and compact , and can easily fit within the shirt pocket of a user . the outer structure of the device 12 can be utilized in association with the first embodiment ( fig3 โ 5 ), the second embodiment ( fig6 ) and third embodiment ( fig7 ). the exterior appearance of the device for each of the first , second and third embodiments would be identical as shown in fig1 and 2 . fig1 shows the top perspective view of the device 12 showing the viewing port of the lens 14 incorporated into a housing 20 . a battery cover 22 may be removeably secured to the housing 20 to provide access to an interior compartment for insertion and removal of a battery . also shown is a switch 16 for initiating a first light source and a switch 18 for initiating the second light source . referring particularly to fig2 , a bottom perspective view of the device 12 is shown . a light portal is incorporated into the housing 20 to expose a viewing polarizer 24 . a plurality of diodes ( not shown ) encircle the viewing polarizer within the housing 20 and direct light though a multiple layer filter ring 25 . light from the diodes ( not shown ) is directed onto the skin surface to aid lighting the magnified area to be viewed . referring particularly to fig3 and 4 , there is shown a first embodiment of the present invention . fig3 is an exploded top view of the device 12 and fig4 is an exploded bottom view of the device 12 . the housing 20 includes top component 20 a and bottom component 20 b . the top component 20 a , bottom component 20 b and battery cover 22 are formed from molded lightweight durable plastic . the plastic is a pvc derivative material and may be formed from acrylic or lexan . additionally , the housing may be formed from metal such as aluminum . components 20 a , 20 b and cover 22 are interconnected to form the outer housing 20 as shown in fig1 and 2 . the top housing component 20 a includes an aperture 26 for receiving the combination of the optical lens 14 inserted within the lens sleeve 28 . shown best in fig4 , the underside of the top housing component 20 a is shown wherein the aperture 26 incorporates a downwardly protruding collar for receiving the lens 14 within the lens sleeve 28 . the lens sleeve 28 incorporates an annular lip 29 which engages the sloped sides of the aperture 26 to complete the exterior of the viewing port of the housing 20 . the lens sleeve 28 operates to securely hold the lens 14 in place within the aperture 26 . the lens 14 in the first embodiment is preferably a 15 mm diameter hastings lens with a 10 ร optical gain . although the first embodiment employs a hastings lens , the lens may be a single convex lens , a combination of two or more lenses , a double achromat lens , or a combination of double achromat lenses . in addition , the lens may incorporate aspherical lenses to accommodate better optics and lower distortion . the lenses coated with an antireflection coating may be used and may additionally include a color filter to selectively filter light passing through the lens . although the invention shows a hand held unit without imaging equipment attached , it is contemplated by the present invention that the same could be used with a camera , and that the size and shape of the lens would be modified to accommodate the same . the protruding collar 30 is part of the unitary structure of the upper housing component 20 a . the cylinder 30 protrudes through the interior components of the housing 20 , including a printed circuit board ( pcb ) 32 having an opening 33 to extend to the light portal of bottom component 20 b . a battery 34 nests within a battery chamber formed by the top component 20 a and bottom component 20 b . pcb 32 includes electrical contacts 36 a and 36 b for interfacing with the battery 34 contacts 38 a and 38 b . the upper housing 20 a includes slots 40 a and 40 b to allow the pcb contacts 36 a and 36 b to protrude from the circuit board 32 into the battery chamber and contact the battery leads 38 a and 38 b . in all embodiments of the present invention , the battery 34 is an extended charge lithium battery , however , it is understood and contemplated by the present invention that the battery could be any suitable battery package such as a one - time lithium battery or rechargeable lithium battery . the invention additionally contemplates use of a dc power supply that may have a suitable dc output to drive the leds . the bottom component 20 b includes a viewing aperture 42 . the viewing polarizer 24 and sleeve 44 cap off the opening of the collar 30 . viewing polarizer 24 is composed of acrylic plastic with polarization material embedded within the polarizer . it is contemplated by the invention that the viewing polarizer 24 may be constructed of glass , also with material embedded or coated on the glass . in addition , the viewing polarizer 24 may be coated with a filter material that can selectively filter out some of the light frequencies emanating from the object . alternatively , the secondary filter assembly made of plastic or glass with the capability of filtering the light may be placed in the path of the viewing lens to filter out some of the light . bottom housing component 20 b includes a bottom collar 46 formed therein . a lip 48 incorporating a plurality of guide tabs , is formed between the collar 46 and the aperture 42 . the lip 48 and guide tabs are adapted to engage bottom annular polarizer 50 and a top annular polarizer 52 . the top 52 and bottom 50 polarizers are 90 degrees out of phase . the bottom 50 polarizer is in cross polarization with the viewing polarizer 24 and top polarizer 52 is in parallel polarization with the viewing polarizer 24 . the top 52 and bottom 50 polarizers are composed of acrylic plastic and include polarization at different angles . the polarizers 50 and 52 may also be coated with a special material to filter out some of the light emanating from the leds , or alternatively the annular polarizer 50 and 52 may be sandwiched with a color filter acrylic material . the aperture 42 is wide enough to permit a viewing corridor from the lens sleeve 28 through the housing 20 to the aperture 42 while allowing portions of the top 52 and bottom 50 polarizers to be exposed and to filter light emitting diodes inside the housing 20 . sixteen light emitting diodes 58 ring the circuit board . the diodes are preferably white high light output indium gallium nitride leds , however any suitable lighting diodes are appropriate . the even diodes are on a single circuit and the odd diodes are an a separate single circuit . in the shown embodiment , the leds 58 are a standard white led made with phosphorescence phosphors to create white light . it is additionally contemplated by the present invention that tri - colored leds , with individual red , green and blue leds that can combine form white light may be utilized . it is contemplated by the present invention that the leds may have focusing lenses to concentrate the light into a smaller and tighter beam . the leds may additionally be comprised of indium gallium arsenide material , or any other like semiconductor material . the pcb board 42 incorporates switch contacts 54 and 56 . the polarizing parallel switch 16 engages switch contact 56 and the parallel - polarizing switch 18 engages with contact 54 . thus , engaging switch 16 initiates a first light source , which are the eight even diodes 58 and the switch 18 initiates the second light source , which are the other eight odd diodes . both switches 56 and 54 may be operated simultaneously to light all sixteen diodes 58 simultaneously . it is contemplated by the present invention that the device may employ three or more switches operative to initiate three or more sets of diodes . a first polarizer filter 50 comprises a planar annular ring defining a generally circular center opening and an outer ring . the center opening of the annular ring of the first polarizer 50 is positioned in alignment with the circular optical lens 14 to provide an unobstructed view of the skin through the lens 14 and the housing 20 . the outer ring of the first polarizer 50 includes a plurality of openings sized and positioned to correspond to the diodes 58 of the second illumination source ( i . e . every other diode 58 of the second light circuit ) such that light emitted from the diodes 58 of the second illumination source passes through the openings unfiltered by the first polarizer 50 . because there are no corresponding openings for the diodes of the first illumination source ( i . e . every other diode on the first light circuit ) light emitted from first source diodes is polarized by the outer ring of the first polarizer filter 50 . a second polarizer filter 52 comprises a planar annular ring defining a generally circular center opening and an outer ring . the center opening of said annular ring of the second polarizer 52 is positioned in alignment with the circular optical lens 14 to provide an unobstructed view of the skin through the lens 14 and housing 20 . the second polarizer 52 is 90 degrees out of phase with the first polarizer 50 . the outer ring of the second polarizer 52 , like the first polarizer 50 , has a plurality of openings sized and positioned to correspond to the diodes of the first illumination source ( i . e . every other diode on the first light circuit ) such that light emitted from the diodes of the first illumination source passes through the openings unfiltered by the second polarizer 52 . because there are no corresponding openings for the diodes 58 of the second illumination source ( i . e . every other diode on the second light circuit ) light emitted from second source diodes is polarized by the outer ring of the second polarizer 52 . while the switches of the first embodiment 16 and 18 shows only two light sources ( i . e . two sets of diodes ) three are more sets of diodes are contemplated by the present invention . referring particularly to fig5 , there is shown a cross - sectional view of the device 12 of the first embodiment of the present invention . fig5 shows an optional spacer 60 which can engage the viewing portal of the housing 20 . the spacer includes glass 62 to provide a transparent barrier . the spacer can aid in achieving the optimal viewing distance between the device 12 and the skin 64 . also , the spacer 60 can prevent contamination of the lens 14 during examination . fig5 illustrates the angle of mounting of the leds 58 upon the pcb 32 . the light from the leds 58 is angled to concentrate the light onto a focused area are represented by the angled lines shown in phantom . the light from the leds 58 is focused into a smaller area , so as to increase the brightness of the leds . all of the leds 58 in the circle are pointed toward the central area of the region of interest , so as to increase multifold the amount of light directed into the region . it is additionally contemplated by the present invention that some of the leds may be directed slightly off center to enlarge the viewing field and to make for uniform lighting . fig6 is a bottom exploded view of a second embodiment of the present invention . the assembly and structure of the device shown in fig6 is identical to that shown in fig1 โ 5 of the first embodiment of the present invention ( and thus the description is not repeated herein ), except that the device shown in fig6 does not include two annular filters 50 and 52 and the leds 66 and 68 are of different colors . preferably , the even diodes 66 are of a particular green wavelength and odd diodes 68 are white diodes . the colored leds may be different leds available at the time such as 370 nm uv , 470 nm blue , 500 nm aqua , 525 nm green , 570 nm orange , 630 nm red , etc . the combination of different colors will provide different imaging capabilities . as an example , the blue light is more absorbed in skin pigmentation and therefore better visualization of pigmentation is achieved with the blue light . similarly , the green light is more absorbed by the blood and so it is better for visualizing blood vessels . some compounds also fluoresce at different wavelength light . an example of this is the multiple fluorescence compounds used in research and medicine such as fluorescein , which fluoresces green when illuminated with a blue light . while the second embodiment herein shows green and white diodes , it is understood that the second embodiment could employ any desirable combinations of colors . likewise , while the switch contemplates only two light sources ( i . e . two sets of diodes ) three are more sets of diodes are contemplated by the present invention , employing multiple combinations of colors . fig7 is a bottom exploded view of a third embodiment of the present invention . the assembly and structure of the device shown in fig7 is identical to that shown in fig1 โ 5 of the first embodiment of the present invention ( and thus the description is not repeated herein ), except that the device shown in fig7 includes leds 70 and 72 are of different colors . preferably , the even diodes 70 are of a particular green wavelength and odd diodes 72 are white diodes . the two annular polarizers provide cross polarization and parallel polarization identical to that described with respect to the first embodiment . while the third embodiment herein contemplates green and white diodes , it is understood that the third embodiment could employ any desirable combinations of colors . likewise , while the switches may only initiate two light sources ( i . e . two sets of diodes ), three are more sets of diodes are contemplated by the present invention , employing multiple combinations of colors . it should be noted and understood that with respect to the embodiments of the present invention , the materials suggested may be modified or substituted to achieve the general overall resultant high efficiency . the substitution of materials or dimensions remains within the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 6Physics
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a radio frequency system conveying a data signal from a transmitter 101 to a receiver 103 is shown in fig1 . in a radiotelephone system , transmitter 101 would be a fixed site transmitter serving a radio coverage area which would be populated by mobile or portable transceivers , the receiver of which is shown as receiver 103 . additionally , more than one radio coverage area can be linked in such a way that continuous coverage may be provided over a wide area , i . e ., a cellular radiotelephone system or an integrated area such as an office building or shopping mall . ( see , for example , instant assignee &# 39 ; s u . s . pat . application no . 44 , 920 &# 34 ; microcellular communications system using macrodiversity &# 34 ; filed on behalf of gerald p . labedz on may 1 , 1987 ). in the preferred embodiment , quadrature phase shift keying ( qpsk ) is employed to increase the throughout of the channel although other multi - dimensional signaling may equivalently be employed . further , the well - known time division multiple access ( tdma ) technique of sharing a limited channel resource among a large number of users is employed in the present invention . each of the users is assigned a brief period of time ( a timeslot ) during which a message may be transmitted to or received from the user . the advantages of such a tdma technique over other techniques ( such as frequency division multiple access tdma ) are : ( a ) no duplexer is required for full duplex communications , ( b ) variable data rate transmission may be accommodated through the use of multiple adjacent time slots , ( c ) a common radio frequency power amplifier may be used to amplify multiple channels at any power level without the combining losses or intermodulation distortion present with fdma , and ( d ) a capability of scanning other &# 34 ; channels &# 34 ; ( timeslots ) without requiring separate receivers may be provided . the high data rate employed in the present invention ( 200 kbps to 2 mbps ) exceeds the channel coherence bandwidth of the mobile radio channel for many urban and suburban environments . as a result , the channel exhibits a multipath structure in addition to the expected rayleigh fading . the receiver of the present invention enables tdma quadrature signals to be coherently received over a multipath fading channel . this embodiment will demodulate a 2 - megachip / sec qpsk radio signal , the only constraint being that the acquisition sequence be transmitted as a binary phase shift keying ( bpsk ) signal with a predetermined phase relative to the qpsk data . fig2 a and 2b are a block diagram of a tdma receiver which may be employed to recover tdma quadrature phase shift keying data and is described in instant assignee &# 39 ; s u . s . pat . application no . 009 , 973 &# 34 ; tdma communications system with adaptive equalization &# 34 ; filed on feb . 2 , 1987 on behalf of david e . borth and is incorporated by reference herein . the digital signal outputs of the a / d converters 209 and 211 , respectively , are applied to in - phase ( i ) time slot correlator 213 and quadrature ( q ) correlator 215 , respectively , as well as to their respective signal buffers 217 and 219 . i correlator 213 performs a correlation function between all received bits of the input signal and a pre - loaded synchronization word ( i sync word ) corresponding to the in - phase time slot sync word . the output of i correlator 213 is a digital bit stream representing the sample - by - sample correlation of the received data with the stored synchronization word replica for the timeslot . the correlation function exhibits a peak when the i sync word is located in the received sample data . in the same way , q correlator 215 performs a correlation function between the pre - stored quadrature q sync word from memory 221 and the sampled quadrature ( q ) input . the outputs of correlators 213 and 215 are applied to squaring blocks 223 and 225 , respectively . the squaring block output signals represent the squared values of the separate i and q correlation operations respectively . the squaring block outputs are then applied to summing block 227 . the i and q correlation signals are summed together to form a squared envelope signal which represents the sum of squares of the correlation signal . the squared envelope of the correlation signal makes an explicit determination of the phase ambiguity unnecessary . thus , without resolving any ambiguity , a large amplitude signal output from summing block 227 represents a possible start location for a particular timeslot . the output of summing block 227 is then routed to time slot detector 229 , wherein the summed correlation signal is compared with a predetermined threshold value . this threshold value represents the minimum allowable correlation value which would represent a detected timeslot . if the summed output is greater than the threshold value , a time slot detect signal is generated and applied to system timing controller 231 . timing controller 231 functions as a phase - locked loop ( pll ), using a stable timing reference to validate the timeslot detect signal and provide a validated detect output signal . the validated timeslot detect signal is applied to and gate 233 along with a bit clock output . the combined timeslot detect / bit clock signal is then routed to the i and q signal buffers 217 and 219 , respectively . data signals are clocked into signal buffers 217 and 219 using the combined detect / bit clock signal . in the implementation shown in fig2 a and 2b , a conventional baseband synchronous decision feedback equalizer ( dfe ) 234 is employed for data signal recovery . the dfe 234 basically consists of two parts : a forward linear transversal filter 235 and a feedback linear transversal filter 237 . the forward filter 235 attempts to minimize the mean - square - error ( mse ) due to intersymbol interference ( isi ), while the feedback filter 237 attempts to remove the isi due to previously detected symbols . the decision feedback equalizer 234 structure is adapted at least once each time slot in order to compensate for the effects of the time - varying multipath profile . the equalized and quantized complex data output from quantizer 238 is applied to multiplexer 239 for 2 : 1 multiplexing together with the data clock and output as an output data word . returning to fig1 in a qpsk communication system , a transmitted signal x ( t ) may be expressed as : where a ( t ) and b ( t ) are the in - phase and quadrature information signals and ฯ c is the carrier frequency of the qpsk signal in radians / sec . a frequency - selective ( or delay - spread ) channel that is , a radio channel subject to multipath interference , may be characterized by an equivalent channel impulse response given by : ## equ1 ## where ฮฑ i is the amplitude of the i - th resolvable path , ฯ i is the ( excess ) path delay associated with the i - th resolvable path , and m + 1 is the total number of resolvable paths . for a channel input given by equation ( 1 ), the output of the equivalent delay - spread channel having the impulse response of equation ( 2 ) is essentially constant during any given timeslot , and given by : ## equ2 ## it is this signal , y ( t ), which is input to receiver 103 . when the local oscillator reference 105 in the receiver has a phase offset of ฮณ with respect to the ( direct - path ) received qpsk transmission , the receiver local oscillator reference may be given by cos ( ฯ c t + ฮณ ) and is essentially constant during a tdma timeslot . ( although the antenna is shown connected to the mixers 107 and 111 , it is likely that additional signal processing will be required for higher frequency radio signals . if down - conversion to an intermediate frequency is used , the output frequency of local oscillator may be different ). let ui ( t ) denote the output of the mixer 107 in the uncorrected in - phase branch of the receiver and let ui &# 39 ;( t ) denote the low - pass filtered version of ui ( t ) output from low pass filter 109 . similarly , let uq ( t ) denote the output of the mixer 111 in the uncorrected quadrature phase branch of the receiver and let uq &# 39 ;( t ) denote the low - pass filtered version of uq ( t ) from filter 113 . ui &# 39 ;( t ) and uq &# 39 ;( t ) are subsequently input to signal processor 115 for resolution into i and q data and then coupled to data signal recovery 117 . the low - pass filtered version ui &# 39 ;( t ) of ui ( t ) is given by : ## equ4 ## considering the operation of the present invention in mathematical form , it is an important feature that the transmitted signal x t ( t ) during the synchronization ( or training ) phase of the equalizer 115 is a bpsk signal . when transmitted in the i phase it is given by : where signal a t ( t ) ( not shown ) is a predetermined synchronization sequence with good aperiodic autocorrelation properties , such as one of the barker sequences . the uncorrected in - phase and quadrature receiver branch outputs corresponding to the synchronizing transmitted signal x t ( t ) may be found by substituting the signal of equation ( 8 ) in the received and low pass filtered signals ui &# 39 ;( t ) and uq &# 39 ;( t ) of equations ( 5 ) and ( 7 ) respectively , yielding : ## equ7 ## thus ui &# 39 ;( t ) and uq &# 39 ;( t ) are defined during the training phase as &# 34 ; t &# 34 ; as shown in equations ( 9 ) and ( 10 ). referring now to fig3 which illustrates the preferred embodiment of the present invention in block diagram form , the signals ui &# 39 ; t ( t ) and uq &# 39 ; t ( t ) are applied to synchronization correlators ( 303 and 305 , respectively ) via conventional fast a / d converters 307 and 309 . in the preferred embodiment , synchronization correlators 303 , 305 are 4 by 32 bit digital finite impulse response ( fir ) filters programmed to provide signed weighted correlation outputs . synchronization correlators 303 and 305 are realized by an ims a100 cascadable signal processor available from inmos corp ., colorado springs , colo . the outputs of correlators c i ( t ) and c q ( t ) which are , in simple terms , weighting factors for each i - th resolvable path , generated during reception of the acquisition sequence , may have the appearance as shown in fig5 and are given by : ## equ8 ## the ฮด function in equations ( 11 ) and ( 12 ) determine when to sample the in - phase and quadrature receiver branch outputs and the ฮฑ factor provides a weighting for each i - th resolvable pass contribution . in the preferred embodiment , a sequence controller 311 is realized using a conventional microprocessor ( such as an mc68020 microprocessor available from motorola , inc .) and associated memory and timing dividers . the sequence controller 311 loads a predetermined normalized replica of the acquisition sequence ( 32 each 4 - bit words ) stored in the memory of sequence controller 311 into synchronization correlators 303 and 305 prior to the desired tdma timeslot to be demodulated . tdma frame timing is determined by the sequence controller 311 employing a conventional framing algorithm to confirm and maintain timeslot acquisition . synchronization correlators 303 and 305 each correlate the stored acquisition sequence against the last 32 received a / d samples , and for each new sample perform another complete correlation . while receiving noise or random data , the outputs c i ( t ) and c q ( t ) of synchronization correlators 303 and 305 are small numbers of either polarity , emerging at the same rate as the a / d sampling rate ( 4 per chip interval ). if the radio channel were free of noise and not degraded by multipath , then when an acquisition sequence has been received and digitized and entered into the correlators 303 and 305 , c i ( t ) and c q ( t ) would simultaneously manifest a pair ( or sometimes two adjacent pairs ) of signed numbers significantly larger than those produced by noise or random data , such that the root sum of squares of these numbers would be proportional to the magnitude of the received signal , and the phase angle ฮณ relative to the local reference oscillator is : in the presence of multipath , each significant path will result in the presence of such a peak pair appearing on c i ( t ) and c q ( t ), the signs and magnitudes of each pair of outputs at each peak defining the delay , phase angle , and amplitude contribution of that path to the total , fulfilling the equations ( 11 ) and ( 12 ). thus , each sequence of numbers c i ( t ) and c q ( t ) are bipolar multipath channel profile estimates , which resemble a classic multipath channel profile , except that they are bipolar . each of the m / path correlators 312 , 313 , 315 , and 317 are fir filters of at least 2 taps . in the preferred embodiment , each m / path correlator is realized by an ims a100 cascadable signal processor ( available from inmos corp ., colorado springs , colo .) conventionally connected as a correlator . during the acquisition sequence at the beginning of each desired timeslot , c i ( t ) is shifted into the tap control entry of m / path correlators 312 and 317 , and c q ( t ) is shifted into the tap control entry of m / path correlators 313 and 315 . peak detector 318 is shown in fig4 and comprises a root sum of squares approximator 401 and a threshold detector 403 having an output which signals the sequence controller 311 of the first significant ray of multipath . the sequence controller 311 then provides just enough additional reference port clocks to shift this peak all but through the m / path correlators , thereby capturing c i ( t ) and c q ( t ) in their respective m / path correlators . in the preferred embodiment , the root sum of squares approximator 401 is realized employing a magnitude adder 405 which adds | c i |( t ) and ( 1 / 2 )| c q | r ( t ) and magnitude adder 407 which adds | c q ( t ) | and ( 1 / 2 ) c i ( t )|. the outputs of magnitude adder 405 and magnitude adder 407 are input to conventional magnitude comparators 409 and 411 , respectively , where the root sum of squares approximation is compared to a predetermined threshold to generate an output to the sequence controller 311 ( via or gate 413 ). this and other approximations to the square root of the sum of the squares may be found in , eg ., a . e . filip , &# 34 ; a baker &# 39 ; s dozen magnitude approximations and their detection statistics ,&# 34 ; ieee transactions on aerospace and electronic systems , vol . aes - 12 , pp . 86 - 89 , jan . 1976 . this output to the sequence controller 311 is shown as t d in the example of fig5 . thus , the peak detector 318 reports the first significant peak to the sequence controller 311 which , in turn , starts the loading at t / s stop , to thus capture the channel profile in each of the m / path correlators . the four m / path correlators ( 312 , 313 , 315 , and 317 in fig3 ) thus have the information available to perform equations ( 14 )-( 17 ), below , whose results ( a , b , c , and d ) appear at the outputs of m / path correlators 312 , 313 , 315 , and 317 respectively . ## equ9 ## properly combining the quantities a through d , one obtains the following expressions for the in - phase and quadrature outputs of the receiver at time t = 0 : ## equ10 ## conventional adder 331 implements equation ( 18 ) to produce the recovered in - phase signal i and adder 335 implements equation ( 19 ) to produce the recovered sample form for use in somewhat more elaborate symbol or character correlation . the outputs i and q from the adders 331 and 335 may subsequently be applied to a data signal recovery circuit such as the conventional baseband synchronous feedback equalizer described in the aforementioned u . s . patent application ser , no . 009 , 973 . it can be seen by following the general input equation ( 3 ) through to equations ( 18 ) and ( 19 ) that the information contained in each of the paths of the multipath signal is coherently combined in the receiver , thereby permitting an effective time diversity gain in the receiver . furthermore , since the sin and cos terms of equations ( 14 ) through ( 17 ) are cancelled algebraically and trigonometrically , the received signal phase offset ฮณ is cancelled . in the preferred embodiment four m / path correlators 312 , 313 , 315 , and 317 operate on 128 samples , or 32 chip intervals so as to accommodate as much as an 8 microseconds variation in the path delays , any one with respect to the others . this also imposes the requirement that the acquisition sequence be of no less than 9 microseconds duration , preferably two to four times that long . referring to fig5 a representative graph of the outputs c i ( t ) and c q ( t ) time on the other axis . the outputs of the synchronization correlators 303 and 305 have signed responses at each clock pulse but none of the responses exceed the established threshold magnitude until a correlation with the predetermined synchronization sequence a t ( t ) is realized . as shown , a correlation is found at time t d . referring now to fig6 there is shown a block diagram of a qpsk transmitter which may be employed as a fixed site transmitter in a tdma system . a similar transmitter may be employed as a transmitter in a mobile or portable transceiver . at the fixed site , digital speech or data are input from a number of users and formatted by formatter 601 into individual tdma message plus synchronization streams . a predetermined number of data bits from one user are interleaved with the synchronization sequence by means of software control in a microprocessor . a representative formatter is further described in the aforementioned u . s . patent application ser . no . 009 , 973 . once the data are formatted , the output is coupled to the tdma controller 603 . the tdma controller 603 performs the function of time - multiplexing each user message with the other user messages to form a tdma signal . the time - multiplexing function may , preferably , be performed in a software mediated process of a microprocessor but may also be realized via a time - controlled switch ( as described in the data sheet of a motorola mc14416 time slot assigner ). the output of the tdma controller 603 is a signal consisting of n user messages ( as shown in fig7 ) and is applied , as quadrature signals a ( t ) and b ( t ), to conventional modulators 605 and 607 . modulator 605 modulates the output of signal oscillator 609 ( cos { ฯ c t }) with the a ( t ) signal ; modulator 607 modulates the 90 ยฐ phase shifted ( from phase shifter 611 ) output of signal oscillator 609 with b ( t ) to create the b ( t ) sin ( ฯ c t ) quadrature signal . the two signals are then summed in conventional summer 613 and applied the transmitter amplification stage 615 for amplification prior to transmission ( as x { t }). during the period the synchronization sequence is being transmitted for each timeslot , the present invention transmits the synchronization sequence only on one vector of the qpsk modulated signal . in the preferred embodiment , this is accomplished by preventing the b ( t ) sin ( ฯ c t ) from being summed in summer 613 . ( the transmission of b ( t ) sin ( ฯ c t ) and the suppression of a ( t ) cos ( ฯ c t ) would work equally well and is the choice of the system designer . furthermore , it may be desirable to transmit the acquisition sequence at some other angle relative to i and q , for example , simultaneously and identically in both i and q for a 45 ยฐ shift . any angle can be accommodated by operating on the multipath profile estimates c i ( t ) and c q ( t ) when applying them to m / path correlators ). a conventional signal switch 617 open - circuits the coupling between the modulator 607 and the summer 613 upon a command from the tdma controller 603 indicating a synchronization sequence period . this signal switch 617 reconnects the modulator 607 and the summer 613 during periods of message data transmission . since the turning off of b ( t ) sin ( ฯ c t ) during the acquisition synchronization sequence effectively reduces the transmitter output power by 3 db during the synchronization sequence , the transmitter may optionally be equipped with the capability of increasing the power gain of the transmitter amplification stage 615 . the amplification stage 615 , which may be a conventional variable output power amplifier , is switched during the synchronization sequence to an output power 3 db greater than the output power during the transmission of the message data of each timeslot . in this way , the system gain is maintained during both synchronization sequence and message data transmission . in summary , then , the present invention describes a unique phase coherent method for transmitting and receiving a qpsk radio signal that has been subject to a multipath fading radio channel . in order that the equalization for reception of a radio signal subject to rayleigh and multipath fading be adapted for the channel , a training or synchronization signal is transmitted on only one of the vectors of a quadrature phase modulated signal . the random amplitudes and phases of copies of the modulated signal added to the signal by channel multipath are correlated and combined in accordance with a multipath profile signal developed from the synchronization signal . therefore , while a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described , it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications unrelated to the true spirit and scope of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art . it is therefore contemplated to cover the present invention and any and all such modifications by the claims of the present invention . | 7Electricity
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in the following detailed description , numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention . however , those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details , that the present invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments , and that the present invention may be practiced in a variety of alternate embodiments . in other instances , well known methods , procedures , components , and circuits have not been described in detail . parts of the description will be presented using terminology commonly employed by those skilled in the art to convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art . also , parts of the description will be presented in terms of operations performed through the execution of programming instructions . as well understood by those skilled in the art , these operations often take the form of electrical , magnetic , or optical signals capable of being stored , transferred , combined , and otherwise manipulated through , for instance , electrical components . various operations will be described as multiple discrete steps performed in turn in a manner that is helpful in understanding the present invention . however , the order of description should not be construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily performed in the order they are presented , or even order dependent . lastly , repeated usage of the phrase โ in one embodiment โ does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment , although it may . the present invention integrates compact , high power voltage regulator components into the form factor of a socket . integrating the voltage regulator into a socket allows the regulator to be closer to the target load and more efficiently supply power . in various embodiments , as discussed below , integrating the voltage regulator into the socket also simplifies thermal solutions and input / output solutions . in general , the present invention alters the form factor of prior art sockets , such as socket 140 of fig1 . the form factor retains the requisite low profile to meet the critical inductance requirements for the socketed component ( such as cpu 130 of fig1 ), but with additional space to accommodate the voltage regulator and leave room for the thermal solution ( such as heat sink 150 of fig1 ). fig2 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention . central processing unit ( cpu ) 130 inserts into socket 240 in receptive area 242 . socket 240 provides the input / output ( i / o ) solution between cpu 130 and system board 110 . in the illustrated embodiment , socket 240 has a cutaway in its chassis 244 to reveal where voltage regulator 220 is integrated into the socket . voltage regulator 220 provides the power solution for cpu 130 . voltage regulator 220 is comprised of compact components that provide power at the relatively large rate required by cpu 130 , and yet the components fit within the limited height of socket 240 . by integrating voltage regulator 220 into socket 240 , voltage regulator 220 can be positioned as close as possible to cpu 130 without actually being integrated into cpu 130 . in comparison to the prior art system of fig1 capacitors 127 are bulk capacitors . the form factor for capacitors 127 are typically on the order of 0 . 5 inches tall and 0 . 25 inches in diameter . socket 140 is typically on the order of 0 . 2 to 0 . 25 inches tall . in which case , bulk capacitors 127 cannot get any closer to cpu 130 in fig1 than the perimeter of socket 140 because the capacitors cannot fit within the form factor of the socket . the amount of capacitance needed to power cpu 130 increases the farther away the capacitors are located . in the present invention , as illustrated in fig2 the compact components of regulator 220 can be positioned very close the cpu 130 . in which case , regulator 220 provides power more efficiently and does not need as much capacitance as regulator 120 to provide the same rate of power . socket 240 also has the same height requirements as socket 140 . in which case , the components of voltage regulator 220 must be able to fit in a form factor having a height on the order of 0 . 2 to 0 . 25 inches . fig3 illustrates another embodiment the present invention including a thermal solution and a support structure for the thermal solution . support plate 360 mounts to the bottom of system board 110 to provide additional structural integrity to support the bulk of heat sink 350 coupled to the top of socket 340 . chassis 344 of socket 340 serves as a base for heat sink 350 . heat sink 350 , like heat sink 150 in fig1 makes contact with cpu 130 to absorb and dissipate heat from the cpu . in which case , the height of socket 340 is limited not only by the inductance of leads ( not shown ) within socket 340 , but also by the requirement that heat sink 350 be close enough to cpu 130 to absorb heat . that is , in the illustrated embodiment , the height of socket 340 is limited by the maximum length of the leads and the height of cpu 130 such that the top of socket 340 is at most flush with the top of cpu 130 to provide heat sink 350 with a direct thermal connection to the cpu . socket 340 is virtually identical to socket 240 from fig2 with the exception of the cutaway that reveals the integrated voltage regulator . the voltage regulator ( not shown ) integrated in socket 340 can generate a great deal of heat . as discussed above , prior art voltage regulators often include their own thermal solutions such as an extra fan . in the present invention however , as illustrated in fig3 the voltage regulator fits within socket 340 so it can take advantage of the same thermal solution provided for cpu 130 . that is , heat sink 350 not only absorbs and dissipates heat from cpu 130 , heat sink 350 also absorbs and dissipates heat from the voltage regulator integrated into socket 340 . fig4 illustrates one embodiment of a computer system 400 including a processor package 420 according to the teachings of the present invention . processor package 420 is similar to the embodiment of the present invention illustrated in fig3 and includes a socket having an integrated voltage regulator , a cpu , and a heat sink ( all not shown ). bus 460 couples processor package 420 to chip set 470 , and from there through buses 461 , 462 , and 463 to memory 410 , i / o ports 430 , and riser cards 450 . computer system 400 is intended to represent a broad category of electronic devices known in the art , such as personal computers , work stations , set - top boxes , internet appliances , etc . those skilled in the art will recognize that alternate embodiments may not include all of the illustrated components , may combine one or more of the components , may include additional components known in the art , and may be organized in any number of configurations . those skilled in the art will also recognize that the present invention is applicable to a wide range of applications and form factors . the present invention could be used for virtually any socketed device that requires high power voltage regulation . for instance , many specialized processors , such as graphics processors , are likely to have similar power and thermal solution requirements that cpus have . the present invention may also be applicable to sockets for lower power devices , like memory . the sockets in the embodiments of fig1 - 3 are land grid array sockets , which use flexible circuit material to make contact between the ports on the cpu and the leads in the socket . those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is similarly applicable to other types of sockets , including pin sockets such as those used for edge mounted devices . fig5 illustrates one embodiment of a pin socket 540 to couple cpu 530 to system board 510 . socket 540 has height limitations much like socket 340 in fig3 . that is , the height of the socket is limited by the inductance of leads ( not shown ) within the socket , as well as by the size and proximity of heat sinks 550 to cpu 530 . socket 540 includes an integrated voltage regulator ( not shown ) like the integrated voltage regulator 220 in fig2 . any number of approaches can be used to integrate the voltage regulator into the socket . for instance , the compact components can be mounted onto the same sub - straight used to support the socket leads , and the chassis can be an injection mold used to enclose all of the components . thus , an integrated circuit socket having a built - in voltage regulator is described . whereas many alterations and modifications of the present invention will be comprehended by a person skilled in the art after having read the foregoing description , it is to be understood that the particular embodiments shown and described by way of illustration are in no way intended to be considered limiting . therefore , references to details of particular embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claims . | 7Electricity
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in the following description , for the purposes of explanation , specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention . however , it will be apparent that various embodiments may be practiced without these specific details . the figures and description are not intended to be restrictive . the ensuing description provides exemplary embodiments only , and is not intended to limit the scope , applicability , or configuration of the disclosure . rather , the ensuing description of the exemplary embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enabling description for implementing an exemplary embodiment . it should be understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims . specific details are given in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments . however , it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details . for example , circuits , systems , networks , processes , and other components may be shown as components in block diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments in unnecessary detail . in other instances , well - known circuits , processes , algorithms , structures , and techniques may be shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoid obscuring the embodiments . also , it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as a process which is depicted as a flowchart , a flow diagram , a data flow diagram , a structure diagram , or a block diagram . although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process , many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently . in addition , the order of the operations may be re - arranged . a process is terminated when its operations are completed , but could have additional steps not included in a figure . a process may correspond to a method , a function , a procedure , a subroutine , a subprogram , etc . when a process corresponds to a function , its termination can correspond to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function . the term โ machine - readable storage medium โ or โ computer - readable storage medium โ includes , but is not limited to , portable or non - portable storage devices , optical storage devices , and various other mediums capable of storing , containing , or carrying instruction ( s ) and / or data . a machine - readable storage medium or computer - readable storage medium may include a non - transitory medium in which data can be stored and that does not include carrier waves and / or transitory electronic signals propagating wirelessly or over wired connections . examples of a non - transitory medium may include , but are not limited to , a magnetic disk or tape , optical storage media such as compact disk ( cd ) or digital versatile disk ( dvd ), flash memory , memory or memory devices . a computer - program product may include code and / or machine - executable instructions that may represent a procedure , a function , a subprogram , a program , a routine , a subroutine , a module , a software package , a class , or any combination of instructions , data structures , or program statements . a code segment may be coupled to another code segment or a hardware circuit by passing and / or receiving information , data , arguments , parameters , or memory contents . information , arguments , parameters , data , or other information may be passed , forwarded , or transmitted using any suitable means including memory sharing , message passing , token passing , network transmission , or other transmission technique . furthermore , embodiments may be implemented by hardware , software , firmware , middleware , microcode , hardware description languages , or any combination thereof . when implemented in software , firmware , middleware or microcode , the program code or code segments to perform the necessary tasks ( e . g ., a computer - program product ) may be stored in a machine - readable medium . a processor ( s ) may perform the necessary tasks . systems depicted in some of the figures may be provided in various configurations . in some embodiments , the systems may be configured as a distributed system where one or more components of the system are distributed across one or more networks in a cloud computing system . systems and methods described herein may relate to the technical approaches disclosed in several related applications including u . s . pat . no . 8 , 595 , 781 , u . s . pat . no . 8 , 769 , 584 , u . s . pat . app . pub . no . 2010 / 0306805 , u . s . pat . app . pub . no . 2014 / 0082663 , u . s . pat . app . pub . no . 2014 / 0201769 , and u . s . pat . no . 8 , 595 , 781 , incorporated by reference herein in their entireties . exemplary embodiments disclosed herein teach a system and method that extends the meaning of the previously used term โ contextually targeted โ beyond the display of simple graphics or short video segments related to the associated content , to the complete substitution of substantially enhanced forms of the selected content , replacing it in its entirety with a vod like format , enabling the viewer to re - start the content from its beginning , with complete โ virtual dvr โ control including restarting , pausing , โ fast forward โ, and โ rewind โ functions , along with the ability to view the content at higher resolution or in 3d , if available , and the ability to remove commercial messages and replace them with messages more tightly targeting the viewer by location , demographics , or previous shopping behavior based on such information being stored in the form of compact data modules of the type often called โ cookies โ in the memory of a connected tv viewing system such as a smart tv . this enables the development and sale to sponsors or brokers of various premium , closely - targeted advertising products , or in an alternative business model , the removal of some or all of the advertising messaging as a premium service for the viewer . fig1 illustrates a matching system 100 that can identify unknown content . in some examples , the unknown content can include one or more unknown data points . in such examples , the matching system 100 can match unknown data points with reference data points to identify unknown video segments associated with the unknown data points . the reference data points can be included in a reference database 116 . the matching system 100 includes a client device 102 and a matching server 104 . the client device 102 includes a media client 106 , an input device 108 , an output device 110 , and one or more contextual applications 126 . the media client 106 ( which can include a television system , a computer system , or other electronic device capable of connecting to the internet ) can decode data ( e . g ., broadcast signals , data packets , or other frame data ) associated with video programs 128 . the media client 106 can place the decoded contents of each frame of the video into a video frame buffer in preparation for display or for further processing of pixel information of the video frames . the client device 102 can be any electronic decoding system that can receive and decode a video signal . the client device 102 can receive video programs 128 and store video information in a video buffer ( not shown ). the client device 102 can process the video buffer information and produce unknown data points ( which can referred to as โ cues โ), described in more detail below with respect to fig3 . the media client 106 can transmit the unknown data points to the matching server 104 for comparison with reference data points in the reference database 116 . the input device 108 can include any suitable device that allows a request or other information to be input to the media client 106 . for example , the input device 108 can include a keyboard , a mouse , a voice - recognition input device , a wireless interface for receiving wireless input from a wireless device ( e . g ., from a remote controller , a mobile device , or other suitable wireless device ), or any other suitable input device . the output device 110 can include any suitable device that can present or otherwise output information , such as a display , a wireless interface for transmitting a wireless output to a wireless device ( e . g ., to a mobile device or other suitable wireless device ), a printer , or other suitable output device . the matching system 100 can begin a process of identifying a video segment by first collecting data samples from known video data sources 118 . for example , the matching server 104 collects data to build and maintain a reference database 116 from a variety of video data sources 118 . the video data sources 118 can include media providers of television programs , movies , or any other suitable video source . video data from the video data sources 118 can be provided as over - the - air broadcasts , as cable tv channels , as streaming sources from the internet , and from any other video data source . in some examples , the matching server 104 can process the received video from the video data sources 118 to generate and collect reference video data points in the reference database 116 , as described below . in some examples , video programs from video data sources 118 can be processed by a reference video program ingest system ( not shown ), which can produce the reference video data points and send them to the reference database 116 for storage . the reference data points can be used as described above to determine information that is then used to analyze unknown data points . the matching server 104 can store reference video data points for each video program received for a period of time ( e . g ., a number of days , a number of weeks , a number of months , or any other suitable period of time ) in the reference database 116 . the matching server 104 can build and continuously or periodically update the reference database 116 of television programming samples ( e . g ., including reference data points , which may also be referred to as cues or cue values ). in some examples , the data collected is a compressed representation of the video information sampled from periodic video frames ( e . g ., every fifth video frame , every tenth video frame , every fifteenth video frame , or other suitable number of frames ). in some examples , a number of bytes of data per frame ( e . g ., 25 bytes , 50 bytes , 75 bytes , 100 bytes , or any other amount of bytes per frame ) are collected for each program source . any number of program sources can be used to obtain video , such as 25 channels , 50 channels , 75 channels , 100 channels , 200 channels , or any other number of program sources . using the example amount of data , the total data collected during a 24 - hour period over three days becomes very large . therefore , reducing the number of actual reference data point sets is advantageous in reducing the storage load of the matching server 104 . the media client 106 can send a communication 122 to a matching engine 112 of the matching server 104 . the communication 122 can include a request for the matching engine 112 to identify unknown content . for example , the unknown content can include one or more unknown data points and the reference database 116 can include a plurality of reference data points . the matching engine 112 can identify the unknown content by matching the unknown data points to reference data in the reference database 116 . in some examples , the unknown content can include unknown video data being presented by a display ( for video - based acr ), a search query ( for a mapreduce system , a bigtable system , or other data storage system ), an unknown image of a face ( for facial recognition ), an unknown image of a pattern ( for pattern recognition ), or any other unknown data that can be matched against a database of reference data . the reference data points can be derived from data received from the video data sources 118 . for example , data points can be extracted from the information provided from the video data sources 118 and can be indexed and stored in the reference database 116 . the matching engine 112 can send a request to the candidate determination engine 114 to determine candidate data points from the reference database 116 . a candidate data point can be a reference data point that is a certain determined distance from the unknown data point . in some examples , a distance between a reference data point and an unknown data point can be determined by comparing one or more pixels ( e . g ., a single pixel , a value representing group of pixels ( e . g ., a mean , an average , a median , or other value ), or other suitable number of pixels ) of the reference data point with one or more pixels of the unknown data point . in some examples , a reference data point can be the certain determined distance from an unknown data point when the pixels at each sample location are within a particular pixel value range . in one illustrative example , a pixel value of a pixel can include a red value , a green value , and a blue value ( in a red - green - blue ( rgb ) color space ). in such an example , a first pixel ( or value representing a first group of pixels ) can be compared to a second pixel ( or value representing a second group of pixels ) by comparing the corresponding red values , green values , and blue values respectively , and ensuring that the values are within a certain value range ( e . g ., within 0 - 5 values ). for example , the first pixel can be matched with the second pixel when ( 1 ) a red value of the first pixel is within 5 values in a 0 - 255 value range ( plus or minus ) of a red value of the second pixel , ( 2 ) a green value of the first pixel is within 5 values in a 0 - 255 value range ( plus or minus ) of a green value of the second pixel , and ( 3 ) a blue value of the first pixel is within 5 values in a 0 - 255 value range ( plus or minus ) of a blue value of the second pixel . in such an example , a candidate data point is a reference data point that is an approximate match to the unknown data point , leading to multiple candidate data points ( related to different media segments ) being identified for the unknown data point . the candidate determination engine 114 can return the candidate data points to the matching engine 112 . for a candidate data point , the matching engine 112 can add a token into a bin that is associated with the candidate data point and that is assigned to an identified video segment from which the candidate data point is derived . a corresponding token can be added to all bins that correspond to identified candidate data points . as more unknown data points ( corresponding to the unknown content being viewed ) are received by the matching server 104 from the client device 102 , a similar candidate data point determination process can be performed , and tokens can be added to the bins corresponding to identified candidate data points . only one of the bins corresponds to the segment of the unknown video content being viewed , with the other bins corresponding to candidate data points that are matched due to similar data point values ( e . g ., having similar pixel color values ), but that do not correspond to the actual segment being viewed . the bin for the unknown video content segment being viewed will have more tokens assigned to it than other bins for segments that are not being watched . for example , as more unknown data points are received , a larger number of reference data points that correspond to the bin are identified as candidate data points , leading to more tokens being added to the bin . once a bin includes a particular number of tokens , the matching engine 112 can determine that the video segment associated with the bin is currently being displayed on the client device 102 . a video segment can include an entire video program or a portion of the video program . for example , a video segment can be a video program , a scene of a video program , one or more frames of a video program , or any other portion of a video program . fig2 illustrates components of a matching system 200 for identifying unknown data . for example , the matching engine 212 can perform a matching process for identifying unknown content ( e . g ., unknown media segments , a search query , an image of a face or a pattern , or the like ) using a database of known content ( e . g ., known media segments , information stored in a database for searching against , known faces or patterns , or the like ). for example , the matching engine 212 receives unknown data content 202 ( which can be referred to as a โ cue โ) to be matched with a reference data point of the reference data points 204 in a reference database . the unknown data content 202 can also be received by the candidate determination engine 214 , or sent to the candidate determination engine 214 from the matching engine 212 . the candidate determination engine 214 can conduct a search process to identify candidate data points 206 by searching the reference data points 204 in the reference database . in one example , the search process can include a nearest neighbor search process to produce a set of neighboring values ( that are a certain distance from the unknown values of the unknown data content 202 ). the candidate data points 206 are input to the matching engine 212 for conducting the matching process to generate a matching result 208 . depending on the application , the matching result 208 can include video data being presented by a display , a search result , a determined face using facial recognition , a determined pattern using pattern recognition , or any other result . in determining candidate data points 206 for an unknown data point ( e . g ., unknown data content 202 ), the candidate determination engine 214 determines a distance between the unknown data point and the reference data points 204 in the reference database . the reference data points that are a certain distance from the unknown data point are identified as the candidate data points 206 . in some examples , a distance between a reference data point and an unknown data point can be determined by comparing one or more pixels of the reference data point with one or more pixels of the unknown data point , as described above with respect to fig1 . in some examples , a reference data point can be the certain distance from an unknown data point when the pixels at each sample location are within a particular value range . as described above , a candidate data point is a reference data point that is an approximate match to the unknown data point , and because of the approximate matching , multiple candidate data points ( related to different media segments ) are identified for the unknown data point . the candidate determination engine 114 can return the candidate data points to the matching engine 112 . fig3 illustrates an example of a video ingest capture system 400 including a memory buffer 302 of a decoder . the decoder can be part of the matching server 104 or the media client 106 . the decoder may not operate with or require a physical television display panel or device . the decoder can decode and , when required , decrypt a digital video program into an uncompressed bitmap representation of a television program . for purposes of building a reference database of reference video data ( e . g ., reference database 316 ), the matching server 104 can acquire one or more arrays of video pixels , which are read from the video frame buffer . an array of video pixels is referred to as a video patch . a video patch can be any arbitrary shape or pattern but , for the purposes of this specific example , is described as a 10 ร 10 pixel array , including ten pixels horizontally by ten pixels vertically . also for the purpose of this example , it is assumed that there are 25 pixel - patch positions extracted from within the video frame buffer that are evenly distributed within the boundaries of the buffer . an example allocation of pixel patches ( e . g ., pixel patch 304 ) is shown in fig3 . as noted above , a pixel patch can include an array of pixels , such as a 10 ร 10 array . for example , the pixel patch 304 includes a 10 ร 10 array of pixels . a pixel can include color values , such as a red , a green , and a blue value . for example , a pixel 306 is shown having red - green - blue ( rgb ) color values . the color values for a pixel can be represented by an eight - bit binary value for each color . other suitable color values that can be used to represent colors of a pixel include luma and chroma ( y , cb , cr ) values or any other suitable color values . a mean value ( or an average value in some cases ) of each pixel patch is taken , and a resulting data record is created and tagged with a time code ( or time stamp ). for example , a mean value is found for each 10 ร 10 pixel patch array , in which case twenty - four bits of data per twenty - five display buffer locations are produced for a total of 600 bits of pixel information per frame . in one example , a mean of the pixel patch 304 is calculated , and is shown by pixel patch mean 308 . in one illustrative example , the time code can include an โ epoch time ,โ which representing the total elapsed time ( in fractions of a second ) since midnight , jan . 1 , 1970 . for example , the pixel patch mean 308 values are assembled with a time code 412 . epoch time is an accepted convention in computing systems , including , for example , unix - based systems . information about the video program , known as metadata , is appended to the data record . the metadata can include any information about a program , such as a program identifier , a program time , a program length , or any other information . the data record including the mean value of a pixel patch , the time code , and metadata , forms a โ data point โ ( also referred to as a โ cue โ). the data point 310 is one example of a reference video data point . a process of identifying unknown video segments begins with steps similar to creating the reference database . for example , fig4 illustrates a video ingest capture system 400 including a memory buffer 402 of a decoder . the video ingest capture system 400 can be part of the client device 102 that processes data presented by a display ( e . g ., on an internet - connected television monitor , such as a smart tv , a mobile device , or other television viewing device ). the video ingest capture system 400 can utilize a similar process to generate unknown video data point 410 as that used by system 300 for creating reference video data point 310 . in one example , the media client 106 can transmit the unknown video data point 410 to the matching engine 112 to identify a video segment associated with the unknown video data point 410 by the matching server 104 . as shown in fig4 , a video patch 404 can include a 10 ร 10 array of pixels . the video patch 404 can be extracted from a video frame being presented by a display . a plurality of such pixel patches can be extracted from the video frame . in one illustrative example , if twenty - five such pixel patches are extracted from the video frame , the result will be a point representing a position in a 75 - dimension space . a mean ( or average ) value can be computed for each color value of the array ( e . g ., rgb color value , y , cr , cb color values , or the like ). a data record ( e . g ., unknown video data point 410 ) is formed from the mean pixel values and the current time is appended to the data . one or more unknown video data points can be sent to the matching server 104 to be matched with data from the reference database 116 using the techniques described above . fig5 is a block diagram of an example of a system for improving work load management in acr media monitoring systems according to embodiments of the invention . client television system 501 a sends unknown media cues 501 b ( also referred to herein as โ unknown content identifiers โ) corresponding to unknown media content being displayed by client television system 501 a to cue manager 502 a . cue manager 502 a receives the unknown media cues 501 b , and forwards the unknown media cues 502 b to search router 503 . search router 503 routes the unknown media cues 502 b to real - time matching engine 504 b and / or non - real - time matching engine 505 b . for example , search router 503 may immediately route the unknown media cues 502 b to real - time matching engine 504 b for immediate identification , and / or may store a copy of unknown media cues 502 b in cue cache 506 to provide to non - real - time matching engine 505 b at a later time . the unknown media cues 502 b may be retrieved from cue cache 506 and provided to non - real - time matching engine 505 b at a more convenient or efficient time , such as overnight , as real - time identification is not needed . each of real - time matching engine 504 b and non - real - time matching engine 505 b have their own reference database of known media content cues ( also referred to herein as โ known content identifiers โ). real - time matching engine 504 b searches real - time reference data 504 a for the unknown media cues 502 b in real - time , upon receipt of unknown media cues 502 b from search router 503 . real - time reference data 504 a contains known media content cues associated with known media content having contextually - related data , such as any additional data to be provided to client television system 501 a relevant to the media content being displayed . thus , real - time reference data 504 a may be a far smaller database that non - real - time reference data 505 a . it is important that identification of media content having contextually - related data be done in real - time , such that the contextually - related data can be provided to client television system 501 a while the media content is being displayed . exemplary contextually - related data includes informative content , interactive content , advertising content , textual content , graphical content , audio content , video content , and / or the like . real - time matching engine 504 a may support viewer - specific , interactive , and contextual content overlay or substitution services that typically only have a fraction of a second to trigger ( i . e ., the contextually - related data must be provided in real - time ). if the unknown media cues 502 b are identified as matching known media cues associated with known media content within real - time reference data 504 a , the contextually - related data corresponding to the known media content may be retrieved from real - time reference data 504 a and provided at 504 c to client television system 501 a . in some embodiments , client television system 501 a can then display the contextually - related data . such contextually - related data might include , by way of example only , replacement of a commercial message with one more directed to the specific viewer based on the media content being viewed , additional information regarding the media content being viewed , or an opportunity to interact with the media content itself or other viewers who may also be watching it . in addition , if the unknown media cues 502 b are identified as matching known media cues associated with known media content within real - time reference data 504 a , an identification of the matching known media content 504 d may be stored in results data 507 . non - real - time matching engine 505 b searches non - real - time reference data 505 a for the unknown media cues 502 b in non - real - time , for example , at a more convenient , efficient and / or economically advantageous time as determined by search router 503 . for example , non - real - time matching engine 505 b may perform searching during non - prime hours when other system processing workloads are comparatively light . non - real - time reference data 505 a may contain known media content cues associated with known media content not having contextually - related data . in other words , it is not important that identification of media content not having contextually - related data be done in real - time , because no data needs to be provided to client television system 501 a while the media content is being displayed . however , it may still be important to identify the unknown media content for other purposes , such as to calculate hourly or daily statistics regarding how many television systems are displaying particular media content , viewing patterns , system usage , and other data that is not particularly time dependent . the non - real - time reference data 505 a may include , for example , local channel programming data , cable channel programming data , vod data , pay - per - view data , and / or streaming media data ( e . g ., netflix โข, amazon โข, pandora โข, etc .). in some embodiments , non - real - time reference data 505 a includes all available media data , whereas real - time reference data 504 a includes only media data requiring immediate identification . if the unknown media cues 502 b are identified as matching known media cues associated with known media content within non - real - time reference data 505 a , an identification of the matching known media content 505 c may be stored in results data 507 . in some embodiments , any or all of the components illustrated in fig5 may reside on client television system 501 a . in some embodiments , any or all of the components illustrated in fig5 may reside on a server remote from client television system 501 a . in some embodiments , each component of fig5 may be a separate system having separate databases and processing capabilities , for example . in some embodiments , at least some components of fig5 may share databases and / or processing capabilities . fig6 is a block diagram of an example of a search router 600 for routing cues in a media monitoring system according to embodiments of the invention . search router 600 may be used to implement search router 503 of fig5 , for example . search router 600 may include a processor 601 coupled to a communication interface 602 and a computer readable medium 606 . search router 600 may also include or otherwise have access to a database 603 that may be internal or external to search router 600 . in some embodiments , database 603 may contain cue cache 506 of fig5 . processor 601 may include one or more microprocessors to execute program components for performing the functions of search router 600 . communication interface 602 can be configured to connect to one or more communication networks to allow search router 600 to communicate with other entities , such as cue manager 502 a , real - time matching engine 504 b , and / or non - real - time matching engine 505 b of fig5 . computer readable medium 606 may include any combination of one or more volatile and / or non - volatile memories , for example , ram , dram , sram , rom , flash , or any other suitable memory components . computer readable medium 606 may store code executable by the processor 601 for implementing some of all of the functions of search router 600 . for example , computer readable medium 606 may include code implementing a cue routing engine 608 , a cue cloning engine 610 , and / or a cue timing engine 612 . although shown and described as having each of these engines , it is contemplated that more or fewer engines may be implemented within computer readable medium 606 . for example , a cue routing engine 608 , a cue cloning engine 610 , and / or a cue timing engine 612 may not be implemented in all embodiments . cue routing engine 608 may , in conjunction with processor 601 and communication interface 602 , receive cues corresponding to unknown media content being displayed by a media system , such as directly from a media system or via a cue manager . cue cloning engine 610 , in conjunction with processor 601 , may clone the received cues so as to create identical copies of the cues . cue cloning engine 610 may then , in conjunction with processor 601 , store a copy of the cues in database 603 . cue routing engine 608 may then , in conjunction with processor 601 and communication interface 602 , immediately forward a copy of the cues to a real - time matching engine for real - time matching against known media content having contextually - related data , as described further herein . cue timing engine 612 may , in conjunction with processor 601 , determine an appropriate time for which searching by a non - real - time matching engine should be completed . in some embodiments , this is in non - real - time , i . e ., it is not immediate . however , it is contemplated that in some embodiments , immediate searching may be determined as desirable based on when is most convenient , efficient and / or economically advantageous . for example , if the cues corresponding to unknown media content are already received during non - prime hours when other system processing workloads are comparatively light , cue timing engine 612 may instruct cue routing engine 608 to send the cues corresponding to the unknown media content to a non - real - time matching engine immediately . in some embodiments , cue timing engine 612 may , in conjunction with processor 601 , determine that the appropriate time to send the cues to the non - real - time matching engine is at a later time , such as overnight at 2 am . thus , at 2 am , cue timing engine 612 may retrieve the unknown media cues from database 603 , and provide them to cue routing engine 608 for transmission to the non - real - time matching engine via communication interface 602 . in some embodiments , cue timing engine 612 may , in conjunction with processor 601 , send unknown media cues to the non - real - time matching engine at predetermined intervals , such as every hour , every day , etc . thus , for example , if the unknown media cues are received at 1 : 13 pm , they may be stored by cue routing engine 608 until 2 pm , at which time they will be retrieved by cue timing engine 612 and provided back to cue routing engine 608 for transmission to the non - real - time matching engine . although shown and described in fig6 as having a cue timing engine 612 , it is contemplated that search router 600 may not have a cue timing engine 612 in some embodiments , and may instead immediately forward a copy of the unknown media cues to the non - real - time matching engine . in these embodiments , the non - real - time matching engine may instead comprise a cue timing engine configured to process the unknown media cues at the appropriate time . fig7 is a block diagram of an example of a real - time matching engine 700 for processing cues in real - time according to embodiments of the invention . real - time matching engine 700 may be used to implement real - time matching engine 504 b of fig5 , for example . real - time matching engine 700 may include a processor 701 coupled to a communication interface 702 and a computer readable medium 706 . real - time matching engine 700 may also include or otherwise have access to a database 703 that may be internal or external to real - time matching engine 700 . in some embodiments , database 703 may comprise real - time reference data 504 a of fig5 . processor 701 may include one or more microprocessors to execute program components for performing the functions of real - time matching engine 700 . communication interface 702 can be configured to connect to one or more communication networks to allow real - time matching engine 700 to communicate with other entities , such as search router 503 and / or client television system 501 a of fig5 . computer readable medium 706 may include any combination of one or more volatile and / or non - volatile memories , for example , ram , dram , sram , rom , flash , or any other suitable memory components . computer readable medium 706 may store code executable by the processor 701 for implementing some of all of the functions of real - time matching engine 700 . for example , computer readable medium 706 may include code implementing a contextually - related data processing engine 708 , a known media content search engine 710 , and / or an unknown media content identification engine 712 . although shown and described as having each of these engines , it is contemplated that more or fewer engines may be implemented within computer readable medium 706 . for example , a contextually - related data processing engine 708 , a known media content search engine 710 , and / or an unknown media content identification engine 712 may not be implemented in all embodiments . known media content search engine 710 may , in conjunction with processor 701 , receive unknown media cues from a search router . known media content search engine 710 may then , in conjunction with processor 701 , search database 703 for the unknown media cues . database 703 may comprise known media cues associated with known media content and having corresponding contextually - related data . for example , known media content search engine 710 may compare the unknown media cues to the known media cues to determine if there is a match in the known media cues . if there is a match in the known media cues in database 703 , unknown media content identification engine 712 may then , in conjunction with processor 701 , identify the unknown media content as the known media content associated with the matching known media cues . in some embodiments , unknown media content identification engine 712 may also , in conjunction with processor 701 , determine an offset time of the unknown media content being displayed on the client television system ( e . g ., a playing time , such as 12 minutes and 4 seconds from the start of the media content ). the offset time may be determined , for example , by determining the offset time of the matching known media cues within the known media content . systems and methods for identifying unknown media content and offset times are described further in the related applications incorporated by reference herein . after the unknown media content is identified as known media content by the unknown media content identification engine 712 , contextually - related data processing engine 708 may , in conjunction with processor 701 , retrieve the contextually - related data associated with the matching known media content from database 703 . contextually - related data processing engine 708 may then , in conjunction with processor 701 and communication interface 702 , provide the contextually - related data to a client television system for display . fig8 is a block diagram of an example of a non - real - time matching engine 800 for processing cues in non - real - time according to embodiments of the invention . non - real - time matching engine 800 may be used to implement non - real - time matching engine 505 b of fig5 , for example . non - real - time matching engine 800 may include a processor 801 coupled to a communication interface 802 and a computer readable medium 806 . non - real - time matching engine 800 may also include or otherwise have access to a database 803 that may be internal or external to non - real - time matching engine 800 . in some embodiments , database 803 may comprise non - real - time reference data 505 a of fig5 . processor 801 may include one or more microprocessors to execute program components for performing the functions of non - real - time matching engine 800 . communication interface 802 can be configured to connect to one or more communication networks to allow non - real - time matching engine 800 to communicate with other entities , such as search router 503 of fig5 . computer readable medium 806 may include any combination of one or more volatile and / or non - volatile memories , for example , ram , dram , sram , rom , flash , or any other suitable memory components . computer readable medium 806 may store code executable by the processor 801 for implementing some of all of the functions of non - real - time matching engine 800 . for example , computer readable medium 806 may include code implementing a cue processing engine 808 , a known media content search engine 810 , and / or an unknown media content identification engine 812 . although shown and described as having each of these engines , it is contemplated that more or fewer engines may be implemented within computer readable medium 806 . for example , a cue processing engine 808 , a known media content search engine 810 , and / or an unknown media content identification engine 812 may not be implemented in all embodiments . in embodiments in which the search router does not coordinate timing of sending unknown media cues to non - real - time matching engine 800 , cue processing engine 808 may , in conjunction with processor 801 , receive unknown media cues from the search router immediately after receipt . cue processing engine 808 may , in conjunction with processor 801 , determine an appropriate time to forward the unknown media cues to known media content search engine 810 . in some embodiments , this is in non - real - time , i . e ., it is not immediate . however , it is contemplated that in some embodiments , immediate searching may be determined as desirable based on when is most convenient , efficient and / or economically advantageous . for example , if the cues corresponding to unknown media content are already received during non - prime hours when other system processing workloads are comparatively light , cue processing engine 808 may send the unknown media cutes to the known media content search engine 810 immediately . in some embodiments , cue processing engine 808 may , in conjunction with processor 801 , determine that the appropriate time to send the cues to the known media content search engine 810 is at a later time , such as overnight at 2 am . thus , at 2 am , cue processing engine 808 may retrieve the unknown media cues from database 803 , and provide them to known media content search engine 810 . in some embodiments , cue processing engine 808 may , in conjunction with processor 801 , send unknown media cues to the known media content search engine 810 at predetermined intervals , such as every hour , every day , etc . thus , for example , if the unknown media cues are received at 1 : 13 pm , they may be stored in database 803 until 2 pm , at which time they will be retrieved by cue processing engine 808 and provided to known media content search engine 810 for searching . known media content search engine 810 may , in conjunction with processor 801 , receive unknown media cues from the cue processing engine 808 at the appropriate time . known media content search engine 810 may then , in conjunction with processor 801 , search database 803 for the unknown media cues . database 803 may comprise known media cues associated with all available known media content . for example , known media content search engine 810 may compare the unknown media cues to the known media cues to determine if there is a match in the known media cues . if there is a match in the known media cues in database 803 , unknown media content identification engine 812 may then , in conjunction with processor 801 , identify the unknown media content as the known media content associated with the matching known media cues . in some embodiments , unknown media content identification engine 812 may also , in conjunction with processor 801 , determine an offset time of the unknown media content being displayed on the client television system ( e . g ., a playing time , such as 12 minutes and 4 seconds from the start of the media content ). the offset time may be determined , for example , by determining the offset time of the matching known media cues within the known media content . systems and methods for identifying unknown media content and offset times are described further in the related applications incorporated by reference herein . fig9 is a flow chart of an example of a method for improving work load management in acr media monitoring systems according to embodiments of the invention . at processing block 902 , a plurality of known media content is received . the plurality of known media content has associated known content identifiers ( also referred to herein as โ cues โ). the known content identifiers may comprise a sample of pixel data and / or a sample of audio data of the known media content . at processing block 904 , the known content identifiers are stored in a non - real - time database . at processing block 906 , a subset of the plurality of known media content is determined that has associated contextually - related data . for example , some of the plurality of known media content may have an associated advertisement that should be displayed on television systems viewing that particular known media content . at processing block 908 , the known content identifiers associated with the subset of the plurality of known media content having associated contextually - related data is stored in a real - time database . in some embodiments , it is contemplated that the steps illustrated by processing blocks 902 - 908 may be performed at any point prior to processing block 910 , such that the non - real - time database and the real - time database are already established and ready to be searched upon receipt of unknown content identifiers . at processing block 910 , unknown content identifiers corresponding to unknown media content currently being displayed by a media system are received . the unknown content identifiers may comprise a sample of pixel data and / or a sample of audio data of the unknown media content being displayed by the media system . at decision block 912 , it is determined whether the unknown content identifiers match known content identifiers associated with the subset of the plurality of known media content in the real - time database . when the unknown content identifiers match known content identifiers in the real - time database , known media content associated with the matching known content identifiers is selected from the real - time database at processing block 914 a . at processing block 916 a , the unknown media content is identified as the selected known media content . it is contemplated that decision block 912 , processing block 914 a , and processing block 916 a may be performed in real - time in some embodiments . in some embodiments , the contextually - related data associated with the selected known media content is then retrieved , and may be displayed on the media system in real - time or near real - time . this step may also be performed in real - time . when the unknown content identifiers do not match known content identifiers in the real - time database , a non - real - time database is searched for the unknown content identifiers . at processing block 914 b , known media content associated with known content identifiers corresponding to the unknown content identifiers are selected from the non - real - time database . at processing block 916 b , the unknown media content is identified as the selected known media content . it is contemplated that in some embodiments , processing block 914 b and processing block 916 b may be performed in non - real - time . in some embodiments , the identification of the unknown media content as the selected known media content may be used to generate statistics , such as how many television systems displayed a particular program . in some embodiments , this step may also be performed in non - real - time . after processing blocks 916 a and 916 b , in some embodiments , an offset time associated with the unknown media content may be determined using the unknown content identifiers and the known content identifiers . for example , the offset time of the matching known content identifiers within the known media content can be determined as the offset time of the unknown content identifiers within the unknown media content . the process described with respect to fig9 is not intended to be limiting . for example , although described as only being searched when the unknown content identifiers are not matched in the real - time database , it is contemplated that the non - real - time database may be searched in addition to the real - time database even when a match is found , for example , to confirm the correct match against a larger database of reference data . in addition , the process illustrated by the flowchart of fig9 may be implemented by the media system , by a server located remotely from the media system , by both , or partially by component ( s ) located at the media system and partially by component ( s ) located at a remote server . the nearest neighbor and path pursuit techniques mentioned previously are now described in detail . an example of tracking video transmission using ambiguous cues is given , but the general concept can be applied to any field , such as those described above . a method for efficient video pursuit is presented . given a large number of video segments , the system must be able to identify in real time what segment a given query video input is taken from and in what time offset . the segment and offset together are referred to as the location . the method is called video pursuit since it must be able to efficiently detect and adapt to pausing , fast forwarding , rewinding , abrupt switching to other segments and switching to unknown segments . before being able to pursue live video the database is processed . visual cues ( a handful of pixel values ) are taken from frames every constant fraction of a second and put in specialized data structure ( note that this can also be done in real time ). the video pursuit is performed by continuously receiving cues from the input video and updating a set of beliefs or estimates about its current location . each cue either agrees or disagrees with the estimates , and they are adjusted to reflect the new evidence . a video location is assumed to be the correct one if the confidence in this being true is high enough . by tracking only a small set of possible โ suspect โ locations , this can be done efficiently . a method is described for video pursuit but uses mathematical constructs to explain and investigate it . it is the aim of this introduction to give the reader the necessary tools to translate between the two domains . a video signal is comprised of sequential frames . each can be thought of as a still image . every frame is a raster of pixels . each pixel is made out of three intensity values corresponding to the red , green and blue ( rgb ) make of that pixel &# 39 ; s color . in the terminology of this manuscript , a cue is a list of rgb values of a subset of the pixels in a frame and a corresponding time stamp . the number of pixels in a cue is significantly smaller than in a frame , usually between 5 and 15 . being an ordered list of scalar values , the cue values are in fact a vector . this vector is also referred to as a point . although these points are in high dimension , usually between 15 and 150 , they can be imagined as points in two dimensions . in fact , the illustrations will be given as two dimensional plots . now , consider the progression of a video and its corresponding cue points . usually a small change in time produces a small change in pixel values . the pixel point can be viewed as โ moving โ a little between frames . following these tiny movements from frame to frame , the cue follows a path in space like a bead would on a bent wire . in the language of this analogy , in video pursuit the locations of the bead in space ( the cue points ) are received and the part of wire ( path ) the bead is following is looked for . this is made significantly harder by two facts . first , the bead does not follow the wire exactly but rather keeps some varying unknown distance from it . second the wires are all tangled together . these statements are made exact in section 2 . the algorithm described below does this in two conceptual steps . when a cue is received , it looks for all points on all the known paths that are sufficiently close to the cue point ; these are called suspects . this is done efficiently using the probabilistic point location in equal balls algorithm . these suspects are added to a history data structure and the probability of each of them indicating the true location is calculated . this step also includes removing suspect locations that are sufficiently unlikely . this history update process ensures that on the one hand only a small history is kept but on the other hand no probable locations are ever deleted . the generic algorithm is given in algorithm 1 and illustrated in fig1 . remove from suspect set those who do not contribute to the the document begins with describing the probabilistic point location in equal balls ( ppleb ) algorithm in section 1 . it is used in order to perform line 5 in algorithm 1 efficiently . the ability to perform this search for suspects quickly is crucial for the applicability of this method . later , in section 2 one possible statistical model is described for performing lines 6 and 7 . the described model is a natural choice for the setup . it is also shown how it can be used very efficiently . the following section describes a simple algorithm for performing probabilistic point location in equal balls ( ppleb ). in the traditional pleb ( point location in equal balls ), one starts with a set of n points x , in 1r d and a specified ball of radius r . the algorithm is given o ( poly ( n )) preprocessing time to produce an efficient data structure . then , given a query point x the algorithm is required to return all points x , such that โฅ x โ x i โฅโฆ r . the set of points such that โฅ x โ x i โฅโฆ r . geometrically lie within a ball of radius r surrounding the query x ( see fig2 ). this relation is referred to as x , being close to x or as x , and x being neighbors . the problem of ppleb and the problem of nearest neighbor search are two similar problems that received much attention in the academic community . in fact , these problems were among the first studied in the field of computational geometry . many different methods cater to the case where the ambient dimension dis small or constant . these partition the space in different ways and recursively search through the parts . these methods include kd - trees , cover - trees , and others . although very efficient in low dimension , when the ambient dimension is high , they tend to perform very poorly . this is known as the โ curse of dimensionality โ. various approaches attempt to solve this problem while overcoming the curse of dimensionality . the algorithm used herein uses a simpler and faster version of the algorithm and can rely on local sensitive hashing . in the scheme of local sensitive hashing , one devises a family of hash functions h such that : in words , the probability of x and y being mapped to the same value by h is significantly higher if they are close to each other . for the sake of clarity , let us first deal with a simplified scenario where all incoming vectors are of the same length r โฒ and r โฒ& gt ;โ{ square root over ( 2r )}. the reason for the latter condition will become clear later . first a random function uฮตu is defined , which separates between x and y according to the angle between them . let { right arrow over ( u )} be a random vector chosen uniformly from the unit sphere s d - 1 and let u ( x )= sign ({ right arrow over ( u )}ยท x ). it is easy to verify that pr u - u ( u ( x ))โ u ( y ))= 0 x , y / ฯ . moreover , for any points x , y , x โฒ, y โฒ on a circle such that โฅ x โฒโ y โฒโฅโฆ 2 โฅ x โ y โฅ, 0 x โฒ, y โฆ 20 x , y is achieved . defining p , the following equations are used : the family of functions h is set to be a cross product oft independent copies of u , i . e . h ( x )=[ u1 ( x ), . . . , u t ( x )]. intuitively , one would like to have that if h ( x )= h ( y ) then x and y are likely to be close to each other . let us quantify that . first , compute the expected number of false positive mistakes n fp . these are the cases for which h ( x )= h ( y ) but โฅ x โ y โฅ& gt ; 2r . a value t is found for which n fp is no more than 1 , i . e . one is not expected to be wrong . now , the probability that h ( x )= h ( y ) given that they are neighbors is computed : pr ( h ( x )= h ( y )|โฅ x โ y โฅโฆ r )โง( 1 โ p ) log ( 1 / n )/ log ( 1 - 2p ) note here that one must have that 2p & lt ; 1 which requires r โฒ& gt ;โ{ square root over ( 2r )}. this might not sound like a very high success probability . indeed , 1 /โ{ square root over ( n )} is significantly smaller than ยฝ . the next section will describe how to boost this probability up to ยฝ . each function h maps every point in space to a bucket . define the bucket function b h : d โ 2 [ n ] of a point x with respect to hash function h as b h ( x )โก{ x i | h ( x i )= h ( x )}. the data structure maintained is m = o (โ{ square root over ( n )}) instances of bucket functions [ bh 1 , . . . , bh m ]. when one searches for a point x , the function returns b ( x )=โช ib h j ( x ). according to the previous section , there are two desired results : e [| b ( x )โฉ{ x i |โฅ x โ x i โฅ& gt ; 2 r }|]โฆโ{ square root over ( n )} in other words , while with probability at least ยฝ each neighbor of x is found , one is not likely to find many non - neighbors . the previous sections only dealt with searching through vectors of the same length , namely r โฒ. now described is how one can use the construction as a building block to support a search in different radii . as seen in fig1 , the space is divided into rings of exponentially growing width . ring i , denoted by includes all points x i such that โฅ x i โฅ ฮต [ 2r ( 1 + ฮต ) i , 2r ( 1 + ฮต ) i + 1 ]. doing this achieves two ends . first , if x i and x j belong to the same ring , then โฅ x j โฅ/( 1 + ฮต )โฆโฅ x i โฅโฆโฅ x j โฅ( 1 + ฮต ). second , any search can be performed in at most 1 / ฮต such rings . moreover , if the maximal length vector in the data set is r โฒ then the total number of rings in the system is o ( log ( r โฒ/ r )). in the path pursuit problem , a fixed path in space is given along with the positions of a particle in a sequence of time points . the terms particle , cue , and point will be used interchangeably . the algorithm is required to output the position of the particle on the path . this is made harder by a few factors : the particle only follows the path approximately ; the path can be discontinuous and intersect itself many times ; both particle and path positions are given in a sequence of time points ( different for each ). it is important to note that this problem can simulate tracking a particle on any number of paths . this is simply done by concatenating the paths into one long path and interpreting the resulting position as the position on the individual paths . more precisely , let path p be parametric curve p : โ d . the curve parameter will be referred to as the time . the points on the path that are known to us are given in arbitrary time points i . e . n pairs ( t i , p ( t i )) are given . the particle follows the path but its positions are given in different time points , as shown in fig1 . further , m pairs ( t โฒ j , x ( t โฒ j )) are given , where x ( t โฒ j ) is the position of the particle in time t โฒ j . since the particle does not follow the path exactly and since the path can intersect itself many times it is usually impossible to positively identify the position on the path the particle is actually on . therefore , a probability distribution is computed on all possible path locations . if a location probability is significantly probable , the particle position is assumed to be known . the following section describes how this can be done efficiently . if the particle is following the path , then the time difference between the particle time stamp and the offset of the corresponding points on p should be relatively fixed . in other words , if x ( t โฒ) is currently in offset t on the path then it should be close to p ( t ). also , ฯ seconds ago it should have been in offset t โ ฯ . thus x ( t โฒโ ฯ ) should be close to p ( t โ ฯ ) ( note that if the particle is intersecting the path , and x ( t โฒ) is close to p ( t ) temporarily , it is unlikely that x ( t โฒโ ฯ ) and p ( t โ ฯ ) will also be close ). define the relative offset as ฮด = t - t โฒ. notice that as long as the particle is following the path the relative offset ฮด remains unchanged . namely , x ( t โฒ) is close to p ( t โฒ+ ฮด ). in words , the most likely relative offset is the one for which the history of the particle is most likely . this equation however cannot be solved without a statistical model . this model must quantify : how tightly x follows the path ; how likely it is that x โฒ) umps โณ between locations ; how smooth the path and particle curves are between the measured points . now described is a statistical model for estimating the likelihood function . the model makes the assumption that the particle &# 39 ; s deviation away from the path distributes normally with standard deviation ar . it also assumes that at any given point in time , there is some non - zero probability the particle will abruptly switch to another path . this is manifested by an exponential discount with time for past points . apart for being a reasonable choice for a modeling point of view this model also has the advantage of being efficiently updateable . for some constant time unit 1 , set the likelihood function to be proportional to f which is defined as follows : here ฮฑ & lt ;& lt ; 1 is a scale coefficient and ฮถ & gt ; 0 is the probability that the particle will jump to a random location on the path in a given time unit . updating the function ฦ efficiently can be achieved using the following simple observation . moreover , since ฮฑ & lt ;& lt ; 1 , if โฅ x ( t โฒ m )โ p ( t i )โฅโง r , the follow occurs : this is an important property of the likelihood function since the sum update can now performed only over the neighbors of x ( t โฒ j ) and not the entire path . denote by s the set of ( t i , p ( t i ) such that โฅ x ( t โฒ m )โ p ( t i )โฆ r . the follow equation occurs : this is described in algorithm 2 . 2 below . the term f is used as a sparse vector that receives also negative integer indices . the set s is the set of all neighbors of x ( t i ) on the path and can be computed quickly using the ppleb algorithm . it is easy to verify that if the number of neighbors of x ( t i ) is bounded by some constant n near then the number of non - zeros in the vector f is bounded by n near / ฮถ which is only a constant factor larger . the final stage of the algorithm is to output a specific value of ฮด if f (โ ฮด / ฯ โ) is above some threshold value . s โ {( t i , p ( t i )) | โฅ x ( t j โฒ) โ p ( t i )โฅ โฆ r } f ๎ข ( โ ฮด / ฯ โ ) โ f ๎ข ( โ ฮด / ฯ โ ) + e - ( ๏
x ๎ข ( t i ) - p ๎ข ( t โฒ ) ๏ ฯ ๎ข ๎ข ฯ ) 2 fig1 gives three consecutive point locations and the path points around them . note that neither the bottom point nor middle one alone would have been sufficient to identify the correct part of the path . together , however , they are . adding the top point increases the certainty that the particle is indeed of the final ( left ) curve of the path . in fig1 , given a set of n ( grey ) points , the algorithm is given a query point ( black ) and returns the set of points that lie within distance r from it ( the points inside the circle ). in the traditional setting , the algorithm must return all such points . in the probabilistic setting each such point should be returned only with some constant probability . fig1 illustrates the values of u ( x 1 ), u ( x 2 ), and u ( x ). intuitively , the function u gives different values to x 1 and x 2 if the dashed line passes between them and the same value otherwise . passing the dashed line in a random direction ensures that the probability of this happening is directly proportional to angle between x 1 and x 2 . fig1 shows that by dividing the space into rings such that ring r i is between radius 2r ( 1 + ฮต ) i and 2r ( 1 + ฮต ) i + 1 , it can be made sure that any two vectors within a ring are the same length up to ( 1 + ฮต ) factors and that any search is performed in at most 1 / ฮต rings . fig1 shows a self - intersecting paths and a query point ( in black ). it illustrates that without the history of the particle positions it is impossible to know where it is on the path . fig1 gives three consecutive point locations and the path points around them . note that neither x ( t 1 ) nor x ( t 2 ) alone would have been sufficient to identify the correct part of the path . together however they are . adding x ( t 3 ) increases the certainty that the particle is indeed of the final ( left ) curve of the path . although described substantially herein as relating to video data and graphical displays , it is contemplated that the systems and methods described herein may be similarly used with respect to audio data and audible displays . substantial variations may be made in accordance with specific requirements . for example , customized hardware might also be used , and / or particular elements might be implemented in hardware , software ( including portable software , such as applets , etc . ), or both . further , connection to other access or computing devices such as network input / output devices may be employed . in the foregoing specification , aspects of the invention are described with reference to specific embodiments thereof , but those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention is not limited thereto . various features and aspects of the above - described invention may be used individually or jointly . further , embodiments can be utilized in any number of environments and applications beyond those described herein without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the specification . the specification and drawings are , accordingly , to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive . in the foregoing description , for the purposes of illustration , methods were described in a particular order . it should be appreciated that in alternate embodiments , the methods may be performed in a different order than that described . it should also be appreciated that the methods described above may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied in sequences of machine - executable instructions , which may be used to cause a machine , such as a general - purpose or special - purpose processor or logic circuits programmed with the instructions to perform the methods . these machine - executable instructions may be stored on one or more machine readable mediums , such as cd - roms or other type of optical disks , floppy diskettes , roms , rams , eproms , eeproms , magnetic or optical cards , flash memory , or other types of machine - readable mediums suitable for storing electronic instructions . alternatively , the methods may be performed by a combination of hardware and software . where components are described as being configured to perform certain operations , such configuration can be accomplished , for example , by designing electronic circuits or other hardware to perform the operation , by programming programmable electronic circuits ( e . g ., microprocessors , or other suitable electronic circuits ) to perform the operation , or any combination thereof . while illustrative embodiments of the application have been described in detail herein , it is to be understood that the inventive concepts may be otherwise variously embodied and employed , and that the appended claims are intended to be construed to include such variations , except as limited by the prior art . | 6Physics
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the present invention relates to a faraday holder for electronic devices . although demonstrative use refers to a cell phone , the present invention is contemplated as being suitable for use with any electronic device in which radiofrequency and or electromagnetic field radiation is emitted and / or received . additionally , although the figures provide for several embodiments , namely , a jacket 12 , a shirt and / or blouse 14 , a sports bra and / or sports top 15 , and shorts 16 , these are merely demonstrative and are not intended to limit the system of the present invention . faraday enclosure devices are typically used to completely block the reception and transmission of wireless signals . however , when a person is using a cell phone and desires the phone to protect from harmful rf and / or emf yet still have the ability to receive a wireless signal , a significant problem is presented . the present invention addresses this problem by providing a faraday system that protects a user and selectively envelops an electronic device such that wireless communication is accessible to a device enclosed in the system . in one embodiment , the system 10 includes a faraday configured pocket 18 that includes faraday effect material 20 . there are many known materials that will impart a faraday effect on radiofrequency and electro - magnetic field radiation and the present invention is contemplated to use any suitable material that will interfere with rf or emf . electronic device 26 is positioned in pocket 18 whereby pocket 18 is formed of pocket material 22 . pocket 18 is formed with an optional pocket flap 24 . in one embodiment , pocket flap 24 is formed and includes incorporated therewith a faraday material . in one embodiment , flap 24 is merely a closure and does not include any faraday material . in one embodiment , pocket 18 is configured as demonstrated in fig4 whereby electronic device 26 is inserted with in the cavity of pocket 18 and is not enveloped by the material 20 . in this configuration , faraday material 20 will block rf and or emf in one direction and still allow for electronic device 26 to send and receive wireless communications . in one embodiment , the pocket of the present invention is provided without any flap . the faraday material is configured in a manner to protect the user from rf and / or emf but the lack of any flap provides for a configuration whereby electronic transmissions are sent and received by a device carried in pocket 18 of the present invention . in one embodiment , faraday material 20 will include complete faraday material in the direction facing the user and will be constructed of sections of faraday material and non - faraday material in the direction away from the user . in this embodiment , the communication with device 26 is maintained . in an embodiment where flap 24 is constructed completely of non - faraday material , communication with device 26 will be effectuated through flap 24 . currently , wristwatches ( e . g . smart watches ) are becoming available that include electronic communication capabilities . it is further contemplated that the present invention be incorporated as a protective barrier between the base of the watch and a user &# 39 ; s wrist as demonstrated in fig5 and 6 . in this embodiment , a faraday - type material is affixed on the underside of the watch / wrist device . wristband 30 includes an appropriate fastener 34 to secure about the perimeter of a user &# 39 ; s wrist . in one embodiment , fastener 34 is a hook and loop fastener also known by the name velcro ยฎ or any other appropriate system for securing a wristband . faraday material 32 is positioned on wristband 30 in a configuration such that , in use , faraday material 32 is between wearable electronic device 36 , such as a wristwatch , smart watch , or other device , and the skin of a user . in one embodiment , faraday material 32 is positioned on a portion of wristband 30 in a configuration congruous with the shape of the underside of the electronic device or watch 36 to cover the radio waves the watch device will use to communicate with the users cellphone / electronic device in the pocket . in one embodiment , the material is affixed using a releasable adhesive . while the invention has been described in its preferred form or embodiment with some degree of particularity , it is understood that this description has been given only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction , fabrication , and use , including the combination and arrangement of parts , may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . | 7Electricity
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the term &# 34 ; lower alkyl &# 34 ; as used herein means straight chain alkyl radicals containing from one to six carbon atoms and branched chain alkyl radicals containing three or four carbon atoms and includes methyl , ethyl , propyl , isopropyl , butyl , isobutyl , pentyl , hexyl and the like . the term &# 34 ; lower alkoxy &# 34 ; as used herein means straight chain alkoxy radicals containing from one to six carbon atoms and branched chain alkoxy radicals containing three or four carbon atoms and include a methoxy , ethoxy , isopropoxy , n - butoxy , n - hexyloxy and the like . the term &# 34 ; lower alkylene &# 34 ; as used herein means a divalent organic radical derived from either straight and branched chain aliphatic hydrocarbons containing from one to six carbon atoms by removal of two hydrocarbon atoms and includes methylene , ethylene , 1 - methylpylene , 2 - methylpropylene , 2 - ethylpropylene , 2 - butylethylene and the like . the term &# 34 ; cyclo ( lower ) alkyl &# 34 ; as used herein means saturated cyclic hydrocarbon radicals containing from three to six carbon atoms and includes cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , cyclopentyl and cyclohexyl . the term &# 34 ; lower alkanol &# 34 ; as used herein means both straight and branched chain alkanols containing from one to four carbon atoms and includes methanol , ethanol , isopropanol , butanol and the like . the term &# 34 ; strong inorganic proton acceptor &# 34 ; as used herein means the inorganic bases , preferably the alkali metals , the alkali metal hydrides , amides , hydroxides and alkoxides , for example , sodium , sodium hydroxide , potassium hydroxide , sodium ethoxide , sodium methoxide , sodium hydride and the like . the term &# 34 ; lower alkanoyl &# 34 ; as used herein means straight chain alkanoyl radicals containing from two to six carbon atoms and a branched chain alkanoyl radical containing four carbon atoms and includes acetyl , propionyl , isobutyryl , n - hexanoyl and the like . the term &# 34 ; organic proton acceptor &# 34 ; as used herein means the organic bases , or amines for instance , triethylamine , pyridine , n - ethylmorpholine , 1 , 5 - diazabicyclo [ 4 . 3 . 0 ] non - 5 - ene and the like . the term &# 34 ; therapeutically acceptable addition salt &# 34 ; as used herein includes the therapeutically acceptable acid addition salts of the compound of formula i in which r 4 is amino ( lower ) alkylene , lower alkylamino ( lower ) alkylene , di ( lower alkyl ) amino ( lower ) alkylene or 3 - pyridinyl ( lower ) alkylene . the acid addition salts are prepared by reacting the base form of the appropriate compound of formula i with one or more equivalents , preferably with an excess , of the appropriate acid in an organic solvent , for example , diethyl ether or an ethanol - diethyl ether mixture . these salts , when administered to a mammal , possess the same pharmacologic activities as the corresponding bases . for many purposes it is preferable to administer the salts rather than the base compounds . suitable acids to form these salts include the common mineral acids , for instance hydrohalic , sulfuric or phosphoric acid ; as well as the organic acids , for instance , formic , acetic , maleic , malic , ascorbic , succinic , fumaric , citric , or tartaric acid ; or acids which are sparingly soluble in body fluids and which impart slow - release properties to their respective salts such as pamoic or tannic acid or carboxymethyl cellulose . the addition salts thus obtained are the functional equivalent of the parent base compound in respect to their therapeutic use . hence , these addition salts are included within the scope of this invention and are limited only by the requirement that the acids employed in forming the salts be therapeutically acceptable . furthermore , the term &# 34 ; therapeutically acceptable addition salt &# 34 ; as used herein also includes the therapeutically inorganic or organic base addition salts of the compound of formula i in which r 4 is hydrogen , i . e . compound of formula i which are acids . these derived salts possess the same activity as the parent acid and are included within the scope of this invention . the acid is transformed in excellent yield into the corresponding therpeutically acceptable salt by neutralization of said acid with the appropriate inorganic or organic base . the salts are administered in the same manner as the parent acid compounds . suitable inorganic bases to form these salts include , for example , the hydroxides , carbonates , bicarbonates or alkoxides of the alkali metals or alkaline earth metals , for example , sodium , potassium , magnesium , calcium and the like . suitable organic bases include the following amines ; lower mono -, di - and trialkylamines , the alkyl radicals of which contain up to three carbon atoms , such as methylamine , dimethylamine , trimethylamine , ethylamine , di - and triethylamine , n - methyl - n - ethylamine , and the like ; mono -, di and trialkanolamines , the alkanol radicals of which contain up to three carbon atoms , for example , mono -, di - and triethanolamine ; alkylene - diamines which contain up to six carbon atoms , such as hexamethylenediamine ; phenylalkylamines , for example , benzylamine , phenylethylamine and n - methylphenylethylamine ; cyclic saturated or unsaturated bases containing up to six carbon atoms , such as pyrrolidine , piperidine , morpholine , piperazine and their n - alkyl and n - hydroxyalkyl derivatives , such as n - methylmorpholine and n -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- piperidine , as well as pyridine . furthermore , there may be mentioned the corresponding quaternary salts , such as the tetraalkyl ( for example tetramethyl ), alkyl - alkanol ( for example methyltrimethanol and trimethyl - monoethanol ) and cyclic ammonium salts , for example the n - methylpyridinium , n - methyl - n -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- morpholinium n , n - dimethylmorpholinium , n - methyl - n -( 2 - hydroxyethyl )- morpholinium , n , n - dimethylpiperidinium salts , which are characterized by having good water - solubility . in principle , however , there can be used all the ammonium salts which are physiologically compatible . the transformations to the salts can be carried out by a variety of methods known in the art . for example , in the case of the inorganic salts , it is preferred to dissolve the acid of formula i in water containing at least one equivalent amount of a hydroxide , carbonate , or bicarbonate corresponding to the inorganic salt desired . advantageously , the reaction is performed in a water - miscible , inert organic solvent , for example , methanol , ethanol , dioxane , and the like in the presence of water . for example , such use of sodium hydroxide , sodium carbonate or sodium bicarbonate gives a solution of the sodium salt . evaporation of the solution or addition of a water - miscible solvent of a more moderate polarity , for example , a lower alkanol , for instance , butanol , or a lower alkanone , for instance , ethyl methyl ketone , gives the solid inorganic salt if that form is desired . to produce an amine salt , the acidic compound of formula i is dissolved in a suitable solvent of either moderate or lower polarity , for example , ethanol , methanol , ethyl acetate , diethyl ether and benzene . at least an equivalent amount of the amine corresponding to the desired cation is then added to that solution . if the resulting salt does not precipitate , it can usually be obtained in solid form by addition of a miscible diluent of low polarity , for example , benzene or petroleum ether , or by evaporation . if the amine is relatively volatile , any excess can easily be removed by evaporation . it is preferred to use substantially equivalent amounts of the less volatile amines . salts wherein the cation is quaternary ammonium are produced by mixing the acid of formula i with an equivalent amount of the corresponding quaternary ammonium hydroxide in water solution , followed by evaporation of the water . also included in this invention are the steroechemical isomers of the compounds of formula i which result from asymmetric centers , contained therein . it is to be understood that the diastereomers arising from such asymmetry are included within the scope of this invention . such diastereomers are obtained in substantially pure form by classical separation techniques and by sterically controlled synthesis . individual enantiomers , which might be separated by fractional crystallization of the diastereomeric salts thereof , are also included . the compounds of formula i , or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof , are useful hypolipidemic agents in a mammal upon oral or parenteral administration . their hypolipidemic properties are readily demonstrated by the following method : male albino rats ( eight rats per group ), weighing 140 - 170 g , are given a single daily oral dose of the test compound by gavage as a suspension in 2 % tween - 80 โข in water ( 1 . 0 ml ). in the same manner , controls are given only 2 % tween - 80 โข in water ( 1 . 0 ml ) daily . after one week of treatment , animals are decapitated and the blood is collected . the serum is separated by centrifugation and serum cholesterol levels are measured by the method of a . zlatkis et al ., j . lab . clin . med ., 41 , 486 ( 1953 ), as modified for the autoanalyzer ( method np - 24 ). serum phospholipids are determined by the semi - automated technique of m . kraml , clin . chim . acta ., 13 , 442 ( 1966 ) and serum triglycerides are measured by the semiautomated method of m . kraml and l . cosyns , clin . biochem ., 2 , 373 ( 1959 ). the activity of a test compound is assessed by comparing serum cholesterol , phospholipid and / or triglyceride levels in rats treated with the test compound and control rats and the data are analyzed for significance by the student &# 39 ; s t - test . the following results demonstrating hypotriglyceridemic activity are calculated by subtracting the serum triglyceride level in treated rats from the control serum triglyceride level , and expressing the difference as a percentage of the control level . the following compounds of formula i at a dose of 1 . 0 mmole per kilogram of body weight per day lower triglyceride levels by the indicated percentage : 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 42 %, described in example 4 ), 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 5 - carboxylic acid ( 53 %, described in example 4 ), 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 37 %, described in example 4 ), sprio [ furan - 5 ( 4h ), 1 &# 39 ;( 2 &# 39 ; h )- naphthalene ]- 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- dihydro - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 43 %, describedin example 4 ), 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ( 53 %, described in example 5 ) and 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ( 61 %, described in example 6 ). the compounds of formula i , or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof , can be used also in combination with known hypolipidemic agents , for example , clofibrate , for reduction of elevated lipids in a mammal . when used in this combination , the compound of formula i can be administered sequentially or simultaneously in combination with an effective amount of the known hypolipidemic agent . suitable methods of administration , compositions and dosages of clofibrate ( atromid - s ) is described by charles e . baker , jr . &# 34 ; physician &# 39 ; s desk reference &# 34 ;, medical economics company , oradell , n . j . 1977 , pp 593 - 594 , for example , 0 . 5 to 2 . 0 g per patient per day in divided dosages . the compounds of formula i , or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof , in combination with a known hypolipidemic agent , are used in the same manner as described herein for their use as hypolipidemic agents . when the compounds of formula i of this invention are used as hypolipidemic agents in a mammal , e . g . rats and dogs , they are used alone or in combination with pharmacologically acceptable carriers , the proportion of which is determined by the solubility and chemical nature of the compound , chosen route of administration and standard biological practice . for example , they are administered orally in solid form , e . g . capsule or tablet . they are also administered orally in the form of suspension or solutions , or they may be injected parenterally . for parenteral administration they may be used in the form of a sterile solution containing other solutes , for example , enough saline or glucose to make the solution isotonic . the tablet compositions for oral administration contain the active ingredient in admixture with non - toxic pharmaceutical excipients known to be suitable in the manufacture of tablets . suitable pharmaceutical excipients are , for example , starch , milk sugar , certain types of clay and so forth . the tablets can be uncoated or they can be coated by known techniques so as to delay disintegration and absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and thereby provide a sustained action . the aqueous suspensions for oral use of the compounds of the invention contain the active ingredient in admixture with one or more non - toxic pharmaceutical excipients , for instance , emulsifying and suspending agents , known to be suitable in the manufacture of aqueous suspensions . suitable excipients are , for example , methyl - cellulose , sodium alginate , gum acacia , lecithin and so forth . the aqueous suspension can also contain one or more preservatives , one or more colouring agents and / or one or more sweetening agents . non - aqueous suspensions for oral use can be formulated by suspending the active ingredient in a vegetable oil , for example , arachis oil , olive oil , sesame oil , or coconut oil ; or in mineral oil . the suspension can contain a thickening agent , for example , beeswax , hard paraffin or cetyl alcohol . these compositions can also contain a sweetening agent , flavouring agent and antioxidant . for paremeral administration , which includes intramuscular , intraperitoneal , subcutaneous and intravenous use , the compounds of the invention can be used in the form of a sterile solution , wherein the ph should be suitably adjusted and buffered . the solution can contain other pharmaceutical excipients , for example , enough saline or glucose to make the solution isotonic . the dosage of a compound of formula i of this invention as a hypolipidemic agent will vary with the form of administration and the particular host as well as the age and condition of the host under treatment . generally , treatment is initiated with small dosages substantially less than the optimal dose of the compound . thereafter , the dosage is increased by small increments until the optimal effect under the circumstances is reached . in general , a compound of this invention is most desirably administered at a concentration that will generally afford effective results without causing any harmful or deleterious side effects . the effective hypolipidemic amount of the compound usually ranges from about 1 . 0 mg to about 500 mg per kilogram of body weight per day , although as aforementioned variations will occur . however , a dosage level that is in the range of from about 5 mg to about 300 mg per kilogram of body weight per day is employed most desirably in order to achieve effective results . for the preparation of the 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid derivatives of formula i , the preferred starting materials are the ฮฑ - hydroxyketones of formula ii ## str4 ## in which r 1 and r 2 each is lower alkyl , cyclo ( lower ) alkyl , lower alkoxy ( lower ) alkylene , phenyl or phenyl mono - or disubstituted with lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , halo , nitro or trifluoromethyl ; or r 1 and r 2 together form a --( ch 2 ) m -- x --( ch 2 ) n -- chain wherein m and n each is an integer from one to four and x is methylene , oxa or thia ; or r 1 and r 2 together with the carbon atom to which they are joined form a spiro [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene ]- 1 or spiro [ indan ]- 1 radical ; and r 3 is hydrogen or lower alkyl . the starting materials of formula ii in which r 1 and r 2 are as defined herein and r 3 is hydrogen are either known or they can be prepared as is illustrated in reaction scheme i . ## str5 ## with reference to reaction scheme i , a number of acetylenic carbinols of formula iv are known and commercially available . alternatively , acetylenic carbinols are readily available from addition of a metallic acetylide to the ketone of formula iii in which r 1 and r 2 are as defined herein using the method described by a . w . johnson , acetylenic compounds , vol . 1 , the acetylenic alcohols , e . arnold co ., london , 1946 ; r . a . raphael , acetylenic compounds in organic synthesis , london , butterworth &# 39 ; s sci . publ ., 1955 ; p . a . robins and j . walker , j . chem . soc ., 177 ( 1957 ); and e . d . bergmann et al ., j . appl . chem . 3 , 39 ( 1953 ). in the preferred method , a mixture of the compound of formula iii and lithium or sodium in a solution of anhydrous liquid ammonia saturated with gaseous acetylene is allowed to react for nine hours and the corresponding compound of formula iv is isolated . the acetylenic carbinols of formula iv are converted to the corresponding ฮฑ - hydroxyketones of formula ii , by hydration of the acetylenic carbinol in a mixture of mercuric oxide ( red form ) or mercuric sulfate , aqueous tetrahydrofuran and sulfuric acid at 60 ยฐ- 65 ยฐ c . for one to six hours , according to the procedure described by a . w . johnson , cited above , pp 102 - 105 ; e . d . bergmann and d . f . herman , j . appl . chem ., 3 , 42 ( 1953 ), g . f . hennian and b . r . fleck , j . amer . chem . soc ., 77 , 3253 ( 1955 ); and g . f . hennian and e . j . watson , j . org . chem ., 23 , 656 ( 1958 ). the starting materials of formula ii in which r 1 and r 2 are as defined herein and r 3 is lower alkyl are either known or they can be prepared as is illustrated in reaction scheme 2 . ## str6 ## with reference to reaction scheme 2 , an organometallic derivative of the compound of formula viii is condensed with the ketone of formula iii to obtain the corresponding ฮฑ - hydroxyketone of formula ii in which r 3 is lower alkyl according to the conditions described by i . i . lapkin and t . n . povarnitsyna , zh . obshch . khim ., 38 , 99 ( 1968 ), cf . chem . abstr ., 69 , 19233z . the alternative route starting from the compound of formula v is especially suitable for preparing the ฮฑ - keto alcohols of formula ii in which r 1 or r 2 is phenyl or phenyl mono - or disubstituted with lower alkyl , lower alkoxy , halo , nitro or trifluoromethyl . alkylation of the compound of formula v , using the method of k . binovic and s . vrancea , chem . ther ., 313 ( 1968 ), gives the corresponding compound of formula vi . the latter compound is brominated , according to the conditions described by j . r . catch et al ., j . chem . soc . 272 ( 1948 ), to obtain the corresponding bromo - ketone of formula vii . conversion of the latter bromoketone to the corresponding ฮฑ - hydroxyketone of formula ii is described by j . g . aston and r . b . greenberg , j . amer . chem . soc ., 62 , 2590 ( 1940 ); j . kapron and j . wiemann , bull . soc . chim . france , 12 , 945 ( 1945 ); and y . l . pascal , ann . chim . ( paris ), 245 ( 1968 ). in addition to the above described preparation , ฮฑ - hydroxyketones of formula ii can be prepared by methods described by y . l . pascal , cited above , and p . kaufmann , j . amer . chem . soc ., 26 , 5794 ( 1954 ). reaction scheme 3 illustrates the conversion of the ฮฑ - hydroxyketone of formula ii to the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are as defined herein . ## str7 ## as illustrated by reaction scheme 3 , the compound of formula i in which r 4 is hydrogen is prepared from the compound of formula ii via the route ii โ ix โ x โ i . although the intermediates of formula ix and x can be isolated and further reacted in separate steps , the compound of formula ii can be converted to the corresponding compound of formula i via intermediates ix and x in a single reaction vessel without isolating the latter intermediates . the first step in the conversion of the ฮฑ - hydroxyketone of formula ii is the condensation of substantially equimolar amounts of the ฮฑ - hydroxyketone and a di ( lower alkyl ) oxalate , preferably dimethyl or diethyl oxalate , in the presence of one to four molar equivalents of a strong inorganic proton acceptor , preferably sodium hydride , in an anhydrous inert organic solvent . preferred inert organic solvents can be selected from the di ( lower alkyl ) ethers or cyclic ethers , for example , diethyl ether , dioxane and tetrahydrofuran . the reaction mixture is maintained at 30 ยฐ to 70 ยฐ c ., for 10 to 30 hours . the resultant enolate salt is filtered as rapidly as possible , dissolved in water , acidified with a dillute inorganic acid , and the corresponding compound of formula ix is extracted with an inert water immiscible organic solvent , preferably diethyl ether . hydrolysis of the latter compound is readily achieved under alkaline conditions with a solution of one to three molar equivalents of potassium or sodium hydroxide in an aqueous solution of a water miscible organic solvent , preferably methanol , ethanol , tetrahydrofuran or dioxane , at 15 ยฐ to 30 ยฐ c . for 15 to 40 hours . the latter solution is extracted with a water immiscible organic solvent , preferably diethyl ether , benzene , chloroform , dichloromethane and the like . the aqueous solution is rendered acidic and extracted again with the water immiscible solvent and the extract is evaporated to obtain the corresponding compound of formula x . the latter compound is cyclized under acidic conditions to obtain the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are as defined herein and r 4 is hydrogen . in one method of achieving this cyclization , a solution of the compound of formula x and 0 . 1 to 10 molar equivalents , perferably 0 . 1 to 0 . 4 molar equivalents , and an acid catalyst , for example , hydrogen chloride , hydrogen bromide , hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , p - toluenesulfonic acid , sulfuric acid , phosphoric acid , polyphosphoric acid and the like , preferably p - tolunesulfonic acid or hydrogen chloride , in an inert organic solvent , preferably benzene or toluene , is maintained at 20 ยฐ to 100 ยฐ c . for two to 50 hours . alternatively , the compound of formula x is cyclized in an aqueous solution containing the acid catalyst at 10 ยฐ to 50 ยฐ c . for 10 to 50 hours . preferred acid catalysts for use in the aqueous conditions can be selected from hydrochloric acid , sulfuric acid , hydrobromic acid and phosphoric acid . the aqueous solution usually requires sufficient acid catalyst so that the solution is maintained at ph 0 . 5 to 3 . 0 preferably 1 . 0 to 2 . 0 . in a modification of the conversion of the compound of formula ii to the corresponding compound of formula i , the above individual steps of condensation , alkaline hydrolysis and cyclization are combined in a process wherein the intermediates of formula ix and x are not isolated . in this modification , the ฮฑ - hydroxyketone of formula ii is condensed with a di ( lower alkyl ) oxalate in the same manner as described above . however , the reaction mixture is not filtered but instead is mixed with about an equal volume of water . the resulting aqueous alkaline solution is , if required , adjusted to ph 10 to 12 with sodium hydroxide and maintained at ph 10 to 12 and at 15 ยฐ to 30 ยฐ c . for 10 to 40 hours and washed with a water immiscible organic solvent , preferably diethyl ether or benzene . an acid catalyst , preferably hydrochloric acid , hydrobromic acid , sulfuric acid or phosphoric acid , is added to the aqueous solution until the solution reaches ph 0 . 5 to 3 . 0 , preferably 1 . 0 to 2 . 0 . the acidic solution is maintained at 10 ยฐ to 50 ยฐ c ., preferably 20 ยฐ to 30 ยฐ c ., for 0 . 5 to 10 hours and extracted with a water immiscible organic solvent , for example , ethyl acetate , diethyl ether , benzene , toluene , chloroform , dichloromethane and the like . the organic extract is evaporated and , if required , purified to obtain the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 4 is hydrogen . if the aqueous alkaline solution in the latter preparation is maintained at ph 8 to 9 instead of ph 10 to 12 , a corresponding intermediate of formula xi ## str8 ## in which r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are as defined herein is isolated after acidification of the aqueous alkaline solution . more specifically , the ฮฑ - hydroxyketone of formula ii is condensed with a di ( lower alkyl ) oxalate in the same manner as described above . the reaction mixture is not filtered out instead is mixed with about an equal volume of water and if necessary the resulting aqueous solution is adjusted to ph 8 to 9 with dilute hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide . the resulting aqueuous solution is maintained at ph 8 to 9 and at 15 ยฐ to 30 ยฐ c . for one to five hours and washed with a water immiscible organic solvent , in the same manner as described above . the mixture is acidified , maintained at 10 ยฐ to 50 ยฐ c ., preferably 20 ยฐ to 30 ยฐ c ., for one to 30 minutes and extracted , in the same manner as described above for ii โ i , to obtain the corresponding intermediate of formula xi . reaction of the intermediate of formula xi under aqueous alkaline conditions at ph 10 to 12 gives the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 4 is hydrogen . for this reaction , a solution of the compound of formula ii in aqueous potassium or sodium hydroxide is maintained at ph 10 to 12 and at 15 ยฐ to 30 ยฐ c . for 10 to 40 hours and washed with a water immiscible organic solvent , in the same manner as described above . subsequently , acidification of the aqueous solution , maintenance of the acidic solution and extraction , in the same manner as described above for ii โ i , gives the corresponding compound of formula i in which r 4 is hydrogen . the acidic compound of formula i in which r 4 is hydrogen is esterified to obtain the corresponding ester of formula i in which r 4 is lower alkyl , cyclo ( lower ) alkyl , phenyl ( lower ) alkylene , amino ( lower ) alkylene , lower alkylamino ( lower ) alkylene , di ( lower alkyl ) amino ( lower ) alkylene or 3 - pyridinyl ( lower ) alkylene . a number of esterification methods can be used , for example , mixed anhydride ; dehydrative coupling reagents , for instance , dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ; acid catalyts ; diazoalkanes ; and acid chloride . a preferred method of esterification employs an acid catalyst , preferably 0 . 1 to 1 . 0 molar equivalents of anhydrous sulfuric acid or hydrogen chloride , and 2 to 50 equivalents of a lower alkanol , hydroxycyclo ( lower ) alkane , phenyl ( lower ) alkanol , amino ( lower ) alkanol , lower alkylamino ( lower ) alkanol , di ( lower alkyl ) amino ( lower ) alkanol or 3 - pyridinyl ( lower ) alkanol at 50 ยฐ to 100 ยฐ c . for one to ten hours . it should be noted that when amino ( lower ) alkanol , lower alkylamino ( lower ) alkanol , di ( lower alkyl ) amino ( lower ) alkanol or 3 - pyridinyl ( lower ) alkanol is used , then a corresponding additional molar mount of the acid catalyst should be present in the reaction vessel . if the reactants are mutually soluble , a solvent for the esterification can be omitted . otherwise , any anhydrous inert organic solvent can be used , for example , dimethylformamide , benzene , toluene , chloroform and the like . another preferred method of esterification proceeds through the acid chloride . in this method , a solution of the acidic compound of formula i in which r 4 is hydrogen and 5 to 50 molar equivalents of thionyl chloride is heated at 50 ยฐ to 80 ยฐ c . for one to ten hours and evaporated to obtain the corresponding acid chloride . a solution of the latter acid chloride , one to ten molar equivalents of the above noted alcohols and an organic proton acceptor , for example , pyridine or triethylamine , in an inert organic solvent , for example , acetone , benzene , dichloromethane , toluene , chloroform or dimethylformamide , preferably acetone , is maintained at 0 ยฐ to 50 ยฐ c . for to two to ten hours . evaporation and purification affords the compound of formula i in which r 1 , r 2 and r 3 are as defined herein and r 4 is lower alkyl , cyclo ( lower ) alkyl , phenyl ( lower ) alkylene , amino ( lower ) alkylene , lower alkylamino ( lower ) alkylene , di ( lower alkyl ) amino ( lower ) alkylene or 3 - pyridinyl ( lower ) alkylene . 3 - hydroxy - 4 - methyl - 3 - phenyl - 1 - pentyne ( iv : r 2 = ch ( ch 3 ) 2 and r 1 = ph ) a reaction flask , equipped with a dry - ice reflux condenser , is charged with 700 ml of freshly condensed liquid ammonia . the ammonia gas is passed through a tower of potassium hydroxide pellets . upon stirring , a rapid stream of acetylene gas ( dried in a sulfuric acid wash bottle ) is introduced into the ammonia for 10 min , then the rate of passage of the acetylene is reduced and a continuous flow of acetylene through the reaction mixture is maintained during the following operations ( approx . 9 hr ). small pieces of sodium ( 9 . 2 g ) are inserted , and 2 hr later , 2 - methyl - 1 - phenyl - 1 - propanone ( 50 g ) is added dropwise . the stirring is continued for 6 hr at - 33 ยฐ c . then , the stream of acetylene is shut off , and the ammonia is allowed to evaporate in the hood ( overnight ). after adding cautiously ice - water , the resultant solution is acidified with diluted sulfuric acid , and extracted with diethyl ether . the combined extracts are washed with saturated brine , dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered , and evaporated to yield 45 . 5 g of the title compound , ir ( chcl 3 ) 3600 , 3310 , 1450 , and 1010 cm - 1 and nmr ( cdcl 3 ) ฮด 0 . 85 and 1 . 07 ( d ), 2 . 10 ( heptuplet ), 2 . 35 ( s ), 2 . 66 ( s ), 7 . 27 ( m ) and 7 . 55 ( m ). 3 - hydroxy - 4 - methyl - 3 - phenyl - 2 - pentanone ( ii : r 2 = ch ( ch 3 ) 2 , r 1 = ph and r 3 = h ) to a refluxing mixture of tetrahydrofuran ( 70 ml ), water ( 5 ml ), and conc . sulfuric acid ( 1 . 5 g ) is added 1 g of red mercuric oxide and the reflux is continued for 5 min . then , the inside temperature is adjusted to 60 ยฐ- 62 ยฐ c . and 10 g of 3 - hydroxy - 4 - methyl - 3 - phenyl - 1 - pentyne ( described in example 1 ) is added . the reaction is exothermic ( spontaneous mild reflux ) and there is a noticeable clearing of the mixture . another 1 g of mercuric oxide is added , and the solution is refluxed for 30 min . the reaction mixture is stirred at 60 ยฐ c . for an additional 3 hr , during which time the precipitation of a mercury sludge occurred . after cooling , the slurry is diluted with 100 ml of diethyl ether and filtered through diatomaceous earth . the filter cake is washed with 200 ml of diethyl ether , and the combined filtrates are washed repeatedly with water , dried over magneisum sulfate , filtered , and evaporated to give 10 . 6 g of the title product , ir ( cdcl 3 ) 3470 and 1715 - 1710 cm - 1 and nmr ( cdcl 3 ) ฮด 0 . 91 ( d ), 2 . 15 ( s ), 2 . 79 ( heptuplet ), 4 . 39 ( s ) and 7 . 20 - 7 . 65 ( m ). the title compound is prepared by using a modified method of g . f . hennion and b . r . fleck , j . amer . chem . soc ., 77 , 3258 ( 1955 ). to a mixture of methanol ( 5 ml ), water ( 0 . 2 ml ), sulfuric acid ( 100 mg ), and mercuric sulfate ( 100 mg ) is added at 55 ยฐ c . a solution of 3 - hydroxy - 3 - phenyl - 1 - butyne ( 2 g ) in 90 % aqueous methanol ( 5 ml ) over a period of 90 min . the reaction is slightly exothermic , and the inside temperature is maintained at 55 ยฐ- 57 ยฐ c . during the reaction time , 50 mg of mercuric sulfate is added . when addition of the acetylenic component is complete , another portion ( 50 mg ) of mercuric sulfate is added , and the mixture is stirred at 55 ยฐ c . for 1 hour . during this time 1 ml of water is added . after cooling , the reaction mixture is poured into ice - water and extracted with diethyl ether . the combined extracts are washed with water , dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered and evaporated . the resultant oil is chromatographed on silica gel using benzene . the appropriate eluates are evaporated to give 0 . 5 g of the title compound , ir ( chcl 3 ) 3450 and 1751 cm - 1 and nmr ( cdcl 3 ) ฮด 1 . 75 ( s ), 2 . 08 ( s ), 4 . 50 ( s ) and 7 . 40 ( m ). in the same manner but replacing 3 - phenyl - 3 - hydroxy - 1 - butyne with an equivalent amount of 3 - hydroxy - 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 1 - butyne , 3 - hydroxy - 3 - methyl - 1 - butyne , 1 - ethynyl - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene , 3 - ethyl - 3 - hydroxy - 1 - heptyne , 3 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - diphenyl - 1 - propyne , 3 - cyclohexyl - 3 - hydroxy - 1 - hexyne , 4 - ethoxy - 3 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl )- 3 - hydroxy - 1 - butyne , 3 -( 3 , 4 - diethylphenyl )- 3 - hydroxy - 3 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 1 - propyne , 3 - ethynyl - 3 - hydroxytetrahydrofuran , 1 - ethynyl - 1 - hydroxycyclohexane , 1 - ethynyl - 1 - hydroxyindane or 3 - cyclopentyl - 5 - ethoxy - 3 - hydroxy - 1 - pentyne , the following compounds of formula ii are obtained , respectively : 3 - hydroxy - 3 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 2 - butanone , ir ( chcl 3 ) 3440 and 1710 cm - 1 , 3 - hydroxy - 3 - methyl - 2 - butanone , 1 - acetyl - 1 - hydroxy - 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 - tetrahydronaphthalene ir ( film ) 3450 and 1710 cm - 1 , 3 - ethyl - 3 - hydroxy - 2 - heptanone , 3 - hydroxy - 3 , 3 - diphenyl - 2 - propanone , 3 - cyclohexyl - 3 - hydroxy - 2 - hexanone , 4 - ethoxy - 3 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl )- 3 - hydroxy - 2 - butnone , 3 -( 3 , 4 - diethylpheny )- 3 - hydroxy - 3 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 2 - propanone , 3 - acetyl - 3 - hydroxytetrahydrofuran , 1 - acetyl - 1 - hydroxycyclohexane , 1 - acetyl - 1 - hydroxyindane and 3 - cyclopentyl - 5 - ethoxy - 3 - hydroxy - 2 - pentanone . 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ( i : r 2 = me , r 1 = ph , and r 3 and r 4 = h ) to a stirred suspension of sodium hydride ( 10 . 5 g . 54 % in mineral oil ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 400 ml ) is added dropwise a solution of diethyl oxalate ( 16 g ) and 3 - hydroxy - 3 - phenyl - 2 - butanone ( 16 . 4 g described in example 3 ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 50 ml ). the solution temperature is maintained at 55 ยฐ- 60 ยฐ c ., and the solution is maintained at this temperature for 18 hr after the addition is complete . the cold reaction mixture is poured into water , the mixture is adjusted to ph 11 with sodium hydroxide and allowed to stand for 24 hours , and washed with diethyl ether . upon addition of 6 n hydrochloric acid , the aqueous solution is adjusted to ph 1 . the acidic mixture is kept at 20 ยฐ to 30 ยฐ c . for 2 hours and extracted with diethyl ether . the ether extract is dried and slowly evaporated to obtain crystals ( 20 g ) of the title compound , mp 174 ยฐ- 176 ยฐ c . anal : calculated for c 12 h 10 o 4 : c , 66 . 06 ; h , 4 . 62 %: found : c , 66 . 41 ; h , 4 . 69 %. a solution of the title compound in diethyl ether and a solution of an equimolar amount of benzylamine in diethyl ether are mixed at 0 ยฐ c . the precipitate is collected by filtration and crystallized from isopropanol to obtain the benzylamine salt of the title compound . mp 192 ยฐ- 193 ยฐ c . in the same manner but replacing 3 - hydroxy - 3 - phenyl - 2 - butanone with an equivalent amount of another compound of formula ii described in example 2 and 3 , the following compounds of formula i are obtained , respectively : 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid , mp 151 ยฐ- 153 ยฐ c . and nmr ( cdcl 3 ) ฮด 0 . 92 (+), 2 . 55 ( heptuplet ), 6 . 33 ( s ) and 7 . 15 - 7 . 65 ( m ); 5 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid , mp 169 ยฐ c . and nmr ( cdcl 3 ) ฮด 1 . 75 ( s ), 6 . 25 ( s ) and 7 . 45 ( m ); 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid , mp 180 ยฐ- 181 ยฐ c . and ir ( nujol ) 2800 ( broad ), 1737 , 1670 and 1600 cm - 1 ; spiro [ furan - 5 ( 4h ), 1 &# 39 ;( 2 &# 39 ; h )- naphthalene ]- 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- dihydro - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid , mp 152 ยฐ- 154 ยฐ c . and nmr ( meoh - d 4 ) ฮด 2 . 07 ( m ), 2 . 84 ( t ), 6 . 29 ( s ) and 6 . 8 - 7 . 4 ( m ); 5 - butyl - 5 - ethyl - 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - 5 , 5 - diphenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ; 5 - cyclohexyl - 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - 5 - propylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - ethoxymethyl - 5 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 3 , 4 - diethylphenyl )- 5 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ; 1 , 7 - dioxaspiro [ 4 , 4 ] non - 2 - ene - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid ; 1 - oxaspiro [ 4 , 5 ]- dec - 2 - ene - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid ; spiro [ furan - 5 ( 4h ), 1 &# 39 ;- indan ]- 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid ; and 5 - cyclopentyl - 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 3 - ethoxypropyl )- 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid . 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - caboxylic acid methyl ester ( i : r 2 and r 4 = me , r 1 = ph and r 3 = h ) a mixture of 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 0 . 4 g , described in example 4 ), absolute methanol ( 50 ml ), and sulfuric acid ( 3 drops ) is refluxed overnight and evaporated . the residue is diluted with 50 ml of diethyl ether , and the solution is washed quickly with saturated sodium bicarbonate and water , dried over magnesium sulfate , filtered , and evaporated . the residue is crystallized from diethyl ether to obtain the title compond ( 0 . 32 g ) mp 60 ยฐ- 62 ยฐ c . and nmr ( cdcl 3 ) ฮด 1 . 81 ( s ), 3 . 99 ( s ), 6 . 25 ( s ) and 7 . 42 ( m ). in the same manner but replacing methanol with an equivalent amount of ethanol , propanol or butanol , the following compounds of formula i are obtained , respectively : 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ethyl ester , 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid propyl ester and 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid butyl ester . similarly , but replacing 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid with an equivalent amount of another compound of formula i described in example 4 , the following compounds of formula i are obtained , respectively : 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; 5 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester , mp 66 ยฐ c ., ir ( chcl 3 ) 1720 , 1695 and 1575 cm - 1 ; spiro [ furan - 5 ( 4h ), 1 &# 39 ;( 2 &# 39 ; h )- naphthalene ]- 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- dihydro - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; 5 - butyl - 5 - ethyl - 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - 5 , 5 - diphenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; 5 - cyclohexyl - 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - 5 - propylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - ethoxymethyl - 5 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 3 , 4 - diethylphenyl )- 5 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; 1 , 7 - dioxaspiro [ 4 , 4 ] non - 2 - ene - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; 1 - oxaspiro [ 4 , 5 ] dec - 2 - ene - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; spiro [ furan - 5 -( 4h ), 1 &# 39 ;- indan ]- 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester ; and 5 - cyclopentyl - 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 3 - ethoxypropyl )- 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid methyl ester . 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ( i : r 2 = me , r 1 = ph , r 3 = h and r 4 = 3 - pyridinylmethyl ). a mixture of 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 8 . 75 g , described in example 4 ) and thionyl chloride ( 90 ml ) is refluxed for 3 hr and evaporated . the residue is dissolved in benzene ( 100 ml ) and evaporated ( twice ). the infrared spectrum of the residue is indicative of a quantitative conversion of the carboxylic acid into the carbonyl chloride , ir ( chcl 3 ) 1820 and 1795 , 1755 and 1715 cm - 1 . this material is dissolved in 50 ml of dry acetone and added to a mixture of 3 - pyridinemethanol ( 4 . 8 g ), pyridine ( 3 . 1 g ), and acetone ( 100 ml ) at 0 ยฐ c . the reaction mixture is stirred at 20 ยฐ to 30 ยฐ c . temperature for 4 hr and evaporated under reduced pressure . the residue is partitioned between chloroform and saturated sodium bicarbonate . the organic phase is collected , dried and evaporated to give 8 . 8 g of the title compound , ir ( chcl 3 ) 1753 , 1742 , 1715 ( broad ), 1595 and 1100 cm - 1 and nmr ( cdcl 3 ) ฮด 1 . 78 ( s ), 5 . 45 ( s ), 6 . 29 ( s ), 7 . 42 ( m ), 7 . 84 ( doublet for triplets ) and 8 . 60 ( m ). the title compound ( 18 g ) is dissolved in acetone ( 20 ml ) and a solution of hydrogen chloride in diethyl ether is added until precipitation is complete . the solvent is decanted and the residue is triturated with diethyl ether . the residue is crystallized from acetone to obtain the hydrochloride salt ( 15 g ) of the title compound , mp 124 ยฐ- 125 ยฐ c . anal : calculated for c 18 h 15 no 4 . hcl : c , 62 . 52 ; h , 4 . 66 ; n , 4 . 05 %; found : c , 62 . 30 ; h , 4 . 53 ; n , 3 . 94 %. a solution of the title compound in diethyl ether and a solution of a half molar equivalent of ( e )- 2 - butenedioic acid in isopropanol are combined at - 10 ยฐ c . the resulting precipitate is filtered and crystallized from acetonitrile to obtain the hemi -( e )- 2 - butenedioate salt , mp 120 ยฐ- 130 ยฐ c ., of the title compound . in the same manner but replacing 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid with an equivalent amount of another compound of formula i described in example 4 , the following compounds of formula i are obtained , respectively : 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 1 - methylethyl )- 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; 5 -( 4 - chlorophenyl )- 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester , nmr ( cdcl 3 ) ฮด 1 . 77 ( s ), 5 . 46 ( s ), 6 . 29 ( s ), 7 . 42 ( m ), 7 . 86 ( m ) and 8 . 70 ( m ); 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 , 5 - dimethyl - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester , mp 109 ยฐ- 110 ยฐ c . ; spiro [ furan - 5 ( 4h ),- 1 &# 39 ;( 2 &# 39 ; h )- naphthalene ]- 3 &# 39 ;, 4 &# 39 ;- dihydro - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; 5 - butyl - 5 - ethyl - 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - 5 , 5 - diphenylfuran - 2carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; 5 - cyclohexyl - 4 , 5 - dihydro - 4 - oxo - 5 - propylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - ethoxymethyl - 5 -( 3 - methoxyphenyl )- 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 3 , 4 - diethylphenyl )- 5 -( 4 - nitrophenyl )- 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; 1 , 7 - dioxaspiro [ 4 , 4 ] non - 2 - ene - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; 1 - oxaspiro [ 4 , 5 ] dec - 3 - ene - 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; spiro [ furan - 5 ( 4h ), 1 &# 39 ;- indan ]- 4 - oxo - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester ; and 5 - cyclopentyl - 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 -( 3 - ethoxypropyl )- 4 - oxofuran - 2 - carboxylic acid 3 - pyridinylmethyl ester . 6 - methyl - 6 - phenyltetrahydropyran - 2 , 3 , 5 - trione ( xi : r 2 = me , r 1 = ph and r 3 = h ) to a stirred suspension of sodium hydride ( 10 . 5 g 54 % in mineral oil ) in dry tetrahydrofuran ( 400 ml ) is added dropwise a solution of diethyl oxalate ( 16 g ) and 3 - hydroxy - 3 - phenyl - 2 - butanone ( 16 . 4 g described in example 3 ) in tetrahydrofuran ( 50 ml ). the solution temperature is maintained at 55 ยฐ- 60 ยฐ c ., and the solution is maintained at this temperature for 18 hr after the addition is completed . the cold reaction mixture is poured into water and the mixture is adjusted ph 8 to 9 with sodium hydroxide or hydrochloric acid . this mixture at ph 8 to 9 is allowed to stand for 24 hr and extracted with diethyl ether . the ether extract is dried , evaporated and crystallized from diethyl ether to obtain the title compound : mp 142 ยฐ- 144 ยฐ c . ; ir ( nujol ) 3130 , 1718 and 1640 cm - 1 ; uv ( meoh ) ฮป max 268 nm ( ฮต = 8830 ) and nmr ( meoh - d 3 ) ฮด 1 . 89 ( s ), 5 . 92 ( s ) and 7 . 34 ( s ). anal . calc &# 39 ; d for c 12 h 9 o 4 : c , 66 . 05 ; h , 4 . 62 %; found : c , 66 . 14 ; h , 4 . 83 %. 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ( i : r 2 = me , r 1 = ph , and r 3 and r 4 = h ) a mixture of 6 - methyl - 6 - phenyltetrahydropyran - 2 , 3 , 5 - trione ( 2 . 18 g , described in example 7 ) in aqueous sodium hydroxide ( 15 ml ) at ph 11 is stirred for 24 hr and washed with diethyl ether . hydrochloric acid ( 6 n ) is added until the solution becomes acidic at ph 1 to 4 . the precipitate is collected and crystallized from diethyl ether to obtain the title compound ( 2 . 0 g ), mp 174 ยฐ- 176 ยฐ c . a solution of (+)- ฮฑ - methyl benzylamine ( 3 . 63 g ) in diethyl ether ( 50 ml ) is added to a solution of 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 6 . 54 g , described in example 4 ) in 200 ml of 10 % isopropyl alcohol in diethyl ether . the mixture is cooled and the crystals ( 6 . 5 g ) are collected while saving the mother liquor . the crystals are recrystallized three times from methanol to obtain 5 . 0 g of the benzylamine salt having a constant rotation of [ ฮฑ ] d 25 =+ 110 ยฐ ( c = 2 , methanol ) and mp 194 ยฐ- 196 ยฐ c . the latter salt ( 5 . 0 g ) is stirred into water ( 100 ml ) and diethyl ether ( 100 ml ), and then 6 n hydrochloric acid is added until the solution is acidic ( ph 1 ). the ether phase is collected , washed with water until the washings are neutral , dried , evaporated and recrystallized from diethyl ether to give (+)- 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid ( 2 . 7 g ): mp 87 ยฐ- 89 ยฐ c . ; [ ฮฑ ] d 25 =+ 146 . 4 ยฐ ( c = 2 , methanol ); ir ( nujol ) 3440 , 3320 , 2540 , 2440 , 1720 and 1669 cm - 1 ; and anal . calcd . for c 12 h 10 o 4 . h 2 o : c , 61 . 01 %, h , 5 . 12 %, water , 7 . 62 % and found : c , 61 . 19 %, h , 5 . 07 %, water , 7 . 85 %. the mother liquors , obtained from the above benzylamine salt , are evaporated . the residue ( 4 . 3 g ) is dissolved in a solution of water ( 50 ml ) and diethyl ether ( 50 ml ) and 6 n hydrochloric acid is added dropwise until the water layer is acidic ( ph 1 ). the ether layer is collected , washed with water until the washings are neutral , dried over magnesium sulfate and evaporated . the residue ( 2 . 7 g ) is dissolved in 70 ml of 10 % isopropyl alcohol - diethyl ether solution and a solution of (-)- ฮฑ - methyl benzylamine in diethyl ether ( 30 ml ) is added . the solution is cooled and the crystals ( 3 . 9 g ) are collected and recrystallized three times from methanol to obtain 2 . 4 g of the benzylamine salt having a constant rotation of [ ฮฑ ] d 25 =- 108 ยฐ ( c = 2 , methanol ) and mp 198 ยฐ- 199 ยฐ c . the latter salt ( 2 . 4 g ) is stirred into water ( 70 ml ) and diethyl ether ( 70 ml ), and 6 n hydrochloric acid is added until the water phase is acidic ( ph 1 ). the ether phase is separated , washed with water until the washings are neutral and evaporated to give 1 . 6 g of residue . the residue is recrystallized from diethyl ether to give 1 . 2 g of (-)- 4 , 5 - dihydro - 5 - methyl - 4 - oxo - 5 - phenylfuran - 2 - carboxylic acid : mp 87 ยฐ- 89 ยฐ c . ; [ ฮฑ ] d 25 =- 144 . 1 ยฐ ( c = 2 , methanol ); ir ( nujol ) 3440 , 3320 , 2540 , 1720 and 1669 cm - 1 ; anal . calcd . for c 12 h 10 o 4 . h 2 o : c , 61 . 01 %, h , 5 . 12 %, water , 7 . 62 % and found : c , 61 . 14 %, h , 5 . 05 %, water , 5 . 82 %. | 2Chemistry; Metallurgy
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fig1 is a schematic view illustrating a notebook computer transversely inserted into a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station of a first embodiment of the invention . fig2 is a schematic view of the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station in fig1 from another perspective . referring to fig1 and fig2 , a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 is for a notebook computer 400 to be transversely inserted . in detail , the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 includes a body 100 , wherein the body 100 has a bottom support surface 110 , an inner side surface 120 , a first side surface 130 , and a connecting port 140 . the bottom support surface 110 , the inner side surface 120 , and the first side surface 130 connect to each other , and normal directions n 1 , n 2 , n 3 of the bottom support surface 110 , the inner side surface 120 , and the first side surface 130 , respectively , are perpendicular to each other . the connecting port 140 is disposed on the inner side surface 120 . in further detail , the body 100 further includes a second side surface 150 facing the first side surface 130 . the second side surface 150 is connected to the inner side surface 120 and the bottom support surface 110 , and the first side surface 130 and the second side surface 150 are located on opposite sides of the inner side surface 120 and the bottom support surface 110 . thus , the bottom support surface 110 , the inner side surface 120 , the first side surface 130 , and the second side surface 150 form a slot ( not shown ) for the notebook computer 400 to be inserted . the top and right side ( shown in fig1 ) of the slot ( not shown ) is open . the notebook computer 400 can be transversely inserted into the body 100 of the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 along the right side of the slot ( not shown ) towards the inner side surface 120 . specifically , the notebook computer 400 includes a pair of long edges 412 and 414 , a pair of short edges 422 and 424 , and a second connecting port ( not shown ). the second connecting port ( not shown ) is disposed on the short edge 422 . when the notebook computer 400 is transversely inserted into the body 100 of the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 along the right side of the slot ( not shown ) towards the inner side surface 120 , the long edge 412 of the notebook computer 400 rests and moves on the bottom support surface 110 , and the second connecting port disposed on the short edge 422 faces the inner side . when the first connecting port 140 of the body 100 connects with the second connecting port , the notebook computer 400 and the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 are electrically connected , expanding the functions of the notebook computer 400 . contrary to a conventional u - shaped docking station , the body of the notebook computer will take up space on the table . the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 allows the notebook computer 400 to be transversely inserted . thus , less table space is required . in addition , since the notebook computer 400 is transversely inserted into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 , the notebook computer 400 has a low center of gravity , and is closer to the table . therefore , the problem of a bigger and heavier notebook computer 400 falling over because of an unstable center of gravity when it is vertically inserted can be avoided . since the long edge 412 of the notebook computer 400 rests and moves horizontally on the bottom support surface 110 , the user does not have to hold the entire notebook computer 400 , thus saving effort . fig3 is a schematic view of a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station of a second embodiment of the invention . the embodiment is approximately identical to the first embodiment , and same or similar reference numerals used in the embodiment and in the first embodiment represent the same or similar elements . the difference is that in the embodiment , a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 a further includes a pair of side wings 200 disposed on opposite sides of the body 100 . please refer to fig1 and fig3 . in order to increase the stability of the notebook computer 400 transversely inserted into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 a on a table , the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 a further includes a pair of side wings 200 disposed on the two opposite sides of the body 100 . thus , the notebook computer 400 will not fall over when it is bumped or being inserted into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 a . the following descriptions are improvements to facilitate the flow of inserting the notebook computer into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station or to provide stability to the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station . in order to clearly describe the improvements , the following figures do not show the first side surface and the second side surface , and only shows the bottom support surface , the inner side surface , and the components or structures disposed on the bottom support surface . fig4 is a schematic view of a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station of a third embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 and fig4 , the embodiment is approximately identical to the first embodiment . the difference is , in the embodiment , a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 b further includes a pair of positioning elastic pieces 310 disposed on the bottom support surface 110 of the body 100 , used to clasp the notebook computer 400 . referring to fig1 and fig4 , the pair of positioning elastic pieces 310 of the embodiment is disposed on the bottom support surface 110 near the inner side surface 120 . however , the pair of positioning elastic pieces 310 can be disposed in any location on the bottom support surface 110 according to need . the pair of positioning elastic pieces 310 are disposed so that when the notebook computer 400 is transversely inserted into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 b , it clasps the notebook computer 400 , allowing the first connecting port 140 and the second connecting port ( not shown ) to align with more precision , and increase the stability between the notebook computer 400 and the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 b . fig5 is a schematic view of a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station of a fourth embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 and fig5 , the embodiment is approximately identical to the first embodiment . the difference is , in the embodiment , a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 c further includes a positioning sliding piece 320 . the bottom support surface 110 includes a pair of sliding tracks 112 , and the positioning sliding piece 320 is slidably disposed on the pair of sliding tracks 112 . referring to fig1 and fig5 , the sliding tracks 112 and the positioning sliding piece 320 are disposed so that the notebook computer 400 is adapted to rest on the sliding piece . this way , the notebook computer 400 moves relative to the inner side surface 120 through the positioning sliding piece 320 and the sliding tracks 112 and is inserted in the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 c . fig6 is a schematic view of a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station of a fifth embodiment of the invention . the embodiment is approximately identical to the fourth embodiment . the difference is , in the embodiment , a pair of holding portions 322 is disposed on the positioning sliding piece 320 away from the inner side surface 120 , used to clasp the notebook computer 400 . fig7 is a schematic view of a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station of a sixth embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 and fig7 , the embodiment is approximately identical to the first embodiment . the difference is , in the embodiment , a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 d further includes a plurality of wheels 330 , disposed parallel to each other on the body 100 . a portion of the wheels 330 are exposed to serve as the bottom support surface 110 , and an axis a of the wheels 330 are perpendicular to a direction i the notebook computer 400 is inserted . the wheels 330 are disposed so that after the notebook computer 400 is inserted into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 d along the direction i , when the long edge 412 of the notebook computer 400 contacts the wheels 330 , the wheels 330 rotate to facilitate the insertion movement of the notebook computer 400 , thereby saving energy . fig8 is a schematic view of a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station of a seventh embodiment of the invention . referring to fig1 and fig8 , the embodiment is approximately identical to the sixth embodiment . the difference is , in the embodiment , a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 e includes a pair of wheels 340 disposed in the body 100 , and the bottom support surface 110 is a surface of a belt disposed on the wheels 340 . the wheels 340 and the belt form a transfer mechanism . compared to the sixth embodiment , after the notebook computer 400 contacts the belt surface ( bottom support surface 110 ), the belt drives the wheels 340 to rotate , and the wheels 340 in turn rotate to move the belt . thus , the notebook computer 400 is transversely inserted into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 300 e . fig9 is a schematic view of a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station of an eighth embodiment of the invention . referring to fig9 , a body 510 of a transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 500 of the embodiment includes a bottom support surface 512 , an inner side surface 514 , a first side surface 516 , a first connecting port 518 , and a bottom surface 511 . the bottom surface 511 is suitable to rest on the table , and is separated from the bottom support surface 512 by a distance . the bottom surface 511 is not parallel or perpendicular to the bottom support surface 512 . the bottom support surface 512 , the inner side surface 514 , and the first side surface 516 are connected . the normal directions n 1 โฒ, n 2 โฒ, and n 3 โฒ of the bottom support surface 512 , the inner side surface 514 , and the first side surface 516 , respectively , are perpendicular to each other . in addition , the extensions of the bottom support surface 512 and the first side surface 516 respectively form an acute angle with the bottom surface 511 . furthermore , the body further includes an inclined surface 513 . the inclined surface 513 , the bottom surface 511 , and the first side surface 516 form a triangular structure , and a center of gravity of the body 510 is in the triangular structure . referring to fig1 and fig9 , when the user transversely inserts the notebook computer 400 into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 500 , the bottom surface ( not shown ) of the notebook computer 400 leans on the first side surface 516 . then , the notebook computer 400 moves along the opposite direction of the normal direction n 2 โฒ of the inner side surface 514 , so that the second connecting port ( not shown ) of the notebook computer 400 connects through insertion with the first connecting port 518 . compared to previous embodiments , the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 500 of the embodiment does not include a second side surface opposite to the first side surface 516 . therefore , it is easier for the user to assemble the notebook computer 400 with the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 500 . in addition , the notebook computer 400 is inclined with respect to the table , by using the shape of the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station 500 . this allows the entire assembly to have a lower center of gravity , reducing the chance of falling over . in summary , the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station of the invention is for a notebook to be transversely inserted . this way , there is more space on a table , and so a notebook computer that is transversely inserted into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station saves more space on a table compared to a conventional tabletop computer . in addition , for a notebook computer that is transversely inserted into the transverse insertion type notebook computer docking station , the problem of a bigger and heavier notebook computer falling over because of an unstable center of gravity can be avoided . although the invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments , it will be apparent to one of the ordinary skill in the art that modifications to the described embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention . accordingly , the scope of the invention will be defined by the attached claims not by the above detailed descriptions . | 6Physics
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the preferred embodiment of the invention is contemplated for application to a magnetic disk file for computer bulk storage . it is appreciated that this situs is merely exemplary , the concepts of the invention being applicable to any magnetic recording and read back channel . communication theory indicates that significantly greater basic binary information densities along the recording track , than have heretofore been achieved in commercially procurable disk files , are theoretically potentially available in non - contact disk recording systems . the digital magnetic recording system of the present invention has advanced performance considerably beyond the prior art toward such ultimate lineal bit densities and has achieved factors of three to four increase in reliable density over contemporary , state of the art commercial products . in order to achieve this significant increase in lineal bit density , partial response signalling was utilized . although this signalling configuration had in the past been considered for use in magnetic recording channels , it is believed that such applications had been contemplated only for the saturated flux recording format . furthermore , it is believed that because of the non - linearities inherent in the magnetic interface such attempts would not have been successful for high lineal bit densities . accordingly , the present invention utilizes , for example , a bias field created by a very high frequency alternating current for linearizing the magnetic interface , thus achieving reliable performance improvement in utilizing for the first time non - saturated flux recording with partial response signalling . the use of bias additionally provides simultaneous , low - noise erasure of old data as new data is written . the linearized interface permits insertion of a pilot tone for timing recovery and automatic gain control . the linearized medium also permits multi - level recording , thus significantly increasing the information storage density . furthermore , the linearized medium conveniently permits both write - side and read - side equalization , filtering , preemphasis and channel shaping for enhancing the read back signal to noise ratio of the partial response signalling format without aggravating distortion . referring to fig1 a schematic block diagram of the recording portion of the system of the present invention is illustrated . the record or write side electronics is controlled by a system clock 10 which in the present embodiment comprises an 80 mhz crystal clock . binary data to be recorded on the medium is provided by a binary data source 11 which is synchronized by the system clock 10 . typical binary data provided by the source 11 are illustrated in fig4 as indicated by the legend . the binary data from the source 11 is converted into equivalent multilevel data in a binary to l - ary converter 12 . it is appreciated that the binary data may be converted into data having any number of levels that can reliably be recorded on the magnetic interface and recovered therefrom utilizing the partial response signalling arrangement of the system . it is furthermore appreciated that the present invention could be implemented with two level recording and in this arrangement the converter 12 would not be utilized . in the illustrated embodiment a binary - to - ternary converter was employed for mapping groups of three binary digits representative of eight states into two ternary amplitude pulses representative of nine states , one of which is not utilized . the converter 12 provides a unique mapping of binary data into ternary data . fig4 illustrates the ternary data provided by the converter 12 in response to the binary sequence illustrated in the figure . the ternary data is provided at a rate of 20 million pulses per second with the corresponding binary data being provided at a rate of 30 mbits / sec . thus in the illustrated embodiment the binary data having two levels , for example , 1 and 0 , are converted into ternary data having three levels , for example , + 1 , 0 and - 1 . the conversion process performed by the converter 12 is synchronized by the system clock 10 . any suitable design for the binary - to - ternary converter 12 may be utilized in practicing the present invention , such converters being commonly employed in conventional partial response communication channels . in the present embodiment each ternary output pulse from the converter 12 is represented by a parallel pair of binary digits . thus the binary input sequence is uniquely converted into a sequence of parallel pairs of binary digits representative of the converted ternary data . in the preferred embodiment of the invention the ternary data may be recorded with non - saturated flux although it is appreciated that ternary data is compatible with saturated recording ( utilizing plus and minus flux saturation and zero flux ) and could be utilized herein since the bias provides simultaneous erasure of previous data . for convenience , the ternary pulse sequence output from the converter 12 may be denoted as { b i } with the individual ternary pulses of the sequence denoted as b n . in partial response signalling systems it is generally known that the input data should be precoded to prevent the propagation of errors in the decision circuits operating on the received or playback pulse sequence . accordingly , the ternary pulse output from the converter 12 is applied as an input to a precoder 13 which is synchronized in operation by the system clock 10 . the precoder 13 in turn provides the precoded ternary pulse sequence { c i }. the sequence { b i } is modulo precoded in accordance with the rule for class iv partial response signalling as follows : where l is the modulus of the multilevel data . in the present ternary embodiment the precoding equation is : the values in the modular set of ternary elements are here taken to be (- 1 , 0 , + 1 ). fig4 illustrates the precoded ternary data corresponding to the ternary sequence { b i } exemplified in the figure . the pulses in the various clock intervals illustrated are identified by various line types ( dots , dashes and circles ) for purposes of explanation . it is appreciated that numerous precoding circuits are known in the partial response art . in the present embodiment the sequence of parallel pairs of binary digits representative of the ternary pulses is applied as the input to the precoder 13 which performs the modulo 3 arithmetic set forth above to provide the precoded ternary pulse sequence as further parallel pairs of binary digits representative thereof . the output pulse rate from the precoder 13 is 20 mpulses / sec . the precoded ternary data , still thus represented in binary , is applied as an input to a digital signal formatter 14 which is synchronized from the system clock 10 . the digital signal formatter 14 is utilized to gate the recording bias signal , generate a pilot tone and format the data into a recording signal . the digital formatted data is converted to a recording signal via a conventional digital - to - analog converter 15 which accepts the previously precoded parallel pairs of binary digits and converts them into the ternary pulses which they represent . the total recording current is the sum of three components which may be designated as information bearing signal , pilot tone , and bias . the pilot tone and bias components of the recording current will be later discussed . the information bearing signal component is comprised of three successive sections designated as sync , preamble and data . in the sync interval the signal is a 5 mhz sine wave that is synchronous with the 20 mhz data time base and is utilized to resolve a phase ambiguity in the playback timing recovery circuitry in a manner to be described . the preamble interval may be any predetermined fixed pulse pattern to provide a flag for the start of data . it will be appreciated that conventional circuits within the formatter 14 generate the digital representation of the sync and preamble signals which are time multiplexed with the digital precoded ternary data as represented by parallel binary pairs from the precoder 13 . the digital signal formatter 14 in combination with the digital - to - analog converter 15 provides the information bearing signal for recording as an interleaved dipulse sequence . the formatter 14 provides control signals to the converter 15 whereby each non - zero valued ternary pulse in each 50 nanosecond clock interval is decomposed into a pair of 25 nanosecond wide subpulses extending beyond the clock interval , which is termed an interleaved dipulse . the first sub - pulse of each dipulse is of the same polarity as the corresponding precoded ternary data pulse and occurs in the first half of the clock cycle in which the ternary pulse occurs . the second sub - pulse of the dipulse is also 25 nanoseconds wide and has the same absolute magnitude as the first sub - pulse but is of opposite polarity with respect thereto , the second sub - pulse occurring in the latter half of the next occurring clock interval of 50 nanoseconds . fig3 illustrates the generic and novel interleaved dipulse into which each of the 50 nanosecond precoded ternary pulses is decomposed , when the latter is of non - zero magnitude . the polarity of each of the sub - pulses of the dipulse is selected in accordance with the polarity of the ternary pulse as described ; when the ternary pulse is identically zero in conveying the data , the dipulse is then correspondingly identically zero and the sub - pulses are caused to vanish , fig4 depicts the interleaved dipulse sequence resulting from the exemplary precoded ternary sequence illustrated , and it will be appreciated that the interleaved dipulse can equally well be binary , quaternary or l - level modulated should it be required in other appropriate embodiments of the invention . the lines shown as dashes , dots and circles identify the particular dipulse resulting from the similarly identified precoded ternary pulse . the voltage spectrum of the interleaved dipulse sequence is illustrated in fig6 indicating that the signal has no d . c . component and has an enhanced high frequency content within the constraint imposed by the spectral null , thus reducing requirements for high frequency preemphasis circuitry in the nyquist data band . above this band , the frequency spectrum rolls off to a convenient null for the insertion of the pilot tone . furthermore , it is appreciated from fig4 that the dipulses interleave , or &# 34 ; nest &# 34 ; in such manner that the resulting sequence has the same number of levels as the precoded multilevel pulse sequence from which it is immediately derived . this is advantageous in the details of the generation of the interleaved dipulse sequence which will be discussed below with respect to fig9 and 10 . more generally in data transmission systems such as those employing a coaxial cable channel , the said &# 34 ; nesting &# 34 ; feature facilitates the utilization of a non - linear transmitter for maximum power output concentrated in the minimum nyquist data band , when binary or multilevel partial response signalling is employed . in so applying the interleaved dipulse feature of the invention it may be conceived that a major advantage lies in its enhanced high frequency content for improved signal to noise ratio with respect to channel attenuation of high frequencies rather than in its spectral null , in which case a pilot tone may or may not be concurrently employed . when a pilot tone is not utilized the timing and automatic gain control may be recovered from the data itself , in a manner well known in the art but causing somewhat of a decrease in the effective data transmission rate . with reference to fig4 it is convenient to conceptualize the generation of the interleaved dipulse sequence as follows : firstly the precoded ternary sequence { c i } multiplies a periodic sequence of unit impulses of period 50 nanoseconds to produce the precoded impulse sequence illustrated . the precoded impulse sequence is convolved with the interleaved dipulse of fig3 to generate the illustrated interleaved dipulse sequence of fig4 . it is appreciated that the apparatus does not actually utilize this procedure which is described to facilitate the understanding of the operation of the invention . although the present embodiment is described in terms of utilizing an interleaved dipulse , it will be appreciated that the precoded multilevel signal , exemplified as precoded ternary in fig4 could be directly utilized for recording via the digital - to - analog converter 15 eliminating the interleaved dipulse format . in this case a data spectrum null for insertion of the pilot tone could be provided by the low pass filter 17 in fig1 . the output from the converter 15 is applied through a recording equalizer 16 and the low pass filter 17 as an input to a summing amplifier 20 . the recording equalizer 16 compensates for interface losses by applying low frequency and high frequency preemphasis or boost . in the present embodiment the low frequency and high frequency preemphasis or boost is applied below and above 2 mhz respectively . the recording equalizer 16 may be implemented as an approximation , to within a nearly linear phase vs radian frequency ฯ , of the transfer function equation : by a conventional network resembling that of fig7 into which electronic signal integration is introduced . it will be appreciated that in conventional saturated binary magnetic recording systems such equalization is not possible because of the non - linear interface . by the novel combination effected in the present invention the write side equalization may be utilized for a significant increase in signal - to - noise ratio , by best dividing the total required shaping of the system transfer function between the write - side equalization and that of the read back . the filter 17 is a linear phase low pass filter that greatly attenuates high frequency components , for example , about 12 . 5 mhz , to prevent the generation of undesired ( 0 - 10 mhz ) intermodulation products during the recording process . circuitry included within the digital signal formatter 14 generates a square wave in response to the system clock 10 at the frequency of the pilot tone which in the present embodiment is 131 / 3 mhz . a filter 21 extracts the fundamental of the pilot tone square wave providing the sinusoidal pilot tone which is phase coherent with the sync , preamble and data . the pilot tone from the filter 21 is added to the output of filter 17 in the amplifier 20 . the output of the summing amplifier 20 is applied as an input to a linear recording amplifier 22 which combines the bias signal with the data and pilot tone . the bias component may , for example , be a 38 . 5 mhz sine wave provided by a crystal oscillator 23 . the bias need not be phase coherent with the information bearing signal and the pilot tone components , but should be of a sufficiently high frequency and level that any residual non - linearity of the recording medium causes little distortion in the equalized playback waveform ( even for worst case data patterns ). the bias signal is applied to the amplifier 22 via a gating circuit 24 which gates the bias under control of a signal from the digital signal formatter 14 when it is required during the recording interval . the output of the recording amplifier 22 is applied to the head for recording on the medium . it is appreciated that the gated bias signal may , alternatively , be amplified separately from the linear amplification of the output of the summing amplifier , with the resulting output currents then being summed in the recording head . referring to fig2 a schematic block diagram of the readside electronics of the present embodiment of the magnetic recording system of the present invention is illustrated . the upper row of components depicts the analog data - signal processing portion of the read back circuitry and the lower row of components performs the system timing recovery , sampling and decision and logical conversion back to binary data . the read back signal from the head is applied to a preamplifier 30 . the pilot tone component is extracted from the read back signal by a pilot tone filter 31 which applies the pilot tone to an envelope detector 32 for automatic gain control purposes and to a phase locked loop 33 for system timing recovery . the circuit 32 is a conventional envelope detector that provides a signal in accordance with the recovered envelope of the recorded pilot tone . thus it is appreciated that as system gain variations occur such as resulting from variations in head flying height , the amplitude of the envelope signal varies in direct proportion to the gain variations experienced at the 131 / 3 mhz pilot tone frequency . the preamplifier 30 provides the read back data signal to a low pass filter 34 which has a flat pass band with linear phase and is utilized , in the present system , to attenuate spectral components above 18 mhz so that later processing does not add significant noise or cause non - linearity . the filtered signal is applied to an automatic gain control ( agc ) amplifier 35 which receives a gain control input from the envelope detector 32 . it was determined in the present system that gain variations in decibels ( db ) of the interface are substantially proportional to frequency over a wide bandwidth . this system behavior is believed to result primarily from flying height variations of the head . the ideal gain control to offset such frequency dependent gain fluctuations would be exceedingly complicated and therefore in the present embodiment a simpler agc is utilized . this is feasible since in the present embodiment , although the signal energy extends from 0 to 10 mhz , the signal energy is dominant in the vicinity of 5 mhz for class iv partial response operation . additionally , the required gain changes are small . therefore the agc amplifier 35 utilizes a gain control function for the entire signal which is correct for 5 mhz thereby providing a good approximation to the ideal wide band gain control . the agc amplifier 35 utilizes a gain control law : where x is the input to the amplifier 35 from the envelope detector 32 . thus it is appreciated that the amplifier 35 provides the desired gain control inversely as a power law of the variations in pilot tone envelope whose exponent is c 2 . the positive constants c 1 and c 2 are adjusted in accordance with specific system parameters , c 1 being any number convenient to agc implementation . the exponent c 2 is selected in accordance with the experimentally derivable ratio , in this case ( 131 / 3 )/ 5 = 8 / 3 , between the db gain variation occurring at the pilot tone frequency , which in the present embodiment is 131 / 3 mhz , and that occurring at the center of the data band , which in the present embodiment is 5 mhz . the signal output from the agc amplifier 35 is passed through a derivative equalizer 36 and a transversal filter 37 to provide spectral shaping and phase correction . these components are utilized to shape the spectrum of the signal to the desired class iv partial response contour with linear phase . the derivative equalizer 36 has a transfer function which approximates to within a nearly linear phase vs radian frequency ฯ : with the coefficients d , e , and f adjusted in accordance with system parameters so as to compensate for changes in the transfer function of the interface arising from track - to - track changes in wavelength at any given frequency ฯ . the derivative equalizer 36 compensates for the short wavelength interface losses and radius effects . a recorded frequency sweep may be utilized to adjust the coefficients d , e and f so that the output of the device in response to the frequency sweep provides a flat frequency response . further details of the conventional network comprising the derivative equalizer 36 will be provided below with respect to fig7 . the transversal filter 37 provides amplitude and phase equalization or spectral shaping . the filter 37 provides equalization from 0 to 20 mhz to within a frequency resolution of approximately 11 / 2 mhz . the transversal filter 37 is adjusted so that the data pulses transmitted through the channel are rendered into the proper class iv partial response shape as illustrated in fig5 . the circuit permits correction to both the amplitude and phase response of the system in a manner well known to the art . details of the transversal filter 37 regarding its structure and adjustment will be given below with respect to fig8 . the class iv partial response spectrum of fig5 is ideally a one - half sinusodial lobe from 0 to 10 mhz , i . e ., sin [ ฯ /( 2 ยท 10 7 )], and vanishes above 10 mhz . it will be appreciated that alternative embodiments might be utilized within the purview of the invention having a partial response frequency spectrum comprising two or more sinusoidal lobes . for example , two sinusoidal lobes may be utilized from 0 to 10 mhz with a null at 5 mhz for insertion of a pilot tone . alternatively one sinusoidal lobe may be utilized in accordance with class iv partial response but with the pilot tone inserted at the 10 mhz band edge null . the output from the transversal filter 37 is applied to a low pass filter 40 which is the system final filter having a flat , linear phase pass band to 10 mhz and which attenuates input components above 11 mhz . the circit 40 also includes a filter tuned to 5 mhz for providing the previously discussed sync signal on a line 41 for reasons to be later described . the filtered and equalized data pulse signal is provided on a line 42 and is illustrated in fig4 as the equalized playback waveform . the specific composite waveform illustrated is comprised of the pulse components indicated by the curves composed of dots , dashes and circles corresponding to the similarly identified interleaved dipulse sequence components resulting from the precoded ternary data pulses as discussed above . it will be appreciated that the digital signal formatter 14 controls the digital - to - analog converter 15 to provide the interleaved dipulse as described above ; and the equalizers and filters 16 , 17 , 34 , 36 , 37 and 40 preemphasize , equalize and shape the data pulse frequency spectrum so as to provide , in cascade with the linearized magnetic interface , a close approximation to the ideal class iv sinusoidal spectral shape of fig5 . this spectrum is identical to that of any pulse component of the composite waveform provided on line 42 and depicted with its component pulses as the equalized playback waveform in fig4 . as discussed above , the phase - locked loop 33 is responsive to the pilot tone to provide system timing recovery . the phase - locked loop 33 acquires and tracks the filtered 131 / 3 mhz pilot tone , in the present embodiment , and provides a 40 mhz playback clock which is divided by 2 in a clock divider 43 to obtain the required pulse rate for sampling the analog data signal provided on the line 42 . the clock divider 43 is a divide by two circuit for providing the required 20 mhz sampling clock . since at the beginning of a data interval the phase of the clock divider output is equally likely to have either of two fixed values , a phase reset generator 44 responsive to the sync signal on the line 41 is utilized to remove the phase ambiguity . the phase reset generator sets the clock divider 43 to a predetermined intitial state in accordance with either the positive going or negative going zero crossing of the sinusoidal sync signal , in a manner well known to the art . the equalized playback waveform on the line 42 is applied to a conventional sample and hold circuit 45 which is timed by the output from the clock divider 43 . the sample and hold circuit 45 samples the read back waveform at the beginning of each 50 nanosecond interval recurrently at the rate of the ternary data pulses described above and illustrated in fig4 . in general the sampling rate is equal to the rate of the l - ary data pulses . threshold decision devices within the sample and hold circuitry 45 provide , by means of high speed voltage comparators containing latches , a piecewise constant sequence of signals { f i } at the permissible output levels in accordance with the partial response configuration utilized . in the present embodiment the ternary recording input discussed above results in five integer - valued read back levels , viz ., 0 , ยฑ 1 , and ยฑ 2 in the class iv partial response signalling design . the sequence { f i } thereby intended to result from the illustrated waveforms of fig4 is designated there as the sampled and held composite waveform . it will be appreciated that the five possible sampled and held levels are via the said thresholding converted into equivalent parallel binary logical representations for further processing before the basic binary data is finally recovered . thresholding circuits of the type described are commonly utilized in sampled data communication systems . here , the thresholds are set in a manner well known to yield least likelihood that system noise and distortion can cause the integer valued sequence { f i } to disagree with the result intended by the signalling system design and so cause error in bit recovery . the output from the sample and hold circuit 45 is applied as an input to a digital decoder circuit 46 . for a general l - level system the decoder 46 recreates the originally recorded l - ary data from the intended read back sequence of ( 2l - 1 ) partial response levels by means of the elementary modulo arithmetic rule specified in the cited u . s . pat . no . 3 , 492 , 578 . in the ternary embodiment illustrated , the conversion performed by the decoder 46 is where f n is the integer - level element in the sequence { f i } that is intended to correspond to the originally recorded data pulse b n in fig4 . the ternary output from the modulo decoder 46 , resulting from the exemplary waveforms given in fig4 and having the (- 1 , 0 , + 1 ) modular set of values , is illustrated as the &# 34 ; ternary data output &# 34 ; waveform of the figure . the ternary output of fig4 is , of course in the absence of noise and prohibitive distortion , identical to the ternary input provided by the converter 12 and illustrated in fig4 . a modulo decoder of the type utilized is well known in the partial response art and in the present embodiment , provides the ternary output pulses in parallel pair binary representation . the output from the digital modulo decoder 46 is applied as an input to an l - ary to binary converter 47 which in the present embodiment is implemented as a ternary - to - binary converter . the converter 47 performs the inverse operation to the converter 12 to recover the basic binary data from the storage system as originally provided by the binary data source 11 for bit storage therein . it will be appreciated that circuitry is included within the converter 47 for operating upon sequential pairs of the parallel binary representatives of the ternary data to provide the mapping into corresponding triples of basic binary source data utilizing the mapping function inverse to that employed in the converter 12 . referring now to fig7 details of the conventional derivative equalizer 36 utilized in the present embodiment of the invention are illustrated . the input to the equalizer 36 from the agc amplifier 35 is applied through a trimming delay 50 to a multiplier 51 responsive to the coefficient signal d . the input is also applied to a derivative taking circuit 52 which provides a linear phase approximation to the second derivative thereof with respect to time . the output from the derivative circuit 52 is applied through a trimming delay 53 to a multiplier 54 which multiples the signal by the coefficient e . the output from the derivative circuit 52 is also applied as an input to a derivative circuit 55 ( identical to circuit 52 ) which provides the second derivative with respect to time of the output of the circuit 52 . the output of the derivative circuit 55 is applied as an input to a multiplier 56 which receives as its second input the f coefficient signal . the outputs of the multipliers 51 , 54 and 56 are applied as inputs to a summing circuit 57 which provides the output of the device . as described above , the transfer function of the derivative equalizer 36 approximates , to within a nearly linear phase vs radian frequency ฯ : where the coefficients d , e and f are adjusted as described above . the trimming delays 50 and 53 are included to make equal the transmission delays in the three paths of the derivative equalizer so as to prevent distortion which would otherwise result therefrom . referring now to fig8 details of the transversal filter 37 utilized in the preferred embodiment are illustrated . the input from the derivative equalizer 36 is applied to a tapped delay line 60 having tap spacing equal to ฯ which tap spacing is related to the basic pulse interval and bandwidth of the system in a well known manner . the tap outputs from the delay line 60 are applied as inputs to respective multipliers 61 whose respective second inputs receive coefficient signals c 0 , c 1 . . . , c n corresponding to the taps of the line 60 . the outputs from the multipliers 61 are combined in a summing circuit 62 which provides the output of the device . the transversal filter 37 has a transfer function as follows : ## equ1 ## the transversal filter 37 is tuned by adjusting the values of the coefficients c 0 through c n , where in the present example n = 25 and ฯ = 25 nanoseconds . coarse tuning of the filter may be accomplished by adjusting the coefficients for maximum openings in a conventionally displayed eye pattern formed on the equalized playback waveform of fig4 . fine tuning may be achieved by minimizing observed errors in a recovered psuedo random sequence . it will be appreciated that in commercial quality embodiments of the invention the transversal filter 37 may be replaced by a fixed lc or other type of conventional filter designed to have the same characteristics . referring now to fig9 and 10 , fig9 illustrates details of the portion of the digital signal formatter 14 utilized in generating the interleaved dipulse sequence and fig1 illustrates the timing with respect to the circuit of fig9 . the dipulse generating circuitry of fig9 includes a time division multiplexer 70 having two inputs designated as 0 and 1 which are selectively connected to the output thereof in accordance with a multiplexer ( mux ) control signal on a line 71 . the mux position control signal illustrated in fig1 indicates that the inputs 0 and 1 are alternately connected to the output once each pulse interval , which in the above described embodiment is 50 nanoseconds . thus the 0 input is connected to the output during the first 25 nanoseconds of each interval and the 1 input is connected to the output during the second 25 nanoseconds of the intervals . the output of the precoder 13 is applied to the 0 input and , is discussed above , this signal comprises a pair of binary digits representing the ternary pulse . it will be appreciated that as many parallel binary digits are applied from the precoder 13 to the 0 input of the multiplexer 70 as are required to represent the number of levels in accordance with the l - ary system implemented . these parallel digits may be considered to comprise a word w . the application of sequential words by the precoder 13 is illustrated as the precoder output in fig1 . the parallel binary digit word output from the multiplexer 70 is applied through a three stage parallel shift register array 72 which is clocked at a rate of 2 / t , where t is the word interval as indicated in fig1 which in the present embodiment is 50 nanoseconds . thus the shift register array 72 introduces a delay of 3 / 2 word intervals which is required for the interleaving of the dipulses as illustrated in fig1 . the delayed parallel binary digits from the shift register array 72 is applied to a code inverter 73 which provides the inverse word w which is appropriate for providing the inverse polarity portion of the dipulse as discussed above . the output of the code inverter 73 is applied as the 1 input to the multiplexer 70 thereby providing the appropriate command signals to the digital - to - analog converter 15 for generating the interleaved dipulse sequence as described and illustrated above . thus w k provides the code that causes the digital - to - analog converter 15 to generate the proper level and polarity pulse for the first portion of the interleaved dipulse with the code inverter 73 and delay shift register 72 producing w k from w k . w k results in a pulse of the same level as but of opposite polarity to that caused by w k . this , in conjunction with the switching performed by the multiplexer 70 , generates the desired interleaving as discussed above and illustrated with respect to fig4 . the interleaved binary word output illustrated as mux output in fig1 is applied to a second time division multiplexer 74 which combines the sync pattern and preamble pattern therewith as discussed above . the sync pattern and preamble pattern are provided by generators 75 and 76 respectively in a conventional manner . the output of the multiplexer 74 is applied as the input to the digital - to - analog converter 15 to generate the analog recording signals discussed above for recording on the medium . it is appreciated from the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention that by utilizing bias to linearize the magnetic interface and by incorporating partial response signalling in the linearized magnetic recording channel a factor of three to four increase in reliable lineal recording density has been achieved as compared to contemporary , state of the art commercial systems currently available . the inventive system has advanced considerably beyond the prior art toward achieving ultimate communication theoretic recording densities . it is believed that the lineal pulse densities achieved would not be reliably obtainable utilizing a partial response format in the absence of the linearizing bias . additionally , the inclusion of linearizing bias permits the use of multilevel recording which further increases the binary information stored in each recording pulse cell . the bias also provides simultaneous erasure of old data and permits utilization of a pilot tone for timing recovery and gain control . the linearized system further facilitates writeside preemphasis for enhanced signal - to - noise ratio . the partial response format utilizes amplitude threshold sensing in a place of conventional peak - sensing of pulses . a primary design objective in disk recording is to increase the areal storage density of information bits . this can be achieved by either increasing the number of tracks radially or by increasing the per - track lineal bit density or both . for any given radial track density , it becomes increasingly difficult to improve the lineal density because of the inherent non - linear hysteritic and demagnetization characteristics of conventional saturation recording , resulting in such problems as down stream bit shift and excess loss in peak amplitude . the present invention has significantly overcome these prior art disadvantages by causing the major sources of distortion to be rendered linear , which are correctable by equalization , rather than remaining nonlinear , which can be only partially compensated . the magnetic interface utilized in embodying the invention generally provided a lineal density of approximately 4 kbpi in a prior art instrumentation . utilizing the invention described above with this interface provided lineal bit densities of approximately 12 to 16 kbpi . although the present invention is applicable to any magnetic medium recording system to provide a reliable performance improvement in cost / bit and bits / track - inch , the invention is most advantageously incorporated in the magnetic disk file technology which is currently of preference for computer bulk storage . the present embodiment has been described in terms of utilizing as interleaved dipulse sequence , but it will be appreciated that other decompositions of the data into other interleaved multipulse types of waveforms may also be utilized for the spectral or other advantages that they afford . it is further appreciated that precoded binary or multilevel data may be directly provided by the digital - to - analog converter 15 for recording within the confines of the partial response format . it is still further appreciated that the interleaved multipulse sequence signal utilized should possess desirable spectral and / or temporal properties possibly including a frequency spectral null for insertion of a pilot tone . an alternative embodiment of the present invention may be realized by utilizing run - length - limited code constraints with respect to the written data signal instead of utilizing the pilot tone for timing recovery and gain control . the properties of run - length - limited codes are well known in the art for providing reliable timing recovery and a channel gain measurement irrespective of the original source data . the alternative embodiment may or may not utilize an interleaved dipulse waveform or the like , while remaining within the confines of the partial response format . thus it is appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the use of a dipulse sequence . generally an interleaved multipulse sequence may be utilized for the advantages that the waveforms afford or no such waveform whatsoever may be utilized . for the purposes of the appended claims the signals flowing in the system are described as pulses . it is appreciated , as discussed above , that in portions of the system these pulses may comprise words ( typically conceived as being in parallel groups ) of binary digits representative of the pulse amplitudes . although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been exemplified as employing class iv partial response in accordance with u . s . pat . nos . 3 , 388 , 330 and 3 , 492 , 578 , it will be appreciated that the invention also applies to embodiments incorporating generalized partial response , a technique known to the art also as matched transmission or modulo transmitter equalization . generalized partial response employs a precoder of a more general nature than the precoder in the above described embodiment , an example of such decoder being disclosed in the paper by robert price , entitled &# 34 ; nonlinearly feedback - equalized pam vs . capacity , for noisy filter channels &# 34 ;, proceedings of the 1972 international conference on communications , pages 22 - 12 to 22 - 17 , an ieee publication . in other respects , however , the format remains similar to that for the preferred embodiment . alternatively if no precoder is utilized , the decision circuit of a resulting embodiment should then include a conventional decision feedback equalizer as described , for example , in the said ieee paper . it will be understood that the precoder , decision circuit and decoder of the present invention therefore may include elements variously suitable to partial response , generalized partial response or matched transmission or decision feedback equalization or combinations of these techniques known to the art . without departing from the spirit of the invention , it is appreciated that the partial response data recording herein referred to is characterized by the existence of a null at the nyquist frequency of the amplitude spectrum of the data read back pulse components of the equalized playback waveform of fig4 . the nyquist frequency is mathematically defined as equal to one - half the pulse rate , and the possession by the data read back pulse of a spectral null at this frequency makes system operation feasible at the minimum nyquist bandwidth according to fig5 of the aforedescribed preferred embodiment . the minimum nyquist bandwidth is likewise defined as equal to one - half the pulse rate , but it is known in the art that the partial response signalling herein referred to can also be implemented using bandwidths slightly or substantially in excess of the nyquist minimum , while still adhering to a null at the nyquist frequency . other , excess bandwidth embodiments of the invention therefore exist which fall within the compass of the invention herein described and in which bias and / or interleaved multipulse operation is employed . it is appreciated that the herein described partial response format , possessing the above described spectral null at the nyquist frequency , need not have a spectral null at zero frequency . the spectrum , for example , may include a sinusoidally shaped lobe having maximum amplitude at zero frequency and being generally shaped thereafter as described above . in particular , the spectrum may include more than one spectral null within the minimum nyquist bandwidth and may have slightly or substantially excess bandwidth as just stated . thus the terms sinusoidal lobe or sinusoidally shaped lobe includes shapes generally as described above with respect to fig5 as well as shapes having an amplitude maximum at zero frequency . while the invention has been described in its preferred embodiments , it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes may be made within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the true scope and spirit of the invention in its broader aspects . | 6Physics
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all of the systems herein operate with the telephone system of the general type shown in fig4 . the mobile station 400 communicates with base station 450 . ms 400 includes a processor 402 which carries out the operations and flowcharts described herein . the telephone also includes a user interface 404 , as well as a display 401 , a cellular transceiver 406 . the processor communicates with memory 410 , as well as other associated peripherals , using conventional techniques . the process of fig1 c can be carried out by the processor running a stored program . this program shows detecting information in the telephone that indicates a condition of the telephone that is related to an amount of loading on the telephone and / or its memory . fig1 a and 1b show the current nak parameter negotiation between the mobile station and base station of the mobile communication network . in fig1 a , the system shows the current mo negotiation for the mobile station placing a call to the base station . step 110 indicates the mobile station 400 sending an initial synchronization request to the base station . this initial synchronization request indicates the value ms_maximum ; the number that the mobile station can support . the standard requires that this maximum be greater than or equal to 3 . this information is received by the base station at 115 . the base station obtains a desirable retransmission figure bs_desired . the base station sends the value bs_desired to the mobile station at 120 . note that bs_desired value must be less than or equal to the ms_maximum value . bs_desired is received by the mobile station at 125 . the mobile station then either accepts the base station &# 39 ; s suggested value , or resets . a reset results in a failed call request . to accept the mobile station &# 39 ; s request , the value of bs_desired is repeated at 130 . this completes the negotiation . an analogous operation is carried out for mt negotiation , in which an incoming call is received from the base station to the mobile station . here , the base station sends its bs_desired value to the mobile station at step 150 , received by the mobile station at 155 . the mobile station responds at 160 by sending a value indicating the maximum that the mobile station ( ms_maximum ) at step 160 . this value must be greater than 3 . this is received by the base station at 165 . then , at 170 , the base station sends its desired value , which is less than or equal to the maximum , to the mobile station . this is received at 180 . the mobile station accepts this value or resets . as above , the acceptance is indicated by repeating . as can be seen , the base station and mobile station agree how many packets can be retransmitted . the present application uses an improved system shown in fig2 . this allows the mobile station to manage its own memory requirements and sets its own characteristics . this is done by allowing the mobile station to determine and specify a desired value , rather than its maximum value . the operation is shown in fig2 a . at step 200 , the mobile station sends its desired , not maximum , value ms_desired to the base station . the base station received the value at 205 , and responds with a base station decision value bs_decision at 210 . this value must be less than the mobile station desired value . the mobile station receives this at 215 . the remaining steps of the process are similar to those discussed above in fig1 a . this operation enables the mobile station to have some input into its own memory requirements . the mobile station can decide this maximum based on a number of different factors . an exemplary routine is shown in fig1 c . at step 190 , the routine selects a nominal memory value , which may represent the maximum memory value or some lesser value . the nominal memory value may be , for example , 6 . the system then decrements this memory value by a specified amount for each of a plurality of conditions that are found to be true . the first step at step 191 is the detection that the previous call had a number of lost packets , i . e . more lost packets than n . when this is determined , it may be taken as an indication that the link is so bad that many lost packets may still exist no matter what happens . therefore , at step 192 , the value of n is decreased . note that fig1 c shows all of the values being decreased by the same amount . however a weighting factor can certainly be used to allow the different values to count more than other values . at step 193 , the system determines that the available memory in the telephone is low . when this happens , the memory requirement is reduced at step 194 . at step 195 , the system determines that the quality of service is low . this could happen , for example , if the user has paid for a lower quality of service or the like . again , this can result in a reduction of memory requirements at step 196 . step 197 indicates a trend determination . the trend determination determines , from the time of day and other network parameters , whether is likely that the error rate will be high based on previous similar situations . if traffic is too high , then the user may lose packets in any case . this can therefore cause a reduction in the amount of desired memory at step 198 . at step 240 , a situation is detected in which delay is critical . more retransmissions could cause a delay in the data signal . therefore , if delay is critical , fewer retransmissions are made . fig2 b shows the mt negotiation using โ ms desired โ parameter . in step 250 the base station recommends a value . the mobile station replies at step 252 with a desired value . the base station can use this value to make a decision less than the ms desired value . this can be accepted or rejected by the base station at step 255 . this system allows the advantages of using mobile station information in making its decision . the base station usually has no information about the mobile station . however , in this situation , the base station obtains input from the mobile station as part of its negotiation , and before agreeing on a value . fig3 a shows yet another situation where the mobile station sends both the desired and the maximum value to the base station , providing even more information for the negotiation . fig3 b shows the analogous situation in which the base station recommends and the mobile station responds with both a desired and maximum value . although only a few embodiments have been disclosed above other embodiments and modifications of the above are contemplated . | 7Electricity
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in order to indicate which segments of a field contain vsb data and which segments of a field contain e - vsb data , a twelve bit map data unit ( mdu ) is defined for each data field . accordingly , the map data unit is capable of designating one of 4096 possible combinations of vsb and e - vsb data segments for a respective field . the map data unit for an odd atsc transmitted field may be denoted as { a 0 b 0 c 0 }, and the map data unit for the next succeeding even atsc transmitted field may be denoted as { a e b e c e }, where a 0 , b 0 , c 0 , a e , b e , and c e each comprises four bits and is referred to herein as a map data sub - unit . thus , each map data unit comprises twelve bits and two map data units for successive odd and even fields comprise twenty - four bits . as shown in fig2 a controller 10 generates a sequence of map data units for application to a kerdock encoder 12 . kerdock encoders that may be used for the kerdock encoder 12 are disclosed below . eight bits at a time are supplied to the kerdock encoder 12 . thus , the first eight bits supplied to the kerdock encoder 12 correspond to map data sub - units a 0 b 0 , the next eight bits supplied to the kerdock encoder 12 correspond to map data sub - units c 0 a e , and the next eight bits supplied to the kerdock encoder 12 correspond to map data sub - units b e c e . the map data units for succeeding fields are applied to the kerdock encoder 12 in a like fashion . for each eight bit input , the kerdock encoder 12 produces a sixteen bit code word or vector that consists of the eight input bits and eight parity bits p x . accordingly , for input map data sub - units a 0 b 0 , the output of the kerdock encoder 12 is a code word or vector { a 0 b 0 p 1 }; for map data sub - units c 0 a e , the output of the kerdock encoder 12 is { c 0 a e p 2 }; and , for map data sub - units b e c e , the output of the kerdock encoder 12 is { b e c e p 3 }. thus , three map data sub - units covering successive odd and even fields n and n + 1 are thereby encoded into three sixteen bit output vectors containing forty - eight bits in all . the code vectors that are produced by the kerdock encoder 12 are processed by a convolutional interleaver 14 in order to provide protection from burst noise . convolutional interleavers and de - interleavers are described in the atsc digital television standard . an interleaver that may be used for the convolutional interleaver 14 is disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 572 , 532 . the convolutional interleaver 14 is preferably characterized by the parameters n = 48 , b = 16 and m = 3 , where n is m times the block size ( 16 data elements ) corresponding to three encoded map vectors produced by the kerdock encoder 12 , b is the interleave depth , and m is the delay unit size of the interleaver . thus , the convolutional interleaver 14 delays the individual bits of the forty - eight bits of each block of three code vectors by 0 , 3 , 6 , . . . , 45 bits at the output of the convolutional interleaver 14 . the convolutional interleaver 14 is preferably synchronized to the atsc field sync signal that is generated by the controller 10 so that the successive delays on the input bits are reset at the end of each field . accordingly , each field begins with zero delay . as will be explained in further detail hereinafter , each set of forty - eight interleaved bits of the blocks of three code vectors are duplicated for transmission as two level symbols in the reserved portion of two consecutive field sync segments . it will be appreciated that this kerdock coding and duplication results in an effective coding rate of ยผ because the map bits are doubled in number by the kerdock encoder 12 and are doubled in number again by the duplication , so that twenty - four bits representing two map data units are coded into ninety - six bits in two field sync segments . it will also be appreciated that , considering the corresponding de - interleaver in the receiver , a latency interval l must be accounted for when associating the map data units with the corresponding fields . the latency interval of the interleaver / de - interleaver combination is given by the expression l = n ร( b โ 1 ). in the specific example of the convolutional interleaver 14 given above , n = 48 and b = 16 . therefore , the latency interval of the interleaver / de - interleaver combination according to this example is l = 48 ร 15 = 720 bits or 15 ( 720 / 48 ) fields . if two additional fields are allowed for processing time , the system may be characterized by the following relationships : coded mdu for field n : a 0 b 0 p 1 c 0 a e p 2 b e c e p 3 coded mdu for field n + 1 : a 0 b 0 p 1 c 0 a e p 2 b e c e p 3 where mdu a 0 b 0 c 0 identifies the mix of vsb and e - vsb segments for field n + 2 + l and where mdu a e b e c e identifies the mix of vsb and e - vsb segments for field n + 3 + l . a vsb data source 16 provides vsb data and an e - vsb data source 18 provides e - vsb data . one result of the kerdock encoding applied by the kerdock encoder 12 is that the mdus are more robustly encoded than are the vsb data and the e - vsb data . the controller 10 controls the vsb data source 16 and the e - vsb data source 18 so as to control the mix of vsb and e - vsb data segments in a particular field . because of the system latency interval , the map data unit , which notifies the receiver of this mix and which is encoded by the kerdock encoder 12 , is transmitted beginning in a field that is transmitted 17 or 18 fields earlier than the field containing that mix and ends in a field that is transmitted 1 or 2 fields earlier that the field containing that mix . that is , the map data unit supplied by the controller 10 to the kerdock encoder 12 during formatting of the current field corresponds to vsb and / or e - vsb data to be transmitted 17 or 18 fields later . however , because of the interleaving performed by the convolutional interleaver 38 , this map data unit is spread over 15 fields . the data segments supplied by the vsb data source 16 and the e - vsb data source 18 , together with the encoded and interleaved map data unit bits from the convolutional interleaver 14 , are applied to a data field formatter 20 . the data field formatter 20 is synchronized to the field sync signal from the controller 10 and formats the transmitted field so that the forty - eight encoded and interleaved map data unit bits are inserted into the reserved portion of two successive field sync segments . the vsb data source 16 and the e - vsb data source 18 are controlled by the controller 10 so that the vsb and e - vsb data segments supplied by the vsb data source 16 and the e - vsb data source 18 to the data field formatter 20 correspond to a map data unit transmitted beginning n + 2 + l or n + 3 + l fields prior thereto . the data field formatter 20 is synchronized so that these vsb and e - vsb data segments are appropriately multiplexed throughout the current field in accordance with that previously transmitted map data unit . finally , the formatted fields are successively applied to a standard atsc modulator and transmitter 22 for transmission . an example of the convolutional interleaver 14 is shown in fig3 and includes sixteen paths coupled between an input 24 and an output 26 by corresponding synchronized switching functions 28 and 29 . as shown in fig2 the input 24 is coupled to the kerdock encoder 12 and the output 26 is coupled to the data field formatter 20 . the switching functions 28 and 29 synchronously step through the sixteen paths on a data element - by - data element basis so that one data element received on the input 24 is coupled through the first path to the output 26 , so that the next data element received on the input 24 is coupled through the second path to the output 26 , and so on . the first path of the convolutional interleaver 14 imposes no delay on the data elements passing therethrough , the second path of the convolutional interleaver 14 imposes a three element delay on the data elements passing therethrough , the third path of the convolutional interleaver 14 imposes a six element delay on the data elements passing therethrough , . . . , and the sixteenth path of the convolutional interleaver 14 imposes a forty - five element delay on the data elements passing therethrough . as shown in fig4 the signal transmitted by the atsc modulator and transmitter 22 is received by a receiver comprising a tuner 30 . the if output of the tuner 30 is demodulated by an atsc demodulator 32 in order to provide an analog baseband output representing the transmitted symbols . this analog signal is sampled by an a / d converter 34 under control of a digital processor 38 to convert the demodulated symbols into corresponding multibit digital values . the encoded and interleaved map data unit symbols , which are duplicated in successive fields as discussed above , are applied to a convolutional de - interleaver 40 . the remaining symbols are directly applied to the digital processor 38 , which converts these remaining symbols to corresponding bits , arranged in data bytes , for application to a segment de - formatter 42 . the segment de - formatter 42 receives a de - interleaved and decoded map data unit from a kerdock decoder 44 . the segment de - formatter 42 responds to this de - interleaved and decoded map data unit by passing the vsb segments in the field to a vsb processor 46 and by passing the e - vsb segments in the field to an e - vsb processor 48 . the vsb processor 46 and the e - vsb processor 48 decode and otherwise process the respective vsb data and e - vsb data from the segment de - formatter 42 . as an example , the vsb processor 46 may perform reed - solomon decoding and , in the case where the vsb data has been trellis encoded in the transmitter , the vsb processor 46 may also perform viterbi decoding . the e - vsb processor 48 , for example , may perform the same decoding as the vsb processor 46 and , in addition , perform the additional decoding corresponding to the additional coding that was performed in the transmitter in order to add robustness to the data . moreover , the vsb processor 46 and the e - vsb processor 48 may perform de - interleaving and de - randomization . the interleaved map data unit symbols from the a / d converter 34 are applied to the convolutional de - interleaver 40 which de - interleaves the map data unit symbols in inverse fashion relative to the convolutional interleaver 14 in order to provide the vectors produced by the kerdock encoder 12 . the de - interleaved vectors corresponding to a map data unit and to its corresponding duplicate map data unit are averaged on a bit - by - bit basis by an averaging circuit 50 in order to improve the reliability of the map data units . the de - interleaved and averaged vectors are decoded by the kerdock decoder 44 in order to recover the map data units that control the segment de - formatter 42 . since the mdus were encoded more robustly than either the vsb data or the e - vsb data , the mdus will be recovered in the receiver with less errors than the data . as explained previously , the latency interval of the interleave / de - interleave process is accommodated in the system because the map data units provided by the controller 10 define the mix of vsb and e - vsb data segments that are to be transmitted l fields later in time . exemplary embodiments of the kerdock decoder 44 and the convolutional de - interleaver 40 are disclosed in the previously referenced u . s . pat . nos . 6 , 226 , 318 b1 and 5 , 572 , 532 respectively . as discussed below in more detail , the kerdock decoder 44 may be arranged to provide an estimation of the reliability of the decoding process . in terms of the map data unit specifically , the kerdock decoder 44 may be arranged to provide an estimation of the reliability of the decoding of the map data unit . if this reliability indicates that the decoded map data unit is not reliable , the immediately previous map data unit that was reliably decoded is used to de - format the field instead of the currently decoded map data unit . this operation is justified by assuming that the mix between vsb data and e - vsb data changes from field to field at a relatively slow rate so that the substitute map data unit will likely define the appropriate segment mix . an example of the convolutional de - interleaver 40 is shown in fig5 and includes sixteen paths coupled between an input 60 and an output 62 by corresponding synchronized switching functions 64 and 66 . as shown in fig4 the input 60 is coupled to the a / d converter 34 and the output 62 is coupled to the averaging circuit 50 . the switching functions 64 and 66 synchronously step through the sixteen paths on a data element - by - data element basis so that one data element received on the input 60 is coupled through the first path to the output 62 , so that the next data element received on the input 60 is coupled through the second path to the output 62 , and so on . the first path of the convolutional de - interleaver 40 imposes a forty - five element delay on the data elements passing therethrough , the second path of the convolutional interleaver 14 imposes a forty - two delay on the data elements passing therethrough , . . . . the fourteenth path of the convolutional interleaver 14 imposes a six element delay on the data elements passing therethrough , the fifteenth path of the convolutional interleaver 14 imposes a three element delay on the data elements passing therethrough , and the sixteen path of the convolutional interleaver 14 imposes no delay on the data elements passing therethrough . a systematic kerdock encoder 70 is shown in fig6 and may be used for the kerdock encoder 12 . the systematic kerdock encoder 70 accepts an input having n data elements , such as the map data sub - units a 0 and b 0 having a total of eight bits , and outputs a corresponding code word having 2n data elements , such as the code word { a 0 b 0 p 1 } having a total of sixteen bits , by appending n parity bits , such as the eight parity bits p 1 , to the end of the n input data elements , such as the map data sub - units a 0 and b 0 having eight bits . the n parity data elements are read out of a look - up table 72 based on the n input data elements . in the case where each map data sub - unit is four bits so that two map data sub - units are eight bits , the look - up table 72 stores 256 sets of parity bits where each set contains eight bits . appendix a shows exemplary data for the look - up table 72 . each bit in this exemplary data has one of only two values , 1 or โ 1 . in describing the relationship between the input bits and the sets of parity bits stored in the look - up table , it is useful to think of a bit having a value of โ 1 as a bit having a value of 0 . the eight bits that are provided as an input to the systematic kerdock encoder 70 are used as an address into the look - up table 72 . the data stored in the look - up table 72 are arranged so that , when a set of eight parity bits is read out according to eight input bits and is appended to the eight input bits , a kerdock code word is formed . a kerdock code word has a minimum distance of six from any other kerdock code word . distance is a measure of how many corresponding bits differ between two code words . the relationship between the input bits and the bits stored in the look - up table 72 fosters the creation of the kerdock code words that are output by the systematic kerdock encoder 70 . this relationship is as follows : the input bits having a value of โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 ( i . e ., the address 0 ) are used to address the first row of appendix a ; the input bits having a value of โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 ( i . e ., the address 1 ) are used to address the second row of appendix a ; the input bits having a value of โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 โ 1 ( i . e ., the address 2 ) are used to address the third row of appendix a ; the input bits having a value of โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 1 ( i . e ., the address 3 ) are used to address the fourth row of appendix a ; and so on . as an example , when the input โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 is received by the systematic kerdock encoder 70 , the first row of appendix a is read out from the look - up table 72 and is appended to this input to form the kerdock code word โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 โ 1 1 1 โ 1 1 โ 1 . as another example , when the input โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 is received by the systematic kerdock encoder 70 , the second row of appendix a is read out from the look - up table 72 and is appended to this input to form the kerdock code word โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 1 โ 1 โ 1 . it is noted that these two kerdock code words have a distance of six from each other because the eighth , ninth , tenth , twelfth , fourteenth , and fifteenth bits are different between the two kerdock code words . alternatively , a systematic kerdock encoder 74 is shown in fig7 and may be used for the kerdock encoder 12 . the systematic kerdock encoder 74 accepts an input having n data elements , such as the map data sub - units a 0 and b 0 having a total of eight bits , and outputs a corresponding code word having 2n data elements , such as the code word { a 0 b 0 p 1 } having a total of sixteen bits , by reading out the 2n data element code word from a look - up table 76 . in the case where each map data sub - unit is four bits so that two map data sub - units are eight bits , the look - up table 76 stores 256 code words where each code word contains sixteen bits . appendix b shows exemplary data for the look - up table 76 . as in the case of appendix a , each bit in this exemplary data has one of only two values , 1 or โ 1 . the eight bits that are provided as an input to the systematic kerdock encoder 74 are used as an address into the look - up table 76 and correspond to the first eight bits of a row in the data shown in appendix b . the row of appendix b that is addressed by a set of eight input bits is the row in which the first eight bits match the eight input bits . each code word stored in the look - up table 76 is a kerdock code word because each code word stored in the look - up table 76 has a minimum distance of six from any other kerdock code word stored in the look - up table 76 . as an example , when the input โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โโ 1 โ 1 is received by the systematic kerdock encoder 74 , a row 78 of appendix a is read out from the look - up table 76 . the row 78 contains the following bits : โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 โ 1 1 1 โ 1 1 โ 1 . as another example , when the input โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 is received by the systematic kerdock encoder 74 , a row 80 of appendix a is read out from the look - up table 76 . the row 80 contains the following bits : โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 โ 1 โ 1 . it is noted that these two kerdock code words have a distance of six from each other because the eighth , ninth , tenth , twelfth , fourteenth , and fifteenth bits are different between the two kerdock code words . a systematic kerdock decoder 82 is shown in fig8 and may be used for the kerdock decoder 44 . the systematic kerdock decoder 82 accepts an input having 2n data elements , such as eight bits corresponding to the map data sub - units a 0 and b 0 and 8 bits corresponding to the parity bits , and outputs a vector of n data elements , such as the map data sub - units a 0 and b 0 having eight bits . more specifically , a correlator 84 correlates the 2n input data elements with each of 256 kerdock code words stored in a look - up table 86 , where each kerdock code word comprises sixteen data elements such as bits . appendix b shows exemplary data for the look - up table 86 . the correlation implemented by the correlator 84 , for example , may be a cross product of the input 2n data elements and each of the kerdock code words stored in the look - up table 86 . thus , the first data element of the 2n input data elements is multiplied by the first data element of a first kerdock code word stored in the look - up table 86 to form a first product , the second data element of the 2n input data elements is multiplied by the second data element of the first kerdock code word stored in the look - up table 86 to form a second product , . . . , and the sixteenth data element of the 2n input data elements is multiplied by the sixteenth data element of the first kerdock code word stored in the look - up table 86 to form a sixteenth product . the resulting sixteen products are added to form a first correlation between the 2n input data elements and the first kerdock code word stored in the look - up table 86 . this process is repeated for each of the other 255 kerdock code words stored in the look - up table 86 . an identifier 88 identifies the kerdock code word from the look - up table 86 that produced the largest correlation and outputs the first eight data elements of this kerdock code word as the eight data elements making up two map data sub - units of a map data unit to be applied to the segment de - formatter 42 . the identifier 88 may also form the difference between the largest correlation and the next largest correlation as a reliability factor that indicates the reliability with which the 2n input data elements have been decoded . alternatively , a systematic kerdock decoder 90 is shown in fig9 and may be used for the kerdock decoder 44 . the systematic kerdock decoder 90 accepts an input having 2n data elements , such as the map data sub - units a 0 and b 0 having eight bits and the corresponding eight parity bits p 1 , and outputs a vector having n data elements , such as the map data sub - units a 0 and b 0 having eight bits . more specifically , a correlator 92 correlates the 2n input data elements with each of 256 kerdock code words that are supplied to the correlator 92 from a sequence generator 94 and a look - up table 96 . each kerdock code word supplied to the correlator 92 from the sequence generator 94 and the look - up table 96 comprises sixteen data elements such as bits . the correlation implemented by the correlator 92 , for example , may be the same correlation as implemented by the correlator 84 . the first eight bits of the first kerdock code word supplied to the correlator 92 comprises a first sequence of eight bits generated by the sequence generator 94 . for example , this first sequence may be โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 ( i . e ., 0 ). the second eight bits of the first kerdock code word supplied to the correlator 92 comprise eight bits read out of the look - up table 96 based on an address corresponding to the eight bits generated by the sequence generator 94 . these two sets of eight bits are appended together and are supplied to the correlator 92 . appendix a shows exemplary data for the look - up table 96 . the relationship between the input bits from the sequence generator 94 and the bits stored in the look - up table 96 may be the same as that used by the systematic kerdock encoder 70 . accordingly , the input bits having a value of โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 ( i . e ., the address 0 ) are used to address the first row of appendix a , the input bits having a value of โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 ( i . e ., the address 1 ) are used to address the second row of appendix a , and so on . the correlator 92 produces a first correlation based upon the input 2n bits and the first kerdock code word produced by the sequence generator 94 and the look - up table 96 . the first eight bits of the second kerdock code word supplied to the correlator 92 comprises a second sequence of eight bits generated by the sequence generator 94 . for example , this second sequence may be โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 โ 1 1 ( i . e ., 1 ). the second eight bits of the second kerdock code word supplied to the correlator 92 comprise eight bits read out of the look - up table 96 based on an address corresponding to the eight bits generated by the sequence generator 94 . these two sets of eight bits are appended together and are supplied to the correlator 92 . the correlator 92 produces a second correlation based upon the input 2n bits and the second kerdock code word produced by the sequence generator 94 and the look - up table 96 , and so on . an identifier 98 identifies the kerdock code word from the sequence generator 94 and the look - up table 96 that produced the largest correlation and outputs the first eight data elements of this kerdock code word as the eight data elements making up two map data sub - units of a map data unit to be applied to the segment de - formatter 42 . the identifier 98 may also form the difference between the largest correlation and the next largest correlation as a reliability factor indicating the reliability with which the 2n input data elements have been decoded . as a further alternative , a systematic decoder 100 shown in fig1 may be used for the kerdock decoder 44 . the systematic decoder 100 is a modified form of the non - systematic decoder disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 226 , 318 b1 . the systematic decoder 100 includes two column rotators 102 and 104 , and eight vector multipliers 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 , and 120 . the modification involves the addition of the two column rotators to the non - systematic decoder disclosed in u . s . pat . no . 6 , 226 , 318 b1 . appendix c shows the coset leaders that are applied to first inputs of the multipliers 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 , and 120 . accordingly , the coset leader in the first row of appendix c is applied to the first input of the multiplier 106 , the coset leader in the second row of appendix c is applied to the first input of the multiplier 108 , the coset leader in the third row of appendix c is applied to the first input of the multiplier 110 , . . . , and the coset leader in the eighth row of appendix c is applied to the first input of the multiplier 120 . the input sixteen data elements to be decoded are re - arranged ( such as rotated ) according to the first column of the following table and this rotated input is applied to each of the second inputs of the multipliers 106 , 108 , 110 , and 112 . the input to be decoded is rotated according to the second column of the following table and this rotated input is applied to each of the second inputs of the multipliers 114 , 116 , 118 , and 120 . table 4 โณ 1 4 โณ 1 15 โณ 2 15 โณ 2 14 โณ 3 14 โณ 3 9 โณ 4 9 โณ 4 5 โณ 5 6 โณ 5 12 โณ 6 11 โณ 6 7 โณ 7 8 โณ 7 2 โณ 8 1 โณ 8 3 โณ 9 3 โณ 9 16 โณ 10 16 โณ 10 13 โณ 11 13 โณ 11 10 โณ 12 10 โณ 12 6 โณ 13 5 โณ 13 11 โณ 14 12 โณ 14 8 โณ 15 7 โณ 15 1 โณ 16 2 โณ 16 according to the first column of the above table , the fourth input data element is moved to the first data element position of the output to be supplied to the second inputs of the multipliers 106 , 108 , 110 , and 112 , the fifteenth input data element is moved to the second data element position of the output to be supplied to the second inputs of the multipliers 106 , 108 , 110 , and 112 , the fourteenth input data element is moved to the third data element position of the output to be supplied to the second inputs of the multipliers 106 , 108 , 110 , and 112 , . . . , and the first input data element is moved to the sixteenth data element position of the output to be supplied to the second inputs of the multipliers 106 , 108 , 110 , and 112 . accordingly , the sixteen data element input is rotated by the column rotator 102 to form a sixteen data element output to be supplied to the second inputs of the multipliers 106 , 108 , 110 , and 112 . similarly , the second column of the above table shows the rotation imposed by the column rotator 104 on the sixteen input data elements to form a sixteen data element output to be supplied to the second inputs of the multipliers 114 , 116 , 118 , and 120 . the column rotators 102 and 104 in effect convert a systematic code vector to a non - systematic code vector . the outputs of the multipliers 106 , 108 , 110 , 112 , 114 , 116 , 118 , and 120 are processed by a corresponding one of 16 ร 16 hadamard transforms 119 1 - 119 8 to produce corresponding spectra that are analyzed by a spectral analyzer 122 . the spectral analyzer 122 determines which spectra contains the largest coefficient and decodes the largest coefficient to produce the corresponding kerdock code word . the first eight bits of this kerdock code word are supplied by the spectral analyzer 122 as the eight data elements making up two map data sub - units of a map data unit to be applied to the segment de - formatter 42 . the spectral analyzer 122 may also form the difference between the largest coefficient and the next largest coefficient as a reliability factor indicating the reliability with which the 2n input data elements have been decoded . the receiving arrangement shown in fig4 performs the functions illustrated by the flow chart of fig1 a and 11b . a block 200 receives a field , and a block 202 parses the field in order to recover the map data unit symbols . a block 204 de - interleaves the map data unit symbols , and a block 206 stores the de - interleaved map data unit symbols in a memory . when a full map data unit has been de - interleaved as determined by a block 208 , a block 210 determines whether this map data unit corresponds to an odd field or an even field . if the block 210 determines that this map data unit corresponds to an odd field , a block 212 simply stores the map data unit awaiting de - interleaving and decoding of the duplicate of this data map unit because data map units transmitted in odd fields are duplicated in even fields . after the non - duplicate map data unit is stored by the block 212 , flow returns to the block 200 . if the block 210 determines that this map data unit corresponds to an even field , the recovered map data unit is a duplicate of the map data unit previously de - interleaved and decoded . accordingly , a block 214 averages the current map data unit and the previous map data unit . a block 216 decodes the map data unit average , and a block 218 computes a reliability factor for the map data unit average . a block 220 stores the average map and the corresponding reliability factor . a block 222 determines whether the reliability factor of a decoded map data unit corresponding to the field received at the block 200 indicates that the decoded map data unit has been reliably decoded . if the reliability factor indicates reliable decoding , a block 224 de - formats the field corresponding to the appropriate map data unit and sends the vsb data and / or the e - vsb data to the vsb processor 46 and / or the e - vsb processor 48 , as appropriate , in accordance with the de - formatting . on the other hand , if the reliability factor indicates that the decoding was not reliable as determined at the block 222 , a block 226 retrieves the immediately previous map data unit that was reliably decoded , and a block 228 de - formats the field in accordance with the retrieved immediately previous map data unit and sends the vsb data and / or the e - vsb data to the vsb processor 46 and / or the e - vsb processor 48 , as appropriate , in accordance with the de - formatting . certain modifications of the present invention have been discussed above . other modifications will occur to those practicing in the art of the present invention . for example , the blocks that have been described above in relation to the various drawing figures described herein may be hardware blocks , software modules , logic arrays , etc . moreover , the arrangements shown in these drawing figures may be implemented as separate blocks as shown , or the blocks may be combined or divided as desired without departing from the scope of the invention . moreover , as disclosed above , the convolutional interleaver 14 and de - interleaver 40 are preferably characterized by the parameters n = 48 , b = 16 and m = 3 . however , the convolutional interleaver 14 and de - interleaver 40 may be characterized by the other values for the parameters n , b , and m . accordingly , the description of the present invention is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention . the details may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention , and the exclusive use of all modifications which are within the scope of the appended claims is reserved . | 8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology
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the terms โ functional group โ, โ active moiety โ, โ activating group โ, โ reactive site โ, โ chemically reactive group โ and โ chemically reactive moiety โ are used in the art and herein to refer to distinct , definable portions or units of a molecule . the terms are somewhat synonymous in the chemical arts and are used herein to indicate that the portions of molecules that perform some function or activity and are reactive with other molecules . the term โ active ,โ when used in conjunction with functional groups , is intended to include those functional groups that react readily with electrophilic or nucleophilic groups on other molecules , in contrast to those groups that require strong catalysts or highly impractical reaction conditions in order to react . for example , as would be understood in the art , the term โ active ester โ would include those esters that react readily with nucleophilic groups such as amines . typically , an active ester will react with an amine in aqueous medium in a matter of minutes , whereas certain esters , such as methyl or ethyl esters , require a strong catalyst in order to react with a nucleophilic the term โ linkage โ or โ linker โ is used herein to refer to groups or bonds that normally are formed as the result of a chemical reaction and typically are covalent linkages . hydrolytically stable linkages means that the linkages are substantially stable in water and do not react with water at useful phs , e . g ., under physiological conditions for an extended period of time , perhaps even indefinitely . hydrolytically unstable or degradable linkages means that the linkages are degradable in water or in aqueous solutions , including for example , blood . enzymatically unstable or degradable linkages means that the linkage can be degraded by one or more enzymes . as understood in the art , peg and related polymers may include degradable linkages in the polymer backbone or in the linker group between the polymer backbone and one or more of the terminal functional groups of the polymer molecule . for example , ester linkages formed by the reaction of peg carboxylic acids or activated peg carboxylic acids with alcohol groups on a biologically active agent generally hydrolyze under physiological conditions to release the agent . other hydrolytically degradable linkages include carbonate linkages ; imine linkages resulted from reaction of an amine and an aldehyde ( see , e . g ., ouchi et al ., polymer preprints , 38 ( 1 ): 582 - 3 ( 1997 ), which is incorporated herein by reference . ); phosphate ester linkages formed by reacting an alcohol with a phosphate group ; hydrozone linkages which are reaction product of a hydrazide and an aldehyde ; acetal linkages that are the reaction product of an aldehyde and an alcohol ; orthoester linkages that are the reaction product of a formate and an alcohol ; peptide linkages formed by an amine group , e . g ., at an end of a polymer such as peg , and a carboxyl group of a peptide ; and oligonucleotide linkages formed by a phosphoramidite group , e . g ., at the end of a polymer , and a 5 โฒ hydroxyl group of an oligonucleotide . the term โ biologically active molecule โ, โ biologically active moiety โ or โ biologically active agent โ when used herein means any substance which can affect any physical or biochemical properties of a biological organism , including but not limited to viruses , bacteria , fungi , plants , animals , and humans . in particular , as used herein , biologically active molecules include any substance intended for diagnosis , cure mitigation , treatment , or prevention of disease in humans or other animals , or to otherwise enhance physical or mental well - being of humans or animals . examples of biologically active molecules include , but are not limited to , peptides , proteins , enzymes , small molecule drugs , dyes , lipids , nucleosides , oligonucleotides , cells , viruses , liposomes , microparticles and micelles . classes of biologically active agents that are suitable for use with the invention include , but are not limited to , antibiotics , fungicides , anti - viral agents , anti - inflammatory agents , anti - tumor agents , cardiovascular agents , anti - anxiety agents , hormones , growth factors , steroidal agents , and the like . the terms โ alkyl ,โ โ alkene ,โ and โ alkoxy โ include straight chain and branched alkyl , alkene , and alkoxy , respectively . the term โ lower alkyl โ refers to c1 - c6 alkyl . the term โ alkoxy โ refers to oxygen substituted alkyl , for example , of the formulas โ or or โ ror 1 , wherein r and r 1 are each independently selected alkyl . the terms โ substituted alkyl โ and โ substituted alkene โ refer to alkyl and alkene , respectively , substituted with one or more non - interfering substituents , such as but not limited to , c3 - c6 cycloalkyl , e . g ., cyclopropyl , cyclobutyl , and the like ; acetylene ; cyano ; alkoxy , e . g ., methoxy , ethoxy , and the like ; lower alkanoyloxy , e . g ., acetoxy ; hydroxy ; carboxyl ; amino ; lower alkylamino , e . g ., methylamino ; ketone ; halo , e . g . chloro or bromo ; phenyl ; substituted phenyl , and the like . the term โ halogen โ includes fluorine , chlorine , iodine and bromine . โ aryl โ means one or more aromatic rings , each of 5 or 6 carbon atoms . multiple aryl rings may be fused , as in naphthyl or unfused , as in biphenyl . aryl rings may also be fused or unfused with one or more cyclic hydrocarbon , heteroaryl , or heterocyclic rings . โ substituted aryl โ is aryl having one or more non - interfering groups as substituents . โ non - interfering substituents โ are those groups that yield stable compounds . suitable non - interfering substituents or radicals include , but are not limited to , halo , c 1 - c 10 alkyl , c 2 - c 10 alkenyl , c 2 - c 10 alkynyl , c 1 - c 10 alkoxy , c 7 - c 12 aralkyl , c 7 - c 12 alkaryl , c 3 - c 10 cycloalkyl , c 3 - c 10 cycloalkenyl , phenyl , substituted phenyl , toluoyl , xylenyl , biphenyl , c 2 - c 12 alkoxyalkyl , c 7 - c 12 alkoxyaryl , c 7 - c 12 aryloxyalkyl , c 6 - c 12 oxyaryl , c 1 - c 6 alkylsulfinyl , c 1 - c 10 alkylsulfonyl , โ( ch 2 ) m โ o โ( c 1 - c 10 alkyl ) wherein m is from 1 to 8 , aryl , substituted aryl , substituted alkoxy , fluoroalkyl , heterocyclic radical , substituted heterocyclic radical , nitroalkyl , โ no 2 , โ cn , โ nrc ( o )โ( c 1 - c 10 alkyl ), โ c ( o )โ( c 1 - c 10 alkyl ), c 2 - c 10 thioalkyl , โ c ( o ) o โ( c 1 - c 10 alkyl ), โ oh , โ so 2 , โ s , โ cooh , โ nr 2 , carbonyl , โ c ( o )โ( c 1 - c 10 alkyl )- cf 3 , โ c ( o )โ cf 3 , โ c ( o ) nr 2 , โ( c 1 - c 10 alkyl )- s โ( c 6 - c 12 aryl ), โ c ( o )โ( c 6 - c 12 aryl ), โ( ch 2 ) m โ o โ( ch 2 ) n โ o โ( c 1 - c 10 alkyl ) wherein each m is from 1 to 8 , โ c ( o ) nr 2 , โ c ( s ) nr 2 , โ so 2 nr 2 , โ nrc ( o ) nr 2 , โ nrc ( s ) nr 2 , salts thereof , and the like . each r as used herein is h , alkyl or substituted alkyl , aryl or substituted aryl , aralkyl , or alkaryl . the invention provides a sterically hindered polymer , comprising a water - soluble and non - peptidic polymer backbone having at least one terminus , the terminus being covalently bonded to the structure z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl , substituted alkyl , aryl and substituted aryl ; and the polymer backbone of the water - soluble and non - peptidic polymer can be poly ( ethylene glycol ) ( i . e . peg ). however , it should be understood that other related polymers are also suitable for use in the practice of this invention and that the use of the term peg or poly ( ethylene glycol ) is intended to be inclusive and not exclusive in this respect . the term peg includes poly ( ethylene glycol ) in any of its forms , including alkoxy peg , difunctional peg , multiarmed peg , forked peg , branched peg , pendent peg , or peg with degradable linkages therein . peg is typically clear , colorless , odorless , soluble in water , stable to heat , inert to many chemical agents , does not hydrolyze or deteriorate , and is generally non - toxic . poly ( ethylene glycol ) is considered to be biocompatible , which is to say that peg is capable of coexistence with living tissues or organisms without causing harm . more specifically , peg is substantially non - immunogenic , which is to say that peg does not tend to produce an immune response in the body . when attached to a molecule having some desirable function in the body , such as a biologically active agent , the peg tends to mask the agent and can reduce or eliminate any immune response so that an organism can tolerate the presence of the agent . peg conjugates tend not to produce a substantial immune response or cause clotting or other undesirable effects . peg having the formula โ ch 2 ch 2 o โ( ch 2 ch 2 o ) n โ ch 2 ch 2 โ, where n is from about 3 to about 4000 , typically from about 3 to about 2000 , is one useful polymer in the practice of the invention . peg having a molecular weight of from about 200 da to about 100 , 000 da are particularly useful as the polymer backbone . the polymer backbone can be linear or branched . branched polymer backbones are generally known in the art . typically , a branched polymer has a central branch core moiety and a plurality of linear polymer chains linked to the central branch core . peg is commonly used in branched forms that can be prepared by addition of ethylene oxide to various polyols , such as glycerol , pentaerythritol and sorbitol . the central branch moiety can also be derived from several amino acids , such as lysine . the branched poly ( ethylene glycol ) can be represented in general form as r (- peg - oh ) m in which r represents the core moiety , such as glycerol or pentaerythritol , and m represents the number of arms . multi - armed peg molecules , such as those described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 932 , 462 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety , can also be used as the polymer backbone . branched peg can also be in the form of a forked peg represented by peg (- ychz 2 ) n , where y is a linking group and z is an activated terminal group linked to ch by a chain of atoms of defined length . yet another branched form , the pendant peg , has reactive groups , such as carboxyl , along the peg backbone rather than at the end of peg chains . in addition to these forms of peg , the polymer can also be prepared with weak or degradable linkages in the backbone . for example , peg can be prepared with ester linkages in the polymer backbone that are subject to hydrolysis . as shown below , this hydrolysis results in cleavage of the polymer into fragments of lower molecular weight : it is understood by those skilled in the art that the term poly ( ethylene glycol ) or peg represents or includes all the above forms . many other polymers are also suitable for the invention . polymer backbones that are non - peptidic and water - soluble , with from 2 to about 300 termini , are particularly useful in the invention . examples of suitable polymers include , but are not limited to , other poly ( alkylene glycols ), such as poly ( propylene glycol ) (โ ppg โ), copolymers of ethylene glycol and propylene glycol and the like , poly ( oxyethylated polyol ), poly ( olefinic alcohol ), poly ( vinylpyrrolidone ), poly ( hydroxypropylmethacrylamide ), poly ( ฮฑ - hydroxy acid ), poly ( vinyl alcohol ), polyphosphazene , polyoxazoline , poly ( n - acryloylmorpholine ), such as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 629 , 384 , which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety , and copolymers , terpolymers , and mixtures thereof . although the molecular weight of each chain of the polymer backbone can vary , it is typically in the range of from about 100 da to about 100 , 000 da , often from about 6 , 000 da to about 80 , 000 da . those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the foregoing list for substantially water soluble and non - peptidic polymer backbones is by no means exhaustive and is merely illustrative , and that all polymeric materials having the qualities described above are contemplated . examples of suitable alkyl and aryl groups for the z moiety include methyl , ethyl , n - propyl , isopropyl , n - butyl , isobutyl , sec - butyl , t - butyl , and benzyl . in one embodiment , z is a c 1 - c 8 alkyl or substituted alkyl . the optional ch 2 spacer between the ฮฑ - carbon and the q moiety can provide additional dampening effect on the rate of hydrolytic degradation of the molecule . in one embodiment , m is 1 to about 10 . the x moiety is a leaving group , meaning that it can be displaced by reaction of a nucleophile with the molecule containing x . in some cases , as when x is hydroxy , the group must be activated by reaction with a molecule such as n , n โฒ- dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( dcc ) in order to make it an effective leaving group . examples of suitable x moieties include halogen , such as chlorine and bromine , n - succinimidyloxy , sulfo - n - succinimidyloxy , 1 - benzotriazolyloxy , hydroxyl , 1 - imidazolyl , and p - nitrophenyloxy . in one aspect , the polymer has a terminal carboxylic acid group ( i . e . x is hydroxyl ). poly is a water - soluble and non - peptidic polymer backbone , such as peg ; r โฒ can be any suitable capping group known in the art for polymers of this type . for example , r โฒ can be a relatively inert capping group , such as an alkoxy group ( e . g . methoxy ). alternatively , r โฒ can be a functional group . examples of suitable functional groups include hydroxyl , protected hydroxyl , active ester , such as n - hydroxysuccinimidyl esters and 1 - benzotriazolyl esters , active carbonate , such as n - hydroxysuccinimidyl carbonates and 1 - benzotriazolyl carbonates , acetal , aldehyde , aldehyde hydrates , alkenyl , acrylate , methacrylate , acrylamide , active sulfone , amine , protected amine , hydrazide , protected hydrazide , thiol , protected thiol , carboxylic acid , protected carboxylic acid , isocyanate , isothiocyanate , maleimide , vinylsulfone , dithiopyridine , vinylpyridine , iodoacetamide , epoxide , glyoxals , diones , mesylates , tosylates , and tresylate . the functional group is typically chosen for attachment to a functional group on a biologically active agent . as would be understood , the selected r โฒ moiety should be compatible with the x group so that reaction with x does not occur . as would be understood in the art , the term โ protected โ refers to the presence of a protecting group or moiety that prevents reaction of the chemically reactive functional group under certain reaction conditions . the protecting group will vary depending on the type of chemically reactive group being protected . for example , if the chemically reactive group is an amine or a hydrazide , the protecting group can be selected from the group of tert - butyloxycarbonyl ( t - boc ) and 9 - fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl ( fmoc ). if the chemically reactive group is a thiol , the protecting group can be orthopyridyldisulfide . if the chemically reactive group is a carboxylic acid , such as butanoic or propionic acid , or a hydroxyl group , the protecting group can be benzyl or an alkyl group such as methyl or ethyl . other protecting groups known in the art may also be used in the invention . specific examples of terminal functional groups in the literature include n - succinimidyl carbonate ( see e . g ., u . s . pat . nos . 5 , 281 , 698 , 5 , 468 , 478 ), amine ( see , e . g ., buckmann et al . makromol . chem . 182 : 1379 ( 1981 ), zaplipsky et al . eur . polym . j . 19 : 1177 ( 1983 )), hydrazide ( see , e . g ., andresz et al . makromol . chem . 179 : 301 ( 1978 )), succinimidyl propionate and succinimidyl butanoate ( see , e . g ., olson et al . in poly ( ethylene glycol ) chemistry & amp ; biological applications , pp 170 - 181 , harris & amp ; zaplipsky eds ., acs , washington , d . c ., 1997 ; see also u . s . pat . no . 5 , 672 , 662 ), succinimidyl succinate ( see , e . g ., abuchowski et al . cancer biochem . biophys . 7 : 175 ( 1984 ) and joppich et al . macrolol . chem . 180 : 1381 ( 1979 ), succinimidyl ester ( see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 4 , 670 , 417 ), benzotriazole carbonate ( see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 650 , 234 ), glycidyl ether ( see , e . g ., pitha et al . eur . j . biochem . 94 : 11 ( 1979 ), elling et al ., biotech . appl . biochem . 13 : 354 ( 1991 ), oxycarbonylimidazole ( see , e . g ., beauchamp , et al ., anal . biochem . 131 : 25 ( 1983 ), tondelli et al . j . controlled release 1 : 251 ( 1985 )), p - nitrophenyl carbonate ( see , e . g ., veronese , et al ., appl . biochem . biotech ., 11 : 141 ( 1985 ); and sartore et al ., appl . biochem . biotech ., 27 : 45 ( 1991 )), aldehyde ( see , e . g ., harris et al . j . polym . sci . chem . ed . 22 : 341 ( 1984 ), u . s . pat . no . 5 , 824 , 784 , u . s . pat . no . 5 , 252 , 714 ), maleimide ( see , e . g ., goodson et al . bio / technology 8 : 343 ( 1990 ), romani et al . in chemistry of peptides and proteins 2 : 29 ( 1984 )), and kogan , synthetic comm . 22 : 2417 ( 1992 )), orthopyridyl - disulfide ( see , e . g ., woghiren , et al . bioconj . chem . 4 : 314 ( 1993 )), acrylol ( see , e . g ., sawhney et al ., macromolecules , 26 : 581 ( 1993 )), vinylsulfone ( see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 900 , 461 ). in addition , two molecules of the polymer of this invention can also be linked to the amino acid lysine to form a di - substituted lysine , which can then be further activated with n - hydroxysuccinimide to form an active n - succinimidyl moiety ( see , e . g ., u . s . pat . no . 5 , 932 , 462 ). all of the above references are incorporated herein by reference . r โฒ can also have the structure โ w - d , wherein w is a linker and d is a biologically active agent . alternatively , the polymer structure can be a homobifunctional molecule such that r โฒ is - q ( ch 2 ) n chzc ( o ) x , wherein q , m , z and x are as defined above . an example of a multi - arm polymer of the invention is shown below : poly is a water - soluble and non - peptidic polymer backbone , such as peg ; r is a central core molecule , such as glycerol or pentaerythritol ; the polymers of the invention , whether activated or not , can be purified from the reaction mixture . one method of purification involves precipitation from a solvent in which the polymers are essentially insoluble while the reactants are soluble . suitable solvents include ethyl ether or isopropanol . alternatively , the polymers may be purified using ion exchange , size exclusion , silica gel , or reverse phase chromatography . in all the above embodiments , the presence of the ฮฑ - alkyl or ฮฑ - aryl group ( z ) confers upon the polymer greater stability to hydrolysis due to the steric and electronic effect of the alkyl or aryl group . the steric effect may be increased by increasing the size of the alkyl or aryl group , as would be the case in replacing methyl with ethyl . in other words , as the number of carbon atoms in z increases , the rate of hydrolysis decreases . as noted above , use of this steric effect may also be applied in combination with the electronic effect obtained by variation in the distance of the q moiety from the carboxyl group ( i . e . control of the value of m ). by controlling both m and z , the rate of hydrolysis can be regulated in a more flexible manner . since the enzyme catalyzed reactions that cause enzymatic degradation involve exact spatial fits between the enzyme active site and the polymer , steric effects can be very important in these reactions as well . the polymers of the invention can also be used to better regulate or control enzymatic degradation in addition to hydrolytic degradation . when coupled to biologically active agents , the polymers of the invention will help regulate the rate of hydrolytic degradation of the resulting polymer conjugate . as an example , when the polymers of the invention are coupled with alcohols or thiols to form esters or thioesters respectively , the esters or thioesters are more stable to hydrolysis . thus , a drug bearing an alcohol or thiol group may be derivatized with a polymer of the invention and the hydrolytic release of the drug from such esters or thiolesters can be controlled by choice of the ฮฑ - alkyl or ฮฑ - aryl group . the invention provides a biologically active polymer conjugate comprising a water - soluble and non - peptidic polymer backbone having at least one terminus , the terminus being covalently bonded to the structure z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl , substituted alkyl , aryl and substituted aryl ; the linker w is the residue of the functional group used to attach the biologically active agent to the polymer backbone . in one embodiment , w is o , s , or nh . examples of suitable biologically active agents include peptides , proteins , enzymes , small molecule drugs , dyes , lipids , nucleosides , oligonucleotides , cells , viruses , liposomes , microparticles and micelles . the invention also includes a method of preparing biologically active conjugates of the polymers of the invention by reacting a polymer of formula i with a biologically active agent . the following examples are given to illustrate the invention , but should not be considered in limitation of the invention . preparation of mpeg - o โ ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 h and mpeg - o โ ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 ns ( ns โ n - succinimidyl ) mpeg 50000 h ( 4 . 0 ) g ) and methacrylonitrile ( 1 . 0 ml ) were stirred for three days at room temperature in a mixture of benzene ( 5 . 0 ml ), dichloromethane ( 6 . 5 ml ), and koh ( 50 % in h 2 o ; 0 . 15 ml ). to the resulting mixture was added 200 ml of 10 % aqueous nah 2 po 4 . the mixture was stirred for 10 minutes before extracting with 200 ml of dichloromethane ( 100 + 50 + 50 ml ). the organic phase was dried over mgso 4 , concentrated , and precipitated into ethyl ether ( 50 ml ). the precipitate was collected by filtration and dried under vacuum at room temperature to obtain 3 . 17 g of white powder . nmr : ( dmso - d6 , ppm ): 1 . 0438 ( d , ฮฑ - ch 3 ); 2 . 55 ( m , ch ); 3 . 51 ( br m , peg - ch 2 ch 2 โ o โ). mpeg 5000 - o โ ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) cn ( 3 . 17 g ) was dissolved in 14 ml of concentrated hcl and the solution was stirred three days at room temperature . the resulting solution was diluted to 300 ml with water and 45 g of nacl was added . the product was extracted with dichloromethane ( 3 ร 100 ml ) and the extract dried over mgso 4 . the solution was concentrated and the product precipitated in ethyl ether ( 50 ml ). the product was collected by filtration and dried under vacuum at room temperature to obtain 2 . 6 g of white powder . nmr ( dmso - d6 , ppm ): 0 . 714 ( d , ฮฑ - ch 3 ); 3 . 51 ( br m , peg โ ch 2 ch 2 โ o โ). 3 . preparation of mpeg 5000 - o โ ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 h a solution of 2 . 6 g of mpeg 5000 - o โ ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) conh 2 in 100 ml of 8 % koh was stirred at room temperature for three days and the ph was then adjusted to 2 . 0 with hcl . the product was extracted with 100 ml of methylene chloride and the extract dried over mgso 4 . the solution was then concentrated and the product precipitated by addition to 200 ml of ethyl ether . the product was collected by filtration and dried under vacuum at room temperature to obtain 1 . 7 g of white powder . the product was further purified by chromatography on deae sepharose with the column first eluted with water and then with 1 m nacl . the product was extracted from the nacl eluent with methylene chloride and the organic layer dried over mgso 4 . the methylene chloride solution was concentrated and the product precipitated from about 30 ml of ethyl ether . it was collected by filtration , and dried under vacuum at room temperature to obtain 0 . 8 g of white powder . gel permeation chromatography on ultrahydrogel 250 displayed a single peak . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 , ppm ): 1 . 035 ( d , ฮฑ - ch 3 ); 2 . 55 ( m , ch ); 3 . 51 ( br m , peg backbone ch 2 ). the integral ratio of the peg backbone protons to that of the alpha methyl protons indicated 100 % substitution . 4 . preparation of ch 3 โ o - peg 5000 - o โ ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 ns ( ns โ n - succinimidyl ) ch 3 โ o - peg 5000 - o โ ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 h ( 0 . 6 g ) was dissolved in 50 ml of methylene chloride , n - hydroxysuccinimide ( 0 . 0144 g ) and n , n - dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 0 . 026 ) in 2 ml of methylene chloride was added . after stirring overnight , the mixture was filtered and the filtrate concentrated under vacuum . the product was precipitated by addition of the filtrate to isopropanol , then collected by filtration and dried under vacuum to yield 0 . 4 g of white powder . comparison of integration of the peg backbone protons with those on the ns group indicated 100 % substitution . 1 h nmr ( ppm , dmso - d6 ): 1 . 20 ( d , c h 3 โ ch ); 2 . 81 ( s , ns ); 3 . 51 ( br m , peg โ ch 2 ch 2 โ o โ). preparation of mpeg - o โ ch 2 ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 h and mpeg - o โ ch 2 ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 ns diethyl methylmalonate ( 9 . 6 ml ) in 150 ml of dry dioxane was added dropwise to nah ( 2 . 4 g ) in 60 ml of toluene under argon . mpeg 5000 mesylate ( 30 g ) in 250 ml of toluene was azeotropically distilled to remove 150 ml of toluene and the residue was added to the above diethyl methylmalonate solution . after refluxing the mixture for 3 - 4 hours , it was evaporated under vacuum to dryness and dried in vacuo overnight . the dried material was then dissolved in 200 ml of 1n naoh , the solution was stirred for 2 days at room temperature , and the ph adjusted to 3 with 1n hcl . nacl was added to the solution to a concentration of about 15 % and the mixture was then extracted with 350 ml of ch 2 cl 2 in several portions . the combined extracts were dried over na 2 so 4 , concentrated under vacuum and the product precipitated by addition of isopropanol / ether ( 1 : 1 ). the product was collected by filtration and dried under vacuum overnight to obtain 24 . 7 g of product as a white powder . gpc ( ultrahydrogel 250 ) showed the product to be 98 % pure . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 , ppm ): 1 . 27 ( s , ch 3 โ c ); 1 . 96 ( t , ch 2 c h 2 โ c ); 3 . 51 ( br m , peg โ ch 2 ch 2 โ o โ). 2 . preparation of ch 3 โ o - peg 5000 - o โ ch 2 ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 h ch 3 โ o - peg 5000 - o โ ch 2 ch 2 c ( ch 3 )( co 2 h ) 2 ( 20 g ) was dissolved in 300 ml of toluene and the resulting solution was refluxed for 3 hours . the solution was then concentrated under vacuum and the residue precipitated with isopropanol / ether ( 1 : 1 ), collected by filtration , and dried under vacuum overnight to obtain 18 . 8 g of white powder . gpc ( ultrahydrogel 250 ) indicated the product to be 95 % pure . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d6 , ppm ): 1 . 061 ( d , c h 3 โ ch ); 2 . 40 ( q , ch ); 1 . 51 ( m , c h 2 โ ch ); 1 . 80 ( m , c h 2 โ ch 2 โ ch ); 3 . 51 ( br m , peg โ ch 2 ch 2 โ o โ). 3 . preparation of ch 3 โ o - peg 5000 - o โ ch 2 ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 ns ( ns โ n - succinimidyl ) ch 3 โ o - peg 5000 - o โ ch 2 ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) co 2 h ( 3 . 8 g ) was dissolved in 40 ml of methylene chloride and n - hydroxysuccinimide ( 0 . 094 g , 1 . 07 equiv .) and n , n - dicyclohexylcarbodiimide ( 0 . 166 g , 1 . 07 equiv .) in 3 ml of methylene chloride was added . after stirring overnight , the mixture was filtered and the filtrate concentrated under vacuum . the product was precipitated by addition of the filtrate to a 1 : 1 mixture of isopropanol and ethyl ether then collected by filtration and dried under vacuum to yield 3 . 2 g of white powder . comparison of integration of the peg backbone protons with those on the ns group indicated & gt ; 95 % substitution . 1 h nmr ( ppm , dmso - d6 ): 1 . 235 ( d , ch 3 ch โ); 1 . 76 ( m , 1 . 90 m , โ o โ ch 2 ch 2 ch โ); 2 . 81 ( s , ch 2 ch 2 on ns ;) 2 . 91 ( m , โ o โ ch 2 ch 2 c h โ); 3 . 51 ( br m , peg โ ch 2 ch 2 โ o โ). to 4 ml of lysozyme solution ( 3 mg / ml ) in 50 ph 6 . 5 buffer ( 50 mm sodium phosphate / 50 mm nacl ) was added 20 mg of the n - succinimidyl ester of the peg alkanoate and the progress of the reaction at 22 ยฐ c . was monitored by capillary electrophoresis at a wavelength of 205 nm . the area of the peak corresponding to unreacted protein was plotted against time and the half - life of the lysozyme in the pegylation reaction was determined from that plot . the half - life using n - succinimidyl mpeg 5k ฮฑ - methylpropanoate was 100 minutes , while that of n - succinimidyl mpeg 5k ฮฑ - methylbutanoate was 120 minutes . the half - life for pegylation using either of the non - ฮฑ - alkylated analogues , mpeg 5k n - succinimidyl propanoate or mpeg 5k n - succinimidyl butanoate , was 30 minutes . hydrolysis studies were conducted at ph 8 . 1 and 25 ยฐ c . in a typical experiment , 1 - 2 mg of the n - succinimidyl ester of the peg alkanoate or peg ฮฑ - alkylalkanoate were dissolved in 3 ml of buffer and transferred to a cuvette . the absorbance at 260 nm was monitored using a molecular devices spectramax plus uv - visible spectrophotometer . the hydrolytic half - life was determined from the first - order kinetic plot . for n - succinimidyl mpeg 5k ฮฑ - methylpropanoate and n - succinimidyl mpeg 5k ฮฑ - methylbutanoate , the half - lives for hydrolysis were 33 minutes and 44 minutes respectively , while for the corresponding non - alkylated analogue , n - succinimidyl mpeg 5k propanoate and mpeg 5k butanoate , the half - life was 20 minutes . 8 - arm - peg 20kda ฮฑ - methyl butanoic acid ( 2 . 0 g , 0 . 1 mmol ) was azeotropically dried in vacuo with chcl 3 ( 3 ร 50 ml ) and was redissolved in ch 2 cl 2 ( 25 . 0 ml ). to this clear solution was added quinidine ( 0 . 50 g , 1 . 5 mmol ), dmap ( 0 . 15 g , 1 . 2 mmol ), and hobt ( cat .). dcc ( 0 . 310 g , 1 . 5 mmol in 1 ml of ch 2 cl 2 ) was then added and the mixture was allowed to stir at room temperature under argon for 17 h . the mixture was then concentrated in vacuo and the residual syrup was dissolved in toluene ( 100 ml ) and filtered through a plug of celite . the toluene was removed in vacuo at 45 ยฐ c . and the residue was treated with 5 ml of ch 2 cl 2 and triturated with 2 - propanol ( 300 ml ). further drying in vacuo afforded a pure product ( 2 . 0 g , 99 %) with 100 % substitution as indicated by 1 h nmr . hydrolysis study of 8 - arm - peg 20kda - quinidine ฮฑ - methylbutanoate by reverse phase hplc a c - 18 column ( betasil c18 , 100 ร 2 , 5 keystone scientific ) was used in a hp - 1100 hplc system . eluent a was 0 . 1 % tfa in water , while eluent b was acetonitrile . for the hydrolysis study in pure buffer , the quinidine conjugate was dissolved in 10 mm phosphate buffer for a final concentration of 8 mg / ml . the resulting solution was pipetted into sealed vials ( 0 . 2 ml each ) at 37 ยฐ c . at timed intervals , a vial was taken and to it was added 0 . 2 ml of acetonitrile . after filtration , the sample was analyzed by rp - hplc with uv detector at wavelength of 228 nm . least squares kinetic treatment of the data yielded a half - life of 46 hours for hydrolysis . mpeg 5kda ฮฑ - methylbutanoic acid ( 16 . 8 g , 3 . 4 mmol ) was dissolved in acetonitrile ( 500 ml ) and was concentrated in vacuo to about 100 ml . dichloromethane ( 100 ml ) was added under argon and the solution was allowed to stir at room temperature . to this clear , colorless solution was added dbu ( 2 . 4 ml , 16 . 2 mmol ) followed by chloromethyl pivalate ( 2 . 4 ml , 16 . 6 mmol ). the solution was allowed to stir at room temperature under argon for 17 h . the solution was then concentrated to dryness , dissolved in 2 - propanol ( 300 ml ), and cooled in an ice bath to give a white solid that was collected by filtration . further drying in vacuo gave ( pivaloyloxy ) methyl mpeg 5kda - ฮฑ - methylbutanoate ( 14 . 5 g , ห 86 %) as a white solid . 1 h nmr ( dmso - d 6 , 300 mhz ) ฮด 1 . 08 ( d , 3h , j = 7 . 1 hz , och 2 ch 2 ch ( ch 3 ) copom ), 1 . 14 ( s , 9h , och 2 co ( ch 3 ) 3 ), 1 . 55 - 1 . 69 ( m , 2 . 8h , och 2 ch a h b ch ( ch 3 ) copom ), 1 . 73 - 1 . 85 ( m , 1 . 3h , och 2 ch a h b ch ( ch 3 ) copom ), 2 . 49 - 2 . 60 ( m , och 2 ch 2 ch โ( ch 3 ) copom ), 3 . 51 ( bs , 454h , peg backbone ), 5 . 70 ( s , 1 . 9h , coch 2 pom ) ( pom = pivaloyloxymethy ). | 0Human Necessities
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a charge exchanging valve 2 , for example an intake valve of an internal combustion engine , according to the figures is actuated by a camshaft 4 with a valve lever 6 disposed therebetween . one end of the valve lever 6 is supported on a known hydraulic valve play - compensating element 8 and the other end is supported on the shaft of the valve 2 ; the valve lever 6 abuts on cams 12 and 14 , respectively , between the ends of the valve lever 6 in a manner that will be further discussed below . as is apparent , a middle first cam 12 is formed with a smaller lobe than second , side cams 14 , which accommodate the first cam 12 therebetween . a valve closing spring is denoted with 16 . the hydraulic valve play - compensating element 8 acts so that the valve lever 6 is in play - free abutment on at least one of the cams and on the shaft of the valve , respectively . fig2 shows the valve lever 6 and the components mounted thereon in exploded perspective illustration . the valve lever 6 includes two end portions 18 and 20 , which are connected to each other via spaced - apart side parts 22 . a bushing - accommodation opening 24 penetrates through the side parts 22 ; a bushing 26 is insertable in the opening 24 . the end portion 18 , which abuts on the valve play - compensating element 8 , has a hollow interior and includes a side opening 28 . as shown in fig2 , a stop 30 is formed on the lower , left side of the end portion 18 . an eccentric device 32 is insertable into the bushing 26 ; cylindrical roller elements 34 are disposed along the eccentric device 32 so that the eccentric device 32 is rotatable in the bushing 26 . bearing pins 36 project from the side surfaces of the eccentric device 32 eccentrically to the rotational axis of the eccentric device 32 , which rotational axis is coaxial to the axis of the bushing 26 in the assembled state ; the bearing pins 36 are coaxially aligned . a follower ring and / or a follower roller 38 is insertable in a slot 37 formed between the side parts 22 of the valve lever 6 ; the inner side of the follower roller 38 is provided with not - illustrated roller elements ; the follower roller 38 is borne by these roller elements in a state slidable on the bushing 26 . a hole 40 of a connecting lever 42 is slidable onto the left bearing pin 36 according to fig2 ; the connecting lever 42 includes a lateral projection 46 ( fig6 ) formed with a slot 44 , which projection 46 fits in a through - opening 48 of the eccentric device 32 . one end portion of the connecting lever 42 includes a recess 50 and an abutment surface 52 . a torsion spring 54 is insertable into the through - opening 48 ; one end leg ( not illustrated ) of the torsion spring 54 can engage in the slot 44 of the connecting lever and the other end leg 55 of the torsion spring 54 can be supported on a protrusion 56 of the valve lever 6 ( cf . fig4 , 8 and 9 ). follower rings and / or follower rollers 58 can be borne on the bearing pins 36 via roller elements provided in the follower rollers 58 . the follower rollers 58 are advantageously disposed on the bearing pins 36 between washers 60 , wherein the outer washers 60 are advantageously formed as locking rings that axially secure the follower rollers 58 on the bearing pins 36 . the end portion 18 of the valve lever 6 includes a cylindrical cavity 62 that ends in the opening 28 at the left according to fig3 and merges in a bore 64 to the right . a piston 66 , which has a u - shaped cross - section as a whole , is inserted in the cavity 62 ; the piston 66 is held by a pin 68 that penetrates through the piston body and is screwed into the bore 64 . a spring 70 is supported between the pin 68 and the piston 66 . a portion of the cavity 62 , which is located to the right of the piston body in fig3 , is connected with a recess 74 via a passage 72 ; the valve lever 6 abuts on the valve play - compensating element 8 via the recess 74 . the passage 72 and thus the piston 66 are biased with hydraulic pressure from the valve play - compensating element 8 . the components illustrated in fig2 are assembled , for example , as follows : the follower roller 38 is introduced into the slot 37 of the valve lever 6 . the bushing 26 is then inserted , so that the bushing is held in the opening 24 and the follower roller 38 is rotatably borne on the bushing 26 . the eccentric device 32 is inserted into the bushing 26 , so that the eccentric device 32 is rotatable as a whole about the axis of the bushing 26 . the torsion spring 54 is inserted into the through - opening 48 of the eccentric device 32 . then , the connecting lever 42 and one follower roller 58 are pushed from one side onto one bearing pin 36 and the other follower roller 58 is pushed onto the other bearing pin 36 , wherein washers are disposed in between if desired . the follower rollers 58 are secured on the bearing pins 36 by lock washers . the piston 66 is inserted into the opening 28 and is secured by the pin 68 ; the spring 70 is disposed therebetween . the resulting assembly is disposed on the valve play - compensating element and the shaft of the valve 2 . the legs of the torsion spring 54 are mounted such that the connecting lever 42 and the eccentric device 32 , which is connected with the connecting lever 42 so as to rotate therewith , respectively , are pretensioned for one rotation in the clockwise direction , i . e . the follower rollers 58 are pretensioned into abutment on the corresponding second cams 14 . when the camshaft 4 is rotated from the rotational position illustrated in fig1 , in which the base circles of the cams abut on the follower rollers 58 and 38 , the follower rollers 58 are downwardly urged ( see position shown in fig5 ) in the counter - clockwise direction due to pivoting of the connecting lever 42 , wherein the eccentric device 32 rotates about the axis of the bushing 26 in a corresponding manner . the valve lever 6 is pivoted about the valve play - compensating element 8 by the first cam 12 , which abuts on the follower roller 38 , in accordance with the cam lobe of the first cam 12 for actuation of the valve 2 . when the lobes of the second cam 14 have passed the follower rollers 58 , the follower rollers 58 return upwardly in the clockwise direction due to the pivoting of the connection lever 42 . the connecting lever 42 can advantageously pivot in the clockwise direction until its abutment surface 52 abuts on the stop 30 . in this position of the connecting lever 42 , the recess 50 aligns with the opening 28 , so that the piston 66 can extend due to the biasing by the hydraulic pressure and can enter into the recess 50 , whereby the connecting lever 42 is latched relative to the valve lever 6 . in the latched state , the valve lever 6 is actuated in accordance with the larger lobes of the second cams 14 , whereby the first cam 12 comes free from the follower roller 38 . the locking of the connecting lever 42 can be released by reducing the hydraulic pressure acting on the piston 66 when the cam base circle is again passed over and the piston is pushed back into the valve lever 6 by the spring 70 . the connecting lever 42 is advantageously provided with a bevel 76 ( fig4 ) in the region of the abutment surface 52 ; the bevel 76 ensures that , when the connecting lever 42 pivots into abutment on the stop 30 , the piston 66 , which acts as a pin , is pushed back . fig7 to 9 show the arrangement of fig1 in different perspective views and functional states . fig7 shows a position , in which the second cams are ineffective , i . e . the connecting lever is unlatched . fig8 and 9 respectively show a null stroke position and a substantially full stroke position when the connecting lever is latched . as is derivable from the preceding discussion , the inventive switchable valve actuating mechanism is very compactly constructed and includes slightly - moved inertial masses and a high stiffness . further , the engagement of the cams takes place via the borne follower rollers 58 and 38 , which leads to low friction and thus fuel consumption advantages . a sufficient energy storage capacity of the spring 54 , which provides for a secure abutment of the follower rollers 58 on the cams 14 , is important for the functional efficiency of the described valve actuating mechanism . in particular , at high rotational speeds , it must be ensured that the follower rollers 58 are always abutting the cams 14 . fig1 shows an embodiment , which is modified as compared to the described embodiment , in a side view similar to the view according to fig4 . in the embodiment according to fig1 , two torsion springs 54 1 and 54 2 are inserted into two corresponding through - openings 48 ( in fig1 โ not numbered ) in place of the one torsion spring 54 ; the torsion springs 54 1 and 54 2 are supported on two protrusions 56 1 and 56 2 of the valve lever 6 and accordingly in two slots of opposing stops , which are formed on the connecting lever 42 . on the left in fig1 , the arrangement is illustrated with the follower roller abutting on the base circle of the cam 14 . on the right in fig1 , the arrangement is illustrated with the not - latched connecting lever and follower roller 58 maximally pivoted by the cam lobe of the cam 14 and the maximally - pivoted connecting lever 42 , respectively , wherein the cam 14 is ineffective for the actuation of the valve and in the illustrated example ( null stroke ), the inner cam 12 does not cause actuation of the valve . in this embodiment , which can switch between null stroke ( no valve actuation ) and valve actuation by the cams 14 , the follower roller 38 is not required to be provided . in the embodiment according to fig1 , a curved helical spring 80 is utilized in place of the torsion spring ( s ); the helical spring 80 is supported between the protrusion 56 and / or stop formed on the valve lever 6 and another stop 82 , which is rigidly connected with the eccentric device 32 and thus is connected with the connecting lever 42 so as to rotate therewith . on the left in fig1 , the state of the helical spring 80 is illustrated when the follower roller 58 abuts on the cam base circle . on the right , the state is illustrated , in which the helical spring is maximally compressed , so that it holds the follower roller 58 in secure abutment on the cam 14 after the cam 14 has passed over the following roller 58 . in the embodiment according to fig1 , a helical spring 80 1 , which operates in a bore of the valve lever 6 , is utilized in place of the curved helical spring 80 of fig1 ; the helical spring 80 1 is supported on a cam surface via a push rod 84 ; the push rod 84 is formed on a cam arm 86 that is connected so as to rotate with the eccentric device 32 and / or is rigidly connected with bearing pins 36 connected with the eccentric device 32 . the function of the arrangement according to fig1 otherwise corresponds to the function of fig1 . in the embodiment according to fig1 , a tilting lever 88 borne on the valve lever 6 is utilized in place of the cam arm of fig1 ; one end of the tilting lever 88 follows the rotation of the eccentric device 32 and / or the movement of a bearing pin 36 rigidly connected with the eccentric device 32 ; a helical spring 80 2 is supported between the other end of the tilting lever 88 and the valve lever 6 . the function of the embodiment according to fig1 otherwise corresponds to the function of fig1 . the above - described embodiments of return springs are only exemplary and can be modified in various ways and / or can be combined with each other . the inventive valve actuating mechanism can be modified in various ways . the locking of the rotatability of the eccentric device can take place electromagnetically or in some other way . it is not required to provide three cams and three follower rollers . the illustrated embodiment provides , however , high symmetry and freedom from tilting forces that want to tilt the valve lever about its longitudinal axis . the adjustable engagement mechanism is not required to be disposed between the support , which is mounted on the engine housing , and the support on the valve of the lever . the components , which follow the cam contours , are not required to be rotatably borne , but rather can also be formed directly on the bushing and the bearing pin . the described rotatable bearing of the components located in direct abutment on the cams , as well as the rotatable bearing of the eccentric device inside of the valve lever , have the advantage , however , of very - low friction and high durability . the rotational direction of the eccentric device can be reversed relative to the illustrations . the connecting lever and the spring ( s ) can be disposed on the same or different sides of the valve lever , etc . | 8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology
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a bumper system 20 ( fig1 ) includes a beam 21 with a tubular center section and flattened end sections 23 and 24 , and a molded energy absorber 22 adapted to nestingly receive the beam 21 to form a unitary subassembly that can be handled and assembled as a unit to a vehicle . the flattened end sections 23 and 24 form vertically enlarged attachment members or โ hands โ on each end of the beam 21 that engage mating flat surfaces on the energy absorber 22 . mounts 26 abuttingly engage a rear of the flattened end sections 23 and 24 , and fasteners 27 extend through the energy absorber 22 and the flattened end sections 23 and 24 to secure the tubular beam 21 and energy absorber 22 to the mounts 26 . it is contemplated that the term โ mount โ as used herein includes a rail extending from a vehicle frame , or similar structural frame component . the beam 21 ( fig1 ) is described in sufficient detail below for an understanding of the present invention by persons skilled in this art . nonetheless , if additional discussion is desired , the reader &# 39 ; s attention is directed to application ser . no . 09 / 822 , 658 , filed nov . 1 , 2001 , entitled method of forming a one - piece tubular beam , and application ser . no . 09 / 904 , 066 , filed mar . 30 , 2002 , entitled rollformed and stamped door beam , and also u . s . pat . no . 5 , 092 , 512 , issued mar . 3 , 1992 , entitled method of rollforming an automotive bumper , the entire contents of all of which are incorporated herein in their entireties . different vehicle mounts can be used with the present invention . the mounts illustrated in fig2 are described in sufficient detail below for an understanding by persons skilled in the art . nonetheless , if additional discussion is desired , the reader &# 39 ; s attention is directed to application ser . no . 09 / 964 , 914 , filed sep . 27 , 2001 , entitled bumper crush tower with rings of varied strength , the entire contents of which is incorporated herein in its entirety . beam 21 ( fig2 ) includes a tubular center section 28 having a square cross section defined by front , rear , top , and bottom walls . the beam 21 is rollformed to a desired tubular shape , welded along a weld bead 29 located at a middle of the rear wall , and then swept into a curvilinear shape that matches a front end ( or rear end ) of a selected model vehicle . it is noted that different cross sections can be used , if desired . the weld bead 29 stops short of an end of the beam 21 , and about 6 to 8 inches of an end of the walls are reformed and โ opened up โ to a relatively coplanar flat condition to form the flattened end sections 23 and 24 . a pattern of holes 30 are formed in the flattened end sections 23 and 24 , which correspond to attachment holes in the mount 26 . energy absorber 22 ( fig2 ) includes an injection - molded member made from a suitable non - foam polymeric material having good properties for absorbing energy upon impact , such as xenoy material . the non - foam material substantially forms the structure of energy absorber 22 , including box - shaped sections 33 , which are molded along rail 34 at strategic locations for improved impact properties , as described below . the box - shaped sections 33 include vertical sidewalls 33 โฒ and top and bottom walls 33 โณ that combine with front wall 39 โฒ to form a hollow internal cavity . the center section of the energy absorber 22 includes horizontal upper and lower rails 34 and 35 , both of which have rearwardly - facing u - shaped cross sections . the upper rail 34 defines a large portion of the rearwardly - facing , recess 25 ( fig4 ), which is shaped to closely receive the center tubular section of the beam 21 . the box - shaped sections 33 are molded onto top , front and bottom surfaces of the upper rail 34 at strategic locations along its length . two such sections 33 are shown , but more or less can be used . the sections 33 provide improved energy absorbing characteristics to the bumper system 20 , and further the sections 33 have an upper surface shaped to support the vehicle front fascia 36 , which is typically a low stiffness or tpo material that requires support against the forces of gravity . the energy absorber 22 ( fig2 ) also includes mounting sections 38 that form integrated crush boxes over the mounts 26 at each end of the center section 28 . the mounting sections 38 ( fig3 ) each include a rectangular ring - shaped planar outer front wall 39 , rearwardly - extending walls 40 forming an open โ c โ shape that extends rearwardly from the front wall 39 , a rectangular ring - shaped planar rear wall 41 that extends from the rearwardly - extending walls 40 , forwardly - extending walls 42 that form a square tube shape that extends forwardly from the rear wall 41 , a rectangular ring - shaped planar inner front wall 43 that extends from the forwardly - extending walls 42 , and an interior stiffener flange 44 that extends rearwardly from the inner front wall 43 . additional stiffening webs can be extended between the rearwardly - extending walls 40 and the forwardly - extending walls 42 as needed for stiffness and structure in the energy absorber 22 . a plurality of legs 35 โฒ extend below the lower rail 35 , such as for supporting a bottom of the tpo fascia on a front of the vehicle . the flattened end section 23 ( and 24 ) ( fig3 ) includes a flat front surface that mateably engages the flat rear surface of the planar rear wall 41 . the mount 26 includes a tubular section 47 ( e . g . a crush tower for optimal energy absorption in front impact ), a rear plate shaped for connection to a vehicle , such as to vehicle frame members , and a front plate 49 shaped to mateably engage a flat rear surface on the end section 23 ( and 24 ). fasteners , such as bolts 50 are extended through aligned holes in the planar rear wall 41 , in the flattened end sections 23 ( and 24 ), and the front plate 49 . notably , the tubular portion of beam 21 ( i . e . center section 28 ) extends short of the mounts 26 ( see fig5 ), and further the flattened end sections 23 ( and 24 ) extend only to the outer edges of the mounts 26 , for reasons discussed below . the energy absorber 22 includes corner sections 52 ( fig2 and 5 ) having an apertured front wall 53 , an apertured rear wall 54 , and reinforcing walls 55 that extend between the front and rear walls 52 and 53 for structural support . the front wall 53 curves rearwardly at its outer edge to form an aerodynamic shape at a front of the vehicle fenders . further , the reinforcing walls 55 include a top wall 56 shaped to structurally support portions of an rrim fascia in the area of a vehicle front fender . also , the corner section 52 includes a tubular canister portion 57 and canister - mounting structure 58 for adjustably securely supporting a fog lamp assembly 59 ( and / or a turn signal assembly ). as shown in fig5 the corner section ( s ) 52 include a rearwardly - extending box section 60 that is outboard of the mount 26 and positioned adjacent an end of the flattened end sections 23 ( and 24 ). during a corner impact by an object 61 , forces are transmitted along lines 62 and 63 into the corner section 52 . the angled forces 63 are directed through the box section 60 at an angle toward a side surface of the mount 26 . the angled forces cause the corner section 52 to bend rearwardly in direction 64 , sliding rearwardly slightly along line 64 โฒ on the mount 26 ( depending on the magnitude of the forces 63 ). this action tends to allow the angled forces to relieve themselves , and also tends to cause the object 61 to bounce sideways off the vehicle bumper system 20 . when an object 66 is struck in a front impact directly in - line with the mounts 26 , the forces 67 are transmitted directly against the mount 26 in a manner permitting the mount 26 to absorb forces in a telescoping manner like it historically is designed . ( i . e . the forces are linear and permit the tubular section 47 to telescopingly crush and collapse in a predictable manner .) when the bumper system 20 is struck in a center area between the mounts 26 , the impact is primarily transmitted linearly into the mounts 26 , due to the strength of the beam 21 . nonetheless , it is noted that with the present beam 21 , some bending may occur , depending on a width of the impact area on the bumper system 20 and how nearly it is perfectly centered on the bumper system 20 . in the modified bumper system 20 a ( fig6 - 8 ), a beam 21 a similar to beam 21 is provided , and a โ longer stroke โ energy absorber 22 a is attached to its face . the energy absorber 22 a includes upper and lower u - shaped rails 34 a and 35 a that open rearwardly . the rails 34 a and 35 a are connected by vertical webs 65 a that extend fore / aft , and by a rear wall 66 a that extends across a back of the energy absorber 22 a . flanges 67 a and 68 a extend rearwardly from the rear wall 66 a . the flanges 67 a and 68 a engage and cover top and bottom walls of the beam 21 a , and include fingers 67 a โฒ and 68 a โฒ for snap - locking onto the beam 21 a for temporary securement of the energy absorber 22 a to the beam 21 a . in energy absorber 22 a , the corner sections 52 a also form the mounting section of the energy absorber 22 a . specifically , the corner sections 52 a include a flat rear wall 70 a , and perpendicular walls 71 a forming a box around the flat rear wall 70 a . the end section 23 a ( and 24 a ) of the beam 21 a engage a rear surface of the flat rear wall 70 a , and fasteners ( i . e . bolts ) are extended through aligned holes in the flat rear wall 70 a , the flattened sections 23 a ( and 24 a ), and the front plate of the mount ( 26 ) to which it is attached . a rear โ root โ portion 72 a of the inner wall of the rails 34 a and 35 a is offset slightly from the flanges 67 a and 68 a ( fig8 ), and also is offset from the corresponding top and bottom walls of the beam 21 a . upon front impact , the rails 34 a and 35 a are driven rearwardly . due to the stiffness of the beam 21 a , this causes the โ root โ portion 72 a of the energy absorber 22 a to buckle and fold onto itself and onto the flanges 67 a and 68 a , as shown by arrows 73 a . the result is a much more predictable and โ softer โ impact . at such time as the energy absorber 22 a is completely crushed , forces from the impact are directly transmitted to the beam 21 a , providing a force versus deflection force curve increases sharply over the initial force versus deflection curve . the bumper system 20 b ( fig9 ) is not unlike the bumper system 20 a ( fig6 - 7 ), but in system 20 b the beam 21 b is u - shaped ( i . e . is not tubular ), and further it is insert - molded into a center of the energy absorber 22 b . in the bumper system 20 b , the beam 21 b includes a plurality of apertures or holes to allow the plastic material of the energy absorber to flow through and interlock with the metal beam 21 b , thus providing better bonding and preventing de - lamination . it is noted that the apertures 75 b may reduce a bending strength of the beam 21 b , depending on their location . the illustrated apertures 75 b are located only on the vertical flange 76 b of the beam 21 b , such that they do not greatly affect bending strength in a direction parallel an impact force . nonetheless , the location and shape of the apertures 75 b can be a desirable thing by helping distribute and relieve stress in some specific vehicle applications . it is noted that a strength of the tubular portion of the beam 21 b ( or beams 21 a or 21 ) can be substantially increased by press - fitting within the tubular portion an internal energy absorber , such as is illustrated in fig1 - 2 and 10 - 11 . the internal energy absorber tends to reduce a tendency of the beam to prematurely kink or bend , resulting in a consistently higher and more predictable energy of absorption during impact . it is to be understood that variations and modifications can be made on the aforementioned structure without departing from the concepts of the present invention , and further it is to be understood that such concepts are intended to be covered by the following claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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the automated edge finishing apparatus and method of the present invention comprises hardware components and associated software , providing the ability to learn a trajectory of a workpiece by &# 34 ; guarded moves ,&# 34 ; machining the workpiece by moving the workpiece along the trajectory and controlling the trajectory in real time . similar workpieces can be machined from the learned trajectory without expensive fixtures by the sensors and software locating the tool and adjusting the trajectory . the invention is useful for performing edge finishing on intricately designed workpieces or workpieces with close edge finishing tolerances . the configuration of the preferred system is shown in fig1 and 2 . the preferred invention comprises an xy table 10 , a force sensor 12 , cutting tool 14 , xy table position control hardware 32 , and a control system as shown in fig2 . the preferred xy table 10 comprises a daedal series 200000 , or the like , powered by tlm120 linear motors from trilogy systems corporation , or the like . the linear actuators comprise three - phase brushless linear motors , with a stationary magnet track and a moving coil assembly . the linear motors are driven by dc amplifiers , such as pwm amplifiers . both table axes are equipped with incremental encoders with a resolution of 12 , 700 counts / inch . the innermost level of table control is position control , by a controller 32 such as a dmc - 520 motion controller from galil motion control , as shown in fig2 . this board controls position of both table axes using proportional plus derivative ( pd ) control action . the resulting position - controlled table is the starting point for the force control system discussed below . a force sensor 12 such as from jr 3 is used to sense the tool - workpiece contact force . this sensor measures all six components of force / torque , although only x , y , and z forces are necessary for edge finishing with this system . the maximum force without saturation is 20 pounds , with a resolution of 0 . 5 oz . the control vme computer 30 for the edge finishing system can built around a motorola 68020 processor , or the like , and a vme bus , or the like . the backplane of the system also contains serial and parallel interfaces for external communication . a vxworks real - time operating system or similar system can be used , allowing software development in the c language on a remote host computer . the vme computer 30 communicates with the table controller 32 , force sensor 12 , and with a remote host ( for example a sun - 4 ) for software development . a schematic diagram of the system components and their interconnection is shown in fig2 . the development of a hybrid force / position controller for the xy table 10 allows the table to move the workpiece 16 past the deburring tool 14 and also to control the contact force . with hybrid position / force control , there are directions along which position must be controlled , and orthogonal directions along which force must be controlled . for the xy table edge finishing system , position must be controlled in the edge - tangential direction , while force must be controlled in the edge - normal direction . fig3 illustrates the three coordinate frames of interest : the table frame 20 , the force sensor frame 22 , and the workpiece edge frame 24 . the tangential position controller uses a position tracking error formed in the edge frame 24 edge tangential direction to actuate the table , while the normal force controller uses a force error formed in the edge frame 24 edge normal direction to actuate the table . both table commands are summed . referring to fig3 note that the relationship of edge frame 24 and fixed frames 20 and 22 will change with time , and the relationship between these frames must be updated on line . fig4 shows a block diagram of the hybrid position / force control system . the r matrices convert between the three coordinate frames , while the diagonal selection matrices s select either the normal or tangential vector component . the block marked &# 34 ; xy table &# 34 ; in fig4 also includes the galil dmc - 520 , or the like , motor controller dynamics . these dynamics consist of a pure integration and a single real zero . the dynamics of the table plus the motor controller board are modeled as a unit for tangential position controller design . the block marked &# 34 ; metal cutting process &# 34 ; in fig4 represents the dynamics of the deburring tool as it removes material from an edge . the dynamics of the &# 34 ; xy table &# 34 ; ( table and motor controller ) plus the &# 34 ; metal cutting process &# 34 ; are also be identified as a unit for normal force controller design . to design the tangential position and normal force controllers shown in fig4 analytical models of both the xy table , and the xy table + metal cutting process is shown . the sample rate for the identification presented below is 125 hz for a sample period of 8 msec . the first analytical model is for the xy table . the plant is the table plus dmc - 520 motor control board . driving the plant with a random sequence of amplitude 0 . 013 mm produced data which yielded the following transfer function : ## equ1 ## which has two delays , poles at 1 . 0 , - 0 . 22 ยฑ j0 . 21 , - 0 . 34 , and zeros at - 0 . 82 and - 39 . the integration in the dmc motor control board is reflected in the pole at 1 . the second analytical model is for the xy table + metal cutting process . the plant here is the xy table with the metal cutting process added , and the deburring tool in contact with the workpiece . the input , as before , is commanded position . the output is measured normal force . the measured normal force is filtered by a 34 hz four - pole anti - aliasing analog filter before digitization . a feed rate of 2 ipm is used in this procedure . three prbs input sequences , of magnitude 0 . 10 , 0 . 15 , and 0 . 20 mm produced the arma coefficients shown in table 1 . table 1__________________________________________________________________________inputmagnitude a . sub . 1 a . sub . 2 a . sub . 3 b . sub . 7 b . sub . 8 b . sub . 9__________________________________________________________________________0 . 10 mm - 0 . 5892 - 0 . 2544 - 0 . 1228 3 . 0464 6 . 2846 2 . 64750 . 15 mm - 0 . 7654 - 0 . 0363 - 0 . 1632 3 . 2241 6 . 4190 2 . 44560 . 20 mm - 0 . 9181 0 . 1652 - 0 . 2154 3 . 1381 5 . 9790 1 . 8727__________________________________________________________________________ these models have six delays . the delays come from reduced - order modeling of the overall dynamics , which consist of table dynamics , cutting process dynamics , and the anti - aliasing filter . the coefficients in table 1 vary monotonically with the input magnitude . the 0 . 15 mm coefficients are representative , and the corresponding transfer function is : ## equ2 ## this model has poles at 0 . 97 , - 0 . 10 ยฑ j0 . 40 and zeros at - 0 . 51 , - 1 . 48 . note that the pure integration is no longer present . this is due to the metal removal , which erodes the surface against which the reaction force is generated . as shown in fig4 the tangential controller receives the tangential component of position trajectory tracking error and generates the tangential - direction table command . the plant transfer function for this controller is that of equation ( 1 ). for edge finishing , the reference position trajectory will nominally be a ramp with constant velocity ( feed rate ). a type ii position controller , with its zero steady - state position error in velocity - following , is therefore desirable . the proportional - plus - integral - plus derivative controller yielding satisfactory dynamic response is that given by : ## equ3 ## the dynamics to be controlled here are the table + metal cutting process , with model given by equation ( 2 ). using this plant transfer function , a proportional - plus - derivative force controller is : the dominant natural response mode using this force controller has a natural frequency of over 6 hz . the force sensor 12 of fig1 allows the table to perform &# 34 ; guarded moves ,&# 34 ; which are moves in a direction that terminate upon receipt of a preset threshold force . with this capability , the cutting tool 14 can repeatedly contact the part 16 , storing its location at contact . the locus of these stored points defines the part outline or reference trajectory in the table frame 20 , inherently including cutter radius compensation . the table 10 must be positioned near the start of the trajectory , and must know the edge orientation at the start . it can then perform successive guarded moves at a preset step size to &# 34 ; learn &# 34 ; the part . stepping from one point to the next along the edge tangent is done using the last - computed edge orientation . in an alternate embodiment , the step s size can be varied during the &# 34 ; guarded moves &# 34 ; procedure by sensing the contour of the workpiece . the step size will increase for straight or uniform angled edges and decrease for steep angles or intricate patterns . this can be accomplished by the force sensor 12 , xy table 10 , xy table position controller 32 , and control computer . the data stored at each guarded move consists of 3 - tuples [ x y ฮธ ], where x and y define the planar reference trajectory , and ฮธ defines the outward - pointing edge normal . angle ฮธ is used to update the r transformations in fig4 . when a reference trajectory is learned , there is some noise in the resulting data , partly due to the random interaction of the sampling frequency and instant of edge contact , and partly due to rotation of the fluted deburring tool , which is free to rotate in the spindle . the same point will yield a slightly different position if the contact is between flutes or at the peak of a flute . the angle ฮธ is used to update the r transformation matrices in fig4 . error in ฮธ results in imperfect transformation from the edge frame 24 space , where the force error is formed , and the table frame 20 space , where the position error is formed and the table is commanded . real - time filtering always introduces phase shift , which would cause the angle points to be out of registration with the corresponding [ x y ] points . however , since the entire trajectory is known before run time , off line filtering is possible . a well - known technique to avoid phase shift is to filter a sequence twice , the second time using time - reversal . the cutoff frequency of this angle filter must be high enough to avoid reshaping the angle function , yet low enough to avoid aliasing . the effective sampling frequency of the trajectory learning process is dependent both on learned point spacing and the feed rate which will be used at run time . the frequency content of the learned angle function is dependent on the curvature of the workpiece and the feed rate . an experimental model of the invention of fig1 was constructed . one end of a test stainless steel coupon had two sharp corners and a circular notch . the learned trajectory of this part is shown in fig5 . the learned point spacing was 0 . 4 mm , while the feed rate v was to be 10 ipm ( 4 . 23 mm / sec ). the smallest radius of curvature r in the trajectory of fig6 was about 1 mm . thus , the highest frequency was : ## equ4 ## based on the peak frequency content of 0 . 67 hz , a three pole filter with a 1 . 0 hz cutoff frequency was selected . given the 0 . 4 mm point spacing , the effective sampling period was : ## equ5 ## which is used to obtain the filter coefficients . the unfiltered and filtered angle are shown in fig6 . note the zero phase shift due to time reversal . this angle filtering eliminated the coupling problems . this section presents the procedure and results of using the xy table system of fig1 to perform edge finishing on a jet engine turbine hub . the hub was circular , 9 . 470 inches in diameter , with 86 &# 34 ; christmas tree &# 34 ; shaped slots in the periphery , which receive the turbine blades . during manufacturing , these slots were broached , then a &# 34 ; pre - break &# 34 ; operation was performed to chamfer the edges before further smoothing / stress - relief processing . this pre - break operation required a chamfer of 0 . 020 ยฑ 0 . 010 inches on the edges of the slots . the trajectory of the &# 34 ; christmas tree &# 34 ; was obtained automatically , using the table to &# 34 ; learn &# 34 ; it via guarded moves . fig7 shows the trajectory . note that this is the path the tool center must take , thus incorporating cutter radius compensation . note also that this is a rather intricate contour , with small radii of curvature . in learning the trajectory , position data were taken at a spacing of 0 . 0039 inches , as shown by the number of data points in fig7 . the turbine hub was made of high - temperature steel alloy , and therefore a carbide deburring cutter was used . a feed rate of 3 ipm and a reference contact force of 1 . 5 lbs gave acceptable material removal . the normal contact force during the operation is shown in fig8 . the completion time for one &# 34 ; christmas tree &# 34 ; was 16 seconds , for a total hub finishing time ( both sides ) of approximately 45 minutes . this is an order of magnitude decrease in processing time compared to the current manual operation . the resulting part met the manufacturer &# 39 ; s requirements . the preceding examples can be repeated with similar success by substituting the generically or specifically described reactants and / or operating conditions of this invention for those used in the preceding examples . although the invention has been described with reference to these preferred embodiments , other embodiments can achieve the same results . variations and modifications of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications and equivalents . the entire disclosures of all references , applications , patents , and publications cited above , and of the corresponding application are hereby incorporated by reference . | 6Physics
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a method of processing colour filters on a flexible display device by overcoming substrate distortion . a preferred embodiment is disclosed according to the present invention , wherein a flexible electronic device is formed by a process in which a colour filter array is deposited over a layer of display media using a method of alignment to an underlying array of top pixel electrodes . this process of aligning the above said colour filter to the positioning of the top pixel electrode allows compensating for the distortion correction of a distorted flexible substrate . according to a main embodiment of the present invention , fig1 shows the formation of the various layers of a multi - layered substrate stack . conductive material is deposited and patterned on a substrate 1 to form source and drain electrodes 2 , 3 . the substrate may be either glass or a polymer film , but preferably a plastic substrate such as polyethyleneterephtalate ( pet ) or polyethylenenaphtalene ( pen ) is used . the patterned conductive layer 2 , 3 comprises a conducting polymer , such as pedot , or a metallic material , such as gold or silver . it may be deposited and patterned by techniques , such as , but not limited to additive solution processing , for example , spin , dip , blade , bar , slot - die , or spray coating , inkjet , gravure , offset or screen printing , or vacuum - base deposition such as evaporation or sputtering followed by subtractive patterning , such as photolithography and laser ablation . once the conductive layer has been patterned to form the source and drain electrodes , a layer of semiconducting material 4 may then be deposited over the substrate and patterned electrodes . the semiconducting layer may be either an organic or an inorganic material , but preferably consist of a conjugated organic semiconductor such as , but not limited to , pentacene , polyarylamine , polyfluorene or polythiophene derivatives . a broad range of printing techniques may be used to deposit the semiconducting material including , but not limited to , inkjet printing , soft lithographic printing ( j . a . rogers et al ., appl . phys . lett . 75 , 1010 ( 1999 ); s . brittain et al ., physics world may 1998 , p . 31 ), screen printing ( z . bao , et al ., chem . mat . 9 , 12999 ( 1997 )), and photolithographic patterning ( see wo 99 / 10939 ), offset printing , blade coating or dip coating , curtain coating , meniscus coating , spray coating , or extrusion coating . a layer of gate dielectric material 5 is then deposited onto the layered substrate . any organic or inorganic dielectric may be used , however in combination with a semiconducting polymer polymer dielectrics such as such as polyisobutylene , polyvinylphenol , polymethylmethacrylate ( pmma ) or polystyrene are preferred . the dielectric material may be deposited in the form of a continuous layer , by techniques such as , but not limited to , spray or blade coating . however , preferably , the technique of spray coating is used . the deposition of the dielectric layer is then followed by the deposition and patterning of a gate electrode and interconnect lines 6 . the material of the gate electrode may be a patterned thin film of inorganic metals such as gold or a pattern of printable inorganic nanoparticles of silver or gold , or a conducting polymer , such as polyethylenedioxythiophene doped with polystyrene sulfonic acid ( pedot / pss ). the gate electrode is deposited using techniques such as sputtering or evaporation techniques or solution processing techniques such as , but not limited to , spin , dip , blade , bar , slot - die , gravure , offset or screen printing . preferably , the gate electrode is deposited using the solution processing technique of ink jet printing . alternatively , the gate electrode may be patterned by techniques such as photolithographic patterning ( wo 99 / 10939 ) or laser ablation . other low - cost patterning techniques can also be used to pattern the gate electrode and interconnect lines , such as subtractive patterning by photolithography or laser ablation patterning . a particularly preferred patterning technique is selective laser ablation patterning ( slap ) ( as explained in patent application number gb0513915 . 9 ). the technique of slap is a method of producing fine features of a device using short pulse lasers for the fabrication of thin film transistor ( tft ) structures . this technique incorporating laser ablation uses a single shot per imaging area of a short pulse laser to pattern layers of metallic material on top of underlying layers in order to produce fine features of a tft device . an example is the patterning of a gold gate electrode of a top - gate organic tft with underlying gate dielectric , active semiconductor and conducting source - drain electrode layers . this technique may be performed without destroying or substantially degrading the performance of these sensitive elements , such as the semiconductor layer and the source - drain electrodes . this is due to the short pulse length allowing all of the energy of an ultra - short laser beam to enter the material and to be absorbed within the layer to be ablated which will result in the act of ablation before any substantial thermalization actually occurs , that can lead to degradation / ablation of underlying layer . this technique can be employed for patterning of metal electrodes and interconnects on the various levels of the device , in particular for patterning of the source - drain and gate electrodes , and the common electrode layer . at least one further layer of dielectric material 5 is deposited on the substrate after the deposition of the gate electrode and interconnect and data lines . the dielectric material may be deposited from solution in the form of a continuous layer , by techniques such as , but not limited to , spin coating , ink - jet printing , spray - coating , roller coating spray or blade coating . the dielectric material may also be deposited using vapour phase deposition techniques like evaporation or chemical vapour deposition . the dielectric material is preferably deposited in such a way so that no degradation occurs to the underlying layers . a method to achieve this is disclosed in our previous patent application wo01 / 47043 . in this , a method for forming a transistor was disclosed by depositing a first material from solution in a first solvent to form a first layer of the transistor ; and subsequently whilst the first material remains soluble in the first solvent , forming a second layer of the transistor by depositing over the first material a second material from solution in a second solvent in which the first material is substantially insoluble . a suitable solution processable dielectric material that may be used as a second dielectric layer is polystyrene dissolved in xylene . in addition , parylene is an example of a dielectric material that may be deposited via chemical vapour phase deposition . then a via - hole interconnection 7 through the dielectric later 5 to the underlying drain electrode 3 . techniques for via hole opening 7 and via fabrication , and other selective connection formation techniques such as selective removal of layers , are described at pages 32 to 39 of wo 01 / 47043 , with reference to fig1 to 15 , which material is specifically incorporated by reference in this application . a conductive material , such as a conducting polymer is deposited into the via hole to form an electrical connection between the underlying drain electrode and the top pixel , which is formed at the same time as filling the via hole 8 , as is shown in fig1 b ). a top level pixel electrode is deposited ( as shown in fig1 b ) as a patterned film using a direct write printing technique such as inkjet printing of a conducting polymer . the pixel electrode is required to be electrically connected to the underlying drain electrode 3 of the tft through a via hole interconnection 8 ( see fig1 b ). a display medium 10 is then deposited and laminated over the underlying patterned conductive top pixel electrode layer as in shown in fig1 c ). preferably , an emissive ( light - emitting ) display or a reflective or transmissive display medium , such as an electrophoretic display medium or a reflective or transmissive lc medium is incorporated within the device structure and is located over the underlying back plane . the display medium is deposited directly and continuously over the flexible back plane substrate . preferably , the display medium is a reflective or emissive display medium , since in this case the present architecture in which the pixel electrode is formed on a different level than the tft allows achieving high aperture ratio irrespective of the size of the tft . for example , in the case of a polymer light - emitting display medium the optically active polymers may be solution - coated or inkjet printed above the top pixel locations of an active or passive matrix followed by a transparent encapsulation layer . in the case of an electrophoretic display medium a film of electrophoretic ink deposited onto a top substrate of the flexible back plane . finally , colour filters 11 are laminated on top of the underlying media display layer as is seen in fig2 . the colour filters may be deposited and patterned through solution processing techniques such as , but not limited to , spin - coating a negative photo - resist and then patterning the filters by photolithography and subsequent etching . alternatively , the colour filter material may be deposited by direct - write techniques such as ink jet printing . if the substrate is a rigid substrate in which the pattern of pixel electrodes 9 is arranged on a regular pitch across the whole substrate , the colour filter array can be aligned accurately by using the same pitch pattern for the patterning of the colour filter . the layered device structure incorporating the colour filters according to the prior art can be seen in fig2 . fig3 shows a distorted substrate where the position of the top pixel electrode has been aligned accurately with respect to the source / drain / gate pattern of the tft . if the tft array is distorted due to distortion of the dimensionally unstable substrate during processing , and the colour filter array is patterned on a periodic array according to the method in the prior art the colour filter of a particular pixel is deposited partly over the top pixel electrode of a neighbouring device leading to overlap areas 12 and associated image artifacts . in contrast , the effect of employing the present invention is illustrated in fig4 . it can be seen that the top pixel electrode in fig4 has been intentionally misaligned with respect to the source / drain / gate pattern of the tft array . for example , the array of pixel electrodes is defined on a regular , periodic or quasi - periodic grid irrespective of the distortion of the underlying tft array . the colour filters are then aligned to the top pixel , by patterning the colour filter array on the same regular , periodic or quasi - periodic grid , therefore enabling the colour filter and the top pixel electrode to be exactly aligned to each other . a top view of the device is seen in fig5 showing the overlying top pixel electrode 14 and the via hole 13 that electrically connects the top pixel electrode to the underlying drain pad 16 of the tft ( with source electrode 15 ). as can be seen in fig6 , as a result of the various preceding processing stages , a flexible substrate will suffer from distortion . in order to accommodate a flexible substrate , the top pixel pattern is able to be distortion corrected to align with the source and drain pattern on the substrate . this would result in a distorted top pixel pattern and make alignment with a pixilated colour filter impossible . the top pixel electrode layer is deposited such that it is mis - aligned in relation to the underlying elements of the device . however , mis - alignment of the top pixel electrode to the underlying device elements will not affect the performance of the device in itself . it will lead to variations of the position the via - hole interconnect 13 within the pixel electrode 14 , however , this does not affect device performance as long as the distortion of the tft array is sufficiently small that the via - hole remains within the area of the respective pixel electrode without connecting to a neighbouring pixel electrode . it is desirable for good device performance that the overlying colour filter of the device is aligned to the top pixel electrode . therefore , after the deposition of the display media , the positioning of the top pixel electrode is remembered and stored and the overlying colour filter is aligned to the position of the pixel electrode . the result will be that both the top pixel electrode and the colour filter will be mis - aligned in relation to the underlying features of the device , but this will not affect the performance of the device . the alignment of the colour filter to the top pixel electrode may be achieved in a number of ways . the data representing the positioning of the top pixel electrode may be stored and then used to self - align the overlying colour filter to the top pixel electrode . alternatively , the substrate markers may be used to locate the position of the top pixel electrode and then used to self - aligned the colour filter to it , as is shown in fig7 , with the substrate markers 17 located at each corner of the substrate . if the array of pixel electrodes and colour filters were aligned to be at a fixed position with respect to each of the tfts , as is the case in conventional configuration in which the pixel electrode is defined on the same level as the source - drain and gate electrodes , respectively , this would lead to visual image artifacts , since the human eye is very sensitive to spatial variations in the pitch of a quasi - periodic array . also , any misalignment of the pixel electrode and the colour filter pixel can lead to image artifacts such as colour filters spatially overlapping with pixel electrodes belonging to neighbouring pixels / sub - pixels . the architecture according to the present invention addresses this problem by allowing to vary the position of the pixel tft with respect to the pixel electrode and colour filter , respectively . by forming the pixel electrode on a different level of the device than the tfts the present invention allows maintaining accurate alignment of the source - drain and gate electrodes of the tft with respect to each other in the presence of substrate distortions while forming the pixel electrodes and colour filter pixels on a periodic or quasi - periodic array with high accuracy and in accurate relative alignment . fig8 shows a device structure where a colour filter has been self - aligned to the underlying pixel electrode . in the example discussed within the first embodiment , where the top pixel electrode is not aligned such as to be at a fixed position with respect to the tft , there is a maximum level of distortion that can be tolerated by simply using a periodic step and repeat patterning process to define the top pixel electrode pattern . the maximum allowable distortion for periodic patterning is defined by the diameter of the via and the dimensions of the pixel . as long as the distortion does not cause the via to move outside the perimeter of the pixel electrode , then the top pixel electrode pattern can be defined by a simple step and repeat patterning technique where the pixel pattern is translated by an integer multiple of the pixel dimension . this is further explained graphically in fig9 , where the pixel has the dimensions x and y , and the via diameter is z . the position of the via is held at a fixed position relative to the tft ( which is actually moving due to distortion ), and the top pixel electrode pattern is allowed to remain static . this technique works well as long as the maximum distortion on the active area is less that ( z โ x )/ 2 in the x direction and ( z โ y )/ 2 in the y direction . the top pixel pattern in this case can be defined as a regularly repeating periodic pattern . preferably , the patterning of the pixel electrode and colour filter array involve exposing the substrate to a periodic pattern of light with a defined pixel pitch and translating the substrate between subsequent exposures by a fixed translation distance that is an integer multiple of said pixel pitch . the step - and - repeat exposure might involve photolithographic patterning or laser ablation of the pixel electrode and colour filter materials . preferably , for the patterning of the pixel electrodes and of the colour filter pixels the same pixel pitch and the same fixed translation distance which is an integer multiple of the pixel pitch are used . the pattern of colour filter pixels is preferably aligned with respect to the pattern of pixel electrodes by using a set of global alignment marks defined on the level of the pixel electrodes . as soon as the distortion is greater than this maximum distortion value , the via will be connecting to more than one top pixel electrode . in this case , where the maximum distortion is greater than ( z โ x )/ 2 in the x direction or ( z โ y )/ 2 in the y direction , a simple periodic repeating pattern will not allow for each pixel on the display to make contact through only a single via . therefore , local alignment must be employed and the top pixel pattern must be adjusted across the display to accommodate this . the result is a non - periodic pattern . local distortion correction is the only method that will be successful in defining the top pixel and colour filter pattern such that each sub - pixel is correctly aligned . however , even in this case the deviations of the colour filter array from a perfectly periodic array can be kept to a minimum by allowing the position of the via hole interconnect to vary within the area of the pixel electrode . preferably , the patterning of the pixel electrode and colour filter array involve a step - and - repeat exposure which exposes the substrate to a pattern of light in an exposure area and translates the substrate between subsequent exposures by a variable distance that is selected to ensure that in each of the exposed areas each via - hole interconnection remains connected to the correct sub - pixel electrode . the pattern of each step - and - repeat light exposure is preferably periodic and the correction for the distortion of the array of tfts may be achieved solely by varying the translation distance by which the substrate is translated in between subsequent exposures for patterning of the pixel electrodes . preferably , for the patterning of the pixel electrodes and of the colour filter pixels the same pixel pitch and the same set of translation distances are used . the pattern of colour filter pixels is preferably aligned with respect to the pattern of pixel electrodes by using a set of global alignment marks defined on the level of the pixel electrodes . according to another embodiment of this aspect of the invention the pattern of each step - and - repeat light exposure is non - periodic and the correction for the distortion of the array of tfts is achieved by varying the distance by which the substrate is translated in between subsequent exposures , and by selecting a set of variable pixel distances in each step - and - repeat light exposure pattern in such a way that visual image artifacts at the boundaries between subsequent light - exposures are minimized . preferably , for the patterning of the pixel electrodes and of the colour filter pixels the same set of pixel distances and translation distances are used . the pattern of colour filter pixels is preferably aligned with respect to the pattern of pixel electrodes by using a set of global alignment marks defined on the level of the pixel electrodes . the patterning of the colour filter array may consist of three or more individual patterning steps , and the above applies to each of the three or more patterning steps . for the patterning of the pixel electrodes and colour filter array techniques other than step - and - repeat light exposure , such as direct printing , conventional photolithography , imprinting or any other patterning technique may be used . for the tft , configurations other than top - gate architectures might be used , such as bottom - gate tft structure with the pixel electrode being located on a level different from that on which the source and drain electrodes are formed . the invention also applies to passive matrix displays in which the pixel electrode and colour filter arrays need to be formed on top of an array of addressing interconnects . the present invention is not limited to the foregoing examples . aspects of the present invention include all novel and inventive aspects of the concepts described herein and all novel and inventive combinations of the features described herein . for the semiconducting layer any vacuum or solution processable conjugated polymeric or oligomeric material that exhibits adequate field - effect mobilities exceeding 10 - 3 cm2 / vs , preferably exceeding 10 - 2 cm2 / vs , may be used . suitable materials are reviewed for example in h . e . katz , j . mater . chem . 7 , 369 ( 1997 ), or z . bao , advanced materials 12 , 227 ( 2000 ). other possibilities include small conjugated molecules with solubilising side chains ( j . g . laquindanum , et al ., j . am . chem . soc . 120 , 664 ( 1998 )), semiconducting organic - inorganic hybrid materials self - assembled from solution ( c . r . kagan , et al ., science 286 , 946 ( 1999 )), or solution - deposited inorganic semiconductors such as cdse nano - particles ( b . a . ridley , et al ., science 286 , 746 ( 1999 )) or inorganic semiconductor nano - wires ( x . duan , nature 425 , 274 ( 2003 )). the structures described above could be supplemented by other conductive and / or semiconductive structures on the same substrate , for example interconnects . multiple structures as described above may be formed on the same substrate , and may be connected together by electrically conductive interconnects to form an integrated circuit . the applicant hereby discloses in isolation each individual feature described herein and any combination of two or more such features , to the extent that such features or combinations are capable of being carried out based on the present specification as a whole in the light of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art , irrespective of whether such features or combinations of features solve any problems disclosed herein , and without limitation to the scope of the claims . the applicant indicates that aspects of the present invention may consist of any such individual feature or combination of features . in view of the foregoing description it will be evident to a person skilled in the art that various modifications may be made within the scope of the invention . | 6Physics
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with reference to fig1 a device 10 according to the invention is shown , associated with an inverter 11 in an integrated circuit 12 of the cmos type . inverter 11 normally has an input 11a and an output 11b . output 11b is connected to a bus 13 . a classic inverter includes two complementary transistors n1 and p1 mounted in series between ground and the supply voltage vdd . when input lla is in logic state &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; corresponding to the ground potential , transistor n1 is blocked and transistor p1 conducts . consequently , bus 13 becomes charged at voltage vdd . when input lla goes into state &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; corresponding to voltage vdd , transistor p1 becomes blocked and transistor n1 conducts . consequently , bus 13 discharges through transistor n1 . the size of transistors n1 and p1 in their typical state corresponds to the maximum permissible current intensity for the bus . these transistors determine the typical bus charging or discharging time . if , for example , transistor n1 is powerful , the discharging time will be shorter , but a classic inverter composed of the two transistors n1 and p1 will derive no benefit from this . if transistor n1 is weak , the discharge time is longer ; perhaps too long for normal operation . the same is true for the charging time of bus 13 through transistor p1 . since field effect transistors of complementary types have different characteristics , their drifts may be different . for example , it is possible , in a given integrated circuit , for n channel transistors to be powerful and p channel transistors to be weak . a complicated situation results , unfavorable to the desired operating speed of an inverter for any integrated circuit . the invention is for use with , for example , an inverter 11 . the compensating device 10 of the invention is composed of two sections 10a , 10b applying respectively to transistors p1 and n1 of inverter 11 . in these two sections , the common elements have the same reference numbers . each section has : a reference generator 14 producing a reference signal r ( ra , rb ); a threshold generator 15 composed of two threshold amplifiers 15t and 15f having respective thresholds tt and tf ; a switch unit 16 composed of two switches 16t and 16f ; and a compensating circuit 17 composed of two current paths composed of the drain - source leads of two transistors pt and pf in section 10a , and two transistors nt and nf in section 10b . reference generator 14 of section 10a has two transistors p2 , p3 having their drain - source leads in series with two resistors ( r2 , r3 respectively ) between ground and potential vdd . transistor p2 has its drain and its gate grounded . its source is connected to potential vdd through resistor r2 and is connected to the gate of transistor p3 . transistor p3 has its source connected to potential vdd and its drain grounded through resistor r3 . the output of reference generator 14 is the drain of transistor p3 which delivers reference signal ra . this signal is applied to the respective inputs of threshold amplifiers 15t and 15f . compensating signals st and sf at the outputs of the threshold amplifiers control switches 16t and 16f , respectively . each switch is represented schematically in fig1 by a mechanical contact for ease in reading the drawings . switches 16t and 16f have one terminal connected to the input 11a of inverter 11 and another terminal connected to the respective gates of transistors pt and pf . these transistors have their drain - source leads connected in parallel to that of transistor p1 . fig2 illustrates a classic embodiment of a cmos switch usable to form switches 16t and 16f in section 10a . it relates illustratively to switch 16t associated with amplifier 15t . amplifier 15t is classically composed of a threshold inverter delivering complementary compensating signal st *, followed by an inverter delivering signal st . switch 16t is composed of three transistors p4 , n4 , and n5 . transistors p4 and n4 have their drain - source leads in parallel between input 11a and the gate of transistor pt and are controlled respectively by signals st and st *. transistor n5 has its source at ground , its drain connected to the gate of transistor pt , and its gate receiving signal st . the operation of section 10a of compensating device 10 will now be described . in reference generator 14 it is advantageous to establish a correlation between the current dispersions of the transistors and the dispersions of the resistors . resistors r2 and r3 are preferably made of polycrystalline silicon in order for the dispersion of the resistors to be negligible by comparison with that of the transistors . transistor p2 , with its gate connected to its drain , constitutes a diode . the operating point of the diode is determined by the value of resistor r2 . p2 plus r2 constitutes the polarization circuit of transistor p3 . this transistor amplifies the variations in current in transistor p2 . if the current of transistor p2 is weak , the voltage at its source is high . consequently , transistor p3 conducts poorly , so that reference signal ra at its drain will be weak . on the contrary , if transistor p2 is powerful , reference signal ra will be high . reference signal ra is then compared to thresholds tt and tf of amplifiers 15t and 15f . a value of ra equal to or less than threshold tf , characterizes weak p - mos transistors in integrated circuit 12 . an ra value higher than threshold tf but equal to or less than threshold tt , characterizes the existence of typical transistors . above threshold tt , transistors are considered powerful . in this case , the two amplifiers 15t and 15f do not react to reference signal ra . their output signals are in logic state &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and leave switches 16t and 16f in the open state . as a result , only transistor p1 , considered to be powerful , conducts in inverter 11 if the signal at input 11a is in state &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. if reference signal ra indicates the presence of typical p - mos transistors , only amplifier 15t is active . its output signals st and st *, shown in fig2 close switch 16t . transistor pt then receives the signal from input 11a of inverter 11 . if this signal is in state &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;, transistors pl and pt conduct . if reference signal ra corresponds to weak transistors , the two amplifiers 15t and 15f are active and cause transistors pt and pf to conduct , in addition to transistor p1 , if input lla is in state &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. thus , the method according to the invention consists of producing a reference signal ra representing conduction of reference transistor p2 of integrated circuit 12 , defining a conduction threshold tt , comparing the reference signal with the conduction threshold , and producing a compensating current if the reference signal does not reach the conduction threshold . in the previous example , a second conduction threshold tf improves the performance of the method . moreover , production of the compensating current consists of adding an additional current to the current of field effect transistor p1 . another feature of the invention relates to determining the intensity of the compensating current . for purposes of illustration , the average intensities of powerful , typical , and weak transistors will be designated ip , it , and if respectively , assuming that , according to statistics , ip = 3it / 2 and that if = 2it / 3 . in other words , it = 1 . 5 . if and ip = 2 . 25 . if . by dimensioning transistors pt and pf to be traversed by the same current which is half that traversing transistor p1 , the intensity ib of the current in bus 13 is equal to ip for powerful transistors in section 10a ; for typical transistors , ib = it + it / 2 = 3it / 2 ; and for weak transistors , ib = if + if / 2 + if / 2 = 2if . using the above assumptions , these equations become : for powerful transistors , ib = 2 . 25 . if ; for typical transistors , ib = 2 . 25 . if ; and for weak transistors , ib = 2 . if . thus , by controlling the current passing through transistors pt and pf , a substantially compensated current in bus 13 , independent of non - uniformity of the electrical properties of the p - mos transistors in integrated circuit 12 . section 10b of device 10 applies the same principle to the n - mos transistors of integrated circuit 12 . briefly stated , reference generator 14 has two transistors n2 and n3 and two resistors r1 , r4 . transistor n2 has its drain and its gate connected to potential vdd . its source is grounded through resistor r1 and is applied to the gate of transistor n3 . the source of transistor n3 is grounded and its drain is connected to potential vdd through resistor r4 . reference signal rb at the drain of transistor n3 is applied to the inputs of the two threshold amplifiers 15t and 15f . their output signals st , st *, and sf , sf * command the activation of the two switches 16t and 16f relative to compensating transistors nt and nf . numerous variants of the example described may be made . in particular , a single threshold can suffice in some cases . however , others could be added . moreover , the compensating currents in the example described are additive and have a cumulative effect with the main current in p1 or n1 . however , switching could be noncumulative . for example , switch 16 could disconnect transistor p1 and connect transistor pt , dimensioned to conduct a current ib = 2 . 25 . if . another embodiment of the method according to the invention could also consist of eliminating reference generators 14 . the method would consist , before utilization of integrated circuit 12 , of measuring the current passing through a p - mos transistor and an n - mos transistor of the integrated circuit , and comparing it with at least one threshold . the result of the comparison could be introduced into a register of the integrated circuit . the contents of the register would represent the compensating signal . it would be introduced when the integrated circuit processing system was initialized . the result of the comparison could also be introduced into erasable rom , for example . more simply , compensating device 10 could include compensating circuits 17 and switches 16 only if , for example , closed selectively by laser . the invention has the advantage of equalizing the current in bus 13 at the best intensity possible . inverter 11 thus offers the best possible performances , regardless of the current drifts of its transistors . as a result , there is a substantial improvement in propagation time . since this time is practically constant , integrated circuit 12 can operate more rapidly . this advantage is obtained with no increase in the noise representing the inductive component of the bus . this noise is usually known as &# 34 ; slew rate .&# 34 ; moreover , regulation of the rise and fall time of the transmitted signal results in a substantial improvement in the bus transmission passband . it should also be noted that the additional elements of the device according to the invention can be common to other inverters or other components of the integrated circuit . it is clear that the invention can apply to components other than an inverter . for example , its characteristics may benefit a clock generator . because of the invention , the rise and fall times are smaller and constant , regardless of drifts . the clock can be faster and the waiting time for a event ( skew ) shorter . it is also obvious that the invention can be applied in simple mos , in cmos , and in bicmos . in the latter case , the effects of the invention will be amplified by the action of bipolar transistors , since the current furnished by each compensating circuit 17 is supplied to the base of a bipolar transistor . other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed . accordingly , the above description is not intended to limit the invention except as indicated in the following claims . | 7Electricity
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fig1 a shows , in schematic side elevation , partially sectioned , of the head and body of a tungsten - inert - gas arc welding torch of a type in general use in the prior - art , elements of which are described in detail in my u . s . pat . no . 3 , 739 , 140 , issued june 12 , 1973 and in my u . s . pat . no . 4 , 142 , 086 , issued feb . 27 , 1979 . in general , the elements of the welding torch to which the adapter handle kit of the present invention is applied are formed of metal having a high conductivity for electricity , and a high melting point , such as , for example , beryllium , or various alloys of chromium and copper , and other metals , such an an alloy known in the art as &# 34 ; duronz &# 34 ;, manufactured by the bridgeport brass co ., of bridgeport , conn . a welding torch of the type to which my invention is applicable comprises a tubular welding head 3 , which is 1 / 2 inch in outer diameter and 5 / 16 inch in inner diameter , forms an inner cylindrical chamber which is about 3 / 16 inch along the axis . head 3 has a downwardly - directed screw - threaded opening 3a which is adapted during operation to accommodate a holder for a tungsten welding rod , which is not shown . screwed into the head 3 so that it extends coaxially about 13 / 8 inch into its upper end is an insulating hard rubber , frustoconical handle 6 . the hollow cylindrical welding head 3 , upon assembly , is securely fitted into the left - hand end of the tubular body portion 5 so that the axes of the two tubes form an internal angle , of , say , 113 . 5 ยฐ. in the present embodiment , the tubular member 5 is 1 / 2 inch in outer diameter , 3 / 8 inch in inner diameter , and extends about 13 / 4 inches along the axis where it connects to the head portion 3 . at its right - hand end , it has an annular shoulder 5c , the outer face of which terminates in an axially disposed cylindrical body 2 , which extends , for example , 15 / 16 inch along the axis , having an annular collar 2b at its inner end and an externally screw - threaded portion 2a at its outer end . body member 2 is solid except for three substantially symmetrically spaced bores , 2c , 2d , and 2e , which are disposed parallel to the tube axis , and accommodate the connecting tubes 4a , 4b and 4c , as shown in section in fig1 b . the tube 4c leads to a source of inert gas , such as argon , which passes through the tube 5a in the torch body 5 to the cavity 3a of the welding head 3 . tube 4b is connected to a source of cooling water , which passes into the body 5 through the annular tubing 5b , and passes out through the hose 4a . in addition to functioning as a cooling water inlet , tube 4b also serves as a conduit for an electrical lead which preferably connects to a d . c . transformer from which it carries high current , of the order of 100 to 500 amperes , depending on the weld to be performed , through the conducting body of the tube 5 , and into the welding head 3 . the tube 4a , which in the present invention , is about 21 / 4 inches long , extends through the metal body member 2 parallel to the axis , to act as a drain for cooling water passing out of the chamber 5a of the body member 5 . when electrical current is turned on , if the water does not immediately come on , in 50 or 70 seconds , the vinyl hoses 4b and 4a become heated up to the breaking point whereby the water gushes out . the adapter combination 10 of the present invention operates to prevent this problem . fig2 is a perspective view of the adapter of the present invention assembled on the welding torch body shown in fig1 . this assembly is indicated in section , in fig3 and in exploded view in fig4 . the adapter combination comprises a brass tube 11 which is 7 / 8 inch long on the axis , which is threaded externally with 18 threads per inch . the brass tube 11 screws onto the externally screw - threaded portion 2a of the terminal tubular body 2 at the right - hand end of the welding torch body shown in fig1 . over the brass tube 11 is superposed a gasket 12 made of an insulating material such as phenolic resin , which is 1 / 8 inch in axial thickness . gasket 12 seats on the external annular shoulder 5c of the torch body 5 . in addition , a larger handle 13 consisting of a tube or sleeve of phenolic resin or other insulating material , say 5 inches long , is interposed over the right - hand end of torch body 5 , including the screw - threaded brass adapter 11 . the phenolic tube 13 is internally screw - threaded near the end , with threads 20 - to - the - inch , beginning at a plane perpendicular to the axis , 1 / 2 inch from the end , and extending 1 inch to the right in an axial direction . when this phenolic sleeve or tube 13 is put in place , it is moved to the left toward the welding torch body 5 until it contacts the external face of the gasket 12 which has been put in place against the external shoulder of 5a of the torch body 5 . the external screw threads of the brass tube 11 are screwed into and mate with the internal screw threads of the phenolic sleeve or tube 13 . this arrangement permits the torch body 5 to accept a larger diameter power cable which passes in through 4b , and may be made out of reinforced braided rubber , or equivalent insulating material . such power cables , which carry a high amperage , are in general use in the market today . the handle 10 of my invention serves to prevent leakage of high frequency power . most of the tungsten - inert - gas welding torches were designed some years ago , and will not accommodate cables of the present day size . the adapter kit of the present invention , makes it possible to use torches of a conventional type , widely in use , with the larger present day cables . in operation using the adapter combination 10 of my invention , the power cable is preferably connected up to a 220 volt source , and carries current of approximately 150 amperes . the torch 1 , including the adapter 10 of my invention , is used to weld stainless steel with no high frequency power leaks being detected therefrom . it has been found that before the cooling water comes on , which may be a period of about 11 / 2 minutes , the handle 13 does not reach a temperature which makes it too hot to touch . furthermore , when the cooling water passes into the torch body 5 , there is no damage to the cables . it will be understood that the present invention has been described with reference to an illustrative embodiment . the present invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular dimensions or materials mentioned by way of illustration , but only by the scope of the appended claims . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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the following definitions are provided as reference for interpretation of these terms used in the context of this specification and the accompanying claims . 2 . cabled yarn : is two or more folded yarns twisted together in one or more operations . combinations of single yarn ( s ) may be described as cabled yarns , e . g . a single yarn twisted together with two folded yarns to build yarn size and impart texture to the resulting yarn . 3 . conventional twister : a system of producing a folded yarn by twisting together two or more single yarns simultaneously . 6 . folded yarn or plied yarn : a yarn in which two or more single yarns are twisted together in one operation , e . g ., two - folded yarn , three - fold yarn , etc . ( in some sections of the textile industry these yarns are sometimes referred to as two - ply three - ply , etc .) 7 . loop pile : the pile of a carpet consisting of loops . ( e . g . uncut pile ) 8 . pile : a surface effect on a fabric formed by tufts or loops of yarn that stand up from the body of the fabric . in carpet , pile is the part of the carpet consisting of textile yarns or fibers , cut or looped , projecting from the substrate and acting as the use - surface . 9 . textured pile : a pile in which the surface character is varied e . g ., by having areas of different characteristics or by combinations of different yarn or pile types , ( e . g ., soft and hard twist .) 10 . tpi : turns per inch ( e . g . tpi defines a degree of twist which is the number of turns or twist per unit length ) 11 . twist direction : is described as or according to which of these letters has its center inclined in the same direction as the surface elements of a given twisted yarn , when the yarn is viewed vertically ( e . g . twisting in the direction is clockwise and the z - direction is counter - clockwise ). in the present invention , bcf ( bulk continuous fiber ) or synthetic yarn such as nylon or other polyamides are used to create a textured loop pile construction for rugs / carpets . unlike cotton , which has a tendency to mat and pill , is difficult to clean , and is difficult to dye dark colors , synthetic fiber such as nylon 6 , 6 is durable , has easy care , colorfast , quick drying and resistant to fuzzing / pilling . using a conventional twister ( such as volkman , verdol , icbt & amp ; hammel ), the feed fiber or yarn is plied or twisted with another ( i . e . a second ) fiber or yarn of the same or different deniers forming a third yarn . this initial twisting ( i . e . or first twist ) of the yarn to form a third yarn as indicated above is preferably about 1 . 0 to about 10 . 0 twists per inch . the feed yarn is preferably at least two - ply and , most preferably two - plied or three - plied . the feed yarns can be colored or white dyeable . then , at least two of the plied or twisted third yarns are then cabled together forming a final yarn . the third yarns cabled together can be either of the same denier , or of different deniers . ( for example , a first third yarn can be comprised of two 2250 denier / 11 . 5 dpf and a second third yarn can be comprised of two 1400 denier / 10 dpf . then the first third yarn and second third yarn of different deniers can be cable twisted forming a final yarn . the dpf effects the hand or softness of the finished yarn .) the total denier of the final yarn preferably ranges from about 2 , 000 to about 20 , 000 . the yarns that are cabled together preferably have a cable twist of about 0 . 5 to about 10 twists per inch . in the present invention , a twist differential must occur between the initial twisting of the feed yarn and the cable twisting to provide a torque to the final yarn for the textured look desired . the torque causing the textured effect is a novel element of the present invention . the twist differential is a delta between the degree of twist at the initial twist and the cable twist . ( for example , if the initial twist is 3 . 0 tpi and the cable twist is 2 . 0 then the twist differential is ( 3 . 0 tpi 2 . 0 tpi ) 1 . 0 tpi .). furthermore , the twisting and the cable twisting must be twisted in the same direction ( e . g . s - direction or the z - direction ). that is , if the initial twist is in the s - direction then the cable twist for the final yarn must be in the s - direction not the z - direction . similarly if the initial twist is in the z - direction then the cable twist for the final yarn must also be in the z - direction . in order to maximize the torque / textured effect , the yarn should not be heatset . there can be additional twisting of the yarns with the same or different deniers after the initial twisting and prior to cabling into the final yarn . referring now to the drawings , where the showing is for the purpose of describing an embodiment of the invention and not for limiting same . the twisting operations may be conducted on any conventional twisters such as volkman , verdol , icbt & amp ; hammel . the examples below were twisted using a volkman twister . examples of the present invention are illustrated in fig1 and 2 and will be briefly described below . the feed yarn , end - a in fig1 is the starting point . a variety of samples of different denier were made using the following yarns as end - a : the same process as described in example 1 below was used for each of these samples which also yielded the textured loop pile of the present invention . one end of 2200 - denier / 8 - dpf ( end - a in fig1 ) was plied with another end of 2200 - denier /- 8 - dpf ( end - a in fig1 ) at 4 . 0 twist per inch in โ s โ direction to form a 4400 - denier ( end - b in fig1 ). then , two ends of 4400 - denier ( end - b in fig1 ) are cabled together at 3 . 0 twists per inch in the โ s โ direction to form a 8800 - denier ( end - c in fig1 ). the differential twist ( i . e . 4 . 0 twist per inch 3 . 0 twist per inch = 1 . 0 twist per inch ) of 1 . 0 twist per inch is imparted as torque to the final yarn . end - c in fig1 was tufted into a rug or carpet in a loop pile construction on a backing using a conventional tufting machine to achieve a textured loop aesthetics . the yarn was not heatset in order to maximize the torque / textured effect . one end of 2200 - denier / 8 - dpf ( end - a in fig2 ) was plied with another end of 2200 - denier /- 8 - dpf ( end - a in fig2 ) at 4 . 0 twists per inch in โ s โ direction to form a 4400 - denier ( end - b in fig2 ). one end of 1400 - denier / 10 - dpf ( end - c in fig2 ) was plied with another end of 1400 - denier / 10 - dpf ( end - c in fig2 ) at 4 . 0 twists per inch in the โ s โ direction to form a 2800 - denier yarn ( end - d in fig2 ). then one end - b was cabled with one end - d at 3 . 0 twist per inch in โ s โ direction to form a 7200 - denier ( end - e in fig2 ). the differential twist of 1 . 0 twist per inch imparted the torque to the final yarn . then the end - e , shown in fig2 was tufted into a rug or carpet in a loop pile construction on a backing on a conventional tufting machine to give a textured loop aesthetics . to maximize the torque / textured effect , the yarn was not heatset . reference is now made to fig3 which shows the textured effect of the yarn in a loop pile construction . the yarn , as shown , has been twisted and cabled to impart the torque to the bcf or synthetic yarn and tufted . it is therefore , apparent that there has been provided in accordance with the present invention , twisting then cabling bcf yarns to impart torque for a textured loop pile construction that fully satisfies the aims and advantages hereinbefore set forth . while this invention has been described in conjunction with a specific embodiment thereof , it is evident that many alternatives , modifications , and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art . accordingly , it is intended to embrace all such alternatives , modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims . | 3Textiles; Paper
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while the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions , certain illustrated embodiments thereof have been shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail . it should be understood , however , that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific forms or embodiments disclosed , but , on the contrary , the invention is to cover all modifications , alternative constructions , and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims . turning now descriptively to the drawings in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views , the attached figures illustrate embodiments of the present invention . in one embodiment , the present invention is a tape measure that incorporates a marking device . in another embodiment , the present invention comprises a marking device able to be attached to a tape measure . referring initially to fig1 - 5 , shown is one embodiment of the present invention 10 . this embodiment comprises a tape measure 2 incorporating a means for marking or โ marking device โ 80 . this improved tape measure comprising a housing 20 , a coiled measuring tape 40 having measuring indicia thereon , a tape tip 60 , a marking device or means for marking 80 , an axle 100 , an โ enclosure โ or holder 120 , and a means for locking the tape blade 140 . the present invention is configured to be used upon a surface to be measured and marked 160 . the housing 20 is preferably an elongated square , a cylindrical shape or a combination thereof , as shown in the figures . many different shapes and styles of tape measure housings are known to the prior art and may be configured for use with the present invention . the preferred housing 20 having opposed side walls 22 , 24 , a top wall 26 , a bottom wall or base 28 , a rear wall 30 , and a front wall 32 . these walls defining an enclosure for holding a wound tape blade . the front wall 32 having a tape blade aperture 34 therethrough for allowing a measuring tape blade to be extended . in the preferred embodiment , the coiled measuring tape 40 is an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal or composite material coiled on a spooling means , such as a spool , with a retraction means , such as a spring mechanism . such a coiled blade with spring tape measures are common in the prior art . the tape tip 60 or means for hooking is able to hook onto the edge of the surface to be marked , such as the edge of a board . this tape tip preferably including a hook portion 62 that extends at an essentially right angle from the mounting portion 66 of the tape tip 60 . the use of the phrase โ coiled measuring tape โ is expressly intended to include all other means for measuring , including laser , proximity sensors , sonar , etc . the holder or enclosure 120 of the means for marking 80 is preferably generally elongated square in shape or a combination thereof or any other shape that would effectively house a measuring device . in some embodiments , the holder 120 comprises a means of attachment to the housing , whereas , in other embodiments the holder 120 may be integrally formed within the housing 20 of the tape measure . in use , particularly as shown in fig5 the tape tip 60 is hooked on the edge 162 of the surface to be measured 160 . the housing 20 then moved away from the edge 162 thereby extending the tape 40 . side to side movement of the housing at the desired mark location results in the means for marking 80 making a mark on the surface to be measured and marked 162 which is generally perpendicular to the axis of the length of the tape 40 . as shown in fig2 - 30 , the holder 120 may also have a protruding cursor 124 that is in alignment with the marking wheel or โ impression wheel โ 84 of the means for marking 80 . thus , the cursor 124 gives the user of the present invention an indication of where the marking wheel 84 of the means for marking 80 is aligned , thereby indicating the alignment of the mark to be made by the means for marking . referring back to fig1 - 5 , the present invention 10 preferably also comprises a means for locking 140 the tape blade 40 in position . this means for locking 140 has a button section 144 that protrudes to the exterior of the housing 20 . means for locking tape blades of tape measures , in general , are known in the prior art . the means for locking 140 is completely optional , in that the present invention , unlike many of the prior art devices , will work absent such mean for marking . this is due to the fact that the marking means 80 is directional , able to create generally a straight line mark generally perpendicular to the extension of the measuring means . thus , once the marking means is placed against the surface to be marked at the location of the mark to be made , the tape itself does not need to be locked into place , but could even be retracted . the present invention is superior over the prior art in that the marking process is as easy as extending the housing to the point to be marked , and marking the surface to be marked . no additional steps are required , for instance , the lock does not need to be engaged or the marking means engaged . each additional step required can result in errors or variances in location of the marking means from the point intended to be marked . the present invention , in eliminating these additional steps , thereby results in a more accurate measurement . it is preferred that the housing of the present invention be made of a rigid material such as metal , plastic , rubber , composite or a combination thereof . it is preferred that the tape blade of the present invention be made of a resilient material , such as metal , plastic or a composite . it is preferred that the marking wheel be made of a material able to itself leave or create a mark upon or into the surface to be marked . for instance , the wheel could be made of a hard metal , such as steel . the marking wheel could likewise be made of different materials for the different purposes discussed within this application , including , but not limited to metal , composites , rubber , plastic , natural materials , foam , etc . likewise , the shape of the marking wheel can be as necessary , including but not limited to : rounded , flat , angled , sharpened , solid , porous , etc . referring now to fig5 the tape tip of the present invention preferably includes a means for hooking the tape tip on the edge 162 of a surface to be measured 160 . this means for hooking having a hook portion 62 that extends at an essentially right angle from the mounting portion 66 of the tape tip 60 . such tape tips are standard for tape measures in the prior art . referring now to fig2 - 23 , the tape tip 60 comprises a means for hooking including a hooking portion 62 that extends at an essentially right angle from the mounting portion 66 of the tape tip 60 . preferably , the tape tip 60 extends below the bottom 28 of the housing , as shown in fig1 to allow the hooking part 62 to easily engage the edge 162 of the surface to be measured and marked 160 . as seen in fig1 , the tape tip 60 may be of an asymmetrical shape to allow for increased engagement of the tape tip 60 to the surface to be measured and marked 160 . optionally , the tape tip 60 may include a mark making means 180 , for instance as shown in fig1 - 16 , 22 - 23 . in fig1 and 16 , the means for marking 80 may be a serrated edge or the edge of the tape tip 60 itself may be embedded with a mark making means such as diamond particles or a means for leaving a mark . whereas in fig2 - 23 , the tape tip 60 itself may include a mark making means 180 . in fig2 - 23 , the means for marking 180 preferably comprises a circular shaped wheel 184 or portion thereof . it is preferred that the means for marking 180 be made of a rigid material such as metal , plastic or a mark making composite . the wheel 184 preferably has an aperture 182 for mating with an axle . the axle 100 is preferably an elongated cylindrical shape . likewise , this tape tip 60 has a hooking portion 62 and a mounting portion 66 . this means for marking 180 able to be configured for applying a mark as any other means for marking 80 , 180 disclosed herein . the preferred embodiment of a wheel 184 utilize with the present invention can be found in fig3 - 33 . the wheel 84 of the present invention may be likewise shaped . referring now to fig6 - 7 , shown is another embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment having a housing 20 , a tape blade aperture 34 , and a tape terminating in a tape tip 60 . this embodiment having a means for marking holder 120 which is integral with the housing 20 . this is in contrast to a holder which is attached to the housing , as shown in fig1 . these figures show that the holder may either be formed within the housing of a tape measure , or configured for attachment to an existing tape measure . this integral holder 120 rendition is likewise shown in fig1 and 16 . referring now to fig8 and 9 , the preferred means for marking 80 comprises a circular wheel 84 . other shapes and configurations are also possible . it is preferred that the means for marking 80 be made of a rigid material such as metal , plastic or of a mark making composite , however other materials are also possible . the preferred wheel 84 having an aperture 82 for mating with an axle 100 . this axle 100 having axle protrusions or ends 102 configured for rotational engagement with the holder 120 . the wheel 84 being preferably mounted at or near the center or middle 104 of said axle 100 . as seen in fig8 - 9 and 31 - 33 , the means for marking 80 may be hardened and / or ground at an angle 86 , similar to a glass cutting wheel . this angle 86 may be configured to provide a narrow , accurate mark or may be configured and sharpened to actually serve as a cutting wheel . thus , โ marking โ is intended to include marking by cutting . also , the impression wheel 84 , preferably has a rim 88 for contacting the surface to be marked , at least a portion of this rim extending out of the enclosure / holder 120 . the axle 100 is preferably an elongated cylindrical shape , as shown in fig8 - 9 . this axle 100 being preferably made of a rigid material such as metal or plastic . the means for marking 80 of fig8 having an axle 100 , a middle 104 , and two ends 102 . the axle 100 may be integral to the means for marking 80 or the holder 120 or the housing 20 . the holder 120 is preferably an elongated square or a right rectangular parallelepiped shape . the holder 120 having a means of attachment to the housing in one embodiment . examples of such attachment include adhesives , snap fits , magnets , etc . in other embodiments , the holder 120 is integral with the housing , being formed into the housing during or after manufacture . the housing preferably has a protruding cursor 124 that is in alignment with a means for holding a marking wheel parallel to the face of the housing and at a precise position to the bottom of the housing . as shown in fig2 - 30 , the holder 120 is preferably an elongated square ( right rectangular parallelepiped ) in shape . other shapes are also possible . the holder 120 preferably has a cavity 126 for nesting of the means for marking 80 . the holder 120 preferably has a means of attachment 122 to the housing 20 , one example of which is shown in fig2 . the housing 120 preferably has a protruding cursor 124 that is in alignment with a marking wheel of the means for marking 80 . this cursor being generally parallel to the face of the housing 20 and generally perpendicular to the means for measuring 40 . as shown in fig1 and 18 , any means for holding the means for marking 80 perpendicular to the means for measuring 40 in such a way as to allow engagement of the means for marking 80 with the surface to be measured and marked 160 may be utilized as can be appreciated . as shown in other embodiments , such as fig1 - 14 , the bottom wall 28 or a portion thereof ( partially sloped base ) 29 may be angled in such a way as to allow for engagement of the tape tip 60 to the surface being measured 160 without initiating contact of the means for marking 80 until it is intended . although one angle is shown , many angles , combinations of angles , cutaways , or geometric reveals or shapes could achieve the desired results as can be appreciated . the preferred angle is between 7 ยฐ and 9 ยฐ. as shown , it is preferred that this angular relationship of the wall 28 to the partially sloped base 29 be configured along the base length of the housing . however , any base shape that allows for the engagement of the tape tip 162 to the end 62 without engaging the mark making means 80 will work and are also envisioned . in such a configuration , the marking tape measure comprises a housing 20 for containing a tape and a marking device 80 . this housing 20 having a tape opening or aperture 34 and a top wall or side 26 opposite a bottom wall or side . the bottom side comprising a first longitudinal surface ( bottom ) 28 obliquely joining a second longitudinal surface ( partially sloped base ) 29 . the tape having measuring indicia thereon , and being extendible through the tape opening in a first direction . the remainder of the tape being coiled within the housing . the marking device thus being connected to the housing in alignment with the second longitudinal surface , configured to extend out of the housing adjacent the second longitudinal surface . in such a manner , a user could hook the tape tip 60 on the edge or end 162 of the surface to be marked and measured 160 . with the housing 20 tilted as shown in fig1 , the housing could be slid away from the end 162 thereby extending the tape out of the housing without engaging the means for marking 80 . when the desired extended length is reached , the user could right the housing 20 as shown in fig1 , thereby allowing the means for marking 80 to engage the surface to be measured and marked . as shown in fig1 and 18 , the housing 20 may have a ramp 36 is flexible when pressure is applied . this ramp 36 prevents the marking of the surface being measured and marked 160 until the user presses downwards on the housing 20 thereby flexing said ramp 36 and allowing the means for marking 80 ( 80 โฒ) to contact the surface to be marked . it is preferred that this ramp 36 be comprised of a resilient material able to return to its original shape after such pressure is removed . another variation of the housing may include the inclusion of at least one roller or bearing located on the bottom wall of the housing to facilitate perpendicular movement of the housing , to the means for measuring , against the surface to be measured and marked . the preferred coiled measuring tape utilized with the present invention is an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal or composite material . this blade configured to be coiled on a means for a spool ( spool means ) with a means to retract ( retraction means ). this tape measure configuration ( spool means with retraction means ) is well known in the prior art . as shown in fig5 , 20 , 22 , and 23 of the drawings , the coiled measuring tape 40 comprises an elongated blade 40 formed of a ribbon of metal or composite material coiled on a means for a spool with a means for retraction . it is clearly anticipated that the coiled ribbon measuring tape 40 may be replaced by other means for measuring including digital , gps , sonar , laser , magnetic , proximity or any other means for determining distance or position . referring now to fig1 - 16 , the means for marking 80 may not be a wheel , but may be directional in shape . for instance the elongated point of fig1 or the semi - circular shape of the โ wheel โ 84 of fig1 . in such an embodiment , the means for marking 80 would not roll along a surface but be scratched across the surface to be marked , either leaving a mark or creating a groove in the surface to be marked . in such an embodiment , the fact that the means for marking is directional in shape , particularly directional generally perpendicular to the length of the base 28 of the housing , the means for marking is able to travel generally only perpendicularly across the surface of the surface to be marked . a point , or a scribe , does not have this ability . the base 28 itself could have formed therein a directional marking means , for instance a semi - circular ridge . the ability to make a mark upon the surface to be marked which is generally perpendicular to the distance measured is key to the preferred embodiment of this invention . this is preferably achieved through the marking means being directional so that the marking means will , in use , only apply a mark to the surface which is generally perpendicular to the distance measured ( for instance the length of the tape blade ). however , other manners may also be utilized to achieve this goal , including manners of restricting the housing itself to perpendicular movement while using a non - directional marking means , for instance one or more wheels located in the base of the measuring device . as shown in fig1 , a particular embodiment may include two or more means for marking 80 , 80 โฒ. these means for marking 80 , 80 โฒ could be separate , as shown , or could be joined together . these means for marking 80 , 80 โฒ are preferably aligned with one another so that side to side movement of the housing 20 will result in a single line marked upon the surface to be marked . optionally , these means for marking could be slightly staggered so that a differing line style or thickness could be provided . referring back to fig1 it is preferred that the tape measures incorporating the present invention be configured for inclusion with a means for locking the tape blade 140 . the means for locking the tape blade 140 has a button section 144 that protrudes to the exterior of the housing . this is likewise shown in fig3 . there are many alternate means for locking the tape blade 140 , and considered by themselves , are conventional means known in the art and are therefore not shown in detail in the drawings . the means for locking the tape blade 140 is preferably contained in the housing 20 with a button 144 that protrudes to the exterior of the housing 20 . this means for locking the tape blade 140 configured to engage and lock the tape blade 40 . the surface to be measured and marked 160 can be of any shape or size material that would commonly be measured with said measuring device . the surface to be measured and marked 160 may also be a structure or a combination of materials . the housing 20 and all the housing sub - components integrally form an enclosure . the coiled measuring tape 40 is retractably contained inside the housing enclosure 20 on a hub with the free end of the coiled measuring tape 40 extending through the housing aperture , attaching to the tape tip 60 . the tape tip 60 is integral with the free end of the coiled measuring tape 40 . in the preferred embodiments , the means for marking 80 mates with the middle 104 of the axle 100 . as such , the axle 100 protrudes from both sides of the means for marking 80 . these axle protrusions 102 are able to be received integrally in the walls of the cavity of the holder 126 . the preferred holder 120 includes a means for attachment 122 to the housing 20 , and is preferably interconnected with the housing 20 . likewise , the holder may be integral with said housing 20 , as shown in fig6 . it is preferred that the holder 120 have a protruding cursor 124 that is integral . this cursor 124 indicating to the user the location of the means for marking 80 to the user . referring now to fig5 and 11 , in use the housing 20 may be brought into contact with the surface to be measured and marked 160 . the tape tip 60 is allowed to engage the edge 162 of the surface to be measured and marked 160 , while the housing 20 is pulled across the surface to be measured and marked 160 to the desired location as verified by the cursor 124 . the means for marking 80 is then engaged by altering the angle of the housing 20 , as shown in fig1 and 12 , and applying downward pressure to the means for marking 80 . due to the generally perpendicular attitude of the means for marking 80 to the means for measuring 40 , the desired position of the means for marking 80 is maintained . this is due to the nature of the means for marking 80 being directional and configured for moving forward or backward and not side to side . this is likewise illustrated in fig5 , 12 , 15 - 16 , and 19 - 22 . referring now to fig3 and 35 , shown is an alternative embodiment of the present invention . in this embodiment , a chamber 50 is provided for containing an amount of a liquid , powder or gel ( preferably a liquid ) marking substance . this chamber or well 50 preferably provided with a closure 54 , such as a lid , for allowing additional quantities of the marking substance to be added to the well . the chamber 50 may be of any size or configuration and may be located inside or outside the housing . it may also be integral with the housing or removable as in a cartridge format . this marking substance being transmitted to the marking means 80 through a channel 52 , preferably via a wick to an applicator 54 for applying the marking substance , such as an ink , paint , chemical , etc ., to the wheel of the marking means 80 . it is preferred that in such an embodiment that a wick be employed to transfer the marking substance with the end of the wick comprising the applicator . the rotation of the marking means transfers the marking substance to the surface to be marked . referring now to fig3 , in yet another embodiment of the present invention , a marking applicator could be provided for applying a marking substance , such as graphite , charcoal , wax , chalk , ink , paint , etc ., to the means for marking 80 . for instance , a pencil lead ( graphite ) 92 could be held under tension against the surface of the means for marking 80 , particularly the wheel 84 , which contacts the surface to be marked 160 . thus , rotation of the wheel 84 of the means for marking against the surface to be marked 160 also results in rotation of the wheel 84 of the means for marking against the indicia ( marking ) applicator 90 . this results in the transmission of the marking substance from the marking applicator 90 onto the wheel 84 of the means for marking . then , continued movement of the means for marking 80 against the surface to be marked 160 results in the transfer of the marking substance to the surface to be marked from the means for marking . thus , for instance , utilization of the present invention could result in the creation of an ink line along the track of the means for marking . additionally , the means for marking utilized with the marking applicator could comprise or be comprised at least partially of , a rubber material or a porous material allowing for easier application of such a marking substance . such a rubber or porous material would more easily hold and carry to the surface to be marked the marking substance . additionally , the marking applicator could be selectively engaged or disengaged by the operator through use of an engagement / disengagement means 70 . this would allow the operator or user of the present invention to decide whether to also or instead apply a marking substance to the surface marked . for instance , a spring mechanism 72 could be utilized whereby through pushing a button 74 on the coiled measuring tape the marking applicator could be activated or deactivated . as the wheel is rolled on the surface to be marked , ink or any other liquid is deposited on the wheel . the wheel , as it rolls , deposits the ink or liquid on to the surface to be marked . the housing 20 , the holder 120 , and the means for marking 80 , may be molded , cast or machined as one component , preferably from a rigid material such as metal , plastic or a mark making composite . referring now to fig3 , shown is another embodiment of the present invention . this embodiment having an asymmetrical tape tip 60 . this tape tip 60 having one side 64 longer than the other side 68 . in such a manner , utilization of the present invention is easier , in that the housing 20 can be tilted as shown in the figure with the tape hook 60 one side 64 , being elongated , more easily engaging the end 162 of the surface to be marked and measured 160 , thereby allowing the device to be utilized without engaging the marking device 80 . as to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention , the same should be apparent from the above description . accordingly , no further discussing relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided . with respect to the above description then , it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention , to include variations in size , materials , shape , form , function and manner of operation , assembly and use , are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art , and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention . therefore , the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention . further , since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art , it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described , and accordingly , all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to , falling within the scope of the invention . while there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment of the invention , it is to be distinctly understood that this invention is not limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within the scope of the following claims . from the foregoing description , it will be apparent that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims . | 6Physics
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various aspects of the present invention will be described using terminology adapted to the field of circuit design and it is believed beneficial to the understanding of the disclosure to first define certain terms . it is to be understood that while the invention is described in terms of electronic circuit design , the applicability of the invention extends to other fields of endeavor where path finding and routing is involved . as is used in the art , a โ design โ is an electronic design automation ( eda ) database of information describing a printed circuit board ( pcb ), an integrated circuit ( ic ) or an ic package . a graphical representation of a portion of a design is illustrated at 100 in fig1 a - 1b . a โ terminal โ 105 is a location on one or more layers of a design to which electrical signals may be connected . for a pcb , terminals correspond to the pins , pads , and balls of the elements in the circuit . for an ic package , terminals are typically ic bumps or package balls . a terminal may also be a junction point , such as a virtual pin or a t - junction . multiple terminals that are grouped together , such as depicted at 110 , will be referred to as a โ component โ. in fig1 a - 1b , there is shown a โ tessellation โ of design 100 , i . e ., the separation of the entire design space into distinct , non - overlapping regions , such as those shown at 115 a and 115 b . the regions in the exemplary embodiments described herein are triangular , but it is to be understood that the regions may be formed of other polygonal shapes , such as the rectangular regions of tessellation employed in traditional autorouters . a โ rat โ is a connection between two terminals , i . e ., a โ source terminal โ 120 a , 125 a and a โ target terminal โ 120 b , 125 b . a rat can be unrouted , as shown at 130 a , 130 b of fig1 a , where the rat has yet to possess geometric information defining its precise path in the design , or a rat can be routed as shown at 140 a , 140 b of fig1 b , where the rat has complete geometric information specifying its ordered sequence of โ segments โ, an example of which is shown at 142 . the segment ordering is typically indexed or referenced starting at the source terminal 120 a , 125 a and ending at the target terminal 120 b , 125 b . a โ net โ is a collection of rats connecting a collection of terminals . in some cases , the specific connections between terminals formed by certain rats are predetermined . in other cases , the rats are assembled into a net in an order or โ sequence โ that is either established by the autorouter or is constrained by certain rules . for example , in the absence of any connectivity rules , the autorouter can change the collection of rats as needed , provided the new collection still connects all of the terminals of the net . referring now to fig2 , there is shown a โ bundle โ 200 , which , in accordance with the present invention , is a collection of rats determined by the designer or the autorouter to be routed together . in certain embodiments , a bundle is displayed as a โ fat rat โ, which , as described above , is a wide line indicating more than one rat . the fat rat includes a plurality of โ rake lines โ 240 a - 240 d extending therefrom . the rake lines 240 a - 240 d graphically connect the terminals 120 a - 120 b and 125 a - 125 b of the rats 130 a - 130 b to the fat rat 205 at a common location , referred to herein as a โ gather point โ, as shown at 230 a and 230 b . in accordance with the present invention , a โ flow โ is a path for a bundle , such as that illustrated by the traversal of fat rat 205 in fig2 . a flow can be either active or inactive . an โ inactive flow โ is for graphical display purposes only and has no effect on autorouting , whereas an โ active flow โ provides geometric input to the autorouter to be used when autorouting rats in that bundle . referring to fig3 , it is illustrated that a flow includes one or more โ flow lines โ 310 , 330 and 350 connected by zero or more โ flow vias โ 320 , 340 . a flow via indicates where vias should be placed when a rat path needs to change routing layers . each flow line includes one or more โ flow segments โ, such as those illustrated at 312 , 314 and 316 of flow line 310 . a โ portal โ, as used herein , is a side of a tessellation region and is often referred to in topological fields as an edge or a cut . in fig2 , the portals shown at 210 a - 210 d are traversed by the flow indicated by the fat rat 205 . it is to be noted that terminals may or may not be on a boundary formed by the portals . an exemplary embodiment of exemplary functional modules operable to carry out the invention are illustrated in fig4 a and may be implemented in suitable computing hardware such as that depicted in fig4 b . the data defining one or more designs is maintained in database 420 and is presented to a user as one or more abstractions of that data through a user interface 410 . a data abstraction is a conceptualization of the data reduced or factored so that a user can focus on only few pertinent aspects thereof . this is useful in circuit design in that the data may be viewed in a manner appropriate to the work task at hand . for example , an ic is generally viewed by a simple block symbol during a component placement task and is viewed as an arrangement of its terminals in a routing task . through these data abstractions , the user is relieved of having to place and route the circuit in a view cluttered by the ic &# 39 ; s constituent components , i . e ., the thousands and possibly millions of transistors , resistors and other circuit elements forming the ic . database 420 implements a suitable structure on , for example , persistent storage system 450 , for retaining data so as to be retrieved by its numerous data abstractions . additionally , the database 420 is operable to store data that has been modified through any of its abstractions . user interface 410 may be implemented through processor instructions stored in memory system 470 and executed by a suitable processor 440 . the user interface 410 may be a graphical user interface operable to display the design on a display 470 and to allow the user to add , delete and modify features of the design through , for example , manipulation of certain peripheral components 460 coupled to processor 440 . routing engine 430 executes path finding procedures to interconnect the terminals of a design . the routing engine 430 may be implemented through processor instructions stored in memory system 470 and executable by processor 440 . the present invention is not limited to any specific router implementation . however , for purposes of describing the invention , the routing engine 430 will embody a โ costed - wavefront โ path finding mechanism . in such a router , paths are selected for each rat by expanding through each tessellated region of the design starting at its associated source terminal . each expansion forwards the rat from one tessellated region to an adjacent region at an associated โ cost โ for the expansion . the cost for the expansion is a numeric value indicative of the relative difficulty of geometrically installing the path in the design . the lowest cost sequence of such expansions from the source terminal ( or an equivalent source terminal ) to the target terminal ( or an equivalent target terminal ) is selected as the path for that rat . referring to fig5 , there is shown a flow diagram of certain exemplary method steps in routing a design in accordance with the present invention . the process is initiated at block 505 and progresses to block 510 , where the component and net data are imported , typically from a schematics entry and editing process . constraint information ( delay / length limits , crosstalk limits , manufacturing rules , etc .) is also applied to the design as entered into the database via the schematics entry and editing process , from a constraint managing process , from a design rules file or other suitable constraint entry mechanisms . process flow then proceeds to the block 515 , in which the designer places the components into the design , thereby specifying the locations in the design for each component . once the components have been placed , the process 500 continues to block 520 , where the bundles and flows are defined . an exemplary configuration of bundles and flows as developed by process 500 is illustrated in fig6 a - 6d . the circuit arrangement of fig6 a represents a portion of a design after components 610 a - 610 c have been placed therein . rats 620 a - 620 d each correspond to an interconnection between certain terminals of component 610 a and certain terminals of component 610 c . in fig6 b , the rats have been assigned to a bundle , which is indicated by the fat rat 630 . the assignment of rats to bundles may be accomplished in more than one way , as will be described below . next , as is shown in fig6 c , a flow 640 has been defined for the bundle 630 . the flow consists of flow segments 642 , 644 , 646 and 648 , each joined one with another at vertices 643 , 645 and 647 and defining a flow path to circumvent component 610 b . it is to be noted that a flow may also include flow vias and numerous flow lines , as described above . without the benefit of the present invention , the procedure indicated at block 520 would be performed in the designer &# 39 ; s head or sketched on paper or using a separate computer application . the present invention not only allows the plan to be developed in concert with other eda tasks , but the planning information is retained and used to guide the routing engine to route the rats in accordance with the designed plan . returning to fig5 , the design is routed by the routing process indicated at block 525 . the routing engine 430 creates the geometric paths for each rat using segments on a particular layer and vias for establishing connections between layers , in accordance with not only the constraints entered directly into the design , but also in accordance with the flows established in block 520 . an exemplary routing process 525 operatively consistent with the present invention is illustrated in fig7 . the procedure is entered at block 705 and proceeds to decision block 710 , where it is determined if the rat being routed is a member of a flow . if not , the rat is routed separately using the costed - wavefront path finding routine , as indicated at block 725 , and then installed into the design in accordance with the path having the least cost , as indicated at block 730 . if , however , the rat is a member of a flow , it is determined at block 715 which portals are traversed by the flow . the traversed portals are referred to herein as โ preferred portals โ for rats that are part of a traversing flow and , in accordance with certain embodiments of the invention , expansion across preferred portals for those rats is done so at a reduced cost . in certain embodiments of the invention , the cost for expanding across preferred portals is reduced to zero . the routing procedure then proceeds to block 725 , where the path is found having the lowest cost . for rats that are members of an active flow , the path finding routine or the routing engine is biased by the reduction in cost towards traversing the preferred portals . the paths for those rats are geometrically installed by the routing engine in regions of the design set forth by the designer &# 39 ; s plan . however , it is to be noted that other routing constraints entered into the design may resolve into routed paths that do not strictly conform to the active flow , but the guidance provided by the designer will influence the routing with most often satisfactory results . the guided routing of the present invention is conceptually illustrated in fig8 , where rat 810 has been routed in accordance with flow 860 . many other paths for rat 810 are possible and absent any other information , such as the set of preferred portals 820 , 830 , 840 , 850 , defined by the traversal of flow 860 , the rat could have been routed in other areas . note that the path 810 is established above terminal 870 because the cost of expansion to areas below the terminal 870 is higher than that of expansion to areas above the terminal , even though the length of the routed rat could have been made the same . the lowest cost was set by the preferred portals 830 , 840 and 850 . an example of rats routed in accordance with the exemplary flow described with reference to fig6 a - 6c is illustrated in the example of fig6 d . after routing , the design process 500 of fig5 proceeds to block 530 , in which the signal integrity of the design is verified . this may be accomplished through suitable simulations on the design to verify that all of the constraints and other requirements have been met . the process flows to block 535 , where the verified design is delivered to a receiving entity , such as a manufacturing facility or a corporate repository of designs . as is demonstrated by the multiple arrows of process flow in fig5 , the design process 500 is rarely straight forward or completed in a single pass through the process steps . multiple iterations of various steps of the process must be performed . for example , the first routing attempt is unlikely to be the final routing attempt and a return to a previous step will often be necessary . even when a design is completed and delivered , the process may have to be revisited , such as when an engineering change order ( eco ) is issued due to testing or to a requirements change . in a significant departure from the prior art , the bundle and flow information is maintained in the design database in a suitable manner similar to that of any other element in the design . the bundles and flows may be presented through various data abstractions , such as the fat rat , and manipulated through the user interface just as other data members are abstracted and manipulated in accordance with the task at hand . without bundles and flows , the entire design process might need to be restarted , whereas with bundles and flows of the present invention , most of the prior design effort can be preserved . the autorouter can simply restart from previously defined bundles and flows using the new components , nets , and constraints to revise the design . during component placement and thermal analysis phases of design development , users can by way of the invention more easily visualize the connectivity of the components to each other . since part of this step involves planning the anticipated interconnect density against the available free space , designers can take into account space for interconnects by establishing flows during the placement phase . it becomes possible to logically group components together so as to move groups together as individual units and visually see the effects . in autorouters of the prior art , autorouting tools have very little value during placement , because the design is in such early stages and only incomplete lists of components and nets are available . traditionally , autorouting is impossible without , at the very least , a complete set of components . spatial planning early in the design cycle by way of the present invention saves time in later development phases , since insufficient space normally requires potentially painful placement changes , which require associated manufacturing approval all over again . similar benefits are achieved by the invention during constraint development , where the component list and the net list are typically still incomplete . as with placement , this has a major impact on the final location of components and current automation tools , which merely view connections as discrete and unrelated to each other , do not assist in planning for spacing requirements . incremental development of a design in accordance with the invention is illustrated in fig9 . upon entering the process 900 at block 905 , process flow is transferred to block 910 , where the components , nets and constraints of one critical circuit are imported into the design . certain of the components are selected and placed , as shown at block 915 , and bundles and flows are created for the selected components , as shown at block 920 . selected nets are routed , as shown at block 925 , and verified , as shown at block 930 , and it is then determined if the selected critical circuit is within design specifications , as indicated by decision block 935 . if not , process flow is transferred back to the bundling step of block 920 for refinement . if the circuit is verified as being within specified parameters , it is then determined if all circuits have been routed , as indicated at decision block 940 . if more circuits are to be placed , the process 900 is transferred to block 945 , where the circuit elements are imported and is placed by the process of block 915 . if it is established at block 940 that all critical circuits have been routed , remaining nets are routed , as indicated at block 950 . the remaining nets will include those connections not forming the individual critical circuits , including nets that join such circuits . once all nets have been routed , the entire design is verified , as shown at block 955 , and the process 900 is exited at block 960 . the present invention implements means for associating certain interconnections together into bundles . referring to fig1 , there is shown a flow diagram of an exemplary bundling process 1000 of the present invention , which is entered at block 1005 . because there are typically many potential bundles in a design , a user might first allow the autorouter to automatically create the bundles , as shown at block 1015 . because the bundle definition process is extremely fast compared to the time to route the design , the user might alternatively choose to interactively create each bundle , as shown at block 1010 . it is then determined at block 1020 if the resulting bundles meet the user &# 39 ; s requirements and , if so , the process is exited at block 1025 . in most cases , however , the user will need to interactively create or modify the resulting bundles by returning to the interactive bundling process of block 1010 and reevaluating thereafter . in fact , the user may return to the interactive bundling stage at any later time during the entire process to make minor adjustments to the bundle assignments . interactively creating bundles can be accomplished using any of various suitable interactive user interface techniques that allow several rats to be selected together . in one embodiment , a mechanism is provided whereby the user graphically selects a set of rats and assigns them to a bundle using a menu or mouse click command . the same techniques may enable the user to modify bundles . for example , using mouse clicks or menu commands , the user could select an existing bundle and then select a specific rat to add to that bundle or select a rat to remove from that bundle . other interactive mechanisms are possible , such as specifying bundles and / or rats by symbol or by name . there are several mechanisms by which bundles can be created automatically by the autorouter . in certain embodiments , the invention uses component information to automatically create bundles , such as by the procedure 1100 illustrated in fig1 . the process 1100 is entered at block 1105 and flow is transferred to block 1110 , where rats are selected as candidates for bundles . this could be all rats that are not yet part of a bundle or the candidate set could be interactively selected by the user prior to starting automatic bundling process 1100 . the process 1100 continues at block 1115 where a table is created in memory that contains the rat identifier and the identifiers for the corresponding source and target components whose terminals are connected by this rat . such a table is illustrated in fig1 a , where the entry into the table is identified by the table id . the rat id entries take the form xx . p : yy . p , where xx is the source component , yy is the target component and p is the associated terminal or pin number of the corresponding component . the component 1 and component 2 entries are the component designator in the design of the source and target components . flow of process 1100 then progresses to block 1120 , where the last two columns of each row of the table are sorted by component name . this is illustrated in fig1 b , where it is to be observed that the component 1 and component 2 entries at 1220 and 1222 have been switched . this sorting operation allows the procedure to ignore which end of the rat corresponds to the source component and which end corresponds to the target component . the procedure 1100 proceeds then to block 1125 , where the rows of the table are sorted by first and second component name , which groups similar rats together in the table . the grouping is illustrated in fig1 c , where entries at 1230 and 1232 respectively interconnect the same two components . flow of process 1100 is transferred to block 1130 , where the table is searched for a sequence of rats with the same first and second component , which is referred to as a โ bundle candidate โ. if any bundle candidate is found , as determined at decision block 1135 , a bundle is created for those rats , as shown at block 1140 , and the bundled rats are then remove from the table , as shown at block 1145 . the procedure 1100 is repeated at block 1130 until all bundle candidates are found and the procedure 1100 is ultimately terminated at block 1150 . in certain embodiments , a decision is made at block 1140 as to which bundle candidates should be forwarded to create a bundle , such as on the number of rats in the bundle candidate . for example , certain embodiments of the invention will create a bundle from a bundle candidate if there are four ( 4 ) or more rats in the bundle . if there are three ( 3 ) or fewer , no bundle is created and the rats are routed separately in the appropriate manner . another alternative embodiment of the invention uses planned routing information as part of the decision logic . referring to fig1 , there is shown a planned design configuration where the user has placed three components 1310 a - 1310 c and planned rats 1313 , 1315 , 1317 . the entry / exit side for the planned rats indicated at 1313 , 1315 , 1317 is extracted and placed in additional columns of the table in memory , such as is shown in fig1 . the table may then be sorted in step 1125 of fig1 in accordance with the entry / exit side such that the rats with the same entry / exit directions will be adjacent in the table . the bundle candidates may then be selected in step 1130 to include only rats with the same components and the same entry / exit directions . for example , in fig1 , bundles 1320 , 1322 and 1324 may all meet criteria of common components , but bundles 1322 and 1324 would produce two separate bundles , as opposed to one combined bundle , because their entry / exit information is different . an alternative mechanism for assigning rats to a bundle is to use bus information . a โ bus โ is a user - defined collection of nets , which are frequently generated through a schematic editor . it is common for users of schematic editing packages to define a bus to reduce the clutter on the schematic . it is also common for signal integrity engineers to define a bus for the purpose of assigning constraint properties to a set of related nets . unfortunately , busses are defined on nets , which may have many rats . it therefore provides little or no benefit to combine all of the rats of a net into a bundle , since the rats of the net would be on different areas of the design . the present invention would use additional information when creating bundles from bus information . for example , certain embodiments of the invention would extract the bus name corresponding to the rats and place the bus name in an additional column of the memory table described above . when the table is sorted in block 1125 of fig1 , for example , rats having the same bus name will be grouped together in adjacent rows . the bundle candidates may then be selected in block 1130 to include only rats connecting the same components and by the same named bus . variations of this procedure would prevent adjacent rats of the same bus from being placed in two different bundles or allow adjacent rats of the same bus to be placed in two different bundles . another variation is to prevent or allow joining rats of two different buses into the same bundle . the present invention makes possible assigning properties to a bundle . for example , the layer or layers to be used for a bundle can be specified . the bundle may also have a โ packed / unpacked โ property , where , if packed , the autorouter routes the rats of the bundle as close together as the spacing constraints allow and , if unpacked , the router spreads the paths apart , evenly distributing whenever space is available . other properties can be added to each bundle to provide additional guidance to the autorouter , even if no flow information is provided . as described above , a flow consists of one or more flow lines and zero or more flow vias . in certain embodiments of the invention , each flow line is displayed as a fat rat having a width proportional to the sum of the widths of the rats in its bundle . however , other representations are possible , such as the extent of actual paths of all of the rats when the rats have associated route information or plan information . each rat can be visually represented with two rake lines , one at each end of the flow as illustrated by 210 a and 210 d of fig2 . whether the rake lines are displayed or not displayed is , in certain embodiments of the invention , a user selectable option . any of several possible user interface mechanisms can be used by the designer to interactively create and modify flows , such as through adding new vertices to a flow , moving existing vertices within a flow , or to remove vertices from the flow . alternatively , an interactive mechanism could be provided to select a series of locations using a mouse or other pointing device to specify a series of locations for vertices of a flow . similar interactive mechanisms could be provided to add a flow via to a flow , to move an existing flow via within a flow or to delete an existing flow via from a flow . without the ability of controlling autorouting with flows by the present invention , the flow and bundle information is merely a graphically tool , albeit a useful one . certain embodiments of the invention , however , allow bundles to control autorouting even without flows , such as by automatically applying any properties or attributes associated with a bundle to each rat in its bundle . for example , if the bundle has a certain required layer assignment , then the rat is to be routed on that layer . this can be implemented in the form of a strict rule , for example , that the rat can only be routed on the specified layer . such a rule may be implemented with an exception for preexisting routes , for example , by a rule that specifies that new segments can only be created on the specified layer , but preexisting segments can be on any layer . exceptions may also be provided for surface mount devices , where the terminal is only defined on an outer layer . the exceptions may allow short segments to be created on the terminals layer so as to only to reach a via to the specified layer . the layer specification can also be a preference , as opposed to a rule . for example , the rat can be routed on any layer , but all other layers incur some specific additional โ cost โ. bundles without a defined flow are displayed , in certain embodiments , as a flow with one flow segment . in certain embodiments , such flows are for display purposes only and do not affect routing . however , the bundle properties , as described above , will still be applied by the routing engine . referring now to fig1 , there is shown the exemplary method steps for automatically creating a flow for a given bundle if any of its rats have been routed . such routed rats are depicted in fig1 a , where it is shown rat 1610 being routed along a path between terminals 1603 and 1607 , and rat 1620 being routed along a path between terminals 1605 and 1609 . the procedure 1500 is entered at block 1505 and proceeds to block 1510 , where the path of each rat in a bundle is analyzed to determine which portals have been traversed thereby . an ordered list of preferred portals is created for each of the rats . in fig1 b , the preferred portals for rat 1620 are 1630 a - 1630 l . for rat 1610 , as illustrated in fig1 c , the preferred portals are 1630 e - 1630 j . the procedure 1500 then proceeds to block 1515 , where the common subset of the portals is found . as is shown in fig1 d , the common sequence of portals traversed by two routed rats is 1630 e - 1630 j . flow of process 1500 is then transferred to block 1520 , whereby a sequence of flow segments is created from the center of each common portal to the center of the next common portal . fig1 e depicts a sequence of flow segments generated from the sequence of common portals . the process 1500 then continues at block 1525 , where the sequence of flow segments is reduced . there are several possible methods for performing this reduction . one procedure would attempt removing one of the vertices of the flow and combining two adjacent flow segments into one . if the resulting sequence of flow segments still traverses the same common portal , then that change is accepted . otherwise , the two flow segments are reinserted and a different reduction is attempted . another possible reduction would be to compute for each rat the sum of the length both of its rake ends and the common flow and then to find an optimal location for the two gather points using a suitable linear programming routine to minimize total length of the flow . the process 1500 of fig1 is exited at block 1530 . fig1 f shows an exemplary flow after a series of reductions has occurred . it should be noted that the process 1500 may be used on rats that have been planned in a topological routing environment prior to the rats being geometrically routed . the descriptions above are intended to illustrate possible implementations of the present invention and are not restrictive . many variations , modifications and alternatives will become apparent to the skilled artisan upon review of this disclosure . for example , components equivalent to those shown and described may be substituted therefor , elements and method steps individually described may be combined , and elements described as discrete may be distributed across many components . the scope of the invention should therefore be determined not with reference to the description above , but with reference to the appended claims , along with their full range of equivalents . | 6Physics
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an analog signal such as shown in fig2 a is supplied to the input terminal 10 of the balanced modulator 20 of fig1 where it is employed to double - balance modulate the square wave signal shown in fig2 b derived from a carrier clock ck connected to terminal 14 . the modulated signal shown in fig2 c is applied to the primary winding 30p of an isolation transformer 30 . the output signal from the secondary winding 30s of isolation transformer 30 as illustrated in fig3 b is supplied to the input of a demodulator 40 . as illustrated in fig3 c the modulated positive pulses s p from the transformer 30 are unchanged in polarity but the negative pulses s n are inverted . the resulting rectified pulses s p , s n are supplied to a first output terminal 50 . the common carrier clock signal ck is supplied to modulator 20 and demodulator 40 through a distribution transformer 60 . the modulator 20 and the demodulator 40 are of the switching type and preferably utilize a switching element such as a field effect transistor ( fet ). the on resistance of such an element is several hundred ohms . this , together with the inductance of the primary winding 30p of the transformer 30 , forms an lr time constant circuit . as a result , a time delay occurs at the leading and trailing edges of the output pulses from secondary windings 30s as illustrated in fig3 b . upon demodulation of the transformer output , carrier noise or &# 34 ; leakage &# 34 ; ca is generated at the leading and trailing edges . a suppression or &# 34 ; de - glitch &# 34 ; circuit 80 for suppressing the carrier leakage ca is connected to the output of demodulator 40 . the suppression circuit 80 comprises an fet 82 as a sample - and - hold switch between the output of the demodulator 40 , an output terminal 90 , and a holding capacitor c1 . capacitor c1 is connected between an output of fet 82 and a common line com2 connected to ground terminal 52 . the fet 82 is controlled to be off for a predetermined period of time at each of the leading and trailing edges of the carrier clock signal by means of a sample and hold pulse - forming circuit 84 . pulse - forming circuit 84 comprises a transistor 86 the emitter and collector of which are coupled between the gate of the fet 82 and a negative power source . the carrier clock signal ck is supplied to the base of the transistor 86 through a first differentiating circuit consisting of a capacitor c3 and a resistor r3 . the transistor 86 is normally held off and the fet 82 is held on by a positive demodulation output signal supplied to its gate through the resistor r2 . this permits the demodulation output signal to be supplied to the output terminal 90 . a positive differentiating pulse is applied to the base of transistor 86 at the leading edge of each carrier clock pulse for a period determined by the time constant of the differentiating circuit c3 , r3 , thereby turning on transistor 86 . a negative hold pulse sh1 as shown in fig3 d is then applied to the gate of fet 82 , turning it off . accordingly , the previous charge accumulated in holding capacitor c1 is supplied to output terminal 90 , as indicated by the dotted line a in fig3 c . the pulse forming circuit 84 comprises a switching diode d connected to the gate of fet 82 . the carrier clock signal is supplied to the cathode of the diode d through a second differentiating circuit consisting of a capacitor c2 and a resistor r1 . a negative differentiating pulse is applied to the cathode of the diode d at the trailing edge of each carrier clock pulse for a period determined by the time constant of the second differentiating circuit , thereby turning on the diode d . a negative hold pulse sh2 shown in fig3 d is then applied to the gate of fet 82 , thus disabling it . accordingly , the charge accumulated in capacitor c1 is supplied to output terminal 90 , as indicated by dotted line b in fig3 c . as a result of the foregoing , an output can be obtained from output terminal 90 from which the carrier noise component has been removed . the pulse width ( holding interval ) of the hold pulses sh1 and sh2 may be set from one to several microseconds depending upon the characteristics of the transmission system . the pulse width of these hold pulses is determined by the first and second differentiating circuits as described above . the sample - and - hold capacitor c1 has a capacitance such as to provide a sufficient time constant to cover the holding interval , depending upon the input impedance of the following circuit . thus , the capacitance of the capacitor c1 may vary from several hundred to several thousand picofarads . in the non - holding or sampling mode wherein fet 82 is kept on , the discharge time constant of the capacitor c1 is very small . this prevents formation of a low pass filter with a large time constant , resulting in a wide transmission band . a multiplex ( mpx ) terminal 92 is connected to the gate of the fet 82 . when a multiplex select signal is applied to terminal 92 , the fet 82 will function as a multiplex switch . in the multiplex mode , a plurality of isolation amplifiers , as shown in fig1 are connected in parallel and their respective output terminals 90 are connected together . when a high level signal is applied to the mpx terminal 92 of one of the isolation amplifiers , or the terminal is unconnected , the fet 82 is turned on . this permits the output of the selected isolation amplifier to be supplied from the common connection . the suppression can then be operated . when a negative potential is applied to the selected terminal 92 , its fet 82 is forcibly turned off and this channel cannot be selected . referring now to the modified isolation amplifer of fig4 the signal of fig2 a is supplied to a switching modulator 200 through a voltage follower 16 from an input terminal 10 . the switching modulator 200 is of the double - pole , double - throw type and is alternately switched between a signal input side and a common side ( com1 ) at intervals of one half period of the carrier clock signal shown in fig2 b . com1 is connected to the grounded signal source terminal 12 . the switch poles 200a , 200b of modulator 200 are operated in opposite phase , as indicated by the solid and dotted arrow . thus , the modulated signal shown in fig2 c flows in the primary winding of an isolation transformer 30 coupled between the outputs 200c and 200d . switching modulator 200 is schematically shown in fig4 as a double - pole , double - throw switch . in actuality it may be an integrated circuit employing fets . in this case , the on resistances of the respective switching elements may be several hundred ohms . for this reason , buffer amplifiers 25a and 25b are inserted between the leads of the primary winding 30p of the transformer 30 and the respective outputs 200c and 200d . this prevents the on resistance and the inductance of the primary winding 30p from forming an undesirable lr time constant circuit . with this arrangement , the impedance of the input signal source with respect to the primary winding 30p of the transformer 30 is very small , as is the time constant , and amplitude distortion and phase delay of the signal are reduced . this permits the frequency of the carrier clock to be further increased and a wider transmission band characteristic can be obtained . the output signal obtained from secondary winding 30s of the transformer 30 is applied to a switching demodulator 400 and is synchronously rectified employing the same carrier clock signal ( fig2 b ) as on the modulation side . the switching demodulator 400 is of the same type as , and is symmetrically arranged with respect to , the modulatof 200 . a pair of switches 400a and 400b , constituting the demodulator 400 , are alternately switched between a signal output side ( out ) and a common side ( com2 ) in opposite phase as indicated by the solid and dotted arrows . com2 is the ground line of the transmission output side connected to common terminal 52 . in this fashion , the original input signal of fig2 a is obtained by demodulation and applied to output terminal 90 through voltage follower 28 . the demodulator 400 of fig4 is arranged to suppress the carrier leakage ca shown in fig3 c . switches 400a and 400b of demodulator 400 have neutral contacts which are connected respectively to the demodulation output side ( out ) and the common side ( com2 ). a holding capacitor c1 is connected between the output terminal out and the common line com2 of demodulator 400 . the carrier clock signal ck shown in fig3 a and hold pulses sh1 and sh2 shown in fig3 d are supplied from a switching signal forming circuit 64 to a carrier input to demodulator 400 . hold pulses sh1 and sh2 are in synchronism with the leading and trailing edges of the pulses of carrier clock signal ck . during the periods of the hold pulses sh1 and sh2 , switches 400a and 400b of the demodulator 400 are connected , respectively , to the neutral contacts 400c and 400d . during this period , the charge previously accumulated in the holding capacitor c1 is delivered to the output terminal 90 as indicated by dotted lines a and b in fig3 c . as a result , there is obtained from terminal 90 an output from which the carrier noise component ca has been removed . when the demodulator 400 employs active switching elements , the mechanical neutral contacts 400c and 400d do not in fact exist . the periods during which the switches are connected to the neutral contacts correspond to the period during which the switching elements are turned off by the hold pulses sh1 and sh2 . in the fig4 embodiment the duty cycle of the carrier clock signal of fig2 b which drives the modulator 200 and demodulator 400 is precisely adjusted at fifty percent . in this manner , noise and distortion , which are alternately introduced out of phase at a period half that of the carrier clock period , cancel each other , thus providing a high s / n ratio and low distortion . if the duty cycle of the carrier clock signal shifts away from fifty percent , noise components can readily occur in the output , the distortion free region is limited , and the linear dynamic range is degraded . also , when the duty cycle shifts from fifty percent , any asymmetrical characteristics of the pair of switches constituting the modulator or demodulator undesirably influence the output and increase the carrier leakage in the output signal . in the embodiment of fig4 in order to maintain the dury cycle of the carrier clock signal ck at fifty percent , a zero crossing comparator is used . the carrier clock signal from clock input terminal 14 is supplied to a distribution transformer 60 having isolated secondary windings . the windings result in isolated clock signals being supplied to each of the modulation and demodulation sides . the respective clock signals are sliced or clipped at ground threshold levels by zero crossing comparators 62p and 62s . thereafter the clock signals are shaped into signals having fifty percent duty cycles and are supplied , respectively , to the modulator 200 and to the switching signal forming circuit 64 for driving demodulator 400 . by means of the foregoing arrangement , if the input clock signal ck has a distorted waveform , or if it has a reduced amplitude ( several millivolts ) due to a long transmission path , carrier clock signals having a duty cycle of fifty percent can still be obtained . since the active switching elements of the modulator 200 or demodulator 400 can be turned completely on and off by using the shaped carrier clock signals , the switching operation can be performed with high efficiency , thereby reducing carrier leakage and transmission distortion . therefore , even if the capacitance of holding capacitor c1 is small , the desired result may be obtained . the clock signal ck from terminal 14 is transmitted to the input and output sides of the isolation amplifier by the distribution transformer 60 . the carrier clock signals are then reproduced by the respective demodulators by zero crossing detection . in this manner , a common clock system can be provided which is not influenced by differences between the ground reference levels at different parts of the system . fig5 illustrates an isolation amplifier in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention . the isolation amplifier of fig5 has the same structure as that illustrated in fig4 except for the arrangement of the pulse modulator 200 and pulse demodulator 400 and similar reference numerals denote similar parts . the pulse modulator 200 comprises input amplifiers 210a and 210b having positive and negative gains + b and - b , which receive in common the signal of fig2 a . accordingly , absolute values of the gains of the respective input amplifiers 210a and 210b are set at the same value . the outputs of the input amplifiers 210a and 210b are selected alternately at each half period of the carrier clock signal ck by means of a switch 220 . the output of the switch 220 is supplied to the primary winding 30p of an isolation transformer 30 through a buffer amplifier 230 . thus , a double - balanced modulated current as shown in fig2 c is caused to flow in the primary winding 30p . the modulator 200 consisting of the input amplifiers 210a , 210b , the buffer amplifier 230 , and the switch 220 can be an integrated arrangement using fets as in the case of fig4 . when using such an arrangement , the on resistance of the equivalent of switch 220 may be large . however , the existence of the buffer amplifier 230 between the switch 220 and the primary winding 30p reduces the time constant of the circuit to increase the carrier frequency . the output of the secondary winding 30s of the transformer 30 is demodulated ( i . e ., synchronously rectified ) by the demodulator 400 and supplied to the output terminal 90 . the demodulator 400 comprises input amplifiers 410a and 410b having positive and negative gains + b and - b of the same absolute value . the outputs from the amplifiers 410a and 410b are selected alternately by a switch 420 which is in synchronism with a carrier clock signal ck . the selected output can be synchronously rectified . the positive pulses of the modulated waveform shown in fig3 b which are transmitted to the transformer 30 remain unchanged but the negative pulses are inverted , thereby reproducing the original waveform as shown in fig3 c . this is a result of the carrier signals in both the modulation and demodulation portions being in phase . the demodulated output from switch 420 is connected to the output terminal 90 through a buffer amplifier 430 . in the same manner as described with reference to fig4 the switch 420 of the demodulator 400 is provided with a neutral contact 420a which is unconnected , in addition to switching contacts which are connected to outputs of the input amplifiers 410a and 410b . a holding capacitor c1 is connected between the output of the switch 420 and a common line com2 . this switch 420 is controlled by the output of a switching signal forming circuit 64 in the same manner as fig4 and is connected to the neutral contact 420a during the hold pulse intervals sh1 and sh2 . as a result , the previous charge accumulated in the hold capacitor c1 is delivered to the output terminal 90 through the buffer amplifier 430 , thereby compensating for carrier leakage as indicated by dotted lines a and b in fig3 c . in the embodiment of fig5 the modulator 200 and the demodulator 400 have similar arrangements . the same integrated circuits can be used in both the modulator and demodulator , thereby considerably reducing manufacturing costs . furthermore , similar amplifiers may be employed for the output buffer amplifier 230 , used for impedance matching in modulator 200 , and the buffer amplifier 430 in the demodulator 400 . the voltage follower 28 which serves as a line output amplifier in the fig4 embodiment is then not needed , thus simplifying the circuit configuration . furthermore , in the embodiment of fig5 since the switches 220 and 420 of the modulator 200 and the demodulator 400 are of the same type , undesirable influences resulting from asymmetrical switching characteristics are reduced . when the modulator 200 and the demodulator 400 are integrated circuits , an integrated circuit terminal may be employed to connect the holding capacitor c1 to the output terminal of the switch 420 . although preferred embodiments of the invention have been described hereinabove in detail , it is desired to emphasize that this is for the purpose of illustrating the principles of the invention , and is not necessarily limiting of the invention since it is apparent that those of skill in that art can modify the disclosed arrangements in various ways to suit the needs of particular applications . | 7Electricity
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with reference to the drawings , there is shown the preferred embodiment of the fully assembled telescopic , tubular fishing rod holder and support tower / storage system and apparatus for ice fishing embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention , and generally designated by the reference numeral 10 . ice fishing system 10 is shown in a fishing mode in fig1 and a storage mode in fig2 and 3 . in the present invention , the ice fishing system 10 is comprised of a combination of components . as seen in fig5 such components in their broadest context include an outer tube 12 , a foldable leg assembly 14 , an inner tube 16 and a fully assembled ice fishing rod 18 . such components are individually configured and correlated with respect to each other so as to attain desired objectives described above . as best seen in fig6 outer tube 12 is an elongated , cylindrical , rigid member preferably constructed from plastic having an inner surface 20 and an outer surface 22 . at an open top end of the outer tube 12 on the inner surface 20 is a locking collar 24 , typically fabricated from plastic , which is used to lock the inner tube 16 in a retracted or expanded condition as will be further described hereafter . collar 24 is generally cylindrically shaped and is formed with a plurality of downwardly depending fingers 26 around its periphery . the fingers 26 have inwardly projecting portions 28 at their bottom ends cooperable with groove structure on the inner tube 16 . beneath the midpoint of the outer tube 12 on the inner surface 20 is a cylindrical ring 30 of plastic which functions as a first fixed stop engagable with the lower end of the inner tube 16 , also to be further described below . a generally cylindrical coupling 32 carrying an o - ring 34 for sealing purposes is attached to the outer surface 22 of the outer tube 12 at its open bottom end . coupling 32 is provided with internal threads 36 for facilitating support of the leg assembly 14 . turning to fig5 the folding leg assembly 14 includes at least three and preferably four elongated support legs 38 , preferably of aluminum , which are pivotally connected by pins 40 ( fig1 ) to a closure device in the form of a generally cylindrical leg base 42 . the leg base 42 has a top portion 44 to which the legs 38 are movably attached , a bottom portion 46 and a medial portion 48 which is externally threaded at 50 to be screwed into and out of engagement with the internal threads 36 of coupling 32 . in the storage mode illustrated in fig3 the four legs 38 are folded upwardly so that they extend vertically into the lower half of outer tube 12 . when the leg base 42 is manually unscrewed from coupling 32 , the attached legs 38 are extracted from the outer tube 12 , folded outwardly and locked by means of tabs 52 molded into the top portion of the leg base 42 . more particularly , each tab 52 is formed with a contoured slot 54 ( fig1 ), the upper end 55 of which is frictionally engaged with a proximal end portion of each leg 38 . once the legs 38 have been folded and locked out , the leg base 42 is inverted and manually screwed back into the coupling 32 ( fig8 ). with the legs 38 expanded and extending externally from the bottom end of the outer tube 12 , the legs 38 have been moved from the storage mode to a fishing mode to be further explained . referring to fig6 again , inner tube 16 is an elongated , cylindrical rigid member also constructed from plastic having an internal surface 56 and an external surface 58 . the inner tube 16 has a length which is shorter than that of the outer tube 12 and an outer diameter which is smaller than the inner diameter of the outer tube 12 so that it may be slidably and telescopically mounted therein . an upper end is closed by a plug 60 having a lanyard 62 connected to an apertured cylinder 63 . the upper end of inner tube 16 has a pair of upwardly extending head portions 64 , each being formed with a downwardly depending notch 66 used for supporting the fishing rod 18 . the external surface 58 of inner tube 16 includes an upper lock groove 68 for locking the inner tube 16 in a retracted position in which the head portions 64 are disposed within the top end of the outer tube 12 . a lower lock groove 70 is also formed on the external surface 58 for locking the inner tube 16 in an extended position ( fig8 ). at a lower end on the external surface 58 of the inner tube 16 is a second cylindrical ring which acts as a second fixed stop engagable with the bottom of the locking collar 24 on the outer tube 12 when the inner tube 16 is in the extended position . the ring 72 is also engagable with the first fixed stop 30 on the outer tube 12 when the inner tube 16 is in the retracted position . the inwardly projecting portions 28 on the locking collar fingers 26 are either engagable in a snap fit with the upper lock groove 68 when the inner tube 16 is retracted ( fig6 ), or with the lower lock groove 70 when the inner tube 16 is extended ( fig9 ). also , as seen in fig6 the lower portion of inner tube 16 is formed with a series of passages 74 to enable circulation of air between the outer tube 12 and the inner tube 16 ( as depicted by the arrows ) so that any condensation will not cause freezing of the tubes together . the air passages 74 generally allow the entire inner structure of the tubes 12 , 16 to breathe . referring now to fig5 the fishing rod 18 is fully assembled and includes an upper handle portion 76 , a lower handle portion 78 and a spool holding portion 80 connecting the handle portions 76 , 78 . each of the handle portions 76 , 78 normally carries an end cap 82 . the handle portions 76 , 78 and spool holder 80 are deliberately sized so that they fit adequately in the center of and are surrounded by the four legs 38 as shown in fig4 . the upper handle portion 76 carries a horizontally disposed , stainless steel pivot pin 84 which is received in the notches 66 of inner tube head portion 64 so that the rod 18 will pivot therefrom . extending from the upper handle portion 76 is a flexible rod 86 , and preferably a telescopic rod , having an inner section 88 and an outer section 90 . as seen in fig1 a fishing line 92 extends from a plastic , spring loaded , slip clutch spool 94 rotatably mounted in the spool holder 80 along the rod 86 through eyelets 87 and then down to water in a hole formed in a support surface 96 , such as ice . the line 92 commonly includes a bobber 98 and a hook 100 which is baited as desired . although not shown , the invention contemplates that a handle could be included on the spool 94 to facilitate reeling in and / or paying out of line 92 . fig1 through 14 illustrate an optional fishing rod structure when the lower handle portion 78 is provided with a battery operated , light module 102 having a mercury switch arrangement or the like ( not shown ). the light module 102 is designed such that when the rod 18 moves from an up position ( fig1 ) to a down position ( fig1 ), the light module 102 will be used to visually indicate the strike of a fish during dark periods from dusk to dawn . a counterweight 104 is optionally installed on the lower end of the rod 18 adjacent the upper handle portions 76 . fig1 shows the details of the spool 94 used in both embodiments shown in the drawings . in particular , the spool 94 has a pair of knurled outer rims 106 for retaining fishing line in a line receiving groove formed therebetween . the spool 94 is rotatably mounted in its holder 80 by a headed bolt 108 which passes through aligned openings in the holder 80 . a pressure spring 110 is interposed between the head of the bolt 108 and a first circular fiberglass , brake disc lying adjacent the inner face of one of the rims 106 . a second circular fiberglass , brake disc 114 is disposed between the outer face of the outer rim 106 and the inside of the holder 80 . an adjustment knob 116 is screwed onto a threaded end 118 of the head bolt 108 . in use , the ice fishing system 10 has a compact , lightweight storage mode as shown in fig2 and 3 wherein the inner tube 16 is retracted in outer tube 12 , and wherein the legs 38 and fishing rod 18 are protectably retained within the outer and inner tubes 12 , 16 , respectively . in the storage mode , the outer tube 12 typically has a length of about 24 inches and a diameter of about two and one - eighth inches so that the system can be easily carried by the lanyard 62 or by grasping the outer tube 12 along its outer surface 22 . the system is made ready for the fishing mode by unscrewing the threaded leg base 42 with attached legs 38 from the outer tube coupling 32 . this also removes the stored fishing rod 18 which is centered in the middle of the legs 38 and is further extracted therefrom . once this has been done , the inner tube 16 is telescopically extended relative to the outer tube 12 by pulling on the lanyard 62 until the inner tube 16 locks into position with the locking collar fingers 26 engaging with the lower groove 70 on inner tube 16 ( fig8 and 9 ). extension of the inner tube 16 provides the system 10 with additional height ( about 36 . 75 inches ) to minimize bending over for the fisherman . next , the leg base 42 is grasped and the four legs 38 are flipped out and locked as shown in fig1 and 11 . the leg base 42 is then inverted and screwed back into the outer tube coupling 32 , as shown in fig1 . the assembly is then positioned upon the ice 96 and the rod pivot pin 84 is placed in the notch structure 66 at the top of the inner tube 16 with the inner rod section 88 extended as depicted at fig1 . the fishing line 92 with its bobber 98 and hook 100 is then placed in a hole in the ice 96 . if a heavy bait is used , a larger bobber 98 may be required to compensate for the added weight . the fisherman now sets the bait depth , baits the hook 100 , positions the bobber 98 at water level and sets the rod 18 in the upward tilted position . with the bobber 98 at water level , any excess line is taken up by turning the spool 94 . when the fish takes the bait , the rod 18 will tilt down until it reaches the downwardly tilted position shown in phantom lines of fig1 . the downwardly tilted position signals the fisherman that the fish has taken the bait . with the line tension lightly set , the fish takes as much line as necessary with the rod 18 downwardly tilted . the fisherman removes the fishing rod 18 from the top of the inner tube 16 and at any time sets the hook 100 . by grasping the rod handle 76 or 78 and the spool 94 simultaneously , the hook 100 may be set without any loss of line 92 . the fisherman then pulls on the line 92 and fish by hand , after which the fish is removed , the hook 100 is baited and fishing is resumed . when the fisherman is done fishing , the set up procedure described above is reversed so the system 10 again is placed in the storage mode . if desired , the rod 18 can carry the counterweight 104 in advance of the upper handle portion 76 . also , for fishing in darker conditions , the optional light module 102 is used to provide a visual indication to the fisherman of a fish strike when the rod 18 pivots down as seen in fig1 . it should be appreciated that the present invention provides a telescopic , tubular fishing rod holder and support / storage tower employing a minimum of parts and requiring less than a minute to convert the assembly from a storage mode to a fishing mode . the entire system is particularly durable , compact and easy to use by fishermen of any age . while the preferred embodiment has been described as a self - contained fishing system particularly attracted for ice fishing , it should be further understood that the system 10 could also function as a rod support placed on a pier , a boat deck or other support surface adjacent a body of water . various alternatives and embodiments are contemplated as being within the scope of the following claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention . | 0Human Necessities
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fig1 shows a section of a known processing apparatus 7 . the example is a poultry handling and processing apparatus for separating the fillets of gutted bodies of poultry whose extremities have been detached . such a processing apparatus comprises a plurality of stations which are arranged along a conveyor section which has an upper and lower run and belongs to a processing line 70 . parts , specifically and in particular processing tools of the stations , are operated using a computerised control device 8 , which produces the control signals b 1 , . . . , bn supplied to the stations in particular according to the requirements of measurement / control signals m 1 . . . mn . fig1 shows only two processing stations 73 , 74 arranged on the lower run , namely a first scraping apparatus 731 and a second scraping apparatus 741 , which is arranged after the first one in the direction of conveyance f , with associated processing tools . the lower run section shown is also equipped with two measuring apparatuses 1 ; 11 , 12 which are arranged upstream of the processing stations 73 , 74 in the processing line 70 . as will be described in more detail , the measuring apparatuses 1 are designed according to the invention . in the processing apparatus 7 according to the invention according to the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , the measuring apparatus 11 is assigned to the processing station 73 , while the measuring apparatus 12 is assigned to the processing station 74 . the measuring apparatus 12 is arranged between the measuring apparatus 11 and the processing station 73 . the processing apparatus 7 comprises a frame or housing 71 on which the processing tools of the individual stations are arranged and attached . a conveyor device which is not shown has a continuously rotating conveyor which constitutes the upper and lower run . known holding apparatuses 77 are attached on the conveyor at equal distances . parts of the holding apparatus 77 are seen in fig2 b to 4b . it comprises a support body 772 forming a saddle and a base plate bearing the support body , attached to the conveyor , and a clamping device which is not shown . the holding apparatus 77 is located on the lower run in position with the support body 772 pointing downward . parts of the poultry body 90 are the sternum plate 91 , the sternum 92 , the coracoids 93 and the wishbone 94 . body joints 96 , on which shoulder blades 95 are also seated , connect the wishbone 94 with the coracoids 93 . the poultry body 90 rests on the holding apparatus 77 , with the sternum plate 91 coming to lie on the saddle support surface of the support body 772 , and is secured by means of the clamping device , which comprises a clamping lever working against the sternum plate 91 and / or the support surface of the support body 772 . a suitable clamping / control mechanism , which is not shown and which comprises a trigger element 774 projecting on the base plate 771 , opens and closes the clamping device for loading and unloading . associated constructions and mechanisms , which can be quite varied , are common and known . the measuring apparatus 11 is described in more detail below based on fig2 a to 4b . the measuring apparatus 11 is designed to detect body joints 96 of a passing animal body 9 , specifically a poultry body 90 . the measurement takes place in particular to record the positions of the body joints 96 for each individual poultry body 90 . information on the body dimensions can also be obtained . as can be seen in fig2 a to 4b , according to the exemplary embodiment , the measuring apparatus 11 comprises two sensors 2 , specifically a first pivot element 21 for measurement and a second pivot element 22 for measurement . a part of the measuring apparatus 11 forming the holding means 4 bears the two pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement . the holding means 4 comprises a plurality of parts , specifically a console or a bearing body 41 , holding elements 42 supported thereon , specifically holding arms 421 , a bearing element 43 attached on an associated holding element 421 in each case , specifically a bearing plate 431 and , between the pivot element 21 , 22 for measurement and the bearing element 43 in each case , a movement means 5 . the bearing body 41 can be a console or holding base , for example , which is constituted in particular by a frame , a housing and a bearing part 410 of the measuring apparatus 11 . for example , a part of a housing wall of the processing apparatus 7 can form the bearing body 41 , as seen in fig1 . as shown in fig3 a to 4b with dash - dotted lines , the measuring apparatus 11 comprises a passage space 3 and a passage path 31 . the passage path 31 is the path which the measurement object , specifically the animal body 9 or the poultry body 90 , must travel to pass the at least one sensor 2 or the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement which are arranged on the passage path 31 . accordingly , the passage space 3 is the space in which the at least one sensor 2 and / or the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement is enclosed spatially and physically for measurement and which is envisaged and designed for crossing the animal body 9 and / or the poultry body 90 . in the exemplary embodiment , the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement are arranged at a distance 20 transverse to the measurement passage path 31 , which corresponds to the spacing of the body joints 96 of the poultry body 90 . the transverse distance 20 is configured so that the body joints 96 of all poultry bodies 90 to be measured are recorded by touching for measurement . as is generally known , for this purpose the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement are constituted by rigid measuring tags which have a sufficient width transverse to the measurement passage path 31 so that they protrude into the path of each body joint 96 for measurement . this arrangement is shown in fig4 a and 4b . each pivot element 21 , 22 for measurement is attached and rotationally fixed on the associated holding element 42 , which is supported on the bearing body 41 and can pivot on a pivot axis 40 for measurement . each pivot element 21 , 22 for measurement is dimensioned with length such that its free end is in the path of the body joints 96 . the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement are arranged offset in the moving direction of conveyance f of the measurement object or along the measurement path 31 . they can also lie next to each other at the same path position . the measurement arrangement and function of the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement are known per se . in fig4 b , the right body joint 96 is directly before measurement contact with the pivot element 21 for measurement , which pivots by a measurement angle w of approximately 25 ยฐ, for example , to measure the body joint 96 , doing so by turning adjustment of the holding element 42 on the measurement pivot axis 40 . this measurement angle w , which can also be significantly less than 25 ยฐ, is recorded with a measurement means 32 and converted to a corresponding measurement signal m 1 . to produce a measurement signal m 2 in the same way , the other body joint 96 on the left is measured with the second pivot element 22 for measurement , which is located at a distance after the first pivot element 21 for measurement along the passage path 31 . the resulting combined measurement signal can also be constituted from m 1 and m 2 . the positions of the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement shown in fig1 , 2 a , 2 b , 4 a and 4 b belong to measurement positions i of the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement . the measurement position i is generally defined as a position in which the sensor 2 spatially overlaps with parts of the animal body 9 to be measured in the measurement passage space 3 and / or in the measurement passage path 31 before its measuring contact and during its measuring contact with the animal body point to measure . in fig3 a and 3b , the measuring apparatus 1 is shown with positions of the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement which ensure free passage of the poultry bodies 90 . the positions shown for the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement are outer positions ii . the sensor 2 is located completely outside the measurement passage space 3 in each outer position . in the exemplary embodiment , the movement means 5 in each case with an associated bearing element 43 and connected to the pivot elements 21 or 22 for measurement is a length - adjustable control element 52 , namely a pneumatic cylinder 521 , which constitutes part of a pivot mechanism 51 and controls the pivot element 21 , 22 for measurement with pivoting movement on a pivot axis 50 for moving out . the pivot axis 50 extends in the direction of the measurement passage 31 . as is particularly clear when comparing fig3 a , 3 b and fig4 a , 4 b , the movement means 5 enables back - and - forth motion of the associated pivot element 21 or 22 for measurement between the measurement position i and the outer position ii . the frequency and / or the sequence of the back - and - forth motion of the at least one sensor 2 or in the exemplary embodiment of the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement can be configured in many ways as required . thus the movement means 5 can be provided with a motion drive , in the example with a controlled pneumatic drive , which controls the motion in time intervals which can be defined or set in a fixed manner . it is particularly practical and advantageous to control or arrange the movement between measurement position i and the outer position ii as required or depending on the passage speed of the animal body 9 through the measurement passage space 3 and / or depending on the spatial interval with which the animal bodies 9 to measure follow one another . in the exemplary embodiment of fig1 , the measuring apparatus 11 comprises a control means 6 , which in each case controls movement of the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement in measurement position i and after completion of the measurement in the outer position ( ii ) during the passage of the measured poultry body ( 90 ). such a control can be implemented with any conventional pneumatic control , for example as shown in fig2 b with the reference number 522 and associated lines 523 . instead of a pneumatic control , any other suitable motion control can be used for the drive and movement sequence . in particular a cam control , which is not shown , can be connected with elements of the conveyor of the processing apparatus 7 to effect movement drive . the control means 6 can also be constituted by a control part of the control device 8 , as shown in fig1 with control connection s . in the exemplary embodiment according to fig1 , it is particularly advantageous that the measurements can be performed on poultry bodies 90 which follow one another with even very small spacing . this succeeds by the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement being able to execute a sudden controlled movement out of the measurement passage space into the v - shaped position shown in fig3 a in each case after conclusion of the measuring procedure , for example after a measurement and possible subsequent deflection of about 25 ยฐ. moving up to the outer position ii achieves an initial or normal position iii for measurement at the same time . this position is defined by at least one sensor 2 and / or the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement not only reaching the outer position in which the measurement passage is cleared for the animal body 9 measured or to be measured but also a defined position for starting the next measurement . this position is assumed in fig3 a and fig4 b . in this respect it is independent of the pivot position of the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement about the pivot axes 50 to move out as long as the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement do not touch or are not in active measuring contact with the animal body 9 . in the exemplary embodiment , it is important that the measurement deflection on the pivot axis 40 for measurement is restored in each case . restoring the pivot deflection can be done by a restoring device 33 producing a restoring force , for example , which produces a restoring force during deflection or at a point of deflection , which returns the pivot element 21 , 22 for measurement to the normal or zero position . an example of an arrangement with a restoring device 33 is shown in fig2 a and 2b . in each case , the holding element is connected in a rotationally fixed manner with an axial element 34 , which in turn is connected in a rotationally fixed manner with an arm element 333 . a tension spring 331 holds the arm element 333 in the outer and normal position ii , iii against a stationary , fixed stop 332 . for example , the measurement deflection w can be converted to a signal supplied to the measurement means 32 via the axial element 34 using a converter such as an angle encoder . the relatively small space described between two sequential animal bodies 9 is achieved in the exemplary embodiment of the processing apparatus 7 by the holding apparatuses 77 on the conveyor being arranged with corresponding small , equal spacing . this achieves a significant increase of the throughput . with particularly constant conveying speed , the timing of the control means 6 can then be set or configured as required by the chosen small space between the holding apparatuses 77 . the first measuring apparatus 11 , which detects the body joints 96 , controls the scraping tools of the scraping device 731 using the control device 8 , for example to space it as required by the individual distances of the body joints 96 . as shown in fig1 , the second measuring apparatus 12 comprises two sensors 2 , specifically pivot elements 23 , 24 for measurement , which are constituted in symmetrical arrangement by flaps of a door - like measurement passage . pivot axes 40 for measurement are oriented at least essentially perpendicular to a measurement passage plane 30 , which corresponds to a plane of conveyance which lies parallel to the base plates 771 of the support body 772 . for measurement , i . e . during the passage of the animal body 9 , the flaps are swung up on the pivot axes 40 for measurement to record in particular a maximum lateral dimension of each animal body 9 . to bring the flaps into their initial or normal position for measurement after performing such a thickness measurement , doing so selectively and particularly before the complete passage of the animal body 9 , a holding means 4 , which supports the pair of flaps for pivoting movement , comprises a movement means not shown in fig1 , specifically a pivot mechanism with which the flaps can be pivoted completely out of the measurement passage space and / or conveyance passage space in each case by pivoting on a pivot axis 50 to move out , specifically to an outer position as previously defined in conjunction with the description of the measuring apparatus 11 . it can be seen that the sensors 2 of the measuring apparatus 12 are pivoted up or down as well with respect to the passage plane 30 and / or the plane of conveyance , while in contrast the pivot elements 21 , 22 for measurement of the measuring apparatus 11 are arranged to swivel to the side of the measurement passage path 31 . the pivot axes 50 to move out of the measuring apparatus 12 are arranged parallel to the measurement passage plane 30 and perpendicular to the flap surfaces , for example . the measurement apparatus 12 is equipped with a control means 6 the same as measurement apparatus 11 . | 0Human Necessities
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the invention relates to compounds , which can be used as important intermediates for the preparation of the compounds mentioned in the prior art , and further compounds having a similar basic structure . the invention thus relates in a first aspect to compounds of the formula 1 , r2a and r2b are both hydrogen or together denote a bond , 1 - 7c - alkyl represents straight - chain or branched alkyl radicals having 1 to 7 carbon atoms . examples which may be mentioned are the heptyl radical , isoheptyl radical ( 5 - methylhexyl radical ), hexyl radical , isohexyl radical ( 4 - methylpentyl radical ), neohexyl radical ( 3 , 3 - dimethylbutyl radical ), pentyl radical , isopentyl radical ( 3 - methylbutyl radical ), neopentyl radical ( 2 , 2 - dimethylpropyl radical ), butyl radical , isobutyl radical , sec - butyl radical , tert - butyl radical , propyl radical , isopropyl radical , ethyl radical and the methyl radical . suitable salts of compounds of the formula 1 are especially all salts with strong bases , for example the sodium , potassium or lithium salt . compounds of the formula 1 to be emphasized are those , in which r2a and r2b are both hydrogen or together denote a bond , r2a and r2b are both hydrogen or together denote a bond , the compounds according to the invention can be prepared , for example , according to the following reaction scheme . in the scheme below , the preparation of a compound 1 , where r2a and r2b are both hydrogen (= compounds of formula 1a ), is outlined by way of example . the starting compound of formula ( 2 ) is known from wo01 / 172748 . the silyl ether of formula ( 3 ), which is also subject matter of the invention , can be prepared according to methods known to the expert , for example by reacting phenylisoserine ethyl ester with tert - butyl - dimethylsilyl chloride under basic conditions . the reaction of ( 2 ) and ( 3 ) is preferably carried out in the presence of a suitable catalyst , for example p - toluenesulfonic acid , and under simultaneous removal of water . the initial formation of an intermediate imine is followed by a ring closure , which is performed by using a strong base , for example potassium tert - butylate , lithium tert - butylate , sodium bis ( trimethylsilyl ) amide or preferably lithium diisopropylamide . for the preparation of compounds of formula 1 , in which r2a and r2b together denote a bond (= compounds of formula 1b ) the compounds of formula 1a are dehydrogenated ( oxidized ) with suitable agents , for example with manganese dioxide , 1 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 5 - dimethylhydantoin or 2 , 3 - dichloro - 5 , 6 - dicyano - p - benzochinone ( ddq ). the 8 - hydroxy - 7 - oxo - 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 - tetrahydroimidazo [ 1 , 2 - h ][ 1 , 7 ] naphthyridine , which is given for example in scheme 8 of international patent application wo98 / 142707 as intermediate , is obtained from compounds 1b by hydrolysis , for example with hydrochloric acid . the invention thus also relates to the use of the compounds of formula 1b for the production of compounds of formula 4 the following examples serve to illustrate the invention in greater detail without restricting it . likewise , further compounds of the formula 1 whose preparation is not described explicitly can be prepared in an analogous manner or in a manner familiar per se to the person skilled in the art using customary process techniques . the abbreviation min stands for minute ( s ) and h for hour ( s ). 1323 g ( 4 . 06 mole ) of ( r , r )- phenylisoserine ethyl ester are dissolved in 6 . 6 . l of dichloromethane . to this solution , 397 . 4 g of imidazole and 724 g of t - butyldimethylsilyl chloride are added . the mixture is stirred for 16 hrs at rt . the reaction mixture is washed subsequently with 6 l and 4 l of water . the resulting clear dichloromethane layer is dried over sodium sulphate , filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure . the obtained 1509 g of the title compound are used as such in example 2 without further purification . to 1509 g of t - butyl - dimethyl - silylether of phenyl isoserine ethyl ester ( obtained in example 1 ), dissolved in 10 . 5 l of toluene , 14 g of p - toluenesulphonic acid monohydrate and 736 g of 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 6 , 7 - dihydro - 5h - imidazo [ 1 , 2 - a ] pyridin - 8 - one are added . the mixture is stirred and boiled under reflux until 80 ml of water are collected in the dean - stark trap used . the mixture is cooled to โ 15 ยฐ c . and 6 l of thf are added . to this solution , 6 l of 2 m lithium - diisopropylamide ( solution in thf / n - heptane ) are added dropwise within 1 hr . the mixture is stirred for 30 min . without external cooling ( the temperature rises to โ 5 ยฐ c .) and then quenched with 7 l of aqueous ammonium chloride solution . the two layers are separated . the organic layer is dried over sodium sulphate and filtered . after removal of the solvents in vacuo , 1811 g of crude 7 -( tert - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 8 - phenyl - 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 - tetrahydro - 4h - 1 , 3a , 9 - triaza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 6 - one are isolated . this material is dissolved in 3 . 9 l of boiling methanol and cooled to โ 5 ยฐ c . while stirring . the formed precipitate is collected and rinsed with 1 . 75 l of cold methanol . after drying , 558 g of the title compound are obtained . the mother liquor is concentrated to 1 . 5 l and stirred at โ 5 ยฐ c . for several hours . the precipitate is collected and rinsed with 0 . 25 l of methanol . another portion of 96 . 5 g of the title compound are isolated . total yield is 654 . 5 g ( 38 . 5 %). 558 g ( 1 . 32 mole ) of 7 -( tert - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 8 - phenyl - 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 - tetrahydro - 4h - 1 , 3a , 9 - triaza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 6 - one are dissolved in 2 . 6 l of thf and 5 . 36 l of toluene . the mixture is stirred and cooled in an ice / water bath at 5 ยฐ c . 376 g ( 1 . 66 mole ) of ddq are added in portions during 1 hour . stirring is continued for additional 2 hours at 15 ยฐ c . after the oxidation is completed ( checked by hplc ), the reaction mixture is quenched with 2 . 066 l of aqueous 2 m sodium hydroxide solution . the obtained suspension is filtered and the filter cake is rinsed with 1 l of toluene . the filtrate , a two layer system , is separated and the organic layer is washed with 2 l of 10 % aqueous sodium chloride . after drying over sodium sulphate , the organic layer is filtered and concentrated under reduced pressure . the crude product is treated with 0 . 5 l of methanol and again concentrated in vacuo . the crude 536 g of the title compound are dissolved in 700 ml of methanol and cooled to โ 15 ยฐ c . the formed precipitate is collected , rinsed with 100 ml of cold methanol (โ 15 ยฐ c .) and dried . 342 g of the title compound are obtained as a yellow solid . 386 . 5 g ( 0 . 916 mole ) of 7 -( t - butyl - dimethyl - silanyloxy )- 2 , 3 - dimethyl - 8 - phenyl - 8 , 9 - dihydro - 7h - 1 , 3a , 9 - triaza - cyclopenta [ a ] naphthalen - 6 - one are suspended in 1 . 4 l of methanol and cooled on an ice / water bath to 10 ยฐ c . then 0 . 734 l of 30 % aqueous hydrochloride solution are added . the suspension becomes clear and after a few seconds a new precipitate is formed . the resulting suspension is stirred for two hours . after addition of 1 . 1 l of 25 % aqueous ammonia the basic suspension ( ph = 9 . 6 ) is stirred for 1 hour . the formed solid is collected and rinsed with 1 . 1 l water and dried . to remove remaining silyl starting material , the solid is rinsed with 1 l of diethyl ether and dried again . 273 . 5 g of the title compound are obtained . | 2Chemistry; Metallurgy
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the following discussion is directed to various embodiments of the invention . although one or more of these embodiments may be preferred , the embodiments disclosed should not be interpreted , or otherwise used , as limiting the scope of the disclosure , including the claims , unless otherwise specified . in addition , one skilled in the art will understand that the following description has broad application , and the discussion of any embodiment is meant only to be exemplary of that embodiment , and not intended to intimate that the scope of the disclosure , including the claims , is limited to that embodiment . referring now to fig1 , a representative embodiment is shown of an instant messaging ( im ) http gateway 100 for linking an im infrastructure 200 and an http server 300 . an im bot 110 appears on an im messaging service as another user . however , the bot 110 is a computer program that may log into the im infrastructure 200 and receive instructions from a human via โ im user โ 210 , preferably in the form of command - line text . โ im user โ is an im client application program with an interface for interacting with humans . for example , the client application program used by humans to access and use the yahoo messenger service may be an im user . generally , im user 210 runs on a human user &# 39 ; s computer , such as a desktop pc , laptop or other hand held computing device . a human may interact with im bot 110 , im infrastructure 200 ( e . g ., the yahoo messenger service ) and other im users via im user 210 . after receiving a user - entered command from im user 210 , im bot 110 may take programmatic action , such as querying a database 310 and formulating a response to be sent back through the im infrastructure 200 for viewing by a human via the interface of im user 210 . the im http gateway 100 may receive a specifically formatted data request from im user 210 via im bot 110 , which the gateway 100 translates and relays to the http server 300 . while wap gateways , such as wap gateway 510 , generally translate wap - enabled , device - specific data requests , the im http gateway 100 translates im - infrastructure - specific data requests . each im infrastructure 200 ( such as yahoo messenger or icq instant messenger ) may use a uniquely formatted data request that is used by im user 210 to send requests to im http gateway 100 . the gateway 100 translates the data requests into an http request that may be processed by http server 300 . the http server 300 may contain the requested information or may query back - end databases 310 or other linked data stores 320 for the desired information . the http server 300 may also provide data to various websites 400 and / or wap devices 500 . in operation , the im http gateway 100 may read a configuration file , which may be stored on the computer or server housing the gateway 100 . the configuration file informs im http gateway 100 which im infrastructure ( s ) 200 to log in to , and which bots 110 to use for that particular login . a single computer program may be used to start each im bot 110 or a different program may be used to start an im bot 110 . the configuration file may also inform im http gateway 100 to which http server 300 to forward requests . furthermore , the configuration file may identify which http paths on the server are to be associated with ( or โ mapped to โ) which bots 110 and the commands that may be received from such bots . after a user 210 logs in to an im infrastructure 200 , the user may enter a specifically formatted command , which is sent as an im - specific data request through the im infrastructure 200 to the im bot 110 . the im bot 110 may then relay the request to the im http gateway 100 , which translates the im - specific data request into an http request that may be sent to the http server 300 . while depicted as two distinct entities in fig1 , alternatively , the im http gateway 100 and im bot 110 may be combined as a single entity . in such a case , each instance , or bot , may handle conversion of an im - specific data request into an http request for the http server 300 . after receiving an http request , the http server 300 may then issue an http response back to the im http gateway 100 . the http gateway 100 strips the textual data from the response and reports this text back to the user 210 through im infrastructure 200 . if desired , the http server 300 may be configured such that http server 300 performs extraction of the textual data before sending the http response back through the im http gateway 100 . although im bot 110 is shown in fig1 as linked to a single im infrastructure 200 , an im bot 110 may log simultaneously in to a plurality of im infrastructures 200 . while each bot 110 has been described as a specific instance of a software application , bot 110 may be logged in to different infrastructures 200 under the same username and with the same associated commands . as previously stated , more than one instance of the same software application may be logged in to an infrastructure 200 , thereby providing a distinct bot 110 for each instance , each potentially having its own username and unique associated commands . all users 210 logged in to a particular im infrastructure 200 may have access to all bots 110 that are logged in to the im infrastructure 200 . however , each bot 110 may be customized to restrict access to only certain users . furthermore , each bot 110 may be customized as to which commands the bot will process . configuration of each bot may be established in the configuration file included within the im http gateway 100 . optionally , an http gateway 100 may store settings and other information about a specific user 210 . settings relating to a user 210 may be maintained in a โ cookie โ file on the http gateway 100 . as such , the settings may be maintained between logins and associated with user 210 the next time the user logs in . in an alternative embodiment , the settings may be stored in volatile memory , such as in the random access memory of the computer housing im user 210 . however , such an approach may not allow settings to be maintained in memory between logins , but may require fewer permanent storage resources . the im bot 110 may operate in a synchronous fashion , such that data is provided to user 210 when requested ( i . e ., one command issued by a user 210 provides only one response ). however , the im http gateway 100 also may be configured to provide asynchronous data to user 210 through im infrastructure 200 . im http gateway 100 may be configured such that one data - request command issued may result in a plurality of responses at various intervals . for example , a user may issue a single command to the im bot 110 asking the im http gateway 100 to provide stock prices , and the im bot 110 may return an updated response once every user specified time period ( e . g ., 15 minutes ). alternatively , the im http gateway 100 may be pre - configured to provide asynchronous data replies at default intervals . fig2 a , 2 b and 2 c show a schematic representation of an exemplary embodiment of the procedure that im http gateway 100 and im bot 110 perform in processing a data request from im user 210 . referring now to fig2 a , in block 610 im http gateway 100 may read a configuration file . based , at least in part , on the information contained in the configuration file , in block 620 im http gateway 100 may determine the im infrastructure in which im bot 110 may be logged into . also based , at least in part , on the information in the configuration file , im http gateway 100 , in block 630 , may determine the appropriate http server 300 to which it may forward requests received by im bot 110 from im user 210 . in block 640 , im http gateway 100 may map each known user command to a specific path on the http server 300 . in block 650 , im http gateway 100 may initiate an instance of im bot 110 and may log into the selected im infrastructure 200 . referring now to fig2 b , in block 660 im bot 110 may poll the im infrastructure 200 to determine whether it has any new message from any im user 210 . if im bot 110 receives a request from an im user 210 to add im bot 110 as a โ friend ,โ then im bot 110 replies โ yes โ to that request in block 670 . in block 680 , im bot 110 may check to see whether there is any other message . if there is no other message , then im bot 110 may return to polling im infrastructure 200 for new messages as depicted in block 660 . if im bot 110 locates a new message from im user 210 , then in block 690 im http gateway 110 may begin translating the im user 210 request into an http request which may be sent to http server 300 . in some embodiments , the first word of the user request is translated to be the command name . in such embodiments , as depicted in block 700 , the remaining text in the message is assumed to be in the form & lt ; variable & gt ;=& lt ; value & gt ;. for example , if im user 210 sends the request โ phone name = john smith ,โ then the first word , โ phone ,โ is recognized as a command that tells the im http gateway 100 to convert that command into an appropriate database query that will look up the telephone number based on a given name of a person . the remaining text , โ name = john smith ,โ may be translated to mean that the word โ name โ is the & lt ; variable & gt ; and the text โ john smith โ is the & lt ; value & gt ; of the & lt ; variable & gt ; โ name .โ other formats , schemes or syntax may be used for creation of the im user 210 requests . for example , instead of the above - described user request in the form of & lt ; variable & gt ;=& lt ; value & gt ;, user requests may be implemented using positional variables . with positional variables , the parameter in question may be assumed based on its position relative to other items in the user request message . using the positional variable scheme , the above example request โ phone name = john smith โ is replaced with simply โ phone john smith .โ the position of the words โ john smith โ in the message indicates that it is the & lt ; value & gt ; of the & lt ; variable & gt ; โ name .โ referring now to fig2 c , in block 710 the im http gateway 100 may create an http request based on the request received from im user 210 . in block 720 , im http gateway 100 may send the http request to the target http server 300 in the form of form variables . other formats may also be used . http server 300 may process the http request and may make any necessary calls to back - end databases 310 or other data stores 320 to formulate an http response . http server 300 may send the http response to the im http gateway 100 . in block 730 , im http gateway 100 may receives the http response from http server 300 . in some embodiments , in block 740 , im http gateway 100 may further process the http response by extracting the text portion of the response which corresponds to the answer that is responsive to the request received from im user 210 . in block 750 , im http gateway 100 may , through im bot 110 , send the text response to the appropriate im user 210 via im infrastructure 200 . im http gateway 100 may continue processing of other requests from im user 210 by looping back to block 660 in fig2 b and may continue to poll im infrastructure 200 for new messages from any im user 210 . as previously stated , in the foregoing discussions any functionality performed by im http gateway 100 may be performed by im bot 110 and vice versa . this is because in any given implementation , it is possible that im http gateway 100 and im bot 110 may be implemented as one programmatic entity or two different entities . when implemented as two separate entities , the functions performed by each may be assigned based on programmer preference and / or based on application specific or other factors . fig3 depicts a computer system 300 configured to be an embodiment of im http gateway 100 discussed above and as depicted in fig1 . computer system 300 comprises a central processing unit (โ cpu โ) 310 coupled to memory storage 320 . memory storage 320 comprises software 330 and configuration files 340 . software 330 comprises computer program ( s ) for performing the functionality of im http gateway 100 discussed above and as depicted in fig1 . alternatively , software 330 further comprises computer program ( s ) for performing the functionality of im bot 110 discussed above and as depicted in fig1 . configuration files 340 comprise data which informs im http gateway 100 , among other things , which im infrastructure ( s ) 200 to log in to , and which im bots 110 to use for that particular login . cpu 310 may be programmed with instructions from software 330 to perform the functionality of im http gateway 100 discussed above . alternatively , cpu 310 also may be programmed with instructions from software 330 to perform the functionality of im bot 110 discussed above . the above discussion is meant to be illustrative of the principles and various embodiments of the present invention . numerous variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated . it is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such variations and modifications . | 7Electricity
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fig1 shows a configuration of a scanning laser microscope according to an embodiment . laser light emitted from a laser light source 1 passes through a collimator lens 2 , thereby obtaining a parallel light flux . the parallel light flux thus obtained is reflected by a first dichroic mirror 3 , and introduced to a two - dimensional scanning optical system 4 . furthermore , the laser light thus introduced passes through an objective lens 5 , thereby forming a light spot on a fluorescent sample ( or specimen ) 7 mounted on an xy stage 6 . here , the two - dimensional scanning optical system 4 is formed of a pair of galvano mirror scanners and so on , for example . the two - dimensional scanning optical system 4 having such a configuration has a function of scanning the light spot on the fluorescent sample 7 in the x - y directions according to driving signals from a scanner driver 8 . upon irradiating the spot light onto the fluorescent sample 7 , fluorescence ( or reflected light ) is emitted from the fluorescent sample 7 . the fluorescence thus emitted is collected by the objective lens 5 and travels along the optical path in the opposite direction in the form of returning light , thereby being introduced into the two - dimensional optical system 4 through the objective lens 5 . furthermore , the light thus introduced is descanned by actions of the two - dimensional scanning optical system 4 , and then the light thus descanned is introduced into a condenser lens 9 through the first dichroic mirror 3 . the fluorescence thus condensed by the condenser lens 9 is introduced into a fluorescence filter 10 which allows fluorescence of a predetermined wavelength range to pass therethrough . then , the fluorescence in the predetermined wavelength range is introduced into a photo - detector 11 such as a photo - multiplier tube ( pmt ), photodiode , or the like , thereby being converted into an electric signal . with the present embodiment , fluorescence is introduced into the photo - detector 11 , synchronously with a pixel clock signal pixclk output from a synchronizing signal generator 13 . the device integrates the signal due to the fluorescence for amplification thereof for each pixel , thereby displaying the signals thus integrated in the form of an image . the photo - detector 11 outputs a brightness signal due to detected light for each pixel , synchronously with the pixel clock signal pixclk output from a synchronizing signal generator 13 . the brightness signal from the photo - detector 11 is input to an integrating amplifier circuit 12 . the brightness signal thus input is integrated for amplification thereof and is converted into a digital signal , synchronously with the pixel clock signal pixclk output from a synchronizing signal generator 13 . detail description will be made later regarding the integrating amplifier circuit 12 . the brightness data , which has been integrated for amplification thereof and is converted into a digital signal , is stored in frame memory 14 , synchronously with a vertical synchronizing signal vd , a horizontal synchronizing signal hd , and the pixel clock signal pixclk . with such a configuration , the brightness data is read out from the frame memory 14 , and is converted into an analog signal by actions of a d / a converter 15 , thereby being displayed on a monitor 16 in the form of an image . fig2 is a detailed circuit diagram of the integrating amplifier circuit 12 . the current signal input from the photo - detector 11 is converted into a voltage signal by actions of a current / voltage converter 121 , and is input to a resettable integrator a 122 and a resettable integrator b 123 as shown in fig3 , for example . each of the resettable integrators a 122 and b 123 has a configuration in which a reset switch sw 1 is connected to both ends of an integrating capacitor c 1 . with the resettable integrator a 122 having such a configuration , upon reception of a reset signal rsta ( in a case of โ h โ, the resettable integrator a 122 is reset ) from a timing generator 131 , the switch sw 1 is closed , thereby resetting the integrated voltage stored in the capacitor c 1 in the same way , with the resettable integrator b 123 having such a configuration , upon reception of a reset signal rstb ( in a case of โ h โ, the resettable integrator b 123 is reset ) from a timing generator 131 through an inverter 132 , the switch sw 1 is closed , thereby resetting the integrated voltage stored in the capacitor c 1 . note that the reset signal rstb is an inverted signal of the reset signal rsta , inverted by actions of the inverter 132 . the output signals from the resettable integrators a 122 and b 123 are input to an analog adder 124 having a circuit configuration as shown in fig4 , thereby obtaining a summed signal . furthermore , the summed signal thus output from the analog adder 124 is input to a sample - hold circuit s / h 125 , thereby sampling and holding the output signal from the analog adder 124 according to a sample - hold signal sh ( in a case of โ h โ, the signal is sampled , and in a case of โ l โ, the signal is held ) created by the timing generator 131 . the output signal of the sample - hold circuit s / h 125 is input to an a / d converter 126 , thereby being converted into digital data according to a conversion start signal adst ( upon detection of the rising edge , a / d conversion is started ) received from the timing generator 131 . d flip - flops dff 1 ( 127 ) and dff 2 ( 128 ) delay the input signal until the rising edge of the clock signal clk 1 received from the timing generator 131 . an adder 129 adds the output signals of the d flip - flops dff 1 ( 127 ) and dff 2 ( 128 ), and outputs the summed signal to a d flip - flops dff 3 ( 130 ). the d flip - flops dff 3 ( 130 ) delays the input signal until the rising edge of a clock - signal clk 2 received from the timing generator 131 . note that the timing generator 131 creates the reset signals rsta and rstb , the sample - hold signal sh , the conversion start signal adst , and the clock signals clk 1 , clk 2 , and clk 3 , based upon the pixel clock signal pixclk received from the synchronizing signal generator 13 . fig5 shows a timing chart for the operation of the integrating amplifier circuit 12 shown in fig2 . while fig5 shows all analog voltage waveforms ( output signals from the integrators , analog adder , and so forth ) as positive signals for convenience of description , each of the actual output signals from the integrators a 122 and b 123 , and the adder 124 , shown in fig3 and 4 , is a signal in which a polarity of an input signal is inverted . furthermore , with the present embodiment , let us say that the a / d converter 126 performs ad conversion for each input signal within half or less the cycle time of the pixel clock signal pixclk . the pixel clock signal pixclk is a cyclic signal , wherein the first half cycle is at the โ h โ level and the latter half cycle is at the โ l โ level . the integrator a 122 integrates the brightness signal during the โ h โ period of the pixel clock signal pixclk , and is reset during the โ l โ period thereof . conversely , the integrator b 123 integrates the brightness signal during the โ l โ period of the pixel clock signal pixclk , and is reset during the โ h โ period thereof . note that the integrators a 122 and b 123 each output zero during the reset period thereof . with the present embodiment , the integrators a 122 and b 123 operate with the reset periods being shifted from each other by half the cycle time . with such a configuration , the analog adder 124 adds the output signals of the integrators a 122 and b 123 , and the summed signal is input to the sample - hold circuit s / h 125 . thus , the sample - hold circuit s / h 125 alternately detects the output signals from the integrators a 122 and b 123 with the sh signal of โ h โ level . the a / d converter 126 performs a / d conversion for the output voltage thus sampled and held by the sample - hold circuit s / h 125 with the rising edge of the a / d start signal adst as a trigger signal . now , description will be made with the output signals from the a / d converter 126 as a 0 , b 1 , a 1 , b 1 , in order of output . that is to say , the first output data integrated by the integrator a 122 for amplification thereof is represented by ad . then , the subsequent output data of the integrator a 122 is represented by a 1 , a 2 , in order of output . in the same way , the first output data integrated by the integrator b 123 for amplification thereof is represented by b 0 . then , the subsequent output data of the integrator b 123 is represented by b 1 , b 2 , in order of output . the d flip - flop dff 1 ( 127 ) latches the output data of the a / d converter 126 with the rising edge of the clock signal clk 1 . on the other hand , the d flip - flop dff 2 ( 128 ) latches the output data of the d flip - flop dff 1 ( 127 ) with the rising edge of the clock signal clk 1 . the adder 129 adds the output signals of the flip - flops dff 1 ( 127 ) and dff 2 ( 128 ). furthermore , the d flip - flops dff 3 ( 130 ) latches the summed value output from the adder 129 with the rising edge of the clock signal clk 2 . as a result , the d flip - flop 3 ( 130 ) outputs data sets of ( a 0 + b 0 ), ( a 1 + b 1 ), ( a 2 + b 2 ), in that order , each of which represents the corresponding pixel data , i . e ., the integrated brightness data of the corresponding pixel of the photo - detector 11 . as described above , with the present embodiment , the device includes a pair of integrators for integrating the brightness signals output from the photo - detector 11 , and an adder for adding the output signals from the pair of the integrators a and b . with such a configuration , the brightness signal is integrated while alternately switching between the integrator a and the integrator b for each period of half the cycle of the pixel clock signal pixclk . specifically , while the integrator a integrates the brightness signal during the first half cycle , the integrator a is reset during the latter half cycle . on the other hand , while the integrator b integrates the brightness signal during the latter half cycle , the integrator b is reset during the first half cycle . the adder adds the output signals of the two integrators a and b for each cycle of the pixel clock signal pixclk . that is to say , one integrator , e . g . the integrator b , integrates the brightness signal during the reset time of the other integrator , e . g . the integrator a , and the reset time of each integrator follows the integrating time thereof . thus , the brightness signal is integrated over the entire period of each cycle of the pixel clock signal pixclk . in other words , with the present embodiment , the period of each cycle of the pixel clock signal is divided two . while the first period is assigned to the integrating time of the integrator a , the second period is assigned to reset time of the integrator a . furthermore , the second period is assigned to the integrating time of the integrator b . furthermore , the next first period following the current second period is assigned to reset time of the integrator b as well as being assigned to the integrating time of the integrator a . with the present embodiment , such an operating sequence is continuously repeated . this allows integration of the brightness signal output from the photo - detector over the entire period of each cycle of the pixel clock signal pixclk without loss of the integrating time due to the reset periods of the integrators a and b . thus , this maximizes the improved s / n ratio due to integration of the brightness signal , thereby improving the detection efficiency of the fluorescence emitted from the sample . with the present embodiment as described above , the period of each cycle of the pixel clock signal pixclk is divided into two equal periods . the brightness signal is integrated while alternately switching between the integrators a and b for each divided period . furthermore , the integrators a and b are alternately reset during the corresponding reset time following the integrating time thereof . this allows sufficient reset time of the integrators a and b even in a case of the reduced period of each cycle of the pixel clock signal pixclk due to the increased number of pixels . fig6 is a detailed circuit diagram of an integrating amplifier circuit 12 a according to a modification of the embodiment . fig7 is a timing chart of the operation of the integrating amplifier circuit 12 a according to the modification shown in fig6 . note that in fig6 , the same components as those shown in fig2 are denoted by the same reference numerals , and description will be mainly made regarding the difference therebetween . the integrating amplifier circuit 12 a according to the modification includes a multiplexer 141 instead of the analog adder 124 shown in fig2 . the multiplexer 141 switches the output signal between the output signals of the integrators a 122 and b 123 according to a switching signal sw output from the timing generator 131 . specifically , in a case of the switching signal sw of โ h โ, the multiplexer 141 selects the output signal of the integrator a 122 . on the other hand , in a case of the switching signal sw of โ l โ, the multiplexer 141 selects the output signal of the integrator b 123 . the other operation is the same as that of the integrating amplifier circuit 12 shown in fig2 , and accordingly , description thereof will be omitted . fig8 is a detailed circuit diagram of an integrating amplifier circuit 12 b according to another modification of the embodiment . fig9 is a timing chart of the operation of the integrating amplifier circuit 12 b according to the aforementioned modification shown in fig8 . note that in fig8 , the same components as those shown in fig2 are denoted by the same reference numerals , and description will be mainly made regarding the difference therebetween . description has been made regarding the integrating amplifier circuit 12 with reference to fig2 , in which the output signals from the integrators a 122 and b 123 are each converted into digital signals , and then the digital signals thus converted are added , thereby outputting the summed signal . with the integrating amplifier circuit 12 b according to the modification , the output signals from the integrators a 122 and b 123 are sampled and held by the sample - hold circuits s / h a 151 and s / h a 152 , respectively , and then the output signals thus sampled and held are added by the analog adder 124 . the summed value thus obtained matches the integrated value in which the pixel value is integrated for each pixel . with the present modification , the sample - hold circuit s / h c 153 samples and holds the summed value thus obtained , and the a / d converter 126 performs a / d conversion for the analog value thus sampled and held , thereby obtaining the integrated data for each pixel , i . e ., the integrated brightness data of each pixel of the photo - detector 11 . the other operation is the same as that of the integrating amplifier circuit 12 shown in fig2 , and accordingly , description thereof will be omitted . a set of the aforementioned collimator lens 2 , the first dichroic mirror 3 , the two - dimensional scanning optical system 4 , the objective lens 5 , the scanner driver 8 , and the condenser lens 9 , may be referred to as โ an optical system โ. also , each of the integrating amplifier circuits 12 , 12 a , and 12 b , may be simply referred to as โ an integrator โ. also , a set of the synchronizing signal generator 13 , the frame memory 14 , and the d / a converter 15 may be referred to as โ an image forming circuit โ. description has been made regarding the embodiment and modifications thereof in which the pixel clock signal pixclk used therein is a cyclic signal with the first half cycle at the โ h โ level and with the latter half cycle at the โ l โ level . with such an arrangement , while the integrator a integrates the brightness signal during the period of โ h โ of the pixel clock signal pixclk , the integrator a is reset during the period of โ l โ. on the other hand , while the integrator b integrates the brightness signal during the period of โ l โ of the pixel clock signal pixclk , the integrator b is reset during the period of โ h โ. also , an arrangement may be made in which the integrating periods of the integrators a and b overlap with each other in each cycle of the pixel clock signal pixclk . also , the present invention is not restricted to an arrangement in which the integrators a and b operate with the same integrating periods and the same reset periods as equal parts into which the period of one cycle of the pixel clock signal is divided . rather , an arrangement maybe made in which the integrators a and b operate with integrating periods and reset periods which are different from one another . while description has been made regarding an arrangement employing the two integrators a and b , an arrangement may be made employing three or more integrators . specifically , the device may include three or more integrators for integrating the brightness signal received from the photo - detector , and an adder for adding the output signals of the three or more integrators . with such a configuration , the device integrates the brightness signal while alternately switching between the integrators , thereby integrating the brightness signal over three or more divided periods forming the entire period of each cycle of the pixel clock signal pixclk . furthermore , the integrators are alternately reset during the next period following the integrating period . thus , the adder adds the output signals of the integrators over the entire period of each cycle of the pixel clock signal pixclk . while description has been made in the aforementioned embodiment regarding an arrangement in which the present invention is applied to a fluorescence laser scanning microscope , the present invention is not restricted to the fluorescence laser scanning microscope , and may also be applied to a spectral detector including photo - detectors each of which is prepared for a desired wavelength . the above described embodiments are examples , and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention . | 6Physics
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hereinafter , an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the appended drawings . first , fig1 ( a ) and 1 ( b ) are a top view ( fig1 ( a ) ) and a side view ( fig1 ( b ) ) illustrating an example of a principal configuration of a projection - type image display device of an embodiment of the present invention , and here a local right - handed rectangular coordinate system is introduced in the drawings . that is , in fig1 ( a ) , a longitudinal direction of a multiple reflection element ( rod lens ) is a z axis , an axis parallel to a paper surface in a plane perpendicular to the z axis is an x axis , and an axis running from the back to the front of the paper surface is a y axis . further , in fig1 ( b ) , an axis parallel to the paper surface in the plane perpendicular to the z axis is the y axis , and an axis running from the front to the back of the paper surface is the x axis . that is , fig1 ( a ) is a top view of the projection - type image display device as viewed from the y axis direction , and fig1 ( b ) is a side view of the projection - type image display device as viewed from the x axis direction . in these drawings , a discharge lamp 1 and a reflector 2 configure a light source for radiating white light . note that , as the discharge lamp 1 , an ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp can be used , for example . that is , the ultrahigh pressure mercury lamp can efficiently radiate the white light , and its luminance ( intensity ) is extremely high and its radiated light can be efficiently collected with a mirror surface that is the reflector 2 with an excellent light collecting property . specifically , the reflector 2 is configured from an ellipse rotation surface that is a rotated ellipse ( note that , a semicircle ) having a first focal point ( short focal point ) and a second focal point ( long focal point ), and has a dielectric multilayer film formed on its inner surface , the multilayer film transmitting an infrared ray and efficiently reflecting visible light . the reflector 2 reflects a visible light component toward the second focal point ( long focal point ), among the light radiated from the discharge lamp 1 arranged at the first focal point ( short focal point ). further , a multiple reflection element as a light - collecting optical element , that is , a rod lens 3 is arranged at a rear part of the light source in the z axis direction , and the light emitted from the discharge lamp 1 is captured / collected by the reflector 2 , and enters the rod lens 3 . while a detailed configuration will be described below , an incoming surface ( the left end part in the drawing ) of the rod lens 3 is arranged at the second focal point ( long focal point ) of the ellipsoidal mirror 2 , that is , in the vicinity of a position where the visible light component reflected at the reflector is collected . an emission surface of the rod lens 3 has a shape long in the x axis direction and short in the y axis direction . an aspect ratio of the rod lens 3 is set to be the same as an aspect ratio of a reflection - type image display element 10 as an optical modulation element described below . that is , the rod lens 3 satisfies c / d = e / f where the length of the emission surface of the rod lens 3 in the x axis direction is โ c โ and the length of the emission surface of the rod lens 3 in the y axis direction is โ d โ, and the length of the reflection - type image display element 10 in the x axis direction is โ e โ and the length of the reflection - type image display element 10 in the y axis direction is โ f โ. accordingly , light rays reflected in the rod lens 3 a plurality of times form , on the emission surface of the rod lens , light distribution with uniform intensity and a similar figure to the liquid crystal reflection - type image display element 10 . further , in the present example , a color wheel 4 is arranged in the vicinity of the emission surface of the rod lens 3 , the color wheel 4 being a rotation - type color filter . the color wheel 4 is a rotation - controllable disk - shaped color filter configured from six types of fan - shaped transmission - type color filters arranged in a circumference ( rotating ) direction in order , the six types of color filters respectively transmitting only r ( red ), g ( green ), b ( blue ), c ( cyan ), y ( yellow ), and w ( white ) light . the color wheel 4 can be realized with three types of color filters including r ( red ), g ( green ), and b ( blue ), in place of the above - described six types of color filters . that is , by rotating of the color wheel 4 , the white light output from the light source is decomposed into the six colors ( r ( red ), g ( green ), b ( blue ), c ( cyan ), y ( yellow ), w ( white )) in time series . following that , the light emitted from the color wheel 4 is irradiated on the reflection - type image display element 10 through relay lenses 5 to 8 that configure an illumination optical element that collects the emission light , and then through a tir prism 9 . here , an operation of the relay lenses 5 to 8 that configure the illumination optical element will be described . these relay lenses serve to prevent divergence of light by collecting the light emitted from the rod lens 3 and transmitted the color wheel 4 . further , the relay lenses serve to expand the uniform light distribution on the emission surface of the color wheel 4 , onto a surface of the reflection - type image display element 10 . further , the relay lenses also serve to make light approximately parallel . then , the tir prism 9 totally reflects the entering light , thereby to lead the light to the reflection - type image display element 10 . the reflection - type image display element 10 is a two - dimensional optical modulation element that can control individual cells , and an image formed of these cells is expanded and projected on the screen or the like , through a projection lens 11 . the reflection - type image display element 10 is synchronized with rotation of the color wheel 4 by a control device ( configured from a microcomputer and a memory ) denoted with the reference sign 100 in the drawing . accordingly , the reflection - type image display element 10 displays an image based on an image signal , for each color light of the color wheel 4 , and reflects the light entering from the tir prism 9 toward a direction of the projection lens 11 . that is , the light rays reflected at the reflection - type image display element 10 become to have an angle that does not satisfy a total reflection angle of the tir prism 9 , and thus are transmitted the tir prism 9 , and enter the projection lens 11 . note that , here , an optical system from where the light is transmitted the tir prism 9 after emitted from the color wheel 4 to where the light reaches the surface of the reflection - type image display element 10 is referred to as illumination optical system . next , details of the rod lens 3 will be described below with reference to the appended fig2 to 5 . note that , in recent years , to increase luminance of a projection image to improve display performance , an increase in the light emission intensity of the light source has been enhanced . however , with the enhancement , in an optical system irradiated with extremely intense light , especially in the rod lens that allows the white light from the light source to enter , and outputs light with uniformly dispersed illuminance , a measure against the radiated light with extremely intense intensity is necessary . in addition , as described in the conventional technology , a measure against the increase in the size of the rod lens ( especially , the length direction of the rod lens ) associated with the increase in the size of the liquid crystal display panel as the optical modulation element is also necessary . therefore , the inventors have attempted various examinations , that is , the inventors have found that , when the rod lens is formed of a group of four rods that are formed to divide the cross section of the rod lens into four equal parts , as exemplarily illustrated in patent literature 2 , an adhesive applied on a joint surface , for joining these four rods , is subject to high temperature and deteriorated , and the deterioration is led to failure of the device and the like , and becomes a major cause to shorten the product life . therefore , the present invention has been made in view of the problem of when the rod lens is actually mounted in the projection - type image display device , and provides a mounting structure of the rod lens in the optical system with a large amount of heat generation . fig2 is a perspective view including a partial cross section of the rod lens 3 for illustrating the entire configuration of the rod lens 3 , and as is clear from the drawing , the rod lens 3 has the incoming surface ( the left side in the drawing ) formed into a square so as to efficiently collect circular incoming light radiated from the normal light source , and has the outgoing surface formed into a rectangle so that the aspect ratio becomes the same as that of the reflection - type image display element 10 as the optical modulation element , as described above . then , the rod lens 3 is configured from two ( only a pair of ) rods 31 and 32 divided along an optical axis of the rod lens 3 to divide the rectangular cross section of the outgoing side of the rod lens 3 into two equal parts with long sides of the rod lens 3 , that is , in a vertical direction . note that the appended fig3 ( a ) illustrates a front view of an incoming side of the pair of rods 31 and 32 that configure the rod lens 3 , fig3 ( b ) illustrates a side view , and fig3 ( c ) illustrates a back view of the outgoing side of the pair of rods 31 and 32 , respectively . further , the pair of rods 31 and 32 has mutually facing surfaces extending in an optical axis direction and held parallel to each other in a state of being slightly separated , with a thin film on a surface and a structure of a cover unit 40 described below . accordingly , an extremely thin air layer is formed between the pair of rods 31 and 32 , and the light propagated in the rods is reflected at an interface being a separation surface of these rods . therefore , these rods 31 and 32 can be reliably separated . that is , the appended fig4 illustrates a perspective view of a partially enlarged joint part of the pair of rods 31 and 32 . as is clear from the drawing , a thin film 33 ( for example , the thickness d = 5 to 20 ฮผm ) made of an si thin film or a metal thin film ( ti , mg , or the like ) is formed on a part ( a corner part ) of one surface of the facing surfaces of the pair of rods 31 and 32 , specifically , on square four corner parts that form the facing surface , by means of vacuum deposition or the like . that is , with the formation of the thin film 33 across the parts of the facing surfaces , the pair of rods 31 and 32 is held parallel to each other in a state of being slightly separated . the thickness of the thin film can be made small if the flatness of the joint surface of the rods 31 and 32 is high . further , referring back to fig2 , the above - described cover unit 40 includes four external walls 41 provided to cover the pair of rods 31 and 32 ( only two walls are illustrated in the drawing ), a frame part 42 having an opening and arranged at a light source side ( that is , at the incoming side ), a frame part 43 having an opening and arranged at the outgoing side ( that is , at a reflection - type image display element side ), and a plurality of frame parts formed protruding from an inner surface of the external wall like a frame . note that the frame part 42 arranged at the incoming side serves as a diaphragm of the incoming light with a circular cross section from the light source side to the rod lens 3 . further , tip parts of a plurality of frame parts 44 formed protruding from an inner surface of the external wall 41 are in contact with external peripheries of the pair of rods 31 and 32 , and are formed tapered . that is , the plurality of holding frame parts 44 holds the pair of rods 31 and 32 at predetermined positions from the external peripheries by line con tact . further , fig4 and 5 illustrate positional relationship between the fronts of the pair of rods 31 and 32 , and the frame part 42 arranged at the light source side ( incoming side ) of the cover unit 40 . that is , as is clear from the drawings , when the rod lens 3 is viewed from an opening side of the cover unit 40 ( illustrated by the broken line in the drawing ) ( that is , through the frame part 42 at the incoming side ), the thin films 33 formed on the facing surface of the pair of rods 31 and 32 are hidden by the frame part 42 ( that is , positioned outside the opening ). according to this configuration , the extremely intense light radiated from the light source and collected with the reflector is not directly irradiated on the thin films 33 formed at positions close to the incoming surface . therefore , failure of the device and a decrease in the product life due to deterioration of the thin films 33 subject to high temperature can be prevented . note that the cover unit 40 can be manufactured into the above - described shape by casting metal such as aluminum ( al ) or magnesium ( mg ). that is , according to the above - described embodiments , a rod lens suitable for mounting in an optical system irradiated with extremely intense light associated with a recent increase in the light emission intensity of a light source , and a configuration of a projection - type image display device in which the rod lens is mounted are provided . specifically , outgoing light with sufficient illuminance distribution ( that is , uniform outgoing light ) can be obtained with a length similar to a conventional one , without increasing the length of the rod lens , ( that is , without increasing the size ), even when the conventional reflection - type image display element ( ratio = 4 : 3 ) with a diagonal of 0 . 7 inch size is changed into a reflection - type image display element with 1 . 0 inch size , or when the conventional reflection - type image display element ( ratio = 16 : 9 ) with 0 . 53 inch size is changed into a reflection - type image display element with 0 . 97 inches , that is , when the cross section of the rod lens is increased . note that , in the projection - type image display device according to the embodiments of the present invention described above , a configuration has been described , which employs the reflection - type image display element , as the optical modulation element for forming a desired image with the color light from the color wheel 4 . however , the present invention is not limited to the example , and can be applied to various projection - type image display devices , instead . for example , a ferroelectric liquid crystal panel as a bistable element that switches two states of on / off can be used . in this case , the tir prism 9 that configures a part of the illumination optical system would become unnecessary . in addition , in the above - described projection - type image display device , one configured from the plurality of transmission - type color filters has been described as the color wheel 4 being a rotation - type color filter . however , the present invention is not limited to the example , and reflection - type color filters can be used , instead . note that the present invention is not limited to the above - described embodiments , and includes various modifications . for example , detailed description has been given in the embodiments in order to explain the present invention in ways easy to understand , and the present invention is not necessarily limited to one that includes all of the described configurations . further , a part of a configuration of a certain embodiment can be replaced with a configuration of another embodiment , and a configuration of a certain embodiment can be added to a configuration of another embodiment . further , another configuration can be added to / deleted from / replaced with a part of a configuration of each embodiment . | 7Electricity
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comoviruses are a group of at least fourteen plant viruses which predominantly infect legumes . their genomes consist of two molecules of single - stranded , positive - sense rna of different sizes which are separately encapsidated in isometric particles of approximately 28 nm diameter . the two types of nucleoprotein particles are termed middle ( m ) and bottom ( b ) component as a consequence of their behaviour in caesium chloride density gradients , the rnas within the particles being known as m and b rna , respectively . both types of particle have an identical protein composition , consisting of 60 copies each of a large ( vp37 ) and a small ( vp23 ) coat protein . in addition to the nucleoprotein particles , comovirus preparations contain a variable amount of empty ( protein - only ) capsids which are known as top ( t ) component . in the case of the type member of the comovirus group , cowpea mosaic virus ( cpmv ), it is known that both m and b rna are polyadenylated and have a small protein ( vpg ) covalently linked to their 5 &# 39 ; terminus . more limited studies on other comoviruses suggest that these features are shared by the rnas of all members of the group . both rnas from cpmv have been sequenced and shown to consist of 3481 ( m ) and 5889 ( b ) nucleotides , excluding the poly ( a ) tails ( van wezenbeek et al . 1983 ; lomonossoff and shanks , 1983 ). both rnas contain a single , long open reading frame , expression of the viral gene products occurring through the synthesis and subsequent cleavage of large precursor polypeptides . though both rnas are required for infection of whole plants , the larger b rna is capable of independent replication in protoplasts , though no virus particles are produced in this case ( goldbach et al ., 1980 ). this observation , coupled with earlier genetic studies , established that the coat proteins are encoded by m rna . a 3 . 5 รฅ electron density map of cpmv shows that there is a clear relationship between cpmv and the t = 3 plant viruses such as the tombusviruses , in particular tomato bushy stunt ( tbsv ) and the sobemoviruses , in particular southern bean mosaic ( sbmv ). the capsids of these latter viruses are composed of 180 identical coat protein subunits , each consisting of a single ฮฒ - barrel domain . these can occupy three different positions , a , b and c , within the virions ( fig1 ). the two coat proteins of cpmv were shown to consist of three distinct ฮฒ - barrel domains , two being derived from vp37 and one from vp23 . thus , in common with the t = 3 viruses , each cpmv particle is made up of 180 ฮฒ - barrel structures . the single domain from vp23 occupies a position analogous to that of the a type subunits of tbsv and sbmv , whereas , the n - and c - terminal domains of vp37 occupy the positions of the c and b type subunits respectively ( fig1 ). x - ray diffraction analysis of crystals of cpmv and another member of the group , bean pod mottle virus ( bpmv ) shows that the 3 - d structures of bpmv and cpmv are very similar and are typical of the comovirus group in general . in the structures of cpmv and bpmv , each ฮฒ - barrel consists principally of 8 strands of antiparallel ฮฒ - sheet connected by loops of varying length . the connectivity and nomenclature of the strands is given in fig2 . the flat ฮฒ - sheets are named the b , c , d , e , f , g , h and i sheets , and the connecting loops are referred to as the ฮฒb - ฮฒc , ฮฒd - ฮฒe , ฮฒf - ฮฒg and ฮฒh - ฮฒi loops . the comoviruses are also structurally related to the animal picornaviruses . the capsids of picornaviruses consist of 60 copies of each of three different coat proteins vp1 , vp2 and vp3 each one consisting of a single ฮฒ - barrel domain . as in the case of comoviruses , these coat proteins are released by cleavage of a precursor polyprotein and are synthesised in the order vp2 - vp3 - vp1 . comparison of the 3 - dimensional structure of cpmv with that of picornaviruses has shown that the n - and c - terminal domains of vp37 are equivalent to vp2 and vp3 respectively and that vp23 are equivalent to vp1 ( fig1 ). the equivalence between structural position and gene order suggests that vp37 corresponds to an uncleaved form of the two picornavirus capsid proteins , vp2 and vp3 . one of the principal differences between the comoviruses and picornaviruses is that the protein subunits of comoviruses lack the large insertions between the strands of the ฮฒ - barrels found in picornaviruses though the fundamental architecture of the particles is very similar . the four loops ( ฮฒb - ฮฒc , ฮฒd - ฮฒe , ฮฒf - ฮฒg and ฮฒh - ฮฒi -- see fig2 ) between the ฮฒ - sheets are not critical for maintaining the structural integrity of the virions but , in accordance with this invention , are used as sites of expression of foreign peptide sequences , such as antigenic sites from animal viruses . in order to make insertions into the coat protein of cpmv , it is necessary to have a means of manipulating the genome of the virus . a full - length cdna clone of cpmv m rna ( ppmm2902 ) in the transcription vector ppmi was available ( see fig3 a ) ( ahlquist and janda , 1984 , holness et al . ( 1989 ) and holness ( 1989 ). we have shown that transcripts from ppmm2902 can multiply when electroporated in cowpea mesophyll protoplasts in the presence of highly purified virion b rna , therefore allowing modifications to be made to the viral coat proteins without affecting the multiplication and assembly of the virus . in view of the possible danger that b rna purified from virions to provide the proteins required for viral replication with ppmm2902 might be cross - contaminated with wild - type m rna , we have constructed a full - length cdna clone of b rna , pbt7 - 123 ( see fig3 b ). the full - length copy of b rna is immediately downstream of a modified t7 promoter . following linearisation with the restriction enzyme mlu1 , transcripts identical in size to natural b rna can be synthesised by t7 rna polymerase . a mixture of transcripts from ppmm2902 and pbt7 - 123 gives rise to a full virus infection when electroporated into cowpea protoplasts , and therefore replaces the use of natural b rna . we have selected the ฮฒb - ฮฒc loop in vp23 for the insertion of foreign peptide . this loop is clearly exposed on the surface of the viral particle and computer modelling has shown that even large loops inserted at this site are unlikely to interfere with the interaction between adjacent subunits responsible for capsid structure and stability . this loop has a unique nhe1 site at position 2708 of the m rna - specific sequence where foreign sequences may be inserted ( see fig4 ). the principle antigenic sites of the picornavirus foot and mouth disease ( fmdv ) and human rhinovirus ( hrv ), and the lentiretrovirus human immune deficiency virus ( hiv ) were used to illustrate the use of this invention in the production of vaccines to animal viruses . design and construction of pfmdv , a full length cdna clone of cpmv m rna containing a dna insert coding for a segment of fmdv loop protein to insert the &# 34 ; fmdv loop &# 34 ; into the ฮฒb - ฮฒc loop of vp23 of cpmv , two complementary oligonucleotides , both 81 residues long , were chemically synthesised . their sequences are given in fig5 a . the positive sense oligonucleotide contains the sequence encoding amino acid residues 136 - 160 from vp1 of fmdv serotype o 1 strain bfs 1860 . the nucleotide sequence of oligonucleotides was designed to take account of the codon usage preference found in cpmv and includes a bgl11 site in the middle of the sequence to facilitate screening . when annealed , the oligonucleotides give a double - stranded dna sequence with nhe1 - compatible ends . thus the oligonucleotides can be inserted into the unique nhe1 site of ppmm2902 . the effect of such an insertion on the sequence of the vp23 is shown in fig5 b . to facilitate the insertion of the fmdv loop , the fmdv - specific oligonucleotides were initially ligated into an m13 sub - clone of ppmm2902 which contained the sequence encoding vp23 . this was done to enable clones harbouring the fmdv - specific sequence to readily be identified by sequence analysis . all the standard dna manipulations were carried out according to maniatis et al ( 1982 ). details of the construction of pfmdv are given below and are shown diagrammatically in fig6 . step 1 . the plasmid ppmm2902 was digested with the restriction enzyme sst1 which cuts twice within the cpmv m rna - specific sequence at positions 2296 and 3423 but does not cut within the sequence of the plasmid ppm1 . following agarose gel electrophoresis , and both the large ( 6 . 0 kb ) the small ( 1 . 1 kb ) fragment were purified by electroelution from the gel . the 1 . 1 kb sst1 fragment was ligated into the sst1 - cut , phosphatase - treated replicative form dna from the bacteriophage m13mp18 . the ligation mixture was used to transform e . coli strain jm101 using the calcium chloride procedure . plaques containing the 1 . 1 kb sst1 fragment from m rna were identified by the lac complementation assay and dna sequence analysis and one , m13 - jr1 was selected for further work . step 2 . the double - stranded replicative form dna of m13 - jr1 was isolated from infected e . coli strain jm101 cells by the method of birnboim and doly ( 1979 ). the purified dna was linearised by digestion with the restriction enzyme nhe1 and the linearised plasmid treated with calf intestinal phosphatase . the two oligonucleotides with nhe1 - compatible termini encoding amino acid residues 136 to 160 of vp1 from fmdv were phosphorylated with atp using polynucleotide kinase and annealed to each other by boiling and slow cooling . the annealed oligonucleotides were ligated into nhe - 1 - digested m13 - jr1 , the ligation mixture used to transform e . coli strain jm101 and the transformation mixture plated out on a lawn of jm101 . a large number of plaques were found on the plates , 20 of which were selected for sequence analysis . bacteriophage were propagated in jm101 and the single - stranded dna isolated exactly as described by sanger et al ( 1980 ). the nucleotide sequence of the region of the bacteriophage dna around the nhe1 site was determined by the dideoxy method as modified by biggin et al ( 1983 ), using an 18mer , 5 &# 39 ; agt - tac - tgc - tgt - aac - gtc - 3 &# 39 ; seq id no : 1 , complementary to nucleotides 2735 - 2752 of the m rna sequence , as primer . of the plaques analysed , one , designated m13 - usha1 , had a single copy of the desired sequence in the correct orientation . step 3 . m13 - usha1 was propagated in e . coli strain jm101 and the replicative form dna was isolated from the infected cells by the method of birnboim and doly ( 1979 ). the dna was digested with sst1 and the 1 . 1 kb fragment purified by agarose gel electrophoresis . this fragment was ligated to the large ( 6 . 0 kb ) sst1 fragment from ppmm2902 ( see above ) which had been treated with calf intestinal phosphatase . the ligation mixture was used to transform e . coli strain jm83 using the calcium chloride method . the transformation mixture was plated out on l - agar plates containing 100 ฮผg / ml carbenicillin and the plates incubated overnight at 37 ยฐ c . 12 carbenicillin - resistant colonies were selected for further study . the colonies were grown up as 1 ml cultures in l - broth , plasmid &# 34 ; minipreps &# 34 ; prepared and analysed by restriction enzyme digestion . from the patterns obtained by digestion with the enzymes sst1 , bgl11 and ecorv , it was possible to deduce that 4 colonies consisted of full - length clones of cpmv containing the sequence of the fmdv - specific oligonucleotides in the correct orientation . one of these , pfmdv , was subsequently propagated on a large scale and the plasmid dna was isolated by the method of birnboim and doly ( 1979 ) and further purified by centrifugation using caesium chloride / ethidium bromide gradients ( maniatis et al ( 1982 ). 1 . purified pfmdv dna was linearised by digestion with ecor1 and transcribed using e . coli rna polymerase exactly as described for ppmm2902 by holness et al ( 1989 ). electrophoresis of the products of formaldehyde - containing agarose gels ( lehrach et al ., 1977 ) revealed the presence of transcripts which co - migrated with authentic viral m rna . 2 . following treatment with dnase1 and lithium chloride precipitation to remove the template dna , the transcripts were translated in vitro in the message - dependent rabbit reticulocyte system ( pelham and jackson 1976 ) in the presence of 35 s - methionine . the products were examined by electrophoresis on polyacrylamide gels containing sds ( laemmli , 1970 ) and visualised by autoradiography of the dried - down gel . the autoradiographs revealed the presence of two proteins of 105 and 95 kda which co - migrated with the translation products of natural m rna . 3 . the ability of transcripts of pfmdv to be replicated in plant cells was examined as follows : cowpea mesophyll protoplasts were prepared as described by de varennes et al ( 1985 ). transcripts from pfmdv were mixed with transcripts from pbt7 - 123 ( the plasmid containing a full - length copy b rna ) and electroporated into the protoplasts as described by holness et al ( 1989 ). as control , a sample of the same preparation of protoplasts were electroporated with a mixture of transcripts from pbt7 - 123 and ppmm2902 . 72 hours post - electroporation the protoplasts were harvested and the nucleic acids were extracted as described by de varennes et al ( 1985 ). samples of the rna were electrophoresed on formaldehyde - containing agarose gels ( lehrach et al , 1977 ) and the nucleic acids blotted on to hybond n membranes ( amersham international ). the nucleic acids were cross - linked to the membranes by irradiation with u . v . light . the membranes were probed for m rna sequences using a hind111 fragment form ppmm2902 corresponding to nucleotides 482 - 2211 of the m rna which had been labelled with 32 p as described by feinberg and vogelstein ( 1983 ). samples from protoplasts electroporated with pbt7 - 123 and either ppmm2902 or pfmdv - 1 revealed the presence of m rna - specific sequences confirming that the presence of the sequence encoding the fmdv loop did not prevent the transcripts from replicating . to confirm that the progeny of pfmdv replication retained the sequence encoding the fmdv loop , replicate membranes were probed with the positive - sense fmdv oligonucleotide which had been &# 34 ; oligo - labelled &# 34 ; ( feinberg and vogelstein , 1983 ) to give a (+) sense - specific probe . the sample from protoplasts electroporated with a mixture of pbt7 - 123 and pfmdv transcripts gave a clear signal at the expected position for m rna , a signal which was absent from the ppmm2902 control . 4 . to establish that protein subunits containing the fmdv loop assemble into virions , extracts from infected protoplasts were examined for the presence of virus particles by immunosorbent electron microscopy . samples of protoplasts electroporated with a mixture of transcripts from pbt7 - 123 and pfmdv were lysed by repeated passage through a 23 gauge needle . the extracts were centrifuged in an eppendorf microfuge and supernatant retained for examination . 10 microliter samples of the supernatants were incubated with gold electron microscope ( em ) grids which had been coated with anti - cpmv antiserum . after washing and staining with uranyl acetate , the grids were examined using a jeol 1200 electron microscope . particles of diameter 28 nm could be seen which had the characteristic appearance of cpmv virions . this demonstrates that the presence of the fmdv loop in vp23 does not prevent virus assembly . the foregoing description establishes that plant viruses modified in accordance with this invention can multiply and assemble into virus particles when electroporated into plant protoplasts . to produce modified plant viruses on a large scale it is necessary to prepare a construct which can be inoculated directly onto whole plants , and which will replicate and assemble into virus particles as in the above described protoplast system . we have therefore modified ppmm2902 in such a way that the resulting transcripts incorporate a &# 34 ; cap &# 34 ; structure at their 5 &# 39 ; ends , and rna synthesis is driven by a more efficient promoter . the steps in the modification of ppmm2902 to produce pmt7 - 601 ( fig7 ) are described in detail below . 1 . 1st strand cdna to purified cpmv m rna was synthesised exactly as described by lomonossoff et al ( 1982 ), using pdt 12 - 18 as a primer . 2nd strand synthesis was primed using the following oligonucleotide : conditions for synthesis were as described in lomonossoff et al ( 1982 ) and shanks et al ( 1986 ). 2 . the double - stranded cdna was digested with the restriction enzymes pst1 and bamh1 ( which cleaves the m rna sequence at position 1504 ) and the 1 . 5 kb pst1 / bamh1 fragment ligated into pst1 / bamh1 digested m13mp18 . the ligation mix was used to transform e . coli strain jm101 . recombinant phage harbouring inserts were identified by the lac complementation assay and checked for the presence of the correct insert by &# 34 ; t - track &# 34 ; analysis ( sanger et al ., 1980 ) as modified by biggin et al ( 1983 ). one clone , m13 - mt7 - 6 , was selected for further analysis and the sequence of the 5 &# 39 ; terminal 200 nucleotides of m rna specific sequence was determined as described by biggin et al ( 1983 ) and shown to be identical to the equivalent sequence in ppmm2902 . 3 . the double - stranded , replicative dna was isolated from e . coli jm101 cells infected with m13 - mt7 - 6 by the method of birnboim and doly ( 1979 ). the double stranded dna was digested with pst1and bgl11 ( which cuts the m rna sequence at position 189 ) and the 200 bp fragment released was purified by electrophoresis on and electro - elution from an agarose gel ( maniatis et al ( 1982 ). 4 . the plasmid ppmm2902 ( holness et al 1989 ) was digested with pst1 and bgl11 to produce two dna fragments of 1 . 1 and 6 . 0 kb . the smaller ( 1 . 1 kb ) fragment contains the sequence of the e . coli promoter linked to the first 189 nucleotides of the sequence of cpmv m rna while the larger ( 6 . 0 kb ) fragment the rest of the sequence of m rna linked to puc9 . the digest was treated with calf intestinal phosphatase , the two fragments separated by agarose gel electrophoresis and the 6 . 0 kb fragment recovered by electro - elution . 5 . the 200 bp pst1 / bgl11 from m13 - mt7 - 6 and the 6 . 0 kb fragment from ppmm2902 were ligated together ( maniatis et al , 1982 ) and the mixture used to transform e . coli strain jm83 . a number of carbenicillin - resistant colonies were identified and one , pmt7 - 601 , was shown to have the desired structure . large - scale quantities of plasmid pmt7 - 601 were therefore prepared as described for pfmdv . 6 . after linearisation with ecor1 , plasmid pmt7 - 601 could be transcribed using t7 rna polymerase to give rna which was identical in size to natural virion m rna when analysed on formaldehyde - containing agarose gels ( lehrach et al . 1977 ). the yield of transcript was approximately 1 ฮผg of full - length m transcript per ฮผg of linearised template dna . 7 . when a mixture of t7 transcripts from pmt7 - 601 and pbt7 - 123 was electroporated into cowpea mesophyll protoplasts , northern blot analysis of progeny rna revealed that transcripts from pmt7 - 601 are biologically active . the methods used for protoplast isolation and nucleic acid analysis were identical to those used to analyse the biological properties of pfmdv . infectivity of a mixture of capped pbt7 - 123 and pmt7 - 601 transcripts on cowpea plants samples of pbt7 - 123 and pmt7 - 601 were linearised with mlu1 and ecor1 respectively . portions of the linearised templates were transcribed using t7 rna polymerase in the presence of gpppg essentially as described by ziegler - graaf et al ( 1988 ). the transcription reactions contained 0 . 1 mg / ml linearised dna template , 40 mm tris - hci ph 8 . 0 , 25 mm nacl , 8 mm mgcl 2 , 2 mm spermidine hydrochloride , 0 . 5 mm each of utp , atp and ctp , 0 . 025 mm gtp , 0 . 5 mm gpppg , 0 . 05 mg / ml bsa , 10 mm dtt , 200 units / ml rnaguard and transcription was initiated by the addition of t7 rna polymerase to a final concentration of 1400 units / ml . incubation was at 37 ยฐ c . for 2 hours . at 30 , 60 and 90 minutes portions ( 5 ฮผl per 1 ml transcription reaction ) of a 5 mm solution of gtp were added . following transcription , edta was added to 15 mm final concentration and the integrity of the transcripts was checked by electrophoresis on formaldehyde - containing agarose gels . the transcription mixtures were extracted with 2 volumes of phenol / chloroform ( 1 . 1 v / v ) and the nucleic acids precipitated twice with ethanol . the nucleic acids were harvested by centrifugation , washed with ethanol and dried under vacuum . the nucleic acids were dissolved in 50 mm tris - phosphate , ph 8 . 0 for inoculation on to plants . the primary leaves of 10 day - old cowpea ( vigna unguiculata var . california blackeye ) were dusted with carborundum and a 1 : 1 ( w / w ) mixture of transcripts derived from pmt7 - 601 and pbt7 - 123 were applied to the leaves with gently rubbing . a variety of transcript concentrations were used but in all cases the final inoculum volume was 50 ฮผl . the results obtained showed that when a total of 5 ฮผg of each transcript was applied per primary leaf , 100 % of plants inoculated routinely developed symptoms characteristic of a cpmv infection . the presence of cpmv - specific sequences in both the inoculated and upper leaves of such plants was confirmed by &# 34 ; dot blot &# 34 ; analysis . samples of the inoculated and trifoliate leaves were taken using a number 10 cork borer and macerated and extracted with 0 . 4 mls of 10 mm sodium phosphate . the samples were centrifuged and 5 ฮผl of the supernatant was applied to nitrocellulose filters pre - wetted with 20 ร ssc . the nucleic acid were cross - linked to the membranes by irradiation with u . v . light and probed for m rna - specific sequences using a 32 p &# 34 ; oligo - labelled &# 34 ; ( feinberg and vogelstein , 1983 ) probe consisting of nucleotides 482 - 2211 of the m rna sequence . the conditions for hybridisation and washing of the filters were as described by maniatis et al ( 1982 ). after drying , the filters were autoradiographed . a strong hybridisation signal indicated the presence of cpmv - specific sequences . to construct pmt7 - fmdv - i , pmt7 - 601 and pfmdv were both digested with restriction enzyme sst1 , the digest from pmt7 - 601 being subsequently treated with calf intestinal phosphatase . sst1 cuts each plasmid twice at positions 2296 and 3423 of the m rna - specific region to release a 1 . 1 kb fragment . as discussed previously this sst1 fragment contains the region of vp23 encompassing the ฮฒb - ฮฒc loop where the fmdv loop insertion has been made . following electrophoresis on an agarose gel , the 1 . 1 kb fragment from pfmdv and the 5 . 1 kb fragment , encompassing the vector sequence and all the rest of the m rna specific sequence , from pmt7 - 601 were recovered by electo - elution . the two sst1 fragments were ligated together and the mixture transformed in e . coli strain jm83 . a number of carbenicillin - resistant colonies were picked , &# 34 ; minipreps &# 34 ; made and the plasmid dna examined by restriction enzyme digests to identify recombinants containing the fmdv loop . one such clone was identified , designated pmt7 - fmdv - i and grown up on a large scale . all the dna manipulations were as described for the construction of pfmdv and pmt7 - 601 . both pfmdv and its derivative pmt7 - fmdv - i have a straightforward insertion into the ฮฒb - ฮฒc loop of vp23 . to limit the increase in size of the loop upon insertion of a foreign sequence , a replacement vector was designed where the foreign sequence would replace the natural ฮฒb - ฮฒc loop in vp23 rather than be added to it . in the nucleotide sequence of the region of the cpmv genome encoding vp23 a single silent base change ( u to c ) at position 2740 creates a unique aat11 site at amino acid valine 27 . the change in the sequence of m rna is shown in fig8 . the creation of the aat11 site enables the nucleotide sequence encoding the six amino acids from the native ฮฒb - ฮฒc loop in cpmv to be removed by digestion with nhe1 and aat11 . the sequence can then be replaced by any sequence with nhe1 - and aat11 - compatible ends . two different sequences were designed to be substituted for the sequence between the nhe1 and aat11 sites of the mutated m rna sequence . the first sequence to be substituted into vp23 consisted of oligonucleotides encoding residues 735 - 752 from the transmembrane glycoprotein gp41 from human immunodeficiency virus ( hiv - 1 ). this sequence was selected as a synthetic peptide for this region is recognised in enzyme - linked immunosorbent assays ( elisa ) by antisera from seropositive aids patients and is capable of inducing antibodies which neutralise a range of hiv - 1 isolates ( kennedy et al , 1986 ; chanh et al , 1986 ; dagleish et al , 1988 ). the second sequence consists of the nucleotide sequence encoding residues 85 - 99 from vp1 of human rhinovirus 14 ( hrv14 ). in both cases , the oligonucleotides were designed to contain restriction enzyme sites to facilitate screening . the sequences of the oligonucleotides and the effect of the substitutions on the amino acid sequence of vp23 are shown in fig9 and 10 . the steps in the construction of pmt7 - hiv and pmt7 - hrv are given below and are shown diagrammatically in fig1 . step 1 . m13 - jr - 1 ( see fig6 ) was propagated in e . coli strain cj236 and du - containing single - stranded dna isolated as described by kunkel ( 1985 ). the t to c mutation at position 2740 of the m rna sequence was made by oligonucleotide - directed mutagenesis of du - containing single - stranded m13 - jr1 dna using the primer ctg - ctg - tga - cgt - ctg - aaa - a seq id no : 3 as described by kunkel ( 1985 ). this resulted in the construction of clone m13 - jraat11 . the mutation was confirmed by dideoxy sequence analysis of single - stranded dna ( biggin et al . 1983 ) and by restriction enzyme digestion of the double - stranded replication form dna . step 2 . the replicative form dna of m13 - jraat11 was isolated and digested with nhe1 and aat11 and treated with calf intestinal phosphatase . the pairs of oligonucleotides shown in fig9 and 10 were phosphorylated with atp using polynucleotide kinase , annealed together by boiling and slow cooling and ligated into nhe1 / aat11 - digested m13 - jraat11 . recombinant m13 clones harbouring the inserted sequences were identified by sequence analysis of the single - stranded bacteriophage dna exactly as described previously for pfmdv . two clones , m13 - hiv and m13 - hrv containing the required sequences were identified and the double - stranded replicative form dna was isolated shown to give the expected pattern of fragments on restriction enzyme digestion . step 3 . replicative form dna from m13 - hiv and m13 - hrv was digested with sst1 and the 1 . 2 kb m rna - specific fragment recovered by electro - elution after electrophoresis of the digest on an agarose gel . the 1 . 2 kb fragments were ligated into the large sst1 fragment from pmt7 - 601 as previously described for production of pmt7 - fmdv - i . the ligation mixture was used to transform e . coli strain jm83 and carbenicillin - resistant colonies selected . two clones , designated pmt7 - hiv and pmt7 - hrv , were shown to contain the desired structure by restriction enzyme mapping and nucleotide sequence analysis . for transcription , pmt7 - hiv and pmt7 - hrv , were linearised by digestion with ecor1 . transcription using t7 rna polymerase was carried out exactly as described for pmt7 - 601 and pbt7 - 123 . the resulting transcripts were identical in size to natural virion rna . demonstration of the ability of pmt7 - fmdv - i and pmt7 - hiv transcripts to replicate in cowpea protoplasts 10 ฮผg samples of the in vitro transcripts from either pmt7 - 601 , pmt7 - fmdv - i or pmt7 - hiv were mixed with 15 ฮผg samples of transcripts from pbt7 - 123 and the mixtures used to electroporate 10 6 cowpea mesophyll protoplasts . samples were either taken immediately ( 0 hour ) or after incubation of the protoplasts for 72 hour in the light at 25 ยฐ c . nucleic acids were extracted from one quarter of each sample and electrophoresed on a 1 % formaldehyde - containing agarose gel as previously described . the nucleic acids were blotted on to hybond n , cross - linked to the membrane by u . v . irradiation and probed for cpmv m rna - specific sequences as previously described . in each case a strong hybridisation signal corresponding in position to m rna could be detected in the 72 hour but not the 0 hour incubation samples , demonstrating that the transcripts from all four constructs can multiply in cowpea protoplasts . the remaining three quarters of each protoplast sample was lysed as previously described and applied to electron microscope grids coated with anti - cpmv serum . the grids were then examined using a jeol 1200 electron microscope . large numbers of particles could be seen in the 72 hour samples of protoplasts electroporated with pmt7 - 601 , pmt7 - fmdv - i and pmt7 - hiv transcripts . these results show that the modified coat proteins encoded by pmt7 - fmdv - i and pmt7 - hiv can assemble into virions . ability of pmt7 - fmdv - i and pmt7 - hiv transcripts to replicate in whole cowpea plants to demonstrate the ability of transcripts from pmt7 - fmdv - i and pmt7 - hiv to replicate in whole cowpea plants in the presence of transcripts derived from pbt7 - 123 , transcripts capped with gpppg were prepared as previously described . 6 groups , each consisting of 5 , 10 day old , cowpeas , were inoculated with the transcripts using the method previously described . in each case , the amount of transcript refers to the amount applied to an individual leaf . group 2 . inoculated with 1 . 5 ฮผg of natural cpmv virion rna symptoms were scored on a daily basis and samples of leaf tissue from each plant were taken 11 days post - inoculation for &# 34 ; dot blot &# 34 ; analysis which was carried out as described previously . the rest of the leaf tissue from all the plants in groups 4 and 5 was harvested and frozen for future use . none of the plants in group 1 ( mock - inoculated ) developed any symptoms up to 11 days post infection ( p . i .) and no cpmv - specific nucleic acids could be detected in the leaf tissue by &# 34 ; dot blot &# 34 ; analysis . this shows that no accidental infection of the cowpea plants with cpmv had occurred during the experiment . all plants in groups 2 and 3 ( inoculated with either virion rna or a mixture of pmt7 - 601 and pbt7 - 123 transcripts ) showed strong symptoms on both the inoculated and systemic leaves by 7 days p . i . &# 34 ; dot blot &# 34 ; analysis of leaf tissue showed the presence of large amounts of virus - specific rna in both the inoculated and systemic leaves of all plants . this confirms that the plants used in the experiment were fully susceptible to infection with cpmv using either virion rna or a mixture of wild - type transcripts . by 11 days p . i . the inoculated leaves of all the plants in group 4 ( inoculated with pmt7 - fmdv - 1 transcripts ) developed a mottled appearance distinct from that normally associated with a wild - type virus infection . this result shows that the transcripts from pmt7 - fmdv - i can multiply and spread from cell - to - cell in whole cowpea plants . 4 out of 5 of the plants in group 5 ( inoculated with pmt7 - hiv transcripts ) developed symptoms on their systemic leaves by 11 days p . i . &# 34 ; dot blot analysis showed that plants showing symptoms had substantial quantities of virus - specific sequences in both the inoculated and systemic leaves . this result shows that transcripts from pmt7 - hiv can multiply and spread within whole cowpea plants . pmt7 - fmdv - i : to demonstrate that modified viral capsid proteins were synthesised in the inoculated leaves of the group 4 plants , samples of the frozen leaf tissue were finely ground and extracted with 1 ร laemmli sample buffer . the extracts were electrophoresed on 15 % polyacrylamide - sds gels and the proteins transferred to nitrocellulose membranes using a biorad semi - dry transfer cell . the membranes were probed either with serum raised against whole cpmv virus particles or with a serum raised against the synthetic oligopeptide , vpnlrgdlqvlaqkvartlp ( cg ) seq id no : 4 , corresponding to residues 141 - 160 of vp1 of fmdv strain o 1 . this sequence corresponds to the epitope which was inserted into vp23 in pmt7 - fmdv . both antisera were raised in rabbits . western blot analysis was carried out using alkaline phosphatase - conjugated goat anti - rabbit igg as the second antibody . the protein extracts of all five group 4 plants were found to react with the anti - cpmv serum indicating that the virus coat proteins were synthesised in the inoculated leaves of the group 4 plants . when similar blots were probed with the anti - fmdv oligopeptide serum , a single band lit up in the extracts from each of the group 4 plants ( fig1 ). this band migrated with an apparent molecular weight of 24 kda , which is exactly the size expected for vp23 carrying the fmdv loop . no product of similar size could be seen when extracts from mock - inoculated or wild - type cpmv - inoculated leaves were analysed ( fig1 ). likewise , purified wild - type cpmv coat proteins did react with the fmdv - specific antiserum . furthermore , pre - treatment of the anti - fmdv serum with the peptide which was used to raise it , abolished the reaction with the extracts from the group 4 plants demonstrating the specificity of the immunological reaction . these results demonstrate that the inoculated leaves of the group 4 plants contained cpmv coat proteins harbouring the fmdv loop . pmt7 - hiv : as discussed above , the &# 34 ; dot blot &# 34 ; analysis of both the inoculated and systemic leaves from the group 5 plants indicated that transcripts from pmt7 - hiv can multiply and spread in whole plants . the levels of signal obtained and the fact that the infection went systemic show that the progeny rna is encapsidated . to prove that the hiv - specific insert was retained in the progeny rna , &# 34 ; dot blots &# 34 ; of extracts from the group 5 plants were probed with a hiv - insert specific probe . this was made by &# 34 ; oligo - labelling &# 34 ; the positive sense oligonucleotide used in the construction of pmt7 - hiv ( see fig9 ). the results obtained showed the presence of the hiv sequence in extracts of the inoculated leaves of the four plants which showed symptoms . to extend the previous findings obtained with transcripts derived from pmt7 - fmdv - i , five groups of five cowpea plants were inoculated with capped transcripts , prepared as previously described , as follows : group 2 : inoculated with 0 . 5 ฮผg of natural cpmv virion rna symptoms were scored on a daily basis . 13 days post - inoculation triplicate leaf disk samples were taken from one inoculated and one trifoliate leaf of each plant . the samples were treated as follows : sample 1 ( crude homogenate ): homogenised in 0 . 4 mls 10 mm sodium phosphate buffer , ph7 . 0 , centrifuged and the supernatant recovered . sample 2 ( rna extract ): frozen in liquid nitrogen , finely ground and the nucleic acids extracted with phenol / chloroform . after ethanol precipitation , the nucleic acids were finally resuspended in 0 . 1 mls of water . sample 3 ( protein extract ): frozen in liquid nitrogen , finely ground and the powder dissolved in 0 . 1 ml 1 ร laemmli sample buffer . &# 34 ; dot blots &# 34 ; were prepared from 5 ฮผl aliquots of samples 1 and 2 and were probed with either a probe specific for nucleotides 482 - 2211 of cpmv m rna ( cpmv - specific probe ), prepared as described previously , or with a probe specific for fmdv - specific insert . the latter was prepared by &# 34 ; oligo - labelling &# 34 ; the positive sense oligonucleotide shown in fig5 . western blots were prepared from aliquots of sample 3 and probed for fmdv - specific epitopes as described previously . isem was carried out on aliquots of sample 1 . no symptoms developed on any of the group 1 ( mock inoculated ) plants . dot blots of crude homogenates or rna extracts revealed no cpmv - specific or fmdv - specific sequences were present in extracts from either the inoculated or trifoliate leaves . isem of the crude homogenates using electron microscopy grids coated with anti - cpmv serum showed no virus particles were present . western blot analysis of the protein extracts using the fmdv - specific serum showed an absence of any fmdv epitopes . these results provide the negative control for the rest of the experiment . symptoms developed on both the inoculated and trifoliate leaves of all group 2 ( virion rna - inoculated ) and group 3 ( pmt7 - 601 + pbt7 - 123 )- inoculated plants by 7 days pi . by 11 days pi the lesions on the primary leaves had expanded to a diameter of 2 - 3 mm . dot blots of both the crude homogenates and rna extracts revealed the presence of cpmv - specific but not fmdv - specific sequences . isem using grids coated with anti - cpmv serum revealed the presence of copious numbers of cpmv particles in crude homogenates from both the inoculated and trifoliate leaves . western blot analysis of the protein extracts showed an absence of any fmdv epitopes . small lesions ( approximately 1 mm in diameter ) developed on the inoculated leaves of the group 4 ( pmt7 - fmdv - i + pbt7 - 123 )- inoculated plants by 11 days pi . dot blots of the rna extracted from the leaves ( sample 2 ) showed the presence of both cpmv - and fmdv - specific sequences in the inoculated of 3 out of the 5 group 4 plants . isem using grids coated with anti - cpmv serum revealed the presence of cpmv - like virus particles in the crude homogenates from the inoculated leaves of 4 out of the 5 group 4 plants . western blotting of the protein extracts ( sample 3 ) revealed the presence of the fmdv epitope on the small coat protein in extracts from all group 4 plants . these results confirm that transcripts from pmt7 - fmdv - i can multiply in whole cowpea plants and show that virus particles are produced in such plants . to isolate virus particles from pmt7 - fmdv - i - infected leaf tissue the following method was developed : 22 grams of primary cowpea leaves which had been inoculated with 5 ฮผg each of pbt7 - 123 and pmt7 - fmdv transcripts were harvested 16 days post - inoculation . the leaves were homogenised in 2 volumes ( approximately 50 mls ) of 0 . 1m sodium phosphate , ph 7 . 0 at 4 ยฐ c . the sap was filtered through two layers of muslin , centrifuged at 15 , 000 g for 15 minutes and the supernatant retained . the pellet was re - extracted with a few mls of 0 . 1m sodium phosphate buffer ph 7 . 0 , re - centrifuged . the supernatants were combined and centrifuged in a beckman type 30 rotor at 27 , 000 rpm for 4 hours at 4 ยฐ c . the resulting pellet was resuspended overnight at 4 ยฐ c . in 3 . 5 mls of 0 . 1m sodium phosphate , ph 7 . 0 and subsequently centrifuged in an eppendorf centrifuge for 10 minutes . the supernatant was taken and made up to 4 mls with 0 . 1m sodium phosphate ph 7 . 0 and 1 ml of a solution containing 1m nacl , 20 % peg 6000 was added and the mixture incubated for 2 hours at room temperature . the resulting precipitate was collected by centrifugation in an eppendorf centrifuge for 10 minutes , resuspended in 0 . 25 mls of 10 mm sodium phosphate , ph 7 . 0 and the solution clarified by re - centrifugation in an eppendorf centrifuge for 10 minutes . the supernatant , which contains the virus particles , was then removed and stored at 4 ยฐ c . it was estimated spectrophometrically that the virus concentration in the final suspension was approximately 1 . 5 mg / ml . western blot analysis of the virus using fmdv - specific antiserum revealed the presence of fmdv antigen associated with the small coat protein subunit of the chimaeric virus particles . in order to produce large quantities of chimaeric virus as efficiently as possible , rna extracted from transcript - inoculated leaves was passaged in plants . 5 ฮผl samples of the rna extract from a pmt7 - fmdv - i - inoculated leaf were diluted to 50 ฮผl with tris - phosphate ph 8 . 0 and were inoculated on to the primary leaves of a batch of 5 cowpea plants . all the plants developed symptoms typical of a cpmv infection and at 23 days pi the primary leaves from the plants were harvested . the leaves were homogenised in 0 . 1m sodium phosphate buffer and virus extracted as described above except that the initial high speed pelleting step was omitted . a total of 3 . 0 mgs of virus at a final concentration of 0 . 5 mg / ml in 10 mm sodium phosphate ph7 . 0 was isolated in this way . this preparation was finally concentrated in a centriprep concentrator ( amicon ) to a final concentration of 1 . 4 mg / ml and has been designated p1 . samples of p1 were examined by electrophoresis on sds gels and coomassie blue staining and shown to contain the expected pattern of coat proteins . western blot analysis using anti - fmdv serum showed the small coat proteins contained the fmdv loop . rna extracted from the virus particles was of the expected size for m and b rna of cpmv . this demonstrates that chimaeric virus can be produced by passaging the rna derived from transcript - inoculated leaves . an experimental vaccine was prepared from virus preparation p1 by dispersion in sterile phosphate buffered saline ( pbs ) at a final concentration of 1 mg / ml . guinea pigs were injected with 40 ฮผg of the p1 vaccine on days 0 and 28 . preliminary results indicate that the animals produce antibodies against the fmdv loop , a response not seen when wild - type virus is injected . ahlquist , p ., and janda , m . ( 1984 ). mol . cell biol . 4 , 2876 - 2882 . biggin , m . d ., gibson , t . j . and hong , g . f . ( 1983 ). proc . natl . acad . sci . u . s . a . 80 , 3963 - 3965 . birnboim , h . c . and doly , j . ( 1979 ). nucleic acids res . 7 , 1513 - 1523 . chanh , t . c ., dreesman , g . r ., kanda , p ., linette , g . p ., sparrow , j . t ., ho , d . d . and kennedy , r . c ., ( 1986 ). embo j . 5 , 3065 - 3071 . dalgleish , a . g ., chanh , t . c ., kennedy , r . c ., kanda , p ., clapham , p . r . and weiss , r . a . ( 1988 ). virology 165 , 209 - 215 . dessens , j . t . and lomonossoff , g . p . ( 1991 ). virology 184 , 738 - 746 . feinberg , a . p . and vogelstein , b . ( 1983 ). analytical biochem . 132 , 6 - 13 . goldbach , r ., rezelman , g . and van kammen , a . ( 1980 ). nature 286 , 297 - 300 . holness , c . l ., lomonossoff , g . p ., evans , d . and maule , a . j . ( 1989 ). virology 172 , 311 - 320 . kennedy , r . c ., henkel , r . d ., pauletti , d ., allan , j . s ., lee , t . h ., essex , m . and dreesman , g . r . ( 1986 ). science 231 , 1556 - 1559 . kunkel , t . a . ( 1985 ). proc . nat . acad . sci . u . s . a . 82 , 488 - 492 . lehrach , h ., diamond , d ., wozney , j . m . and boedtker , h . ( 1977 ). biochemistry 16 , 4743 - 4751 . lomonossoff , g . p . and shanks , m . ( 1983 ). embo j . 2 , 2253 - 2258 . lomonossoff , g . p ., shanks , m ., matthes , h . d ., singh , m . and gait , m . j . ( 1982 ). nucleic acids research 10 , 4861 - 4872 . maniatis , t ., fritsch , e . f . and sambrooke , j . ( 1982 ). molecular cloning . a laboratory manual . cold spring harbor laboratory . pelham , h . r . b . and jackson , r . j . ( 1976 ). eur . j . biochem . 67 , 247 - 256 . sanger , f ., coulson , a . r ., barrell , b . g ., smith , a . j . h . and roe , b . a . ( 1980 ). j . mol . biol . 143 , 161 - 178 . shanks , m ., stanley , j . and lomonossoff , g . p . ( 1986 ). virology 155 , 697 - 706 . van wezenbeek , p ., verver , j ., harmsen , j ., vos , p ., and van kammen , a . ( 1983 ). embo j . 2 , 941 - 946 . ziegler - graff , v ., bouzoubaa , s ., jupin , i ., guilley , h ., jonard , g . and richards , k . ( 1988 ). j . gen . virol . 69 , 2347 - 2357 . __________________________________________________________________________ # sequence listing - ( 1 ) general information :- ( iii ) number of sequences : 25 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 1 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 18 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 1 :# 18 tc - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 2 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 43 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 2 :# 43 ctca ctatagtatt aaaatcttaa tag - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 3 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 19 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 3 :# 19 aaa - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 4 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 22 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 4 :- val pro asn leu arg gly asp leu gln val le - # u ala gln lys val ala # 15 - arg thr leu pro cys gly 20 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 5 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 120 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 1 .. 120 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 5 :- gga cct gtt tgt gct gaa gcc tca gat gtg ta - # t agc cca tgt atg ata 48gly pro val cys ala glu ala ser asp val ty - # r ser pro cys met ile # 15 - gct agc act cct cct gct cca ttt tca gac gt - # t aca gca gta act ttt 96ala ser thr pro pro ala pro phe ser asp va - # l thr ala val thr phe # 30 # 120gc aaa ata actasp leu ile asn gly lys ile thr # 40 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 6 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 40 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 6 :- gly pro val cys ala glu ala ser asp val ty - # r ser pro cys met ile # 15 - ala ser thr pro pro ala pro phe ser asp va - # l thr ala val thr phe # 30 - asp leu ile asn gly lys ile thr # 40 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 7 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 81 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 3 .. 80 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 7 :- ct agc act tat agt aga aat gct gtt cct aat - # ttg aga gga gat ctt 47 # asn leu arg gly asp leusn ala val pro # 15 # 81tg gct caa aag gtt gct cgg act ct - # t cgln val leu ala gln lys val ala arg thr le - # u # 25 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 8 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 26 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 8 :- ser thr tyr ser arg asn ala val pro asn le - # u arg gly asp leu gln # 15 - val leu ala gln lys val ala arg thr leu # 25 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 9 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 81 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 9 :- gtgaatatca tctttacgac aaggattaaa ctctcctcta gaagttcaaa ac - # cgagtttt 60 # 81 ggat c - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 10 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 156 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 1 .. 156 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 10 :- gga cct gtt tgt gct gaa gcc tca gat gtg ta - # t agc cca tgt atg ata 48gly pro val cys ala glu ala ser asp val ty - # r ser pro cys met ile # 15 - gct agc act tat agt aga aat gct gtt cct aa - # t ttg aga gga gat ctt 96ala ser thr tyr ser arg asn ala val pro as - # n leu arg gly asp leu # 30 - caa gtt ttg gct caa aag gtt gct cgg act ct - # t cct agc act cct cct 144gln val leu ala gln lys val ala arg thr le - # u pro ser thr pro pro # 45 # 156ala pro phe ser50 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 11 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 52 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 11 :- gly pro val cys ala glu ala ser asp val ty - # r ser pro cys met ile # 15 - ala ser thr tyr ser arg asn ala val pro as - # n leu arg gly asp leu # 30 - gln val leu ala gln lys val ala arg thr le - # u pro ser thr pro pro # 45 - ala pro phe ser50 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 12 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 69 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 1 .. 69 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 12 :- cca tgt atg ata gct agc act cct cct gct cc - # a ttt tca gac gtt aca 48pro cys met ile ala ser thr pro pro ala pr - # o phe ser asp val thr # 15 # 69 ac tta atcala val thr phe asp leu ile 20 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 13 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 23 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 13 :- pro cys met ile ala ser thr pro pro ala pr - # o phe ser asp val thr # 15 - ala val thr phe asp leu ile 20 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 14 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 69 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 1 .. 69 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 14 :- cca tgt atg ata gct agc act cct cct gct cc - # a ttt tca gac gtc aca 48pro cys met ile ala ser thr pro pro ala pr - # o phe ser asp val thr # 15 # 69 ac tta atcala val thr phe asp leu ile 20 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 15 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 23 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 15 :- pro cys met ile ala ser thr pro pro ala pr - # o phe ser asp val thr # 15 - ala val thr phe asp leu ile 20 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 16 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 67 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 3 .. 65 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 16 :- ct agc act gac cgc cct gag ggc atc gag gaa - # gag ggc ggt gag cgc 47 # glu glu gly gly glu arglu gly ile glu # 15 # 67 cg gac gtasp arg asp arg ser asp 20 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 17 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 21 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 17 :- ser thr asp arg pro glu gly ile glu glu gl - # u gly gly glu arg asp # 15 - arg asp arg ser asp 20 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 18 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 59 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 18 :- gtgactggcg ggactcccgt agctccttct cccgccactc gcgctagcac ta - # gcaagcc 59 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 19 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 141 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 1 .. 141 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 19 :- gga cct gtt tgt gct gaa gcc tca gat gtg ta - # t agc cca tgt atg ata 48gly pro val cys ala glu ala ser asp val ty - # r ser pro cys met ile # 15 - gct agc act gac cgc cct gag ggc atc gag ga - # a gag ggc ggt gag cgc 96ala ser thr asp arg pro glu gly ile glu gl - # u glu gly gly glu arg # 30 - gat cgt gat cgt tcg gac gtc aca gca gta ac - # t ttt gac tta atc 14 - # 1asp arg asp arg ser asp val thr ala val th - # r phe asp leu ile # 45 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 20 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 47 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 20 :- gly pro val cys ala glu ala ser asp val ty - # r ser pro cys met ile # 15 - ala ser thr asp arg pro glu gly ile glu gl - # u glu gly gly glu arg # 30 - asp arg asp arg ser asp val thr ala val th - # r phe asp leu ile # 45 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 21 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 52 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 3 .. 50 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 21 :- ct agc act cct gct act gga atc gat aat cat - # aga gaa gct aaa ttg 47 # his arg glu ala lys leuly ile asp asn # 15 # 52asp - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 22 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 16 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 22 :- ser thr pro ala thr gly ile asp asn his ar - # g glu ala lys leu asp # 15 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 23 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 44 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 23 :# 44 tagc tattagtatc tcttcgattt aacc - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 24 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# pairs ( a ) length : 126 base ( b ) type : nucleic acid ( c ) strandedness : single ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : dna ( genomic )- ( iii ) hypothetical : no - ( iv ) anti - sense : no - ( ix ) feature : ( a ) name / key : cds ( b ) location : 1 .. 126 - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 24 :- gga cct gtt tgt gct gaa gcc tca gat gtg ta - # t agc cca tgt atg ata 48gly pro val cys ala glu ala ser asp val ty - # r ser pro cys met ile # 15 - gct agc act cct gct act gga atc gat aat ca - # t aga gaa gct aaa ttg 96ala ser thr pro ala thr gly ile asp asn hi - # s arg glu ala lys leu # 30 # 126 ta act ttt gac tta atcasp val thr ala val thr phe asp leu ile # 40 - ( 2 ) information for seq id no : 25 :- ( i ) sequence characteristics :# acids ( a ) length : 42 amino ( b ) type : amino acid ( d ) topology : linear - ( ii ) molecule type : protein - ( xi ) sequence description : seq id no : 25 :- gly pro val cys ala glu ala ser asp val ty - # r ser pro cys met ile # 15 - ala ser thr pro ala thr gly ile asp asn hi - # s arg glu ala lys leu # 30 - asp val thr ala val thr phe asp leu ile # 40__________________________________________________________________________ | 2Chemistry; Metallurgy
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referring to fig1 and 2 , there is shown a notebook having an arrangement for combining its touch pad and cd - rom ( or dvd - rom ) drive as a unit in accordance with the invention . the notebook comprises a display 10 , a housing 11 , and at least one pivot member ( e . g ., hinge ) 12 coupled between the display 10 and the housing 11 . in an inoperable position the display 10 is rested upon the housing 11 . alternatively , a user may pivot ( i . e ., open ) the display 10 to position at an optimum angle with respect to the housing 11 by pivoting about the pivot member 12 . a manipulating section 13 is formed on a top surface of the housing 11 . a keyboard 14 is provided on the manipulating section 13 adjacent the pivot member 12 . the keyboard 14 is implemented as a membrane keyboard in the embodiment . at least one input / output ( i / o ) port 15 is provided on one side of the housing 11 . each i / o port 15 is adapted to couple to a mouse or a flash drive ( not shown ) so that a pointer ( e . g ., cursor ) on the screen can be manipulated for control and transferring data . the i / o port 15 is implemented as a usb ( universal serial bus ) in the embodiment . referring to fig1 and 2 again , a touch pad assembly 20 is provided on the manipulating section 13 between the keyboard 14 and a forward end . the touch pad assembly 20 is an input device for manipulating the pointer on the screen of the display 10 . the touch pad assembly 20 operates substantially the same as a mouse , a pointing stick ( or called tracking stick ), or a trackball . in the invention , the touch pad assembly 20 is circular and comprises a touch pad 21 occupying most portion of its surface , a first button 22 , and an adjacent second button 23 ( see fig1 ). another connecting member ( e . g ., hinge ) 24 is provided at a bottom edge of the touch pad 21 for pivotably coupling the touch pad 21 to an annular recessed shoulder on the manipulating section 13 ( see fig2 ). a user can control the pointer on the display 10 by touching the touch pad 21 or pressing the first button 22 or the second button 23 to click an icon or an item of a menu shown on the display 10 . a user may unlock a lock member 30 by disengaging it from a mated lock member 26 both provided adjacent an edge of the touch pad assembly 20 . thereafter , the user can pivot ( i . e ., open ) the touch pad assembly 20 to position at an optimum angle with respect to the manipulating section 13 by pivoting about another connecting member 24 . referring to fig2 again , a cd - rom ( or dvd - rom ) drive 40 is provided under the touch pad assembly 20 . a disc receiving cavity 41 of the cd - rom drive 40 is exposed by opening the touch pad assembly 20 at a sufficient angle . a read / write head 42 is provided on a bottom of the cd - rom drive 40 . a cd ( not shown ) is adapted to snugly fit onto the disc receiving cavity 41 . next , close the touch pad assembly 20 onto the disc receiving cavity 41 . a positioning plate 25 on a bottom of the touch pad assembly 20 is thus lowered to hold the cd in place . thereafter , a reading of the cd can be performed . referring to fig2 again , the mated lock member 26 is implemented as a hole and the lock member 30 is implemented as sliding lock in the embodiment . the mated lock member 26 and the lock member 30 are disposed correspondingly on the edge of the touch pad assembly 20 . the sliding lock comprises a button 31 projected from a top surface of the manipulating section 13 , an inclined end 32 facing the mated lock member 26 , and the other end 33 urged against a resilient member ( e . g ., spring or elastic piece ) 34 . the ends 32 and 33 move rightward to compress the resilient member 34 when the touch pad assembly 20 pivots to close cd - rom drive 40 . also , the inclined end 32 moves leftward into the mated lock member 26 ( i . e ., hole ) by the expansion of the resilient member 34 for locking immediately after the cd - rom drive 40 is closed by the touch pad assembly 20 . in a rightward sliding of the sliding lock ( i . e ., the button 31 ) the inclined end 32 clears from the mated lock member 26 ( i . e ., hole ) for unlocking the touch pad assembly 20 . next , open the touch pad assembly 20 to position at an angle with respect to the manipulating section 13 by pivoting ( see fig2 ). the constructions of both the mated lock member 26 and the lock member 30 described in the embodiment are not limitative , it is appreciated by those skilled in the art that other modifications or alternations thereof are made possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention . in the embodiment , a touch control circuit board 21 is provided in the touch pad assembly 20 adjacent the positioning plate 25 ( see fig2 ). a cable 202 is extended from the touch control circuit board 21 into interior circuitry of the display 10 for sending information to the display 10 for showing . by disposing the cd - rom drive 40 under the touch pad assembly 20 by the invention , it is possible of eliminating the prior problems of hindering the opening of the cd - rom drive 40 at one side of the housing 11 and / or damaging the same by the mouse , the cable , and the flash drive . moreover , it can save precious internal space of the housing 11 . while the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments , numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims . | 6Physics
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first the state of the art will be described again with reference to fig1 . fig8 shows a horizontal section through the backrest 12 of a vehicle seat 10 , on whose frame 16 a side airbag unit 20 is mounted . the side airbag unit 20 comprises an airbag skin 22 , a gas generator 70 serving as inflator and a housing - type retaining part 60 located in the side cheek 14 of the backrest 12 , and being connected with the frame 16 . the housing - type retaining part 60 has a u - shaped cross - section with three legs 62 , 64 , 66 . the retaining part 60 has three legs , namely the first leg 62 , the second leg 64 and the third leg 66 . within this arrangement , the third leg 66 is the outer leg and among others has the task of guiding the airbag skin 22 while it is unfolding upon ignition of the gas generator 70 . for which purpose the third leg โ and therefore housing 60 as a whole โ has to be formed relatively stable and therefore heavy . fig1 shows two cuttings 80 , 90 for an airbag skin of a side airbag . both cuttings 80 , 90 have a mushroom - like shape with a first section 82 , 92 having an approximately oval shape and a second section 84 , 94 , following on from the first section . this second section is considerably narrower than the first section and is approximately rectangular . it can be seen that the two first sections 82 , 92 of both cuttings 80 , 90 are congruent , while the second section 84 of the first cutting 80 is somewhat longer than the second section 94 of the second cutting 90 and has a set break line 87 in the form of a perforation , and two fixing holes 86 . in addition , two through - holes 85 are provided in the first cutting 80 . often , a further opening is present for insertion of the gas generator into the finished sewn airbag skin . as this does not contribute to the understanding of the present invention , this is not shown here . fig2 shows a side airbag unit 20 , which comprises an airbag skin 22 , which is sewn from the two cuttings 80 and 90 just described , and a gas generator 70 serving as inflator . the two cuttings 80 , 90 just described are connected with each other by means of the edge seam 95 , so that the two cuttings enclose a gas chamber 40 . this gas chamber is divided in accordance with the shape of the cuttings into a main area 42 and an additional area 44 , wherein the gas generator 70 is located in main area 42 , but near to the transition to additional area 44 . the edge seam 95 exhibits two interruptions 96 in the front area , which form outflow openings . because the second section 84 of first cutting 80 is longer than the second section 94 of the second cutting 90 , a section of the first cutting extends beyond the gas chamber 40 . this section is referred to as fabric section 50 , or in more general terms as flexible section . in the embodiment shown , this fabric section 50 is therefore formed in one piece with the first cutting 80 of the airbag skin 22 , which is to be preferred but not obligatory . it would also be possible that the fabric section 50 is a separate cutting sewn to the first cutting 80 . from fig2 it can also be seen that the set break line 87 is located in this fabric section 50 , in other words outside the gas chamber 40 . fig3 shows a section along section a - a through the airbag unit 20 from fig2 . in this representation , the main area 42 of gas chamber 40 is located to the left of the gas generator 70 , and the additional area 44 is located to the right of it . in the same way as the gas chamber 40 can be divided into a main area 42 and an additional area 44 , it is also possible to divide the sections of the airbag skin 22 into a main section 24 and an auxiliary section 30 , wherein the main section 24 is formed by the first section 82 of the first cutting 80 and the second section 92 of the second cutting 90 and the auxiliary section 30 is formed by a part of the second section 84 of the first cutting 80 , namely by the part which overlaps with the second section 94 of the second cutting 92 , and the second section 94 of the second cutting 90 . the gas generator bolts 72 extend through the through - holes 85 . fig4 shows how the auxiliary section 30 of the airbag skin 22 โ and therefore also the fabric section 50 โ is folded over towards the front , so that it lies in front of the main section 24 . fig5 shows the items shown in fig4 in a birds - eye view from direction b . it should be emphasized at this point , that for reasons of weight reduction it is mostly to be preferred to form the auxiliary section narrower ( this means in installed state with less height ) than the main section . however , this is not obligatory . the shape shown in the embodiment , however , has the advantage that less fabric surface and a relatively low gas volume are needed , which means that only a correspondingly small gas generator is necessary . fig6 shows airbag skin 22 , which was just described , in a state prepared for installation in a vehicle in a representation corresponding to fig4 . the main section 24 of the airbag skin 22 is fully rolled - in โ no additional folding takes place โ, wherein the roll points in the direction of the auxiliary section 30 . auxiliary section 30 and fabric section 50 together encompass the main section 24 rolled into a package , wherein the auxiliary section 30 and the fabric section 50 each encompass approximately around half of the package . the fixing openings 86 are hung into the gas generator bolts 72 . therefore the auxiliary section 30 and the fabric section 50 also serve as a cover holding the package together . in the state shown in fig6 , the additional area 44 and the main area 42 of the gas chamber 40 form almost separate chambers . fig7 a shows the side airbag unit 20 shown in fig6 , which is fixed to a retaining part 60 , which in turn is carried by a frame 16 running in a side cheek 14 of the backrest 12 of a vehicle 10 . in principle , a direct mounting on the frame 16 could also be envisaged , which , however , is seldom to be preferred for practical reasons . fig7 b shows the items shown in fig7 a immediately after the ignition of the gas generator 70 . it can be seen that the additional area 44 of the gas chamber 40 fills very rapidly with gas and therefore guides the early expansion of the unrolling main section 24 of the airbag skin 22 . in particular , the additional area 44 of the gas chamber 40 ( which is enclosed by the auxiliary section 30 of the airbag skin 22 ) prevents the main section 24 of the airbag skin 22 from expanding too strongly in the direction of the side structure of the vehicle , to which the main section 24 would tend because of its direction of rolling . fig7 c shows the items shown in fig7 b at a somewhat later point in time . it can be seen here that the border between the additional area 44 and the main area 42 of the airbag 40 is beginning to disappear , so that it is no longer possible to differentiate precisely between the main section 24 and the auxiliary section 30 of the airbag skin 22 . fig7 d shows the items represented in fig7 c at a later point in time . here , the border between the main area 42 and the additional area 44 of the gas chamber 40 has completely disappeared , however a thickening of the gas chamber 40 remains in the area in which the additional area 44 was located . fig7 e shows the items represented in fig7 d following complete unfolding of the airbag . fig8 shows the airbag unit in a state as shown in fig7 d mounted to the frame 16 of the backrest 12 of a vehicle seat 10 . one can see that the retaining element 60 has no housing - type structure since no such housing - type structure is needed order to direct the airbag during deployment . in the embodiment shown above , the main section 24 of the airbag skin 22 is rolled to the outside in the resting state of the airbag . but it needs to be emphasized that the invention can also be applied to a side airbag whose main section is rolled to the inside . the fig9 to 10 d show a second configuration of an airbag unit whose airbag skin is very similar to the one of the embodiment shown in fig1 to 8 . here , the main section 24 of the airbag skin is rolled to the inside and the additional area 44 of the gas chamber is located between the retaining part 60 / frame 16 of the back rest and the main area 42 of the gas chamber . so , at the beginning of the deployment ( fig1 a to 10 c ) the main section 24 of the airbag skin is pushed away from the back rest and thus from the occupant . the inboard roll of the main section 24 of the airbag skin prevents the main section 24 from getting stuck to the interior structure of the vehicle ( not shown ). in both preferred configurations described above , the rolling direction of the package of the main section of the airbag skin is against the auxiliary section ( if the main is rolled to the outside ( outboard roll ), the auxiliary section encompasses the package from the outside , if the main section is rolled to the inside ( inboard roll ), the auxiliary section encompasses the package from the inside ). in case of deployment this leads to an unrolling of the package of the main section against the auxiliary section which is in most applications essential , as described . in the sense of this application , the term โ rolled against โ means this kind of configuration . instead of having only one auxiliary section of the airbag skin ( which is sufficient in the most applications ) it is also possible to have two auxiliary sections such that the package of the main section is encompassed from both sides . a possible embodiment is shown in the fig1 to 15 : the airbag skin is comprised of three cuttings , with the first two cuttings 80 , 90 basically having the mushroom - like shape of the cuttings of the first embodiment . the third cutting 100 is basically of rectangular shape with the height of the rectangle corresponding to the height of the second sections 84 , 94 of the first and second cutting 80 , 90 and the length being basically double the length of the second sections 84 , 94 ( fig1 ). the airbag skin is closed with a first seam 102 connecting the thirst sections 82 , 92 of the thirst and the second cutting 80 , 90 and a second seam 104 connecting the third cutting 100 to the second sections 84 , 94 of the first and the second cutting 80 , 90 ( fig1 and 13 ). as in the first embodiment , the main area 42 of the gas chamber is enclosed between the first sections 82 , 92 of the first and the second cutting 80 , 90 . the additional areas 44 โฒ, 44 โณ are enclosed between the second sections 84 , 94 and the third cutting 100 ( fig1 ). fig1 shows how the rolled package of the main section of the airbag skin is encompassed by the two auxiliary sections 30 โฒ, 30 โณ from both sides . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment ( s ) of the invention , examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings . whenever possible , the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts . one embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the figures is directed to a dry - erase board 100 . the dry - erase board 100 has three main components : a rigid base member 102 , at least one projection 104 to receive an optional insert 106 ( see fig2 ), and a transparent cover 108 that is adjustably mounted to the rigid base member 102 . the rigid base member 102 has a surface 110 that is suitable for use with dry - erase markers . such a rigid base member 102 includes a porcelain base with a dry - erase film as the surface 110 . the rigid base member 102 may also have metal mixed into the porcelain or be used behind to porcelain to make the dry - erase board 100 magnetic . preferably , the surface 110 of rigid base member 102 is what is known as a whiteboard . as illustrated in fig1 - 2 , at least one projection 104 is associated with the rigid base member 102 , the at least one projection 104 being two projections in the embodiment in fig1 - 5 mounted in the rigid base member 102 near the top thereof . the at least one projection 104 could also be a single element mounted in the middle of the rigid base member 102 also near the top . it is also contemplated that the at least one projection 104 could be other structures that would engage and secure the insert 106 . such structures might include clips , tacky surfaces , hook - and - loop fasteners , or any other appropriate structure . while not required , the dry - erase board 100 may include a frame 120 extending around a periphery thereof . the dry - erase board 100 may also include a tray 122 extending outward from the bottom edge of the frame 120 and / or the rigid base member 102 . as best illustrated in fig2 , the transparent cover 108 is adjustably mounted to the rigid base member 102 . in this embodiment , the transparent cover 108 is fixedly mounted to a top portion 124 of the frame 120 . the top portion 124 , which is separate from the remainder of the frame 120 , is rotatable relative to the rigid base member 102 and the remainder of the frame 120 . the transparent cover 108 is preferably mounted relative to the rigid base member 102 such that a space is provided between the transparent cover 108 and the rigid base member 102 to allow for the at least one projection 104 and the insert 106 to be positioned therebetween . the transparent cover 108 is preferably made of acrylic ( pmma ) or polycarbonate and has a surface for use with dry - erase markers . the transparent cover 108 preferably includes handles 126 adjacent a bottom edge 128 of the transparent cover 108 . the handles 126 may include knobs , integral extensions of the cover 108 , magnetic elements fixedly attached to a surface of the cover 108 or integrated with knobs , etc . as best illustrated in fig2 , the rigid base member 102 may also have areas 130 that are either magnetic or ferromagnetic to cooperate with the handles 126 in the transparent cover 108 to hold the cover 108 against the rigid base member 102 . again , areas 130 may also include either the hook or the loop portion of a hook - and - loop fastener , a sticky surface , or other appropriate material . an insert 106 to be used with a dry erase board 100 is illustrated in fig2 . the insert 106 is preferably dimensioned to fit over the rigid base member 102 and , if the dry - erase board 100 has a frame 120 , within the frame 120 . insert 106 can be made from any suitable materials , including , but not limited to , paper , plastic , polypropylene , etc . insert 106 also preferably has a coating to allow for use with a dry - erase marker . the insert 106 has areas of writing 140 adjacent to either open areas 142 or lines 144 and to assist the user of the dry - erase board 100 to include appropriate information on the dry - erase board 100 . for example , the insert 106 includes as areas of writing 140 , the name of the patient , the room number , the doctor , the nurse , medicine being given , last set of vital signs , etc . the insert 106 can also include open areas 142 that allow the user to see through the insert 106 to the rigid base member 102 , where there may be information that does not change and is written on the rigid base member , e . g ., the room number . in this case , the user would not want room numbers pre - printed on the insert 106 , but also would not want the room number written where it could be easily removed - on the cover 108 . the insert 106 would also include areas to cooperate with the at least one projection 104 , which as illustrated in fig2 , are openings or holes 146 . an alternative embodiment of a dry - erase board 200 according to the present invention is illustrated in fig6 . the dry - erase board 200 also includes a rigid base member 202 , at least one projection 204 to receive an optional insert ( as in fig2 ), and a transparent cover 208 that is adjustably mounted to the rigid base member 202 . the dry - erase board 200 also includes a frame 220 around at least a portion of the periphery of the dry - erase board 200 . the dry - erase board 200 preferably has lighting elements 222 to illuminate the dry - erase board 200 and , in particular , the rigid base member 202 and insert ( not shown ). the lighting elements 222 , while illustrated on the top edge of the rigid base number 202 , could be positioned anywhere around the edge of the dry - erase board 200 or even all the way around the dry - erase board 200 . another embodiment of a dry - erase board 300 according to the present invention is illustrated in fig7 . the dry - erase board 300 also includes a rigid base member 302 , at least one projection 304 to receive an optional insert ( as in fig2 ), and a transparent cover 308 that is adjustably mounted to the rigid base member 302 . the dry - erase board 300 also includes a frame 320 around at least a portion of the periphery of the dry erase board 300 . the rigid base member 302 of dry - erase board 300 is at least in part translucent . in this case , lighting elements 322 are placed behind the rigid base member 302 and illuminates the dry - erase board 300 from behind the rigid base member . the lighting elements 322 may also be variable in that the user / staff can adjust the brightness of the lighting elements so as not to affect the sleep of patients if the dry - erase board 300 is used in a hospital setting . similarly , if the dry - erase board is placed in a highly lighted area , then more light may be necessary from the lighting elements 322 . the lighting elements may be placed around the periphery of the dry - erase board 300 , or directly behind the rigid base member 302 . another embodiment of a dry - erase board 400 according to the present invention is illustrated in fig8 . the dry - erase board 400 also includes a rigid base member 402 , at least one projection 404 to receive an optional insert ( as in fig2 ), and a transparent cover 408 that is adjustably mounted to the rigid base member 402 . the dry - erase board 400 also includes a frame 420 around at least a portion of the periphery of the dry erase board 400 . in this embodiment of dry - erase board 400 , the cover 408 is hinged along one side rather than along the top of the dry - erase board 400 . while the cover 408 is hinged along the left side , it may also be hinged along the right side and still be within the scope of the present invention . hinging the cover 408 along one side may allow for easier and faster access to the rigid base member 402 to write on it or on the insert ( not shown but similar to insert 106 ). the cover 408 is also illustrated as being attached to a portion of the frame 420 , but could be directly hinged to the rigid base member 402 . the dry - erase board 400 may also have lighting elements or a translucent rigid base member as described above . it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention . thus it is intended that the present invention cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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fig1 and 2 show a prior art construction comprising a compressor 10 , a condenser 11 , a capillary tube 12 and an evaporator 13 in a closed system . this system is well known in which the compressor 10 withdraws refrigerant of a known type from the evaporator 13 and discharges vapor under pressure into the condenser 11 . the refrigerant is then condensed in the condenser , which is cooled in a known manner , and flows through a capillary tube 12 . it should be evident that the flow resistance in the capillary tube is so great that a low pressure is maintained in the evaporator 13 . it is usually the construction , as seen in fig2 to insert the end of the capillary tube 12 a distance into the evaporator pipe 13 to which it is rigidly connected , as well as sealed by means of solder 14 . in most refrigeration apparatus there is a certain quantity of liquid refrigerant in the evaporator that is successively evaporated during the generation of cold . it has been found that if this liquid refrigerant is allowed to accumulate in the inlet part of the evaporator , the condensate in the evaporator affects unfavorably the further injection of condensate from the condenser and interferes with the accumulated liquid refrigerant . it should be noted that the noise to be eliminated or substantially reduced by the construction of the invention is created by the refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 13 from the capillary tube 12 at a great velocity . referring now to fig3 and 4 in which the apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention is shown , a refrigerator 15 is illustrated which is provided with an evaporator 16 connected to the capillary tube 12 and extends substantially in a horizontal plane . the evaporator 16 has a part 17 which is connected to an end of the capillary tube 12 at a point 18 with a part of said tube 12 projecting within the part 17 . the part 17 is inclined in a downward direction from the point 18 . the angle of inclination of part 17 is from 1 ยฐ to approximately 15 ยฐ, in order to make the apparatus of practical value . the other downward end of the inlet part is connected to an upwardly inclined part 19 relative to the horizontal parts of the evaporator 16 . the foregoing construction results in a considerable damping of the sound in the evaporator portion of the refrigeration apparatus . fig5 shows a further embodiment of the present invention in which a rollbond evaporator 20 is shown which comprises metal plates that are joined to form an evaporator plate 21 . a slot 22 is shown cut through the plate 21 which separates the evaporator inlet part 23 , positioned on the plate strip 24 from the remainder of the evaporator . furthermore , the strip 24 is bent downwardly from the connection point 25 of the capillary tube 12 to the inlet part 23 . instead of utilizing the construction shown in fig5 and if there is sufficient room in the refrigerator , a slot 26 can be provided in the evaporator plate which extends to the edge 28 of the evaporator 27 . the connection point 29 of the capillary tube 12 , as seen in fig7 is positioned above the horizontal plane of the evaporator 27 . furthermore , if there is sufficient room in the refrigerator in the construction shown in fig3 and 4 , the connection point 18 can be arranged on a higher plane than the location of the horizontal evaporator 16 so that the evaporator part 30 is located adjacent to the connection point and inclines in a downwardly direction from that point . | 5Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting
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the description will be made as to the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompaniment drawings . in this specification , โ print โ (โ recording โ) means formation or processing of a print medium by forming an image , a pattern or the like , widely including a character , a letter , a figure or the like , by applying liquid onto the print medium , irrespective of weather or not it is of meaning and the respective of whether or not it is visualized to be sensed by human beings . in this specification , โ deterioration of image quality โ includes deterioration of the processing accuracy in the case of processing . in this specification , โ print โ or โ recording โ includes formation , on a recording material , of significant or non - significant information such as an image , a pattern , character , figure and the like , and processing of a material on the basis of such information , visualized or non - visualized manner . here , the โ recording or printing material โ includes paper used in a normal printer , textile , plastic resin material , film material , metal plate and the like which can receive ink ejected from the print head . it may simply be called โ paper โ or โ sheet โ, hereinafter . here , โ ink โ or โ liquid โ includes liquid usable with the โ print โ or โ recording โ defined above , and liquid usable to formation of an image , patter or the like on the printing material or to processing of the printing material . fig4 is a schematic perspective view of an example of an ink jet printing apparatus to which the present invention is applicable . as shown in fig4 a head cartridge 1 is removably mounted on a carriage 2 . the head cartridge 1 comprises a printing head portion for ejecting the ink and an ink container portion for accommodating the ink . the head cartridge 1 is provided with a connector for sending and receiving signals for driving the head portion . the head cartridge 1 is carried on a carriage 2 at a correct position . the carriage 2 is further provided with a connector holder ( electrical connecting portion ) for transmitting driving signal or the like to the head cartridge 1 through the connector . the carriage 2 is reciprocally supported and guided by a guiding shaft 3 provided in the main assembly of apparatus , the guiding shaft 3 extending in a main scan direction . the carriage 2 is driven by a main - scanning motor 4 through a transmission movement mechanism including a motor pulley 5 , a follow pulley 6 , a timing belt 7 or the like , and the movement and position in the main scan direction is controlled . designated by a reference numeral 30 is a sensor for detecting a reference position ( home position ) in the main scan connection of the head cartridge 1 or the carriage 2 . the rotation of the sheet feeding motor 35 is transmitted to a pick - up roller 31 through a gear so that it is rotated , by which the print paper , thin plastic resin plate or another print medium 8 is separated from an automatic sheet feeder ( asf ) 32 . by the rotation of the feeding roller 9 , the recording material is fed through a position where the head cartridge 1 and the ink ejection outlet of the printing head are opposed to each other . the feeding roller 9 is driven by transmitting the rotation of the line feed ( lf ) through a gear . at the time when the paper end sensor 33 detects the passage of the print medium 8 , the discrimination is made as to whether or not the sheet has been fed , the leading - edge position of the sheet is determined . furthermore , the rear end of the print medium 8 is detected , and the paper end sensor 33 is used to determine the current print position from the actual trailing edge position . the print medium 8 is supported by a platen ( unshown ) at its back side such that flat surface to be printed is established . the head cartridge 1 carried on the carriage 2 is supported such that surface having the ejection outlets ( ejection side surface ) which are extended downwardly from the carriage 2 portion is parallel to the print medium 8 . the head cartridge 1 has a print portion which ejects the ink using thermal energy , for example , and the print portion has electrothermal transducers for generating thermal energy in response to electric energization . the print portion used in the head cartridge 1 according to this embodiment generates film boiling in the ink by the thermal energy applied by the electrothermal transducer , and the pressure of a bubble generation ed thereby is effective to eject the ink through the ejection outlet , thus effecting the printing . fig5 is a block diagram showing an example of a structure of the control circuit in the ink jet printing apparatus of fig4 . in fig5 a controller 200 constitutes a main controller , and comprises , for example , a cpu 201 in the form of a micro computer , a rom 203 containing the program and a predetermined table , ram 205 having an area for conversion and a working area . the host apparatus 210 is a supply source of image data and may be a computer for effecting generation of data , processing or the like , or a reader portion for reading an image , or a digital camera or the like . the image data , commands , status signals or the like are sent or received between the controller 200 through an interface i / f 212 . the operating portion 220 has a group of switches for inputting instructions by the user and includes a main switch 222 , a recovery switch 226 for initiating a refreshing process for maintaining proper ink ejection . designated by 230 is a group of sensors for detecting states of the apparatus , which includes a home position sensor 30 for detecting a home position in the direction of the main scan of the printing and , a paper end sensor 33 for detecting presence or absence of the print medium or the like , a temperature sensor 234 , disposed at a proper position , for detecting an ambient temperature , and so on . designated by 240 a driver for driving an electrothermal transducer ( ejection heater ) for the printing head 100 in accordance with the print data or the like . the head driver 240 comprises a shift register for aligning the print data correspondingly to the position of the ejection heater 25 , a latching circuit for latching the aligned data at proper timing , a logic circuit element for actuating the ejection heater in synchronism with the actuation timing signal , a timing setting portion for setting proper drive timing ( ejection timing ) for alignment for the dot formation . the printing head 100 is provided with a sub - heater 242 in addition to the ejection heater 25 . the sub - heater 242 functions for temperature adjustment to stabilize the ejection of the ink , and it may be built into the printing head substrate simultaneously with the ejection heater 25 , and / or may be mounted to the main body of the printing head 100 or the head cartridge 1 . designated by 250 is a motor driver for driving the main - scanning motor 4 , and 270 is a motor driver for driving the lf motor 34 for feeding the print medium 8 in the sub - scan direction . designated by 260 is a driver for driving a sheet feeding motor for separating and feeding the print medium 8 from the asf . referring to fig6 the print control according to this embodiment will be described . in the figure , at the left , arrangements of black ejection outlet array bk 1 and color ejection outlet arrays c 1 , c 2 , m 1 , m 2 , y 1 , y 2 on a surface of the printing head 100 opposed to the print medium 8 . in this figure , the printing head 100 scans along the surface of the sheet in the direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction indicated an arrow ( left - right direction in the figure ). in this embodiment , a range b of the color ejection outlet arrays is equal to the length of one to feeding ( the feeding width ), and a distance between the color ejection outlet arrays and the black ejection outlet array is also equal to the sheet feeding width . the range of the black ejection outlet array bkl is equal to the sheet feeding width ( a * + a + a โฒ= b ) plus a length of a predetermined ejection outlet array portion indicated by a โณ in the figure , and length of the ejection outlet portion an and the length a โณ are equal to each other . designated by reference numeral 1 in the figure is quatized black image data to be printed . for each of predetermined areas f 1 , f 2 , f 3 , enclosed by a broken line in the black image data , the dots corresponding to the black data among the image data is counted . the height measured in the sub - scan direction of the area to be counted is equal to a โฒ, and the length measured in the main scan direction corresponds to 8 pixels in this embodiment for easy calculation . in this embodiment , in accordance with the dot count for each area , it is selected whether the printing of the black data in the area is to be carried out by the ejection outlet array portion in the range a โฒ or by the ejection outlet array portion in the range a โณ. in the present invention , the region for each dot to be printed on the basis of the image data is treated as a pixel . fig7 is a flow chart of an example of a setting process steps . at step s 1 in fig7 the dots corresponding to the black data is counted for one of the predetermined areas shown in fig6 ( more particularly , the first area is area f 1 ). then , at step s 3 , the discrimination is made on the basis of the result of the dot count . here , 100 % means the case in which there are data to be printed in all of the pixels . if the result the dot count is not less than 33 % ( that is , the percentage of the black data in the image data is relatively high ), the image data is so set that image data in the area is printed by the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ ( step s 5 ) and the no ejecting operation is carried out by the ejection outlet portion a โณ ( by setting blank data , at step s 7 ). on the other hand , the result of the dot count is less than 33 % ( that is , the percentage of the black data in the image data is relatively small ), the blank data are set for the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ ( step s 9 ), and the setting is executed such that image data in the area is printed by the ejection outlet portion a โณ ( step s 11 ). such process steps are effective for each of the areas f 1 , f 2 , f 3 , shown in fig6 by which the black data in each area is printed either by ejection outlet array portion a โฒ or a โณ. referring to fig6 the description will be made as to the print control on the basis of such settings in terms of the relationships between the printing head and the image formed on the print medium . it is supposed that result of the dot count indicates that black print data in the area f 1 on the image data to be printed is not less than 33 %. it is also supposed that for the area f 2 , it is less than 33 %, and that for the area f 3 , it is again not less than 33 %. then , the image data corresponding to the area f 1 and area f 3 are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet array a โฒ, and blank data are set for the area f 2 . similarly , the image data corresponding to the area f 2 are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet portion a โณ, and the blank data are set for the area f 1 and area f 3 . then , the printing operation is carried out corresponding to the image data set for respective regions . the image data for the area f 1 and the area f 3 for which the count is not less than 33 %, are printed by the ejection outlet array a โฒ in the first print scanning operation . the hatched regions indicated by ( 1 ) in fig6 are print regions on the print medium to be printed in the first printing scan , the printing is executed for the parts indicated by g 1 and g 8 corresponding to the area f 1 and the area f 3 . thereafter , the sheet is fed , and the next scanning operation is carried out . the region h 2 is printed by the ejection outlet a โณ corresponding to the area f 2 for which the black dot count is less than 33 %. the sheet is further fed , and the color printing is carried out in the next printing scan hatched region indicated by ( 3 ) in the figure ). then , the sheet is fed , and the color printing is carried out corresponding to the hatched regions g 1 , h 2 , 83 indicated by ( 4 ) in the figure in the subsequent printing scan . thus , the image is completed for one print region . through these process steps , the printing is carried out fundamentally under the equivalent conditions as with the arrangement shown in fig2 for the image data which has a relatively low ( less than 33 % in this embodiment ) black print duty and with which the deterioration of the image quality attributable to the difference , depending on the areas , in the time differences from the shots of the black ink to the shots of the color ink is remarkable , as discussed hereinbefore . in addition , the printing is carried out fundamentally under the equivalent conditions as with the arrangement shown in fig3 because of the use of the printing operation using the ejection outlet array portion of the equivalent arrangement , for the image data which has a relatively high ( not less than 33 % in this embodiment ) black print duty and with which the deterioration of the image quality attributable to the difference in the perviousness between the black ink and the color ink and to the black - color bleeding is dominant . therefore , the high speed image formation is accomplished with suppressed deteriorations of the image qualities described hereinbefore . depending on the materials of the print medium and the composition of the ink , there is a possibility that black - color bleeding or the like is produced with the use of the ejection outlet array arrangement shown in fig2 at a boundary between the region in which the black - color bleeding or the like is remarkable and the non - uniformity attributable to the difference , depending on the areas on the print medium , in the black - color time differences , are remarkable , and non - uniformity attributable to the difference , depending on the areas , in the black - color time differences is produced with the use of the ejection outlet array arrangement shown in fig3 . the second embodiment of the present invention with which such a problem can be avoided . similarly to the foregoing embodiment , the structures to the printing apparatus and the control system of the foregoing embodiment and the arrangement of the ejection outlet array are usable . however , in the print control method for the black data in accordance with the result of the dot count in this embodiment , the selection is made from three choices . fig8 is a flow chart according to an example of the setting process steps accomplishing this , and fig9 a - d show an example of a pattern data used in the setting process . at step s 21 in fig8 similarly to the process at step s 1 in fig7 in the foregoing embodiment , the black image data dots are counted in a predetermined area , and at step s 23 , the discrimination is made as to whether or not the count is not less than 33 %. if the result of the discrimination is less than 33 %, the operation goes to step s 27 , where the data of logical product ( and ) of the image data and โ pattern โ 0 shown in fig9 a are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ. since โ pattern 0 โ is constituted by blank data , as shown in fig9 a , the blank data are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ. at step s 29 , data of logical product ( and ) of the image data and the pattern 1 shown in fig9 b are set for in the memory region for the ejection outlet portion a โณ. the pattern 1 is a full - data patten as shown in fig9 ( b ), and therefore , the image data are set as they are in the memory region even if and gate is passed . that is , the process equivalent to that in the above - described embodiment in the case of low black duty . when the result of the dot count indicates not less than 33 % at step s 23 , and not less than 50 % at step s 25 , the operation proceeds to step s 31 , where the data of logical product ( and ) of the image data and the pattern 1 shown in fig9 b are set in the memory region , that is , the image data as they are set in the memory region . subsequently , at step s 33 , the data of logical product ( and ) of the image data and the pattern 0 shown in fig9 a are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet portion a โณ, so that blank data are set in the memory region . this process is equivalent to the process of the foregoing embodiment , for the case of the relatively high black duty . when the result of the dot count indicates not less than 33 % less than 50 %, the image data is thinned with the pattern 2 shown fig9 c and the pattern 3 shown in fig9 d , that is , half duty patterns which are in interpolation relationship , and then our set in the memory region for the ejection outlet portion a โณ and in the memory region for the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ, at step s 35 and s 37 . through these process steps , the high speed image formation is accomplished while preventing deterioration of the image quality even when the combination of the print medium and the ink is such that black - color bleeding occurs with the ejection outlet array arrangement shown in fig2 and that non - uniformity attributable to the differences , depending on the areas , in the black - color time difference with the ejection outlet array arrangement shown in fig3 . by the processing according to this embodiment , the smooth continuation is accomplished between the portion of print of the image data in the predetermined area only by the ejection outlet array a โฒ and the portion of print of the image data in the predetermined area only by the ejection outlet a โณ. in the third embodiment of the present invention , in addition to the structure employed in the second embodiment , means is provided to change the threshold level for discriminating for selection of the print control mode on the basis of the result of the dot count for the black , in accordance with the information of the ink ejection amount from the black ejection outlet array or the information relating thereto . when a high duty image is formed only by the black ink , there is a deterioration of image quality peculiar to that case . this embodiment provides a solution to such a deterioration . fig1 illustrates the deterioration of the image quality which remarkably appears when the high duty image is formed only by the black ink . this figure is a view of a section of the print medium 8 as seen in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction . in this figure , designated by kd 1 is a state of the ink printed for a print region p 1 on the print medium with a prior print scanning scan 1 when the black ink is ejected at a high duty , and kd 2 is a state of the ink printed for a next print region p 2 with the subsequent print scanning scan 2 after the sheet feeding . as shown in fig1 , there is a portion where the thickness of the ink placed on the print medium is small , at a boundary portion between the first printed portion kd 1 and the subsequently printed portion kd 2 ( an adjacent print region ). the thin portion exhibits a relatively low density as compared with the portions around it , and therefore , the quality of the printed image is deteriorated . the phenomenon is particularly remarkable in the case of the image formed with the black ink which provides a high reflected optical density . therefore , in this embodiment , when the result of the black dot count is larger than a predetermined level , the image is formed using both of the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ and the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ which print the boundary portion between the adjacent print region , by which the thin black ink portion is reduced , thus preventing or suppressing the decrease of the image density . fig1 illustrates a print control for such process . in this example , among the print region p 1 in the range a * to be printed in the prior print scanning scan 1 , a half , for example , of the data to be printed by the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ located at the position of the portion adjacent to the print region p 2 to be printed by the subsequent print scanning scan 2 , are printed , and in the subsequent print scanning scan 2 , the remaining half of the data are printed by the ejection outlet portion a โณ simultaneously with the printing for the print region p 2 in the range a *. by doing so , the ink dots printed simultaneously on the boundary portion of the adjacent print region are combined with each other , and therefore , the thickness of being at the boundary portion between the kd 1 and kd 2 is not so thin as in the case of fig1 . in the printing apparatus of the embodiment , when the percentage of the black data in the predetermined area is larger than 90 %, it is deemed that printing is carried out only with the black ink . in the case of such a high duty black image formation , the above - described method is used since otherwise there is a liability of deterioration of the image quality . more specifically , when the result of the black dot count indicates the percentage one on 90 %, the image printing is carried out using both of the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ and ejection outlet portion a โณ. in this embodiment , a control is effected to suppress the influence of the change of the ejection amount of the black ink due to the ambient temperature under which the printing apparatus is placed and the influence of the variations of the ejection amount of the black ink due to the variations in the manufacturing of the printing heads . more particularly , the threshold level for the selection of the print controlling mode on the basis of the result of the black dot count , in accordance with the head rank set corresponding to the ejection outlet array for the black ink in the manufacturing of the printing head and in accordance with the ambient temperature measured by a temperature sensor 234 ( fig5 ) contained in the printing apparatus . fig1 is a table for the selection of the threshold level , and the table may be stored in a rom 203 or the like as fixed data . in the show an example , the ambient temperature is divided into a case of lower than 20 ยฐ c ., a case of 20 ยฐ c . or higher and lower than 30 ยฐ c . and a case 30 ยฐ c . or higher ( three cases ). as for the head rank , there are provided three ranks , namely , โ 1 โ, โ 0 โ and โโ 1 โ. corresponding to combinations of the ambient temperatures and the head ranks , the threshold level is selected from predetermined three threshold value 1 , value 2 and value 3 , and the printing mode or method for the black data is selected in accordance with the result half the black dot count . fig1 is a flow chart of an example of setting process steps for this purpose . in this example , at step s 40 , the ambient temperature and the head rank are fetched , and the table to be referred to is determined . then , at step s 41 , the dot count for the black image data in the predetermined area is carried out , and at step s 43 , the discrimination is made as to whether or not the result is larger than the value 1 set in the table to be referred to , for example , as to whether or not it is larger than value 1 = 35 when the ambient temperature is lower than 20 ยฐ c ., and the head rank is โ 0 โ. if the result of the black dot count is not more than value 1 , the operation proceeds to step s 51 , data of and of the image data and the pattern 0 shown in fig9 a are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ. since โ pattern 0 โ is constituted by blank data , as shown in fig9 a , the blank data are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ. at step s 53 , data of logical product ( and ) of the image data and the pattern 1 shown in fig9 b are set for in the memory region for the ejection outlet portion a โณ. the pattern 1 is a full - data pattern as shown in fig9 ( b ), and therefore , the image data are set as they are in the memory region even if and gate is passed . therefore , the image of the adjacent portion is printed by the ejection outlet portion a โณ. when the result of the black dot count indicates that it is larger than value 1 , and the discrimination at the step s 45 results in not more than value 2 , the operation proceeds to steps s 55 , s 57 , where the image data is thinned with the pattern 2 shown in fig9 c and the pattern 3 shown in fig9 d , namely the half duty patterns which are in an interpolation relationship with each other , and are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet portion a โณ and in the memory region for the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ. therefore , in this case , the image of the adjacent portion is formed using both of the ejection outlet portion a โณ and the ejection outlet portion a โณ. when the result of the black dot count indicates that it is larger than value 2 , and the discrimination at the step s 47 indicates not more than value 3 , the operation proceeds to step s 59 , where the date of and of the image data and the pattern 1 shown in fig9 b are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ, so that image data as they are are set in the memory region . subsequently , at step s 61 , the data of logical product ( and ) of the image data and the pattern 0 shown in fig9 a are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet portion a โณ, so that blank data are set in the memory region . therefore , in this case , the image at the adjacent portion is formed by the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ. when the result of the black dot count indicates that count is larger than value 3 , the operation proceeds to steps s 63 , s 65 , and the image data are thinned by the pattern 2 shown fig9 c and the pattern 3 shown in fig9 d , namely the half duty pattern which are in an interpolating relationship with each other , and are set in the memory region for the ejection outlet array portion a โฒ and in the memory region for the ejection outlet portion a โณ. therefore , in this case , the image at the adjacent portion is formed using the ejection outlet portion a โณ and the ejection outlet portion a โณ, so that above - described deterioration of the image quality at the time of high duty black image formation can be suppressed or prevented . in this embodiment , the threshold level for the discrimination is changeable corresponding to the head rank and / or the variations of the black ink ejection amounts resulting from the change in the ambient temperature , so that switching point of the print control method or mode can be set with a higher accuracy . in this embodiment , the corrections are carried out for both of the black head rank and the ambient temperature , but the present invention is not limited to this . the threshold for the discrimination may be changed on the basis of either one of them . another parameters such as a temperature of the printing head per se or another may be used , if it is reflected in the ejection amount of the black ink . in the foregoing embodiments , the black ejection outlet array and the color ejection outlet array are disposed with deviation in the sheet feeding direction . but , this is not limiting . as described in the foregoing , the present invention is effective to accomplish a high speed image formations with suppressed deterioration of the image quality , indicates that above - described deteriorations of the image quality due to various causes in an ink jet printing apparatus using a polarity of ejection outlet arrays which are disposed with deviation in the sub - scan direction , irrespective of whether they are provided integrally in a printing head or whether they are provided in separate printing heads . in the foregoing , the black ink and the color ( cyan , magenta and yellow ) ink , but the combination of color tones ( including color and density ) is not limited to this , if the above - described deterioration of image quality arises . in the foregoing embodiments , the black ink is first printed , and then the color ink is printed in the same print region , but the present intention is not limited to such a structure . in other words , the present invention is applicable to an ink jet printing apparatus in which the color ink is first printed . in addition , in the foregoing embodiments , the printing by a plurality of ejection outlet array portions as to the black ejection outlet array , but the present intention is not limited to this . in other words , the similar structures and controls may be employed for the color ejection outlet array or arrays , by which the deterioration of the image quality due to various factors can be suppressed . in addition , in the foregoing embodiments , the control operations are carried out with respective only to the duty of the black image data in terms of the color tones , it is a possible alternative that with respect to the relationship with the duty of the color image data , the print control may be properly selected for the black image data and / or color image data . as regards the values for the print control selection , it may be set or may be variable . the values in the foregoing embodiments are only examples , and not limiting to the present invention . the present invention is applicable not only to the ink jet head having an electrothermal transducers as the print elements , but also to the ink jet head having electrical machine conversion members such as piezoelectric element . as described in the foregoing , according to the present invention , when the printing is effected using different inks having different compositions , proper print controls can be selected in accordance with the image data which determine the amounts of inks to be shot onto the print medium , and therefore the deterioration of image quality attributable to the differences , depending on the areas on the print medium , in the time differences from a shot of the ink having a certain composition to a short of the having a different composition , and / or the deterioration of the image quality attributable to the differences in the pervious between inks or bleeding between the inks having different compositions , can be avoided , and a high speed image formation is accomplished . while the invention has been described with reference to the structures disclosed herein , it is not confined to the details set forth and this application is intended to cover such modifications or changes as may come within the purpose of the improvements or the scope of the following 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fig1 shows a schematic illustration of an internal combustion engine according to the invention . the engine is provided with at least one cylinder 1 and comprises a fuel injector 2 , through which fuel is injected into a combustion chamber 3 , for each cylinder . a fuel injection control unit 4 controls fuel injection quantity per combustion cycle injected through each fuel injector . a piston 5 in the engine cylinder has a compression action that causes a mixture of air and fuel within the combustion chamber to be ignited during hcci - mode . the cylinder is provided with at least one inlet valve 6 for admitting gas which includes fresh air into said cylinder and at least one exhaust valve 7 for exhausting combusted gases from said cylinder . air is supplied through an intake conduit 9 connected to an intake manifold , while exhaust gas is exhausted through an exhaust conduit 10 . during si - mode , the ignition of the fuel / air mixture is ignited by a spark plug 8 . the control unit receives signals from at least one sensor for measuring engine operation parameters , which sensors include a combustion chamber pressure sensor 11 , an intake manifold pressure sensor 12 and a ฮป - probe 13 in the exhaust conduit , as well as temperature sensors for intake air 14 , engine coolant 15 and engine oil 16 . the control unit controls the intake and exhaust valves 6 , 7 by means of valve actuators 17 , 18 . the actuators may be either electrically or mechanically operated . fig2 shows a diagram illustrating the variation of cylinder pressure over crank angle for hcci - and si - mode . as can be seen from the curves in the diagram , the engine can be operated in homogeneous charge compression ignition ( hcci ) combustion mode and in conventional spark ignited ( si ) combustion mode . the hcci combustion has no moving flame front , as opposed to a si combustion that has a moving flame front . the lack of a flame front reduces temperature and increases the heat release rate hence increases the thermal efficiency of the combustion . this will result in a considerably higher peak pressure after ignition ( ig ); typically in excess of 40 bar , as opposed to about 20 bar in si mode . the main difference between the hcci - and si modes is that a part of the combustion residuals are captured by operating the engine with a negative valve overlap . the negative valve overlap is achieved by closing the exhaust valve , or ev , before piston tdc ( evc ) and opening the inlet valve , or iv , after piston tdc ( ivo ) in the gas exchange ( ge ) phase of the combustion , as illustrated in fig2 . during the air intake phase , residuals increase the temperature of the mixture so that the auto ignition temperature is reached before piston top dead center ( tdc ) and dilutes the mixture so that the heat release rate decreases to an acceptable level . by controlling the heat release , noise and knocking combustion can be reduced . a split fuel injection is used having a pilot direct fuel injection ( pi ) before tdc during the negative valve overlap and a main direct fuel injection ( mi ) after tdc of the negative valve overlap . the relative quantities of fuel injected during the pilot and the main injections can be varied and are calculated and controlled by a fuel injection control unit ( not shown ). the fuel of the pilot injection ( pi ) will react in the retained residuals , forming radicals , intermediates or combustion products . this reaction can be exothermic hence heating the residuals , resulting in earlier timing of the auto ignition temperature . a prerequisite for this reaction is the presence of excess oxygen , without which the reaction will stop before it is completed . when the engine is operated in hcci - mode the control unit must adjust the value of ฮป to be sufficiently high for all engine operating conditions to ensure this . the total quantity of injected fuel for the pilot and the main injection is substantially constant with respect to the current engine operating conditions , such as engine speed , engine load and efficiency . the quantity of the first injection is preferably selected to be in the range of 0 & lt ; pi & lt ; 45 % of the total amount of injected fuel . the above example describes a split fuel injection occurring before and after top dead center of the piston stroke during the interval when both of the exhaust and intake valves are closed . however , the invention is not limited to this particular embodiment of split injection timing . due to the demand for dilution , which controls the rate of heat release , only the part load regime of the engine is used for hcci combustion mode . the auto ignition timing for hcci operation can be controlled by the pilot fuel injection and / or the captured amount of residuals and / or the absolute manifold pressure . the latter may be controlled by increasing the pressure of the intake air by means of a compressor or turbocharger . according to a preferred embodiment , the amount of trapped residuals during negative overlap should be in the range 20 โ 60 %, irrespective of how this is achieved . when operating the engine , engine knocking , low combustion stability and a high noise level has to be avoided . knocking , which is also a source of noise , is detected by measuring the peak pressure and / or pressure variations caused by a too rapid heat release during the expansion phase . knocking occurs when the peak pressure exceeds an expected maximum pressure , or when a series of rapid pressure variations occur during the expansion phase . low combustion stability is indicated by high cycle to cycle variations of the pressure during combustion . typically , an engine operated in hcci mode may oscillate between a late phased combustion ( low cylinder pressure ) and a subsequent early phased combustion ( high cylinder pressure ). when the engine is operating in the hcci - mode , at least four combinations of sequential combustion cycles are possible . this is illustrated in fig3 a โ d . a more detailed explanation of the cycle - to - cycle variation ( cov ) and how this may oscillate under different engine operating conditions can be found in the sae - paper sae 2002 - 01 - 0110 , the entirety of which is hereby incorporated into the description by reference . the sae - paper discusses the cycle - to - cycle variations ( cov ) during hcci - operation . the oscillating nature of cov and the effect of exhaust valve closure timing on combustion stability is described . in all cases shown in fig2 a โ d a control unit ( not shown ) evaluates the signals from sensors that indicate knock and combustion stability . in the figures , a knock signal is deemed to be high if the peak pressure during combustion exceeds an expected pressure level , indicated by a horizontal line in all fig3 a โ d . when a cov signal is deemed to be high , this is indicated by a reduced peak pressure during combustion . due to the cyclic nature of the cov signal , the reduction in peak pressure generally occurs every second combustion cycle . all figures indicate the timing of the piston top dead center ( tdc ) and the exhaust valve closure ( evc ). fig3 a shows the cylinder pressure for a case where the knock signal is low and the oscillating cov signal is low . in this case the noise level can be unacceptable . according to this embodiment , the combustion phasing is retarded by decreasing the amount of fuel injected in the pilot injection , in combination with an increase of the amount for the main fuel injection in order to keep load and lambda constant . noise level will be reduced with a later phased , or retarded , combustion . fig3 b shows the cylinder pressure for a case where the knock signal is high and the cov signal is high . this indicates high knocking cycles with early phased combustion cycles , alternating with late phased combustion cycles . when both the knock signal and the cov signal is high the amount of fuel injected in the pilot injection is increased , while the amount for the main fuel injection is decreased in order to keep load and lambda constant . the combustion is then phased earlier , or advanced , in the next cycle and engine knock is decreased . for a conventional control strategy , detection of knocking would cause the combustion phasing to be retarded . in this mode of operation such a strategy would cause misfire . fig3 c shows the cylinder pressure for a case where the knock signal is high and the cov signal is low . in this case the amount of fuel injected in the pilot injection is decreased , while the amount for the main fuel injection is increased in order to keep load and lambda constant . the combustion is then phased later in the next cycle and engine knock is decreased . in this context , the term โ next cycle โ refers to the cycle following immediately after the current cycle . fig3 b and 3d show the cylinder pressure for a case where the knock signal is low and the cov signal is high . this indicates low knocking cycles with early phased combustion cycles , alternating with late phased combustion cycles . for a conventional control strategy , this would result in an immediate advance of the combustion phasing to avoid problems with stability . however , if this adjustment occurs immediately after a late phased cycle , the result would most likely be engine knocking in the next cycle . according to the invention , the control unit evaluates the signals from sensors that indicate knock , combustion stability and combustion phasing . the latter is preferably achieved by detecting the location of peak pressure ( lpp ). when the knock signal is low , the cov signal is high and lpp is early , the amount of fuel injected in the pilot injection is increased , while the amount for the main fuel injection is decreased in order to keep load and lambda constant . this will phase the combustion of the next cycle earlier than it would have been without injection adjustment and combustion stability is increased . however , if lpp is sensed late , the amount of fuel injected in the pilot injection is increased , while the amount for the main fuel injection is decreased for the cycle after the next cycle . this delay avoids an even earlier and perhaps knocking combustion for the next cycle . if , for some reason , the time taken by the control unit to perform the necessary calculations exceeds the start of the next , immediately following evc event , then the adjustment of the injections is skipped for two cycles . this is indicated in fig3 b and 3d , where a first event evc 1 is assumed to be missed . the control unit will then skip the cycles including evc 1 and the following event evc 2 , to execute the adjusted injection after the start of a third event evc 3 . fig4 shows a schematic diagram for a control strategy for managing the combustion control , engine knocking and combustion stability , using variations of the pilot fuel injection which is possible to alter from cycle to cycle . the control strategy involves reading values for pilot and main injection from a map stored in the control unit . based on these values the control unit performs an evaluation of the output signals from multiple sensors , such as a knocking sensor , a combustion stability sensor and a pressure sensor , and calculates required corrections of the amount of fuel injected in the pilot and main injections accordingly . the corrections are generally very small from cycle to cycle and the magnitude of the incremental steps is controlled by and dependent on the accuracy of the pid regulator used . however , for reasons of clarity , fig4 describes combustion control for steady state condition in order to illustrate the general principle of the invention . in actual use the control unit applies a dynamic regulation dependent on current engine operating conditions when the engine is switched from si - mode to hcci - mode , the control loop is initiated by the injection control unit . after transmitting a command to start s 1 the control loop , the control unit reads the output signals transmitted from a number of sensors s 2 . in this embodiment the sensors used are a knocking sensor , a combustion stability sensor and a pressure sensor . the control unit will then compare the knock signal with a predetermined limit value s 3 to determine whether the signal is high or low . if the knock signal is high the control unit will compare the stability signal , also referred to as cov , with a further predetermined limit value s 4 . if the cov signal is also high , then the control unit will immediately increase the amount of fuel injected during the pilot injection s 5 , that is , for the next cycle . as described above , the amount of fuel injected during the main injection will be decreased accordingly . if , on the other hand , the cov signal is low , then the control unit will immediately decrease the amount of fuel injected during the pilot injection s 6 , that is , for the next cycle . should the control unit determine that the knock signal is lower than the predetermined limit value s 3 , the control unit will compare the cov signal to a predetermined limit value s 7 , identical to that of step s 4 . if the cov signal is low , then the control unit will immediately decrease the amount of fuel injected during the pilot injection s 6 , that is , for the next cycle . however , if it is determined that the knock signal is low s 3 and that the cov signal is high , a further comparison is made using a signal indicating cylinder pressure plotted over time . the control unit can then determine the location of peak pressure ( lpp ), that is , when the maximum pressure occurs during combustion . the control unit can then determine if the lpp has occurred early or late s 8 with respect to an estimated or desired point in time . if the lpp has occurred early , then the control unit will immediately increase the amount of fuel injected during the pilot injection s 9 , that is , for the next cycle immediately the current cycle . if , on the other hand , the lpp has occurred late , then the control unit will increase the amount of fuel injected during the pilot injection s 10 for the subsequent cycle , that is the cycle following the next cycle . this delay avoids an even earlier and perhaps knocking combustion for the next cycle , as described above , and counteracts possible oscillations caused by cycle - to - cycle variations . for all the operating conditions described above , the control loop is carried out continuously for each combustion cycle until the control unit determines the hcci operation is no longer possible s 11 . the control unit will then end the procedure s 12 and switch to s 1 - mode . fig5 illustrates a schematic ฮป map to be stored in a control unit . as seen from the figure , the air / fuel ratio is ฮป = 1 , 5 at idling speed under a low load . if either the load or the engine speed is increased , while the other parameter is kept substantially constant , then the air / fuel ratio is increased to ฮป = 2 . when both engine speed and engine load are increased according to the linear function shown , then the air / fuel ratio is increased to ฮป = 2 , 3 . fig6 shows a schematic diagram for a control strategy for managing the no x emissions by adjusting the absolute pressure in the air intake manifold . the adjustments are made based on a comparison between the measured , actual lambda value and a lambda value selected on the basis of a number of sensor readings . it is possible to adjust the intake manifold pressure from cycle to cycle . the control strategy involves an evaluation of the output signals from multiple sensors , primarily an engine speed sensor , an engine load sensor and pressure and temperature sensors in the intake manifold . when the engine is switched to hcci - mode the no x control loop s 1 is initiated by a control unit . in a first step s 2 , the control unit reads the signals transmitted from a ฮป - sensor , an engine speed sensor , an engine load sensor , an intake manifold pressure sensor and an intake air temperature sensor . further sensors may include temperature sensors for engine oil and coolant . when receiving the signals for engine speed and engine load , the control unit will use these values to look up and select an associated value for lambda ฮป s in a map s 3 stored in the control unit . the control unit will then check the signal from the intake manifold temperature t m sensor and correct the selected ฮป - value s 4 , if the measured temperature t m deviates from a predetermined reference temperature t ref for said stored map . in general , if the intake manifold temperature t m increases the ฮป - value will need to be corrected upwards . such a correction may also be required for increasing temperature for engine oil and coolant , which contributes to a general increase in temperature of the engine . the control unit will then compare the selected ฮป s with a measured ฮป - value ฮป a for the air fuel ratio in the exhaust gas s 5 . if ฮป a & gt ; ฮป s then the control unit will transmit a signal to the intake air charging unit to decrease the absolute intake pressure s 6 . similarly , if ฮป a & lt ; ฮป s then the control unit will transmit a signal to said air charging unit to increase the absolute intake pressure s 7 . before repeating the control loop , the control unit checks that the hcci - mode is still in operation s 8 . if this is not the case , then the no x control ends s 9 . in the above example the ฮป - value is measured using a ฮป - sensor , such as an oxygen sensor . however , it is also possible to use sensors that generate a signal indicative of the ฮป - value , such as a no x - sensor of an ion current sensor . hence , for the step s 5 above , either of a no x signal or ion current signal may be compared to a respective reference signal . if either signal is lower than its reference signal , the control unit will transmit a signal to the intake air charging unit to decrease the absolute intake pressure s 6 , and vice versa . according to a further embodiment , the value of ฮป may be calculated by the ecu , using the mass air flow ( maf ) and the amount of injected fuel . high ฮป - values combined with low fuel consumption and low no x emissions can not be achieved with atmospheric pressure in the intake manifold during hcci operation at high loads and / or speeds . in a preferred embodiment the engine is provided with an intake air charging unit , arranged to adjust the intake manifold pressure . fig7 a and 7b show different air charging arrangements for an engine e as described in connection with fig1 . according to fig7 a , the intake air charging unit may be a turbocharger 20 having a compressor 21 for intake air 22 and a turbine 23 driven by exhaust gases 24 from the engine e , which turbine is provided with a wastegate for controlling the intake manifold pressure . according to one embodiment , this wastegate 25 may be connected to bypass the turbine 23 . however , according to an alternative embodiment a wastegate 26 may be connected to bypass the compressor 21 , as indicated by dotted lines in the figure . a controllable valve 27 may also be connected to the intake conduit between the compressor 21 and the engine e , to exhaust compressed air to the atmosphere . fig7 b shows an alternatively intake air charging unit in the form of a supercharger 28 for intake air 29 . as in the case of the turbocharger in fig7 a , the supercharger is provided with a throttle or wastegate for controlling the intake manifold pressure . a wastegate 30 may be connected to bypass the supercharger 28 , as indicated by dotted lines in the figure . a controllable valve 31 may also be connected to the intake conduit between the supercharger 28 and the engine e , to exhaust compressed air to the atmosphere . according to a preferred embodiment , the intake air charging unit is arranged to increase the intake manifold pressure if the actual ฮป - value is less than the selected ฮป - value . similarly , the intake air charging unit is arranged to decrease the intake manifold pressure if the measured ฮป - value is greater than or equal to the selected ฮป - value . the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and may be varied freely within the scope of the appended claims . | 5Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting
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fig1 shows a meridian section through a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus , denoted overall by 10 , in a highly schematised representation which is not to scale . the projection exposure apparatus 10 includes an illumination system 12 with a light source 14 for generating a projection light beam 13 . the light source 14 , which may for example be an excimer laser , generates short - wave projection light . in the present exemplary embodiment , the wavelength of the projection light is 193 nm . it is likewise possible to use other wavelengths , for example 157 nm or 248 nm . the illumination system 12 furthermore contains illumination optics , indicated by 16 , with a depolarizer 17 and a field aperture 18 . the illumination optics 16 reshape the projection light beam generated by the light source 14 in the desired way , and make it possible to set up different illumination angle distributions . to this end , the illumination optics 16 may for example contain exchangeable diffractive optical elements and / or microlens arrays . since such illumination optics 16 are known in the prior art , see for example u . s . pat . no . 6 , 285 , 443 a , the explanation of further details in this regard may be omitted . an objective 19 of the illumination system 12 images the field aperture 18 sharply onto a subsequent object plane of a projection objective 20 . the projection objective 20 contains a multiplicity of lenses and other optical elements , only a few of which ( denoted by l 1 to l 6 ) are indicated by way of example in fig1 for the sake of clarity . the projection objective 20 may also contain other optical elements , for example imaging mirrors or mirrors used for folding the beam path , or filter elements . in the case of extremely short wavelengths , for example 13 nm , the projection objective 20 contains only mirrors as imaging elements , since sufficiently transparent lens materials are not available for these short wavelengths . the same applies for the illumination system 12 . the projection objective 20 is used to project a reduced image of a mask 24 , which can be arranged in an object plane 22 of the projection objective 20 and is illuminated by the projection light beam 13 , onto a photosensitive layer 26 which , for example , may be a photoresist . the layer 26 is located in an image plane 28 of the projection objective 20 and is applied onto a support 29 , for example a silicon wafer . the lenses contained in the illumination system 12 and in the projection objective 20 are provided with an antireflection coating . the purpose of the antireflection coating is to reduce the proportion of light which is reflected at the interfaces of the lenses and is therefore lost for the projection , or leads to double reflections . the coatings generally contain a multiplicity of a thin individual layers , the refractive indices and thicknesses of which are selected so that the desired properties are achieved for the wavelength of the projection light 13 . in the case of antireflection coatings , these properties are primarily a very high transmissivity of more than 98 %. such a high transmissivity should be achieved for a large incidence angle range . especially in the case of very high - aperture projection objectives 20 , incidence angles of up to 70 ยฐ may occur , and even more in particular cases . if the transmissivity depends too strongly on the incidence angle , then this will lead to field - dependent structure width variations with coatings close to the pupil , and to angle - dependent structure width variations with near - field coatings . it is moreover expected of the antireflection coatings applied on lenses that they have these optical properties irrespective of the polarization state of the incident projection light 13 . if the transmissivity varies too greatly for orthogonal polarization states in an antireflection coating , then this polarization dependency may lead to undesired imaging errors . this is related to the fact that , despite the use of a depolarizer 17 in the illumination system 12 , the projection light 13 does not remain fully depolarized when it passes through the projection objective 20 . reasons for this may , for example , be intrinsically or stress - birefringent lens materials , polarizing mask structures as well as the polarization dependencies being discussed here in the case of antireflection and reflection coatings . if an antireflection coating is arranged in the vicinity of a field plane , then the polarization dependency of its transmissivity leads to intensities varying over the image field when the projection light has a preferential polarization direction that varies over the field . such intensity variations in a field plane become manifested as undesired field - dependent structure width variations on the component . on the other hand , if an antireflection coating with a polarization - dependent transmissivity is arranged close to the pupil , then an already existing angle dependency of the polarization state may likewise lead to undesired structure width variations . for this reason , when developing an antireflection coating , attempts are made to keep the difference ฮดt between the transmission coefficients for orthogonal polarization states less than 10 %, such as less than 3 %. ( anti -) reflection coatings of lenses and mirrors may furthermore cause the phase of the light passing through the coatings to vary as a function of the polarization state . this makes the coating optically birefringent , which has an unfavourable effect on the imaging quality in the image plane . for this reason , the permissible phase difference ฮดฯ between orthogonal polarization states should be less than 1 / 10 of the wavelength ฮป of the projection light 13 . a high average transmissivity on the one hand , as well as a low polarization dependency of the transmissivity and of the phase on the other hand , cannot however be achieved over a sizeable incidence angle range , or can be achieved at most with extremely great outlay . according to the disclosure , the coatings in the projection exposure apparatus 10 therefore configured so that the polarization dependency of the transmission coefficient and of the phase are kept low over a large incidence angle range . the average transmissivity and the average phases may however vary perceptibly over the incidence angle range . the concomitant perturbations of the imaging are corrected in a comparatively straightforward way , for example with the aid of grey filters or โ in the case of phase errors โ local non - axisymmetric surface deformations . substantial polarization independency , specifically in the case of antireflection coatings , means that the transmission coefficients for mutually orthogonal polarization states differ from one another by no more than 10 % ( e . g ., by no more than 3 %, by no more than 1 %) over an incidence angle range of 70 ยฐ. the same applies for the reflection coefficients in the case of reflection coatings . layer systems configured in such a way can be developed and produced with relatively little outlay . the way to do this in detail may be found in standard textbooks , for example t . w . baumeister โ optical coating technology โ. fig2 shows a lateral section of a detail of an exemplary embodiment of an antireflection coating 32 , in which the transmission coefficients for mutually orthogonal polarization states differ from one another by no more than 1 %. the antireflection coating 32 consists of 6 thin individual layers l 1 to l 6 , the materials and optical thicknesses of which are specified in table 1 . the antireflection coating 32 is applied on a concave surface 34 of a lens 36 , which consists for example of quartz glass , and it is configured for a wavelength of ฮป = 193 nm . the quantity qwot ( quarter wave optical thickness ) refers to the optical thickness , i . e . the product of refractive index and the geometrical thickness , in units of a quarter wavelength . likewise suitable in principle , albeit less preferred owing to the low durability , is the coating described as exemplary embodiment 4 in jp 2004 - 302113 a , which is constructed from three layers . ep 0 994 368 a2 describes a more durable coating which has five layers but in which the transmission coefficients for orthogonal polarization states differ from one another by about 5 % in the incidence angle range of from 0 ยฐ to 70 ยฐ. it will be assumed below that the light ray 30 contains both a p - polarized component 38 indicated by double arrows and an s - polarized component indicated by black circles 40 . the majority of the light striking the antireflection coating 32 will be transmitted , with the transmission coefficients t s and t p respectively for the s - polarized component 40 and for the p - polarized component 38 differing slightly . in fig2 , this slight difference is indicated by the arrow 42 s for the transmitted s - polarized component 40 being somewhat longer than the arrow 42 p for the transmitted p - polarized component 38 . in general , the reflectivity of the antireflection coating 32 also differs according to the polarization state of the incident light , which is indicated in an exaggeratedly represented way at 44 in fig2 . the average transmissivity t of the antireflection coating 32 is given by the following equation ( 1 ): the polarization dependency of the transmissivity is best described by the difference between the transmission coefficients t s and t p according to equation ( 2 ) for the average phase ฯ and the phase difference ฮดฯ , equations ( 3 ) and ( 4 ) respectively apply : fig3 and 5 show graphs in which the average transmissivity t , the difference ฮดt between the transmission coefficients according to eq . ( 2 ) and the phase difference according to eq . ( 4 ) are respectively plotted as a function of the incidence angle ฮฑ for the antireflection coating 32 . it can be seen that ฮดt & lt ; 1 % and ฮดฯ & lt ; 0 . 1 ยท ฮป apply over an angle range of 70 ยฐ. the average transmissivity t is however not consistently higher than 98 % over this incidence angle range , rather it falls off to values below 92 % for large incidence angles . this may therefore lead to the aforementioned field - and / or angle - dependent intensity variations . in order to avoid intensity variations in the image plane 28 , grey filters may be used which are likewise to be positioned near the field . as an alternative to this , it is possible to position filter elements with angle - dependent transmissivities near the pupil . such an angle - dependent grey filter is indicated by 50 in fig1 . further designs of grey filters , which are suitable in this context , may be found in us 2005 / 0018312 a1 . in a scanning projection exposure apparatus 10 , it is also feasible to use a field aperture , which includes a multiplicity of individually displaceable aperture elements , in the illumination system 12 . such field apertures which are known per se , as described for example in ep 0 952 491 a2 , make it possible to vary the radiation dose in the image plane 28 as a function of the longitudinal position of the slit - shaped light field . if the antireflection coating 32 lies in the vicinity of a pupil plane , however , then this will generate pupil apodisation . such pupil apodisations may be corrected by suitably configured antireflection layers in the vicinity of a pupil plane . tilting of the pupil apodisation , which can be described by the zernike coefficients z 2 / z 3 , may be corrected by a mirror layer . stronger double reflections , which may occur owing to the average transmissivity t being lower at particular angles , may be absorbed by anti - scattering apertures . since the average phase ฯ is likewise not given priority in the optimisation of the antireflection coating , phase errors due to the antireflection coating 32 may lead to imaging errors . such imaging errors may be corrected , at least within certain limits , by manipulators which are known per se . particularly good correction is achieved when interfaces of optical elements , or plates separately provided here , are deformed locally and non - axisymmetrically . the deformations , which may be generated by adding or removing material , are in this case of the order of a few nanometres , such as less than 50 nanometres . instead of respectively optimising the individual antireflection coatings with a view to minimal polarization dependency , it is also possible to carry out an overall optimisation of a plurality or all of the antireflection coatings contained in the projection objective 20 , and optionally throughout the projection exposure apparatus 10 . the conditions mentioned above may then be described as naturally , the above considerations also apply for reflection coatings such as are used for curved imaging mirrors or plane deviating mirrors in the projection exposure apparatus 10 . several exemplary embodiments of antireflection coatings will be described below , some of which likewise have a particularly small difference between the transmission coefficients for orthogonal polarization states . in other exemplary embodiments , although this difference is greater , particularly high average transmission coefficients and / or particularly small phase splittings are nevertheless achieved over a sizeable incidence angle range . it should furthermore be pointed out that the transmission performance will now be described no longer by specifying the transmission coefficients t , but by specifying the reflection coefficients r . if the coatings have a negligible absorption , then t = 1 โ r applies . small reflection coefficients therefore correspond to large transmission coefficients , and vice versa . table 2 gives the layer specification for an exemplary embodiment of an antireflection coating , which includes four layers in total . fig6 shows a graph in which the reflection coefficients r s , r p and r a for s - polarized , p - polarized and unpolarized light are respectively plotted as a function of the incidence angle for this antireflection coating . as in exemplary embodiment 1 described above , the layers are counted starting from the support material which , for example , may be a lens or a plane - parallel plate . caf 2 , which has a refractive index of about 1 . 56 at a wavelength of 193 nm , will be assumed as the material of the support ( substrate ) in this exemplary embodiment and the ones described below . it is however also possible to use other support materials , for example synthetic quartz glass ( sio 2 ) or barium fluoride ( baf 2 ); the optical properties of the antireflection coating will only be modified relatively slightly by this . lanthanum fluoride ( laf 3 ), which has a refractive index of about 1 . 69 at a wavelength of 193 nm has been assumed for the more highly refractive layers . magnesium fluoride ( mgf 2 ), which has a refractive index of about 1 . 43 at the same wavelength , has been assumed for the less refractive layers . the known production methods , for example pvd or cvd methods , may be employed in order to produce the layers . of course , the materials mentioned for the more highly refractive layers and the less refractive layers may also replaced by other materials respectively with similar refractive indices . also suitable as more highly refractive materials , besides laf 3 , are in particular ndf 3 , al 2 o 3 and erf 3 . besides mgf 2 for the less refractive materials , alf 3 , chiolite or kryolite may for example also be envisaged . since these materials have somewhat different refractive indices from the materials mentioned in table 2 , differences may arise for the optical thicknesses specified there in units of qwot ( quarter wave optical thickness ). these are mentioned in the last row of table 2 in the form of range specifications . even when employing laf 3 and mgf 2 , it may be expedient to use optical thicknesses within the value ranges in the table , for example in order to carry out fine tuning . a common feature of the more highly and less refractive materials is that refractive indices in the range of between about 1 . 60 and 1 . 92 , or in the range of between about 1 . 37 and 1 . 44 , can respectively be achieved by them without the packing density thereby decreasing below a value of 85 %. these layers are therefore more durable and do not substantially change their optical properties even after prolonged operating times and under different environmental effects . the graph shown in fig6 reveals that with this antireflection coating , consisting of only four layers , the reflection coefficients r s and r p for s - polarized and p - polarized light differ only very slightly from one another over an incidence angle range of between 0 ยฐ and 60 ยฐ, specifically by no more than 1 %. for an incidence angle range of between 0 ยฐ and 50 ยฐ, not only the difference but also the absolute value of the reflection coefficients r s and r p are less than 1 %. a particular feature of this antireflection coating is that the reflection coefficient r s for s - polarized light is less than the reflection coefficient r p for p - polarized light for incidence angles of between about 35 ยฐ and 55 ยฐ. such behaviour , which was described for the first time โ albeit for an incidence angle range above 55 ยฐโ in jp 2004 - 302113 is unusual because p - polarized light is in principle transmitted better than s - polarized light according to the fresnel equations . this reversal of the reflection behaviour which is conventional per se , over a particular angle range , can advantageously be used to compensate for effects due to the conventional polarization - dependent reflection behaviour at other coatings . even if the difference between the reflection coefficients for the s - polarized and p - polarized light can be kept very small , as shown by the first exemplary embodiment and also some of the subsequent exemplary embodiments , this nevertheless often involves more complex layer systems with six or more individual layers , the production of which is correspondingly elaborate . if however an antireflection coating having the properties shown in fig6 is combined with another simply constructed antireflection coating , which has a higher reflectivity for s - polarized light than for p - polarized light over an incidence angle range , then polarization - neutral behaviour can be achieved overall . to this end , it is not categorically necessary that the antireflection coatings , whose polarization dependencies are intended to compensate for one another , should exhibit the described behaviour in the same incidence angle range . light rays which strike one optical surface at large incidence angles may strike another optical surface at small incidence angles , and vice versa . if two identically constructed antireflection coatings , which have ranges with r s & gt ; r p and r s & lt ; r p , are applied onto optical surfaces selected in such a way , then there polarization dependencies can neutralise one another . in general , however , the situation is simplest when the compensating antireflection coatings are applied on the entry and exit surfaces of an optical element , for example a lens . this is because when optical systems are being configured , attempts are often made to make the incidence angles similar on the entry and exit surfaces of the optical lenses . if however there are many other optical elements between the antireflection coatings , then the incidence angle distribution may be modified in a relatively complicated way by the optical elements lying between them . it is to be understood that the layer specification given in table 2 need not be identical over the entire surface of the optical element . since different regions on an optical element are often exposed to different distributions of incidence angles , it may be expedient for different antireflection coatings , which are optimally adapted to the angle spectrum respectively encountered , to be applied onto the different regions . table 3 gives the layer specification for an exemplary embodiment of an antireflection coating , which includes eight layers in total . fig7 shows a graph in which the reflection coefficients r s , r p and r a for s - polarized , p - polarized and unpolarized light are respectively plotted as a function of the incidence angle for this antireflection coating . it can be seen in the graph of fig7 that the reflection behaviour differs from the per se conventional behaviour at incidence angles of more than about 40 ยฐ here , because s - polarized light is reflected much less than p - polarized light there . the negative difference ฮดr = r s โ r p of the reflection coefficients r s and r p increases substantially more strongly at the incidence angles of about 50 ยฐ than is the case with the antireflection coating shown with the aid of fig1 of jp 2004 - 302113 . the antireflection coating with the layer specification given in table 3 can therefore be used even better to compensate for polarization dependencies of other layers , as was explained above in relation to exemplary embodiment 2 . a substantial advantage over the antireflection coating described in jp 2004 - 302113 is , above all , that only layers which have a packing density of more than 85 % are used in the antireflection coating described here . in the exemplary embodiment described in jp 2004 - 302113 , however , the packing density of the lowermost layer is merely 49 % in order to be able to achieve the low refractive index of 1 . 21 . a low packing density of this type is disadvantageous because such an incompact layer is susceptible to environmental effects and therefore modifies its optical properties relatively quickly as a function of time . table 4 gives the layer specification for another exemplary embodiment of an antireflection coating , which includes seven layers in total . fig8 shows a graph in which the reflection coefficients for s - polarized , p - polarized and unpolarized light are respectively plotted as a function of the incidence angle for this antireflection coating . the reflection coefficients for s - polarized and p - polarized light differ only very slightly between incidence angles of 0 ยฐ and 60 ยฐ, specifically by no more than 0 . 1 %. at 4 %, the absolute values r s and r p are likewise very similar in an angle range of between about 20 ยฐ and 50 ยฐ. this antireflection coating is therefore suitable in particular for such optical elements which light strikes only obliquely with incidence angles in the range , or at least predominantly obliquely . the antireflection coating with the layer specification given in table 4 has also been optimised with a view to achieving a minimal phase difference ฮดฯ between s - polarized and p - polarized light after passing through the antireflection coating . in order to obtain a small phase difference ฮดฯ , it is favourable for the coating to consist of as few layers as possible , but at least for the thickness of the layers provided to be as small as possible . comparison of the layer specification given in table 4 with the layer specification given in table 3 , for exemplary embodiment 3 , shows that this rule can be satisfied without thereby entailing intolerably large differences ฮดr = r s โ r p . in exemplary embodiment 4 , a phase difference is achieved which is less than 0 . 5 ยฐ for incidence angles of between 0 ยฐ and 50 ยฐ, and which does not reach about 6 ยฐ until an incidence angle of 70 ยฐ. if all the layers are made about 7 % thinner based on the layer specification given in table 4 , then the range with particularly small reflection coefficients will be shifted to smaller incidence angles as revealed by the graph of fig9 . this modification makes the antireflection coating particularly suitable for incidence angles of between 0 ยฐ and about 40 ยฐ. in this incidence angle range , the reflection coefficients r s and r p for s - polarized and p - polarized light are both below about 0 . 2 %; the differences ฮดr between the reflection coefficients are an order of magnitude less . the phase difference ฮดฯ is likewise shifted to smaller incidence angles here . the phase difference ฮดฯ at incidence angles of 70 ยฐ is therefore somewhat higher , specifically 10 ยฐ. in exemplary embodiments 2 and 3 , the phase splitting may also be reduced if it is feasible for the thicker layers , in particular , to be made thinner . table 5 shows the layer specification for an antireflection coating which is based on the layer specification shown in table 3 for exemplary embodiment 3 . the thicker layers 2 , 4 and 5 provided there are now much thinner . fig1 shows a graph in which the reflection coefficients for s - polarized , p - polarized and unpolarized light are respectively plotted as a function of the incidence angle for this antireflection coating . the phase difference ฮดฯ for exemplary embodiment 5 is plotted with a line of dashes , and for exemplary embodiment 3 with thin dots and dashes for comparison . it may be seen clearly that much smaller phase differences ฮดฯ are entailed for incidence angles of more than about 30 ยฐ owing to the reduction of the layer thicknesses . on the other hand , the reflection behaviour has not been compromised significantly by the modification carried out , as shown by a comparison of fig1 and 7 . table 6 gives the layer specification for another exemplary embodiment of an antireflection coating , which includes eight layers in total . fig1 shows a graph corresponding to fig1 , in which the reflection coefficients for p - polarized , s - polarized and unpolarized light as well as the phase difference ฮดฯ are plotted as a function of the incidence angle . the antireflection coating according to this exemplary embodiment is distinguished by a particularly small phase difference , the absolute value of which does not exceed 5 ยฐ throughout the incidence angle range of between 0 ยฐ and 70 ยฐ. with this antireflection , it is furthermore noteworthy coating that the phase difference ฮดฯ is negative in an angle range of between 0 ยฐ and about 65 ยฐ. this means that p - polarized light passes through the antireflection coating with a retardation relative to the s - polarized light within this incidence angle range . this unusual behaviour may be used to compensate for a positive phase difference , in a similar way as was explained above in connection with exemplary embodiment 2 for the reflection coefficients r s , r p . here again , it is true that the combination of at least one antireflection coating having a positive phase difference with another antireflection coating having negative phase splitting can achieve the effect that s - polarized and p - polarized light no longer have a significant phase difference after passing through the two antireflection coatings . in this case , for example , it is also possible that the contributions of a multiplicity of antireflection coatings to a sizeable positive phase difference may be compensated for by a single antireflection coating or a few antireflection coatings with a negative phase difference . here again , the angle ranges of the antireflection coatings with a positive phase difference and those with a negative phase difference need not necessarily coincide . methods of computer - assisted optimisation , for example the variation method , may be employed in order to achieve substantially polarization - neutral behaviour in respect of reflectivity and phase by combining different antireflection coatings . in general , it will be simplest to optimise the antireflection coatings in a first step such that a minimal difference in the reflectivity for orthogonal polarization states is obtained overall . in a second step , phase differences still existing on one or a few , for example 4 , antireflection coatings may then be reduced . the reverse procedure may of course also be adopted , by starting with reduction of the phase differences and subsequently optimising the reflectivity . simultaneous optimisation in respect of both the reflectivity and the phase difference is also possible in principle . | 6Physics
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it is to be understood that the figures have been simplified to illustrate only those aspects of an interconnect which are relevant , and some of the dimensions have been exaggerated to convey a clear understanding of the present invention , while eliminating , for the purpose of clarity , some elements normally found in an interconnect . those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other elements are required to produce an interconnect . however , because such elements and process steps are well known in the art , and because they do not further aid in the understanding of the present invention , a discussion of such elements is not provided herein . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of a dielectric layer 2 , a semiconductor layer 4 , and an interface 6 between the dielectric layer 2 and the semiconductor layer 4 . the dielectric layer 2 may be of any dielectric material , and in the described embodiment it is boro - phospho - silicate glass oxide (โ bpsg oxide โ). a lower conductor 8 is located in the semiconductor layer 2 adjacent to the interface 6 , and may be any conductor of current , such as a doped semiconductor or a metal . in the described embodiment , the lower conductor 8 is an n + doped semiconductor . the lower conductor 8 is patterned to form conductive paths as is known in the art . the dielectric layer 2 , semiconductor layer 4 , interface 6 , and lower conductor 8 form a portion of an integrated circuit 10 . fig2 is a cross - sectional view of the integrated circuit 10 after an opening 12 has been created in the dielectric layer 2 . the opening 12 is defined by an inner wall 14 and extends from a top surface 16 of the dielectric layer 2 to the lower conductor 8 . the formation of such an opening in a dielectric layer is well known in the prior art . for example , an anisotropic etch in a reactive ion etch (โ rie โ) reactor , using cf 4 + chf 3 at between 10 ยฐ c . and 40 ยฐ c . may be used . many other methods of forming an opening are known , such as using a combination of isotropic and anisotropic etches to create sloped side walls in a dielectric layer . fig3 is a cross - sectional view of the integrated circuit 10 after the deposition of a plug layer 20 , which substantially fills the opening 12 . tungsten is preferred as the material for the plug layer 20 because it is easily deposited using a chemical vapor deposition (โ cvd โ) process . any conductor of current , however , may form the material for the plug layer 20 . because tungsten does not readily adhere to oxides , which comprise the dielectric layer 2 in the preferred embodiment , a โ glue โ layer 22 is preferably deposited before the plug layer 20 . in the preferred embodiment titanium is used as the glue layer 22 because it adheres well to oxides and it consumes silicon dioxide , forming titanium silicide which has a low resistance . the silicon dioxide may remain at the bottom 18 of the opening 12 from previous process steps , and if it is not removed , it will increase the contact resistance between a plug , described below , and the lower conductor 8 . titanium may be deposited , for example , by using a chemical vapor deposition (โ cvd โ) process , preferably using a titanium - chloride chemistry , such as titanium and cfcl 3 . alternatively , titanium may be sputtered directly onto the opening 12 . because sputtered titanium often results in shadowing , a columniator may be utilized to provide a more uniform distribution . an alternative glue layer is titanium silicide , deposited by a cvd process . titanium silicide cvd produces a conformal layer of titanium silicide , yielding uniform metal layers along the vertical and horizontal surfaces in and around the opening 12 . the titanium silicide cvd process uses titanium tetrachloride in conjunction with titanium and silicon gasses to produce the layer of titanium silicide . titanium silicide , however , does not consume silicon dioxide as titanium does . in addition to the glue layer 22 , a barrier layer 24 is used in the preferred embodiment because tungsten reacts with silicon to cause โ worm holes โ in the silicon . worm holes result in small voids in the silicon surface where the silicon has migrated into the tungsten , and they increase the contact resistance and can cause leakage in diodes built in the silicon substrate . as a result , the barrier layer 24 is preferably used to separate the tungsten layer 20 from any form of silicon , such as a doped silicon substrate . when both a glue layer 22 and a barrier layer 24 are used , both the glue layer 22 and the barrier layer 24 may coat the bottom 18 and the walls 14 of the opening 12 , as shown in fig3 . fig4 shows an alternative embodiment wherein the glue layer 22 is deposited only on the bottom 18 of the opening 12 , so that it will consume any silicon dioxide present on the lower conductor 8 . the barrier layer 24 , however , is deposited on both the walls 14 and the bottom 18 of the opening 12 . the preferred barrier layer 24 , titanium nitride , is suitable as both a โ barrier โ and a โ glue โ, and is deposited on top of the glue layer 22 , to act as a barrier between tungsten and silicon , and on the walls 14 to act as a glue layer . titanium nitride readily adheres to the titanium / titanium silicide glue layer 22 , to the tungsten plug layer 20 , and to the dielectric layer 2 . it also forms an effective barrier between the tungsten plug 26 and silicon , and is conformal and easily deposited by a cvd process . the titanium nitride may also be deposited by annealing titanium in the presence of nitrogen or ammonia . regardless of the manner in which titanium nitride is deposited , an annealing step follows the deposition of the glue layer 22 , preferably either immediately after the glue layer 22 is deposited , or after the barrier layer 24 is deposited . the annealing step is necessary for the titanium , which preferably comprises the glue layer 22 , to effectively consume silicon dioxide . the glue and barrier layers 22 and 24 , of course , are preferably not used when the plug 26 does not react adversely with any other materials in the opening 12 , and when the plug 26 adequately adheres to the wall 14 and bottom 18 of the opening . in fact , the glue and barrier layers 22 and 24 are not required to utilize the invention , but they are used in the preferred embodiment . a layer of titanium may always be used , however , to consume silicon dioxide from the bottom 18 of the opening 12 . fig5 shows a cross - sectional view of the integrated circuit 10 after portions of the plug layer 20 , glue layer 22 , and barrier layer 24 have been removed , leaving a plug 26 having a top surface 28 and an edge 29 . the edge 29 of the plug 26 is defined generally by the glue and barrier layers 22 and 24 . the portions of the plug layer 20 , glue layer 22 , and barrier layer 24 may be removed , for example , by a dry etch process using a chlorine - based gas is used , such as chlorine gas , ccl 4 , or hcl . preferably , however , a chemical - mechanical polish (โ cmp โ), as described in u . s . pat . no . 5 , 224 , 534 (โ the &# 39 ; 534 patent โ) issued to yu et al ., assigned to micron technology , inc . and incorporated herein by reference , may be used to remove the top layer of tungsten and leave the top surface 28 of the plug 26 even with the top surface 16 of the dielectric layer 2 . fig6 shows the integrated circuit 10 after being subjected to a cleaning step . the surface of the integrated circuit 10 is cleaned , for example , by a bath of hydrofluoric acid which cleans the surface 16 of the dielectric layer 2 and opens up a small recess 30 in the glue and barrier layers 22 and 24 around the edge 29 of the plug 26 . the recess 30 has a generally rectangular cross - section , is typically between 1 , 000 and 2 , 000 angstroms deep , typically about 1 , 000 angstroms wide , and will often contain impurities . as discussed above , if the impurities remain in the recess 30 they may develop into a latent defect which may ultimately cause a failure of the device . as described in the &# 39 ; 534 patent , the cmp process may also form a recess 30 at the edge 29 of the plug 26 , without the use of a hydrofluoric acid bath . following the cleaning step , an โ etchback โ step is preferably performed which removes material from the top surface 28 of the plug 26 so that the plug 26 is between about 1 , 000 to 2 , 000 angstroms below the top surface 16 of the dielectric layer 2 . the etchback is to compensate for the different etch rates of tungsten and bpsg oxide , in anticipation of an etch step described below with respect to fig7 . the depth of the etchback is chosen so that at the conclusion of the etch step , discussed below with respect to fig7 the top surface 28 of the plug 26 and the top surface 16 of the dielectric layer 2 are even . the etchback may be achieved , for example , through a dry etch of the plug 26 . fig7 shows a cross section of the integrated circuit 10 after it is subjected to an etch step to clean and enlarge the recess 30 . after the recess 30 is enlarged it extends into the dielectric layer 2 and the plug 26 . many types of etches , such as facet etches and sputter etches , may be used to clean and enlarge the recess 30 . it has been found , however , that superior results are achieved with a sputter etch using an argon plasma , with a pressure between five and fifty millitorr , a flow rate of between 10 and 100 standard cubic centimeters per minute (โ sccm โ) of argon gas , a plasma energy level of between 1 . 7 and 5 . 1 watts per square centimeter of the target surface , and an angle between 40 ยฐ and 60 ยฐ above horizontal . in the most preferred embodiment , the sputter etch angle is 58 ยฐ above horizontal . the sputter etch typically increases the width of the recess 30 from about 1 , 000 angstroms to between about 2 , 000 angstroms and 3 , 000 angstroms , although the depth of the recess 30 is usually not significantly changed . of course , both larger and smaller recesses 30 are possible , and the depth of the recess may be changed to suit particular needs by , for example , altering the sputter etch angle . when the sputter etch increases the width of the recess 30 , it tapers the top surface 28 of the plug 26 , which increases the surface area of the plug 26 , and it tapers the top surface 16 of the dielectric layer 2 . the increased surface area of the plug 26 allows for a lower resistance contact and better adhesion with a subsequently applied upper conductor . the tapered plug 26 and dielectric layer 2 also allow for very good step coverage over the recess 30 when a subsequent upper conductor layer is applied , as described below with respect to fig8 . the sputter etch also cleans the recess 30 of impurities and residue remaining from previous process steps , further reducing the likelihood of a latent defect . furthermore , the sputter etch cleans the surface of the integrated circuit 10 of impurities and removes residue , such as tungsten particles deposited during the formation of the plug 26 , which are often not removed in the cleaning step using hydrofluoric acid . during the sputter etch step both the plug 26 and the dielectric layer 2 are etched , but because tungsten sputters more slowly than bpsg oxide , the thickness of the plug 26 decreases at a slower rate than the thickness of the dielectric layer 2 . for that reason , in the preferred embodiment the top surface 28 of the plug 26 is etched back about 1 , 000 to 2 , 000 angstroms below the top surface 16 of the dielectric layer 2 prior to the etch step . as a result of the etchback of the plug 26 , at the conclusion of the sputter etch the top surface 28 of the plug 26 is approximately even with the top surface 16 of the dielectric layer 2 . fig8 is a cross - sectional view of the integrated circuit 10 after a top conductor layer 32 has been applied to the top surface 16 of the dielectric layer 2 and the top surface 28 of the plug 26 . the top conductor layer 32 fills the recess 30 , taking advantage of the increased surface area of the plug 26 , and resulting in a lower resistance contact and better contact adhesion . good step coverage over the recess 30 results from the tapered plug 26 and dielectric layer 2 . the top conductor layer 32 may be any conductor of current , such as doped semiconductor , aluminum , titanium , copper , or polysilicon , and methods of deposition of the top conductor layer 32 are well known in the prior art , such as by sputtering and cvd . the top conductor layer 32 is patterned to form conductive paths as is known in the art . fig9 illustrates a system 34 in which the present invention may be employed . the system is comprised of a solid state device , such as memory device 36 , in which connections of the type disclosed herein are made . the memory device is under the control of a microprocessor 38 which may be programmed to carry out particular functions as is known in the art . those with ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many modifications and variations of the present invention may be implemented . for example , the recess 30 may be formed in a plug 26 and dielectric layer 2 without the presence of glue and barrier layers 22 and 24 . the foregoing description and the following claims are intended to cover all such modifications and variations . | 7Electricity
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referring first to fig1 - 6 , a machine unit of a hydraulically driven annular saw 1 is generally designated 2 . the machine unit 2 comprises a motor housing 6 with a hydraulic motor ( not shown ). the motor is provided with hydraulic conduits 3 and handles 4 and 5 . the machine unit 2 also includes elements for holding an annular saw blade 8 in place in the machine unit and a transmission system for transmitting drive power of the motor to the saw blade 8 . the machine unit 2 has a center disc 9 and a base plate 10 . a cover 11 is mounted on the base plate 10 by means of screws 12 , so that the cover 11 with the support elements for the saw blade 8 fitted in it can be removed when the saw blade 8 is to be fitted or replaced . the annular saw blade 8 has an inner rim portion 14 of rubber , an outer rim portion 15 provided with cutting elements in the shape of diamond tipped sectors , and a web portion 16 between the rim portions with a smooth underside 17 and a smooth topside 18 . the sides 17 and 18 are parallel to each other and to a plane of symmetry 19 of the saw blade 8 ( fig3 ). the inner rim portion 14 of rubber is secured through vulcanization to the inner edge of the web portion 16 of the saw blade which consists of steel . the rubber portion 14 is completely straight according to this embodiment and has a thickness equal to that of the web portion 16 of the saw blade . also the inner edge of the rubber portion 14 is completely straight . a groove 24 is provided in the smooth underside 17 of the saw blade 8 . a drive pulley 30 of the saw blade 8 is fitted mainly inside the annulus of the saw blade 8 . the pulley 30 is arranged so as to be able to rotate around an axis of rotation 31 , which is parallel to the axis of rotation of the saw blade 8 , via a drive axle 32 ( fig4 ). further , transmission means ( not shown ) are provided for transmitting drive power of the motor to the drive pulley 30 , together with a pair of lower running rollers 40 and 41 and a pair of upper running rollers 42 and 43 in the cover 11 ( roller 43 is not shown ). each one of the lower running rollers 40 and 41 is provided with a flange 44 in a manner known per se . the flange 44 is accommodated in known manner in the groove 24 having an edge 45 . as far as other elements shown in fig1 and 4 are concerned , reference is made to u . s . pat . no . 4 , 793 , 065 incorporated herein by reference . according to the preferred embodiment , the inner rim portion 14 of the saw blade 8 consists of rubber united with the inner edge 20 of the web portion 16 of the metal saw blade 8 through vulcanization . the rim portion 14 has the same thickness as the web portion 16 of the saw blade 8 . the relative thickness is somewhat exaggerated in the drawings . the sides 21 and 22 of the rim portion 14 are parallel with and lie in the same planes as the sides 17 and 18 of the web portion 16 . the inner edge 23 of the rubber portion 14 according to this embodiment is straight but could also be somewhat rounded . the drive pulley according to this embodiment consists of two halves 33 and 34 , which abut each other in a dividing plane 35 and are clamped together by means of screws 36 . the upper half of the drive pulley 30 has projections 37 alternating with valleys 38 in an annular rim portion facing the dividing plane 35 , with the projections and valleys forming a circumferential wave pattern . the projections 37 and the valleys 38 follow smoothly upon each other but in other respects the annular rim portion has the feature of a gear - ring . the lower half 34 of the drive pulley is designed in an analogous manner but is rotated through an angle relative to the upper half corresponding to a half wave length , so that valleys and projections in the two halves will lie opposite each other . in this way a circumferential groove 39 with wave formed upper and lower side surfaces is formed between the two halves . this groove 39 has a thickness which substantially corresponds to the thickness of the rubber rim portion 14 of the saw blade . possibly , the groove 39 may be somewhat narrower than the rim portion 14 . the rubber rim portion 14 is provided in the groove 39 such that it will extend along a sector of the rim portion . in this way , the peripheral part of the rim portion 14 will be bent in a wave pattern between on one side the projection 37 and the valleys 38 in the first half 33 , and on the other side the corresponding valleys , and projections 38 &# 39 ;, 37 &# 39 ;, respectively , in the second half 34 . this is schematically illustrated in fig6 . in this mode there is achieved a very efficient coupling between the drive pulley 30 and the saw blade 8 without any greater pressure having to be applied to the rim portion 14 of the saw blade . as a result , the friction losses in driving the saw blade are very small . as a result , the friction losses in driving the saw blade are very small . as the side 45 of the groove 24 in the saw blade 8 will gradually be worn , so that the groove 24 will widen , the saw blade to a corresponding degree will move outwards from the drive pulley 30 . the grip in the wave pattern in the groove 39 , however , during the entire life of operation of the saw blade will be sufficient to ensure a good grip between the drive pulley 30 and the rubber rim portion 14 of saw blade 8 . thus there is maintained a grip which resembles that of the grip in a gear - wheel or gear - ring transmission , regardless of changes of the positions of the drive pulley 30 and the saw blade 8 relative to each other . in this way , the favourable features of a gear - wheel transmission , namely good grip and low friction losses , are combined with reliability in operation of the friction drive . in fig7 there is shown a saw blade 8a having a somewhat different design . thus the web portion 16a of this saw blade in its inner rim portion has a symmetrically projecting tongue 23a with smooth sides . the tongue 23a on both sides is covered by rubber layers 14a . the rubber layers 14a and the tongue 23a together have the same thickness as the web portion 16a . the rubber layers 14a on the saw blade 8a according to fig7 can be used as drive surfaces in a groove in a drive pulley having a somewhat different design as compared to the previous embodiment . fig8 schematically illustrates this embodiment of the groove in the drive pulley , the upper and lower parts of which have been designated 33a and 34a . the projections 37a and valleys 38a in the one half 33a in this case are located opposite to corresponding projections 37a &# 39 ; and valleys 38a &# 39 ;, respectively , in the other half 34a of the drive pulley . in this way the layers 14a are alternately compressed and expanded , respectively through displacements of rubber at the passage through the groove . also in this case there is achieved a very good grip between the drive pulley and the saw blade . the dimensions have been exaggerated in fig8 as in fig6 in order to make the mode of the operation clearer . still another embodiment of the projections of the drive pulley is shown in fig9 which schematically illustrates one half of a drive pulley . the projections in this case consist of spherical segments 37b . the corresponding spherical segments in the other half of the drive pulley can be located between the spherical segments 37b shown in fig9 ( in this case there can be used , for example , a saw blade according to fig3 ) or opposite to the spherical segments 37b ( in this case there can be used , for example , a saw blade according to fig7 ). in the embodiment according to fig1 , a rubber layer 14c is provided in a groove 19 in the web portion 16c of the saw blade 8c . the inner rim portion 20c is somewhat bevelled . for driving the saw blade 8c there can be used a machine of the type shown in fig1 and 12 . the drive pulley 30 , according to the previous embodiments , in this case has been replaced by a drive roller 50 , which operates between a pair of upper running rollers , which are designed in the same way as the running rollers 42 and 43 according to fig4 . on the other side of the saw blade , opposite to the drive roller 50 there is a support roller 51 , and opposite to the upper running rollers there may be provided a pair of lower running rollers , corresponding to the running rollers 40 and 41 according to fig4 . the latter ones , in this case are provided with a flange operating in the groove 24 . the drive roller 50 is provided with a drive axle 55 and has a central portion 52 having cogs , ridges , or other projections alternating with valleys , grooves or similar indentations , which projections may be pressed into the rubber layer 14c in order to give a good grip between the drive wheel 50 and the saw blade 8c . on both sides of the driving portion 52 there are support surfaces 53 and 54 having a smaller diameter , which support surfaces are pressed against the web portion 16c of the saw blade 8c and limitat the penetration of the projections of the drive portion 52 into the rubber layer 14c . the support roller 51 is provided with a flange 56 having a bevelled rotational surface which contacts and supports against the outer edge 20c of saw blade 8c in known manner . rotational surfaces 57 , 58 and 59 are provided which contact the underside of saw blade 8c . in the above embodiment , the drive pulleys or drive rollers are provided with projections intended to be pressed into the flexible material of the saw blade . experiments , however , have shown that one can achieve a very good drive also without such projections . this at least concerns an annular saw blade of the type where the flexible material has been located to the inner rim portion of the saw blade , as shown in fig3 . an annular saw blade of this type has been proven to work very efficiently together with a drive pulley having a wedge shaped groove with completely smooth sides . at the same time an annular saw blade of this type have given rise to considerably less noise than an annular saw blade without any rim portion of rubber . the invention therefore is not limited to be use of drive means , in the form of drive pulleys or drive rollers provided with projections as shown in the above - described embodiments . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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referring now to the drawings submitted herewith wherein the various elements depicted therein are not necessarily drawn to scale and wherein like elements are identified with like reference numerals and in particular fig1 and 2 , there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of a body pillow 100 constructed according to the principles of the present invention . as illustrated in the figures , the body pillow 100 comprises a body 10 having a first layer 15 and a second layer 20 secured proximate a peripheral edge 25 creating a cavity 30 therebetween . the body 10 is generally rectangular in shape and is of sufficient size to be disposed within a bathtub . those skilled in the art will recognize that the body 10 could be manufactured in numerous shapes and sizes and retain the ability to be disposed within a bathtub . the body 10 is manufactured from a durable comfortable material such as but not limited to vinyl . it is further contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the body 10 is substantially waterproof in order to inhibit liquids from propagating into the cavity 30 . furthermore , it is desired within the scope of the present invention that the body 10 be manufactured from a material that is mildew resistant or with a material that has been treated with a substance that substantially inhibits the growth of mildew and / or algae . the first layer 15 and second layer 20 are secured proximate the peripheral edge 25 using suitable and durable chemical or mechanical methods . substantially disposed within the cavity 30 is an intermediate layer 35 . the intermediate layer 35 is manufactured from a material that functions to provide increased comfort to a user superposed on the body pillow 100 . more specifically but not by way of limitation , the intermediate layer 35 could be manufactured from foam , gel or other suitable material for providing comfort to user . additionally , the intermediate layer 35 could be comprised of a gas such as but not limited to air . it is desired within the scope of the present invention that the first layer 15 , second layer 20 and intermediate layer 35 have thermal characteristics such that they assume the temperature of their surroundings . the body 10 further includes a plurality of portions 40 that are separated by seams 45 . the portions 40 of the body 10 function to provide comfort and support for different parts of a user &# 39 ; s body that is engaged therewith . a head portion 50 is located at one end 55 of the body pillow 100 and functions to provide comfort and support for the user &# 39 ; s head and neck area of the user &# 39 ; s body . those skilled in the art will recognize that although the head portion 50 is illustrated in the drawings submitted herewith as being shell - shaped that the head portion 50 could be manufactured in numerous different shapes . the lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 distal to the end 55 function to provide support for the lower parts of a user &# 39 ; s body that are submerged under the water that is contained within a bathtub . the lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 are non - buoyant so as to facilitate positional stability of the body pillow 100 subsequent to the body pillow 100 being partially submersed in water contained within a bathtub . in use , the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 remain proximate the bottom of the bathtub that the body pillow 100 has been disposed within , subsequent to the bathtub being at least partially filled with water . the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 inhibit the portions 40 of the body pillow 100 that are submerged under the water contained in the bathtub from floating . the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 further function to enhance the user manageability of the body pillow 100 subsequent to the body pillow 100 being placed in a bathtub that is at least partially filled with water as the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 remain proximate the bottom of the bathtub . this allows the user to more easily position themselves on the body pillow 100 and be able to maintain the desired position thus increasing the user &# 39 ; s comfort while bathing . the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 are manufactured to be non - buoyant by utilizing a gel for the intermediate layer 35 that is substantially disposed within the cavity 30 . as the intermediate layer 35 manufactured from gel is disposed within the cavity 30 , the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 remain proximate the bottom of the bathtub following the bathtub being at least partially filled with water . it is further contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 could be manufactured to be non - buoyant by numerous other methods . more specifically but not by way of limitation , the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 could have compartments disposed therein that are designed to receive therein a suitable material such as weights that would restrict the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 from floating . additionally , the non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 could have external pockets secured to the second layer 20 or first layer 15 that function to receive therein a material suitable for restricting the adjacent portions 40 from floating when submerged . those skilled in the art should also recognize that although the body pillow 100 is illustrated in the drawings submitted herewith as having three non - buoyant lower portions 41 , 42 , 43 the body pillow 100 could be manufactured to have as few as one non - buoyant portion with the other portions 40 being buoyant . furthermore , it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the body pillow 100 could be manufactured to have any number of portions 40 . the seams 45 are laterally oriented across the body 10 and are conventional seams constructed from suitable mechanical or chemical methods . the seams 45 function to divide the body 10 into the portions 40 . the seams 45 allow a user to fold the body pillow 100 into a smaller size to allow for storage in a suitable container such as but not limited to a bag . those skilled in the art should recognize that the body pillow 100 could be manufactured to have any number of seams 45 laterally disposed across the body 10 . although it is not illustrated in the drawings submitted herewith , it is further contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the body could have a handle attached thereto that would facilitate a user being able to engage the body pillow 100 with a hook or other suitable structure to temporarily suspend the body pillow 100 to allow the body pillow 100 to dry . furthermore , it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the body 10 could have journaled therethrough and proximate the peripheral edge 25 , a plurality of grommets that could also function to receive therein a suitable durable structure in order to temporarily suspend the body pillow 100 for drying . lumbar pads 70 are integrally formed to the first layer 15 of the portion 40 proximate the end 55 . the lumbar pads 70 function to provide additional support for the lumbar region of a user &# 39 ; s spine when superposed on the body pillow 100 . although the body pillow 100 is illustrated in the drawings submitted herewith as having two lumbar pads 100 it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the body pillow 100 could have any number of lumbar pads . it is also contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the lumbar pads 70 could have disposed therein the same materials referenced herein that comprise the intermediate layer 35 . secured to the second layer 20 are a plurality of suction cups 75 . the suctions cups 75 are manufactured from a suitable pliable material such as plastic . the suction cups 75 function to substantially inhibit the lateral and longitudinal movement of the body pillow 100 subsequent to being disposed within a bathtub . it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that any number of suction cups 75 could be utilized to substantially inhibit the lateral and / or longitudinal movement of the body pillow 100 . those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous different devices could be utilized to substantially inhibit the lateral an longitudinal movement of the body pillow 100 . more specifically but not by way of limitation , the body pillow 100 could have secured thereto a plurality of non - skid vinyl or other suitable material nubs such as silicon nubs . it is further contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the body pillow 100 have disposed thereon the silicon nubs or other non - skid material . although it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the body pillow 100 is primarily to be utilized disposed within a bathtub during bathing , it should be recognized that the body pillow 100 could be utilized to increase the comfort of any rigid surface for which a user chooses to engage . more specifically but not by way of limitation , the body pillow 100 could be utilized in a spa , on a boat or as an exercise mat functioning to increase the comfort for the user of the rigid support structure upon which the body pillow 100 has been superposed . while no particular size of the body pillow 100 is required , it is contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the body pillow 100 could be manufactured of a size suitable for disposing within a sink to provide comfort to an infant during bathing . it is further contemplated within the scope of the present invention that the body pillow 100 could be manufactured from numerous materials that would substantially inhibit fading , peeling or mold . additionally , the body pillow 100 could have substantially disposed therein all portions the non - buoyant gel or small particle such as beads . referring in particular to fig1 a description of the operation of the body pillow 100 is as follows . in use , a user will place the body pillow 100 substantially within a bathtub with at least a portion 40 of the body pillow 100 being proximate the bottom of the bathtub . following releasably securing the body pillow 100 to the bathtub utilizing the suction cups 75 to substantially inhibit any lateral and / or longitudinal movement , the user will at least partially fill the bathtub with a desired liquid such as water . subsequent to at least partially filling the bathtub with a desired liquid , the non - buoyant portions 41 , 42 and 43 will remain proximate the bottom of the bathtub as these portions 40 do not float . the user will then engage with the body pillow 100 in a sitting or laying position as desired for the desired length of time . in the preceding detailed description , reference has been made to the accompanying drawing that form a part hereof , and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced . these embodiments , and certain variants thereof , have been described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention . it is to be understood that other suitable embodiments may be utilized and that logical changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention . the description may omit certain information known to those skilled in the art . the preceding detailed description is , therefore , not intended to be limited to the specific forms set forth herein , but on the contrary , it is intended to cover such alternatives , modifications , and equivalents , as can be reasonably included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims . | 0Human Necessities
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for a more complete understanding of the present disclosure and its advantages , reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings , in which like reference numbers indicate like features . fig1 is a high level diagram of the system as a whole , the main components and how they interact with each other . one way to implement the described embodiments is to provide an sdk ( piece or pieces of code ) to an app developer to be incorporated into an existing app . thus , an app running the presently described approach can insert the sdk and run on a โ smart โ mobile device and will work on any smart device that has a microphone . the app that contains the sdk could be something directly related to tv related material or be completely unrelated ( e . g ., a game such as angry birds ). while the app is being used for its intended activity , in the background a small sound fingerprint is recorded and sent as described below via an application programming interface (โ api โ) for identification against a database of recorded tv broadcasts ( movies and music as well ). if the fingerprint is identified then the broadcast related data is analyzed along with existing user data to create a profile for a targeted mobile ad to be delivered to the mobile device . the program data is also stored with the existing user data to enhance the user profile . devices 110 represent consumer mobile devices including but not limited to mobile phones , tablets , laptops , and personal smart devices . app server 104 is a server that is related directly to the specific app or website in use on the mobile device . the app server 104 in this context represents functions directly related to the app such downloading the app for the first time , accessing additional features and functions , registration , and it can also act as a gatekeeper for activities such as ad delivery . the app server 104 may or may not be involved in the mobile ad delivery process but is represented in fig1 as it will sometimes be the first point of access . main application server 102 is at the core of the solution . it manages the main processes including data analysis , user profiling , database storage management , interaction with devices 110 , ad server 130 , and merchant server 120 . the main application server 102 communicates with the devices 110 to receive an audio fingerprint and gather anonymous user identifiers and specific viewing data . the user and viewing data is stored in the user database 108 . the main application server 102 also does a sentiment analysis on the main topics of the program during the time of user viewing . this sentiment is used to help determine if an ad related to the main topic should be sent or avoided . the main application server 102 analyzes the newly acquired data along with the existing user and program data to build a profile for an ad request . the ad request with the profile is subsequently sent to the ad server 130 , sometimes via the merchant server 120 . once the ad is received from the merchant server 120 , it logs the ad details in the user database 108 and delivers the ad to the devices 110 . the main application server 102 receives subsequent user ad activity data based on the user &# 39 ; s behavior with the ad and stores it in the user database 108 . the user ad activity includes data such as if the user clicked on the ad , when they clicked on the ad , and what they did after clicking on the ad . media database 150 is the database that stores the tv program information which includes sound matching files as well as program metadata . the media database 150 receives the sound fingerprint from the main application server 102 and looks for a match against the sound files in the database . if a match is found it returns the program name and additional program information including the original broadcast channel , the time at which the broadcast originally took place , and other descriptive details including genre , program description , main topics at time of broadcast and specific spoken words around the topics . the fingerprint matching files and technology as well as program related data could be generated in - house , licensed and accessed from a third party , or any combination thereof . user database 108 stores user information including identifiers and profiles . the user information is stored under an anonymous id associated with the specific device or application . the user data includes raw data as well as analyzed data from tv programming viewing habits , apps used , interaction with served ads , device type , and other relevant data . the users do not have access to their user data . program memory 103 provides all the logic and programs used for data analysis , sentiment analysis , user profile building , ad - to - profile matching , etc . the logic and programs are stored as computer - readable instructions that can be accessed by the main application server 102 to execute the functions described in the disclosed embodiments . merchant server 120 is the entity behind the app or mobile website utilizing the solution . this may or may not interact directly with the main application server 102 . the merchant server 120 is owned and maintained by an outside party and in most cases manages many components of the app or mobile website such as game scores , multi - player sessions , etc . oftentimes , the merchant server 120 also manages ad selection and delivery and in this case the main application server 102 would communicate directly with the merchant server 120 . in other cases where the ad component is not handled by the merchant server 120 , there may be no requirement for direct communication from the main application server 102 . ad server 130 is where the ads that are ultimately delivered to the devices are located . this could include mobile ad network , mobile advertising platform , a real - time bidding system , or other ad delivery mechanism . when the main application server 102 generates a profile for an ad it sends it to the ad server 130 for a match to that profile . the request could include a request based on a specific demographic such as a male , age 21 - 30 , interested in sports . the ad server 130 would then find a match , ideally at the highest paying advertiser for that demographic , and then send the ad back to the main application server 102 for ultimate delivery to the devices 110 . additional examples of profiles could include a golf ad for zip code xxxxx or movie tickets for the upcoming release of the movie starring a specific actress . media server 140 encompasses the tv programming that is delivered to users . the variety of delivery mechanisms is vast and may include traditional broadcast television to a standard television set , a streaming solution such as netflix to a laptop , a dvd being watched on a game console , as well as a number of other solutions . the creation and source of the broadcast content is independent of the solution . when a user is using an app with the sdk component of the solution embedded it can recognize the program being broadcast regardless of the delivery source of that broadcast . step 201 : the app or mobile website developer incorporates the sdk code into their source code before distribution to the users . the sdk includes all the code that facilitates the capturing of the sound fingerprint as well as all the communication between the devices 110 and the main application server 102 . the sdk can be made available to the developers in a number of different ways . it could be downloaded from a website or provided directly by a mobile ad network , a mobile carrier or other third party . step 202 : the user downloads the app that contains the sdk and installs on their device 110 . the app can be downloaded from any location authorized to provide mobile apps to users . the app could also have been pre - installed on the device 110 . the user then launches the app and uses it for its intended purpose . the app may or may not be related to television . step 203 : at a pre - established interval , a fingerprint is taken of the background sound while the user is within the app . the fingerprint is captured without any disruption of the user experience . step 204 : the sound fingerprint is sent to the main application server 102 for identification against the media database 150 . step 205 : the media database 150 determines if the fingerprint matches any program within the database as described earlier in the document . step 206 : if there is a match from step 205 , the data available for the tv program is analyzed by the main application server 102 . step 207 : once the data from the tv program is analyzed it is combined with the analyzed user profile data from the user database 108 and a profile for the ad ( s ) to be requested is created by the main application server 102 . step 208 : if there is not a match from step 205 , the existing user profile data from the user database 108 is analyzed by the main application server 102 and a profile for the ad ( s ) to be requested is created for submission to the ad server 130 . step 209 : a request for a mobile ad based on the created profile is submitted by the main application server 102 to the ad server 130 and an ad is returned from the ad server 130 with relevant details . details could include elements like dimension of the ad , structure of the ad ( e . g . static , rich media , video ), how many components of the profile were a match , cost and required action ( e . g . view , click , sign up ). step 210 : the ad is delivered to the device 110 so it can be displayed at the time stipulated by the app . some examples of the proper time to display an app would include during a commercial break in the tv program or in between levels of a game . the ad could be audio , video , or web banner . step 211 : the data from the user interaction with the ad is captured and sent to the main application server 102 for analysis and subsequent storage in the user database 108 . | 7Electricity
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in the embodiment of fig1 an externally toothed wheel 3 , with straight , axially directed teeth or splines is fixed to a drive shaft 1 , mounted in a radial and axial bearing 2 . the toothed wheel 3 may be regarded as a first or driving shaft element of the clutch . a coupling sleeve 5 of the clutch has an internal ring of splines or teeth 6 , which engage the splines or teeth of the wheel 3 . a flange 7 rigidly secured to the coupling sleeve 5 comprises an end surface 8 that can be brought into abutment with a rear end surface 4 of the wheel 3 to limit the movement of the sleeve 5 axially of the wheel . the coupling sleeve 5 is formed with a peripheral groove 9 for an operating fork or bridle ( not shown ) of conventional form by means of which it is axially displaced . a driven shaft 10 is arranged coaxially of the drive shaft 1 and is radially supported by a bearing 12 . the shaft has a flange 11 co - operating with two bearings 13 and 14 that serve for axial support of the shaft in a manner permitting some axial movement , a compression spring or springs 15 acting on the axial bearing 13 urges it and the shaft 10 to the right as seen in the figure , that is to say away from the drive shaft 1 . a second wheel 16 , having helical splines or toothing 16a , is secured to the driven shaft 10 and can mesh with complementary internal toothing 17 on the coupling sleeve 5 . the wheel 16 has a planar end face 18 which , together with a planar end face 19 on the toothed wheel 3 , forms a second pair of abutment surfaces limiting axial movement of the sleeve . the respective wheels 3 , 16 can be regarded as forming or being parts of driving and driven shaft elements of the clutch . to describe the operation of the clutch in fig1 let it first be assumed that driving and driven shafts 1 and 10 are stationary , and that the clutch is disengaged ( lower half of fig1 ). to couple the shafts , the drive shaft 1 is first rotated slowly ( anticlockwise as seen from the left of the figure ) and at the same time the coupling sleeve 5 is displaced towards the right to bring the helical toothing 17 into engagement with the toothing 16a of the wheel 16 . because of the torque applied by the drive shaft 1 and the direction of obliguity of the helical toothing , the sleeve and driven shaft will tend to screw into each other . this action urges the driven shaft leftwards against the bias of the spring 15 and displaces the sleeve rightwards to bring the first pair of abutment surfaces 4 , 8 into engagement . at the instant when the abutment surface 8 of the sleeve 5 strikes against the abutment surface 4 of the wheel 3 , due to the effect of the torque of the drive shaft 1 , the wheel 16 moves sufficiently against the bias of the spring 15 to bring its abutment surface 18 against the abutment surface 19 of the wheel 3 . the two toothed wheels 3 and 16 will then be securely connected together , and the driving and driven shafts 1 and 10 will then be locked in rotation with one another ( upper half of fig1 ). if the torque in the clutch reverses , the clutch will be immediately disengaged owing to the helical teeth 16a , 17 running out of mesh , the coupling sleeve 5 moving leftwards as seen in the drawing and , because of the axial biasing force or pressure of the compression spring 15 , the driven shaft 10 moving rightwards . the abutment surfaces 18 and 19 move apart from each other , and with disengagement of the clutch , therefore , there are no parts in frictional contact with one another . disengagement of the clutch can also take place , by displacing the coupling sleeve 5 to the left , when the various components are stationary . as a modification of the illustrated arrangement , the compression spring or springs 15 may be arranged , for example , between the two shafts 1 and 10 , and it will also be possible to replace the spring 15 by a hydraulic or pneumatic piston which axially loads one element of the parts which are to be coupled together , so as to completely disengage the clutch when the driving torque is discontinued . fig2 illustrates a modified form of clutch according to the invention in which the second pair of abutment surfaces 20 and 21 between the shaft elements are of axially tapered form , in contrast to the arrangement in fig1 in which the second pair of abutment surfaces 18 and 19 have planar faces . the alternative shown in fig2 affords the advantage that , if the driving and the driven shafts 1 and 10 are not strictly coaxial , they will be centered with each other as engagement of the clutch takes place . fig3 shows a further modified form of clutch according to the invention wherein the straight or axial toothing of the wheel 3 and its meshing internal ring 6 of fig1 is replaced by helical toothing 22 and 23 , shown with a spiral pitch opposite to that of the toothing 16a , 17 . this affords the advantage that the pressure exerted between the first pair of abutment surfaces can be increased or reduced by appropriately selecting the helic angles of the sets of teeth 22 and 23 . the clutches described above can easily be engaged and disengaged . in the disengaged condition the shafts are completely separated from one another but in its engaged condition each clutch has similar characteristics to those of a rigid flanged connection , in that the clutch is not subject to wear . because , in the engaged condition of the clutch , no relative movements will take place ( even when the shaft ends are not in exact alignment ) in the co - operating sets of teeth of the clutch , the teeth may be subjected to very much higher specific loads than is possible with parts which are not securely pressed against each other . again , this makes it possible to construct such clutches for very high powers , such as have not hitherto been found possible to deal with using conventional toothed or dog clutches . it will be understood that while the illustrated examples show clutches with driving and driven toothed wheels interconnected by an internally toothed sleeve , an equivalent arrangement can be provided using internally toothed driving and driven shaft elements with externally toothed interconnecting means . also , the invention is applicable both to manually controlled clutches and also to synchromesh clutches . | 5Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting
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referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout , the present invention now will be described . the first embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the motion vector detecting circuits of fig1 and 2 . in fig1 the motion vector detecting circuit receives reference and check block data from input terminals 1 and 2 , respectively . the blocks are stored by registers 4 and 5 . a reference block analyzing circuit 3 commands selecting circuits 6 and 7 to adaptively select pixels of each block . the selected pixels are forwarded to a differential absolute value sum operating circuit 8 which calculates the residual difference . a minimum value circuit 9 selects the minimum residual difference because the correct check block should have a minimum difference between successive frames and the correct residual difference is output . the adaptive selection operation of the motion vector detecting circuit will now be described in more detail . the reference block data is supplied to the input 1 and forwarded to both the reference block analyzing circuit and the ( m ร n ) register 4 . the check block data is similarly supplied to the input 2 and forwarded to the ( m ร n ) register 5 . the ( m ร n ) registers 4 and 5 store the reference block and check block data , respectively . the reference block analyzing circuit causes the selecting circuits 6 and 7 to adaptively select pixels from each of the ( m ร n ) registers by outputting a selection signal 10 indicating the positions of the pixels to be selected . the reference block analyzing circuit determines which pixels are to be selected by calculating a value indicative of a particular feature of the reference block . that is , the pixels are adaptively selected based on that particular feature of the reference block . for example , the feature used to adaptively select pixels may be the maximum and minimum values of the pixels in the reference block data . the reference block analyzing circuit determines the positions of the pixels which have the maximum and minimum values and generates the selection signal indicative of the positions . preferably , two maximum and two minimum values are used to ensure greater accuracy in matching the check block to the reference block . the feature can also be the maximum and minimum deviations from the mean value in the reference block . that is , the reference block analyzing circuit calculates the mean ( i . e ., average ) value for all the pixel values in the reference block and the pixel values having the maximum and minimum deviations from the mean value are selected . the above features can also be combined to yield a first set of maximum / minimum values and a second set of mean deviation values . thus , the reference block analyzing circuit determines the maximum and minimum pixel values , and also determines the mean deviation pixel values . as an alternative to the above features , the reference block analyzing circuit can also select pixels on the basis of the difference between adjacent pixels . the maximum and minimum differences between the adjacent pixels determines which pixels are selected . the reference block analyzing circuit , thus , generates a selection signal 10 dependent upon the pixels selected under one of the discussed feature schemes . the selection signal is supplied to both selecting circuits 6 and 7 and the selecting circuits select the pixels from the ( m ร n ) registers 4 and 5 . in this manner , the reference block and the check block are subsampled adaptively and an erroneous mismatching is avoided . the selected pixel values are supplied to the differential absolute value sum operating circuit 8 as reference block data 13 and check block data 14 . the differential absolute value sum operating circuit calculates the absolute residual difference between the selected reference block selected pixels and the selected check block selected pixels . for example , the absolute difference between the maximum pixel values in the check block and the reference block is added to the absolute difference between the minimum pixel values in the check block and the reference block . in the alternative , the differential absolute value sum operating circuit 8 may calculate the square sum of the differences between the pixel values . due to the subsampling , the dimensions of the selected reference block or check block are necessarily smaller than the ( m ร n ) blocks received at the inputs 1 and 2 . therefore , the arithmetic burden on the differential absolute value sum operating circuit is reduced and operation speed is increased . as discussed , the correct check block will have the minimum residual difference . thug , the minimum value circuit 9 selects the minimum residual difference to ensure that the correct motion vector is detected . fig2 is a block diagram of a modification to the first embodiment . the figures are generally the same except that fig2 is modified to include feature extracting circuits 16 and 17 coupled to the inputs 1 and 2 , respectively . the purpose of the feature extracting circuits is to extract feature values ( other than the feature described in regard to fig1 ) from the reference and check blocks at the inputs , thus reducing the size of the blocks input to the motion vector detecting circuit . since the size of the input blocks is reduced , the overall processing becomes easier and system efficiency is increased . as an example of extracting the pixels having the desired feature by the feature extracting circuit , a low pass filter may be employed . in the alternative , the feature extracting circuits may divide the reference and check blocks into smaller blocks and add the pixel values in each of the smaller blocks . an integration projection which adds the pixel values in the lateral and vertical direction ( such as a hadamard transformation ) may also be employed by the feature extracting circuits . the reference block and the check block are processed in the same manner described with reference to fig1 . a detailed discussion of the operation of the corresponding circuits will , therefore , not be repeated and reference is made to the foregoing description . the second embodiment will now be described with reference to fig3 a to 4 c , 6 , 7 a and 7 b . fig3 is a representation of pixels in a 4 ร 4 block . according to the second embodiment , adaptive sampling is achieved by dividing the blocks into sub blocks 30 and 31 ( here , two 4 ร 2 sub blocks ) and determining the maximum and minimum pixel values for each sub block . fig4 a , for example , shows the reference block 40 divided into two 4 ร 2 sub blocks 41 and 42 . the extracted maximum pixel values ( a and b ) in each sub block are shown by the hatched circles while the extracted minimum values in each sub block are indicated by the dotted circles ( c and d ). similarly , the check block 43 of fig4 b is divided into two sub blocks 44 and 45 and the extracted maximum and minimum values are indicated by the circles ( a โฒ, b โฒ, c โฒ and d โฒ). the extracted values are sent to a differential absolute value sum operating circuit 61 ( fig6 ) and the residual difference is calculated therefrom . in the situation where the residual difference is calculated as the absolute value of the differences between corresponding maximum and minimum values , the following mathematical expression yields the residual difference value . in the above example , the check block 43 is identical to the reference block 40 . accordingly , the residual difference is = 0 and the blocks are considered to be matched perfectly . however , in the case where the check block of fig4 c is significantly different from the reference block of fig4 a , the residual difference is 12 ; and it will be seen that the fixed sampling block matching method generates erroneous matches . in the present invention , on the other hand , the adaptive sampling described above is employed and the check block is correctly matched to the reference block despite the significant differences in pixel values . the feature extracted from both the reference and check blocks 40 and 46 , respectively , are the pixels corresponding to the maximum and minimum values of the reference sub blocks ( a , a โฒ, b , b โฒ, c , c โฒ, d and d โฒ). as the check block is moved within the vector range ( fig9 ), pixels in the check block at the positions corresponding to the maximum and minimum pixel values in the reference sub blocks are selected from the check sub blocks . the check block with a minimum residual difference , as determined by a minimum value circuit 62 ( fig6 ), is determined to be the correct check block . thus , errors are not produced in the present invention when the check block pattern is significantly different from the reference block pattern . rather , the present invention obtains the correct match . experimental results of the present invention according to the second embodiment are depicted in the graph of fig5 . the y - axis ( ordinate ) represents the noise - to - signal ratio ( ynsr ) in decibels ( db ) of a motion vector detecting circuit and the x - axis ( abscissa ) represents the number of samples per reference block . the fixed sampling block matching method is depicted by the curve comprised of hollow squares , and the adaptive sampling method according to the present invention is depicted by the curve comprised of solid squares . the experimental results were derived under the conditions of an mpeg encoding rate of 6 mbps with a reference block size of 16 ร 16 pixels . the signal - to - noise ratio was calculated using the following expression . snr = - 20 ๎ข log ๎ข ( โ ๎ข ( yreal - ydecode ) 2 the number of all pixels / 255 ) ( 2 ) as can be seen from the graph , the adaptive sampling method of the present invention has a lower noise - to - signal ratio for the same number of samples than the fixed sampling method . it will also be noted that the number of samples can be increased in the present invention to 32 pixels since the signal - to - noise ratio is high , thus allowing the mpeg system to increase television pixel density . thus , the present invention is clearly advantageous over a fixed sampling method . fig6 is a block diagram of a circuit embodying the second embodiment described above . the reference block is supplied to the input 50 and the check block is supplied to the input 54 . the reference block is divided into two small blocks ( i . e ., sub blocks ) and stored in small block registers 51 and 52 . similarly , the check block is divide into two small blocks and stored in small block registers 5 s and 56 . with reference to fig4 a to 4 c , the reference small block 41 is , for example , stored in small block register 51 and the reference small block 42 is stored in the small block register 52 ; the check small blocks 44 or 47 are stored in the small block register 55 and the check small blocks 45 or 48 are stored in the small block register 56 . the reference block is also sent to a max . value / min . value detecting circuit 53 which selects the maximum and minimum pixel values for each of the small blocks . the max . value / min . value detecting circuit determines positions of the maximum and minimum pixel values in each of the reference small blocks and outputs two selection signals , one for each small block . the first small block 40 of the reference block is sampled by a selecting circuit 57 as determined by selection signed 64 and first small block 44 or 47 of the check block is sampled by a selecting circuit 59 according to the selection signal 64 . similarly , the second small blocks 52 and 56 for both the reference and check blocks are sampled by selecting circuits 58 and 60 , respectively , according to the selection signal 65 . the sampled pixel values are , then , forwarded to the differential absolute value sum operating circuit 61 for arithmetic processing . in particular , the maximum pixel values for each small block of the reference block are output on lines 66 and 68 while the minimum pixel values are output on lines 67 and 69 . similarly , the maximum values for each small block of the check block are output on lines 70 and 72 while the minimum values are output on lines 71 and 73 . the differential absolute value sum operating circuit 61 derives the residual difference and the minimum value circuit 62 selects the minimum residual difference as the check block is moved within the vector range , as aforedescribed . the residual difference is calculated in a manner similar to the first embodiment wherein the absolute value of the differences between the maximum values and the absolute value of the differences between the minimum values are added . recognizing that the maximum and minimum values are the values output on lines 66 to 73 ( fig6 ), the residual difference =| data 66 โ data 68 |+| data 67 โ data 69 |+| data 70 โ data 72 |+| data 71 โ data 73 |. while the invention of the second embodiment performs adaptive sampling in a manner similar to the first embodiment , the second embodiment offers the advantage of specifying the positions of the pixels having the maximum and minimum values for a plurality of sub blocks in each block , thus yielding a higher degree of accuracy . the invention according to the second embodiment may also be applied with equally advantageous results to the situation where the reference block is a 16 ร 16 pixel block . as shown in fig7 a and 7b , the reference block is divided into eight 4 ร 8 small blocks . according to the invention , the maximum and minimum values for each of the eight small blocks are determined . in the situation where there is a large number of pixels in each sub block , there may be more than one maximum or minimum value in each sub block . preferably , one of each of the maximum and minimum values is selected by selecting the pair of maximum and minimum value pixels which have the greatest distance apart of all pixel pairs . alternatively , selection is made by choosing the pair of maximum and minimum value pixels which are at a predetermined distance apart . as a further alternative , a pair of pixel positions of the maximum and minimum value pixels are chosen over other pairs which provide a more favorable reference pattern . it is also advantageous to โ flag โ each of the maximum and minimum pixel values when the reference block contains a large number of pixel values . fig7 b shows the maximum and minimum values of fig7 a having flags set to โ 1 โ whereas the flags of the other pixel values are set to โ 0 โ. the โ 1 โ flags indicate the positions of the pixels to be selected . thus , the selection circuits quickly determine the distances between the pixels for selecting one of a plurality of maximum or minimum pixel values . the sub blocks of fig7 a are , then , processed in a manner similar to that described for a 4 ร 4 reference block . thus , the residual difference is calculated from the sampled pixel values and the minimum residual difference , chosen as the check block is moved within the vector range , is correct . the present invention , thus , may be applied to a reference block of any size by dividing the reference block into sub blocks and calculating the minimum residual difference from the sub blocks . therefore , the invention has the additional advantage that television broadcasts with even higher density than heretofore seen can be processed . the present invention , thus , provides adaptive sampling of the pixels employed in the motion vector detecting operation . as noted , particularly with reference to fig5 the signal - to - noise ratio is significantly higher in the present invention than in the fixed sampling method . therefore , the present invention significantly improves matching the check block to the reference block and an erroneous match is avoided . while the above invention was described with reference to an mpeg system , it will be appreciated that the present invention is applicable to other applications which employ motion vectors . it is , therefore , to be understood that , within the scope of the appended claims , the invention may be practiced otherwise than as precisely described herein . | 7Electricity
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a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals represent like parts and assemblies throughout the several views . reference to the preferred embodiment does not limit the scope of the invention , which is limited only by the scope of the claims attached hereto . referring to fig2 and 3 , a bag is generally shown as 200 . the bag 200 is formed by two sidewalls 202 and 204 that are sealed along their perimeter 206 to define an interior volume 207 . the bag 200 has a first end edge 208 , a second end edge 210 , and first and second side edges 212 and 214 . the first edge 208 and the first side edge 212 form a first corner 216 , and the first end edge 208 and the second side edge 214 , form a second corner 218 . similarly , the second edge 210 and the first side edge 212 form a third corner 220 , and the second end edge 210 and the second side edge 214 , form a fourth corner 222 . the first and second side edges 212 and 214 define a centerline 224 . although the first end edge 208 is depicted as being at the top of the bag 200 and the second end edge 210 is depicted as being at the bottom , the first end edge 208 may be considered to be along the bottom of the bag 200 , while the second end edge is along the top . when so considered , corners 216 and 218 are considered to be along the bottom edge of the bag 200 , while corners 220 and 222 are considered to be along the top . the bag 200 can be formed using a variety of different materials such as plastics or cloth . examples of plastics include polyethylene and polystyrene . examples of cloth include burlap and cotton . in one possible embodiment , a dashed line 226 is printed on the surface of the bag 200 to form a pouring region 228 and indicate where a user should cut open the bag 200 to form a pouring hole . the dashed line 226 extends diagonally across the second corner 218 of the bag 200 and from the first end edge 208 of the bag 200 to the second side edge 214 of the bag 200 . in another possible embodiment , perforations are defined across the second top corner 218 in an orientation similar to which the dashed line 226 is drawn . the perforations provide a structural weakness in the bag 200 that permits a person to tear open the second corner 218 of the bag 200 and define a pouring hole ( as illustrated in fig4 ). other embodiments are possible . examples include a pouring spout that is positioned at the pouring region 228 and is in fluid communication with the interior volume 207 of the bag 200 , a removable patch that covers a hole in the bag 200 , a pull string that a user can pull to tear open a portion of or all of the first end edge 208 of the bag 200 , and a zipper closure or any other sort of resealable closure running across the first end edge 208 of the bag 200 . a handle 230 is formed in or attached to the bag 200 and is positioned proximal to the first end edge 208 of the bag 200 . the handle 230 is offset from the centerline 224 of the bag 200 . in one possible embodiment , the handle 230 is positioned adjacent to the first corner 216 of the bag 200 and is formed by a hole 232 defined through the first and second sidewalls 202 and 204 of the bag 200 . because most people grab the handle 230 with one hand and the fourth corner 222 with the other hand , positioning the handle 230 so that it is offset from the centerline 224 of the bag 200 in this manner provides a lever arm r 2 that extends from the handle 230 to the fourth corner 222 . the lever arm r 2 of a bag having such an offset position is greater than the lever arm r 1 of the prior art . when the bag 200 is formed from plastic , the first and second sidewalls 202 and 204 are heat sealed to one another in a heat - sealed region 234 surrounding the hole 232 that forms the handle 230 . the heat - sealed region 234 provides structural reinforcement of the bag 200 at the location of the handle 230 and prevents contents from spilling through the hole 232 from the interior volume 207 of the bag 200 . a reinforcing ring 236 extends through both sidewalls 202 and 204 of the bag 200 and is positioned along the perimeter of the hole 232 . the reinforcing ring 236 provides structural rigidity to the handle 230 . additionally , two layers 238 and 240 of additional material line the first and second sidewalls 202 and 204 to provide a reinforcing structure for the handle 230 . other embodiments include only one layer of reinforcing material or do not include any layers of reinforcing material . the bag 200 can be used to hold a variety of different contents that are pourable . examples include birdseed , feed such as dog food or cat food , cat litter , salt , fertilizers , grass seed , dry cement , and the like . in use , as shown in fig4 a user of the bag 200 supports the bag 200 by the handle 230 . when maneuvering the bag 200 into a pouring position , the user grasps the bag 200 by its fourth corner 222 to apply a rotational force r rot in order to tip the bag 200 into a pouring position . the mechanical advantage realized by the user of the bag 200 during the process of tipping the bag 200 into a pouring position is equal to the length of its effective lever arm r 2 , which is maximized by its placement of the handle 230 in the first corner 216 of the bag 200 . the user of the bag 200 need apply a minimal rotational force at the fourth corner 222 in order to tip the bag 200 into its proper pouring position โ a desirable result for the user . additionally , control of a pouring hole 242 formed in the pouring region 228 is enhanced by strategically locating the handle 230 . as the user tips the bag 200 by applying a rotational force r rot to the fourth corner 222 , the fourth corner 222 travels an arcuate route 244 , the length of which is equal to radius r 2 multiplied by the angle through which the bag 200 is rotated . similarly , the second corner 218 and hence the pouring hole 242 travels an arcuate route 246 , the length of which is equal to radius r 3 multiplied by the angle through which the bag 200 is rotated . thus , the ratio between the distance traveled by the pouring hole 242 and the fourth corner 222 is r 3 / r 2 . in other words , for every inch traveled by the fourth corner 222 , the pouring hole 242 travels only r 3 / r 2 of an inch . by locating the handle 200 in the first corner 216 , as described in relation to one possible embodiment , the distance r 3 is reduced as much as possible without reducing the distance r 2 . as a result , control over movement of the pouring hole 242 is increased as much as possible while still maximizing the length of the lever arm r 2 . referring to fig5 an alternative embodiment of a bag is generally shown as 248 and is similar to the embodiment illustrated in fig2 and 3 , first and second corners 216 and 218 . the bag 248 has a first end edge 208 , second end edge 210 , first and second side edges 212 and 214 and a dashed line 226 to mark where to form a pouring opening . a handle 250 having a gripping portion 252 is attached to and projects from the first side edge 212 of the bag 248 . the handle 250 can be formed from any suitable material such as plastic , metal , rope loops , and the like . additionally , the handle 250 can be attached to the bag 248 using any suite type of connection such as adhesive , fasteners such as rivets , and the like . the handle 250 also can be molded to the bag 248 . in one possible embodiment as shown , the handle 250 is positioned along the first side edge 212 of the bag 248 and adjacent to the first corner 216 . other possible positions for the handle 250 that increase the lever arm r 2 are possible . for example , the handle 250 can be attached to the first end edge 208 of the bag 248 or at a position that is distal to the first corner 216 but still provides for a lever arm that is greater than the lever arm of a bag in which the handle is positioned at the center of the first end edge 208 . yet another possible embodiment of the bag is illustrated in fig6 and is generally shown as 252 . the bag 252 has a first end edge 208 , a second end edge 210 , first and second side edges 212 and 214 that define a centerline 224 , a first handle 254 similar to the handle 230 , and a dashed line 226 to mark where to form a pouring opening . additionally , a second handle 256 is positioned along the first end edge 208 of the bag 252 and is centered about the centerline 224 . in this embodiment , a user can use the first handle 254 when pouring contents from the bag 252 and the second handle 256 when carrying the bag 252 . the second handle 256 allows the bag 252 to be balanced when a user carries it . yet another possible embodiment of the bag is illustrated in fig7 and is shown generally as 258 . the bag 258 has a first end edge 208 , a second end edge 210 , first and second side edges 212 and 214 defining a centerline 224 , a handle 230 , a dashed line 226 to mark where to form a pouring opening , and a pouring region 228 which is demarcated by the dashed line 226 . as in the previous figures , the first corner 216 is located at the intersection of the first side edge 212 and the first end edge 208 . the second corner 218 is located at the intersection of the second side edge 214 and the first end edge 208 . the third corner 220 is located at the intersection of the first side edge 212 and the second end edge 210 . the fourth corner 222 is located at the intersection of the second side edge 214 and the second end edge 210 . the handle 230 is located along the end edge not containing the pouring region 228 and on the opposite side of the centerline 224 from the pouring region 228 . in the specific embodiment depicted in fig7 the handle 230 is located in the second corner 218 , catercorner from the pouring region 228 . when rotating the bag 258 into a pouring position , a user is expected to grasp the bag 258 by its handle 230 with a first hand and to grasp the bag 258 immediately beneath the pouring region 228 with a second hand . the user is also expected to apply an upward force with the first hand , rotating the bag 258 about the region grasped by the second hand , thereby maneuvering the bag 258 into a pouring position . because the user &# 39 ; s second hand is anticipated to grasp the region immediately beneath the pouring region 228 , controllability of the pouring region is maximized , because r 3 ( not shown ) effectively approaches 0 . at the same time , the effective lever arm r 2 is maximized , thereby providing mechanical advantage for the bag &# 39 ; s user . although the description of the preferred embodiments is quite specific , it is contemplated that various modifications could be made without deviating from the spirit of the present invention . accordingly , it is intended that the scope of the present invention be dictated by the appended claims , not the description of the preferred embodiment and method . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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the present invention discloses a second - order bandpass filter , which will be described taken from the preferred embodiments with reference to the annexed drawings . fig2 shows a schematic structure diagram of a second - order bandpass filter according to the present invention . as shown , the second - order bandpass filter 10 comprises a two - port network 11 and a grounding capacitor c . the two - port network 11 comprises a first port 13 and a second port 14 . an input signal si is inputted at the first port 13 and an output signal so is outputted at the second port 14 . the first port 13 comprises a first blocking capacitor c 1 , a first resonance capacitor c 2 and a first resonance inductor l 1 . the input signal si is first inputted to the first blocking capacitor c 1 at one end and a dc component thereof is filtered out . the first resonance capacitor c 2 is coupled electrically to the other of the first blocking capacitor c 1 at one end . the first resonance inductor l 1 is coupled electrically to the other of the first blocking capacitor c 1 at one end . the second port 14 comprises a second blocking capacitor c 3 , a second resonance capacitor c 4 and a first resonance inductor l 2 . an output signal so is outputted from the second blocking capacitor c 3 at one end and a dc component thereof is filtered out . the second resonance capacitor c 4 is coupled electrically to the other of the second blocking capacitor c 3 at one end . the second resonance inductor l 2 is coupled electrically to the other of the second blocking capacitor c 3 at one end . the grounding capacitor c is coupled electrically to the first resonance capacitor c 3 , the first resonance inductor l 1 , the second resonance capacitor c 4 and the second inductor l 2 at one end and coupled electrically to ground at the other . the grounding capacitor c forms a feedback path from the second port 14 to the first port 13 and provides two finite zeros for the filter 10 . in addition , a mutual induction is generated between the first inductor l 1 and the second inductor l 2 , which is represented by โ x โ in the drawing . fig3 shows an equivalent diagram of the bandpass filter according to the present invention , and the feedback path formed by the capacitor c from the second port 14 to the first port 13 may be seen therein . to make frequency response of the second - order bandpass filter comply with wireless lan application specification , frequency of noises have to fall outside the pass band formed by the two finite zeros . to this end , capacitances and inductances used in the filter have to be properly given so that central frequency , frequency bandwidth and zeros may be specified in compliance with the requirements in the application . now , assuming the input signal vi has a progressive wave vi + and a bouncing wave vi โ and the output signal vo has a progressive wave vo + and a bouncing wave vo โ, which may be presented by the equation below : [ vo + vo - ] = [ s 11 s 12 s 21 s 22 ] โก [ vi + vi - ] , ( eq . โข 1 ) wherein s ij is a scattering parameter being a function of frequency ฯ and s 21 is the generally termed frequency response . this representative relationship is apparent to those skilled in the art , and will be omitted in this specification . a transfer function is defined as a gain of the filter and a function of frequency ฯ . to obtain the two finite zeros , the transfer function for the filter should be determined first and then let the numerator of the transfer function to be zero . at this time , the following equation may be obtained : ฯ 4 โข c 2 โข c 4 m โข ( l 1 โข l 2 - m 2 ) - ฯ 2 โก ( c + l 1 โข c 2 m + l 2 โข c 4 m ) + 1 m = 0 . ( eq . โข 2 ) by solving eq . 2 , two zero frequencies may be obtained ( with the other two solved negative zero frequencies omitted ). now assuming the two finite zeros correspond to a frequency of ฯ 1 and ฯ 2 , respectively . the frequency difference of ฯ 1 and ฯ 2 may be adjusted by directly varying capacitance of the grounding capacitor c . as an example , when the capacitance c = 11 . 6 ฮผf , the two zero frequencies ฯ 1 and ฯ 2 are 1 . 85 ghz and 4 . 3 ghz , respectively . as the capacitance c increases , the two zero frequencies ฯ 1 and ฯ 2 becomes more distant from each other , i . e . the higher one becomes further higher while the lower much lower . since the characteristic that the frequency difference of the two zeros may be adjusted by directly varying capacitance of the grounding capacitor c , noise filtering over a specific case conducted by the inventive filter may be easily designed . referring to fig4 , a diagram showing frequency response of the second - order bandpass filter according to the present invention is depicted therein , in which a real measurement and a simulated response are both provided . as shown , the parameter s 21 is represented as a curve ( although two curves are shown in the drawing ) in a coordinate measured by frequency and scattering parameter , which is generally known as a frequency response curve . with a proper design of the capacitances of the used capacitors and inductances of the used inductors , the zeros may be located at 1 . 8 - 1 . 9 ghz ( ฯ 1 ) and 4 - 4 . 4 ghz ( ฯ 2 ), respectively . a pass band is located within a frequency range of 2 . 4 to 2 . 5 ghz while a stop band is located outside the range . in the filter , a signal processed is transmitted while a signal outside the range is stopped and filtered out . in a preferred embodiment , the zero ฯ 2 is adjusted to have a larger range 3 . 6 - 4 . 8 ghz . in addition , the frequency response presents a frequency width approximately as 100 mhz and a central frequency of pass band approximately as 2 . 45 ghz . further , since signals corresponding to frequencies adjacent to the zero frequencies may be inhibited below โ 30 db , noises may be efficiently filtered out . for the transmitted signal , loss of the pass band is approximately โ 1 . 6 db , comparable to an average of those achieved in the two references . since the insertion loss is low , the filter is suitable to be used for processing of communications signals . in addition , all the scattering parameters of the filter are negative , meaning that such filter is a passive device . a greater negative scattering parameter means a greater power loss filter , and vice versa . to adapt the second - order bandpass filter to be properly used in the wireless lan application , the capacitances and inductances have to be devised in compliance with ieee 802 . 11b / g specification , i . e . frequencies of the interference signals ( 1 . 8 ghz , 1 . 9 ghz and 4 . 8 ghz ) have to be presented at the zero frequencies or outside the pass band , so do gsm signals ( with frequencies of 0 . 9 ghz , 1 . 8 ghz and 1 . 9 ghz ) generally used in the wireless communications . the frequency response curve shown in fig4 may satisfy these requirements by the following parameter settings : c 1 = c 3 = 1 . 1 ฮผf , c 2 = c 4 = 2 . 52 ฮผf , l 1 = l 2 = 1 . 76 nh and c = 11 . 6 ฮผf . in the settings , the first and second capacitances have to be equal and the first and second inductances have also to be equal so that the rated central frequency may be achieved . however , these settings are not given in a limiting sense , but should be otherwise determined based upon the real applications . if these parameters of the components in the filter are not properly set , the frequency dependent parameters , central frequency , frequency width and zeros may not satisfy the requirements of the application . such a frequency response case may be seen in fig5 . in the case shown in fig5 , the central frequency is approximately 4 . 8 ghz and the frequency width is approximately up to 800 mhz . unfortunately , the two finite zeros fall at 3 . 7 - 3 . 8 ghz and 7 . 5 - 8 ghz , respectively , making the filter not efficient in inhibition of the aforementioned interference signals ( frequency thereof is 4 . 8 ghz ) and thus not suitable to be used in this application . therefore , although the greater frequency width is provided at the cost of the reduced infinite zero number , the infinite zero may not filter out noises presented at some frequency band . as a result , the component parameters should be properly given in a manner such as that specified in fig4 . furthermore , the second - order bandpass filter of the invention also has the advantage that no extremely low capacitance or inductance is to be used therein . this feature may avoid the issue of frequency response shift since a greater manufacturing variation of the capacitors and inductors may be allowed . in addition , the second - order bandpass filter has a relatively smaller volume of 2 . 5 ร 2 . 0 ร 0 . 82 mm 3 when fabricated by low temperature co - fired ceramic ( ltcc ) technology , compared with 4 . 3 ร 2 . 0 ร 0 . 55 mm 3 and 3 . 8 ร 0 . 4 ร 0 . 5 mm 3 achieved in the two references by the same technology , respectively . instead of the ltcc , the second - order bandpass filter may otherwise be fabricated as a form of the conventional discrete components and printing - based components or by other conventional technologies . however , ltcc is still the preferred choice since a smaller overall volume of the filter may be achieved thereby . as such , the purposes of compactness and slightness and susceptible of integration with other communications devices may be achieved . in conclusion , the second - order bandpass filter of this invention has two finite zeros by providing a grounding capacitor therein . further , a frequency width defined by the two finite zeros may be adjusted by directly varying capacitance of the grounding capacitor . therefore , such second - order bandpass filter is reasonably suitable to be used in wireless lan application . while this invention has thus far been described in connection with the preferred embodiments thereof , it will readily be possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners or forms deduced from the preferred embodiment of the present invention . in this regard , scope of this invention should be defined in a broadened sense as drafted in the appended claims . | 7Electricity
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the invention will now be described with reference to fig1 - 5 . as shown in fig1 , a preferred embodiment of a programmable bit error rate monitor 10 in accordance with the present invention preferably includes at least a bit error counter 11 , a programmable monitoring period counter 12 , and an error flag generator 13 . bit error counter 11 preferably receives the data stream 14 to be monitored , and outputs at 15 a signal representative of the number of errors encountered since the last reset of bit error counter 11 . a clock signal 16 associated with data signal 14 , which may be provided separately from data signal 14 or may be recovered from data signal 14 by clock recovery circuitry ( not shown ) as is well known , is input to programmable monitoring period counter 12 . programmable monitoring period counter 12 preferably includes a user - programmable memory 120 into which a user , via input 121 , can enter an upper bound representing the duration of the monitoring period . programmable monitoring period counter 12 preferably increments once per cycle of clock 11 . when the count of programmable monitoring period counter 12 reaches the user - programmed upper bound , it preferably asserts a signal at 122 , which is output to both bit error counter 11 and error flag generator 13 , which use signal 122 as described below . error flag generator 13 preferably includes comparator ( s ) 130 and a user - programmable memory 131 into which a user , via input 132 , can enter an error threshold value . the value in user - programmable memory 131 is one input to the comparator , while error count signal 15 is the other input to the comparator . signal 122 is used as an enable signal for the comparator . when the monitoring period duration is reached , monitoring period counter 12 briefly asserts signal 122 , which enables the comparator ( s ) in error flag generator 13 . if , while a comparator 130 is enabled , the error count 15 exceeds the threshold value in memory 131 , then error flag generator 13 asserts an error flag 133 . signal 122 also functions as a reset signal for bit error counter 11 , so that the error count returns to zero for the start of a new monitoring period . error flag generator 13 preferably provides not only basic error flag 133 , but preferably also 1 , 000 - times - error flag 134 and 1 , 000 , 000 - times - error flag 135 . thus , if the basic error flag 133 represents one error per billion bits , then 1 , 000 - times - error flag 134 represents one error in one million bits and 1 , 000 , 000 - times - error flag 135 represents one error in one thousand bits . as stated above , these flags 133 - 135 are actually multiples of 1 , 024 rather than multiples of 1 , 000 , so that 1 , 000 - times - error flag 134 is actually 1 , 024 times less sensitive than error flag 133 , while 1 , 000 , 000 - times - error flag 135 is actual 1 , 024 2 times ( or 1 , 048 , 576 times ) less sensitive than error flag 133 . flag selector 136 , which preferably is a multiplexer as shown , is programmable by user input 137 to select one of the three flags 133 , 134 , 135 as the output 138 of error flag generator 13 . it is possible that error flag generator 13 makes three separate comparisons to generate flags 133 - 135 . in one embodiment of such a case , the user might program three separate thresholds in memory or memories 131 , and a separate comparison would be made between error count signal 15 and each threshold . however , preferably 1 , 000 - times - error flag 134 and 1 , 000 , 000 - times - error flag 135 are extrapolated from base error flag 133 . one way that this can be done is shown in fig2 - 4 . as seen in fig2 - 4 , error count signal 15 as generated by bit error counter 11 preferably is a 30 - bit number . this is required for the preferred one - in - a - billion resolution of base error flag 133 . 2 30 โ 1 . 07 ร 10 โ 9 , and is the smallest power of 2 to exceed one billion , and therefore thirty bits preferably are used . for the base comparison shown in fig2 , which generates error flag 133 , comparator 21 compares error count 15 directly to threshold memory 131 , which also may be a 30 - bit number . if error count 15 exceeds threshold 131 , error flag 133 preferably is asserted . for the 1 , 000 - times comparison shown in fig3 , which generates error flag 134 , comparator 31 compares only the twenty most significant bits of error count 15 to only the twenty least significant bits of threshold memory 131 . this results in an approximation of 1 , 000 times less sensitivity than base error flag 133 . if the twenty most significant bits of error count 15 exceed the twenty least significant bits of threshold 131 , error flag 134 preferably is asserted . for the 1 , 000 , 000 - times comparison shown in fig4 , which generates error flag 135 , comparator 41 compares only the ten most significant bits of error count 15 to only the ten least significant bits of threshold memory 131 . this results in an approximation of 1 , 000 , 000 times less sensitivity than base error flag 133 . if the ten most significant bits of error count 15 exceed the ten least significant bits of threshold 131 , error flag 135 preferably is asserted . it follows from the foregoing that in most cases , a 10 - bit error threshold is sufficient , considering that for flags 134 and 135 , the ten or twenty most significant bits of the number in threshold memory 131 are ignored . indeed , in a preferred embodiment , if a user programs a threshold value into threshold memory 131 that has any ones in the twenty most significant bits then flag 135 is not available , and if any of those ones are in the ten most significant bits then flag 134 also is not available . the discussion so far has assumed a monitoring period on the order of one second . however , greater error resolution can be obtained by lengthening the monitoring period . a factor of ten increase in the duration of monitoring period results in substantially a factor of ten increase in resolution . therefore , by lengthening the monitoring period sufficiently , the bit error rate can be measured with a resolution of 10 โ 18 to 10 โ 15 , which is in the range of error rates for many telecommunications applications . the present invention provides users with the flexibility to adjust a bit error rate monitor to accommodate any deviations in their designs from known standards as described above by allowing easy adjustment of the monitoring period and the error threshold , as well as the easy selection of error flags or different sensitivities . thus , the hypothetical user described above who implements an 11 gb / s interface can easily adapt bit error rate monitor 10 to accommodate that interface . as stated above , bit error rate monitor 10 according to the present invention may be implemented in a dedicated circuit having programmable memories for monitoring period upper bound memory 120 and threshold memory 131 . alternatively , bit error rate monitor 10 could be implemented in a programmable logic device . either way , as seen in fig5 , bit error rate monitor 10 may be used with another pld 50 including a programmable logic region 51 and a high - speed serial interface 52 to monitor error rates in high - speed serial interface 52 . if pld 50 is sufficiently large , bit error rate monitor 10 could be implemented using part of the programmable logic resources in programmable logic region 51 , as shown . in such a case , the user could devise the necessary programming independently , or could rely on a preprogrammed logic โ core โ available from the provider of pld 50 or from a third party . fig5 shows bit error rate monitor 10 both as an internal device implemented in programmable logic 51 , and as an external device implemented either as a dedicated circuit or in another pld , but normally in any particular implementation only one of those options will be used for bit error rate monitor 10 . pld 50 with which , or in which , bit error rate monitor 10 according to the present invention may be used , preferably is programmably configurable to handle any of a plurality of high - speed communication protocols . a pld 50 incorporating a bit error rate monitor according to the present invention may be used in many kinds of electronic devices . one possible use is in a data processing system 900 shown in fig6 . data processing system 900 may include one or more of the following components : a processor 901 ; memory 902 ; i / o circuitry 903 ; and peripheral devices 904 . these components are coupled together by a system bus 905 and are populated on a circuit board 906 which is contained in an end - user system 907 . system 900 can be used in a wide variety of applications , such as computer networking , data networking , instrumentation , video processing , digital signal processing , or any other application where the advantage of using programmable or reprogrammable logic is desirable . pld 50 can be used to perform a variety of different logic functions . for example , pld 50 can be configured as a processor or controller that works in cooperation with processor 901 . pld 50 may also be used as an arbiter for arbitrating access to a shared resources in system 900 . in yet another example , pld 50 can be configured as an interface between processor 901 and one of the other components in system 900 . it should be noted that system 900 is only exemplary , and that the true scope and spirit of the invention should be indicated by the following claims . various technologies can be used to implement plds 50 as described above and incorporating this invention . it will be understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of the principles of the invention , and that various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention , and the present invention is limited only by the claims that follow . | 6Physics
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referring to the drawings in detail , reference numeral 10 generally indicates a stuffing gland embodying the invention and adapted for installation around the outer end of a shaft 12 projecting outwardly through an aperture 14 in the sidewall 16 of a vessel , valve body , or the like . the shaft 12 is normally loosely disposed in the bore 14 in order to reduce resistance to actuation of the shaft . a sleeve 18 is provided around the outer periphery of the shaft 12 spaced axially outwardly from the outer surface of the wall 16 and may be integral with the shaft 12 , or a separate element rigidly secured thereto in any suitable manner , as desired . the sleeve 18 is of an outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of the shaft 12 and in proper ratio with respect thereto whereby the cross - sectional area of the sleeve 18 is equal to twice the cross - sectional area of the shaft 12 . in other words , the cross - sectional area a 1 of the sleeve 18 is in proper ratio to the cross - sectional area a 2 of the shaft 12 whereby a 1 - a 2 = a 2 . thus , the area of the end 20 of the sleeve 18 equals the cross - sectional area of the shaft 12 . in addition , an annular groove 22 is provided in the outer periphery of the sleeve 18 for receiving a suitable sealing member , such as an o - ring 24 , therein for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth . the stuffing gland 10 comprises a substantially cylindrical outer housing 26 adapted for disposition around the outer end of the shaft 12 and sleeve 18 and having an aperture 28 provided in one end thereof for receiving the shaft 12 therethrough as particularly shown in fig1 . a suitable sealing member 29 is interposed between the bore 28 and the outer periphery of the shaft 12 for precluding leakage of fluid therebetween . an outwardly extending circumferential flange 30 is provided at the opposite end of the housing 26 and is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores 32 for receiving bolts 34 or the like therethrough for securing the housing 26 to the outer surface of the wall 16 . a suitable sealing ring 35 is interposed between the flange 30 and the wall 16 for sealing therebetween . a substantially centrally disposed bore 36 is provided in the housing 26 and open to the outer surface of the wall for receiving the internal pressure of the vessel or valve through the bore 14 since there is normally no sealing between the shaft 12 and the bore 14 . the bore 36 is of a reduced diameter at 38 to provide an annular shoulder 39 and is in sealing engagement with the sealing ring 24 for precluding leakage of fluid therebetween . the bottom 40 of the bore 38 is spaced slightly from the end 20 of the sleeve 18 for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth . a substantially cylindrical collar 41 is disposed around the outer periphery of the shaft 12 and within the housing 26 . the collar 41 comprises a stem portion 42 having the inner periphery thereof in engagement with the outer periphery of the shaft 12 and the outer periphery thereof in engagement with the inner periphery of the bore 38 . an outwardly extending circumferential flange 44 is provided on the outer end of the stem 42 for engagement with the shoulder 39 for limiting the movement of the collar 41 in one direction . a suitable sealing member 46 is interposed between the collar 41 and the shaft 12 for precluding leakage of fluid therebetween , and a similar sealing member 48 is interposed between the collar 41 and the bore 38 for precluding leakage of fluid therebetween . in addition , a suitable bearing or thrust washer 50 is disposed around the shaft 12 and interposed between the sleeve 18 and collar 41 for a purpose as will be hereinafter set forth . a longitudinally extending passageway 52 is provided in the housing 26 and extends from the bore 36 into communication with a radially extending bore 54 . the bore 54 extends into communication with an annular chamber 55 interposed between the bore 18 and bottom 40 of the bore 36 and surrounding the shaft 12 , as particularly shown in fig1 . the outer end of the bore 54 is open to the exterior of the housing 26 and is provided with an enlarged threaded portion for receiving a suitable pipe plug 56 therein for sealing thereof , as is well known . in addition , a radial bore 58 is provided in the housing 26 in the proximity of the bearing 50 and extends between the bore 38 and the exterior of the housing 26 for venting of the bore 38 to the atmosphere , as will be hereinafter set forth . in operation , the high pressure within the vessel or valve associated with the wall 16 is communicated to the bore 36 through the bore 14 which surrounds the shaft 12 , and the pressure acts against the outer end of the collar 41 for urging the collar in a left hand direction as viewed in fig1 . the left hand movement of the collar 41 is limited by the engagement of the flange 44 with the shoulder 39 . the pressure in the bore 36 cannot pass around the collar 41 due to the sealing members 46 and 48 , and thus is communicated through the passageway 52 and bore 54 to the chamber 55 and to the left hand side of the sleeve 18 for acting on the end 20 thereof . the pressure is maintained between the seals 29 and 24 , and the area between the collar 41 and sleeve 18 is isolated from the fluid pressure , and the port 58 bleeds any pressure therein to the atmosphere . since the area of the end 20 exposed to the high pressure is equal to the cross - sectional area of the shaft 12 exposed to the same high pressure present internally in the vessel , the pressure outboard of the end 20 pushes on the sleeve 18 in the direction of the wall 16 with an equal force that is exerted on the shaft in the outboard direction . the forces acting on the shaft being thus equalized , the shaft is pressure balanced , and actuation of the shaft is considerably facilitated . from the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a novel stuffing gland for use with the projecting end of a shaft utilized in a high pressure vessel , valve , or the like , and which is particularly designed for equalizing the pressures acting on the shaft for facilitating actuation of the shaft . the stuffing gland comprises a collar member having one end open to the high pressure acting on the shaft , and the opposite end thereof having an equal and opposite force acting thereon . the internal high pressures acting on the shaft are by - passed around the collar whereby the shaft is pressure balanced , and the actuation thereof , such as rotation of the shaft about its own longitudinal axis , is greatly facilitated since there is relatively little pressure to be overcome by the actuator means . whereas the present invention has been described in particular relation to the drawings attached hereto , it should be understood that other and further modifications , apart from those shown or suggested herein may be made within the spirit and scope of this invention . | 5Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting
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the present invention is based upon the discovery of improved pharmaceutical compositions for administering nsaids to patients . in addition to containing one or more nsaids , the compositions include acid inhibitors that are capable of raising the ph of the gi tract of patients . all of the dosage forms are designed for oral delivery and provide for the coordinated release of therapeutic agents , i . e ., for the sequential release of acid inhibitor followed by analgesic . the nsaids used in preparations may be either short or long acting . as used herein , the term โ long acting โ refers to an nsaid having a pharmacokinetic half - life of at least 2 hours , preferably at least 4 hours and more preferably , at least 8 - 14 hours . in general , its duration of action will equal or exceed about 6 - 8 hours . examples of long - acting nsaids are : flurbiprofen with a half - life of about 6 hours ; ketoprofen with a half - life of about 2 to 4 hours ; naproxen or naproxen sodium with half - lives of about 12 to 15 hours and about 12 to 13 hours respectively ; oxaprozin with a half life of about 42 to 50 hours ; etodolac with a half - life of about 7 hours ; indomethacin with a half - life of about 4 to 6 hours ; ketorolac with a half - life of up to about 8 - 9 hours , nabumetone with a half - life of about 22 to 30 hours ; mefenamic acid with a half - life of up to about 4 hours ; and piroxicam with a half - life of about 4 to 6 hours . if an nsaid does not naturally have a half - life sufficient to be long acting , it can , if desired , be made long acting by the way in which it is formulated . for example , nsaids such as acetaminophen and aspirin may be formulated in a manner to increase their half - life or duration of action . methods for making appropriate formulations are well known in the art ( see e . g . remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , 16 th ed ., a . oslo editor , easton , pa . ( 1980 )). it is expected that a skilled pharmacologist may adjust the amount of drug in a pharmaceutical composition or administered to a patient based upon standard techniques well known in the art . nevertheless , the following general guidelines are provided : indomethacin is particularly useful when contained in tablets or capsules in an amount from about 25 to 75 mg . a typical daily oral dosage of indomethacin is three 25 mg doses taken at intervals during the day . however , daily dosages of up to about 150 mg are useful in some patients . aspirin will typically be present in tablets or capsules in an amount of between about 250 mg and 1000 mg . typical daily dosages will be in an amount ranging from 500 mg to about 10 g . however , low dose aspirin present at 20 - 200 mg ( and preferably 40 - 100 mg ) per tablet or capsule may also be used . ibuprofen may be provided in tablets or capsules of 50 , 100 , 200 , 300 , 400 , 600 , or 800 mg . daily doses should not exceed 3200 mg . 200 mg - 800 mg may be particularly useful when given 3 or 4 times daily . flurbiprofen is useful when in tablets at about from 50 to 100 mg . daily doses of about 100 to 500 mg , and particularly from about 200 to 300 mg , are usually effective . ketoprofen is useful when contained in tablets or capsules in an amount of about 25 to 75 mg . daily doses of from 100 to 500 mg and particularly of about 100 to 300 mg are typical as is about 25 to 50 mg every six to eight hours . naproxen is particularly useful when contained in tablets or capsules in an amount of from 250 to 500 mg . for naproxen sodium , tablets of about 275 or about 550 mg are typically used . initial doses of from 100 to 1250 mg , and particularly 350 to 800 mg are also used , with doses of about 550 mg being generally preferred . oxaprozin may be used in tablets or capsules in the range of roughly 200 mg to 1200 mg , with about 600 mg being preferred . daily doses of 1200 mg have been found to be particularly useful and daily doses should not exceed 1800 mg or 26 mg / kg . etodolac is useful when provided in capsules of 200 mg to 300 mg or in tablets of about 400 mg . useful doses for acute pain are 200 - 400 mg every six - eight hours , not to exceed 1200 mg / day . patients weighing less than 60 kg are advised not to exceed doses of 20 mg / kg . doses for other uses are also limited to 1200 mg / day in divided doses , particularly 2 , 3 or 4 times daily . ketorolac is usefully provided in tablets of 1 - 50 mg , with about 10 mg being typical . oral doses of up to 40 mg , and particularly 10 - 30 mg / day have been useful in the alleviation of pain . nabumetone may be provided in tablets or capsules of between 500 mg and 750 mg . daily doses of 1500 - 2000 mg , after an initial dose of 100 mg , are of particular use . mefenamic acid is particularly useful when contained in tablets or capsules of 50 mg to 500 mg , with 250 mg being typical . for acute pain , an initial dosage of 1 - 1000 mg , and particularly about 500 mg , is useful , although other doses may be required for certain patients . lomoxicam is provided in tablets of 4 mg or 8 mg . useful doses for acute pain are 8 mg or 16 mg daily , and for arthritis are 12 mg daily . other nsaids that may be used include : celecoxib , rofecoxib , meloxicam , piroxicam , droxicam , tenoxicam , valdecoxib , parecoxib , etoricoxib , cs - 502 , jte - 522 , l - 145 , 337 , or ns398 . jte - 522 , l - 745 , 337 and ns398 as described , inter alia , in wakatani , et ( jpn . j . pharmacol . 78 : 365 - 371 ( 1998 )) and panara , et al . ( br . j . pharmacol . 116 : 2429 - 2434 ( 1995 )). the amount present in a tablet or administered to a patient will depend upon the particular nsaid being used . for example : celecoxib may be administered in a tablet or capsule containing from about 100 mg to about 500 mg or , preferably , from about 100 mg to about 200 mg . piroxicam may be used in tablets or capsules containing from about 10 to 20 mg . rofecoxib will typically be provided in tablets or capsules in an amount of 12 . 5 , 25 or 50 mg . the recommended initial daily dosage for the management of acute pain is 50 mg . meloxicam is provided in tablets of 7 . 5 mg , with a recommended daily dose of 7 . 5 or 15 mg for the management of osteoarthritis . valdecoxib is provided in tablets of 10 or 20 mg , with a recommended daily dose of 10 mg for arthritis or 40 mg for dysmenorrhea . with respect to acid inhibitors , tablets or capsules may contain anywhere from 1 mg to as much as 1 g . typical amounts for h2 blockers are : cimetidine , 100 to 800 mg / unit dose ; ranitidine , 50 - 300 mg / unit dose ; famotidine , 5 - 100 mg / unit dose ; ebrotidine 400 - 800 mg / unit dose ; pabutidine 40 mg / unit dose ; lafutidine 5 - 20 mg / unit dose ; and nizatidine , 50 - 600 mg / unit dose . proton pump inhibitors will typically be present at about 5 mg to 600 mg per unit dose . for example , the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole should be present in tablets or capsules in an amount from 5 to 50 mg , with about 10 or 20 mg being preferred . other typical amounts are : esomeprazole , 5 - 100 mg , with about 40 mg being preferred ; lansoprazole , 5 - 150 mg ( preferably 5 - 50 mg ), with about 7 . 5 , 15 or 30 mg being most preferred ; pantoprazole , 10 - 200 mg , with about 40 mg being preferred ; and rabeprazole , 5 - 100 mg , with about 20 mg being preferred . the pharmaceutical compositions of the invention include tablets , dragees , liquids and capsules and can be made in accordance with methods that are standard in the art ( see , e . g ., remington &# 39 ; s pharmaceutical sciences , 16 th ed ., a oslo editor , easton , pa . ( 1980 )). drugs and drug combinations will typically be prepared in admixture with conventional excipients . suitable carriers include , but are not limited to : water ; salt solutions ; alcohols ; gum arabic ; vegetable oils ; benzyl alcohols ; polyethylene glycols ; gelatin ; carbohydrates such as lactose , amylose or starch ; magnesium stearate ; talc ; silicic acid ; paraffin ; perfume oil ; fatty acid esters ; hydroxymethylcellulose ; polyvinyl pyrrolidone ; etc . the pharmaceutical preparations can be sterilized and , if desired , mixed with auxiliary agents such as : lubricants , preservatives , disintegrants ; stabilizers ; wetting agents ; emulsifiers ; salts ; buffers ; coloring agents ; flavoring agents ; or aromatic substances . enteric coating layer ( s ) may be applied onto the core or onto the barrier layer of the core using standard coating techniques . the enteric coating materials may be dissolved or dispersed in organic or aqueous solvents and may include one or more of the following materials : methacrylic acid copolymers , shellac , hydroxypropylmethcellulose phthalate , polyvinyl acetate phthalate , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose trimellitate , carboxymethylethyl - cellulose , cellulose acetate phthalate or other suitable enteric coating polymer ( s ). the ph at which the enteric coat will dissolve can be controlled by the polymer or combination of polymers selected and / or ratio of pendant groups . for example , dissolution characteristics of the polymer film can be altered by the ratio of free carboxyl groups to ester groups . enteric coating layers also contain pharmaceutically acceptable plasticizers such as triethyl citrate , dibutyl phthalate , triacetin , polyethylene glycols , polysorbates or other plasticizers . additives such as dispersants , colorants , anti - adhering and anti - foaming agents may also be included . preferably , the combination of an acid inhibitor and an nsaid will be in the form of a bi - or multi - layer tablet . in a bilayer configuration , one portion of the tablet contains the acid inhibitor in the required dose along with appropriate excipients , agents to aid dissolution , lubricants , fillers , etc . the second portion of the tablet will contain the nsaid , preferably naproxen , in the required dose along with other excipients , dissolution agents , lubricants , fillers , etc . in the most preferred embodiment , the nsaid layer is surrounded by a polymeric coating which does not dissolve at a ph of less than 4 . the nsaid may be granulated by methods such as slugging , low - or high - shear granulation , wet granulation , or fluidized - bed granulation . of these processes , slugging generally produces tablets of less hardness and greater friability . low - shear granulation , high - shear granulation , wet granulation and fluidized - bed granulation generally produce harder , less friable tablets . a schematic diagram of a four layer tablet dosage form is shown in fig1 . the first layer contains naproxen sodium distributed throughout a matrix of pharmaceutically acceptable fillers , excipients , binding agents , disintegrants , and lubricants . the second layer is a barrier layer which protects the first layer containing naproxen sodium . the barrier film coat is applied by conventional pan coating technology and the weight of the barrier coat may vary from 1 % to 3 % of the core tablet weight . in particular embodiments , the core naproxen sodium tablet is coated with coating ingredients such as opaspray ยฎ k - 1 - 4210a or opadry ยฎ ys - 1 - 7006 ( colorcon , west point , pa .). polymer film coating ingredients such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 2910 and polyethylene glycol 8000 in a coating suspension may also be used . the function of the third layer is to prevent the release of naproxen sodium until the dosage form reaches an environment where the ph is above about 4 or 5 . the enteric coating does not dissolve in areas of the gi tract where the ph may be below about 4 or 5 such as in an unprotected stomach . methacrylic acid copolymers are used as the enteric coating ingredient , triethyl citrate and dibutyl phthalate are plasticizers , and ammonium hydroxide is used to adjust the ph of the dispersion . the coating dissolves only when the local ph is above , for example , 5 . 5 and , as a result , naproxen sodium is released . the outermost layer contains an โ acid inhibitor โ in an effective amount which is released from the dosage form immediately after administration to the patient . the acid inhibitor in the present example is a proton pump inhibitor or , preferably the h2 blocker famotidine , which raises the ph of the gastrointestinal tract to above 4 . the typical effective amount of famotidine in the dosage form will vary from 5 mg to 100 mg . a typical film coating formulation contains opadry clear ยฎ ys - 1 - 7006 which helps in the formation of the film and in uniformly distributing famotidine within the fourth layer without tablets sticking to the coating pan or to each other during application of the film coat . other ingredients may include : plasticizers such as triethyl citrate , dibutyl phthalate , and polyethylene glycol ; anti - adhering agents such as talc ; lubricating ingredients such as magnesium stearate ; and opacifiers such as titanium dioxide . in addition , the ph of the film coating solution can be adjusted to aid in dissolution of the famotidine . the film coating is thin and rapidly releases famotidine for absorption . fig2 illustrates a three layered dosage form which releases famotidine immediately after ingestion by the patient in order to raise the ph of the gastrointestinal tract to above about 4 . the innermost layer contains naproxen uniformly distributed throughout a matrix of pharmaceutically acceptable excipients . these excipients perform specific functions and may serve as binders , disintegrants , or lubricants . a pharmaceutically acceptable enteric coating surrounds the naproxen core . the function of the enteric coat is to delay the release of naproxen until the dosage form reaches an environment where the ph is above about 4 . the coating does not dissolve in the harshly acidic ph of the unprotected stomach . it contains methacrylic acid copolymers which prevent the release of naproxen in the unprotected stomach . also included are : triethyl citrate , a plasticizer ; simethicone emulsion , an anti - foaming agent ; and sodium hydroxide which is used to adjust the ph of the dispersion . the outermost layer contains an โ acid inhibitor โ in an effective amount which is released from the dosage form immediately after administration to the patient . the acid inhibitor in this example is a proton pump inhibitor or , preferably , the h2 blocker famotidine which raises the ph of the stomach to above 4 . a typical film coating formulation contains opadry clear ยฎ ys - 1 - 7006 which helps in the formation of the film and in uniformly distributing famotidine in the fourth layer without tablets sticking to the coating pan or sticking to each other during application of the film coat . other ingredients are : plasticizers such as polyethylene glycol 8000 ; anti - adhering agents such as talc ; lubricating ingredients such as magnesium stearate ; and opacifiers such as titanium dioxide . in addition , the ph of the film coating solution can be adjusted to aid in dissolution of the famotidine . the film coating is thin and rapidly releases famotidine for absorption . a trilayer tablet which separates famotidine contained in the film coat from controlled - release naproxen may be used in the present invention . the core tablet of naproxen is formulated using excipients which control the drug release for therapeutic relief from pain and inflammation for 24 hours . fig2 shows an example of an appropriate trilayer tablet . in this particular example , naproxen is mixed with a polymeric material , hydroxypropyl - methylcellulose and granulated with water . the granules are dried , milled , and blended with a lubricant , such as magnesium stearate . they are then compacted into tablets . the controlled - release core tablet of naproxen is film coated with a pharmaceutically acceptable enteric coating . the function of the enteric coat is to delay the release of naproxen until the dosage form reaches an environment where the ph is above about 4 . the coating does not dissolve in the extremely acidic ph of the unprotected stomach . the function of methacrylic acid copolymers is to prevent the release of naproxen until the ph of the stomach rises . triethyl citrate is a plasticizer , simethicone emulsion is a anti - foaming agent , and sodium hydroxide is used to adjust the ph of the dispersion . the outermost layer contains an โ acid inhibitor โ which is released from the dosage form immediately after administration to the patient . the acid inhibitor in the present example is a proton pump inhibitor or , preferably , the h2 blocker famotidine which consistently raises the ph of the stomach to above 4 . the typical effective amount of famotidine in the dosage will vary from 5 mg to 100 mg . a typical film coating formulation contains opadry blue ยฎ ys - 1 - 4215 which is essential for film formation and for the uniform application of famotidine to the core tablet . polymer film coating ingredients , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose or opaspray ยฎ k - 1 - 4210a ( colorcon , west point , pa .) may also be used . other ingredients which help in the formation of the film and in the uniform application of famotidine to the core tablet are : plasticizers such as triethyl citrate and dibutyl phthalate ; anti - adhering agents such as talc ; lubricating ingredients such as magnesium stearate ; and opacifiers such as titanium dioxide . in addition , the ph of the film coating solution can be adjusted to aid in dissolution of the famotidine . the film coating is thin and rapidly releases famotidine for absorption . a trilayer tablet which separates famotidine contained in the film coat from controlled - release naproxen and famotidine may be used in the present invention . the core tablet of naproxen and famotidine is formulated using excipients which control the drug release for therapeutic relief from pain and inflammation for 24 hours . fig2 is an example of an appropriate trilayer tablet . in this particular example , naproxen and famotidine are mixed with a polymeric material , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose and granulated with water . the granules are dried , milled , and blended with a lubricant , such as magnesium stearate . they are then compacted into tablets . the controlled - release core tablet of naproxen and famotidine is film coated with a pharmaceutically acceptable enteric coating . the function of the enteric coat is to delay the release of naproxen until the dosage form reaches an environment where the ph is above about 4 . the coating does not dissolve in the extremely acidic ph of the unprotected stomach . the function of methacrylic acid copolymers is to prevent the release of naproxen until the ph of the stomach rises . triethyl citrate is a plasticizer , simethicone emulsion is a anti - foaming agent , and sodium hydroxide is used to adjust the ph of the dispersion the outermost later contains an โ acid inhibitor โ which is released from the dosage form immediately after administration to the patient . the acid inhibitor in the present example is a proton pump inhibitor or , preferably , the h2 blocker famotidine which consistently raises the ph of the stomach to above 4 . the typical effective amount of famotidine in the dosage will vary from 5 mg to 100 mg . a typical film coating formulation contains opadry blue ยฎ ys - 1 - 4215 which is essential for film formation and for the uniform application of famotidine to the core tablet . polymer film coating ingredients , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose or opaspray ยฎ k - 1 - 4210a ( colorcon , west point , pa .) may also be used . other ingredients which help in the formation of the film and in the uniform application of famotidine to the core tablet are : plasticizers such as triethyl citrate and dibutyl phthalate ; anti - adhering agents such as talc ; lubricating ingredients such as magnesium stearate ; and opacifiers such as titanium dioxide . in addition , the ph of the film coating solution can be adjusted to aid in dissolution of the famotidine . the film coating is thin and rapidly releases famotidine for absorption . enteric coated naproxen sodium core and pantoprazole immediate release in film coat a schematic diagram of a four layer tablet dosage form is shown in fig1 . the first layer contains naproxen sodium distributed throughout a matrix of pharmaceutically acceptable fillers , excipients , binding agents , disintegrants , and lubricants . the second layer is a barrier layer which protects the first layer containing naproxen sodium . the barrier film coat is applied by conventional pan coating technology and the weight of the barrier coat may vary from 1 % to 3 % of the core tablet weight . in particular embodiments , the core naproxen sodium tablet is coated with coating ingredients such as opaspray ยฎ k - 1 - 4210a or opadry ยฎ ys - 1 - 7006 ( colorcon , west point , pa .). polymer film coating ingredients such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 2910 and polyethylene glycol 8000 in a coating suspension may also be used . the third layer is an enteric film coat . it does not dissolve in areas of the gi tract where the ph may be below 4 such as in an unprotected stomach but it dissolves only when the local ph is above about 4 . therefore , the function of the third layer is to prevent the release of naproxen sodium until the dosage form reaches an environment where the ph is above 4 . in this example , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate is the enteric coating ingredient , cetyl alcohol is a plasticizer and acetone and alcohol are solvents . the fourth layer contains an โ acid inhibitor โ in an effective amount which is released from the dosage form as soon as the film coat dissolves . the acid inhibitor in this example is a proton pump inhibitor , pantoprazole , which raises the ph of the gastrointestinal tract to above 4 . the typical effective amount of pantoprazole in the dosage form may vary from 10 mg to 200 mg . the film coat is applied by conventional pan coating technology and the weight of film coat may vary from 4 % to 8 % of the core tablet weight . other ingredients are , plasticizers such as triethyl citrate , dibutyl phthalate , anti - adhering agents such as talc , lubricating ingredients such as magnesium stearate , opacifiers such as , titanium dioxide , and ammonium hydroxide to adjust the ph of the dispersion . the film coating is thin and rapidly releases pantoprazole for absorption . therefore , pantoprazole releases first and then the core erodes and releases naproxen sodium . naproxen sodium , 50 % microcrystalline cellulose and povidone are dry mixed and wet granulated in an appropriate granulator with sufficient purified water . the wet granules are dried , milled , and blended with the remaining 50 % microcrystalline cellulose , talc and magnesium stearate . the final granule blend is compressed into tablets . opadry clear is added slowly to purified water and mixing is continued until opadry is fully dispersed . the solution is sprayed on to the tablet cores in a conventional coating pan until proper amount of opadry clear is deposited on the tablets . hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate and cetyl alcohol are dissolved in a mixture of alcohol and acetone . the solution is then sprayed on to the tablet bed in proper coating equipment . a sample of the tablets is tested for gastric resistance and the coating stopped if the tablets pass the test . pantoprazole sodium is dissolved in purified water containing sodium carbonate in solution . after thorough mixing , opadry clear is added slowly and mixing is continued until opadry is fully dispersed . the suspension is sprayed on to the tablet cores in a conventional coating pan until the proper amount of pantoprazole sodium is deposited . enteric coated naproxen sodium core and omeprazole immediate release in film coat a schematic diagram of a four layer tablet dosage form is shown in fig1 . the first layer contains naproxen sodium distributed throughout a matrix of pharmaceutically acceptable fillers , excipients , binding agents , disintegrants , and lubricants . the second layer is a barrier layer which protects the first layer containing naproxen sodium . the barrier film coat is applied by conventional pan coating technology and the weight of the barrier coat may vary from 1 % to 3 % of the core tablet weight . in particular embodiments , the core naproxen sodium tablet is coated with coating ingredients such as opaspray ยฎ k - 1 - 4210a or opadry ยฎ ys - 1 - 7006 ( colorcon , west point , pa .). polymer film coating ingredients such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 2910 and polyethylene glycol 8000 in a coating suspension may also be used . the third layer is an enteric film coat . it does not dissolve in areas of the gi tract where the ph is below 4 such as in an unprotected stomach but it dissolves only when the local ph is above 4 . therefore , the function of the third layer is to prevent the release of naproxen sodium until the dosage form reaches an environment where the ph is above about 4 . in this example , hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate is the enteric coating ingredient , cetyl alcohol is a plasticizer and acetone and alcohol are solvents . the fourth layer contains an โ acid inhibitor โ in an effective amount which is released from the dosage form as soon as the film coat dissolves . the acid inhibitor in this example is a proton pump inhibitor , omeprazole , which raises the ph of the gastrointestinal tract to above 4 . the typical effective amount of omeprazole in the dosage form may vary from 5 mg to 50 mg . the film coat is applied by conventional pan coating technology and the weight of film coat may vary from 4 % to 8 % of the core tablet weight . other ingredients are , plasticizers such as triethyl citrate , dibutyl phthalate , anti - adhering agents such as talc , lubricating ingredients such as magnesium stearate , opacifiers such as , titanium dioxide , and ammonium hydroxide to adjust the ph of the dispersion . the film coating is thin and rapidly releases omeprazole for absorption . therefore , omeprazole is released first and then the core erodes and releases naproxen sodium . naproxen sodium , 50 % microcrystalline cellulose and povidone are dry mixed and wet granulated in an appropriate granulator with sufficient purified water . the wet granules are dried , milled , and blended with the remaining 50 % microcrystalline cellulose , talc and magnesium stearate . the final granule blend is compressed into tablets . opadry clear is added slowly to purified water and mixing is continued until opadry is fully dispersed . the solution is sprayed on to the tablet cores in a conventional coating pan until the proper amount of opadry clear is deposited on the tablets . methacrylic acid copolymer , triethyl citrate , and talc are dissolved in a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water . the solution is then sprayed on to the tablet bed in a proper coating equipment . a sample of the tablets is tested for gastric resistance and the coating is stopped if the tablets pass the test . omeprazole is dissolved in a purified water and isopropyl alcohol mixture . after thorough mixing , opadry clear is added slowly and mixing is continued until opadry is fully dispersed . the suspension is sprayed on to the tablet cores in a conventional coating pan until proper amount of omeprazole is deposited on the tablets . a coordinated delivery dosage may be used to provide fast release of an acid inhibitor , a proton pump inhibitor , omeprazole which raises the ph of the gastrointestinal tract to above 4 , and the delayed release of a non - steroidal anti - inflammatory drug , naproxen sodium . omeprazole granules modify the ph of the stomach such that the drug readily dissolves and is absorbed in the stomach without significant degradation . the typical effective amount of omeprazole in the dosage form may vary from 5 mg to 50 mg . the release of naproxen sodium is delayed by enteric coating . omeprazole granules contain an alkalizing excipient such as sodium bicarbonate . other soluble alkalizing agents such as potassium bicarbonate , sodium carbonate , sodium hydroxide , or their combinations may also be used . the alkalizing agent helps solubilize and protect omeprazole from degradation before its absorption . sodium lauryl sulfate helps in the wetting of omeprazole . other surfactants may be used to perform the same function . in the present example , hydroxypropyl methylcellulose helps in granule formation , sodium starch glycolate is a disintegrant , and magnesium stearate is a lubricant . other excipients may also be used to perform these functions . naproxen sodium pellets as shown in fig3 are prepared by the wet massing technique and the conventional extrusion and spheronization process . the excipients used in the formulation are microcrystalline cellulose , and povidone . the pellets after drying and classification are coated with a protective subcoating containing povidone . other coating ingredients may also be used such as opaspray k - 1 - 4210a or opadry ys - 1 - 7006 ( trademarks of colorcon , west point , pa .). polymer film coating ingredients such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose 2910 and polyethylene glycol 8000 in a subcoating suspension are also alternatives . other ingredients are , plasticizers such as triethyl citrate , dibutyl phthalate , anti - adhering agents such as talc , lubricating ingredients such as magnesium stearate , opacifiers such as , titanium dioxide . the subcoated pellets are enteric coated using enteric coating polymers . in this example , the enteric coating polymer is methacrylic acid copolymer and the plasticizer is dibutyl phthalate which are dissolved in a mixture of acetone and alcohol . the enteric film does not dissolve in the acidic ph but dissolves when the ph in the gut is above about ph 6 and releases naproxen sodium . hydroxypropylmethylcellulose is dissolved in water , then sodium lauryl sulfate is added and the solution is mixed . omeprazole , microcrystalline cellulose , and sodium bicarbonate are dry mixed together and granulated with the granulating solution . the granulation is mixed until proper granule formation is reached . the granulation is then dried , milled , and blended with magnesium stearate . povidone is dissolved in water . naproxen sodium and microcrystalline cellulose are dry mixed and granulated with povidone solution . the wet mass is mixed until proper consistency is reached . the wet mass is then pressed through an extruder and spheronized to form pellets . the pellets are then dried and classified into suitable particle size range . the pellet cores are coated using povidone solution by a conventional coating pan method to a weight gain of 1 - 2 %. eudragit l - 100 is dissolved in isopropanol and acetone and diethyl phthalate is dissolved . the solution is sprayed on the pellet cores using proper film coating equipment . a sample of the pellets is tested for gastric resistance before stopping the coating process . omeprazole fast release granules and naproxen sodium delayed release pellets are blended together and filled into appropriate size capsules to contain 250 mg naproxen sodium and 20 mg omeprazole per capsule . the present example is directed to a coordinated delivery dosage form containing omeprazole and naproxen . the formulation contains 10 mg omeprazole and uses methylcellulose as a binder and croscarmellose sodium as a disintegrant . naproxen pellets as shown in fig3 do not need a subcoating layer and are enteric coated with an aqueous dispersion of methacrylic acid copolymer . optionally , these pellets could be compressed into a core and film coated with an acid inhibitor and thereby form a bilayer tablet . methylcellulose is dissolved in water , then sodium lauryl sulfate is added to the solution and mixed . omeprazole , microcrystalline cellulose , and sodium bicarbonate are dry mixed together and granulated with the granulating solution . the granulation is mixed until proper granule formation is reached . the granulation is then dried , milled , and blended with magnesium stearate . povidone is dissolved in water . naproxen and microcrystalline cellulose are dry mixed and granulated with povidone solution . the wet mass is mixed until proper consistency is reached . the wet mass is then pressed through an extruder and spheronized to form pellets . the pellets are then dried and classified into a suitable particle size range . eudragit 30d is dispersed in purified water and simethicone emulsion . talc and triethyl citrate are then dispersed . the suspension is sprayed on the pellet cores using proper film coating equipment . a sample of the pellets is tested for gastric resistance before stopping the coating process . omeprazole fast release granules and naproxen sodium delayed release pellets are blended together and filled into appropriate size capsules to contain 250 mg naproxen and 10 mg omeprazole per capsule . sixty - two subjects were enrolled in a clinical study and randomly assigned to three groups . the following three groups were administered study medication twice daily for five days : ( a ) 550 mg naproxen sodium ( n = 10 ), ( b ) 40 mg famotidine given with 550 mg of naproxen or famotidine followed 90 minutes later by 550 mg naproxen , ( n = 39 ) or ( c ) 20 mg omeprazole followed by 550 mg naproxen sodium ( n = 13 ). gastric ph was measured hourly beginning at the time of dosing of the final daily dose of study medication and for 8 - 10 hours thereafter . subjects had a gastric endoscopy performed at the beginning and on day 5 prior to the morning dose of study medication to identify gastric and duodenal irritation ; no subjects were admitted to the study if gastric irritation was present at the time of initial endoscopy . five patients , three ( 33 %) in the naproxen alone group and two ( 5 %) in the famotidine / naproxen group , presented with gastroduodenal ulcers at the end of the study . in the naproxen alone group , the ph was greater than 4 only 4 % of the time , and in the famotidine / naproxen group the ph was greater than 4 forty - nine percent of the time during the 8 - 10 hours following naproxen sodium dosing . additionally , lanza grade 3 or 4 damage was present in 28 % ( n = 11 ) of the subjects receiving famotidine / naproxen sodium , and present 100 % ( n = 10 ) in the naproxen sodium treatment group . monitoring of gastric acidity on day 5 indicated that patients with lanza scores of greater than 2 had integrated gastric acidity of greater than 100 mmol - hr ./ l . only 20 - 40 % of patients with integrated gastric acidity of less than 100 mmol - hr / l had gastric pathology , whereas all patients with integrated gastric acidity greater than 100 mmol - hr / l had pathology . famotidine and enteric coated naproxen reduce gastroduodenal damage due to nsaid therapy thirty - seven patients were randomized to two groups for a one week study of twice - daily dosing of : 500 mg enteric coated naproxen , and 500 mg enteric coated naproxen preceded by 40 mg famotidine . endoscopies were conducted on all patients prior to first dosing and on the final day of the study . no subjects had evidence of gastroduodenal damage at the beginning of the study ( at first endoscopy ). at the second endoscopy , lanza scores for gastroduodenal damage were assessed for all subjects . 39 % of the subjects in the enteric coated naproxen 500 mg group had grade 3 - 4 gastroduodenal damage . this is lower than the percentage that would be expected for the administration of 500 mg of non - enteric naproxen based upon previous work . nevertheless , subjects administered 500 mg enteric coated naproxen and 40 mg famotidine had an even lower incidence of grade 3 - 4 gastroduodenal damage ( 26 %) than subjects who had previously taken enteric coated naproxen alone which demonstrates the value of combining acid inhibition with enteric coating of nsaid to minimize the gastrointestinal damage . all references cited herein are fully incorporated by reference . having now fully described the invention , it will be understood by those of skill in the art that the invention may be performed within a wide and equivalent range of conditions , parameters and the like , without affecting the spirit or scope of the invention or any embodiment thereof . | 0Human Necessities
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fig1 a - 1c depict a mirror subassembly 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention . referring to fig1 a , mirror subassembly 10 has a front transparent nonconductive plate 25 and a rear transparent nonconductive plate 35 which have front and rear surfaces 20 and 30 , respectively . glass is a suitable material for use as the front and rear transparent plates 25 and 35 . a reflective surface 75 is coated on an inner surface 36 of rear plate 35 . silver may be used as the coating for the reflective surface 75 . sandwiched between the front plate 25 and the reflective surface coating 75 on the rear plate 35 are a first transparent conductive layer 45 , a layer of dichroic liquid crystal material 55 , and a second transparent conductive layer 65 . the mirror subassembly 10 is sealed with epoxy around its perimeter , to contain the dichroic liquid crystal material 55 without leakage . the epoxy seal is shown as shadow line 95 in fig1 b . a method of sealing the mirror subassembly 10 with epoxy comprises screen printing a bead , typically in the range of 10 - 25 mils in width , of heat curable epoxy , such as abelstick no . 681 , around the perimeter of one of the transparent plates 25 or 35 . the epoxy is placed on the entire perimeter of the plate , typically 25 - 75 mils from edges of the transparent plate , except for a small fill area which will be used as a fill opening for the liquid crystal material . the transparent plate 25 or 35 not containing the epoxy bead is coated with glass spacers ( not shown ) which are 8 - 12 microns in thickness , and placed on top of the transparent plate with the epoxy bead . the transparent plates 25 and 35 are then compressed and heated for typically 30 to 60 minutes which causes the epoxy bead to spread creating a seal , joining and sealing the transparent plates 25 and 35 with a cavity formed therebetween . the cavity is vacuum filled with the liquid crystal material 55 through the open fill area in the epoxy seal . the fill area is then sealed . one suitable dichroic liquid crystal material 55 is a mixture consisting of a combination of a nematic liquid crystal , an organic dye and a cholesteric dopant . referring again to fig1 a , when no electric field is applied across the liquid crystal material between the first conductor layer 45 and second conductor layer 65 , the liquid crystal molecules are in a parallel orientation with respect to the front and rear substrates 25 and 35 . further , the dye molecules orient themselves with their molecular axis parallel to the axis of the nematic crystal molecules in the material 55 . in this orientation , the dye molecules , which are asymmetrical in shape having a long axis and a short axis , absorb a maximum amount of incident light entering the front plate 25 , reflecting off the reflective surface 75 and exiting back out through the front plate 25 . in this manner , a corresponding low reflectance state having a reflectance in the range of 4 % to 15 % may be achieved . alternatively , when an electric field is applied across the dichroic liquid crystal material 55 , the liquid crystal molecules orient themselves such that considerably less light is absorbed . the molecules in the liquid crystal material 55 and the associated dye align with their long axes parallel to the electric field and absorb approximately 30 % to 50 % of the incident light . thus , a corresponding high reflectance state of typically greater than 50 % reflectance can be achieved . the manner in which an electric field is applied across the dichroic liquid crystal material 55 is described below with reference to fig1 b . the cholesteric dopant in the material 55 adds a twist to the liquid crystal molecules and enhances the contrast between the low reflectance state and the high reflectance state . fig1 b illustrates a front elevational view of the mirror subassembly 10 of fig1 a . in fig1 b , the dimmable front surface 20 faces out of the drawing . a frame 11 surrounds the perimeter of mirror 10 for protection of the edges of mirror 10 and to facilitate mounting of the mirror subassembly 10 . the mirror subassembly 10 has electrically conductive contacts 85 and 90 at opposite corners 21 and 29 . the corner 29 of front plate 25 has been cut off providing access to the front facing electrical contact 90 which is electrically connected to the second conductive layer 65 . likewise , the corner 21 of rear plate 35 has been cut off providing access to rear facing electrical contact 85 which is electrically connected to the first conductive layer 45 as shown in fig1 c . the electrically conductive contacts 85 and 90 are adapted to receive electrical wires which are connected to external drive circuits . the external drive circuits provide the necessary electric field across the dichroic liquid crystal material 55 to operate the disable mirror in a high reflectance state . one suitable method for forming the contacts 85 and 90 is to coat the corners 21 and 29 of the front and rear transparent plates 25 and 35 with a thick film silver amalgamate that is annealed to the front and rear transparent plates 25 and 35 producing silver contacts . the formed silver contacts 85 and 90 provide a surface to which wire connectors can be soldered . such soldered wires may then be covered with an additional layer of epoxy to provide relief of mechanical strain . other methods of attachment including conductive epoxies and self adhering conductive contacts may be used . the front plate 25 may be dip coated with ultra - violet absorbing polysiloxane to protect the dichroic dyes from ultra - violet degradation caused by sunlight . this dip - coating method provides an advantage over the conventional use of laminated plastic ultra - violet filters , which tend to warp and delaminate under the environmental extremes to which a side mirror is subjected . in addition , the dip coat also provides superior optical performance over conventional laminated filters by reducing the number of and the distance between secondary reflective surfaces that cause parallax . for example , the use of a conventional 0 . 125 inch thick laminated plastic filter adds substantial secondary image reflections to the primary mirror image . fig1 c shows a rear elevational view of mirror subassembly 10 . since reflective surface 75 is coated on the inner surface 36 of rear transparent plate 35 , the rear surface 30 of mirror subassembly 10 operates as a conventional mirror . further , the rear surface 30 will have a reflectance greater than or equal to that of the dimmable surface 20 in its high reflectance state . thus , the mirror subassembly 10 can be regarded as having dual reflectance , a dichroic lc dimmable mirror for the front surface 20 , and a conventional mirror for the rear surface 30 . fig2 a - 2c depict a dimmable safety mirror 1 comprising the mirror subassembly 10 described above with respect to fig1 a - 1c , and a mirror housing 100 in a rotating center shaft configuration . fig2 d - 2e are an enlarged exploded parts illustration of the regions of safety mirror 1 indicated in fig2 a by broken outlines d and e , respectively . referring to fig2 a , 2d and 2e , the mirror subassembly 10 is rotatably mounted to the housing 100 by top and bottom rods 110 and 120 , which extend outwardly from the frame 11 of mirror subassembly 10 . the top and bottom rods 110 and 120 engage top and bottom recesses 115 and 125 of housing 100 . the top recess 115 is shown by shadow a line in fig2 d . referring to fig2 d , the top rod 110 has first and second diametrically opposed grooves 111 and 112 extending along a radial axis of rod 110 . the first groove 111 is substantially aligned with the dimmable mirror front surface 20 of the mirror subassembly 10 . correspondingly , the second groove 112 is substantially aligned with the conventional mirror surface 30 of the mirror subassembly 10 . the top rod 110 engages a first collar 114 positioned in the recess 115 of the housing 100 . a hole 116 in the housing 100 extends from a front edge 117 through to the recess 115 . a first ball plunger detent 118 is disposed in the hole 117 and extends into the recess 115 and a notch 119 in the first collar 114 . likewise , referring to fig2 e , the bottom rod 120 has a first groove 121 extending along its radial axis which is aligned with the dimmable mirror surface 20 , and a second groove 122 diametrically opposed from the first groove 121 which is aligned with the conventional mirror surface 30 of the mirror subassembly 10 . the bottom rod 120 engages a second collar 124 positioned in the recess 125 of the housing 100 . a hole 126 in the housing 100 extends from the front edge 127 through to the recess 125 . a second ball plunger detent 128 is disposed in the hole 126 and extends into the recess 125 and a notch 129 in the second collar 124 . in operation , the mirror subassembly 10 can rotate in the housing 100 about the radial axes of the top and bottom rods 110 and 120 . the top and bottom rods 110 and 120 rotate within the first and second collars 114 and 124 in the recesses 115 and 125 . the ball plunger detents 118 and 128 within the threaded holes 116 and 126 extend into recesses 115 and 125 so as to engage grooves 111 and 112 of the top rod 110 , and 121 and 122 of the bottom rod 120 , respectively . when the mirror subassembly 10 is rotated in the housing 100 , the ball plunger detents 118 and 128 will engage either first grooves 111 and 121 or second grooves 112 and 122 to secure the mirror subassembly 10 in one of two positions . when the ball plunger detents 118 and 128 engage first grooves 111 and 121 , the mirror subassembly 10 will be in a first fixed viewing position with the dimmable mirror surface 20 as the viewing surface of the dimmable safety mirror 1 as shown in fig2 a . in the alternative , when the locking screws 118 and 128 engage second grooves 112 and 122 , the mirror subassembly 10 will be in a second fixed viewing position with the conventional mirror surface 30 as the viewing surface of the safety mirror 1 as shown in fig2 c . the ball plunger detents 118 and 128 disengage from the grooves 111 and 121 or the second grooves 112 or 122 permitting the mirror subassembly 10 to rotate when a suitable force is applied to an edge of mirror subassembly 10 . referring to fig2 a - 2c , a tab 140 is attached to an edge 12 of mirror subassembly 10 . the tab 140 is positioned to assist a driver in changing the viewing surface of the mirror subassembly 10 . in fig2 a , the tab 140 is shown in a first position near an edge 150 of the housing which positions the mirror subassembly 10 in the first fixed viewing position with its dimmable front surface 20 as the viewing surface . in this position , the ball plunger detents 118 and 128 engage first grooves 111 and 121 of fig2 d and 2e . in fig2 c , the tab 140 is shown near an edge 160 of the housing 100 which positions the mirror subassembly 10 in the second fixed viewing position , resulting in conventional mirror surface 30 being the viewing surface . in this position , the ball plunger detents 118 and 128 engage second grooves 112 and 122 of top and bottom rods 110 and 120 as shown in fig2 d and 2e . in order to change the viewing surface of safety mirror 1 from the dimmable mirror surface 20 to the conventional surface 30 , a driver or user applies suitable force to the tab 140 or other portions of the mirror subassembly 10 to release the ball plunger detents 118 and 128 from the first grooves 111 and 121 of the top and bottom rods 110 and 120 , and rotates the mirror subassembly 10 in a direction as illustrated by arrow a in fig2 b . the mirror subassembly 10 is rotated until the ball plunger detents 118 and 128 engage the second grooves 112 and 122 in the top and bottom rods 110 and 120 as shown in fig2 c . in this position , the tab 140 is near the edge 160 . other means for securing the mirror subassembly 10 in either the first or second fixed positions includes locking detents and corresponding detent receptacles located on the edge of the mirror subassembly 10 and the housing 100 . in addition , rotation of the mirror subassembly 10 may also be implemented using a motor or other automatic means , either electrically or mechanically powered , or powered by a combination of electrical and mechanical means . an example of the latter would be a spring loaded system activated when there was a power failure to the mirror subassembly 10 . a rear portion 105 of housing 100 should be adequately shaped and sufficiently deep to permit the mirror subassembly 10 to freely rotate in the housing 100 without obstruction . in normal operation , the mirror subassembly 10 should be positioned so that the dimmable surface 20 is the viewing surface . in this first fixed position , the safety mirror 1 may be operated automatically in the high reflectance state or the low reflectance state , depending upon the intensity of the light impinging upon the viewing surface 20 of the mirror 1 . also , the user may choose to operate the mirror in either the high or low reflectance state , as described below . the conductive tabs 85 and 90 , best seen in fig1 b and 1c , are connected by wires to a voltage source by a control switch ( not shown ). the control circuit permits selection of the high reflectance state or the low reflectance state of dimmable front surface 20 and may be fully manual , or semi - automatic or fully automatic as discussed below with reference to fig5 . the wires may be disposed within or proximate the center rods 110 and 120 so as to avoid tangling when the viewing position of the mirror is changed . in the event of a malfunction causing loss of power to mirror subassembly 10 and thereby reversion of the dimmable surface 20 to the low reflectance state , the driver can manually rotate the mirror subassembly 10 as shown in the sequence of fig2 a - 2c in order to reposition it with the conventional mirror surface 30 as the viewing surface . thus , the present invention conforms with the nhtsa safety standard no . 111 , because it provides a means for a driver to adjust the mirror into a high reflectance state in the event of an electrical failure . upon restoration of electrical power to the mirror subassembly 10 , the driver can rotate the mirror subassembly 10 from the conventional mirror surface 30 to the dimmable surface 20 . in addition , the present invention provides a safer alternative to those conventional electrically dimmable mirrors relying on backup or secondary power sources , e . g ., batteries and solar cells . dimmable mirrors relying on secondary power sources pose a safety risk because the secondary power source can also fail causing the mirror to enter a low reflective state . the present invention circumvents this safety risk by providing a mechanical means to switch the viewing surface from the failed dimmable mirror to a conventional high reflectance mirror . an alternative embodiment of the present invention is a safety mirror 1 &# 39 ; with a detachable assembly as shown in fig3 a - 3c . in fig3 a , the mirror subassembly 10 , which is the same as the mirror subassembly utilized in the embodiment shown in fig1 - 2 , is secured to a housing 100 &# 39 ; by quick - releasing fasteners 200a - 200d . the frame 11 of mirror subassembly 10 , has holes 210a - 210d ( best seen in fig3 b ), which are symmetrically aligned with fastener anchoring holes 220a - 220d in housing 100 &# 39 ;. fasteners 200a - 200d are inserted in symmetrically positioned holes 210a - 210d of mirror subassembly 10 and engage fastener anchoring holes 220a - 220d in housing 100 &# 39 ; to securely hold mirror subassembly 10 to housing 100 &# 39 ;. the holes 210a - 210d and 220a - 220d should be symmetrically aligned to permit mirror subassembly 10 to be secured to the housing 100 &# 39 ; in either a first fixed position shown in fig3 a , or a second fixed position shown in fig3 b . in normal operation , the mirror subassembly 10 is secured to the housing 100 &# 39 ; in the first position with the dimmable mirror surface 20 as the viewing surface . in this position , the safety mirror 1 &# 39 ; can be switched from a high reflectance state to a low reflectance state automatically or by a control switch ( not shown ) located in the vehicle . upon an electrical failure causing the mirror to revert to its low reflectance state , the mirror subassembly 10 can be removed from the housing 100 &# 39 ; by removing the quick - releasing fasteners 200a - 200d as shown in fig3 b . the mirror subassembly 10 can then be rotated and refastened to the housing 100 &# 39 ; in the second fixed position with the conventional mirror surface 30 as the viewing surface as shown in fig3 c . the driver refastens the mirror subassembly 10 to the housing 100 &# 39 ; by insertion of the quick - releasing fasteners 200a - 200d . numerous other configurations of the present invention utilizing the mirror subassembly 10 can be envisioned by those skilled in the art from this description . for example , one contemplated embodiment of the present invention incorporates a slidably detachable mirror subassembly , wherein the mirror subassembly 10 would slide in and out of grooves within the mirror housing . upon a failure causing the dimmable surface to enter a low reflection state , the driver would slide the mirror subassembly 10 out of the housing , rotate the mirror subassembly 10 and slide it back into position with the conventional mirror surface 30 as the viewing surface . in another contemplated embodiment , a rotating assembly is provided which eliminates the need for the mirror housing . in such a configuration , the mirror subassembly 10 is rotatably attached to the mounting brackets that secure the safety mirror to the vehicle . a cover panel is used to cover the surface of the mirror subassembly 10 that is not being used as the viewing surface . the covered surface would face forward of the vehicle . in normal operation , with the dimmable mirror surface 20 being used as the viewing surface , the cover would be attached to the conventional mirror surface 30 of the mirror subassembly 10 . upon a failure of the dimmable mirror , the mirror subassembly 10 is rotated 180 degrees and the cover panel is removed to expose the conventional mirror surface . the conventional mirror surface 30 is now in position for use as the viewing surface and the cover panel is placed over the failed dimmable mirror surface 20 . furthermore , the use of a dual reflective mirror subassembly 10 is not necessary to practice the present invention . a housing and mechanism of the present invention may utilize two mirrors , a dimmable mirror and a conventional mirror , and means for positioning either of the two mirrors as the viewing surface of the safety mirror . one contemplated embodiment of such a mirror positions a dimmable mirror in front of a conventional mirror in a housing . upon a failure of the dimmable mirror , the driver would slide the failed mirror out of the housing , leaving the conventional mirror exposed . in an alternative embodiment , a conventional mirror is rotatably mounted and positioned behind a dimmable mirror whereby upon a failure of the dimmable mirror , the conventional mirror can be rotated from behind the dimmable mirror to cover the dimmable mirror . in addition , the present invention may be utilized with pre - existing mirrors by incorporating a mounting mechanism that secures a dimmable mirror to , and in front of , the pre - existing mirror . upon a failure of the dimmable mirror , it may easily be removed to make the pre - existing conventional mirror as the viewing surface . one embodiment of such a device is a clip - on dichroic liquid crystal rearview mirror as shown in fig4 a - 4b . in fig4 a - 4b , a conventional rearview mirror 300 is shown that is part of or attached to a motor vehicle ( not shown ) in a conventional manner . a dimmable dichroic liquid crystal mirror 310 , which is substantially the same size as mirror 300 , is detachably mounted to a face 301 of the conventional mirror 300 by removable u - shaped brackets 320 and 330 . operational elements of dimmable dichroic liquid crystal mirror 310 are substantially similar to those of mirror subassembly 10 shown in fig1 a - 1c , except that dimmable mirror 310 does not have a corresponding conventional mirror rear surface as surface 30 of the mirror subassembly 10 . the brackets 320 and 330 have retaining adjustment screws 325 and 335 , respectively . installation of the dimmable mirror 310 consists of sliding the fixed bracket 330 and attached mirror 310 over an end 302 of the motor vehicle &# 39 ; s conventional mirror 300 as shown in fig4 a . the removable u - shaped bracket 320 is then fastened to the dimmable mirror 310 over the conventional mirror 300 as shown in fig4 b . the adjustment screws 325 and 335 are hand tightened to hold the dimmable mirror 310 in place . once installed , dimmable mirror 310 is used by the driver for viewing objects behind the vehicle . upon a loss of power causing the dimmable mirror 310 to enter its low reflection state , the driver can remove the dimmable 310 by loosing adjustment screws 325 and 335 , detaching the removable bracket 320 and sliding the dimmable mirror 310 off of the conventional mirror 300 . thereby , the conventional mirror 300 once again may be used for viewing objects behind the vehicle . further , power may be provided to the dimmable mirror 310 via wires electrically connected to the motor vehicles electrical system . in the alternative , u - shaped bracket 320 may be adapted to contain replaceable batteries ( not shown ) for the dimmable mirror 310 while u - shaped bracket 330 may be adapted to contain electronic control circuitry for dimmable mirror 310 . wires originating from the control circuitry are connected to the mirror 310 and the battery and may be routed through the u - shaped bracket 330 and through a bezel of dimmable mirror 310 . the mirror wires can then be connected to the mirror 310 by a suitable method , such as the contact pad configuration of the safety mirror 10 in fig1 a - 1c . the battery wires in the bezel of mirror 310 which originate from the control circuit connect to slide contacts ( not shown ) on the bezel proximate the connection point of removable bracket 320 . the removable bracket 320 has corresponding slide contacts which mate with those of mirror 310 when the bracket 320 is attached . the batteries contained within u - shaped bracket 320 are electrically connected to the slide contacts on the bracket 320 . a disadvantage of prior art battery - powered lc dimmable mirrors has been a short operating life due to the continuous power consumption of maintaining the mirror in its high reflection state . for example , the most efficient prior art battery - powered lcd mirror would deplete two aa lithium batteries in approximately one to two months , i . e ., 720 to 1440 hours . in order to extend the operating life , the electronics of the dimmable mirror 310 of fig4 a - 4b may contain a passive motion detector sensor 430 as shown in fig5 . in fig5 a battery source 410 is connected to a dimmable mirror 420 , such as dimmable mirror 310 shown in fig4 a - 4b , via the motion sensor circuit 430 and dimming control circuit 440 . the motion sensor circuit 430 may make use of a passive mechanical type motion sensor . typical motion sensor of this type consists of a mercury droplet or metal ball that rolls over multiple electrical contacts when moved . a low - power circuit monitors the state of electrical shorting of the electrical contacts and detects vibration or motion by changes in the state of electrical shorting of these electrical contacts . in operation , when vibration or motion is not detected for an extended period of time , e . g ., fifteen minutes , the motion sensor circuit 430 disconnects the battery source 410 from the dimming control circuit 440 and the mirror 420 . when a sufficient level of vibration is detected , the motion sensor circuit 430 connects the battery source 410 to the mirror 420 and dim control circuit 440 . the sensitivity of the motion detector circuit 430 can be selected to provide power to the mirror upon door openings , driver entry , and doors closing , as well as vibrations caused by acceleration , deceleration , or motor vibration . the purpose of the motion detector 430 is to only power the mirror when the motor vehicle is occupied and operating . therefore , since typically most cars are operated approximately 500 hours out of a year ( 8 , 760 hours ), life expectancy of a battery should be greater than one year . this aspect of the present invention provides a significantly more efficient dimmable battery - powered mirror than found in prior art mechanisms . all the embodiments listed above may incorporate dimming control electronics , such as circuit 440 of fig5 to provide fully manual , semi - automatic or fully automatic means of switching between the high reflectance state and low reflectance state of the dimmable mirror . in a fully manual system , a driver activated switch is used to select high or low reflectance states . in a dimmable mirror having a semi - automatic system , a driver selectable switch is provided to select day or night operation . in day operation , the disable mirror is maintained in its high reflectance state . in night operation , the electronics automatically dim the mirror anytime headlights or other bright light is detected . in a dimmable mirror with a fully automatic dimming system the electronics further determine whether day or night conditions exist . a suitable semi - automatic control circuit 475 for use as dim control circuit 440 is shown in fig6 . in fig6 a photo sensor 450 is connected to a light threshold comparator 455 which generates the signal s 1 which is applied to suitable control logic circuit 460 . the light threshold comparator 455 may also be connected to an optional sensitivity adjustment device , such as potentiometer 457 . the control logic 460 is adapted to receive input signals s 2 and s 3 which are generated based on the position of a day / night toggle switch and a manual toggle switch ( not shown ) respectively . the toggle switches are located within reach of the motor vehicle operator . the control logic 460 generates an output signal s pow based on the input signals s 1 - s 3 according to the table of fig7 . the output signal s pow is applied to a power supply 465 . the power supply 465 is further connected to a dimmable mirror 470 , such as dimmable mirror 310 of fig5 . a suitable device for power supply 465 is a dc to ac converter connected to a battery to produce a required 15 - 25 v rms to maintain a dichroic lc mirror in a bright state . in operation , the photo sensor 450 and threshold comparator 460 detects the presence or absence of headlight glare and generates and output s 1 accordingly . an optical sensitivity adjustment 457 may be utilized to adjust the sensitivity of light threshold comparator 455 . the control logic circuit 460 output signal s pow controls the power supply 465 to cause dimmable lc mirror 470 to enter its high or low reflectance states . the control logic circuit 460 generates s pow based on signals s 1 - s 3 in the relationship shown in fig7 . for example , when manual switch output signal s 3 is in a manual dim mode , s pow is generated such that mirror 470 is dimmed independent of the state of signals s 2 and s 3 . further , when manual switch output signal s 3 is not in a manual dim mode and day / night switch output signal s 2 corresponds to the day position , s pow will be generated to maintain mirror 470 in its high reflectance state . lastly , when signal s 3 is not in a manual dim mode and day / night switch output signal is in a night mode , the output signal s pow will be generated to dim mirror 470 when the light threshold comparator signal s 1 is in a glare detected state , otherwise s pow will maintain mirror 470 in a high reflectance state . fig8 depicts a suitable fully automatic circuit 485 for dim control circuit 440 of fig5 . in fig8 the block components for an automatic dim control circuit 485 are substantially identical to and operate in substantially the same manner to the semi - automatic dim control circuit 475 of fig6 with one modification . in fig8 similar component blocks to those of fig6 are indicated with a &# 39 ;. for example , logic control circuit 460 &# 39 ; corresponds generally to logic control circuit 460 . the difference between the automatic control circuit 485 of fig8 and semi - automatic control circuit 475 of fig6 concerns the generation of a signal s 2 &# 39 ; indicating day or night mode . the circuit 485 utilizes a more sophisticated photo sensor 450 &# 39 ; and a day / night light threshold comparator 490 to detect day or night conditions and to generate the signal s 2 &# 39 ;. the comparator 490 replaces the day / night switch depicted in fig6 . the comparator 490 is connected to the photo sensor 450 &# 39 ;. in addition , an optional sensitivity adjustment circuit 495 , such as a potentiometer , may be connected to the comparator 490 . in operation , the generation of signals s 1 &# 39 ;, s 3 &# 39 ; and s pow &# 39 ; by the respective blocks occurs by the same operation that produces signals s 1 , s 3 and s pow of fig6 . the control logic 460 &# 39 ; may contain the identical boolean operations as those contained in control logic circuit 460 which are governed by the table of fig7 . however , automatic control circuit 485 , automatically determines the day / night mode by measuring the magnitude of ambient light with photo sensor 450 &# 39 ; and comparing it to a predetermined threshold in comparator 490 . the sensitivity may be adjusted by varying the threshold with an optional adjustment circuit 495 . thereby , circuit 485 operates in substantially the same manner as circuit 475 without requiring the motor vehicle operator to manually select day or night mode operation . in yet another embodiment , the control electronics of the dimmable mirror are connected to associated electrical components of the vehicle to activate automatically the safety mirror 1 or 1 &# 39 ; to operate in a high reflectance state when a reverse gear of the vehicle &# 39 ; s transmission engaged . the frame 11 of mirror subassembly 10 shown in fig1 b - 1c may incorporate environment protection elements which protect the mirror subassembly 10 from damage by the environmental extremes to which a motor vehicle mirror is subjected . a dichroic lc mirror should be shock mounted to withstand the severe vibrations caused by shuddering and general harsh - ride of large trucks and other motor vehicles which would damage the mirror subassembly 10 . a dichroic mirror should also be mounted in a water tight frame to prevent exposure of the lc mirror epoxy seal to road - salt and moisture from humidity or rain . moisture tends to permeate the epoxy seal which would eventually cause the lc mirror to malfunction . in addition , the lc mirror should possess a heater to maintain the liquid crystal within their normal range of operating temperatures of above 0 ยฐ c . an environment protection frame assembly 500 for use with the mirror subassembly 10 according to the present invention is shown in fig9 . the frame assembly 500 provides suitable protection from vibration , wet weather and temperature extremes that are typical in an environment in which a motor vehicle safety mirror would operate . in fig9 a plurality of components are positioned adjacent to each to form the protective frame assembly 500 . the plurality of components comprises : a rear frame 510 , standoffs 520 , rear gasket 530 , electrical perimeter heater strip 540 , the mirror subassembly 10 , a front gasket 550 and a front frame 560 . the rear frame 510 , standoffs 520 and front frame 560 contain a like - positioned plurality of holes 515 , 525 and 565 , respectively . when the components of the environment protection frame 500 are sandwiched together , the holes 515 , 525 and 565 , are aligned to permit insertion of screws 570 and threaded receptacles 580 to secure the rear frame 510 to the front frame 560 . when the components of the environment frame assembly 500 are secured together , the rear gasket 530 , the perimeter heater strip 540 , mirror subassembly 10 and front gasket 550 are held tightly together between the standoffs 520 and front frame 560 . in addition , the rear frame 510 and front frame 560 may be larger than the other components to form a channel between the frames 510 and 560 and outer edges of the interior components for the entire perimeter of the assembled protection frame 500 . fig1 is a cross - sectional view of an assembled protection frame 100 . in fig1 , the channel between the rear frame 510 and front frame 560 which is filled with a silicone elastomer potting compound 590 . the silicone compound 590 totally encapsulates the edges of the mirror subassembly 10 , including the contact areas 85 and 90 , shown in fig1 b and 1c , preventing any moisture from reaching subassembly epoxy seal or electrical contacts . the silicone compound 590 provides the added advantage of increased shock and vibration resistance of the protection frame assembly 500 . alternatively , if the rear and front frames 510 and 560 are not larger than the interior components an a assembly 500 no perimeter channel will be formed . in such an assembly , the silicone compound may be coated on the perimeter edges to provide the protection from the environment . the perimeter heater strip 540 of frame assembly 500 maintains the liquid crystal mirror at operational temperatures , as well as , providing de - icing in cold weather . the perimeter heater strip 540 permits the majority of the rear surface of mirror subassembly 10 to be used as the conventional mirror surface . since the perimeter heater strip 540 allows the rear surface of the mirror subassembly 10 to be used as a mirror , it provides an advantage over typical mirror heaters which are merely opaque coatings covering the entire rear surface of the mirror . electrical power to the perimeter heater strip 540 is controlled by a conventional thermal relay ( not shown ) located in the safety mirror housing , such as housing 100 shown in fig2 a - 3c . the thermal relay connects electrical power to the heater 540 when temperatures are below freezing . a switch may be added in the motor vehicle to override the thermal relay and turn power off to heater 540 . the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and may be utilized with any dimmable type mirror which reverts to a low reflectance state upon power loss or other type of failure . any type of dimmable mirror can be utilized as a safety mirrors according to the present invention by incorporating a suitable mounting mechanism to permit the changing of the viewing surface from the dimmable mirror to a conventional mirror upon loss of power or other malfunction causing the dimmable mirror to enter its low reflectance state . therefore , all types of dimmable mirror which may fail to a low reflectance state can provide a measure of safety and comply with the nhtsa safety regulation no . 111 , if configured in a safety mirror according to the present invention . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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in this description , the following mathematical notation conventions are adopted , unless otherwise indicated : the range [ x , y ] designates the range of all whole numbers greater than or equal to x and less than or equal y , with x and y being integers ; a vector a in a space with d dimensions ( such as d ) has coordinates a 1 , a 2 , . . . , a d ; [ 0 , x ] d designates the product [ 0 , x 1 ] x [ 0 , x 2 ] x . . . x [ 0 , x d ] where x is a vector of d with coordinates x 1 , x 2 , . . . , x d , such that the i th coordinate u , of a vector u of [ 0 , x ] d belongs to the range [ 0 , x ], where i is an index greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to d ; and | x | is the sum of the components of the vector x , such that | x |= x 1 + x 2 x d . fig1 a shows a digital image 2 that has an anisotropic texture . in this description , the anisotropy is to be understood as meaning that the properties of the image &# 39 ; s texture are not the same in all directions but instead differ depending on the direction in which they are observed . the texture of a digital image is generally defined as relating to the spatial distribution of intensity variations and / or tonal variations of the pixels forming the digital image . the texture is a manifestation of the holderian regularity of the image . this concept of โ texture โ is defined in โ handbook of texture analysis ,โ m . mirmehdi et al ., eds ., world scientific , october 2008 in the chapter โ introduction to texture analysis โ by e . r . davies , as well as in the section โ i . introduction โ of the paper by robert m . haralick et al entitled โ textural features for image classification ,โ ieee transactions on systems , man and cybernetics ; vol . smc - 3 , n ยฐ 6 , p . 610 - 621 , november 1973 . anisotropy of an image can arise from two factors : โ texture โ and โ tendency .โ โ texture โ typically corresponds to the intensity variations of the pixels at short range , i . e ., at high frequency ; โ tendency โ relates to intensity variations of the pixels at longer range , i . e ., at low frequency . the texture , and in particular , the texture &# 39 ; s anisotropy , is of particular interest for characterizing images that represent biological tissue , such as a mammogram image 2 . in such an image , the anisotropic character of an image &# 39 ; s texture indicate the presence or risk of developing cancerous cells within that tissue . fig1 b to 1d show other examples of images of the type that are common when inspecting a mammogram . fig1 b shows an image having isotropic texture . fig1 c and 1d respectively show images the texture of which is isotropic and anisotropic and each of which includes an anisotropy caused by a second order polynomial tendency . in these images , that tendency is oriented in the horizontal direction . the image 2 is formed from a plurality of pixels . each pixel is associated with a pixel intensity value and a position d in space , where d is a natural integer greater than or equal to 2 that represents the dimension of the image 2 . in the particular example described herein , d = 2 . the pixels of the image 2 are thus disposed in space in the manner of a matrix (โ lattice โ) in the space d . the resolution of the image is preferably the same along all d axes of the image . hereinafter , the set of the possible positions of the pixels of the image 2 is denoted [ 0 , n ] d , where n is a vector that codes the size of the image and whose components are strictly positive natural integers belonging to d . this notation signifies that the coordinates n 1 , n 2 , . . . , n d of the position n of a pixel of the image respectively belong to the set [ 0 , n 1 ], [ 0 , n 2 ], . . . , [ 0 , n d ], where n 1 , n 2 , . . . n d are the coordinates of n . in the particular example , the image 2 is a square with dimensions ( n 1 + 1 ) ( n 2 + 1 ), where n 1 + 1 = n 2 + 1 and n 1 + 1 is the length of a side of that square expressed as a number of pixels . in this example , the image 2 is an area of interest that has been extracted from an image of larger size . in general , the sides of the image 2 have a length greater than or equal to 50 pixels , 100 pixels , or 500 pixels . in this example , the luminous intensity of the pixels is gray - scale encoded on 8 bits . the values of pixel intensity are integers in the range [ 0 , 255 ]. fig2 shows a device 12 for identifying and characterizing the anisotropy of an image &# 39 ; s texture . the device 12 indicates whether an image 2 is isotropic or not . in some practices , the device 12 also quantifies , or characterizes , the extent of the anisotropy . the device 12 includes : a programmable electronic computer 14 , an information - storage medium 16 , and a digital - image acquisition interface 18 that enables the acquisition of the image 2 . the digital image 2 typically comes from an electronic imaging device , which in the illustrated embodiment is a radiography device . the computer 14 executes the instructions stored on the medium 16 for executing the method described below in connection with fig3 and 4 . this method identifies and characterizes image anisotropy using certain operations . in example described herein , the image 2 is modeled as the statistical realization of an intrinsic random gaussian field . this means that the intensity value associated with each pixel of the image 2 corresponds to the realization of a gaussian random variable z . the intrinsic random gaussian field is explained in more detail in : j . p . chilรจs et al . โ geostatistics : modeling spatial uncertainty ,โ j . wiley , 2 nd edition , 2012 . z [ p ] denotes an intensity value associated with a pixel in the image 2 whose position is given by the vector p . an orthonomic frame of reference is defined in d as having , as its origin , the null vector ( 0 ) d . an embodiment of the method for automatic characterization of the anisotropy of the texture is described next with reference to the flowchart in fig3 and with the aid of fig1 and 2 . in an acquisition step 20 , the image 2 is automatically acquired via the interface 18 and stored , for example , on the medium 16 . hereinafter this image 2 is designated by the notation โ i โ. in this example , with dimension d = 2 , a square matrix z with dimensions ( n 1 + 1 )ยท( n 2 + 1 ) models the normalized image 2 . the coefficients of this matrix z are the z [ p ] corresponding to the intensity of the pixels at position p . the components of the vector p give the position of that coefficient in the matrix z . for example , z [ p ] is the coefficient of the pith row and the p 2 th column of z , where p 1 and p 2 are the coordinates of the position p in [ 0 , n ] 2 . in a transformation step 22 that follows , geometrical transformations of the image 2 are applied to obtain a series of transformed images i j , k . these transformations include modifications t j , k , of the image 2 , each of which includes a rotation by an angle ฮฑ j and a change of scale by a scale factor ฮณ k . t j , k ( i ) denotes the image obtained after the application of the modification t j , k to the acquired image i . each modification t j , k is uniquely characterized by a vector u jk of the space 2 \{( 0 , 0 )}, such that ฮฑ j = arg ( u jk ) and ฮณ k = 2 . the space 2 \{( 0 , 0 )} is the space 2 without the point with coordinates ( 0 , 0 ). the indices โ j โ and โ k โ are integers that respectively and uniquely identify the angle ฮฑ j and the factor ฮณ k . to simplify the notation , hereinafter โ rotation j โ and โ change of scale k โ respectively refer to a rotation by angle ฮฑ j and to a change of scale by the factor ฮณ k . the rotation j rotates each of the pixels of the image 2 by the angle ฮฑ j from a starting position to an arrival position about the same point or the same predetermined axis . that point or that rotation axis typically passes through the geometrical center of the image . in the illustrated embodiment , rotation is relative to the geometrical center of the image , which is the barycenter of the positions of all of the pixels of the image , each weighted by a coefficient of the same value . the change of scale k enlarges or reduces the image by a homothetic factor ฮณ k . in the examples given below , the homothetic center is the geometrical center of the image . these modifications t j , k are applied for at least two and preferably at least three or four different angles ฮฑ j . the different values of the angles as are advantageously distributed as uniformly as possible between 0 ยฐ and 180 ยฐ while complying with the constraint that the vector u jk must belong to the space 2 \{( 0 , 0 )}. to limit the number of calculations to be performed , the number of different values for the angle ฮฑ j is generally chosen so as not to be too large . in typical embodiments , this number is made less than twenty . in others , it is less than ten . a good compromise is to choose four different values for the angle ฮฑ j . for each angle ฮฑ j , modifications t j , k are applied for at least two and preferably at least three , four , or five different changes of scale ฮณ k . the values of the factor ฮณ k are , for example , greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 10 2 or 8 2 or 4 2 . the different values of the factor ฮณ k are preferably distributed as uniformly as possible across the chosen range of values . some practices of the method include choosing the rotation angles ฮฑ j as a function of the horizontal and vertical directions of the image 2 . for example , to perform two rotations j 1 and j 2 , one chooses values ฮฑ j1 = 90 ยฐ and ฮฑ j2 = 180 ยฐ, where j 1 and j 2 are particular values of the index j . by convention , the angles are expressed relative to the horizontal axis of the image 2 . in the two - dimensional examples described herein , the modifications t j , k are given by : the transformation step 22 includes calculating k - increments for each of the transformed images t j , k ( i ). this calculation includes filtering that is intended to limit the tendencies of polynomial form of order strictly less than k . in particular , for each image t j , k ( i ), a filter is applied to make it possible to calculate the k - increment v j , k of that image t j , k ( i ). it is the k - increment of that image t j , k ( i ) that constitutes the transformed image i j , k . the k - increment v j , k of that image is not calculated for all the points of the image t j , k ( i ), but only for some of those points , as explained later . the k - increment is defined in more detail for example in : j . p . chilรจs et al . โ geostatistics : modeling spatial uncertainty ,โ j . wiley , 2 nd edition , 2012 , the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference . the filtering is performed with a convolution kernel denoted โ v โ to apply linear filtering . hereinafter โ filter v โ designates this convolution kernel . the filter v is defined over the set [ 0 , l ] d . a characteristic polynomial q v ( z ) characterizes filter v as follows : in this example , the filter v designates a matrix , and v [ p ] designates a particular scalar value of this filter for the vector p , where p is a vector of [ 0 , l ] d . this value of v [ p ] is zero if the value p does not belong to [ 0 , l ] d . in an equivalent manner , the filter v is also said to feature limited support on [ 0 , l ] d . this filter v is distinct from the null function , which has a null value v [ b ] for any value of the vector p . here the notation z p designates the monomial z 1 p1 ยท z 2 p2 ยท . . . z d pd . the parameters of the filter v are therefore set by the [ 0 , n ] d vector l . as a general rule , the vector l is chosen so as to be contained in the image i . values of l are therefore preferably adopted that satisfy , for all i from 1 to d , the relation l i & lt ;& lt ; n i . for example , l i is less than 10 times or 100 times less than n i . moreover , the filter v is such that its characteristic polynomial q v ( z ) satisfies the following condition : where the constant k is a non - zero natural integer and โ | a | q v /โ z 1 a1 . . . โ z d ad is the partial derivative of the polynomial q v ( z ) with respect to the components of the vector z , the symbol โ z 1 ai indicating a differentiation of the polynomial q v ( z ) of order a i with respect to the variable z i , where z i designates the i th component of the vector z and a i designates the i th component of the vector a , i being an integer index greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to d . the filtering of the image t j , k ( i ) by the filter v makes it possible to eliminate the effect of the tendency on the subsequent calculations of the method when the latter takes the form of a polynomial of order m , provided that the value of the constant k is chosen so that k โง m + 1 if d is less than or equal to 4 , and k โง m / 2 + d / 4 if d & gt ; 4 . the k - increments of the image t j , k ( i ), denoted v j , k , are then calculated as follows using the filter v : v j , k [ m ] is a k - increment calculated on the image t j , k ( i ) for the pixel at position m , with m being a vector belonging to a set e defined hereinafter ; the product t j , k ยท p corresponds to the application of the modification t j , k to the pixel p of the image i and expresses the coordinates in d , after application of the modification t j , k , of the pixel initially at position p in the image i , v [ p ] is the value of the filter v for the value of p . for each image t j , k ( i ), the k - increment is calculated only on those pixels of the image t j , k ( i ) whose positions belong to a set e . the set e contains only positions that belong to the image i , and , regardless of the modification t j , k applied , occupy a position that already exists in the image i after application of this modification t j , k . the number of positions that belong to the set e is denoted n e . moreover , for any position m belonging to the set e , the pixels at position โ m โ t j , k ยท p โ occupy a position contained in the image i . accordingly , the quadratic variations are calculated only on the points of the transformed image for which no interpolation is necessary . it is therefore possible to have recourse to rotations j by any angle , in contrast to the situation with projections . in fact , if a projection is applied in a diagonal direction of the image , for example , projected points will have a position that does not belong to the set [ 0 , n ] d . in other words , they are no longer part of the matrix . it is therefore necessary to have recourse to an interpolation to determine the intensity value associated with points that belong to that matrix . this introduces an approximation and therefore the possibility of an error . the reliability of the method is increased by the modification t j , k and thereafter the selection of the points of the set e . in the illustrated example , the filtering is effected within the same formula as the application of the modification t j , k . with this choice of the constant k , the filtering produces the increments v j , k [ m ] of order k . this filtering makes it possible to avoid taking into account an anisotropy of the image caused by the tendency , and to consider only the anisotropy of the texture of the underlying image , which in the present example , is an image of the mammary tissue . this results in improved reliability of the characterization method . the constant k must therefore be chosen as described above as a function of the nature of the tendency present in the image 2 . typically , in the case of a mammogram , the polynomial degree m of the tendency is less than or equal to 2 . step 22 thus includes acquiring a value of the vector l and a value of the constant k . in this example , the filter v is chosen as follows : if the vector p belongs to [ 0 , l ] d and v [ p ]= 0 otherwise , where the terms c p l designate binomial coefficients . with this particular filter , the condition previously expressed on the characteristic polynomial q v ( z ) is satisfied if k =| l |โ 1 . also , the value of k is deduced from the value of the parameter l that has been acquired . then , in this particular instance , the filtering of the image t j , k ( i ) by the filter v makes it possible to eliminate the effect of the โ tendency โ if the latter has a polynomial form of order m provided that the parameter l is chosen such that | l |= m + 2 if d is less than or equal to 4 , and | l |= m / 2 + d / 4 + 1 if d & gt ; 4 . in this two - dimensional example , with d = 2 , the vector l has two components , l 1 and l 2 . to eliminate a tendency of order m = 2 , l 1 and l 2 must be chosen such that | l | is equal to four . the preferable choice is l 1 = 4 and l 2 = 0 . in fact , by choosing values for the coordinates of the vector โ l โ sufficiently far apart , the filter can be made to have greater directional sensitivity . this greater sensitivity allows it to react in a more marked manner and therefore to filter more effectively those variations that are oriented in a particular direction . in contrast , a filter for which l 1 = 2 and l 2 = 2 would be less sensitive to a directional signal and would therefore be a less effective filter . during step 22 , for each different value of j and k , the computer 14 successively applies the modification t j , k to the image 2 to obtain the image t j , k ( i ) and then applies the filter v to the image t j , k ( i ) to obtain the transformed image i j , k . then , during a step 24 , for each image i j , k , the p - variation w j , k associated with that image i j , k is calculated . the p - variation concept is well known to the person skilled in the art in the field of probability and statistics . it is given by the following in the above equation , the symbol โ q โ has been used instead of the symbol โ p โ that is conventionally used in this equation . this is to prevent any confusion with the symbol โ p โ used herein to designate the position of a pixel . in this example , a particular form of the p - variations is used , namely the โ quadratic variations โ or โ 2 - variations โ for which q = 2 . the quadratic variation w j , k of the image i j , k is therefore calculated as follows from the k - increments calculated after filtering during step 22 : these quadratic variations w j , k contain information that is important for the identification of the anisotropy . this information is extracted beginning with step 26 . the next step is an analysis step 26 during which a covariance analysis , including a statistical regression , is effected on all the variations w j , k calculated for each of the images i j , k . this is carried out in order to interpolate the value of the hurst exponent h of the image i and a term ฮฒ j . the statistical regression is defined by the following equation : log (| w j , k |)= log (| u jk | 2 )ยท h + ฮฒ j + ฮต j , k , where h is the hurst exponent of the image i , which is a physical magnitude independent of the rotations of the image ; ฮฒ j is a quantity that does not depend on the change of scale k , this being analogous to an intercept parameter of the regression , except that it depends on the rotations j ; and ฮต j , k is an error term of the regression , the statistical properties of which are predetermined and fixed by the user . in some practices , the user chooses the error terms ฮต j , k to be gaussian random variables that are correlated with one another . a number n j of terms ฮฒ j is therefore obtained , n j being the number of different rotations applied to the image i . for example , if the two rotations j 1 and j 2 described above suffice , the regression is effected on the basis of all the quadratic variations calculated for j 1 and j 2 . this results in two terms ฮฒ j1 and ฮฒ j2 . the analysis includes estimating the covariance of the quadratic variations , for example by a standard method applicable to stationary fields . the parameters are estimated using a generalized least - squares criterion . a method of this kind is described for example in : p . hall et al ., โ properties of nonparametric estimators of autocovariance for stationary random fields ,โ probability theory and related fields , vol . 99 : 3 , p . 399 - 424 , 1994 . at this stage , the anisotropy is detected by testing the equality of the terms with one another to within a predetermined error margin . in fact , each of the terms ฮฒ j encapsulates information relating to the texture in the direction inherent to the rotation j . if all the terms ฮฒ j are equal to one another , this means that the texture does not depend on the orientation . this , of course , is what โ isotropic โ means . otherwise , if the terms ฮฒ j are not equal to one another , then the texture is anisotropic . during a testing step 28 , the equality of the terms ฮฒ j with one another to within a predefined value is tested . the image 2 can then be identified as being isotropic if an equality of this kind is found . otherwise , it is identified as being anisotropic . a suitable test for use in the testing step 28 is a fisher statistical test to test the validity of the following null hypothesis : โโ jฮต [ 1 , n j ], ฮฒ j = ฮฒ ,โ where ฮฒ is a term that does not depend either on the rotations j or on the changes of scale k . this null hypothesis is tested against the alternative hypothesis โโ j 1 , j 2 such that ฮฒ j1 โ ฮฒ j2 .โ in a typical embodiment , the predetermined error margin is fixed by a confidence range of 95 % or 99 %. the p - value of the fisher test amounts to a digital signature indicating the degree of anisotropy of the image . this makes it possible to assess whether the image is of low or high anisotropy . this , in turn , makes it possible to classify the image 2 relative to a reference anisotropy value or relative to other images . typical practices thus include automatically collecting the test &# 39 ; s p - value . fig4 &# 39 ; s flowchart describes an application of the method for automatically classifying images 2 relative to one another as a function of their anisotropy . an initial acquisition step 30 includes automatically acquiring a plurality of images 2 . a subsequent calculation step 31 includes automatically calculating a digital signal that is characteristic of the extent of the image &# 39 ; s anisotropy . this is carried out using methods discussed above in connection with steps 20 to 28 . in the illustrated embodiment , this signature is the p - value returned by the fisher test at the end of the testing step 28 . the p - value of the test is typically between zero and one , with the value โ one โ representing the lowest order of anisotropy and the value โ zero โ representing the highest order of anisotropy . a classification step 32 that follows includes automatically classifying the acquired images with respect to one another as a function of their anisotropy using the signatures calculated during the calculating step 31 . the images are classified by increasing order of anisotropy , for example . a suitable classifier is a classifying algorithm based on neural networks or a support vector machine . however , other classifiers are possible . in some embodiments , the pixels of the image 2 have other intensity values . the intensity value of each pixel may be a real value . or it may be greater than 256 . in some cases , the image 2 is encoded in color . in such cases , the color image is separated into a plurality of monochrome images , each of which corresponds to a colorimetric channel that composes the color image . the method is then applied separately for each of these monochrome images . although the embodiments described have shown a square image 2 , the image need not be square . for example , in the two - dimension case , where d = 2 , the image can be rectangular or even trapezoidal . when the image does not have a regular shape , the โ horizontal โ and โ vertical โ directions are replaced by reference directions that are better suited to the image &# 39 ; s geometry . for example , in the case of a triangular image , the base and the height of the triangle are useful reference directions . for higher - dimensional cases , the image 2 can be a hypercube of dimension d . although only mammograms have been shown , the image 2 can be something other than a mammogram . for example , it may be a bone - tissue image . the anisotropy of the texture of the image would then provide information on the presence of bone pathologies such as osteoporosis . other , wider fields of application may be envisaged , such as other types of biological tissues , air or satellite images , geological images , or images of materials . as a general rule , the method applies to any type of irregular and textured image such as an image obtained from any electronic imaging device . other modifications may be used . for example , with dimension d = 3 the modifications t j , k perform a rotation j about a given rotation axis and a change of scale k in a given direction of the image . the following modifications may be used , for example : the above modifications t j , k perform a rotation about an axis and a change of scale in a direction that is not parallel to that axis . the values of the angle ฮฑ j may be different . values of the angle ฮฑ j are preferably chosen that do not necessitate interpolations . the values of the factor ฮณ k may be different . alternatively , the rotation and the change of scale are not applied at the same time . other filters v can be used to calculate the k - increments . for example , it is quite possible to calculate the k - increments using any filter that has a convolution kernel that is defined as being equal to the convolution product of any convolution kernel v 1 , and a convolution kernel v 2 equal to the kernel v described above . in the particular case where the kernel v 1 is an identity matrix , the filter v described above is used again . conversely , choosing a kernel v 1 different from the identity matrix makes it possible to construct a large number of filters that are different from the filters v described above but that are nevertheless eminently suitable for calculating the k - increments . the filtering may be done differently during step 22 . in particular , the transformation and the filtering are not necessarily applied simultaneously , but rather in separate formulas that are applied in separate steps . in alternative practices , all the transformations t j , k are first applied to the image i , after which the filters are applied to each of the images t j , k ( i ). the value of k may be different . in particular , with the filter v chosen in the example , if the image i has no tendency , in which case m = 0 , then | l |= 2 will preferably be adopted or , if d & gt ; 4 , | l |= 1 + d / 4 . alternatively , a plurality of filters v i are applied to each image t j , k ( i ) during step 22 . the number of different filters v i applied to a given image t j , k ( i ) is denoted n i . in this case , the transformed image obtained by applying the filter v to the image t j , k ( i ) is denoted i i , j , k and v i , j , k [ m ] denotes the k - increment of that image at the position m in that image , where โ i โ is an index that uniquely identifies the filter v i applied . in such cases , the index โ i โ is different from the index โ i โ used before as a mute variable , notably with reference to the partial derivative of the polynomial q v ( z ). in fact , it is then possible to calculate a plurality of quadratic variations for each image t j , k ( i ), one for each filter v i applied to that image t j , k ( i ). w i , j , k therefore denotes the quadratic variation calculated for the image i i , j , k . to achieve this , in some practices , step 22 includes an operation of selecting the filters v i , for example from a predefined library of filters . the quadratic variations w i , j , k are then calculated during step 24 using the following relation : during step 26 , the regression is then effected as follows , taking account of the n i filters applied : log (| w i , j , k |)= log (| u jk | 2 )ยท h + ฮฒ i , j + ฮต i , j , k , where : ฮฒ i , j is the term ฮฒ j associated with the filter v i ; and ฮต i , j , k is the error term ฮต j , k associated with the filter v i . this results in obtaining a number n b of terms ฮฒ i , j , where n b = n j ยท n i , n j is the number of different rotations applied to the image i . during step 28 , the null hypothesis of the fisher test is formulated as follows : โโ jฮต [ 1 , n j ], ฮฒ i , j = ฮฒ i ,โ where ฮฒ i is a term that does not depend on the rotations j or on the changes of scale k but does depend on the filters v i used . if a plurality of filters v i are used , the numbers of filters v i applied can vary from one image t j , k ( i ) to another , always provided that to a filter i there correspond at least two rotations j and , for each of those rotations j , at least two changes of scale k . it is also possible to carry out step 28 differently , for example by implementing the fisher test differently . this might be implemented by choosing a different estimator or with other confidence ranges . alternatively , it is possible to use other ways to test the equality of the terms during step 28 . for example , one can test whether all the terms ฮฒ j are equal to one another to within 2 % or to within 5 %. if so , then the texture is termed isotropic . otherwise the texture is termed anisotropic . this test is then not a true statistical test . instead , it is a test of strict equality . according to another example , the equality test is performed by using a student statistical test to test inequality between the terms ฮฒ j . for example , it is possible to compare all the terms ฮฒ j two by two to determine if there exists j 1 , j 2 such that ฮฒ j1 & gt ; ฮฒ j2 . it is also possible to perform the classification during step 32 differently . for example , is possible to choose the order of classification of the images differently . having described the invention , and a preferred embodiment thereof , what is claimed as new , and secured by letters patent is : | 6Physics
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referring to fig1 the system includes a cathode ray tube 1 , comprising three electron guns 2 , deflection plates 3 , a shadow mask 4 and a luminescent screen 5 . the synchronising part of a video signal 6 of raster - scan format coming from , for example , a television broadcast receiver ( not shown ) is utilized to control the operation of a deflection circuit 7 . the video part of the signal 6 is split into a luminance signal and three chrominance signals which are fed to the three electron guns 2 in conventional manner . each of the electron beams from the guns 2 is directed to impinge on the luminescent screen 5 , the screen being composed of triads of red , green and blue light emitting phosphor dots , the beams of electrons passing through apertures in the shadow mask 4 so that in normal operation each beam can strike only the phosphor dots of one colour as the beams are scanned across the screen in a rectangular raster by the deflection circuit 7 . a glass plate 8 is placed in front of the screen at a suitable angle to partly reflect the light output from the screen towards a beam splitter 9 . the main part of the light output , however , is transmitted through the plate 8 for viewing by an observer . the light reflected by the plate is split into three parts by a beam splitter by the plate is split into three parts by a beam splitter 9 , which three parts are directed via colour filters 10 to photodetectors 11 . the filters 10 pass only red , blue and green light respectively so that the photodetectors 11 are each responsive only to light output from the crt screen of one colour . the output from each of the photodetectors is then applied to a comparator 13 via a differentiating circuit 12 . when an electron beam impinges on a phosphor dot , light which is emitted by the dot is suddenly &# 34 ; switched on &# 34 ; and then slowly fades away . hence , the light impinging on each photodetector exhibits a series of small rising edges , as each dot in turn of the relevant colour phosphor is hit by an electron beam , plus a large substantially constant component comprising the sum of light emitted by the other dots of the same colour whose light output has not yet faded away . differentiation of a photodetector output removes this large substantially constant component so that the differentiated output represents only the light output of each dot as it is hit by an electron beam . in the comparator 13 , the output of each photodetector 11 is compared with the corresponding and other colour components of the video signal . in this way any difference between the contemporary value of each colour component of the video signal and the actual output of light of that colour from the crt screen due to misdirection of the electron beams can be detected . for example , if the red electron beam is impinging at least partly on the green phosphor dots this can be detected by the existence of a degree of correlation between the red video signal and the green light output signal . appropriate correction signals are then generated in a deflection correcting circuit 14 from the outputs of the comparator 13 and applied to the deflection circuit 7 where they are utilised to produce colour corrected scanning signals for application to the deflection plates 3 such that each electron beam impinges only on phosphor dots of the correct colour . it will be understood that the use of the glass plate 8 is not essential and other means of directing the light output to the photodetectors may be used . for example , when a crt without a shadow mask is used , the photodetectors can receive light from the back of the crt screen via a window 21 provided in the back of the crt , as shown in fig2 . in a further alternative embodiment of the invention instead of obtaining signals indicating the phosphor dots on which the electron beams are incident at any time by differentiating signals representing the red , green and blue light produced at the screen , use is made of the spectral shift in the light outputs of the phosphor dots caused by the momentary temperature rise of a dot as an electron beam impinges on it . a beam typically causes a temperature rise of 100 ยฐ c . or more if it is energetic , as it is in bright displays . this means that the wavelength emitted by a phosphor dot changes momentarily as an electron beam passes over it . interference filters can therefore be used to separate , for application to the detectors 11 , the light emitted at the highest temperature i . e . at incidence of an electron beam on phosphor dots , from the light emitted at other times , i . e . during afterglow . by adding signature materials to the phosphor dots the effect can be accentuated and non visible light outputs from the dots may be used . whilst , as indicated above , the invention finds application in correcting colour distortion in a colour crt display device due to vibration , the invention may also be utilised as a primary means of electron beam steering so that , for example , the use of a shadow mask in a colour crt may be dispensed with . it should further be understood that the use of a separate photodetector for each colour phosphor is not essential since , for example in the case of three phosphors , the use of two photodetectors is sufficient for deducing information about three electron beams , if the amplitude is also used since the sum of each of the different colour light outputs is equal to the total brightness intended . it will further be understood that whilst a display system in accordance with the invention using a three electron gun shadow mask crt has been described by way of example , the invention is applicable to display devices utilising other kinds of colour crt . | 7Electricity
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the crib enclosure 50 of the present invention is adapted to help a parent or guardian keep a child safely within the interior of a crib . the enclosure may prevent a child from injuring themselves while in a crib . additionally , the enclosure can prevent a child from escaping from a crib , where they may be injured . the enclosure is generally sized so that its base dimensions are consistent with the length and width of the bottom pad 62 typically used in cribs 58 . the enclosure 50 comprises a dome - shaped top 66 , and a box - shaped body . the box - shaped body comprises two opposed end panels 70 , two opposed side panels 74 and a bottom panel 78 . the panels 70 , 74 , 78 and the top 66 may be attached to the various components of the crib 58 , including side rails 82 , headboard and footboard 86 , and bottom support 90 . both the end panels 70 and the side panels 74 are designed to be roughly the same height as the interior of a standard crib 58 . the dome shaped top 66 of the enclosure 50 is set at a height that will allow a young child to stand unobstructed inside the crib 58 . the protective enclosure 50 confines a child to the inside of the crib 58 . this is accomplished by lining the interior surfaces of the crib with the box - shaped body of the enclosure and by covering the top of the crib with the dome - shaped top . although the dome - shaped top takes the form of a dome in most embodiments , it may also be formed of different shapes , as the descriptive term โ dome - shaped โ is not limiting . additionally , a flap 174 may exist on the top that can be selectively opened , as shown in fig1 , and 14 , to allow a child and / or objects to be placed into and removed from the interior of the crib , or closed as shown in fig2 , and 15 . although in most embodiments the box - shaped body comprises continuous material forming five sides of a continuous rectangular shape , other embodiments may have different variations . for instance , the bottom panel 78 may only extend under a margin of the pad 62 , thus creating an opening 102 to reduce the amount of material required , as shown in fig1 . in such embodiments the mattress or pad 62 will cover the opening in the bottom panel when the enclosure 50 is installed in a crib 58 as shown in fig2 , 13 , and 15 . some embodiments of the enclosure may not have panels that are permanently connected on all of their adjacent edges . one such non - permanent connection is shown in fig1 , 11 , and 16 where a velcro type ( hook and loop ) material is used to connect the box - shaped body to the dome - shaped top . fig1 shows yet another embodiment having the end panels 70 and the side panels 74 that are not directly connected to one another . the end panels and side panels in this embodiment are held tightly against one another when installed in the crib as shown in fig1 . this prevents a child from placing its arms or legs outside of the crib or otherwise becoming entangled at the intersection between the end panels 70 and the side panels 74 . while the invention in the several embodiments completely encloses the interior 54 of the crib 58 , a flap 174 may exist on the top 66 and can be left open for children that are too small to stand or otherwise reach the top of the enclosure 50 . similarly , the top of the enclosure may also be removed from the bottom in some embodiments having a removable top as illustrated in fig1 , when children are supervised , or do not require supervision . the structure of the enclosure 50 is generally made of cloth material and may be made of mesh cloth . in some embodiments , portions of the covering may be layered with a solid , reinforcing fabric such as a taffeta lining , or may even be replaced with such fabric . this may be done at such locations as the end panels 70 as shown in fig1 , end panel straps 126 , and side rail straps 114 or at the reinforcement strips 142 adjacent the top of the side rails 82 , as shown in fig1 and 13 . other portions of the enclosure 50 may also be reinforced . before installing the enclosure 50 , the pad 62 is removed from the crib . the enclosure is then placed inside the interior of the crib 58 . in embodiments where the top of the enclosure is permanently attached to the bottom , the pad 62 is usually inserted through the opening created by the flap 174 and then laid on top of the bottom panel 74 to hold it in position . in embodiments with a removable top , the pad may be placed into the crib when the top of the enclosure is removed or through a flap on the top . the side panels 74 and end panels 70 are designed to fit snugly around the sides 122 of the pad 62 to prevent an infant or sundry items in the crib 58 from being lodged between the pad 62 and the side / end panels 70 , 74 of the enclosure 50 . the enclosure may also be secured to the crib with additional fastening elements . end panel straps 126 that help attach the enclosure 50 to the crib can be connected to the enclosure 50 near the intersection of the end panels 70 and side panels 74 . these straps 126 may wrap completely around the headboard or footboard 86 and may be tied together or otherwise connected to one another with velcro ( hook and loop fasteners ), snaps , buttons , or any other comparable fasteners . in one embodiment , as shown in fig1 and 15 , the side panels 74 are not directly connected to the end panels 70 . however , this embodiment has two sets of straps 126 at each end of the enclosure 50 . one set is associated with the end panels 70 and one set is associated with the side panels 74 . each of these sets of straps 126 are wrapped around the headboard or footboard 86 and fastened together to eliminate any openings in the enclosure 50 . in other embodiments , as shown in fig1 , and 9 , no such straps 126 are used . the top edges of the side panels 74 may also be secured to the top bar of the side rails by multiple side rail straps 114 . in the illustrated embodiment , there are five side rail straps 114 on each of the two side rails 82 , although any number can be used . the side rail straps 114 are shown to include a velcro fastener ( hook and loop material ) although other types of fastener may be used . in embodiments having a removable top , these side rail straps may also serve to secure the enclosure top to the box - shaped body . the side rail straps 114 are anchored to the reinforcing strip 142 which runs the length of the side panels adjacent to the top of the side rail 82 in the illustrated embodiment . in the preferred embodiment , this reinforced strip 142 is made of taffeta , although other materials may be used . the top 66 of the enclosure 50 comprises a dome - shaped structure . the structure is supported by one or more semi - rigid ribs 146 , each held firmly to the enclosure 50 . in one embodiment of the invention , the ribs 146 are inserted into sleeves 150 of the enclosure 50 which end in pockets 154 near each corner of the top 66 as shown in fig3 . the pockets 154 at the corners of the enclosure 50 and the sleeves 150 hold the ribs 146 in a manner that causes them to bow into a desired shape . this bowed shape of the ribs 146 defines the dome - shaped structure of the top 66 of the enclosure 50 . when the ribs 146 are removed from the sleeves 150 , the enclosure will be unstructured and may be rolled or compressed for storage . while continuous sleeves 150 are shown in the preferred embodiment , multiple smaller sleeves , hooks or other fasteners may be used in place of the continuous sleeve . in another embodiment as shown in fig1 , the top 66 of the enclosure 50 comprises a dome - shaped structure supported by a pair of semi - rigid , continuous loops 147 , 148 . each of these loops are enclosed in a sleeve 150 made of fabric . although in some embodiments these continuous loops may be disassembled and removed from the sleeves , they may also remain in the sleeves when the dome - shaped top is configured in its operative position , as illustrated in fig1 , and when it is in its collapsed position for storage . fig1 shows a first continuous loop 147 that provides structure to the upper portion of the top and a second continuous loop 148 that resides near the side rails and the ends of the crib to facilitate securing the top to the crib in addition to providing some structure to the top . [ 0044 ] fig1 shows another embodiment having only one semi - rigid , continuous loop 147 that provides structure to the top . the continuous loop of this embodiment may be fastened to the side rails 82 in order to secure the top 66 to the crib 58 . the top of each of the embodiments shown in fig1 and 18 may be either removably attached to the bottom as in fig1 or permanently attached to the bottom . additionally , the top may have an openable flap 174 to allow a child or objects to be placed into or removed from the crib . the flap , as shown in both of fig1 and 18 , is generally in the shape of an inverted โ u โ, however , some embodiments may include flaps having different shapes or have no flap at all . embodiments of the invention shown in fig1 and 18 having a semi - rigid , continuous loop may be collapsed for storage without removing the continuous loop from its sleeve 150 . to accomplish this , the structure is first removed from the crib . fig1 a represents a semi - rigid , continuous loop 147 as it is shaped when the top is in its operative position . the loop or loops are then folded into a figure - 8 configuration as represented in fig1 b . once in the form of a figure - 8 , each of the loops of the figure - 8 are then folded on top of one another such that the semi - rigid loop takes on the form of a single smaller loop as shown in fig1 c . this process may be continued to reduce the size of the final set of overlapped loops . the fabric of the top and the bottom of the enclosure may be bundled or wrapped around this final loop and thereafter placed in a container for storage . such a container may be circular and thus consistent with the shape of the folded loop , or it may be of a different shape as the invention is not limited in this respect . in other embodiments , the enclosure itself may include a loop - shaped pocket incorporated into the top or box - shaped body that can be used as a storage container . a flap 174 is included in the dome shaped top 66 adjacent to one of the side panels 74 of some embodiments . this flap 174 includes a zipper closure 178 in the illustrated embodiments , although other fasteners can be used . the flap 174 is generally shaped like an inverted โ u โ with its closed zipper end 186 and open zipper end 190 terminating near and above the top of the side rails 82 . the ends of the flap 174 are set at a height to help prevent a child from accessing the flap 174 or the zipper closure 178 . the zipper 178 is arranged to open from right to left as the user is facing the covering from outside , thus placing the slide 182 of the closed zipper on the right side . this arrangement is preferable because most adults prefer to operate the zipper 178 with their right hand while supporting the child in their left arm . in some embodiments as shown in fig4 there is a taut liner 194 on the interior of the flap 174 that further prevents a child from accessing the zipper 178 or the zipper slide mechanism 182 from the inside . this liner 194 is connected to the interior of the flap 174 on at least the lower side of the zipper 178 . the uppermost side of the liner 194 is left free so that it does not interfere with the operation of the zipper 178 . this arrangement makes it more difficult for a child to access the zipper slide mechanism 182 or zipper 178 as it requires the child to reach over the top edge of the liner 194 before gain access can be gained . this prevents the child from playing with the zipper mechanism 182 and injuring him or herself or from opening the zipper from the inside . in some embodiments , as is shown in fig8 there is a zipper pocket 198 located on the closed end 186 of the zipper 178 . in the preferred embodiment , this is also the right hand side of the zipper . this pocket is made by attaching a lining material 130 on the interior side of the enclosure 50 . the lining material 130 is sewn into the top of the enclosure around a portion of the periphery of the closed end of the zipper as shown by the stitches 134 in fig8 . the pocket provides a protective environment for the zipper mechanism 182 when it is positioned at the closed end 186 of the zipper 178 . it prevents a child from reaching the zipper while the child is inside the enclosure , thus preventing the child from operating the zipper . the pocket extends a short distance โ d1 โ from the closed end 186 of the zipper 178 as shown in fig6 while in other embodiments such as shown in fig8 the pocket 198 extends a much greater length โ d2 โ. fig7 depicts the cross section of the pocket when the zipper is closed . it is noted that the pocket as shown in fig7 contains a certain amount of slack when the flap 174 is closed , although other embodiments may have more or less slack . from the foregoing description those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerous modifications may be made of the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings without departing from the spirit of this invention . for instance , the dome - shaped top and the box - shaped bottom may be made as completely separable entities that are each independently attached to the crib . therefore , it is not intended that the scope of the invention be limited to the specific embodiment illustrated , but rather its scope is to be determined by the appended claims and their equivalents . | 0Human Necessities
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fig1 illustrated one embodiment of an automatically controlled color plotter , generally designated 10 , having a photoexposure of photohead 12 with optical means for projecting a beam of polychromatic light from the head onto the photosensitive surface of a film f . the film f is fixedly positioned on the flat work surface of a movable table 14 under the photohead 12 . the table with the film is movable relative to the photohead 12 in the illustrated x coordinate direction by means of an x - drive motor 16 interposed between the head and the table . similarly , the table is moved relative to the head in the illustrated y coordinate direction by means of a y - drive motor 18 . the x - and y - motions are determined by a plotting program that is stored in the master controller 20 for the color plotter . during a plotting operation , the controller reads the program and generates either analog or digital motor command signals that are transmitted to the respective motors 16 and 18 by means of an x - motor driver 22 and a y - driver 24 . of course , it should be recognized that the relative movement of the photohead and the film f could also be generated by moving the photohead while the film and table 14 are held stationary . also , the head could be moved in one coordinate direction relative to the table while the table and film are moved in the other coordinate direction . each of the above described motion generating means results in relative movement of the film f and the spot of light on the photosensitive surface of the film at the point of beam impingement . the line trace or path traversed by the light spot exposes the film and produces a photographic record of the trace either directly or by means of photographic development processes appropriate for the particular film being used . it will also be understood that a plotting operation must be carried out in a dark or low light level environment in order to prevent exposure of the film in areas other than those illuminated by the light spot . here the term &# 34 ; dark &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; low light level &# 34 ; conditions are intended to include conditions in which the ambient light consists only of wavelengths to which the particular film under consideration is not sensitive . in the illustrated plotter 10 the photohead 12 includes a light source 30 from which the beam is projected along an optical axis 32 between the source and the work table 14 . the illustrated source is a xenon lamp that is periodically excited by means of a flash circuit 34 . the flash circuit is in turn controlled by means of the motor command signals that are transmitted to the x - and y - drive motors 16 and 18 from the controller 20 . the same commands are processed respectively by means of an x - tachometer circuit 35 and a y - tachometer circuit 36 to determine the relative velocity between the film and the spot of light in both coordinate directions . the output signals ex and ey of the circuits 35 and 36 represent the respective velocities and are transmitted to a computing circuit 38 which calculates the total relative velocity in accordance with the pythagorean theorem . the total velocity signal ev from the computing circuit 38 is supplied to the flash circuit 34 and is employed to control the rate at which the xenon lamp is flashed . by controlling the flashing rate in accordance with the speed of relative movement of the light spot on the film f , a desired intensity or uniform exposure standard is obtained along the line traced or plotted by the light spot . for example , if the relative movement increases , a corresponding increase in the flash rate ensues in order to expose the film by the same amount at each point along the plotted line . of course , increased flashing rates at the same speed will produce greater exposure and decreased flashing rates , decreased exposure . for a more complete description of the flashing circuit and associated controls , reference may be had to copending application ser . no . 864 , 601 filed dec . 27 , 1977 , in the names of leonard g . rich and henry f . berdat . light emanating from the source 30 is directed along the beam axis 32 through condensing lenses 42a and 42b and then through a color compensating filter or filters 44 . since most artificial light sources do not produce a color balanced light , that is a light of uniform intensity throughout the color spectrum , photographic images produced by the light are not color balanced , that is , certain colors will dominate and other colors will be suppressed with the overall result being an untrue color picture . for this reason the compensating filter 44 is interposed in the light beam and is provided with spectral transmission characteristics that tend to produce a more even distribution of the color wavelengths emitted by the source 30 . the balanced , polychromatic light beam then passes through a converging lens 46 and , while still diffused , through an aperture slide 48 . the aperture slide includes a plurality of apertures positioned in side - by - side relationship for movement individually into the light beam so that spots or images of corresponding size and shape can be projected onto the photosensitive surface of the film through an objective lens 49 . the plate 48 may be indexed relative to the optical axis 32 to position a selected aperture in the beam , and one means for indexing such plate that employs the relative movement of the photohead 12 and plotting table 14 is described in greater detail in copending u . s . application ser . no . 833 , 374 filed sept . 14 , 1977 now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 129 , 264 , by wood and alford having the same assignee . each of the apertures on the slide may be accompanied by a normalizing filter that balances the amount of light falling on the film from the various apertures . in accordance with the present invention a color filter disc 50 is mounted adjacent the beam axis 32 and as close as possible to the aperture plate 48 . the color disc , shown in greater detail in fig2 includes a plurality of color separation filters 52a - 52h that are arranged in a circular array at the periphery of the disc . the separation filters have different spectral transmission characteristics associated with given wavelengths in the visible light spectrum and therefore transmit given colors in the polychromatic beam of light . as shown in fig1 the disc is mounted on the drive shaft of a small servo motor 54 so that the periphery of the disc containing the filters lies within the light beam from the source 30 . the servo motor 54 rotates the disc about its central axis and positions the respective separation filters individually in registration with the beam axis 32 to thereby adjust the color of the light spot on the film surface . with separation filters of different spectral transmission characteristics and by appropriate actuation of the servo motor 54 , the plots produced by the photohead on the color film f may be generated with any of the colors established by the filters 52b - 52h on the filter disc 50 . the dominant colors transmitted by the filters may be selected from any portion of the color spectrum and it is desirable to include a position such as 52a in the disc with no filter so that black or white images may also be plotted in the same manner as a conventional photoplotter described in u . s . pat . no . 3 , 330 , 182 . the color selector 56 controls the operation of the servo motor 54 in response to command signals received from the master controller 20 . accordingly , the desired color of a particular plotted line is recorded in the controller along with data defining the geometric configuration of the line so that colors may be selected and changed in a completely automatic plotting process . a neutral density filter disc 60 is also imposed in the light beam between the color filter disc 50 and the objective lens 49 . the filter disc 60 may consist of a plurality of discrete filters each of which has a different neutral density from the others so that the intensity of the light passing through the disc 60 is attenuated accordingly . the filters may be distributed in a circular array similar to the color separation filters shown in fig2 . preferably , however , the filter disc 60 is comprised by a single neutral density filter in the form of a circular disc shown in fig3 having light attenuating characteristics which vary circumaxially about the disc . such a disc is described in greater detail in the referenced u . s . pat . no . 3 , 330 , 182 . by mounting the disc adjacent to the light beam for rotation of the disc periphery through the beam , the amount of light passing to the color film and , correspondingly , the intensity of the colored light from the color filter disc 50 can be controlled . for this purpose the disc 60 is mounted for rotation by means of another small servo motor 62 that is controlled by a density selector circuit 64 in response to commands received from the controller 20 . not only the color of the light spot on the film but also the intensity of the spot may be recorded in the plotting data so that both color and density or saturation of the resulting plot may be controlled automatically during the plotting process . in a further embodiment of the color plotter shown in fig1 the variable density filter 60 and its associated servo motor 62 may be replaced by means of a control link 66 ( shown in phantom ) between the density selector circuit 64 and the flash circuit 34 . in this embodiment , the density of the color plot is controlled by an intensity control circuit 68 connected to the flash circuit 34 . the intensity circuit adjusts the discharge current through the xenon lamp during each flash of the lamp caused by the flash circuit 34 , and the intensity of the flash is correspondingly adjusted . by increasing the flash intensity , the exposure of the color film f by the light from the color disc 50 is increased and the density of the color exposure on the film changes correspondingly . a decrease of the flash intensity by the circuit 68 provides the opposite change in color density . the same effect can also be achieved by adjusting the flash circuit 34 to change the flash rate or the number of flashes per unit length of a line plot rather than the flash intensity . a color plotter , generally designated 70 , illustrating a further embodiment of the present invention is shown in fig4 . components of the plotter 70 which have previously been described in connection with the plotter 10 illustrated in fig1 bear the same reference numerals . in the color plotter 70 of fig4 the light source 72 is a mercury arc lamp that is energized by means of a power supply 74 to produce a fixed intensity beam of polychromatic light during a plotting operation . light from the source 72 passes through the color correction filter 44 , the converging lens 46 , the aperture plate 48 and the variable density filter 60 . the objective lens 49 then focuses the real image of the aperture in the plate 48 sharply on the light sensitive surface of the color film f . an iris or other type shutter 71 actuated between open and closed conditions by a solenoid 73 is mounted immediately above the objective lens 49 to interrupt the light beam falling on the film during intervals when no exposure of the film is desired . this situation can occur when the head and film are at a standstill or when the photohead and film are moved relative to one another but no line plot is desired . the solenoid 73 is operated by the controller 20 in accordance with a plotting program to control film exposure just as other plotting parameters such as displacement , speed , intensity and color . between the aperture plate 48 and the variable density filter 60 the light beam passes adjacent a pack of color separation filters 80a - 80h . the filters are mounted for pivotal or translational movement into and out of the beam of polychromatic light by means of a corresponding plurality of individual actuating solenoids 82a - 82h illustrated schematically . an actuating device of this type is disclosed in greater detail in u . s . pat . no . 4 , 056 , 317 . a color selector circuit 84 is connected with the actuating solenoids , and in response to command signals from the controller 20 causes the solenoids to move the individual color separation filters into or out of the beam of light from the source 72 . the color of the spot on the recording film is thus changed and the color emulsions on the films are exposed correspondingly . if desired , more than one separation filter may be inserted into the light beam at the same time in order to mix the colors of various filters . if the filters all consist of the three subtractive primary colors , cyan , magenta and yellow , in different density ranges , a broad spectrum of colors at different densities can be generated by combinations of the filters . since all of the filters may be held out of the light beam , it is not necessary to provide a clear filter as suggested in connection with the color disc 50 in the embodiment of the fig1 . the intensity of the beam of light reaching the film f is also controlled by the variable density filter 60 such as shown in fig3 . the filter 60 is rotated by the servomotor 62 in response to control signals applied to a summing junction 76 from both a color density selecting circuit 78 and the computing circuit 38 which receives velocity signals from the tachometers 35 , 36 . the composite velocity signal from the circuit 38 adjusts the beam intensity to provide a predetermined film exposure at various plotting speeds as in the embodiment of fig1 . the density selecting circuit 78 increases or decreases the predetermined film exposure set by the computing circuit in accordance with programmed intensity signals recorded in the controller 20 . in effect , the density selecting circuit 78 performs basically the same function as the density selector circuit 64 in the plotter 10 to control the density of the color in the finished plot . thus , the adjustment of beam intensity at the film surface for a programmed color density at any plotting speed is accomplished by means of the one variable density filter 60 and the control circuits 38 and 78 . if the color densities exposed on the film are adequately modified at discrete levels by the filters 80a - 80h in the pack without need for fine adjustment by the variable density filter 60 , the density selector circuit 78 may be eliminated . in still a further embodiment of the color plotter shown in fig5 the color filter disc 50 in fig1 and 2 or the color filter pack in fig4 is replaced in the photohead 88 by a linear color filter slide 90 . otherwise , the components are the same and bear the same reference numerals as in the plotter in fig4 . the linear color filter slide 90 is shown in detail in fig6 and is structurally similar to the aperture slide 48 in fig1 except that the slide 90 carries a plurality of color separation filters 92b - h positioned linearly along the slide . the slide 90 is mounted in the photohead 88 along the beam axis 32 between the converging lens 46 and the variable density filter 60 so that one of the color separation filters 92b - h coincides with the beam axis and establishes the color of the light spot produced by the beam on the film f . at the end position 92a of the slide 90 , no filter is provided so that a black or white plot can be produced if desired . individual color filters 92b - h on the slide 90 or the end position 92a are positioned in registration with the beam axis by indexing the slide laterally of the beam and relative to the photohead 88 . such indexing can be produced by a servomotor in the head or by moving the head while one end of the slide is abutting a stationary stop as described in the above referenced u . s . application ser . no . 833 , 374 , now u . s . pat . no . 4 , 129 , 264 . the indexing operation is generally carried out when a line plot has been completed and a color change is desired . when the line plot is completed , the power supply 74 is turned off or preferably the shutter 71 is closed to prevent the film from being further exposed . indexing of the color slide takes place and then plotting is resumed by slewing the optical axis 32 to the next plotting point and turning the power supply 74 on or opening the shutter 71 . while the present invention has been described in several preferred embodiments , it should be understood that numerous modifications and substitutions can be had without departing from the spirit of the invention . for example , the plotters disclosed are generally denominated table plotters in which the film is spread on a flat surface and the relative movement of the film and the spot of light occurs in a flat and generally horizontal plane . however , the invention also is applicable to drum plotters in which the film is held by vacuum or other means on the cylindrical surface of a drum that rotates relative to a photoexposure head . the color films employed generally include a plurality of color sensitive emulsions spread on either a flexible or rigid substrate to form a photographic plate . in addition to controlling the intensity of the light source , the density of the color exposure may be controlled with the variable density filter and other light attenuating devices such as an iris - type aperture control found in many cameras . incandescent lamps may be employed as light source in plotters such as shown in fig4 where the source operates at a uniform intensity level ; however , incandescent lamps are not suitable in plotters which vary the light intensity to control film exposure because the light from such lamps changes its spectral composition at different power levels and , therefore , a complex color correction system would be required . the various color plotting operations may be carried out in different fashions . all plots of one color may be completed before the plots of another color are started or the machine may readily switch between the various colors as given regions of the film are exposed . accordingly , the present invention has been described in several preferred embodiments by way of illustration rather than limitation . | 6Physics
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fig1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a constant - voltage power supply circuit 200 according to a first embodiment of the present invention . like or same reference numerals are given to those components that are the same as the corresponding components of the prior art . an output transistor t 1 , which has a source connected to an external power supply v 1 and a drain connected to an output terminal to , is connected to the ground gnd via feedback resistors r 1 and r 2 . a node n 1 between the feedback resistor r 1 and the feedback resistor r 2 is connected to a non - inversion input terminal of a differential amplifier 1 . a reference voltage v 2 is supplied to an inversion input terminal of the differential amplifier 1 . output voltage of the differential amplifier 1 is supplied to the gate of the output transistor t 1 . the output transistor t 1 , the feedback resistors r 1 and r 2 , and the differential amplifier 1 enable an output voltage vout , which is set based on the reference voltage v 2 , to be output as a constant voltage from the output terminal to during normal operation . a p - channel mos transistor t 11 , which has a source connected to the external power supply v 1 and a drain connected to the base of an npn transistor t 12 , is connected to the ground gnd via a resistor r 5 . the transistor t 11 has a gate supplied with the output voltage of the differential amplifier 1 . thus , the transistor t 11 executes a current mirror operation with the output transistor t 1 . the transistor t 11 is smaller than the output transistor t 1 in size . the transistor t 12 has a collector connected to the external power supply v 1 via a resistor r 6 and an emitter connected to the ground gnd . thus , when the drain current of the transistor t 11 increases , the transistor t 12 is turned on and the potential at the collector ( node n 2 ) of the transistor t 12 decreases . a p - channel mos transistor t 13 , which has a source connected to the external power supply v 1 and a drain connected to the base of an npn transistor t 14 , is connected to the ground gnd via a resistor r 7 . the base of the transistor t 14 is connected to the ground gnd via an n - channel mos transistor t 15 . the transistor t 13 has a gate supplied with the output voltage of the differential amplifier 1 . thus , the transistor t 13 executes a current mirror operation with the output transistor t 1 . the transistor t 13 is smaller in size than the output transistor t 1 and larger in size than the transistor t 11 . the resistors r 5 and r 7 have the same resistance . thus , the transistor t 13 operates at a higher speed than the transistor t 11 . the transistor t 14 , which has an emitter connected to the ground gnd and a collector connected to the drain of a p - channel mos transistor t 16 and to the gates of the p - channel mos transistor t 16 and a p - channel mos transistor t 17 . the transistors t 16 and t 17 have sources connected to the external power supply voltage v 1 . the drain of the transistor t 17 is connected to the gate of the output transistor t 1 . the transistors t 16 and t 17 execute a current mirror operation . when the drain current of the transistor t 13 increases when the transistor t 15 is off , the transistor t 14 is turned on . when the transistor t 14 is turned on , the transistors t 16 and t 17 are turned on . a node n 2 is connected to an input terminal of an inverter circuit 2 . an output signal of the inverter circuit 2 is provided to a first input terminal of an and circuit 3 , and is also provided to a second input terminal of the and circuit 3 via a delay circuit 4 . an output signal of the and circuit 3 is provided to a signal input terminal of a latch circuit 5 as an input signal s . an output signal q output from an output terminal of the latch circuit 5 is provided to a first input terminal of a nor circuit 6 . the output voltage vout is supplied to a comparator 7 . the comparator 7 compares the output voltage vout with a predetermined threshold voltage . the comparator 7 outputs a high ( h ) level output signal to an inverter circuit 8 when the output voltage vout is higher than the threshold value and provides a low ( l ) level output signal to the inverter circuit 8 when the output voltage vout is lower than the threshold value . the threshold value used for the comparator 7 is set lower than a normal output voltage vout and has hysteresis . more specifically , as shown in fig2 , a threshold value vth 1 , which is used when the output voltage vout decreases , and a threshold value vth 2 , which is used when the output voltage vout increases and which is larger than the threshold value vth 1 , are set for the comparator 7 . an output signal of the inverter circuit 8 is provided to a reset terminal of the latch circuit 5 , as a reset signal r , and to a second input terminal of the nor circuit 6 . the latch circuit 5 latches an h level input signal s and outputs the latched input signal s as the output signal q . the latch circuit 5 resets the output signal q to an l level when the reset signal r rises to an h level . an output signal of the nor circuit 6 is provided to the gate of the transistor t 15 . when the output signal of the nor circuit 6 rises to an h level , the transistor t 15 is turned on and the drain current of the transistor t 13 is absorbed by the transistor t 15 . thus , the transistors t 14 , t 16 , and t 17 are turned off in this state . when the output signal of the nor circuit 6 falls to an l level , the transistor t 15 is turned off . in this state , when the drain current of the transistor t 13 increases , the transistor t 14 is turned on , and the transistors t 16 and t 17 are turned on . the following describes the operation of the constant - voltage power supply circuit 200 . during normal operation , the differential amplifier 1 , the output transistor t 1 , and the feedback resistors r 1 and r 2 generate the output voltage vout , which is a constant voltage . thus , the differential amplifier 1 , the output transistor t 1 , and the feedback resistors r 1 and r 2 configure a constant - voltage output unit . the differential amplifier 1 and the feedback resistors r 1 and r 2 configure a constant - voltage control unit . during generation of the constant voltage , the drain current of the transistor t 11 is relatively small and the transistor t 12 is off . thus , the voltage at the node n 2 is maintained at an h level , and an output signal having an l level is output from the inverter circuit 2 . accordingly , the output signal of the and circuit 3 has an l level , and the output signal of the latch circuit 5 also has an l level . further , the output voltage vout is higher than the threshold value vth 1 of the comparator 7 . thus , the comparator 7 outputs an output signal having an h level , and the inverter circuit 8 outputs an output signal having an l level . in this state , the nor circuit 6 is provided with input signals having an l level . thus , the nor circuit 6 outputs an output signal having an h level , and the transistor t 15 is turned on . the transistors t 14 , t 16 , and t 17 are maintained in an off state . in this state , when a load circuit connected to the output terminal to short - circuits increases the output current iout of the output transistor t 1 , the drain current of the transistor t 11 also increases . further , the base potential at the transistor t 12 increases . then , when the output current iout exceeds the predetermined overcurrent detection value i 1 , the transistor t 12 is turned on . this decreases the voltage at the node n 2 to an l level and raises the output signal of the inverter circuit 2 to an h level . when the output current iout exceeds the overcurrent detection value i 1 during a period exceeding a delay time , which is set by the delay circuit 4 , the output signal of the and circuit 3 rises to an h level and the output signal q of the latch circuit 5 rises to an h level . therefore , the output signal of the nor circuit 6 falls to an l level , and the transistor t 15 is turned off . when the transistor t 15 is turned off , the drain current of the transistor t 13 turns on the transistor t 14 . this turns on the transistors t 16 and t 17 . as a result , the drain current of the transistor t 17 increases the gate potential of the output transistor t 1 . as shown in fig2 , the output current iout is instantaneously restricted at the restriction current value i 2 . the latch circuit 5 holds this restricted state ( as indicated by the broken line ). the transistors t 11 and t 12 and the resistors r 5 and r 6 configure an overcurrent detection unit . the transistors t 13 , t 14 , t 16 , and t 17 , and the resistor r 7 configure an output current restriction unit . the delay time of the delay circuit 4 is set so that it is longer than the period during which a large consumption current flows through a device , which serves as the load , and so that the heat generation amount of the device does not become too large . this setting of the delay time of the delay circuit 4 prevents the device , which serves as the load , from functioning erroneously . when the output current iout is restricted at the restriction current value i 2 , the output voltage vout decreases and becomes lower than the threshold value vth 1 of the comparator 7 . thus , the output signal of the comparator 7 falls to an l level , and the output signal of the inverter circuit 8 rises to an h level . as a result , the output signal q of the latch circuit 5 is reset to an l level , and the output signal of the nor circuit 6 is held at an l level . subsequently , when the short - circuited state of the load circuit is corrected and the output circuit iout decreases , the output voltage vout increases . when the output voltage vout exceeds the threshold value vth 2 of the comparator 7 , the output signal of the comparator 7 rises to an h level . then , the output signal of the inverter circuit 8 falls to an l level , and the output signal of the nor circuit 6 rises to an h level . further , the transistor t 15 is turned on , and the transistors t 14 , t 16 , and t 17 are turned off . as a result , the constant - voltage output unit autonomously returns to normal operation and generates the output voltage vout as a constant voltage . when the output current iout instantaneously increases during a period that does not exceed the delay time , which is set by the delay circuit 4 , while a constant voltage is being output , the output current iout , which corresponds to the value of the output voltage vout ( constant voltage value ) and the driving capability ( i . e ., constant voltage ) of the output transistor t 1 , may be supplied to the load until it reaches its maximum value . the value of the output voltage vout is set by the external power supply v 1 and the reference voltage v 2 . the driving capability of the output transistor t 1 is determined by the size of the transistor t 1 . when the constant voltage is being output , if the output current iout instantaneously increases causing the output current iout supplied the load to become greater than or equal to the driving capacity of the transistor t 1 and causing the output voltage vout to become lower than the threshold value vth 1 of the comparator 7 , the output signal of the comparator 7 falls to an l level . thus , the output signal of the nor circuit 6 falls to an l level and the transistors t 14 , t 16 , and t 17 are turned on . this restricts the output current iout . this operation is executed even when the period during which the output current iout is greater than or equal to the overcurrent detection value i 1 does not exceed the delay time set by the delay circuit 4 . the following describes the operation of the constant - voltage power supply circuit 200 when the constant - voltage power supply circuit 200 is activated by the external power supply v 1 . when the activation of the external power supply v 1 increases the power supply voltage , the reference voltage v 2 is supplied to the differential amplifier 1 to operate the differential amplifier 1 . in this state , the output voltage vout is equal to the potential of the ground gnd . thus , the operation of the differential amplifier 1 turns on the output transistor t 1 and increases the output voltage vout . in this state , the output voltage vout is still at an l level . thus , the comparator 7 outputs an output signal having an l level , the nor circuit 6 outputs an output signal having an l level , and the transistor t 15 is turned off . further , the inverter circuit 8 outputs an output signal having an h level , and the output signal q of the latch circuit 5 is reset to an l level . thus , when the drain current of the output transistor t 1 increases , the transistors t 14 , t 16 , and t 17 are turned on . this restricts the output current iout . when the output voltage vout exceeds the threshold value vth 2 of the comparator 7 , the output signal of the comparator 7 rises to an h level , the input signals of the nor circuit 6 both fall to an l level , and the output signal of the nor circuit 6 rises to an h level . then , the transistor t 15 is turned on and the transistors t 14 , t 16 , and t 17 are turned off . this stops the output current control operation . then , the operation of the constant - voltage output unit outputs the output voltage vout , which is a constant voltage . the constant - voltage power supply circuit 200 has the advantages described below . ( 1 ) the operation of the output current restriction unit keeps the output current iout less than or equal to the overcurrent detection value i 1 when the output current iout exceeds the overcurrent detection value i 1 during a period longer than or equal to the predetermined time , which is set by the delay circuit 4 . ( 2 ) when the period during which the output current iout exceeds the overcurrent detection value i 1 is shorter than the predetermined time set by the delay circuit 4 , the output current iout is not restricted . this prevents the output voltage vout from decreasing . accordingly , a decrease in the output voltage vout , which would be caused by an instantaneous overcurrent , is prevented without enlarging the output transistor t 1 . ( 3 ) when the output current restriction unit restricts the output current iout and the output voltage vout decreases , the cause of the overcurrent factor of the output current iout is eliminated . thus , when the output voltage vout increases , the output current restriction unit automatically stops operating , and the output current restriction unit autonomously returns to execute a constant voltage output operation . ( 4 ) when the output voltage vout decreases and becomes less than or equal to the threshold value vth 1 , which is set in the comparator 7 , the output current restriction unit operates irrespective of the output current iout . this prevents the output current iout from being an overcurrent . ( 5 ) the output current restriction unit operates when the circuit 200 is powered on . this prevents an overshoot of the output voltage vout and the output current iout . ( 6 ) during normal constant voltage operation , the transistors t 12 , t 14 , and t 16 are maintained in an off state . this reduces current consumption of the circuit 200 . fig3 is a schematic circuit diagram of a constant - voltage power supply circuit 300 according to a second embodiment of the present invention . in the second embodiment , the resistor r 6 in the first embodiment is replaced by a current source 9 . the other parts are the same as in the first embodiment . due to this configuration , the constant - voltage power supply circuit 200 has the same advantages as the first embodiment . fig4 is a schematic circuit diagram of a constant - voltage power supply circuit 400 according to a third embodiment of the present invention . in the third embodiment , the transistor t 11 in the first embodiment is replaced by a pnp transistor t 18 , and the transistor t 13 in the first embodiment is replaced by a pnp transistor t 19 . resistors r 8 and r 9 are connected between the external power supply v 1 and the source of the output transistor t 1 . further , the base of the transistor t 18 is connected to a node between the resistors r 8 and r 9 . the base of the transistor t 19 is connected to a node between the resistor r 9 and the source of the output transistor t 1 . in such a configuration , the collector currents of the transistors t 18 and t 19 increase when the output current iout increases . thus , the third embodiment has the same advantages as the first embodiment . the transistors t 18 and t 19 have different base potentials . thus , even if the transistors t 18 and t 19 are equal in size , the transistors t 18 and t 19 operate in the same manner as the transistors t 11 and t 13 in the first embodiment . more specifically , the base potentials of the transistors t 18 and t 19 are set so that that the transistor t 19 operates at a higher speed than the transistor t 18 . further , the overcurrent detection value i 1 is easily adjusted by adjusting the resistances of the resistors r 8 and r 9 . fig5 is a schematic circuit diagram of a constant - voltage power supply circuit 500 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention . in the fourth embodiment , the transistors t 12 and t 14 in the first embodiment are replaced by n - channel mos transistors t 20 and t 21 . in such a configuration , the constant - voltage power supply circuit 500 has the same advantages as the first embodiment . fig6 is a schematic circuit diagram of a constant - voltage power supply circuit 600 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention . in the fifth embodiment , the structure of the output current control unit in the first embodiment is changed . specifically , the drain of the transistor t 13 is connected to the collector of the npn transistor t 22 and to the bases of the npn transistors t 22 and t 23 . the transistors t 22 and t 23 configure a current mirror circuit . the collector of the transistor t 23 is connected to the external power supply v 1 via the resistor r 10 . the p - channel mos transistor t 24 has a source connected to the external power supply v 1 and a drain connected to the gate of the output transistor t 1 . the gate of the transistor t 24 is connected to the collector of the transistor t 23 . in such a configuration , the transistors t 22 and t 23 execute a current mirror operation based on the drain current of the transistor t 13 when the transistor t 15 is off . when the drain current of the transistor t 23 increases , the transistor t 24 is turned on . this increases the gate potential at the output transistor t 1 . the constant - voltage power supply circuit 600 has the same advantages as the first embodiment . the present examples and embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive , and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein , but may be modified within the scope and equivalence of the appended claims . | 6Physics
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the bacterial strains used in this application are listed in table 1 . e . coli k - 12 strains jm109 was used for propagating plasmids , and was grown and transformed by standard procedures ( sambrook et al ., 1989 ); transformants were selected in l broth containing 1 % ( w / v ) glucose , and ampicillin at a final concentration of 200 ฮผg ml โ 1 . l broth with 1 % glucose and 30 ฮผg ml โ 1 chloramphenicol was used to grow et12567 . streptomyces coelicolor a3 ( 2 ) m145 and streptomyces lividans 1326 were obtained from the john innes centre strain collection , and were used for transformation and propagation of streptomyces plasmids . protoplast preparation and transformation were performed as described by kieser et al . ( 2000 ). sfm medium ( mannitol , 20 gl โ 1 ; soya flour , 20 gl โ 1 ; agar , 20 gl โ 1 , dissolved in tap water ) was used to make spore suspensions . minimal medium ( mm ) and r2ye agar plates ( kieser et al ., 2000 ) were used for promoter - probing experiments ; r2ye was also used for regenerating protoplasts and , after addition of the appropriate antibiotic , for selecting recombinants . for standard cultivation of streptomyces , and for plasmid isolation , yeme ( kieser et al ., 2000 ) or tryptone soy broth ( difco ) containing 10 % ( w / v ) sucrose ( designated tsbs ), were used . growth curves were performed in nmmp ( liquid minimal medium ), with 1 % mannitol as the carbon source . for this purpose , strains were grown on mmd medium , a solid minimal medium with mannitol ( 1 % w / v ) and 100 mm 2 - deoxyglucose , which is lethal for glk โ+ strains . therefore colonies that develop on this medium have to be glk โ . for each mutant , three independent colonies that were able to grow on mmd were selected , and tested for glucose kinase activity . strains that lack glucose kinase activity are glucose kinase deficient ( ฮดglka ). strains were checked by pcr , which showed that the nature of the mutations varied from large deletions to point mutations . those harboring very large deletions ( beyond the glka gene ) were discarded . pij2925 ( janssen and bibb , 1993 ) is a puc - derived plasmid used for routine subdloning . for cloning in streptomyces we used phjl401 ( larson and herschberger , 1986 ), and pwhm3 ( vara et al .). phjl401 is a shuttle vector containing the e . coli puc19 and streptomyces scp2 * ( lydiate et al ., 1985 ) origins of replication , giving approximately 10 copies per chromosome in streptomyces ; pwhm3 is a shuttle vector containing the e . coli puc19 and streptomyces pij101 origins of replication ( approximately 50 copies per chromosome ). e . coli plasmid dna was isolated from s . lividans prior to transformation to s . coelicolor . pij2587 ( van wezel et al ., 2000a ) was used for promoter probing experiments . it is an e . coli - streptomyces shuttle vector derived from phjl401 with puc19 and scp2 * origins of replication ; it possesses a copy number of approximately 10 per chromosome in streptomycetes . fragments harboring upstream sections of the respective ssga - like genes , as well as of ssgr , were amplified by pcr , using 30 - mer oligonucleotides . the oligonucleotides were designed such , that restriction sites were added so as to clone the upstream sequences as ecori - bamhi fragments , with the bamhi site proximal to the start of the genes . in this way , possible promoter sequences were positioned in the desired orientation and immediately upstream of the promoterless redd gene in pij2587 . red production by the transformants on r2ye plates was assessed visually . the exact inserts of the constructs are shown in table 2 . exact location of the dna fragments harboring upstream sequences of the various ssga - like genes , as well as ssgr , are shown . the inserts were cloned as ecori - bamhi fragments into pij2587 , to allow transcription of the promoterless redd gene . fragments were amplified by pcr , using the relevant oligonucleotides . 3 . constructs for the expression of ssga and ssga - like genes in streptomyces for the overexpression of ssga in actinomycetes , pgws4 - sd was used , an integrative expression construct based on pset152 ( bierman et al ., 1992 ), containing ssga behind the strong and constitutive erme promoter . construction of this construct was described in european patent application 99929959 . 7 ( publication number 1090121 ). for complementation experiments , dna fragments harboring ssga - like genes and upstream sequences were inserted into phjl401 . these constructs for the expression of ssgb , ssgc , ssgd , ssge , ssgf , and ssgg , were designated pgwb1 , pgwc1 , pgwd1 , pgwe1 , pgwf1 , and pgwg1 , respectively . presence of active promoters was confirmed by promoter probing ( see below ). restriction maps of ssgb - g and flanking regions , and exact inserts of the expression constructs are shown in fig8 a - 8f . as an alternative to expression constructs harboring complete copies of any of the ssga - like genes ssgb - g , hybrid constructs were produced containing the ssgra operon with the part of ssga following the bamhi site replaced by comparable parts of any of the ssga - like genes . the architecture of these constructs is shown in fig9 a . in this way , timing of expression of the hybrid ssgax genes is similar to that of ssga . the phjl401 - based constructs contain the bglii - bamhi part of ssgra operon ( i . e ., the โ 440 /+ 1000 region relative to the ssgr translational start codon ; cf fig4 a ), fused to an approximately 600 bp pcr - generated bamhi - hindiii dna fragment , with the bamhi site created at a position corresponding to the fully conserved proline residue ( aa residue 24 in the ssga ( seq id no : 11 ) sequence ) shown in the alignment ( fig7 ). the regions โ 1000 /+ 3 and + 410 /+ 1400 relative to the start of the ssgb gene were amplified by pcr , using 30 - mer oligonucleotides . these were designed such as to introduce a bamhi site in the middle of the insert , allowing introduction of the apramycin resistance cassette . a thiostrepton resistance cassette on the vector part of pgwb2 allowed distinction between single and double recombination events . transformants were selected for apra r and subsequently screened for thiostrepton sensitivity , indicative of loss of the plasmid . the region deleted in the mutant and replaced by the apramycin resistance cassette is shown in fig8 a . to create a construct for the deletion of ssgr , the 1400 bp bglii - bamhi fragment containing ssgr and part of ssga ( fig4 a ) was inserted into bamhi - digested pij2925 , and the ncoi - sphi segment of ssgr was removed , to create an in - frame deletion in the ssgr gene on the plasmid . subsequently , the apramycin resistance cassette aacc ( 4 ) ( kieser et al ., 2000 ) was inserted into the ecori site of the construct ( outside the ssgra insert ), producing pgwr2 . this construct allows production of an in - frame deletion mutant of ssgr . after transformation of the non - replicating construct to s . coelicolor m145 , initial integrants ( apramycin resistant ) were selected , allowed to sporulate on sfm plates without antibiotics , and replicated non - selectively to allow a second recombination event to take place , and plated for single colonies . the latter were replicated to sfm containing apramycin , to screen for double recombinants , which should have lost the plasmid and hence have become sensitive to apramycin . about 30 % of all apramycin sensitive colonies were sporulation mutants . testing of four sporulating and four non - sporulating double recombinants by pcr revealed that all sporulation mutants carried the expected 300 bp in - frame deletion , while sporulating colonies had a wild - type ssgr gene . one of the mutant colonies was selected , and designated gsr1 . location of the deletion is shown in fig4 a . for complementation experiments plasmid pgwr1 was designated . this is a low - copy number phjl401 - based vector that harbors a 1 . 3 kb pcr - generated insert including the entire ssgr gene , and approximately 300 bp of upstream sequences , including the ssgr promoter region . for analysis of the effect of enhanced expression of ssga on the growth rate and on productivity of actinomycetes , growth curves were performed in small scale fermentations using a bioflo 3000 5l bench top fermenter ( new brunswick biosciences ). 4 . 5 liters of tryptone soy broth with 10 % sucrose ( ts medium ) containing 50 mm cucl 2 and the relevant antibiotics , were inoculated with a 100 ml preculture , grown for 30 hours at 30 ยฐ c . in a spring - coiled flask . the fermentation inoculum was 0 . 2 g / l . fermentations were performed at 30 ยฐ c ., and the ph was fixed at 6 . 5 , by the addition of 2n phosphoric acid or 2n naoh . dissolved oxygen tension was set at 80 % and maintained by changing the stirrer speed . the specific enzymatic activity of tyrosinase secreted by transformants of s . lividans 1326 harboring pij703 ( katz et al ., 1983 ) was determined as described previously , following the conversion of 1 mm dopa spectrophotometrically at 475 nm ( lerch and ettinger , 1972 ). activity ( expressed as ฮดa 475 / sec . ml ) was corrected for biomass content of the samples . to assess the total antimicrobial activity present in the culture fluid of s . roseosporus fermentations , 40 ml samples were taken at regular intervals , biomass was harvested by centrifugation ( 20 minutes at 10 , 000 rpm ), and residual debris removed by filtration using a 0 . 22 ฮผm bacterial filter ( millipore ). a lawn of streptomyces avermitilis atcc31267 was streaked on minimal medium agar plates containing 0 . 5 m cacl 2 , with mannitol as the sole carbon source ( 1 % w / v ). sterile 0 . 6 cm antibiotic assay filter paper discs ( whatman grade aa ) were placed onto the plates and 10 ฮผl of filtered supernatant was spotted on these filters . plates were allowed to grow for four days and photographed . zones of clearing ( dark halos ) represent growth inhibition due to antibiotics present in the culture fluid of the s . roseosporus fermentations . polymerase chain reactions ( pcrs ) were performed in a minicycler ( mj research , watertown , mass . ), using pfu polymerase ( stratagene , la jolla , calif . ), and the buffer provided by the supplier , in the presence of 5 % ( v / v ) dmso and 200 ฮผm dntp . no additional mg ++ was added to the reaction mixture . the following pcr program was used for 30 cycles : 45 seconds melting at 94 ยฐ c ., 1 minute annealing at 54 ยฐ c ., and 90 seconds extension at 72 ยฐ c . the reaction was completed by an additional ten minutes incubation at 72 ยฐ c . rna was purified from mm agar plates with mannitol as the carbon source , as described by kieser et al . ( 2000 ), except that dnase i treatment was used in addition to salt precipitation to eliminate dna from the nucleic acid preparations . for each nuclease s1 protection assay , about 0 . 02 pmol ( about 10 4 cerenkov counts minute โ 1 ) of labeled probe was hybridized to 30 ฮผg of rna in natca buffer at 45 ยฐ c . overnight after denaturation at 70 ยฐ c . for 15 minutes . all subsequent steps were carried out as described previously ( kieser et al ., 2000 ), using an excess of probe . the probes used for mapping ssgr and ssga transcripts were amplified from dna of s . coelicolor cosmid q11 . the following probes were amplified ; for mapping ssgr transcripts , a 393 nt probe covering the โ 320 /+ 72 region relative to the ssgr translational start codon , and for ssga a 233 nt probe covering the โ 192 /+ 41 region relative to the translational start codon of ssga . s . coelicolor strains were grown in 500 ml minimal medium ( smm ) supplemented with 1 % ( w / v ) glucose or mannitol , under vigorous shaking at 28 ยฐ c . cells were harvested at 30 minute intervals , washed twice and then resuspended in cold standard buffer ( 50 mm tris ph 7 . 4 ; 5 mm mgcl 2 , 40 mm nh 4 ac , 50 mm nacl , 1 mm dtt ). crude extracts were prepared by sonication at 50 w ( labsonic u ( braun ); five times for 30 seconds each time ) and subsequent removal of cell debris by centrifugation . glucose kinase activity in cell extracts was assayed using 50 ฮผg of total protein , in a reaction mixture containing 50 mm tris - cl ( ph 7 . 0 ), 20 mm glucose , 25 mm mgcl 2 , 0 . 5 mm nadp , 1 mm atp , and 0 . 7 u glucose - 6 - p dehydrogenase ( skarlatos and dahl , 1998 ). s . coelicolor strains were grown as described for the glucose kinase activity assay . proteins of cell extracts were separated by sds - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis on a 7 . 5 % polyacrylamide gel and transferred to a hybond - c super ( amersham ) by electroblotting . glk was detected with a rabbit polyclonal antiserum raised against glk ( his 6 ) of s . coelicolor . glk antibodies ( mahr et al ., 2000 ) were visualized using the ecl western blot analysis system ( amersham ). to analyze what the effect is of enhanced expression of ssga ( seq id no : 11 ) on growth rate and on product formation by actinomycetes , we used streptomyces coelicolor m145 , genetically the most well - characterized actinomycete , whose genome sequence was published recently ( bentley et al ., nature 417 : 141 ( 2002 )), and the related but industrially more relevant strain streptomyces lividans 1326 as initial test systems . s . coelicolor forms large clumps during fermentation , and grow slowly ( doubling time approximately three hours in defined media ). mainly due to these growth problems , s . coelicolor has never been used in industrial fermentations . the ssga gene was introduced in the wild - type strain m145 , which dramatically altered its morphology ( van wezel et al ., 2000c ). recent tests in 5l fermentations showed strong reduction of the adaptation ( lag ) phase , and doubling of specific growth rate on introduction of m145 + ssga . such an improvement of growth rate strongly reduces fermentation time , making the production process much more cost effective , as more fermentations can be run in the same time span . while the growth effects were very promising , we tested what effect this seemingly improved morphology had on the yield of secreted enzymes in small - scale fermentations . for this purpose , pij703 , a plasmid expressing the tyrosinase gene ( melc ) ( katz et al ., 1983 ) was introduced into s . lividans 1326 , a strain often used for the commercial production of enzymes that require streptomyces as the production host . excitingly , expression of ssga had a very positive effect on both growth rate and enzyme production ( fig1 ). specific growth rate of the enzyme - producing s . lividans during fermentation had approximately doubled . another important observation is the reduced so - called lag phase , or the time the culture requires entering exponential growth . precultures of s . lividans harboring pgws4 - sd entered exponential growth significantly earlier than the control strain . clearly , the smaller mycelial clumps of the ssga transformant were much better suited for the production of the secreted enzyme tyrosinase , as shown by the spectacular increase in tyrosinase activity of the ssga transformant (โ 1326 ssga โ in fig1 ). this strain reached a peak of 0 . 94 ( arbitrary units ) around 20 hours after start of the fermentation , while the control strain harboring the control plasmid pset 152 produced 0 . 55 arbitrary units after almost 35 hours . for the analysis of the effect of growth improvement on antibiotic production , we introduced pgws4 - sd into streptomyces roseosporus , producer of the glycopeptide antibiotic daptomycin . control transformants harbored pset152 . similarly to the experiments described above for s . coelicolor and s . lividans , growth behavior was altered , with enhanced fragmentation and therefore reduced pellet formation . an example of growth curves is shown in fig2 a . 40 ml samples were taken at regular intervals from both fermentations , and analyzed for antimicrobial activity using a standard antibiotic assay ( see materials and methods section ). as indicator strain we used streptomyces avermitilis . the size of the zone of clearing around the filter disc is a measure for the antibiotic concentration in the samples . also in the case of s . roseosporus the effect of enhanced ssga expression on growth rate was positive , although not as strong as in the case of s . coelicolor and s . lividans , probably because the latter two strains produce larger pellets than s . roseosporus . however , the effect of the introduction of pgws4 - sd on antibiotic production by this strain was spectacular . while early samples taken from exponentially growing cells contained little antibiotic , as was apparent from the small zones of clearing in fig2 b ( control strain , samples 1 - 3 ) and fig2 c ( s . roseosporus expressing ssga , samples 1 - 4 ), samples taken from stationary phase cultures ( fig2 b , samples 5 - 6 ; fig2 c , samples 5 - 8 ) showed a strong increase of the zones growth inhibition around the filter discs . excitingly , the much larger clearing zones around filter discs containing supernatants from pgws4 - sd transformants as compared to when supernatants from control pset152 transformants were applied to the discs , clearly show that enhanced expression of ssga has a very positive effect on the antibiotic production of s . roseosporus . in summary , the experiments described above convincingly show that ssga has a strongly positive effect on enzyme production and on antibiotic production of several actinomycetes . an ssgr insertional knock - out mutant of s . griseus was shown to have a whi ( non - sporulating ) phenotype ( jiang and kendrick , 2000 ). however , since this mutant was created by insertion of a resistance cassette , this effectively blocks transcription from the ssgr promoter into ssga . to rule out this possibility , and especially to study the role of ssgr in regulating ssga transcription in s . coelicolor , an in - frame - deletion mutant of s . coelicolor ssgr was created , as described in the materials and methods section . this effectively removed the approximately 300 bp ncoi - sphi section of ssgr , resulting in an in - frame deletion rendering ssgr effectively inactive ( fig4 a ). this mutant was designated gsr1 . gsr1 had a phenotype very similar to that of the ssga mutant gsa3 , forming aerial hyphae , but few spores , and only after prolonged incubation on sfm plates ( fig3 ). apparently , the ssgra gene cluster has a very similar role in s . coelicolor and s . griseus . to analyze the growth - phase - dependent transcription of ssgr , nuclease s1 mapping experiments were performed on rna isolated from solid cultures of s . coelicolor m145 . rna was isolated at 12 to 24 - hour intervals during five days , so as to provide representative samples to analyze development - dependent transcription . a 393 bp dna fragment encompassing the โ 320 /+ 72 region relative to the translational start site of ssgr , was amplified by pcr , with the relevant 20 - mer oligonucleotides , and used as probe . two transcripts were observed with a length of approximately 210 and 72 nt . the 5 โฒ ends of these transcripts correspond to nt positions โ 135 and + 1 , relative to the translational start site of ssgr , respectively . thus , the latter transcript lacks a leader sequence . transcription is developmentally regulated , and is strongly enhanced after approximately 64 hours , corresponding to the onset of sporulation . since ssgr and ssga are transcriptionally linked ( van wezel et al ., 2000c ), and both are essential for correct sporulation , a functional relationship between the two genes was investigated . ssgr encodes a member of the family of iclr - type regulators , including several repressors and activators . to analyze the possible dependence of ssga transcription on ssgr , nuclease s1 mapping experiments were performed on rna isolated from solid cultures of s . coelicolor m145 , and its congenic ssgr in - frame deletion mutant gsr1 . a 233 bp dna fragment encompassing the โ 192 /+ 41 region relative to the ssga translational start site was amplified by pcr , with oligonucleotides t7 - af ( 32 p - labeled at its 5 โฒ end ) and t7 - ar ( fig4 b ), and used as probe in the mapping experiments . rna was isolated at 12 to 24 - hour intervals for five days , so as to provide representative samples to analyze development - dependent transcription . in wild - type s . coelicolor , two transcripts were observed of approximately 115 nt and 100 nt ( bands a1 and a2 in fig6 , respectively ). promoter probe data indicated that ssga is transcribed from the ssgr promoter as well as from its own promoter . however , it is unclear if both bands a1 and a2 represent de novo transcription . if so , the promoter sequences overlap . the abundance of both ssga transcripts increased , reaching a maximum after approximately 80 hours , corresponding to sporulation . interestingly , ssgr transcripts reached a maximum already after 64 hours ( using the same rna samples ), corresponding to the onset of sporulation . this is in accordance with our complementation data , and suggests that ssgr activates transcription of ssga . to test this hypothesis , transcription of ssga in the ssgr mutant was analyzed . excitingly , no ssga transcripts could be detected in the ssgr mutant ( fig6 , right panel ). therefore , we conclude that ssgr is a likely transcriptional activator of ssga . expression of ssga ( seq id no : 11 ) restores sporulation to an ssgr mutant if the non - sporulating phenotype of the ssgr mutant is solely due to the absence of ssga transcripts , it follows that expression of ssga ( seq id no : 11 ) in such a mutant would counteract the mutation . therefore , two constructs were introduced into gsr1 , one with ssga preceded by its own ( ssgr - activated ) regulatory sequences , and one with ssga positioned behind the ssgr - independent and constitutive erme promoter . in a control experiment , we also introduced ssgr expression constructs in the ssga mutant . in this case , no effect was expected . in another control experiment , it was tested if the ssgr and ssga mutants could be complemented by wild - type copies of ssgr and ssga , respectively . the results are shown in fig3 . expectedly , the ssga and ssgr mutants could be complemented by the introduction of wild - type ssga ( using plasmid pgws4 ; van wezel et al ., 2000c ) and ssgr ( using plasmid pgwr1 , see materials and methods section ), respectively . this underlines that the non - sporulating phenotype of the ssgr and ssga mutants is solely due to the absence in these mutants of ssgr or ssga , respectively . as shown in fig3 , the data clearly show that expression of ssgr has no effect on the development of the ssga mutant . interestingly , expression of ssga using the ssgr - independent erme promoter fully restored development , while introduction of multiple copies of ssga behind its own promoter did not complement the ssgr mutant ( fig3 , gsr3 and gsr4 , respectively ). again , this strongly suggests that ssgr activates ssga transcription . apparently , positioning of an ssgr - independent promoter in front of ssga relieves its dependence on an active copy of ssgr . this allows altering the regulation of ssga expression , offering possibilities for growth improvement of streptomyces . dna sequences required for , and mode of , ssgr binding to the ssga promoter region interestingly , a clone harboring 233 bp upstream of the translational start codon of ssga showed no detectable promoter activity , even though s1 nuclease mapping experiments revealed two transcription starts in this region ( see previous section ). the clone was sequenced , and shown to contain the published dna sequence . this is apparently confirmed by promoter - probe experiments using a clone with a larger upstream region ( fragment 2 in fig1 a ), which did stimulate red production . the possibility that the dna sequence added to fragment 1 to give fragment 2 ( fig1 a ) one or more promoters , was ruled out by nuclease s1 mapping experiments , which failed to reveal a transcriptional start site inside the ssgr gene ( not shown ). it is most likely that the dna sequence between nt positions โ 600 /โ 50 , relative to the ssga translational start site , contains all the necessary elements for activation of ssga transcription by ssgr . members of the superfamily of ic 1 r - like regulators bind as homodimers to two well - separated imperfect inverted repeats , so that in total four proteins must bind for activity ( see , for example , zhang et al ., 2002 ). these inverted repeats are separated by at least 100 bp , and on binding , the spacer dna is folded away . it is likely that the region around the stop codon of the ssgr gene constitutes the downstream one of these two elements ; it is highly conserved among s . coelicolor and s . griseus ( fig4 c ), and harbors an a - rich stretch similar to that found for other ic 1 r - type binding sites . activity of ic 1 r - like regulators is lost on binding of a substrate . while this substrate is not yet known , we anticipate that this may be a high - energy metabolic intermediate such as acetyl - coa , phosphoenolpyruvate ( pep ) or citrate , which signal a nutrient - rich state . alteration of the substrate - binding domain should allow the use of unique and non - metabolizable inducers , for improved control of growth and morphology of streptomyces in liquid - grown cultures . ssgr has a similar effect on morphology and fragmentation of liquid - grown cultures of s . coelicolor as ssga ( seq id no : 11 ) since we here show that ssgr transactivates ssga , it is logical that overexpression of ssgr stimulates ssga , and thus fragmentation of the mycelium . indeed , introduction of low - and high - copy number vectors into s . coelicolor m145 results in similar fragmentation as observed for ssga overexpression , with increased fragmentation and reduced branching , with a stronger effect when multi - copy constructs were used ( not shown ). summarizing the regulatory role of ssgr , it is a key regulator of ssga expression , and provides a very useful tool to fine tune or modulate the expression pattern of ssga , and hence control mycelial morphology of streptomycetes and other actinomycetes in submerged culture , and especially in industrial fermentations . ssga ( seq id no : 11 ) belongs to a family of developmentally active proteins the recently completed genome sequences of s . avermitilis and s . coelicolor revealed six and seven genes with relevant homology to ssga , respectively ( bentley et al ., 2002 ; ikeda et al ., 2003 ). the genes encode relatively small ( 130 - 140 aa ) proteins , which share between 30 - 50 % amino acid identity ( keijser et al ., 2003 ; van wezel et al ., 2000c ). the herein described and used ssg proteins have been renamed to bring their names into conformity with keijser et al . ( ssge ( seq id no : 14 ) and ssgg ( seq id no : 10 )). proteins with relevant similarity to ssga ( seq id no : 11 ) are designated salps ( s sg a - like p roteins ). homologues of s . coelicolor ssga ( sco3926 ), ssgb ( sco1541 ), ssgd ( sco7622 ), and ssge ( sco3158 ), are found on the s . avermitilis genome ( sav3926 , 6810 , 1687 , and 3605 , respectively ), with high conservation in these otherwise distantly related species : the ssgb gene products differ in only one amino acid residue . the highest conservation is found in two sections of the proteins , corresponding to amino acid residues 13 - 30 and 40 - 65 of ssga ( seq id no : 11 ). in total 20 amino acid residues ( about 15 % of the protein ) are fully conserved among all 19 salp proteins identified so far . however , there are no sequences in these proteins that resemble known functional motifs . the amino acid sequences of the salp - family proteins from s . coelicolor were retrieved from the entrez protein databases at ncbi ( world wide web 3 ( www3 ). ncbi . nlm . nih . gov / entrez / index . htlm ). the multalin program ( corpet , 1988 ) was used to create a multiple alignment of these sequences . the output file was loaded into the software boxshade ( world wide web ( www ). ch . embnet . org / software / box form . html . the resulting alignment of the s . coelicolor salps is shown in fig7 , with identical and similar amino acids shaded black and grey , respectively . short amino acid stretches showing high homology among all orthologues were selected and used to search the swiss - prot and trembl databases with the scanprosite program for matching protein sequences ( gattiker et al ., 2002 ). the identity of the hits with these searches determined whether the signature sequence had to be adjusted . the sequence was made more specific when too many hits were obtained , while one or more degenerations were allowed in case not all known ssga - like amino acid sequences were detected by the search pattern . the process was reiterated until enough specificity was achieved . eventually , the following signatures for ssga - like proteins were distilled : where [ iv ] represents i or v in a particular position , x represents any amino acid , and x ( n ) means a number ( n ) of ambiguous amino acids . signatures a ( seq id no : 1 ) and c ( seq id no : 3 ) exclusively recognized all ssga - like sequences , while signature b ( seq id no : 2 ) ( a shorter and therefore less limiting version of signature c ( seq id no : 3 )) also detected a few other protein sequences , including putative morpho - proteins . to establish if any of the ssga - like genes constitutes a functional homologue of ssga , phjl401 - derived low - copy number vectors ( 10 copies per chromosome ) harboring the respective genes ssgb - g ( see materials and methods section ) were introduced in the ssga mutant . none of these constructs restored full development ( particularly sporulation ) to the ssga mutant , illustrating that increasing the copy number and expression level of these genes does not fully compensate for the absence of ssga ( seq id no : 11 ). since in this particular experiment the ssga - like genes are expressed from their own promoters , we also used hybrid constructs in which the ssga - like genes were regulated in the same way as the ssgra operon . tn this way , effects due to differences in timing of gene expression or in the highly heterologous n - terminal sections of the proteins , were ruled out . the constructs are described in the materials and methods section , and represented schematically in fig9 a . surprisingly , despite the low degree of homology ( less than 40 % aa identity for the predicted gene products ), introduction of multiple copies of the ssgrc hybrid gene restored sporulation to the ssga mutant , producing plenty viable spores . therefore , ssgc ( seq id no : 15 ) is most likely a functional homologue of ssga ( seq id no : 11 ). no visible complementation of the ssga mutant was observed when any of the other genes ssgb , ssgd , ssge , ssgf , or ssgg ( the latter not shown ) were introduced , suggesting these morphogenes are not functionally related to ssga . to further study the role of ssgb in the development of s . coelicolor m145 , the corresponding gene was disrupted . the gene organization around ssgb is shown in fig8 a . ssgb was replaced by the apramycin resistance cassette aacc4 , using suicide vector pgwb2 ( see materials and methods section ). the knock - out strategy resulted in replacement of the complete coding sequence of ssgb by the apramycin cassette in a created bamhi site . integrity of the resulting ssgb mutants ( designated gsb1 ) was confirmed by southern hybridization ( not shown ). the ssgb disruption mutants were arrested in the aerial growth phase , failing to produce spores ( fig1 ). phase contrast microscopy revealed long , undifferentiated aerial hyphae and confirmed the absence of spores ( not shown ). thus , ssgb is a so - called whi ( sporulation ) gene . introduction of ssgb into gsb1 on the low - copy number vector phjl401 restored sporulation ( confirmed by phase - contrast microscopy ). surprisingly , gsb1 colonies were significantly larger than those of the parental m145 . in e . coli , such large colonies are induced by the mlc ( making large colonies ) phenotype , most likely due to pleiotropic and favorable effects on glucose uptake and / or glycolytic activity . we propose that ssgb directly or indirectly acts as a repressor of an mlc system in streptomyces . the larger colonies reflect enhanced growth rates . much to our surprise , gsb1 transformants produced increased levels of actinorhodin . thus , deletion of ssgb results in pleiotropic effects on morphology and antibiotic production . the morphology of surface - grown colonies of s . coelicolor gsb1 and its parental strain m145 were analyzed by cryo scanning electron microscopy . while m145 produced long and regular spore chains , gsb1 formed very smooth and non - coiling aerial hyphae , failing to sporulate ( fig1 ). the mutants appear to be blocked in an early stage of aerial growth , although the morphology of whi mutants does not necessarily correspond to a frozen developmental stage . few irregularly shaped , branched spore chains could be identified . in these pseudo - sporulating hyphae , septum distance varied greatly , as transpired from study of the mutant by transmission electron microscopy ( not shown ). to test the effect of enhanced expression of ssgb on the morphology of s . coelicolor , this strain was transformed with a multi - copy plasmid containing the ssgb gene and 500 bp of upstream sequence , containing the putative ssgb promoter . these transformants produced significantly smaller pellets ( fig1 ). furthermore , fragmentation was enhanced by ssgb , although not as severe as that observed for ssga . considering the effect of ssgb ( seq id no : 9 ) on the morphology of liquid - grown mycelium , and the significantly enlarged colonies formed by the ssgb deletion mutant , it is clear that ssgb plays a role in determining mycelial morphology . effect of in creased expression of other ssga - like genes on the morphology of s . coelicolor to analyze possible effects of ssgc , ssgd , ssge , ssgf , and ssgg on mycelial morphology in liquid culture , phjl401 - and pwhm3 - derived constructs harboring these genes and their promoters ( see m & amp ; m section ) were introduced into s . coelicolor , and the resulting transformants were subsequently cultivated in yeme or in tsbs medium . the mycelial morphology was checked by phase - contrast microscopy . while no noticeable effect was observed for increased expression of ssge and ssgg , exciting morphological effects were observed in transformants over - expressing ssgc , ssgd or ssgf . introduction of pwhm3 / ssgc in s . coelicolor resulted in a phenotype reminiscent of the same strain harboring ssga , only with a far less pronounced effect ; it resulted in more open mycelial structures , and a slight degree of fragmentation . unexpectedly , introduction of pwmh3 / ssgd results in extremely small colonies which can hardly grow , and phjl401 / ssgd transformants form strongly condensed mycelial clumps . close analysis of these clumps suggested a strong degree of branching , probably as the result of over - expression of ssgd . interestingly , overexpression of the vegetatively expressed ssgd has an almost opposite effect as overexpression of the developmentally regulated genes ssga , ssgb , and ssgc , which have different effects on growth and morphology , but all result in open and / or fragmented mycelial structures , with reduced branching . finally , overexpression of ssgf using pwhm3 / ssgf completely blocked sporulation of s . coelicolor . furthermore , antibiotic production was strongly enhanced , an effect observed in both solid - and liquid - grown cultures . no significant changes in mycelial morphology of liquid - grown cultures were observed . the exciting observation that overexpression of salp - family proteins has diverse and very different effects on the morphology and on antibiotic production of streptomyces in submerged culture as well as on plates , suggests that together , these four genes can be exploited to finely control the morphology and antibiotic production of streptomycetes and other actinomycetes . this discovery is expected to have great impact on the control of industrial fermentations . the observations for the function and expression of salps are summarized in table 3 . the experiments described above show that transcription of ssgr is initiated at a time point corresponding temporally to the onset of sporulation in solid cultures , and thus approximately to the phase that marks the transition from exponential to stationary phase in submerged cultures . this is immediately followed by the onset of ssga transcription , as the result of its activation by ssgr . to analyze the timing of transcription of the ssga - like genes ssgb - g , their respective promoter regions were cloned into pij2587 , thereby using the production of the red - pigmented antibiotic undecylprodigiosin as a visible marker . the exact nature of the dna inserts of pij2587 are shown in table 2 , and experimental details are given in the materials and methods section . the results are shown in fig1 . additional experiments were performed where each of the promoters was tested throughout the life cycle , by streaking transformants every morning and evening for a period of seven days . in this way , the onset of promoter activity could be accurately determined ( data not illustrated ). timing of the expression of most ssga - like genes was developmentally controlled , and additional experiments showed that ssga , ssgb , ssgc , ssge , and ssgf were expressed during aerial growth and sporulation ( table 3 ). surprisingly , the ssgd promoter region already stimulated red production very early during growth , even before colonies were visible , showing that it is expressed during early vegetative growth , and possibly as early as spore germination . this experiment again shows that ssgd is very different from the other salps , in terms of the timing of its expression as well as its effect on streptomyces morphology . the insert harboring the upstream region of the ssgg gene hardly stimulated red production , and if a promoter is located on this dna sequence , it was too weak to establish its timing . as described above , the dna fragment harboring the ssga promoter fails to stimulate red production due to the lack of the complete ssgr target sequence . the data presented here are summarized in table 3 and fig1 . to analyze the transcriptional regulation of the members of the family of ssga - like morphogenes , the ability of the ssgra operon promoters , and of the promoters of the individual genes ssgb - ssgg , to transcribe redd in the presence of mannitol or glucose as carbon sources was tested . the plasmids were introduced into s . coelicolor m512 , and the resulting transformants assayed for red production . as described above , on the complex medium r2ye , all transformants produced significant amounts of red , except the control strain m512 / pij2587 , which remained colorless . the ssgd promoter strongly stimulated red production during early vegetative growth , as soon as colonies were visible . in contrast , transcription from the promoters of all ssga - like genes , except that of the vegetative ssgd promoter , showed differentiation - dependent expression , with a maximum when aerial mycelium was produced . this shows that these morphogenes are developmentally regulated . to analyze the relationship between feed and morphogenes , the influence of ccr on promoter activity of the various promoters was tested . surprisingly , promoters of all ssga - like genes , except that of the vegetatively expressed ssgd , were repressed specifically by glucose . for this , transformants of m512 harboring the relevant promoter - probe constructs ( see table 2 ) were grown on mm plates containing either 1 % glucose or 1 % mannitol as carbon source . as typical examples we show the effect of glucose on the ssgra promoter regions ( various fragments shown in fig1 a ; plate shown in fig1 b ), and on the ssgc and ssgd promoters ( pij2587 - ssgcp or pij2587 - ssgdp , fig1 ). while the vegetative ssgdp invariably stimulated red production , independent of the carbon source , glucose had a strong repressive effect on the activity of the developmental ssgr , ssga , and ssgc promoters , as shown in fig1 and 16 , respectively . this strongly suggests that the genes are under ccr . introduction of the same promoter - probe vectors into a glucose kinase mutant derivative of m512 , designated m512 ฮดglka , revealed that glucose had no repressive effect on the promoters in this strain ( fig1 ). this proves that glucose repression of these promoters occurs in a ccr - dependent manner . in biotechnological fermentations , it is of course profitable to use cheap carbon sources , such as molasses and other less well - defined sugar extracts . however , we noticed a severe dependence of antibiotic production on the carbon source used . to assess the nature of these effects , we streaked s . coelicolor m145 ( wild - type ) and seven congenic mutant derivatives of this strain on nmmp plates with various carbon sources . we analyzed mutants of the act biosynthesis pathway ( m511 , to study red production ), of the red biosynthesis pathway ( m510 , m550 ; to study act production ), of the pleiotropic regulatory gene afsr ( disturbed in regulation of the red and act pathways ) and an afsr suppressor , of the maltose repressor gene malr , and of the glka mutant j1915 . the latter is a control to establish if the effects can be related to glucose repression , which is absent in this mutant . the results are shown in fig1 . while galactose , xylose , and sucrose failed to stimulate antibiotic production in many of the strains used except the act - and red - overproducing afsrsup , arabinose and rhamnose strongly stimulated pigment production in all strains used . for example , the redd mutant ( m510 ) produces no visible antibiotics on most of the carbon sources used , but large amounts of act on arabinose and on rhamnose . interestingly , the sugars have different effects on different strains : while pigment production is stimulated in some strains , it is repressed in others . unexpectedly , ccr has no direct effect on antibiotic production : while strains grown on glucose generally show reduced levels of antibiotic production , glucose has the same effect on the wild - type ( m145 ) as on its congenic glka mutant ( j1915 ), which lacks glucose repression . also , we observed no difference in antibiotic production by strains grown on arabinose alone or on a combination of glucose and arabinose . surprisingly , arabinose and rhamnose strongly stimulated antibiotic production in all strains , while production is very low on sugars such as sucrose and xylose . therefore , it is clear that the effect of carbon utilization should be carefully checked for each individual mutant and antibiotic . arabinose and rhamnose are metabolized via the pentose phosphate pathway . affecting this route has a stimulatory effect on carbon fluxes feeding secondary metabolism . this is a very important observation , as glucose is a major constituent of large - scale fermentations , and repression of ssgra , ssgb , and ssgc would have a dramatic influence on mycelial morphology , resulting in enhanced branching and reduced fragmentation , and therefore โ undesirably โ in large mycelial clumps . these negative effects are counteracted by using non - repressing carbon sources , although these are typically pure and therefore more expensive , or by the enhanced expression of ssga , ssgb , ssgc , and / or ssgr ( van wezel et al ., 2000 bcd ). glucose kinase is expressed constitutively in submerged cultures , independent of the carbon source used ( mahr et al ., 2000 ). this is logical , since glucose kinase is known to be involved in ccr exerted by glucose , but also by carbohydrates that do not require the presence of a catalytically active glucose kinase . furthermore , glucose kinase activity was similar in stationary phase cultures of s . coelicolor a3 ( 2 ) m145 wild - type cells grown in liquid minimal medium under repressing and non - repressing conditions , using glucose , fructose , glycerol , or mannitol as the sole carbon source , respectively . to assess the growth - phase dependence of glucose kinase activity , s . coelicolor m145 was grown in the phosphate - rich minimal medium nmmp , with casaminoacids ( cas ) and glucose or mannitol as the carbon source . western analysis showed that glucose kinase was produced constitutively in both cultures ( fig2 ). surprisingly , two minor bands appeared , migrating slightly faster than the main glk band . these bands were particularly strong during mid - and late exponential growth in the presence of glucose ( 17 to 24 hours ), but not in the mannitol - grown cultures . to assess the relationship between the appearance of these bands and glk activity , protein extracts prepared from the same growth curves were analyzed using a glucose kinase activity assay . in obvious conflict with the significant amount of glk present in the protein extracts , hardly any activity was observed in the mannitol - grown cultures during exponential growth , but increased when stationary phase was reached . even more surprisingly , we observed a sharp rise in glk activity ( up to approximately 500 nmol / min . mg ) during mid - exponential phase in the glucose - grown cultures ( fig1 ), coinciding with the appearance of the two faster migrating protein bands after approximately 17 hours . on transition to stationary phase , activity dropped to a significantly lower level , comparable to that of mannitol - grown cultures . s . coelicolor has a second gene encoding a protein with glucose kinase activity , designated glkii ( genbank accession number sco6260 ), which is inactive in normal cells , and whose expression can be induced at high frequency in glka mutants grown for a prolonged period in the presence of glucose ( angell et al ., 1994 ). however , the protein is significantly larger than glk ( 355 instead of 318 residues ), and can therefore not correspond to the faster migrating bands . several more proteins with similarity to glk occur in s . coelicolor , but their homology to glk ( far less than 40 % amino acid identity ) is most likely too low for cross - reactivity of the antibodies . glucose kinase is probably activated by post - translational modification ( van wezel , unpublished results ). extensive studies of morphological characteristics of actinomycetes under different culture conditions showed that in non - buffered submerged cultures , fragmentation strongly increased towards stationary phase . this surprising observation prompted analysis of ph effects on morphology of actinomycetes . for this purpose , the actinomycetes saccharopolyspora erythraea , streptomyces coelicolor , streptomyces clavuligerus , and streptomyces lividans were grown in 100 ml ts cultures buffered with 100 mm mops at ph 4 . 5 , 5 . 0 , 5 . 5 , 6 . 0 , 7 . 0 or 8 . 0 . interestingly , all actinomycetes analyzed showed reduced pellet formation and reduced branching as soon as ph dropped to between 5 . 5 and 6 . 0 . the effect was even more pronounced when transformants harboring ssga - expression plasmid pgws4 - sd were analyzed . a typical example of such an experiment is shown in fig2 , showing s . coelicolor with pgws4 - sd after 30 hours of growth in buffered ts medium . while strong fragmentation typical of ssga overexpression was observed at a ph 5 . 5 or lower , larger mycelial structures were formed in cultures buffered at ph of 6 . 0 and higher , with a gradual increase of mycelium size on increasing ph . apparently , an important physiological change is effected by alteration of ph , which can be exploited to increase or reduce fragmentation of liquid - grown actinomyces mycelium , depending on what is desirable at a certain stage of the production process . this is a very important new observation , which allows the control of mycelial morphology as well as the fine tuning of ssga - ( seq id no : 11 -) induced fragmentation by fluctuation of the ph . ideally , precultures should contain fragmented mycelium , with average mycelium size 10 - 50 ฮผm . in that way , the preculture contains a maximal number of growth nuclei , which show optimal transfer of nutrients and oxygen due to the small mycelium size , which strongly reduces the start - up ( lag ) phase ( see also fig1 ). in our 5l fermentation experiments ( such as shown in fig1 and 2 ) this lag phase varied between four hours ( fragmented preculture ) and 12 hours ( large pellets in preculture ). however , in the production phase , typically after completion of the exponential growth phase , larger mycelial structures are required , with an optimal average pellet size between 80 - 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49 . butler , m . j ., deutscher , j ., postma , p . w ., wilson , t . j ., galinier , a ., and bibb , m . j . 1999 . analysis of a ptsh homologue from streptomyces coelicolor a3 ( 2 ). fems microbiol . lett . 177 : 279 - 288 . chater , k . f . 1993 . genetics of differentiation in streptomyces . annu . rev . microbiol . 47 : 685 - 713 . chater , k . f . 1998 . taking a genetic scalpel to the streptomyces colony . microbiology 144 : 1465 - 1478 . corpet f . multiple sequence alignment with hierarchical clustering . 1988 . nucleic acids res . 16 : 10881 - 10890 . floriano , b ., and bibb , m . j . 1996 . afsr is a pleiotropic but conditionally required regulatory gene for antibiotic production in streptomyces coelicolor a3 ( 2 ). mol . microbiol . 21 : 385 - 396 . gattiker a ., gasteiger e ., and bairoch a . 2002 . scanprosite : a reference implementation of a prosite scanning tool . applied bioinformatics 1 : 107 - 108 . hindle , z ., and smith , c . p . 1994 . substrate induction and catabolite repression of the streptomyces coelicolor glycerol operon are mediated through the gylr protein . mol . microbiol . 12 : 737 - 745 . ikeda , h ., ishikawa , j . hanamoto , a ., shinose , m ., kikuchi , h ., shiba , t ., sakaki , y ., hattori , m ., omura , s . 2003 . complete genome sequence and comparative analysis of the industrial microorganism streptomyces avermitilis . nature biotechnol . 14 : 14 . janssen , g . r . and bibb , m . j . 1993 . derivatives of puc18 that have bglii sites flanking a modified multiple cloning site and that retain the ability to identify recombinant clones by visual screening of escherichia coli colonies . gene 124 : 133 - 134 . jiang , h ., and kendrick , k . e . 2000 . characterization of ssfr and ssga , two genes involved in sporulation of streptomyces griseus . j . bacteriol . 182 : 5521 - 5529 . katz , e ., thompson , c . j ., and hopwood , d . a . 1983 . cloning and expression of the tyrosinase gene from streptomyces antibioticus in streptomyces lividans . j . gen . microbiol . 129 : 2703 - 2714 . kawamoto , s ., watanabe , h ., hesketh , a ., ensign , j . c ., and ochi , k . 1997 . expression of the ssga gene product , associated with sporulation and cell division in streptomyces griseus . microbiology 143 : 1077 - 1086 . keijser , b . j ., noens , e . e ., kraal , b ., koerten , h . k ., van wezel , g . p . 2003 . the streptomyces coelicolor ssgb gene is required for early stages of sporulation . fems microbiol lett . 225 : 59 - 67 . kelemen , g . h ., plaskitt , k . a ., lewis , c . g ., findlay , k . c ., and buttner , m . j . 1995 . deletion of dna lying closes to the glka locus induces ectopic sporulation in streptomyces coelicolor a3 ( 2 ). mol . microbiol . 17 : 221 - 230 . kieser , t ., bibb , m . j ., buttner , m . j ., chater , k . f ., and hopwood , d . a . 2000 . practical streptomyces genetics . norwich , u . k . : john linnes foundation . kwakman , j . h . j . m ., and postma , p . w . 1994 . glucose kinase has a regulatory role in carbon catabolite control in streptomyces coelicolor . j . bacteriol . 176 : 2694 - 2698 . larson , j . l ., and herschberger , c . l . 1986 . the minimal replicon of a streptomycete plasmid produces an ultrahigh level of plasmid dna . plasmid 15 : 199 - 209 . lerch , k . and ettinger , l . 1972 . purification and characterization of a tyrosinase from streptomyces glaucescens . eur . j . biochem . 31 : 427 - 37 . mahr , k ., van wezel , g . p ., svensson , c ., krengel , u ., bibb , m . j ., and titgemeyer , f . 2000 . glucose kinase of streptomyces coelicolor a3 ( 2 ): large - scale purification and biochemical analysis . antonie van leeuwenhoek 78 : 253 - 261 . martin , s . m ., and bushell , m . b . 1996 . effect of hyphal micromorphology on bioreactor performance of antibiotic - producing saccharopolyspora erythraea cultures . microbiology 142 : 1783 - 1788 . messing , j ., crea , r ., and seeburg , p . h . 1981 . a system for shotgun dna sequencing . nucleic acids res . 9 : 309 - 321 . parche , s ., schmid , r ., and titgemeyer , f . 1999 . the phosphotransferase system ( pts ) of streptomyces coelicolor : identification and biochemical analysis of a histidine phosphocarrier protein hpr encoded by the gene ptsh . eur . j . biochem . 265 : 308 - 317 . sambrook j ., fritsch e . f ., and maniatis t . 1989 . molecular cloning : a laboratory manual . in : 2nd ed . cold spring harbor laboratory press , cold spring harbor , n . y . skarlatos , p . and dahl , m . k . 1998 . the glucose kinase of bacillus subtilis . j . bacteriol . 180 : 3222 - 3226 . van wezel , g . p ., white , j ., young , p ., postma , p . w ., and bibb , m . j . 1997 . substrate induction and glucose repression of maltose utilization by streptomyces coelicolor a3 ( 2 ) is controlled by malr , a member of the lacl - galr family of regulatory genes . mol . microbiol . 23 : 537 - 549 . van wezel , g . p ., white , j ., hoogvliet , g ., and bibb , m . j . 2000a . application of redd , the transcriptional activator gene of the undecylprodigiosin biosynthetic pathway , as a reporter for transcriptional activity in streptomyces coelicolor a3 ( 2 ) and streptomyces lividans . journal of mol . microbiol . biotechnol . 2 : 551 - 556 . van wezel , g . p ., van der meulen , j ., taal , b ., koerten , h . k ., and kraal , b . 2000b . effects of increased and deregulated expression of cell division genes on the morphology and on antibiotic production of streptomycetes . antonie van leeuwenhoek 78 : 269 - 276 . van wezel , g . p ., van der meulen , j . kawamoto , s ., luiten , r . g . m ., koerten , h . k ., and kraal , b . 2000c . ssga is essential for sporulation of streptomyces coelicolor a3 ( 2 ) and affects hyphal development by stimulating septum formation . j . bacteriol . 182 : 5653 - 5662 . van wezel , g . p ., luiten , r . m ., and kraal , b . 2000d . reducing branching and enhancing fragmentation in antibiotic - producing actinomycetes . world and european patent application , ep0974657 . vara , j ., lewandowska - skarbek , m ., wang , y - g , donadio , s . and hutchinson , c . r . 1989 . cloning of genes governing the deoxysugar portion of the erythromycin biosynthesis pathway in saccharopolyspora erythraea ( streptomyces erythreus ). j . bacteriol . 171 : 5872 - 5881 . white , j ., and bibb , m . j . 1997 . blda dependence of undecylprodigiosin production in streptomyces coelicolor a3 ( 2 ) involves a pathway - specific regulatory cascade . j . bacteriol . 179 : 627 - 633 . zhang , r . g ., kim , y ., skarina , t ., beasley , s ., laskowski , r ., arrowsmith , c ., edwards , a ., joachimiak , a ., and sacvchenko , a . 2002 . crystal structure of thermotoga maritima 0065 , a member of the iclr transcription factor family . j . biol . chem . 277 : 19183 - 19190 . | 2Chemistry; Metallurgy
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for the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention , reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same . it will nevertheless be understood that no limitations of the inventive scope is thereby intended , as the scope of this invention should be evaluated with reference to the claims appended hereto . alterations and further modifications in the illustrated devices , and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein are contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates . one form the present invention provides a humidifier coupling the reformer exhaust and the incoming cathode air . as shown in fig1 , inlet air enters a system at humidifier 1 where water is transferred from the uncondensed portion of the water in the effluent from the condenser 2 to the gas fed to the cathode side of a pem fuel cell 3 . inlet air from humidifier 1 is then fed to the cathode side 3 of a pem fuel cell where it reacts with hydrogen fed to the anode side to produce water and electricity . the exhaust gas from the cathode side 3 of the pem fuel cell is then fed to the combustion system of the steam reforming system 4 . the effluent from the combustion system of the steam reforming system 4 is then condensed in condenser 2 , and any residual water vapor in the effluent gas is fed to humidifier 1 where it is transferred to inlet air entering the system , as described above . while not meant to be limiting , an alternate routing using the same components is shown in fig6 . while the arrangement shown in fig6 is less preferred , it should still be considered as contemplated by the present invention . another form of the present invention is shown in fig2 . this embodiment is similar to that shown in fig1 , but in this embodiment , a second humidifier 5 is interposed to transfer water vapor from the effluent gas leaving the fuel cell 3 to the gas fed to the fuel cell cathode 3 . as with the embodiment shown in fig1 , a second humidifier 5 also couples the reformer exhaust and the incoming cathode air . as shown in fig2 , inlet air enters a system at humidifier 1 where water is transferred from the uncondensed portion of the water in the effluent from the condenser 2 to the gas entering the second humidifier 5 . the humidified inlet air then flows into a second humidifier interposed to transfer water vapor from the effluent gas leaving the fuel cell cathode 3 to the gas fed to the fuel cell 3 . inlet air leaving humidifier 5 is then fed to the cathode side of a pem fuel cell cathode 3 where it reacts with hydrogen fed to the anode side to produce water and electricity . the exhaust gas leaving the fuel cell cathode 3 then flows into the second humidifier as described previously . the exhaust gas is then fed into the combustion system of the steam reforming system 4 . the effluent from the combustion system of the steam reforming system 4 is then condensed in condenser 2 , and any residual water vapor in the effluent gas is fed to humidifier 1 where it is transferred to inlet air entering the system , as described above . yet another form the present invention is shown in fig3 . this embodiment is also similar to that shown in fig1 , however greater detail is shown to illustrate one possible arrangement of bypass valves , a startup up combustor , and the main combustor and steam reformer . as shown in fig3 , inlet air enters a system at humidifier 1 where water is transferred from the uncondensed portion of the water in the effluent from the condenser 2 to the gas fed to the cathode side 3 of a pem fuel cell . during start up operations , air is fed through bypass valve 20 to blower 21 , and into start up combustor 22 . this heated effluent is then directed through the main combustor 30 to heat up the main combustor 30 in preparation for normal operations , through the main steam reformer 32 and then through the recuperator 31 , to condenser 2 , where water is collected in water tanks 6 , and any residual water vapor in the effluent gas is fed to humidifier 1 where a portion is transferred to inlet air entering the system , as in the description of fig1 and 2 . as shown in fig3 , the main combustor 30 , main steam reformer 32 , and recuperator 31 form the steam reforming system 4 of fig1 and 2 . during normal ( after startup ) operations , bypass valve 20 and 40 are closed , directing inlet air from humidifier 1 to the cathode side of pem fuel cell 3 where it reacts with hydrogen fed to the anode side 7 to produce water and electricity . air then flows through check valve 50 , through recuperator 31 , combustor 30 , reformer 32 and again through recuperator 31 before entering condenser 2 . check valve 50 closes during the period in which startup blower 21 is operating without main fuel processor blower 41 , preventing backflow of hot gas from recuperator 31 to main fuel processor blower 41 . check valve 20 is in between the connection of the exhaust gas from the cathode side 3 of the pem fuel cell to the main combustion system 30 to prevent backflow from the combustion system 30 , potentially damaging blower 21 . check valve 60 is in between the connection of the exhaust gas from the cathode side 3 of the pem fuel cell and the inlet to the condenser 2 to prevent pressurization of the exhaust gas from the cathode side 3 of the pem fuel cell . check valve 60 opens in the event that a blower in the fuel cell ( not shown ) is moving more gas than the main fuel processor blower 41 . check valve 40 connects the outlet of the humidifier 1 to an outlet of the cathode side 3 of the pem fuel cell , allowing a flow of gas containing oxygen to bypass the inlet to the cathode side 3 of the pem fuel cell . check valve 40 opens in the event that the main fuel processor blower 41 moves more gas than the fuel cell blower ( not shown ) provides . as shown in fig4 , water loss from the system is a function of condenser temperature . it is assumed that the humidification unit achieves a 5 ยฐ c . dewpoint approach on the humid end of the humidification unit . in this case , a unit which achieved water balance at 48 ยฐ c . is now able to achieve water balance at just over 70 ยฐ c . due to the effect of the humidification unit , as shown in the preferred embodiments of the present invention . this benefit could either be realized by increasing the maximum temperature at which water balance is achieved or could be used to reduce radiator size , noise and parasitic power . by raising the coolant temperature from 45 ยฐ c . to ห 70 ยฐ c . the outlet temperature approach on the radiator is increased from ห 5 ยฐ c . to ห 30 ยฐ c . which greatly increases the ability of the radiators to reject the heat . this in turn makes a water balance at elevated temperatures achievable . in some applications it may be desired to utilize a fuel processor based on auto - thermal reforming ( atr ) rather than steam reforming . in an atr fuel processor , fuel , steam and air are mixed and reacted to form reformate . heat to support the reforming reaction is provided by partial combustion of the fuel . because these systems must add air to the reforming reaction , they tend to operate at lower pressure and deliver unpurified reformate directly to the fuel cell anode . in order to prevent co poisoning of the anode , co must be reduced to low levels which is typically achieved using a water gas shift ( wgs ) and preferential oxidation ( prox ) reaction . together the systems that provide these reactions constitute an atr fuel processor . an example application of the present invention in a fuel cell power system using an atr fuel processor is illustrated in fig5 . oxygen containing gas ( typically air or enriched air ) enters the humidifier 1 where uncondensed water vapor is transported from the exhaust into the incoming gas stream . a portion of the humidified air is delivered to the atr fuel processor 8 where it is mixed with fuel and steam produced when water is fed from a water tank 6 to a vaporizer 9 . the fuel , air and steam react within the atr fuel processor 8 to form hydrogen - rich reformate which then enters the anode 7 of the pem fuel cell . the portion of the incoming oxygen containing gas not delivered to the atr fuel processor 8 is delivered to a fuel cell humidifier 5 , where water vapor is transferred into the stream . the gas then enters the fuel cell cathode 3 where the oxygen concentration is depleted due to the oxidation of hydrogen to form water . the cathode exhaust then passes back through the humidifier 5 where a portion of the water is transferred to the gas stream entering the fuel cell cathode 3 and then enters an oxidizer ( not shown ) where it is combined with the exhaust from the fuel cell anode 7 and reacted to fully oxidize the anode exhaust . the energy released during oxidation of the anode exhaust may be used with heat ( q ) from the auto - thermal fuel processor 8 in the vaporizer 9 to generate steam . alternatively , the energy from oxidation of the exhaust from the anode 7 may be used to drive a compressor - expander . in either case , the reaction of the anode exhaust and cathode exhaust streams forms water due to the oxidation of hydrogen , and that exhaust stream enters the condenser 2 where a fraction of the water is condensed and collected in the water tank 6 . the exhaust from the condenser 2 then enters the humidifier 1 where a portion of the uncondensed water is transferred into the incoming air . while the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description , the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character . only certain embodiments have been shown and described , and all changes , equivalents , and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention described herein are desired to be protected . any experiments , experimental examples , or experimental results provided herein are intended to be illustrative of the present invention and should not be considered limiting or restrictive with regard to the invention scope . further , any theory , mechanism of operation , proof , or finding stated herein is meant to further enhance understanding of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way to such theory , mechanism of operation , proof , or finding . thus , the specifics of this description and the attached drawings should not be interpreted to limit the scope of this invention to the specifics thereof . rather , the scope of this invention should be evaluated with reference to the claims appended hereto . in reading the claims it is intended that when words such as โ a โ, โ an โ, โ at least one โ, and โ at least a portion โ are used there is no intention to limit the claims to only one item unless specifically stated to the contrary in the claims . further , when the language โ at least a portion โ and / or โ a portion โ is used , the claims may include a portion and / or the entire items unless specifically stated to the contrary . likewise , where the term โ input โ or โ output โ is used in connection with an electric device or fluid processing unit , it should be understood to comprehend singular or plural and one or more signal channels or fluid lines as appropriate in the context . finally , all publications , patents , and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the extent not inconsistent with the present disclosure as if each were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference and set forth in its entirety herein . | 7Electricity
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described hereinafter are specific examples of the consitutions and advantages of the present invention . using the system in fig7 a treatment of an etchant of hydrofluoric acid was carried out under normal temperature . 0 . 5 % hydrofluoric acid was introduced into the reaction tank r1 ( 20 m 3 in capacity ) at a flow rate of 2t / h , to which granular calcium carbonate ( 0 . 05 to 0 . 15 in grain size ) was added at the rate of 25 kg / h for a reaction taking 100 hours of residence time . then powder calcium carbonate ( 2000 to 6000 cm 2 / g in specific area ) was added at a rate of 4 kg / h in the reaction tank r2 for a reaction taking 10 hours of residence time . a solution was introduced into a thickener to be separated into solid phase and liquid phase parts , and the solid phase part was transferred into the reaction tank r3 and treated therein by the counterflow method . that is , the 0 . 5 % hydrofluoric acid was supplied at a flow rate of 400 kg / h to the tank r3 , and was integrated into the reaction tank r1 after transforming unreacted calcium carbonate to calcium fluoride . concentration of fluorine contained in the drain discharged out of the thickener was found not higher than 15ppm . table 1 shows the result . capacity of the reaction tanks r1 and r2 were 20 m 3 . on the other hand , capacity of the reaction tank r3 was 2m 3 being reduced to 1 / 10 as compared with that of the tanks r1 and r2 . thus not less than 99 % of calcium fluoride was recovered by the counter flow method . using the system in fig8 a treatment of an etchant of hydrofluoric acid was carried out under normal temperature . granular calcium carbonate was added at the rate of 25 kg / h to the starting undiluted liquid tank r1 of 50m 3 into which 0 . 5 % hydrofluoric acid was introduced at an addition rate of 2t / h . the undiluted solution tank is provided with a stirring mechanism where a mixture in a state of solid and liquid phases was kept for the residence time of 24 hours , then introduced into the reaction tank r2 continuously in a state of slurry . fig1 shows an example of such stirring mechanism in the undiluted solution tank . powder calcium carbonate was added to the reaction tank r2 at an addition rate of 4 kg / h for a reaction . separation into solid and liquid phases was performed by the thickener , and the solid phase part was placed in the reaction tank r3 and treated by counterflow in the same manner as example 1 . that is , 0 . 5 % hydrofluoric acid was supplied at a flow rate of 400 kg / h to the tank r3 for the counterflow treatment , and was integrated into the reaction tank r1 after transforming unreacted calcium carbonate to calcium fluoride . table 1 shows the result . table 1______________________________________ r2 outundiluted fluorine r3 outtreatment concen - caco . sub . 3 composition ofsolution tration in solid recovered caf . sub . 2hf sio . sub . 2 in drain phase caf . sub . 2 caco . sub . 3 sio . sub . 2 (%) (%) ( ppm ) (%) (%) (%) (%) ______________________________________example 1 0 . 5 0 . 02 10 8 . 8 99 . 0 0 . 59 0 . 07example 2 0 . 5 0 . 2 11 8 . 5 99 . 1 0 . 60 0 . 60______________________________________ using the system in fig9 an etchant of hydrogen fluoride and ammonium fluoride ( 10000ppm in content of fluorine ) was introduced into the reaction tank r1 . first , an approximate equivalent of granular calcium carbonate was added at 70 ยฐ c . to be reacted for 10 hours , then an approximate equivalent of powder calcium carbonate was added to the residual fluorine for a reaction of 10 hours thereby removing not less than 99 % of fluorine from the etchant . separation into solid and liquid phases was performed , and the solid phase part was placed in the reaction tank r2 and reacted with an etchant of hf5 % hydrofluoric acid by counterflow to transform unreacted calcium carbonate to calcium fluoride . thus , not less than 99 % of calcium fluoride was recovered . table 2 shows the result . table 2__________________________________________________________________________undiluted r2 out r3 outtreatment fluorine caco . sub . 3 composition ofsolution concentration in solid recovered caf . sub . 2hf nh . sub . 4 f sio . sub . 2 in drain phase caf . sub . 2 caco . sub . 3 sio . sub . 2 (%) (%) (%) ( ppm ) (%) (%) (%) (%) __________________________________________________________________________example 3 1 . 70 15 . 35 0 . 04 11 2 . 5 99 . 2 0 . 55 0 . 08example 4 1 . 70 15 . 35 0 . 04 10 2 . 6 99 . 3 0 . 54 0 . 07__________________________________________________________________________ using the system in fig1 , an etchant of hydrogen fluoride and ammonium fluoride ( 10000ppm in content of fluorine ) was introduced into the reaction tank r1 . first , an approximate equivalent of granular calcium carbonate was added at 70 ยฐ c . to be reacted for 10 hours , then an approximate equivalent of powder calcium carbonate was added to the residual fluorine for a reaction of 10 hours thereby removing not less than 99 % of fluorine from the etchant . separation into solid and liquid phases was performed , and a fixed bed r2 was filled with the solid phase part , and treated with 5 % hydrofluoric acid by counterflow . that is , after transforming unreacted calcium carbonate to calcium fluoride by supplying and reacting with an etchant of hf5 % hydrofluoric acid by counterflow , the solution was integrated into the tank r1 . table 2 shows the result . the mentioned treatment can be applied in the same manner to the drain in which compoisition various etching assistants are blended with the etchant of hydrogen fluoride and ammonium fluoride . that is , the system shown in fig7 or 8 was used at normal temperature with respect to the drain of hydrogen fluoride alone while the system shown in fig9 or 10 was used at 70 ยฐ c . with respect to the drain of hydrogen fluoride and ammonium fluoride , for reactions with calcium carbonate separately performed in two stages . separation into solid and liquid phases was performed , and the liquid phase was discharged as drain , while solid phase was reacted with an etchant of hf5 % hydrofluoric acid by counterflow . thus , not less than 99 % of calcium fluoride was recovered . tables 3 and 4 show the result . table 3__________________________________________________________________________undiluted r2 out r3 outtreatment fluorine caco . sub . 3 composition ofsolution concentration in solid recovered caf . sub . 2hf sio . sub . 2 assistant in drain phase caf . sub . 2 caco . sub . 3 sio . sub . 2 (%) (%) (%) ( ppm ) (%) (%) (%) (%) __________________________________________________________________________1 0 . 5 0 . 02 h . sub . 2 o . sub . 3 10 8 . 4 99 . 2 0 . 56 0 . 06 10 . 02 1 . 70 15 . 35 hno . sub . 3 11 8 . 5 99 . 3 0 . 61 0 . 05 0 . 04__________________________________________________________________________ table 4__________________________________________________________________________ undiluted treatment r2 out r3 out solution fluorine caco . sub . 3 composition of assis - concentration in solid recovered caf . sub . 2 hf nh . sub . 4 f sio . sub . 2 tant in drain phase caf . sub . 2 caco . sub . 3 sio . sub . 2run (%) (%) (%) (%) ( ppm ) (%) (%) (%) (%) __________________________________________________________________________3 0 . 18 2 . 86 0 . 03 acetic 10 . 0 2 . 6 99 . 1 0 . 75 0 . 03 acid 2 . 54 1 . 70 15 . 35 0 . 03 surfac - 11 2 . 5 99 . 4 0 . 55 0 . 04 tant 200 ppm__________________________________________________________________________ it is to be noted that in every examples described above almost no silica was recovered in the calcium fluoride . 200 liters of solution composed of 15 . 35 % nh 4 f and hf1 . 70 % and 51 . 1 kgs of pure calcium carbonate component ( 200 cm 2 / g in specific area ) were introduced into a stirring type reaction tank of 250 liters in capacity . then , air was supplied at a rate of 50 liters / min keeping the solution temperature at 70 ยฐ c .. after 15 hours , ph of the treatment solution was 8 . 0 , and concentration of fluorine was 95 ppm . the same solution as the foregoing example 1 and calcium carbonate were introduced into a stirring type pressure proof reaction tank of 250 liters in capacity . then , pressure in the reaction tank was kept at a reduced pressure of 100 to 200 mmhg by means of an ejector keeping the solution temperature at 60 ยฐ c . after 15 hours , ph of the treatment solution was 7 . 0 , and concentration of fluorine was 13ppm . concentration of fluorine of the solution collected by the ejector was found not less than 1ppm . the same solution as the foregoing example 1 and calcium carbonate were introduced into the same reaction tank . then , a reaction took place by stirring alone without carrying out aeration and deaeration by reduced pressure keeping the solution temperature at 80 ยฐ c . after 15 hours , ph of the treatment solution was 9 . 0 and concentration of fluorine was 337ppm . | 2Chemistry; Metallurgy
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set forth below is a description of what is currently believed to be the preferred embodiment or best examples of the invention claimed . future and present alternatives and modifications to this preferred embodiment are contemplated . any alternatives or modifications which make insubstantial changes in function , in purpose , in structure or in result are intended to be covered by the claims in this patent . as can be seen in fig1 , in one embodiment of the present invention the assembly 10 comprises a bone fusion tube or rail 12 , at least one bracket 14 , at least one collet clamp 16 which has seated therein a ball collet 18 , the collet clamp 16 being attached to the bracket 14 , and a pin 20 inserted through the ball collet 18 . generally , the clamp system 10 is configured to connect the rail 12 to the pin 20 , which is connected to a bone for fixation and stabilization . the rails 12 may be any size or shape , and persons of skill in the art will recognize that different application require rails 12 of many differing sizes or shapes , all of which are contemplated herein . the rails 12 may , for example , have a circular , oblong , square , rectangular , or other - shaped cross section . typically , however , the rails 12 have a round or circular cross - section and are sized in a manner suitable for fixation of small bones , such as those of the foot or hand . most preferably , foot systems practicing the present invention can use a short rail of 2 . 25 to 2 . 75 inches in length , or a standard length rail of 3 . 75 to 4 . 75 inches in length . the rails 12 may be composed of many materials including , for example , carbon fiber or high density plastic , which allows the rod to be radiolucent . optionally , the rails 12 may have one or more recesses 22 or detents 24 which limit the axial sliding capability of brackets 14 mounted thereon . an example of unique ball collet features used in certain embodiments of the present invention is shown in fig2 a and 2 b . the ball collet 18 is made of aluminum or a similar crushable material , and includes an aperture 26 for receiving the bone pin 20 therethrough . those of skill in the art will appreciate that the aperture 26 may be of a preselected size ( e . g ., 3 mm , 4 mm , 5 mm or 6 mm ) to mate with a corresponding diameter pin 20 . the ball collet 18 further preferably includes a first pair of perforations 28 or cuts , and a second pair of perforations 30 or cuts . looking at the collet from the orientation of the aperture 26 as in fig2 a , the first pair of perforations 28 are directly above and below the aperture , while the second pair of perforations are to the left and right of the aperture . as can be seen from the side view of the collet in fig2 b , each set of perforations extends approximately 90 percent along the length of the collet , with each pair of perforations 28 , 30 extending from opposite sides of the collet 18 . in other words , at one of the aperture 26 , only the first pair of perforations 28 will extend from the aperture through to the periphery of the ball collet 18 , while at the other end of the aperture , only the second set of perforations will so extend . thus , since neither pair of perforations 28 , 30 extends along the entire length of the ball collet , the ball collet 18 can maintain its structural integrity . however , the presence of the perforations provides a โ crush zone โ such that the application of a compressive force ( as provided and explained below ) provides a friction fit between the ball collet 18 and the pin 20 . as shown in fig3 , the ball collet may be supported by a plastic sleeve 32 , although those of skill in the art will understand that the function of the plastic sleeve 32 may be provided by a recess or groove integrally molded within the collet clamp 16 itself in alternative preferred embodiments . an advantage of the plastic sleeve 32 , however , is that the structure of the collet clamp 16 and bracket 14 are essentially identical , thus allowing a modular , more simple manufacture and assembly . in those embodiments using the plastic sleeve 32 , that feature most preferably comprises a peek plastic sleeve which includes a slit 34 and ridges 36 , with the slit 34 allowing for easier placement of the ball collet 18 during assembly , and the ridges 36 retaining the ball collet 18 once inserted . the ball collet 18 , though still has the ability to rotate within the plastic sleeve 32 after placement and before being secured by a fastener ( explained in greater detail below ) such that the surgeon is afforded a high degree of rotation of the pin 20 and ball collet 18 within the sleeve 32 . as shown in fig4 , once the ball collet 18 is inserted in the plastic sleeve 32 , those components can be seated within the throughbore 39 of collet clamp 16 and mated with the bracket 14 . the collet clamp 16 has a collet clamp support aperture 40 ( fig5 ) extending through the flat bottom of that component . likewise , the bracket 14 ( which in a first preferred embodiment has the same structure as the collet clamp 16 ) has a bracket throughbore 41 ( which slidably engages the rail 12 ) and bracket support aperture 42 . thus , when the collet clamp support aperture 40 and the bracket support aperture 42 are aligned with one another as shown in fig4 , a single screw 44 can connect the bracket 14 to the collet clamp 16 , allowing the collet clamp 16 to rotate with the bracket 14 around the circumference of the rail 12 . in a variant of this preferred embodiment ( as shown in fig5 ) the bracket 14 and collet clamp 16 can further include support markings 46 or machined faces on the sides of the bracket 14 and collet clamp 16 , thus permitting the collet clamp 16 to be rotated relative to the bracket 14 around an axis defined by the collet clamp support aperture 40 and the bracket support aperture . in one preferred embodiment , only the bracket support aperture 42 is threaded to make threading the screw through the collet clamp 16 and the bracket 14 easier , although both the bracket 14 and the collet clamp 16 may be threaded in alternative embodiments to provide truly identical structures for modular manufacture and assembly . given the u shaped structures of the bracket 14 and the collet clamp 16 , tightening the screw 44 squeezes and provides a friction fit for the bracket 14 around the rail 12 , and prevents further movement of the bracket 14 along the length of the rail 12 . likewise , that same tightening action squeezes the bracket 14 and collet clamp 16 together , thus preventing further rotation of the two components relative to one another . further , the squeezing action also squeezes the u shaped the bracket clamp , which in turn squeezes the sleeve 32 and the ball collet 18 and prevents the further rotation of the ball collet . ultimately , the tightening action crimps or collapses the perforations 28 , 30 , which in turn fixes the pin 20 in the collet ball 18 . thus the tightening of a single screw 44 secures each of the different axes of rotation in the assembly 10 . the above description is not intended to limit the meaning of the words used in the following claims that define the invention . rather , it is contemplated that future modifications in structure , function or result will exist that are not substantial changes and that all such insubstantial changes in what is claimed are intended to be covered by the claims . for instance , certain embodiments of the present invention may not include structures for all of the axes of rotation provided in the most preferred embodiments . one alternative embodiment of the present invention could conceivably use a single fastener 44 without employing the collet ball 18 of the most preferred embodiments , or vice versa . likewise , it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes , additions , omissions , and modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention . all such modifications and changes are intended to be covered by the following claims . | 0Human Necessities
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in fig1 the facsimile transceiver 10 of the present invention comprises a transmitter having a document entrance section formed by a tray 12 , a scanner section 14 , and a document exit formed by a document - receiving tray 16 . positioned below the tray 16 is a facsimile receiver 18 for reproducing the contents of documents electronically transmitted to it from a remote transmitter . a number of controls 20 are located on the front of the transceiver on the right - hand side thereof ( as seen in fig1 ) for selecting the various modes of operation of the transceiver . the document tray 12 is shown in more detail in fig2 and comprises a generally rectangular - shaped tray having a number of smooth plastic sheets 22 , between which are interposed the documents 24 which are to be transmitted . each sheet 22 has spaced - apart rectangular slits 26 formed at a forward edge thereof for accommodating a pair of extractor wheels ( shown in more detail in fig5 ) which remove documents from the tray 12 . the sheets 22 are bound firmly to the tray at the rear edges thereof , and are not separable therefrom ; conversely , the documents 22 are removable from between the sheets 22 , as will subsequently be described in detail . as seen from the arrows in fig3 documents to be transmitted to a remote transceiver are transported from the tray 12 through the scanner section 14 into the exit section 16 . thus , the document flow is from right to left in fig3 . conversely , documents which are reproduced in the receiver 18 flow from the rear of the receiver to the front thereof as indicated by the phantom arrow in fig3 and as will be described subsequently in more detail in connection with fig7 . referring to fig5 and 6 , the document transport and scanner section of the transmitter includes a frame having side walls 30 and 32 , which support various portions of the section . as shown in fig6 the tray 12 is urged upwardly against a pair of extractor wheels 40 , 42 by means of an arm 44 having a roller 46 pressing against the bottom of the tray . the roller is urged against the tray by means of a spring 48 extending between an attachment 50 on the arm 44 and a pin 52 secured to the frame of the transmitter . the wheels 40 , 42 are positioned directly above , and extend down into , the slots 26 ( see fig2 ) of the tray 12 for extracting documents from the tray one at a time . these wheels are connected to a shaft 60 , journalled in side walls 30 and 32 , which is driven from a motor 62 . they rotate in a clockwise direction , as seen in fig6 to feed documents from the tray 12 over horizontal platform 68 toward the nip formed by a pair of roller belts 64 and 66 . the document - supporting platform 68 shown in fig5 a , and 5b is a sheet of metal having side edges 68a and 68b , a rear edge 68c , and a front edge 68d which includes two projecting arms 68e at the opposite ends thereof and a slot 68f at about its center . near the right end , as seen in fig5 a , the platform carries two contacts 162 and 164 to be described , and , secured to the lower surface , is a switch 142 having an operating arm 140 which extends through the slot 68f ( fig5 b ). for operation with the horizontal document - supporting apparatus including the horizontal platform 68 , this section ( fig5 - 7 ) of the transmitter includes an upper assembly 106 which can be moved into and out of operative relation with platform 68 and serves therewith to hold documents flat and move them along their path from tray 12 to the scanning position and then to the receiving tray . the assembly 106 includes side plates 110 and 112 , shafts 74 and 80 , rubber rollers 100 mounted on shaft 74 , rollers 70 and 72 on shaft 74 , rollers 76 and 78 on shaft 80 , and roller belts 64 and 66 which run over rollers 70 , 76 , and 72 , 78 , respectively . the vertical side plates 110 , 112 are rotatably mounted , spaced apart , on shaft 80 ( fig5 ) adjacent to side walls 30 and 32 and above platform 68 . thus , the assembly 106 is rotatable about shaft 80 . the plates 110 and 112 have a generally circular front end 110a and 112a , through which shaft 80 passes , and the lower portion of this circular front end is provided with a protruding and downwardly extending cam surface 110b and 112b which is disposed above platform 68 and in position to bear against arms 68e of platform 68 and to depress platform 68 when the side plates 110 and 112 and the entire assembly 106 is rotated . rotation of the assembly 106 upwardly is limited by a shaft 116 , which slides in slots 118 in side walls 30 and 32 of the transmitter frame . springs 120 , 122 ( fig5 ) extending between the shaft 116 and corresponding pins 124 , 126 on the outer surfaces of side walls 30 and 32 hold the shaft 116 in its lowermost position in the slots 118 , but allow movement of the shaft 116 upwardly in the slots by an operator to a point where they clear the plates 110 and 112 . this allows the assembly 106 and plates 110 and 112 to be swung upwardly about shaft 80 to provide access to the scanner section for inspection and maintenance . the platform 68 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 100 ( fig6 and 6a ) extending across the frame of the transmitter between walls 30 and 32 . one end of the platform is urged downwardly by a spring 102 extending between that end and a portion 101 of the frame in order to urge the other end against the belts 64 , 66 . thus , when thick documents are encountered between belts 64 , 66 and platform 68 , the platform can yield to accommodate them . the assembly 106 also includes a cross plate 102 which extends between the plates 110 and 112 and has its ends secured to these plates . the cross plate is positioned between shafts 74 and 80 and above platform 68 , and , at its leading edge , it carries a plurality of thin , flexible metal wiper plates 104 , the front edges of which rest on the platform 68 close to the nip between the roller belts 64 , 66 and platform 68 . one of the wiper plates 104 &# 39 ; also presses on contacts 160 , 162 so that , when a document is present between the wiper plates 104 and platform 68 , the contacts bear on the paper with suitable pressure to perform an editing operation which is described below . switch 142 may be mounted on the top surface of plate 102 , if desired , as shown in fig5 . the ends of shaft 74 enter enlarged holes 75 in plates 110 and 112 , and this arrangement permits shaft 74 to float and adjust to pressure on it due to documents of different sizes which appear between 68 and roller belts 64 and 66 . the shaft 74 is coupled to pins 90 , 92 on the plates 110 and 112 by means of springs 94 , 96 . the springs apply tension to the shaft 74 and thus to the belts 64 and 66 which extend between the floating shaft 74 and fixed shaft 80 . a plurality of rubber rollers 100 are disposed on shaft 74 , particularly at its ends , to bear on documents , particularly their edges , to prevent them from curling . shaft 80 is driven for rotation in a clockwise direction ( fig6 ) by a belt drive motor 82 ( fig4 ) through pullies 83 and 85 and belts 87 and 89 . the shaft 80 is coupled to the shaft 60 by means of a one - way clutch 130 and a driving belt 132 interconnecting the clutch and shaft 80 . when motor 62 is energized , motor 82 is de - energized and clutch 130 is engaged . thus , motor 62 drives shaft 60 directly , and also drives shaft 80 via clutch 130 and belt 132 . the connections are arranged so that the extractor wheels 40 , 42 move at a peripheral rate less than one - half that of the driving belts 64 , 66 to advance a document from the tray 12 into the scanner 14 . the principle is that the speed ratio is selected to achieve document separation as the documents are removed from tray 12 . a document feeds into the scanner section at this rate until it touches arm 140 of switch 142 which is tripped thereby . when this occurs , it de - energizes motor 62 and disengages clutch 130 to thus stop the initial feed - in ; the document is now at the position at which scanning can start . if this document is the first to be transmitted , the transmitter enters into the &# 34 ; handshake &# 34 ; mode with the remote receiver to indicate its availability for transmission and check on the receiver &# 39 ; s availability for reception . ( details of the &# 34 ; handshake &# 34 ; process may be obtained from the u . s . pat . no . 3 , 582 , 550 , issued june 1 , 1971 .) should the receiver not be available for reception at this time , the transmitter disengages itself from the phone line , and no transmission takes place . however , if both the transmitter and receiver are ready for operation , the transmitter control energizes the driving belt motor 82 ( fig4 ) and simultaneously starts the scanning process . scanning is accomplished by projecting a light beam 150 ( fig6 ) onto the document and moving it from side to side , line by line , while observing the intensity of the return beam . this is accomplished by means of an optical scanner described in detail in co - pending u . s . patent application ser . no . 558 , 415 , filed mar . 14 , 1975 , by r . w . rhyins et al . the disclosure of that application is to be considered as incorporated herein . positioned within the scanner section 14 are the contacts 160 , 162 which are located at the top surface of platform 68 so that they can make contact with the front face ( the face on which information is recorded ) of the documents being scanned . these contacts are connected into a control circuit and normally form an open circuit within the control circuit . however , on encountering an electrically conductive segment 24a ( see fig2 ) of sufficient length to span the distance between them ( preferably , this distance is very short ), the circuit between the contacts or leads 160 , 162 is closed to thereby create a control signal which energizes the motor 62 to cause document advance at the initial high speed rate . the document continues its advance through the scanner at this rate until the circuit between the contacts 160 , 162 is again broken during transmission of the same document , at which time the slow speed scanning rate is resumed . if the circuit between the contacts 160 , 162 is not broken prior to the time that the entire document has passed through the scanner , the high speed rate will continue until a new document is fed into position for scanning . positioned at the exit end of the scanner is a serrated roller 170 ( fig6 ) mounted for rotation with a shaft 172 which is driven from shaft 80 by means of pulleys 174 , 176 and a resilient line 178 . the roller 170 has a serrated surface in the shape of a sawtooth and rotates in a counterclockwise direction ( fig6 ). pivotally mounted above it are a pair of weighted idler rollers 180 , 182 . documents exiting from the belts 64 , 66 are guided by an auxiliary platform 184 into the nip between the rollers 170 and 182 . as the trailing edge of the documents comes into contact with the roller 170 , it is pressed down into a serration by the rollers 182 and is thereby given a thrust outwardly and downwardly by the rear tooth face sufficient to carry the leading edge of the document into the tray 16 . this insures that each document clears the scanner section before the next document comes along behind it . note that this arrangement does not require any rotating parts extending into the tray , and thus provides a compact and efficient design . turning now to fig7 portions of the receiver are shown in more detail . generally , the receiver feeds a continuous web 200 of paper from a roll 202 mounted in a cradle 204 to a writing station 206 over guides 208 , 210 and through a roller 212 . a spring steel , flexible pressure plate 213 bears against the roller 212 to provide a guide and control action on the web 200 , and preferably , an operating handle or the like , represented by dash line 215 , is coupled to this plate to permit the plate to be moved away from the roller 212 when the paper is initially fed between the roller and the plate on its way to the cutting station . preferably , the operating means 215 is accessible to an operator outside the receiver . a stylus 214 at the writing station is connected to traverse the paper web from side to side and is supplied with electrical signals to reproduce information transmitted to it from the remote transmitter . a paper cutter assembly 216 is provided and is positioned to serve the paper web at the writing station after a document has been reproduced . the severed paper is extracted from the writing station by means of extractor wheels 222 which extend downwardly through apertures in frame 224 to contact the reproduced document and feed in onto a platform 226 . a bale arm 228 moves downwardly in a slot 230 to pivot the platform about a pivot point 232 , simultaneously pressing the document against the platform and assisting in extracting it from the extractor wheels 222 . an arm 234 pivoted about a pivot point 236 and loaded by a spring 238 normally supports platform 226 in the elevated position , but allows the platform to move downwardly in response to the motion of the bale 228 . an arm 240 moves downwardly toward a contact 242 of a switch 244 whenever arm 243 rotates . as long as there are fewer than a predetermined number of documents on the platform 226 , the lower edge of the arm 240 fails to depress button 242 sufficiently to change the state of the switch 244 . when , however , a predetermined number of documents have been loaded onto the platform 226 , arm 240 is moved downwardly sufficiently far in response to the motion of arm 234 and bale 228 to operate switch 244 . switch 244 then provides a signal to indicate that the receiver has received the maximum number of documents that it can accommodate and it thereupon shuts down its operation , signalling the remote transmitter that it has done so . no further document will be received after this time . in an alternative arrangement , represented schematically in fig7 d , the rear edge of plate 234 is provided with two rearwardly projecting arms 390 and 396 mounted in operative relation , with the operating arm of a toggle switch suitably supported on the receiver frame . as the plate 234 pivots under the weight of documents , arm 390 operates an arm 400 of switch 406 to turn off the receiver , and then , when documents are removed , the plate 234 pivots in the opposite direction and arm 396 operates arm 400 of the switch to reset the switch and render the receiver operative again . the paper cutter assembly 216 ( fig7 a , 7b , 7c ) comprises a generally rectangular plate 360 having an arm 362 extending away from the plate at an angle at the lower right corner , as seen in fig7 c . the plate 360 has a generally rectangular vertical slot 364 . a pair of guide or bearing rings 219 are secured to the rear surface of plate 360 , by means of which the plate and cutter assembly are slidably mounted on shaft 220 . the shaft 220 is suitably secured between side walls of the receiver represented schematically by reference numerals 386 , 387 in fig7 a , and a spring 388 is mounted on shaft 220 between a ring 219 and side wall 386 . it is assumed that the cutter assembly moves to the right in fig7 a and 8 to compress spring 388 when it is cocked and prepared for a cutting operation . a second smaller l - shaped plate 366 , having horizontal arm 365 and vertical arm 367 , is pivotally coupled to the front surface of the rectangular plate 360 by means of pin 368 . the plate 366 carries a pin 370 on its rear surface which is disposed in the slot 364 as a guide slot . the vertical arm 367 of l - shaped plate 366 has a notch 369 , for a purpose to be described , and its lower end 371 is bent away from its front surface , as seen in fig7 c . arm 371 lies adjacent to and to the left of arm 362 , as seen in fig7 b . a cutting blade 372 oriented with the cutting surface vertical and facing to the left , as seen in fig7 and 7b , is secured to the l - shaped plate 366 , and the plate is pivotally biased , so that the blade is vertical and projects above the upper edge 361 of plate 360 , by means of a spring 374 on the rear surface of plate 360 . the spring has one arm engaging the pin 370 in the slot 364 and the other arm secured to the plate 360 by means of pin 376 . in its second position , shown in dash lines , the plate 366 is pivoted so that the blade 372 is beneath the top surface 361 of the rectangular plate 360 . an l - shaped bracket 378 provides a protective slot , into which the blade is held in the second position . as seen in fig8 the cutter assembly 216 is mounted so that the projecting arms 371 and 362 of plates 366 and 360 are oriented generally vertically and accessible to apparatus to be described . referring to fig7 - 8 , a drive chain 250 , mounted on sprockets 252 , ( one is shown ) carries a pin 254 which moves to the right as the sprocket 252 rotates in the clockwise direction , as shown in fig8 by the arrows . as the pin 254 moves , it engages notch 369 in plate 361 and pivots the cutter blade 216 downwardly so that it lies below top surface 361 of plate 360 . this action also drives the cutter assembly to the right to the cocked position , in which spring 388 is compressed and in which it is ready to cut the paper . pin 254 on chain 250 also operates a plate 270 positioned adjacent to chain 250 for slidable motion along slots 274 , 275 guided by pins 272 , 273 . a spring 276 connected between the plate 270 and pin 278 on the frame normally biases the plate 270 to its leftmost position , as shown in fig8 . however , during the cocking operation , the rearward extension 254a of the pin presses against a face 270a and moves the plate 270 to the right where it slides over an arm 280 of a switch 282 . this de - energizes the motor driving the sprockets , stops the chain , and the cutter head is held in cocked position . on completing reproduction of the next document , the system electronic logic causes the motor which drives sprockets 252 to be energized , and chain 250 moves , and pin 254 starts its downward descent around the sprocket . as it does so , it first becomes disengaged from the plate 366 , the plate rotates clockwise , and the blade 372 snaps up under the influence of spring 374 , into cutting position oriented vertically , as in fig7 a . the pin then disengages from arm 362 of plate 360 , and the cutter assembly can fly to the left and cut the paper . at this time , pin 254 also leaves plate 270 and releases the plate so that it can be pulled to the left and open switch 282 . thus , the motor which drives sprockets 252 is ready for the next cycle of operation . the receiver also includes a filter 380 which is in the form of a box which comprises a dust collector and air filter , and is disposed generally beneath the paper - cutting portion of the receiver . a suction apparatus 384 is disposed beneath the filter box and is adapted to draw air through the box . the filter box is removable through the front of the receiver portion for cleaning purposes or replacement . | 7Electricity
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objects , advantages , and features of the exemplary adjustable shear ledge and shroud for a material spreader described herein will be apparent to one skilled in the art from a consideration of this specification , including the attached drawings . referring now to the drawings , wherein like reference numerals designate identical or corresponding parts throughout the several views . it is noted that as used in the specification and the appending claims the singular forms โ a ,โ โ an ,โ and โ the โ can include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise . as shown in fig1 a - 1c , a material spreader 1 of the present disclosure may include a material holding container 10 , a hitch 20 , a power take - off 30 , a drive enclosure 40 , at least one auger ( not shown ), and a discharge device 50 . the container 10 of the material spreader 1 may include angled sidewalls 12 to allow materials stored in the container 10 , such as manure or fertilizer , to be conveyed downwards toward a bottom 14 of the container 10 . the discharge device 50 may be disposed on a side surface of one of the angled sidewalls 12 . additionally , the at least one auger may be housed near the bottom 14 of the container 10 , along a portion of one of the angled sidewalls 12 . referring to fig2 a and 2b , the discharge device 50 may include a discharge inlet 52 , a discharge outlet 54 , and a housing 56 . the discharge inlet 52 may include a discharge door 58 located between the discharge device 50 and the container 10 . the discharge door 58 may control the amount of material entering the discharge device 50 from the container 10 or may prevent any material from entering the discharge device 50 . using rotational power received from the power take - off device 30 , the drive enclosure 40 may then convert the power received from the power take - off 30 to an appropriate rotational speed in order to drive the at least one auger . during operation , the at least one auger may be rotatably actuated in order to convey materials located within the container 10 towards the discharge inlet 52 . the discharge device 50 may then convey the materials out of the housing 56 via the discharge outlet 54 laterally outward from the discharge device 50 , as will be described in further detail below . as shown in fig2 a and 2b , the discharge device 50 may include an adjustable shear ledge 60 and an adjustable shroud 70 . as shown in fig3 a and 3b , the discharge device 50 may include a drive shaft 80 and a plurality of material conveying components 82 which may be attached to the drive shaft 80 . the drive shaft 80 may be mounted to the housing 56 of the discharge device 50 , and the housing 56 may be attached to a side surface of one of the angled sidewalls 12 . each of the plurality of material conveying components 82 may include a front face 84 and a bottom surface 86 . the drive enclosure 40 may convert power received from the power take - off 30 to an appropriate rotational speed in order to drive the drive shaft 80 . during operation , the drive shaft 80 may be rotatably actuated and the plurality of material conveying components 82 are correspondingly rotated about a center of the drive shaft 80 in a counter - clockwise manner ( r ), as shown in fig3 a . in one embodiment , the center of the drive shaft 80 may be configured to move towards or away from the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 in order to adjust a gap distance between the plurality of material conveying components 82 and at least one of the adjustable shear ledge 60 and the adjustable shroud 70 . in one embodiment , as shown in fig4 , the adjustable shear ledge 60 of the discharge device 50 may include a shear top surface 62 . the adjustable shear ledge 60 may also include a shearing edge 64 . the adjustable shroud 70 of the discharge device 50 may be disposed adjacent to the adjustable shear ledge 60 . the adjustable shroud 70 may include a shroud top surface 72 . when the plurality of material conveying components 82 are rotated , a portion of the materials located near the discharge inlet 52 may be scooped up by the front surface 84 of one of the plurality of material conveying components 82 . subsequently , as the front surfaces 84 of the plurality of material conveying components 82 nears the adjustable shear ledge 60 , a portion of materials is separated and peeled from the remainder of the materials as other portions of the materials contact the shearing edge 64 located near the discharge inlet 52 . the portion of the materials may then be guided along the shear top surface 62 . after passing along the shear top surface 62 of the adjustable shear ledge 60 , the portion of the materials may then be guided along a shroud top surface 72 and then slung underhand laterally out the side of the discharge outlet 54 . in one embodiment , as shown in fig5 , the adjustable shear ledge 60 may include a plurality of reinforcing tabs 66 . the plurality of reinforcing tabs 66 may be disposed on an underside of the adjustable shear ledge 60 , opposite of the shear top surface 62 , in order to provide structural strength to the adjustable shear ledge 60 . each of the plurality of reinforcing tabs 66 may also include a mounting hole 68 disposed on an end opposite of the shearing edge 64 . the adjustable shear ledge 60 may also include a plurality of mounting brackets 63 having mounting members 65 disposed thereon . the mounting members 65 may be in the form of a longitudinal slot or a longitudinal rail . the plurality of mounting brackets 63 may be provided on opposite lateral ends of the adjustable shear ledge 60 . the mounting members 65 of the mounting brackets 63 may be parallel with a rear surface 67 of the shearing edge 64 . in one embodiment , each of the plurality of mounting brackets 63 includes at least two mounting members 65 . in one embodiment , the shearing edge 64 moves along a plane that passes substantially through a center of the shaft 80 . the adjustable shroud 70 may include a plurality of longitudinal ribs 74 and a plurality of lateral ribs 76 on a side opposite of the shroud top surface 72 in order to provide structural rigidity to the adjustable shroud 70 . one end of the longitudinal ribs 74 may include a through hole 78 . the adjustable shroud 70 may include a plurality of external mounting plates 71 disposed on each lateral end of the adjustable shroud 70 . a shroud mounting hole 73 may also be provided on each of the external mounting plates 71 . in one embodiment , the adjustable shear ledge 60 and adjustable shroud 70 may be assembled adjacent to each other . the adjustable shear ledge 60 may be pivotably connected to the adjustable shroud 70 . a fastener or bearing ( not shown ) may be provided to couple the mounting hole 68 of the adjustable shear ledge 60 to the through hole 78 of the adjustable shroud 70 . in operation , the adjustable shroud 70 may pivot relative to the adjustable shear ledge 60 . in one embodiment , the fastener or bearing securing the adjustable shear ledge 60 to the adjustable shroud 70 may be designed to fail , when a predetermined load is applied to the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 , in order to provide overload protection for the other components of the discharge device 50 . for example , overload protection may be required when an unusually large object attempts to pass through the discharge device 50 and would otherwise become stuck or cause damage to critical , expensive , or hard to replace components of the discharge device . as shown in fig6 - 8 , the adjustable shear ledge 60 and the adjustable shroud 70 may be mounted to the bottom 14 of the container 10 . the adjustable shear ledge 60 may be a self - contained structure , or the adjustable shear ledge 60 may be integral with the container 10 . in one embodiment , outer mounting beams 16 may be positioned on opposite sides of the shaft 80 as shown in fig6 and 7 . the outer mounting beams 16 may be attached to inner mounting beams 18 positioned below the bottom 14 of the container 10 . a first outer mounting beam 16 a may be disposed closer towards a front end of the material spreader 1 . as shown in fig6 and 7 , the first outer mounting beam 16 a may be formed to correspond to a portion of the drive enclosure 40 so as to fit around a side 40 a and a bottom portion 40 b of the drive enclosure 40 . a second outer mounting beam 16 b may be disposed closer towards a rear end of the material spreader 1 . the outer mounting beams 16 may each include a shroud adjusting port 15 . the outer mounting beams 16 may each include at least one first shear adjustment port 17 , or at least one shear adjusting track ( not shown ). each first shear adjustment port 17 may be attached by a bolt or other fastener to at least one of a plurality of second adjustment ports 19 , or one of a plurality of second shear adjusting tracks ( not shown ), formed in the inner mounting beams 18 . in one embodiment , the mounting members 65 may be provided on the mounting beams 16 , 18 , and corresponding adjustment ports , or adjustment tracks , may be provided on the mounting brackets 63 . in one embodiment , as shown in fig7 and 8 , each of the mounting brackets 63 of the adjustable shear ledge 60 may be attached to a respective inner mounting beam 18 , and a respective one of the first outer mounting beam 16 a and the second outer mounting beam 16 b . by lining up the mounting members 65 with the first shear adjustment ports 17 and the second shear adjustment ports 19 , a bolt and / or another fastener system may be used to secure the adjustable shear ledge 60 to the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ). in one embodiment , as shown in fig9 a , the fastener system may include , on one side , at least one bolt 102 and at least one washer 104 secured to least one nut 106 on an opposite side of the a respective mounting beam ( 16 a , 16 b , or 18 ) to lock the adjustable shear ledge 60 in a desired position . in one embodiment , the at least one bolt 102 may be designed to fail , when a predetermined load is applied to the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 , to provide overload protection for the other components of the discharge device 50 . in one embodiment , the at least one bolt 102 , the at least one washer 104 , and the at least one nut 106 may be forcibly slid along the slots or rails provided by the mounting members 65 , while being secured to one of the first shear adjustment ports 17 and / or one of the second shear adjustment ports 19 , when a predetermined load is applied to the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 , to provide overload protection for the other components of the discharge device 50 . in one embodiment , the adjustable shear ledge 60 may be provided with a guide system , and the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ) may be provided with a corresponding follower system to follow the guide system . in one embodiment , the adjustable shear ledge 60 may be provided with a follower system and the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ) may be provided with a guide system . the guide system and the follower system may enable the adjustable shear ledge 60 to be repositioned relative to the plurality of material conveying components 82 by way of repositioning the adjustable shear ledge 60 on the mounting beams ( 16 a , 18 ). in one embodiment , the guide system may be in the form of a track , groove , rail , etc ., and the corresponding follower system may be in the form of a peg , wheel , ball joint , etc . for example , the peg of the follower system may follow along a track of the guide system . in one embodiment , fasteners may be used to set and hold a current location of the follower system relative to the guide system . in one embodiment , a set screw or a bolt and nut combination may be used to secure and lock the follower system at a particular location on the guide system to lock a position of the adjustable shear ledge 60 in place . in one embodiment a shock absorption system may be disposed between the adjustable shear ledge 60 and the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ) in order to provide overload protection for the adjustable shear ledge 60 . in one embodiment , a shock absorption system may be interposed between the guide system and the follower system . the shock absorption system may include a spring - loaded mount or an elastomeric mount . in one embodiment , the shock absorption system may enable the adjustable shear ledge 60 to move relative to the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ) and away from the plurality of material conveying components 82 . in one embodiment , the shock absorption system may provide overload protection by enabling large objects or obstructions to pass through the discharge device 50 by temporarily increasing an operating clearance between the plurality of material conveying components 82 and the adjustable shear ledge 60 , and / or between the plurality of material conveying components 82 and the adjustable shroud 70 . once the large object or obstruction has passed , the shock absorption system may return the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 back to a normal or previously set location and operating clearance . the overload protection may thereby prevent damage to the discharge device and reduces operating down time . in one embodiment , adjustments to the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 may be performed manually by an operator loosening / tightening bolts and / or fasteners and then shifting a current position of the adjustable shear ledge 60 to a new position . in one embodiment , adjustments to the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 may be implemented using a hydraulic system or a mechanical linkage . in one embodiment , a shroud mounting port 15 may be formed in each of the outer mounting beams 16 as shown in fig8 . with the shroud mounting port 15 , respective mounting plates 71 may be attached to each of the outer mounting beams 16 . specifically , by lining up each shroud mounting hole 73 with a portion of a respective shroud adjusting port 15 , a bolt and / or other fastener may be used to secure the adjustable shroud 70 to a respective outer mounting beam ( 16 a , 16 b ). in one embodiment , as shown in fig8 a , and 9b , an opening of the shroud adjusting port 15 may be sized larger than an opening of the mounting hole 73 . in this configuration , the mounting hole 73 can be moved vertically and / or horizontally into an infinite number of positions , with respect to the shroud adjusting port 15 , while still remaining within a boundary of the opening of the shroud adjusting port 15 . a bolt and / or other fastener together with a washer or a movable installation plate may be used to secure the adjustable shroud 70 to the outer mounting beams 16 . in one embodiment , as shown in fig9 a , a bolt 91 , a washer 92 , an eccentric plate 93 , and a nut 94 may be provided to secure the external mounting plates 71 to the outer mounting beams 16 . the eccentric plate 93 may be provided to prevent the bolt 91 from passing through the opening of the adjusting port 15 while enabling the bolt 91 to be secured to the nut 94 in a plurality of positions . in one embodiment , a bracket 95 and a set screw adjustment 96 which may include an eyebolt , may be provided to assist in aligning the adjustable shroud 70 . by adjusting the location of where the adjustable shroud 70 is secured with respect to the outer mounting beams 16 , a gap distance between the shroud top surface 72 and the plurality of material conveying components 82 may be adjusted to achieve a desired gap distance and to promote concentricity . in one embodiment , the bolt 91 may be designed to fail when a predetermined load is applied to provide overload protection for the other components of the discharge device 50 . in one embodiment , the bolt 91 , the washer 92 , the eccentric plate 93 , and the nut 94 may be forcibly repositioned with respect to the opening of the adjusting port 15 , while being secured to one of the shroud mounting holes 73 , when a predetermined load is applied to provide overload protection for the other components of the discharge device 50 . in one embodiment , the external mounting plates 71 of the adjustable shroud 70 may be provided with a guide system , and the outer mounting beams 16 may be provided with a corresponding follower system to follow the guide system . the guide system may be in the form of a track , groove , rail , etc . in one embodiment , the external mounting plates 71 of the adjustable shroud 70 may be provided with a follower system , and the outer mounting beams 16 may be provided with a corresponding guide system to guide the follower system . the guide system and the follower system may enable the adjustable shroud 70 to be repositioned relative to the plurality of material conveying components 82 by way of repositioning the adjustable shroud 70 on the outer mounting beams 16 . in one embodiment , the guide system may be in the form of a track , groove , rail , etc ., and the corresponding follower system may be in the form of a peg , wheel , ball joint , etc . for example , the peg of the follower system may follow along a track of the guide system . in one embodiment , fasteners may be used to set and hold a current location of the follower system relative to the guide system . in one embodiment , fasteners may be used to set and hold a current location of the follower system with respect to the guide system . in one embodiment , a set screw or a bolt and nut combination may be used to secure the follower system at a particular location on the guide system to lock a position of the adjustable shear shroud 70 in place . in one embodiment a shock absorption system may be disposed between the adjustable shroud 70 and the outer mounting beams 16 in order to provide overload protection for the adjustable shroud 70 . in one embodiment , a shock absorption system may be interposed between the guide system and the follower system . the shock absorption system may include a spring - loaded mount or an elastomeric mount . in one embodiment , the shock absorption system may enable the adjustable shroud 70 to move relative to the outer mounting beams and away from the plurality of material conveying components 82 . in one embodiment , the shock absorption system may provide overload protection by enabling large objects or obstructions to pass through the discharge device 50 by temporarily increasing an operating clearance between the plurality of material conveying components 82 and the adjustable shear ledge 60 , and / or between the plurality of material conveying components 82 and the adjustable shroud 70 . once the large object or obstruction has passed , the shock absorption system may return the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 back to a normal or previously set location and operating clearance . the overload protection may thereby prevent damage to the discharge device and reduces operating down time . in one embodiment , both the adjustable shear ledge 60 and the adjustable shroud 70 may both be moved with respect to the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ) to achieve a desired gap distance and promote concentricity with the plurality of material conveying components 82 . additionally , while the adjustable shear ledge 60 and adjustable shroud 70 are being moved , the adjustable shroud 70 may also be pivoted with respect to the adjustable shear ledge 60 , thus enabling the entire shroud top surface 72 to be brought closer towards the plurality of material conveying components 82 to promote concentricity . in one embodiment as shown in fig9 a and 9b , a hydraulic system 110 may be provided to adjust a position of the adjustable shear ledge 60 and the adjustable shroud 70 . the hydraulic system 110 may include a first hydraulic actuator 111 secured at a first end 112 to the bottom of the container 14 or to the housing 56 of the discharge device 50 . the hydraulic actuator 111 may be secured at a second end 113 to a bracket 114 of the adjustable shear ledge 60 . in one embodiment , the hydraulic actuator 111 may be installed parallel with or substantially parallel with the bottom of the container 14 to laterally adjust a position of the adjustable shear ledge 60 , or both the adjustable shear ledge 60 and the adjustable shroud 70 . in one embodiment , the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 may be repositioned laterally away from a center of the container 10 as the hydraulic actuator 111 is extended , or towards the center of the container 10 as the hydraulic actuator 111 is retracted . the hydraulic system 110 may include a second hydraulic actuator 115 with a first end 116 secured to the bracket 114 of the adjustable shear ledge 60 . the second hydraulic actuator 115 may include a second end 117 secured to a bracket 119 of the adjustable shroud 70 . in one embodiment , the second hydraulic actuator 115 may extend at an angle , downward from the first hydraulic actuator 111 , in order to rotatably adjust the adjustable shroud 70 with respect to the adjustable shear ledge 60 . in one embodiment , the adjustable shroud 70 may be rotated upward towards the plurality of material conveying components 82 as the second hydraulic actuator 115 is extended , or rotated downward away from the plurality of material conveying components 82 as the second hydraulic actuator 115 is retracted . in one embodiment , the first hydraulic actuator 111 and / or the second hydraulic actuator 115 may be adjusted to extend or retract on demand in response to a predetermined load applied to the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or adjustable shroud 70 to provide overload protection for the other components of the discharge device 50 . in one embodiment , the adjustable shear ledge 60 may be provided with a guide system , and the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ) may be provided with a corresponding follower system to follow the guide system , or vice versa . the guide system and the follower system , together with the hydraulic system , may be used to adjust a position of the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 relative to the plurality of material conveying components 82 by way of repositioning the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 on the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ). the first hydraulic actuator 111 may be used to set and hold a position of the adjustable shear ledge 60 relative to the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ). the guide system and the follower system , together with the hydraulic system 110 , may be used to adjust a position of the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 relative to the plurality of material conveying components 82 by way of repositioning the adjustable shroud 70 and / or the adjustable shear ledge 60 on the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ). the second hydraulic actuator 115 may be used to set and hold a position of the adjustable shroud 70 and / or the adjustable shear ledge 60 on the mounting beams ( 16 , 18 ). in one embodiment , a shock absorption system may be installed in series or in parallel with the first hydraulic actuator 111 and / or the second hydraulic actuator 115 . the shock absorption system may provide overload protection by enabling large objects or obstructions to pass through the discharge device 50 by temporarily increasing an operating clearance between the plurality of material conveying components 82 and the adjustable shear ledge 60 , and / or between the plurality of material conveying components 82 and the adjustable shroud 70 . once the large object or obstruction has passed , the shock absorption system may return the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 back to a normal or previously set location and operating clearance . in one embodiment , the shock absorption system may be spring loaded device . in one embodiment , the shock absorption system is actuated when a predetermined force is applied on the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 . in one embodiment , when the shock absorption system is actuated , a distance between the first end 112 and the second end 113 of the first hydraulic actuator 111 may be extended or shortened as needed to allow the obstruction to pass . in one embodiment , when the shock absorption system is actuated , a distance between the first end 116 and the second end 117 of the second hydraulic actuator 115 may be extended or shortened as needed to allow the obstruction to pass . in one embodiment , as shown in fig1 a and 10b , at least one hydraulic system 120 may be provided to adjust a mounting position of the drive shaft 80 with respect to the housing 56 . the at least one hydraulic system 120 may be used with one of the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 , or may be used with a fixed position shear ledge and / or fixed position shroud . the drive shaft 80 may support the plurality of material conveying components 82 and the adjustment of the mounting position may correspondingly adjust a position of the plurality of material conveying components 82 with respect to an installed shear ledge and shroud to improve a swing path of the plurality of material conveying components 82 . in one embodiment , the hydraulic system 120 may be provided on either side of the housing 56 to support at least both ends of the drive shaft 80 . the hydraulic system 120 may include a support column 121 that is rotatable and secured to a pivot 122 which may be attached to the housing 56 . the hydraulic system 120 may include a collar mechanism 123 that may be slidably supported on the support column 121 . in one embodiment , a first hydraulic actuator 124 may be provided to adjust an axial position of the collar mechanism 123 along a length of the support column 121 . a bearing support member 130 may be attached to the collar mechanism 123 to secure the drive shaft 80 to the housing 56 . the first hydraulic actuator 124 may be attached at a first end 125 to the pivot 122 and at a second end 126 to the collar mechanism 123 . in one embodiment , the drive shaft 80 may be adjusted towards the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 as the first hydraulic actuator 124 is extended , or adjusted away from the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 as the first hydraulic actuator 124 is retracted . in one embodiment , the collar mechanism 123 may include a plurality of circular rings sized to receive the support column 121 along their respective inner circumference . a beam member may be provided to connect the plurality of circular rings to one another . the circular rings may include mounts for attaching the bearing support member 130 thereto . in one embodiment , a second hydraulic actuator 127 may be provided to adjust an angle a of the support column 121 with respect to the pivot 122 . the second hydraulic actuator 127 may be attached at a first end 128 to an end of the support column 121 , opposite from the pivot 122 . the second hydraulic actuator 127 may be attached to a second end 129 that is secured to a side of the housing 56 or the container 10 . in one embodiment , the drive shaft 80 may be swung laterally away from a center of the container 10 as the second hydraulic actuator 127 is extended , or swung toward a center of the container 10 as the second hydraulic actuator 127 is retracted . in one embodiment , the first hydraulic actuator 124 and / or the second hydraulic actuator 127 may be adjusted to extend or retract on demand in response to a predetermined load applied to the adjustable shear ledge 60 , adjustable shroud 70 , and / or the plurality of material conveying components 82 to provide overload protection for the other components of the discharge device 50 . in one embodiment , a shock absorption system may be installed in series or in parallel with the first hydraulic actuator 124 and / or the second hydraulic actuator 127 to provide overload protection by enabling large objects or obstructions to pass through the discharge device 50 by temporarily adjusting a position of the drive shaft 80 . once the large object or obstruction has passed , the shock absorption system may return the drive shaft 80 back to a normal or previously set position . in one embodiment , the shock absorption system may be a spring loaded device . in one embodiment , the shock absorption system is actuated when a predetermined lateral force is applied to the drive shaft 80 . in one embodiment , adjustments may be made by an operator based on visual inspection of the discharge device 50 . as shown in fig3 b , a sensor 90 to measure a gap distance and / or to measure torque of the material conveying components 82 may be provided to give a reading of the measurement to the operator , whereby the operator can adjust the gap distance between the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 with the plurality of material conveying components 82 to a desired gap distance . in one embodiment , the sensor 90 may be provided to measure a gap distance between the plurality of material conveying components 82 and the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 to determine whether the gap distance is in an appropriate operating range , and to automatically adjust the gap distance using the hydraulic system 120 [ ljw1 ] . in one embodiment , a sensor measuring a torque of the material conveying components 82 may be provided to detect whether the discharge device 50 is in an appropriate operating range and to automatically adjust the gap distance between the adjustable shear ledge 60 and / or the adjustable shroud 70 with the plurality of material conveying components 82 using the hydraulic system 120 . in one embodiment , each of the mounting members 65 is a longitudinal opening ( e . g . slot ) that extends towards the shear top surface 62 . in this configuration , the adjustable shear ledge 60 may be positioned or repositioned along a vertical axis and a horizontal axis , both the vertical axis and the horizontal axis being perpendicular to an axis of the drive shaft 80 . by positioning or repositioning the adjustable shear ledge 60 , a gap distance between the shear top surface 62 and the plurality of material conveying components 82 may be adjusted to achieve a desired gap distance and to promote concentricity . in one embodiment , the gap distance may be between 0 . 05 and 0 . 25 inches . in another embodiment , the gap distance may be between 0 . 10 and 0 . 15 inches . it is understood that the adjustable shear ledge and shroud of the present disclosure is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein , but embraces much modified forms thereof that are within the scope of the following claims . | 0Human Necessities
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hereinafter , the advantages , the features , and the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings . fig4 is one embodiment of a driving circuit diagram of an ipl apparatus in accordance with the present invention . according to the present invention , the ipl apparatus comprises a noise filter unit 20 , a double - voltage unit 110 , a switch unit 120 , a charging capacitor 80 , a reference voltage generator 90 , a controller 50 , a user interface unit 60 , a trigger unit 70 and a xenon lamp flash unit 40 . additionally , the present invention may further comprise a rectification unit 91 , a smoothing unit 93 , a constant voltage supply unit 35 , and a constant current supply unit 38 . the noise filter unit 20 is a circuit element for removing noise from an inputted supply voltage 10 ranging from 100v to 240v , and an output of the noise filter unit 20 passes through the rectification unit 91 and the smoothing unit 93 and supplies to the double - voltage unit 110 . the rectification unit 91 and the smoothing unit 93 are partially contributed to form double - voltage as will be described later on fig1 . it is needless to say that the output of the noise filter 20 is supplied to the double - voltage unit 110 in a circuit where the rectification unit 91 and the smoothing unit 93 are not equipped . the double - voltage unit 110 is a circuit for outputting the inputted supply voltage after increasing a peak value of the supply voltage double times or more . the switch unit 120 is turned on and off according to an output signal of the reference voltage generator 90 , and charges the charging capacitor 80 . the reference voltage generator 90 is a circuit for setting one of various levels of reference voltages , and the user interface unit 60 is configured as an operating switch or the like and used to input ipl output power from the user . the controller 50 adjusts a reference voltage of the reference voltage generator 90 according to a control signal outputted from the user interface unit 60 , and generates a trigger signal at proper timing . the trigger unit 70 controls the radiation of a xenon lamp into on and off operation by outputting a trigger operation signal for triggering the xenon lamp flash unit 40 according to the trigger signal inputted from the controller 50 , and the xenon lamp flash unit 40 irradiates xenon light on the user &# 39 ; s skin according to the trigger operation signal . further , the output of the noise filter 20 is used to supply stable power to the controller 50 via the constant voltage supplier 35 . generally , since the controller 50 uses a low operating voltage of 5v , it is possible to use the low - priced constant voltage supplier 35 having tens of watts , and thus it is even possible to use the inexpensive low - capacity noise filter 20 that removes noise from power supplied to the constant voltage supplier 35 . from now on , a circuit operation shown in fig4 will be described . when fig4 is described , a circuit that comprises a rectification unit 91 , a smoothing unit 93 , a constant current supply unit 38 , and a constant voltage supply unit 35 , which are selectively equipped , will be described as follows . if the user inputs an output level through the user interface unit 60 , a voltage level of the reference voltage generator 90 is set via the controller 50 . the inputted supply voltage 10 is supplied to the rectification unit 91 , the constant current supply unit 38 , and the constant voltage supply unit 35 after noise has been removed in the noise filter unit 20 . the power inputted to the rectification unit is rectified into a dc component , is superposed with an ac component in the smoothing unit 93 , and is provided to the double - voltage unit 110 . the power from which noise is removed is inputted to the constant current supply unit 38 , and a constant current is outputted to the reference voltage generator 90 . after said noise - removed power has been inputted to the constant voltage supply unit 35 , stable power is supplied to the controller 50 . the double - voltage unit 110 which has received the smoothed power outputs a peak value of the supply voltage double times or more , and the switch unit 120 compares the voltage inputted from the double - voltage unit 110 , the voltage inputted to the reference voltage generator 90 , and a voltage of an output end ( input end of the charging capacitor ). if a certain condition is satisfied , the switch unit is converted into the โ on โ state to charge the charging capacitor 80 . the controller 50 generates a trigger signal by calculating proper timing . the trigger unit 70 outputs a trigger operation signal for triggering the xenon lamp flash unit 40 according to the trigger signal inputted from the controller 50 , and the xenon lamp flash unit 40 irradiates xenon light on the user &# 39 ; s skin according to the trigger operation signal . meanwhile , in the circuit diagram of fig4 , it is illustrated that an input - blocking switch sw is added to the noise filter unit 20 , and that a control signal for turning on and off a switch of the noise filter unit 20 is received from the controller 50 . said configuration will be described as follows . if the noise filter unit 20 which is not added with the switch is used , the energy is irregularly charged even when the charged energy is discharged to the xenon lamp flash unit 40 , thereby causing a problem that the energy supplied to the user &# 39 ; s skin is not regular . such a problem will be described in reference to fig7 . fig7 is a graph for illustrating the amount of energy charged and discharged in a charging capacitor , wherein a horizontal axis indicates a time and a vertical axis indicates the amount of energy . a charging process is progressed until the time tt from 0 second , and a discharging process is initiated by the trigger operation signal . although a desirable discharging process is performed along a smooth curve marked as โ{ circle around ( n )}โ, if there is no switch in the noise filter unit 20 in the circuit diagram of fig4 , the charging process is progressed by the inputted supply voltage , so that the amount of energy like the curve โ{ circle around ( a )}โ in fig7 is supplied to the user . to solve the charging problem during such a discharging period , the present invention shows two methods . one of the methods is to block the supply voltage inputted during the discharging process by using the controller 50 and the noise filter unit 20 having the switch sw illustrated in fig4 , and the other is to start discharging at a corresponding time matched with a certain period of the inputted supply voltage illustrated in fig5 . in the circuit of fig4 , the controller 50 generates the control signal for turning off the input - blocking switch sw during the discharging time , and the noise filter unit 20 is blocked according to the control signal during the discharging time in order to prevent the inputted supply voltage from being supplied . also , xenon lamps are often continuous discharged when lamp driving circuit is out of order and pwm control cannot be controlled . at this time , it is possible not to supply continuous energy to xenon lamp by changing โ off โ state on the switch sw . a relay operated by an electromagnet or a solid state relay ( ssr ) operated by a semiconductor has been used as the input - blocking switch sw . compared with a circuit diagram of fig5 to be mentioned later , the circuit diagram illustrated in fig4 has an advantage that a special delay for matching timing is not generated . since the input - blocking switch sw is a switch for preventing the charging capacitor 80 from being charged by the inputted supply voltage 10 while the charging capacitor 80 is discharged , it is also possible that said switch is provided at any position that can block the electric flow between the supply voltage 10 and the charging capacitor 80 in addition to the noise filter unit 20 . that is to say , the input - blocking switch sw may be equipped at any place capable of switching the electric flow between the supply voltage and the charging capacitor . for instance , the input - blocking switch sw can be positioned even between the double - voltage unit 110 and the switch unit 120 . also , as another embodiment , it makes the same result of shutting off the power supplied to noise filter unit 20 if the reference voltage supplied to the switch unit 120 is controlled to be almost zero voltage . fig5 is one embodiment of a driving circuit diagram of an ipl apparatus in accordance with the present invention . since the circuit diagram shown in fig5 has almost similar configuration to the circuit diagram shown in fig4 , only the features different from those of the circuit diagram of fig4 will be described below . the circuit diagram of fig5 shows a noise filter unit 20 from which a switch is removed , and thus a control signal line inputted to the noise filter unit 20 from the controller 50 in fig4 is unnecessary . instead , in the circuit diagram of fig5 , an input wave timing unit 115 , which receives an output signal of the noise filter unit 20 and generates an input wave timing signal at every time such as up or down time of an input waveform , is added between a controller 50 and the noise filter unit 20 . like shown in fig8 , the input wave timing unit 115 perceives the input waveform inputted from the noise filter unit 20 , and outputs an input wave timing signal s to the controller 50 at every certain time , and the input wave timing unit can simply be realized by using a photo coupler . an output of the noise filter unit 20 is connected to a photo diode used as an input end of the photo coupler , the photo diode is turned on to generate light if more than a certain voltage is applied , and a light receiving transistor which constitutes an output end of the photo coupler is turned on by receiving the light generated from the photo diode and generates the input wave timing signal s . fig8 ( a ) illustrates that the input wave timing signal s is outputted at every time whenever a sine wave is increased if the sine wave is inputted from the noise filter unit 20 to the input wave timing unit 115 , and fig8 ( b ) illustrates an example that the input wave timing unit 115 generates a square wave from the input wave inputted from the noise filter unit 20 , and that the input wave timing signal s is generated at every time whenever the square wave is increased and is applied to the controller 50 . if the input wave timing signal s is inputted from the input wave timing unit 115 , the controller 50 which constitutes the circuit of fig5 generates a trigger signal for starting discharging at a proper time and transmits the generated trigger signal to the trigger unit 70 . the driving circuit of the ipl apparatus in accordance with the one embodiment of the present invention shown in fig4 and fig5 has an advantage of using one of pam and pwm driving modes if controller 50 controls the width of trigger signal or changes reference voltage setup without changing a circuit configuration , that is , through the same circuit configuration . fig6 is one embodiment of a driving circuit diagram of an ipl apparatus in accordance with the present invention . since the circuit diagram shown in fig6 has almost similar configuration to the circuit diagram shown in fig5 , only the features different from those of the circuit diagram of fig5 will be described below . the controller 50 in the circuit diagram shown in fig4 and fig5 calculates proper charging time and / or discharging time , and in the circuit diagram of fig4 , the trigger signal is generated by blocking the input signal of the noise filter unit 20 , or in the circuit diagram of fig5 , the trigger signal is generated at a corresponding time matched with the input wave timing signal s outputted from the input wave timing unit 115 . the circuit diagram of fig6 is characterized in that a voltage divider 195 and an analog to digital converter 97 are additionally provided between a charging capacitor 80 and a controller 50 in order to exactly sense a voltage of the charging capacitor 80 . the voltage divider 195 is a circuit element for measuring a charging voltage of the capacitor 80 while minimizing power consumption , and in the present invention , a voltage vc of the capacitor 80 is divided within the range of approximately 1 / 10 to 1 / 300 , and the divided voltage is inputted to the controller 50 through the analog to digital converter 97 . the controller 50 in the circuit diagram of fig6 senses a voltage level inputted from the analog to digital converter 97 , and generates a trigger signal at a corresponding time matched with an input wave timing signal s outputted from an input wave timing unit 115 . it is needless to say that the voltage divider 195 and the analog to digital converter 97 may be equipped in the circuit diagram of fig4 , and in this case , the controller 50 generates the trigger signal by blocking the input signal of the noise filter unit 20 if the charging capacitor 80 reaches a desired voltage level . fig9 is one embodiment of a driving circuit diagram of an ipl apparatus in accordance with the present invention . in the circuit diagram of fig9 , for the explanatory convenience , only the main circuit configurations such as a noise filter unit 20 , a rectification unit 91 , a smoothing unit 93 , a double - voltage unit , a constant current supply unit 38 , a reference voltage generator , a switch unit , a charging capacitor , a controller 50 , and a xenon lamp flash unit 40 are illustrated , and the rest of circuit elements were omitted . in the circuit diagram of fig9 , a supply voltage 10 corresponds to the supply voltage 10 of fig4 , a noise filter unit 20 , a rectification unit 91 , and a smoothing unit 93 respectively correspond to the noise filter unit 20 , the rectification unit 91 , and the smoothing unit 93 of fig4 , a capacitor c 1 and a diode d 1 correspond to the double - voltage unit 110 of fig4 , a zener diode d 3 , a zener temperature compensation circuit unit 125 , and a voltage divider 195 correspond to the reference voltage generator 90 of fig4 , an scr 1 corresponds to the switch unit 120 of fig4 , and a capacitor c 3 corresponds to the charging capacitor 80 of fig4 . first , a double - voltage circuit for boosting a voltage triple times will be described as follows . fig1 separately illustrates only the double - voltage circuit which only comprises the supply voltage 10 , the noise filter 20 , rectification unit 91 , smoothing unit 93 , the capacitors c 1 and c 3 , the diode d 1 , and the scr 1 in the circuit of fig9 . first , when the supply voltage 10 supplies โ+โ voltage , current path โโกโ flowing through the noise filter 20 , rectification unit 91 , and smoothing unit 93 is formed . and capacitor consisting of rectification unit 91 is charged vc voltage with the polarity as shown fig1 . then , when the supply voltage changes โโโ voltage , current path โโกโ flowing through the noise filter 20 , capacitor c 1 , diode d 1 and smoothing unit 93 is formed . charges ( or energies ) accumulated at smoothing unit 93 are accumulated to capacitor c 1 through the diode d 1 and the charges supplied from the supply voltage 10 are also accumulated to the capacitor c 1 simultaneously . therefore the capacitor c 1 is charged to 2 vc voltage ( almost double voltage of the supply voltage 10 ) with the polarity as shown fig1 . when the supply voltage is changed โโโ to โ+โ in the โ on โ state of thyristor scr 1 , new current path โโกโ flowing through noise filter 20 , capacitor c 1 , thyristor scr 1 and charging capacitor c 3 is formed beside current path โ{ circle around ( 1 )}โ. at this time , the accumulated charges ( or energies ) at capacitor c 1 are moved to charging capacitor c 3 through the thyrister scr 1 and energy supplied by the supply voltage 10 also accumulated to charging capacitor c 3 . therefore , 3 vc voltages ( almost triple voltage of the supply voltage 10 ) are accumulated to charging capacitor c 3 as shown in fig1 . as shown in fig1 , we can see that rectification unit 91 and smoothing unit 93 according to the present invention also contribute to form double voltage . again , in fig9 , the zener diode d 3 and the voltage divider 195 form a reference voltage generator . the zener diode is a circuit element for maintaining a certain voltage all the time , and the certain voltage applied to the zener diode d 3 generates a reference voltage in accordance with an energy level inputted to a gate terminal of the scr 1 through a user interface by the voltage divider 195 which is formed with a plurality of switch elements and a plurality of resistors . however , said zener diode may cause a voltage change if an applied current value is not regular . such a problem will be described in reference to fig1 . fig1 is a graph for illustrating a characteristic of voltage to current operation of a zener diode . like shown in fig1 , it could be understood that if a current which flows in the zener diode is changed into i2 from i1 , a voltage value applied thereto is also changed into v2 from v1 . to solve such a problem , the constant current supply unit 38 is employed in fig9 , and said constant current supply unit 38 may simply be configured as a resistance and constant current diode . another problem of the zener diode d 3 is a draft that a voltage gets higher when the peripheral temperature rises . said voltage draft problem in accordance with the temperature rise may be solved by using a zener temperature compensation circuit unit 125 in the circuit diagram of fig9 , which is positioned between the voltage divider 195 and a ground and is characterized by lowering a resistance value according to the rise of the peripheral temperature . a thermistor may be used as the zener temperature compensation circuit unit 125 , and the thermistor performs a function of compensating the voltage increase which occurs in the zener diode d 3 owing to the temperature rise , whereby the zener diode d 3 operates as a stable reference voltage source irrespective of the peripheral temperature change . even though the circuit diagram of fig9 shows that the reference voltage generator is configured with the zener diode d 3 , the zener temperature compensation circuit unit 125 , and the voltage divider 195 , it is also possible to form only the voltage divider if the precision of a reference voltage may be sacrificed slightly . in addition , as another configuration , it is also possible to comprise a digital to analog converter between the controller and the gate terminal of the scr , and to convert a voltage level value inputted from the controller by using the digital to analog converter and to apply the converted value to the gate terminal of the scr . next , the operation of the scr ( scr 1 , thyristor ) will be described as follows . although the thyristor ( scr 1 ) is used as a switch in the circuit diagram of fig9 , said thyristor could be replaced with a triac element . an anode of the thyristor ( scr 1 ) is connected to one terminal of the capacitor c 1 which forms the double - voltage unit , and a voltage of the anode is marked โ v1 โ. a cathode of the thyristor ( scr 1 ) is connected to one terminal of the charging capacitor c 3 , and a voltage of the cathode is marked โ v3 โ, and a voltage of the gate terminal which is the remaining terminal of the thyristor ( scr 1 ) is marked โ v2 โ. a reference voltage which can be set to the gate voltage โ v2 โ of the thyristor ( scr 1 ) is determined by a value between maximum and minimum values of the voltage โ v1 โ applied to the anode terminal . the thyristor scr 1 shown in fig9 is turned on when โ v1 โ has a larger value than โ v3 โ and โ v2 โ has a larger voltage than โ v3 โ as much as the threshold voltage . after the thyristor scr 1 is turned on , โ v1 โ gets lower than โ v3 โ then , thyristor scr 1 is turned off . and even if โ v1 โ gets higher than โ v3 โ while โ v2 โ has a lower value than โ v3 โ, the thyristor scr 1 cannot be turned on . therefore charging process is stopped . at this time , the value โ v3 โ is same value of gate threshold minus from the value โ v2 โ. therefore the value โ v3 โ becomes similar value โ v2 โ. normally , a rectification unit 91 and a smoothing unit 93 in the circuit configuration shown in fig9 and fig1 are contributed to form double voltage and the voltage charged to charging capacitor c 3 becomes almost triple the voltage of the supply voltage 10 . therefore the circuit configuration shown in fig9 and fig1 is usually used at the area with 100v ห 120v of the supply voltage 10 . on the other hand , almost double energy supplied by supply voltage 10 can be charged to charging capacitor c 3 in the area with 220v of the supply voltage 10 . the circuit configuration excepting a rectification unit 91 and a smoothing unit 93 is proposed in fig1 and fig1 . this circuit configuration is suitable to the area with 220v of the supply voltage 10 . fig1 corresponds to fig9 and fig1 corresponds to fig1 . when the supply voltage 10 supplies โโโ voltage , current path as shown number โ{ circle around ( 1 )}โ flowing through the noise filter 20 , capacitor c 1 , and diode d 1 is formed . therefore capacitor c 1 is charged vc voltage ( almost the voltage supplied from supply voltage 10 ) with the polarity as shown fig1 . if the supply voltage is changed โ+โ to โโโ in the โ on โ state of thyristor scr 1 , current path โ{ circle around ( 2 )}โ flowing through noise filter 20 , capacitor c 1 , thyristor scr 1 and charging capacitor c 3 is formed . at this time , the accumulated charges ( or energies ) at capacitor c 1 are moved to charging capacitor c 3 through the thyrister scr 1 and energy supplied by the supply voltage 10 is also accumulated to charging capacitor c 3 . therefore , 2 vc voltages ( almost double voltage of the supply voltage 10 ) are accumulated to charging capacitor c 3 as shown in fig1 . hereinafter , the operation of the circuit shown in fig1 will be described below . first , suppose that 60 hz of 220v power is used as a supply voltage , a reference voltage of 340v is applied to a gate of the thyristor ( scr 1 ) by the combination of the voltage divider in accordance with an energy level which is set by the user through the user interface , no electric charges are accumulated in the charging capacitor in an early state , and that the threshold voltage of the thyristor ( scr 1 ) is ov . under said condition , a maximum peak value of the corresponding supply voltage is 310v approximately . since electric charges supplied by the supply voltage 10 is doubled with the electric charges accumulated in the capacitor c 1 , a bias voltage of the โ v1 โ terminal is 310v and the amplitude is 310v . further , a voltage varying between ov and 620v is applied to the โ v1 โ terminal because a sine - wave voltage having a maximum peak value of 620v is applied . if the supply voltage is applied under said condition , the anode voltage of the thyristor ( scr 1 ) gets higher than the cathode voltage ( v1 & gt ; v3 ) and the gate voltage v2 gets higher than the threshold voltage for turning on the thyristor compared with the cathode voltage v3 . thus , the thyristor is conducted to charge the charging capacitor . if the waveform applied to the v1 terminal gets lower than the cathode voltage ( charging voltage of the charging capacitor ) while going down by passing through the peak , the thyristor ( scr 1 ) stops operating . then , as the input waveform starts increasing in the next cycle , the anode voltage v1 of the thyristor ( scr 1 ) gets higher than the voltage v3 of the cathode terminal of the thyristor ( scr 1 ), and under the condition โ v2 & gt ; v3 โ, the thyristor ( scr 1 ) is conducted again to progress the charging process . the charging process is progressed as said operation is repeated until the voltage charged in the charging capacitor c 3 reaches a voltage which is subtracted as much as the threshold voltage for turning on the thyristor ( scr 1 ) from the reference voltage applied to the gate of the thyristor ( scr 1 ). then , power is supplied to the xenon lamp flash unit 40 by a trigger operation signal which is not shown in fig1 . while specific embodiments of the invention have been described and shown above , it is obvious that the invention can be modified in various forms by those skilled in the art without departing from the technical spirit of the invention . the modified embodiments should not be understood separately from the spirit and scope of the invention and should be considered as belonging to the appended claims of the invention . although the audio communication has been mainly described above , the invention can be easily applied to a video communication . in this case , the phone 500 means a television phone and a protocol suitable for a video should be used instead of the sip protocol . | 0Human Necessities
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as stated above , the catalyst utilized in this invention is of alumina having deposited thereon boria and tin , lead , manganese or mixtures thereof in the oxide form . preferably , the catalyst utilized in this invention is of alumina having deposited thereon boria and tin or lead or a mixture of tin and lead or a mixture of tin , lead and manganese in the oxide form . the alumina preferably is a high area alumina having a boehmite , bayerite , beta , or eta crystalline form . the catalyst is prepared by techniques well known in the art . one may employ extrudates or pellets for impregnation , or powders followed by pelletization or extrusion to yield the finished catalyst . the boria and metal oxide are added by the use of water soluble salts , such as nitrates , sulfates , halides , acetates , etc . wellknown procedures for drying and calcining the catalyst may also be employed , such as vacuum drying and calcination in oxidative or neutral atmospheres . calcination should be conducted at temperatures between about 450 ยฐ and 550 ยฐ c . the concentration of boria , ( b 2 o 3 ), in the finished catalyst should be from about 0 . 5 to about 15 % by weight and preferably from about 1 to about 10 by weight . the total concentration of the metal or metals ( in elemental form ) should be between about 0 . 1 and about 4 . 0 % by weight . aromatic hydrocarbons which can be alkylated by the process of this invention are those having at least one replaceable hydrogen such as benzene , toluene , xylene and naphthalene . the preferred olefinic alkylating stock is one having 2 - 12 carbon atoms per molecule such as ethylene , propylene , butylene and dodecylene , and mixtures thereof . to carry out the invention , a mixture of selected aromatic and olefinic hydrocarbons are contacted with the catalyst at desired operating conditions . operating conditions employed in the process of the present invention are critical and will be dependent , at least in part , on the specific alkylation reaction being affected . such conditions as temperature , pressure , space velocity and molar ratio of the reactants and the presence of inert diluents will have important effects on the process . generally , an operating pressure of between about 100 and about 1000 psig , a temperature of between about 25 ยฐ and about 150 ยฐ c ., a liquid - hourly - space velocity of between about 0 . 1 and about 10 , a molar ratio of aromatics to olefins of between about 1 : 1 and about 20 : 1 can be used . more preferred conditions are about 100 to about 1000 psig , about 35 ยฐ to about 150 ยฐ c ., a lhsv of about 1 : 1 to about 10 : 1 and a molar ratio of aromatics to olefin of about 2 : 1 and about 10 : 1 . preferred diluents are the paraffins and the naphthenes . an aqueous solution of boric acid , h 3 bo 3 and tin sulfate was prepared in a weight percent concentration of 11 % h 3 bo 3 and 5 . 7 % tin sulfate . catalyst prepared from this solution is designated as a in table 1 . a predetermined weight of alumina was then saturated with each of the solutions . each portion of saturated alumina was dried and calcined at a temperature of 500 ยฐ c . for 16 hours . in laboratory tests , a mixture of toluene and propylene in a ratio of 6 moles toluene to 1 mole of propylene was passed over each of the catalysts at a pressure of 500 psig at temperatures of 25 ยฐ to 125 ยฐ c . and at the liquid - hourly - space velocities shown in table i . table i__________________________________________________________________________run a a a a a b b__________________________________________________________________________catalystweight % of boria 10 % 10 % 10 % 10 % 10 % 10 % 10 % in catalystweight % of metal 2 % tin 2 % tin 2 % tin 4 % tin 4 % tin 4 % mn 2 % mnin oxide form oncatalystoperating conditionstemperature - ยฐ c . 32 116 127 54 127 24 60pressure - psig 500 500 500 500 500 500 500lhsv 1 1 1 1 2 1 1product distributionby boiling pointless than toluene 1 . 1 0 0 0 . 8 0 1 . 2 1 . 6toluene 92 . 9 81 . 8 82 . 8 94 . 9 85 . 8 98 . 2 96 . 3m - cymeme 0 . 7 1 . 8 1 . 8 0 . 5 1 . 8 0 . 1 0 . 2p - cymene 2 . 5 7 . 1 6 . 4 1 . 8 6 . 1 0 . 3 1 . 1o - cymene 2 . 2 6 . 0 5 . 8 1 . 5 5 . 0 0 . 2 0 . 8greater than cymene 0 . 6 3 . 3 3 . 2 0 . 5 1 . 3 -- -- weight % of propyleneconvertedmono - alkylation 24 67 63 17 58 3 9di - alkylation 4 22 22 3 9 0 0polymerization 16 0 0 11 0 17 23unconverted 56 11 15 69 33 80 68cymene distributiono - 41 40 41 40 39 33 38m - 13 12 13 13 14 17 10p - 46 48 46 47 47 50 52ratio of para to meta 78 : 22 80 : 20 78 : 22 78 : 22 77 : 23 75 : 25 84 : 16__________________________________________________________________________ an unexpected feature of this new catalyst - catalyst system is the isomer distribution of the product obtained . the presently used friedel - crafts catalyst and the more common solid oxide catalyst , when used to alkylate aromatics with olefins , yields product high in the meta isomer and low in the ortho and para isomer . for example , in the publication , &# 34 ; organic reactions ,&# 34 ; volume iii , john wiley and sons , inc ., page 46 , the alkylation of toluene with n - butyl or t - butyl chloride with aluminum or iron chloride catalysts in a mole ratio of 5 . 6 to 1 is shown to yield a ratio of para to meta butyltoluene of 38 : 62 and 33 : 67 . the catalysts of this invention yield products with the improved isomer distribution , namely , the produce is higher in ortho and para compounds and lower in the meta compounds , as indicated in table i . the catalyst of this invention is easily regenerated when it becomes fouled or spent . because of the low temperatures of the alkylation process , deactivation occurs not by the deposition of carbon on the catalyst pores but by the plugging of the catalyst pores with heavy polymeric material . the catalyst is easily regenerated or restored by washing it with a paraffinic , naphthenic , or aromatic solvents . if a more strenuous regeneration is required , the catalyst can be reactivated by heating it to a temperature of between about 150 ยฐ and about 370 ยฐ c ., in the presence of hydrogen or an inert gas such as nitrogen . this high temperature treatment will drive off the heavy polymeric material leaving only a small amount of carbon deposited on the catalyst surfaces . when reference is made herein to groupings under the periodic system of the elements , the particular groupings are as set forth in the periodic chart of the elements in &# 34 ; the merck index ,&# 34 ; ninth edition , merck & amp ; co ., inc ., 1976 . | 2Chemistry; Metallurgy
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fig4 shows a block diagram of a power system 100 comprising a main contactor 106 coupled in series between a power source 102 and a load component 126 . the load component 126 may be e . g . a capacitive power stage 104 . the main contactor 106 is shown as a relay . alternatively , the main contactor 106 may be any controllable conductive device , for example a manual switch or semiconductor device , for example a triac , two anti - parallel silicon controlled rectifiers ( scrs ), an insulated gate bipolar transistor ( igbt ), a fet , or a mosfet . the power source 102 is shown as a dc power source , but may be any power source including , but not limited to , a battery , a supercapacitor , a fuel cell , or a rectified ac source . an auxiliary contactor 108 is coupled to a pre - charge and discharge circuit 110 . the auxiliary contactor 108 and precharge and discharge circuit 110 are coupled in parallel with the main contactor 106 . the auxiliary contactor 108 is shown as a relay . alternatively , the auxiliary contactor 108 may be any controllable conductive device , for example a manual switch or semiconductor device , for example a triac , two anti - parallel scrs , igbt , fet , or mosfet . the pre - charge and discharge circuit 110 may comprise a resistor or ptc 112 . a controller circuit , for example a timing circuit , voltage sensor , or microcontroller can control the opening and closing of the main contactor 106 and the auxiliary contactor 108 . the main contactor 106 and the auxiliary contactor 108 may be capable of generating feedback signals for processing by the controller circuit . alternatively , the controller circuit can control the conduction or non - conduction of the semiconductor devices . opening the main contactor 106 and the auxiliary contactor 108 disconnects the load component 104 from the power source 102 . to energize the load component 104 , the controller first closes the auxiliary contactor 108 to pre - charge the capacitive power stage in the load component 104 . when the bus voltage comes within a predetermined range of the power supply voltage , the controller then closes the main contactor 106 . the pre - charge and discharge circuit 110 may also include a controllable switch 114 and a current limiting element 116 , for example a resistor or ptc to allow the capacitive power stage of the load component to be discharged when the main contactor 106 is open . the controllable switch 114 and the current limiting element 116 are coupled in parallel with the load component 104 . incorporating a feedback signal of a commercially available contactor can be unreliable because such contactor feedback signals are based on auxiliary switches , which might fail or not follow the main switch . an alternative embodiment as illustrated in fig5 actually eliminates the need for a feedback signal from the contactor . fig5 shows a power system 200 comprising a main contactor 206 coupled in series between a power source 202 and a load component 226 . the main contactor 206 is shown as a relay . alternatively , the main contactor 206 may be any controllable conductive device , for example a manual switch or semiconductor device , for example a triac , two anti - parallel scrs , igbt , fet , or mosfet . the power source 202 may be a dc power source . the load component 226 may comprise a capacitive power stage 204 . an auxiliary contactor 208 may be coupled to a contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 210 . the auxiliary contactor is shown as a relay . alternatively , the auxiliary contactor 208 may be any controllable conductive device , for example a manual switch or semiconductor device , for example a triac , two anti - parallel scrs , igbt , fet , or mosfet . the auxiliary contactor 208 and the contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 210 are coupled in parallel with the main contactor 206 . exemplary contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuits 210 are shown in fig7 - 9 as will be discussed in detail below . the opening and closing of the main contactor 206 and the auxiliary contactor 208 may be controlled by a controller circuit 220 . alternatively , the controller circuit 220 can control the conduction or non - conduction of the semiconductor devices . the load component 226 is disconnected from the power source 202 by opening the main contactor 206 and the auxiliary contactor 208 . to energize the load component 226 , the controller 220 first closes the auxiliary contactor 208 to pre - charge the capacitive power stage 204 in the load component 226 through the contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 210 . when the bus voltage v bus is within a predetermined voltage range , v pre , of the power supply voltage vbat , the controller 220 then closes the main contactor 206 . the contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 210 may also allow the capacitive power stage 204 of the load component 226 to be discharged when the main contactor 206 is open . fig6 shows a power system 300 comprising a main contactor 306 , a contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 310 , an auxiliary contactor 308 , a controller circuit 320 , and a capacitive power stage 304 integrated in a load component 326 . the load component 326 may be coupled to the power source 302 through conductor 330 and 332 . exemplary contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuits 310 are shown in fig7 - 9 . if the bus is enclosed inside a component and , hence , is less likely to be touched , then the auxiliary contactor 308 may be removed and replaced by a solid connection . fig7 shows a first embodiment of a contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 400 for use in the systems 200 or 300 shown in fig5 and fig6 . to initiate the closing of the main contactor 206 , 306 , the controller circuit 220 , 320 first closes auxiliary contactor 208 , 308 . current from the power source 202 , 302 will charge the capacitive power stage 204 , 304 of the load component 226 , 326 through d1 , r p , r s . the voltage v s across r s can be sensed by the controller circuit 220 , 320 . the voltage v s will be negative while the capacitive power stage 204 , 304 of the load component 226 , 326 is charging . when the bus voltage v bus is within a predetermined voltage range , v pre , of the power supply voltage v bat ( e . g . v s is less than or equal to v pre ) it is now safe for the controller circuit 220 , 320 to close the main contactor 206 , 306 . the controller circuit 220 , 320 may have some designed in hysteresis to account for minor circuit variations and v pre may not be 0v . preferably , the predetermined voltage v will be less than 5 % of the power supply voltage v bat , and more preferably less than 2 . 5 % of the power supply voltage v bat . if the main contactor 206 , 306 opens unintentionally during operation of the load component 226 , 326 , this dangerous condition can be detected by the contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 210 , 310 . if the load continues to consume energy , v bus will decrease and current will flow through d1 , r p , and r s and v s will become negative and exceed v pre . in this case the controller circuit 220 , 320 can disable the load component 226 , 326 and prevent the main contactor 206 , 306 from reclosing before the potentials have been equalized by the contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 210 , 310 . the controller circuit 220 , 320 may ensure that the main contactor 206 , 306 remains open after the controller circuit 220 , 320 detects that the main contactor 206 , 306 has unintentionally opened . the controller circuit 220 , 320 may ensure that the main contactor 206 , 306 remain open until the controller circuit 220 , 320 is manually reset using a manual actuator or for a predetermined period of time . if however , the load component 226 , 326 had been regenerating power when the main contactor 206 , 306 opened , a current will flow through r s , d3 , and r d , and v s will be positive and exceed v pre . in this case the controller circuit 220 , 320 can disable the load component 226 , 326 and prevent the main contactor 206 , 306 from reclosing before the potentials have been equalized by the contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 210 , 310 . this is shown graphically in fig7 a . for correct operation of the contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 400 , the auxiliary contactor 208 , 308 must remain closed during operation . this may result in a small amount of current flowing through r d . when the main contactor 206 , 306 is opened , a conductive path r s , d3 , and r d , allows charge stored in the capacitive power stage 204 , 304 of the load component 226 , 326 to safely discharge to eliminate the risk of shock due to capacitive charge . fig8 shows a second embodiment of a contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 500 . to avoid any unnecessary loses through r d , the resistor r d of fig7 is replaced by a more โ useful โ load such as a power - supply circuit u 1 โฒ. the power supply circuit u 1 โฒ can be enabled or disabled by the controller circuit 220 , 320 . however , it must remain enabled should the bus be discharged when the main and auxiliary contactors open . fig9 shows a third embodiment of a contactor feedback and pre - charge circuit 600 . the contactor feedback and pre - charge circuit 600 adds an analog to digital converter 640 to the contactor feedback and pre - charge and discharge circuit 500 shown in fig8 . the a - d converter 640 converts the voltage across r s to a digital output ( on or off ) that can be coupled to the controller circuit 220 , 320 for processing . fig1 shows one embodiment of a finite state machine ( fsm ) implementing a contactor control - logic for use in the controller circuit of fig5 and 6 . preferably , the logic is realized either in software or in digital logic , e . g ., programmable array logic ( pal ) or complex programmable logic device ( cpld ). the purpose of the fsm is to close and open a contactor based on a user input (โ close โ) and based on the output of the โ feedback and pre - charge circuit โ (โ charged โ, also called โ dout โ). the fsm has 4 states : 2 ) closing : the contactor is closing ( allows for some time to debounce ) initially , the contactor is open and the fsm is in state 1 . the user may then request the contactor to be closed by asserting โ close โ. only if the load is fully precharged ( i . e . โ charged โ= 1 ) the fsm will proceed to state 2 and energize the contactor by means of the โ relay โ signal . the fsm remains in state 2 for a certain amount of time to allow for the de - bouncing of the contactor , and then proceeds to state 3 . at this point , the load may be enabled (โ ready โ= 1 ). the user can then de - assert โ close โ in order to open the contactor and the fsm returns to state 1 . if during run operation ( state 3 ) the contactor should pop open ( for example due to a power supply problem ) the โ charged โ signal will go low and the fsm will immediately switch to state 4 and disable the load and the contactor by de - asserting the signals โ ready โ and โ relay โ. the fsm remains in state 4 for a certain amount of time and then proceeds to state 1 . alternatively , the fsm may remain in state 4 until manually reset . it should be understood that , while the present invention has been described in detail herein , the invention can be embodied otherwise without departing from the principles thereof , and such other embodiments are meant to come within the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claim ( s ). | 7Electricity
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the invention will be described in reference to the preferred embodiments as shown in the attached drawings . in fig1 a sewing machine 1 has a machine housing 1a . the machine housing 1a has a panel 2 secured to the front face thereof . the panel 2 has a first vertical portion 3 and a second lateral portion 6 in accordance with the configuration of the machine housing 1a . on the first portion 3 of panel 2 , there is vertically arranged a group of pattern selecting push button switches 4 each having a ten - key function meaning numbers 0 - 9 respectively designated to the switches from the top to the bottom . adjacent the group of pattern selecting push button switches 4 , is arranged a first group of pattern indicia 5 in three rows which may be most frequently produced by the sewing machine 1 at the selection of the sewing machine operator . the second portion 6 of panel 2 has a slide switch 7 provided thereon , which is slidingly shifted to three predetermined positions to selectively show pattern indicia on a pattern indicating part 8 . for example , when the switch 7 is at the middle position , the pattern indicia on the pattern indicating part 8 are all covered and become invisible . in this case , the push button switches 4 become effective to be operated to select any of the pattern indicia 5 . more precisely , each time one push button switch 4 is operated , the corresponding laterally arranged three indicia 5 are selected one by one from the left to right repeatedly , and the selected indicium is electrically lighted . when the switch 7 is at the left side position , a second group of pattern indicia on the pattern indicating part 8 , for example , the capital alphabet letters become visible . then any of pattern indicia 5 in the first and second groups of pattern indicia may be selected by ten - key operation of the pattern selecting push button switch 4 in reference to the numbers respectively given to the pattern indicia 5 in the first group and to the pattern indicia in the second group . in this case , the ten - key numbers 0 - 9 are indicated with electric light in a number indicating part 9 on the panel 2 between the group of pattern selecting push button switches 4 and the first group of pattern indicia 5 . the result of the ten - key operation of the pattern selecting push button switches 4 is indicated in a 2 -- figure number at a 7 -- segment number indication tubes 10 in the panel 2 . when the switch is at the right side position , the second group of pattern indicia on the pattern indicating part 8 is covered and becomes invisible . instead , a third group of indicia , for example , the small alphabet letters become visible . then any of pattern indicia in the first and third groups of pattern indicia may be selected in the same way as above mentioned when the second group of pattern indicia is visible . in reference to fig2 showing the panel 2 in an exploded view , a print board 11 is secured to the machine housing 1a behind panel 2 . on one side of the print board 11 , there are mounted the 7 -- segment number indication tubes 10 , and switch elements 12 , 13 each operated by the slide switch 7 . on the other side of the print board 11 , there are arranged the elements and the necessary wiring for controlling the pattern selection and pattern formation of the invention . the panel 2 is formed with a recessed part 14 on the front face thereof to which a pattern indicating plate 15 is fixedly attached . the pattern indicating plate 15 has pattern indicia such as the capital and small alphabet letters printed thereto alternately with an even space between the laterally adjacent letters as shown . these letters are each affixed with a specific 2 - figure pattern number though it is not shown . a pair of adjusting elements 16 , 17 are formed with bosses 18 , 19 , respectively . a pair of switch actuating elements 20 , 21 are mounted on the bosses 18 , 19 , respectively , and then the adjusting elements 16 , 17 and the switch actuating elements 20 , 21 are fixedly connected to each other , respectively by means of fastening screws . the panel 2 is formed with another recess 22 in alignment with the pattern indicating recessed part 14 . on the rear side of the recess 22 , there are provided a pair of spaced transverse pins 23 , 23 on which the adjusting elements 16 , 17 are turnably mounted , respectively by way of holes 24 , 25 thereof . in this condition , transverse projections 26 , 27 of the adjusting elements 16 , 17 are protruded out on the front side of the recess 22 through arcuated slots 28 , 29 formed in the recess 22 . the panel 2 is secured to the machine housing 1a of the sewing machine 1 by any suitable means as shown in fig1 . the switch elements 12 , 13 are provided with actuators 30 , 31 , respectively , and the switch actuating elements 20 , 21 are respectively formed with forked parts 32 , 33 which engage the actuators 30 , 31 of the switch actuating elements 12 , 13 . the recess 22 is so formed as to receive a cam plate 34 which is laterally slided in the recess 22 . as shown , the cam plate 34 is formed with a pair of cam slots 35 , 36 each consisting of a horizontal slot and an inclined slot which receive the transverse projections 26 , 27 of the adjusting elements 16 , 17 , respectively . a first slide plate 37 is slidably fitted to the recessed part 14 of the panel 2 to cover the pattern indicating plate 15 and is slidingly moved laterally of the recessed part 14 . the first slide plate 37 is provided with a number of rectangular transparent parts 38 as partly shown in the drawing with a space between the adjacent transparent parts 38 , the space being twice as wide as the space between the laterally adjacent indicia on the pattern indicating plate 15 . the first slide plate 37 is opaque except the transparent rectangular parts 38 . the slide plate 37 has a transverse projection 39 formed at the right end thereof . the transverse projection 39 passes through a laterally elongated slot 40 of the panel 2 and engages a fork 41 of the adjusting element 16 . the slide plate 37 is so designed as to superpose the transparent parts 38 on the vertical rows of capital alphabet letters respectively when the plate 37 is slided to the left end position . thus the capital alphabet letters are made visible . when the slide plate 37 is slided to the right end position , the plate 37 hides the capital alphabet letters and superpose the transparent parts 38 on the small alphabet letters so that the latter may be visible . a second slide plate 42 is also slidably fitted to the recessed part 14 of panel 2 and superposed on the first slide plate 37 . the second slide plate 42 is provided with a number of transparent rectangular parts 43 as partly shown , and is substantially of the same design with the first slide plate 37 . the second slide plate 42 has a transverse projection 44 formed at the right end thereof . the transverse projection 44 passes through a laterally elongated slot 45 of the panel 2 and engages a fork 46 of the adjusting element 17 . a window frame 47 is employed to fixedly cover the recessed part 14 of the panel 2 so that the slide plates 37 , 42 may not come out of the recessed part 14 and so that the pattern indicia on the pattern indicating plate 15 may be visible through a transparent part 48 of the window frame 47 . the window frame 47 has a laterally elongated opening 50 formed at the right end thereof . the opening 50 receives a boss 52 formed on the inner side of a switch knob 51 of the slide switch 7 in such a manner that the switch knob 51 may be laterally moved in the opening 50 . the opening has notches 53 oppositly formed at the middle thereof which are to engage projections 54 formed on the boss 52 of the switch knob 51 , to thereby determine the center position of the switch knob . the switch knob is fixedly connected to the cam plate 34 by means of a bolt 55 and a nut 56 . the switch knob 51 has a cover 57 to be secured thereto on the outer side thereof to hide the bolt 55 . with the foregoing structure and combination of elements , the invention operates as follows : in reference to fig1 and 2 and fig3 ( a ), when the switch knob 51 is at the center position , the transverse projection 26 of adjusting element 16 is located at the right end of the horizontal part of cam slot 35 , and the adjusting element 16 is slightly inclined in the clockwise direction . on the other hand , the transverse projection 27 is located at the left end of the horizontal part of cam slot 36 , and the adjusting element 17 is slightly inclined in the counterclockwise direction . in this case , the first slide plate 37 is moved so that the transparent parts 38 may be aligned with the rows of the small alphabet letters on the pattern indicating plate 15 , respectively and the second slide plate 42 is moved so that the transparent parts 43 may be aligned with the rows of the capital alphabet letters respectively . as the result , the capital alphabet letters are hidden by the first slide plate 37 , and the small alphabet letters are hidden by the second slide plate 42 . therefore only the first group of indicies 5 may be selected by operation of the pattern selecting push button switches 4 . simultaneously the actuators 30 , 31 of switch elements 12 , 13 assume a lower position . further in reference to fig3 ( b ), when the switch knob 51 is at the left side position , the transverse projection 27 of adjusting element 17 is located at the left end of the horizontal part of cam slot 36 , and the adjusting element 17 remains as it is in fig3 ( a ). the second slide plate 42 therefore hides the capital alphabet letters on the pattern indicating plate 15 . on the other hand , the transverse projection 26 of adjusting element 16 is located at the upper end of the inclined part of cam slot 35 , and the adjusting element 16 is turned in the counterclockwise direction as shown . in this case , the first slide plate 37 is moved so that the transparent parts 38 may be aligned with the rows of the capital alphabet letters respectively . as the result , the capital alphabet letters become visible . simultaneously the actuator 30 of switch element 12 , assumes an upper position . further in reference to fig3 ( c ), when the switch knob 51 is at the right side position , the adjusting elements 16 , 17 are inversely operated to assume the positions respectively as shown . as the result , the capital alphabet letters are hidden , and the small alphabet letters become visible . simultaneously the actuator 30 of switch element 12 assumes a lower position and the actuator 31 of switch element 13 assumes an upper position . in reference to fig4 showing a block diagram of an electric control circuit , a microcomputer receives and processes the signals from the pattern selecting push button switches 4 and the slide switch 7 , and then gives the output to a led drive circuit as to the pattern selection . the led drive circuit accordingly drives light emitting diodes ( call led 1 hereinafter ) for lighting the first group of indicia 5 , light emitting diodes ( call led 2 hereinafter ) for lighting the ten - key numbers in the pattern number indicating part 9 , and the 7 -- segment number indication tubes 10 . in the meantime , the microcomputer receives a pulse signal of upper shaft sensor , which is produced per rotation of the upper drive shaft of sewing machine , so as to selectively give to an actuator drive circuit the stitch control signal of a selected pattern , and the actuator drive circuit drives pulse motors for controlling the lateral swinging amplitudes of needle and fabric feeding amount respectively . the electric control operation is as follows ; in reference to fig5 showing a flow chart according to the invention , upon application of a control electric source , the microcomputer starts a program control . after the programs of initial setting or so have been carried out , reading of key is carried out , namely it is identified if the pattern selecting push button switches 4 and slide switch 7 have been operated . if the switch knob 51 of slide switch 7 is located at the center position , the actuators 30 , 31 of switch elements 12 , 13 are located at a lower position and produce a specific signal . with such a signal , it is identified that the first group of pattern indicia is designated , and the light emitting diode led 1 is lighted at one of pattern indicia 5 in dependence upon the operation of push button switches 4 . thus a selected pattern indicium is electrically indicated . in this case , the pattern indicia are all hidden in the pattern indicating part 8 of the sewing machine . with the subsequent operation of sewing machine , the selected pattern is repeatedly produced with the stitches thereof controlled . when the switch knob 51 of slide switch 7 is moved to the left or right side position , the actuator 30 or 31 of switch element 12 or 13 is at the upper position . in this case , the pattern selection is not limited to the first group of indicia 5 , and the pattern numbers are electrically visible at the pattern number indicating part 9 by the light emitting diode led 2 . if a pattern number is designated by two -- time operation of the push button switches 4 , the two -- figure number is indicated at the 7 -- segment indication tubes 10 . if the switch knob 51 of slide switch 7 is at the left side position , the actuator 30 of switch element 12 is located at the upper position , and the actuator 31 of switch element 13 is located at the lower position . the resultant specific signal gives a function to the push button switches 4 to designate the pattern numbers of the second group of indicia ( capital alphabet letters ) as well as the first group of indicia 5 . in this case , the capital alphabet letters and the accompanied numbers of second group of the indicia are visible in the pattern indicating part 8 . accordingly the two - time operation of push button switches 4 may selectively designate the pattern numbers of the second group of indicia and of first group of indicia 5 . with the subsequent operation of sewing machine , a selected pattern is produced with the stitches thereof controlled . when the switch knob 51 of slide switch 7 is at the right side position , the actuator 30 of switch element 12 is located at a lower position and the actuator 31 of switch element 13 is located at the upper position . the resultant specific signal gives a function to the push button switches 4 to designate the third group of indicia ( small alphabet letters ) in the pattern indicating part 8 as well as the first group of indicia 5 . in this case , the third group of indicia and the accompanied numbers are visible , and two - time operation of the push button switches 4 may selectively designate any of pattern numbers of the third group of pattern indicia as well as the first group of pattern indicia 5 . with the subsequent operation of sewing machine , a selected pattern is produced with the stitches controlled . the numbers accompanying the pattern indicia respectively in the pattern indicating part 8 are determined in relation with the position of slide switch 7 ( 51 ), i . e ., left or right side position thereof . it is therefore possible to give the same number to one of the indicia in the second group ( capital alphabet letters ) and to one of the indicia in the third group ( small alphabet letters ). the system of the invention is designed to select at most one hundred indicia including the ones in the first , second and third groups when the slide switch is located at the left or right side position . fig6 ( a ) and 7 ( a ), 7 ( b ), 7 ( c ) show a second embodiment of the invention . in this embodiment , the groups of indicia are switched to each other by a rotational dial instead of by a slide switch 7 ( 51 ) which is employed in the first embodiment . according to the embodiment , the dial is rotated to the maximum extent in the counterclockwise direction to visualize the second group of indicia in the pattern indicating part 8 , so that the second group as well as the first group of indicia may be selected by operation of the push button switches 4 . on the other hand , the dial is rotated to the maximum extent in clockwise direction to visualize the third group of indicia in the pattern indicating part 8 , so that the second group as well as the first group of indicia may be selected . the dial is positioned at the center position to hide both groups of indicia in the pattern indicating part 8 , so that only the first group of indicia may be selected by operation of the push button switches 4 . in reference to fig6 ( a ) and 7 ( a ), 7 ( b ), 7 ( c ), the second embodment will be explained only with respect to the parts which are different from the first embodiment as shown in fig1 and 3 ( a ) to 3 ( c ). a pair of adjusting elements 59 , 60 have bosses 61 , 62 respectively . the switch actuating elements 20 , 21 are fitted to the bosses 61 , 62 of the adjusting elements 59 , 60 respectively , and are secured to each other by means of fastening screws . a panel 2a is formed with a mount 63 which has a pair of spaced pins 23a secured to the rear side thereof . on the pins 23a the adjusting elements 59 , 60 are turnably mounted . the adjusting elements 59 , 60 have transverse projections 66 , 67 respectively which are protruded out to the front side of the panel 2a through arcuated slots 29a respectively which are formed in the mount 63 . a rotary cam 68 is rotatably mounted on the mount 63 . the rotary cam 68 is made of a synthetic resin and has a central mounting hole 69 as seen from fig6 ( a ). the rotary cam 68 is formed with an eccentric groove 70 of laterally symmetrical curvature as shown which is to cooperate with the transverse pins 66 , 67 . the rotary cam 68 is formed with an elastic projection 71 located radially thereof between the both ends of the eccentric groove 70 . the projection 71 is adapted to snappingly engage three notches 72 formed on the rotary cam mount 63 respectively to position the rotary cam with respect to the mount 63 . a window frame 47a has a dial guide hole 73 formed at the right end part thereof . a dial 58 is formed with an axial boss 74 which is to be inserted into the dial guide hole 73 and is then fixedly connected to the rotary cam 68 by means of a bolt 75 and a nut 76 . the dial 58 is covered with a cap 76 which is affixed with an arrow mark a . the arrow mark a is related to three reference marks 77 provided on the window frame 47a to identify the three detaining positions of the dial 58 as the latter is rotated . the operation of the second embodiment is substantially the same with that of the first embodiment . it would therefore be not necessary to describe in detail the operation of the second embodiment . fig7 ( a ) shows a condition in which the dial 58 is rotated until the arrow mark a is aligned with the center reference mark so that the first group of indicia may be selected . fig7 ( b ) shows the condition in which the dial 58 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction until the arrow mark a is aligned with the left side reference mark so that the second as well as the first group of indicia may be selected . fig7 ( c ) shows a condition in which the dial is rotated in the clockwise direction until the arrow mark a is aligned with the right side reference mark so that the third as well as the first group of indicia may be selected . it will be understood that each of the elements described above , or two or more together , may also find a useful application in other types of pattern selecting devices in electronic sewing machines differing from the types described above . while the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a pattern selecting device for an electronic sewing machine , it is not intended to be limited to the details shown , since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit 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 as new as desired to be protected by letters patent is set forth in the appended claims . | 6Physics
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as seen in fig1 and 2 , the farrowing system is generally designated in the drawings with the reference numeral 10 . the farrowing system may also be referred to as the natural farrowing system โข. the farrowing system utilizes a generic farrowing building 12 , typically a hoop or pole barn . the floor of the farrowing building has a farrowing box area 14 which has a series of farrowing boxes 16 grouped together . the farrowing box 16 may also be referred to as nesting box โข. as illustrated , the farrowing boxes 16 are grouped together to conserve heat . alternatively , these boxes may be separated . also , the farrowing boxes 16 as illustrated have their backs to one another such that an entrance to the farrowing box 16 is pointed outward . the farrowing boxes 16 may also be formed in a single lane . the number of farrowing boxes 16 are determinate upon the size of the farrowing building 12 and general guidelines regarding layout of the farrowing building 12 . layout considerations include an alley 18 outside of the farrowing box 16 that is preferably 6 to 7 feet wide . also , a 12 feet wide floored area 20 extends along the front of the farrowing building 12 and includes a waterer 24 that is approximately 8 inches off the ground and a feeder 22 that as illustrated is 8 feet high and holds several weeks worth of feed . in addition , the farmer may desire a storage area 26 behind the farrowing box area 14 in which to store straw . the storage area 26 is optional and not required . as seen in fig2 , the relative size of the components is illustrated . as illustrated , the farrowing boxes are 8 feet long and 5 โฒ 4 โณ wide to give each farrowing box 42 square feet inside . each alley 18 to the left and the right of the farrowing box area 14 is 7 feet wide bringing the total width of the building to 30 feet . the total length of the building is 50 feet which provides adequate storage space 26 and a forward area 20 . the generic farrowing building 12 as illustrated is a hoop building that protects the farrowing boxes 16 from snow , wind , and rain . the structure should be 14 feet wide to accommodate one 8 foot long nesting box and a 6 foot wide alley and have a length to accommodate as many 5 โฒ 4 โณ farrowing boxes 16 as can be placed in the barn 12 for each female hog that is farrowing . the floor of the farrowing building 12 may be dirt , concrete , or other material . the floor is illustrated in fig6 as numeral 70 . the entire floor of the building 12 is covered with a half inch of ag lime # 3 . this layer is illustrated in fig6 as numeral 66 and acts as a disinfectant and barrier to pathogens in the floor . the area of the floor under the nesting boxes is bedded with a 4 inch layer shell and bone dry lime stone 68 to insulate gilt . to encourage the female hog to nest , โ
to ยฝ of a small bale of long stemmed straw ( 20 lbs ) illustrated as numeral 64 is placed in the farrowing box 16 . as seen in fig3 , the farrowing box 16 has a front 28 , back 30 , both having cross bars 31 for structural support . joining the back 30 to the front 28 are sides 32 which are attached to the back 28 and front 30 by corner braces 33 . the front 28 , back 30 , and sides 32 together form an open bottom 34 and an open top 36 . on the front 28 is an entrance 37 positioned over a removable door 38 that slides along grooves 40 on each side of the entrance 37 . above the removable door 38 is a 4 โณ by 24 โณ plastic roller 42 that helps the female hog prevent damaging her pre - farrowing underside and udder . the plastic roller 42 may be used with the above described farrowing box 16 , summer pasture hut farrowing boxes , or other farrowing environments in the prior art . on each side of the farrowing box 16 are anti - crush boards 44 . these boards 44 help prevent the piglets from being crushed up against sides 32 accidentally by the female hog . crossbars 46 extend across the front and back sides of the farrowing box . the plastic roller 42 is placed upon the front crossbar 46 during construction and spins about the front crossbar 46 . also seen within the nesting area are rods 48 . these rods prevent two female hogs from lying down and sharing a farrowing box 16 together . as mentioned earlier , gilts are social animals and will sometimes co - mingle in the same farrowing box 16 without the use of rods 48 . the rods 48 enable a female hog to maneuver within the box 16 but not to lay down except within a center channel in alignment with the entrance thus preventing piglet crushing . fig9 illustrates anti - crush rods 48 which are moveable between a nesting position where the rods 48 are extended outward to permit the pre - farrowing female hog to build a nest without obstructions of the rods 48 and a nursing position wherein the rods are moved parallel such that only one female hog may lay in the farrowing box at a time to nurse her piglets . the nursing position significantly prevents piglet crushing by preventing two female hogs from being with the same farrowing box 16 at the same time and to designate an area where the nursing mother may lay which further prevents piglet crushing . the rod 48 is moveable between the nesting position and the nursing position . the rod 48 may be used with the above described farrowing box , summer pasture hut farrowing boxes , or other farrowing environments in the prior art . the rod 48 is supported by a u - bolt 81 affixed under the front crossboard 46 . the rod 48 travels through the u - bolt 81 and a pin 80 placed through the rod prevent the rod 48 from moving outward into the inner nesting area . a hole 82 within the creep area crossboard 46 is raised off the ground approximately 12 โณ to effectively remove the rod 48 from interfering with the nesting of the female hog . downward support bars 84 are on the outside of the wooden crossboard 46 and extend about 4 โณ downward . the downward support bars 84 permit the rod 48 to be slid into place at approximately 8 โณ off the floor of the farrowing box 16 . in addition , the bars 84 also deter the mothering hogs from pushing material into the creep area . the rod 48 is a ยพ โณ steel pipe that will not be damaged by the female hog . the rod 48 is moved between the nesting and nursing positions by removing pin 80 , pushing the rod 48 into the nesting area and then pulling the rod 48 through the entrance 37 which removes the rod 48 out of hole 82 , the rod 48 is then placed into the bars 84 , and finally the rod 48 is placed into the u - bolt 81 and the pin 80 placed through the rod 48 to prevent movement past the u - bolt 81 . the rod 48 is moved between the nursing and nesting positions similarly but with reverse order of steps . a sloped creep front 50 is in position at the back 30 of the farrowing box 16 . this is sloped forward and has holes 52 through which wiring 54 runs to lamps 56 . the sloped creep front 50 defines a creep area level with the anti - crush boards 44 . a mesh wire abuts the bottom of the creep area and prevents straw bedding 64 from touching the lamps 56 . the farrowing box 16 as shown is equipped with two 250 watt heat lamps 56 . these heat lamps 56 maintain a minimum 70 ยฐ f . temperature in the creep area and a minimum of 50 ยฐ f . in the nesting / nursing area . ideally , the heat lamps 56 maintain a 90 ยฐ f . temperature in the creep area and a 70 ยฐ f . in the nesting / nursing area . the heat lamps 56 may be controlled by a thermostat . the heat lamps 56 maintain these temperatures even when the external temperatures outside the farrowing building are at โ 12 ยฐ f . with a โ 35 ยฐ f . wind chill . the heat lamps 56 are protected from the female hog and piglets by the solid plywood barrier 50 . the wire mesh 58 is ยผ inch wire mesh and is an effective barrier below the heat lamp to prevent the heat lamps from contacting the straw bedding and to prevent the lamp from straw contact from the nesting female hog , and protect the piglets and female hog in the unlikely event that the lamps become loose or explode . insulation 62 is placed on the open top 36 of the farrowing box 16 . additionally , a plastic vapor barrier 63 may be placed in use with the styrofoam insulation 62 . the plastic vapor barrier 63 is typically a 6 ml clear plastic barrier . the insulation 62 is typically 2 inch thick styrofoam panel ( r10 ) heat loss barrier . a covering may be placed upon the door to prevent heat loss out of the farrowing box 16 . as seen in fig7 and 8 , this door 76 may be a 3 ร 2 foot insulating carpet square or it may be insulating plastic sheets 78 overlapping . the plastic sheets 78 may provide the additional benefit of being clear and permitting a female hog to see within the farrowing box 16 . as seen in fig4 , the piglets 73 are shown standing without their mother in the nesting area . the piglets 73 may alternatively rest underneath the heat lamps in the creep area or under the anti - crush boards 44 and anti - crushing rods 48 . fig5 illustrates a female hog 72 which may be a sow or gilt . sows are older female hogs which have already had one litter and gilts are female hogs having their first litter . the female hog 72 is shown with a nose ring 74 . the nose ring 74 prevents the female hog 72 from rooting in the alley and encourages the female hog 72 to root and build a nest in the farrowing box 16 . the use of the farrowing system will now be described . approximately 12 hours before a gilt is due to farrow she will start looking for a nest site and will move into the farrowing box 16 and isolate herself from other female hogs . the 4 โณ inch plastic roller on the approximately 12 inch high entrance prevents any bruising of the female hogs 72 large pre - farrowing underline and udder . the female hog 72 will root in the 4 โณ dry limestone layer and proceed to build a nest with the straw that is provided in the farrowing box 16 . she will tend to mound the straw in the middle of the farrowing box 16 causing the newborn piglets 73 to move to the sides 32 under the anti - crushing boards 44 , anti - crush bars 48 , and under the sloped creep front 50 . the gilt will lie in the box facing the door and the piglets 73 will be born next to the heat source 56 in the creep area under the sloped creep front 50 . the female hog 72 is discouraged to farrow in the bare outside alley 18 because there is no nesting material , such as bone limestone 68 or straw bedding 64 , and because by instinct wants to isolate her new piglets 73 from the other female hogs . the female hog may have a ring 74 inserted in her snout to further prevent rooting in the alley 18 . after farrowing , the female hog 72 will lie in the farrowing box 16 and vocalize and nurse her piglets 73 for about 12 hours before she will get up and go outside into the alley 18 to urinate and defecate . she will then go to the end of the farrowing building 12 and eat and drink from the feeder 22 and waterer 24 . the female hog 72 will then go back to her farrowing box by scenting her piglets 73 . the female hog 72 will only go back into the farrowing box 16 holding her piglets 73 because of her mothering instinct . the female hog 72 will nurse her piglets in the farrowing box 16 and continue to go outside over the farrowing box roller 42 to urinate , defecate , eat and drink . this results in the farrowing box 16 staying dry and warm for the piglets health and comfort . after about 14 days the lower door 38 of the farrowing box 16 is removed and the piglets 73 will naturally start to follow their mother outside and integrate with the other piglets and mothers . the piglets will follow their mother to the end of the structure and will begin to eat and drink with her . the piglets also learn to urinate and defecate in the alley 18 and thus their farrowing box 16 , that they will always return to , will stay dry and warm . the farrowing box 16 will always provide the female hog 73 and her litter a safe haven from the environment outside the farrowing boxes 16 . the piglets 73 continue to nurse their mother and eat and drink with her until about six weeks of age when they are weaned at approximately 35 pounds . weaning is done by removing the female hog 72 from the area and by allowing the piglets 73 to stay in their normal environment which eliminates much of the weaning stress of the piglets 73 . the piglets continue to each and drink from the self feeder 22 and waterer 24 at the end of the farrowing building . at eight weeks of age the piglets 73 are 50 to 55 pounds and marketed as feeder pigs and removed from the building . for cleaning , the farrowing boxes 16 are removed from the building 12 by picking them up with a front end loader ( not shown ) attached by chain such that the cross beam 60 can be lifted up . the limestone 66 and 68 , straw 64 and manure are then mechanically removed with the front end loader and spread on crop ground as valuable natural fertilizer that is dry and virtually odor free . the cycle begins again by placing a ยฝ โณ layer of ag lime # 3 spread over the entire floor 70 of the building 12 as a disinfectant and barrier to pathogens in the floor . the entire process is an eight - week cycle . the cycle is further enhanced utilizing a once - bred gilt system . this system utilizes a genetic line of hogs which reach reproductive maturity quickly . ideally the female hogs are induced to go into heat by being placed near a boar such that their first heat is between 5ยฝ to 6 months of age . the female hogs are then artificially inseminated such that they farrow at approximately 9ยผ months of age . the mother may then be weaned at approximately 10ยฝ to 11 months of age where they may then be marketed as market hogs . this is valuable because market hogs command a higher price than hogs older than one year of age . during warm seasons , the insulation 62 and vapor barrier 63 are removed from the farrowing boxes and the heat lamps 56 turned off by thermostat . in addition , the farrowing building 12 may have windows and doors opened . utilizing these steps , the farrowing system for cold environments may be modified to be used during the hot summer months . as seen in the below table , the results of using the above - described cold farrowing system is as effective if not more effective than summer pasture hut farrowing . * results from cold weather farrowing in hoop building temperatures tested at โ 12 ยฐ f . with a wind chill of โ 35 ยฐ f . below . ** outdoor pig production : a pasture farrowing herd in western iowa honeyman , mark and rousch , wayne publication number isrf98 - 10 the invention has been shown and described above for the preferred embodiments , and it is understood that many modifications , substitutions , and additions may be made which are within the intended spirit and scope of the invention . in the foregoing , it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of its stated objectives in a cold environment and with minor modifications can be used in warm seasons to improve pasture hut farrowing results . | 0Human Necessities
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hereinafter , the present invention is concretely described with reference to some of the most preferable embodiments of the present invention . however , these embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention in scope . fig2 is a sectional view of the image forming apparatus equipped with a controlling apparatus ( device ) for controlling the fixing apparatus ( device ) in this embodiment . it shows the general structure of the apparatus . the image forming apparatus 100 is a full - color laser beam printer , which uses an electrophotographic image forming method . there are disposed in tandem the first , second , third , and fourth image forming sections pa - pd , in the main assembly of the apparatus . in the image forming sections pa - pd , monochromatic toner images , which are different in color , are formed one for one , through processes of forming a latent image , developing the latent image , and transferring the developed latent image . the image forming sections pa - pd have drum - shaped electrophotographic photosensitive components , more specifically , photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d as their own image bearing components , respectively . the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d are rotationally driven in the direction indicated by arrow marks r 1 in fig2 , at a preset peripheral velocity . it is on these photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d that monochromatic toner images , different in color , are formed one for one . there is disposed next to the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d , an intermediary transfer belt 130 , as an intermediary transferring component . as the toner images , different in color , are formed on the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d , one for one , they are transferred ( primary transfer ) onto the intermediary transfer belt 130 , in the primary transfer sections n 1 a - n 1 d , respectively . then , they are transferred ( secondary transfer ) onto a sheet p of recording paper , in the secondary transfer section n 2 . after the transfer of the toner images onto the sheet p of recording paper , the sheet p is conveyed to a fixing apparatus ( device ) 9 , in which the sheet p and the toner images thereon are subjected to heat and pressure . thus , the toner images become fixed to the sheet p . thereafter , the sheet p is discharged , as a print , from the main assembly of the apparatus . the image forming sections pa - pd are also provided with charge rollers 2 a - 2 d as charging means , and developing devices 1 a - 1 d as developing means , which are disposed in the adjacencies of the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d , respectively . also disposed in the adjacencies of the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d are primary transfer rollers 24 a - 24 d as primary transferring means , and cleaners 4 a - 4 d as cleaning means . further , there are disposed above the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d , laser scanners la - ld , as exposing means , which are equipped with a light source and a polygonal mirror . the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d are roughly uniformly charged by the charge rollers 2 a - 2 d , respectively . then , the charged portion of each photosensitive drum 3 is exposed by the laser scanner l ( la , lb , lc or ld ). a beam of laser light emitted by the light source is deflected by a rotating polygon mirror in a manner of scanning the charged portion of the photosensitive drum 3 , is changed in direction by a reflection mirror , and is focused by an f - ฮธ lens onto the generatrix of the photosensitive drum 3 ( 3 a , 3 b , 3 c or 3 d ). consequently , four electrostatic images ( latent images ), which correspond to the image formation signals , are effected on the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d , one for one . the developing devices 1 a - 1 d contain a preset amount of yellow , magenta , cyan , and black toners , as developer ), respectively . they are replenished with toner , as necessary , by replenishing devices 117 a - 117 d , respectively . they develop the latent images on the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d into visible images , more specifically , yellow , magenta , cyan and black toner images , respectively . the intermediary transfer belt 130 is being rotationally driven , in the direction indicated by an arrow mark a , at the same peripheral velocity as the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d . in an operation for forming a full - color image , for example , first , a yellow toner image ( image of first color ) is formed on the photosensitive drum 3 a . this yellow toner image is transferred ( primary transfer ) onto the outward surface of the intermediary transfer belt 130 ( with reference to loop which belt forms ), while the yellow toner image is conveyed through the nip ( primary transfer nip ) n 1 a , which is the area of contact between the photosensitive drum 3 a and intermediary transfer belt 130 . while the yellow toner image is conveyed through the primary transfer nip n 1 a , the primary transfer bias is applied to the intermediary transfer belt 130 by way of the primary transfer roller 24 a . thus , the yellow toner image on the photosensitive drum 3 a is transferred onto the intermediary transfer belt 130 by the combination of the electric field generated by the primary transfer bias , and the pressure in the primary transfer nip n 1 a . similarly , the magenta toner image ( toner image of second color ), cyan toner image ( toner image of third color ), and black toner image ( toner image of fourth color ) are sequentially transferred in layers onto the intermediary transfer belt 130 . consequently , a full - color image , which reflects the image formation signals , is synthetically formed . the secondary transfer section is provided with the secondary transfer roller 11 as a secondary transferring means which is supported by a pair of bearings , in parallel to the intermediary transfer belt 130 , and also , in contact with the downwardly facing portion of the outward surface of the intermediary transfer belt 130 . to the secondary transfer roller 11 , a preset secondary transfer bias is applied by a secondary transfer bias power source . meanwhile , sheets p of recording paper are conveyed to the secondary transfer section by a recording paper supplying means . more specifically , the sheets p are conveyed one by one to the secondary transfer nip from a sheet feeder cassette 10 , by way of a pair of registration rollers 12 , an upstream transfer guide ( unshown ), etc ., with such a timing that each sheet p of recording paper arrives at a preset point in time , at the secondary transfer nip , which is the area of contact between the intermediary transfer belt 130 and secondary transfer roller 11 . while the sheet p is conveyed through the secondary transfer nip , the secondary transfer bias is applied to the secondary transfer roller 11 from a secondary transfer bias power source . thus , the synthetic full - color toner image , which is made up of the four monochromatic toner images , different in color , which were transferred in layers onto the intermediary transfer belt 130 , is transferred ( secondary transfer ) onto the sheet p or recording paper . by the way , the toner ( transfer residual toner ) which is remaining on the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d after the completion of the primary transfer , is removed and recovered by the cleaners 4 a - 4 d . that is , the photosensitive drums 3 a - 3 d are cleaned so that they can be used for the formation of the next latent images . as for the transfer residual toner , and other contaminants , remaining on the intermediary transfer belt 130 , they are wiped way by a cleaning web ( unwoven cloth ) which is placed in contact with the surface of the intermediary transfer belt 130 . after the transfer of the toner images onto the sheet p of recording paper , in the second transfer section , the sheet p is introduced into a fixing device 9 , which will be described later in detail . in the fixing device 9 , heat and pressure are applied to the sheet p and toner image ( s ) thereon . consequently , the toner image ( s ) becomes fixed to the sheet p . in this embodiment , the controlling apparatus ( device ) for controlling the fixing device as an image heating device is provided with an automatic mode and a user mode ( manual mode ), which will be described later . the controlling device may be a part of an image forming apparatus , like the one in this embodiment , or a part of a fixing device , like the one with which a fixing device is provided in a case where the fixing device is independent from the image forming apparatus . fig3 is a sectional view of the fixing device 9 , while it is not in the state in which it can perform neither an operation for refreshing the fixation roller , nor an operation for refreshing the pressure roller . it shows the structure of the fixing device 9 . the fixing device 9 has a fixation roller ( thermally fixing component ) 40 , which is a rotational heating component ( first rotational component ) for heating the image on a sheet p of recording paper . the fixing device 9 has also a pressure roller ( pneumatic fixing component ) 41 , which is a rotational pressure applying component ( second rotational component ). it is pressed upon the fixation roller 40 to form a nip ( fixation nip ). as a sheet p of recording paper , on which a toner image is present , is conveyed through the fixation nip , remaining pinched between the pressure roller 41 and fixation roller 40 , while the fixation roller 40 is heated by a heat source 40 a disposed in the hollow of the fixation roller 40 , the toner image becomes fixed to the sheet p . further , the fixing device 9 is provided with a fixation roller refreshing system 50 , which can be placed in contact with , or separated from , the fixation roller 40 . it is also provided with a pressure roller refreshing system 60 , which can be placed in contact with , or separated from , the pressure roller 41 . referring to fig3 , the fixation roller 40 is made up of a metallic core ( sustratative layer ) 40 b , an elastic layer 40 c , and a parting layer 40 d . the elastic layer 40 c is formed of rubber , on the peripheral surface of the metallic core 40 b . the parting layer 40 d is the surface layer of the fixation roller 40 . it covers the elastic layer 40 c . more concretely , in this embodiment , the metallic core 40 b is a piece of hollow aluminum tube which is 68 mm in external diameter . the elastic layer 40 c is formed of silicone rubber , and is 20 ยฐ in rubber hardness ( jis - a : under 1 kg of weight ), and is 1 . 0 mm in thickness . the parting layer 40 d , which covers the outward surface of the elastic layer 40 c , is formed of fluorinated resin , and is 50 ฮผm in thickness . thus , the fixation roller 40 is 70 mm in external diameter . the fixation roller 40 is rotatably supported by a pair of supporting components located at the lengthwise ends of the metallic core 40 b ( in terms of direction parallel to rotational axis of metallic core 40 b ). it is rotationally driven by an unshown motor as a driving means , in the direction indicated by an arrow mark in fig3 . the material for the parting layer is a piece of tube made of fluorinated resin , such as pfa resin ( copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene resin and perfluoroalkoxylethylene ), ptfe ( tetrafluoroethylene ), or the like , which is excellent in parting properties . the material for the parting layer of the fixation roller 40 in this embodiment is a piece of pfa resin tube . the parting layer 40 d , which is the surface layer of the fixation roller 40 is desired to be no less than 30 ฮผm , and no more than 100 ฮผm , in thickness . the fixation roller 40 internally holds a halogen heater 40 a as its heat source . its temperature is kept by a combination of a temperature sensor 42 a and a temperature control circuit , within a range of 150 - 180 ยฐ c ., in which toner is fixable to a sheet p of recording paper . this target temperature has to be varied according to recording paper type . by the way , in this embodiment , the peripheral velocity of the fixation roller 40 was set to 220 mm / sec . this peripheral velocity of the fixation roller 40 is equivalent to the process speed ( image outputting speed ) of the image forming apparatus 100 . at this time , the changes in the surface condition of the fixation roller 40 , which are caused by a sheet p of recording medium as the sheet p is conveyed through the fixing device 9 , are described . hereafter , the portions of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 , which the side edges ( lateral edges ) of a sheet p of recording paper contact , are referred to as paper edge portions . as the problem that the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 is gradually roughened by the side edges ( lateral edges ) of a sheet of recording paper was examined by the inventors of the present invention , the following became evident . that is , as a substantial number of sheets p of recording paper are conveyed through the fixing device 9 in such a manner that the sheets always contact the same portion of the fixation roller 40 in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation roller 40 , the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 becomes nonuniform in surface roughness , as will be described next . that is , referring to fig8 , the paper path portion ( i ), out - of - paper - path portions ( ii ), and paper edge portions ( iii ), or the borderline between the paper path portion ( i ) and out - of - paper - path portion ( ii ), of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 , become different in surface roughness . when the fixation roller 40 is in the new condition , the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 , which is the outward surface of the parting layer formed of fluorinated resin or the like , is in the mirror - like condition ; the surface roughness rz ( jis : ten point average roughness ) is roughly in a range of 0 . 1 ฮผm - 0 . 3 ฮผm . in comparison , as a substantial number of sheets p of recording paper are conveyed through the fixing device 9 , the portion of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 , which corresponds in position to the recording paper path ( portion which comes into contact with recording paper ) is gradually eroded by being attacked by the fibers , internal and external additives of the recording paper . thus , the surface roughness of this portion of the fixation roller 40 gradually increases to roughly 0 . 5 ฮผm - 1 . 0 ฮผm . the out - of - paper - path portions ( ii ) of the peripheral surface 40 d of the fixation roller 40 contact the peripheral surface 41 d of the pressure roller 41 which opposes the fixation roller 40 . thus , the surface roughness rz of the out - of - paper - path portions ( ii ) of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 settles to a value in a range of 0 . 4 ฮผm - 0 . 7 ฮผm . thus , the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 is made nonuniform in surface condition , in terms of the lengthwise direction of the fixation roller 40 , by the conveyance of sheets p of recording paper through the fixing device 9 , as described above . next , the relationship between the condition of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 and the nonuniformity in gloss of an image outputted from the fixation roller 40 is described . in order to fix an unfixed toner image to a sheet p of recording paper , the fixing device 9 applies pressure and heat to the sheet p and the unfixed toner image thereon . during this process , the surface condition ( presence of numerous minute peaks and valleys ) of the peripheral surface of the fixing device 9 is transferred onto the surface of the toner image as the sheet p is conveyed through the fixing device 9 . thus , the surface condition of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 , more specifically , the nonuniformity of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 , makes the toner image on a sheet p of recording paper nonuniform in surface condition while the sheet p is conveyed through the fixing device 9 . consequently , the image forming apparatus 100 outputs images which are nonuniform in gloss ( fig8 ). generally speaking , with regards to surface gloss , if a surface is capable of highly accurately reflecting an optical image , the surface is recognized as highly glossy , whereas if a surface is incapable of highly accurately reflecting an optical image , it is recognized as low in gloss or not glossy . for example , in a case where an image such as a silver - salt photographic image is seen under florescent illumination , not only is the light from the florescent bulb reflected by the image surface , but also , the shape of the florescent bulb can be seen in the image surface . in such a case , the image is thought to be highly glossy , whether consciously or unconsciously . this means that the surface of the photographic image is in the mirror - like condition , that is , being virtually free of visible peaks and valleys . on the other hand , if a surface is low in gloss , the opposites can be said . that is , in the case of an image which is low in gloss , the minute peaks and valleys which its surface has are relatively large . therefore , as the light from a florescent bulb hits the surface , it is randomly reflected , and therefore , the shape of the florescent bulb is not recognizable in the surface of the image . that is , there is a correlation between the surface condition ( presence of minute peaks and valleys ) of an image , and the glossiness of the image . therefore , if a fixation roller having deteriorated in surface condition is used to fix an image to highly glossy recording medium , such as coated paper , which is used to yield high quality images , an image forming apparatus ( fixing device ) is likely to output images which are nonuniform in gloss . for example , an image forming apparatus ( fixing device ) is likely to output images which have unwanted lines which are low in gloss and correspond in position to the paper edge portions of the fixation roller 40 , images which are nonuniform in gloss because of the difference in gloss between its portion corresponding to the paper - path portion of the fixation roller , and its portions corresponding to the out - of - sheet - path portions of the fixation roller , and the like images . hereafter , the difference in gloss between a portion of an image , which corresponds in position to the paper edge portion ( iii ) of the fixation roller 40 , and the portion of the image , which corresponds in position to the sheet - path portion ( i ) of the fixation roller , is referred to as a paper edge scar , and so is the difference in gloss between the portion of an image , which corresponds in position to the paper edge portion ( iii ) of the fixation roller . in comparison , the difference in gloss between the portion of an image , which corresponds in position to the paper - path portion ( i ) of the fixation roller , and the portion of the image , which corresponds in position to the out - of - sheet - path portion ( ii ) of the fixation roller is referred to as gloss nonuniformity . the sheet edge portion ( iii ) is roughly 1 - 2 mm in width . that is , it is very narrow . therefore , the difference in gloss between the portion of an image , which corresponds in position to the paper - path ( i ) of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 , and the portion of the image , which corresponds in position to the out - of - paper - path portions ( ii ) of the fixation roller 40 , is more conspicuous than the paper edge scars , regardless of severity in roughness of the sheet edge portions of the fixation roller . at this time , the fixation roller refreshing system 50 is described . referring to fig4 , a refreshing roller ( abrading roller ) 52 , which is an abrading component ( first rotational abrading component ), is made up of a metallic ( stainless steel sus 304 ) core 53 which is 12 mm in external diameter , and an abrasive layer ( surface layer ) 33 which covers the peripheral surface of the metallic core 53 . more concretely , the abrasive layer 33 is formed by forming an adhesive layer ( intermediary layer ) 54 on the peripheral surface of the metallic core 53 , and then , densely adhering abrasive particles , as abrasive material 55 , to the adhesive layer 54 ( peripheral surface of the metallic core 53 ). fig7 is an enlarged schematic sectional view of the refreshing roller 52 . as the abrasive 55 of which the abrasive layer 33 ( surface layer ) of the refreshing roller 52 is formed , minute particles of one of the following substances , and their mixtures , can be listed . more specifically , minute particles of aluminum oxide , aluminum hydroxide , silicon oxide , cerium oxide , titanium oxide , zirconia , lithium silicate , silicon nitride , iron oxide , chrome oxide , antimony oxide , diamond , etc ., may be listed . in this embodiment , alumina ( aluminum oxide ) ( which is referred to as alundum or morundum ) was used as the abrasive 55 . alumina - based abrasive is the most widely used abrasive . it is substantially higher in hardness than the fixation roller 40 . further , its edges are acute - angled . therefore , it is excellent in terms of abrasiveness . thus , it is suitable as the abrasive 55 for this embodiment . the alumina - based abrasive used for this embodiment was no less than 5 ฮผm and no more than 20 ฮผm in particles size . thus , the abrasive layer 33 is such a layer that is no less than 5 ฮผm and no more than 20 ฮผm in thickness . this range ( 5 ฮผm and no more than 20 ฮผm in thickness ) was a range in which the refreshing roller 52 can effectively refresh the fixation roller 40 in surface condition , while keeping the fixation roller 40 satisfactory in surface properties . the refreshing roller 52 is rotatably supported by a pair of supporting components located at the lengthwise ( parallel to rotational axis of roller ) ends of the metallic core 53 . referring to fig4 , the refreshing roller 52 is rotationally drivable by a motor 74 as a driving means . further , the supporting components located at the lengthwise ends , one for one , of the refreshing roller 52 are kept under the pressure generated by a pair of compression springs ( unshown ) as pressure applying means . therefore , the refreshing roller 52 is pressed upon the pressure roller 41 by a preset amount of pressure . therefore , an abrading nip , which has a preset width in terms of the rotational direction of the refreshing roller 52 and the fixation roller 40 , is formed between the refreshing roller 52 and the fixation roller 40 . the refreshing roller 52 may be rotated in either the same direction of rotation as the fixation roller 40 , or the opposite direction as the fixation roller 40 , such that their peripheral surfaces move in the area of contact ( abrading section ) between the refreshing roller 52 and the fixation roller 40 . further , the refreshing roller 52 is disposed so that it can be placed in contact with , or separated from , the fixation roller 40 by a refreshing roller positioning mechanism . referring to fig3 , the pressure roller 41 is made up of a metallic core ( sustrative layer ) 41 b , an elastic layer 41 c , and a parting layer 41 d . the elastic layer 41 c is formed of rubber , on the peripheral surface of the metallic core 41 b . the parting layer 41 d is the surface layer of the pressure roller 41 , and covers the elastic layer 41 c . more concretely , in this embodiment , the metallic core 41 b is a piece of hollow aluminum tube which is 48 mm in external diameter . the elastic layer 41 c is formed of silicone rubber and is 20 ยฐ in rubber hardness ( jis - a : under 1 kg of weight ), and is 2 . 0 mm in thickness . the parting layer 41 d , which covers the outward surface of the elastic layer 41 c , is formed of fluorinated resin , and is 50 ฮผm in thickness . thus , the pressure roller 41 is 50 mm in external diameter . the pressure roller 41 is rotatably supported by a pair of supporting components located at the lengthwise ( direction parallel to axial line of metallic core ) ends of the metallic core 40 b . the pair of pressure roller supporting components located at the lengthwise ends of the pressure roller 41 are kept pressed by a pair of compression springs ( unshown ), as pressure applying means , one for one . thus , the pressure roller 41 remains pressed upon the fixation roller 40 by a preset amount of pressure . therefore , a fixation nip , which has a preset width in terms of the direction in which the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 and that of the pressure roller 41 move , is formed between the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 . in this embodiment , the total amount of pressure by which the pressure roller 41 is kept pressed upon the fixation roller 40 is 800 n . the pressure roller 41 internally holds a halogen heater 41 a as a heat source . its temperature is kept by a combination of a temperature sensor 42 b and a temperature control circuit , within a range of 90 - 110 ยฐ c ., which does not make the first and second surfaces of a sheet p of recording paper different in gloss in the two - sided mode , and also , the pressure roller 41 does not substantially reduce the fixation roller 40 in temperature . if the temperature of the pressure roller 41 substantially exceeds its target level , the pressure roller 41 is cooled by an unshown cooling fan or the like to reduce the temperature of the pressure roller 41 to the target level . this target temperature level is varied according to recording paper type , or the like factor . at this time , the changes in the surface condition of the fixation roller 40 , which are caused by a sheet p of recording medium as the sheet p is conveyed through the fixing device 9 , are described . there is a problem that as the fixing device 9 increases in the cumulative number of times sheets p of recording medium were conveyed through the fixing device 9 , the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 is gradually roughened by the contaminants such as paper dust . thus , the inventors of the present invention studied the adhesion of paper dust to the pressure roller 41 . as a result , the following became evident . by the way , the frequency with which the pressure roller 41 comes into contact with the toner image on a sheet p of recording medium is less than the frequency with which the fixation roller 40 does . therefore , it may be said that the pressure roller 41 is smaller than the fixation roller 40 , in terms of the effect they have upon the above described paper edge scars , which results in the formation of images which are nonuniform in gloss . each time a sheet p of recording paper moves through the fixation nip , calcium carbonate , and the like , which are ingredients of the paper dust which originates from the sheet p , adhere to the surface layer of the pressure roller 41 , although by an extremely small amount . the surface layer of the pressure roller 41 , which is formed of fluorinated resin , is excellent in parting properties . normally , therefore , it is unlikely that the paper accumulates on the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 . however , the temperature of the pressure roller 41 is kept relatively low as described above . in the case of the fixation roller 40 , there is a toner image between the fixation roller 40 and a sheet p of recording paper . therefore , it may be said that the amount by which paper dust ingredients adhere to the fixation roller 40 will be very small . as the amount of the paper dust having adhered to the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 exceeds a certain value , the pressure roller 41 substantially loses its parting properties . consequently , the paper dust begins to acceleratedly accumulate on the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 . fig9 is an enlarged view of the paper edge portions of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 and those of the pressure roller 41 , and their adjacencies , it shows the paper dust on the pressure roller 41 . more specifically , after a substantial amount of paper dust adhered to this portion of the pressure roller 41 , a sheet of glossy paper ( coated paper ) was used to form a monochromatic black toner image on both the first and second surfaces the sheet . then , the glossiness of the toner image on the first surface was measured . then , the obtained values were plotted along the points of measurement of the fixation roller 40 . as is evident from fig9 , as a given point of the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 reduces in surface roughness due to the paper dust adhesion , it reduces in fixation performance ( ability to conduct heat to toner ). thus , the point of the resultant image , which corresponds to the given point , is significantly less in gloss . next , a separation claw mechanism 70 , which is a sheet separating unit , is described . referring to fig5 , the fixing device 9 is provided with multiple separation claws 71 , which are disposed in the adjacencies of the pressure roller 41 , being aligned in tandem in the lengthwise direction of the pressure roller 41 , as shown in fig1 . the separation claws 71 prevent a sheet p of recording paper from wrapping around the pressure roller 41 , by being placed in contact with the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 , when the sheet p is discharged from the fixation nip while remaining in contact with the pressure roller 41 . a sheet p of recording paper , which is high in rigidity , is less likely to wrap around the pressure roller 41 at the sheet exit of the fixation nip . therefore , when the sheets p of recording paper which are used for an image forming operation is higher in rigidity than a certain value , it is unnecessary for the separation claws 71 to be placed in contact with the pressure roller 41 . thus , the fixing device 9 is structured so that the separation claws 7 can be placed in contact with , or separated from , the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 . it is impossible to accurately obtain the rigidity of a sheet of recording paper . in this embodiment , therefore , whether the separation claws 71 need to be placed in contact with , or kept separated from , the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 , is determined based on whether or not the recording paper is coated paper , and / or based on the basis weight of the recording paper . further , in a case where a toner image is present on the surface of a sheet p of recording medium , which is facing the pressure roller 41 , as when the image forming apparatus 100 is in the two - sided image forming mode , the adhesiveness of the toner image comes into play . therefore , it is more likely for the sheet p to wrap around the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 . thus , when the image forming apparatus 100 is in the two - sided mode which makes it likely for a toner image to be on the surface of a sheet p of recording medium , which is facing the pressure roller 41 , the separation claws 71 are placed in contact with , or kept separated from , the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 , based on table 1 ( which shows , in numerical value , conditions in which separation claws are to be placed in contact with , or kept separated , from pressure roller ), in which โ ordinary paper โ includes high quality paper with no coating , recycled paper , and the like , and โ other โ includes all the other categories of sheet of recording medium such as a sheet of plastic film for an overhead projector which does not belong to the โ coated paper โ category . next , a system 60 for refreshing the pressure roller 41 is described . referring to fig5 , a refreshing roller 62 ( roughening roller ) which is an abrading component ( second rotational abrading component ) is made up of a metallic ( stainless steel sus 304 ) core 53 which is 12 mm in external diameter , and an abrasive layer ( surface layer ) 33 which covers the peripheral surface of the metallic core 53 . more concretely , the abrasive layer 33 was formed by forming an adhesive layer ( intermediary layer ) 54 on the peripheral surface of the metallic core 53 , and then , densely adhering abrasive particles , as abrasive material , to the adhesive layer 54 ( peripheral surface of the metallic core 53 ). fig7 is an enlarged schematic sectional view of the refreshing roller 62 . as the abrasive 55 of which abrasive layer 33 ( surface layer ) of the refreshing roller 62 is formed , minute particles of the following substances , and their mixtures , can be listed . more specifically , minute particles of aluminum oxide , aluminum hydroxide , silicon oxide , cerium oxide , titanium oxide , zirconia , lithium silicate , silicon nitride , iron oxide , chrome oxide , antimony oxide , diamond , etc ., may be listed . in this embodiment , alumina ( aluminum oxide ) ( which is referred to as alundum or morundum ) was used as the abrasive 55 . alumina - based abrasive is the most widely used abrasive . it is substantially higher in hardness than the pressure roller 41 . further , its edges are acutely angled . therefore , it is excellent in terms of abrasiveness . thus , it is suitable as the abrasive 55 for this embodiment . the alumina - based abrasive used for this embodiment was no less than 5 ฮผm and no more than 20 ฮผm in particles size . thus , the abrasive layer 33 is such a layer that is no less than 5 ฮผm and no more than 20 ฮผm in thickness . this range ( 5 ฮผm and no more than 20 ฮผm in thickness ) was in a range in which refreshing roller 62 can effectively refresh the pressure roller 41 in surface condition , while keeping the pressure roller 41 satisfactory in surface properties . the refreshing roller 62 is rotatably supported by a pair of supporting components located at the lengthwise ( parallel to rotational axis of refreshing roller ) ends of the metallic core 53 . referring to fig6 , the refreshing roller 62 is rotationally drivable by a motor 64 as a driving means . further , the supporting components located at the lengthwise ends , one for one , of the refreshing roller 62 are under the pressure generated by a pair of compression springs ( unshown ) as pressure applying means . therefore , the refreshing roller 62 is pressed upon the pressure roller 41 by a preset amount of pressure . therefore , an abrading nip , which has a preset width in terms of the rotational direction of the refreshing roller 62 and the pressure roller 41 , is formed between the refreshing roller 62 and the pressure roller 41 . the refreshing roller 62 may be rotated in either the same direction as the pressure roller 41 , or the opposite direction as the pressure roller 41 , such that their peripheral surfaces move in the area of contact ( abrading section ) between the refreshing roller 62 and the pressure roller 41 . further , the refreshing roller 62 is disposed so that it can be placed in contact with , or separated from , the pressure roller 41 by a refreshing roller positioning mechanism 61 . 8 . difference between fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 in terms of surface layer condition as described above , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 are different from each other in the reason why their surface layer changes in condition . the fixation roller 40 is higher in a target temperature level for their temperature control . that is , the fixation roller 40 melts toner to fix the toner to a sheet of recording paper . therefore , the changes in the surface roughness of the fixation roller 40 are more likely to affect the gloss which the image on the sheet p will be given while the sheet p is conveyed through the fixation nip , than those of the pressure roller 41 . in other words , if paper edges scars are made by the pressure roller 41 , they are likely to be inconspicuous , but if they are made by the fixation roller 40 , they are likely to be recognized as nonuniformity in gloss . further in the case of a fixing device such as the one in this embodiment which is for forming high quality images which are highly glossy , the fixing device 9 is operated without placing the separating components in contact with the fixation roller 40 . in such a case , the accumulation of paper dust on the pressure roller 41 , and the pressure roller scars attributable to the separation claws are the primary factors which affect the nonuniformity in image gloss . the amount by which paper dust is generated by each sheet p of recording medium is extremely small . it is unlikely for paper dust to adhere to the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 , while it is used for toner image fixation . in comparison , the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 comes into contact with the surface of each sheet p of recording paper , which does not have a toner image . therefore , it is likely for paper dust to adhere to the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 . if paper dust collects on the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 , the surface layer of the pressure roller 41 reduces in parting properties , even if the paper dust layer is very thin . thus , once a paper dust layer is formed on the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 , it becomes easier for paper dust , toner , etc ., to adhere to the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 . therefore , when the image forming apparatus 100 is operated in the two - sided mode , the paper dust on the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 transfers onto the image on the first surface of a sheet p of recording medium , possibly reducing the image in quality . as described above , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 are different from each other in the reason why their peripheral surface changes in condition . therefore , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 are made different in the timing with which their peripheral surface ( surface layer ) is abraded ( refreshed ). that is , the operation for refreshing ( abrading ) the fixation roller 40 and that for refreshing ( abrading ) the pressure roller 41 are independently controlled from each other . in this embodiment , three types of nonuniformity in the texture of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 are eliminated with the use of the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 . the first nonuniformity is attributable to the transfer of the scars , which the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 sustained as the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 came into contact with the side ( lateral ) edges of a sheet p of recording paper , onto the image surface . the second nonuniformity is attributable to the transfer of the scars which the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 is made to sustain by the separation claws 71 , as the pressure roller 41 was rotated while the separation claws 71 were in contact with the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 , onto the image . the third nonuniformity is attributable to the deterioration of the surface properties of the pressure roller 41 , which was caused by the paper dust , etc ., having adhered to the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 while sheets p of recording paper are conveyed through the fixation nip . in order to prevent the image forming apparatus 100 from outputting images which suffer from one or more of the abovementioned three types of nonuniformity , the fixation roller refreshing system 50 and pressure roller refreshing system 60 are controlled by the controlling device for controlling the fixing device 9 . more specifically , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 are abraded by the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 , respectively , to cover the entirety of the peripheral surface of fixation roller 40 and the entirety of the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 , in terms of their lengthwise direction , to virtually eliminate the distance between the adjacent peak and valley , in terms of the direction parallel to the radius direction of the two rollers 40 and 41 . further , the minute amount of paper dust and the like contaminants having adhered to the surface layer of the pressure roller 41 are scraped away . this is how the image forming apparatus 100 is prevented from outputting images which suffer from streaks which are lower in gloss than their adjacencies , and the difference in gloss between the portion of the image , which corresponds in position to the recording paper path portion of the fixation roller 40 and / or pressure roller 41 , and the portions of the image , which correspond in position to the out - of - paper - path portions of the fixation roller 40 and / or pressure roller 41 . further , after the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 and that of the pressure roller 41 are given numerous minute scratches by the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 , the impression of the preexisting scars and scratches of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 and those on the pressure roller 41 , on the surface of the fixed image are unrecognizable . more concretely , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 , the surface layer , that is , the parting layer , of which is formed of fluorinated resin or the like substance , is roughly 0 . 1 ฮผm - 0 . 3 ฮผm in surface roughness rz , across their out - of - paper - path portions , and roughly 0 . 5 ฮผm - 2 . 0 ฮผm in surface roughness across their paper - path portion . in comparison , the portions of the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 , which was made to deteriorate in surface properties , by their contact with the paper edges , separation claws , and also , the adhesion of paper dust thereto , are roughly 1 . 0 - 4 . 0 ฮผm in surface roughness rz . therefore , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 were refreshed by the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 so that their peripheral surface becomes no less than 0 . 5 ฮผm and no more than 2 . 0 ฮผm in surface roughness rz . by the way , the instrument used for measuring the surface roughness rz of the two rollers 40 and 41 was a surface roughness gauge se - 3400 ( product of kosaka laboratory co ., ltd .). the condition under which the surface roughness of the two rollers 40 and 41 was measured was 0 . 5 mm / s in speed , 0 . 8 mm in cutoff , and 2 . 5 mm in measurement length . it is unnecessary for the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 to continuously rub ( abrade ) the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 , respectively , throughout a given image forming operation . for example , the fixing device 9 may be equipped with a sheet counter so that a refreshing ( abrading ) operation will be automatically and periodically performed for every preset number of sheets p of recording paper . also , the control panel of the image forming apparatus 100 may be provided with a button for making the apparatus to start operating in the user mode , in order to enable a user to make the apparatus to perform a refreshing operation as the image nonuniformity becomes noticeable . therefore , the fixing device 9 in this embodiment is provided with a mechanism for placing the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 in contact with , or keep the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 separated from , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 , respectively . referring to fig3 and 4 , the operation of the mechanism 51 , which is for placing the refreshing roller 52 in contact with , or separating and keeping separated the refreshing roller 52 from , the fixation roller 40 , is controlled by the controller 73 ( controlling means ) of the fixation roller refreshing system 50 . further , the controller 73 controls the operation of the motor 74 which transmits rotational driving force to the refreshing roller 52 in order to rotate the refreshing roller 52 for a preset length of time . next , referring to fig3 and 5 , the pressure roller refreshing system 60 uses the controller 73 ( controlling means ) to activate the mechanism 61 for placing the refreshing roller 62 in contact with , or separating and keeping the refreshing roller 52 separated from , the pressure roller 41 . further , the controller 63 controls the operation of the motor 64 which transmits rotational driving force to the refreshing roller 62 , in order to rotate the refreshing roller 62 for a preset length of time . as described above , in this embodiment , the fixing device 9 is structured so that its fixation roller refreshing roller 52 can be placed in contact with , or separated , and kept separated , from , the fixation roller 40 , and also , so that its pressure roller refreshing roller 62 can be placed in contact with , or separated , and kept separated , from , the pressure roller 41 . thus , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 can be improved in peripheral surface properties by the placement of the two refreshing rollers 52 and 62 in contact with the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 , respectively , for a desired length of time , with a desired timing , with the use of the fixation roller refreshing system 50 and pressure roller refreshing system 60 , when the two rollers 52 and 62 are on standby , that is , when they are remaining separated from the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 , respectively . by the way , in this embodiment , the motors 74 and 64 were provided as means for transmitting rotational driving force to the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 , respectively . however , the fixing device 9 may be structured so that the rotational driving force is transmitted from the pressure roller 41 by way of a driving gear . fig1 shows the changes in surface roughness rz of the surface layer of the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 , which occurs when the refreshing operation was carried out for five seconds for every 500 sheets of recording paper while sheets of recording paper of size a4 , on each of which a monochromatic halftone image , which is roughly 0 . 5 in image data density , is present were conveyed through the fixation nip . โ fixing component - during printing โ refers to a case in which an operation for refreshing the fixation roller 40 was carried out without interrupting the on - going image forming operation . โ fixing component - on standby โ refers to a case in which the operation for refreshing the fixation roller 40 was carried out while the image forming apparatus 100 was kept on standby ( printing operation was interrupted ). โ pressing component - during printing โ refers to a case in which an operation for refreshing the pressure roller 41 was carried out without interrupting the on - going printing operation . โ pressing component - on standby โ refers to a case in which the operation for refreshing the pressure roller 41 was carried out while the image forming apparatus 100 was kept on standby ( printing operation was interrupted ). as the surface layer of the refreshing roller reduces in its surface roughness , it reduces in its refreshing performance as well . thus , in order to improve ( restore ) the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 in the surface condition of their surface layer , the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 have to be resurfaced so that their surface roughness rz becomes no less than 7 - 8 ฮผm . this has been found out through experiments . with reference to these values , in the case of the refreshing roller 62 for the pressure roller 41 , whether the pressure roller refreshing operation was carried out without interrupting the on - going printing operation , or while the image forming apparatus 100 was on standby , made hardly any difference . in comparison , in the case of the refreshing roller 52 for the fixation roller 40 , when the refreshing operation was carried out without interrupting the on - going printing operation , the surface roughness of the fixation roller 40 fell below the referential values , as slightly less than 100 , 000 sheets of recording paper were conveyed through the fixing device 9 . this is less by โ
than when the refreshing operation was carried out while the image forming apparatus 100 was kept on standby . this reduction in surface roughness is attributable to the phenomenon that the peripheral surface of the refreshing roller 52 is packed with the toner having offset to the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 , paper dust , and the like contaminants . moreover , after the refreshing roller 52 is reduced in surface roughness , the peripheral surface of the refreshing roller 52 has the same color as the toner . thus , the following are evident from these results . that is , in a case where the operation for refreshing the fixation roller 40 is carried out without interrupting the on - going printing operation , contaminants adhere to the peripheral surface of the refreshing roller 52 . therefore , the fixation roller 40 reduces in the surface roughness . thus , in a case where the operation for refreshing the fixation roller 40 without interrupting the on - going printing operation , the fixation roller 40 reduces in surface roughness faster than in the case where the operation is carried out while the image forming apparatus 100 is kept on standby . in other words , it is evident that it is desirable that the operation for refreshing the fixation roller 40 is carried out after the on - going printing operation ends , or temporarily interrupted . that is , it is evident that it is desirable that the operation for refreshing the fixation roller 40 is carried out after the on - going job ( printing operation ) in which sheets of recording paper are conveyed through the nip ( fixation nip ) is interrupted . by the way , instead of interrupting the job in which sheets of recording paper are conveyed through the nip ( fixation nip ), the operation for refreshing the fixation roller 40 may be carried out between two jobs which are to be sequentially carried out . in comparison , as for the operation for refreshing the pressure roller 41 , whether it is carried out without interruption of the on - going printing operation , or while the image forming apparatus 100 is kept on standby , had little to do with the effectiveness of the pressure roller refreshing operation . that is , even if the operation for refreshing the pressure roller 41 is carried out without the interruption of the on - going printing operation , there will be no problem . the reason why the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 is not contaminated during a printing operation is thought to be as follows . that is , as the toner on a sheet of recording paper is heated in the fixation nip which the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 form , it melts , and then , is fixed to the sheet p . during this process , most of the toner is fixed to the sheet p . however , it is possible that a small amount of the toner will offset onto the fixation roller 40 . this phenomenon is referred to as โ hot offset โ. regarding this โ hot offset โ, the higher in temperature the fixation roller 40 , with which toner comes into contact , the more likely for the surface of each toner particle to be excessively melted , and therefore , the smaller the adhesive force between adjacent two toner particles . therefore , the more likely for the toner to offset onto the fixation roller 40 . on the other hand , in the case of the pressure roller 41 , when the image forming apparatus 100 is in the one - sided mode , the surface of a sheet p of recording paper , on which an image is not present , comes into contact with the pressure roller 41 . therefore , โ hot offset โ does not occur . further , in a case where the image forming apparatus 100 is in the two - sided mode , the surface ( first surface ) of a sheet p of recording medium , on which a fixed toner image is present , comes into contact with the pressure roller 41 . however , the target temperature level for the pressure roller 41 is very low compared to that for the fixation roller 40 . in addition , the toner image on the first surface of the sheet p melted and solidified while it was fixed . therefore , it is unlikely for toner to hot - offset onto the pressure roller 41 . fig1 is a block diagram of the system for refreshing the fixation roller 40 and / or pressure roller 41 , which can be set to an automatic mode or a user ( manual ) mode , which will be described later . each signal is processed by the cpu 81 as a part of a control system ( controlling means ), to control the aforementioned motors and heaters . this cpu 81 functions also as an obtaining portion for obtaining a command ( signal ) for making the image forming apparatus 100 ( fixing device 9 ) operate in the mode for improving the image forming apparatus 100 in terms of image glossiness . first , the refreshment sequence carried out in the automatic mode is described , with reference to the flowchart for the automatic mode , with the use of the flowchart in fig1 , and table 2 ( which contains threshold values for deciding whether or not refreshment sequence is to be carried out ). here , the automatic mode is different from the user mode in that in the user mode , each time a refresh key , with which the control panel , as inputting means , is provided , is pressed ( touched ), the cpu 81 decides which refreshment sequence is to be carried out , and makes the fixing device 9 carry out the selected refreshment sequence , whereas in the automatic mode , each time the cpu 81 , which functions also as an executing portion , decides whether or not the fixation roller refreshing operation and / or pressure roller refreshing operation is to be carried out , each time the value in the counter which functions as a part of a computing portion , reaches the threshold value . then , the cpu 81 makes the image forming apparatus 100 ( fixing device 9 ) carry out one or both of the refreshment sequences . incidentally , the computing portion is equipped with three counters . referring to fig1 , steps ( 1 )-( 7 ) make up the refreshment sequence for nullifying the paper edge scars of the fixation roller 40 , and steps ( 1 ), ( 8 ), ( 9 ) and ( 13 )-( 15 ) make up the refreshment sequence for scraping away paper dust , and the like contaminants , from the pressure roller 41 . further , steps ( 10 )-( 15 ) make up the refreshment sequence for nullifying the separation claw scars which are attributable to the contact between the pressure roller 41 and separation claws 71 . as a printing operation is started , whether or not a sheet p of recording paper has moved through the fixing device 9 is detected , in step ( 1 ). then , the number of times a sheet p of recording paper moved through the fixing device 9 is counted by the counter 101 ( fig1 ) in step ( 2 ). this counter 101 is controlled in such a manner that the value by which the value in the counter 101 is increased is varied based on the width ( length in terms of recording paper conveyance direction ) of the sheet p . more concretely , if a sheet p of recording paper is of size a4 ( 210 mm ), the value in the counter 101 is increased by + 1 , and if a sheet p of recording paper is of size a3 ( 420 mm ), which is equivalent to two sheets of size a4 , the value in the counter 101 is increased by + 2 . then , if the value in one of the counters 101 exceeds a threshold value , step ( 4 ) is taken to initiate the fixation roller refreshment sequence . if the value is no more than the threshold value , steps ( 1 )-( 3 ) are repeated as long as the on - going printing operation continues . after the completion of step ( 1 ), step ( 8 ) also is carried out , independently from the above described steps ( sequences ), for the following reason . that is , step ( 8 ) is for dealing with the roller contamination by paper dust . thus , the number of times sheets p of recording paper which have just been heated for image fixation move through the fixing device 9 was counted regardless of sheet width ( size ). as in step ( 2 ), a value equivalent to the count of sheets of size a4 is added to the value in the counter 101 . if the value in the counter 101 is no less than the threshold value , in step ( 9 ), step ( 13 ) is taken . incidentally , steps ( 4 )-( 7 ) may be taken as they are taken from step ( 3 ). in this case , however , the on - going print job has to be interrupted , which results in the reduction in productivity of the printer . therefore , the operation for refreshing the pressure roller 41 is desired to be carried out without interruption of the on - going printing operation as long as it is possible . step ( 10 ) also is independently carried out right after the starting of a printing operation , for the following reason . that is , this step is for dealing with the separation claw scars . the reason why this step is carried out regardless of the number of times sheets p of recording paper were conveyed through the fixing device 9 is that the extent of the scars attributable to the contact between the pressure roller 41 and separation claws 71 is related to how long the pressure roller 41 rotated in contact with the separation claws . that is , in a case where the pressure roller 41 remains constant in peripheral velocity , the length the separation claws 71 moved along the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 in contact with the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 , is proportional to the progression of the deterioration ( separation claw scars ) of the peripheral surface of the pressure roller 41 . the separation claws 71 come into contact with the pressure roller 41 before a sheet p of recording paper is discharged from the fixation nip . then , they remain in contact with the pressure roller 41 until the sheet p moves out of the fixation nip . in this case , there is not the so - called proportional relationship between the number of sheets of recording paper having moved through the fixation nip and the length of time the separations claw 71 were in contact with the pressure roller 41 . instead , the extent of separation claw scar is affected by the length of time ( distance ) it takes for sequentially conveyed two sheets p of recording paper to move through the fixation nip , and / or the number of prints ( images ) to be formed in a given printing job . further , in some cases , it is only when the leading edge of a sheet p of recording paper comes out of the fixation nip that the separation claws 71 are required to be in contact with the pressure roller 41 , although it depends on the structure of a given fixing device . in such a case , the length of time the separation claws 71 are required to be in contact with the pressure roller 41 is relatively shorter , with reference to the number of sheets p of recording paper having moved through the fixation nip . a counter which is based purely on the number of sheets p of recording paper having moved through the fixation nip may be employed . however , controlling the refreshing operation based on the length of time the pressure roller 41 rotated while the separation claws 71 were in contact with the pressure roller 41 is more precise than otherwise . this is why the value in a duration counter is increased only by the length of time the pressure roller 41 rotates while the separation claws 71 are in contact with the pressure roller 41 , in step ( 11 ). then , if the value in the duration counter is no less than the threshold value in step ( 12 ), step ( 13 ) and thereafter are taken to carry out the refreshing operation while images are being formed , as they are taken from step ( 9 ). next , the sequence made up of steps ( 4 )-( 7 ), and the sequence made of steps ( 13 )-( 15 ), are described . steps ( 4 )-( 7 ) are such steps that are to be carried out after the on - going printing is interrupted . in step ( 4 ), the length of time the fixation roller 40 is to be refreshed ( abraded ) is calculated based on the value in each counter . the objective of the fixation roller refreshing operation is to deal with the paper edge scars . therefore , the length of time the fixation roller 40 is to be refreshed is set based on the condition of the portion of the peripheral surface of the fixation roller 40 which has the severest paper edge scars . in this embodiment , the threshold value is 3 , 000 . therefore , the fixation roller refreshing operation is carried out for 60 seconds . next , the length of time the pressure roller 41 is to be refreshed is calculated in step ( 5 ). in a case where the on - going printing operation is interrupted for the fixation roller refreshing operation , the pressure roller refreshing operation may be carried out at the same time , because carrying out the pressure roller refreshing operation at the same time as the fixation roller refreshing operation does not have an additional effect upon productivity . of course , it is not mandatory that the pressure roller 41 is refreshed with the above described timing . that is , the pressure roller 41 may be refreshed without interrupting the on - going printing operation . however , there are cases in which the pressure roller refreshing operation cannot be carried out during a printing operation , for example , such cases as where printing operations for outputting only a small number of prints ( images ) are carried out one after another . this is why the pressure roller refreshing operation is to be carried out whenever it can be . as soon as the length of time the fixation roller 40 is to be refreshed , and the length of time the pressure roller 41 is to be refreshed , are calculated , the on - going printing operation is interrupted in step ( 6 ). then , as soon as the sheet p of recording paper in the fixing device 9 comes out of the fixing device 9 , the fixation roller refreshing operation and pressure roller refreshing operation are carried out in step ( 7 ). in comparison , in the case of the sequence comprising steps ( 13 )-( 15 ), the refreshing operations are carried out without interrupting the on - going printing operation . more specifically , in step 13 ), the length of time necessary for the pressure roller refreshing operation is calculated based on the value in the sheet counter and duration counter . then , in step ( 14 ), it is permitted to carry out the pressure roller refreshing operation . then , the pressure roller refreshing operation is carried out in step ( 15 ). in this embodiment , a user mode is provided in addition to an automatic mode , in order to allow a user to perform a refreshing operation whenever the user notices that the image forming apparatus 100 began to output images which are nonuniform in gloss . fig1 is a drawing of the control panel 150 of the image forming apparatus 100 . a referential code 151 stands for a print start button for commanding the image forming apparatus 100 to start a printing operation ; 152 , a reset button for resetting the image forming apparatus 100 to the initial mode ; 153 , a numerical input section ( ten key section ) for inputting numerical values such as the number of prints to be formed ; 154 , a clear button for clearing the numerical input section of the inputted numerical value ; 155 , a stop button for interrupting the on - going printing operation ; 156 , a touch panel for setting various operational modes , and also , for showing the print condition ; and a referential code 157 is a user mode button for selecting the user mode . as a user presses the user mode button 157 , mode section bars are displayed on the touch panel 156 , as shown in fig1 . as the user selects a refresh mode bar , for example , on the touch panel 156 of the control panel , the screen displayed on the touch panel 156 turns into a refresh ui ( user interface ) screen , as shown in fig1 . then , as the user touches the refresh key 160 , a signal for the command for making the image forming apparatus 100 ( fixing device 9 ) operate in the mode for improving the apparatus ( device ) in image gloss is inputted into the cpu 81 . as soon as the cpu 81 receives this signal , it makes the image forming apparatus 100 ( fixing device 9 ) carry out the refreshing operations , which will be described later . by the way , if the user wants to go back from the refresh ui screen to the user mode , the user is to touch a cancel button 161 . next , referring to the flowchart in fig1 , the operational sequence carried out when the image forming apparatus 100 ( fixing device 9 ) is in the user mode is described . while the refresh ui screen is on the touch panel 156 in step ( 1 ), it is allowed to perform the refreshing operations , as long as the image forming apparatus 100 is on standby , in step ( 2 ). next , as the refresh key 160 as a command obtaining section ( inputting means ) for obtaining the command for making the image forming apparatus 100 operate in the mode for improving the image forming apparatus 100 in image gloss is pressed , in step ( 3 ), the following sequences , and / or steps , are carried out . that is , the cpu 81 ( fig1 ), which functions also as a decision making section , confirms ( obtains ) the value in the refresh counter , in order to decide whether or not the fixation roller 40 and / or the pressure roller 41 are to be refreshed , in step ( 4 ). here , the refresh counter is the sheet counter 101 , the value of which is compared with the threshold value to decide whether or not the fixation roller 40 is to be refreshed in the above described first roller refreshment sequence ( automatic mode ). it is also the sheet counter , the value of which is compared with the threshold value to decide whether or not the pressure roller refreshing operation is to be carried out in the roller refreshing second operation . further , it is the duration counter , the value of which is compared with the threshold value to decide whether or not the pressure roller refreshing operation is to be carried out in the roller refreshing third sequence . if the values in all the refresh counters are no more than 10 % of the threshold values when the refresh key 160 was pressed , in step ( 5 ), the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 are refreshed for the shortest length of times in table 3 . that is , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 are refreshed for 5 seconds and 2 seconds , respectively . here , the reason why both rollers 40 and 41 are refreshed ( abraded ) is that it is not clear which of the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 is to be refreshed , and also , it is thought that there is a connection between carrying out both the fixation roller refreshing operation and pressure roller refreshing operation , instead of not carrying out , and the improvement in fixation . thereafter , in step ( 6 ), the refresh key 160 on the refresh ui screen is dimmed , and the operation in the refresh mode is ended in step ( 7 ). once the refresh key 160 is dimmed , it does not occur that the image forming apparatus 100 is operated in the refresh mode , regardless of how many times and how hard the user touches the refresh key 160 , since the image forming operation has been interrupted . that is , the refreshing operations are not going to be carried out until the user mode button 157 is pressed again . if an image forming operation is carried out after the completion of the operation in the refresh mode , the refresh mode key 160 is highlighted again to allow the user to input a command for making the image forming apparatus 100 operate in the refresh mode . on the other hand , as the refresh key 160 is pressed , the value in the refresh counter is confirmed . if the value in one of the refresh counters is no less than the threshold value , it is decided whether or not the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 are to be refreshed in step ( 4 ). that is , the sequence for deciding whether or not the value in the refresh counter for the fixation roller 40 is no more than 10 % of the threshold value is decided in step ( 8 ), and the sequence for deciding whether or not the value in the refresh counter for the pressure roller 41 is no more than 10 % of the threshold value , are carried out in step ( 9 ). if the value in the refresh counter for the fixation roller 40 is no more than 10 % of the threshold value , the fixation roller refreshing operation is prohibited , and only the pressure roller is refreshed ( abraded ). on the other hand , if the value in the refresh counter for the pressure roller refreshing operation is no more than 10 % of the threshold value for the pressure roller refreshing operation , only the fixation roller refreshing operation is carried out , and the pressure roller refreshing operation is prohibited . the reason why only one of the two rollers 40 and 41 is prevented from being refreshed is that it is clear which roller is to be refreshed of the fixation roller 40 and the pressure roller 41 , and therefore , only the roller to be refreshed is refreshed to prevent the other roller from reduced service life , by being subjected to a refreshing operation . on the other hand , if the values in the refresh counter for the fixation roller 40 and the value in the refresh counter for the pressure roller 41 are no less than the threshold values , both the fixation roller refreshing ( abrading ) operation , and the pressure roller refreshing ( abrading ) operation , are carried out . the lengths of time these refreshing operations are to be carried out are given in table 3 . that is , when the refresh key 160 is pressed , if value in the sheet counter based on sheet width is between 300 and 3000 , the fixation roller 40 is abraded for a length of time between 5 to 60 seconds , based on the value in the counter . further , when the refresh key 160 is pressed , if the value in the sheet counter is between 50 - 500 , or the length of time the separation claws were in contact with the pressure roller 41 is between 30 seconds to 300 seconds , the pressure roller refreshing operation is carried out for a length of time ( in seconds ) between 2 seconds to 10 seconds , based on the value in the counter . by the way , regarding the length of time ( in seconds ) the refreshing operation is to be carried out , the length may be set in a manner of stair steps so that the greater the value in the counter , the longer the refreshing operation is to be carried out . after the completion of the refreshing operations , the refresh counter for the roller for which the refreshing ( abrading ) operation was carried out is set to zero . that is , in a case where the rotational component for which the abrading operation is carried out is the fixation roller 40 , the paper width counter is reset to zero . on the other hand , in a case where the rotational component for which the abrading operation is carried out is pressure roller 41 , the sheet counter and separation claw contact time counter are reset to zero . then , the highlighted refresh key 160 of the refresh ui screen is dimmed ( darkened ) in step ( 6 ), and the operation in refresh mode is ended in step ( 7 ). as described above , in the user mode , the cpu 81 decides which , or both , of the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 is to be refreshed . then , it automatically decides ( sets ) the length of abrading time , so that the length of abrading time matches the extent to which the roller ( s ) is to be abraded . thus , all that is necessary for the fixation roller 40 and / or pressure roller 41 to be optimally refreshed is for a user to press the refresh key 160 . thus , it does not occur that a wrong roller is selected to be refreshed , and also , the refreshing operation can be simply and accurately carried out . in this embodiment , the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with a maintenance mode in order to enable a maintenance engineer to operate the image forming apparatus 100 in the maintenance mode , which is for testing and maintaining the image forming apparatus 100 . referring to fig1 ( a ) , as a maintenance engineer inputs his or her password with the use of the numerical input section 153 , the maintenance mode is highlighted on the touch screen . a maintenance engineer is to examine the surface condition of the surface layer of the fixation roller 40 as well as the pressure roller 41 , to find out which refreshing operation is to be carried out . then , the engineer is to press the button , on the screen 170 , which indicates the roller to be refreshed , to refresh the roller . in this embodiment , the length of time each refreshing operation is to be carried out was set to the minimum length of time in table 3 . then , the engineer is to repeat the refreshing operation while examining the images outputted by the image forming apparatus 100 , in order to improve each roller in surface condition . in a case where the value in one of the counters of the refreshing rollers 52 and / or 62 will have reached the preset value for roller replacement , the button which represents the roller to be replaced will be dimmed , as shown in fig1 ( b ) . as described above , the image forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment is provided with the maintenance mode in order to enable a maintenance engineer to perform the refreshing operations . thus , the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 can be maintained at a satisfactory level in terms of the surface condition of their surface layer . further , it can be easily decided whether the refreshing rollers 52 and 62 need to be replaced . according to present invention , all that is necessary for a user to do to decide whether or not the surface layer of the fixation roller 40 and / or pressure roller 41 needs to be refreshed is for the user to select the user mode and press a single button , that is , the button for automatically deciding which , or both , of the fixation roller 40 and pressure roller 41 need to be refreshed . therefore , it is possible to prevent the problem that the surface layer of the fixation roller 40 and / or pressure roller 41 is excessively abraded due to the error in the selection of the roller ( s ) to be refreshed , and / or excessive refreshing of the roller ( s ). in the foregoing , one of the preferable embodiments of the present invention was described . however , the preceding embodiment is not intended to limit the present invention in scope . that is , the present invention is also applicable to various modified version of the image forming apparatus , and fixing device , in the preceding embodiment , within the scope of the present invention . in the preceding embodiment described above , the user mode , which is to be selected by a user , is provided , in addition to the automatic mode which does not require an instruction from a user . however , the preceding embodiment is not intended to limit the present invention in terms of the user mode . for example , the present invention is also applicable to an image forming apparatus and its fixing device structured so that as a user inputs an instruction , with the use of the ui screen or pc screen , to make the apparatus carry out a refreshing operation , the apparatus automatically decides which roller is to be refreshed , and carries out the refreshing operation for the selected roller . for example , in a case where an image forming apparatus is a printer which does not have a control panel , a refresh mode command transmitted from a host computer is inputted into the cpu 81 of the image forming apparatus , provided that the printer is in connection to the host computer ( pc ), wirelessly or through lan cable . the operational sequences hereafter are the same as those in the above - described embodiment . regarding the mode ( refresh mode ) for improving an image forming apparatus in image gloss , it may be for restoring the image forming apparatus by 80 %- 90 %, in image gloss , relative to the initial condition , instead of restoring ( refreshing ) to 100 %. that is , all that is necessary here is that operating an image forming apparatus in the refresh mode improves the apparatus in image gloss . while the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments . the scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions . this application claims priority from japanese patent application no . 215387 / 2013 filed oct . 16 , 2013 , which is hereby incorporated by reference . | 6Physics
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the steel alloys of the invention exhibit various physical characteristics and processing capabilities . these characteristics and capabilities were established as general criteria , and subsequently the combination of elements and the processing steps appropriate to create such steel alloys to meet these criteria were identified . fig1 is a system flow - block diagram which illustrates the processing / structure / properties / performance relationships for alloys of the invention . the desired performance for the application ( e . g . aerospace structures , landing gear , etc .) determines a set of alloy properties required . alloys of the invention exhibit the structural characteristics that can achieve the desired combination of properties and can be assessed through the sequential processing steps shown on the left of fig1 . following are the criteria for the physical properties and the processing capabilities or characteristics for the alloys . this is followed by a description of the analytical and experimental techniques relating to the discovery and examples of the alloys that define , in general , the range and extent of the elements , physical characteristics and processing features of the present invention . the physical characteristics or properties of the most preferred embodiments of the invention are generally as follows : 1 . corrosion resistance equivalent to 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) as measured by linear polarization . 3 . stress corrosion cracking resistance ( k iscc )โง 15 ksi { square root }{ square root over ( in )}. 4 . ๎ข ๎ข k i ๎ข ๎ข c y ๎ข ๎ข s โฅ 0 . 21 5 . surface hardenable to โง 67 rockwell c ( hrc ) for wear and fatigue resistance . a principal goal of the subject invention is to provide alloys with the objective physical properties recited above and with processability that renders the alloys useful and practical . with a number of possible processing paths associated with the scale of manufacture and the resulting cleanliness and quality for a given application , compatibility of the alloys of the subject invention with a wide range of processes is desirable and is thus a feature of the invention . a primary objective for and characteristic of the alloys is compatibility with melting practices such as vacuum induction melting ( vim ), vacuum arc remelting ( var ), and electro - slag remelting ( esr ) and other variants such as vacuum electro - slag remelting ( vsr ). alloys of the subject invention can also be produced by other processes such as air melting and powder metallurgy . of importance is the behavior of the alloys to exhibit limited solidification microsegregation under the solidification conditions of the above processes . by selection of appropriate elemental content in the alloys of the subject invention , the variation of composition that results from solidification during processing across a secondary dendrite can be minimized . allowable variation results in an alloy that can be homogenized at commercially feasible temperatures , usually at metal temperatures in excess of 1100 ยฐ c . and up to the incipient melting of the alloy , and for reasonable processing times , typically less than seventy - two hours and preferably less than thirty - six hours . alloys of the subject invention also possess reasonable hot ductility such that hot working after homogenization can be accomplished within temperature and reduction constraints typical of current industrial practice . typical hot working practice for alloys of the subject invention should enable cross - sectional reduction ratios in excess of three to one and preferably in excess of five to one . in addition , initial hot working of the ingot should be possible below 1100 ยฐ c ., and finish hot working to the desired product size should be possible at temperatures below 950 ยฐ c . objectives regarding solution heat treatment include the goal to fully dissolve all primary alloy carbides ( i . e . m x c where x & gt ; 2 ) while maintaining a fine scale grain refining dispersion ( i . e . mc ) and a small grain size , generally equal to or smaller than astm grain size number 5 in accordance with astm e112 [ astm , astm e112 - 96 , west conshohocken , pa ., 1996 ] which is incorporated herewith . thus with the alloys of the invention , during solution heat treatment into the austenite phase field , coarse scale alloy carbides that formed during prior processing are dissolved , and the resulting carbon in solution is then available for precipitation strengthening during tempering . however , during the same process the austenite grains can coarsen , thereby reducing strength , toughness and ductility . with alloys of the invention , such grain coarsening is slowed by mc precipitates that pin the grain boundaries and , as solution heat treatment temperature increases , the amount of this grain refining dispersion needed to avoid or reduce grain coarsening increases . alloys of the subject invention thoroughly dissolve all coarse scale carbides , i . e . m x c where x & gt ; 2 , while maintaining an efficient grain refining dispersion at reasonable solution heat treatment temperatures in the range of 850 ยฐ c . to 1100 ยฐ c ., preferably 950 ยฐ c . to 1050 ยฐ c . after the solution heat treatment , components manufactured from the alloys of the subject invention are typically rapidly cooled or quenched below temperatures at which martensite forms . the preferred result of this process is a microstructure that consists of essentially all martensite with virtually no retained austenite , other transformation products such as bainite or ferrite , or other carbide products that remain or are formed during the process . the thickness of the component being cooled and the cooling media such as oil , water , or air determine the cooling rate of this type of process . as the cooling rate increases , the risk of forming other non - martensitic products is reduced , but the distortion in the component potentially increases , and the section thickness of a part that can be processed thus decreases . alloys of the subject invention are generally , fully martensitic after cooling or quenching at moderate rates in section sizes less than three inches and preferably less than six inches when cooled to cryogenic temperatures , or preferably to room temperature . after cooling or quenching , components manufactured using alloys of the subject invention may be tempered in a temperature range and for a period of time in which the carbon in the alloy will form coherent nanoscale m 2 c carbides while avoiding the formation of other carbide products . during this aging or secondary hardening process the component is heated to the process temperature at a rate determined by the power of the furnace and the size of the component section and held for a reasonable time , then cooled or quenched to room temperature . if the prior solution treatment has been ineffective in avoiding retained austenite , the tempering process may be divided into multiple steps where each tempering step is followed by a cool or quench to room temperature and preferably a subsequent cool to cryogenic temperatures to form martensite . the temperature of the temper process would typically be between 200 ยฐ c . to 600 ยฐ c ., preferably 450 ยฐ c . to 540 ยฐ c . and be less than twenty - four hours in duration , preferably between two to ten hours . the outcome of the desired process is a martensitic matrix ( generally free of austenite ) strengthened by a nanoscale m 2 c carbide dispersion , devoid of transient cementite that forms during the early stages of the process , and without other alloy carbides that may precipitate if the process time becomes too long . a significant feature of alloys of the invention is related to the high tempering temperatures used to achieve its secondary hardening response . although a specific goal is to avoid cadmium plating for corrosion resistance , many components made from an alloy of the invention may require an electroplating process such as nickel or chromium during manufacture or overhaul . electroplating processes introduce hydrogen into the microstructure that can lead to embrittlement and must be baked out by exposing the part to elevated temperatures after plating . alloys of the invention can be baked at temperatures nearly as high as their original tempering temperature without reducing the strength of the alloy . since tempering temperatures are significantly higher in alloys of the invention compared to commonly used 4340 and 300m alloys , the bake - out process can be accomplished more quickly and reliably . certain surface modification techniques for wear resistance , corrosion resistance , and decoration , such as physical vapor deposition ( pvd ), or surface hardening techniques such as gas or plasma nitriding , are optimally performed at temperatures on the order of 500 ยฐ c . and for periods on the order of hours . another feature of alloys of the subject invention is that the heat - treating process is compatible with the temperatures and schedules typical of these surface coating or hardening processes . components made of alloys of the subject invention are typically manufactured or machined before solution heat treatment and aging . the manufacturing and machining operations require a material that is soft and exhibits favorable chip formation as material is removed . therefore alloys of the subject invention are preferably annealed after the hot working process before they are supplied to a manufacturer . the goal of the annealing process is to reduce the hardness of an alloy of the subject invention without promoting excessive austenite . typically annealing would be accomplished by heating the alloy in the range of 600 ยฐ c . to 850 ยฐ c ., preferably in the range 700 ยฐ c . to 750 ยฐ c . for a period less than twenty - four hours , preferably between two and eight hours and cooling slowly to room temperature . in some cases a multiple - step annealing process may provide more optimal results . in such a process an alloy of the invention may be annealed at a series of temperatures for various times that may or may not be separated by an intermediate cooling step or steps . after machining , solution heat treatment and aging , a component made of an alloy of the subject invention may require a grinding step to maintain the desired final dimensions of the part . grinding of the surface removes material from the part by abrasive action against a high - speed ceramic wheel . damage to the component by overheating of the surface of the part and damage to the grinding wheel by adhesion of material needs to be avoided . these complications can be avoided primarily by lowering the retained austenite content in the alloy . for this and the other reasons stated above , alloys of the subject invention exhibit very little retained austenite after solution heat treatment . many components manufactured from alloys of the subject invention may require joining by various welding process such as gas - arc welding , submerged - arc welding , friction - stir welding , electron - beam welding and others . these processes require the material that is solidified in the fusion zone or in the heat - affected zone of the weld to be ductile after processing . pre - heat and post - heat may be used to control the thermal history experienced by the alloy within the weld and in the heat - affected zone to promote weld ductility . a primary driver for ductile welds is lower carbon content in the material , however this also limits strength . alloys of the subject invention achieve their strength using very efficient nanoscale m 2 c carbides and therefore can achieve a given level of strength with lower carbon content than steels such as 300m , consequently promoting weldability . the alloy designs achieve required corrosion resistance with a minimum cr content because high cr content limits other desired properties in several ways . for example , one result of higher cr is the lowering of the martensite m s temperature which , in turn , limits the content of other desired alloying elements such as ni . high cr levels also promote excessive solidification microsegregation that is difficult to eliminate with high - temperature homogenization treatments . high cr also limits the high - temperature solubility of c required for carbide precipitation strengthening , causing use of high solution heat treatment temperatures for which grain - size control becomes difficult . thus , a feature of the alloys of the invention is utilization of cr in the range of greater than about 6 % and less than about 11 % ( preferably less than about 10 %) by weight in combination with other elements as described to achieve corrosion resistance with structural strength . another feature of the alloys is to achieve the required carbide strengthening with a minimum carbon content . like cr , c strongly lowers m s temperatures and raises solution temperatures . high c content also limits weldability , and can cause corrosion problems associated with cr carbide precipitation at grain boundaries . high c also limits the extent of softening that can be achieved by annealing to enhance machinability . both of the primary features just discussed are enhanced by the use of co . the thermodynamic interaction of co and cr enhances the partitioning of cr to the oxide film formed during corrosion passivation , thus providing corrosion protection equivalent to a higher cr steel . co also catalyzes carbide precipitation during tempering through enhancement of the precipitation thermodynamic driving force , and by retarding dislocation recovery to promote heterogeneous nucleation of carbides on dislocations . thus , c in the range of about 0 . 1 % to 0 . 3 % by weight combined with co in the range of about 8 % to 17 % by weight along with cr as described , and the other minor constituent elements , provides alloys with corrosion resistance and ultrahigh strength . the desired combination of corrosion resistance and ultrahigh strength is also promoted by refinement of the carbide strengthening dispersion down to the nanostructural level , i . e ., less than about ten nanometers in diameter and preferably less than about five nanometers . compared to other strengthening precipitates such as the intermetallic phases employed in maraging steels , the relatively high shear modulus of the m 2 c alloy carbide decreases the optimal particle size for strengthening down to a diameter of only about three nanometers . refining the carbide precipitate size to this level provides a highly efficient strengthening dispersion . this is achieved by obtaining a sufficiently high thermodynamic driving force through alloying . this refinement provides the additional benefit of bringing the carbides to the same length scale as the passive oxide film so that the cr in the carbides can participate in film formation . thus the carbide formation does not significantly reduce corrosion resistance . a further benefit of the nanoscale carbide dispersion is effective hydrogen trapping at the carbide interfaces to enhance stress corrosion cracking resistance . the efficient nanoscale carbide strengthening also makes the system well suited for surface hardening by nitriding during tempering to produce m 2 ( c , n ) carbonitrides of the same size scale for additional efficient strengthening without significant loss of corrosion resistance . such nitriding can achieve surface hardness as high as 1100 vickers hardness ( vhn ) corresponding to 70 hrc . toughness is further enhanced through grain refinement by optimal dispersions of grain refining mc carbide dispersions that maintain grain pinning during normalization and solution treatments and resist microvoid nucleation during ductile fracture . melt deoxidation practice is controlled to favor formation of ti - rich mc dispersions for this purpose , as well as to minimize the number density of oxide and oxysulfide inclusion particles that form primary voids during fracture . under optimal conditions , the amount of mc , determined by mass balance from the available ti content , accounts for less than 10 % of the alloy c content . increasing ni content within the constraints of the other requirements enhances resistance to brittle fracture . refinement of m 2 c particle size through precipitation driving force control allows ultrahigh strength to be maintained at the completion of m 2 c precipitation in order to fully dissolve fe 3 c cementite carbides that precipitate prior to m 2 c and limit fracture toughness through microvoid nucleation . the cementite dissolution is considered effectively complete when m 2 c accounts for 85 % of the alloy c content , as assessed by the measured m 2 c phase fraction using techniques described by montgomery [ montgomery , j . s . and g . b . olson , m 2 c carbide precipitation in af1410 , gilbert r . speich symposium : fundamentals of aging and tempering in bainitic and martensitic steel products , iss - aime , warrendale , pa ., 177 - 214 , 1992 ], which is incorporated herewith . precipitation of other phases that can limit toughness such as other carbides ( e . g . m 23 c 6 , m 6 c and m 7 c 3 ) and topologically close packed ( tcp ) intermetallic phases ( e . g . ฯ and ฮผ phases ) is avoided by constraining the thermodynamic driving force for their formation . in addition to efficient hydrogen trapping by the nanoscale m 2 c carbides to slow hydrogen transport , resistance to hydrogen stress - corrosion is further enhanced by controlling segregation of impurities and alloying elements to prior - austenite grain boundaries to resist hydrogen - assisted intergranular fracture . this is promoted by controlling the content of undesirable impurities such as p and s to low levels and gettering their residual amounts in the alloy into stable compounds such as la 2 o 2 s or ce 2 o 2 s . boundary cohesion is further enhanced by deliberate segregation of cohesion enhancing elements such as b , mo and w during heat treatment . these factors promoting stress corrosion cracking resistance will also enhance resistance to corrosion fatigue . all of these conditions are achieved by the class of alloys discovered while maintaining solution heat treatment temperatures that are not excessively high . martensite m s temperatures , measured by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction , are also maintained sufficiently high to establish a lath martensite microstructure and minimize the content of retained austenite which can otherwise limit yield strength . the alloys can be produced via various process paths such as for example casting , powder metallurgy or ingot metallurgy . the alloy constituents can be melted using any conventional melt process such as air melting but more preferred by vacuum induction melting ( vim ). the alloy can thereafter be homogenized and hot worked , but a secondary melting process such as electro slag remelting ( esr ) or vacuum arc remelting ( var ) is preferred in order to achieve improved fracture toughness and fatigue properties . in order to achieve even higher fracture toughness and fatigue properties additional remelting operations can be utilized prior to homogenization and hot working . in any event , the alloy is initially formed by combination of the constituents in a melt process . the alloy may then be homogenized prior to hot working or it may be heated and directly hot worked . if homogenization is used , it may be carried out by heating the alloy to a metal temperature in the range of about 1100 ยฐ c . or 1110 ยฐ c . or 1120 ยฐ c . to 1330 ยฐ c . or 1340 ยฐ c . or 1350 ยฐ c . or , possibly as much as 1400 ยฐ c . for a period of time of at least four hours to dissolve soluble elements and carbides and to also homogenize the structure . one of the design criteria for the alloy is low microsegregation , and therefore the time required for homogenization of the alloy is typically shorter than other stainless steel alloys . a suitable time is six hours or more in the homogenization metal temperature range . normally , the soak time at the homogenization temperature does not have to extend for more than seventy - two hours . twelve to eighteen hours in the homogenization temperature range has been found to be quite suitable . a typical homogenization metal temperature is about 1240 ยฐ c . after homogenization the alloy is typically hot worked . the alloy can be hot worked by , but not limited to , hot rolling , hot forging or hot extrusion or any combinations thereof . it is common to initiate hot working immediately after the homogenization treatment in order to take advantage of the heat already in the alloy . it is important that the finish hot working metal temperature is substantially below the starting hot working metal temperature in order to assure grain refinement of the structure through precipitation of mc carbides . after the first hot working step the alloy is typically reheated for continued hot working to the final desired size and shape . the reheating metal temperature range is about 950 ยฐ c . or 960 ยฐ c . or 970 ยฐ c . to 1230 ยฐ c . or 1240 ยฐ c . or 1250 ยฐ c . or possibly as much as 1300 ยฐ c . with the preferred range being about 1000 ยฐ c . or 1010 ยฐ c . to 1150 ยฐ c . or 1160 ยฐ c . the reheating metal temperature is near or above the solvus temperature for mc carbides , and the objective is to dissolve or partially dissolve soluble constituents that remain from casting or may have precipitated during the preceding hot working . this reheating step minimizes or avoids primary and secondary phase particles and improves fatigue crack growth resistance and fracture toughness . as the alloy is continuously hot worked and reheated the cross - sectional size decreases and , as a result , the metal cools faster . eventually it is no longer possible to use the high reheating temperatures , and a lower reheating temperature must be used . for smaller cross - sections the reheating metal temperature range is about 840 ยฐ c . or 850 ยฐ c . or 860 ยฐ c . to 1080 ยฐ c . or 1090 ยฐ c . or 1100 ยฐ c . or possibly as much as 1200 ยฐ c . with the preferred range being about 950 ยฐ c . 960 ยฐ c . to 1000 ยฐ c . or 1010 ยฐ c . the lower reheating metal temperature for smaller cross - sections is below the solvus temperature for other ( non - mc ) carbides , and the objective is to minimize or prevent their coarsening during reheating so that they can quickly be dissolved during the subsequent normalizing or solution heat treatment . final mill product forms such as , for example , bar stock and forging stock are typically normalized and / or annealed prior to shipment to customers . during normalizing the alloy is heated to a metal temperature above the solvus temperature for all carbides except mc carbides , and the objective is to dissolve soluble constituents that may have precipitated during the previous hot working and to normalize the grain size . the normalizing metal temperature range is about 880 ยฐ c . or 890 ยฐ c . or 900 ยฐ c . to 1080 ยฐ c . or 1090 ยฐ c . or 1100 ยฐ c . with the preferred range being about 1020 ยฐ c . to 1030 ยฐ c . or 1040 ยฐ c . a suitable time is one hour or more and typically the soak time at the normalizing temperature does not have to extend for more than three hours . the alloy is thereafter cooled to room temperature . after normalizing the alloy is typically annealed to a suitable hardness or strength level for subsequent customer processing such as , for example , machining . during annealing the alloy is heated to a metal temperature range of about 600 ยฐ c . or 610 ยฐ c . to 840 ยฐ c . or 850 ยฐ c ., preferably between 700 ยฐ c . to 750 ยฐ c . for a period of at least one hour to coarsen all carbides except the mc carbide . a suitable time is two hours or more and typically the soak time at the annealing temperature does not have to extend for more than twenty - four hours . typically after the alloy has been delivered to a customer and processed to , or near , its final form and shape it is subjected to solution heat treatment preferably in the metal temperature range of about 850 ยฐ c . or 860 ยฐ c . to 1090 ยฐ c . or 1100 ยฐ c ., more preferably about 950 ยฐ c . to 1040 ยฐ c . or 1050 ยฐ c . for a period of three hours or less . a typical time for solution heat treatment is one hour . the solution heat treatment metal temperature is above the solvus temperature for all carbides except mc carbides , and the objective is to dissolve soluble constituents that may have precipitated during the preceding processing . this inhibits grain growth while enhancing strength , fracture toughness and fatigue resistance . after solution heat treatment it is important to cool the alloy fast enough to about room temperature or below in order to transform the microstructure to a predominantly lath martensitic structure and to prevent or minimize boundary precipitation of primary carbides . suitable cooling rates can be achieved with the use of water , oil , or various quench gases depending on section thickness . after quenching to room temperature the alloy may be subjected to a cryogenic treatment or it may be heated directly to the tempering temperature . the cryogenic treatment promotes a more complete transformation of the microstructure to a lath martensitic structure . if a cryogenic treatment is used , it is carried out preferably below about โ 70 ยฐ c . a more preferred cryogenic treatment would be below about โ 195 ยฐ c . a typical cryogenic treatment is in the metal temperature range of about โ 60 ยฐ c . or โ 70 ยฐ c . to โ 85 ยฐ c . or โ 95 ยฐ c . another typical cryogenic treatment is in the metal temperature range of about โ 180 ยฐ c . or โ 190 ยฐ c . to โ 220 ยฐ c . or โ 230 ยฐ c . normally , the soak time at the cryogenic temperature does not have to extend for more than ten hours . a typical time for cryogenic treatment is one hour . after the cryogenic treatment , or if the cryogenic treatment is omitted , immediately following quenching , the alloy is tempered at intermediate metal temperatures . the tempering treatment is preferably in the metal temperature range of about 200 ยฐ c . or 210 ยฐ c . or 220 ยฐ c . to 580 ยฐ c . or 590 ยฐ c . or 600 ยฐ c ., more preferably about 450 ยฐ c . to 530 ยฐ c . or 540 ยฐ c . normally , the soak time at the tempering temperature does not have to extend for more than twenty - four hours . two to ten hours in the tempering temperature range has been found to be quite suitable . during the tempering treatment , precipitation of nanoscale m 2 c - strengthening particles increases the thermal stability of the alloy , and various combinations of strength and fracture toughness can be achieved by using different combinations of temperature and time . for alloys of the invention with lower ms temperatures , it is possible to further enhance strength and fracture toughness through multi - step thermal treatments by minimizing retained austenite . multi - step treatments consist of additional cycles of cryogenic treatments followed by thermal treatments as outlined in the text above . one additional cycle might be beneficial but multiple cycles are typically more beneficial . an example of the relationship between the processing path and the phase stability in a particular alloy of the invention is depicted in fig2 a and 2b . [ 0075 ] fig2 a depicts the equilibrium phases of alloy 2 c of the invention wherein the carbon content is 0 . 23 % by weight as shown in table 1 . [ 0076 ] fig2 b then discloses the processing sequence employed with respect to the described alloy 2 c . after forming the melt via a melt processing step , the alloy is homogenized at a metal temperature exceeding the single phase ( fcc ) equilibrium temperature of about 1220 ยฐ c . all carbides are solubilized at this temperature . forging to define a desired billet , rod or other shape results in cooling into a range where various complex carbides may form . the forging step may be repeated by reheating at least to the metal temperature range ( 980 ยฐ c . to 1220 ยฐ c .) where only mc carbides are at equilibrium . subsequent cooling ( air cool ) will generally result in retention of primarily mc carbides , other primary alloy carbides such as m 7 c 3 and m 23 c 6 and the formation of generally a martensitic matrix . normalization in the same metal temperature range followed by cooling dissolves the m 7 c 3 and m 23 c 6 primary carbides while preserving the mc carbides . annealing in the metal temperature range 600 ยฐ c . or 610 ยฐ c . to 840 ยฐ c . or 850 ยฐ c . and cooling reduces the hardness level to a reasonable value for machining . the annealing process softens the martensite by precipitating carbon into alloy carbides that are too large to significantly strengthen the alloy yet are small enough to be readily dissolved during later solution treatment . this process is followed by delivery of the alloy product to a customer for final manufacture of a component part and appropriate heat treating and finishing . typically the customer will form the alloy into a desired shape . this will be followed by solution heat treatment in the mc carbide temperature range and then subsequent rapid quenching to maintain or form the desired martensitic structure . tempering and cooling as previously described may then be employed to obtain strength and fracture toughness as desired . a series of prototype alloys were prepared . the melt practice for the refining process was selected to be a double vacuum melt with la and ce impurity gettering additions . substitutional grain boundary cohesion enhancers such as w and re were not considered in the making of the first prototype , but an addition of twenty parts per million b was included for this purpose . for the deoxidation process , ti was added as a deoxidation agent , promoting tic particles to pin the grain boundaries and reduce grain growth during solution treatment prior to tempering . the major alloying elements in the first prototype are c , mo , and v ( m 2 c carbide formers ), cr ( m 2 c carbide former and oxide passive film former ), and co and ni ( for various required matrix properties ). the exact alloy composition and material processing parameters were determined by an overall design synthesis considering the linkages and a suite of computational models described elsewhere [ olson , g . b , โ computational design of hierarchically structured materials .โ, science 277 , 1237 - 1242 , 1997 ], which is incorporated herewith . the following is a summary of the initial prototype procedure . selected parameters are indicated in fig3 - 6 by a star (โ
). the amount of cr was determined by the corrosion resistance requirement and a passivation thermodynamic model developed by campbell [ campbell , c , systems design of high performance stainless steels , materials science and engineering , evanston , ill ., northwestern 243 , 1997 ], which is incorporated herewith . the amount of c was determined by the strength requirement and an m 2 c precipitation / strengthening model according to the correlation illustrated in fig3 . based on the goal of achieving 53 hrc hardness , a c content of 0 . 14 % by weight was selected . the tempering temperature and the amounts of m 2 c carbide formers mo and v were determined to meet the strength requirement with adequate m 2 c precipitation kinetics , maintain a 1000 ยฐ c . solution treatment temperature , and avoid microsegregation . fig4 and 5 illustrate how the final v and mo contents were determined . final contents by weight of 1 . 5 % mo and 0 . 5 % v were selected . the level of solidification microsegregation is assessed by solidification simulation for the solidification cooling rate and associated dendrite arm spacing of anticipated ingot processing . amounts of co and ni were determined to ( 1 ) maintain a martensite start temperature of at least 200 ยฐ c ., using a model calibrated to ms temperatures measured by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction , so a lath martensite matrix structure can be achieved after quenching , ( 2 ) maintain a high m 2 c carbide initial driving force for efficient strengthening , ( 3 ) improve the bcc cleavage resistance by maximizing the ni content , and ( 4 ) maintain the co content above 8 % by weight to achieve sufficient dislocation recovery resistance to enhance m 2 c nucleation and increase cr partitioning to the oxide film by increasing the matrix cr activity . fig6 shows that , with other alloy element amounts and the tempering temperature set at their final levels , optimization of the above four factors results in the selection of co and ni amounts of about 13 % and 4 . 8 % by weight , respectively . the material composition and tempering temperature were fine - tuned by inspecting the driving force ratios between m 2 c and other carbides and intermetallic phases with reference to past studies of other precipitation hardened ni โ co steels . the composition of the first design prototype designated 1 is given in table 1 along with later design iterations . the initial design included the following processing parameters : a minimum solution treatment temperature of 1005 ยฐ c ., where this temperature is limited by vanadium carbide ( vc ) formation according to thermodynamic equilibrium ; and a tempering temperature of 482 ยฐ c . with an estimated tempering time of three hours to achieve optimum strength and toughness . evaluation of the first prototype ( entry 1 in table 1 ) gave promising results for all properties evaluated . the most significant deficiencies were a lower than desired m s temperature by 25 ยฐ c . to 50 ยฐ c . and a strength level 15 % below objectives . a second series of designs denoted 2 a , 2 b and 2 c in table 1 were then evaluated . all three second - iteration prototypes gave satisfactory transformation temperatures , and the best mechanical properties of the second iteration were exhibited by alloy 2 c . based on the latter base composition , a third - iteration series of alloys designated 3 a , 3 b and 3 c in table 1 explored minor variations in grain - refining mc carbides , comparing tic , ( ti , v ) c , and nbc . principal parameters were mc phase fraction and coarsening resistance at solution temperatures , subject to the constraint of full mc solubility at homogenization temperatures . selecting ( ti , v ) c as the optimal grain refining approach , a fourth - iteration design series designated 4 a through 4 g in table 1 examined ( a ) refinement of martensitic transformation kinetics to minimize retained austenite content , ( b ) increased stability of competing m 2 c carbides to promote fall dissolution of cementite during m 2 c precipitation strengthening in order to enhance fracture toughness and ( c ) utilized lower temperature iron ( fe ) based m 2 c precipitation strengthening to completely avoid the precipitation of cementite and enhance cleavage resistance . modification of carbide thermodynamics and kinetics in the latter two series included additions of w and si . following is a summary of the described experiments and alloys : alloy 1 in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the material was homogenized for seventy - two hours at 1200 ยฐ c ., forged and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 175 ยฐ c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined , solution heat treated at 1025 ยฐ c . for one hour , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature and tempered at 482 ยฐ c . for eight hours . the measured properties are listed in table 2 below . alloy 2 a in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1190 ยฐ c ., forged and rolled to 1 . 500 inch square bar starting at 1120 ยฐ c ., and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 265 ยฐ c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1050 ยฐ c . for one hour , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , tempered at 500 ยฐ c . for five hours , air cooled , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature and tempered at 500 ยฐ c . for five and one - half hours . the measured properties are listed in table 3 below . the reference to the corrosion rate of 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) was made using a sample tested under identical conditions . the average corrosion rate for 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) for this test was 0 . 26 mils per year ( mpy ). tensile samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ยฐ c . for seventy - five minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 496 ยฐ c . for either four hours or six hours with liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatments for one hour in between the temper steps . the measured tensile properties are listed in table 4 below . alloy 2 b in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1190 ยฐ c ., forged and rolled to 1 . 000 inch diameter round bar starting at 1120 ยฐ c . and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 225 ยฐ c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the round bar , solution heat treated at 1100 ยฐ c . for 70 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature and tempered at 482 ยฐ c . for twenty - four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 5 below . alloy 2 c in table 1 was vacuum induction melted ( vim ) to a six inch diameter electrode which was subsequently vacuum arc remelted ( var ) to a eight inch diameter ingot . the ingot was homogenized for twelve hours at 1190 ยฐ c ., forged to 2 . 250 inch square bar starting at 1120 ยฐ c . and annealed according to the preferred processing techniques described above and depicted in fig2 a and 2b . dilatometer samples were machined and the m s temperature was measured as 253 ยฐ c . by quenching dilatometry and 1 % transformation fraction . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ยฐ c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , tempered at 498 ยฐ c . for eight hours . the measured properties are listed in table 6 below . test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ยฐ c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , tempered at 498 ยฐ c . for twelve hours . the measured properties are listed in table 7 below . corrosion test samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ยฐ c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , tempered at 498 ยฐ c . for eight hours , air cooled and tempered at 498 ยฐ c . for four hours . the measured properties are listed in table 8 below . the reference to the corrosion rate of 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) was made using a sample tested under identical conditions . the average corrosion rate for 15 - 5ph ( h900 condition ) for this test was 0 . 26 mils per year ( mpy ). tensile samples were machined from the square bar , solution heat treated at 1025 ยฐ c . for 75 minutes , oil quenched , immersed in liquid nitrogen for one hour , warmed to room temperature , multi - step tempered at 496 ยฐ c . for either four hours or six hours with liquid nitrogen ( ln 2 ) treatments for one hour in between the temper steps . the measured tensile properties are listed in table 9 below . essential to the alloy design is the achievement of efficient strengthening while maintaining corrosion resistance and effective hydrogen trapping for stress - corrosion resistance . all of these attributes are promoted by refinement of the strengthening m 2 c carbide particle size to an optimal size of about three nanometers at the completion of precipitation . fig7 shows the atomic - scale imaging of a three nanometer m 2 c carbide in the optimally heat treated alloy 2 c using three - dimensional atom - probe microanalysis [ m . k . miller , atom probe tomography , kluwer academic / plenum publishers , new york , n . y ., 2000 ] which is incorporated herewith , verifying that the designed size and particle composition have in fact been achieved . this image is an atomic reconstruction of a slab of the alloy where each atom is represented by a dot on the figure with a color and size corresponding to its element . the drawn circle in fig7 represents the congregation of alloy carbide formers and carbon which define the m 2 c nanoscale carbide in the image . as a consequence , the alloys discovered have a range of combinations of elements as set forth in table 10 . preferably , impurities are avoided ; however , some impurities and incidental elements are tolerated and within the scope of the invention . thus , by weight , most preferably , s is less than 0 . 02 %, p less than 0 . 012 %, o less than 0 . 015 % and n less than 0 . 015 %. the microstructure is primarily martensitic when processed as described and desirably is maintained as lath martensitic with less than 2 . 5 % and preferably less than 1 % by volume , retained or precipitated austenite . the microstructure is primarily inclusive of m 2 c nanoscale carbides where m is one or more element selected from the group including mo , nb , v , ta , w and cr . the formula , size and presence of the carbides are important . preferably , the carbides are present only in the form of m 2 c and to some extent , mc carbides without the presence of other carbides and the size ( average diameter ) is less than about ten nanometers and preferably in the range of about three nanometers to five nanometers . specifically avoided are other larger scale incoherent carbides such as cementite , m 23 c 6 , m 6 c and m 7 c 3 . other embrittling phases , such as topologically close packed ( tcp ) intermetallic phases , are also avoided . the martensitic matrix in which the strengthening nanocarbides are embedded contains an optimum balance of co and ni to maintain a sufficiently high m s temperature with sufficient co to enhance cr partitioning to the passivating oxide film , enhance m 2 c driving force and maintain dislocation nucleation of nanocarbides . resistance to cleavage is enhanced by maintaining sufficient ni and promoting grain refinement through stable mc carbide dispersions which resist coarsening at the normalizing or solution treatment temperature . alloy composition and thermal processing are optimized to minimize or eliminate all other dispersed particles that limit toughness and fatigue resistance . resistance to hydrogen stress corrosion is enhanced by grain boundary segregation of cohesion enhancing elements such as b , mo and w , and through the hydrogen trapping effect of the nanoscale m 2 c carbide dispersion . alloy composition is constrained to limit microsegregation under production - scale ingot solidification conditions . the specific alloy compositions of table 1 represent the presently known preferred and optimal formulations in this class of alloys , it being understood that variations of formulations consistent with the physical properties described , the processing steps and within the ranges disclosed as well as equivalents are within the scope of the invention . these preferred embodiments can be summarized as five subclasses of alloy compositions presented in table 11 . subclass 1 is similar in composition to alloys 2 c , 3 a and 3 b of table 1 and is optimal for a secondary hardening temper at about 400 ยฐ c . to 600 ยฐ c . to precipitate cr โ mo base m 2 c carbides providing a uts in the range of about 270 ksi to 300 ksi . subclass 2 is similar in composition to alloys 4 d and 4 e of table 1 and includes additions of w and / or si to destabilize cementite and provide greater thermal stability with a secondary hardening temper at about 400 ยฐ c . to 600 ยฐ c . to precipitate cr โ mo โ w base m 2 c carbides . for applications requiring higher fracture toughness , subclass 3 is similar in composition to alloys 1 , 2 a and 2 b in table 1 and provides an intermediate uts range of about 240 ksi to 270 ksi . subclass 4 is similar in composition to alloys 4 f and 4 g of table 1 and is optimal for low - temperature tempering at about 200 ยฐ c . to 300 ยฐ c . to precipitate fe - base m 2 c carbides without the precipitation of cementite . alloy subclass 5 is a most preferred embodiment of subclass 1 . therefore , the invention including the class of ultrahigh - strength , corrosion resistant , structural steel alloys and the processes for making and using such alloys is to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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according to the present invention , there is provided a process for the preparation of high molecular weight , linear poly ( 1 , 4 - butylene terephthalate ), the process comprising : ( a ) heating 1 , 4 - butanediol to a temperature in the range of from about 175 ยฐ to about 275 ยฐ c . ; ( c ) removing the byproduct water from the reaction mixture as the water is formed . in another aspect , there is provided a process for the preparation of a high molecular weight , linear poly ( 1 , 4 - butylene terephthalate ), the process comprising : ( a ) heating a mixture of terephthalic acid and at least 1 . 25 moles of 1 , 4 - butanediol per mole of the acid at a temperature in the range of from about 175 ยฐ to about 275 ยฐ c . at atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure ; ( c ) removing the byproduct water by entrainment in excess 1 , 4 - butanediol distilled from the mixture . a preferred feature of the invention will include carrying out the reaction steps at atmospheric or subatmospheric pressure , e . g ., as can be reached by aspirators and pumps . in a preferred feature , the 1 , 4 - butanediol will be present at a molar ratio of at least 1 . 25 , but preferably 2 : 1 , based on the acid . greater excesses can be used , although there is not much to be gained by exceeding a ratio of about 100 : 1 . still another preferred feature is to carry out the process with a high boiling liquid medium , e . g ., decalin , tetralin or the like , but preferably excess 1 , 4 - butanediol , to assist in driving off the byproduct water . still other preferred features are to include polyesterification catalysts in the reaction mixture to shorten the time of contact between unreacted 1 , 4 - butanediol and terephthalic acid . any conventional catalyst , e . g ., an inorganic or organic titanium , tin , or antimony compound can be used , and in conventional amounts . for example , 0 . 001 to 1 . 0 mole % of tetrabutyl titanate , tetra octyl titanate , or triethanolamine titanate , antimony oxide , dibutyl tin - maleate , - dilaurate , and the like can be added . preferably , the polyesterification catalyst will be an organo - titanium or an organo - tin compound . the high molecular weight , linear poly ( 1 , 4butylene terephthalate ) resins produced by the improved process of this invention can include small amounts , e . g , of up to about 15 mol . % of groups derived from other glycols , such as ethylene glycol , 1 , 3 - propanediol , 1 , 4 - dimethylol cyclohexane , and the like , and other diacids , e . g ., isophthalic acid , succinic acid , naphthalene dicarboxylic acid , and the like . the molecular weight in the final product will be sufficiently high to provide an intrinsic viscosity of from about 0 . 7 to about 2 . 0 deciliters per gram , measured , for example , as a solution in a 60 : 40 mixture of phenol and tetrachloroethane at 30 ยฐ c . these high molecular weights are attainable in only about 4 hours under the conditions of the present invention . with respect to the process steps and reagents , in one manner of proceeding , three moles of commercially available 1 , 4 - butanediol can be heated in a suitably sized reactor provided with a short fractionation column and heated , e . g ., with an external oil bath at , e . g ., 250 ยฐ c . the 1 , 4 - butanediol is stirred and purged with a nitrogen stream until it is boiling rapidly , then one mole of commercially available terephthalic acid is added gradually , e . g ., during the 1 / 2 hour . preferably , about 0 . 1 mole % of tetrabutyl titanate is also present in the hot reaction mixture . after the acid addition is complete , the temperature is increased , e . g ., to about 260 ยฐ c ., and the pressure is gradually decreased , e . g ., to about 0 . 5 mm hg during , for example , 2 - 3 hours . the distillates are collected and comprise 1 , 4 - butanediol and water . the resinous product is recovered from the reaction vessel by conventional methods . in another manner of proceeding , terephthalic acid and about 5 moles of 1 , 4 - butanediol per mole of terephthalic acid are charged to a suitably sized reactor . preferably , 0 . 1 mole % of tetrabutyl titanate or similar catalyst ( based on the acid ) is added . the reaction mixture is heated , for example to 185 ยฐ- 205 ยฐ c . until it becomes clear , e . g ., in 1 . 5 to 3 hours , then a mild vacuum ( e . g ., 28 &# 34 ; hg ) is applied for a time sufficient to remove the excess 1 , 4 - butanediol ( and entrained water )-- usually about 0 . 5 to 1 . 5 hours is adequate . finally , the prepolymer is heated at , e . g ., 225 ยฐ- 255 ยฐ c . under a higher vacuum , e . g ., 0 . 1 - 1 . 0 mm hg , until the desired degree of polymerization is obtained , e . g ., for about 1 hour . the resinous product is removed from the reactor by conventional methods . the following examples illustrate the preparation of polyester resins according to the novel process of the present invention . for comparison purposes , several procedures are set forth to demonstrate the improvements obtained by proceeding in the specified manner . the examples are not to be construed to limit the invention in anyway whatsoever . 1 , 4 - butanediol , 135 g ., 1 . 50 moles and 0 . 15 g of tetrabutyl titanate , 0 . 44 ร 10 - 3 moles , are placed in a 300 ml . reactor provided with a short fractionation column and submerged in an oil bath kept at 250 ยฐ c . the mixture is mechanically stirred and purged with a nitrogen stream at 25 cc ./ min . terephthalic acid , 83 . 3 g ., 0 . 50 moles , is added gradually during 1 / 2 hours to the hot reaction mixture . after the mixture becomes clear , the temperature is increased to 257 ยฐ c . and the pressure is gradually reduced to 0 . 5 mm hg over the next 2 hours and 20 minutes . the distillates are collected and analyzed and 0 . 821 moles of 1 , 4 - butanediol is recovered . the calculated usage of 1 , 4 - butanediol is ( 1 . 50 - 0 . 821 )/ 0 . 50 = 1 . 358 moles diol / mole tpa . this is an excess of 35 . 8 % over theory . the recovered polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of 1 . 74 dl ./ g . ( at 30 ยฐ c . in a mixture of 60 : 40 phenol - tetrachloroethane ). as in example 1 , 135 g . of 1 , 4 - butanediol , 83 . 3 g . of terephthalic acid and 0 . 15 g . of tetrabutyl titanate are reacted . however , the terephthalic acid is present from the start and is not added gradually . the distillates contain 0 . 687 mole of 1 , 4 - butanediol , so that the diol usage is ( 1 . 50 - 0 . 687 )/ 0 . 50 = 1 . 63 moles diol / mole tpa . this is a 63 % excess over the theoretically required amount . the recovered polymer is off - white and has an intrinsic viscosity of 1 . 50 dl ./ g . terephthalic acid , 33 . 2 lbs . ( 0 . 2 lb . mole ), 85 lbs . 0 . 944 lb . mole ) of 1 , 4 - butanediol and 28 g ., 0 . 181 ร 10 - 3 lb . mole , of tetrabutyl titanate are charged to a 20 gallon stainless steel reactor . the mixture is heated for 2 hours and 20 minutes at 185 ยฐ- 202 ยฐ c ., until it became clear , then 2 / 3 hour under a mild vacuum ( down to 28 &# 34 ; hg ) to remove the excess diol and entrained water . the prepolymer is transferred to a polymerization reactor and treated for 1 hour at 225 ยฐ-- 255 ยฐ c . and a pressure down to 0 . 38 mm hg . the distillates are analyzed and found to contain a total of 0 . 725 lb . moles of butanediol . the diol usage in this reaction is therefore ( 0 . 944 - 0 . 725 )/ 0 . 2 = 1 . 095 moles diol / mole tpa or only 9 . 5 % over the theoretically required amount . the polymer is recovered and has an intrinsic viscosity of 1 . 13 dl ./ g . according to the recently published method of netherlands patent 7105777 ( 1971 ), based on u . s . ser . no . 32 , 754 ( 1970 ), 125 g . of terephthalic acid , 0 . 75 mole , 375 g . of 1 , 4 - butanediol , 4 . 167 moles , and 0 . 225 g . of tetrabutyl titanate , 0 . 66 ร 10 - 3 mole , are reacted in a stainless steel autoclave for 3 hours at 235 ยฐ c . and a pressure of 50 - 70 psig . the prepolymer then is further polymerized in a glass reactor for 2 1 / 2 hours at 250 ยฐ c . and a final vacuum of 0 . 3 mm hg . the collected distillates are analyzed and contain a total of 0 . 596 moles of 1 , 4 - butanediol . thus , by this method , the butanediol usage is ( 4 . 167 - 0 . 596 )/ 0 . 75 = 4 . 76 moles diol / mole tpa or 376 % over the theoretical amount required . the polymer is recovered and has an intrinsic viscosity of 1 . 02 dl ./ g . in a 100 cc tube shaped reactor , provided with a spiral shaped stirrer and a sidearm for removal of volatile products , are placed : 16 . 6 g terephthalic acid ( 0 . 10 moles ), 13 . 5 g 1 , 4 - butanediol ( 0 . 15 moles ) and 0 . 02 g triethanolamine titanate ( 3 . 5 ร 10 - 5 moles ). after purging with nitrogen , the tube is immersed in an oil bath heated to 240 ยฐ c . for 105 minutes , when the reaction mixture becomes clear . the temperature is then increased to 255 ยฐ c . and the pressure gradually reduced to 0 . 15 mm hg over the following two - hour period . the resulting product has an intrinsic viscosity of 1 . 05 dl / g . analysis of the distillates indicates that a total of 0 . 019 moles of butanediol has been recovered ; consequently the butanediol consumption is ( 0 . 15 - 0 . 019 )/ 0 . 1 = 1 . 31 moles diol / mole tpa , or 31 % in excess of the theoretical requirement . in this example the excess of butanediol charged initially is only 50 %; however , the use of an effective catalyst and the effective entrainment of water by the excess butanediol in the absence of a fractioning column still makes it possible to obtain a product of high molecular weight with a relatively low loss in butanediol . the experiment of proceeding example 3 is repeated except that : the catalyst consists of 0 . 1 g dibutyl tin dilaurate ( 1 . 6 ร 10 - 4 moles ) and the total reaction time is 195 minutes . the resulting polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of 0 . 99 dl / g ; the amount of butanediol found in the distillates is 0 . 0129 moles ; and the effective butanediol usage is therefore ( 0 . 15 - 0 . 0129 )/ 0 . 10 = 1 . 371 moles diol / mole tpa , or 37 . 1 % in excess of the theoretical requirement . the procedure of the above examples is repeated , except that the catalyst consists of 0 . 1 g dibutyl tin maleate ( 3 . 2 ร 10 - 4 moles ) and only 11 . 7 g butanediol ( 0 . 13 moles ) is charged to the reactor . after a reaction time of 2 - 1 / 2hours a polymer is obtained with an intrinsic viscosity of 0 . 73 dl / g . the diol usage , corrected for 0 . 0036 moles of butanediol found in the distillates , is ( 0 . 31 - 0 . 0036 )/ 0 . 10 = 1 . 264 moles butanediol / mole tpa , or 26 . 4 % in excess of the theoretical requirement . the above examples demonstrate that high molecular weight poly ( 1 , 4 - butylene terephthalates ) are obtained with very much reduced and almost total suppression of the amount of 1 , 4 - butanediol lost to side reactions , e . g ., dehydration of part of the 1 , 4 - butanediol to tetrahydrofuran . other modifications of examples 1 - 5 provide processes within the scope of this invention . for example , for terephthalic acid , substitute a 98 / 2 mixture of terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid ; a 99 / 1 mixture of terephthalic and adipic acids ; or for the 1 , 4 - butanediol substitute a 98 / 2 mixture of 1 , 4 - butanediol and glycerine . because of their excellent physical , mechanical , chemical , electrical and thermal properties , the polyesters produced by the process of this invention have many and varied uses . they may be used alone as molding powders or mixed with other polymers and may contain fillers , both reinforcing , such as glass filaments , and non - reinforcing , such as wood flour , cloth fibers , clays and the like , as well as flame retardants , pigments , dyes , stabilizers , plasticizers , etc . obviously , other modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments of the invention described which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 2Chemistry; Metallurgy
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in in - house tests carried out by the applicant , it could be found that the heat transfer between a container 5 acted upon by a spray medium and the spray medium is dependent inter alia also on the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium . it was essentially found that , as the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium increases , there is also an increasing heat transfer between the container 5 and the spray medium . furthermore , however , it was also found that there is a lower limit for the volumetric flow rate , below which there is no longer any heat exchange between the container 5 and the spray medium , or no heat exchange that can be mathematically modeled , in particular no heat exchange that can be mathematically predicted . this lower limit for the volumetric flow rate is represented in simplified form and is reached when the container 5 is no longer constantly fully wetted by the spray medium . it was also found that there is an upper limit for the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium , above which a further increase in the volumetric flow rate brings no further increase in the heat transfer between the container 5 and the spray medium . by means of extensive in - house tests carried out by the applicant , it was possible to define parameters , constants and influencing factors on the basis of which the heat transfer between the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium and the container 5 at the maximum useful volumetric flow rate presented above can be mathematically predicted . by means of further in - house tests carried out by the applicant , it was surprisingly also possible to ascertain that the heat transfer between the spray medium and the container 5 can also be mathematically predicted for those volumetric flow rates lying between the two limit values presented above for the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium . due to this discovery , it is now possible for the first time to adapt a pasteurizer or the pasteurization process to changed operating situations not only by varying the parameters transport speed and temperature of the spray medium but also by varying the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium . at this point , it should be expressly pointed out that it is likewise possible to make such adaptations solely by varying the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium . it is likewise possible , for adapting the pasteurizer 1 or the pasteurization process , to use and to vary the abovementioned and / or further parameters in any combinations . in order to model the basic mathematical model of the heat transfer between the spray medium and the container 5 , it is absolutely necessary to determine , for each type of container to be pasteurized , what heat transfer takes place between this type of container and the spray medium and how this heat transfer changes when for example the container starting temperature t , the temperature of the spray medium t 1 , t 2 , t 3 , the transport speed v and the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 have different values . what must be determined , therefore , is the change in the heat transfer between the spray medium and the specific type of container to be pasteurized when one , several or all of the relevant parameters are varied . if the change in the heat transfer when one or several of the abovementioned or else further parameters are varied for a type of container is known , it is possible to adapt the pasteurization process also by varying the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium . building on the knowledge thus obtained , it is possible to calculate and thus also to monitor the pasteurization process for each individual container 5 during the pasteurization thereof . to this end , however , it is absolutely essential that the container 5 to be pasteurized , at all times during the pasteurization process , is in such a state in which the heat exchange between the container and the surrounding environment can be calculated with sufficient accuracy and taken into consideration . if the container 5 is at any time not in such a state and thus can exchange heat for example in an uncontrolled manner with its surrounding environment , it is no longer possible to continue calculating the pasteurization process , which results in the risk of undesirable overpasteurization or underpasteurization . such a situation may arise for example in the event of stoppage of the machine when the container 5 is resting freely on the transport means with the spray medium switched off , wherein all the parameters which define a heat exchange between this container and its surrounding environment , for example ambient temperature , air humidity , flow rate of the air , etc ., are not known . at all times during the pasteurization process , therefore , particularly even in the event of a machine malfunction or break in production , etc ., a container 5 to be pasteurized must be exposed to defined ambient conditions so that the heat exchange between the container 5 and its surrounding environment remains able to be calculated . finally , it is clear from this prerequisite that the container 5 must be constantly acted upon by a spray medium at a known temperature t 1 , 2 , 3 , wherein on the one hand the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium must also be known and on the other hand the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 must be at least great enough that the container 5 is constantly fully wetted with spray medium during the spraying process . in order to calculate the pasteurization process , for each point in time during the pasteurization process the heat transfer between the container 5 and the spray medium is determined , wherein inter alia the starting temperature of the container , the temperature of the spray medium t 1 , 2 , 3 , the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium and for example also the transport speed v of the container are taken into account . taking account at least of the time span in which these parameters have unchanged values , the change in temperature of the container 5 and thus also its temperature during the time span and / or its final temperature after the end of the time span are determined , as a result of which the pasteurization units thus administered can also be calculated . when at least one of the relevant parameters assumes a different value , the calculation is continued using the new values , as a result of which the entire pasteurization process is calculated . in order to carry out the method according to the invention , a pasteurizer 1 is equipped with sensors which monitor the operating state at least of the pasteurizer 1 and / or at least of part of the overall production system . by using suitable sensors , such as those that have been known for a long time to a person skilled in the art , information is recorded for example about the degree to which the transport means 3 are occupied by or filled with containers 5 , the temperatures t 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray media in the individual treatment zones , the conveying speed v of the transport means 3 , etc . this information is transmitted to a suitable control device 7 , for example a device for electronic data processing . nominal values and nominal pasteurization procedures for all the relevant products to be pasteurized are preferably also stored in this control device 7 . also preferably stored in this control device 7 are , for all the relevant types of container or product , all the relevant details regarding the changes in the heat transfer between the container and the spray medium as a function of the relevant parameters . furthermore , the control device 7 is connected to appropriate adjusting elements of the pasteurizer 1 , such as for example pumps 6 , valves , heating elements , drive motors , etc . and is able actively to influence these adjusting elements in terms of their mode of operation or mode of action . the variation or control of the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium takes place at least in one of the treatment zones , but preferably for all the treatment zones , wherein preferably the volumetric flow rate can be controlled separately via open - loop or closed - loop control for each individual treatment zone . the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium is preferably produced by process water pumps โ hereinafter referred to as hydraulic pumps โ which are driven for example by frequency - controlled motors since in this way the volumetric flow rate can be produced and also changed in a particularly energy - saving manner . the volumetric flow rate can also be influenced by flow control valves and / or bypass lines and / or by spray valves having a variable dispensing volume flow rate . the volumetric flow rate can also be changed by some of the available spray valves being fully opened or closed via open - loop or closed - loop control . the open - loop or closed - loop control of the pasteurization process takes place initially in the known manner , according to which the suitable pasteurization program is selected as a function of the product to be pasteurized . as is known from the prior art , the controller of the pasteurizer reacts autonomously to changes in the operating state , which are reported to the controller for example by the sensors or else by active manual interventions by the operating staff , wherein according to the prior art the pasteurization process is adapted to the changed operating state by varying the parameters transport speed v and temperature t 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray media . as an innovation over this prior art , in a pasteurizer 1 according to the invention the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium at least in one treatment zone 2 can also be varied . in this case , as a function of the current operating state and knowledge of the changed heat transfer behavior , the controller 7 of the pasteurizer 1 acts on the parameters of the pasteurizer 1 that can be influenced or changed , so that an advantageous adaptation of the pasteurization process to the changed operating state is achieved . the changes may in this case be influenced by a closed - loop control or else by an open - loop control of the parameters in question , or of the adjusting elements influencing said parameters , that is to say pumps 6 , valves , heating elements , drive motors . the invention will be explained in more detail below on the basis of examples of embodiments . if there is a break in production , i . e . a stoppage of the transport means 3 of the pasteurizer 1 , it is absolutely necessary , as discussed at length above , to expose the containers 5 to defined ambient conditions . this requirement in turn requires that the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium in pasteurizers according to the prior art is kept unchanged , which entails considerable energy costs for the constant pumping and temperature control of a considerable volume of the spray medium . by applying the present invention , it is now possible for the first time to reduce the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium at least in one of the treatment zones , as a result of which the energy costs can be considerably reduced . as discussed above , it is possible in this case to reduce the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium to such an extent that the container is just still fully wetted by the spray medium , without losing the ability to mathematically calculate the pasteurization process . if there is a reduced supply of containers 5 , it is customary in pasteurizers 1 according to the prior art either to continue to operate the pasteurizer in an unchanged fashion or else to completely switch it off , i . e . not to allow any containers 5 to enter the pasteurizer 1 until there is once again a sufficient number of containers available . in this case , it is particularly important that the unchanged operation of a pasteurizer 1 when there is a reduced supply of containers leads to the transport means 3 not being fully occupied , which ultimately leads to a reduced degree of efficiency of the overall system and to an increase in the cost per unit of each pasteurized container 5 . by applying the present invention , it is now possible to operate the pasteurizer 1 in a mode in which the transport speed and also the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium are varied , for example reduced , as a result of which overall a full occupancy of the transport means 3 and a pasteurization process adapted to this reduced transport speed v are possible . if there is a reduced provision of containers 5 upstream of the pasteurizer 1 , then according to the invention firstly the speed of the transport means 3 is reduced from the speed v 1 to the speed v 2 , wherein the speed v 2 is selected in such a way that the transport means 3 is completely filled with containers 5 even when a reduced number of containers 5 are being provided . by reducing the transport speed v , the length of time taken to pass through a treatment zone of length s is extended from the time span t 1 to the time span t 2 . in this case , it is essential that the containers 5 at the end of the two time spans t 1 and t 2 must in each case exhibit the identical temperature change ฮดt , since it is provided for the pasteurization process that a certain temperature t is reached at the end of a treatment zone . consequently , there is a requirement that ฮดt 1 = ฮดt 2 . by virtue of the present invention , the time that is additionally available can now be used to heat the containers 5 more slowly by reducing the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium , so that the nominal temperature change ฮดt 2 is achieved in good time but not ahead of schedule , thus making energy savings possible . accordingly , it is of course also possible to allow the cooling process that is customary in pasteurization to likewise proceed more slowly . analogously it is of course also possible , in the event of an increased inflow of containers , to operate the pasteurizer 1 at an increased speed v , wherein the containers 5 also achieve the nominal temperature change within the now shortened time span due to a suitably increased volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium . it will be understood here that , instead of a nominal temperature change , the reaching of a nominal temperature may also be provided without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention . due to the operating principle , a pasteurizer 1 can be designed optimally only for one type of container to be pasteurized . however , if it is provided to use such a pasteurizer 1 to pasteurize different types of container , this pasteurizer 1 must necessarily be configured in such a way that even the โ container having the greatest heating and cooling requirement and having the poorest heat transfer โ can still be reliably pasteurized . for the pasteurization of other types of container , the pasteurization process according to the prior art is adapted only by varying the parameters transport speed v and temperature t 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray media . although in a pasteurization process adapted in this way a trouble - free pasteurization of the product is generally still achieved , to this end often an increased outlay on energy is required , which ultimately leads to increased costs per item . according to the invention it is proposed , in addition to or instead of varying the parameters transport speed v and / or temperature t 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium , to vary the parameter volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium in order to adapt an actual pasteurizer 1 or a pasteurization process to different types of container . in this case , it is particularly advantageous if , for the pasteurization of different types of container , different volumetric flow rates v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium are provided for each individual one of these different types of container . by virtue of this procedure it is possible for example to treat a container 5 having a lower heating or cooling requirement and good heat transfer with a lesser volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium compared to a container 5 having a high heating or cooling requirement and poor heat transfer . this aspect of the invention is particularly important when account is taken of the fact that the size and the conveying speed of a pasteurizer is determined essentially by the diameter of the containers and the desired output of the pasteurizer [ containers / hour ], since a surface area or footprint for the pasteurizer 1 results from the factors container diameter , number of containers per hour and pasteurization time . due to the variation of the volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium , as proposed by the present invention , there is obtained a much greater number of value pairs of the variable parameters for which it is possible to operate a pasteurizer 1 in such a way that the transport means is always fully occupied even for a wide range of different container diameters while precisely adhering to the pasteurization time . by way of example it may be provided , for a predefined output of the pasteurizer 1 , to act upon a small container 5 having a low heating requirement and good heat transfer at a low transport speed v with a low volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium , whereas a large container 5 having a high heating requirement and poor heat transfer is acted upon at a high transport speed v with a high volumetric flow rate v ยฐ 1 , 2 , 3 for an identical output . by virtue of this procedure , overall a full occupancy of the pasteurizer 1 is achieved even with different container diameters , which ultimately leads to low pasteurization costs per container . in certain operating situations , it may happen that the supply of containers 5 to the pasteurizer is completely interrupted for a certain time interval , so that the transport means 3 has an area which contains no containers 5 . due to the mode of operation of a pasteurizer 1 , such a gap in the container stream must be moved through the pasteurizer 1 at the same speed v as if the transport means 3 were fully occupied with containers 5 . in known pasteurizers 1 , the only reaction to such a gap is that the temperature t 1 , 2 , 3 of the spray medium in the respective treatment zone 2 in which the gap is located in each case is lowered by a certain temperature . according to the invention it is proposed to reduce the volumetric flow rate of the spray medium in the treatment zones 2 in which such a gap is located , or in those treatment zones 2 which contain no containers due to a gap in the container stream . due to this reduction in the volumetric flow rate , the costs incurred by heat losses and by producing the volumetric flow rate can be reduced . it will be understood that the operating situations mentioned in the examples of embodiments and the measures associated with these operating situations โ including in the respective combination โ are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention . in particular , these examples of embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention to the effect that said combinations of operating situation and measure must necessarily be retained . instead , the present invention also extends to other , โ 1 to 1 โ, โ 1 to n โ and โ n to 1 โ combinations of the aforementioned and further operating situations and measures . | 0Human Necessities
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the present invention is a pulse width modulator that processes a modulating voltage signal that is a continuous function of time ( which will be denoted by t ), and which may take on both positive and negative values as time progresses . the modulating voltage will be denoted by the functional notation v m ( t ). what is required of a pulse width modulator , and what the invention generates , is a succession of voltage pulses , all of constant duration ( denoted by t ), each pulse being divided into two time intervals , during one of which the pulse voltage is zero ( referred to as &# 34 ; low &# 34 ; level ), and during the other of which the pulse voltage is a positive value that is the same for all pulses . the positive pulse voltage will be referred to as the &# 34 ; high &# 34 ; level . the invention uses logic circuits for which the high level is a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; and the low level is a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. the output of the invention is a pulse train , with each pulse starting at the end of the pulse that preceded it . linear pwm requires , and the invention generates , a pulse train with these properties ; a ) a pulse beginning at an instant when v m ( t ) is zero , having equal duration of high and low levels ; b ) a pulse beginning at a time when v m ( t ) is positive , having a high level duration exceeding t / 2 by a time interval that is proportional to v m ( t ) at the start of the pulse ; and c ) a pulse , beginning at a time when v m ( t ) is negative , having a high level duration that is less than t / 2 by a time interval that is proportional to the absolute value of v m ( t ) at the start of the pulse . if the preceding requirements are met , and the resulting pwm signal is applied to the control elements of the power semiconductors that comprise a standard bridge circuit , the resulting voltage across the load that is connected to the bridge will , after filtering , be a scaled replica of v m ( t ), provided that 1 / t ( the pulse repetition frequency ), is very high compared to the highest frequency present in a fourier decomposition of v m ( t ), which is always the case in practice . the properties of the pwm signal generated by the invention can be summarized by the algebraic formulas : in the first formula , t ( high ) represents the high level interval of a particular pulse and v m ( t ) is the modulation voltage at the start of the pulse . ฮฑ is a number that determines how much v m ( t ) changes t ( high ). if ฮฑ = 0 , there is no modulation and the entire pulse train has equal high and low times . the product ฮฑ | v m ( t )| must not exceed t / 2 or overmodulation will result , that is , a high or low level will exist during the entire pulse and there will be a loss of proportionality between t ( high ) and v m ( t ). it should be noted that practical pwh generators , including the invention , depart very slightly from the above formula because v m ( t ) generally changes during the pulse time t . however , this error is very small when ( 1 / t ) is high compared to the highest frequency present in v m ( t ), and will be disregarded here . in the following description and claims several parameters are mathematically defined . they are reproduced and defined here in a table to facilitate reference to them . fig1 a is a block diagram of a configuration that embodies some of the fundamental ideas of the invention . the circuit of fig1 a begins with a 50 % duty cycle square wave ( equal high level and low level durations ) applied by a square wave generator 108 at its output 110 . by means of an or logical operation 112 , the circuit adds to the square wave a variable duration pulse , which is generated by the lower circuit branch 114 , that rises from low level to high level at the negative transition of the square wave . the result is a square wave that is high for 50 % or more of the entire cycle time . to accommodate duty cycles less than 50 % required for bipolar pwm , fig1 a includes a final exclusive - or operation 116 with one input being the or output and the other a &# 34 ; polarity &# 34 ; signal that can be either high or low . from the definition of the ex - or operation , if polarity is low , the ex - or output is the same as the or output , and if polarity is high , the ex - or output is the complement of or output , i . e ., ex - or output is high when or output is low and conversely . the inclusion of the ex - or operation therefore makes it possible for this configuration to produce outputs with duty cycles greater or less than 50 %. fig1 b shows the 50 % duty cycle input square wave , which is labelled i , and has period t . the circuit in fig1 a consisting of resistor r1 , capacitor c1 , is a differentiator circuit with diode d shorting out the positive output so that the three element circuit generates negative pulses at the negative transitions of i . these pulses are illustrated by fig1 c and are labelled ii . as shown in fig1 a , the negative pulses ii are applied to the trigger input 118 of a controllable duration one shot multivibrator 120 ( also known in the art as a variable one shot ), and initiate a modulating pulse at the one - shot output . this one shot output pulse labelled iii , has duration t o as shown in fig1 d . duration t o is proportional to a control voltage applied to control terminal c of the one - shot 120 . fig1 e shows waveform iv , which is the result of the logic operation ( iii or i ) of or gate 112 and is a square wave with a duty cycle greater than or equal to 50 %. fig1 f and 1g show waveform v , which is the result of the logic operation ( iv ex - or polarity ) of exclusive or gate 116 , in the respective cases polarity low ( v and iv identical ) and polarity high ( v the complement of iv ). an actual circuit constructed in accordance with fig1 a would encounter a serious practical difficulty because controllable one - shot multivibrators generally have a minimum output pulse duration ( due to storage effects ) which will be designated here as t ( min ). if the voltage at control terminal c is reduced below a critical value v ( critical ) which produces output pulse duration t ( min ), the output pulse duration will no longer be controlled by voltage at c . as a consequence , operation of a pwm circuit according to fig1 a will be uncontrolled whenever the signal at c is less than the critical value . in the case of sinusoidal pwm , this would occur in a time interval near each zero crossing of an input sinusoid intended to modulate the duty cycle . the resulting &# 34 ; crossover distortion &# 34 ; would be generally undesirable . fig2 a is a block diagram of a circuit that augments the circuit of fig1 a in order to eliminate crossover distortion caused by the existence of a minimum controllable value of one - shot output pulse duration . instead of applying square wave input i directly to an or gate as in fig1 a , square wave i is , before application to the or gate , delayed in time by an interval ฯ at time delay circuit 22 that exceeds t ( min ). as in fig1 a , the one - shot is triggered by the negative transition of square wave i . from the nature of the or operation , it then follows that the duty cycle at the or output is 50 % for all values of t o , the one - shot output pulse duration , less than or equal to ฯ . by time shifting the square wave i to a later time by the time delay circuit 22 , an output pulse iii from one - shot 120 and of duration t o occurs when the input to or gate 112 is still high and therefore does not affect the output iv of or gate 112 . if t o & gt ; ฯ the duty cycle at the or output varies linearly with ( t o - ฯ ). however , for linear pwm , what is required is that the duty cycle vary linearly with the modulating signal . this requirement is met in the invention by summing the modulating voltage , designated v m ( t ), where t represents time , with an adjustable dc offset voltage v offset . then , if ฮฑ is a number that when multiplied by the voltage at control terminal c gives output pulse duration , it follows that , if t o & gt ; ฯ , in practice , v offset is to be adjusted so that ฮฑv offset = ฯ . it then follows that with such adjustment , which is exactly what is needed for linear duty cycle modulation by v m ( t ). further , since v m ( t ) is assumed positive for the circuit of fig2 a ( in later paragraphs of the specification , bipolar v m ( t ) will be dealt with ) and ฯ & gt ; t ( min ), the one - shot control voltage at terminal c is always greater than that which produces output pulse duration t ( min ), hence there is no crossover distortion . fig2 b illustrates the 50 % duty cycle square wave , again labelled i to be consistent with fig1 a . fig2 c shows waveform i delayed by time t . the delayed waveform is labelled i &# 39 ;. fig2 d shows negative going trigger pulses simultaneous with the negative transitions of signal i ( not of i &# 39 ;). these pulses are labelled ii , again consistent with fig1 a . in fig2 a , the circuit block 224 labelled sum adds an adjustable dc offset voltage to the modulating signal v m ( t ) that is assumed to always have a positive polarity . the sum circuit output 226 is applied to the control terminal c of a one - shot . fig2 e shows the one - shot output pulse ( labelled iii ) when v m ( t )= 0 and when v offset is adjusted so that ฮฑv offset = ฯ as described above . it may be seen from fig2 e that the transitions of both signal i &# 39 ; and signal iii from high to low are simultaneous . it then follows from the nature of the or operation that or gate output ( labelled iv ) is identical to i &# 39 ;, as shown in fig2 f . in other words , if v m ( t )= 0 , output of the or gate is a 50 % duty cycle square wave as required for linear pwm . therefore the &# 34 ; crossover distortion &# 34 ; for 0 โฆ v m ( t )& lt ; v ( critical ) which was described in connection with the circuit of fig1 a is eliminated . fig2 g and 2h respectively show one - shot output and or gate output for v m ( t )& gt ; 0 , in which case t o & gt ; ฯ and or gate output is a square wave with duty cycle greater than 50 %. fig2 a shows an exclusive - or gate whose function is the same as that described in connection with fig1 a , that is , to produce duty cycles less than 50 % if the polarity input to the ex - or gate is high , and duty cycles greater than 50 % if the polarity input is low . the configuration of fig2 a will accept only positive modulation signals v m ( t ) while a practical modulator must accept bipolar modulation signals and generate duty cycles greater than 50 % for one modulation polarity and duty cycles less than 50 % for the other modulation polarity . fig3 is a block diagram of the invention and illustrates such a practical circuit . it shows an augmentation of the configuration of fig2 a by two more functional elements . the first of these is a full wave rectifier 328 whose input is bipolar v m ( t ) and whose output is | v m ( t )|, i . e . the absolute value of v m ( t ), which is always positive . the second element is a polarity signal generator 330 which transitions between high and low levels when v m ( t ) changes polarity . as shown in fig3 a , the sum of | v m ( t )| and offset voltage v offset is applied to the pulse duration control terminal c of a one - shot multivibrator 320 , as in fig2 a . in practice , v offset is adjusted so that ฮฑv offset is equal to the time ฯ by which input square wave i is delayed , as explained previously in connection with fig2 a . the polarity generator 330 output is applied to one input of the ex - or gate 316 in order to change duty cycle excursions at v , the ex - or output , from less than to greater than 50 % when v m ( t ) changes polarity . waveforms i , i &# 39 ;, ii , iii and iv for fig3 a are the same as those illustrated by fig2 b through 2h respectively . fig3 b shows v m ( t ) as a sinusoidal function of time , although the invention is not restricted to sinusoidal v m ( t ). fig3 c shows | v m ( t )|, which is the output of the full - wave rectifier 328 shown in fig3 a . fig3 d illustrates the polarity signal , which in this example changes from low to high when v m ( t ) changes from positive to negative . fig3 e shows waveform v , the final pwm signal at the output of the ex - or gate . fig3 e must be regarded as illustrative only , since in practice there would be hundreds of pulses per modulation cycle rather than the small number shown in the figure . noteworthy in fig3 e are : a ) 50 % duty cycle at the zero crossings of v m ( t ); cycle of v m ( t ) and less than 50 % for the second half cycle ; and c ) generally , a different duty cycle for each successive pulse , with duty cycle increasing and then decreasing during the first half cycle . therefore , the invention , as described in connection with fig1 - 3 can be summarized as follows . in fig1 the quantity of deviation of duty cycle from 50 % is equal to the duration t o of the one - shot output pulse , which in turn is a function of the modulation amplitude v m ( t ), except for where crossover distortion occurs . the direction ( i . e ., more or less than 50 % duty cycle ) of that deviation is determined by the detected polarity of v m ( t ). in fig2 the combination of the time shift ฯ by at least t ( min ) combined with summing v m ( t ) with an offset voltage v . sub . ( offset ), chosen so ฯ = ฮฑv . sub . ( offset ), together get rid of the crossover distortion for positive values of v m ( t ), but the circuit of fig2 won &# 39 ; t accept negative values of v m ( t ). the offset voltage v . sub . ( offset ) causes the quantity of deviation of the duty cycle from 50 % to be determined , not by the total duration of the one - shot output ( as in fig1 ), but rather by the time the one - shot output duration exceeds the time delay ฯ which is also the duration an output pulse from the one - shot would have for a control input voltage to the one - shot of only v . sub . ( offset ). in fig3 the further insertion of a full wave rectifier , so that | v m ( t )| instead of v m ( t ) is applied to the summing circuit , allows also acceptance of negative values of v m ( t ). fig4 shows a schematic circuit diagram of a preferred embodiment of the invention , with the functional blocks corresponding to those shown in fig3 a enclosed by dashed lines ( except for the polarity signal generator , since in this embodiment polarity signal is conventionally taken from one of the nodes of the full - wave rectifier rather than providing a duplicate comparator to separately generate the polarity signal ). for a variable one - shot this embodiment uses an inexpensive timing circuit 432 that is available from many vendors and is labelled &# 34 ; 555 timer &# 34 ;. the timer 432 is shown in fig4 configured as a variable one - shot . prior to receiving a negative pulse at its &# 34 ; trigger &# 34 ; terminal 434 , the internal circuitry of the 555 places a short circuit from the &# 34 ; discharge &# 34 ; terminal 436 to ground and sets the &# 34 ; out &# 34 ; terminal at a low level . a negative trigger pulse removes the short circuit and places the output 438 at a high level . with the short circuit removed , timing capacitor c t is charged by the current source 440 until timing capacitor c t reaches the voltage at the &# 34 ; threshold &# 34 ; terminal , which in this configuration is the same voltage as that placed on control terminal &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;. when the threshold voltage is reached , the internal circuitry of the 555 restores the short from the &# 34 ; discharge &# 34 ; terminal to ground and pulls the output 438 low . since the rate of change of voltage across timing capacitor c t is constant when it is being charged by a current source :, and since it starts charging with no voltage across it , the time required to charge c t to threshold voltage is directly proportional to the threshold voltage , hence directly proportional to control voltage in this configuration . it follows that the time when the 555 output is high is directly proportional to control voltage at &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;, which is what is necessary for liner pwm ( duty cycle varying linearly with v m ( t ). the 555 timer has a minimum controllable one - shot pulse duration t ( min ) of , typically , 10 microseconds . therefore , without the delay and offset technique described earlier in connection with fig2 and 3 , a pwm circuit using the 555 as a one - shot , as in fig1 a , would not function acceptably , since crossover distortion would occur over a large fraction of a sinusoidal cycle of v m ( t ), for typical pulse duration t of about 50 microseconds . as shown in fig4 waveform i ( a 50 % duty cycle square wave ) is delayed by means of r2 , c2 , r3 , c3 and the or gate labelled or 1 . with both inputs to or 1 connected together as shown , the output of or 1 ( labelled i &# 39 ;, consistent with fig2 a and 3a ) transitions high when the voltage at its common input is increasing and reaches about 60 % of high level , and transitions downward when the common input is decreasing and reaches about 30 % of high level . both transition values of input voltage are delayed by practically the same time interval from the zero crossings of signal i , hence signal i &# 39 ; is also a 50 % duty cycle square wave , with its transitions delayed from those of i by a time interval ฯ which is made to exceed t ( min ) by proper choice of r2 , c2 , r3 , and c3 . theoretically time delay ฯ can desirably equal t ( min ). however , t ( min ) varies among different 555 timer integrated circuits and also varies as a function of temperature . consequently , time delay ฯ should be chosen to provide an acceptable safety margin to assure that it is at least as great as t ( min ) for all variations of 555 timer circuits under all operating conditions . also , time delay should not exceed t / 2 or it will encroach upon preceding pulses . v m ( t ) is full wave rectified by a difference amplifier consisting of r4 , r5 ( two of each ) and operational amplifier a1 , used in combination with comparators cmp 1 qnd cmp 2 and bilateral switches s1 through s4 . when v m ( t ) is positive , cmp 1 &# 39 ; s output , which is applied to gate terminals g of switch s1 and switch s4 goes high and causes those two switches to close . s2 and s3 are open when v m ( t ) is positive because cmp 2 &# 39 ; s output , which is connected to the gates of s2 and s3 , is low . therefore the voltage at node b is v m ( t ) and the voltage at node a is zero when v m ( t ) is positive . when v m ( t ) is negative , s2 and s3 are closed , s1 and s4 are open , the voltage at node b is zero , and the voltage at node a is v m ( t ). since ## equ1 ## it follows that the output of a1 is equal to ( r5 / r4 )ร(-| v m ( t )|). an inversion of the sign of a1 &# 39 ; s output takes place when it is summed with a positive offset voltage by a2 , r6 , and r7 , so that waveform viii , which is applied to control terminal c of the 555 timer , is always positive , as required for control of the 555 in its configuration as a variable one - shot . in fig4 polarity signal is obtained from the output of comparator cmp 1 , which transitions between high and low levels at the zero crossings of v m ( t ), and hence has all of the properties required of the polarity signal . the output of comparator cmp 2 could have been used as polarity signal , in which case pwm output would be complemented ( high level would become low level and vice versa ) relative to pwm output with cmp 1 &# 39 ; s output as the polarity signal . each comparator is a conventional comparator having a high gain differential amplifier and two differential inputs connected to compare the signal v m ( t ) to ground . fig5 shows preprocessing of v m ( t ) that adapts the invention to closed loop control of the stroke of a linear motor . for this application , the most efficient form for v m ( t ) is sinusoidal , and the purpose of closed - loop control is to accomplish automatic adjustment of the motor stroke to a preset value . since stroke varies linearly with applied voltage to the motor , stroke adjustment can be accomplished by changing the amplitude of a sinusoidal waveform v m ( t ). in fig5 one input to a multiplier 542 is a constant amplitude sinusoidal voltage , shown in the figure to have amplitude a and constant phase angle ฯ . the other input is an amplified dc error voltage resulting from the operation gain ร( stroke command dc voltage - measured stroke dc voltage ). if the measured stroke falls below the stroke implicit in the command signal , motor voltage is increased and if gain is high , the error will be driven to a low value . the diode 544 in fig5 prevents negative errors which would otherwise occur when measured stroke exceeded command stroke , and which would cause the loop to become unstable because , as stroke rose increasingly above the command stroke , the amplitude of v m would be further increased . in the event measured stroke does exceed command stroke , the error voltage is zero and therefore the drive voltage applied to the linear motor goes essentially to zero . this turning off of the motor permits motor losses ( e . g . friction and resistive losses ) to cause the stroke amplitude to decay . the invention differs from prior art in its use of the combination of delay and offset as described to eliminate crossover distortion that would otherwise exist , and its use of a combined or , exclusive or operation to generate duty cycles greater and less than 50 %. many variations are possible within the spirit of the invention . for example , logical operations in which high level represents logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and low level logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; could be used without any consequential effect on output . while certain preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed in detail , it is to be understood that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims . | 7Electricity
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fig1 shows a vacuum - die casting machine 1 which comprises two mold halves 2 , 3 wherein the mold half 2 is stationary and the mold half 3 is movably supported . the mold half 3 is adjustable between a retracted position ( 3 ) as shown in solid lines and a position ( 3 โฒ) moved toward the stationary mold half and indicated by dashed lines . the movement of the mold half 3 is achieved by an actuator in the form of a hydraulic cylinder 4 to which hydraulic fluid is supplied via a hydraulic valve 5 . the hydraulic valve 5 is controlled by control signals of a control arrangement 6 . between the mold halves 2 , 3 , a casting or , respectively , molding cavity 7 for receiving a metal melt is enclosed . the mold cavity 7 is in flow communication with a casting chamber 8 in which a casting piston . 9 is movably supported . the casting chamber 8 is connected to a metal melt 11 disposed in a warm - holding oven 12 via a suction pipe 10 . the suction pipe 10 extends so far into the metal melt 11 that the suction pipe end opening 13 is below the melt level 14 of the metal melt 11 . the gas pressure needed to introduce gas into the metal melt is determined by the hydrostatic pressure and the ambient pressure on the melt surface 14 , wherein the hydrostatic pressure is obtained by a multiplication , of the level difference h between the melt level 14 and the end opening of the 13 by the density of the metal melt . the mold cavity 7 is provided with a three - way valve 15 , which , as shown in the enlarged representation in fig1 , is connected in a first position to an evacuation arrangement 16 , which includes a vacuum lank 17 and a vacuum pump 18 . furthermore , in a further position which is indicated by a reference , number 19 , the three - way valve 15 is connected to the atmosphere . at the opposite side , the vacuum valve 15 is connected to the mold cavity 7 . at the three way valve , furthermore , a pressure sensor 20 is arranged via which the mold cavity pressure p v can be measured . the measured mold cavity pressure p v is supplied , together with the melt pressure p 1 , as input signal to the control unit 6 in which , depending on the supplied signals , control signals for the adjustment of the hydraulic valve 5 and , respectively , the hydraulic cylinder 4 are generated for controlling the closing speed of the movable mold half 3 . by means of the control signals of the control unit 6 furthermore the three - way valve 15 may be switched . in addition also the movement of the casting piston 9 is controlled via control signals of the control unit 6 . during the closing movement , the movable mold half 3 approaches the stationary mold half 2 . at the front edge of the movable mold half 3 , a circumferential seal 21 in the form of a seal rope is arranged so that it projects from the front edge of the movable mold half 3 . as soon as the seal rope 21 contacts the opposite front edge of the stationary mold half 2 , an excess air volume is enclosed in the mold cavity 7 . the projection of the seal rope 21 beyond the front edge of the movable mold half 3 is indicated by the distance b , that is the seal rope 21 comes into contact with the front edge of the stationary mold half 2 as soon as the distance between the mold halves becomes smaller than the distance b . fig2 shows the three - way valve 15 during the closing procedure of the movable mold half 3 . fig3 shows three - way valve in a position in which it is connected to the evacuation arrangement 16 . up to the point where the seal rope 21 is in contact with the facing front edge of the stationary mold half 2 the closing procedure is performed at high speed . the three - way valve 15 comprises three individual valves 15 a , 15 b , 15 c , of which the individual valve together with the individual valve 15 c controls the connection between the mold cavity 7 and the atmosphere 19 , and the individual valve 15 b in connection with the individual valve 15 c controls the flow connection between the mold cavity 7 and the evacuation arrangement 16 . during the closing movement of the movable mold half 3 , the individual valve 15 b is switched off , that is closed , so that there is no flow connection between the mold cavity 7 and the evacuation arrangement 16 . the individual valve 15 a is switched open so as to provide for a flow connection between the atmosphere 19 and an area of the individual valve 15 c remote from the mold cavity 7 . the individual valve 15 is closed . when a contract is established between the seal rope 21 and the facing front edge of the stationary mold half 2 , the individual valve 15 c . is opened and at the same time also the individual valve 15 b is moved to the opening position so that the mold cavity 7 is connected to the evacuation arrangement 16 . via the pressure sensor 20 , the momentary pressure in the mold cavity 7 is measured . depending on the height of the pressure , the further closing speed of the movable mold half 3 is controlled by control signals of the control unit 6 . the closing speed is so adjusted that the differential pressure ฮดp between the measured mold cavity pressure p v and the melt pressure p 1 which is also measured , does not exceed a certain value . the adjustment is performed especially in such a way that the mold cavity pressure p v is always smaller than the melt pressure p 1 whereby it is ensured that the enclosed as volume in the mold cavity 7 cannot be driven is the open connection , the casting chamber 8 and the suction pipe 10 into the melt 11 in the warm holding oven 12 . in this way , the turbulences and gas inclusions in the melt 11 are prevented . in addition to the adaptation of the closing speed of the movable mold nail 3 , the evacuation of the gas volume via the evacuation arrangement 16 is achieved . during the closing procedure of the movable mold half 3 up to the establishment of a contact between the front edges of the two mold halves , the casting piston 9 remains in the retracted position as shown in fig1 in which flow communication between the mold cavity 7 via the casting chamber 8 and the suction pipe 10 and also the metal melt 11 in the warm holding oven exists . the described control is established in order to prevent gas from flowing into the melt 11 during the closing procedure . after the closing procedure is completed , a vacuum can be generated in the mold cavity via a connection with the evaluation arrangement 16 so that melt 11 is drawn into the casting chamber 8 via the suction pipe 10 . subsequently , the melt is moved from the casting chamber 8 into the mold cavity 7 by forward movement of the casting piston 9 . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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fig1 illustrates in cross - section a typical prior art ferrule type connector which includes a ferrule 3 and first and second optical fibers 1 , 2 to be connected . since an outside diameter of an optical fiber can vary due to manufacturing tolerances , the size of the ferrule 3 necessarily needs to be larger than either one of the optical fibers 1 , 2 which allows for fiber misalignment area 4 to contribute significant optical losses . though these losses can be minimized by more tightly controlling the diameter tolerance of the fibers 1 , 2 , in many applications this tolerance variation is beyond the control of the end user . according to a first embodiment of the invention , an optical fiber having a noncircular cross - section which includes a throughput area and an add / drop area is provided as illustrated in fig2 . referring to this figure , optical fiber 11 includes a core 14 and a cladding 15 , the core 14 being non - circularly formed so as to form a throughput area 12 and an adjacent add / drop area 13 integrally formed therewith . specifically , a cross - section of an end of the fiber taken along a plane substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the fiber which extends along an entire length of the fiber has a noncircular profile and includes a substantially circular region 16 adjacent a nub region 17 . a core 14 of the circular region 16 is contiguous with a core 18 of the nub region 17 and is made of one integral material . a cladding 15 is commonly associated with both the core 14 and 18 of the circular and nub regions , respectively . more specifically , the cladding 15 which envelopes both the cores 14 and 18 is a common cladding which does not entirely separate these cores and allows light from one core to mix with light from the other core . accordingly , a signal in the core 14 after a short distance of the fiber will be consistent and identical with a signal in the core 18 such that any signal tap from either the core 14 or 18 is representative of information within the fiber , and any signal injected into either the core 14 or 18 can be tapped thereafter from any other corresponding location along the fiber where the core 14 and 18 is so shaped . in some applications , it may be advantageous to utilize a fiber having a cross - sectional shape as illustrated in fig2 throughout a length thereof , or more preferably to simply utilize an optical fiber which is substantially circular in cross - section such that the cores 14 and 18 together are circular and surrounded by a circular or cylindrical cladding , with local regions of the fiber being deformed along short lengths thereof , e . g . about 25 mm or so so as to have the shape as illustrated so as to produce a throughput area and tap add / drop area as explained . fig3 illustrates a preferred embodiment for connectorizing a fiber of the type illustrated in fig2 . referring to this figure , first and second fibers 11 , 11 &# 39 ; are connected end - to - end such that the add / drop areas 13 , 13 &# 39 ; are out of phase , a preferred embodiment being 180 ยฐ out of phase as illustrated such that the throughput areas 12 , 12 &# 39 ; overlap . in this case , light in one fiber will be coupled to the other fiber via the throughput areas 12 , 12 &# 39 ;. however , light can be extracted or injected through the add / drop areas 13 , 13 &# 39 ; as desired . in addition , the amount of attenuation of a connector caused by misalignment of the add / drop areas 13 , 13 &# 39 ; will be in proportion to a ratio of the area of the add / drop area to the throughput area . for example , in the case of a core having a 1 , 000 um diameter throughput area 12 and an add / drop area having a diameter of 250 microns , the attenuation caused by misalignment of the add / drop areas would thus be as follows : ## equ1 ## in other words , the connector will drop approximately 6 % of the available optical power from the add / drop area and the throughput will be approximately 94 %. in decibels ( db ), this translates to - 0 . 26 db throughput and - 12 . 3 db drop by the tap . moreover , the injection port or add / drop area 13 , 13 &# 39 ; of this tap structure is not 6 % efficient , but rather , if the source is small enough , it can be 100 % or nearly so efficient while the throughput loss remains at - 0 . 26 db . for most fiber optic emitters the power launched in a 250 micron spot is about the same as that launched in a 1 , 000 micron spot ; hence the write tap is highly asymmetrical to the read . fig4 illustrates a further embodiment of the invention wherein the noncircular optical fiber is predominantly square in cross - section with the add / drop area 23 being formed off of a corner of the fiber for maximum ease of access . reference numeral 22 denotes the throughput area . noncircular optical fiber shapes such as a square shape shown in fig4 are preferred since such fiber shapes cause light asymmetrically injected or removed to be evenly distributed throughout the core after traversing only a short length of the core , i . e . the fiber acts as a mixing rod along this length . with structures according to the invention , an architecture as illustrated in fig5 is possible whereby a plurality of read taps r can be disposed linearly along the optical fiber so as to result in an efficient read bus connected to a transmitter t . fig6 illustrates an alternate embodiment of the invention whereby a plurality of transmitters can be disposed at each tap for transmitting information so as to form a write bus with write taps . fig7 illustrates yet a further embodiment of the invention whereby at each tap a receiver and a transmitter are connected , respectively , to the respective add / drop area 13 , 13 &# 39 ; so as to result in both a read and a write tap at each tap junction which accords a simple and efficient use of a bus and an easier protocol to implement . with this embodiment , each transmitter can regenerate the tapped signal read together with a new signal portion for equipment connected to the tap and hence emulate a ring architecture , or alternatively generate only the new signal portion and hence emulate a bus architecture . the invention is also advantageous for implementing sensor networks . the biggest problem with optical sensors are the cost of the sensors , the cost of read / write equipment , and the need to be all optical . with the invention , a network of sensors can be formed requiring only one transmit / receiver system pair thus lowering the cost of the read / write equipment so as to be independent of the number of elements being sensed . more specifically , a sensor utilizing a tap of the invention will extract light at the add / drop ratio ( e . g . 6 % in the example given ) but will write back the light at a nearly 100 % level . thus a sensor which works by modulating the amount of reflected light provides a very efficient implementation . specifically , referring to fig8 if a tuning fork which changes vibration frequency with changing temperature has a mirror on a front surface thereof and is disposed adjacent a drop area 13 of a tap of the invention , the tuning fork would alternatively reflect light down the fiber back through the drop area 13 at essentially a 100 % efficiency . accordingly , the use of such an implementation renders a network as illustrated in fig9 practical whereby only one transmitter / receiver pair is required , and s 1 , s 2 . . . represent multiple sensors disposed in series . the key point is that the entire modulated signal from the sensor can be placed back onto the fiber bus without significant losses , whereas the amount of optical power attenuated by each sensor is minimal ( e . g . 6 %). another preferred embodiment of the invention is the formation of fail - safe nodes . a fail - safe node in a ring or bus removes and overwrites the network bitstream with a regenerated data stream . the error rate is maintained since each node overwrites at at least 3 ร the power of the passed through signal . on the other hand , if a node dies then the passed through signal is still strong enough to be received by the next downstream node . to make such a tap , the fiber of the embodiment of fig2 can be oriented as illustrated in fig1 such that &# 34 ; nubs &# 34 ; 13 , 13 &# 39 ; are aligned and accordingly they become the &# 34 ; throughput area &# 34 ; with the enlarged portions 12 , 12 &# 39 ; of the fibers being misaligned so as to constitute the &# 34 ; add / drop areas &# 34 ;. in this case , the throughput loss is large because of the misalignment of the relatively large areas 12 , 12 &# 39 ;. as is evident , the ability to have a regenerating node fail but not materially effect the network , except for loss of that node , is very valuable . in addition , such a node can be implemented using exactly the same fiber shape as has been previously described . with the arrangment of fig1 , the throughput loss can be made as high as desired so as to enable efficient overwriting with minimum to no bit error rates induced , but yet the throughput loss can be maintained low enough such that if the node fails the intensity of light which passes through the throughput areas 13 , 13 &# 39 ; is sufficiently large such that the next adjacent downstream node can be able to detect the light and hence the information and regenerate same . though the invention is implementable using any kind of multimode fiber , either glass or plastic , preferred embodiments of the invention utilize plastic optical fiber . if glass fiber is to be used , it is necessary to shape a glass preform into a shape resembling a final shape desired for the fiber . if plastic optical fiber is to be utilized , again the preform can be preshaped such that upon drawing the fiber from the preform the fiber then has its noncircular throughput cross - section area and an add / drop cross - section area as well . however , if plastic optical fiber is to be utilized , further preferred embodiments of the invention are possible since the plastic constituting the plastic optical fiber can be deformed using appropriate heat and pressure to reform is cross - section over short lengths . therefore , one can simply take a standard off - the - shelf plastic optical fiber which is generally circular in cross - section with a very poor tolerance on its outside diameter and reform it with a tool having different mold cavities to form any odd fiber shape as desired over a short length of the fiber which will then constitute a tap or coupling region thereof ( e . g . 25 mm in length ). in addition to transforming the fiber from a round to a desired new shape in the forming process , the forming process can also be utilized to form a smooth 90 ยฐ perpendicular surface on the end of the plastic fiber as well as forming the future connector surface . limitations of the technique are that the circular cross - section cannot be infinitely deformed as the deformation will increase the circumference of the plastic optical fiber thus &# 34 ; thinning &# 34 ; the fiber cladding . generally the cladding can be thinned by 20 - 30 % without significant optical losses , and a preferred embodiment is to reshape the fiber end such that on average the cladding is thinned by less than 40 %, preferably less than 30 %, more preferably less than 25 %, but optimally more than 5 %, or more than 10 %. in addition , the mold cavity must be of good smoothness , though in general it does not need to have an optical smoothness texture . temperature and pressure need to be controlled as well . an additional advantage of the invention is that reforming a plastic optical fiber utilizing a mold as described can remove all tolerance related problems associated with plastic optical fiber connectors . this is accomplished by forming the throughput area or waveguide channel section of the fiber with precise precision and allowing any excess material to make a rather variably sized add / drop area or nub portion 13 . the process of reforming the fiber can form all desired taps as described , e . g . both read , write , sensors , and fail - safe node structures . in addition , the process can be used to mass produce numerous fiber connectors of predetermined lengths . a further preferred embodiment of the invention is to shape plastic optical fiber using shape memory metals or heat shrinkable polymers . specifically , referring to fig1 , fig1 a illustrates an optical fiber 35 disposed within a mode cavity 36 made of an appropriate material which is recoverable , preferably at or above a glass transition temperature tg of the plastic optical fiber 35 . upon heating the cavity to the temperature t g , the cavity 36 changes shape and recovers to its recoverable shape as illustrated in fig1 b , and accordingly reforms the fiber 35 so as to have the new shape as well since the temperature t g corresponds or is larger than the softening temperature of the fiber . according to the invention , any number of a variety of non - circular fiber shapes are preferred , a major limitation being that the aspect ratio of the final shape not be too significantly different from the aspect ratio of the original shape so as to minimize an amount of thinning of the cladding which results . an original circular geometry has several advantages since it results in the smallest circumferential change and achieves maximum symmetry for simpler tooling , machining or molding tools . in addition , cladding induced inefficiencies are minimized . having thus described presently preferred embodiments of the present invention , it will now be appreciated by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention . any disclosures and descriptions herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention , more preferably defined in scope by the following claims . | 6Physics
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the present invention is directed to a wheel covering which improves the aerodynamic efficiency of a motor vehicle wheel . it is expected that the wheel covering of the present invention may be used on any type of wheel , particularly wheels having a tire mounted on a rigid rim . the present invention is particularly well suited for applications such as semitrailers , but may also be practiced with passenger cars , buses , trucks , airplanes , or any other motor vehicle having wheels . referring to fig1 a , shown is a cross - sectional view of a typical wheel ( 10 ) wherein a tire ( 12 ) is mounted on a rim ( 14 ). the wheel has an inner ( 16 ) and outer side ( 18 ) relative to the vehicle ( not shown ). a perspective view of this embodiment is also shown in fig2 a . a conventional automobile tire has a circular bead ( 32 ) that frictionally fits inside the lip of the rim ( 14 ), a sidewall ( 34 ), tread ( 36 ), and a shoulder ( 38 ) that transitions the sidewall into the tread . the tire sidewall comprises a convex annulus surface ( 40 ) having a crest at the apex ( 42 ) of the surface . the tire is constructed of conventional materials including , for example , synthetic rubber composites , nylon , and steel belts . the rim is constructed of steel , aluminum alloy , or any other suitable material . fig1 b and fig2 b show a wheel covering ( 20 ) according to present invention wherein the wheel covering ( 20 ) is rigidly fastened ( 22 ) to the rim ( 14 ) and also flexibly biased ( 24 ) against the outside sidewall ( 18 ) of the tire ( 12 ). in this embodiment , the cover comprises a convex ( with respect to the rim ), circular surface ( 26 ) that engages the air flowing around the wheel as the wheel is in linear motion . the air engaging surface ( 28 ) shown in fig1 b is smooth , but in other embodiments , the surface may be include dimple shaped impressions ( 44 ). for embodiments utilizing dimpled surfaces , the dimpled impressions may be an array of singular sized dimples or , more preferably , may be an array of dimples of multiple sizes . multiple sizes are preferred in order to fit more dimples onto the surface . the dimpled shaped impression provides two advantages , with the first being aerodynamic , and the second being structural . with respect to the aerodynamic advantages , the covering of dimples on the air engaging surface creates a thin layer of air next to the wheel , i . e ., the boundary layer . this boundary layer of air becomes turbulent in its flow patterns over the surface features of the air engaging surfaces . rather than flowing in smooth continuous layers over the air engaging surface , the dimples cause the air to have a microscopic pattern of fluctuations and randomized flow . this โ turbulence โ in the boundary layer enables the air flowing around the air engaging surface to better follow the surface of the air engaging surface , and enables the air to travel further along the air engaging surfaces of the wheel . this creates a much smaller wake at the โ down stream end โ of the wheel . this reduced wake results in a significant reduction in the aerodynamic drag of the wheel . in addition , the use of surface depressions , such as an array of dimpled depressions , can also provide structural advantages to the covering . the diameter of the cover is proximal to the diameter of the tire at the side wall . typically , tire sidewalls are constructed so as to form a โ bulge โ in cross - section . a crest exists at the outermost limit or apex of this bulge . in certain preferred embodiment , the wheel cover adheres to the sidewall at the crest in order to maximize the streamline effect of the cover . the means for fasting the wheel cover to the rim may be any means known in the art including , for example , clips and threaded fasteners . preferably the cover is rigidly and firmly attached to the rim so that the wheel cover turns in tandem with the rim . preferably , the wheel covering is also removably fastened to the rim so that the cover can be easily removed in order to perform maintenance on the wheel , such as a tire rotation or a tire change . the portion of the wheel cover that is secured to the rim is preferably constructed of a rigid material such as a rigid plastic or metal . the means for adhering the wheel cover to the tire may be any means known in the art , including for example , static charge , friction , chemical bonding , and elastic bias . preferably , the wheel cover is not rigidly attached to the tire so that the tire may flex and bend independently of the cover . instead , the cover preferably clings to the tire . the portion of the wheel covering that adheres to the tire can be constructed of either a flexible material or a rigid material . in certain embodiments , adhesion between the tire and covering is achieve via chemical bonding , such as the bonding produced from a weak adhesive . in other embodiments , adhesion is accomplished via a static charge that develops or is induced between the rubber of the tire and the portion of the cover that contacts the tire . in still other embodiments , adhesion is accomplished by an elastic bias of the wheel cover . for example , a cover may be constructed so that the portion of the cover that contacts the tire is elastic and is biased toward the tire . when the cover is sufficiently secured to the rim , tension is placed on the cover at the point of contact with the tire causing the cover to deform at that point . since the cover is elastically biased toward the tire , the cover will be held in place until the tension is removed . in still another embodiment , the wheel cover simply forms a friction fit with the tire sidewall . the air engaging surface may also comprise one or more ventilators to channel air through the wheel . in certain embodiments , the air is channeled from the outside of the wheel to underneath the vehicle , while in other embodiments , the air is channeled from underneath the vehicle to outside the wheel . this directional air flow is desirable in certain applications to cool brake pads and rotors or drums . having thus described a few particular embodiments of the invention , various alterations , modifications , and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art . such alterations , modifications , and improvements , as are made obvious by this disclosure , are intended to be part of this description though not expressly stated herein , and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the invention . accordingly , the foregoing description is by way of example only , and not limiting . the invention is limited only as defined in the following claims and equivalents thereto . | 1Performing Operations; Transporting
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referring , therefore to fig1 a data communication system 10 includes a pair of correspondents 12 , 14 connected by a communication link 16 . the link 16 may be a dedicated link , a multipurpose link such as a telephone connection or a wireless link depending on the particular applications . similarly , the correspondents 12 , 14 may be computer terminals , point - of - sale devices , automated teller machines , constrained devices such as pda &# 39 ; s , cellphones , pagers or any other device enabled for communication over a link 16 . each of the correspondents 12 , 14 includes a secure cryptographic function 20 including a secure memory 22 , an arithmetic processor 24 for performing finite field operations , a random number generator 26 and a cryptographic hash function 28 for performing a secure cryptographic hash such as sha โ 1 . the output of the function 28 will be a bit string of predetermined length , typically 160 bits although other lengths such as 256 , 384 or 513 are being used more frequently . it will be appreciated that each of these functions is controlled by a processor executing instructions to provide functionality and inter - operability as is well known in the art . the secure memory 22 includes a register 30 for storing a long - term private key , d , and a register 32 for storing an ephemeral private key k . the contents of the registers 30 , 32 may be retrieved for use by the processor 24 for performing signatures , key exchange and key transport functions in accordance with the particular protocols to be executed under control of the processor . the long term private key , d , is generated and embedded at the time of manufacture or initialization of the cryptographic function and has a corresponding long - term public key ฮฑ d . the long - term public key ฮฑ d is stored in the memory 22 and is generally made available to other correspondents of the system 10 . the ephemeral key , k , is generated at each signature or other cryptographic exchange by one of the routines disclosed below with reference to fig2 to 9 . once the key , k , and corresponding public key ฮฑ k is generated , it is stored in the register 32 for use in the cryptographic protocol , such as the dsa or ecdsa described above . referring , therefore , to fig2 a first method of generating a key , k , originates by obtaining a seed value ( sv ) from the random number generator 26 . for the purposes of an example , it will be assumed that the cryptographic function is performed over a group of order q , where q is a prime represented as a bit string of predetermined length 1 . by way of example only it will be assumed that the length l is 160 bits , although , of course , other orders of the field may be used . to provide a value of k of the appropriate order , the hash function 28 has an l bit output , e . g . a 160 bit output . the bit string generated by the random number generator 26 is greater than l bits and is therefore hashed by the function 28 to produce an output h ( seed ) of l bits . the resultant output h ( seed ) is tested against the value of q and a decision made based on the relative values . if h ( seed )& lt ; q then it is accepted for use as k . if not . the value is rejected and the random number generator is conditioned to generate a new value which is again hashed by the function 28 and tested . this loop continues until a satisfactory value is obtained . a further embodiment is shown in fig3 . in this embodiment , the output of the random number generator 26 is hashed by hash function 28 as before and tested against the value of q . if the h ( seed ) value is not accepted , the output of the random number generator 26 is incremented by a deterministic function and rehashed by function 28 . the resultant value h ( seed ) is again tested and the procedure repeated until a satisfactory value of k is obtained . the output may be incremented by adding a particular value to the seed value at each iteration , or may be incremented by applying a non - linear deterministic function to the seed value . for example , the output may be incremented by applying the function ฦ ( seed )= a . seed 2 + b mod 2 160 , where a and b are integer constants . a further embodiment is shown in fig4 which has particular applicability to an elliptic curve cryptosystem . by way of example it will be assumed that a 163 bit string is required and that the output of the hash function 28 is 160 bits . the random number generator 26 generates a seed value sv which is processed by the hash function 28 to obtain a first output h ( seed ). the seed value sv is incremented by a selected function to provide a seed value sv + which is further processed by the hash function 28 to provide a second output h ( seed +). the two outputs are then combined , typically by cocatenation , to produce a 320 bit string h ( seed )// h ( seed +). the excess bits , in this case 157 are rejected and the resultant value tested against the value of q . if the resultant value is less than q , it is accepted as the key k , if not the value is rejected . upon rejection , the random number generator may generate a new value as disclosed in fig2 or may increment the seed value as disclosed in fig3 . a further embodiment is shown in fig5 which is similar to that of fig4 . in the embodiment of fig5 the selection of the required l bit string is obtained by applying a l - bit wide masking window to the combined bit string . this is tested against the value of q and if acceptable is used as the value of k . if it is not acceptable it is rejected and the l bit window incremented along the combined bit string to obtain anew value . the values are tested and the window incremented until a satisfactory value is obtained . a similar procedure may be used directly on an extended output of the hash function 28 as shown in fig6 by applying a window to obtain the required i bit string . the bit string is tested against q and the window incremented until a satisfactory value of k is obtained . as shown in fig7 the value of k may be generated by utilizing a low hamming weight integer obtained by combine the output of the random number generator 26 to facilitate computation of an intermediate public key ฮฑ k . the integer is masked by combination with predetermined precomputed value k โฒ to obtain the requisite hamming weight for security . such a procedure is disclosed in copending canadian application 2 , 217 , 925 . this procedure is modified to generate the low hamming weight integer k as a bit string greater than l , for example a 180 bit string the masking value k โฒ is distributed throughout the 180 bit string and the resultant value reduced mod q to obtain a 163 bit value k โณ. note that the value ฮฑ k โณ can be efficiently computed by combining the precomputed value ฮฑ โฒ with the efficiently computable value ฮฑ k . a similar technique may be used by relying on multiplicative masking . in this embodiment the value of k is combined with a value ฮฒ where ฮฒ = ฮฑ u . the value of u is a secret value that is used to mask the low hamming weight of k . again , the values of u and the low hamming weight number k can be chosen to have bit lengths greater than l , for example , bit lengths of 180 . the resultant value is k โณ= u k mod q . it will be appreciated that ฮฑ k โณ can be efficiently computed since ฮฒ = ฮฑ u is precomputed , and since k has low hamming weight . although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments , various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the claims appended hereto . | 7Electricity
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the illustrated sections show only part of the cassette walls 5 , 6 of a 5 โณ cassette ( fig1 ) and a 6 โณ cassette ( fig2 ) which contain , at opposite walls , shelf - forming supports 1 , 2 for disk - shaped objects in the form of masks 3 , 4 . in order to fasten them to the cassette walls 5 , 6 , the supports 1 , 2 are constructed as elements which are bent in an l - shaped manner arranged at one end of a crosspiece 7 , 8 . lateral stops 9 , 10 prevent the objects from sliding . two measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 of laser light barriers which are directed parallel to one another and are arranged in a measurement plane e โ e and in the region of a cassette wall 5 , 6 can be seen in rectangular cross section and pass through each of the cassettes for detecting the supports 1 , 2 and the objects . with respect to their extension in the measurement plane e โ e , the cross sections correspond at least to those of the end sides of the supports 1 , 2 . in every case , they are sufficiently large that a lateral deviation in position of the supports 1 , 2 due to tolerances in the manufacture of the cassettes ensures complete detection of the supports 1 , 2 . vertical to the measurement plane e โ e , the cross sections of the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 are smaller than the thickness d of the objects . as will be clear from fig1 and 2 , the supports 1 , 2 of different - sized cassettes in a centered arrangement can be distinguished by a lateral offset which is directed vertical to the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 in the measurement plane e โ e . since the spacing of the two measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 essentially corresponds to the lateral offset of the supports 1 , 2 , each measurement beam bundle 11 , 12 covers only one of the types of supports that are differentiated by the offset . of course , distinguishing between the cassette types is not limited to the 5 โณ and 6 โณ cassettes described herein . cassettes of different sizes can be used and the quantity of these cassettes can also be increased . increasing the number of cassettes to be detected only requires a corresponding expansion or widening of the measurement beam bundles which are to be arranged again so as to be displaced relative to one another to the extent of offset between the supports . in fig3 whose elements , shown in a very simplified manner , are likewise aligned with those of fig1 and 2 , a frame 13 encloses a space 14 in which a cassette 15 , in this case the 6 โณ cassette shown in fig2 is displaceable in a vertical movement through the frame 13 and accordingly through the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 . each of the frame parts 16 , 17 which are located opposite one another carries radiation elements 18 , 19 and receivers 20 , 21 for the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 . in fig4 a frame 22 for receiving the radiation and reception elements for the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 is integrated in a cassette indexer . a supporting column 23 and a column - shaped panel 24 of an elevator drive are arranged at a distance from one another to form an air passage and serve as carriers for the frame 22 and a receiving plate 25 which is located above the latter and on which the cassette container 26 can be deposited . a receiving arm 27 which is movable vertically by means of the elevator drive 24 and which projects out of the panel 24 through a slit - shaped opening 28 is provided in order to remove and restore a cassette 29 located in the cassette container 26 . the elevator drive comprises a spindle which is driven by a stepper motor . a spindle nut coupled with the receiving arm 27 runs on the spindle in a guide that is fixed with respect to the frame . the step number of the motor , and accordingly the distance traveled , is determined by an encoder . the indexer is connected to external control electronics via a cable connection , not shown . removal , during which the cassette 29 is guided through the frame 22 , is carried out in that the unlocked bottom 30 of the cassette container 26 is lowered together with the cassette 29 and a closure element 31 in the receiving plate 25 . the defined cassette orientation necessary for the detection of different cassette types is ensured in that the cassette 29 is initially aligned with the bottom 30 and the latter fits , by way of suitable recesses , on pins 32 , 33 , 34 ( fig5 ) on the closure element 31 . according to fig5 the frame 22 carries radiation elements 35 , 36 for generating the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 . in order to make use of the limited available space , deflecting elements 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 are provided which direct the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 to receivers 41 , 42 . in fig5 in contrast to fig3 in which the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 are both situated in the region of a cassette wall , measurement beam bundle 11 is arranged in the region of one cassette wall and measurement beam bundle 12 is arranged in the region of the opposite cassette wall . within their area of arrangement , the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 are displaced relative to one another substantially by the distance of the lateral offset of the supports 1 , 2 , so that measurement beam bundle 11 strikes the supports 2 of the 6 โณ cassette and measurement beam bundle 12 strikes the supports 1 of the 5 โณ cassettes . the signal waveforms shown in fig6 and 7 occur when a cassette with its supports and objects deposited thereon is guided vertically through the measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 during an indexing process . in the present case , an object is inserted in only one shelf of the cassette in order to illustrate the detection process . the signal waveforms contain , as a function of the traveled distance ( step number of the stepper motor for driving the elevator ), the necessary distinguishing features for detecting the relevant elements whose positions are accordingly determined with respect to a reference plane . since the supports in a 5 โณ cassette are displaced toward the center of the space enclosed by the frame 13 or 22 in comparison to larger cassettes due to the smaller dimensions , the supports 1 and the objects are covered only by measurement beam bundle 12 . measurement beam bundle 11 strikes the crosspiece 7 . in the case of 6 โณ cassettes , the supports 2 pass through measurement beam bundle 11 and the objects pass through measurement beam bundle 12 . during a vertical downward movement , in both types of cassette , the bottoms 43 , 44 of the cassettes first move through measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 , so that both measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 are completely interrupted . after both measurement beam bundles 11 , 12 in the 5 โณ cassette have reached area a , measurement beam bundle 11 is received in its entirety by its receiver 41 , so that the signal which is converted to a voltage reaches its maximum . a first support 1 passes through measurement beam bundle 12 , so that , although there is a rise in the signal , the signal maximum is not yet reached initially . its level is not at a maximum again until position b . measurement beam bundle 11 is then completely interrupted by the second crosspiece 7 , whereas measurement beam bundle 12 is only partially interrupted . subsequently , the second support 1 moves through the measurement beam bundle 12 . the measured level corresponds to that with respect to the first support before the object reduces the measured signal to the base level gnd at position c . the 6 โณ cassette can be distinguished from the smaller 5 โณ cassette by the different signal waveform . in the case of the 6 โณ cassette , the signal pertaining to measurement beam bundle 12 first reaches its maximum . at position b , it is the signal of measurement beam bundle 11 that reaches its maximum proceeding from a medium level . a 6 โณ object allows both signals to drop to the base level , whereas a 5 โณ object only allows the signal of measurement beam bundle 12 to drop to base level . in the case of the 6 โณ cassette , the crosspieces 8 only influence the signal of measurement beam bundle 11 , whereas both signals are influenced in the case of the 5 โณ cassette . even if the evaluation of one of the signals already allows them to be distinguished , a parallel evaluation of both signals can prevent erroneous detection due to unfavorable geometric conditions with each type of cassette . in a wiring diagram shown in fig8 which is divided between the indexer and its control electronics , signals of the laser light barriers , designated by 47 and 48 , that are digitized by a / d converters 45 , 46 are supplied to a signal processor 49 which communicates with evaluating logic 50 of a computer 51 . by means of a control unit and step counter 52 which , like the computer 51 , is connected to a power supply 53 , signals obtained by means of the evaluating logic 50 are supplied as control signals to a stepper motor 54 for adjusting the elevator and to a device 55 for opening and closing the cassette container 26 . signals are sent as reports to the signal processor 49 from a step check - back unit 56 , an end position detector 57 , means for detecting the opening state 58 of the cassette container 26 and from further sensors 59 which , e . g ., signalize the placement of the cassette container 26 . while the foregoing description and drawings represent the preferred embodiments of the present invention , it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention . | 7Electricity
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embodiments of the present invention provide a method , system and computer program product for generating translatable and accessible multimedia presentations . in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention , a multimedia presentation can be defined in a master file for a base language . the master file can be translated into one or more language specific forms of the master file . subsequently , the master file and the language specific forms of the master file can be processed into corresponding text files containing language specific , delimiter separated text extracted from the master file and the language specific forms of the master file , and also into a variables file containing a listing of sets of multimedia elements and display parameters extracted from the master file and the language specific forms of the master file . finally , the master file and the language specific forms of the master file can be processed into corresponding , language specific markup , for instance , markup which conforms to the hypertext markup language ( html ). when loading the multimedia presentation , the language for the host platform can be identified . as such , language specific markup can be located for the presentation master file and the language specific forms . if assistive technology such as a screen reader is detected for the host platform , the language specific , presentation specific markup can be rendered in a content browser . otherwise , using the identified language of the host platform , a language specific text file and a variable file can be located . if assistive technology is not detected , a collection of slides can be generated for the language specific text file and the variables file . in this regard , for each slide , a text string from the text file can be selected for inclusion in the slide , for instance as a title or heading , and one of the sets of multimedia elements from the variable file can be selected for inclusion in the slide . also , the display parameters for the selected set of multimedia elements included in the slide can be applied to the slide so as to control the display of the slide during a slide show . in this way , a multimedia tool utilizing the foregoing structure and methodology can produce multimedia presentation which does not require multimedia development expertise and which can easily integrate with assistive technologies associated with a presentation tool processing the multimedia presentation . in further illustration , fig1 is a schematic illustration of a multimedia presentation generation data processing system configured to produce translatable and accessible multimedia presentation . as shown in fig1 , the data processing system can include a development platform 180 and a runtime platform 190 . a multimedia presentation including any combination of imagery 110 and audiovisual elements 120 , including animation and audio , can be defined by a presentation master file 130 within the development platform 180 . the presentation master file 130 can be a neutrally formatted specification of a multimedia presentation , for instance a specification of a multimedia presentation formatted according to the extensible markup language ( xml ). the presentation master file 130 can include both text strings associated with different slides , screens or views within the presentation , as well as a listing of sets of the imagery 110 and audiovisual elements 120 which are to be included with different slides , screens or views of a multimedia presentation . importantly , though the presentation master file 130 can include text strings for a specific , base language , the presentation master file 130 also can be translated to different translated master files 140 for different languages . each of the presentation master file 130 and the translated master files 140 can be transformed into translated text files 150 . each text file 150 corresponding to a master file 130 , 140 can include delimiter specified text strings for different slides in a multimedia presentation . the delimiter specified text strings in the text file 150 can be extracted from a corresponding master file 130 , 140 using well - known transformation logic , such as extensible style sheet transformations ( xslt ). in addition to the translated text files 150 , sets of the imagery 110 and audiovisual elements 120 which are to be included with different slides , screens or views of a multimedia presentation can be extracted from the master file 130 , 140 and placed in a variables file 160 . again , the extraction can be undertaken using well - known transformation logic . optionally , one or more visual markup language documents 170 , such as html formatted documents , can be generated for a corresponding one of the master files 130 , 140 . in this regard , each language specific one of the visual markup language documents 170 can include the presentable aspects of corresponding language specific ones of the master files 130 , 140 . the textual elements of the corresponding master file 130 , 140 , as well as the imagery 110 and audiovisual elements 120 can be formatted within one or more web pages for viewing in a content browser . subsequently , where an assistive technology in the runtime platform 190 is available , the multimedia presentation can be provided by rendering the appropriate language specific one of the visual markup language documents 170 . in further illustration , fig2 is block diagram of authoring format enabled for translation to a multimedia presentation in the system of fig1 . as shown in fig2 , a presentation master file 210 can specify text strings 260 for a multimedia presentation . the text strings can be organized according to slide order , for example . the presentation master file 210 further can specify one or more variables 250 for the multimedia presentation . the variables 250 can include sets of imagery and audiovisual elements to be included in different slides , as well , as presentation parameters for the imagery and audiovisual elements . examples include how long a slide is to remain visible , methods for transitioning between slides , the volume of audio for audio playback and the speed of animation , to name only a few parameters . the presentation master file 210 can be transformed into three separate files : a text file 220 , a variables file 230 , and a visual markup language file 240 . the text file 220 can include a delimiter specified set of text strings extracted from the text strings 260 of the presentation master file 210 . the variables file 230 can include a listing of the different sets of imagery and audiovisual elements extracted from the variables 250 of the presentation master file 210 . finally , the visual markup language file 240 can include a visual markup language specified document for the presentation defined by the presentation master file 210 . returning to fig1 , in operation , the multimedia engine 300 can preload a presentation by first identifying a language for the runtime platform 190 . based upon the identified language , a text file 150 can be loaded which is specific to the identified language . also , the variables file 160 can be loaded . the multimedia engine 300 can construct a slide show including one or more slides . each slide can include a text string from the translated text file 150 , and a set of imagery 110 and audiovisual elements 120 for the slide . also , one or more parameters for the slide can be associated with the slide such as the duration of presentation of the slide . once all of the slides have been constructed , the presentation can execute as a slide show . in more particular illustration , fig3 is a flow chart illustrating a process for generating translatable and accessible multimedia presentations in the system of fig1 . beginning in block 305 , a language can be identified for the runtime platform . in block 310 , a text file and a variables file can be loaded which corresponds to the identified language . in decision block 315 , it can be determined whether an assistive technology has been activated or is available for the runtime platform . if so , in block 320 the visual markup language form of the master presentation file can be loaded and rendered in a content browser . otherwise , the process can continue through block 325 . in block 325 , a first slide can be created for the presentation . subsequently , in block 330 a text string can be read in from the text file which corresponds to the first slide . likewise , in block 335 , one or more multimedia resources , such as imagery or audiovisual elements can be read in from the variables file which corresponds to the first slide . in block 340 , the read in text can be applied to the created slide , as can the read in resources in block 345 . finally , in block 350 , any variable parameters for the slide can be applied to the slide . in decision block 355 , if more text remains to be processed in the text file , in block 360 , another slide can be created and the process can repeat through block 330 . when no more slides are to be created , in block 365 the multimedia presentation can be launched . thus , the present invention provides a combination of tool and technologies that solve the problem of allowing the creation of accessible , translatable multimedia , even by those lacking software development skills . to produce such a presentation , one need only gather the images or animations for display , create a master presentation file containing display parameters and text string , and provide the master presentation file to the transformations to produce files able to be processed into a multimedia presentation at runtime . moreover , if an assistive technology is available , the presentation engine can defer to visual markup produced by the translations at development time . embodiments of the invention can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment , an entirely software embodiment or an embodiment containing both hardware and software elements . in a preferred embodiment , the invention is implemented in software , which includes but is not limited to firmware , resident software , microcode , and the like . furthermore , the invention can take the form of a computer program product accessible from a computer - usable or computer - readable medium providing program code for use by or in connection with a computer or any instruction execution system . for the purposes of this description , a computer - usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus that can contain , store , communicate , propagate , or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system , apparatus , or device . the medium can be an electronic , magnetic , optical , electromagnetic , infrared , or semiconductor system ( or apparatus or device ) or a propagation medium . examples of a computer - readable medium include a semiconductor or solid state memory , magnetic tape , a removable computer diskette , a random access memory ( ram ), a read - only memory ( rom ), a rigid magnetic disk and an optical disk . current examples of optical disks include compact disk - read only memory ( cd - rom ), compact disk - read / write ( cd - r / w ) and dvd . a data processing system suitable for storing and / or executing program code will include at least one processor coupled directly or indirectly to memory elements through a system bus . the memory elements can include local memory employed during actual execution of the program code , bulk storage , and cache memories which provide temporary storage of at least some program code in order to reduce the number of times code must be retrieved from bulk storage during execution . input / output or i / o devices ( including but not limited to keyboards , displays , pointing devices , etc .) can be coupled to the system either directly or through intervening i / o controllers . network adapters may also be coupled to the system to enable the data processing system to become coupled to other data processing systems or remote printers or storage devices through intervening private or public networks . modems , cable modem and ethernet cards are just a few of the currently available types of network adapters . | 6Physics
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in order to effectively enhance the chip yields , it is necessary to make the best use of the redundant memory blocks already provided on a chip . to this end , the design of a switchable block connector becomes very important . the number of redundant blocks should carefully be determined in view of the chip layout , chip size , etc . however , this is not directly concerned with the present invention and will not be referred to in the instant disclosure . prior discussing a first embodiment of the present invention , a principle underlying the instant invention will first be discussed . it is not possible to predict the number of defective memory blocks before checking a chip . however , merely for the convenience of discussion , it is assumed that the maximum number of defective memory blocks is n . in this case , it is sufficient if each processor block is connectable to ( n + 1 ) memory blocks . in other words , even if the switchable block connector is designed such as to couple each processor block to more than n + 2 memory blocks , the chip saving ( viz ., the yield ) is not improved . it is assumed that the number of memory blocks is ( p + n ) wherein n depicts the number of redundant memory blocks as mentioned above . thus , the memory blocks are depicted by m1 , m2 , . . . , mp , m ( p + 1 ), m ( p + 2 ), . . . , m ( p + n ), while the processor blocks are depicted by p1 , p2 , . . . , pp . assume , for example , that the memory blocks m1 - mn ( n & lt ; p ) are perfect or non - defective . in such a case , the processor blocks p1 - pn are respectively connected to the memory blocks m1 - mn . on the other hand , if the memory block m ( n + 1 ) is found defective , the processor block p ( n + 1 ) is connected to the next memory block m ( n + 2 ) if it is perfect . similarly , if the two consecutive memory blocks m ( n + 1 ) and m ( n + 2 ) are defective , it is necessary to check if the processor block p ( n + 1 ) can be connected to the memory block m ( n + 3 ). it is understood that if the memory blocks m ( n + 1 )- m ( n + n ) are defective , the processor block p ( n + 1 ) is coupled to the memory block m ( n + n + 1 ) ( it is assumed that this memory block is perfect ). the number of defective memory blocks and the location thereof are not previously specified and thus , it is necessary that the switchable block connector should be designed such that the processor block pn can be connected to the memory block mn . from the foregoing it is appreciated that if a given processor block can be coupled to n redundant memory blocks besides to the memory block which is to be selected if no defective memory block exists , an arrangement for the block coupling is sufficient . in other words , it is ideal or most desirable if a given processor block pu can be coupled to one of the memory blocks mn - m ( n + n ). fig2 a shows one example of the above mentioned underlying principle of the present invention in the case of n = 4 . however , it is sometimes practically difficult to design an ic chip to satisfy the above mentioned ideal block coupling arrangement due to bus layout , increased hardware complexity of the switchable block connector , etc . thus , it is occasionally preferable to reduce the number of the memory blocks , to which one processor block is connectable , to less than ( n + 1 ) in consideration of competing requirements of hardware complexity and the yield of chips . fig2 b is a schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention . as shown , the processor blocks 10 are interconnected to the memory blocks 12 using a switchable block connector 16 . the number of redundant memory blocks ( n ) is four as in the prior art discussed in the opening paragraphs of the instant disclosure . in the first embodiment , each of the processor blocks p1 - p16 is connectable to n memory blocks via the switchable block connector 16 . in more specific terms , one of the processor blocks p1 - p11 , denoted by pn ( n = 1 , 2 , . . . 11 ), is connectable to the memory blocks mn - m ( n + 3 ), while one of the processor blocks p12 - p16 , denoted by pn ( n = 12 , . . . , 16 ), is connectable to the memory blocks m ( n + 1 )- m ( n + 4 ). in order to show the advantage of the first embodiment over the prior art shown in fig1 the following table is given . table______________________________________a b c d______________________________________0 1 0 01 20 0 02 190 19 03 1140 171 04 4845 969 17total 6169 1159 17______________________________________ in the above table , column &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; indicates the number of defective memory blocks , column &# 34 ; b &# 34 ; indicating the number of possible combinations of processor and memory blocks , column &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; indicating the number of combinations each of which is impossible to save a chip with the prior art shown in fig1 and column &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; indicating the number of combinations each of which is impossible to save a chip with the arrangement shown in fig2 b . as mentioned above , the number of the redundant memory blocks is four in the first embodiment and thus it is desirable to configure the block connector 16 such as to couple each of the processor blocks to &# 34 ; five &# 34 ; memory blocks . however , in order to meet practical requirements for reducing the space occupied by the block connector 16 and the fabrication complexity induced by increased buses in the connector 24 , the connector 24 is arranged such that each of the processor blocks is connectable to &# 34 ; four &# 34 ; memory blocks instead of &# 34 ; five &# 34 ;. thus , as shown in table , there are 17 block combinations wherein the chip is unable to be saved if four memory blocks are defective ( viz ., a = 4 ). however , according to the first embodiment , the number of such undesirable block combinations in the case of a = 4 is markedly reduced as compared with the prior art . that is , in the case of the four defective memory blocks , the prior art shown in fig1 inherently includes 969 possible block combinations wherein the chip is no longer saved . the circuit arrangement of the switchable block connector 16 will be described . fig3 is a block diagram showing part of the switchable block connector 16 . this circuit was devised by the inventor during working on the present invention . although the arrangement of fig3 has proven impractical as mentioned below , it is deemed preferable to discuss the same for a better understanding of the circuit of fig4 . the circuit shown in fig3 generally includes a switch section 18 and a switch control section 30 . the switch section 18 includes four switches 20a - 20d each of which consists of p - channel and n - channel mosfet ( metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor ) switches . the switches 20a - 20d are provided between the processor block pn and the memory blocks mn - m ( n + 3 ) when n โฆ 11 . on the other hand , although not shown in fig3 the switches 20a - 20d are provided between the processor block pn and the memory blocks m ( n + 1 )- m ( n + 4 ) when 12 & lt ; n โฆ 16 as clearly understood from fig2 . each of the switches 20a - 20d is rendered open when a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; ( viz ., high level voltage ) is applied to the gate electrodes thereof . on the other hand , each of the switches 20a - 20d is closed when a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; ( viz ., low level voltage ) is applied to the gate electrodes thereof . each of inverters 22a - 22d reverses a logic level applied to one gate of the corresponding switches 20a - 20d . the switch control section 30 includes two mosfets 32a and 32b , two fusible members ( or fuses ) 34a and 34b , four inverters 36a - 36d , and four nand gates 38a - 38d , all of which are coupled as shown . when both of the fusible members 34a and 34b are not fused or broken , a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is applied to the inverters 36a and 36b . in this instance , the nand gate 38a outputs a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; while each of the remaining nand gates 38b , 38c and 38d issues a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ;. thus , the switch 20a is rendered closed whereby the processor block pn is connected to the memory block mn . on the other hand , when the fusible member 34a is fused using laser or other techniques while the other member 34b is not fused , only the nand gate 38d issues a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. therefore , the processor block pn is connected to the memory block m ( n + 3 ). further , when the fusible members 34a and 34b are both fused , only the nand gate 38c issues a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and thus , the processor block pn is connected to the memory block m ( n + 2 ) in this case . since the fusible member 34a ( or 34b ) is irrecoverably broken , it is not possible to connect the processor block pn to the memory block x ( n + 1 ) if the fusible member 34a is first fused . contrarily , in the event that the fusible member 34b is first fused , the nand gate 38b generates a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; and thus , the processor block pn is connected to the memory block m ( n + 1 ) in this case . however , it will be readily appreciated that if the fusible member 34b is first fused , the nand gate 38d is in turn unable to issue a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. accordingly , the processor block pn is unable to be coupled to the memory block m ( n + 3 ). fig4 is a block diagram showing part of the switchable block connector 16 which is able to overcome the aforesaid problems . the arrangement of fig4 differs from that of fig3 in that the former arrangement includes an nor gate 50 in place of the inverter 36a . further , the circuit elements 36b - 36c and the nor gate 50 are coupled to the nand gates 38a - 38d in a manner which is different from the arrangement of fig3 . other than these , the arrangement of fig4 is the same as that of fig3 . in the event that the nor gate 50 is supplied with a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; via a test terminal 54 while the fusible members 34a and 34b are not fused , only the nand gate 38a issues a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. thus , the processor block pn is connected to the memory block mn . on the other hand , the nor gate 50 is supplied with a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; via the test terminal 54 while the fusible members 34a and 34b are not fused , only the nand gate 38d issues a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. thus , the processor block pn is connected to the memory block m ( n + 3 ). as mentioned above , fig4 shows part of the switchable block connector 16 by which the processor block pn is coupled to one of the memory blocks mn - m ( n + 3 ) when n โฆ 11 . on the other hand , although not shown in fig4 the switches 20a - 20d are provided between the processor block pn and the memory blocks m ( n + 1 )- m ( n + 4 ) when 12 & lt ; n โฆ 16 as clearly understood from fig2 . the overall arrangement of the connector 16 includes sixteen circuits each of which is identical with the circuit shown in fig4 . accordingly , if a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; is applied to the test terminal 54 of each of the above mentioned sixteen circuits , the processor blocks p1 - p16 are respectively coupled to the memory blocks m1 - m16 at the same time . it is therefore possible to determine whether or not each of the memory blocks m1 - m16 is defective using a suitable test method which is irrelevant to the instant invention . on the other hand , if a logic &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ; is applied to the test terminal 54 of each of the above mentioned sixteen circuits , the processor blocks p1 - p16 are respectively coupled to the memory blocks m4 - m20 at the same time . it is therefore possible to determine whether or not each of the memory blocks m4 - m20 is defective using the above mentioned suitable memory block test . this means that each of the memory blocks m1 - m20 can be checked as to whether or not it is defective before fusing any of the fusing members 34a and 34b . after specifying a defective memory block ( s ) ( if any ), each of the processor blocks p1 - p16 is permanently coupled to a non - defective memory block . this is implemented by fusing or non - fusing of either or both of the fusible elements 34a and 34b . in this case , the test terminal 54 may be connected to a reference voltage source such as to be constantly supplied with a logic &# 34 ; 1 &# 34 ; or &# 34 ; 0 &# 34 ;. it will be understood that the above disclosure is only representative of two possible embodiments of the present invention and that the concept on which the present invention is based is not specifically limited thereto . | 6Physics
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the presently described invention relates generally to a baby carrier cover that is removable and provides protection from the elements ( such as the sun and other elements ) to a baby being carried in a body - mounted soft structured baby carrier ( 490 ). the cover is referred to as the baby carrier cover ( 100 ). various aspects of specific embodiments of the baby carrier cover are disclosed in the following description and related drawings . alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the sprit or the scope of the present disclosure . additionally , well - known elements of exemplary embodiments will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure relevant details . the term โ embodiments โ is not exhaustive and does not require that all embodiments include the discussed feature , advantage or mode of operation . the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) can come in a variety of materials which are preferably machine - washable , including , but not limited to : cotton , polyester , broadcloth , fleece , twill , denim , poly - lin , poly - crepe and poly - satins . the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) has an outer shell ( 200 ) which can come in a variety of shapes and configurations including , but not limited to : animals ( dog , cat , panda , cow , lion , tiger , bear , shark , turtle , koala , kangaroo , dinosaur , etc . ), fantastical creatures ( dragons , unicorns , hobbits , etc ), video game characters , superheroes and princesses . the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) is removable and is able to fit onto an existing body - mounted soft structured baby carrier ( 400 ) by the use of elastic straps for attachment ( 310 and 320 ) at operative locations ( 410 and 420 ). a preferred embodiment of the baby carrier cover has an outer shell , an inner shell , an extension such as a hood for protection of the baby &# 39 ; s head from the sun and other elements , and a pair of upper attachment straps and a pair of lower attachment straps . the hood ( 210 ) is an integral part , of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) as most of the chest - mounted soft structured baby carriers ( 400 ) presently on the market do not include hoods , or if they do , the hoods on existing soft structured baby carriers ( 400 ) are primarily used to hold the baby &# 39 ; s head up when they are sleeping , but are made of light fabrics and do not provide adequate protection of the baby &# 39 ; s fragile skin from the sun or other elements . the hood ( 210 ) on the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) is preferably made of thick and durable fabric which are of an operative thickness to provide protection to the baby &# 39 ; s head from the sun and other elements . further , the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) does not inhibit functionality of the soft structured baby carrier ( 400 ) itself , including access to the hoodie or pocket of the soft structured baby carrier ( 400 ). fig1 is a side perspective view of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) when attached to the chest - mounted soft structured baby carrier ( 400 ) being worn by a person carrying a baby . fig2 is a top plan view of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) which is worn facing away from the wearer &# 39 ; s body . the outer shell ( 200 ) extends above the body - mounted soft structured baby carrier ( 400 ) to provide protection for the baby being carried . this protection may be in a configuration such as via a hood ( 210 ) for protection of the baby &# 39 ; s head from the sun and other elements . the hood can be tightened to fit securely around the baby being carried by use of a string or a plurality of strings ( 220 ). fig3 is a bottom plan view of the inner shell ( 300 ) of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) which is worn toward the wearer &# 39 ; s body . the inner shell ( 300 ) has an upper portion and a lower portion . attached to the inner shell ( 300 ) are upper elastic attachment straps ( 310 ) and lower elastic attachment straps ( 320 ). in the embodiment shown in fig3 , the upper elastic attachment straps ( 310 ) and lower elastic attachment straps ( 320 ) are each comprised of a single piece of fabric ( preferably elastic ), which is anchored ( such as by stitching ) to the inner shell ( 300 ). each of the upper elastic attachment straps ( 310 ) is anchored to the upper portion of the inner shell , and each of the lower elastic attachment straps ( 320 ) is anchored to the lower portion of the inner shell . the upper elastic attachment straps and lower elastic attachment straps may also be anchored to the outer shell ( 200 ), or in between the outer shell ( 200 ) and inner shell ( 300 ). fig4 is a top plan view of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) attached or secured to the body - mounted soft structured baby carrier ( 400 ). fig5 is a bottom plan view of the elastic attachment straps ( 310 and 320 ) of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) when attached or secured to the body - mounted soft structured baby carrier showing the inner shell of the body - mounted soft structured baby carrier ( 400 ). the lower elastic attachment straps ( 320 ) slide over the body - mounted soft structured baby carrier &# 39 ; s ( 400 ) lower securing straps ( 420 ). the upper elastic attachment straps ( 310 ) slide over the body - mounted soft - structured baby carrier &# 39 ; s ( 400 ) upper securing straps ( 410 ). fig6 shows how the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) is secured to the body - mounted soft - structured baby carrier . this shows an embodiment of the baby carrier cover assembly . as shown in fig6 , the upper elastic attachment strap ( 310 ) of the baby carrier cover slides over the upper securing strap ( 410 ) on each side of the body - mounted soft structured baby carrier ( 400 ), and the lower elastic attachment strap ( 320 ) of the baby carrier cover slides over the lower securing strap ( 420 ) on each side of the body - mounted soft structured baby carrier ( 400 ). fig7 shows an alternate embodiment of the upper and lower attachment straps ( 310 and 320 ) of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) using buttons or snaps ( 700 ) to secure the straps to the baby carrier , in lieu of a single elastic piece for each the upper attachment strap ( 310 ) and lower attachment strap ( 320 ). fig8 shows an alternate embodiment of the upper and lower attachment straps ( 310 and 320 ) of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) using hook and loop attachment ( 800 ) ( commonly known as โ velcro ยฎโ) to secure the straps to the baby carrier , in lieu of a single elastic piece for each the upper attachment strap ( 310 ) and lower attachment strap ( 320 ). fig9 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a lamb or sheep . fig1 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby earner cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a cow . fig1 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a dinosaur . fig1 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a dragon . fig1 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a elephant . fig1 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a giraffe . fig1 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a lion . fig1 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a bear . fig1 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a fox . fig1 depicts the inner shell ( 300 ) when the configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover is in the general form of a dragon . fig1 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a horse . fig2 depicts the inner shell ( 300 ) when the configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) is in the general form of a horse . fig2 depicts a configuration of the outer shell ( 200 ) of the of the baby carrier cover ( 100 ) in the general form of a fantastical creature . although specific embodiments of the baby carrier cover have been described , various modifications , alterations , alternative constructions , and equivalents are also encompassed within the scope of these inventions . the specification and figures are , accordingly , to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense . it will , however , be evident that additions , subtractions , deletions , and other modifications and changes may be made thereunto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the inventions as set forth in the claims . | 0Human Necessities
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for simplicity and illustrative purposes , the principles of the present invention are described by referring to various exemplary embodiments thereof . although the preferred embodiments of the invention are particularly disclosed herein , one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to , and can be implicated in other compositions and methods , and that any such variation would be within such modifications that do not part from the scope of the present invention . before explaining the disclosed embodiments of the present invention in detail , it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of any particular embodiment shown , since of course the invention is capable of other embodiments . the terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation . further , although certain methods are described with reference to certain steps that are presented herein in certain order , in many instances , these steps may be performed in any order as may be appreciated by one skilled in the art , and the methods are not limited to the particular arrangement of steps disclosed herein . the present invention contemplates a waterless preparation which quickly kills bacteria on the skin at a wound or surgical site ; a long acting ( days ) bacterial killing action ; a product that dries quickly to form a flexible barrier over the skin which is durable that can last up to 3 - 4 days ; a durable barrier that can be washed off with water with some effort ; a stable formulation which is stable for up to 3 years ; and a broad spectrum of activity against common bacteria and viruses found on the skin . additional attributes may be added individually or in combination to the preparation including : a . the amine type topical anesthetic lidocaine ( base or ionic forms such as hcl ) for rapid pain relief up to 5 % concentration ( prilocaine and other related amine compounds will also work ) with a preferred use level of 2 %. b . the ester type topical anesthetic benzocaine for rapid pain relief up to 5 % concentration ( tetracaine and other ester type compounds will also work ) with a preferred use level of 2 %. c . mixtures of amine type topical anesthetics such as the popular emla which is a mixture of 2 . 5 % lidocaine and 2 . 5 % prilocaine . f . pramoxine hcl for longer duration pain relief and antipruritic activity h . citronella as a natural insect repellant , bittering agent and olfactory repellent . i . denatonium benzoate as a bittering agent alone or in combination with sucrose octaacetate . j . sucrose octaacetate as a bittering agent alone or in combination with denatonium benzoate . k . emollients for skin integrity and to provide increased flexibility such as glycerin , aloe vera , lipid layer enhancer surfactants , etc . l . asaminoglycoside antibiotics , cephalosporins , carbapenems , quinolone ( fluoroquinolone ), macrolide antibiotics , penicillins , sulfonamides , tetracyclines , oxazolidinones , lipopeptides , gemifloxacin , ketolides , clindamycin , metronidazole , vancomycin , rifabutin , rifampin , nitrofurantoin , chloramphenicol . the compositions and methods of the present invention are useful in a wide variety of applications . for example , and not limiting in any way , the present invention may generally be used as a : 1 . flexible barrier sprayed over the top of stitches post operatively ; 2 . flexible barrier for use as a teat dip to prevent udder infections ; 3 . post trauma spray for wounds as a field treatment to reduce wound contamination and pain ; 4 . a flexible barrier when sprayed on the hands that acts like a disinfecting glove - continuously disinfecting over hours or days without an allergic or immune response ; 5 . can be sprayed on both skin and hair forming a coating that isolates the contamination from the wound . effective on traumatic wounds for reducing bacterial contamination for an extended period of hours to days ; 6 . military use for treating field wounds and providing pain relief and preventing insect attraction to the wound . particular applications of the present invention also include , but are not limited to : 2 . topically on castration , tail docking , dehorning and branding wounds in animals to control pain and infection ; 3 . topically post surgically to prevent chewing and biting , pain and infection in companion animals and livestock ; 5 . topical treatment for minor skin infections with pain and itch relief ; 7 . topical treatment for topical staphylococcal infections in pets and humans with pain and itch relief and anti - chewing / licking in animals ; one particular embodiment of the present invention provides a wound care spray with pain relief . the wound care spray may comprise 2 % titratable iodine that kills up to 99 % of surface germs that may cause an infection . the wound care spray may also include lidocaine to alleviate pain in wounds and surgical incisions . wound care sprays in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention may have a natural anti - biting / chewing agent to help prevent self - mutilation and / or cohort licking , biting and chewing . wound care sprays in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention typically dry in approximately 60 seconds and form a highly visible and durable coating . wound care sprays in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention may be packaged in bulk gallons and a 16 oz . bottle that comes with a trigger sprayer . to apply , hold the sprayer about 4 - 6 inches from the area to be treated and sprayed one or more times . for use in cattle , sheep and swine as an aid in reducing surface bacteria . barrier ยฎ waterless surgical prep provides rapid antimicrobial kill of a broad spectrum of microorganisms , including antibiotic - resistant strains , with greater than 99 % microbial kill in 15 seconds or less . waterless surgical prep contains 2 % titratable iodine that kills up to 99 % of surface germs that may cause an infection . the composition dries quickly and forms a visible and durable coating and allows quick and effective surgical site preparation . the composition has the same effect on reducing bacteria at the surgical site as conventional iodine scrub with alcohol rinse procedures . yet the site remains dry . provides continuous disinfectant activity and a physical barrier on the skin and hair . the composition may be used to clean the area of wounds that are too difficult to clip dramatically reduces surgical prep time . the 16 oz . bottle is packaged with a trigger sprayer . to apply , hold sprayer about 4 - 6 inches from area to be treated and spray one or more times . repeat as needed . forms a highly visible coating that is durable . for use in cattle , sheep and swine . for use in animals as an aid in reducing chewing on wounds and surgical incisions . barrier ยฎ livestock wound care , ingredients identified above , is a 2 % titratable iodine that kills up to 99 % of surface germs that may cause an infection . barrier ยฎ livestock wound care has an anti - biting / chewing agent to help prevent self - mutilation and / or cohort licking , biting and chewing and dries in approximately 60 seconds and forms a highly visible and durable coating . the 16 oz . bottle comes with a trigger sprayer . hold sprayer about 4 - 6 inches from area to be treated . spray one or more times , allow to dry . repeat as needed . forms a highly visible coating that is durable . barrier ยฎ wound care spray with pain relief 2 % available iodine with lidocaine for topical use on animals as an aid in reducing pain , licking and chewing on wounds and surgical incisions . kills up to 99 % of surface germs in 15 seconds or less that can potentially cause an infection . barrier ยฎ wound care spray with pain relief , ingredients identified above , is a 2 % titratable iodine that kills up to 99 % of surface germs that may cause an infection . barrier ยฎ wound care spray contains lidocaine to alleviate pain in wounds and surgical incisions . barrier ยฎ wound care spray has a natural anti - biting / chewing agent to help prevent self - mutilation and / or cohort licking , biting and chewing and dries in approximately 60 seconds and forms a highly visible and durable coating . the 16 oz . bottle comes with a trigger sprayer ; pour gallon into a spray bottle dialed to spray pattern . hold sprayer about 4 - 6 inches from area to be treated . spray one or more times , allow to dry . repeat as needed . forms a highly visible coating that is durable . additional information on the stability of the formulation . this is accelerated data on a production batch , there is similar data showing at least 2 years of stability to date . first production batch of waterless surgical prep 035001c , 60 days stability ( r & amp ; d program ) samples tested : effect of application to hands of pvpi waterless surgical prep spray verses traditional hand scrub with betadine surgical scrub and water . these represent colony forming units post swab after wearing gloves for 60 minutes . gloves were applied at 5 minutes after completing the surgical scrub . this is an indication of duration of effect verses traditional standard methods used today . appears to be that as long as the waterless pvpi is coating the hand there is a positive effect of reducing skin bacteria . the product has been shown to persist experimentally for over 12 hours without losing integrity when covered by a surgical glove . it offers an effective barrier to bacterial contamination in the event of glove failure . it also provides a similar effect on reducing contamination from the skin around and in a wound environment which experimentally will last up to 24 hours after a single application . it can be washed off with water with moderate physical action . once dried it is resistant to moisture and will not wash off readily with a stream of water or the action of bleeding . it provides an effective long term physical and chemical barrier to re - colonization of the skin following application unlike traditional methods of scrubbing or water based antibacterial formulations . it also prevents the need to physically interact with the wound or skin around a surgical site reducing the potential for additional physical microbiological cross contamination . this same effect can be applied to inanimate objects also . it can be sprayed on instruments and allowed to dry to provide a bacteria free environment in a field setting and to reduce the potential for recontamination if working in contaminated wound setting study of barrier ยฎ on mortality rate after castration and tail docking an initial study was completed in february 2011 on piglets looking at the effect barrier ยฎ has on castration and tail docking in the farrowing crate . a summary of what we found verses controls are : 1 . reduced bleeding in the barrier ii treated piglets five minutes post application following the completion of the study , the study site has continued to purchase and use barrier ii routinely for castration and tail docking and their pig champ records are showing a marked reduction in preweaning mortality in day 8 and older piglets in the magnitude of five additional full value piglets at weaning per thousand pigs treated with barrier ii . most of this benefit related to less laid on piglets after 8 days of age most likely due to the reduction in post surgical infection rates that we saw in our initial study . see the chart in fig1 showing the percent of preweaning mortality by age with trend lines and total preweaning mortality for this farm . barrier with pain relief started being used the second week of february 2011 . prior to using barrier , this farm was routinely using 0 . 5 percent tincture of iodine . we believe based on this data , barrier ii โ povidone iodine wound spray with pain relief โ is a good way to lower preweaning mortality and address the needs of the piglet following these routine surgical procedures . barrier ยฎ treatment and non - treatment groups were the same quality prior to treatment 34 % improved activity in treated piglets over 60 minutes 32 % reduced bleeding over 60 minutes 26 % reduced in average inflammation over 72 hour period 23 % reduction in abscessation over 72 hour period while the invention has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof , those skilled in the art may make various modifications to the described embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention . the terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations . in particular , although the present invention has been described by way of examples , a variety of compositions and methods would practice the inventive concepts described herein . although the invention has been described and disclosed in various terms and certain embodiments , the scope of the invention is not intended to be , nor should it be deemed to be , limited thereby and such other modifications or embodiments as may be suggested by the teachings herein are particularly reserved , especially as they fall within the breadth and scope of the claims here appended . those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims and their equivalents . | 0Human Necessities
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[ 0019 ] fig1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a duplicate processing approach to peer router connection protection in a tcp environment , according to an embodiment of the present invention . tcp is a reliable connection oriented protocol , which means that once an application sends data over to this protocol , the underlying protocol by way of the operating system guarantees that the data will be received on the other end , or else the connection is closed . so in other words , it is not a lossy protocol in the sense that some data is received and some is not . this is complicated , because the networks that the protocol is using to transmit the data are lossy , i . e ., they lose data . one complication then is that every bit of data that is to be sent out must be stored in case it is not received by the peer router , and after a certain period of time , the peer either acknowledges it using conventional protocols , or the sender assumes that the data has been lost and it retransmits that data . [ 0020 ] fig1 illustrates a redundant master control processor ( mcp ) unit 10 containing an active mcp 11 and a backup mcp 12 . each mcp 11 , 12 contains a respective socket 13 , 14 for duplicate copies of the connection application and dynamic routing protocol ( drp ). active mcp 11 includes queues 23 , 24 , and 25 associated with application socket 13 , and backup mcp 12 includes queues 21 , 22 , 26 , and 27 associated with application socket 14 , which are used for storage of incoming and outgoing messages and for retransmission of messages if necessary . an input link 101 carries incoming control and configuration messages into backup mcp 12 . an output link 114 sends out control and configuration messages and response messages to peer routers across the network . queues 21 through 27 and application sockets 13 and 14 are interconnected through data links 102 through 113 . in some embodiments output queue 25 and retransmission queue 24 , both associated with application socket 13 , are combined into a single queue . similarly , in some embodiments queues 26 and 27 , both associated with application socket 14 , are combined with one another . it should be noted that data links 102 , 103 , 104 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 110 , and 111 each lying entirely within respective mcp 11 , 12 are typically not physical data links , but represent message flows only . nevertheless , for purposes of simplicity these are referred to herein as data links . to maintain a tcp connection across two router systems during mcp switch - over , a number of considerations are of importance . first , it is important to arrange that any data transmitted over a connection can be received by the peer router at the other end of the connection , independent of whether active application socket 13 is still functioning or whether a switch - over has occurred and backup application socket 14 has taken over . this means that the retransmission queues , for example queue 24 , maintained on active mcp 11 have to be replicated on backup mcp 12 . accordingly , outgoing packets from active drp application socket 13 flow out from that socket to a peer router along a path through data link 107 and queues 24 and 25 , and then through data links 109 and 110 into corresponding queues 26 and 27 of backup mcp 12 before going out through output link 114 to the peer router . outgoing packets are stored for retransmission in queue 24 on active mcp 11 , but they also flow through the backup system across data links 109 and 110 . outgoing packets are then also stored in backup mcp 12 on a retransmission queue 26 similar to retransmission queue 24 of active mcp 11 . thus outgoing packets can be retransmitted from either active or backup mcp 11 or 12 . the net result is that once the outgoing packets arrive in both queues , if the peer router did not receive the packet and if active mcp 11 is still alive , it can retransmit the packet from queue 24 . outgoing packets also flow from active mcp 11 through data link 109 directly into output queue 27 of backup mcp 12 , from which they are transmitted through output link 114 to the peer router . on the other hand , if active mcp 11 has failed for some reason and backup mcp 12 has taken over , then backup mcp 12 can retransmit the replicated packet from queue 26 through data link 111 and subsequently out through output data link 114 . unless backup mcp 12 becomes active , any data written by the backup application on application socket 14 is discarded through broken data link 103 , because the peer router is not aware of backup mcp 12 and does not communicate with it . if backup mcp 12 becomes active , then connection is established between backup application socket 14 and backup retransmission queue 26 through data link 103 . there are a number of ways familiar in the art , in which the application state can be maintained consistently between the active and backup applications . for example , the active application can send explicit messages to the backup copy of the application for each transaction , and the backup copy of the application can then update its own memory image regarding the transaction . alternatively , the backup copy of the application can maintain the transactions in a log that is replayed when it takes over . there are a number of known techniques for keeping the states in synchronism across the two copies of the application . a further requirement is to keep existing communication connections with peer routers open seamlessly across a switch - over between active and backup mcps 11 and 12 for any reason . when an incoming packet is received from a peer router , it is directed first to backup mcp 12 and is placed into queue 21 of application socket 14 in use by the backup routing application , such that the backup application can in effect eavesdrop all the incoming communication that is really being handled by the active routing application in active mcp 11 . an advantage of this particular topology is that backup mcp 12 can read all the messages that active mcp 11 receives . furthermore , since packets are routed through backup mcp 12 first , active mcp 11 can never process a message unless backup mcp 12 , as long as it stays alive , is guaranteed to receive that message also . this technique is important for keeping the two mcps 11 and 12 in synchronism , because active mcp 11 can then assume that backup mcp 12 received the same message and thus each mcp can independently take appropriate action on that message , for example updating its own route tables . queues 22 , 25 , and 27 are essentially output queues containing messages waiting for transmission . queues 21 and 23 are input queues where received messages are stored awaiting processing by the routing application , which receives the messages using sockets 14 and 13 . among incoming messages are acknowledgments associated with sequence numbers of outgoing messages that were previously sent . the tcp protocol numbers each byte sequentially in a stream of bytes flowing in one given direction between two applications , using a 32 - bit unsigned sequence number that wraps back around to zero after reaching a 32 maximum value of 2 32 โ 1 . this sequence number is inserted in the tcp header of a message . an acknowledgment number , consisting of the sequence number plus one , is sent from the receiving application back to the transmitting application , identifying the next sequence number that the sender of the acknowledgment expects to receive . as an acknowledgment number is received , meaning that a message corresponding to that acknowledgment number has been received on the peer router , it is processed by backup mcp 12 , which then deletes messages that are no longer needed for retransmission from queue 26 on backup mcp 12 . dashed data link 112 from queue 21 to queue 26 represents the processing of acknowledgment numbers . similarly , the same incoming message is propagated over to active mcp 11 via output queue 22 through data link 105 and into input queue 23 . active mcp 11 notices at that point the acknowledgment numbers generated by the peer router indicating what the peer has received , and uses these acknowledgment numbers to delete any messages no longer needed for retransmission from queue 24 , as represented by dashed data link 113 between queues 23 and 24 . in the event of failure of backup mcp 12 , traffic is rerouted to flow through active mcp 11 only . fig2 is a schematic diagram representing rerouted message flows in the event of a failure of backup mcp 12 . messages are received from the peer router via input link 115 and placed into queue 23 for receipt and processing by active socket 13 . messages are transmitted from active socket 13 to the peer router by way of queues 24 and 25 and via output link 116 . similarly , in the event of loss of active mcp 11 , then traffic is rerouted to flow through backup mcp 12 only , which has now become the new active mcp . fig3 is a schematic diagram representing rerouted message flows in the event of loss of active mcp 11 and switch - over of active mcp functions to backup mcp 12 . messages are received from the peer router by way of input link 101 as in fig1 and are placed in queue 21 for receipt by new active socket 14 . the transmit path of new active socket 14 is connected to queue 26 by way of link 103 , which is completed . messages are transmitted from new active socket 14 to the peer router by way of queues 26 and 27 , link 111 , and output link 114 . failure of the gigabit ethernet link between the two mcps ( link 105 and / or 109 shown in fig1 ) results in active mcp 11 operating in a non - protected mode , as if backup mcp 12 had failed . backup mcp 12 goes offline until link 105 and / or 109 is repaired . thus , in the event of failure of gigabit ethernet link 105 , 109 between mcps 11 , 12 , or of either active or backup mcp 11 , 12 , message flow is essentially reconfigured so that the surviving active mcp is the sole receiver and sender of control and configuration traffic . rerouting of the traffic is implemented by either ip address changes , ip address aliasing , or reprogramming the media access controller ( mac ) address , all of which techniques are well known in the industry . [ 0032 ] fig4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the redundant communication paths that are used between mcps and packet forwarding modules ( pfms ) in some embodiments of the present invention . these redundant communication paths enable the mcp to communicate with peer routers and to distribute routing and control information to the pfms , such that the pfms once programmed can independently forward traffic to and from peer routers without direct intervention of the mcp until a subsequent programming update is needed . accordingly , in the present decentralized environment the router is not a monolithic entity , but rather a collection of distributed entities . on the inbound side , pfms relay incoming information that is to be used by the mcp to determine overall network topology . if a network topology change occurs , then considerable traffic will go through the network from one mcp on one router to a different mcp on a different router enabling them to communicate with one another , such that they all understand the new network topology . accordingly , traffic flows both from the pfms to the mcp and in the reverse direction from the mcp back to the pfms and eventually out to other routers within the overall network . links 101 and 114 on the backup mcp and links 115 and 116 on the active mcp as shown in fig1 and 2 are interconnected with peer routers through the intermediate components shown in fig4 . referring to fig4 each mcp 11 , 12 has redundant internal gigabit ethernet links 504 w and 504 p connected to redundant internal gige hubs 503 w and 503 p . each of these links is bi - directional and can be used by the mcp for both receiving and sending messages as depicted by links 101 and 114 or links 115 and 116 of fig1 and 2 . in operation , when a peer router ( not shown in fig4 ) sends a message to active mcp 11 , it first flows from the peer router through an external data link 401 to a packet forwarding module ( pfm ) 501 . pfm 501 determines that the message is to be routed to active mcp 11 , and sends it over one of redundant internal links 160 a , 160 s to one of redundant arb interface modules 31 - 1 a through 31 - 16 a and 31 - 1 s through 31 - 16 s . from the arb interface module the message is routed over one of redundant links 502 w and 502 p to one of redundant internal gige hubs 503 w and 503 p , where it is then routed to active mcp 11 ( using fig2 link 115 ) or if both mcps are operating in a protected configuration to backup mcp 12 ( using fig2 link 101 ). referring to fig1 - 3 , when an mcp 11 , 12 sends a message to a peer router , the message flows out through link 114 or 116 , and through one of redundant paired links depicted as links 504 w and 504 p in fig4 to one of redundant gige hubs 503 w , 504 p . from gige hub 503 w , 503 p the message is routed to an appropriate one of redundant arb interface modules 31 - 1 a through 31 - 16 a and 31 - 1 s through 31 - 16 s using one of redundant links 502 w or 502 p , and from there the message is passed back to pfm 501 using one of redundant links 160 a , 160 s , where it is sent to the peer router over external data link 401 . other elements represented in fig4 do not participate in message flows between mcps 11 , 12 and pfms 501 , and are therefore not discussed herein . a technical advantage of the present embodiment is that active mcp 11 transmits and receives the same amount of traffic in the protected mode as it would have in the unprotected mode . accordingly , for each transaction active mcp 11 effectively receives one message and sends out one message . backup mcp 12 , however , processes two messages , namely one received from the peer router via link 101 and sent to active mcp 11 via link 105 , and one received from active mcp 11 via link 109 and sent to the peer router via link 114 . this message flow topology minimizes the computation overhead on active mcp 11 , which often performs more processing than does backup mcp 12 . one consideration involves seamlessly splicing the output message stream transmitted to the peer router , which must see a logical sequence of complete messages , and which must not receive any partial messages . the output streams can be spliced only at a logical message boundary , such that only complete messages m , ., n โ 1 are generated by active mcp 11 , and complete messages n , ., o are generated by backup mcp 12 , which is becoming the new active mcp . to do that requires a protocol in which the data flowing through mcp unit 10 is basically divisible into message records or transactions . tcp is a stream oriented protocol , but bgp protocol is transaction oriented and is thus a candidate to implement message splicing . [ 0039 ] fig5 is a flow diagram illustrating a protocol for seamless splicing of outgoing messages in the event of a switchover from active mcp 11 to backup mcp 12 , according to an embodiment of the present invention . at block 551 the routing application running on active mcp 11 identifies at what points the messages can be spliced , and at block 552 passes this information to active socket 13 . in the present embodiment , at block 553 active mcp 11 encapsulates messages with additional information and then transmits the encapsulated messages to backup mcp 12 . backup mcp 12 then interprets and strips the additional information at block 554 before forwarding the message to the peer router . included in this additional information is the identification of splice point boundaries . in the event of a switch - over , backup mcp 12 that is transitioning to active splices new messages at block 555 from new active socket 14 via data link 103 immediately after a completed message in queue 26 as indicated by the splice point information received from active mcp 11 at block 554 . the present embodiment does not provide for seamless switch - over of any application socket that is in the process of connecting . that is to say , a socket switch - over is not seamless until active mcp 11 has completed a connection and at some time slightly thereafter , when socket 13 is paired with socket 14 , and they have achieved consistent state between each other . at that point a seamless switch - over of the socket becomes possible . if the drp software is in the process of making a connection with a peer , that activity is lost during a switch - over . however , other peer routers that are already connected on other sockets paired for high availability are not lost . this does not present a problem , because the principal concern is with established connections where the routers have already invested substantially to exchange state information between one another , and where loss of that state information would mean that one router must reroute around the second router . when the connection is reestablished , the second router must retransfer all of those route tables , which can be very large . [ 0041 ] fig6 is a flow diagram illustrating seamless splicing of the input message stream received by the drp application in the event of a switch - over . active socket 13 is created at block 601 , and connection is established with the peer router at block 602 . then replica socket 14 is created at block 603 and begins eaves - dropping messages to and from active socket 13 and reconciling state at block 604 , such that replica socket 14 achieves a consistent state with active socket 13 . after replica socket 14 is created and readied for use , the first receive operation on replica socket 14 must return data from the beginning of a message and not start in the middle of a message . at block 605 the active drp application must recognize at which particular message boundary the backup drp application will begin to receive the duplicated messages on replica socket 14 . for example , messages having sequence numbers m , . . . , n โ 1 are received only by the active drp application on socket 13 , but afterwards when sockets 13 and 14 are brought to a consistent state , messages having sequence numbers n , . . . , o are replicated and received by both sockets 13 and 14 . in the present embodiment , this is accomplished at block 605 by active drp application identifying message boundaries via active socket 13 to the operating system , which at block 606 forwards an explicit message to backup mcp 12 via queue 25 and link 110 , indicating the sequence number at which messages should start on replica socket 14 . at block 607 backup mcp 12 discards all messages received from input queue 21 prior to the indicated sequence number , but at block 608 messages received after the indicated sequence number are queued on input queue 21 for reception via replica socket 14 . additionally , the present embodiment is advantageous , even if it does not switch over seamlessly 100 percent of the time . if there are counter cases , rare states the system might reach , in which for short periods a transparent switch - over for a particular application socket is prohibited , as long as the vast majority of the tcp router connections are maintained on other sockets , for example with 90 percent or higher success , the present embodiment nevertheless provides a substantial advantage over existing routers . although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . moreover , the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process , machine , manufacture , composition of matter , means , methods and steps described in the specification . as one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention , processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps , presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention . accordingly , the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes , machines , manufacture , compositions of matter , means , methods , or steps . | 6Physics
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for purposes of this disclosure , an information handling system may include any instrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute , classify , process , transmit , receive , retrieve , originate , switch , store , display , manifest , detect , record , reproduce , handle , or utilize any form of information , intelligence , or data for business , scientific , control , or other purposes . for example , an information handling system may be a person computer , a network storage device , or any other suitable device and may vary in size , shape , performance , functionality , and price . the information handling system may include random access memory ( ram ), one or more processing resources such as a central processing unit ( cpu ) or hardware or software control logic , rom , and / or other types of nonvolatile memory . additional components of the information handling system may include one or more disk drives , one or more network ports for communication with external devices as well as various input and output ( i / o ) devices , such as a keyboard , a mouse , and a video display . the information handling system may also include one or more buses operable to transmit communications between the various hardware components . fig1 is a pictorial view of four interlocking heat sinks , each of which rests on a single processor . the interlocking heat sinks are identified as heat sinks 10 and the processors are identified as processors 12 . each heat sinks includes a base 14 and a number of fins 16 . in the heat sinks of fig1 , the fins are positioned horizontally . the horizontal positioning of the fins is defined by the plane of the fins being parallel to the base of the heat sink and the top surface of the processor package . the shape of each heat sink is rectangular and offset , with each heat sink having extended offset portions 18 at its opposite ends . extended offset portions 18 are sized such that these offset portions allow the heat sinks to geometrically mate and fit together with adjacent heat sinks . because of the geometric mating of adjacent heat sinks , the gap between adjacent heat sinks does not allow the unimpeded flow of air between the gap between adjacent heat sinks . because of the shape and positioning of adjacent heat sinks , two gaps 20 a and 20 b exist between the heat sinks . these gaps 20 a and 20 b are offset from each other by a third transverse gap 20 c . because the fins of the heat sinks of fig1 are oriented in a horizontal direction , flowing air passes through the fins of the heat sinks irrespective of the direction of the source of the flowing air . shown in fig2 is a top view of heat sinks 10 of fig1 . as shown in fig2 , each sink 10 includes offset portions 18 that permit the spatial mating of adjacent heat sinks . offset gaps 20 a and 20 b and a transverse gap 20 c are formed between adjacent heat sinks . when viewed from a top view because of the spatial relationship between adjacent heat sinks , there is not an unimpeded path for air flow between adjacent heat sinks . the absence of an unimpeded path of air flow through the heat sinks results in an almost uniform air pressure drop across the length of the group of heat sinks . the length of the heat sink being defined as the dimension of the heat sink that is generally perpendicular to the gaps between adjacent heat sinks . due to the uniformity of the air pressure drop , flowing air passes through the fins of the group of heat sinks in a generally uniform manner and is not concentrated for passage through the gap between the heat sinks . because flowing air moves through the group of heat sinks without the concentration of air flow in a single air path through the group of heat sinks , the dissipation of heat across the group of heat sinks is improved as compared with a grouping of two more heat sinks that include a linear , or straight - line , path for flowing air between the pair of heat sinks . shown in fig3 is a pictorial view of a pair of adjacent heat sinks 30 , each of which rests on a microprocessor package 32 . like the heat sinks 10 of fig1 and 2 , each of the heat sinks includes offset portions 34 at its opposite ends . because of the offset portions of the heat sinks , the heat sinks mate or fit together with one another in a manner that defines two gaps 36 a and 36 b that are offset from one another by a transverse gap 36 c . the heat sinks are oriented together such that there is not a linear path for air flow between the adjacent heat sinks . the fins 38 of heat sinks 30 are in a vertical orientation . the fins are perpendicular to the top surface of the microprocessor package 32 . in the case of fins oriented in the vertical direction , maximum heat dissipation occurs when the flow of air occurs across the length of the fins . it should be recognized that other spatial relationship between adjacent heat sinks may achieve the objects of the interlocking heat sinks disclosed herein . the adjacent heat sinks need not interlock with one another according to a rectilinear geometry . rather , adjacent fins may interlock with geometries that are not rectilinear , including circular or triangular geometries . in accordance with the teachings of the present invention , adjacent heat sinks may interlock in any manner such that a direct path of unimpeded air flow does not exist and the pressure drop across the length of the group of heat sinks is relatively uniform . although the present disclosure has been described in detail , it should be understood that various changes , substitutions , and alterations can be made hereto without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims . | 7Electricity
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it has now been discovered that in many circumstances , the fig2 approach to adjusting surface pad characteristic impedance is undesirable . the pad clearance is large enough to present both noise difficulties ( noise coupling from below the ground plane to the surface pad ) and routing difficulties , as any trace routed under the pad clearance in the ground plane not only loses its ground reference as it passes under the extended clearance , but also couples undesirably with the pad signals . the present embodiments disclose new approaches to adjusting surface pad characteristic impedance that allow a smaller clearance in the underlying ground plane , reduce crosstalk , and / or allow ground plane features that allow signals to be routed under the surface pad . in some embodiments , the pad impedance is reduced by patterning internal features into the pad . one such embodiment is illustrated in fig3 a - f , for a set of configuration option pads . fig3 a shows a configuration option pad set 300 after the surface conductive layer has been patterned . a conductive trace d 1 , plated through holes pth 1 and pth 2 , and three reticulated pads rp 1 , rp 2 , and rp 3 are shown . the reticulated pads take the same exterior shape and dimensions as the solid prior art pads , but have interior linear features where the conductive material has been removed . in the preferred embodiments , up to roughly half of the pad surface area is removed in this manner . several considerations drive the preferred directionality of the linear features in the reticulated pads . first , the remaining pad structure should effectively move current from an attached conductive trace to the location where the discrete package will electrically connect to the pad , without the current following a circuitous path . second , the remaining pad structure should allow bonding via reflow soldering โ the linear features are believed to aid in establishing a proper reflow of the solder paste from the mounted component . because pad rp 1 can accept a discrete component in two different orthogonal positions , the linear features consist of intersecting orthogonal features , forming a gridded layout on the reticulated pad . in fig3 b , the gaps in the reticulated surface pads rp 1 , rp 2 , and rp 3 are filled with a dielectric material dk . the dielectric material can be , e . g ., a recured epoxy resin or a solder mask material . it is preferable that the dielectric material have a low dielectric constant and / or high loss factor at ghz frequencies to reduce coupling of signals from a component mounted over the material into the circuit board . the material preferably fills the gaps flush with the top surfaces of the pads , or slightly below . referring now to fig3 c , a discrete package dp is placed in a bridging configuration across rp 1 and rp 3 , with a small amount of solder paste ( not visible ) between each end of dp and the underlying pad . the solder paste temporarily holds the discrete package in place . other components , packages , and integrated circuits ( not shown ) can be similarly adhered to desired positions on the circuit board at this point . discrete package dp is reflow soldered by subjecting the circuit board to a controlled temperature profile that liquefies the solder paste and causes it to flow and bond the discrete package to the reticulated pads rp 1 and rp 3 . in fig3 d , solder rsl flows along the linear structures of rp 3 to form the approximate profile shown bonding the left end of dp to rp 3 . solder rsr flows along the left - to - right linear structures of rp 1 to form the approximate profile shown bonding the right end of dp to rp 1 . in the second configuration option , the discrete package dp is placed across rp 1 and rp 2 ( see fig3 e ), with solder paste temporarily holding the discrete package in place . a reflow solder process then bonds dp to rp 1 and rp 2 . in fig3 f , solder rsl flows along the linear structures of rp 2 to form the approximate profile shown bonding the left end of dp to rp 2 . solder rsr flows along the top - to - bottom linear structures of rp 1 to form the approximate profile shown bonding the right end of dp to rp 1 . two primary effects serve to decrease the capacitance of the active reticulated pad structures . first , in areas of an active pad that do not contain solder and consist of a reticulated opening , the effective area of the pad is decreased . second , in areas of an active pad that consist of a reticulated opening with overlying solder , the conductive โ plate โ of the capacitor has been elevated ( and preferably placed against a low - performance dielectric ), increasing the effective distance between the solder and any underlying conductive structures . fig4 shows , in perspective , an assembly 400 of circuit board components , with the vertical spacing between the layers accentuated for visibility . assembly 400 includes reticulated pad rp 3 on a surface layer ( the inter - layer dielectric material under the surface pad has been removed for clarity ), connected to plated through - hole pth 2 . the footprint of pad rp 3 is shown projected down onto underlying ground plane layer g 1 , where three rectangular openings pca , pcb , and pcc in g 1 are spaced across the central area underlying pad rp 3 . the three openings are separated by two conductive spokes gs 1 and gs 2 , oriented orthogonal to the linear features of pad rp 3 . the size of the openings and width of the spokes can be varied to adjust the impedance of the reticulated pad . fig4 also shows one differential pair routing path through the region underlying the openings pca , pcb , and pcc . a differential pair ds 2 +, ds 2 โ is illustrated at the trace layer routed directly under g 1 ( separated by a dielectric layer , omitted for clarity ). each conductor is vertically aligned with one of the dielectric - filled openings in the surface pad rp 3 . this reduces crosstalk from the pad rp 3 to the differential pair and vice versa . fig5 illustrates an assembly 500 that is in all respects except for the routing of ds 2 + and ds 2 โ identical to assembly 400 . in assembly 500 , ds 2 + and ds 2 โ have been rotated 90 degrees in - plane , but still route below the surface pad rp 3 . to preserve the characteristic impedance of the differential pair in the region under surface pad rp 3 , each trace is vertically aligned with one of the ground plane spokes gs 1 , gs 2 . the spokes thus maintain a reference for the differential pair and shield the pair from the overlying surface pad . fig6 a contains a plan view of the top two layers of fig4 and 5 , showing the surface pad rp 3 in solid lines and the ground plane pad clearances pca , pcb , and pcc in hidden lines ( the pth clearance is also shown in hidden lines ). as can be seen in this view , in the center portion of the pad , only the double - hatched regions are open from a conductive area of pad rp 3 through the ground plane . also , only the single - hatched regions contribute capacitance between the pad and the ground plane . fig6 b contains a plan view of all three layers of fig4 , with the lower signal layer trace pair ds 2 + and ds 2 โ shown in hidden lines and shaded . fig6 b shows one preferred routing alignment under pad rp 3 and the ground plane clearances for a differential pair . as can be seen , each conductor of the pair is aligned under with one of the linear openings in the pad rp 3 . fig6 c contains a plan view of all three layers of fig5 , with the lower signal layer trace pair ds 2 + and ds 2 โ shown in hidden lines and shaded . fig6 c shows the preferred routing alignment for a differential pair crossing pad rp 3 side to side . as can be seen , each conductor of the pair is aligned under one of the ground plane spokes gs 1 , gs 2 . in the prior art , no attempt was made to add an inductive component to the coupling between a surface pad and a ground plane . it has now been discovered that an inductive component can be added to the ground plane under a surface pad and controlled to allow significant narrowing of the openings that are made in the ground plane under or near the pad . in the following embodiments , a large central reference pad on the ground plane under a surface pad connects to the remainder of the ground plane by one or more conductive spokes . a variety of possible conductive reference pad / spoke arrangements are presented herein , including those that attenuate the transmission of high - frequency noise from the ground plane to the reference pad ( and therefore to the surface pad ). by incorporating such features in a ground plane adjacent to a layer containing surface pads on a circuit board , the circuit board can be made to damp the coupling of undesirable high - frequency signals / noise from the ground plane to a surface pad and vice versa . fig7 illustrates , in plan view , a partial circuit board assembly 700 according to an embodiment . partial circuit board assembly 700 includes the same surface features as the assembly 200 of fig2 , including a trace d 1 +, three configuration option pads pp +, xfp +, and sfp +, and two through holes pth 1 + and pth 2 +. the features present on the ground plane under this structure are illustrated in hidden lines . these features include two through - hole clearances thc 1 + and thc 2 +, co - located with the position of the plated through - holes . the large pad clearances of the prior art have been replaced , however , with inductive spoke reference pads isr 1 , isr 2 and isr 3 . each of these reference pads is separated from the primary expanse of the ground plane by smaller clearances . a series of spokes ( see , e . g ., spoke ss 1 connected to reference pad isr 3 ) connect each reference pad to the adjacent regions of the ground plane . in operation , the capacitance between the reference pad and the overlying surface pad is considerable , compared to the capacitance of the large pad clearance of fig2 . consequently , at low frequency , the impedance of the surface pad does not match the impedance of the trace well , but effectively shields the surface pad and any traces running under the reference pad from each other . at ghz frequencies , however , the inductive impedance of the spokes begins to significantly affect the ability of the reference pad to couple signals from the surface pad to the ground plane . in other words , the reference pad cannot be quickly charged and discharged in response to potential changes in the surface pad , as the serial - path inductive spokes deter rapid changes in the rate of charge and discharge of the reference pad . this raises the overall characteristic impedance of the pad to an acceptable level through the primary signaling frequencies . the number , width , and length of the spokes , and size of the reference pad , can be varied to achieve different impedance characteristics . one approach to selecting a proper configuration for a given application involves building a test board with trace and pad geometries , dielectric material and material thickness , etc ., set to those that will be used in the application . different test paths are fabricated similar to each other , but with different ground plane reference pad geometries . each path is then tested to determine the one delivering the most desirable impedance vs . frequency characteristics . due to the small clearances between the reference pad and the adjacent portions of the ground plane , trace routing through the region under the surface pad is now easier . in general , traces can be routed freely under a ground pad such as isr 3 . alternately , routing paths can be designated under the inductive spokes , as shown in the reference pad / spoke embodiments of fig8 a - 8d . in each of fig8 a - 8d , a plan view of a surface pad sp is shown in hidden lines , and the clearance between a ground plane and the reference pad rp , as well as the connecting spokes , are shown in solid lines . in fig8 a , paired spokes connect the reference pad rp to the ground plane across the short dimension of the pad , with each pair arranged at the appropriate spacing for an underlying differential pair . this forms a differential pair routing path that crosses the region under the surface pad sp and reference pad rp by passing under and in alignment with the spokes . with the spokes set to approximately 110 % of the trace width , the traces are essentially shielded from interference from the surface pad , and properly reference the ground plane . alternately , the spokes can be narrower than the traces if needed to impart the appropriate inductance to the reference pad / ground plane coupling , while still at least partially shielding the differential pair . in fig8 b , paired spokes connect the reference pad rp to the ground plane across the long dimension of the pad , with each pair arranged at the appropriate spacing for an underlying differential pair , forming a differential pair routing path orthogonal to the path of fig8 a . in fig8 c , the reference pad rp is connected to the ground plane using the spokes of both fig8 a and fig8 b , allowing differential pair routing through the region in either direction . in one embodiment , the spoke arrangement is dependent on the alignment of a differential pair passing under the pads . the spokes can be shifted side to side or angled as necessary to shield the differential pair . it is possible that the spoke width and number desired to shield one or more underlying differential pairs do not provide the desired inductance . in such a case , the spokes can be lengthened , e . g ., as shown in fig8 d . in fig8 d , notches are created in the reference pad rp and in the adjacent portions of the ground plane , effectively lengthening the span of each spoke and increasing its inductive effect at high frequency . the notches are small enough to not significantly affect the size and shielding capability of the reference pad . when desired , a reticulated surface pad can be combined with an inductively - coupled ground reference pad in a shared configuration . fig9 illustrates such a configuration . surface pad sp is reticulated , with three dielectric - filled openings . reference pad rp connects through spokes to the adjacent portions of the underlying ground plane . the reference plane shields the surface pad and underlying board structure from each other . the spokes provide a routing path for a differential pair , and high - frequency impedance compensation . the dielectric - filled openings in the surface pad sp reduce the capacitance of the surface pad . those skilled in the art will appreciate that the embodiments and / or various features of the embodiments can be combined in other ways than those described . a small number of exemplary pad and pad / spoke arrangements are shown . the dimensions of these can be varied to achieve a desired effect , or other pad and pad / spoke arrangements can be made using the principles described herein . single - ended signals as well as differential signals can be routed under pads , or on signals that pass through pads . the embodiments are applicable to surface pads other than configuration option pads , which are intended to serve as an exemplary application . the pad layouts , number of ground and signal layers portrayed , etc ., are merely exemplary , and will vary by application . although the specification may refer to โ an โ, โ one โ, โ another โ, or โ some โ embodiment ( s ) in several locations , this does not necessarily mean that each such reference is to the same embodiment ( s ), or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment . | 8General tagging of new or cross-sectional technology
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turning in detail to the drawings , fig1 illustrates a niche light for swimming pools as it would be viewed from the pool . a lens 10 is illustrated to be surrounded by a bezel 12 . the construction of the light is better illustrated in fig2 as further including a nonconductive forming shell 14 and a nonconductive housing 16 . the forming shell 14 defines a niche 18 having a front opening lying substantially in a vertical plane as it is arranged in the pool . threaded ports 20 and 22 may be plugged or may include grommets for receipt of electrical conduit extending from the pool to a junction box . the front opening of the nonconductive forming shell 14 is generally circular . fig9 and 10 provide the details of a conductive ring 24 which is pressed into the inner periphery of the nonconductive forming shell 14 at the front opening . anchors 26 press outwardly against the nonmetallic shell and lock the conductive ring 24 in place . a strap 28 extends rearwardly into the shell 14 from the conductive ring 24 . a terminal 30 is bolted to the shell 14 for attachment to the grounded pool net . the nonconductive housing 16 is water tight but for a front opening also lying in a vertical plane as positioned in the pool . the housing 16 is spaced from the nonconductive forming shell 14 in order that water may fully surround the housing 16 and provide cooling thereto . the housing includes a foot 32 which extends downwardly from the bottom thereof . at the upper end of the housing 16 , a tab 33 having a hole therethrough provides for receipt of a fastening bolt 34 . the foot 32 and the bolt 34 engage a stop 36 and a threaded hole 38 , respectively , arranged on the conductive ring 24 . as the conductive ring 24 is securely positioned within the shell 14 by means of the anchors 26 , the stop 36 and hole 38 securely retain the housing 16 and yet allow the bolt 34 to be removed for relamping . the interior of the housing 16 includes a channel 40 extending partially about the cavity . at one end of the channel 40 , a potting cavity 42 is positioned to receive conductive elements from externally of the housing . two socket cavities 44 and 46 are provided on either side of the main cavity of the housing 16 . in a first socket cavity 44 , a retaining slot is defined by two inwardly extending flanges 48 and 50 spaced to receive a square positioning flange 51 on a socket 52 . the other socket cavity 46 also includes inwardly extending flanges 54 and 56 which are spaced further apart than the flanges 48 and 50 so as to receive a square positioning flange 59 on a socket 58 and a spring 60 . the spring 60 is placed in compression so as to bias the socket 58 inwardly within the housing 16 . the sockets 52 and 58 are aligned to define an axis therebetween for receipt of a double ended lamp 62 . the lamp is to be of sufficient length to place the spring 60 in added compression through movement of the socket 58 to accommodate the lamp . the sockets 52 and 58 are preferably designed so that the double ended lamp 62 is held in place by compression and does not have the ends of the lamp held in frictional engagement . in this way , if the lamp 62 is ever broken , the two or more fragments will fall from the sockets 52 and 58 so as to cease to conduct electricity under such a failure mode . within the housing 16 , a first conductor 64 extends from the socket 52 around the channel 40 to the potting cavity 42 . a second conductor 66 extends from the socket 58 into the potting cavity 42 . in the conductor 64 , a thermostat 67 is positioned which ceases to conduct above a selected temperature . consequently , if the lamp is on without water around the housing 16 , the accumulated heat will cause the thermostat to actuate and turn off the lamp . a conductive shield 68 is positioned within the housing 16 so as to shield the sockets 52 and 58 . the conductive shield may be considered as three portions with two outward portions 70 and 72 covering the sockets and a central , reflective portion 74 . the outward , socket portions 70 and 72 each extend over a socket and then extend inwardly within the housing 16 to meet the reflective portion 74 located behind the lamp 62 . holes 76 and 78 provide for placement of the double ended lamp 62 . the conductive shield 68 may conveniently be of highly reflective metal sheet so as to reflect a maximum amount of the light emanating from the lamp 62 outwardly into the pool . a connector 80 forming part of the conductive shield 68 extends to the potting cavity 42 where it is coupled with a ground conductor 82 . extending from the potting cavity 42 outwardly to the hole in the housing 16 for receiving the bolt 34 is a rigid ground conductor 84 . this rigid conductor 84 is connected at one end to the connector 80 . this connection in turn provides a ground to the ground conductor 82 extending to the junction box and , ultimately , to an electrical panel . at its other end , the rigid conductor 84 is associated with the bolt 34 that is threaded into the hole 38 of the conductive ring 34 . thus , a separate grounding to the pool net is provided . holes are provided through the wall of the housing 16 at the potting cavity 42 in order that the rigid conductor 84 may pass therethrough as well as a conduit containing the conductors 64 and 66 and the grounded conductor 82 . a potting body 86 is then poured and solidified into the potting cavity 42 as well as the channel 40 . the bezel 12 is best illustrated in fig4 and 5 . the bezel 12 includes a circular body 88 having a central hole 90 therethrough . a rearwardly extending flange 92 which is cylindrical in form defines a seat for the lens 10 . outwardly of the flange 92 are flange segments 94 which extend further rearwardly on the bezel 12 to further define the seat for the lens 10 which fits therein . in the circular body 88 , circulation holes 96 , as best seen in fig1 communicate with the interior of the shell 14 defining the niche . also extending rearwardly from the bezel 12 are clips 98 . each clip 98 is a resilient leg extending rearwardly on the bezel with an interlocking portion 100 . the housing 16 includes outwardly extending flanges 102 to which the interlocking portions 100 may resiliently pass over when the bezel 12 is pressed against the front of the housing 16 and come into interlocking engagement . the front of the housing 16 includes a sealing channel 104 which contains an o - ring 106 . the o - ring 106 is compressed by the lens 10 when the bezel and lens assembly is positioned and interlocked on the housing 16 . the lens 10 is preferably planar with means for further refracting light in other than on upward direction , e . g ., horizontally and downwardly to this end , vertically arranged dispersion ribs 108 are on the back side of the lens 10 . the vertically arranged ribs 108 spread light horizontally from the lamp 62 . a smooth circular rim 110 about the lens 10 provides a seat against the o - ring 106 . a strip of opaque material extends 180 ยฐ about the junction between the main portion of the lens 10 and the rim 110 to prevent a vertical dispersion of light at that junction . turning to fig1 , an optical system is illustrated which prevents the light image from the wet niche light from directly being observed above the pool . the pool wall 112 is schematically illustrated as supporting a housing 16 . light from the lamp 62 is shown to be refracted through the lens 10 into the pool . the lamp 62 is positioned rearwardly in the housing 16 away from the lens 10 to an extent that the maximum upward angle of light exiting from the lens 10 is below the critical angle of total reflection at the water - to - air boundary 114 . the use of a planar lens and only vertical ribs allows for horizontal but not vertical dispersion of the light through the lens to insure further the appropriate angle . to further reduce creation of an image of the light on the surface , the lower portion 116 of the interior of the housing 16 may be painted black or otherwise configured such that light does not reflect directly from the lamp 62 onto the lower surface of the interior portion of the housing and through the lens . an angle of incidence is the angle a ray makes with a normal to the surface at the point of intersection of the ray with that surface . for a water - to - air boundary , an angle of incidence of 48 . 5 ยฐ or more will cause total reflection of the light at that surface . to simply meet this critical angle of total reflection , light emanating from the lens 10 placed at 90 ยฐ to the surface of the water is to have an upward angle of refraction , i . e ., the angle between a light path extending upwardly from the lens 10 and a horizontal plane including the point of exit of the light path from the lens 10 , which is no more than 41 . 5 ยฐ. because of the air - to - glass and glass - to - water boundaries at the lens 10 , the upward angle of incidence from the lamp 62 , i . e ., the angle between a light path extending upwardly from the lamp 62 and a horizontal plane including the source of light from the lamp 62 , to any portion of the lens 10 which can transmit light , is not to exceed slightly over 62 ยฐ. these angles assume a flat water surface . at the same time , the principal objective is to disperse light into the pool . with the vast majority of pools , light dispersion from a single pool light is virtually complete throughout the pool even with a maximum angle of incidence on the lens 10 from the lamp 62 of much less than the critical angle of 62 ยฐ. to reduce flashing of light from the pool resulting from waves and ripples , the upward angle of incidence by light from the lamp 62 against the lens which can pass through the lens 10 has been reduced to a maximum of approximately 42 ยฐ. a 42 ยฐ maximum upward angle of incidence from the lamp 62 to the lens 10 results in a 30 ยฐ maximum upward angle of refraction at the glass - to - water boundary . this gives a minimum angle of incidence at the water - to - air surface of the pool , when flat , of 60 ยฐ, 11 . 5 ยฐ over the critical angle of total reflection . fixture misalignment and some waves are thereby accommodated . the maximum downward and lateral angles of refraction may intentionally far exceed the maximum upward angle to insure full illumination of the pool . this configuration has been found to provide adequate light dispersion in the conventional swimming pool , eliminate viewing of an image of the pool light from above the water surface and reduces flashing at surface ripples to an aesthetically pleasing effect . the effect generally appears to be light flashes at the surface rather than the image of a pool light below the surface . thus , an improved wet niche pool light is here described . while 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 are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein . the invention , therefore is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims . | 5Mechanical Engineering; Lightning; Heating; Weapons; Blasting
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