description stringlengths 2.98k 3.35M | abstract stringlengths 94 10.6k | cpc int64 0 8 |
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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The following documents are incorporated herein by reference as if fully set forth: German Patent Application No. 10 2012 201 566.3, filed Feb. 2, 2012.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a stator for a camshaft adjuster, the camshaft adjuster, and an internal combustion engine with the camshaft adjuster.
BACKGROUND
Camshaft adjusters are technical assemblies for adjusting the phase positions between a crankshaft and a camshaft in an internal combustion engine.
From WO 2011 032 805 A1, it is known to arrange a volume accumulator in a camshaft adjuster, wherein, in the case of an under-pressure, hydraulic fluid can be drawn from this accumulator by the pressure chambers.
SUMMARY
The object of the invention is to improve the known camshaft adjusters.
This objective is met by the features of the invention. Preferred improvements are described below and in the claims.
The invention provides forming the volume accumulator in the stator of the camshaft adjuster.
This is based on the idea that the stator of a camshaft adjuster has segments that form the pressure chambers together with the vanes of the rotor of the camshaft adjuster. These segments can have hollow constructions, for example, for saving material and weight.
However, the invention is also based on the knowledge that the cavities of these segments are usually not functionally utilized. The use of these cavities as volume accumulators would therefore impart an additional function to these segments, without requiring great increases in the installation space of the camshaft adjuster.
The invention therefore provides a stator for a camshaft adjuster that comprises an outer part for concentrically holding a rotor with vanes arranged on the rotor and a segment projecting from the outer part for engaging between two vanes of the rotor, in order to form pressure chambers of the camshaft adjuster together with the two vanes. Here, the segment has a cavity for holding a hydraulic fluid from the pressure chambers. The outer part can have, in particular, a ring shape, wherein the segments project inward in the radial direction. The vanes can be arranged around the rotor and project away from this rotor in the radial and/or axial direction. The cavity in the segment thus can be used as a volume accumulator that holds hydraulic fluid coming from the pressure chamber via a corresponding supply port, wherein, in the case of an under-pressure, the pressure chamber can draw the discharged hydraulic fluid via a discharge port connected to the pressure chamber.
In one refinement of the invention, the stator has a front cover placed on the ring-shaped outer part in the axial direction and/or a back cover placed on the ring-shaped outer part in the axial direction. These covers close an interior space of the ring-shaped outer part of the stator and allow the pressure chambers to be defined with the vanes of the rotor.
In an alternative construction of the invention, the cavity in the indicated stator can be formed, instead of in the segment, also in one of the two covers or in both covers.
In an additional refinement, a supply line for supplying the cavity with hydraulic fluid is guided from the pressure chambers through the front cover and/or through the back cover. Because the covers are already locked in rotation with the stator, the supply of the cavity with the hydraulic fluid can be implemented in a technically very favorable way.
In one alternative or additional refinement of the invention, a discharge line for bleeding hydraulic fluid from the cavity is guided through the front cover and/or through the back cover. In this way, the volume accumulator formed by the cavity can be connected via the discharge line directly to the tank connection of the camshaft adjuster.
In another refinement of the invention, the specified stator comprises a pressure equalization line between the cavity and an outer side of the segment directed in the peripheral direction for supplying the pressure chamber with the hydraulic fluid, so that the pressure chamber can draw hydraulic fluid from the pressure chamber.
In one special refinement of the invention, the indicated stator comprises a non-return valve in the pressure equalization line that allows a flow of hydraulic fluid from the cavity, in order to balance an under-pressure in one of the pressure chambers. In this way, a flow of hydraulic fluid from the pressure chamber into the volume accumulator is prevented when the pressure in the pressure chamber is greater than that in the volume accumulator. The non-return valve thus makes sure that the volume accumulator is used only for equalizing an under-pressure in the pressure chamber.
The invention also provides a camshaft adjuster for setting a phase shift between a crankshaft driven by an internal combustion engine and a camshaft controlling the internal combustion engine. The indicated camshaft adjuster comprises an indicated stator for transferring rotational energy from the crankshaft and a rotor held concentrically in the stator for receiving the rotational energy to the camshaft. Through the indicated stator, the indicated camshaft adjuster can be formed with more functions and with a comparatively low increase in installation space.
In one refinement of the invention, the indicated camshaft adjuster comprises a central valve for connecting at least one pressure chamber formed between the rotor and the stator to the cavity in the segment of the stator. The central valve thus makes sure that the pressure chamber is either filled with hydraulic fluid from a pressure connection or is emptied via the volume accumulator.
The invention also provides an internal combustion engine that comprises a combustion chamber, a crankshaft driven by the combustion chamber, a camshaft for controlling the combustion chamber, and an indicated camshaft adjuster for transferring rotational energy from the crankshaft to the camshaft.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to a drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an internal combustion engine with camshaft adjusters,
FIG. 2 is a section view of a camshaft adjuster from FIG. 1 with a stator,
FIG. 3 is a section view of an example for the stator from FIG. 2 ,
FIG. 4 is a section view of another example for the stator from FIG. 2 , and
FIG. 5 is a section view of yet another example for the stator from FIG. 2 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the figures, identical elements are provided with identical reference symbols and will be described only once.
FIG. 1 will be referenced that shows a schematic diagram of an internal combustion engine 2 with camshaft adjusters 4 .
In a known way, the internal combustion engine 2 comprises a combustion chamber 6 that can be opened and closed by valves 8 . The valves are driven by cams 10 on corresponding camshafts 12 . In the combustion chamber 6 , a reciprocating piston 14 is also held that drives a crankshaft 16 . The rotational energy of the crankshaft 16 is transferred on its axial end via driving means 18 to the camshaft adjuster 4 .
The camshaft adjusters 4 are each placed axially on one of the camshafts 12 , receive the rotational energy from the driving means 18 , and transfer this energy to the camshafts 12 . Here, the camshaft adjusters 4 can delay or accelerate the rotation of the camshafts 12 relative to the crankshaft 14 in terms of time, in order to change the phase position of the camshafts 12 relative to the crankshaft 16 .
FIG. 2 will be referenced that shows a section view of one of the camshaft adjusters 4 from FIG. 1 with a stator 20 .
In addition to the stator 20 , the camshaft adjuster 4 has a rotor 22 held in the stator 20 , a spiral spring 24 biasing the stator 20 relative to the rotor 22 , a spring cover 26 covering the spiral spring, a central valve 28 held centrally in the camshaft adjuster 4 , and a central magnet 30 actuating the central valve 28 .
The rotor 22 is held concentrically in the stator 20 and has, shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , vanes 34 projecting from a hub 32 of the rotor. The rotor 22 is held concentrically on a central screw 36 of the central valve 28 that can be screwed into one of the camshafts 12 and in which a control piston 38 is held so that it can move in the axial direction and can be moved by a tappet 40 of the central magnet in the axial direction into the central screw 36 and can be pressed outward from the central screw 36 by a spring 42 in the axial direction. Depending on the position of the control piston 38 in the central screw 36 , pressure chambers 44 of the camshaft adjuster 4 shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 are connected in a known way to a pressure connection 46 or to a volume accumulator connection 48 by which a hydraulic fluid can be pumped out into the pressure chambers 44 or can be bled from these chambers.
The stator 20 has a ring-shaped outer part 50 that can be seen well in FIGS. 3 to 5 , with four segments 52 projecting inward in the radial direction from this outer part. The ring-shaped outer part 50 is closed in the axial direction with a front cover 54 and a back cover 56 , wherein the covers 54 , 56 are held on the ring-shaped outer part 50 by screws 58 . One of the screws 58 has an axial extension 60 that is used as a mounting point for the spiral spring 24 . A peripheral groove 62 is further formed in the back cover 56 on the axial side opposite the ring-shaped outer part 50 . The spring cover 26 is clamped in this peripheral groove. Teeth 64 in which the driving means 18 can engage are formed on the radial periphery of the ring-shaped outer part 50 .
The central screw 36 has radial holes 66 as volume accumulator connections 48 , with axial channels 68 through the front cover 54 being placed on these holes. The channels 68 are set in the radial direction on a peripheral groove 71 on the radial inner side of the front cover 54 directed toward the central screw 36 , in order to allow a flow of hydraulic fluid in any position of the central screw 36 locked in rotation with the rotor 22 relative to the stator 20 between the radial holes 66 and the channels 68 .
The channels 68 lead into cavities 70 that are formed in the segments 52 and through which the screws 58 are also guided. The cavities 70 are opened by non-return valves 72 to the pressure chambers 44 of the camshaft adjuster 4 , wherein the flow of hydraulic fluid is possible only from the cavity 70 to the pressure chamber 44 , so that the pressure chamber 44 can draw hydraulic fluid stored in the cavity 70 in the case of an under-pressure. If the cavity 70 is overflowing with too much hydraulic fluid, then the excess of hydraulic fluid is discharged via a tank connection 74 , for example, to a not-shown oil pan. The cavities 70 in the segments 52 are therefore used as volume accumulators for equalizing an under-pressure in the pressure chambers 44 of the camshaft adjuster 4 of the internal combustion engine 2 .
FIG. 3 will be referenced that shows a section view of an example for the stator from FIG. 2 .
As can be seen from FIG. 3 , the non-return valves 72 can be constructed, for example, as ball non-return valves.
FIG. 4 will be referenced that shows a section view of another example for the stator from FIG. 2 .
As can be seen from FIG. 4 , the balls of the non-return valves 72 can be held in the non-return valves 72 by springs. In this way, the dynamic response of the non-return valves 72 can be increased during the opening and/or closing of the non-return valves 72 .
FIG. 5 will be referenced that shows a section view of yet another example for the stator from FIG. 2 .
As can be seen from FIG. 5 , the non-return valves 72 can be constructed, for example, as plate non-return valves. In this way, the non-return valves can be installed in the camshaft adjuster 4 with a particularly small amount of installation space.
In the present construction, the cavities 70 are constructed in the segments 52 . Alternatively or additionally, the cavities 70 could also be formed in the covers 54 , 56 . Accordingly, the described supply lines or discharge lines for the hydraulic fluid are then alternatively or additionally guided through the covers, wherein the non-return valves are then alternatively or additionally also to be mounted on the covers.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS
2 Internal combustion engine
4 Camshaft adjuster
6 Combustion chamber
8 Valve
10 Cam
12 Camshaft
14 Reciprocating piston
16 Crankshaft
18 Driving means
20 Stator
22 Rotor
24 Spiral spring
26 Spring cover
28 Central valve
30 Central magnet
32 Hub
34 Vane
36 Central screw
38 Control piston
40 Tappet
42 Spring
44 Pressure chamber
46 Pressure connection
48 Volume accumulator connection
50 Ring-shaped outer part
52 Segment
54 Front cover
56 Back cover
58 Screw
60 Axial extension
62 Groove
64 Tooth
66 Radial hole
68 Channel
70 Cavity
71 Peripheral groove
72 Non-return valve
74 Tank connection | A stator ( 20 ) for a camshaft adjuster ( 4 ). The stator ( 20 ) has an outer part ( 50 ) for concentrically holding a rotor ( 22 ) with vanes ( 34 ) arranged around the rotor ( 22 ) and a segment ( 52 ) projecting from the outer part ( 50 ) for engaging between two vanes ( 34 ) of the rotor ( 22 ), in order to form, together with the two vanes ( 22 ), pressure chambers ( 44 ) of the camshaft adjuster ( 4 ). Here, the segment ( 52 ) has a cavity ( 70 ) for holding a hydraulic fluid from the pressure chambers ( 44 ). | 5 |
The present patent is a divisional application of Ser. No. 11/287,056 filed on Nov. 25, 2005.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of water treatment and purification. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of pulsed periodic electrical dischargers through water to be treated in conjunction with an electrode material supporting the arc, where the arc results in the generation of nano-particles and ions which have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effects on any bacteria and fungi in the water to be treated.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A significant amount of research and development has been undertaken in recent years towards environmental clean-up operations, and in particular to the purification and decontamination of ground water, waste water, and drinking water. A variety of techniques have been used in the prior art to destroy or remove contaminating and toxic materials such as trace organic and inorganic compounds; substances which produce color, taste and odor; pathogenic bacteria; and harmful suspended materials.
These techniques include the use of shock waves created by ultrasonic vibrations and exposing the water to ultraviolet radiation (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,071,473 to Darwin; U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,792 to Sauska and EP 959046 to Yoshinaga et al.).
Electricity has also been employed as a decontamination agent, such as by introducing positively charged ions into a water stream to cause coagulation and separation of particles, and by the passing of electric current within a fluid chamber (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,782 to Davies; U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,865 to Cole; U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,197 to Stephenson; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,321 to Robbins). In this case, the current flowing between the anode and cathode has a toxic effect on microorganisms nearby.
The utilization of ozone for the purification and disinfection of water is a known and effective technique (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,740 to Grader et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,382,044 to Baumgartner; U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,528 to Sasaki et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,216 to Agueda; U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,576 to Olsen; U.S. Pat. No. 5,711,887 to Gastman et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,778 to Steiner at al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,524 to Story U.S. Pat. No. 6,419,831 to Wang; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,402,945 to Swales et al.). However, it has not yet come into widespread use, such as the general acceptance and widespread use of chlorine.
Various techniques for water purification containing organic concomitants based on contacting the water with ozone in the presence of various mixed catalysts are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,578 to Turk; U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,610 to Ishii; U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,820 to Pedersen; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,264 to Tanaka. In particular, the heterogeneous catalyst utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,578 comprises water insoluble salts, for example, insoluble carbonate, sulfate, oxide, halide or sulfide of such metals as copper, cadmium, and group VIII metals, etc.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,820, the water enriched with ozone is passed through a catalyst, consisting of activated carbon as the carrier for metal oxides including iron oxide, cobalt oxide, nickel oxides, manganese oxide. Furthermore, the catalyst can contain one or more of the noble metals, e.g., platinum or palladium.
A technique is known in the art, sometimes under the name electro-hydraulics, which utilize high-energy electrical discharge into a volume of liquid for the purpose of disinfecting water, changing chemical constituents and recovering metals and other substances from liquids or slurries (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,564 to Allen; U.S. Pat. No. 3,402,120 to Allen et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,606 to Juvan). According to this technique, an electro-hydraulic shock wave within the liquid, intensive light radiation and thermo-chemical reactions are initiated by arc discharge into a spark gap formed by the electrodes immersed in the liquid. One of the drawbacks of this technique is associated with the fact that in the repeated discharging of a high-energy electrical arc across the gap between electrodes, the electrodes are rather rapidly eroded and burned up. Similarly, switching components are consumed by burnup.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,513 to Goriachev and U.S. Pat. No. 5,630,915 to Green et al. describes a water purification technique which concurrently uses a synergistic combination of pulsed mechanical shock waves, ultraviolet radiation, and ionization of the water stream, as disinfecting and purification actions within the water to be treated. The water treatment system of this technique includes a pair of electrodes extending transversely across and through a discharge chamber. Contaminated water is introduced into the chamber through an intake port where it passes either through or proximate to the discharge area. A pulse power unit delivers a rapid sequence of arc inducing electrical pulses across the electrodes, thereby producing a series of electric discharge arcs across the discharge area between the electrodes. The arcs are of sufficient energy whereby a plasma inducing arc is sustained through the water across the electrodes, generating lethal levels of ultraviolet radiation, as well as mechanical shock waves having the capacity of directly killing microorganisms and weakening others. Furthermore, molecules of water proximate to the discharge area are broken down into excited radicals, including hydroxyl ions and free oxygen, which combine with organic chemicals to eliminate them from the water stream.
RU Pat. No. 2136600 to Boyev et al. describes a technique for water purification by means of barrier high energy electric discharges formed as a result of the application of a pulsed electric field applied between the electrodes to an air-water mixture formed from water jets and drops. The pulsed electric filed is characterized by the pulse duration shorter than 0.5 microseconds, the slope of the pulse's front grater than 10 9 V/s and the amplitude of the field strength being in the range of 20-100 kV/cm. For this purpose, the high voltage pulses are applied with the frequency higher than 50 Hz. The frequency magnitude f is selected from the condition
f ≥ 50 v h
where v is the speed of the water flux and h is the height of the electrode system. The values of the pulse parameters were chosen such that the conductivity of the system at these pulse conditions is significantly small, i.e., the water is an electrical insulator.
The electrode system includes a set of electrodes implemented in the form of two combs. One of the combs is coupled to the generator of the high voltage pulses, while the electrodes of the other comb are grounded. The electrodes are covered by an electrical insulating barrier in the form of tubes made of quartz glass.
Various configurations of the electrode system that can be utilized in the device for water purification are disclosed in RU Pat. Nos. 2136601; 2136602 and 2152359 to Ryazanov et al.
In particular, RU Pat. No. 2136601 describes a discharge chamber including a high voltage and grounded electrodes implemented in the form of a volume grid wherein the high voltage electrode is arranged between the grounded electrodes. RU Pat. No. 2136602 describes an electrode system wherein the grounded electrode is in the form of a cylinder, while the high voltage electrode is in the form of a cylindrical brush which is housed within the ground electrode. RU Pat. No. 2152359 describes a discharge chamber including a high voltage electrode is implemented in the form of a volume grid, while the grounded electrode is configured as a perforated partition implemented in the form of hollow cylinders.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,513 by Goriachev et al describes a water decontamination system which provides for the passage of an electric discharge through a liquid to be decontaminated.
Each of the systems relying on electrical discharges also includes a fixed separation distance between electrodes, and when the electrodes erode, some form of readjustment of the interelectrode gap becomes necessary. Additionally, the use of an optimal electrode spacing for the selection of a particular nano-particle size is not possible with the prior art configurations.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the invention is an electric arc discharge water decontamination system which has a self-adjusting arc length.
A second object of the invention is an electric arc discharge water decontamination system which uses a movable wire electrode that is fed towards a fixed electrode thereby forming an arc gap extent.
A third object of the invention is an electric arc discharge water decontamination system which uses the magnitude of current flowing through the arc to determine when to increase or decrease the arc gap spacing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A water purification system comprises a passageway for water to be decontaminated, a fixed electrode within the passageway, and a moving electrode which feeds towards the fixed electrode as the moving electrode is consumed. The moving electrode may be a wire or any other suitable electrode for continuous feeding into the fixed electrode. Additionally, the moving electrode may be formed of any of the materials Iron (Fe), Copper (Cu), Silver (Ag), or Titanium (Ti). The moving electrode is grounded and may include a spool of wire which delivers the moving electrode, while the stationary electrode may be at a pulse and elevated voltage, and also have a large surface area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows the water purification system of the present invention.
FIG. 2 shows the power supply for the arc generation and electrode position control for the apparatus of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a graph which shows the distribution of nano-particles versus particle size of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a graph which shows the effect of ionic damage to microorganisms such as E. coli for various electrode materials versus electrical discharge energy density for the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a graph which shows the effectiveness of the ionic particles in neutralizing microorganisms such as E. coli versus time.
FIG. 6 shows a graph of ionic concentration versus input energy for the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows the water decontamination system 10 of the present invention. A conduit 22 for the passage of water to be treated includes a passageway 34 through which the water passes and encounters a fixed electrode 20 with a large surface area compared to the movable electrode 24 which passes through a sleeve 26 . The passageway 34 may also define the separation between the fixed electrode and moving electrode, and may be in the range of 10-15 mm separation, or diameter if the passageway is circular. The movable electrode 24 , sleeve 26 , feed rollers 28 , and feed spool 32 are preferentially at a ground potential for safety purposes, while the fixed electrode 20 is at a potential sufficient to encourage electrical arcing through the passageway 34 . The separation distance between the feed electrode 24 and fixed electrode 20 may be varied, or additional electrode may be fed into the passageway 34 using feed rollers 28 , which are coupled to a motor 30 . The motor 30 is controlled by current measurements taken by the power supply 12 which is furnishing the arc current flowing through conductors 14 and 16 , and may use a variety of measurement techniques to control the arc gap. In one embodiment, the movable electrode comprises a wire electrode having a diameter from 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm, and the wire is unwound from spool 32 .
In one embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , alternating voltage 220 V from the supply network 50 is supplied to the bridge rectifier 60 , after which the pulsatile DC is applied to current limiting inductor 54 and boost transformer 58 via diodes 56 a and 56 b . The voltage developed in the transformation unit 52 is fed to the input of the high voltage generator 70 and charges the capacity 78 by flowing through the primary of the HV transformer 72 and current limit inductor 84 . When storage capacitor 78 is fully charged, thyristor switch 82 closes, causing the storage capacitor 78 to dump charge into the primary winding of HV transformer 72 , limited only by current limit inductor 84 . This current in the primary winding of the transformer 72 is sensed by the primary current sensor 74 which sends the current measurement to the feed control unit 80 . The secondary winding of the transformer 72 then generates a pulsed voltage of 30-100 kV, which is supplied to the electrode conductors 14 and 16 , and causes the electric discharge across the fluid conduit 22 . Passing of the electric current in the secondary winding of the transformer is registered by the secondary current sensor 76 , and this measurement is also sent to the feed control unit 80 . Water is decontaminated in the fluid conduit 22 under the action of the periodical electric discharges combined with the nano-particles generated by the arc. Energy in the arc current pulse is 0.1-3.0 J, and the discharge duration is 1-30 μs. As the movable electrode 24 of FIG. 1 is consumed by successive arc events, the distance from the fixed electrode 20 and movable electrode 24 increases until the discharge does not occur because of an excessive arc gap, and a discharge without emission occurs. When there is no current in the loop of the secondary winding of the transformer 72 because of an absence of arc current, the signal from the secondary current sensor 76 is minimal, and the feed control 80 senses this. When such a glow event rather than a discharges occurs, this is sensed by feed control 80 . Comparison of the value of the secondary transformer current sensor 76 with a nominal value corresponding to a normal arc discharge takes place in the feed controller 80 . If as a result of such comparison the deviation of the magnitude of the incoming secondary current sensed 76 from the nominal value is determined, the signal from the feed controller 80 is fed to the motor or actuator 30 , which feeds the movable electrode 24 of FIG. 1 until the specified distance between the electrodes 20 and 24 of FIG. 1 is achieved and decontamination arcing in the chamber 22 resumes. When the signal value of the secondary current sensor 76 is restored, the feed controller 80 stops sending feed actuation commands to motor/actuator 30 and further feeding of the movable electrode 24 stops. In this manner, the automatic feed control of the distance between the electrodes in the chamber is maintained, the movable electrode is slowly consumed by the generation of nano-particles, and the water decontamination may continuously occur through the application of a succession of arc discharge events, as described. Moreover, there is a significant intensification of the bactericidal action caused by purposeful increase of the specific amount of metal nano-particles with dimensions on the order of 5 nm due to the erosion of the electrodes. Additionally, it is possible to use the nano-particle size distribution to make further corrections to the arc gap separation, thereby ensuring continuous purification of the water passing through the passageway 34 of FIG. 1 . Additionally, maintenance is reduced, as the consumable electrode is replenished continuously from a spool 32 , rather than requiring periodic replacement as in the prior art.
As described earlier, erosion of electrode material from the pulsed electrical discharges causes nanoparticle formation from arcing across the electrode metal. Nano-particles are thereafter oxidized in water and with gradual dissolution over time generate ions for several months. Therefore, it is essential that the water treatment chamber where the ionic generation occurs have treatment conduits, pipes, and an d storage containers handling treated water to be made from dielectrical materials. In the case when the movable electrode materials are copper, the nano-particles generated consist of copper oxides: CuO and Cu 2 O. At a pH level less than 3 and at neutral pH of 7 in the presence of amino acids, the nano-particles completely convert into Cu+ and Cu++ ions. Thus the decontaminated water after processing is dispersive, composed of ions and nano-particles, which continue to spread through the volume and increasing the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal action.
FIG. 3 shows the nano-particle distribution for the apparatus of FIG. 1 where the diameter of the conduit 22 of FIG. 1 is 10-15 mm as described earlier, although it is clear the conduit may be any shape or size. As can be seen from FIG. 3 , the majority of particles are in the 10 nm range, which is desirable in terms of anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effect on the water to be treated. Additionally, nano-particles have sizes ranging from 5 to 50 nm, and when present in solution the nano-particles may occur as single particles as well as clusters of several joined nano-particles.
FIG. 4 shows the anti-bacterial effect of nano-particles on the water to be treated, expressed as the ratio of particles present before and after treatment. It can be seen from FIG. 4 that the greatest anti-bacterial effect for a given arc discharge energy is for Silver particles, followed by Copper, and then by Iron.
FIG. 5 show the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal effect of nano-particles over time for the elements Titanium, Iron, and Silver, expressed as a percentage of living mater versus time.
The below table lists K0 coefficients for ions without microparticles or nano-particles, as would be generated using a prior art ionic system:
Wo (J/ml) K0 (Ag) K0 (Cu) K0 (Fe) 1.5 50-90% 80-90% 0 3 95-99% 90-95% 80 6 95-99% 90-95% 90-95% 8 100% 95-99% 94-97% 12 100% 99% 98-99%
The below table lists K0 coefficients for ions with microparticles or nano-particles, as would be generated using the present system:
Wo
(J/ml)
K0 (Ag)
K0 (Cu)
K0 (Fe)
1.5
0%
95-99%
90%
3
90%
100%
90-99%
6
100%
100%
95-99%
8
100%
100%
100%
12
100%
100%
99%
In this manner, an improved water purification system is described. The electrodes may be made from any of the materials described herein, but not limited to those described as Titanium, Silver, Copper, Iron, or Silver, and the electrode may be formed from a solid material, or a base material with a coating of the described metal. The electrode gap is controlled during the arc to maintain a spacing consistent with either persistent arc development, or after the arc is generated, the desired nano-particle level, such as 5 nm or 10 nm as shown. One means of controlling this gap is the measurement of secondary current, although it is also possible to measure the gap using optical means, or any other means which provides for an optimum anti-bacterial or anti-fungal result. | A process and apparatus for water purification has a stationary electrode opposing a movable electrode which are positioned about a passageway for the water to be purified. The stationary electrode and movable electrode form an arc gap, and the arc gap is fed with a voltage from a pulsatile power supply. The arc gap is reduced when the current is below a first threshold and increased when the current is above a second threshold, and the arc gap change is realized by controlling a motor attached to feeder rollers coupled to the movable electrode. The apparatus causes the formation of oxide nano-particles providing durable bactericidal action. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to the cleaning of reeds on textile weaving machines. In particular, this invention relates to the simultaneous cleaning of the reeds and auxiliary air nozzles found on air jet weaving machines (or looms) without removing the reed from the loom, without disengaging the warp yarn therefrom, and without reducing the warp yarn tension.
[0002] The reed, in typical construction, has a C-shaped channel or tunnel that is formed by the shape of the individual dents that comprise the reed. Fill yarn is propelled through this C-shaped tunnel across the loom during operation of the loom. Because of the shape of the tunnel, size, lint, trimer, dirt, loom oils, and the like tend to accumulate in this area. Fiber residue may also be a part of this accumulation, particularly when weaving with spun fibers. When accumulations in the reed tunnel occur, the fill yarn is more easily knocked out of the tunnel, causing filling stops and decreased production efficiency. It is known that periodic cleaning of the tunnel, therefore, results in decreased machine stops and improved productivity.
[0003] In the case of air jet weaving machines, the fill yarns are propelled through the tunnel and across the loom by air from the main air nozzle and are further propelled by a series of auxiliary air nozzles located directly beneath the yarn sheet. The fill yarn is propelled by a sequenced progression of pressurized air bursts from this series of auxiliary air nozzles spaced across the width of the loom (and along the path of the fill yarn). Each air nozzle has at least one small aperture through which pressurized air flows. These small apertures are easily clogged by size, trimer, and fiber particles as might accumulate in the reed tunnel, thus causing the nozzles to function less efficiently. Because of the size and position of these auxiliary air nozzles in the loom, adequate cleaning of these nozzles has been difficult to achieve and has not, heretofore, been successfully addressed by other cleaning machines.
[0004] It is necessary for efficient operation of a loom to clean the lint, size, trimer, and the like from on and between the dents of the reed. In the past, cleaning has been accomplished in a number of ways, none of which is completely satisfactory. The most straightforward way to clean the reed is to disengage the warp yarn sheet and remove the reed from the loom for cleaning. This is very time-consuming and inefficient. Alternative methods, including systems for leaving the reed in the loom and blowing or ultrasonically treating the reed in place, have been tried but do not perform the necessary cleaning as quickly or thoroughly as desired. Other methods require the tension on the yarn sheet to be significantly reduced, but it has been found that this makes the individual yarns more likely to break during the cleaning of the reed. In addition, cleaning methods that require the reed to be moved to a remote position or that require the tension of the yarn sheet to be significantly reduced typically result in a defect in the finished woven product. The present invention avoids these shortcomings.
[0005] Furthermore, existing reed cleaning machines do not address a problem specific to air jet weaving machines, that of cleaning the auxiliary air nozzles described above. Accordingly, the present invention not only solves the problem of cleaning of the reed in a highly efficient manner, but also allows for the simultaneous cleaning of the auxiliary air nozzles, a need largely ignored by the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention is an apparatus that cleans the tunnel of the reed and, at the same time, is capable of cleaning the auxiliary air nozzles that are located beneath the yarn sheet in air jet weaving machines. The apparatus is held in alignment on the reed by the clamping action of a clamping air cylinder, whose directional movement against the face of the reed secures the apparatus to the reed. The apparatus has rotating brushes that simultaneously clean the reed (and, where applicable, auxiliary air nozzles) as the apparatus is pulled across the weaving machine by an on-board drive mechanism that includes a winder drum around which a drive cable is wound. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus is powered by pneumatic motors.
[0007] It is an object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method to efficiently clean the reed of a textile weaving machine without the need for removing the reed, disengaging the warp yarns therefrom, or significantly reducing the tension on the warp yarns.
[0008] It is a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method to efficiently clean the auxiliary air nozzles of an air jet weaving machine, simultaneously with the cleaning of the reed, without the need for removing the reed, disengaging the warp yarns therefrom, or significantly reducing the tension on the warp yarns.
[0009] It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus and method to clean the reed and the auxiliary air nozzles of an air jet weaving machine with an apparatus that can easily be attached to a machine and that is capable of carrying out such cleaning operations with minimal operator assistance.
[0010] It is yet another object of this invention to provide an apparatus with the features of stability and portability, such that it may move across the reed without becoming misaligned and may be moved from one weaving machine to another, as machine cleaning requirements dictate, quickly and without difficulty.
[0011] Other objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent from the following description of the invention, together with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] [0012]FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevation view of the reed and auxiliary air nozzle cleaning apparatus of the present invention;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 2 is a schematic rear elevation view of the reed and auxiliary air nozzle cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 3 is a schematic overhead, or plan, view of the reed and auxiliary air nozzle cleaning apparatus of the present invention, in which the brushes have been attached in their relative positions; and
[0015] [0015]FIG. 4 is a schematic view of one end of the reed and auxiliary air nozzle cleaning apparatus of FIG. 3, as seen along line 4 - 4 of FIG. 3.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] In the preferred form of the invention, the reed and auxiliary air nozzle cleaning apparatus is disclosed in conjunction with an air jet weaving machine with the warp yarns located in the weaving position (that is, the warp yarns are threaded through the reed). It is less desirable that the apparatus of the present invention be used to clean reeds off-loom, because cleaning of the auxiliary air nozzles, of which this invention is fully capable, would not be realized in that case.
[0017] It has been found that the cleaning apparatus of the present invention is also effective in cleaning the reeds of rapier and water jet looms, although those loom styles do not incorporate auxiliary air nozzles. No modifications to the cleaning apparatus are required to accommodate the cleaning of the reeds of rapier or water jet looms.
[0018] For purposes herein, however, the term “weaving machine” or “loom” shall refer to an air jet weaving machine, on which the benefits of the cleaning apparatus are most apparent.
[0019] The term “front” shall refer to the operator side of the apparatus. The term “rear” shall refer to the machine side of the apparatus, the rear or machine side being that side of the apparatus that is away from the operator. In operation, the apparatus straddles the reed of the weaving machine, with the front side of the apparatus facing the operator and the rear side of the apparatus facing away from the operator.
[0020] The apparatus could be operated by electric or hydraulic motors, but pneumatic motors are preferred due to the proximity of the apparatus to an air source (most likely, the weaving machine itself). The appropriate air pressure is determined by the speed at which the apparatus is to move along the reed and the motor torque required to turn the brushes against a selected reed, as based upon various reed constructions. A suitable range of air pressures being supplied to the apparatus is 15 to 150 pounds per square inch (gauge), with a preferred range of 20 to 80 p.s.i.g.
[0021] The cleaning apparatus of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, is constructed around a vertically oriented support partition 5 positioned in substantially perpendicular relation between two vertically oriented end plates 7 , 9 . The apparatus is powered by air from an external air supply (ideally, the loom itself). Air from the external air supply travels through a conventional air supply conduit (shown in phantom at 130 in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4 ) to a centrally located, “quick-disconnect”-type air nipple 10 . From air nipple 10 , air flows through T-shaped connector 12 that directs the air into two separate streams: a first stream (that flows through on/off lever 14 and elbow joint 16 into air manifold 18 , as shown in FIG. 3) that is further divided into two streams through drive speed adjustment valve 29 and brush speed adjustment valve 30 (shown in FIG. 1); and a second stream (that flows through switch supply hose 20 and secondary supply hoses 22 , 24 to three-way directional switch 26 , as shown in FIG. 2) that supplies air for activating the clamping action of clamping air cylinder 34 . Air from the second stream flows through directional switch 26 (FIG. 1) to clamping air cylinder 34 via hose assemblies 31 , 32 . When pressurized air is supplied to the apparatus, air flows through directional switch 26 , which, when engaged, supplies air to clamping air cylinder 34 . That is, the clamping action of clamping air cylinder 34 is activated by the flow of air through directional switch 26 , and the flow of air into directional switch 26 is separate from the flow of air into on/off lever 14 . Thus, the clamping action secures the apparatus to reed 120 before lever 14 is pushed to the “on” position to begin cleaning operations.
[0022] In FIG. 1, connecting plate 1 is attached to a center portion of support partition 5 . Clamping air cylinder 34 is positioned directly below, and is attached to, connecting plate 1 . Clamping air cylinder 34 moves toward the face, or front portion, of reed 120 in order to apply sufficient pressure, via clamping arm 36 and clamping wheels 38 , to hold the cleaning apparatus in position against the face of reed 120 . This directional movement is activated by air flow from directional switch 26 . As mentioned above, clamping air cylinder 34 has hose assemblies 31 , 32 that connect each of the portals of cylinder 34 with each of the portals of directional switch 26 . Clamping air cylinder 34 includes clamping arm 36 , which is a horizontal member under which two clamping wheels 38 are positioned at either end. Clamping wheels 38 are in contact with the face of reed 120 directly above the tunnel portion of reed 120 and aid in maintaining the position of the apparatus on reed 120 as the apparatus moves across reed 120 . FIG. 2 shows a view of the apparatus from the rear (i.e., from the machine side, rather than the operator, or front, side). Attached to support partition 5 is clamping roller mount 40 . Clamping roller mount 40 is mounted horizontally in a position parallel to the face of reed 120 and includes two rear stepped wheels 42 that are mounted to the underside of clamping roller mount 40 . Clamping roller mount 40 operates in conjunction with clamping air cylinder 34 (specifically, with clamping arm 36 and clamping wheels 38 ) to secure the apparatus to reed 120 ; air flowing through clamping air cylinder 34 forces clamping arm 36 against the face of reed 120 . Because the flow of air actuates a clamping action that continues during the operation of the apparatus, the apparatus remains in proper vertical alignment on reed 120 throughout the-cleaning process. Without the cooperative relationship between clamping air cylinder 34 and clamping roller mount 40 , the tension on warp yarn sheet 122 would cause the apparatus to rise off of reed 120 during operation, thereby negatively impacting the efficient cleaning of reed 120 and effectively negating the cleaning of auxiliary air nozzles 124 .
[0023] Clamping wheels 38 (located on clamping air cylinder 34 ) and stepped wheels 42 (located on clamping roller mount 40 ) are free to rotate along the front and rear sides of reed 120 , respectively, with reed 120 assuming a functional role as a track along which the apparatus traverses. In addition to aiding in the movement of the apparatus, stepped wheels 42 provide a further benefit to the apparatus by aligning themselves with the upper edge of reed 120 and providing an additional stabilizing force for the apparatus.
[0024] Turning again to FIG. 1, front brush motor 50 is attached to support partition 5 by means of connecting plate 2 . Connecting plate 2 has an opening through which a screw is positioned, the position of the screw determining the tension on front drive chain 54 . (Front drive chain 54 is shown on the right side of the apparatus in FIG. 1.) Front brush motor 50 is connected to front brush shaft 52 by front drive chain 54 and a pair of sprockets (not shown), where a sprocket is located on one end of front brush motor 50 and a corresponding sprocket is located on one end of front brush shaft 52 . The preferred speed range for front brush motor 50 is 300 to 1100 revolutions per minute, with the setting based on the level of debris accumulation in reed 120 and the desired speed of the apparatus in traversing the loom.
[0025] Front brush shaft 52 is positioned through brush bearings (not shown), respectively positioned in both end plate 7 and end plate 9 . Bearings hold front brush shaft 52 in position within the apparatus, while allowing front brush shaft 52 to rotate and thereby turn corresponding brushes 55 . Front brush shaft 52 and front brushes 55 are shown in
[0026] [0026]FIG. 3. Corresponding rear brush shaft 82 and rear brushes 85 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively.
[0027] Brushes 55 , 85 are attached to brush shafts 52 , 82 in any conventional manner that will enable brushes 55 , 85 to remain firmly attached to brush shafts 52 , 82 and yet will enable brushes 55 , 85 to rotate freely in order to clean reed 120 and auxiliary air nozzles 124 (see FIG. 4). Brush guards positioned over the area where the brushes 55 , 85 are connected to brush shafts 52 , 82 protect brushes 55 , 85 from incidental contact with reed 120 during operation.
[0028] Brushes 55 , 85 can be made to rotate in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, and should be set to rotate in opposite directions (i.e., counter-rotating). It is found to be especially effective to have front brush shaft 52 rotate in a counterclockwise direction while rear brush shaft 82 rotates in a clockwise direction. Because the bottom portion of the tunnel of reed 120 is generally more susceptible to accumulations of dirt, size, trimer, and the like, it is necessary to adjust the rotational motion of brushes 55 , 85 to effect adequate penetration of the brush bristles into the tunnel. By setting brushes 55 , 85 to counter-rotate, increased contact between brushes 55 , 85 and reed 120 is achieved, and the motion of counter-rotation causes brushes 55 , 85 to work in cooperation with one another, rather than in opposition to one another. FIG. 4 illustrates these brush settings and the spatial relationship of the apparatus within the loom.
[0029] Additional brush shafts having additional brushes could also be incorporated into the apparatus. For instance, a third brush shaft could be added, with that shaft being operably connected to front brush motor 50 and being positioned to clean certain portions of reed 120 . A fourth brush shaft, being operably connected to rear brush motor 80 , would include brushes positioned to clean other portions of reed 120 , if necessary.
[0030] Each yarn deflector bar 60 , 70 (FIGS. 1, 2) is positioned parallel to support partition 5 and is attached to end plate 7 and end plate 9 . A rubber-coated wheel (shown at 62 , 72 ) is attached to each end of each deflector bar 60 , 70 , outboard of respective end plates 7 , 9 . As depicted in FIG. 4, yarn deflector wheels 62 , 72 push yarn sheet 122 downward in order to expose the reed tunnel and to allow the apparatus to effectively clean reed 120 and auxiliary air nozzles 124 without harm to yarn sheet 122 . The rubber coating on yarn deflector wheels 62 , 72 prevents the entanglement, snagging, or breaking of the yarn sheet 122 as the apparatus moves along reed 120 and across yarn sheet 122 . Smaller yarn deflector wheels 62 are used on front yarn deflector bar 60 , because of space constraints associated with sleigh bar 126 of the loom.
[0031] Once pushed downward by wheels 62 , 72 , yarn sheet 122 is held in a deflected orientation by the edge portions of yarn deflector bars 60 , 70 which keep yarn sheet 122 from rising and thereby interfering with the operation of the apparatus. FIG. 1 shows that front yarn deflector bar 60 is positioned slightly below the level of front brush shaft 52 and also shows the comparative sizes of front yarn deflector wheels 62 and rear yarn deflector wheels 72 . Rear yarn deflector bar 70 (associated with rear yarn deflector wheels 72 ) is shown in FIG. 2.
[0032] It is important to the operation of the apparatus that the tension of yarn sheet 122 not be reduced significantly. The tension of yarn sheet 122 prevents the individual yarns comprising yarn sheet 122 from being pushed out of lateral alignment by yarn deflector wheels 62 , 72 and being broken or damaged. In the majority of weaving machines on which this apparatus is used effectively, no adjustments to yarn tension are required prior or subsequent to cleaning. It is anticipated, however, that on certain weaving machines having cammed harnesses, it may be necessary to slightly reduce the warp yarn tension in order to securely attach the apparatus to reed 120 .
[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, rear brush motor 80 is located directly above the clamping roller mount 40 and is attached to support partition 5 by connecting plate 3 . Rear brush motor 80 powers rear brush shaft 82 by a pair of sprockets (not shown) and rear drive chain 84 . The operation of rear brush motor 80 is similar to that of front brush motor 50 , previously described, with the same preferred speed range.
[0034] Like front brush motor 50 , rear brush motor 80 is a pneumatic motor. Hose assembly 86 connects rear brush motor 80 with brush speed adjustment valve 30 (shown in FIG. 1) on the front of the apparatus. It is contemplated that alternative drive mechanisms could also be employed, such as belts, pulley systems, gears, and the like.
[0035] Pneumatic drive motor 90 is also shown in FIG. 2. Drive motor 90 is fixedly attached to end plate 9 . Hose assembly 89 connects drive motor 90 with drive speed adjustment valve 29 (shown in FIG. 1) on the front of the apparatus. Drive speed adjustment valve 29 controls the rate at which the apparatus moves across the loom. The drive speed setting is based on levels of debris accumulation within reed 120 , the style of reed 120 , and the style of fabric being produced. A slower drive speed generally results in a more thorough cleaning of reed 120 . The apparatus can be operated as slowly as desired to produce efficient cleaning and includes the capability of pausing the apparatus at any point along reed 120 in order to more thoroughly clean a given area. The maximum practical rate of speed utilized in the cleaning process has been found to be approximately six feet per minute (6 ft/min).
[0036] The drive mechanism, or motive means, of the apparatus includes drive motor 90 and a winder drum 97 around which a portion of a length of drive cable 98 is wound. Opposite the hose assembly end of drive motor 90 is drive motor gear 91 . Drive motor gear 91 engages meshing gear 93 of a drive assembly. The drive assembly is located along drive assembly axle 92 (FIG. 3) and is comprised of combined meshing gear 93 and locking plate 94 , spring 95 , winder drum 97 having locking pin 96 , a length of drive cable 98 partially wrapped around drum 97 , and axle support plate 99 . Drive assembly axle 92 is connected to axle support plate 99 (FIGS. 2, 3) which is perpendicular to support partition 5 (FIGS. 3, 4). Axle support plate 99 is connected to end plate 9 by means of connecting plate 4 (FIG. 3, 4) that is parallel to support partition 5 .
[0037] Meshing gear 93 and locking plate 94 are attached to one another. Meshing gear 93 is engaged by drive motor gear 91 of drive motor 90 . Locking plate 94 to which meshing gear 93 is attached has a circular opening off-center from drive assembly axle 92 , into which locking pin 96 is inserted. The relationship between locking plate 94 and locking pin 96 is characterized as that of a pin-and-groove construction, with locking plate 94 having a groove on the forward side of the aforementioned circular opening; locking pin 96 is initially inserted into the circular opening and is then rotated into a locked position in the groove.
[0038] Locking pin 96 is positioned on the outer rim portion of winder drum 97 . Winder drum 97 has flanges on either side, which have knurled edges to facilitate handling by an operator. Around winder drum 97 is wound a portion of drive cable 98 , the entire cable typically having a five- to fifteen-foot length, with the width of the loom being the primary consideration in determining the appropriate cable length. Drive cable 98 preferably is aircraft cable having a diameter of {fraction (3/32)} inch to ⅛ inch. Spring 95 is located between locking plate 94 and winder drum 97 along drive assembly axle 92 . Spring 95 holds winder drum 97 (and therefore locking pin 96 ) in a disengaged, or unlocked, position when the apparatus is not in use. Winder drum 97 provides a benefit in terms of safety: by requiring an operator to compress spring 95 and engage locking pin 96 prior to operation, accidental start-up, which might otherwise be caused by incidental contact, is prevented. In the unlocked position, an operator can pull a length of drive cable 98 from winder drum 97 and prepare the apparatus for operation.
[0039] Drive cable 98 leaves winder drum 97 in a vertical direction, and is turned into the horizontal direction needed for operation by guide pulley 100 positioned along the outer side of end plate 9 (see FIGS. 1, 2). Drive cable 98 then passes through end plate 9 and U-shaped reed guide 44 positioned directly along the inner side of end plate 9 . Reed guide 44 , which is mounted directly to support partition 5 , is made of a low-friction material and provides vertical alignment of the apparatus on reed 120 . Reed guide 46 is mounted on support partition 5 adjacent to end plate 7 and has the same physical and functional characteristics. The position of each reed guide 44 , 46 along respective end plates 9 , 7 is adjustable to ensure contact between front brushes 55 and the tunnel portion of reed 120 . Drive cable 98 passes through reed guide 46 and end plate 7 .
[0040] At the end of drive cable 98 is locking block 102 that is secured with ferrule 103 . Locking block 102 is fastened, via securing means such as a screw, to the end of reed 120 opposite the point from which the apparatus will begin to clean. Drive motor 90 turns drive and meshing gears 91 , 93 , which in turn cause winder drum 97 to rotate. The rotation of winder drum 97 causes drive cable 98 to be taken up and the apparatus to be pulled across the width of reed 120 .
[0041] [0041]FIG. 4 shows a schematic, cross-sectional view of the reed and auxiliary air nozzle cleaning apparatus, as seen along line 4 - 4 of FIG. 3. FIG. 4 shows the position of the apparatus in relation to reed 120 and auxiliary air nozzle 124 of an air jet weaving machine. Reed 120 is cleaned by front brushes 55 and rear brushes 85 that contact the front and rear surfaces of reed 120 . Front brushes 55 are also in contact with auxiliary air nozzle 124 . Auxiliary air nozzles 124 are spaced across the width of the loom, and, therefore, are subject to the cleaning effect of front brushes 55 as the apparatus moves across the loom.
OPERATION
[0042] The weaving machine should be stopped prior to the commencement of cleaning. The harnesses of the weaving machine are arranged, most preferably, in an all-down position, or, alternatively, in an all-level position, to create space for the cleaning apparatus.
[0043] Each weaving machine has a cycle of motions that are associated with one revolution of the weaving machine motor; cycles are designated by degree markings with a complete cycle consisting of 360 degrees. For efficient operation of the cleaning apparatus of the present invention, it is desirable to align reed 120 in the range of about 2800 to 2950 in relation to the operating cycle at the weaving machine. Most preferably, reed 120 should be aligned at about 2900.
[0044] The cleaning apparatus is rocked gently into position on one end of reed 120 , and an air supply conduit (shown in phantom at 130 in FIG. 1) is attached to the cleaning apparatus. Air flows into the apparatus and through directional switch 26 , which, when engaged, activates the clamping motion of clamping air cylinder 34 and secures the apparatus in position on reed 120 . Reed guides 44 , 46 are checked to assure that they are in contact with the top portion of reed 120 .
[0045] Locking pin 96 is removed from the groove in locking plate 94 , causing winder drum 97 to be released from its locked position. A length of drive cable 98 is pulled from winder drum 97 . Locking block 102 is affixed to the opposite end of reed 120 , creating a length of drive cable 98 that is taken up as the apparatus moves across reed 120 . Winder drum 97 is then returned to the locked position by compressing spring 95 and inserting locking pin 96 into locking plate 94 .
[0046] A cleaning solution is applied manually to reed 120 . An alternative to applying the solution by hand is to incorporate into the apparatus one or more spray nozzles that automatically dispense such solution onto reed 120 . Any conventional cleaning solution capable of loosening the accumulations in the reed and lubricating the yarns to prevent breakage is acceptable for use.
[0047] On/off lever 14 is turned to the “on” position, thereby initiating the flow of air into pneumatic motors 50 , 80 , 90 . Drive motor 90 turns winder drum 97 , winder drum 97 takes up the slack length of drive cable 98 , and the apparatus is pulled across the width of reed 120 . As the apparatus moves across the weaving machine, brush motors 50 , 80 cause brushes 55 , 85 to counter-rotate, and thereby clean reed 120 and, where applicable, auxiliary air nozzles 124 .
[0048] When cleaning has been completed (i.e., the apparatus reaches the opposite end of reed 120 ), on/off lever 14 is turned to an “off” position, thus stopping air flow into pneumatic motors 50 , 80 , and 90 . Directional switch 26 is returned to a disengaged position, thereby causing the clamping action of clamping air cylinder 34 and clamping roller mount 40 to be released. Locking block 102 is then detached from reed 120 . A rocking motion is used to remove the apparatus from reed 120 .
[0049] The fact that accumulations of dirt, size, lint, and the like have been brushed from the reed (and, in air jet weaving machines, from the auxiliary air nozzles) and deposited on the fabric is not problematic, because the fabric will be washed at a later point in the production process. With some fabric styles, it may be necessary to attach a nozzle to air supply conduit 130 and blow the dislodged debris away from reed 120 to prevent its reaccumulation in reed 120 .
[0050] Once the cleaning has been completed and the apparatus removed, reed 120 and the harnesses of the weaving machine are returned to their running configuration. The loom is restarted and its operating efficiency is restored. | Method and apparatus to employ rotating brushes to remove the lint, size, trimer, dirt, etc. from the reed of a weaving machine in an efficient manner without removing the reed from the weaving machine, without disengaging the warp yarn sheet, and without significantly reducing the tension on the warp yarn sheet. The apparatus is particularly effective on air jet weaving machines, on which the apparatus simultaneously cleans the reed and the auxiliary air nozzles. The apparatus has a pair of reed guides and a clamping air cylinder that engage the reed; a plurality of wheels that deflect the warp yarn sheet in a downward direction, exposing the reed and auxiliary air nozzles for cleaning; and a drive motor and a winder drum mechanism that allow the cleaning apparatus to be readily moved across the loom. The apparatus has the desirable features of being efficient, portable, and economical, as one apparatus can be used to clean many weaving machines. | 3 |
BACKGROUND
[0001] a. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a glove stacking apparatus for preparing a stack of gloves prior to packing into a box, and to a method of stacking gloves using a glove stacking apparatus for preparing a stack of gloves prior to packing into a box, particularly ambidextrous disposable hygienic gloves.
[0003] b. Related Art
[0004] The control of infection of patients in hospitals, clinics, and doctors' surgeries has become an ever more pressing concern with the rise of infectious bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics, in particular methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile ). In the United Kingdom alone there are thought to be about 5,000 deaths a year from infections caught in hospitals but some experts believe the number could be as high as 20,000.
[0005] Disposable medical gloves can help prevent cross-contamination, but a problem arises if external parts of the glove touch the same areas of a dispensing container as have previously been touched by hands which are contaminated with harmful micro-organisms. Such external parts of the gloves can then become contaminated prior to contact with a patient, if these external parts are the fingers or palm area of the glove the likelihood of a patient being contaminated is dramatically increased.
[0006] Most gloves used in hospitals and clinics are examination gloves, and these are used in large numbers. Such gloves are supplied not in individual sterile packages, but in relatively inexpensive cardboard dispensing boxes. The size of boxed gloves is an issue owing to the need to minimise the space needed to store gloves, or the size of dispensing apparatus holding boxed gloves.
[0007] Because of the need to enhance infection control, the preferred method of dispensing these gloves is by the cuff, so that the user can only remove the gloves from the container by the cuffs rather than by the glove fingers. Examples of cuff first glove dispensing systems are disclosed in GB 2449087, GB 2457450 and GB 2454753. Gloves are packed in an inexpensive box, made from card material and having a removable cover over an opening, with each glove either packed flat or folded over on itself and with the cuff of each glove being presented towards the opening.
[0008] Although such cuff first glove dispensing systems are helpful in controlling contamination of the finger portions of each glove during dispensing and donning of each glove, a problem arises in how to pack the maximum number of gloves in each box for increased economy. Although it is possible to arrange gloves into a stack by hand, this is time consuming and relatively expensive in a production environment.
[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for stacking gloves prior to packing in a dispensing box. It is also an object of the present invention to reduce the packing volume of boxed gloves.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] According to the invention, there is provided a glove stacking apparatus for lifting and depositing gloves to be stacked, comprising a lifting means for lifting each of said gloves, said lifting means including an attractive glove lifting surface, wherein the lifting means includes within the lifting surface a movable member, the movable member being movable from a first position in which the movable member is substantially flush with the lifting surface to a second position in which the movable member stands proud of the lifting surface in order to help dislodge said lifted glove from the lifting surface, and the movable member has a surface that is permeable to air flow through said surface, the glove lifting means including a source of positive air pressure and means to control the application of said positive air pressure through said permeable surface of the movable member in order to control the dislodging of said lifted glove from the glove lifting surface.
[0011] Also according to the invention there is provided a method of lifting and depositing gloves to be stacked using a glove stacking apparatus including an attractive glove lifting surface with a glove lifting portion, and a movable member within the lifting surface, the movable member having a surface that is permeable to air flow through said surface, the method comprising the steps of:
[0012] moving the lifting surface so that the lifting surface is above a glove to be lifted;
[0013] with the movable member in a first position in which the movable member is substantially flush with the lifting surface, using the attractive glove lifting surface to pull said glove to the lifting portion;
[0014] moving the lifting surface to a location where gloves are to be stacked;
[0015] releasing the glove from the attractive glove lifting surface;
[0016] moving the movable member to a second position in which the movable member stands proud of the lifting surface in order to help dislodge said lifted glove from the lifting surface;
[0017] applying a positive air pressure through said permeable surface of the movable member in order to control the dislodging of said lifted glove from the glove lifting surface; and
[0018] depositing said dislodged glove at said location and repeating the preceding steps to form said stack of gloves.
[0019] The attractive lifting surface and movable member may be part of a glove placement means, for example including also actuators for controlling the movement of the lifting surface.
[0020] The glove lifting surface may have a permeable glove lifting portion. With the movable member in a first position in which the movable member is substantially flush with the lifting surface, a vacuum pressure is then applied through the permeable glove lifting portion to pull said glove to the lifting portion. The lifting surface is then moved to a location where gloves are to be stacked, following which the glove is released from the attractive glove lifting surface by releasing the vacuum pressure.
[0021] The movable member may, for example, be a downwardly acting piston
[0022] The movable member is preferably moved to said second position after said positive air pressure is applied through said permeable surface of the movable member. The application of the positive air pressure through the permeable surface of the movable member serves, in use, to press a portion of the deposited glove against the glove stack prior to compression of the stack by the movable member.
[0023] Also according to the invention, there is provided a glove stacking apparatus for forming a stack of gloves, comprising:
[0024] a glove placement means for depositing gloves one of top of another for forming said stack of gloves, the glove placement means including a lifting surface with a attractive glove lifting portion and a movable member within the lifting surface, the movable member being movable from a first position in which the movable member is substantially flush with the lifting surface to a second position in which the movable member stands proud of the lifting surface in order to help dislodge said lifted glove from the lifting surface;
[0025] a packing recess for receiving said gloves and for containing said stack as the stack is being formed, the packing recess having a downwardly movable floor; and
[0026] means for moving the floor downwardly so that the stack of gloves continues to be retained within the recess as gloves are added to the stack;
[0027] wherein the movable member is arranged, in use, to compress the stack of gloves within the recess after each glove is deposited.
[0028] Preferably, the compression of the stack of gloves by the movable member provides a motive force for the means for moving the floor downwardly.
[0029] The means for moving the floor downwardly may, in use, be activated to move downwards by pressure from the movable member compressing the stack of gloves.
[0030] The means for moving the floor downwardly may comprise an upwardly acting spring mechanism, the floor being supported by this spring mechanism. The spring mechanism may provide an upwards restoring force against the compression of the stack of gloves by the movable member. The spring mechanism may also be compressible to lower the level of the floor when the stack of gloves is compressed by the movable member, this compression of the spring mechanism serving, in use, to limit a compression force on the stack of glove by the movable member.
[0031] The invention further provides a method of forming a stack of gloves using a glove stacking apparatus comprising a glove placement means having a attractive lifting surface, a movable member within the lifting surface, the movable member being movable from a first position in which the movable member is substantially flush with the lifting surface to a second position in which the movable member stands proud of the lifting surface and a packing recess, said recess having a downwardly movable floor, the method comprising the steps of:
[0032] using the attractive lifting surface of the glove placement means to lift and deposit gloves one on top of another to form said stack of gloves within the recess;
[0033] prior to depositing said gloves moving the movable member from said first position to said second position in order to help dislodge said gloves from said attractive lifting surface;
[0034] moving the floor downwardly as the stack of gloves is formed in order to retain the stack of gloves within the recess as gloves are added to the stack; and
[0035] using the movable member to compress air out of the stack of gloves after depositing each glove on said stack.
[0036] The glove placement means may be used in an apparatus for stacking gloves in a stack which comprises at least one conveyor for transporting said gloves to be stacked, a sensing means for sensing the presence of said transported gloves on said conveyor, a processing means, a stacking station and a glove placement means for moving said transported gloves from said glove conveyor to form said stack at the stacking station, wherein:
[0037] the glove placement means includes a lifting and depositing portion for lifting each of said gloves to be moved from said conveyor and for depositing each of said lifting gloves at the stacking station; and
[0038] the processing means is connected to the sensing means and to the glove placement means for controlling the operation of the glove placement means in accordance with said sensed presence so that, in use, the lifting and depositing portion of the glove placement means lifts gloves from said conveyor and deposits said gloves to form said stack.
[0039] The sensing means may sense additionally the orientation of a cuff portion and/or thumb portion of each of the transported gloves on the conveyor, and the processing means may be arranged to control the operation of the glove placement means in accordance with the sensed orientation so that, in use, the lifting and depositing portion of the glove placement means lifts gloves from the conveyor and deposits the gloves to form the stack with the cuff portion and/or the thumb portion of each glove in a desired orientation with respect to other gloves in the stack.
[0040] The apparatus may comprise additionally a pneumatic system, the pneumatic system being arranged to apply a vacuum to the lifted glove in order to adhere the lifted glove to the lifting portion.
[0041] Preferably, the apparatus comprises means to de-adhere the lifted glove for depositing at the stacking station.
[0042] For example, the pneumatic system may be arranged to apply a positive air pressure to the lifted glove in order to de-adhere the lifted glove for depositing at the stacking station.
[0043] The processing means may be connected to the pneumatic system for controlling the operation of the pneumatic system during the lifting and depositing of the gloves.
[0044] The packing station may comprise a recess in a work surface for containing the stack of gloves as gloves are deposited at the packing station.
[0045] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the lifting and depositing portion includes a lifting surface against which in use the gloves are held when moved and positioned by the apparatus prior to depositing for stacking.
[0046] The lifting and depositing means may include within the lifting surface a movable member, for example a downwardly acting piston. The movable member may be movable from a first position in which the movable member is substantially flush with the lifting surface to a second position in which the movable member stands proud of the lifting surface in order to help dislodge the lifted glove from the lifting surface prior to depositing for stacking.
[0047] The glove placement means may be used in a method of stacking gloves in a stack using a glove stacking apparatus that comprises at least one conveyor, a sensing means, a processing means, a stacking station, a glove placement means, the method comprising the steps of:
[0048] using said conveyor to transport said gloves to be stacked;
[0049] using said sensing means to sense the presence of said transported gloves on said conveyor;
[0050] using the glove placement means to move said transported gloves from said glove conveyor to form said stack at the stacking station;
[0051] wherein the processing means is connected to the sensing means and to the glove placement means for controlling the operation of the glove placement means in accordance with said sensed presence so that the glove placement means lifts gloves from said glove conveyor and deposits said gloves to form said stack.
[0052] When the glove placement means includes a lifting and depositing portion, this may be used to lift each of the gloves to be moved from the conveyor and to deposit each of the lifted gloves at the stacking station.
[0053] The glove placement means may also be used in an apparatus for stacking ambidextrous gloves in a stack with the thumbs of each glove in a desired orientation with respect to each other, at least two glove conveyors for transporting said gloves to be stacked, a glove transfer means, and a glove placement means for moving said transported gloves from said glove conveyors to form said stack, wherein:
[0054] said conveyors includes a first conveying means and a second conveying means, the first conveying means leading to the second conveying means and the glove transfer means being operable to transfer said transported gloves from the first conveying means to the second conveying means;
[0055] each glove has either a left handed orientation or a right handed orientation from the perspective of the glove placement means when removing said gloves from said conveyors;
[0056] the second conveying means is arranged to convey said transferred gloves such that the handedness of each of said gloves transferred to the second conveying means is reversed from a left handed orientation to a right handed orientation or alternatively from a right handed orientation to a left handed orientation as the second conveying means transports said gloves; and
[0057] the glove placement means is operable to move gloves from either of the first or second conveying means depending on a desired handedness of the next glove to be stacked.
[0058] There may be at least two conveyors which are part of a glove transport means for transporting gloves to be stacked and apparatus comprises additionally a sensing means for sensing the orientation of transported gloves, and also a processing means. The sensing means is arranged to sense the orientation of the transported gloves prior to the transfer means. The processing means is connected to the sensing means and is arranged to determine from the sensed orientation the handedness of the transported gloves, this handedness being either a left handed orientation of the glove thumb or alternatively a right handed orientation the glove thumb from the perspective of the sensing means. The processing means is then operable to determine the desired handedness of each of said gloves to be moved by the glove transport means and is connected to the glove transfer means, and is operable to use the glove transfer means to transfer the transported gloves from the first conveying means to the second conveying means to reverse the handedness of a glove when the sensed handedness is not the desired handedness. The glove placement means is operable to move gloves from the second conveying means when the sensed handedness is not the desired handedness or alternatively to move gloves from another one of the conveying means when the sensed handedness is the desired handedness.
[0059] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gloves are transported and manipulated individually by the glove placement means.
[0060] The first conveying means is in a preferred embodiment of the invention a single continuous conveyor. It would, however, be possible to form the first conveying means from a series of consecutive conveyors, one passing gloves to the next conveyor in the series.
[0061] The first conveying means is preferably arranged to transport the gloves in a first direction of travel towards the glove transfer means and the second conveying means is preferably arranged to rotate the orientation of the transferred gloves about an axis transverse to the first direction so that said rotated transferred gloves travel in a second direction opposite the first direction.
[0062] The second conveying means may be a belt conveyor arranged in a loop. The second conveying means is arranged to convey the transferred gloves around at least a portion of the loop in order to change the handedness of each of said transferred gloves.
[0063] The rotation of the glove is then effected by the movement of the transferred glove from one side of the loop to an opposite side of the loop.
[0064] The first conveying means may be arranged to transport gloves along a first direction of travel towards a transfer portion of the first conveying means, this transfer portion being proximate the second conveying means.
[0065] The sensing means may be arranged to sense the orientation of each glove with respect to a first direction of travel as transported by the first conveying means.
[0066] The first conveying means and second conveying means are preferably both belt conveyors, each having portions in juxtaposition in a glove transfer region where the glove transfer means acts to transfer the gloves from the first belt conveyor to the second belt conveyor when the handedness of the glove needs to be changed prior to stacking.
[0067] The processing means may be connected to the glove placement means and may also be arranged to control the operation of the glove placement means in the movement of the gloves by the glove placement means away from the conveyors.
[0068] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the glove placement means includes a glove manipulator that comprises a lifting portion for lifting each of the moved gloves from the first and second conveying means. The lifting portion preferably also serves to deposit the glove at a stacking station, in which case the lifting portion is a lifting and depositing portion of the glove manipulator.
[0069] The glove manipulator may include an electrostatic generator for applying an electrostatic charge to the lifted glove in order to adhere this glove to the lifting and depositing portion. The glove manipulator may, however, comprise additionally or alternatively a pneumatic system for sucking the glove to the lifting and depositing portion and preferably also for depositing the glove.
[0070] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the lifting portion of the glove manipulator is an underside or lowermost portion of the glove manipulator.
[0071] The lifting and depositing portion may comprise means for depositing each lifted glove, for example when moved into position with a stack of gloves built up during previous cycles of lifting and depositing gloves.
[0072] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the glove manipulator comprises means for rotating the lifted glove about an axis, which will most commonly be a vertical axis, parallel with a stacking axis of the deposited gloves.
[0073] When the glove is in position for depositing, the glove may then be dropped on top of a stack of gloves being built up by the glove stacking apparatus. Together with the flipping of gloves by the transfer interaction between the first and second conveying means, the facility to rotate a lifted glove about a vertical axis enables the apparatus to position each glove in a desired orientation. In particular, the invention permits control of the orientation of both the thumb and the cuff of each glove deposited in the stack. For example, each deposited glove can be oriented in the same manner, for example with cuffs and thumbs of adjacent gloves all similarly oriented, or in alternate orientations, for example, interfolded so that a glove dispensed from a dispensing container serves to pull partially out from the dispenser the next glove to be dispensed.
[0074] The first and second conveying means may be belt conveyors, each glove being held conformally against the second and/or first conveys and against a lifting surface of the lifting portion as the gloves are moved and positioned by the apparatus prior to depositing for stacking. Ideally the gloves are flattened with fingers and thumb being splayed apart in order to compact the volume of the stacked gloves as far as practicable.
[0075] The glove transfer means may comprise an electrostatic generator for applying an electrostatic charge to the transferred glove in order to adhere said transferred glove electrostaticly to the second conveyor loop. The glove transfer means may, however, comprise either additionally or alternatively, a vacuum pneumatic system for transferring gloves to the second conveyor loop.
[0076] The glove placement means may be used in a method of stacking gloves in a desired orientation with respect to each other, comprising the steps of:
[0077] using a glove transport means comprising a first conveying means and a second conveying means such that gloves are transported along said first conveying means towards said second conveying means;
[0078] using a sensing apparatus to sense the orientation of each of said transported gloves transported by the first conveying means;
[0079] using a processor to determine from said sensed orientation whether or not the sensed orientation of said glove is in a desired orientation for removal from the first conveying means prior to stacking of said glove;
[0080] using a glove transfer means to transfer said transported gloves from the first conveying means to the second conveying means when said sensed orientation is not a desired orientation;
[0081] using the second conveying means to transport said transferred gloves;
[0082] wherein said transfer and subsequent transport of said gloves by the second conveying means has the effect of changing the orientation of said gloves to a desired orientation for removal from the second conveying means prior to stacking of said glove.
[0083] If the sensed orientation of a glove transported by the first conveying means is correct, then the glove is removed from the first conveying means for stacking in a stack of gloves. On the other hand, if the sensed orientation of a glove transported by the first conveying means is incorrect, then a glove transfer means is used to transfer the glove from the first conveying means to the transporting surface of the second conveying means.
[0084] In preferred embodiment of the invention, the first conveying means transports gloves in a first direction, the second conveying means having a transporting surface in opposition to the first conveying means and moving in the same first direction of travel as the first conveying means.
[0085] The sensing apparatus may then sense the orientation of each transported glove with respect to this first direction of travel.
[0086] The transporting surface of the second conveying means may be moved in a loop so that this transporting surface transports the transferred gloves in a second direction opposite to the first direction so that the orientation of transferred gloves transported by the transporting surface is transformed into a desired orientation for stacking.
[0087] The glove placement means may be also be used in an apparatus having a glove transport means for handling gloves to be stacked, comprising at least two glove conveyors for transporting said gloves and a glove transfer means, said conveyors including a first conveyor and a second conveyor, the first conveyor leading to the second conveyor and the glove transfer means being operable to transfer said transported gloves from the first conveyor to the second conveyor, the second conveyor having a conveying surface, a glove transfer portion of said surface being permeable to air flow through said surface, wherein the glove transfer means includes a source of vacuum air pressure and means to control the application of said vacuum air pressure through said permeable glove transfer portion of said conveying surface in order to control the transfer of gloves from the first conveyor to the second conveyor.
[0088] The second conveyor may include a roller around which said conveying surface passes, the roller including at least one air flow channel and the vacuum air supply being applied to said permeable glove transfer portion through said at least one air flow channel.
[0089] The least one channel may include an array of perforations in an outer surface of the roller.
[0090] The conveying surface is preferably a mesh, said mesh being permeable to the air flow.
[0091] The glove placement means may include an apparatus for manipulating gloves presented flat for stacking by a transporting surface, comprising a glove manipulator comprising a lifting portion, said lifting portion having a downwardly directed surface for lifting each of said moved gloves from said transporting surface, and a means for attracting said lifted glove to said downwardly directed surface in order to hold said lifted glove to said downwardly directed surface of the lifting portion as gloves are manipulated for stacking.
[0092] In one embodiment of the invention, the means for attracting a lifted glove to the downwardly directed surface comprises an electrostatic generator for applying an electrostatic charge to a lifted glove in order to adhere the lifted glove to the downwardly directed surface of the lifting portion.
[0093] In another embodiment of the invention, the means for attracting a lifted glove to the downwardly directed surface comprises a pneumatic system for applying a vacuum to a lifted glove in order to adhere the lifted glove to the downwardly directed surface of the lifting portion.
[0094] In one embodiment of the invention, the glove placement means comprises a ground plate to which the electrostatically charged glove is attracted. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a plurality of insulating strands strung over and separated from the ground plate, the strands serving in use to support and separate the electrostatically charged glove from the ground plate. In another embodiment, the invention comprises an insulating plate, the insulating plate having a plurality of perforations through which the electrostatically charged glove is attracted to the ground plate, the insulating plate serving in use supporting and separating the electrostatically charged glove from the ground plate.
[0095] Preferably, the lifting portion has means for discharging the electrostatic charge on the glove prior to said depositing of the glove. Once the electrostatic charge has been discharged, the glove will either fall from the lifting portion or can be readily assisted to fall, for example with a puff of compressed air applied to the interface between the lifting and depositing portion and the glove.
[0096] The lifting and depositing portion may have means for increasing the separation between the charged glove and the ground plate in order to lessen the electrostatic attraction between the glove and the ground plate prior to dropping the glove for stacking. These means may include one or more pins that project downwards of the lifting means, most preferably in areas not covered over by lifted gloves.
[0097] The glove placement means may be used as part of a glove stacking apparatus, comprising a recess in a work surface. The glove placement means is then arranged to deposit glove above the recess for stacking within the recess. The recess may have side walls for aligning gloves stacked one on another inside the recess and a movable floor which can be lowered as said stack of gloves grows so the topmost glove in the stack of gloves is substantially level with the work surface, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one movable flap adjacent an edge of said recess for folding towards the recess a portion of a glove overlapping said edge of the recess.
[0098] The flap is preferably hinged adjacent the edge of the recess.
[0099] Gloves are preferably deposited at the recess such that a portion of the glove is contained by said recess and another portion of said glove overlaps an edge of said recess and lies on said at least one movable flap. The movable flap is then moved to fold towards the recess the portion of the glove that overlaps the edge of the recess so that the glove is contained by the recess. During this process, the flap preferably contacts the stack of gloves formed in the recess in order to help compress the stack of gloves.
[0100] The recess may be substantially square or rectangular. There may also be a pair of flaps on opposite side edges of the recess for folding alternately inwards to the recess, portions of gloves overlapping alternately one or another of the opposite side edges of the recess.
[0101] The glove placement means may therefore be used in a method of stacking gloves using a glove stacking apparatus, comprising the steps of:
[0000] i) moving the movable floor proximate the level of the work surface;
ii) placing a first glove to be stacked over the recess, with a first cuff portion of said glove overlapping an edge of the recess;
iii) placing a second glove to be stacked over the recess, with a second cuff portion of said glove overlapping an edge of the recess;
iv) lowering the recess floor as required to keep the top of the stack of gloves in the recess substantially level with the work surface;
v) using at least one movable flap to fold over said first cuff portion inwards towards the recess, so that the first cuff portion is folded over a finger portion of the second glove contained within the recess; and
vi) repeating steps ii) to v) to build up a stack of interfolded gloves within the recess.
[0102] The packing recess may be used with at least one movable flap for folding towards the recess a portion of a glove overlapping said edge of the recess.
[0103] The movable flap preferably has a surface that is permeable to air flow through said surface, the glove stacking apparatus including a source of vacuum air pressure and means to apply said vacuum air pressure through said permeable surface of the movable flap in order to pull said overlapping portion of said glove to the flap prior to folding of said overlapping portion.
[0104] The source of vacuum pressure is separate from the flap so that as the flap folds towards the recess, the application of the vacuum air pressure through the permeable surface is automatically released.
[0105] The means to apply said vacuum air pressure may comprise at least one perforation in a work surface beneath the permeable surface of the movable flap, and most preferably comprises a plurality of such perforations.
[0106] The source of vacuum pressure is preferably arranged to provide a steady vacuum pressure. The application of the vacuum air pressure through the permeable surface then depends on the degree of separation between the movable flap and the means to apply said vacuum air pressure through said permeable surface of the movable flap. As the flap moves towards the recess, the vacuum pressure is therefore automatically released.
[0107] Preferably, the, or each, flap is arranged to fold towards the recess such that, in use, the flap contacts the stack of gloves formed in the recess in order to help compress the stack of gloves.
[0108] The permeable surface of the flap is preferably a mesh, this mesh therefore being permeable to the air flow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0109] The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0110] FIG. 1 is perspective view of an apparatus for stacking ambidextrous gloves including a glove placement means for moving gloves to be stacked, according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, showing how gloves are transported by a first conveying means, past a machine vision system towards a second conveying means to which gloves may be transferred to reverse the handedness of the orientation of the glove with respect to a glove placement means;
[0111] FIGS. 2 and 3 are, respectively, side and top views of the apparatus of FIG. 1 ;
[0112] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a glove placement means having a glove manipulator for lifting gloves from the conveyors and, if necessary, for rotating the orientation of the glove about a vertical axis prior to depositing on a stack of gloves;
[0113] FIG. 5 is a side view of the glove manipulator of FIG. 4 , showing how a glove is held electrostatically to a lowermost insulating surface of the glove manipulator;
[0114] FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the glove manipulator of FIG. 4 , showing how the glove is held flat against the insulating surface, which has an array of perforations behind which is a ground plate to which the glove is attracted;
[0115] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a glove manipulator for lifting gloves from the conveyors in which the gloves held against an array of insulating strands behind which is a ground plate to which the glove is attracted;
[0116] FIG. 8 is a view from beneath of the glove manipulator of FIG. 7 ;
[0117] FIG. 9 is a cross-section view of the glove manipulator, taken along line IX-IX of FIG. 8 ;
[0118] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-section of FIG. 9 labeled X;
[0119] FIG. 11 is a perspective view, partly cut-away, showing part of an apparatus for stacking ambidextrous gloves including a glove placement means for moving gloves to be stacked according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, similar to the first but using a vacuum air supply for transferring gloves to the second conveyor and for holding gloves to the underside of a glove manipulator;
[0120] FIG. 12 is perspective view of the first and second conveyors of FIG. 11 and an adjacent packing station prior to stacking of gloves by the glove placement means;
[0121] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the packing station of FIG. 12 with the glove manipulator ready to deposit a first glove at the packing station;
[0122] FIG. 14 is a view of the glove manipulator of FIG. 12 after depositing of the first glove at the packing station, showing how a movable member in the form of a plunger descends from beneath the glove manipulator to press a finger portion of the glove into a packing recess;
[0123] FIG. 15 shows the packing station of FIG. 14 when the glove manipulator has been withdrawn from the packing station to collect a second glove;
[0124] FIG. 16 shows the packing station of FIG. 15 after the glove manipulator has been withdrawn, with a cuff of the deposited glove extending beyond the packing recess and lying over a first movable flap on one side of the packing recess;
[0125] FIG. 17 shows how, after the deposit of a second glove oriented oppositely with respect to the first glove, but with thumbs on the same side of the packing recess, the first movable flap is rotated about a pivot rod to fold the cuff of the first glove over the finger portion of the second glove;
[0126] FIG. 18 is perspective view showing how the apparatus for stacking gloves may be paired and how two of the glove placement means may be mounted on a frame from above; and
[0127] FIG. 19 is a top view of the paired apparatus for stacking gloves of FIG. 18 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0128] FIGS. 1 to 3 show various views of a glove stacking apparatus 1 for stacking gloves with the thumbs in a desired orientation. The apparatus comprises a first conveying means in the form of a first conveyor 2 and a second conveying means in the form of a second conveyor 4 . Both the first and second conveyors have straight loops of belt 3 , 5 , with an upper surface 7 of the first conveyor 2 travelling in a first direction indicated by arrow 9 . The second conveyor 4 lies atop the first conveyor 2 with a lower portion 11 of the second conveyor belt 5 being opposed to a transfer portion 13 of the first conveyor belt 3 , these portions 11 , 13 being separated by about 1 mm and moving at matched speeds in the same direction 9 so that an upper surface 15 of the second belt 5 moves in a second direction 17 opposite to the first direction 9 .
[0129] A supply of gloves 6 held within a bin 8 is brought to the vicinity of an upstream end 19 of the first conveyor 2 . The gloves 6 in the bin 8 are not fully ordered but preferably have a cuff end 10 facing towards an open side 12 of the bin 8 , which is positioned above the upper surface 7 of the first belt 3 .
[0130] The gloves 6 in the bin are oriented with the glove fingers 14 and thumb 16 facing generally in a direction parallel with the first direction of motion 9 of the first conveyor 2 . A worker (not shown) may then reach into the open side 12 of the bin 8 and get hold of a glove 6 by the cuff 10 and pull the gloves in the second direction 17 one at a time onto the upper surface 7 of the first belt 3 , such that the fingers drag along the first belt upper surface 7 .
[0131] In doing this, the opposite motions of the gloves 6 and first belt 3 will tend to pull the fingers 14 and thumb 16 of each glove flat with the belt. In the embodiment of the invention, the gloves 6 are disposable ambidextrous medical inspection gloves, although the invention is applicable to other types of hygienic glove. It is not necessary for the thumbs 16 to be positioned on either the right or the left of the glove, as viewed in the direction of motion 9 . A machine vision sensing device 20 under the control of a microprocessor (not shown) is used to capture from above an image of each glove 6 A placed on the upstream end 19 of the first belt 3 . The machine vision sensing device 20 is not described or shown in detail but may include a camera or other light sensing means, a source of illumination such as a flash lamp, one or more scanning or static laser beams or a light curtain.
[0132] The processor determines from the captured image if the thumb 16 is on the left or right of the glove 6 A and also determines if there is a problem with the orientation of the glove, as may be the case if the fingers 14 or thumb 16 are not splayed outwards and are overlapping, or if the cuff 10 is over-folded or under-folded.
[0133] The gloves 6 A then pass to a rejection region 22 of the apparatus. The first belt 3 is a mesh fabric belt having holes of about 4 mm in size. The fabric preferably has insulating properties, for example being formed from a PTFE fabric material. Beneath the rejection region 22 is a valve 23 connected to a source of compressed air (not shown) which under the control of the processor sends a blast of air upwards and to one side of the first belt 3 to eject a misaligned glove off and to one side of the belt, where such rejected gloves are caught by a recycle bin (not shown) for subsequent recycling through the glove stacking apparatus 1 .
[0134] If the gloves are to be stacked in a regular way, and if the gloves are randomly placed on the first belt 3 , with the thumb 16 either to the left or the right relative to the direction of motion, then the processor will determine, on average, that 50% of the gloves are in a correct orientation for stacking, and 50% are not. In the illustrated example, one glove 6 B has reached the vicinity of a downstream end 29 of the first conveyor 2 . This glove has been determined by the processor to be correctly oriented for stacking. Another glove 6 C is shown on the upper surface of the second belt 5 . This glove 6 C was found by the processor to be in the incorrect orientation for stacking by the processor when on the first belt 3 and has been transferred from the transfer portion 13 of the first belt 3 to the lower portion 11 of the second belt 5 , prior to being conveyed by the loop of the second belt onto the upper surface 15 of the second conveyor 4 . This operation has the effect of flipping the glove 6 C through 180° around a horizontal axis at right angles to the direction of motion 9 of the first conveyor 2 , such that the handedness of each of the gloves 6 C transferred to the second conveyor 4 is reversed from a left handed orientation to a right handed orientation or alternatively from a right handed orientation to a left handed orientation as the second conveyor transports the gloves. As will become clear from the explanation below, this then positions the illustrated glove 6 C in a correct orientation for stacking.
[0135] It should be noted that the first and second belts 3 , 5 in the region 11 , 13 where these overlap move at the same speed and direction 9 with synchronicity being maintained by a 1:1 drive belt and pulley arrangement 27 connecting the first and second conveyors 2 , 4 .
[0136] The glove stacking apparatus 1 also comprises a glove placement means 30 , which is here an articulated robot arm 32 that extends away from a first vertical axis pivot 34 towards a second vertical axis pivot 35 on which a glove manipulator 38 is pivotably mounted. In addition to being pivotable about the second pivot 35 , the manipulator has a vertical and rotational axis movement mechanism 40 that extends downwards to an attractive lifting and depositing portion 42 of the glove manipulator 38 , a first and a second embodiment 42 , 42 ′ of which using electrostatic attraction are illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 10 and 1 third embodiment of which 142 using a vacuum, or negative pressure, supply is shown in FIGS. 11 to 19 .
[0137] As will be explained in more detail below, the glove manipulator 38 moves the lifting and depositing portion 42 , 42 ′ so that this is above the next glove to be stacked, and then lifts and moves this glove either from the first conveyor 2 or the second conveyor 4 and deposits this to one side of the downstream end 29 of the first belt 3 at a stacking station 60 , where the glove 6 B, 6 C is deposited for stacking.
[0138] The gloves 6 C are transferred from the first to the second conveyors by means of a static electricity generator 25 comprising a static generating bar positioned beneath the portion 13 of the first belt 3 opposite the second belt 5 . The charge passes through the air and holes in the first belt mesh to charge up the glove 6 C to be transferred. The second belt 5 is a mesh with an insulating outer surface and with a ground plate (not shown) behind in the region where the glove is transferred. Gloves 6 C once charged are therefore initially electrostatically attracted to the second belt 5 and leave the first belt 3 , which also has an insulating outer surface, to travel around the loop of the second belt 5 to reach the upper surface 15 of the second conveyor 4 . A second static charge electricity generator 33 comprising a static generating bar positioned beneath the upper surface 15 of the second belt 5 then recharges the glove. The charge passes through the air and holes in the first belt mesh to re-charge up the glove 6 C. There is no ground plate behind the mesh of the second belt in this region, and so the glove is free to be attracted to another ground surface, which as explained below is provided in the lifting and depositing portion 42 , 42 ′.
[0139] The lifting and depositing portion 42 , 42 ′ of the glove placement means 30 is synchronized with the continuous motion of the belts 3 , 5 and under the control of the same processor registering the location and portion of each glove 6 A by means of the machine vision system 20 . Alternatively, it would be possible to have a second machine vision system (not shown) to register the position and of the gloves 6 B, 6 C ready for stacking. It should be noted that in the drawing, both gloves 6 B and 6 C are shown for purposes of illustration only in position ready for lifting the by the lifting and depositing portion 42 , 42 ′. Because the belts 3 , 5 move continuously at a constant speed, preferably about 300 mm per second, in operation, only one of the illustrated gloves 6 B, 6 C would be positioned ready for lifting at any one time.
[0140] The lifting and depositing portion 42 , 42 ′ then moves into position above the glove 6 B, 6 C to be lifted. The lifting and depositing portion is rectangular, and is rotated by the movement mechanism 40 so that the long axis of the rectangle is aligned with the long axis of the glove. If the long axis of the glove 6 B, 6 C is not aligned exactly with the length of the belts 3 , 5 , then this is detected by the image sensing system 20 and the angle of the lifting and depositing portion 42 , 42 ′ is correspondingly adjusted by the rotational axis movement mechanism 40 to match that of the glove prior to lifting the glove from the belt 3 , 5 . The movement of the belts 3 , 5 is continuous so the arm 32 and glove manipulator 38 match the movement of the glove 6 B, 6 C on the conveyor 2 , 4 while the vertical axis movement mechanism 40 drops the lifting and depositing portion 42 , 42 ′ on top of the glove.
[0141] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the first embodiment of the lifting and depositing portion 42 has a flat under surface 50 , which is made from a thin plate insulating material having an array of circular holes 52 , behind which is an insulated ground plate 54 . Although not visible in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the ground plate 54 is covered over by a thin insulative sheet to prevent direct discharge from a charged glove to the ground plate.
[0142] The gloves 6 B are transferred from the first conveyor to the lifting and depositing portion by means of a static electricity generator 31 comprising a static generating bar positioned beneath the surface of the first belt 5 . The charge passes through the air and holes in the first belt mesh to charge up the glove 6 B. As the lifting and depositing portion comes into proximity with the charged glove, the glove is attracted to the underside 50 of the lifting and depositing portion 42 , which therefore acts as a glove lifting surface having an attractive glove lifting portion.
[0143] As the lifting and depositing portion 42 comes into proximity with the glove 6 B, 6 C to be lifted, the charged glove is attracted to the insulated ground plate 54 and therefore adheres to the outer plate surface 50 .
[0144] The lifting and depositing portion 42 can then remove the glove 6 B, 6 C from the belt 3 , 5 and deposit the glove at the stacking station 60 . The glove is de-adhered from the lifting and depositing portion by moving the ground plate 54 away from the outer insulative layer 50 . Additionally, the lifting portion also contains an electrostatic generator 56 , the location of which is indicated by dashed lines, aligned with corresponding holes in the outer plate 50 and ground plate 54 . This applies a charge one side of the glove which it has been found can help to collapse the glove and help the glove adhere better to the stack of glove being built up at the stacking station 60 .
[0145] This ground plate is movable in a vertical direction within the lifting and depositing portion 42 and is spring biased to a downwards location nearest the outer layer 50 . Four pins or studs 58 project downwards from the ground plate through the outer layer 50 . When the lifting and depositing portion comes into contact with surfaces at the stacking station 60 , these pins are pressed upwards thereby lifting the ground plate and thereby lessening the attraction of the glove 6 B, 6 C to the ground plate 54 whereupon the glove drops away from the lifting and depositing portion. Although not illustrated, if needed, the manipulator 30 may be connected to a source of compressed air which may be used to send a blast of air through the holes 52 to dislodge the glove from the outer layer 50 .
[0146] The second embodiment of electrostatic lifting and depositing portion 42 ′ works in a similar manner to that described above. In this embodiment, there is no outer layer, but rather a series of parallel insulating threads or strands 50 ′, which serve to separate the glove 6 B, 6 C from the ground plate 54 ′. FIG. 9 shows the static electricity generators 56 ′ within the lifting portion and the enlarged cross-section view of FIG. 10 shows the insulative layer 68 on the ground plate 54 ′. FIGS. 9 and 10 show schematically how the glove 6 B, 6 C is adhered against the parallel insulating threads or strands 50 ′. In this case, the ground plate 54 ′ acts as a glove lifting surface having an attractive glove lifting portion.
[0147] As with the first embodiment, the electrostatic lifting and depositing portion 42 ′ described above has four pins or studs 58 ′ that project downwards from the ground plate 54 ′ through the parallel insulating threads or strands 50 ′. When the lifting and depositing portion comes into contact with surfaces at the stacking station 60 , these pins are pressed upwards thereby lifting the ground plate and thereby lessening the attraction of the glove 6 B, 6 C to the ground plate 54 ′ whereupon the glove drops away from the lifting and depositing portion.
[0148] The packing station 60 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 will now be described in more detail. The packing station 60 has a packing sleeve 62 , inset in a work surface 64 . The packing sleeve 62 extends vertically and has a substantially rectangular horizontal cross-section with rounded corners. The sleeve is formed from folded sheet metal, preferably stainless steel.
[0149] The packing sleeve 62 contains a movable base 70 that provides a floor surface and that is slightly recessed to provide a shallow receptacle 75 for receiving gloves being stacked. Prior to stacking of gloves, the floor 70 is initially substantially at the level of the work surface 64 or recessed slightly, for example recessed by between 10 mm to 25 mm. As gloves are stacked on the floor, the movable base 70 drops so that the topmost stacked glove remained substantially at, or just below, the level of the work surface 64 . The next glove to be stacked then lies flat above the previously stacked gloves and surrounding work surface 64 .
[0150] The sleeve walls 65 and base 70 define a recess or receptacle the cross-section of which is less than the flattened extent of the gloves 6 B, 6 C. Portions of the gloves to be stacked therefore overlap edges 67 of the receptacle. In this example, the receptacle 75 is sized such that when the glove fingers 14 are aligned within the receptacle, the glove cuffs 10 will initially extend beyond the bounds of the receptacle. The packing station therefore contains two movable and generally rectangular or square flaps 71 , 73 , arranged on opposite sides 78 , 79 of the receptacle 75 which initially lie flat or flush with the work surface 64 . Each flap is pivoted along a straight edge nearest the receptacle, with one of each pair being on adjacent sides of the receptacle so that the paired flaps can fold inwards the overlapping portions of each glove from adjacent sides.
[0151] In use, a glove is placed with the finger portions 14 being fully within the confines of the side walls 65 and with the thumb 16 being on the right hand side of the receptacle 75 , as viewed in the first direction 9 . Optionally, there may be two additional movable and generally rectangular or square flaps 72 , 74 on a “thumb” side 77 of the receptacle between the two opposite sides 78 , 79 . Each of these flaps 72 , 74 is pivoted along a straight edge nearest the receptacle. In the event that the thumb 16 extends beyond the bounds of the receptacle, the thumb 16 may be first folded over by one of the flaps 72 , which then returns to lie flush with the work surface 64 .
[0152] The next glove is then positioned on top of the first glove, with the finger portions 14 again being fully confined by the side walls but oriented at 180° to the first glove so that the cuffs of the first two gloves extend away from one another and overlap opposite sides 78 , 79 of the receptacle 75 . The thumb 16 is first folded over by one of the flaps 74 , which then returns to lie flush with the work surface 64 .
[0153] The cuff 10 of the first glove to be placed on the work surface 64 is then folded over the finger portion 14 of the second glove, using the other one 71 of the pair of flaps, which then returns to lie flush with the work surface. The thumb 16 may then be first folded over by one of the flaps 72 , which then returns to lie flush with the work surface.
[0154] If there are no flaps 72 , 74 to fold in thumbs, then the thumbs will gradually fall into the receptacle 75 as the base floor 70 is lowered.
[0155] A third glove is then placed on the second glove, in the same orientation as the first glove was placed.
[0156] The cuff of the second glove to be placed on the work surface 64 is then folded over the finger portion of the third glove, using the other one 73 of the pair of flaps, which then returns to lie flush with the work surface.
[0157] In this way an interfolded stack of gloves for cuff first dispensing from a box dispenser, can be built up automatically. During dispensing, the cuff of the glove being dispensed is gripped and removed from a container (not shown), and as the fingers of that glove are pulled out of the container, the fingers of that glove pull out the cuff of the next glove for dispensing.
[0158] When sufficient gloves have been stacked in the receptacle, for example between about 100 and 150 gloves, the stacking operation is paused, and the receptacle 75 is removed from the packing station 60 , either automatically or manually, and an empty receptacle is put in place at the packing station, and the operation described above is repeated.
[0159] Although not illustrated or described in detail herein, once the gloves are stacked in the receptacle, the stacked gloves may be packed in a box dispenser by placing an open mouth of the box over the receptacle and moving the base 70 upwards to press the stacked gloves into the open box, which may then be closed and sealed.
[0160] FIGS. 11 to 17 show various views of a second embodiment of an apparatus 101 for stacking ambidextrous gloves, according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention. In the second embodiment, features similar to those of the first embodiment are indicated by reference numerals incremented by 100.
[0161] The second embodiment includes a machine vision sensing device (not shown) the same as that described above and has first and second conveyors 102 , 104 that present gloves to a glove placement means 130 in the same manner as described above.
[0162] The second embodiment 101 differs from the first embodiment 1 in that there is no use of electrostatic transfer means. Instead, a vacuum air supply (not show) is used in the transfer of gloves from the first conveyor 102 to the second conveyor 104 , and is also used to hold a glove to the underside 150 of a pneumatic lifting and depositing portion 142 of the glove manipulator 138 . In this example, the underside 150 of the lifting and depositing portion 142 acts as a glove lifting surface having an attractive glove lifting portion. The vacuum air supply is connected to an air outlet connection 80 at one end of a cylindrical roller 81 in the second conveyor 104 around which gloves 106 C must pass to reach the upper surface 115 of the second mesh belt 105 . The roller 81 is hollow (not shown) and has a number perforations 83 across its width and around its circumference so that when the hollow interior of the roller is connected to the air outlet 80 a vacuum air pressure at the outlet causes air to be sucked through the perforations. This causes a glove 106 C on the first mesh belt 103 to be transferred to the second belt 105 at the roller 81 .
[0163] Prior to this transfer, the glove 106 C is retained to the first mesh belt 103 by a similar vacuum supply that sucks air through the first belt to keep the glove 106 C flat on the belt and so the glove can be conveyed without interference in a 1 mm to 2 mm gap 96 between the belts 103 , 105 . When a glove is to be transferred to the second conveyor 104 , the vacuum air supply to the first belt is stopped at the same time as the vacuum air supply to the roller 81 is started. When a glove is not to be transferred to the second conveyor 104 , the vacuum air supply to the first belt 103 is maintained and the vacuum air supply to the roller 81 is kept off, so that the glove is conveyed by the first conveyor 102 past the transfer region between the first and second belts. In this case, to ensure that the glove clears the second belt 105 , the vacuum air supply through the mesh of the first belt 103 is preferably provided underneath and beyond the second conveyor 104 . Not shown are valves and a control system linked to the processor for synchronizing the operation of the vacuum air supply to the first belt and the second belt roller with the rest of apparatus.
[0164] The lifting and depositing portion 142 has an internal pressure chamber 84 which is supplied by one or two air hoses 85 , 85 ′ connected to another air supply via control valves (not shown) which can provide either negative or positive air pressure relative to ambient air pressure. Air passes in to or out from the air chamber through perforations 88 in a flat main plate 150 on the underside of the lifting and depositing portion 142 . A downwardly acting piston 86 is provided in a portion of the main plate 150 . The main plate is generally rectangular with a long axis extending in the same directions as the direction of movement 109 , 117 of the first and second conveyors 102 , 104 when the lifting and depositing portion 142 is oriented to collect or deposit gloves. The piston 86 has a flat lower plate 87 which is co-planar with the surrounding main plate 150 when the piston is raised as shown in FIG. 13 , and which extends below the plane of the main plate when extended, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 15 . Both the main plate 150 and the piston plate 87 have a two-dimensional array of perforations 88 , 89 subject to the same air pressure from the air chamber 84 .
[0165] If the gloves are to be stacked with the cuffs 110 all facing one way, then the piston 86 is preferably off-centre to one end of the rectangular main plate 150 , as shown in FIG. 11 . If, however, the gloves are to be stacked with the cuffs alternating in opposite directions, then the piston is preferably centered in the main plate 150 , as shown in FIGS. 13 , 14 and 15 . In both cases, when a glove is picked up by the lifting and depositing portion 142 a vacuum or negative pressure is applied to the chamber 84 as the main plate 150 is brought down against a glove on one of the conveyors. The air flow into the perforations then pulls the glove off the conveyor and onto the under surface of the lifting and depositing portion 142 . The glove is preferably picked up with the finger portion 114 (which include the thumb 116 ), in contact with the retracted piston lower plate 87 and with the cuff portion adhered by the vacuum to the adjacent main plate 150 .
[0166] FIG. 12 shows the adjacent packing station 160 prior to stacking of gloves by the glove placement means 130 in the packing receptacle 175 . FIG. 13 shows the glove manipulator 138 positioned ready to deposit the first glove 106 in the packing receptacle 175 , with a negative pressure being supplied to the internal chamber 84 through an air supply line 85 .
[0167] FIG. 14 is a view of the glove manipulator 138 after depositing of the first glove at the packing station 160 , showing how the piston 86 descends from beneath the lifting and depositing portion 142 to press a finger portion 114 , 116 of the glove 106 into the packing recess 175 . When the lifting and depositing portion 142 is ready to deposit the glove 106 , the vacuum from air line 85 is switched off and a positive pressure is supplied to the internal chamber 84 through air line 85 ′. At the same time, a negative pressure is continuously provided through other air lines 90 , 90 ′ (see FIG. 11 ) which lead to an array of perforations 91 in a work surface 164 beneath two movable and generally rectangular or square PTFE mesh flaps 171 , 173 , arranged on opposite sides 178 , 179 of the receptacle 175 . In this way, the glove 106 is both pushed off and pulled from the lifting and depositing portion 142 . This pneumatic action of the apparatus helps to press the glove flat against the surfaces of the packing station 160 . It will generally still be the case, however, that air is trapped inside the glove, particularly the glove finger portion 114 , 116 .
[0168] Before the lifting and depositing head is withdrawn upwards, the piston 86 is therefore actuated downwards by means of a pneumatically driven actuator 92 to compress the finger portions of the glove 106 . This pressure helps to drive out air trapped inside the glove, thereby compressing and flattening the stack of gloves with a consequent reduction in the height of the stack of gloves. As this process is repeated for each glove that is deposited, the multiple compressions of the growing stack of gloves helps to ensure that the flexible glove material does not rebound to let air creep back into the stack. The final height of the complete stack of gloves is thereby minimized so that the maximum number of interfolded gloves can be provided to the end user within each completed pack. The end result is that it is possible to pack 100 or more disposable interfolded nitrile or latex gloves of standard thickness (rated at 9 Newton's tear strength) inside a card material box having external dimensions of about 130 mm wide by 120 mm deep by 130 mm high. The invention also permits 200 disposable interfolded nitrile or latex gloves of thinner thickness (rated at 6 Newton's tear strength) inside a card material box having external dimensions of about 130 mm wide by 120 mm deep by 165 mm high. The card material may be cardboard, a plastic card material or any other suitable disposable thin sheet material.
[0169] The compression of the growing stack of gloves by the piston is also used in an automatic way to control the downward movement of the moveable floor 170 . Pressure from the piston 86 causes the floor 170 to move down in a controlled manner during glove stacking such that the topmost stacked glove remains substantially at, or just below, the level of the work surface 164 . Because the piston downward movement is fixed, and because the resulting downward movement of the floor is driven purely by the piston pressure, floor moves only as far as is necessary to depending on the height of the glove stack.
[0170] The floor may be supported by an upwardly acting spring mechanism 97 , with an associated ratchet mechanism permitting only downward movement of the floor under the piston pressure.
[0171] After this depositing and compressing stage, the lifting and depositing portion is lifted, as shown in FIG. 15 , after which the glove manipulator 138 is withdrawn from the packing station 160 to collect a second glove 106 ′.
[0172] The flaps 171 , 173 are then used to fold portions 110 of the second last deposited glove extending beyond the bounds of the recess in towards the recess so that the cuff of this glove is folded over the finger portion of the last glove to be deposited. It should be noted that because the vacuum supply is completely separate from the body of the flaps, there is no need to cut or reduce the vacuum air supply to the perforations 91 in the work surface 164 . As soon as the flaps begin to move away from the perforations, the vacuum pressure through the mesh is automatically reduced and then cut so that the gloves are no longer held tightly to the mesh surface of the flaps. Keeping the vacuum supply separate from the flaps is therefore a particularly helpful aspect of the invention and provides several important benefits. First, the weight of each flap 171 , 173 is minimized and the construction is simplified as there is no need to provide additional air flow channels to or within the body of the movable flap. Second, because the weight of each flap is minimized, it is easier to move the flap rapidly in either direction, thereby speeding up the packing process and further simplifying the construction of the apparatus. Thirdly, the vacuum airflow is automatically released when the flap 171 , 173 moves away from the perforations 91 , which avoids the need to switch the vacuum flow on and off or even to provide a positive air flow to the flaps to help dislodge the gloves from the flaps when these have moved fully over the recess. This is a real advantage when gloves are being stacked at a rate of about one glove per second. It is therefore preferred that vacuum pressure applied to the perforation is continuous and constant.
[0173] FIG. 16 shows the packing station 160 after the glove manipulator 138 has been withdrawn, with a cuff 110 of the deposited glove 106 extending beyond the packing recess and over a first movable flap 171 on one side 178 of the packing recess 175 .
[0174] FIG. 17 shows how, after the deposit of a second glove 106 ′ oriented oppositely with respect to the first glove 106 , but with thumbs 116 , 116 ′ on the same side of the packing recess 175 , the first movable flap 171 is rotated 93 about a pivot rod 94 to fold the cuff 110 of the first glove over the finger portion 114 ′, 116 ′ of the second glove 106 ′. The other flap 173 is mounted on a similar rod 94 ′ and moves in the same way to fold over the cuff 110 ′ of the second glove after a third glove (not shown) has been deposited on the stack in the same orientation as the first glove 106 . In this way, an interfolded stack of gloves is built up, with the stack being repeatedly compressed by the piston 86 after the deposit of each glove.
[0175] FIGS. 18 and 19 show how the various embodiments of the apparatus 1 , 101 for stacking gloves described above may be paired into two side-by side production lines and how two of the glove placement means 30 , 130 may be mounted on a frame 95 from above. This arrangement is particularly efficient, because a worker at the starting end 19 of the first conveyor 2 , 102 may use both hands at the same time to place a glove on each of the first conveyors.
[0176] The invention therefore provides a convenient apparatus and method for stacking gloves prior to packing in a dispensing box.
[0177] Modification and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limited except by the allowed claims and their legal equivalents. | A glove stacking apparatus for preparing a stack of gloves prior to packing into a box, and a method of stacking gloves using a glove stacking apparatus for preparing a stack of gloves prior to packing into a box, particularly ambidextrous disposable hygienic gloves are disclosed. A glove stacking apparatus for lifting and depositing gloves to be stacked comprises a lifting means for lifting each of the gloves. The lifting means includes an attractive glove lifting surface, wherein the lifting means includes within the lifting surface a movable member, the movable member being movable from a first position in which the movable member is substantially flush with the lifting surface to a second position in which the movable member stands proud of the lifting surface in order to help dislodge the lifted glove from the lifting surface. The movable member has a surface that is permeable to air flow through the surface, the glove lifting means including a source of positive air pressure and means to control the application of said positive air pressure through the permeable surface of the movable member in order to control the dislodging of the lifted glove from the glove lifting surface. | 1 |
Priority is claimed to German patent application DE 10 2005 015 551.0, filed Apr. 4, 2005, the entire subject matter of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a front-loading laundry appliance, such as a washing machine, a laundry dryer, or a washer-dryer machine, including a housing, a substantially circular housing opening which is closable by a door, a suds container resiliently mounted in the housing, a drum horizontally rotating in said suds container and having a substantially circular drum opening for introducing or removing laundry, and further including a bellows seal for providing a tubular connection between the housing opening and the drum opening, the central axis of the housing opening being higher than the central axis of the drum opening.
BACKGROUND
In known laundry appliances having a front-loading opening, the housing opening is in alignment with the drum opening. In order to make loading easier, some manufacturers have been offering laundry appliances having an enlarged loading opening (also referred to as porthole) for some time. However, there are certain limits to the drum opening to ensure that not too many laundry items travel from the turning drum toward the porthole or bellows and remain there during the movement of the laundry. This risk is particularly high if the ring remaining between the drum opening and the outer drum wall is too narrow.
An example of an approach to improving accessibility is known from European Patent EP 1 285 986 B1. There, the central axis of the housing opening is spaced from and above the central axis of the drum opening. This design approach may, in fact, provide an improvement as far as a better view into the drum is concerned, but the accessibility of the drum through the relatively narrow loading opening is still in need of improvement. According to another approach described in that patent, the assembly is arranged such that it is slightly inclined, whereby the drum opening faces slightly upward. This approach is not entirely satisfactory either, because the visibility is enhanced only in the direction toward the drum end located opposite. The view into the front portion of the drum is not enhanced.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,256,823 B1 also describes a front-loading washing machine, in which the housing opening is spaced from and above the drum opening. In order to prevent laundry items from getting between the door glass and the bellows seal, the lower region of the bellows seal has a plurality of ribs formed thereon or attached thereto one behind the other, as viewed in the axial direction. However, the ribs make it more difficult for the laundry to slide along the bellows seal when loading or unloading the drum.
German Utility Model DE 200 16 977 U1 describes an elliptical housing opening which improves both access and view into the interior of the drum. However, this approach can be used only if the esthetic appearance of the design allows for it. The door requires a very high degree of dimensional accuracy with respect to shape and alignment during assembly, because slight differences in position could impair the tightness. The attachment of the bellows seal to the front wall also requires very accurate alignment, because a slight rotation would make the intended fit impossible.
It is known from German Patent Application DE 40 30 290 A1 to enlarge the housing opening of a laundry dryer. However, there, the enlarged housing opening, which is located near the deepest point of the inner surface of the drum, was found to negatively affect the loading and unloading operations. During these operations, it may occur that individual laundry items fall out of the drum.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a laundry appliance in which access to the interior of the drum during loading and unloading is improved in a simple manner.
The present invention provides a front-loading laundry appliance, such as a washing machine, a laundry dryer, or a washer-dryer machine. The appliance includes a housing and a substantially circular housing opening which is closable by a door. A drum is rotatably mounted in the housing and has an at least approximately horizontal axis of rotation. The drum has formed in its front end a substantially circular drum opening for introducing or removing laundry, the central axis of the housing opening being higher than the axis of rotation of the drum. The housing opening has a first diameter and the drum opening has a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter.
One advantage that can be achieved with the present invention is that it enables the user to fill and unload laundry into and from the drum while in a comfortable position. Another advantage is that an enhanced view into the drum makes it much easier to search for hidden laundry items.
In a front-loading laundry appliance, such as a washing machine, a laundry dryer, or a washer-dryer machine, including a housing in which is rotatably mounted a drum having an at least approximately horizontal axis of rotation, this is achieved by the housing having a substantially circular housing opening which is closable by a door and which is spaced parallel from and above the also circular drum opening disposed about the axis of rotation at the front of the drum. Because the housing opening has a first diameter and the drum opening has a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter, an operator can easily reach into the interior of the drum with both hands simultaneously, for example, to remove laundry items from the drum after washing is completed.
In an embodiment providing an advantageous visual appearance, the central axis of the housing opening is parallel to the axis of rotation of the drum, i.e., to the central axis of the drum opening.
In another advantageous embodiment, the central axis is located at a higher position selected such that the lower edge of the housing opening is substantially in horizontal alignment with the lower edge of the drum opening. Because of this, the upper edge of the housing opening is noticeably higher than the upper edge of the drum opening. This allows the laundry items to be removed from the interior of the drum very easily because they do not need to be lifted higher than beyond the rim of the end wall of the drum. The same applies to the clear opening left in washing machines or washer-dryer machines which use a bellows seal having circumferential sealing lips which reduce the size of the opening.
In one suitable embodiment, the diameter of the housing opening is greater by a factor of 1.05 to 1.3 than the diameter of the drum opening. For a given drum opening having a diameter of about 30 cm, the resulting diameter of the door opening is about 32 cm. This provides good access to the interior of the drum as well as an appealing appearance.
In another suitable embodiment, the housing opening is inclined with respect to the vertical. This makes it possible to meet visual design requirements, while improving access and view into the interior of the drum. Inclination angles ranging between 5 and 10 degrees have proven advantageous with regard to the depth of the appliance.
In washing machines and washer-dryer machines, the housing opening is usually connected to the opening of the suds container by a bellows seal. The interior of the drum is accessible from the housing opening through the bellows seal.
In a suitable embodiment, the bellows seal has a plane tubular connecting portion between the housing opening and the drum opening. This connecting portion substantially provides a smooth transition from the larger housing opening to the smaller drum opening located below and parallel thereto. For this reason, the plane tubular connecting portion has the basic geometric shape of an inclined truncated cone.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown in the drawings in a purely schematic way and will be described in more detail below. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 shows a laundry appliance in a side view;
FIG. 2 shows a laundry appliance in a front view; and
FIG. 3 shows a laundry appliance in a top view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The side view of FIG. 1 shows a front-loading laundry appliance 2 having a housing 3 and a drum 7 . Laundry appliance 2 shown here is a washing machine or a washer-dryer machine, but the following explanations also apply to a laundry dryer (not shown) which, unlike a washing machine 2 or a washer-dryer machine 2 , has no bellows seal 18 and no suds container 16 . Housing 3 includes a front wall 4 having a housing opening 6 that makes it possible to reach into the interior of drum 7 through drum opening 9 . This is necessary in order to load drum 7 with laundry items or to remove laundry items from drum 7 . The drum has a horizontal axis of rotation 11 . Central axis 10 of housing opening 6 is also horizontal, but located at a higher position in axially parallel relationship therewith. Diameter dg of housing opening 6 is greater than diameter dt of drum opening 9 . In the embodiment shown, since central axis 10 of the housing opening is higher than the axis of rotation 11 of the drum, the resulting loading and unloading direction is oriented upward. The upwardly widening housing opening 6 allows an operator to look into drum 7 at an increased angle 22 , thus providing a view of nearly the whole bottom area 23 of the outer drum wall along its depth dimension.
FIG. 1 further shows the transition between upper edge 14 of drum opening 9 and upper edge 12 of housing opening 6 , which is illustrated by transition line 20 . The transition between lower edge 15 of drum opening 9 and lower edge 13 of housing opening 6 is shown by transition line 21 . Lower transition line 21 is nearly horizontal or only slightly inclined, which illustrates that lower edge 13 of housing opening 6 is only slightly higher than lower edge 15 of drum opening 9 . In an embodiment not shown, it is also possible for lower edge 13 of the housing opening to be in alignment with the lower edge 15 of the drum opening. In both embodiments, the laundry items need not be lifted, or need to be lifted only slightly, when removing them from the interior of drum 7 .
Upper transition line 20 illustrates that upper edge 12 of housing opening 6 is located clearly above upper edge 14 of drum opening 9 . Thus, the view from above and from a distance that is convenient for the operator is prevented from being obstructed or impaired.
In an embodiment, it is possible for the axis of rotation 11 of the drum to be inclined with respect to the horizontal. For further embodiments, central axis 10 of housing opening 6 may be parallel to the horizontal, or also inclined, or be parallel to an inclined axis of rotation 11 of drum 7 .
The front view of FIG. 2 illustrates the axially parallel arrangement of drum 7 and drum opening 9 with respect to housing opening 6 . Door 5 is substantially circular in shape, which provides an advantageous visual appearance.
FIG. 3 illustrates that diameter dg of housing opening 6 is greater than diameter dt of drum opening 9 , and that the two openings are substantially aligned with each other, as viewed from above. Because of the larger housing opening 6 , an operator can easily reach into the interior of drum 7 with both hands, which makes it easier to remove laundry items from the interior of drum 7 . This is also achieved by the fact that the projected transition of diameter dt of drum opening 9 to diameter dg of the housing opening forms an angle w. A particular advantage here is that there is no need to increase the size of drum opening 9 . Thus, the ring that remains at front end 8 of the drum and whose width is essentially given by the difference between drum diameter dm and diameter dt of drum opening 9 is sized to have a width that very reliably prevents laundry items from leaving the interior of drum 7 during the washing operation.
For laundry appliances 2 with a capacity of 5 to 6 kg of laundry, which are presently widely used in domestic applications, it is advantageous that diameter dg of housing opening 6 be greater by a factor of 1.05 to 1.3 than the diameter of drum opening 9 . Given a diameter dt of about 30 cm for drum opening 9 , the resulting diameter dg of housing opening 6 is about 31.5 to 39 cm.
A specific embodiment for a washing machine 2 or a washer-dryer machine 2 can be seen in FIG. 1 . For a washing machine 2 or a washer-dryer machine 2 , drum 7 is rotatably mounted within a suds container 16 . In this example, suds container 16 is oriented substantially horizontally in the axial direction. Axis of rotation 11 of drum 7 is also oriented substantially horizontally. In a front-loading washing machine 2 or washer-dryer machine 2 , it is common to place a bellows seal 18 between housing opening 6 and suds container opening 17 . In this embodiment, drum opening 9 is placed on the axis of suds container opening 17 . Diameter dt of drum opening 9 is smaller than the diameter of suds container opening 17 . Bellows seal 18 is shaped to provide a transition between housing opening 6 and drum opening 9 . In this embodiment, bellows seal 18 has a tubular connecting portion 19 having substantially the shape of an inclined truncated cone. The base of the inclined truncated cone is formed by the area of circular housing opening 6 . The area of the small end of the truncated cone is formed by the area of circular drum opening 9 . In a laundry dryer not having a bellows seal, the projected transition of a connection between the periphery of housing opening 6 and the periphery of drum opening 9 produces the shape of an inclined truncated cone.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
2 laundry appliance: washing machine or washer-dryer machine
3 housing
4 front wall
5 door
6 housing opening
7 drum
8 drum end
9 drum opening
10 central axis of the housing opening
11 central axis of the drum opening, axis of rotation of the drum
12 upper edge of the housing opening
13 lower edge of the housing opening
14 upper edge of the drum opening
15 lower edge of the drum opening
16 suds container
17 suds container opening
18 bellows seal
19 tubular connecting portion
20 upper transition line
21 lower transition line
22 viewing angle
23 visible area | A front-loading laundry appliance includes a housing having a substantially circular housing opening closable by a door and a drum rotatably mounted in the housing. The front end of the drum has a substantially circular drum opening for introducing or removing laundry. The drum has an at least approximately horizontal axis of rotation lying lower than a central axis of the housing opening. The housing opening has a first diameter and the drum opening has a second diameter, the first diameter being greater than the second diameter. | 3 |
STATEMENT REGARDING RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] None.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED FUNDING
[0002] None.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] (1) Field of the Invention
[0004] This invention pertains to the field of bowden cable actuator assemblies. More particularly, the invention pertains to a transmission device for and method of converting motion of the wire of a first bowden cable into motion of the wire of a second bowden cable at a non-proportional rate. The non-proportional conversion of movement between the two bowden cables allows a constant rate of motion of the wire within the first bowden cable to result in a non-constant rate of motion of the wire within the second bowden cable. The preferred embodiments of the invention are specifically developed for use in adjustable lumbar support assemblies of automobile seats.
[0005] (2) Description of the Related Art
[0006] Adjustable lumbar support assemblies are widely used in automobile seats. Many adjustable lumbar support connected to an actuator via a bowden cable. The bowden cable of such assemblies transmits motion and power from the actuator to the lumbar support member to allow adjustment of the contour of the lumbar support member. Bowden cables are flexible conduits or sleeves containing wires that slide axially through the conduit.
[0007] The adjustable lumbar support member of an assembly is typically a thin panel flexible member that is positioned in the seat where it will support the lumbar region of a person's back when the person is seated therein. Typically, the lumbar support member is made adjustable by changing its curvature in a manner such that it extends more or less toward the person's back. Several different methods are commonly used to change the curvature of the lumbar support member. One method is to apply a bending moment to either the top or bottom end margin of the support member in a manner such that the support portion's curvature increases or decreases. Another common method is to force the top and bottom end margins of the support member toward each other such that the support member bows outward.
[0008] One end of a bowden cable is typically attached to the support member to either supply the necessary bending moment to the end margin of the support portion or to force the end margins together and to hold the support member in any given position. The opposite end of the bowden cable is then attached to an actuator device that is typically either manually or electromechanically operated to tension the wire of the bowden cable and thereby to adjust the lumbar support portion of the seat.
[0009] During use of a typical adjustable lumbar support assembly, the tension of the wire of the bowden cable increases exponentially as the curvature of the support portion is increased. Thus, the actuator must also exert exponentially increasing tension on the wire of the bowden cable as the curvature of the support portion is increased. As a result, the design of both manually and electromechanically operated actuators is typically driven by the requirement of being able to provide peak tension. In light of this design concern, typical prior art actuators are generally inefficient during initial flexing of the lumbar support when the tension required is low.
[0010] A second design concern is the need to maximize lumber support travel in relation to actuator movement. It is inconvenient for a passenger to have to turn an actuator lever or wheel many times to move the lumbar support. User convenience will be provided to the extent that a bowden cable at the lumbar support end can be made to travel a farther distance than the distance the actuator pulls it at the user's end.
[0011] Finally, there is a constant need to decrease component size and cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of prior art adjustable lumbar support assemblies by providing a bowden cable transmission between the actuator and the lumbar support member that converts movement of a first wire of a first bowden cable attached to the actuator into movement of a second wire of a second bowden cable attached to the lumbar support member. The bowden cable transmission converts the motions in a non-proportional manner such that the movement of the second wire in response to the movement of the first wire changes as the movement of the first wire is altered. In an adjustable lumbar support assembly, the non-proportional conversion allows movement of the first wire by the actuator to invoke larger movement of the second wire when the lumbar support member is relaxed and to invoke less movement in the second wire in response to the movement of the first wire when the lumbar support is substantially flexed.
[0013] In general, the bowden cable transmission assembly of the invention comprises a first bowden cable having a first sleeve and a first wire, and a second bowden cable having a second sleeve and a second wire. The assembly further comprises a transmission device having two pairs of connection points. The first pair has first and second connection points that are movable relative to each other. The first connection point is operatively connected to the first sleeve and the second connection point is operatively connected to the first wire in a manner such that movement of the first wire relative to the first sleeve imparts movement of the first connection point relative to the second connection point. The transmission device also comprises third and fourth connection points that are movable relative to each other. The third connection point is operatively connected to the second sleeve and the fourth connection point is operatively connected to the second wire in a manner such that movement of the third connection point relative to the fourth connection point imparts movement of the second wire relative to the second sleeve. The first, second, third, and fourth connection points are linked to each other in a manner such that movement of the first wire relative to the first sleeve causes non-proportional movement of the second wire relative to the second sleeve.
[0014] The invention provides a method of adjusting a lumbar support of a seatback that comprises the step of causing motion of a first wire of a first bowden cable relative to a first sleeve of the first bowden cable via a bowden cable actuator. The method also comprises converting the motion of the first wire into motion of a second wire of a second bowden cable relative to a sleeve of the second bowden cable with the conversion being non-proportional. The method further comprises adjusting the lumbar support in response to the motion of the second wire relative to the second sleeve.
[0015] While the principle advantages and features of the invention have been described above, a more complete and thorough understanding of the invention may be attained by referring to the drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which follow.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0016] [0016]FIG. 1 is an oblique view of an adjustable lumbar support assembly with the transmission device of the present invention schematically shown assembled thereto.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 2 is a side view of a typical prior art lumbar support member shown in a generally relaxed position.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 3 is a side view of the typical prior art lumber support member of FIG. 2 shown in a flexed position.
[0019] [0019]FIG. 4 is an oblique view of a first embodiment of the transmission device of the present invention shown in a relaxed position where the bowden cables attached thereto are unstressed.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 5 is an oblique view of the first embodiment of the transmission device shown in a contracted position where the bowden cables attached thereto are fully tensioned.
[0021] [0021]FIG. 6 is an oblique view of second embodiment of the transmission device of the present invention shown in a relaxed position where the bowden cables attached thereto are unstressed.
[0022] [0022]FIG. 7 is an oblique view of the second embodiment of the transmission device shown in a contracted position where the bowden cables attached thereto are fully tensioned.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 8 is an oblique view of a third embodiment of the transmission device.
[0024] Reference characters in the written specification indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] The preferred embodiments of bowden cable transmission device are configured and adapted for use in adjustable lumbar support assemblies of automobiles. FIG. 1 illustrates a bowden cable transmission device 10 in accordance with the present invention schematically shown assembled as part of an adjustable lumber support assembly 12 .
[0026] In addition to the bowden cable transmission device 10 , the lumbar support assembly 12 comprises a lumbar support member 14 , a bowden cable actuator 16 , a first bowden cable 18 , and a second bowden cable 20 . The lumbar support member 14 is preferably a typical prior art support member formed of plastic, metal, or other suitable materials and is capable of resiliently deflecting. As shown, the lumbar support member 14 generally has the shape of a thin panel and is attached to a generally rigid seatback frame 22 where it is adapted to support a person's lower back. By applying a tensile force between the opposite top and bottom end margins of the lumbar support member 14 , the curvature and contour of the lumbar support member 14 can be controlled or adjusted to achieve a desired level of comfort. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tensile force is applied via bowden cable, which in this particular lumbar support assembly 12 is the second bowden cable 20 . In FIG. 2, the lumbar support member 14 is shown in a relaxed or undeflected state and the eire 26 of the second bowden cable 20 extends a maximum amount from the cable's sleeve 28 . The terminal end of the sleeve 28 of the bowden cable 20 is attached to one of the end margins of the lumbar support member 14 via a tether 24 and the wire 26 is attached to the other end margin. In FIG. 3, the wire 26 of the second bowden cable 20 has been partially retracted into the cable's sleeve 28 , thereby creating a tensile force between the end margins of the lumbar support member 14 causing it to deflect as shown.
[0027] Alternatively, any other type of bowden cable actuated lumbar support member could used. For example, although not shown, the lumbar support member could be of the type that is flexed by applying various bending moments to one or both of the opposite top and bottom end margins of the lumbar support member. Such bending moments are commonly induced by applying a force on one or more moment arms that typically extend from the backside of the lumbar support member. Some other lumbar supports extend a paddle from a mount or channel. Again, a bowden cable would supply the necessary force. Thus, various types of adjustable lumbar support members could be utilized in connection with the invention and the particular type utilized is not critical to the invention.
[0028] The bowden cable actuator 16 of the lumbar support assembly 12 is preferable a typical prior art bowden cable actuator that is either manually or electomechanically operated. The bowden cable actuator 16 is configured and adapted, as is well know in the prior art, to selectively and controllably apply a tensile force on the wire of a bowden cable. In the lumbar support assembly 12 of FIG. 1, the bowden cable actuator 16 is connected to the first bowden cable 18 and, as described below, supplies the force and motion necessary to cause the deflection of the lumbar support member 14 .
[0029] It should be appreciated that in a typical prior art lumbar support assembly, a single bowden cable often connects the lumbar support member to the actuator. It should be further appreciated that the lumbar support assembly 12 of the present invention differs from the assemblies of the prior art only in that the first bowden cable 18 extending from the bowden cable actuator 16 is connected to the second bowden cable 20 extending from the lumbar support member 14 via the bowden cable transmission device 10 . Thus, particular aspects of the lumber support member, the connection between the lumbar support member and the second bowden cable, the bowden cable actuator, and the connection between the bowden cable actuator and the first bowden cable are not critical to the invention and various alternatives known in the prior art or developed in the future could be also utilized with the present invention.
[0030] Having described the relative placement of the bowden cable transmission device 10 in the lumbar support assembly 12 , a first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown, the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ generally comprises a plurality of tensioning members 30 that are connected to each other by a plurality of linking members 32 . The tensioning members 30 and the linking members 32 are preferably formed of plastic, metal, or other suitable materials that are capable of transmitting loads.
[0031] Each of the tensioning members 30 of the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ is generally bar shaped and has a pivot connection 34 at each of its opposite longitudinal ends. A through-hole 36 extends laterally through the center of each of the tensioning members 30 . A counterbore 38 is formed in each through-hole 36 and creates a recessed annular surface (not shown). Each of the linking members 32 the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ is also generally bar shaped and have a pivot connection 40 at each of its opposite longitudinal ends. The pivot connections 40 of the linking members 32 are complementary to the pivot connections 34 of the tensioning members 30 .
[0032] The tensioning members 30 are connected to each other by the linking members 32 via the pivot connections 34 , 40 . As assembled, a first pair 42 of tensioning members 30 are oriented spaced apart and with their respective through-holes 36 aligned and the counterbores 38 facing away from each other. Likewise, the remaining two tensioning members 30 that are oriented spaced apart and with their respective through-holes 36 aligned and the counterbores 38 facing away from each other. The through-holes 36 of the second pair 44 of tensioning members 30 are oriented between and at a right angle to the through-holes of the first pair 42 of tensioning members 30 .
[0033] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ operatively connects to the first 18 and second 20 bowden cables. As discussed above, the second bowden cable 20 comprises a wire 26 and a sleeve 28 and is attached at one end to the lumbar support member 14 . At its opposite second end 46 , the sleeve 28 terminates at an end margin and the wire 26 extends therefrom. The second end 46 of second bowden cable 20 is connected to the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ by passing the wire 26 through the through-holes 36 of both of the second pair 44 of tensioning members 30 . The sleeve 28 of the second bowden cable is inserted in the counterbore (not shown) of nearest of the second pair 44 of tensioning members 30 until its end margin engages the recessed annular surface of the counterbore which prevents it from passing completely through the tensioning member. The free end of the wire 26 extends into the counterbore 38 of the opposite of the second pair 44 of tensioning members 30 and a retaining member 50 is attached thereto which then prevents the wire from passing back through the through-hole 36 of said tensioning member.
[0034] The first bowden cable 18 is attached to the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ in a manner similar to the second bowden cable 20 and, like the second bowden cable, comprises a wire 52 and a sleeve 54 . Like the second bowden cable 20 , the wire 52 of the first bowden cable passes through the through-holes 36 of the first pair 42 of tensioning members 30 .
[0035] In use, the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ is configured as shown in FIG. 4 when the lumbar support member 14 is in a relaxed position. When desired, the bowden cable actuator 16 can be triggered to increase the tension of the wire 52 of the first bowden cable 18 . As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, this increase in tension causes the wire 52 of the first bowden cable passes through the through-holes 36 of the first pair 42 of tensioning members 30 .
[0036] In use, the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ is configured as shown in FIG. 4 when the lumbar support member 14 is in a relaxed position. When desired, the bowden cable actuator 16 can be triggered to increase the tension of the wire 52 of the first bowden cable 18 . As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, this increase in tension cause the wire 52 of the first bowden cable 18 to force each of the first pair 42 of tensioning members 30 of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ toward the other. As should also be appreciated, the configuration of the linking members 32 and the pivot connections 34 , 40 causes the linking members to force each of the second pair 44 of tensioning members 30 away from the other as each of the first pair 42 of tensioning members 30 moves toward the other. This in turn causes the wire of the second bowden cable 20 to be pulled further out from the end margin of its sleeve 28 .
[0037] As the first pair 42 of tensioning members 30 move toward each other, the second pair 44 of tensioning members 30 initially move away from each more quickly than they do when the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ approaches the configuration shown in FIG. 5, assuming the first pair of tensioning members are brought toward each other at a constant rate. This is due to the interconnecting configuration of the linking members 32 and the tensioning members 30 and as such, the movement of the wire 52 within the sleeve 54 of the first bowden cable 18 is related to the movement of the wire 26 within the sleeve 28 of the second bowden cable 20 in a non-proportional manner. In order words, the movement of the wire 26 of the second bowden cable 20 is not strictly a constant ratio of the movement of the wire 52 of the first boden cable 18 .
[0038] As the second wire 26 moves, the lumbar support member 14 is deflected. As the deflection increases, the tension in the second wire 26 increase exponentially. Normally such an exponential increase in tensile force would be realized by actuator 16 . However, due to the nonlinear conversion of movement between the wire 52 of the first bowden cable 18 and the wire 26 of second bowden cable 20 via the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′, the tension in first bowden cable remains more consistent than it would otherwise. Additionally, using the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′, the total movement of the wire 52 of the first bowden cable 18 is able to impair a larger total movement of the wire 26 of the second bowden cable 20 . This reduces the amount motion require by the actuator 16 to fully deflect and relax the lumbar support member 14 . Finally, the transmission amplifier allows the use of components that are less expensive and more compact.
[0039] Although now shown, the first embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′ of the invention is preferably enclosed in a housing. The housing is preferably shaped and configured to guide the tensioning members 30 along their intended paths of motion so as to keep the first 18 and second 20 bowden cables oriented at right angle relative to each other within the device. The housing also acts to prevent foreign objects from interfering with the moving parts of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ′.
[0040] A second embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ″ is shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The bowden cable transmission device 10 ″ of the second embodiment differs from that of the first embodiment in that its linkage assembly is formed as a single monolithic piece of material, preferably molded plastic.
[0041] The second embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ″ comprises four annual connection members 60 that are connected by four linkage members 62 . The linkage members are joined to the connection members 60 via live hinges 64 that are formed integrally therewith. The live hinges 64 allow to linkage members 62 to generally pivot relative to the connection members 60 . Each of the connection members 60 has a first hole 66 that extends through its annular wall and a second larger hole 68 that extends through its annular wall on the opposite side of the first hole. The larger second hole 68 is configured to allow the sleeve of a bowden cable to pass therethrough while the first hole 66 is configured to allow only the wire of such a bowden cable to pass therethrough. These first 66 and second 68 holes function in a manner similar to the through-holes 36 and counterbores 38 of the first embodiment, respectively.
[0042] In use, the second embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ″ operatively connects to the first 18 and second 20 bowden cables in a manner similar to the first embodiment. Likewise, the second embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ″ functions in a manner nearly identical to that of the first embodiment as it moves back a forth between a relaxed position as shown in FIG. 6 and a retracted position as Shown in FIG. 7. Furthermore, it should also be appreciated that the second embodiment of the bowden cable transmission device 10 ″ is preferably contained within a housing similar to that of the first embodiment.
[0043] While the present invention has been described in reference to specific embodiments, in light of the foregoing, it should be understood that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings is intended to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense and that various modifications and variations of the invention may be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the following claims. Furthermore, it should be understood that when introducing elements of the present invention in the claims or in the above description of the preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, the terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. | A bowden cable transmission is provided between the actuator and the lumbar support member of an adjustable lumbar support assembly. The bowden cable transmission converts movement of a first wire of a first bowden cable attached to the actuator into movement of a second wire of a second bowden cable attached to the lumbar support member. The bowden cable transmission converts the motions in a non-proportional manner such that the movement of the second wire in response to the movement of the first wire changes as the movement of the first wire is altered. | 5 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This Application is a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/135,523 filed Aug. 17, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,136, entitled Illumination Device For Containers With Pipe Flanged Access Ports.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to illumination devices for illuminating opaque containers through bung hole orifices or similar access ports. More particularly, the present invention relates to illumination devices for containers that have access ports that terminate with pipe flanges.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the manufacture and processing of pharmaceutical products, medical cultures, dairy products, and other materials that require a sanitary processing environment, it is common for materials to be stored and transported in sealed containers and other vessels. Such containers and vessels are commonly manufactured of stainless steel or some other material that can be readily cleaned and sterilized for reuse. A wide variety of such containers are manufactured by Eagle Stainless Container of Warminster, Pa.
A common feature of such stainless steel containers and vessels is the use of connector ports that terminate with a pipe flange. A pipe flange is a general term used to describe a circular flange that radially extends from the neck of the container or some other access port. The use of such connector ports on the containers makes it easier to connect the container to piping and other containers in a sterile fashion. To join any two flanged connections together, the two flanged connectors are placed in abutment so that the openings in the center of each of the flanges align. An O-ring or other sealer is placed between the two abutting flanges. The flanged connections are then clamped together with some type of pipe flange clamp. Examples of such clamps can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,768 to Palatchy, entitled Pipe Coupling Hinge, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,568,115 to Zimmerly, entitled Multi-Piece Pipe Clamp.
Many containers and vessels used in the pharmaceutical industry contain more that one access port, wherein each port terminates with a flanged connection. In many applications, vessels with multiple access ports are used when it is desirous to view the contents of the vessel. In such an application, at least one of the access ports is capped with an inspection glass. By looking through the inspection glass, a person can see the contents of the vessel. A problem associated with the use of inspection glasses is that the contents of the vessel are often dark. Consequently, in order to view the contents of the container, the interior of the container must be artificially illuminated.
If a vessel only has a single access port, the contents of the vessel must be illuminated and viewed through that same port. U.S. Pat. No. 4,052,608 to Papenmeier, entitled Inspection Glass Light and U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,556 to Canty, entitled Lighting And Viewing Light, both show devices used for such an application. Such devices are commonly very expensive and are highly labor intensive to install and remove from vessels. It is not uncommon for such illumination devices to be bolted directly onto an access port of a vessel with numerous bolts. This makes the illumination device very difficult to remove when the vessel is to be cleaned and sterilized.
A simpler and less expensive approach to illuminating the contents of a vessel, involves the use of a vessel with at least two access ports. By using such a vessel, the contents of the vessel can be illuminated through one of the access ports, while the contents of the vessel are viewed through a second access port. In the prior art, the contents of the vessel are commonly illuminated with a portable flashlight that is shown into the vessel through an access port. The flashlight is commonly held in one hand at one access port as the person peers through the other access port. Since a person is using one hand to hold the flashlight in place, it is often difficult for a person to view the contents of a vessel and perform some other activity at the same time. For example, if a person is transferring material into a container, it would be difficult for that person to operate the transfer controls and hold the flashlight while simultaneously looking into the vessel.
Another problem with the use of flashlights is that it requires person to carry a working flashlight with them at all times when they wish to view the contents of a vessel. The face of the flashlight must also be held flush against the inspection glass in order for the light from the flashlight to properly pass through the inspection glass and illuminate the contents of the container.
A need therefore exists in the art for a low cost illumination device that can be connected to a vessel containing access ports with flanged connectors. Such an illumination device would eliminate the need of a person to hold and manipulate a flashlight when viewing the contents of a sealed vessel. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is an illumination device for vessels that have access ports terminated with pipe flanges. The illumination device includes a retention collar that is adapted to receive a flashlight at its first end. The opposite second end of the retention collar terminates with a flange. A conduit extends through the retention collar from the first end to the second end. A mounting element is provided for attaching the retention collar and the flashlight to the access port of the vessel. The mounting element includes an annular base plate. A coupling mechanism is attached to the annular base plate. The coupling mechanism selectively receives the flange of the retention collar in an orientation wherein the retention collar is supported over at least a portion of the area defined by the mounting bracket. The annular base plate of the mounting bracket clamps to the pipe flange of the vessel over an inspection window. This provides an unobstructed passage through which light from the flashlight can enter the access port of the vessel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded, perspective view of a prior art vessel and inspection glass assembly;
FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of an illumination device in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a segment of the embodiment of FIG. 2, viewed along section line 3 — 3 ;
FIG. 4 is an assembled cross sectional view of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view of an alternate embodiment of an illumination device in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Although the present invention illumination device can be used to illuminate many different types of vessels, containers and pipes, the present invention is particularly well suited for illuminating stainless steel pharmaceutical containers. Accordingly, by way of example, the present invention illumination device will be described in the application of illuminating a stainless steel pharmaceutical container with multiple access ports.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a typical prior art container 10 with multiple access ports. The multiple access ports include the main access port 12 and at least one other auxiliary access port 14 . Each of the access ports terminates with a pipe flange configuration. The main access port commonly is used to fill the container 10 . After the container 10 is filled, the main access port 12 is typically sealed. In the shown embodiment, the auxiliary access port 14 is sealed with an inspection glass assembly 18 . An inspection glass assembly 18 is essentially a transparent cap assembly for an access port that enables a person to see into the access port without exposure to the contents of the container. Inspection glass assemblies typically include a glass window 20 and an annular cap 22 . The glass window 20 seals against the flanged access port 14 of the container with a first gasket 24 . The annular cap 22 seals against the glass window 20 with a second gasket 26 . The annular cap 22 is clamped to the flange of the access port 14 with a traditional pipe flange clamp 28 .
Referring to FIG. 2, an illumination device 30 is shown in accordance with the present invention. The illumination device 30 includes a mounting element 32 that replaces the prior art annular cap 22 (FIG. 1) of a traditional inspection glass assembly 18 (FIG. 1 ). The mounting element 32 contains a clamping base 34 that is configured have the same dimensions as the prior art annular cap 22 (FIG. 1 ). The clamping base 34 is annular in configuration and is sized to engage the second gasket 26 and seal it against the glass window 20 without obstructing the glass window 20 . The thickness of the clamping base 32 is sized to be generally the same as the prior art annular cap 22 (FIG. 1 ). In this manner, a traditional pipe flange clamp 28 can be used to bias the clamping base 34 against the second gasket 26 and seal the glass window 20 over the access port 14 .
A generally U-shaped structure 36 is supported above the top surface of the clamping base 34 . The U-shaped structure 36 defines a slot 38 having an open mouth. The slot 38 is sized to receive a flanged base 42 of the flashlight retention collar 40 , as will later be described. Referring to FIG. 3, it can be seen that a locking ball 44 extends into the slot 38 between the U-shaped structure 36 and the below lying clamping base 34 . The locking ball 44 is a small ball bearing that is biased partially into the slot 38 by a spring 46 . However, the spring 46 enables the locking ball 44 bearing to fully retract out of the slot 38 , if the locking ball 44 is pushed upwardly with a force sufficient to overcome the bias of the spring 46 .
Returning to FIG. 2, it can be seen that a flashlight 50 is provided. Although most any prior art flashlight 50 can be adapted for use with the present invention, a preferred flashlight would have a head 52 with a circular cross-section. The head 52 of the flashlight 50 has a predetermined diameter D1. The head 52 of the flashlight 50 is mounted to a retention collar 40 . The retention collar 40 contains a cylindrical segment 48 , wherein the interior of the cylindrical segment 48 is sized to receive head 52 of the flashlight 50 . To join the flashlight 50 to the retention collar 50 , the cylindrical segment 48 of the retention collar 50 is sized to receive the head 52 of the flashlight 50 with an interference fit. However, other types of interconnection mechanisms can also be used. For example, both the head of the flashlight and the cylindrical segment of the retention collar can be similarly threaded or some type of twist lock mechanism can be employed.
An annular flange 42 is disposed at the distal end of the retention collar 40 . The open center of the cylindrical segment 48 of the retention collar 40 aligns with the aperture in the center of the annular flange 40 , thereby creating a continuous opening that passes directly through the retention collar 40 . The continuous opening aligns with the beam of the flashlight 50 . Accordingly, the beam of light produced by the flashlight 50 will travel through the retention collar 40 essentially unobstructed.
Referring to FIG. 3 in conjunction with FIG. 4, it can be seen that the annular flange 42 at the distal end of the retention collar 40 has a diameter D2 and a thickness T. Both of these dimensions are sized to be received into the slot 38 that exists between the clamping base 34 of the mounting element 32 and the generally U-shaped structure 36 positioned above the clamping base 34 . The annular flange 42 of the retention collar 40 is received into the slot 38 by sliding the annular flange between the clamping base 32 and the generally U-shaped structure 36 from the direction of the open end of the generally U-shaped structure 36 .
A groove 54 is formed on the surface of the annular flange 42 that faces the flashlight. The groove 54 follows the periphery of the annular flange 42 . When the annular flange 42 of the retention collar 40 is slid into the slot 38 of the mounting element 32 , the locking ball 44 engages the groove 54 . The presence of the locking ball 44 in the groove 54 of the annular flange 42 causes the retention collar 40 and the mounting element 32 to be mechanically interconnected. The locking ball 44 therefore prevents the annular flange 42 from inadvertently departing from the slot 38 , should the illumination device be inverted or otherwise oddly manipulated. However, since the locking ball 44 is spring loaded, the annular flange 424 can be manually removed from the slot 38 by the application of a force sufficient enough to cause the locking ball 44 to retract out of the slot 38 and disengage the annular flange 42 . Accordingly, the retention collar 40 can be manually removed from the mounting bracket 32 in a rapid fashion without the use of tools.
From FIG. 4, it can be seen that the illumination device 30 attaches to the access port 14 of a vessel without bolts or in any other manner that would require the use of tools. The illumination device 30 retains a flashlight 50 in the proper orientation over an access port 14 . The flashlight 50 is self supporting and does not need to be held. The illumination device 50 can be rapidly attached or removed from any vessel having an inspection glass. Since the illumination device 50 , is inexpensive and can be mounted directly to the vessel, the illumination device can be shipped as part of the vessel. Consequently, inspectors need not carry their own flashlights when inspecting vessels.
When the vessel is to be sterilized, the flashlight 50 and retention collar 40 can be removed. The mounting element 32 can then be sterilized with the vessel.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the illumination device is used to completely cover an access port. This is not a problem if two access ports are available. Once access port can be used to illuminate the contents of the vessel and the other access port can be used to view the contents of the vessel. However, in certain applications, only a single access port is provided. In such applications, the contents of a vessel must be illuminated and viewed through the same port.
Referring to FIG. 5, an embodiment of the present invention illumination device 70 is shown that is adapted for use on an vessel having only one available access port 14 . The illumination device 70 contains a mounting element 72 that replaces the prior art annular cap 22 (FIG. 1) of a traditional inspection glass assembly 18 (FIG. 1 ). The mounting element 72 contains an annular clamping base 74 that is configured have the same dimensions as the prior art annular cap 22 (FIG. 1 ). The annular clamping base 74 seats against a gasket 76 and seals the gasket 76 against the glass window 20 . The thickness of the clamping base 74 is sized to be generally the same as the prior art annular cap 22 (FIG. 1 ). In this manner, a traditional pipe flange clamp 28 can be used to bias the clamping base 74 against the gasket 76 and seal the glass window 20 over the access port 14 .
A generally U-shaped structure 76 is disposed within the area defined by the annular clamping base 74 . The U-shaped structure 76 has a diameter that is less than half of the diameter of the clamping base 74 . The U-shaped structure 76 defines a slot 78 having an open mouth. The slot 78 is sized to receive a flanged base 42 of the flashlight retention collar 40 , in the same manner as was previously described with earlier embodiments.
The U-shaped structure 76 defines a small circular window 80 through which light from the flashlight 50 can enter the access port 14 . However, since the U-shaped structure 76 has a diameter that is much smaller that the overall annular clamping base 74 , a majority of the area within the annual clamping base 74 remains unobstructed.
A larger second window 82 is defined by the annular clamping base 74 . The second larger window 82 enables a person to see directly into the vessel, through the glass window 20 , while the flashlight 50 illuminates the interior of the vessel through the first smaller window 80 .
The gasket 76 that is interposed between the annular clamping base 74 and the glass window 20 is shaped to have the same circle-within-circle configuration as does the clamping base 74 .
It will be understood that the various figures described above illustrate only one preferred embodiment of the present invention. A person skilled in the art can therefore make numerous alterations and modifications to the shown embodiment utilizing functionally equivalent components to those shown and described. For example, there are numerous configurations that can be substituted for the round annular flange and U-shaped slot illustrated. Numerous different configurations of flashlights and retention collars can also be used. All such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. | An illumination device for vessels that have access ports terminated with pipe flanges. The illumination device includes a retention collar that is adapted to receive a flashlight at its first end. The opposite second end of the retention collar terminates with a flange. A conduit extends through the retention collar from the first end to the second end. A mounting element is provided for attaching the retention collar and the flashlight to the access port of the vessel. The mounting element includes an annular base plate. A coupling mechanism is attached to the annular base plate. The coupling mechanism selectively receives the flange of the retention collar. The annular base plate of the mounting bracket clamps to the pipe flange of the vessel over an inspection window. This provides an unobstructed passage through which light from the flashlight can enter the access port of the vessel. | 5 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of priority based on German Application No. 19912256.3, filed on Mar. 18, 1999, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
The invention relates to a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus and to an electronic apparatus with a plastic housing, especially an electronic control apparatus for automotive technology.
Electronic apparatuses or control apparatuses which have a plastic housing are usually manufactured by injection molding. In the case of injection molding at least two housing parts are produced. A circuit board is next placed and fastened in at least one of the housing parts. The housing parts are then assembled and bonded together. Therefore, in manufacturing the apparatus, a plurality of operations must be performed.
In the periodical “Kunststoffe,” published by Carl Hanser Verlag, Munich, Vol. 80 (1990), no. 12, pp 1333-1345 and Vol. 81 (1991), no. 1, pp 27-35, there is disclosed the production of plastic hollow goods by blow molding. An advantage of blow molding is that hollow goods can be manufactured in a single piece, which avoids problems with sealing. Also, such a single piece has great stability and rigidity. Although tools for blow molding are relatively economical, it is difficult to manufacture hollow goods of more complicated geometry (e.g., undercutting) by blow molding.
German Patent No. 44 20 879 A1 discloses s a conventional method of manufacturing hollow bodies with an internal supporting frame. A housing enveloping the supporting frame is made by blow molding methods. After the housing is filled it has to be closed-up with a floor and a cover.
German Patent No. 41 20 670 A1 discloses a conventional method for manufacturing a three-dimensional circuit substrate by blow molding.
German Patent No. 197 07 437 A1 discloses a conventional method for the manufacture of a multi-part housing by draw molding two pieces of film, whereby two housing shells are formed, Which are then cemented or welded together.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an aim of the present invention to create a method for manufacturing an electronic apparatus and an electronic apparatus with a plastic housing, which permit an especially simple and economical manufacture.
According to the invention, the fixing and mounting of the circuit board is integrated into the process for manufacturing the plastic housing, so that the separate insertion of the circuit board into the housing is eliminated.
A circuit board can be provided with a one-piece housing in the form of a hollow body. The populated circuit board is surrounded during the extrusion process with a tube of plastic that is viscous when heated. In this process the circuit board is embedded into the material of the plastic housing at least partially at its edges.
The method and the electronic apparatus are suitable for control apparatus and sensors, especially in automotive engineering. For example, in connection with air bag controllers and air bag sensors, it is especially advantageous that the housing can be formed by blow molding such that the housing is in contact in the area of a mounting point both with the bottom and with the upper side of the circuit board. The result is an optimal transfer of impulses from the vehicle's body to an acceleration sensor arranged in the apparatus.
The present invention is achieved by providing a method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus. The method comprises providing an electronic circuit board; and blow molding a one-piece plastic housing around the electronic circuit board such that the electronic circuit board is secured by the plastic housing.
The present invention is also achieved by providing a method for transferring impulses from a vehicle body to an electronic sensor. The method comprises mounting the electronic sensor on an electronic circuit board; blow molding a one-piece plastic housing around the electronic circuit board and the sensor such that the electronic circuit board is secured to the plastic housing; and fixing the one-piece plastic housing to the vehicle body.
The present invention is further achieved by providing an electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus comprises a one-piece plastic housing made by blow molding; an electronic circuit board secured in-situ during blow molding the plastic housing; and at-least one location wherein the plastic housing contiguously sandwiches the electronic circuit board.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and constitute part of this specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain features of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a section view through an electronic apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the electronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1 .
FIG. 3 is a partial view of the electronic apparatus shown in FIG. 1, with a plug connector.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows an electronic apparatus 1 with a flat assembly comprising a circuit board 11 , electronic components 111 arranged on the circuit board, and a terminal strip or plug connector 112 in contact with the circuit board. The electronic apparatus 1 is an air bag controller equipped with an acceleration sensor.
The circuit board 11 is surrounded by a plastic housing 12 produced by blow molding, and is clinched therein. The circuit board is clinched by the plastic housing 12 at the outer edges of the circuit board, at the plug connector and in a central section of the circuit board 11 . When an especially great rigidity is to be achieved in the plastic housing, such clinching is done at several central sections between the circuit board 11 and the plastic housing. The plastic housing 12 forms an interior space 122 , and more precisely two cavities in which the electronic components 111 are arranged.
When the electronic apparatus 1 is being made, first the circuit board 11 is completely populated, i.e., provided with the electronic components 111 and the terminal strip 112 , and soldered. The circuit board is then positioned in the blow mold.
The blow mold consists of a head for feeding the melt, an opposite part in which the circuit board 11 or the plug connector 112 is held, and a head through which cooled air can be blown. The blow mold is closed between the heads for feeding the melt and the air by a bipartite body that surrounds them. This bipartite body determines the shape of the housing. When the housing is formed, a plastic tube is extruded from the head for feeding the melt and drawn downward with the use of gravity over the circuit board 11 . The blow mold is closed and cool air is blown in from the opposite side in order to force the plastic tube against the contours of the blow mold and cool it. Also, the cool air prevents damage to the soldered terminals and electronic components. The air is blown in through a lance. The lance is introduced into the cavity formed by the blow mold through an opening in the plug connection 112 or in the blow mold.
Materials especially suitable for the blow molding of the plastic housing 12 are polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). If the rigidity of the plastic housing must satisfy more stringent requirements, materials with embedded reinforcing filaments can be employed. Likewise, the articles by W. Ast in the periodical, “Kunststoffe,” Vol. 20 (1990), pp 1333-1345, and Vol. 81 (1991), no. 1, pp 27-35, may be consulted regarding suitable materials and blow molding techniques.
FIG. 2 shows three mounting points 121 at which the air bag control apparatus can be fastened to a car body. The mounting points 121 are located on the periphery of the circuit board. In the vicinity of the mounting points 121 , the circuit board contains bores. The plastic housing 12 has recesses corresponding to the bores and contact surfaces surrounding the recesses for fasteners such as screws or rivets, for example.
FIG. 3 shows the circuit board 11 embedded into the material of the plastic housing at a fastening point 121 . In this manner, after the electronic apparatus 1 is mounted, impulses are transferred directly through the fastening points to the sensor disposed in the electronic apparatus 1 . Likewise, natural vibrations of the circuit board 11 in the plastic housing 12 are reliably suppressed. In addition, the sensor can also be embedded into the material of the plastic housing 12 .
While the present invention has been disclosed with reference to certain preferred embodiments, numerous modifications, alterations, and changes to the described embodiments are possible without departing from the sphere and scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, it is intended that the present invention not be limited to the described embodiments, but that it have the full scope defined by the language of the following claims, and equivalents thereof. | A method of manufacturing an electronic apparatus having a plastic housing. The method includes blow molding with a one-piece plastic housing around an electronic circuit board populated with components. The circuit board is fastened and held in-situ during the blow molding. Fastening locations are defined by contiguously sandwiched portions of the housing and the electronic circuit board. | 1 |
BACKGROUND AND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In commercial warewashers the steps followed in cleaning dishes, flatware, glasses, etc., generally include placing the wares in a rack and placing the rack in a dolly or on a conveyor. The operator usually prerinses the wares with a manually operated flexible spray nozzle. The rack then travels through a prewash zone, a wash zone, a prerinse zone and a rinse zone, and subsequently travels to an unloading station. These zones are enclosed in a housing which comprises inner and outer walls and a top. The bottom is a conveyor pan or trough. The racks travel in a circular or arcuate path.
It is not uncommon for some machines to malfunction and correcting the malfunction requires entry into the housing. Malfunctions may be caused by such occurrences as the wares being dislodged, jamming of the conveyor or dollies or necessary adjustments to valves and nozzles.
The high pressure sprays used in the zones necessitate a housing which is fairly tight to prevent the sprayed waters from contacting an operator and/or flooding the area. If all portions of the housing are firmly secured, this will prevent any possibility of flooding, although much time is lost through downtime in removing the panels. Most machines include movable or slidable doors or panels on the outer walls of a warewasher. Commonly, these doors move along a vertical axis in tracks and are counter balanced through a weight arrangement. It has been found that in the newer establishments employing warewashers that space is more and more at a premium and ceiling space or height is lower.
Horizontally sliding doors or panels have been proposed but difficulties have been encountered both in the short life of such doors and in sealing the door in such a manner that flooding of an area from the spraying of the nozzles is avoided.
The present invention provides a sliding door or panel for a warewasher which is uniquely adapted for a warewasher which door is rugged, dependable and more importantly, is configured such that when it is moved to a closed position it is effectively sealed as part of the housing.
The invention comprises a door carried on a cammed rail which door reciprocates between an open and a closed sealing position. The door frame which is formed on the housing wall includes vertical door guides which define the sides of the door frame. The edges of the door are shaped to mate with the door guides, the edges and the guides being shaped to direct the flow of water into the housing. The bottom edge of the door is formed to direct the water to a fish mouth sill which extends across the inside bottom of the door frame.
To open the door it is raised upwardly traveling on cammed surfaces and then moved horizontally to either side until open. In closing the door it is moved in the opposite direction and rides over the cams and drops into sealing position.
Accordingly, a door is provided which allows easy access to the housing, does not require any additional space than that required by the basic warewasher, and closes in sealing engagement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front schematic illustration of a portion of a warewasher; and,
FIG. 2 is a perspective partly fragmentary view of a door embodying the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIG. 1 a portion of a commercial warewasher 10 is shown, such as an A-11 Warewasher, manufactured by Adamation, Inc. of Newton, Massachusetts. The warewasher 10 includes a frame 12, a housing 14 having an outer wall 16, a top 18 and a conveyor pan 20. A door assembly embodying the present invention is shown generally at 22.
Referring to FIG. 2 the door assembly 22 is formed as part of the housing wall 16. More specifically when in its closed sealed position it forms one wall of the wash zone. A door opening 24 is defined by side flanges 26 and 28 extending perpendicularly and inwardly from the side wall 16; a bottom flange 30 extending slightly downwardly and inwardly from the side wall 16 and a top edge 32.
Secured to the side flange 26 such as by welding, is an integrally formed door guide 34. This door guide includes a flange 36 which abuts and is secured to the flange 26. A facing portion 38 is perpendicular to the flange 36 and abuts the housing wall 16. It is turned to form a reverse U-shaped bend 40 and extends rearwardly and outwardly to form a guide portion 42.
Secured to the side flange 28, such as by welding, is an integrally formed door guide 44. This door guide includes a flange 46 which abuts and is secured to the flange 28. A facing portion 48 is perpendicular to the flange 28 and is parallel to the wall 16. It is turned to form a reverse U-shaped bend 50 and extends rearwardly and outwardly to form a guide portion 52. The guide portion includes an upper edge 54 and a lower edge 56 which lower edge is directed upwardly and rearwardly and is not parallel to the upper edge 54.
A rail 60 having triangular shaped cams 62 and 64 and an upper rail surface 66 is fastened above, such as by bolting, and parallel to the top edge 32 of the door opening 24. The cams 62 and 64 both include upwardly sloping surfaces 68 and 70 respectively, which extend from the rail surface 66 and both include perpendicular jam surfaces 72 and 74. The cam 62 is aligned with guide 34 and the cam 64 is aligned with the guide 44. The total rail length is at least twice the width of the door 22.
The door assembly 22 comprising a front panel 76 having an inwardly and forwardly sloped leading edge 78 and an inwardly and forwardly sloped trailing edge 80 which edges mate when the door is in a closed position with the guides 34 and 44 respectively. The upper edge of the panel 76 includes a flange 82 which is perpendicular to the plane of the front panel and extends inwardly and also extends from the end of the edge 78 across the panel 76 to the end of the edge 80. The lower edge of the panel includes a flange 84 which is perpendicular to the plane of the panel and extends inwardly and slightly downwardly from the horizontal. The flange 84 extends from the end of the edge 80 and across the panel 76. The flange 84 does not extend across any portion of the edge 78. A handle 90 is provided for the opening and closing of the door and is secured to the panel 76.
A stair shaped door bracket 92 is fastened, such as by bolting, at a lower riser 94 to the panel 76. A tread 96 extends across the flange 82 and an upper riser 98 has two wheels 100 and 102 pinned thereto. The two wheels travel on the rail 60.
A U-shaped channel member 110 is secured, such as by bolting, to the wall 16. This member 110 prevents the door assembly 22, bracket 92, wheels 100, 102 combination from leaving the rail 60 as the door assembly travels between its open and closed positions.
The door as shown in FIG. 2, is in its open position. To close the door it is moved to the left, the wheels 100 and 102 traveling on the rail 60. As the door approaches the closed position the wheels 100 and 102 travel over the cams 62 and 64. More specifically, in moving to the closed position they travel on the sloping surfaces 68 and 72 and then abut the jam surfaces 72 and 74 of the cams 62 and 64. At this point, the door is in its closed sealed position. The leading edge 78 of the door is received in the guide 34. The trailing edge 80 is received in the guide 44. The upper flange 82 of the door 76 is simply received below the upper edge of the opening 24.
The lower flange 84 of the panel 76 is disposed above the lower flange 30 of the opening 24. The water generated in the wash zone primarily strikes the inner surface of the panel 76 and flows to both sides and downwardly. The configuration of the mated edges and guides, directs the flow inwardly toward the center of the door and through gravity it of course, flows downwardly primarily across the lower flange 84 of the panel 76 and into a sump. If desired, a fish mouth sill or other drainage structure may be used to carry the water from the lower flange 84.
The absence of a portion of the lower flange 84 forms an opening 85 on the panel 76, at the leading edge 78. This allows the door to be moved to its open position. When the door assembly 22 is raised, traveling on the surfaces 68, 70 this opening 85 clears the door guide 34.
To open the door from its closed position it is moved rightwardly the wheels 100 and 102 traveling upwardly on the surfaces 68 and 70 and rightwardly on the surface 66 until such time as the wheel 100 engages jam surface 74.
Although the invention has been described with specific reference to the door opening from left to right and closing from right to left it is apparent to those skilled in the art that the same basic concepts may be used if desired to open the door from left to right and close the door from right to left. Also the door when in its closed position may be designed to form the wall of one or more of the other zones in a warewasher, or only a portion of the wall of one of said zones. | A horizontally sliding seal tight door is provided for a warewasher. The leading and trailing edges of the door are formed to mate with guide members secured to the sides of the door opening. When in the closed position the edges of the door in combination with the guide members direct the water contacting the door into the warewasher. | 4 |
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 371,230 filed 4/23/82 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,579.
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to automotive vehicles. It particularly relates to the provision of replacement exhaust components thereof, namely the exhaust extension pipe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An automobile exhaust system comprise 3 main components, being the exhaust pipe, muffler and tail pipe. In rear wheel drive vehicles of conventional design the muffler usually located forwardly of the rear axle of the vehicle, and the tail pipe connects to the muffler, arches over the rear axle and extends towards the rear extremity of the vehicle in an elongated spout portion. Some 80 percent of the total market of domestic automobiles and vans currently comprises so called "popular models" which individually enjoy sales significantly greater than those of other models. Of this 80%, or about 65% of the total, require no fewer than about 250 different tail pipe configurations to be stocked for servicing, necessarily resulting in relatively high costs for inventory, floor space and time for stocking and retrieval purposes.
The tail pipes are generally of some 5-7 ft. (2.2-2.5 m) in length, which poses significant difficulty for distribution, particularly by common carriers, where the length may be retricted to about 4-5 ft. Whilst the length of the tail pipes has not seriously inconvenienced trade at the professional installer level, that is to say in muffler shops, it has impeded distribution through mail-order, self-serve and do it yourself outlets. There is moreover, a further impediment to this portion of the trade, due to the difficulty in fitting tail pipes of normal length to an automotive vehicle, this generally necessitating the vehicle being hoisted to provide a ground clearance between the ground and frame of the vehicle appreciably greater than can be obtained using normal bumper jacks or ramps.
The exhaust pipe of an exhaust system generally connects between an exhaust manifold and the muffler. Increasingly, automotive vehicles are being equipped with catalytic converters, which locate intermediate the ends of the exhaust pipe, the portion thereof which connects between the catalytic converter and the muffler being known as the exhaust extension pipe.
Exhaust extension pipes generally have a length somewhat less than that of the tail pipe, but lengths in the range of about 38 to 80 inches are commonly encountered, creating similar problems in distribution to those earlier spoken of. In certain instances the exhaust extension pipe includes an over the axle section, especially where the muffler locates behind the back axle of the vehicle, and problems in introducing a replacement exhaust extension pipe may be encountered when using simple jacks or the like for elevating the vehicle.
The number of differing exhaust pipes required for servicing the popular model vehicles is fewer than that required for servicing the tail pipes spoken of earlier, but it nonetheless results in high inventory costs, wasteful use of floorspace and difficulties of retrieval.
It is an object of the invention to provide exhaust extension pipe kits for the replacement of OEM exhaust extension pipes that are more readily transportable by public carrier and by individuals.
It is a further object of the invention to provide exhaust extension pipe kits which are suitable replacements for a larger number of OEM exhaust extension pipes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a replacement exhaust extension pipe kit suitable for use with either a first vehicle that was originally equipped with a first tubular exhaust extension pipe having an inlet end connected to a catalytic converter, an intermediate region of predetermined first configuration, and an outlet end spaced apart from the inlet end by a first distance, or a second vehicle that was originally equipped with a second tubular exhaust extension pipe having an inlet end connected to a catalyic converter, an intermediate region of predetermined second configuration, and an outlet end spaced apart from the inlet end by a second distance, comprises a first tubular section having an inlet end for connecting to the exhaust system of the vehicle, an intermediate portion configured to the spatial envelope of both the first and second configurations, and an outlet end spaced apart from said inlet end by a third distance. The kit further comprises a second tubular section having an inlet end and an outlet end spaced apart from the inlet end by a fourth distance, the second tubular portion having an intermediate portion configured to the spatial envelope of the first and second vehicle, the fourth distance being approximately the same as the third distance and the sum of the third and fourth distances being at least as long as the larger of the first and second distances. The kit includes packaging means for temporarily retaining the first and second tubular sections in overlapping relationship to provide a shipping package substantially shorter than either of said first and second distances; and means permitting the outlet end of said first tubular section to be operatively connected to said inlet end of the second tubular section is gas flow relationship when the replacement tail pipe kit is being permanently installed in one of said first and second vehicles.
By spatial envelope is meant the path taken by the exhaust extension pipe manufactured in accordance with OEM standards for a vehicle, and the free space surrounding that path when the exhaust extension pipe is installed on the vehicle in accordance with OEM standards, the normal operational requirements of the vehicle being taken into consideration, which is to say that due allowance must be made for relative movement between the sprung and unsprung components of the vehicle. Generally speaking it is found that certain models of a particular manufacturer may be related, having overlapping spatial envelopes due to the use of common components and modular construction techniques.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, where the exhaust extension pipes of the first and second vehicles have differing diameters, the replacement kit therefor is sized in accordance with the larger of the diameters, and an adaptor is provided for connecting the exhaust extension pipe of the kit to the smaller diameter exhaust system.
Where the connector to which the exhaust extension pipe connects is of a ball type, and the first and second vehicles have differing ball radii, the exhaust extension pipe of the kit is dimensioned to connect to the larger diameter ball, and an adapter provided for connecting the smaller diameter ball.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the ball adapter comprises a cup like body having an opening in the base thereof, and means for restricting the non-axial rotary movement of the adapter, so as to preclude it from acting as a shutter to restrict the passage of exhaust gas through the connector.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a kit for replacing an OEM exhaust extension pipe in an automotive vehicle, the OEM extension pipe being unitary and having a predetermined length, comprises a first tubular section having an inlet end, an intermediate portion having a predetermined configuration, and an outlet end. A second tubular section separate from the first section is provided having an inlet end, an intermediate portion having a predetermined configuration and an outlet end, the second section being approximately as long as the first section. The kit further comprises packaging means for retaining the tubular sections in overlapping relationship in an assembly approximately half as long as the exhaust extension pipe replaced; and means permitting the outlet end of the first tubular section to be operatively connected to the inlet end of the second tubular section in gas flow relationship when the replacement exhaust extension pipe kit is being installed.
Having described the broad features of my invention, specific embodiments thereof will be further discussed from which the general aims, objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows in schematic, disassembled form an exhaust extension pipe in position for coupling to an upstream exhaust system component;
FIG. 2 shows in enlarged scale a transverse section through a connector joint of the exhaust extension pipe, with an adapter therefor;
FIG. 3 shows in perspective view the adaptor of FIG. 2, and
FIG. 4 shows in schematic plan form an exhaust extension pipe in packaged kit form.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings in detail, a partial exhaust system for an automobile vehicle comprises a catalytic converter 10 having an outlet tube 12 terminating in ball connector 14, and a two part exhaust extension pipe comprising first and second sections 16,18. First section 16 has a socket 20 formed at the inlet end 22 thereof, for connecting to ball connector 14 either directly or indirectly as will be referred to subsequently in greater detail. The outlet end 24 of first section 16 is expanded at 26, so as to receive the inlet end 28 of second section 18 therein in telescopic relationship. End 24 may be slit at 30 along part of its length, to facilitate the introduction and securement of telescoping end 28 therein in known manner. Desirably, the axial length of the expanded end portion at 26 may be some 10 to 12 inches, so as to permit a facile adjustment of the overall axial length of the exhaust extension pipe according to the penetration of the inlet end 28 of the second section therein. It will be appreciated that for this purpose, the mating portions of the first and second sections will be linear. A clamp 32 is provided for locking the two sections 16,18 into a unitary structure. The outlet end 34 of second section 18 normally connects telescopically into a socket of a muffler (not illustrated), and for this reason outlet end 34 will normally be linear.
While in certain automotive vehicles the outlet tube 12 of the converter and the inlet tube of a muffler to which the exhaust extension pipe connect may be collinear, generally speaking the converter outlet and muffler inlet will be offset in one or more planes. For this purpose the first and second sections 16,18 have intermediate portions identified respectively as 36,38, which may be non-linear. These intermediate portions are configured to conform to the spatial envelope set for vehicles for which the kit is intended. It will be appreciated that by rotating one section relative to the other, the overall configuration of the integrated structure may be varied in those instances where one or both of the intermediate portions have an angular configuration, whereby the kit is suited for use with a plurality of vehicles of a group. The actual selection of desirable configurations of sections 16,18 is generally arrived at by an iterative process, wherein the OEM routings for exhaust extension pipes of a family of vehicles having, or suspected of having, a similar routing are compared. Trial first and second sections 16,18 are conformed to the closest pair of OEM exhaust extension pipe routings, and modified to include the routing of a third vehicle, et cetera.
The axial lengths of the first and second sections 16,18 are desirably approximately equal, thereby facilitating package and transport, and in some instances installation of the exhaust extension pipe. However, the axial lengths of the first and second sections will be to a certain extent influenced by a desire to provide a coupling zone between the sections, which is to say in regard to the instant embodiment, the outlet 24 of the first section and the inlet 28 of the second section, which are of extended linear dimension, so as to permit the telescopic adjustment of the overall axial length of the combined sections as earlier spoken of. Further adjustment is also possible simply by the use of a hacksaw to reduce the axial length of inlet end 28 of the second section. Still further adjustment may in suitable instances by made by adjusting the length of the outlet end 34 of the second section 18 with a hacksaw, for which purpose it is also desirable that the outlet end 34 of the second section 18 be linear over an extended length.
The spherical radius of the ball connector 14 of the catalytic converter 10 may vary between different vehicle models for which the exhaust extension pipe kit is otherwise suited. In order that the exhaust extension pipe kit by of utility for use with all of the vehicles of the group, the socket connector 20 of the first section 16 is sized in accordance with the maximum spherical radius of ball connectors of vehicles of the group, and an adaptor 40 is employed to permit the socket connector to couple to ball connectors of reduced spherical diameter. Adaptor 40 is formed with a cup like body portion 42 having an opening 44 in the base thereof to permit the passage of exhaust gases therethrough. The interior wall 46 of cup 42 is formed with a spherical radius equal to that of the ball converter to be coupled, and the exterior wall 48 of the cup has a spherical radius equal to that of socket connector 20. Adaptor 40 has an annular wall 50 which surrounds opening 44 and which projects outwardly from cup 42, the external diameter of wall 50 being such that it provides an interference fit with the interior wall of first section 16. Annular wall 50 serves to preclude the rotation of adaptor 40 in socket 20 in non-axial directions, whereby the adapter cannot accidentally form a shutter for closing the exhaust gas opening in the socket connector.
The axial height of the cup portion 42 of adaptor 40 is expediently limited to about 60% of the spherical radius thereof, although this relationship is not critical. This permits the exhaust extension pipe to be somewhat canted relative to the axis of the outlet tube 12 of the catalytic converter, thereby increasing still further the spatial envelope that the exhaust extension pipe kit can cover. Excessive canting of the exhaust extension pipe will normally be prevented by a ledge 52 surrounding ball connector 14, which interferes with the rim of socket 20 or of adaptor 40, when it is employed.
The exhaust extension pipe kit may be packaged in any suitable manner for distribution, for example by securing the first and second portions together in overlapping relationship by taping and the various accessories such as adapters and clamps being contained in any convenient manner also taped to the tube portions, or otherwise secured thereto in any convenient manner. Alternatively a simple rectangular prismatic box structure 54, as illustrated somewhat schematically in FIG. 4 will be provided to retain the first and second portions in overlapping relationship, and to retain the various clamps such as 32 and adapters such as 40 comprising the kit. | An exhaust extension pipe kit for replacing original equipment of different size and configuration, where the connector to which the exhaust extension pipe connects is of a ball type and the original equipment have differing ball radii, wherein the exhaust extension pipe is dimensioned to connect to the large diameter ball and an adapter is provided for connecting the smaller diameter ball which is configured as a cup-like body having an opening in the base thereof together with means for restricting the non-axial rotary movement of the adapter. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to washing machines and more particularly to a brake system for a washing machine or other appliance that can adapt to the size of the load held within the machine.
[0002] Vertical axis washing machines include a wash basket that spins about a vertical axis. Horizontal axis washing machines include a wash basket that spins about a horizontal axis. Other washer constructions have a tilted axis between vertical and horizontal. During a spin cycle following a rinse cycle, the wash basket spins at a fairly high rate of speed in order to extract water from the clothing that has been rinsed. Conventional vertical axis washing machines typically spin at a rate of about 600 to 650 revolutions per minute (RPM) or more.
[0003] Underwriters Laboratories (UL) require that, when a washing machine lid is opened during the spin portion of a cycle, the basket must stop spinning within 7 seconds. A brake mechanism is therefore required in order to slow down the rapidly spinning basket within this 7 second time interval. For conventional vertical axis washing machines, the brake mechanism typically applies the same braking pressure to the wash basket at any speed and for any wash basket load. This static or standard brake pressure has been satisfactory for the slower spin rate of these conventional machines.
[0004] However, new generations of washing machines are on the horizon that can spin the wash basket during a rinse cycle at much greater speeds, such as on the order of about 800 or greater RPM. The load required to slow and stop the wash basket within the 7 second interval is much greater at these higher rotational speeds. However, when a high braking load is applied to a wash basket that is spinning at this much higher rate and that contains a very light laundry load it produces undesirable consequences. For example, if a light load is held within the basket spinning at about 500 RPM, when the heavy brake load is applied, the washing machine components begin to vibrate and begin to cause significant noise, vibration and even movement or walking of the machine. At a minimum such conditions are unpleasant and could potentially cause more serious consequences.
[0005] Where a washing machine brake is incapable of meeting this 7 second requirement, a lid lock must be employed to prevent access to the wash drum until it has stopped spinning. Such a lid lock adds expense to the machine and creates a significant inconvenience to users.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In light of the above noted problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a washer brake mechanism that applies sufficient brake torque for these relatively high RPM machines, but not the same brake torque under all washer conditions. It is another object of the present invention to provide a brake mechanism that does not produce a constant high brake torque that would be sufficient to brake a fully loaded basket of wet laundry and yet which would overpower a lightly loaded basket. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a washer brake mechanism that produces a variable brake torque sufficient for different laundry loads. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a washer brake mechanism that applies a brake torque that is variable according to particular laundry basket conditions. It is another object of the present invention to provide a load adaptive washer brake mechanism that automatically adjusts the applied brake torque according to the mass of the load held within the wash basket and the rotational speed of the basket.
[0007] It is another object of the invention to provide a load adaptive brake system for an appliance in which a drive motor and the rotatable vessel are selectively coupled and uncoupled and a braking mechanism is selectively engaged and disengaged as the uncoupling and coupling occurs, respectively. It is a still further object of the invention to use the reactive force of the motor to disengage the braking mechanism if the rotating vessel is being slowed too quickly by the braking mechanism. A preferred embodiment of the invention is in a vertical axis washer, although the invention can also be used in horizontal and tilted axis washers as well as other appliances having a rotatable vessel.
[0008] These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention are provided by a load adaptive brake system for an appliance according to the present invention. In one embodiment, the load adaptive brake system includes a stationary brake drum supported by the washing machine. The brake system also includes a brake plate and a pair of opposed brake shoes supported by the brake plate and including brake linings facing the brake drum. A spring is interposed between first ends of the brake shoes for forcing the brake pads against the brake drum. A cam is slidably carried on a rotary shaft of the washing machine and has a pair of cam surfaces. A roller is disposed on a second end of each of the brake shoes. Each roller bears against one of the cam surfaces of the cam. The cam surfaces each have a profile so that the cam will rotate to at least partly relieve brake pressure on the brake drum as the motor of the washing machine decelerates and applies residual deceleration torque through the motor armature to the cam if the motor is caused to decelerate faster than the normal uncoupled deceleration rate. That is, the motor has a normal deceleration rate when the motor is not coupled to the wash basket. This normal deceleration rate, in a preferred embodiment, is such that the motor would decelerate from full speed, at which the wash basket is rotating at least 500 rpm, and perhaps at 800 or greater rpm, to a stop condition in about 5½-6½ seconds.
[0009] The brake system was developed to be able to apply sufficient brake torque to stop a fully loaded wash basket from a full speed spin to a stopped condition in less than 7 seconds. When this same brake torque is applied to an empty wash basket, the basket is slowed from full speed to a stopped condition in about 2 seconds. While such a speed is well within the time requirements, such abrupt braking causes the entire washing machine to jerk and move about. If, however, the motor is coupled to the empty wash basket as the wash basket is being slowed down, the motor is caused to slow down faster than its normal deceleration speed, resulting in a reaction torque being developed by the motor and transmitted back to the cam, rotating the cam in a reverse direction to release the braking pressure of the brake pads against the brake drum. This causes a reduction in the net brake torque, thereby lengthening the time for the wash basket to come to a complete halt, would also prevent the machine from jerking and moving about. Since the motor naturally stops in less than 7 seconds, coupling the motor with the basket does not cause the coupled combination to stop in greater than 7 seconds because the reaction torque lessens as the stoppage rate approaches 5½ to 6½ seconds, and the lesser reaction torque becomes insufficient to overcome the strength of the spring through the cam, hence reapplying the brakes.
[0010] Thus, in a preferred embodiment, a mechanism is provided to automatically couple the basket to the motor if the basket is being slowed faster than the normal deceleration rate of the motor and to uncouple the motor from the basket if the basket is being slowed slower than the normal deceleration rate of the motor. The profile of the cam is selected such that the reaction torque enables the brakes to be at least partially released through rotation of the cam.
[0011] In another embodiment of the invention, a vertical axis washing machine includes a wash basket that is rotatable about a generally vertical axis. A rotary shaft is coupled to the wash basket and a motor is coupled to the rotary shaft for rotating the wash basket. A brake drum is stationary and supported by a portion of the washing machine. A brake plate supports a pair of brake shoes wherein the brake plate is carried by a portion of the rotary shaft of the washing machine and rotates relative thereto. A pair of brake shoes are supported by the brake plate wherein each brake shoe has a brake lining that can bear against the brake drum. A spring is interposed between first ends of the brake shoes that forces the brake linings against the brake drum. A cam is slidably carried on a portion of the rotary shaft and has a pair of cam surfaces. A pair of cam rollers are supported by respective second ends of the brake shoes. Each cam roller bears against a respective one of the cam surfaces of the cam. Each cam surface has a profile that is adapted to at least partly reduce the amount of brake pressure applied by the brake linings against the drum upon rapid deceleration of the motor through residual torques applied through the motor armature during rapid deceleration.
[0012] In another embodiment a load adaptive brake system is provided for an appliance which includes a motor, a drive wheel driven by the motor and a rotatable vessel. A brake surface is fixed relative to a non-movable portion of the appliance and at least one brake shoe carried by the vessel to rotate with the vessel. A biasing mechanism is engageable with the brake shoe to press the brake shoe into engagement with the brake surface. A cam is carried on the vessel, but is rotatable with respect thereto, and engageable with a portion of the brake shoe to overcome a bias of the biasing mechanism when the cam is rotated relative to the vessel in a first direction to disengage the brake shoe from the brake surface. A coupling mechanism is arranged between the drive wheel and the cam to selectively couple the motor to the vessel by rotation of the cam in the first direction when the drive wheel is rotating in one direction relative to the cam and to uncouple the motor from the basket when the drive wheel is rotating in a second, opposite direction relative to the cam.
[0013] These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon a reading of the detailed description and a review of the accompanying drawings. Specific embodiments of the present invention are described herein. The present invention is not intended to be limited to only these embodiments. Changes and modifications can be made to the described embodiments and yet fall within the scope of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] [0014]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a washing machine with a standard motor drive and showing the wash plate in an angled orientation.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 2 is a detailed sectional view of the washing machine of FIG. 1 and including a brake mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the brake mechanism shown in FIG. 2.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 4 is a cross section taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3 illustrating the brake components.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 5 is a top elevational view of the cam driver and pawl of the washing machine of FIG. 1.
[0019] [0019]FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the pawl of FIG. 5.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 7 is a top elevational view of the drive pulley of the washing machine of FIG. 1.
[0021] [0021]FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the drive pulley taken generally along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7.
[0022] [0022]FIG. 9 is a top elevational view of the drive pulley and pawl where the drive pulley moves counter-clockwise relative to the output shaft.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 10 is a top elevational view of the drive pulley and pawl where the drive pulley moves clockwise relative to the output shaft.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 11 is a graph representing cam torque plotted against cam rotation.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 12 is a graph representing motor reaction torque back into the cam through the motor armature plotted against the brake time.
[0026] [0026]FIG. 13 is a graph representing various cam profiles wherein applied brake torque is plotted against brake time for various cam profiles.
[0027] [0027]FIG. 14 is a graph representing overall brake sensitivity to brake lining coefficient of friction with and without utilizing the cam effect of the present invention wherein brake torque is plotted against brake pad lining coefficient of friction.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] The present invention is particularly useful for a vertical axis washing machine of the type disclosed in FIGS. 1 - 2 and thus the preferred embodiment will be disclosed in this environment, although the invention is not so limited. In fact, the present invention can be utilized in other types of washers such as horizontal axis or tilted axis, as well as any other appliance which has a motor driven rotatable vessel. This could include dryers, centrifuges and other appliances.
[0029] A particular type of vertical axis washing machine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,018, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The type of machine disclosed therein includes an agitator or wash plate that can operate vertically and also operate at an angle. The wash plate is driven by a drive system that together can operate at significantly higher rotational speeds such as on the order of 500 RPM or more. The present invention is directed to a brake mechanism and system for stopping rotation of the wash basket (rotating vessel) when a lid is opened during the spin cycle. The brake mechanism of the present invention is load adaptive and applies a varying brake torque, dependent upon the mass of the laundry load within the wash basket.
[0030] In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 20 indicates generally a washing machine of the automatic type, i.e., a machine having a pre-settable sequential controller 21 for operating the washer through a preselected program of automatic washing, rinsing and drying operations in which the present invention may be embodied. The controller 21 may be an electromechanical timer type device or an electronic microprocessor. The machine 20 includes a frame or cabinet 22 surrounding an imperforate tub 24 . A wash basket 26 with perforations or holes is rotatably supported within the tub and comprises a rotatable vessel into which a clothes load is placed. A fill valve 25 is connected to an external water supply (not shown) and is operated to inlet water into the tub. A hinged lid (not shown) is provided in the usual manner to provide access to the interior of the wash basket 26 .
[0031] The wash basket 26 defines a wash chamber and includes a generally cylindrical side wall 30 having a vertical center axis C-C. The side wall 30 includes a partly spherical wall portion 34 adjacent a substantially flat bottom wall 32 . A motor 40 is operatively connected to the basket 26 through a transmission 42 to rotate the basket 26 relative to the stationary tub 24 . A suspension frame 44 supports the motor and tub assembly within the cabinet 22 . The controller 21 is operatively interconnected with the motor and fill valve 25 such that the controller 21 can operate the washer 20 according to a selected program cycle.
[0032] The particular construction and operation of the agitation or clothes mover mechanism is not critical to the present invention, and could comprise one of many different constructions, such as those shown in FIGS. 1 - 2 . The details of these constructions are known, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,018 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,863 the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Further details of the construction of those mechanisms is not included here, except to the extent necessary to describe the present invention.
[0033] A brake mechanism 64 embodying the principles of the present invention is shown environmentally in FIG. 3, and in greater detail in FIG. 4.
[0034] [0034]FIG. 3 illustrates a detailed cross section of a portion of the wash basket 26 and drive system including the load adaptive brake system or brake assembly 64 according to the present invention. The motor 40 includes a downwardly depending motor shaft 100 that includes a drive pulley 102 thereon. A belt 104 is coupled to the pulley 102 and is rotated by the pulley and motor shaft. The drive pulley, of course, could be replaced with some other type of drive wheel, such as a gear, driven through a gear connection to the motor shaft 100 . The belt 104 is also wrapped around a larger diameter axial pulley 106 that is disposed adjacent the brake assembly 64 . The axial pulley 106 is affixed to an output shaft 62 and rotates in conjunction therewith. The top end of the output shaft includes a splined end that is coupled to a portion of a drive hub so that an agitator or wash plate 50 also rotates in concert with the output shaft 62 and the axial pulley 106 .
[0035] The brake assembly 64 is disposed adjacent the axial pulley 106 and concentric with the output shaft 62 and a spin tube 60 which is affixed to the wash basket 26 . The brake assembly 64 includes a brake drum 110 defining a depending annular wall 112 that is concentric with the shaft 62 and the spin tube 60 . The brake drum 110 is mounted fixed or stationary within the washing machine. In the present embodiment, the brake drum includes a central opening 114 that is fixed to a central stationary tube 116 that is also concentric with and houses the spin tube 60 and output shaft 62 .
[0036] The brake assembly 64 preferably also includes a pair of brake shoes 120 , 121 pivotally attached at a common pivot 122 to a stationary brake plate 124 (see also FIG. 4), although a single brake shoe could be utilized, or a number of brake shoes greater than two could also be utilized. The brake plate 124 and brake shoes 120 , 121 in the present embodiment are arranged generally horizontally relative the vertical axis of the machine. The brake plate 124 and the brake shoes 120 , 121 are carried by the wash basket 26 through a direct connection to the spin tube 60 which, in turn, is connected to rotate with the wash basket 26 . Hence, the brake plate 124 and brake shoes 120 , 121 rotate with the wash basket.
[0037] Each brake shoe 120 , 121 includes an arcuate vertical wall 126 that faces the annular wall 112 of the drum 110 when assembled. Each arcuate wall 126 has an exterior surface 128 with a friction enhancing brake lining 130 attached and sandwiched between the wall 126 and the annular wall 112 of the drum. Respective mid sections 132 of the brake shoes 120 and 121 are each attached at the pivot 122 to the brake plate 124 and can move relative to the pivot and one another. Each shoe 120 and 121 has a first end 134 that are opposed and biased away from one another by a biasing element or mechanism such as a coil spring or compression spring 136 . At rest, the spring 136 biases the first ends 134 away from one another forcing the brake lining 130 of each brake shoe into contact with the annular wall 112 of the brake drum 110 . A second end 138 of each brake shoe includes a low-friction roller 140 attached to each shoe. The roller 140 rides against a cam surface as described below. In one embodiment, each roller 140 is a ball bearing roller or track roller pressed in to a portion of each shoe with a roll pin. Such ball bearing rollers provide very low friction contact surfaces that are highly durable providing a highly consistent or constant coefficient of friction over their useful life.
[0038] Prior washing machine brake assemblies typically used a steel roller with a pin passing through the roller. Each pin was zinc coated to provided a low-friction surface contact between the pin and roller. The zinc coating would wear quickly producing a significant increase in coefficient of friction for the roller over the useful life of the roller. Such increase in the coefficient of friction creates a significant and undesirable change in brake performance.
[0039] The present invention also includes a cam assembly generally includes a cam 152 , a cam driver 154 , and a slip sleeve 156 . The cam 152 is received over the spin tube 60 and is free to rotate relative to the spin tube through an angle of less than 180°. A bushing 158 is received between the cam 152 and spin tube 60 and includes a flange 160 that extends between the cam and the brake plate 124 . The cam 152 bears against the flange 160 and thus against the brake plate 124 .
[0040] The cam 152 includes a pair of opposed cam surfaces 162 that have a particular gradual cam profile. The bearing rollers 140 on the second ends 138 of the brake shoes 120 and 121 bear against and ride along the cam surfaces 162 as described below. The cam 152 also includes a radial projection 164 that acts as a stop to limit travel of the bearing rollers 140 along the cam surfaces and to thus limit or control the amount of maximum brake pressure that is applied by the brake shoes against the drum 110 and to prevent further rotation of the cam 152 relative to the spin tube 60 .
[0041] The cam driver 154 is shown in FIG. 5 and is an annular ring that is also received along the spin tube 60 and can also rotate freely relative to the spin tube. The cam driver 154 includes a recess 166 that has a shape corresponding to that of the cam 152 . The cam driver 154 bears against a lower surface of the cam 152 and the cam seats within the recess 166 . The cam driver 154 therefore moves the cam 152 in conjunction with movement of the cam driver. The cam driver 154 includes a lever 168 that extends radially outward from the driver. A pawl 170 is pivotally attached to the lever 168 by a pin 171 and can move relative to the lever through a predetermined angular range. A pair of stops 172 (FIG. 6) project upward from the pawl and bear against the lever 168 in order to limit the angular travel of the pawl.
[0042] The axial pulley 106 is shown in sectional view in FIG. 8 and includes a recess 174 that faces the cam assembly 150 . The pawl 170 is substantially positioned within the recess 174 of the axial pulley. The recess 174 is defined by an annular outer wall 176 that faces the recess. The axial pulley 106 also includes a hub 178 that also faces the cam assembly 150 . The hub 178 has an upper face that includes a bearing 180 that rides against a bottom surface 182 of the cam driver 154 . The axial pulley 106 and vertical shaft 62 rotate as one, and the bearing 180 provides a low-friction contact surface between the hub 178 and the spin tube 60 .
[0043] As shown in FIG. 8, the slip sleeve 156 is received around the hub 178 and is free to rotate around the hub. The slip sleeve 156 includes a lifter 184 extending radially outward from the sleeve. As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, depending upon the rotation direction of the axial pulley 106 relative to the output shaft 62 , both the slip sleeve 156 and lifter 184 will come in contact with one end or the other of the pawl 170 causing the pawl to rock or pivot around the pin 171 in one direction or the other until one of the stops 172 contacts the lever 168 of the driver 154 .
[0044] During the spin mode, the motor 40 drives the drive pulley 106 which moves counter-clockwise relative to the initially stationary basket 26 and connected spin tube 60 . Thus, the drive pulley 106 moves counter-clockwise relative to the cam driver 154 which is carried on the spin tube 60 . This situation is illustrated in FIG. 10.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 10, when the axial pulley 106 rotates in a relative clockwise direction, as indicated by arrow 187 , as compared to the pawl 170 which is carried by the cam driver, the lifter 184 will engage near a second end 170 b of the pawl 170 , causing the second end 170 b to move outwardly and a first end 170 a to move inwardly. This coupling mechanism causes a driving connection to occur between the motor 40 and the basket 26 , and hence the motor and basket are coupled and the basket is caused to rotate at a speed determined by the speed of the motor.
[0046] When the drive pulley 106 rotates in a relative clockwise direction, as indicated by arrow 187 in FIG. 10, as compared to the pawl 170 which is caused by the cam driver, the lifter 184 will engage near the second end 170 b of the pawl 170 , causing the second end 170 b to move outwardly and the first end 170 a to move inwardly. A key or catch 186 is carried on the annular wall 176 within the recess 174 of the drive pulley 106 . The catch 186 comprises a notch that corresponds in shape to the second end 170 b of the pawl 170 . The catch 186 catches the pawl 170 as described below which rotationally locks up the axial pulley 106 with the cam assembly 150 also as described below.
[0047] The torque of the motor 40 , acting through the pawl 170 on the cam driver 154 causes the cam driver, and hence the cam 152 , to rotate, causing the rollers 140 to ride on the cam towards a thicker profile, thus acting against the spring 136 and releasing the brake shoes 120 , 121 from the annular wall 112 of the brake drum 110 . When this occurs, and the rollers reach the end of their travel, the entire brake assembly, except the stationary brake drum 110 , will begin to rotate, and hence the spin tube 60 , to which the brake plate 124 and wash basket 26 are secured, will rotate.
[0048] When power to the motor 40 is terminated, the motor will begin to decelerate at a predetermined rate. This will cause the drive torque to no longer be applied through the drive pulley 106 and pawl 170 to the cam driver 154 , hence allowing the power of the spring 136 to cause the rollers 140 to begin to move toward a thinner portion of the cam profile, and allowing the brake shoes 120 , 121 to engage the brake drum 110 .
[0049] If the wash basket 26 is heavily loaded, it will slow down more slowly than the motor 40 , and the drive pulley 106 , connected to the motor 40 , will rotate counter-clockwise (as in FIG. 9) with respect to the spin tube which carries the cam driver 154 and pawl 170 . As this happens, the lifter 184 will engage the first end 170 a of the pawl 170 and will release the second end 170 b from the catch 186 . The motor 40 and wash basket 26 will then be uncoupled and will stop at their own rates.
[0050] If the wash basket 26 is lightly loaded, it will slow down more quickly than the motor. This will cause the drive pulley 106 to rotate clockwise with respect to the cam driver 154 and pawl 170 (FIG. 10). As this happens, the lifter 184 will engage the second end 170 b of the pawl 170 and cause it to engage the catch 186 , thereby coupling the motor and the wash basket. Since the brake, in this scenario, is causing the basket to slow more quickly than the motor, the motor will generate a reactive torque, which will be transmitted through the cam driver 154 to rotate the cam 152 and to release the brake, thereby reducing the brake torque and lengthening the time required to bring the wash basket to a complete stop.
[0051] Thus, in a heavily loaded basket condition, the motor and basket will be automatically uncoupled and the brake will be able to apply full braking torque on the basket to slow it down. On the other hand, in a lightly loaded basket condition, the motor and basket will be automatically coupled and the reaction torque of the motor will operate through the rotation of the cam to reduce the braking torque, thereby preventing jerking and movement of a lightly loaded washer. In this manner, the braking system automatically adapts to the mass of the load in the basket and effectively adjusts the braking torque in response to the size or mass of the load.
[0052] When viewed from above, as in FIG. 10, the drive pulley 106 rotates in a clockwise direction when the cam assembly locks up with the drive pulley and in a counter-clockwise direction, as in FIG. 10, when the drive pulley and vertical shaft 62 rotate independently of the spin tube, brake assembly and cam assembly components. When the drive system including the drive pulley 106 is rotated in a clockwise direction, the machine is operating in the spin cycle. The drive belt and pulley are rotated at a high RPM, such as for example, 500-800 RPM. The pawl 170 of the cam driver 154 is lifted by the lifter 184 of the slip sleeve 156 . The second end 170 b of the pawl 170 is received in the catch 186 to lock up the drive pulley 106 and the cam assembly 150 . Torque provided by the motor is transmitted to the drive pulley 106 . Since the cam assembly 150 is locked up with the drive pulley, the cam rollers 140 ride up or along the cam surfaces 162 which thus compresses the biasing element or spring 136 . The brake shoe linings 130 are moved away from the brake drum 110 releasing the brake and permitting the wash basket to rotate freely at the high rate of speed. The amount of torque applied through the drive pulley determines how far up the cam surfaces that the cam rollers 140 move. The more torque applied by the motor, the further the cam 152 rotates and hence the further the cam rollers 140 move along the cam surfaces 162 . The cam surfaces 162 are of a very low profile and therefore it will take longer than in previous constructions for the roller bearings 140 to ramp down when the motor torque is removed.
[0053] The compression force of the spring 136 and the profile geometry of the cam surfaces 162 determine the variability of the brake mechanism 64 of the present invention. A lightly loaded wash basket requires little motor torque applied in order to spin the basket at a high rate of speed. Much additional torque must be input by the motor to spin a heavily loaded basket. The low cam profile of the invention permits the cam to operate and release the brake at much lower motor input torques, and on the order of about 30% of the motor torque than was previously required to operate or release the brake mechanism.
[0054] [0054]FIG. 11 illustrates a graph wherein cam torque is plotted against cam rotation in degrees. As can be seen, the brake mechanism releases the brake with only about 0.85 newton meters (Nm) of torque. When the brake cam operates at such low torque values, the brake cam can be actuated by the reaction torque of the motor armature when the motor decelerates from maximum spin speed to a stopped condition.
[0055] [0055]FIG. 12 illustrates a graphic representation of motor representation of motor reaction torque input back into the brake cam through the motor armature against measured braking time. Motor reaction torque back into the brake cam dissipates over time. With prior art brake mechanism designs, motor reaction torque had little or no effect on brake pressure because a minimum of 2.5 newton meters of drive torque was required to release the brake. Thus, full brake pressure would be applied virtually from the instant the motor drive energy was stopped. In contrast, with the present invention, motor reaction torque is sufficient to act against the brake cam in order to partly relieve brake pressure. The graph shown in FIG. 12 illustrates the torque required to decelerate the motor armature as a function of the brake time. The longer the brake time, the lower the motor reaction torque. When a wash basket is fully loaded, the brake time will be long and in contrast, when the wash basket is lightly loaded the brake time will be short. For long brake times, the amount of motor reaction torque that is fed back into the brake cam is low enough that the motor reaction torque will not relieve or reduce braking pressure. Thus, full brake pressure is applied by the brake of the present invention. For a lightly loaded wash basket, the brake time is significantly shorter. When the brake time approaches 2.5 seconds or less, the motor reaction torque as can be seen in FIG. 12 becomes large enough to partly or completely balance against the brake spring force to at least partly disengage the brake and thus reduce braking pressure. This will extend the braking time. This phenomena produces an adaptable brake mechanism. When the wash basket is lightly loaded, the brake will therefore not fully apply and will prevent vibration, movement of the machine, and possible damage to the components.
[0056] [0056]FIG. 13 is a graphic representation of various cam profiles wherein brake torque is plotted against brake time. The upper curve shows brake torque that is applied by the braking mechanism versus braking time wherein no cam effect was utilized. The lower curve illustrates a brake cam of the present invention having a very low cam profile. The intermediate curves show cams having higher cam profiles. As can be seen upon a review of FIG. 13, applied brake torque is significantly reduced for short braking periods which represent light wash basket loads. This is the primary desired effect of the invention. The upper curve represents a brake mechanism with no cam effect and illustrates that the brake torque is very high for short braking times. This system with no cam effect would produce undesirable results such as system vibration and movement of the washing machine.
[0057] [0057]FIG. 14 is a graphic representation of overall braking sensitivity plotted against brake lining coefficient of friction. FIG. 14 includes two separate data groups, one representing a brake mechanism including the cam effect of the invention and a brake mechanism without the cam effect. Brake torque is actually plotted against brake lining coefficient of friction. As can be seen upon review of this figure, the effect of differences in brake lining coefficient of friction is reduced when a brake mechanism including the cam effect of the present invention is utilized. The upper graph illustrates a greater range of brake torque applied by the brake mechanism and represents a brake mechanism with no cam effect. A reduced differential brake torque is provided when a brake cam of the present invention is utilized for different brake linings.
[0058] The present invention is for a brake mechanism that includes a cam that releases and applies the brakes of the mechanism depending upon rotation of the cam. The cam is in turn rotated by applied motor torque. When the motor torque is released, residual deceleration torque from the motor armature has an effect on the return rotation of the cam. Residual motor torque is applied at the early stages of motor deceleration greater than at the latter stages. Therefore, when a light load of laundry is carried within the wash basket of the washing machine, the braking time is relatively short. However, because the residual motor torque acts to at least partly reduce the amount of braking pressure, the braking time is increased and the brake pressure is reduced at the beginning of the brake cycle. For heavier loads of laundry, the motor deceleration torque has little no effect on brake pressure.
[0059] The present invention has been described utilizing particular embodiments. As will be evident to those skilled in the art, changes and modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiments and yet fall within the scope of the present invention. The disclosed embodiments are provided only to illustrate aspects of the present invention and not in any way to limit the scope and coverage of the invention. The scope of the invention is therefore only to be limited by the appended claims. | A load adaptive brake system is provided for an appliance which includes a motor, a drive wheel driven by the motor and a rotatable vessel. A brake surface is fixed relative to a non-movable portion of the appliance and at least one brake shoe carried by the vessel to rotate with the vessel. A biasing mechanism is engageable with the brake shoe to press the brake shoe into engagement with the brake surface. A cam is carried on the vessel, but is rotatable with respect thereto, and engageable with a portion of the brake shoe to overcome a bias of the biasing mechanism when the cam is rotated relative to the vessel in a first direction to disengage the brake shoe from the brake surface. A coupling mechanism is arranged between the drive wheel and the cam to selectively couple the motor to the vessel by rotation of the cam in the first direction when the drive wheel is rotating in one direction relative to the cam and to uncouple the motor from the basket when the drive wheel is rotating in a second, opposite direction relative to the cam. | 3 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to restraints and, more particularly, to a restraint employed to restrict the movement of infants and small children.
Child restraints long have been in use to confine infants and small children to a desired area, or to prevent them from wandering into areas in which they are not permitted. Commonly, the gates are mounted within accessways, that is doorways or passageways, or at the top or bottom of stairs.
A child or infant restraint should satisfy at least two requirements. First, by blocking or impeding the passage of an infant or child through the accessway, the restraint also significantly impedes passage of an adult. If the restraint can be relatively easily removed from the accessway, the restraint can be removed to allow the adult to pass, and then remounted. However, a better solution is provided if the restraint includes a barrier or gate that can be opened to permit passage without removing the restraint entirely from the accessway. Second, if the gate can be disengaged and opened to permit passage through the accessway without removing the restraint entirely, it is important to be able to secure the gate in the closed position with a fastener or locking mechanism that is difficult for infants and children to open. However, an adult must be able to open the barrier quickly and easily and, therefore, the fastener should be easily and quickly operable by an adult.
It is also helpful if the gate satisfies two additional requirements. During a typical day in the home, the parent attending a child commonly needs to confine the child to the area occupied by the parent. Since that area changes throughout the home during a typical day, the area in which the child is confined changes. Since the child restraint is an integral component of the means used to confine the area of movement of the child, the parent should be able to move the restraint from accessway to accessway as the day progresses. Therefore, it should be easy to mount the restraint within and remove the restraint from an accessway. Also, accessways within a typical home can be of different widths. Therefore, it should be easy to adjust the width of the restraint.
None of the known restraints includes a gate that can be quickly and easily opened and closed by an adult, but which is difficult for a child to open. Further, none of the known restraints can meet those requirements while providing a restraint whose width is easily adjustable and that can be easily and quickly mounted within and removed from an accessway. Known restraints commonly include a barrier or gate that can be positioned in the accessway to block it, a mounting by which the restraint can be secured within the accessway and a fastener or locking mechanism that is provided to prevent children and infants from retracting the gate. The gate can be extended and retracted in a number of ways. Commonly, the gate can be folded or collapsed against one side of the accessway to permit passage, and extended to a locking mechanism mounted to the remaining side of the accessway. Another type of restraint forms a gate consisting of a pair of partitions that can be slid along each other to increase or reduce the width spanned by the gate. Still other gates are mounted on spring biased telescoping rods which can be compressed or allowed to expand to adapt the gate to different sized accessways. Other restraints include gates that are hinge mounted to one side of the accessway to allow the gate to swing between opened and closed positions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a restraint for impeding passage through an accessway that includes a barrier sized to impede passage through the accessway when the barrier is secured in a closed position. A mounting secures the barrier at a first mounting location, the mounting permitting the barrier to be moved to and from the closed position. A closing fastener releasably secures the barrier in the closed position at a second mounting location. At least two sequential manipulations of the closing fastener are required to release the barrier from the closed position. Preferably, the door remains releasably secured in the closed position after conducting the first manipulation and prior to conducting the second manipulation.
Preferably, the width of the restraint can be adjusted to accommodate accessways of different widths. Also preferably, the device includes apparatus for quickly and easily mounting the device within an accessway and removing the device from an accessway.
The present invention also provides a fastener for releasably securing an article in a desired position, comprising three fastening members. An intermediate fastening member is adapted to be releasably secured to each of the remaining two fastening members. At least two sequential manipulations of the fastening members are required to move the article from the desired position. The article remains releasably secured in the desired position after conducting the first manipulation and prior to conducting the second manipulation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
The following detail description of the preferred embodiments can be understood better if reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a child restraint provided by the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of a portion of the gate or barrier of the restraint shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the restraint shown in FIG. 1, showing a fastener;
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an alternate embodiment of the present invention mounted at the top of a set of stairs;
FIG. 6 is a top sectional view showing the fastener of the restraint shown in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the restraint shown in FIG. 5, showing in particular the gate fastener.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1 through 3 show the details of a child restraint that can be adjusted to accommodate accessways of different widths. The restraint can be constructed of any suitable wood, metal, plastic and fiberboard. The restraint provided by the present invention can include a number of types of gates or barriers that are mounted in a variety of ways to permit the gate to be moved between an opened and closed position. However, for purposes of illustration only, restraint 10 includes a gate that is mounted to swing on a bar between an opened and closed position. Restraint 10 also includes a frame that is mounted directly to the accessway and to which the gate is mounted. The frame includes a pair of telescoping members that can be slid with respect to each other to adjust the width of the frame to permit it to be mounted in accessways of different widths. The gate itself defines a frame having telescoping members that also are slidable relative to each other to permit the width of the gate to be adjusted to match the width of the restraint frame. The gate also includes panels that are located within the gate frame and block passage through the opening defined by the frame. Some of the panels also are slidable with respect to each other to permit adjustment to the width of the area spanned by the panel assembly to ensure that no openings are provided through the frame when it is extended. The restraint frame includes a suitable fastener or locking mechanism, for example a hook and loop type fastener, which permits mounting of the restraint frame quickly and easily to the accessway. Restraint 10 includes a pair of hook and loop fastener assemblies which are used to secure the gate to the restraint frame in the closed position. The gate hook and loop fastener assemblies are easily unfastened by adults but cannot be unfastened easily by small children or infants. Also, the sound made by a hook and loop fastener when it is released provides an audible indication that the infant or child is attempting to release the fastener to open the gate.
FIGS. 5 through 7 show an alternate restraint provided by the present invention. Restraint 200 is designed to be installed substantially permanently in an accessway. Accordingly, the gate of restraint 200 is hinged to one side of the accessway, for example a wall, to permit it to swing between its opened and closed positions. Because the width of restraint 200 need not be adjustable, the gate can be a rigid planar member. Gate fasteners of the type employed with restraint 10 are employed with restraint 200.
Restraint 10 includes, generally, a frame 12, which is mounted to the accessway, and a barrier or gate 14. The exact configuration of frame 12 will depend on the nature of the accessway. Frame 12 defines a pair of planar mounting surfaces 16 and 18, which are adapted to engage the walls forming the boundaries of the accessway. A pair of loop fasteners 20 is secured to each surface 16 and 18. A pair of hook fasteners (not shown) is secured to each wall defining the accessway. The hook fasteners are so spaced that they are aligned with loop fasteners 20 when frame 12 is positioned as desired in the accessway.
Frame 12 is formed from a pair of frame members 22 and 24. Frame member 22 defines upper member 26, lower member 28, and side member 30, which defines mounting surface 16. Upper member 26 and lower member 28 extend from side member 30 in the same direction at generally right angles to side member 30. A fastening bar 32 is mounted at one end to lower member 28 and at the remaining end to upper member 26. Fastener bar 32 can be mounted in any suitable fashion, for example by gluing the ends of bar 32 into offsets formed in members 26 and 28.
Similarly, frame member 24 defines an upper member 34, a lower member 36 and a side member 38, which defines mounting surface 18. A mounting bar 40 is mounted to frame member 24. One end of bar 40 is secured to the underside of upper member 34 and the remaining end of bar 40 is secured to the upper surface of member 36. Bar 40 can be secured to members 34 and 36 in the same fashion as bar 32 is secured to members 26 and 28
Member 28 is adapted to slide within member 36 of frame member 24. Accordingly, member 36 defines a U-shaped track 42 that is sized to receive end 45 of lower member 28. Frame members 22 and 24 can be slid toward each other to retract or collapse frame 12, to reduce the width of frame 12, or slid apart to extend frame 12 and widen it.
Gate 14 is mounted on mounting post 40. Gate 14 is adapted to pivot around post 40 to permit gate 14 to be swung between its opened and closed positions. Gate 14 includes a frame 44 and four panels, a pair of distal panels 74 and 76, and a pair of proximal panels 78 and a panel not shown. Gate frame 44 is formed from central frame member 81 and side frame members 52 and 54. Panels 74 and 76 are mounted to frame member 52; and panel 78 and the proximal panel not shown are mounted to frame member 54. Central frame member 81 defines upper member 48, lower member 50 and central panels 82 and 83.
Side member 52 defines upper member 62 and lower member 64, which extend generally in the same direction from a side member 66 at right angles to member 66. Similarly, side member 54 defines upper member 68 and lower member 70, which extend from a side member 72 generally in the same direction at right angles to member 72. Central members 48 and 50 form shoulder 49, 51, 53 and a shoulder not shown at which panels 82 and 83, respectively, are joined, and which define square-shaped channels 85 and 87 which receive members 62 and 64, as can be seen more clearly in FIG. 2 with respect to upper member 62 and central member 48 of gate frame 44. The arrangement for supporting members 64, 68 and 70 is the same as that shown in FIG. 2.
Gate frame 44 receives panels 74, 76, 78 and the proximal panel not shown and restricts their lateral movement. In particular, gate 14 includes a pair of distal panels 74 and 76, a pair of proximal panels, proximal panel member 78 and a second panel member not shown, and central panel members 82 and 83, which are part of central frame member 81. Panel members 74, 76, 78, 82, 83 and the proximal panel member not shown cooperate to permit the extension and collapse of gate 14 while preventing the development of an opening in gate 14 through which an infant or child can pass.
Panels 74 and 76 are secured within gate frame side member 52 in any suitable fashion. FIG. 2 shows the manner of securing panel members 74 and 76 within gate frame members 62 and 66. In particular, the edges of panel members 74 and 76 are secured to the inner surfaces of members 62 and 66. Also, the sides of panels 74 and 76 can be secured to the flanges 84, 86, 88 and 90 of members 62 and 66. The proximal side panels are mounted to frame member 54 in similar fashion.
Post 40 passes through an opening 41 defined at the top of member 72 and another opening (not shown) defined at the bottom of member 72. Then, member 72 is secured to post 40 in any suitable fashion that permits gate 14 to swing on post 40.
The proximal and distal panel members are free to slide toward each other when gate frame 44 is collapsed and away from each other when gate frame 44 is extended without creating an opening in gate 14 through which a child or infant could pass.
A pair of hook and loop locking mechanisms or fasteners 92 and 94 is secured to gate frame members 62 and 64, respectively. Fasteners 92 and 94 are used to releasably secure gate 14 in its closed position. Each fastener includes three fastener strips 96, 98 and 100. Each of intermediate strip 98 and outer strip 100 are secured at one end to a gate frame member using three rivets 102. In particular, one end of outer strip 100 is positioned directly on the gate frame member and one end of intermediate member 98 is positioned on top of it. Rivets 102 then are inserted through both strips. The length of strip 96 is substantially identical to the circumference of mounting bar 32 so that it completely encircles it. Strip 96 can be secured to bar 32 in any suitable fashion, for example, by gluing.
To close fastener 92 or 94, strip 98 is first wrapped around strip 96 and then strip 100 is wrapped around strips 96 and 98. The side of strip 100 facing the gate frame member is smooth, while the remaining side constitutes the loop material of a hook and loop fastener along its entire length. Strip 98 includes a segment constituting the hook material of a hook and loop fastener and a second segment constituting loop material. In particular, surface 104 of strip 98 defines a smooth segment 108 and a hook segment 110. Similarly, surface 106 of strip 98 defines a smooth segment 116 and a loop segment 114. Loop segment 114 extends to the end of strip 98.
Gate 10 is secured within an accessway by collapsing frame 12 and gate 14 sufficiently to permit gate 10 to be placed in the accessway. Fasteners 92 and 94 are secured to bar 32 and loop fasteners 20 are aligned with the corresponding hook fasteners on the sides of the accessway. Frame 12 is extended until loop fasteners 2 mate with the corresponding hook fasteners. As frame 12 is expanded gate 14 also expands as required. Removal of restraint 10 from the accessway is accomplished simply by collapsing frame 12 until loop fasteners 20 become disengaged from the corresponding hook fasteners.
Fasteners 92 and 94 are fastened to bar 32 by moving gate 14 to its closed position. Strip 98 is wrapped around strip 96 so that loop segment 114 of strip surface 104 is engaged with strip 96. Then, strip 100 is wrapped in the opposite direction around strip 96 and strip 98 until its loop fasteners are engaged with both the hook fasteners of strip 96 and hook segment 110 of surface 104 of strip 98. The relative lengths of strips 98 and 100 and of segments 110 and 114 should be chosen to permit proper engagement of hook segments 114 with strip 96 and loop member 100 with both strip 96 and hook segment 110 of strip 98. Fasteners 92 and 94 are unfastened by reversing the fastening procedure.
As an alternative member 81, member 54 and the proximals panels can form a single unit.
FIGS. 5 through 7 show child restraint 200. Child restraint 200 is designed for substantially permanent mounting in an accessway. Accordingly, its width is not adjustable and it is not readily removable for remounting in another accessway.
Restraint 200 includes gate 210, fasteners 212 and 214 and hinges 216 and 218. One side of each of hinges 216 and 218 is suitably fastened, for example with screws, to wall 220 while the remaining side is suitably secured to gate 210. Gate 210 can be constructed from a suitable fiberboard. Accordingly, gate 210 can swing between an opened and closed position on hinges 216 and 218.
Gate 210 is secured in the closed position to post 222 with fasteners 212 and 214. Each fastener 212 and 214 includes strips 224, 226 and 228. Each of intermediate strip 226 and outer strip 228 is secured to gate 210 at one edge with a rivet 230. Inner strip 224 is wrapped around and secured to post 222. With the exception of their lengths and the lengths of the hook and loop segments of intermediate strip 226, the construction and use of fasteners 212 and 214 are identical to those of fasteners 92 and 94 of restraint 10, with the exception of their dimensions and the fact that the hook member and loop members are reversed. Strips 224, 226, 228 and the hook and loop segments of strip 226 should be dimensioned to permit proper fastening as described with respect to fasteners 92 and 94.
FIG. 4 shows a restraint 250 that is identical to gate 200 except that it has been adapted for use in an accessway defined by two walls rather than by a wall and a railing post. In particular, FIG. 4 shows a fastener 252 that has been adapted from fasteners 212 and 214 to accommodate the securing of the open end of gate 254 to wall 256 rather than to a post. Fastener 252 includes strips 258, 260 and 262. Each of inner strip 258 and outer strip 262 is secured at one end to wall 256 with a screw 264. Strip 258 is secured at its remaining end to wall 256 with another screw 266. The exposed surface of strip 258 constitutes the loop material of a hook and loop fastener. One end of intermediate strip 260 is secured to gate 254 with a screw 268. Segments 270 and 272 of strip 260 constitute hook material. Surface 274 of strip 262 is smooth, while side 276 constitutes loop material.
Gate 254 is fastened in the closed position by moving gate 254 to the closed position shown in FIG. 4 and securing hook material 270 to strip 258. The loop material 276 of strip 262 is overlaid onto segment 272 to secure those two surfaces together. Unfastening fastener 252 is accomplished by reversing the fastening procedure.
With respect to each of fasteners 92, 94, 212, 214 and 252, the gate remains fastened in place when the outer strip is disengaged from the intermediate strip. Accordingly, an adult supervising a child can facilitate opening and closing the gate by leaving the outer strip disengaged. If more secure closure is desired, for example if the adult must leave the area occupied by the child or infant, the outer strip should remain engaged with the intermediate strip to increase the difficulty with which the child or infant can unfasten the fastener. | A child restraint includes a gate that can be closed to impede passage by a child or infant through an accessway. The restraint includes a fastener for releasably securing the gate in its closed position. Two separate sequential manipulations are required to unfasten the fastener, which renders it difficult for an infant or child to unfasten the fastener, yet permits quick and easy unfastening by an adult. The restraint can include a gate that is collapsible to permit the restraint to be quickly and easily removed from one accessway and remounted in another accessway.
A fastener for releasably securing an article in a desired position includes three strips of hook and loop type fastening material. An intermediate strip can be positioned between the two remaining strips. The hook and loop material releasably secures the three members together as a unit. Two sequential operations are required to release the members from each other, thereby requiring two sequential manipulations to release the article from its position. | 4 |
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 10/479,530, filed Dec. 1, 2003, which is a National Stage of PCT/DK02/00368 which application is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF INVENTION
Proteome analysis has allowed for the identification of proteins and their association to diabetes. These proteins, in themselves, either up-regulated or down-regulated, are indicators of diabetes in a patient. The pattern of regulation of a grouping of these proteins also serves as an indicator of diabetes. These proteins can be used as targets for the treatment of diabetes or for treatment itself. The proteins were identified by monitoring IL-1β induced protein changes in diabetes prone mammalian islets of Langerhans.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is a multifactorial polygenetic autoimmune disease, where the insulin producing β-cells are selectively destroyed. The initiating events and precise mechanisms leading to selective β-cell destruction remains unknown. One current hypothesis [3] is that in genetically predisposed individuals the β-cells are influenced by factors from the internal or external environment which can damage the β-cells (e.g. cytokines, virus and chemicals) and then lead to release of β-cell specific proteins. During the destructive process IL-1β is released by macrophages in the islets and the cytotoxic effects of IL-1β on the β-cells results in production of free radicals (e.g. nitric oxide (NO.), super oxide (O 2 .) and hydroxyl (OH − ) inside the β-cells. Free radicals and NO. are also produced in and secreted from macrophages in the islet infiltrate. The effects of free radicals are attempted scavenged by β-cell protective proteins (e.g. haeme oxygenases and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD)) [25, 26]. A race between protective and destructive mechanisms is initiated, and when the destructive mechanisms exceed the protective mechanisms, the β-cells die [3].
Autoimmune insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is caused by specific destruction of the insulin producing β-cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. During this process islets are infiltrated with macrophages and lymphocytes, releasing a mixture of cytokines, such as interieukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), which is specifically toxic to the β-cells. Cytokines have been demonstrated to induce free radicals such as nitric oxide (NO.), catalyzed by inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS) and oxygen derived radical.
Development of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is characterized by mononuclear cell infiltration in the islets of Langerhans (insulitis) and selective destruction of the insulin producing β-cells [1, 2]. It is generally accepted that the autoimmune destruction of the β-cells result from interactions between various environmental factors and immune mechanisms in genetically susceptible individuals [3]. The very first events initiating the destructive process has not been described yet. Cytokines, in particular interleukin-1β (IL-1β), are known to be released within the islets in low concentrations by a limited number of nonendocrine cells in sufficient quantities to inhibit and modulate the β-cell function in vitro [4]. In response to low concentrations of IL-1β islets increase insulin release but insulin release is decreased at high concentrations of IL-1β. Furthermore IL-1β influences many important cellular functions such as decreasing DNA synthesis, decreasing protein synthesis and intracellular energy production and induction of apoptosis. Many of these effects are mediated through induction of the inducible NO syntase (INOS) and its product, the free radical nitric oxide (NO.) [5]. The present investigators hypothesize that the β-cell when exposed to IL-1β initiates a self protective response in competition with a series of deleterious events, and that in β-cells the deleterious prevail [3]. In support of this, overexpression of scavengers of free radicals such as catalase and glutatione peroxidase reduces the deleterious effects of cytokines on β-cells [6].
The present investigators have recently described a similar behavior of Wistar Furth (WF) rat islets exposed to IL-1β in vitro [7]. IL-1β induced significant changes in expression level of 105 proteins in WF islets where both protective proteins e.g. such as galectin-3 and HSP70 are up-regulated and deleterious protein changes e.g. mortalin and lamin A and B1, were identified. In addition proteins involved in mitochondrial energy production were suppressed e.g. adenylate kinase and mitochondrial ATP synthase regulatory subunit B [7].
The BioBreeding diabetes prone (BB-DP) rat spontaneously develops a diabetic syndrome with many characteristics common with human T1DM [8]. Originally the BB-DP rat strain has been breed from a WF rat colony [9]. Strain-dependent variations in β-cell sensitivity to IL-1β effects have been demonstrated in vitro and in vivo [10] [11]. Islets isolated from grown Norway rats were less sensitive to IL-1β compared to Wistar Furth (WF), Lewis-Scripps (LS) and BB (both diabetes prone (DP) and diabetes resistant (DR)) rats. The BB-DP rat islets produce lower protective stress responses (HSP70) than the diabetes resistant BB rat which might promote enhanced vulnerability and β-cell destruction [12]. The present investigators have previously shown that there is no difference in nitric oxide (NO.) production and 24 hour accumulated insulin release in BB-DP and WF islets in response to exposure to 150 pg/ml IL-1β for 24 hours [13]. The higher resistance to IL-1β induced inhibition of β-cell function in vitro and in vivo in BN rat islets was associated with lower expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (INOS) compared to Wistar Kyoto and Ls rats [11].
The present investigators previously demonstrated that IL-1β induces reproducible and statistically significant changes in the expression level of 82 protein spots in BB-DP rat islets of Langerhans in vitro out of a total of 1.815 protein spots visualized by 2 dimensional gel electrophoresis. Twenty-two protein spots were up-regulated and 60 protein spots down-regulated [13].
Recently, the present investigators have separated approximately 1.900 protein spots according to molecular weight and isoelectric point (pI) by high resolution 2 dimensional gel electrophoresis of WF rat islets of Langerhans [14]. One hundred and five of these protein spots changed expression levels after IL-1β incubation in vitro and the majority of these proteins have now been identified by mass spectrometry. The identified proteins were classified into the following functional groups (in brackets number of different proteins): a) energy transduction and redox potentials (n=14), b) glycolytic enzymes (n=10), c) protein synthesis (n=5), d) chaperones, protein folding and translocation (n=19), e) signal transduction, regulation, differentiation and apoptosis (n=9) suggesting broad variety of pathways involved in IL-1β toxicity on islets [7].
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present investigators have demonstrated that the combination of 2 dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry is a powerful tool in the identification of proteins involved in the cytotoxic effects of IL-1β in neonatal BB-DP rat islets. This study demonstrates that IL-1β exposure of BB-DP and WF rat islets involves essentially the same pathways and results in equal production of NO and accumulated insulin release over 24 hours and the same final result after IL-1β exposure, necrosis and apoptosis although some of the involved proteins are slightly different in the two rat strains.
Moreover, the present investigators have examined the effects of IL-β on BB-DP rat islets in vitro as a simplified model for β-cell destruction in the pathogenesis of T1DM and found that a preponderance of identified changes in protein expression relate to cytokine mediated β-cell destruction and development of T1 DM.
Thus, the present investigators have identified proteins associated with diabetes by detecting the absolute or relative presence of the proteins of tables 1, 2 and 3 in a biological sample. Typically, the biological sample is selected from the group consisting of urine, blood, CSF, saliva, lymphatic fluids, and tissue. Suitably, the tissue is pancreatic islets of Langerhans.
Proteome analysis applied to BB-DP rat islets exposed to IL-1β reveals insight into mechanisms responsible for β-cell destruction at the protein level as well as identifying proteins of relevance in the treatment of diabetes. Furthermore comparison of protein changes identified by proteome analysis in WF and BB-DP rat islets exposed to IL-1β identify proteins and pathways involved in β-cell destruction specific for the diabetes prone BB rat.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES:
FIG. 1 is a fluorograph of two-dimensional gels of neonatal BB-DP rat islets of Langerhans. Marked proteins are those with altered levels of expression following incubation with IL-1β and the numbering corresponds to proteins listed in tables 1 and 2. A non-equilibrium pH-gradient electrophoresis (NEPHGE gel, pH 6.5-10.5) is represented on the left and an isoelectric focusing gel (IEF gel, pH 3.5-7) is represented on the right.
FIG. 2 is a fluorograph of two-dimensional gels of neonatal BB-DP rat islets of Langerhans prepared after 24-hour incubation in a control medium followed by [35S]-methionine labeling.
FIG. 3A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for IEF protein I 75 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 3B-3D represent enlarged regions of FIG. 3A for protein I 75 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 4A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for IEF protein I 266 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 4B-4D represent enlarged regions of FIG. 4A for protein I 266 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 5A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for IEF protein I 270 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 5B-5C represent enlarged regions of FIG. 5A for protein I 270 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 6A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for IEF protein I 292 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 6B-6E represent enlarged regions of FIG. 6A for protein I 292 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 7A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for LEE protein I 408 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 7B-7D represent enlarged regions of FIG. 7A for protein I 408 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 8A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for IEF protein I 418 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 8B-8E represent enlarged regions of FIG. 8A for protein I 418 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 9A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for IEF protein I 683 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 9B-9E represent enlarged regions of FIG. 9 A for protein I 683 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. l 0 A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for IEF protein I 961 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. l 0 B- 10 E represent enlarged regions of FIG. 10A for protein I 961 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 11A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for IEF protein I 8264 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 11B-11H represent enlarged regions of FIG. 11A for protein I 8264 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 12A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for IEF protein I 8311 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 12B-12C represent enlarged regions of FIG. 12A for protein I 8311 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 13A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for NEPHGE protein N 68 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments. FIGS. 13B-13C represent enlarged regions of FIG. 13A for protein N 68 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 14A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for NEPHGE protein N 212 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 14B-14E represent enlarged regions of FIG. 14A for protein N 212 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 15A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for NEPHGE protein N 268 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 15B-15E represent enlarged regions of FIG. 15A for protein N 268 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 16A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for NEPHGE protein N 403 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 16B-16C represent enlarged regions of FIG. 16A for protein N 403 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 17A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for NEPHGE protein N 435 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 17B-17C represent enlarged regions of FIG. 17A for protein N 435 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 18A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for NEPHGE protein N 509 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 18B-18C represent enlarged regions of FIG. 18A for protein N 509 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
FIG. 19A is a total mass spectrometric graph with peak molecular weights noted in Daltons for NEPHGE protein N 1355 prepared from tryptic peptide fragments.
FIGS. 19B-19D represent enlarged regions of FIG. 19A for protein N 1355 such that particular peaks may be readily identified.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates in a first aspect to the novel proteins identified by proteome analysis and mass spectrometry.
A further aspect relates to the use of novel proteins and proteins of table 1 or table 2 or the tables of the mass spectra MWts for the previously unidentified proteins as markers or indicators for diabetes as well as to the use of known proteins whose presence, absence or prevalence has previously not been associated with diabetes. The changes in protein expression and patterns of protein expression are considered to be important markers for diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutic applications and targets.
To identify diabetes marker proteins, IL-1β induced protein changes in BB-DP islets from neonatal BB-DP rats islets were investigated by incubating BB-DP rats islets for 24 hours with or without recombinant human IL-1β. The medium was sampled for nitrite and insulin measurements [13]. Two dimensional gel analysis of the islets was performed and fluorographs of the islets were computer analysed. Protein spots that significantly changed expression level after exposure to IL-1β were cut out of preparatory gels and attempted identified by mass spectrometry.
Proteome analysis, by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, mass spectrometry and bio-informatics, offered the opportunity to identify different pathways involved in IL-1β induced 1β-cell destruction. Significantly changed proteins in BB-DP rat islets after IL-1β exposure was obtained.
Similar result were obtained from WF rat islets exposed to IL-1β where 60 protein spots were identified out of 105 significantly changed protein spots. These 60 identifications correspond to 57 different proteins. Comparing the identified proteins in the BB-DP rat with the identified proteins in the WF rat, 13 proteins were identical (NEPHGE (N) 223, 231, 370, 146, 381 (3 spots), IEF (I) 1127, 955, 552, 138 (3 spots), 1136, 8580, 68, 62).
Interestingly, fewer protein spot changed expression levels upon IL-1β exposure in the BB-DP islets (82 spots) compared to WF islets (105 spots). Parts of the difference could be explained by difference in concentration of acrylamide in second dimension gels (Wistar islets were run on 10 and 15% gels whereas BB-DP islets were run on 12.5% acrylamide gels). 33 proteins were changed only in BB-DP islet responses to IL-1β in vitro and 44 proteins “specific” for WF rat islets, although many reflect similar pathways and functions in the two strains studied.
The cytotoxic effect of cytokines on islets is inhibited by inhibitors of protein synthesis indicating that β-cell destruction, is an active intracellular process requiring de novo synthesis of proteins. The protein INOS has previously been reported to change expression level after IL-1β exposure. Heat shock protein 70, 90 and MnSOD others are has been referred to oxidative stress-proteins in connection to their protective response. The proteins of the invention are involved in a variety of different pathways involved in β-cell destruction and may be classified according to the pathway. The proteins of the invention may a) be involved in energy transduction and redox potentials and glycolytic enzymes (14 proteins); b) be involved in purine/pyrimidine synthesis, DNA/RNA synthesis, RNA processing, amino add metabolism and protein synthesis (7 proteins); c) act as chaperones (5 proteins); d) be involved in differentiation, apoptosis, regulation and signal transduction; e) be involved in cellular defence; f) be involved in cellular structure; g) be involved in hormone/neurotransmitter metabolism; h) or have other functions.
A. Energy Transduction and Redox Potentials and Glycolytic Enzymes (14 Different Proteins)
The following proteins of the invention are involved in energy transduction and redox potentials and glycolytic enzymes (14 different proteins):
Malate dehydrogenase precursor;
Aconitate hydratase;
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase;
Pyruvate kinase M2 isozyme;
Isocitrate dehydrogenase;
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase;
ATP synthase;
ATP synthase alpha chain;
L-3-hydroxy-CoA dehydrogenase precursor;
NADH dehydrogenase;
Carbonyl reductase;
Vacuolar ATP synthase subunit B;
Alcohol dehydrogenase; and
Creatine kinase B chain was identified together with cytokeratine 8 polypeptide are each diabetes marker proteins of the present invention.
IL-1β induces NO production in the 1β-cells which in turn nitrosylates the Fe—S complex in enzymes [31] and inactivates mitochondrial aconitase [32] whereby the oxidation of glucose in the Krebs Cycle is inhibited which results in decreased ATP production.
The malate dehydrogenase precursor has been found down-regulated in three spots, Aconitate hydratase, glyceralaldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase M2 isozyme and isocitrate dehydrogenase precursor are all down-regulated and involved in energy production in the Krebs Cycle.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, the first step in the pentose phosphate pathway is up-regulated, which could be to compensate for the decreased energy production through the Krebs Cycle.
Furthermore several proteins involved in energy transduction and redox potentials are down-regulated in response to IL-1β exposure. The proteins are H+ transporting ATP synthase, ATP synthase alpha chain, L-3-hydroxy-CoA dehydrogenase precursor, NADH dehydrogenase, carbonyl reductase, vacuolar ATP synthase subunit B and alcohol dehydrogenase.
Taken together this strongly suggest that energy production in islets is inhibited by IL-1β in BB-DP rat islets.
Creatine kinase B chain was identified together with cytokeratine 8 polypeptide in an up-regulated spot. Creatine kinase was found down-regulated in WF islets [7]indicating that creatine kinase-could also be involved here.
B. Purine/Pyrimidine Synthesis, DNA/RNA Synthesis, RNA Processing, Amino acid Metabolism and Protein Synthesis (8 Proteins)
The following proteins of the invention are involved in purine/pyrimidine synthesis, DNA/RNA synthesis, RNA processing, or amino acid metabolism and protein synthesis (8 different proteins:
5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide formyltranferase;
UMP-CMP kinase;
Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase;
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/1311;
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M (M4 protein deletion mutant);
Aspartate aminotransferase (cytosolic);
Aspartate aminotransferase (mitochondrial); and
Ribosomal protein L11
are each further diabetes marker proteins of the present invention.
Three of the identified proteins, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide formyltranferase, UMP-CMP kinase and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, involved in the synthesis of purine and pyrimidine, were down-regulated after exposure to IL-1β.
Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/1311 and M4 protein deletion mutant (heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein M) are both involved in processing of preRNA [33, 34] and were both down-regulated too. Aspartate aminotransferase, both the cytosolic and the mitochondrial form, involved in amino add metabolism were down-regulated after exposure to IL-1β. The down-regulation of all these proteins support that the β-cells focus their efforts in protecting themselves against the deleterious effects of IL-1β and down-regulate functions that are not involved in protection.
C. Chaperones (7 Different Proteins)
Endoplasmin;
GRP 78 [39] 78 kDa glucose regulated protein (GRP78);
Protein disulfide isomerase;
Probable disulfide isomerase P5;
Calreticulin;
Endoplasmic reticulum protein ERP 29; and
HSP70
are each further diabetes marker proteins of the present invention.
Endoplasmin, one of two proteins in a down-regulated spot, belongs to the HSP 90 family which is involved in protein folding [38] and has been shown to have serine kinase activity which is enhanced by association with 78 kDa glucose regulated protein (GRP78) [39].
GRP78, was found in three spots, one up-regulated, one down-regulated and together with endoplasmin in one down-regulated spot (demonstrating complex differential regulation of post-anslational modifications). It is a member of the HSP 70 family involved in the folding and assembly of proteins in the endoplasmatic reticulum [40]. Endoplasmic reticulum protein ERP 29 is a member of the ER protein-processing machinery and is involved in protein secretory events. IL-1β exposure down-regulates this protein.
Protein disulfide isomerase, involved in molecular chaperone of glycoprotein biosynthesis [41]is down-regulated by IL-1β together with probable disulfide isomerase P5. Both are involved in the formation and rearrangement of disulfide bonds in proteins. Interestingly, all these proteins are able to bind calcium like calreticulin [42] and may also be involved in signal transduction.
Up-regulated HSP70 expression has been demonstrated to diminish the inhibitory effect of IL-1β on islet insulin secretion and NO-induced mitochondrial impairment [43, 44]. In the diabetes prone BB rat, insufficient HSP70 expression in islets has been correlated to sensitivity to NO. and oxygen radical toxicity [12].
D. Differentiation, Apoptosis, Regulation and Signal Transduction (7 Different Proteins)
Galectin-3;
Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A;
Toad 64;
Secretagogin;
Calreticulin;
Craniofacial development protein 1; and
The Voltage dependent anion channel protein
are each further diabetes marker proteins of the present invention.
IL-1β induces cell death through different pathways, among them gene controlled apoptosis [45-47]. Galectin-3, a protein involved in cell survival by inhibiting apoptosis [48-50] is up-regulated and present in 2 spots.
Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A, like NUK 34, is involved in transcriptional/translational regulation [51] is up-regulated indicating specific activation of protein synthesis.
Toad 64, a protein up-regulated over the course of neurogenesis and playing a role in signal transduction processes involved in axon growing [52]is up-regulated after IL-1β exposure.
The calcium binding protein, calreticulin, found up-regulated in two spots, can act as an important modulator of the regulation of gene transcription by nuclear hormone receptors (glucocorticoid and androgen receptors) [55] [56]. Taken together the changes in expression level of these proteins indicate that proteins potentially involved in apoptosis is changed by IL-1β exposure.
Another calcium binding protein, secretagogin, specific for neuroendocrine cells and related to calbindin D-28k, is involved in cell growth and maturation [53] and is down-regulated. Calbindin D-28k has been shown to be involved in protection from cytokine induced apoptosis in 13-β cells [54].
Voltage dependent anion channel is identified in a down-regulated spot together with L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase precursor. The Voltage dependent anion channel protein is able to form small pores in the outer mitochondrial membrane allowing movements of adenine nucleotides. Bc12 proteins binds to the channel in order to regulate the mitochondrial membrane potential and release of cytochrome c during apoptosis [57].
E. Cellular Defence (2 Proteins)
Catalase; and
Glutathione synthetase
are each further diabetes marker proteins of the present invention.
Free radicals (e.g. nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide) are proposed to play a central role in the destruction of β-cells [3]. Catalase, which serves to protect cells from the toxic effects of hydrogen peroxide, is up-regulated in response to IL-1β exposure.
Overexpression of catalase, super oxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in Rinm5F cells protect against the toxicity of NO donors [58]. The increased expression of catalase in the BB-DP islets apparently is not sufficient to protect against the IL-1β induced free radicals. Hereditary catalase deficiencies are reported to increase the risk for T1DM in a Hungarian population [59].
Glutathione synthetase is important for a variety of biologic functions including protection of cells from oxidative damage by free radicals and detoxifications [58, 60 and 61] and is here reduced to one eighth of the normal concentration (down-regulated) suggesting a reduced potential for cellular defence against oxygen-derived free radicals.
F. Cellular Sure (3 Proteins)
Tubulin beta-5 chain;
Cytokeratin 8; and
Keratin 2a
are each further diabetes marker proteins of the present invention.
Tubulin beta-5 chain, the major constituent of microtubules were present in 4 spots, possibly 4 different modifications, all down-regulated probably due to lower mitotic rate upon IL-1β exposure. Cytokeratin 8 was present in the same upregulated spot as creatine kinase-B. Cytokeratin 8 has been shown to play an essential role in regulation of growth and differentiation in the exocrine pancreas [62]. Furthermore keratin 2a is found together with tubulin beta-5 chain in a down-regulated spot.
G. Hormone/Neurotransmitter Metabolism (5 Different Proteins)
Membrane associated progesterone component (25-Dx);
Amyloid beta-peptide binding protein;
Neuroendocrine convertase 1;
Neuroendocrine convertase 2; and
Beta-alanine oxoglutarate aminotransferase (GABA-transaminase)
are each further diabetes marker proteins of the present invention.
Membrane associated progesterone component (25-Dx) is a receptor for progesterone which is massively down-regulated after IL-1β exposure. 25-Dx has 71% sequence homology with the transmembrane domain of the precursor for the IL-6 receptor and a conserved consensus sequence found in the cytokine/growth factor prolactin receptor superfamily [63].
Amyloid beta-peptide binding protein is involved in androgen metabolism and has been postulated to be involved in apoptosis and amyloid toxicity [64]. Here, it is down-regulated by IL-1β.
Beta-alanine oxoglutarate aminotransferase (GABA-transaminase) is responsible for the catabolism of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric add (GABA) and is down-regulated in IL-β exposed islets. It probably has a different function in the β-cells.
H. Other Functions (2 Proteins)
5-aminolevulinate synthase precursor, and
the cytomegalovirus protein immediate-early protein 1
are each further diabetes marker proteins of the present invention
5-aminolevulinate synthase precursor is a rate limiting nuclear-encoded mitchondrial enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway which serve as part of several heme containing proteins such as hemoglobin and catalase. IL-1β down-regulates the expression of 5-aminolevulinate synthase precursor and might then increase the β-cell susceptibility to IL-1β due to reduced levels of one of the substrates for catalase production.
Interestingly the cytomegalovirus protein immediate-early protein 1 has been identified in the BB-DP islets as down-regulated. This protein is able to transactivate heterologous promoters [65] in rat cytomegalovirus. The protein may come from a cytomegalovirus infection or may be a homologous rat protein.
Exposure of BB-DP rat islets of Langerhans to 150 pg/ml of human IL-1β for 24 hours induces significant changes in expression levels of 82 proteins. Positive protein identification has been obtained for most spots by mass spectrometry, which at present is the most powerful method and technique of choice to identify proteins from high resolution two-dimensional gels [66]. It is understood by the person skilled in the art that the effect of human IL-1β on rat islets is the same effect as that anticipated on human islets.
In Table 1, proteins common for BB-DP and WF are marked with #. From Table 1 it is evident that proteins involved in chaperoning, protein folding and translocation and proteins involved in energy transduction and redox potentials are common pathways affected in the two strains. For both groups most of the proteins are down regulated suggesting that similar mechanisms are affected by IL-1β exposure in the two rat strains. Another pattern is seen for the glycolytic enzymes. Here the outcome of the changes in expression levels of proteins, a lower energy production, although them is only overlap in 2 out of 8 proteins in the BB-DP rat [7]. This suggests that IL-1β affects the glycolytic enzymes differently in the two rat strains with the same final result, a lower energy production.
Two proteins involved in cellular defense, catalase and glutathione synthetase are both changed in expression levels by IL-1β in BB-DP rats but not in WF rat islets. The increased expression of catalase protects cells against the free radical hydrogen peroxide indicating that free radicals are present in the BB-DP islets after IL-1β exposure and that the islets are trying to protect themselves against the free radicals. The previously described strain differences in rat islets regarding IL-1β sensitivity and NO. production after IL-1β exposure might be explained by dent abilities to mount a free radical defense [10].
The other protein involved in cellular defense, glutathione synthetase involved in energy requiring synthesis (ATP is one of the substrates) of the free radical scavenger glutathione is decreased by more then seven fold. This indicates that the glutathione detoxifying pathway is impaired by IL-1β in BB-DP rats.
In the functional studies of the islets in vitro, IL-1β increased the NO. production over a 24 hour period, but INOS was not identified as one of the up-regulated proteins. This could be explained by absence of IL-β in the 4 hours labeling period after the IL-1β incubation or that the difference in expression level does not fulfil our criteria for significant difference or is not present in the gels. The same was seen in WF islets incubated with IL-1β [7]. Increased mRNA levels for INOS has been found in prediabetic NOD mice [67].
Taken together, the comparison of IL-1β exposed neonatal BB-DP islets and WF islets has revealed that IL-β induce significant changes in the expression level of, respectively, 82 and 105 protein spots. There is an overlap in 13 of the identified proteins, and involvement of the same pathways, suggesting that different proteins are expressed upon IL-1β exposure in BB-DP and WF rat islets although there is no difference in NO. and insulin and that the final result, apoptosis and β-cell destruction is the same.
Some proteins are seen in more than one spot, e.g. calreticulin and GRP 78, which indicate that the protein is present in more than one form presumably due to post-translational modifications. Post-translational modifications, such as phosphorylations, methylations or glycosylations are important for the function or activation of the protein. Proteins with known genes and chromosomal localisation close to known T1 DM loci in the human genome might be of particular interest and might identify primary changes.
A first aspect of the invention relates to marker proteins. The marker proteins are selected from the group consisting of:
a) a protein of table 1, a protein of table 2, a protein of table 3, a protein of FIG. 1 (such as a protein marked with a number) and a protein having a spectrum as shown in any one of the FIGS. 3A-19D ; and
b) a protein with at least 80% sequence homology with a protein in a).
Also, the marker protein can be selected from the group consisting of:
a) one or more proteins present in a significantly lower or significantly higher amount on a polyacrylamide gel of proteins from said biological sample in relation to a control;
b) one or more proteins present on a polyacrylamide gel of proteins from said biological sample and absent on polyacrylamide gel of proteins of a control; and
c) one or more proteins absent on a polyacrylamide gel of proteins from said biological sample and present on polyacrylamide gel of proteins of a control.
The meaning of the term “control” is evident for a person skilled in the art of proteomics. Preferably, the control is an IOD % value of a spot (having the same position) from a gel of proteins from a sample originating from a human who is not predisposed for or having diabetes.
The term “marker protein” is meant to encompass the above mentioned proteins, as well as similar proteins from other species of mammals. The human forms of the proteins are of particular interest. For example, it is suggested that the human forms of the rat proteins can be used as markers for diabetes in human beings. Thus, the term “marker protein” encompasses the human form of the identified proteins in table 1 and the not yet identified proteins in table 2, as well as the proteins being up- or down-regulated in a mammalian tissue sample (e.g. human) as described elsewhere. Examples of the marker proteins of the invention are given below.
An other aspect of the invention relates a method for diagnosing or for determining the predisposition of diabetes in a mammal, e.g. in a human, the method comprising determining the presence, absence or level of expression of at least one marker protein in a biological sample from said mammal. The biological sample can be selected from the group consisting of urine, blood, saliva, lymphatic fluids, and tissue, presently pancreatic tissue is preferred.
A presently preferred method comprises establishing the increased expression of at least one marker protein (an up-regulated marker protein) selected from the group consisting of:
a) a protein which is defined in table 1 and/or 2, and marked as up-regulated; and
b) a protein which is a modification or a derivative of a protein in a), so as to have at least 80% sequence homology with a protein in a), but of course the invention also relates to a method establishing the decreased expression of at least one down-regulated marker protein.
In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method for determining the predisposition for diabetes in a human, the method comprising:
a) determining the increased expression of at least one marker protein in a biological sample originating from the human, said marker protein being selected from the group consisting of: I) an up regulated protein defined in table 1, 2 and/or 3, and II) a protein which is a modification or a derivative of a protein in I), so as to have at least 80% sequence homology with a protein in I);
b) determining the decreased expression in a biological sample from the human of at least one marker protein, said marker protein being selected from the group consisting of: I) a down-regulated protein defined in table 1, 2 and/or 3 and II) a protein which is a modification or a derivative of a protein in I), so as to have at least 80% sequence homology with a protein in I); or
c) combinations of the determinations in a) and b).
Thus, the determination of whether a protein is up-regulated or down-regulated serves as useful indicators of diabetes susceptibility. The pattern of up and down regulation may also serve as an indicator. That is to say that the level of expression of more than one protein is established and the pattern of expression of a grouping of proteins is used as an indicator.
In a suitably embodiment, at least one marker protein is selected from the group consisting of one or more proteins present in a significantly lower or significantly higher amount on a polyacrylamide gel of proteins from said biological sample in relation to a control, one or more proteins present on a polyacrylamide gel of proteins from said biological sample and absent on polyacrylamide gel of proteins of a control, one or more proteins absent on a polyacrylamide gel of proteins from said biological sample and present on polyacrylamide gel of proteins of a control.
In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of treating diabetes, or preventing or delaying the onset or of diabetes, in a mammal, e.g. in a human, comprising altering the expressing of a least one marker protein.
The method preferably comprises administering a compound selected from the group consisting of:
a) a protein which is defined in table 1, 2 and/or 3;
b) a protein which is a modification or a derivative of a protein of table 1, 2 or 3, so as to have at least 80% sequence homology with a protein of table 1, 2 or 3;
c) a protein having the same function as a protein in a) and/or b);
d) a nucleotide sequence coding for a protein in a), b) or c);
e) an antibody for a protein of a), b) or c);
f) a nucleic add fragment capable of binding to a protein of a) b) or c); and
g) a compound capable of binding to a protein of a), b) or c) to said human.
Also, the invention relates to the use of such a compound for the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment or prophylaxis of diabetes. The term “diabetes” comprises diseases associated with diabetes, especially with type 1 diabetes mellitus.
With regard to a method of treating diabetes, a single protein may be targeted for therapy or a grouping of proteins may be targeted. The level of expression of these targeted proteins may be altered or the proteins themselves may be interfered with in order to alter their activity. Thus, an interesting embodiment of a method of treating diabetes in a human comprises altering the expressing of a marker protein.
In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method of determining the likelihood of an agent having a therapeutic effect in the treatment of diabetes comprising determining the relative level of expression of one or more marker proteins before and after exposing a test model to said agent.
Also, the invention relates to a method of determining the effect of a compound in the treatment of diabetes comprising determining the level of expression of proteins of one or more marker proteins.
In a further embodiment, the invention relates to a method of determining the level of effect of a compound used in the treatment of diabetes comprising determining the level of expression of one or more marker proteins before and after exposing a test model to said agent.
Also, the invention relates to a method of determining the nature or cause of diabetes in a mammal, e.g. in a human, having or susceptible to said disease comprising establishing the level of expression of a at least one marker protein in relation to a model.
An other embodiment of the invention relates to a nucleic add fragment comprising a nucleotide sequence which codes for a marker protein, or to a nucleic add fragment which hybridizes with a such a nucleic add fragment or a part thereof or with its complementary strand.
The invention relates to the use of the above mentioned nucleic add fragments for detecting the presence of a marker protein.
In yet another embodiment, the invention relates to an antibody able to bind to a marker protein. Such an antibody can be a polyclonal antibody or a monoclonal antibody. The invention also relates to the use of such an antibody for detecting the presence of a marker protein.
In a further embodiment, the invention relates to a test kit for diagnosing diabetes or a genetic predisposition for diabetes in a mammal, e.g. in a human, comprising:
a) a binding means which specifically binds to at least one marker protein; or which binding means is an antibody for at least one said marker protein, a nucleic add fragment capable of binding to at least one said marker protein, or a compound capable of binding to at least one said marker protein;
b) a means for detecting binding, if any, or the level of binding, of the binding means to at least one of the marker proteins or to at least one of the nucleic add fragments, and
c) a means for correlating whether binding, if any, or the level of binding, to said binding means is indicative of the individual mammal having a significantly higher likelihood of having diabetes or a genetic predisposition for having diabetes.
In an other embodiment, the invention relates to a method for determining the effect of a substance, the method comprising using a mammal, e.g. a human, which has been established to be an individual having a high likelihood of having diabetes or a genetic predisposition for having diabetes by use of a method of the invention, the method comprising administering the substance to the individual and determining the effect of the substance.
The present investigators anticipate that a method of determining the nature or cause of diabetes in a human having or susceptible to said disease comprising establishing the level of expression of a protein of Table 1 in relation to a model serves for understanding the disease and potential therapies.
In the testing of compounds, knowledge about the activity or target of an agent is useful for understanding the therapeutic activity of said agent and may assist in improving the desired therapy. The developments of the present investigators allows for a method of determining the effect of a compound in the treatment of diabetes comprising determining the level of expression of one or more marker proteins and to a method of determining the level of effect or level of activity of a compound used in the treatment of diabetes comprising determining the level of expression of one or more marker proteins before and after exposing a test model to said agent.
A very important embodiment of the invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition which comprises:
a) a substance which is capable of regulating the expression of a nucleic acid fragment coding for at least part of a marker protein;
b) a marker protein;
c) a derivative, homologue or mimic of a marker protein;
d) an antibody for a marker protein;
e) a nucleic acid fragment capable of binding to a marker protein; and/or
f) a compound capable of binding to a marker protein.
The pharmaceutical composition can be used as a medicament, such as for treatment or prophylaxis of diabetes.
It should be noted that the detection of any combination of more than one of the markers would be expected to make the analysis an even more reliable indicator for the disease related to diabetes. Thus, a method for diagnosing or determining the predisposition of at least one disease related to diabetes comprising determining the presence, activity, concentration and/or level of expression of a combination of two markers would be preferred and three or more markers (e.g. at least 4, 5, 6 or 7 markers) would be strongly preferred. It is analogously suggested that treatment with more than one compound (e.g. at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 compounds) according to the invention (e.g. more than one compound chosen from the group consisting of: a polypeptide, a nucleic add fragment or an antibody according to the invention), said compounds combined being able to affect the level of more than one marker protein, would make the treatment of the disease even more efficient.
The term “polypeptide” in the present invention should have its usual meaning. That is an amino add chain of any length, including a full-length protein, oligopeptides, short peptides and fragments thereof, wherein the amino add residues are linked by covalent peptide bonds. The terms “polypeptide”, “peptide”, “amino acid sequence” and “protein” are used interchangeably.
The protein may be chemically or biochemically modified by being phosphorylated, methylated, sulphylated, glycosylated or by the addition of any form of lipid or fatty add, ubiquitin or any other large side groups or by containing additional amino adds or any other forms of modification (of which there are over 200 known). These modifications occur at specific sites on the protein and a particular modification at one site can have different effects as the same modification at a different site on the same protein. They can be reversible in the cell where they are used for example to turn on and off enzymes and so the proteins can exist in a variety of forms—each with an associated activity level for each of the proteins functions. Furthermore the polypeptide may be cleaved e.g. by processing at its N- or C-termini to remove signal peptides or be spliced to remove an internal sequence. Examples of many of these can be found in the protein databases like EXPASY and there exist an ever growing range of tools to predict these modifications and their function (see http://www.expasy.ch/). Since it is estimated that each protein in man is modified on average 10 times, it is expected that the majority of the proteins identified here are modified in some way or another. Their apparent isoelectric point and molecular weight has thus been given in tables 1, 2 and 3 so that they can be compared to the theoretical values to indicate what effects the modification has had on the protein.
Each polypeptide may thus be characterized by specific amino adds and be encoded by specific nucleic add sequences. It will be understood that such sequences include analogues and variants produced by recombinant or synthetic methods wherein such polypeptide sequences have been modified by substitution, insertion, addition or deletion of one or more amino add residues in the recombinant polypeptide and still be immunogenic in any of the biological assays described herein. Substitutions are preferably “conservative”. Conservative substitutions are known to a person skilled in the art preferably, amino adds belonging to the same grouping (non-polar (G, A, P, I, L and V), polar-uncharged (C, S, T, M, N and Q), polar-charged (D, E, K and R) and aromatic (H, F, W and Y)). Within these groups, amino adds may be substituted for each other, but other substitutions are of course possible.
Each polypeptide is encoded by a specific nucleic add sequence. It will be understood that such sequences include analogues and variants hereof wherein such nucleic add sequences have been modified by substitution, insertion, addition or deletion of one or more nucleic add residues (including the insertion of one or more introns (small or large)). Substitutions are preferably silent substitutions in the codon usage, which will not lead to any change in the amino add sequence, but may be introduced to enhance the expression of the protein.
In the present context the term “substantially pure polypeptide” means a polypeptide preparation which contains at most 5% by weight of other polypeptide material with which it is natively associated (lower percentages of other polypeptide material are preferred, e.g. at most 4%, at most 3%, at most 2%, at most 1%, and at most ½%). It is preferred that the substantially pure polypeptide is at least 96% pure, i.e. that the polypeptide constitutes at least 96% by weight of total polypeptide material present in the preparation, and higher percentages are preferred, such as at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99%, at last 99,25%, at least 99,5%, and at least 99,75%. It is especially preferred that the polypeptide fragment is in “essentially pure form”, i.e. that the polypeptide fragment is essentially free of any other protein with which it is natively associated, i.e. free of any other protein from a mammal. This can be accomplished by preparing the polypeptide of the invention by means of recombinant methods in a host cell as known to a person skilled in the art, or by synthesizing the polypeptide fragment by the well-known methods of solid or liquid phase peptide synthesis, e.g. by the method described by Merrifield (Merrifield, R. B. Fed. Proc. Am. Soc. Ex. Biol. 21: 412, 1962 and J. Am. Chem. Soc. 85: 2149, 1963) or variations thereof, or by means of recovery from electrophoretic gels.
The term “protein” also encompasses derivatives, analogues and mimetics of the above mentioned polypeptides. Such a derivative, analogue and mimetic preferably have the same activity, e.g. the same kind of enzymatic activity, as the polypeptide which it is derived from. The derivative, analogue or mimetic can have a lower level activity, the same level or preferably, a higher level of activity than the parent polypeptide.
The term “a least one” (e.g. at least one compound or at least one marker protein) encompasses the integers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 etc. It should be understood that a single marker protein can be used, but it can be advantageous to use more than one marker protein in methods of the invention. That is to say that the level of expression of more than one protein is established and the pattern of expression of a grouping of proteins is used as an indicator. Obviously the reliability of identification increases as the number in the group increase.
A “peptide mimetic” is a molecule that mimics the biological activity of a peptide but is no longer peptidic in chemical nature. By strict definition, a peptidomimetic is a molecule that no longer contains any peptide bonds (that is, amide bonds between amino acids). However, the term peptide mimetic is sometimes used to describe molecules that are no longer completely peptidic in nature, such as pseudo-peptides, semi-peptides and peptoids. Whether completely or partially non peptide, peptidomimetics according to this invention provide a spatial arrangement of reactive chemical moieties that closely resembles the three-dimensional arrangement of active groups in the peptide on which the peptidomimetic is based. As a result of this similar active-site geometry, the peptidomimetic has effects on biological systems, which are similar to the biological activity of the peptide. The present invention encompasses peptidomimetic compositions which are analogs that mimic the activity of biologically active peptides according to the invention, i.e. the peptidomimetics can be used for treatment of diabetes related diseases. The peptidomimetic of this invention are preferably substantially similar in both three dimensional shape and biological activity to the peptides or active sites of such as set forth above.
Alternatively, the mimetic can be an ‘antimimetic’. In other words, a molecule that can fit into and block the active site of the protein, or bind to binding sites or sites of interaction with other biological molecules and so interfere with the function of the protein. Most current drugs are of this type. Such antimimetics that are capable of interacting with the polypeptides of the invention are encompassed by the present invention.
There are dear advantages for using a mimetic of a given peptide rather than the peptide itself, because peptides commonly exhibit two undesirable properties: (1) poor bioavailability; and (2) short duration of action. Peptide mimetics offer an obvious route around these two major obstacles, since the molecules concerned are small enough to be both orally active and have a long duration of action. There are also considerable cost savings and improved patient compliance associated with peptide mimetics, since they can be administered orally compared with parenteral or transmucosal administration for peptides. Furthermore, peptide mimetics are much cheaper to produce than peptides. Finally, there are problems associated with stability, storage and immunoreactivity for peptides that are not experienced with peptide mimetics.
Thus peptides described above have utility in the development of such small chemical compounds with similar biological activities and therefore with similar therapeutic utilities. The techniques of developing peptidomimetics are conventional. Thus, peptide bonds can be replaced by non-peptide bonds that allow the peptidomimetic to adopt a similar structure, and therefore biological activity, to the original peptide. Further modifications can also be made by replacing chemical groups of the amino acids with other chemical groups of similar structure. The development of peptidomimetics can be aided by determining the tertiary structure of the original peptide by NMR spectroscopy, crystallography and/or computer-aided molecular modelling. These techniques aid in the development of novel compositions of higher potency and/or greater bioavailability and/or greater stability than the original peptide [Dean (1994), BioEssays, 16: 683-687; Cohen and Shatzmiller (1993), J. Mol. Graph. 11: 166-173; Wiley and Rich (1993), Med. Res. Rev., 13: 327-384; Moore (1994), Trends Pharmacol. Sci., 15: 124-129; Hruby (1993), Biopolymers, 33: 1073-1082; Bugg et al. (1993), Sci. Am., 269: 92-98, all incorporated herein by reference]. Once a potential peptidomimetic compound is identified, it may be synthesized and assayed using the diagnostic assay described herein or an appropriate disease suppressor assay [see, Finlay et al. (1983), Cell, 57: 1083-1093 and Fujiwara et al. (1993), Cancer Res., 53: 4129-4133, both incorporated herein by reference], to assess its activity.
Thus, through use of the methods described above, the present invention provides compounds exhibiting enhanced therapeutic activity in comparison to the polypeptides described above. The peptidomimetic compounds obtainable by the above methods, having the biological activity of the above named peptides and similar three dimensional structure, are encompassed by this invention. It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that a peptidomimetic can be generated from any of the modified peptides described previously or from a peptide bearing more than one of the modifications described previously. It will furthermore be apparent that the peptidomimetics of this invention can be further used for the development of even more potent non-peptidic compounds, in addition to their utility as therapeutic compounds.
By the terms “nucleic acidd fragment” and “nucleic acid sequence” and the like are understood any nucleic acid molecule including DNA, RNA, LNA (locked nucleic acids), PNA, RNA, dsRNA and RNA-DNA-hybrids. Also included are nucleic acid molecules comprising non-naturally occurring nucleosides. The term includes nucleic acid molecules of any length, e.g. from 10 to 10000 nucleotides, depending on the use. When the nucleic acid molecule is for use as a pharmaceutical, e.g. In DNA therapy, or for use in a method for producing a polypeptide according to the invention, a molecule encoding at least a part of the polypeptide is preferably used, having a length from about 18 to about 1000 nucleotides, the molecule being optionally inserted into a vector. When the nucleic acid molecule is used as a probe, as a primer or in antisense therapy, a molecule having a length of 10-100 is preferably used. According to the invention, other molecule lengths can be used, for instance a molecule having at least 12, 15, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 or 1000 nucleotides (or nucleotide derivatives), or a molecule having at most 10000, 5000, 4000, 3000, 2000, 1000, 700, 500, 400, 300, 200, 100, 50, 40, 30 or 20 nucleotides (or nucleotide derivatives). It should be understood that these numbers can be freely combined to produce ranges.
The term “stringent” when used in conjunction with hybridization conditions is as defined in the art, i.e. the hybridization is performed at a temperature not more than 15-20° C. under the melting point (Tm) of the nucleic acid fragment, d. Sambrook et al Molecular Cloning; A laboratory manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, NY, 1989, pages 11.45-11.49. Preferably, the conditions are “highly stringent”, i.e. 5-10° C. under the melting point (Tm). In the present invention, the hybridisation conditions are preferably stringent.
Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, or variations thereof such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element or integer or group of elements or integers but not the exclusion of any other element or integer or group of elements or integers.
The term “sequence identity” (or “sequence homology”) indicates a quantitative measure of the degree of homology between two amino acid sequences of equal length or between two nucleotide sequences of equal length. If the two sequences to be compared are not of equal length, they must be aligned to best possible fit possible with the insertion of gaps or alternatively truncation at the ends of the protein sequences. The sequence identity can be calculated as (N ref −N dif )100/N ref , wherein N dif is the total number of non-identical residues in the two sequences when aligned and wherein N ref is the number of residues in one of the sequences. Hence, the DNA sequence AGTCAGTC will have a sequence identity of 75% with the sequence AATCAATC (N dif =2 and N ref =8). A gap is counted as non-identity of the specific residue(s), i.e. the DNA sequence AGTGTC will have a sequence identity of 75% with the DNA sequence AGTCAGTC (N dif =2 and N ref =8). Sequence identity can alternatively be calculated by the BLAST program e.g. the BLASTP program (Pearson W. R and D. J. Upman (1988) PNAS USA 85:2444-2448) (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/BLAST). In one aspect of the invention, alignment is performed with the sequence alignment method ClustalW with default parameters as described by Thompson J., et al Nucleic Acids Res 1994 22:4673-4680, available at http://www2.ebi.ac.uk/clustalw/. Alternatively, the degree of homology between two nucleic acid sequences is determined by using GAP version 8 from the GCG package with standard penalties for DNA: GAP weight 5.00, length weight 0.300, Matrix described in Gribskov and Burgess, Nucl. Acids Res. 14(16); 6745-6763 (1986), and the degree of homology between two amino acid sequences is determined by using GAP version 8 from the GCG package (Genetics Computer Group, 575 Science Drive, Madison, Wis. 53711, USA) with standard penalties for proteins: GAP weight 3.00, length weight 0.100, Matrix described in Gribskov and Burgess, Nucl. Adds Res. 14(16); 6745-6763 (1986).
A preferred minimum percentage of sequence homology is at least 70%, such as at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 91%, at least 92%, at least 93%, at least 94%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, at least 99%, and at least 99.5%.
The invention also relates to the use of a polypeptide or nucleic acid of the invention for use as therapeutic vaccines as have been described in the literature exemplified by Lowry, D. B. et al 1999, Nature 400: 269-71.
A monoclonal or polyclonal antibody, which is specifically reacting with a polypeptide of the invention in an immuno assay, or a specific binding fragment of said antibody, is also a part of the invention. The antibodies can be produced by methods known to a person skilled in the art. The polyclonal antibodies can be raised in a mammal, for example, by one or more injections of a polypeptide according to the present invention and, if desired, an adjuvant. The monoclonal antibodies according to the present invention may, for example, be produced by the hybridoma method first described by Kohler and Milstein, Nature, 256:495 (1975), or may be produced by recombinant DNA methods such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,567. The monoclonal antibodies may also be isolated from phage libraries generated using the techniques described by McCafferty et al, Nature, 348:552-554 (1990), for example. Methods for producing antibodies are described in the literature, e.g. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,958.
In diagnostics, treatment or testing, an antibody, a nucleic acid fragment and/or a polypeptide of the invention can be used either alone, or as a constituent in a composition. Such compositions are known in the art, and comprise compositions in which the antibody, the nucleic acid fragment or the polypeptide of the invention is coupled, preferably covalently, to at least one other molecule, e.g. a label (e.g. radioactive or fluorescent) or a carrier molecule.
The present invention is further directed to methods for using the compounds described above to therapeutically and/or prophylactically treat a patient for a diabetes related disease.
The methods of the present invention include the steps of: a) incorporating one or more of the compounds of the present invention in a suitable pharmaceutical carrier; and b) administering either a therapeutically effective dosage or a prophylactically effective dosage of the compound or compounds incorporated in the carrier to a patient
The term “suitable pharmaceutical carrier” refers to any carrier known in the pharmaceutical arts for administration of compounds to a patient. Any suitable pharmaceutical carrier can be used according to the present invention, so long as compatibility problems do not arise.
Administration of an effective dosage to a patient can be accomplished by parenteral injection, such as intravenously, intrathecally, intramuscularly or intra-arterially. The compounds can also be administered orally or transdermally, or by any other means known to those skilled in the art, e.g. by means of an inhalator or a nasal spray. Oral administration is presently preferred.
As used herein, the term “therapeutically effective amount” refers to that amount of one or more of the compounds of the present invention required to therapeutically treating a patient. Such treatment is appropriate for subjects having a diagnosed diabetes related disease. Similarly, the term “prophylactically effective amount” refers to that amount of one or more of the compounds of the present invention needed to prophylactically treat a patient. Such treatment is appropriate for subjects who, for example, have not yet established any clinical symptoms of a diabetes related disease. It could be advantageous to start a prophylactic treatment as soon it is determined that the subject is in risk for developing a diabetes related disease, e.g. by means of a determination of a predisposition for diabetes by having an altered level of markers.
As will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art, the dosage of compound given, the route of administration and the duration of therapy will be dependent not only the type of compound and its effectiveness in treating the disease but also upon the individual being treated, taking into consideration such factors as the body weight of the patient, other therapies being employed to treat the patient, and the condition, clinical response and tolerance of the patient. Dosage, administration, and duration of therapy can be determined by one skilled in the art upon evaluation of these and other relevant factors.
EXAMPLES
Example 1
The aim was to describe PIPP induced by 24 hours of incubation with 150 pg/ml recombinant human IL-1β (specific activity was 400 U/ng, Novo Nordisk, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) in neonatal BB-DP rat islets identified by 2-DGE of labelled islets (n=3 for each group) [Christensen, 2000] [13]. Protein spots that significantly changed expression levels after exposure to IL-1β were cut out of preparative gels and subjected to MS.
Preparatory 2D-gels were produced from a pod of approximately 200.000 neonatal WF islets isolated, prepared and separated on gels as described above. For localization of the spots, radioactively labelled tracer islets were mixed with the non-labelled islets. Neonatal WF rat islets were used for preparatory gets because of the price and number of islets isolated per animal. The pattern seen on 2D-gels of respectively BB-DP and WF rat islets are similar. The cost of one WF rat is approximately one tenth of the price of a BB-DP rat (approximately 100 US$ each). From each rat is it possible to isolate in the range of 150-200 islets.
Reagents
RPMI 1640, Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) and Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) (Gibco, Paisley, Scotland). RPMI 1640 contained 11 mmol D-glucose and was supplemented with 20 mM HEPES buffer, 100,000 IU/I penicillin and 100 mg/l streptomycin. Other reagents: 2-mercaptoethanol, foetal calf serum (BSA), normal human serum (NHS), Tris HCl, Tris base, glycine, (Sigma, St. Louis, USA); trichloracetic acid (TCA), phosphoric acid, NaOH, glycerol, n-butanol, bromophenol blue, H3PO4 and NaNO2 (Merck, Darmstadt, Germany); filters (HAWP 0.25 mm pore size) (Millipore, Boston, USA); RNA'se A, DNA'se I (Worthington, Freehold, N.J., USA); [35S]-methionine (SJ 204, specific activity: >1.000 Cl/mmol, containing 0.1% 2-mercaptoethanol), Amplify® (Amersham International, Amersham, UK); urea (ultra pure) (Schwarz/Mann, Cambridge, Mass., USA); acrylamide, bisacrylamide, 4N-tetra-methyl-ethylene-diamine (TEMED), ammonium persulphate (BioRad, Richmond, Calif., USA); ampholytes: pH 5-7, pH 3.5-10, pH 7-9, pH 8-9.5 (Amasham Biotech, Sweden); Nonidet P-40 (BDH, Poole, UK); ampholytes: pH 5-7 and sodium dodecyl sulphate (Serva, Heidelberg, Germany); agarose (Litex, Copenhagen, Denmark); ethanol (absolute 96%) (Danish Distillers, Aalborg, Denmark); methanol (Prolabo, Brione Le Blanc, France); acetic acid (technical quality, 99% glacial) (Ble & Berntsen, Århus, Denmark) and X-ray film (Curix RP-2) (AGFA).
Animals
Pregnant inbred WF rats were purchased from M&B, Li. Skensved, Denmark. Four to five day-old BB/Wor/Mol-BB2 (BB-DP) rats were also purchased from M&B. The rats were picked up at M&B in the morning on the day of islet isolation, and transported in animal transport boxes. At M&B the BB-DP rats were housed separately in a specific pathogen-free environment
Isolation, Culture and Labelling of Islets for Preparative Gels
Islets were isolated by collagenase digestion of the pancreata from 4-5 day old WF rats [Brunstedt, 1984] [15]. After 4 days of preculture in RPMI 1640+10% fetal calf serum, islets were incubated for 24 h in 37° C. humidified atmospheric air in 300 μl or 3000 μl RPMI 1640+0.5% normal human serum. Next islets were washed twice in HBSS and labelled for 4 h at 37° C. in 200 μl or 2000 μl home made methionine-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) with 10% dialysed NHS, and 200 μCl [35S]-methionine. To eliminate 2-mercaptoethanol, [35S]-methionine was freeze-dried for at least 4 h before labelling. A labelling, the isles were washed thrice in HBSS, the supernatant was removed and islets were immediately frozen at −80° C. Unlabelled islets for preparative gels were washed twice in HBSS and snapfrozen. For localization of the spots, radioactively labelled tracer islets were mixed with the non-labelled islets.
Sample Preparation
The frozen islets were re-suspended in 100 μl DNAseI/RNAse A solution and lysed by freeze-thawing twice. After the second thawing, the samples were left on ice for 30 min. for the digestion of nucleic acids and then freeze dried overnight. The samples were dissolved by shaking in 120 μl lysis buffer (8.5 M urea, 2% Nonidet P-40, 5% 2-mercaptoethanol and 2% ampholytes, pH range 7-9) for a minimum of 4 hours.
Determination of [35S]-methionine Incorporation
The amount of [35S]-methionine incorporation was quantified by adding 10 μl FCS (0.2 μg/ml H2O) as a protein-carrier to 5 μl of a 1:10 dilution of each sample in duplicate, followed by 0.5 ml of 10% TCA. This was left to precipitate for 30 min at 4° C. before being filtered through 0.25 μm hydroxy appatit-WP (HAWP) filters. The filters were dried and placed into scintillation liquid for counting.
2-DGE and Preparative Gels
Preparative two dimensional gels (2-DG) were produced from a pool of approximately 200.000 neonatal WF rat islets isolated, cultured, labelled and separated on gels as described above. For localization of the spots, radioactively labelled tracer islets were mixed with the non-labelled islets.
The procedure has been described earlier [O'Farrell, 1977 [14]; Fey, 1984 [18]; Fey, 1997 [17]. Briefly, first dimension gels contained 4% acrylamide, 0.25% bisacrylamide, ampholytes and nonidet P-40. Equal amount of protein (175-200 μg for preparative gels) and counts per minute (106 cpm.) of each sample were applied to the gels. Both isoelectric focusing (IEF; pH 3.5-7) and non-equilibrium pH-gradient electrophoresis (NEPHGE; pH 6.5-10.5) gels were made. Second dimension gels contained 12,5% acrylamide and 0.063% bisacrylamide and were run overnight. After electrophoresis, the gels were fixed and treated for fluorography with Amplify® before being dried. The gels were placed in contact with X-ray films and exposed at −70° C. for 3 to 40 days. Each gel was exposed for at least 3 time periods to compensate for tile lack of dynamic range of X-ray films.
Neonatal WF rat islets were used for preparative gels because of the price and higher number of islets isolated per animal. The same protein spot pattern is seen on 2-DG of respectively BB-DP and WF rat islets and the BB-DP rat originates from the WF rat. The cost of one WF rat is approximately one tenth of the price of a BB-DP rat (approximately 100 US$ each). From each rat was it possible to isolate approximately 150-200 islets.
Determination of Mr and pI
Mr and pI for individual proteins on the gels were interpolated from landmark proteins. Landmark proteins were determined by use of internal standards and pI calibration kits [Fey, 1984] [18]. Theoretical Mr and pI were calculated using the Compute pI/Mw tool at the ExPASy Molecular Biology Server (www.expasy.ch/tools/pi_tool.html).
Computer Analysis of Fluorographs
Computer analysis was performed using the BioImage® program 2D-Analyzer (version 6.1) [Christensen, 2000] [13]. Briefly, computer analysis was performed using the BioImage® program 2D-Analyzer (version 6.1) on a Sun Ultra 1 computer. First, the fluorographs were scanned and spots identified and quantified by the 2D-Analyzer. Next, anchor points were placed on the gel (same spot in each gel was assigned the same anchor-point), and an initial computer based match of the gels was performed. After computer matching, manual editing was performed to ensure correct matching of computer found spots as well as matching and quantification of spots not found by the initially computer matching. Approximately 30% of the spots were matched correct by the computer. Finally, data were extracted for calculations in the Quatro Pro® spreadsheet (Borland version 4.0). To avoid the presence of duplicate spots in the IEF and NEPHGE subgroups, overlapping spots in either the basic part of IEF gels or in the acidic part of NEPHGE gels were omitted from analysis.
Protein Identification by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization (MALDI) MS
Briefly, the 82 protein spots of interest were obtained by cutting them out of the dried gel using a scalpel. The proteins were enzymatically digested in the gel piece as described [Rosenfeid, 1992 [19]; Shevchenko, 1996 [20]] with minor modifications [Nawrocki, 1998] [21]. The excised gel pieces were washed in 50 mM NH4HCO3/acetonitrile (60/40) and dried by vacuum centrifugation. Modified porcine trypsin (12 ng/μL, Promega, sequencing grade) in digestion buffer (50 mM NH4HCO3) was added to the dry gel pieces and incubated on ice for 1 h for reswelling. After removing the supernatant, 20-40 μL digestion buffer was added and the digestion was continued at 37° C. for 4-18 hours. The peptides were extracted as described [Shevchenko, 1996] [20] and dried in a vacuum centrifuge. The residue was dissolved in 5% formic acid and analysed by MALDI MS. Delayed extraction MALDI mass spectra of the peptide mixtures were acquired using a Bruker Reflex time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Briker AG, Germany). Samples were prepared using a-cyano-4-hydroxy cinnamic acid as matrix [Kussmann, 1997][221]. Protein identification was performed by in silico comparison of the theoretical peptide-mass maps in the comprehensive, non-redundant protein sequence database (NRDB, European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton, UK http://www.ebi.ac.uk) using the PeptideSearch software ([Mann, 1993][23] further developed at EMBL (Heidelberg, Germany)), SWISS-PROT (http://www.expasy.ch), PIR (http://wwww.sanger.ac.uk/DataSearch), NIH and GENEBANK (http://www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov). The protein identifications were examined using the “second pass search” feature of the software and critical evaluation of the peptide mass map as described [Jensen, 19981][24].
Protein Information
Information about the identified proteins known and putative biological functions were found at The ExPASy Molecular Biology Server (http://www.exasy.ch) and at The National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) (http://www.ncbl.nim.nih.gov).
Statistical Analysis
Student's t-test was applied and ρ<0.01 was chosen as level of significance.
Results
All 82 significantly changed protein spots were re-identified in preparative gels of neonatal WF islets and could be excised from the gels for MS identification. Positive identification was obtained for a total of 45 different proteins from 51 of the 82 spots (table 1). Six spots contained 2 identifiable proteins (NEPHGE match no. 339, 370 and IEF 955, 248, 1136, 660). Some proteins were present in more than one spot: Three proteins were present in 2 spots (Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins A2/B1, calreticulin and NADH dehydrogenase), 3 proteins were present in 3 spots (malate dehydrogenase precursor (mitochondrial), IgE binding protein and glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP 78)) and one protein, tubulin beta-5 chain was present in 4 spots. The presence of the same protein in more than one spot suggests that the protein exists in different posttranslatory modified or degraded forms. Positive identification was not obtained for 31 protein spots either due to spectra with no data base match (n=16) or low abundance of peptides in the excised and digested spots (n=15) (table 2). Thus, success rate of positively identified protein spots was 62% (51 spots out 82). A similar result, 60 spots identified out of 105 (58%) were obtained from WF rat islets exposed to IL-1β, corresponding to 57 different proteins [Mose Larsen, 2001] [7]. Thirteen proteins identified in BB-DP and WF rat islets were identical (NEPHGE match no. 223, 231, 370, 146, 381 (2 spots), IEF match no. 1127, 955, 552, 138 (3 spots), 1136, 8580, 68, 62) (table 1).
In table 1, the protein Mr's and pI's observed on the gels are presented together with the computed theoretical Mr and pI values. Differences in observed and computed values of Mr and pI may be due to posttranslatory modifications, degradation or pro- or pre-pro forms of proteins since the theoretical values are based on the open reading fame only. For example calreticulin is present in 2 spots with a Mr of respectively 39.9 kDa and 120.7 kDa whereas the theoretical value is 48 kDa. Nevertheless for most proteins there are only minor differences between observed Mr/pI values and theoretical values (table 1).
In total, 45 different proteins and 12 modified forms of some of these proteins have been identified to change expression level after exposure to IL-1β. Based upon known or putative functions the 45 identified proteins (with modified forms 57) have been grouped as follows (in brackets, number of different proteins): proteins involved in a) energy transduction and redox potentials (n=8), b) glycolytic and Krebs cycle enzymes (n=6), c) protein synthesis (including purin/pyrimidine synthesis, DNA/RNA synthesis, RNA processing and amino add metabolism), chaperoning and protein folding (n=14), d) signal transduction, regulation, differentiation and apoptosis (n=6), e) cellular defence (n=2) and f) other functions (n=9) (table 1).
Legends
Table 1
Identified protein spots in neonatal BB-DP rats islets after exposure to IL-1β. Changes in protein expression level are expressed as % IOD in neonatal BB-DP islets after IL-1β incubation in vitro compared to BB-DP islets without IL-1β. Match numbers are arbitrary numbers given by the computer and corresponds to the number of the spot in the gel. % IOD refers to the integrated optic density on the control gels. % OD ratio refers to the ratio of integrated optical density between gels compared. Numbers below 1 indicate proteins down-regulated and numbers above 1 are up-regulated in islets exposed to IL-1β. The proteins spots are ordered according to functional groups and % IOD ratio. First spots on the NEPHGE (prefix N) side and next the IEF (prefix I) side. Protein name refers to the name found in the NCBI database (http://www.ncbi.nim.nih.aovg through the database accession number. Given is the Mr and pI obtained directly by the gel analysis and the calculated theoretical Mr and pI calculated from the amino acid sequence. In some spots more than one protein was identified. These proteins are marked with *. Proteins mentioned more than once are found in more than one spot. Proteins previously identified as changes in expression in WF rat islets exposed to IL-1β as well [Mose Larsen, 2001] [7] are marked with #. Proteins that have not previously been described or supposed to be present in islets are marked with $.
Table 2
In table 2, unidentified protein spots with significant change in expression level expressed as % IOD In neonatal BB-DP islets after IL-1β incubation in vitro are compared to BB-DP islets without IL-1β. Match numbers are arbitrary numbers given by the computer and corresponds to the number of the spot in the gel. % IOD ratio refers to the ratio of integrated optical density between gels compared. Numbers below 1 are downs-regulated and numbers above 1 are up-regulated in islets exposed to IL-1β. Protein spots are ordered numerically. First spots on the IEF (prefix I) side and next on the NEPHGE (prefix N) side. The Mr in kDa and pI obtained directly from the gels are given. Where spectra were obtained by tryptic digestion, their Mr of the peptides is given in table 3 and their spectra given in pairs of figures as shown.
FIG. 1
Fluorograph of a two-dimensional gel of neonatal BB-DP rat islets of Langerhans incubated for 24 hours in control medium followed by 4 hours labeling with [35S]-methionine. The gel shown is representative of 3 experiments. The marked proteins represents proteins changing level of expression during incubation with IL-1β. IEF gel (pH 3.5-7) on the right side and NEPHGE gel (pH6.5-10.5) on the left side. The numbers correspond to the proteins in table 1 and 2.
FIGS. 3A-19D Spectra of the proteins in table 3. Each spectrum is presented firstly as a total spectrum (e.g. FIG. 3A ) and thereafter as enlarged regions so it is possible to read all the numbers and see the peak that they refer to (e.g. FIG. 3B , FIG. 3C , etc.). Thus, the spectra for the first protein in table 3 are called FIG. 3A , FIG. 3B , FIG. 3C and FIG. 3D .
TABLE 1
Identification of proteins induced by IL-1β in BB-DP rat islets
Gel
%
match
%
IOD
Database acc.
Theoretical
Theoretical
No
IOD
ratio
Protein name
Function
no.
Mr.
Mr.
pI
pI
Energy transduction and redox potentials
N 318
0.165
0.56
Alcohol dehydrogenase
Redox potential
gi 1703237
42.4
36.4
7.8
6.8
N 231#
0.041
0.51
ATP synthase alpha chain,
Energy transduction
gi 114523
51.1
58.8
7.9
9.2
mitochondrial precursor
N 370*#
2.055
0.24
L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA
Energy transduction, redox
gi 5353512
36.5
34.3
8.4
8.9
dehydrogenase precursor
potential
N 1247
0.084
0.20
Carbonyl reductase
Redox potential
gi 1352258
37.7
30.4
8.2
8.2
I 955*#
0.104
2.41
Creatine kinase-B
Energy transduction
gi 203476
49.3
42.7
5.4
5.3
I 1136*
0.405
0.45
H+ transporting ATP synthase
Energy transduction
gi 92350
52.9
56.4
4.8
5.2
I 706
0.086
0.43
NADH dehydrogenase
Energy transduction
gi 4826856
86.7
79.6
5.3
5.8
I 705
0.084
0.35
NADH dehydrogenase
Energy transduction
gi 4826856
87.3
79.6
5.2
5.8
I 552#
0.132
0.07
ATPase, H+ transporting,
Energy transduction,
gi 4502309
57.6
57.0
5.3
5.5
lysosomal (vacuolar proton
Intracellular environment
pump), beta polypeptide, 56/58
kD, isoform 1
Glycolytic and Krebs Cycle enzymes
I 629
0.065
2.15
Glucose-6-phosphate
Energy generation
gi 204197
61.8
59.2
6.0
6.0
dehydrogenase
I 1127#
0.067
0.29
Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
Energy generation
gi 203142
54.4
35.7
6.7
8.4
dehydrogenase
N 223#
0.379
0.52
Pyruvate kinase M2 Isozyme
Energy generation
gi 1346398
55.6
57.6
8.0
7.4
N 88
0.288
0.41
Aconitate hydratase,
Energy generation
gi 1351857
77.8
85.4
7.3
8.1
mitochondriel precursor
N 272
0.433
0.48
Isocitrate dehydrogenase 2,
Energy generation
gi 6680343
45.9
58.7
8.4
8.9
mitochondrial
N 1325
0.137
0.38
Malate dehydrogenase
Energy generation
gi 319830
41.9
35.5
9.0
8.9
precursor, mitochondrial
N 336
0.118
0.36
Malate dehydrogenase
Energy generation
gi 319830
42.7
35.5
9.0
8.9
precursor, mitochondrial
N 339*
0.830
0.28
Malate dehydrogenase
Energy generation
gi 319830
40.4
35.5
8.7
8.9
precursor, mitochondrial
Protein synthesis (incl. DNA/RNA processing and synthesis, purin/pyrimidine synthesis,
amino acid metabolism) chaperones and protein folding
N 146#
0.590
0.44
5-aminoimidazole-4-
Purine/pyrimidine synthesis,
gi 2541906
64.8
64.2
6.9
6.7
carboxamide ribonucleotide
DNA/RNA synthesis
formyltransferase
I 248*
0.030
0.48
Adenosine
Purine/pyrimidine synthesis,
gi 543829
21.5
19.5
5.7
6.2
phosphoribosyltrasferase
DNA/RNA synthesis
I 248*
0.030
0.48
UMP-CMP kinase
Purine/pyrimidine synthesis,
gi 5730476
21.5
22.2
5.7
5.4
DNA/RNA synthesis
N 1414
0.070
0.41
Heterogeneous nuclear
RNA-processing
gi 6647752
42.1
36.0
8.0
8.7
ribonucleoprotein A2/B1
N 339*
0.830
0.28
Heterogeneous nuclear
RNA-processing
gi 6647752
40.4
36.0
8.7
8.7
ribonucleoprotein A2/B1
N 1401
0.482
0.17
M4 protein deletion mutant
RNA-processing
gi 3126878
64.4
77.5
8.5
8.9
N 317
0.071
0.35
Aspartate transaminase,
Amino acid metabolism
gi 91997
44.9
46.2
7.9
6.3
cytosolic
N 1322
0.054
0.15
Aspartate aminotransferase,
Amino acid metabolism
gi 112987
47.6
47.3
9.1
9.1
mitochondrial precursor
I 237
0.534
0.12
60 ribosomal protein L11
Ribosome protein
gi 971761
20.9
18.8
4.4
9.9
I 653
0.722
1.52
Calreticulin
Chaperone, transcription factor
gi 6680836
120.7
48.0
3.7
4.3
I 585
0.061
2.82
Calreticulin
Chaperone, transcription factor
gi 6680836
39.9
48.0
6.0
4.3
I 138#
0.881
1.79
78 kD glucose-regulated protein
Chaperone, signal transduction
gi 121574
78.4
72.3
4.8
5.1
precursor (GRP 78) (HSP70
family)
I 660*#
0.208
0.18
78 kD glucose-regulated protein
Chaperone, signal transduction
gi 121574
70.2
72.3
4.8
5.1
precursor (GRP 78) (HSP70
family)
I 6347#
0.173
0.39
78 kD glucose-regulated protein
Chaperone, signal transduction
gi 121574
65.1
72.3
4.9
5.1
precursor (GRP 78) (HSP70
family)
I 1136*#
0.405
0.45
Probable protein disulfide
Chaperone, signal transduction
gi 2501206
52.9
47.2
4.8
5.0
isomerase P5 precursor
I 8580#
0.034
0.38
Protein disulfide isomerase
Chaperone, signal transduction
gi 91897
60.2
56.6
6.0
5.9
I 68#
0.084
0.23
Endoplasmic reticulum protein
Chaperone, signal transduction
gi 2507015
25.9
28.6
6.3
6.2
ERP 29 precursor
I 660*
0.208
0.18
Endoplasmin precursor (HSP90
Chaperone, signal transduction
gi 119362
70.2
92.5
4.8
4.7
family)
Signal transduction, regulation, differentiation and apoptosis
N 381#
0.495
3.93
Galectin-3 (IgE binding protein)
Differentiation, apoptosis
gi 204728
36.8
27.1
7.9
8.2
N 377#
3.926
2.11
Galectin-3 (IgE binding protein)
Differentiation, apoptosis
gi 204728
36.9
27.1
8.3
8.2
N 398#
0.007
28.15
Galectin-3 (IgE binding protein)
Differentiation, apoptosis
gi 204728
31.4
27.1
8.8
8.2
N 370*
2.055
0.24
Voltage dependent anion
Cellular transport, apoptosis
gi 4105605
36.5
32.4
8.4
8.3
channel
I 62#
0.060
3.24
TOAD 64 (Dihydropyrimidinase
Differentiation, signal
gi 1351260
69.5
62.3
6.3
6.0
related protein-2)
transduction
I 1153
0.094
1.42
Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A-
Signal transduction
gi 729821
44.8
46.8
6.3
6.1
like NUK
I 217 $
0.005
23.63
Craniofacial development
Eukaryotic organogenesis
gi 5453567
19.9
33.6
5.2
4.8
protein 1
I 293
0.686
0.24
Secretagogin
Proliferation, differentiation,
gi 3757661
25.8
32.1
5.5
5.3
signal transduction
Cellular defence
N 180
0.096
3.03
Catalase
Cellular defence
gi 115707
61.9
59.6
7.5
7.2
I 2420
0.026
0.13
Glutathione synthetase
Cellular defence
gi 1170038
51.9
52.3
5.3
5.5
Other functions
I 1096
0.169
0.17
Neuroendocrine convertase 1
Hormone processing
gi 128001
73.8
84.1
4.7
5.8
I 6363
0.229
0.12
Neuroendocrine convertase 2
Hormone processing
gi 128004
72.1
70.8
5.2
5.9
N 279
0.271
0.33
Beta-alanine oxoglutarate
GABA catabolism
gi 3046865
49.8
56.5
8.0
8.5
aminotransferase
I 1202$
0.035
0.03
25-Dx
Progesterone receptor
gi 1518818
24.3
21.5
4.2
4.5
N 432
0.086
0.17
Amyloid beta-peptide binding
Hormone metabolism,
gi 2961553
30.9
27.1
8.5
8.9
protein
apoptosis
I 299
0.129
0.24
5-aminolevulinate synthase
Heme synthesis
gi 599830
26.8
71.1
4.8
9.0
precursor
I 955*
0.104
2.41
Cytokeratine 8 polypeptide
Cellular structure
gi 203734
49.3
53.9
5.4
5.8
I 2410
0.331
0.46
Tubulin beta-5 chain
Cellular structure
gi 135471
58.1
49.7
4.6
4.8
I 6379
0.383
0.44
Tubulin beta-5 chain
Cellular structure
gl 135471
65.7
49.7
4.5
4.8
I 590
0.485
0.41
Tubulin beta-5 chain
Cellular structure
gl 135471
64.9
49.7
4.5
4.8
I 1139
0.561
0.37
Tubulin beta-5 chain
Cellular structure
gl 135471
59.5
49.7
4.6
4.8
N 1512 $
0.038
0.14
Immediate-early protein 1 rat
Virus protein, transcription
gl 543613
51.6
66.7
8.4
4.7
cytomegalovirus
factor
TABLE 2
Gel
Peptide
Spectrum
match
% IOD
Apparent
Apparent
fragment
shown in
No
ratio
Protein identification
Mr.
pI
list
figures
I 75
0.43
Weak spectrum no id
62.2
6.5
Table 3
3A-3D
I 242
0.08
No spectrum
20.6
5.0
I 266
1.77
Weak spectrum no id
24.8
4.8
Table 3
4A-4D
I 270
0.22
Good spectrum no id
22.5
5.4
Table 3
5A-5C
I 275
0.26
No spectrum
22.7
6.0
I 292
0.08
Weak spectrum no id
24.8
4.5
Table 3
6A-6E
I 327
0.43
No spectrum
24.4
6.5
I 408
0.70
Weak spectrum no id
32.5
5.9
Table 3
7A-7D
I 418
0.18
Good spectrum
33.2
6.3
Table 3
8A-8E
Protein Name: Pyridoxal
kinase
I 545
0.11
No spectrum
54.8
4.5
I 683
3.36
Weak spectrum no id
72.9
6.3
Table 3
9A-9E
I 712
0.26
No spectrum
90.1
5.4
I 838
0.20
No spectrum
65.1
4.9
I 961
2.58
Good spectrum no id
52.0
5.1
Table 3
10A-10E
I 1196
0.22
No spectrum
24.4
6.1
I 6585
0.42
No spectrum
30.2
6.0
I 7495
0.04
No spectrum
30.2
5.6
I 8264
21.03
Good spectrum no id
13.7
6.6
Table 3
11A-11H
I 8311
0.08
Weak spectrum no id
21.3
4.5
Table 3
12A-12C
I 8330
0.27
No spectrum
25.5
4.4
N 68
0.12
Weak spectrum no id
89.1
6.4
Table 3
13A-13C
N 207
0.38
No spectrum
57.4
8.8
N 212
0.33
Weak spectrum no id
57.0
8.5
Table 3
14A-14E
N 268
3.13
Good spectrum no id
47.7
8.6
Table 3
15A-15E
N 281
9.29
No spectrum
46.1
8.0
N 284
5.38
No spectrum
46.9
7.7
N 403
0.31
Weak spectrum no id
31.8
8.5
Table 3
16A-16C
N 435
6.03
Weak spectrum no id
29.0
8.3
Table 3
17A-17C
N 509
1.50
Weak spectrum no id
23.9
7.9
Table 3
18A-18C
N
28.67
No spectrum
31.8
8.8
1282
N
0.25
Good spectrum no id
44.1
8.0
Table 3
19A-19D
1355
TABLE 3
Molecular weights of the tryptic peptide fragments of novel
proteins for which spectra were obtained but for which
no match existed in the current databases.
IEF proteins
Protein I 75
670.5570
684.5477
686.5041
728.5521
873.5858
889.6078
908.6622
922.6956
944.6519
950.7223
966.7041
984.6715
1004.5717
1077.7616
1086.6330
1132.6399
1166.6526
1168.6858
1185.7015
1193.6042
1242.5950
1263.6976
1272.7057
1342.0115
1355.8121
1357.8145
1442.7404
1455.7503
1488.8207
1524.8321
1564.7202
1607.8029
1615.8367
1716.8597
1861.9241
1940.9596
2034.8915
2053.0293
Protein I 266
728.5354
831.5264
873.5511
886.4743
908.6607
918.4865
922.6664
944.6254
949.5555
980.5395
1057.5931
1084.5941
1193.6314
1234.6795
1245.5738
1261.5759
1358.7697
1404.6458
1434.7914
1512.7986
1561.9757
1601.7975
1617.8125
1650.9545
1716.8823
1783.8355
1815.9457
1837.9834
1851.9422
1887.9667
1917.9224
1933.9909
1997.9097
2046.0106
3606.3085
Protein I 270
679.5086
728.5476
854.4555
908.6556
944.5150
950.7108
988.5306
1018.5908
1021.5312
1081.5950
1088.4804
1154.6793
1457.7506
1491.7937
1502.7706
1560.8159
1563.7089
1675.8092
Protein I 292
881.3373
1168.6586
1189.6091
1205.6194
1263.6377
1419.7204
1487.7331
1545.7266
1547.7188
1576.8979
1625.8683
1638.8148
1687.8336
1819.8460
1851.8649
1940.8958
1977.9077
1987.9647
2082.9463
2536.1013
Protein I 408
679.4761
728.5525
796.4827
1037.5187
1062.5377
1090.5288
1126.4991
1172.5254
1193.5959
1234.6704
1256.6646
1263.6611
1349.7196
1371.7023
1393.7119
1397.7314
1434.7747
1458.7111
1636.9152
1638.8883
1657.7814
1838.9477
1851.8797
1940.9565
2034.0037
2367.2130
2399.0118
Protein I 418
964.5183
1037.5627
1064.5737
1137.6832
1172.5764
1192.6737
1235.6392
1250.6431
1263.6860
1269.7053
1297.6467
1343.8145
1351.6546
1434.8046
1682.0241
1766.8335
1780.9714
1794.9118
1810.1236
1833.9644
1881.9621
2010.0111
2490.2406
Protein I 683
679.4642
686.4822
728.5341
740.4581
754.4010
831.5268
908.6695
922.6996
924.6633
927.5649
942.6207
944.6316
950.7218
964.7080
966.7058
989.5694
1027.7101
1057.5632
1077.7748
1126.5526
1129.7359
1131.7469
1192.6919
1209.6791
1235.5576
1267.7130
1299.9801
1335.9426
1427.7586
1454.7041
1459.7211
1545.7712
1560.8588
1562.8589
1586.8190
1648.8764
1670.9380
1724.8275
1940.9525
1948.9614
1975.9984
Protein I 961
759.3961
890.4867
897.4147
973.4941
984.5204
1010.5798
1121.5470
1181.5950
1213.5632
1234.6504
1263.6617
1398.6162
1414.6316
1415.7328
1424.6398
1434.7767
1445.7310
1458.6971
1483.7347
1527.7932
1558.8253
1561.8434
1568.7826
1601.7848
1614.8114
1657.8223
1837.9453
1859.9258
1930.8506
1940.9234
2510.0925
Protein I 8264
642.5045
658.5016
686.4927
728.5465
740.4921
774.4709
780.5196
831.5513
865.5687
867.5099
869.6086
873.5823
894.6489
908.7021
922.6901
924.6790
936.6994
942.6411
944.6494
950.7201
964.6993
966.7231
984.7021
1027.7337
1033.8070
1077.7870
1113.7539
1115.7545
1119.7935
1129.7573
1131.7649
1165.7695
1167.7520
1172.7909
1299.9896
1316.0267
1333.9461
1335.9603
1342.0281
1427.7685
1454.7054
1521.0357
1523.0652
1562.8953
1724.8181
2131.0723
Protein I 8311
850.5019
856.5146
869.4636
918.4998
944.5313
969.5587
1057.5591
1067.6079
1126.5398
1194.6171
1211.6538
1225.6115
1234.6546
1259.6481
1390.7952
1547.8033
1574.8037
1940.9446
NEPHGE Proteins
Protein N 68
934.5011
973.5176
995.5134
1037.4985
1057.5457
1067.5389
1090.5301
1165.5666
1193.6021
1201.6298
1234.6758
1254.6088
1263.6946
1357.7112
1372.7550
1383.6956
1434.7743
1493.7441
1838.9202
Protein N 212
679.4801
728.5553
754.4194
831.5235
856.5218
870.5557
908.6769
922.7039
942.6525
944.6679
950.7372
964.7121
966.7143
976.5887
984.7234
1025.6127
1029.5839
1057.5669
1077.7906
1094.5759
1125.6473
1263.6958
1266.7342
1274.7816
1277.7181
1281.6434
1299.9767
1306.6874
1314.8066
1367.8446
1425.7379
1427.7699
1437.8714
1545.7752
1659.8590
1940.9373
Protein N 268
1127.5909
1143.0754
1150.0510
1179.6245
1263.6834
1329.7091
1342.7220
1377.7676
1389.7560
1398.7576
1448.7888
1469.7860
1488.7963
1537.7106
1545.7932
1567.7595
1652.8691
1822.9858
1888.9980
1907.0101
1940.9455
1997.8974
2091.0940
2123.0874
2483.2269
2536.1216
3039.3320
3131.4566
3191.3283
Protein N 403
832.4770
909.4422
923.4959
944.5214
976.4972
1013.4648
1036.4942
1125.4947
1158.5404
1188.5988
1232.5625
1248.5905
1263.6708
1328.6698
1350.6660
1527.7290
1545.7385
1687.9345
1695.7709
Protein N 435
1033.5528
1036.5348
1146.5669
1219.6851
1234.6535
1263.6714
1270.7097
1350.6636
1416.7296
1434.7634
1444.7664
1469.7677
1510.6958
1545.7626
1592.7967
1645.9039
1687.9633
1859.9505
2025.9711
Protein N 509
832.4913
908.6967
944.6603
950.7336
1111.6071
1125.5858
1127.5990
1142.5584
1143.5936
1175.6808
1204.5361
1263.7111
1337.6739
1340.7881
1378.7656
1652.8528
1688.0168
Protein N 1355
834.5078
864.5228
880.4829
930.4477
1112.6013
1127.6663
1165.5930
1167.6745
1223.7230
1233.6671
1305.7169
1326.8050
1338.6753
1364.7585
1367.7510
1382.6926
1433.8208
1467.8768
1501.9072
1580.7527
1582.8264
1634.8417
1758.3905
1762.9243
1768.9738
1797.9604
2033.9419
These values are given in Daltons as obtained from the mass spectrometer, Known tolerances for these values will be known to anyone skilled in the art. Peptides from trypsin, keratin and other common contaminating proteins have been removed.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printing sheet excellent in hiding power or reflectance and suitable for use in forming management labels or the like. The present invention further relates to a printed sheet having excellent heat resistance obtained from the printing sheet through thermal transfer printing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional printed sheets for use as management labels in Braun tube production processes include: a sheet which is obtained by printing a glass-based green sheet with an ink containing glass particles to impart ink information thereto and is to be baked by burning; and a sheet obtained by forming inorganic particles into a sheet with a polyorganosiloxane and imparting ink information to the sheet. (See JP-A-7-334088 (the term “JP-A” as used herein means an “unexamined published Japanese patent application”), Japanese Patent Application No. 8-228667, Japanese Patent 2,654,753, WO 93/07844, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,365.)
However, it has been found that those prior art management labels applied to Braun tubes or the like cannot be utilized up to the recycling step for reclaiming reworkable parts from these adherends. Specifically, in the case of Braun tubes, reworkable parts are reclaimed through a salvage step in which the panel is separated from the funnel by immersion in hot nitric acid. Upon this immersion, however, the ink information imparted to the management label applied to the Braun tube disappears, making it impossible to manage reworkable parts based on the management label.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a printing sheet from which burned sheets, such as a management label effectively utilizable from the production of Braun tubes to the salvage thereof, which are excellent in chemical resistance, heat resistance, weatherability, hiding power or reflectance, etc., can be formed while satisfying advantages such as the bondability to curved surfaces which enables the printing sheet, after having been printed according to circumstances to impart information thereto, to be tightly bonded to adherends with heating, the suitability for expedient printed-sheet formation in which a variety of printed sheets necessary for the production of small quantities of many kinds of products can be formed therefrom in situ, etc. according to circumstances, and the ability to be easily and tightly bonded to adherends.
The present invention provides a printing sheet comprising a sheet made of a mixture comprising inorganic particles, an MQ resin, and a silicone rubber. The present invention further provides a printed sheet obtained by imparting ink information to the printing sheet by thermal transfer printing.
The printing sheet of the present invention is flexible and a variety of printed sheets can be formed therefrom according to circumstances by imparting ink information thereto by an appropriate printing technique, e.g., thermal transfer printing. These printed sheets can be satisfactorily adhered to, e.g., adherends having curved surfaces. Through a heat treatment, the printed sheets applied can be easily bonded tightly to the adherends to thereby form burned sheets satisfactorily retaining the imparted information. The burned sheets thus formed are excellent in chemical resistance, heat resistance, weatherability, hiding power or reflectance, etc., and can be effectively utilized as management labels or the like, for example, from the production of Braun tubes to the salvage thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the printed sheet of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of one embodiment of the printing sheet of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a plane view of another embodiment of the printing sheet of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of still another embodiment of the printing sheet of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMBOLS
1 : Printing sheet
11 : Shape retention layer
12 : Reinforcing substrate
13 : Fine hole
2 : Ink information layer
3 : Pressure-sensitive adhesive layer
31 : Layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive dots
4 : Adherend
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The printing sheet of the present invention has a shape retention layer formed from a mixture comprising inorganic particles, an MQ resin, and a silicone rubber. The printed sheet is one obtained by imparting ink information to the shape retention layer by thermal transfer printing. An example of this printed sheet is shown in FIG. 1, wherein numeral 1 denotes a printing sheet, 2 ink information, 3 a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer disposed if desired, and 4 an adherend.
The printing sheet is not particularly limited as long as it comprises the shape retention layer in sheet form. The printing sheet can therefore have an appropriate constitution. Examples thereof include a constitution consisting of a shape retention layer alone (as in FIG. 1 ), a constitution comprising a shape retention layer 11 reinforced with a reinforcing substrate 12 as shown in FIG. 2, and a constitution having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
The reinforced constitution may be formed by an appropriate method such as a method in which a shape retention layer is disposed on a reinforcing substrate as in FIG. 2, a method in which a reinforcing substrate is impregnated with a material for forming a shape retention layer, or a method in which a shape retention layer containing a reinforcing substrate disposed therein is formed. The reinforcing substrate may be an appropriate one. Examples thereof include coating layers of resins, resin films, fibers, fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, metal foils, and nets.
The reinforcing substrate may be made of a material which disappears upon heating, such as a polymer, e.g., a polyester, polyimide, fluororesin, or polyamide, or may be made of a material which does not disappear upon heating, such as a glass, ceramic, or metal.
The inorganic particles for use in forming the shape retention layer serve to improve heat resistance (generally up to about 500° C., preferably up to about 800° C.) and to determine the background color of printed sheets to be obtained from the printing sheet. Suitable inorganic particles can hence be used, such as metal particles or ceramic particles. One kind of inorganic particles or a combination of two or more kinds of inorganic particles can be used. Although the particle diameter of the inorganic particles is generally 50 μm or smaller, preferably from 0.05 to 20 μm, it is not limited thereto. To incorporate a flaky powder prepared by adhering inorganic particles to thin platy bases such as mica is effective in improving hiding power or reflectance.
Examples of inorganic particles generally used include white particles such as particles of silica, titania, alumina, zinc white, zirconia, calcium oxide, mica, potassium titanate, and aluminum borate. Examples thereof further include metal compounds, such as carbonates, nitrates, and sulfates, which are oxidized at temperatures not higher than the temperature to be used for the heat treatment of the printed sheet to thereby change into such oxide type white ceramics. Especially preferably used among these from the standpoints of whiteness, sinter strength, etc. are acicular crystals such as those of potassium titanate or aluminum borate.
Other examples of the inorganic particles include red particles such as manganese oxide-alumina, chromium oxide-tin oxide, iron oxide, and cadmium sulfide-selenium sulfide, blue particles such as cobalt oxide, zirconia-vanadium oxide, and chromium oxide-divanadium pentoxide, and black particles such as chromium oxide-cobalt oxide-iron oxide-manganese oxide, chromates, and permanganates.
Examples of the inorganic particles further include yellow particles such as zirconium-silicon-praseodymium, vanadium-tin, and chromium-titanium-antimony, green particles such as chromium oxide, cobalt-chromium, and alumina-chromium, and pink particles such as aluminum-manganese and iron-silicon-zirconium.
The MQ resin can comprise an appropriate polymer which is known as, e.g., a tackifier for silicone-based pressure-sensitive adhesives and comprises monofunctional units M represented by the general formula R 3 SiO— and tetrafunctional units Q represented by the formula Si(O—) 4 . In the above general formula, each R may have an appropriate structural unit, for example, an organic group, e.g., an aliphatic hydrocarbon group such as methyl, ethyl, or propyl, an aromatic hydrocarbon group such as phenyl, or an olefin group such as vinyl, or a hydrolyzable group such as hydroxyl. A preferred MQ resin is one excellent in shape retention.
The silicone rubber also is not particularly limited and an appropriate one may be used. Various modified silicone rubbers are usable, such as phenol-modified, melamine-modified, epoxy-modified, polyester-modified, acrylic-modified, and urethane-modified silicone rubbers. A preferred silicone rubber is one excellent in shape retention and flexibility.
The printing sheet can be formed by, for example, the following method. Inorganic particles of one or more kinds are mixed with at least one MQ resin and at least one silicone rubber by means of a ball mill or the like using an organic solvent or the like if necessary. The resulting liquid mixture is spread by an appropriate technique, if desired, on a support such as a reinforcing substrate or separator, and the coating is dried to form the target sheet.
In forming the printing sheet, the proportion of the MQ resin and the silicone rubber to the inorganic particles can be suitably determined according to the handleability of the printing sheet, the strength and hiding power of printed sheets, etc. However, the sum of the resin and rubber is generally from 20 to 800 parts by weight, preferably from 30 to 500 parts by weight, more preferably from 100 to 300 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the inorganic particles.
The proportion of the MQ resin to the silicone rubber can be suitably determined according to sinter strength, chemical resistance, etc. of the sheet. However, the silicone rubber is used in an amount of generally from 1 to 1,000 parts by weight, preferably from 3 to 500 parts by weight, more preferably from 5 to 200 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the MQ resin If the MQ resin is incorporated in an insufficient amount, the sheet has a poor sinter strength. If the silicone rubber is incorporated in an insufficient amount, the sheet has poor resistance to chemicals such as hot nitric acid.
The organic solvent which can be used if desired may be an appropriate one. In general, use is made of toluene, xylene, butyl carbitol, ethyl acetate, butyl Cellosolve acetate, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, or the like. Although the liquid mixture is not particularly limited, it is preferably prepared so as to have a solid concentration of from 5 to 85% by weight from the standpoints of spreadability, etc. In preparing the liquid mixture, appropriate additives can be incorporated, such as a dispersant, plasticizer, and combustion aid.
A preferred method for spreading is one having the excellent ability to regulate coating film thickness, such as the doctor blade method or gravure roll coater method. It is preferred to sufficiently defoam the liquid mixture, for example, by adding a defoamer so as to form a bubble-free spread layer. Although the thickness of the printing sheet or shape retention layer to be formed is suitably determined, it is generally from 5 μm to 5 mm, preferably from 10 μm to 1 mm, more preferably from 20 to 200 μm.
The printing sheet of the present invention can be made porous for the purpose of enabling decomposition gases resulting from heating to volatilize smoothly or for other purposes. There are cases where printed sheets swell due to decomposition gases resulting from heating especially when the printing sheet has a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer for provisional bonding. This swelling can be avoided by forming a porous printing sheet.
For forming a porous printing sheet, an appropriate method can be used, such as a method in which, as shown in FIG. 3, many fine holes 13 are formed in a printing sheet 1 by punching or the like or a method in which a woven fabric, a nonwoven fabric, a metal foil having many fine holes, a net, or the like is used as a reinforcing substrate.
An organic compound or other substances can be incorporated if desired into the shape retention layer in order to improve ink fixability or for other purposes. Examples of the organic compound include hydrocarbon polymers, vinyl or styrene polymers, acetal polymers, butyral polymers, acrylic polymers, polyester polymers, urethane polymers, cellulosic polymers, and various waxes.
It is especially preferred to incorporate a cellulosic polymer such as ethyl cellulose from the standpoints of improving ink fixability in thermal transfer printing, improving the strength of the printing sheet, etc. The use amount of the organic compound is generally from 5 to 200 parts by weight, preferably from 10 to 100 parts by weight, per 100 parts by weight of the sum of the MQ resin and the silicone rubber. However, the use amount thereof is not limited thereto.
A melting-point depressant for silica can be further incorporated. This melting-point depressant may be an appropriate substance which is capable of lowering the melting point of silica. Examples thereof include alkali metals such as potassium, sodium, and lithium. Although such an alkali metal can be incorporated, for example, in the form of a powder of the metal, it is preferred in the present invention that the melting-point depressant be dispersed as evenly as possible throughout the shape retention layer. From this standpoint, finer particles are advantageous. It is therefore possible to incorporate an alkali metal as a compound thereof which is easily available as fine particles. The kind of this compound is not particularly limited and an appropriate one may be used, such as, e.g., hydroxide or carbonate.
The use amount of the melting-point depressant for silica can be suitably determined according to the strength of the burned sheet to be obtained, etc. The melting-point depressant for silica functions in the following manner. When a printed sheet is burned at about 400° C. or higher as stated above, the MQ resin is deprived of its organic groups, such as silicon-bonded methyl groups, and thus changes into fine silica particles. These silica particles undergo sintering, during which the melting-point depressant serves to lower the melting point of the silica to thereby enhance the sinter strength of the resulting sheet.
If a melting-point depressant for silica is not incorporated, the resultant sintered sheet has a surface hardness in terms of pencil hardness of about 4 H, indicating that the sinter has poor strength and the surface thereof is readily broken by mechanical impacts. Namely, the ink information on this sintered sheet is apt to be burned out. In contrast, by incorporating KOH into a printing sheet in an amount of 4,000 ppm, the surface hardness of the sheet can be heightened to 9 H or higher, which corresponds to that of ceramic labels.
Consequently, a melting-point depressant for silica can accomplish the purpose of the incorporation thereof when incorporated in an amount as small as at least 0.01 ppm of the printing sheet as determined by the water extraction method. The incorporation amount thereof is regulated according to the strength of the burned sheet to be obtained, etc. The strength of the burned sheet is influenced also by the diameter of the aforementioned fine silica particles formed from the MQ resin. The particle diameter thereof is theoretically thought to be about 1 nm. As long as such fine particles are contained even in an amount as small as below 1% by weight based on the printing sheet, a burned sheet can be obtained as a strong sinter even when burning is conducted at a temperature of 500° C. or lower.
From the standpoints of the strength of the burned sheet to be obtained and the formability of the printing sheet, etc. in view of the diameter of the fine silica particles and the attainment of a reduction in burning temperature, the incorporation amount of the melting-point depressant for silica is preferably 0.1 ppm or larger, more preferably from 50 to 10,000 ppm, most preferably from 100 to 5,000 ppm, per 100 parts by weight of the MQ resin.
The printing sheet of the present invention is preferably used in the following application. The printing sheet is provisionally bonded to an adherend either as it is or as a printed sheet obtained by imparting information thereto. This printing sheet or printed sheet is heated to thereby tightly bond the same to the adherend. In conducting this heat treatment, a method can be employed that a material to be fixed (e.g., aluminum plate) is placed (adhered) on the printing sheet, the laminate is heated, and the heated product is fixed to an adherend.
There are cases where the printing sheet or printed sheet of the present invention can be provisionally bonded to an adherend by means of its own pressure-sensitive adhesive properties. However, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer may be formed on the sheet for the purpose of improving suitability for provisional bonding or for other purposes. The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer can be formed in an appropriate stage before the printing sheet or printed sheet is provisionally bonded to an adherend and heated. Namely, it may be formed before information is imparted to the printing sheet to obtain a printed sheet, or may be formed after a printed sheet has been thus obtained.
As a material for forming a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, an appropriate pressure-sensitive adhesive material can be used, such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive based on a rubber, acrylic, silicone, or vinyl alkyl ether. For forming the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, an appropriate method employed in the formation of pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes and the like can be used. Examples thereof include a method in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive material is applied to the printing sheet or printed sheet by an appropriate coating technique using, e.g., a doctor blade or gravure roll coater and a method in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formed on a separator by such a coating technique and the adhesive layer is transferred to the printing sheet or printed sheet.
It is also possible to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer made up of dots of a pressure-sensitive adhesive, for the purpose of enabling decomposition gases resulting from heating to volatilize smoothly or for other purposes. In this case, a more preferred constitution is one in which the printing sheet is porous as described above. In FIG. 4 is shown a printing sheet 1 having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 31 made up of pressure-sensitive adhesive dots. Such a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer can be formed by a coating technique such as, e.g., the rotary screen process.
Although the thickness of the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer to be formed can be determined according to the intended use thereof, etc., it is generally from 1 to 500 μm, preferably from 5 to 200μm. It is preferred to cover the thus-formed pressure-sensitive adhesive layer with a separator or the like in order to prevent fouling, etc. until the adhesive layer is provisionally bonded to an adherend. For provisionally bonding the printing sheet or printed sheet to an adherend, use can be made of a method in which the sheet is automatically applied by a robot or the like.
A printed sheet can be obtained by an appropriate method such as, e.g., a method in which ink information or engraved information comprising either holes or projections and recesses is imparted to the printing sheet or a method in which an appropriate shape is punched out of the printing sheet. It is also possible to form a printed sheet having a combination of the aforementioned information elements or having a combination of different kinds of information formed by any of other various methods.
The ink information can be imparted by handwriting or by an appropriate printing technique such as coating through a patterned mask, transfer of a pattern formed on a transfer paper, or printing with a printer. Preferred of these is printing with a printer, in particular, a thermal transfer printer, because this printing technique is advantageous, for example, that any desired ink information can be efficiently imparted highly precisely according to circumstances.
An appropriate ink can be used, such as, e.g., an ink containing a colorant such as a pigment, in particular, a heat-resistant colorant such as an inorganic pigment. The ink may contain a glass frit or the like so as to have improved fixability after heat treatment or for other purposes. An ink sheet such as a printing ribbon for use in thermal transfer printers can be obtained, for example, by adding a binder such as a wax or polymer to such an ink and causing a supporting substrate comprising a film, a fabric, or the like to hold the resultant ink composition. Consequently, a known ink or an ink sheet containing the same can be used in thermal transfer printing or the like.
The ink information to be imparted is not particularly limited, and appropriate ink information may be imparted, such as, e.g., characters, a design pattern, or a bar code pattern. In the case where an identification label, e.g., a management label, is formed or in similar cases, it is preferred to impart ink information so that a satisfactory contrast or a satisfactory difference in color tone is formed between the printing sheet and the ink information after heat treatment.
The step of imparting ink information or a shape to the printing sheet may be conducted either before or after the printing sheet is provisionally bonded to an adherend. In the case where a printer is used for imparting ink information, the generally employed method is to prepare beforehand a printed sheet having ink information and provisionally bond the same to an adherend.
The heat treatment of the printing sheet or printed sheet which has been provisionally bonded to an adherend can be conducted under suitable conditions according to the heat resistance of the adherend, etc. The heating temperature is generally 800° C. or lower, preferably from 200 to 650° C., more preferably from 250 to 550° C. During the heat treatment, the organic components including those contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer disappear and the MQ resin and silicone rubber contained in the printing sheet cure while uniting with the ink information. As a result, a burned sheet tightly bonded to the adherend is formed
The printing sheet or printed sheet of the present invention can be advantageously used in various applications such as, e.g., the printing or coloring of various articles including pottery, glassware, ceramics, metallic products, and enameled products and the impartation of identification information or identification marks comprising bar codes to such articles.
In particular, the printing or printed sheet can be advantageously used in forming management labels or the like which are utilizable, e.g., from the production of Braun tubes to the reclamation of reworkable parts from recycled Braun tubes, because the burned sheet obtained from the printing or printed sheet has such an excellent chemical resistance that it withstands immersion in hot nitric acid and satisfactorily retains the ink information. The adherend may have any shape such as, e.g., a flat shape or a curved shape as of containers.
The present invention will be explained below in more detail by reference to the following Examples, but the invention should not be construed as being limited thereto.
EXAMPLE 1
With toluene were evenly mixed 130 parts by weight (hereinafter all parts are by weight) of an MQ resin, 30 parts of a silicone rubber (both manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), 80 parts of potassium titanate, and 60 parts of ethyl cellulose. The resulting dispersion was applied on a PET film having a thickness of 75 μm with a doctor blade. The coating was dried to form a shape retention layer having a thickness of 65 μm. Thus, a printing sheet was obtained.
On the other hand, a toluene solution containing 100 parts of poly(butyl acrylate) having a weight-average molecular weight of about 1,000,000 was applied with a doctor blade on a separator which was a 70 μm-thick glassine paper treated with a silicone release agent. The coating was dried to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 20 μm. This adhesive layer supported on the separator was applied to the shape retention layer, and the PET film was peeled off to obtain a printing sheet having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
Subsequently, ink information comprising a bar code was imparted to the printing sheet using a thermal transfer printer and a commercial ink ribbon holding a wax-based ink containing a black metal oxide pigment and a bismuth glass. Thus, a printed sheet was obtained.
EXAMPLE 2
A printing sheet and a printed sheet were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that aluminum borate was used in place of the potassium titanate.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 1
A printing sheet and a printed sheet were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the silicone rubber was replaced with the same MQ resin as in Example 1.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 2
A printing sheet and a printed sheet were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1, except that the MQ resin was replaced with the same silicone rubber as in Example 1.
EVALUATION TESTS
The separator was peeled from each of the printed sheets obtained in the Examples and Comparative Examples. Each printed sheet was provisionally bonded to a glass plate through the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and then heated at 470° C. for 30 minutes (in air). As a result, glass plates were obtained which each had, tightly bonded thereto, a burned sheet having clear ink information comprising a black bar code on a white background. These glass plates were subjected to the following tests. By the heat treatment, the ethyl cellulose contained in each printing sheet and the other organic components including those contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer were burned out. Each burned sheet remaining after the heat treatment was a cured sheet formed from the MQ resin and/or the silicone rubber.
Sinter Strength
The surface of each burned sheet was rubbed with a cotton cloth to examine the ink information fixing strength and the glass plate bonding strength of the burned sheet. These properties were evaluated based on the following criteria.
Good: Burned sheet wholly remained adherent and ink information retained the same readability as before the test.
Poor: Burned sheet rubbed off at least partly and ink information became unreadable.
Reflectance
Reflectance of the white background in each burned sheet was measured with respect to light having a wavelength range of from 400 to 800 nm.
Chemical Resistance
Each burned sheet was immersed together with the glass plate in 15% nitric acid solution at 80° C. for 2 minutes, subsequently taken out thereof, and then evaluated by the same method as in the sinter strength test given above.
The results obtained are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1
Comparative
Comparative
Example 1
Example 2
Example 1
Example 2
Sinter
Good
Good
Good
Poor
strength
Reflect-
80
50
80
80
ance (%)
Chemical
Good
Good
Poor* 1
Poor* 2
resistance
* 1 Ink information disappeared because a surface layer of the burned sheet rubbed off.
* 2 Ink information became blurred.
EXAMPLE 3
With toluene were evenly mixed 130 parts by weight (hereinafter all parts are by weight) of an MQ resin, 30 parts of a silicone rubber (both manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), 0.4 parts of potassium hydroxide, 80 parts of potassium titanate, and 60 parts of ethyl cellulose. The resultant dispersion was applied on a polyester film having a thickness of 75 μm with a doctor blade. The coating was dried to form a shape retention layer having a thickness of 65 μm. Thus, a printing sheet was obtained.
On the other hand, a toluene solution containing 100 parts of poly(butyl acrylate) having a weight-average molecular weight of about 1,000,000 was applied with a doctor blade on a separator which was a 70 μm-thick glassine paper treated with a silicone release agent. The coating was dried to form a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a thickness of 20 μm. This adhesive layer supported on the separator was applied to the shape retention layer, and the polyester film was peeled off to obtain a printing sheet having a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer.
Subsequently, ink information comprising a bar code was imparted to the printing sheet using a thermal transfer printer and a commercial ink ribbon holding a wax-based ink containing a black metal oxide pigment and a bismuth glass. Thus, a printed sheet was obtained.
EXAMPLE 4
A printing sheet and a printed sheet were obtained in the same manner as in Example 3, except that aluminum borate was used in place of the potassium titanate.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 3
A printing sheet and a printed sheet were obtained in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the potassium hydroxide was omitted.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 4
A printing sheet and a printed sheet were obtained in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the silicone rubber was replaced with the same MQ resin as in Example 3.
COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 5
A printing sheet and a printed sheet were obtained in the same manner as in Example 3, except that the MQ resin was replaced with the same silicone rubber as in Example 3.
Evaluation Tests
The separator was peeled from each of the printed sheets obtained in the above Examples and Comparative Examples. Each printed sheet was provisionally bonded to a glass plate through the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and then heated at 470° C. for 30 minutes (in air). As a result, glass plates were obtained which each had, tightly bonded thereto, a burned sheet having clear ink information comprising a black bar code on a white background. These glass plates were subjected to the following tests. By the heat treatment, the ethyl cellulose contained in each printing sheet and the other organic components including those contained in the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer were burned out. Each burned sheet remaining after the heat treatment was a cured sheet comprising silica formed from the MQ resin and/or the silicone rubber.
Pencil Hardness
The pencil hardness of the surface of each burned sheet was measured in accordance with JIS K 5400.
Sinter Strength
The surface of each burned sheet was rubbed with a cotton cloth to examine the ink information fixing strength and the glass plate bonding strength of the burned sheet. These properties were evaluated based on the following criteria.
Good: Burned sheet wholly remained adherent and the ink information retained the same readability as before the test.
Poor: Burned sheet rubbed off at least partly and the ink information became unreadable.
Reflectance
The reflectance of the white background in each burned sheet was measured with respect to light having a wavelength range of from 400 to 800 nm.
Chemical Resistance
Each burned sheet was immersed together with the glass plate in 15% nitric acid solution at 80° C. for 2 minutes, subsequently taken out thereof, and then evaluated by the same method as in the sinter strength test given above.
The results obtained are shown in Table 2 below.
TABLE 2
Comparative
Comparative
Comparative
Example 3
Example 4
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
Pencil hardness
≧9 H
≧9 H
4 H
≧9 H
3 H
Sinter strength
Good
Good
Good
Good
Poor
Reflectance (%)
80
50
80
80
80
Chemical resistance
Good
Good
Scratchy
Disappeared
Blurred
Scratchy: Pattern partly disappeared.
Blurred: Pattern became blurred.
While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. | A printing sheet is disclosed from which burned sheets, such as, e.g., a management label effectively utilizable from the production of Braun tubes to the salvage thereof, which are excellent in chemical resistance, heat resistance, weatherability, hiding power or reflectance, etc., can be formed while satisfying advantages such as the bondability to curved surfaces which enables the printing sheet, after having been printed according to circumstances to impart information thereto, to be tightly bonded to adherends with heating, the suitability for expedient printed-sheet formation in which a variety of printed sheets necessary for the production of small quantities of many kinds of products can be formed therefrom in situ, etc. according to circumstances, and the ability to be easily and tightly bonded to adherends. The printing sheet ( 1 ) comprises a sheet made of a mixture comprising inorganic particles, an MQ resin, and a silicone rubber. Also disclosed is a printed sheet obtained by imparting ink information ( 2 ) to the printing sheet by thermal transfer printing. | 1 |
RELATED APPLICATION
This is a continuation-in-part of applicants' copending application Ser. No. 354,250 filed Apr. 25, 1973, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
According to applicants' U.S. Pat. No. 3,599,205 issued Aug. 10, 1971, a binary code is converted into a ternary balanced code but the code word in each code has the same number of bits, and there is no means for eliminating any D.C. component.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system for converting binary code signals having a specified number of bits per signal of more than three, first into binary code signals with a constant 0-bit/1-bit ratio in which each code word has one-bit less than that of the binary code, and then into a ternary code which is without a D.C. component. This is accomplished by dividing the binary code words into two groups of bits, such as for example in a code having more than three, and preferably more than 6-bits per word, into a first group of bits comprising n-3 bits in each word and a second group of the last three bits of each word. The first group of bits of each word is then converted by a bit word converter into the balance binary code having a same number of 0 and 1-bits for a code having n-1 bits per word, namely the same number of bits as the ternary code to be produced. Then the second group or last 3-bits of the binary word is used to convert by a polarity converter the 1-bits in the converted first group word into the + and - bits of the first ternary code. There is also provided a polarity equilibrium watching circuit comprising an inverter which alternately inverts the + and - converted bits in a signal word when the number of + and - bits per signal word are uneven, thereby in the long run preventing the formation of a D.C. component in a succession of converted ternary code signals.
The code converters for the two different groups of bits of the divided binary code signal include shift registers, and the inverter comprises a flip flop. The shift register for forming the + and - bits from the 1-bits, controls relays to operate switches for successively connecting the out-put to ground or 0 potential, - potential, or + potential. Thus the different levels from the out-put may be used for controlling amplitudes or frequencies which are different than that for the ground or 0-bits.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to convert a binary code into a balanced ternary code of less bits per word than the binary code in a simple, efficient, effective and economic manner.
Another object is to convert a binary code into a ternary code in which each signal word has a constant number of 0-bits and a substantially even number of + and - bits, at least after the second word having the same unbalance of + and - bits has been produced and transmitted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS
FIG. I is a schematic table and wave form of direct samples of single words for the conversion of a seven unit binary code into a six unit ternary unit code according to one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. II is a schematic table and wave form of direct samples of single words for the conversion of an eight unit binary code into a seven unit ternary code unit according to another embodiment of this invention;
FIG. III is a schematic block wiring diagram of one embodiment of a circuit for the conversion of an eight bit binary code word into a seven bit ternary code word as shown in FIG. II; and
FIG. IV is a detailed time diagram of the conversion of the signals shown in FIG. II according to the specific circuit shown in FIG. III.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The invention will be described in relation to two examples, namely one for converting a 7-bit binary code into a 6-bit ternary code and the other for converting an 8-bit binary code into a 7-bit ternary code.
I
Conversion of Signals of a 7-bit Binary Code With 2 7 = 128 Variations Into Signals of a 6-bit Error Detecting Ternary Code
According to this example or embodiment of the invention, the first group of bits divided from the 7-bit binary code consists of the first 4-bits of each 7-bit word which 4-bits may contain one, two or three 0-bits. For these first 4-bits which contain none, one, and two 0-bits, the remaining 2-bits of the ultimate 6-bit ternary code are filled-in to insure that the final 6-bit word of the ternary code contains only two 0-bits. In the event the first 4-bits contain three 0-bits, the inversion of this code is then employed (see Table 2-D). However, if all 4-bits are 0-bits, then these binary code words are converted by starting from a second group of bits and by completing this group to new 6-bit ternary code words (see Tables 4 and 3).
Thus, the 6-unit digit, or bit code used on the transmission path is derived from a 6-bit code with a 1-bit/0-bit ratio of 4:2. The three levels at which the ternary transmission takes place are represented by the symbols 0, + and -. The 0 value in the first converted binary code also becomes the 0 value in the ternary code, but the binary 1 value becomes the + or - in the ternary code.
The 6-bit code contains four 1-bits per signal so that the number of possible variations of two or three + bits and two or three - bits in each 6-unit word is ##EQU1## The error detection is obtained by counting the number of 0-bits in the 6-bit signal. This number must be two and deviations from this number indicate an erroneously received signal.
As a number of 1-bits in a 6-bit signal is even, it is possible to establish a balance between the number of + and - bits or digits. This balance can be formed within one signal or after several signals have been converted, so that the D.C. component is eliminated in due time, such as when three + or three - bits occur in one signal, the next signal with three + or three - bits is inverted to three - or three + bits, respectively.
The distribution of the + and - values over the four binary 1-bits takes place as follows:
TABLE 1______________________________________1111 binary______________________________________ 1++-- 2-++- 3--++ 4+--+ 5+-+- 6-+-+ ##STR1## Balanced distribution of "+" and "-" digits or bits 7+--- 8-+-- 9--+- 10---+ ##STR2## and their inverse forms ##STR3##______________________________________
For balance, as many of the 7, 8, 9 and 10 numbered signals need to be used as possible so the following 7, 8, 9, 10 signals can be the inversions thereof. Thus in due time, a balance of the + and - bits will occur to achieve the elimination of a D.C. component for the whole wave of signals.
The conversion of the signals of the 7-bit binary code into a 6-bit ternary code is achieved as follows:
The 7-bit signals consist of the units or bits a b c d e f g. Of these bits a first group containing the bits a b c d is detached or divided out of the 7-bit signals and converted into a 6-bit ##EQU2## code, the bits of which are indicated by a b c d e f. The a b c d bits can form 16 variations. However, a ##EQU3## code can only form 15 variations, so that a complete conversion of 4-bits into 6-bits ##EQU4## is impossible. For this reason the variation 0000 is set apart from the a b c d variation for the time being, and the remaining 15 variations are divided into four groups.
A: one variation with nought 0-bits
B: four variations with one 0-bit
C: six variations with two 0-bits
D: four variations with three 0-bits
The conversion from four to six bits takes place by adding two bits, the bits e and f, to the bits a b c d. In order that the 6-bit variations always contain two 0-bits, the bit-group e f gets nought, one, or two 0-bits. This is by simple logic circuits for the variations of the groups A, B, and C above; in which case two, one, or nought 0-bits, respectively, are assigned to the bit-group e f. Another procedure is applied for the variations of the group D already containing more than two 0-bits. These variations are inverted, so that they appear as variations that contain one 0-bit. Then only one 0-bit has to be assigned to the e f group in order to become ##EQU5## variations. But to distinguish the e f configuration for group D from group B, the variation of group B is 1-0 while the variation of the group D is 0 1.
TABLE 2______________________________________a, b, c, d of the 7-bit code:______________________________________ Group ab cd ef______________________________________A 1 1 1 1 0 0 one variation with nought 0-bits B 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 ##STR4## four variations with one 0-bit C 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 ##STR5## six variations with two 0-bits D 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0111 1011 1101 1110 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 ##STR6## four variations with three______________________________________ 0-bits
The 1-bits in the 6-bit code obtained in the above-mentioned manner determine the four digit places in the ternary signal, at which + or - values will be transmitted.
The bits e f g of the 7-bit encoding, remaining after the detachment of the bits a b c d, can occur in eight variations with respect to the 1 and 0 values (in column I Table 3). Each of these variations determines which distribution of + and - values, as summed up in Table 1 above, will be attributed to the 1-digits and this is represented in Table 3 (column II)
TABLE 3______________________________________e f g + and - e f g bitsof the disposition substituted complementary7-bit according to by a b c bits code Table 1 bits d e f ##STR7##______________________________________0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1110 0 10 0 1 2 0 0 1 1 1 10 1 0 3 0 1 0 1 1 10 1 1 4 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 ##STR8## 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0I II III IV V______________________________________
The 15 variations of Table 2 formed by the bits a b c d (the variation 0000 being omitted for the time being) together with the 8 possible manifestations of the bits e f g (Table 3) give 8×15=120 variations in the ternary code. However, there still remains 8 variations, the a b c d bits of which having the 0000 configuration, which have to be converted.
To achieve this purpose the bits e f g (column I Table 3) take the place of the bits a b c (column III Table 3) and are completed by three consecutive bits d e f (column IV) to form another group of bits. Apart from the variation a b c = 000, the seven remaining variations contain nought, one, or two 0-bits. Consequently, these variations can be easily completed to 6-bit variations containing two 0-bits. This is shown in column IV Table 3. The variation 000 is inverted to 111 and the configuration 001 is assigned to the bits d e f (column V). So the 7-bit variation 0000000 becomes the 6-bit variation 111001. For the conversion of the (8×15) 6-bit variations (Table 3 columns I and II) into the ternary code the + and -, distribution numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 10 (Table 1) are used as stated already. The 8 remaining variations (Table 3 columns III) are converted into the ternary code according to the distribution 5 (Table 1).
Consequently, the conversion table is as follows:
TABLE 4__________________________________________________________________________7 bits6 bitsab cdefgabcdef__________________________________________________________________________ ##STR9## ##STR10## ##STR11## ##STR12## ##STR13##__________________________________________________________________________
When one of the distributions 7, 8, 9, or 10 has been used for encoding, the conversion that has to follow a distribution of that group, must make use of the distribution 7, 8, 9, or 10.
This is shown by way of an example in FIG. I of the drawing. Specifically this FIG. I shows three successive 7-bit words a,b,c,d,e,f,g of the binary code with their 0 and 1-bit indications below them. The first 4-bits are divided out between the vertical stepped lines to form the new 0 and 1-bit constant ratio code according to Table 2. The last 3-bits of the original binary code, namely bits e f g of each of these 6-unit words, is then converted according to Table 3 columns I and II which indicate which line in Table 1 the 1-bits are to be converted and distributed to the + and - bits. Below each of these three successive signals, there is shown a wave form corresponding to the converted ternary signal words. The second and third words are shown to be unbalanced in their + and - bits, but together they form a balanced pair thereby eliminating the overall D.C. component when both signals are successively transmitted. As pointed out in Tables 1 and 3 any combination of the last three bits of the binary code e f g which are converted according to 7, 8, 9, or 10, the following signal which is converted according to any one of these four conversions is inverted to eliminate any overall D.C. component or unbalance in the final ternary code.
II
Conversion Of Signals Of An 8-bit Binary Code With 2 8 = 256 Variations Into A 7-Bit Error Detecting Ternary Code
The 7-digit code used on the transmission path is derived from a 7-bit code with a 1-bit/0-bit ratio of 4:3. The three levels at which the ternary transmission takes place are represented by the symbols O, + and -. The 0-value in the binary code also becomes the 0-value in the ternary encoding. The binary 1 bit becomes a + or - bit in the ternary code. The 7-bit code contains four 1-bits per signal. The error detection is obtained by counting the number of 0-digits in the 7-digit signal. This number must be three. Deviations of this number indicate an erroneously received signal. As the number of 1-bits in the 7-bit signal is even, it is possible to establish a balance between the number of + and - bits or digits. This balance can be formed within one signal or after some signals have been converted, so that the D.C. component is eliminated in due time. The distribution of the + and - values over four binary 1-bits takes place according to Table 1.
The conversion of 8-bit signals into 7-bit signals is achieved as follows:
The 8-bit signals consist of the bits a b c d e f g h. Of these bits a first group of 5-bits, namely bits a b c d e, is detached or divided from the 8-bit binary code signals and converted into a 7-bit code with a constant 1 to 0-bit ratio according to well known conversion apparatus, such as described and disclosed in SITO 6301 or CCIR Rec. 476, or U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,539 of da Silva issued Aug. 24, 1971, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,518,405 issued Aug. 8, 1950. The remaining bits f g h of this 8-bit binary code signal can occur in eight different variations according to Table 5 (see also Tables 1 and 3) so as to produce 32 × 8 or 2 5 × 8 = 256 variations.
TABLE 5______________________________________ + and - distribution fgh (according to Table 1)______________________________________ I ##STR14## 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 2 3 4 II ##STR15## 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 ##STR16##______________________________________
By converting the bits a b c d e into a 7-bit code the places of the 1-bits in the signal are determined.
The distribution of the + and - digits over the 1-bits is determined with the help of the eight possible variations of the bits f g h shown in Table 5 above. If a distribution of the group II in Table 5 above has been chosen, the next distribution in that group II will be composed of the inverse values, as one of the distributions 7, 8, 9 or 10. This is shown by way of an example in FIG. II of the drawings which shows three successive 8-bit binary code words and their corresponding 0 and 1-bit codes, of which the first group of the first 5-bits are directly converted according to the above mentioned standard five to seven constant ratio code as shown between the stepped vertical lines, in which each word of 7-bits contains three and only three 0-bits for error detection and control. The next conversion is to determine which one of the 1-bits are to be converted to + and - bits, and this is done in accordance with the second group of the last three bits in the 8-unit binary code signal as shown in Tables 5 and 1. Here again the first signal A is unbalanced with three - bit and one + bit, so that the next signal which was unbalanced the same way is inverted, namely the third signal C, so that it contains three + bits and one - bit, so that after a few words the resulting signals have no D.C. component.
III
An Apparatus
FIG. III shows a circuit for the conversion of an 8-bit binary code word into a 7-bit ternary balanced code word. Generally speaking, the input circuit 10 separates the first five bits of each 8-bit code word from the three last bits. The bit word converter 20 converts the five first bits into a 7-bit fixed-rate or ratio code word with four 1 bits and three 0 bits. The polarity converter 30 converts the three last bits (according to Table 5 above and Table 6 below) into a 4-bit word (according to Tables 6 and 1) which controls the polarity of the 1 bits in the converted 7-bit code word from circuit 20. The polarity equilibrium watching circuit 40 takes care that any time the polarity equilibrium is disturbed, one of the next following 4-bit words will be inverted in order to restore polarity equilibrium. The output circuit 50 consists of two relays which bring the output to +, -, or 0 level.
More specifically in FIG. III, a bit word of eight bits (a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h) enters the input 11 and is divided in circuit 12 into the first five bits and its last three bits. The first five bits (a, b, c, d, e ) are passed via fine parallel conductors or lines in conductor 13 to the bitword converter circuits 20 to a constant ratio code converter 21 for conversion into a 7 -bit code word with a fixed bit rate of four 1 bits and three 0 bits as disclosed in above mentioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,601,539 and 2,518,405. This 7-bit word is entered into the 7-stage register 23 bit by bit during time slots generated by clock pulses from oscillator 24, and then the 7-bits of this word are successively fed via connection 25 to a relay 51 which operates a contact 52 each time a 1 bit appears. So, if a 0 bit leaves the shift register 23, the output 53 remains connected to the ground or 0 level through switch 52 and, if a 1 bit leaves the shift register 23, the output 53 is connected to switch 55 and thence either to a + or - potential or level.
The last three bits (f, g, h) of the binary code word from the divider 12 are connected via three parallel lines in conductor 14 to the polarity converter circuit 30 where they are converted by code converter 31 into code words of four-bits according to Table 6 below and brought into the output register (not shown) of the converter 31.
TABLE 6______________________________________ Converter 31Converter 31 outputinput 14 (corresponding to Tables 5 and 1;fgh "1" equals "+", "0" equals "-")______________________________________ 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 ##STR17## group I 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 ##STR18## group II______________________________________
The 4-bit code words from converter 31 can belong to group I, in which a code word always consists of two 0 bits and two 1 bits, or to group II, in which there is no equilibrium between the number of 0 bits and the number of 1 bits. These converted 4-bit words are entered into a shift register 33 after the time slot 7 (see FIG. IV). Simultaneously the change-over circuit 41 identifies the 4-bit words as belonging to group 1 or to group II of Table 1. If the 4-bit word belongs to group I, the flip-flop 44 is set so that its output 47 is at the 0 status or level, and if the word belongs to group II the flip-flop 44 is alternately set into the same and the reverse status or level (see the time diagram of FIG. IV). The 4-bit words leave the shift register 33 under the control of a pulse shaper 32 which generates a pulse each time a 1 bit passes connection 25. As every 7-bit word passing connection 25 contains four 1 bits, the shift register 33 will be empty when shift register 23 is empty, so thereafter the two shift registers are able to receive the next or a new code word.
Referring now to FIG. III together with the time diagram of FIG. IV, during time slots 2 to 8 the first 7-bit signal converted from the first five bits of the first 8-bit word II A has stepped into the seven stages of the shift register 23, and now during the time slots 8 through 14 a new signal B enters the shift register 23 from the converter 21 while the stored signal A in register 23 is driven out step-by-step through the conductor 25 as described above. During the shifting-through of this new signal B the shift register 33 puts a 1 level on its output 35 and a 0 level on its output 34 for every 1-bit leaving the shift register 33, which in this instance according to FIG. IV is only during the eighth time slot for this new signal. Similarly, for every 0-bit from the fourth stage of the shift register 33, the output 34 of this shift register 33 is brought to the 1 level and the output 35 is changed to a 0 level. Thus after the first 1 level or 1-bit from the output of the shift register 23 which will be transmitted as a + bit, the other three 1-bits in the output from register 23 will be transmitted as - bits because they correspond to the other three 0-bits of the output of the code converter 31, namely the seventh combination from group II of Tables 1 and 6. Since this is the first unbalanced signal from the code converter 31, and the change-over circuit only operates for every alternate unbalanced signal, no change-over of this circuit yet occurs.
Referring now further to signal B, it is a balanced signal at the output 31 of the code converter and therefore the change-over circuit is not operated. Since in this particular group I signal number 3 has only the second two bits +, correspondingly only the second two 1-bit of the final 7-bit code signal B are converted for this signal between the time slots 15 to 21 as shown by the dotted arrows between the output 32 and the conductor 35 in the time table of FIG. IV.
The third signal C which occurs at the output of the pulse shaper 32 during the time slots 22 through 28, is the second unbalanced signal from group II and correspondingly is to be inverted as being the 9 signal from the output as determined from the output from the code converter 31 according to Tables 5 and 1. Thus this 4-bit signal 9 now operates the change-over circuit 41 to operate the flip-flop 44 and invert the polarity on the outputs 46 and 47 from the flip-flop 44 from 0 and 1 to 1 and 0, respectively, (see FIG. IV). This change-over occurs only during the 6-bits of the signal C between time slots 22 and 28. Thus, the normal first two 1-bits of this signal C which normally would correspond to 0 bits are now 1-bits and operate the AND-gate 37 to pass through OR-gate 39 to operate relay 44. The third bit of the 4-bit control signal from code converter 31, which normally is a 1-bit is now inverted to be a 0-bit and it thus blocks the AND-gate 37 to produce the first - bit in the signal C. Then the last 1-bit in the 4-bit control signal which is a 0 bit at the output from the code converter 31, transmits the last 1 bit of this signal C as a + bit
Now the signal wave across the bottom of FIGS. II and IV is balanced, in that for the two unbalanced signals A and C, one has been inverted with respect to the other, while the signal B is already balanced.
Also shown in the time diagram of FIG. IV is the balanced code signal D derived from the special 8-bit code signal having all 0-bits. Its transformation in the 5 to 7 constant ratio code converter 21 produces a 7-bit word or signal which is correspondingly passed through the seven stages of the shift register 23. The four 1-bits in this converted signal D operate the shift register 33 in combination with the 4-bit signal converted from the last three bits of the original 8-bit signal in accordance with signal 1 in Tables 5 and 1 to produce the 4-bit word of two 1 bits followed by two 0 bits.
The conversion of each of the 5-unit binary code signals (which are divided from the 8-unit binary code by divider 12) into the 7-unit binary code in the code converter 21, may be as shown in Table 7 below, in which table this particular code signals A, B, C and D shown and described in FIGS. II and IV are specifically indicated. This table is in accordance with the International Conversion Table and Standards published in the CCIR (mentioned previously).
TABLE 7______________________________________D 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0A 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 0B 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1C 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1______________________________________
While there is described above the principles of this invention in connection with specific apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example, and not as a limitation to the scope of this invention. | A system for converting multi-unit 1 and 0 bit binary code signals into one less unit multi-unit 0, + and - bit ternary code signals with a D.C. (direct current) component and having the same number of 0-bits or units in each signal. This conversion is accomplished by dividing each binary word code or signal into two groups of units or bits, converting one group to form a balance code with one less unit or bit than the binary code and a constant number of 0-bits, and converting the other part of each binary word for controlling the conversion and distribution of the + and - bits from the 1-bits in the code words of the first group. In the event there are more + bits than - bits or vice versa in a code word, an inverter is provided for inverting the + and - bits in the next word containing the same unbalance of + and - bits, so that any D.C. component produced by such an unbalance in one word will be eliminated or counterbalanced by inverting the next following word with the same unbalance. | 7 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority from Taiwan Patent Application No. 098136795, filed in the Taiwan Patent Office on Oct. 30, 2009, entitled “Apparatus for Measuring the Temperature Coefficients of a Concentrator Photovoltaic Module,” and incorporates the Taiwan patent application in its entirety by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure relates to an indoor measurement apparatus for measuring the temperature coefficients of a concentrator photovoltaic module.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Photovoltaic modules for converting the solar energy into electricity gets more attention as the fossil fuels are gets more expensive. The prices of the photovoltaic modules are determined by photo-electric conversion efficiencies and photovoltaic characteristics. The photovoltaic characteristics of a concentrator photovoltaic module are determined by its temperature coefficients. The temperature coefficients are the most important performance parameters of the power output related to the temperature. The photovoltaic characteristics of a concentrator photovoltaic module can be calculated from the temperature coefficients.
There has not been any indoor measurement apparatus specifically devised to measure the temperature coefficients of a concentrator photovoltaic module. Typically, for outdoor tests, the apparatus including a solar tracker, a current-voltage curve measuring unit and a temperature measuring unit is used to measure the temperature coefficients of a concentrator photovoltaic module.
The above-mentioned apparatus is limited by outdoor climatic conditions although it can measure the temperature coefficients of a concentrator photovoltaic module. Moreover, it is difficult to control the temperature of a concentrator photovoltaic module. It is more difficult to control the uniform temperature distribution of a concentrator photovoltaic module. Therefore, the precision of the measurement is bad.
The present disclosure is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
It is the primary objective of the present disclosure to provide an apparatus for precisely measuring the temperature coefficients of a concentrator photovoltaic module.
To achieve the foregoing objective of the present disclosure, the apparatus includes a solar simulator, an environment chamber, a temperature controller, a reference cell and a measuring unit. The solar simulator emits collimated light in imitation of the sun light. The environment chamber includes a case, a gate, at least one door and a holder. The case includes front and rear openings. The gate is operable to close the front opening of the case before the temperature of the interior of the case reaches a desired value. The gate is operable to open the front opening of the case to allow the collimated light to reach the concentrator photovoltaic module after the temperature of the interior of the case reaches the desired value. The door is operable to open the rear opening through which the concentrator photovoltaic module is located in the case and closing the rear opening of the case before the temperature of the interior of the case reaches the desired value. The holder is located in the case and operable to hold the concentrator photovoltaic module. The temperature controller is connected to the case. The reference cell is located in the case. The measuring unit includes a first cable electrically connected to the concentrator photovoltaic module and a second cable electrically connected to the reference cell.
Other objectives, advantages and features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description referring to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
The present disclosure will be described via detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment referring to the drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an apparatus for measuring the temperature coefficients of a concentrator photovoltaic module according to the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an environment chamber of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged front view of the environment chamber shown in FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the environment chamber shown in FIG. 3 ; and
FIG. 5 is another cross-sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in operation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5 , there is shown an apparatus for measuring the temperature coefficients of a concentrator photovoltaic module 5 according to the present disclosure. The apparatus includes a solar simulator 1 , an environment controller 2 , a temperature controller 3 , a measuring unit 4 , a power supply 6 and a reference cell 7 .
The solar simulator 1 includes a light 11 . The light 11 emits collimated light in imitation of the sun light.
Further referring to FIGS. 2 through 4 , the environment chamber 2 includes a case 21 supported on a stand 23 . The case 21 includes a front opening 219 , a rear opening 214 , a front chamber 211 , a rear chamber 212 and a opening 213 . The opening 213 is located between the front chamber 211 and the rear chamber 212 . The area of the opening 213 is smaller than that of the front and rear openings 219 , 214 . The front chamber 211 and the rear chamber 212 are located between the front opening 219 and the rear opening 214 . An inlet 216 is defined in a roof of the case 21 . An outlet 217 is defined in a floor of the case 21 .
A gate 22 is movably provided on the case 21 . The gate 22 closes and opens the front opening of the case 21 . Two doors 218 are pivotally connected to the case 21 . The doors 218 close and open the rear opening 214 of the case 21 .
A holder 215 is located in the front chamber 211 . The holder 215 includes two posts 2151 extending from an internal face of the case 21 , a frame 2153 and two corner rods 2151 each extending to a corner of the frame 2153 from the root of a related one of the posts 2151 . Each of the posts 2151 has at least one fastener 2154 .
The stand 23 includes retractable feet 231 . The length of each of the retractable feet 231 is adjustable independent of the others. The stand 23 can thus support the case 21 on different torrential shapes of the ground.
The temperature controller 3 includes a heater and cooler (not shown) to provide different temperature of air, a first pipe 31 and a second pipe 32 . The heater can be a hot wire that converts electricity into heat. The first pipe 31 sends hot or cold air into the case 21 via the inlet 216 . The second pipe 32 returns the air thereto temperature controller 3 or exhaust from the case 21 through the outlet 217 .
The measuring unit 4 includes a first cable 41 and a second cable 42 . The first cable 41 is electrically connected to the concentrator photovoltaic module 5 and the second cable 42 is electrically connected to the reference cell 7 .
The reference cell 7 is also located in the case 21 . A front face of the reference cell 7 is in a same plane with a front face of the concentrator photovoltaic module 5 .
In operation, the front opening of the case 21 is closed by the gate 22 . The rear opening 214 of the case 21 is opened by operating the doors 218 . The concentrator photovoltaic module 5 is located in the rear chamber 212 through the rear opening 214 . The concentrator photovoltaic module 5 is supported on the frame 2153 and kept there by the fasteners 2154 . The rear opening 214 of the case 21 is closed by the doors 218 .
The desired air is sent into the case 21 from the temperature controller 3 through the first pipe 36 and the inlet 216 . The air heats or cools the interior of the case 21 and the concentrator photovoltaic module 5 . The air is sent back into the temperature controller 3 from the case 21 through the outlet 217 and the second pipe 32 . Thus, the air is circulated or exhausted and heated or cooled. Accordingly, the temperature of the concentrator photovoltaic module 5 can be increased or decreased to a desired value. The humidity in the case 21 can also be controlled.
The front opening of the case 21 is opened by operating the gate 22 . The light 11 emits collimated light to the front face of the concentrator photovoltaic module 5 and the front face of the reference cell 7 . The measuring unit 4 measures the current and voltage curve of the concentrator photovoltaic module 5 relative to the reference cell 7 . Furthermore, the measuring unit 4 calculates and shows other characteristics including the open-circuit voltage, the short-circuit current, the maximum-power voltage, the maximum-power current, the maximum power, fill factor and efficiency. The power supply 6 is operable to adjust the intensity of the collimated light emitted from the light 11 .
With the apparatus of this disclosure, the photovoltaic characteristics of the concentrator photovoltaic module 5 at different temperatures can be measured while the uniformity of the temperature in concentrator photovoltaic module 5 is good. Thus, the temperature coefficient of the concentrator photovoltaic module 5 can be calculated.
The present disclosure has been described via the detailed illustration of the preferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the preferred embodiment shall not limit the scope of the present disclosure defined in the claims. | Disclosed is an apparatus for measuring temperature coefficients of a concentrator photovoltaic module. The apparatus includes a solar simulator for providing a radiant source, a environment chamber, a concentrator photovoltaic module, a temperature control unit for controlling the temperature of environment chamber, a circuit-voltage curve measurement unit for measuring current-voltage characteristics of a photovoltaic device and a reference cell for measuring the irradiation of the solar simulator. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the composite structures and applications thereof, more particularly, to shaped three-dimensional fabrics and rigid composite structures made therewith and methods for making same.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In general, it is known in the art to employ multi-layer fabrics combined with a resinous treatment for forming rigid composite structures for various applications, including but not limited to infrastructure and connectors. Additionally, it is known in the art to use high performance fibers to improve the characteristics of the composite structure, including impact resistance, strength, and shear resistance. However, overall, these prior art and related structures still fail, particularly where non-uniformities exist either due to multiple shaped fabrics being spliced, joined, or otherwise combined to form the final structure; failure often occurring at the points, areas, and/or regions of non-uniformity. Therefore, no prior art has been capable of providing a singular, non-laminated fabric having varying cross-sectional area including insertion hole(s). Thus, there remains a need for a singular piece, non-laminated three-dimensional fabric having varying cross-sectional area including insertion hole(s), particularly one that may be formed into a composite structure via the introduction of resin thereinto and curing thereof.
Furthermore, no prior art provides a three-dimensional fabric having varying cross-sectional shapes and other contoured shapes, or shaped three-dimensional fabric in a range of dimensions. Thus, there remains a need for shaped three-dimensional fabric in a range of dimensions to provide components and connectors in a range of sizes for different applications and uses.
Unlike prior art multidimensional, multi-component laminated fabric composites for use as structural components, couplers, and/or connectors, the three-dimensional fabric having varying cross-sectional shapes including insertion holes of the present invention provides increased impact resistance, resistance to delamination, shear resistance, tensile strength, overall resistance to deformation and breakage, strength, and overall performance due to the uninterrupted dissipation of energy spread throughout the entire surface area, cross-sectional area, and internal structure of the fabric and the substantially uniform structural characteristics presented in the finished product. The transfer of energy is uninterrupted and the other performance characteristics of the three-dimensional fabric having varying cross-sectional shapes and structure of the present invention are improved over the prior art because no seams, splices, joints, creases, wrinkles, or non-uniformities, including discontinuity in fiber reinforcement, are present in the fabric performs before, during, or after lamination, treatment, and molding to form the finished product. Moreover, the absence of seams provides increased resistance to delamination and component or structural failure.
Additionally, prior art teaches the use of resinous treatment or coating in combination with multi-layer laminated structures to create a rigid composite structure and to improved resistance to delamination, impact resistance, strength, compression, and other characteristics. However, any and all resinous treatments, even after setting and curing, merely provide amorphous bonding between laminated layers, multiple components, and at any join, splice, or other point of connection between components, continue to be subject to delamination, reduction of strength and impact resistance in those amorphous regions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a shaped three-dimensional fabrics having a variety of cross-sectional shapes and dimensions, including insertion holes therein and rigid composite structures formed thereof, wherein the fabric has an increased impact resistance, strength, shear strength, compression characteristics, resistance to delamination, and overall uniformity and structural integrity. Additionally, the invention is directed to a method for making the same. The invention is applicable to structural components, including but not limited to couplers and connectors. Also, the invention is applicable to other structural components where integrated insertion hole(s) are desired.
Advantageously, the invention includes lightweight, multi-layer performs having a single, integral composition, i.e., formed of a single, continuous, and integrated fabric structure that does not require splicing, joining, or otherwise connecting multiple pieces to provide a variety of cross-sectional shapes and dimensions, including insertion holes therein. As such, the present invention provides superior structural uniformity and/or continuity and performance characteristics than any prior art structure or substitute. Also, the method of manufacturing shaped three-dimensional fabrics in a variety of cross-sectional shapes and dimensions requires a single fabric-forming machine with no additional equipment or separate processes required to form insertion holes therein. Also, rigid composite structures according to the present invention do not require joining, splicing, or otherwise connecting, patterning, creating cut-out regions or overlapping material to form the final structure, shape or dimensions in order to conform to a predetermined shaped structure or component. Furthermore, the shaped three-dimensional fabric structure according to the present invention may be molded, compression molded, pressed, or otherwise manipulated into a contoured shape without delamination, creasing, folding, or making non-uniformities within layers forming the laminated structure. Also, the shaped three-dimensional fabric structure may be formed into a rigid composite structure via the addition of a resin or similar hardening material.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention is to provide a shaped three-dimensional fabric structure for applications requiring substantially uniform characteristics across all parts and regions of the structure. Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a shaped three-dimensional fabric structure having insertion hole(s) for use as a coupler, attach point, connector, and/or other structural components where integrated insertion hole(s) are desired. Additionally, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a shaped three-dimensional fabric structure and rigid composite structure formed therewith for use in structural applications, including but not limited to structural components, connectors, joints, and couplers.
Also, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a method for forming a shaped three-dimensional fabric structure, wherein the structure includes a singular component, molded preform.
Finally, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide a method for forming a shaped three-dimensional fabric structure having insertion holes and made into a rigid composite structure including the steps of weaving a 3-D engineered fiber preform, including top and bottom surface floats for forming insertion holes, separating the edges of the preform after weaving and translating the edges such that a 90 degree shift in edge plane orientation results, opening the insertion hole area, inserting the preform into a mold, preferably a shaped and closed molding, introducing a resin into the preform in the mold, and curing the resin. Additional finishing steps may be advantageously used to assure that the finished surfaces, edges, and dimensions are consistent with those desired of the end product.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after a reading of the following description of the preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative of such invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 1, according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is schematic of a 3-D orthogonal weaving according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 shows a schematic of a 3-D orthogonal weaving according to PRIOR ART.
FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a 3-D weaving material as it exits the weaving machine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the following description, like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views. Also in the following description, it is to be understood that such terms as “forward”, “rearward”, “left”, “right”, “upwardly”, “downwardly”, and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.
Referring now to the drawings in general and to FIG. 1 in particular, it will be understood that the illustrations are for the purpose of describing a preferred embodiment of the invention and are not intended to limit the invention thereto. FIG. 1 shows a finished rigid composite structure including a shaped, 3-D fiber preform with insertion holes woven thereinto. The composite structure with insertion hole has been re-oriented from its off-the-weaving-machine orientation (shown in FIG. 5) to form the finished shape wherein the insertion hole is seamlessly integrated with the overall preform structure. FIG. 2 shows the composite structure of FIG. 1, from a different angle than FIG. 1, to more effectively illustrate the insertion hole and separation of layers, which form the integrated, seamless preform with harness combinations 3 & 4 and 5 & 6 labeled in contrast to the orientation of the woven preform, shown in FIG. 5 . While an I-beam connector is shown, other complex shaped preforms may be manufactured according the method of the present invention.
A complete disclosure of a three-dimensional fabric and method is provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,085,252 and 5,465,760, both owned by the present applicant and/or assignee, and incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Some modifications on the dimensions are possible to be made on the machine during production, including the thickness. Depending on the load condition, can allocate the fiber percentage in XYZ direction can be allocated to meet the load requirements. Load requirements are generally dependent upon weight target & geometrical dimensions of the use of end products; note that the design and specification requirements for the shaped 3-D woven structure with insertion holes are based on dimensional requirements primarily, but also on load/performance requirements when specified by the end user.
Referring now to FIG. 3, a process schematic diagram is shown according to the present invention. More particularly, FIG. 3 is a schematic of a 3-D orthogonal weaving showing four (4) warp layers forming the X-direction yarn system, six (6) sets of harnesses for controlling and guiding the Z-yarn system—2 for top, 2 for bottom & for open up & for open down—non-hidden Z-yarn systems that form the surface floats which ultimately form the insertion hole or channel within the predetermined region of the fabric, preferably in a central region, more preferably centered or centrally located on the connector or attach point, and a plurality of fill layers forming the Y-direction yarn system. According to the present invention, the Y yarn system and the Z yarn system can be balanced or non-balanced. In a preferred embodiment, the Y and Z yarn systems are balanced. Referring now to FIG. 3 and to FIG. 5, the Z yarn system components 1 and 2 , during weaving, are interwoven together and provide the surface floats, best shown in FIG. 5, which form the insertion hole portion of the preform according to the present invention. By way of comparison, FIG. 4 PRIOR ART weaving has fewer harnesses and no surface floats.
The process by which the shaped fabric with insertion hole(s) is formed will now be generally described with reference to the schematic shown in FIG. 3 . Lengthwise or in the X-direction, the warp yarns (not shown) are drawn in under tension from a warp and tension system (not shown) between the heddles of harnesses 1 to 6 , and through a beat up reed 12 and to the fabric formation zone 14 . Crosswise or in the Y-direction, the fill yarns 22 or filling yarns are inserted between the warp layers using fill insertion means, preferably a rapier system (not shown) using fill insertion rapiers. In a preferred embodiment, all the six harnesses cross for every fill insertion cycle in the sections of the fabric without the hole(s) 30 (also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ), i.e., the main body of the fabric 32 . During the weaving of the area having the hole(s), harnesses # 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 , which are carrying Z yarns 26 , cross for every fill insertion cycle to the bottom and top parts, respectively, while harnesses # 1 and 2 remain still or inactivated at that point in the fill insertion cycle, thereby causing the Z yarns to float at the top 8 and bottom surfaces of the fabric (best shown in the preform of FIG. 1) or within top 9 A and bottom parts 9 B. At this hole(s) section, the top and bottom parts of the fabric are not connected, i.e., they form distinct layers or parts. Notably, in traditional 3-D weaving patterns, there is not separation between top and bottom parts. FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective and partial cross-sectional view of a 3-D weaving material as it exits the weaving machine, with top and bottom parts of each side of the connector on the same plane, either top surface or bottom surface, respectively, as the material is woven. At the end of the hole(s) section formation shown in the middle region of FIG. 5, the harnesses # 1 and 2 resume crossing, thereby connecting the top and bottom parts together once again; note that these harness crossings of # 1 and 2 -Z yarns actually form the connector neck or thickness of the connector hole region (not diameter).
During the weaving process according to the present invention, when the Z yarn system components 1 & 2 float on the surface of the fabric or are hidden inside the fabric as it is being constructed, the length or distance of the float determines the length of the hole in the preform and finished composite structure. The length of a hole in the structure is a function of fill insertion per unit length (I) and the number of fill yarn insertion cycle (N) completed while Z yarns 1 & 2 float (harnesses for Z yarns 1 & 2 do not cross during this period). The hole length L in the preform and the hole diameter D in the finished composite structure can be calculated as L=N/I and D=2L/π. For example, if fill insertion per unit length is 4 insertion per cm and 6 insertions completed while Z yarns 1 & 2 float, the hole length L is L=N/I=6/4=1.5 cm. The hole diameter D in the finished composite structure is then D=2L/π=2×1.5/π=0.95 cm.
Also, a tension compensation system for z yarns is constructed and arranged to maintain tension levels constantly during weaving process. As the Z yarns move and are subject to the tension compensation system, the length of the Z yarns also changes, thus making the tension control necessary. Typically, tension ranges for the tension compensation system are between about 20 gram to 400 gram, depending upon the type and tow size of Z yarns used in the structure, fabric thickness, the number of warp layers, and other process parameters.
Referring now to FIG. 3, which illustrates the 3-D weaving process schematic according to the present invention from the prior art, in the present invention there is additional movement of the Z-yarn system, as compared with prior art weaving. Six Z-yarn harnesses are used in the configuration according to the present invention. The additional movement of the Z-yarn system is not obvious because this movement creates non-uniformity in the fabric that is constructed in a typical prior art 3-D woven fabric; prior art teaches the benefits of weaving uniformity throughout the entire body of the fabric woven in order to produce a fabric having consistent and reasonably predictable properties. Thus, according to prior art, for standard infrastructure and component applications of 3-D woven structures, including performs and composite structures formed therewith, non-uniformities are undesirable; as such, the present invention is nowhere taught or suggested in the prior art. Rather, the present invention intentionally introduces non-uniform regions with the Z-yarn floats on the surface, which later form the connector holes within the body of the fabric.
In one embodiment according to the present invention, the three-dimensional (3-D) fabric according to the present invention is formed of at least one high-performance fiber array within a three-dimensional weave construction, which has at least one warp layer. The 3-D fabric is engineered and constructed to form a predetermined structure, having a predetermined cross-sectional shape. The dimensions of the overall structure and of the cross-section can be varied, based upon the desired size and shape of the fabric and final composite structure. Additionally, the cross-sectional shape can be varied, based upon the desired shape of the fabric and final composite structure and end use thereof. Significantly, modifications to the 3-D weaving machine and process for manufacturing a shaped 3-D fabric with insertion holes does not require major modifications to the typical 3-D weaving machine.
Also, in one embodiment of the present invention, the 3-D fabric is impregnated using a resin infusion molding method and then cured at designated temperature. The fabric is first constructed and fabricated on a weaving machine thereby producing a preform, which is placed in a shaped mold having predetermined dimensions sized and constructed to produce a near-final shape composite. Typically, the time for the resin infusion process takes 5-30 minutes depending on the type of fiber in the perform, the dimensions of the perform, type of resin distribution system, resin viscosity, vacuum or pressure level, and other process parameters. Advantageously, the increased interstices of the 3-D fabric promote resin flow within the fabric and significantly reduce resin infusion time. After the whole preform structure is completely saturated with resin, the composite system is cured at a designated temperature ranged from room temperature to approximately 175 degree Celsius depending on the resin system used in the composite structure.
In one type of preferred embodiment, the present invention is used to form a rigid composite structure having at least one insertion hole therein for use as a connector or attach point. The rigid composite structure includes a preform that is constructed of a single-component, 3-D woven fabric, shown in FIG. 1. A disclosure of traditional 3-D woven fabric and method for forming the same is provided in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,085,252 and 5,465,760, as set forth in the foregoing. The 3-D woven fabric, generally referenced 10 , shows three substantially perpendicular yarn systems, respectively positioned in an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction, as shown. The 3-D woven fabric includes at least one high performance fiber array in one of the X, Y, or Z directions. In a preferred embodiment the warp direction, or X direction, comprises high performance fibers selected from the group consisting of carbon, aramid, fiberglass, polyester, and the like. Alternatively, the Y and Z directions also include high performance fibers for increased impact resistance, strength, shear strength, compression characteristics, enhanced resistance to delamination, and overall uniformity and structural integrity.
In one embodiment, the fabric is formed of high-performance fiber selected from the group consisting of aramid fibers, polyolefins, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene and high molecular weight polyethylene, high modulus nylon, and liquid crystal polymer-based fiber, carbon, aramid, and fiberglass.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shaped three-dimensional fabrics have two or more warp layers. The warp ends are between 1.5 to 12 ends per cm per layer. The fill insertion per unit length is between 1.5 to 12 insertions per cm.
Other high-performance fibers having a tensile strength of greater than about 5 grams per denier may be used; preferably, the high performance fibers have a tensile strength of greater than 7 grams per denier. The engineered fiber construction may be woven, multiaxial woven, or similar means of constructing multilayer fiber arrays within a single-component, integrated fabric body including insertion holes and formed on a single machine.
The shaped 3-D fabric including insertion holes is then placed in a predetermined mold for forming the overall shape and configuration of the shaped 3-dimensional fabric having insertion holes and the multilayer composite structure formed therefrom. The fabric remains shape with the support of the shaped mold and under vacuum and/or pressure during molding process including resin infusion and resin curing. The molding takes about 5-60 minutes at a temperature range from 20 to 175 degree Celsius. Post cure of resin may be used to improve the toughness of the composite structure at a temperature up to 150 degree Celsius. Importantly, the increased interstices of the 3-D fabric promote resin flow within the fabric, uniform resin distribution throughout the 3-D shaped fabric, and significantly reduce resin cure time.
The present invention is further directed to a method for forming a shaped 3-dimensional fabric with insertion holes and rigid composite structure made therefrom for infrastructure and connector applications, including the steps of providing at least one 3-D engineered fiber structure having insertion hole(s) therein, molding or otherwise manipulating the structure to produce a predetermined shape, and treating and stabilizing the structure via heat and/or pressure. An additional step may include introducing a resin into the at least one 3-D engineered fiber structure prior to molding the structure. Another additional step may include applying a finish to the surface of the shaped composite fiber structure after it has been stabilized, depending upon the application for which the finished structure will be used.
Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the foregoing description but are not included for the sake of conciseness. By way of example, the Z yarns may be woven into sub-sections of a shaped 3D fabric structure instead of floating at the surface of it. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readability but are properly within the scope of the following claims.
The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of such 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. | A shaped three-dimensional engineered fiber preform construction having at least one insertion hole therein and rigid composite structure formed therefrom having a singular, unitary component construction, thereby providing improved and uniform finished product characteristics and performance for structural applications, particularly for use as a connector, coupling, and the like. The shaped 3-D engineered fiber preform construction of the present invention is fabricated on a 3-D weaving machine designed and configured to produce a variety of cross-sectional shapes and sizes as well as to produce a plurality of structures in series for subsequent separation and processing. | 8 |
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is the full utility filing of U.S. provisional application No. 60/447,644 filed on Feb. 14, 2003, from which the present application claims priority and which is incorporated herein by reference.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This patent application is related to the following Provisional patent applications filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/446,617 filed on Feb. 12, 2003 and entitled “System for Coordination of Multi Beam Transit Radio Links for a Distributed Wireless Access System” [15741] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/446,618 filed on Feb. 12, 2003 and entitled “Rendezvous Coordination of Beamed Transit Radio Links for a Distributed Multi-Hop Wireless Access System” [15743] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/446,619 filed on Feb. 12, 2003 and entitled “Distributed Multi-Beam Wireless System Capable of Node Discovery, Rediscovery and Interference Mitigation” [15742] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/447,527 filed on Feb. 14, 2003 and entitled “Cylindrical Multibeam Planar Antenna Structure and Method of Fabrication” [15907] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/447,643 filed on Feb. 14, 2003 and entitled “An Omni-Directional Antenna” [15908] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/447,645 filed on Feb. 14, 2003 and entitled “Wireless Antennas, Networks, Methods, Software, and Services” [15912] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/447,646 filed on Feb. 14, 2003 and entitled “Wireless Communication” [15897] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/451,897 filed on Mar. 4, 2003 and entitled “Offsetting Patch Antennas on an Omni-Directional Multi-Facetted Array to allow Space for an Interconnection Board” [15958] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/453,011 filed on Mar. 7, 2003 and entitled “Method to Enhance Link Range in a Distributed Multi-hop Wireless Network using Self-Configurable Antenna” [15946] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/453,840 filed on Mar. 11, 2003 and entitled “Operation and Control of a High Gain Phased Array Antenna in a Distributed Wireless Network” [15950] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/454,715 filed on Mar. 15, 2003 and entitled “Directive Antenna System in a Distributed Wireless Network” [15952] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/461,344 filed on Apr. 9, 2003 and entitled “Method of Assessing Indoor-Outdoor Location of Wireless Access Node” U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/461,579 filed on Apr. 9, 2003 and entitled “Minimisation of Radio Resource Usage in Multi-Hop Networks with Multiple Routings” [15930] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/464,844 filed on Apr. 23, 2003 and entitled “Improving IP QoS though Host-Based Constrained Routing in Mobile Environments” [15807] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/467,432 filed on May 2, 2003 and entitled “A Method for Path Discovery and Selection in Ad Hoc Wireless Networks” U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/468,456 filed on May 7, 2003 and entitled “A Method for the Self-Selection of Radio Frequency Channels to Reduce Co-Channel and Adjacent Channel Interference in a Wireless Distributed Network” [16101] U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/480,599 filed on Jun. 20, 2003 and entitled “Channel Selection” [16146]
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for wireless communication using antenna diversity.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
Radio communication between two terminals is subject to ‘fading’ conditions caused by the constructive addition or cancellation of multiple arriving signals. These signals might be comprised of a direct signal from transmitter to receiver, plus various other signals that arrive at slightly later time (and from different angles), having been reflected from other objects in the path between the two terminals. Dependent on the exact position of the transmitter and receiver terminal, these multiple arrivals will arrive either in-phase (giving constructive addition) or out of phase (giving signal cancellation). This variation in the received signal power is referred to as fading. The extent to which the local environment varies (e.g. due to leaves on trees moving, vehicular movement) determines whether the fade conditions remain constant for a particular placement of the terminals or vary with time.
Typically, a radio link will be deployed with sufficient margin in the received signal strength such that fades due to signal cancellation can be tolerated, while still maintaining sufficient signal power for the transmitted data to be decoded. This allowance has a significant impact on the range that can be achieved with the radio link, for a given transmitted power output level. It is therefore highly desirable to identify techniques which allow this fading margin to be minimised.
One such technique is the use of receive diversity. The receiving terminal is equipped with two antennas which may be positioned, for example, with a spatial separation that is sufficient for the fading conditions at each antenna to be considered statistically independent. In a switched diversity mode of operation, the receiver then selects the antenna with the best signal. If, for example, there is a 1% probability of fades greater than 20 dB below the mean signal power (averaged over local fading), there is then only a 0.01% chance that both antennas will have above a 20 dB fade. For a constant outage probability, the fade margin can therefore be reduced.
FIG. 1 shows a transmitter 101 having two antennas 102 , 103 and a receiver 104 having two antennas 105 , 106 . There are 4 possible propagation paths 108 - 111 between the transmitter and the receiver antenna pairs. If the transmitter 101 transmits using one of its antennas 102 , the receiving terminal (or receiver) can select the better of the two propagation paths 109 , 110 to the two receiver antennas, which considerably reduces the fade margin required. This provides a 2-way switched diversity function.
In a time domain duplex (TDD) mode of transmission, the same frequency band is used for the reverse link (terminal B to terminal A) as for the forward link (terminal A to terminal B). For a communication that begins with a link from terminal A to terminal B, it is possible for terminal B to benefit from 2-way diversity. Provided that the propagation conditions have remained constant while the transmission switches direction, terminal B can then re-transmit back to terminal A using the same antenna that was found to be best when it was in receiving mode. Terminal A then makes a second antenna selection of its two antennas for signal reception. When terminal A transmits again back to terminal B, it can again select the best antenna from reception for use as the transmitting antenna. This can continue indefinitely, iterating towards the best possible selection of all four propagation paths, and adapting to changes in the propagation conditions. This process is referred to herein as the “iterative process”.
However, it can be shown that the gain available (i.e. reduction in fade margin) using the iterative process is in many circumstances less than the potential diversity gain if the best of all possible paths were selected.
OBJECT TO THE INVENTION
The invention seeks to provide a method for wireless communication using antenna diversity which mitigates at least one of the problems of known methods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of communicating between a first node including a plurality of antennas and a second node, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting a signal from said first node to said second node using each of the plurality of antennas of said first node; at the second node, selecting one of said plurality of antennas for use; and communicating between the two nodes using said selected antenna.
The method may further comprise the step of: communicating from said second node to said first node an indication of said selected antenna.
The plurality of antennas may be spatially separated.
The plurality of antennas may use polarisation diversity.
The selecting step may comprise the step of: measuring the received strength of said signal; and making said selection based on said measurement.
The transmitting step may comprise the step of: sequentially transmitting a data packet from each of said plurality of antennas.
Each said data packet may comprise an indication of which said antenna transmitted said packet.
The data packet may be a Request to Send frame modified to include said indication.
The step of communicating may comprise sending a modified Clear to Send frame including said indication.
The data packet may be a test frame.
The signal may comprise a data packet, said data packet comprising a plurality of sub-packets, and wherein said transmitting step may comprise: sequentially transmitting a sub-packet from each of said plurality of antennas.
The data frame may be configured according to a higher layer protocol.
The indication of said selected antenna may be configured according to a higher layer protocol.
The step of sequentially transmitting a data packet from each of said plurality of antennas, may further comprise: transmitting said data packets at a defined time interval.
The step of sequentially transmitting a data packet from each of said plurality of antennas, may further comprise: transmitting said data packets in a sequence known to said second node.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of optimising communication between a node including a plurality of antennas and a remote node, said method comprising the steps of: transmitting a communication from said node to said remote node using each of the plurality of antennas of said node; receiving a communication from said remote node indicating a selection of one of said plurality of antennas; and communicating with said remote node using said selected antenna.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a method of optimising communication between a node and a remote node including a plurality of antennas, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a communication from said remote node using each of said plurality of antennas; selecting one of said plurality of antennas for use; and communicating said selection to said remote node.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a node in a wireless communications network comprising: an antenna for receiving signals from each of a plurality of antennas at a remote node; a processor for determining the optimum signal of said signals from said remote node according to predetermined criteria; and a transmitter for communicating said determination to said remote node.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a node in a wireless communications network comprising: a transceiver and a processor, wherein a signal is received from each of a plurality of antennas at a remote node at the transceiver, said signal is processed to select an optimum one of said plurality of antennas according to predetermined criteria in the processor and a selection is output to said remote node by the transceiver.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention there is provided a wireless network comprising a plurality of nodes as described above.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention there is provided a protocol extending a function of the 802.11 Request to Send and Clear to Send frames, such that these frames carry data to identify an antenna used for transmission.
According to an eighth aspect of the invention there is provided a higher level protocol utilising 802.11 standard MAC layer frame definitions to test multiple transmitter to receiver propagation while remaining compatible with an 802.11 standard. According to a ninth aspect of the invention there is provided a protocol in which nodes in a network determine whether to test multiple transmitter to receiver propagation paths, based on anticipated gain and signalling overhead. Advantageously, this allows the margin allowed for signal fading to be reduced, thereby increasing the achievable range of the radio link. This allows a significant reduction on the overall number of links required, and hence reduces the system cost.
According to a tenth aspect of the invention there is provided a protocol in which nodes in a network determine a rate at which to test multiple transmitter to receiver propagation paths, based on an anticipated rate of change of a propagation channel between any two of said nodes and signalling overhead.
The method may be performed by software in machine readable form on a storage medium.
The preferred features may be combined as appropriate, as would be apparent to a skilled person, and may be combined with any of the aspects of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a radio link with 2 antennas at one terminal and 2 antennas at a second terminal, indicating the 4 propagation paths between the terminals;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a radio link in which two nodes communicate, each node having 2 antenna channels;
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram indicating a possible data exchange between two nodes in order to implement the proposed 4-way diversity idea;
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram indicating a second possible data exchange between two nodes in order to implement the proposed 4-way diversity idea;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram indicating a possible scenario based on the above data exchange in which the first transmitted data is not received successfully;
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram indicating a possible scenario based on the above data exchange in which the second transmitted data is not received successfully;
FIG. 7 is a graph showing the cumulative probability distribution of signal power due to fading, indicating the potential benefit available from the 4-way diversity technique, in comparison to current 2-way diversity methods;
FIG. 8 is a graph showing the fade margin that would be allowed for 95% availability of a radio link, for given cross-polar conversion ratios;
FIG. 9 is a graph showing trials results indicating the variation of cross-polar conversion ratio with excess path loss above free space propagation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention are described below by way of example only. These examples represent the best ways of putting the invention into practice that are currently known to the Applicant although they are not the only ways in which this could be achieved.
As stated above, the gain available using the iterative process is in many circumstances less than the potential diversity gain if the best of all possible paths were selected. This difference between the best gain achieved and the ideal is increased further in some circumstances where the two antennas use polarisation diversity, rather than spatial separation. If the signal is transmitted on one polarisation, it must be diffracted or reflected from surfaces in order to become converted to the orthogonal polarisation. If the propagation is unobstructed, this does not occur and an antenna on the same polarisation as the transmitter will receive a greater signal than on an antenna on the orthogonal polarisation. This reduces the receive diversity gain available.
There is a further loss to the iterative process described above. If terminal A transmits on a first polarisation V and there is little polarisation conversion, terminal B will mostly find best reception on V as well. If either terminal deviates from V, it will suffer a loss of signal. However, it is possible that better fading conditions would have been available if both terminals used H, but this will not be discovered by the iterative diversity algorithm. V and H are used here are examples of two orthogonal polarisations, other pairs of orthogonal polarisations could also be used, such as +45° and −45°.
In the description below, terminals and nodes are, by way of example only, described as having two antennas, thus providing spatial diversity. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the technique is equally applicable to the situation where two orthogonal polarisations, i.e. providing polarisation diversity. The technique can also be applied to the situation where both spatial and polarisation diversity are used.
Each antenna may be a single element, a column of elements (as described in a co-pending application detailed below) or any other suitable type. The antenna diversity may alternatively be provided by two polarisations of a single antenna element or column of elements.
The description below refers to terminals each having 2 antennas, thus providing 4-way diversity scheme. This technique is however applicable to a first node having M-way antenna diversity (e.g. M antennas) and a second node having N-way antenna diversity, to provide a M×N-way diversity scheme, (where M is 2 or more and N is at least one).
The description below refers to transmitting and receiving nodes (or terminals). It should be appreciated that both nodes are capable of both transmitting and receiving and this terminology is used by way of explanation only. In the description below it is the “transmitting node” which initiates the communication.
The nodes may contain separate transmitting and receiving apparatus, or may contain apparatus which is capable of both transmitting and receiving. The term ‘transceiver’ is referred to herein as any apparatus capable of transmitting and/or receiving.
According to this invention, there is shown a method where the two nodes (or terminals) co-operate to discover the best propagation of all the paths available to them. For the purposes of this explanation, both nodes have two antennas. This can be achieved by the transmitting node making transmissions on both antennas, following an algorithm that is known to the receiving node, so that the receiving node can then select the best of all combinations. This selection can then be communicated to the transmitting node so that data transfer can take place using the optimum antenna pair. This technique, referred to herein as the “4-way diversity scheme” is described in more detail below.
The IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN standard may be used for communication between two nodes within a wireless network. According to this standard, communication uses time domain duplexing on a carrier frequency in the region of 2.4 GHz or 5-6 GHz. This standard is typically intended for communication between an access point and multiple mobile (or portable) terminals. Communication may begin with a request to send (RTS) frame, followed by a clear to send (CTS) frame if the request was received correctly. Once this initial exchange is complete, the two terminals can begin communication. Other terminals, also able to receive these signals, can then determine from receipt of the RTS and/or CTS frames that the frequency is in use and delay their own requests for communication. The RTS and CTS frames contain an indication of the length of the planned communication, in order that these other terminals can determine how large a delay is required before initiating their own requests. The use of RTS and CTS frames is typically invoked when the packet length exceeds a predetermined threshold, but may be used at any time deemed appropriate to optimise the system performance.
In a first embodiment of the invention, a transmitting terminal having two antennas sends two specially adapted RTS frames, each on an alternate antenna. The receiving terminal (which may have one or more antenna) allows time to receive both RTS frames then determines the best receiving antenna for each frame, using a standard 2-way diversity algorithm (e.g. as described above in relation to FIG. 1 ). If the receiving terminal is able to decode both frames successfully, it can select the best combination of receiving and transmitting antennas. It would then return a special CTS frame, containing information to instruct the transmitting terminal which antenna to use for future transmissions. This might be the first or the second antenna as used by the transmitting terminal. However, if one of the two transmitted RTS frames were not received correctly, the receiving terminal would not know which transmitting antenna had been used. It is therefore desirable that the transmitting terminal should embed a code (also referred to as a tag or an identifier) in the specially adapted RTS that can be returned by the receiving terminal in order to identify the best antenna for use.
This transmission of dual RTS frames (one from each antenna) does reduce the efficiency of the setup procedure for a communication link as it increases the system overhead. In a preferred embodiment, the network nodes (or terminals) retain statistics of the diversity benefits gained from 4-way diversity relative to the iterative process. If little benefit was obtained by use of 4-way diversity relative to the iterated 2-way diversity, the system may then choose to disable the 4-way diversity features and minimise the link setup time. Additionally, the system may choose to only periodically assess which antennas should be used. This has the benefit that if the radio propagation conditions are found to change slowly, the system can reduce the frequency at which the 4-way diversity selection is updated, thereby reducing the signalling overhead. Ideally, the antenna selection for 4-way diversity would be updated at a frequency compatible with the rate of change of the propagation channel. Other techniques for maximising the benefit of this technique whilst minimising the additional overhead are described below.
As described above RTS and CTS frames may not, in some systems, be used for packet lengths below a certain threshold. It may therefore be advantageous to lower the threshold either permanently or periodically, to force the use of the specially modified RTS and CTS frames. Alternative embodiments using other frame formats which avoid the use of the specially modified RTS/CTS exchange are described below.
The exchange of information between the two nodes is shown in FIGS. 3-6 and described in more detail below. Common reference numerals have been used where appropriate.
In a specific example, the network nodes may be Wireless Access and Routing Points (WARPs) arranged in a mesh network. This is by way of example only and the technique is also applicable to other types of network nodes. WARPs are described in more detail a number of co-pending US Patent Applications including those listed below:
Nortel reference 15897ID: Damian Bevan, Steve Baines and Simon Gale entitled “Wireless Communication”
Nortel reference 15907ID: Martin Smith and Andrew Urquhart
Nortel reference 15908ID: Martin Smith, Sonya Amos and Andrew Urquhart entitled “An Omni Directional Antenna Antenna”
Nortel reference 15912ID: Martin Smith, Chris Ward, Damian Bevan et al.
FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of a wireless link between a first node or terminal 201 called NODE 1 and a second node or terminal 204 called NODE 2 . NODE 1 201 has two antennas 202 (A 1 ), 203 (A 2 ) and NODE 2 204 has two antennas 205 (B 1 ), 206 (B 2 ). This configuration is by way of example only and this technique is not limited to nodes with two antennas, (the technique requires at least two diverse communication paths, which may utilise spatial and/or polarisation diversity). In the examples shown, NODE 1 initiates the communication. This is by way of example only.
In the description that follows, it is assumed that the RTS or CTS frames are specially adapted so as to include tag information to denote the antenna selections or requests. In an implementation compatible with the 802.11 standard, these may be adaptations of the currently defined RTS or CTS frames, or may be other frames (for example, data frames) which a proprietary system interprets as having the antenna selection and RTS/CTS function. Alternatively, the specially adapted RTS and CTS frames may be provided by implementing a higher level protocol with the transmitted user data in an 802.11 frame structure. Systems operating according to this higher level protocol may be configured such that the frames used to implement the 4-way diversity selection also provide an RTS and CTS function.
It is also assumed that communication may be between two WARP modules, acting as the NODE 1 and NODE 2 shown in FIG. 2 . These may implement a modified version of the 802.11 standard, or may use an overlaid control protocol such that they remain compatible with the 802.11 standard while also having proprietary interpretation for a higher layer protocol within the data packets.
In FIG. 3 the basic scheme for communication over a wireless link as shown in FIG. 2 is illustrated. The transmitting node, NODE 1 sends both RTS frames (steps 301 and 302 ) and then waits for a CTS frame in return. NODE 2 receives the two RTS frames on both antennas B 1 and B 2 , and measures the received signal strength of each frame on each antenna (steps 303 and 304 ). NODE 2 then sends a CTS frame to NODE 1 advising NODE 1 of the antenna selection which has been made at NODE 2 on the basis of analysis of properties of the received signals (analysis is step 305 and sending of CTS is step 306 ). This analysis of the received signal may be based on received signal strength, but also on correct decoding of the transmitted frame, so as to reduce the potential impact of interference from other nodes using the same frequency channel. As described, the RTS frames include data to identify the antenna used to send the frame and the CTS frame contains an antenna selection instruction. Once the antenna selection has been established, communication continues between the two nodes using the designated antenna pair (step 307 ). This antenna selection can be modified by further diversity selections at the receiving node, or by the receiving node initiating a repeat trial of both transmitting node antennas A 1 and A 2 , (i.e. initiating steps 301 - 307 again).
For an embodiment based on the 802.11 standard, it is assumed that the duration fields contained within RTS and CTS frames would be incremented appropriately to allow for the extended transmission time in order to employ the 4-way diversity technique described. It is also assumed that the value of the 802.11 “CTSTimeout” parameter may be set relative to the end of transmission of the second RTS frame.
The antenna tagging within RTS and CTS frames may be provided as a proprietary interpretation of the ‘more data’ fields or of the power management fields. Alternatively, the RTS and CTS may be implemented as a higher layer protocol definition over conventional 802.11 data frames, thereby allowing the antenna tag fields to be incorporated.
In FIG. 4 , there is shown an alternative scheme to that shown in FIG. 3 , where a separate CTS frame is sent following each RTS frame. After receiving the first RTS (step 301 ), NODE 2 measures the signal strength or other signal parameter (step 303 ) and sends a CTS acknowledging receipt of the first RTS and requesting trial of the next antenna (step 401 ). NODE 1 then sends the second RTS (step 302 ) which is again received and analysed at NODE 2 (step 304 ) and a determination of the best path is made (step 305 ) which is communicated to NODE 1 (step 306 ) in order that communication can start (step 307 ) as in FIG. 3 . If the second RTS is not received at NODE 2 , then NODE 2 responds to NODE 1 after allowing the appropriate RTS and inter-frame spacing to elapse.
This same approach to that shown in FIG. 4 is also shown in FIG. 5 . However, FIG. 5 shows the scenario where the first frame is not decoded successfully (on either antenna at the receiving node, NODE 2 , step 501 ). NODE 1 therefore does not receive a CTS in response to the RTS (step 401 from FIG. 4 is missing). After a period of waiting, NODE 1 may time out (step 502 ) and then proceed to send the RTS from the other antenna A 2 . The RTS preferably includes an identifier advising that this RTS is the second antenna trial (step 503 ). NODE 2 measures the signal strength of this RTS on both antennas B 1 and B 2 (step 304 ) and sends a CTS to NODE 1 (step 504 ). Communication can then begin using the second antenna (step 307 ).
FIG. 6 shows a similar scenario, but where the second RTS frame fails to be decoded successfully (step 601 ). If the receiving node, NODE 2 , has been informed that there are only two antennas on NODE 1 , the receiving node can still make a determination of the best path (step 305 ), either because it knows that it has received an RTS which it cannot decode or because it times out waiting for the second RTS (not shown) and can therefore deduce that the second RTS has been sent but not received. In the scenario shown in FIG. 6 , NODE 2 must send the second CTS to NODE 1 within a pre-defined time interval following the sending of the first CTS frame. The timeout at NODE 1 for the arrival of this CTS frame will also be set accordingly. This also requires that NODE 1 transmit the second RTS frame at a defined interval following the arrival of the first CTS frame, such that NODE 2 can use a time counter to determine a time by which the second RTS frame should have been received. It is also assumed that NODE 2 must be provided with information to determine the number of RTS frames to be transmitted and the order with which they will be sent. This allows NODE 2 to determine when to respond, based on the antenna selection that is decoded from any one of the RTS frames received.
In order to assist in scenarios as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , NODE 2 may be informed of how many antennas there are at NODE 1 (i.e. how many RTS frames to expect) and/or that there are no further antennas to trial at the transmitting node, NODE 1 . In the scenarios above, it may also be beneficial that the frames are transmitted at specific time intervals and/or in a specific order known to both NODE 1 and NODE 2 .
Co-ordination between the transmitting and receiving nodes in order to implement this 4-way diversity selection is possible with the WARP transit links, as these involve communication between two WARP modules, each of which may include this proprietary protocol in addition to the standard 802.11 radio interface (e.g. 802.11a). The WARP also provides access link service to subscribers, for which the communication may be limited to the 802.11 protocol. The same diversity algorithm could also be applied to the access link. Timing synchronisation, transit links and access links are described in more detail in co-pending US Patent Application having Nortel reference 15897ID as detailed above.
In a second embodiment, NODE 1 may send two short test data packets to NODE 2 , either with or without using the RTS/CTS mechanism. The first test packet would be sent on one antenna and the second packet on the other antenna, the contents of each packet data field would consist of a short message including an indication of which antenna was being used for the transmission of that particular packet. During the reception of these test packets the receiving node would determine the best receiving antenna to use. This determination may be achieved by comparing signal strengths from the two receive antennas during the preamble part of the transmission, as might be standard practice implied by the 802.11 standard. Alternatively, other signal metrics well known in the art could be used for the determination. During the subsequent data part of the transmission NODE 2 would then measure the received signal strength. NODE 2 could then compare the received signal strengths from the two test packets and from the decoded data field learn which antenna was used to send them, it would then send back a message to NODE 1 informing it which antenna it should optimally use for subsequent packet exchanges.
The test packets referred to above, may be sub-frames (or sub-packets) of a larger frame (or packet). For example the two short test data packets may be the first and second sub-frames of a larger test packet, or the first and second sub-frames of a modified RTS frame.
In both embodiments, it may not be necessary to update the antenna selection using the described diversity scheme on every transmission. Depending on the rate of change of the communication channel (or path) conditions between the two nodes, it may be necessary to update the antenna selection frequently, or in a more stable situation these updates may be more rarely required. By monitoring the regularity upon which it is necessary to change the antenna selection, it may be beneficial to adapt the rate of the antenna selection process to match the historical or predicted rate of change of the channel.
For example, if in a system, it is determined that on average every 0.3 seconds it is necessary to change the antenna selection, then it may be beneficial to check the antenna selection at least every 0.3 seconds. However, if it proves necessary to change the antenna selection every 300 seconds, (for a more stable system such as a line of sight between two fixed nodes), then antenna selection need be checked considerably less frequently, thereby reducing the system overhead of the described diversity scheme. The system can therefore be designed to adapt to the detected channel conditions.
Use of the described 4-way diversity scheme (or more generally a M×N-way diversity scheme) is beneficial because any reduction in fade margin can allow radio links to operate over an increased range.
The WARP modules are intended to be installed as a mesh network architecture in which data is transferred across between multiple terminals, using a multi-hop or relay structure. Any increase in the range supported by each radio link allows a reduction in the total number of WARPs needed to cover a given area. This reduces the network cost to the operator of the WARP network.
FIG. 7 shows simulation results, indicating the relative gains of this algorithm. FIG. 7 shows a cumulative probability distribution for fading conditions, based on a Ricean model K=4 dB model (i.e. there is a dominant non-fading component that is 4 dB greater in power than the fading paths). This represents a typical case for a line-of-sight urban deployment. In this case, the first iteration of the 2-way receive diversity provides a substantial gain (line 702 compared to line 701 ), in terms of a reduced margin that needs to be allowed for fades (e.g., there is a 10% probability that there will be a fade for a single channel of 6.3 dB or more, but at 10% probability, the fade margin for 2-way diversity is reduced to 2.3 dB). Further iterations of the 2-way diversity algorithm further reduce the fade margin (lines 703 and 704 ), approaching the best possible case of the 4-way diversity (line 705 ). This graph is shown for the case with complete polarisation mixing, i.e. the cross-polar ratio is 0 dB. The four diversity paths are therefore of equal power.
However, if there is a dominant line-of-sight component (as with the K=4 dB Ricean fading) and little path loss in excess of free space propagation, the cross-polar conversion is likely to be much lower. In this case, paths between V polarisation at the transmitting node and V polarisation at the receiving node will be much stronger than paths from V polarisation to H polarisation. In the absence of polarisation conversion, there are only two effective propagation paths, not four.
In FIG. 8 , the fade margin for 95% availability (5% outage) is shown for varying cross-polar conversion ratio. Here, cross-polar conversion ratio is expressed as a negative value, i.e. the ratio of the signal arrival on the orthogonal polarisation to the co-polar signal arrival. If there is complete polarisation mixing (0 dB conversion ratio) as in FIG. 3 , then the 4-way diversity algorithm (line 805 ) has only about 0.6 dB improvement over the best result for three iterations of 2-way diversity (line 804 ). However, as the polarisation conversion is reduced, the required fade margin for all of the 2-way diversity algorithms (lines 802 - 804 ) increases towards that for a single channel (line 801 ). The fade margin for 4-way diversity also increases. In the absence of polarisation conversion, the fade margin for 4-way diversity is the same as that for 2-way diversity with complete polarisation conversion. In effect, the 4-way diversity technique restores the benefits of 2-way diversity that would otherwise be lost in the absence of polarisation conversion.
The degree of polarisation conversion to be expected in an urban street canyon environment is not clear. Results from trials at a lower frequency but in an environment similar to a street canyon suggested that the polarisation conversion ratio is above −10 dB for cases where the path is more than 40 dB in excess of free space path loss. These results are shown here in FIG. 9 (in which polarisation conversion ratios values are shown as inverted values, i.e. co-polar received signal/orthogonal polarisation received signal). This trend has been observed elsewhere, suggesting that polarisation conversion would be low (i.e. large negative ratio) for street canyon environments.
Estimating that the cross-polar ratio would be −10 dB, then the 4-way diversity technique would provide a 3 dB reduction in fade margin for 95% availability. Based on free space path loss, this corresponds to an increase in range by a factor of 1.4, or a halving of the number of nodes required to relay data over a given area.
According to a further aspect, there is a provided a protocol that allows a radio link with M transmitter antennas and N receiver antennas to achieve M×N-way diversity gain.
The protocol extends the definition and function of the 802.11 RTS frames, such that these frames also carry data to identify the antenna used for transmission.
The protocol may also extend the definition of the 802.11 CTS frames, such that these frames also carry data to request an antenna to be used for transmission.
The protocol may be one in which designated test data is transmitted in sequence from a plurality of antennas, such that the receiver can assess propagation paths from each antenna.
According to the protocol, the nodes in a network determine whether to test multiple transmitting node to receiver propagation paths, based on the anticipated gain and signalling overhead.
Advantageously, this allows the margin allowed for signal fading to be reduced, thereby increasing the achievable range of the radio link. This allows a significant reduction on the overall number of links required, and hence reduces the system cost.
The examples provided herein refer to 802.11 technology. This invention is however not limited to this type of wireless technology or to wireless local area networks. The invention is applicable to any wireless technology or network architecture which utilises antenna diversity, including 3 rd Generation Mobile technology.
It will be understood that the above description of a preferred embodiment is given by way of example only and that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | The invention is directed to a method of communicating between a first transceiver including a plurality of antennas and a second transceiver, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting a signal from the first transceiver to said second transceiver using each of the plurality of antennas of the first transceiver; at the second transceiver, selecting one of the plurality of antennas for use; and communicating between the two transceivers using this selected antenna. The invention is also directed to apparatus and software for performing the methods. | 7 |
The present invention relates to a separating apparatus for a control box of a car audio set, and more particularly to an antitheft car audio set in which a control box mounted on a face plate of a car audio set is separable from a face plate of the car audio set.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Various apparatus are used for antitheft of a car audio set, one of which is known as a "pull out type". The "pull out type" car audio set is receivable in and detachable from the car audio hole as a whole. This "pull out type" car audio set has disadvantages in breaking the electrical contact between the car audio set and the battery in a vehicle and storing the separated car audio set as a whole.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a fabricated car audio set wherein an easily separable control box only is detached from a face plate of a car audio set for preventing theft of a car audio set.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved car audio set assembly in which contact pins positioned in the main body of the audio set and connected to the contact members in the control box are not exposed to the outside of the face plate and subsequently not damaged, when separated
Accordingly, during parking the car audio set will not be stolen by separating the control box from the face plate of the car audio set without removing the car audio set as a whole from a vehicle.
The car audio set of the present invention comprises a separable control box and a face plate from which the control box is easily separable. The control box has contact members therein and a circuit board which are connected to each other and the main body of the car audio set has contact pins which are connected to the contact members in the control box, the contact pins not being exposed to the outside of the face plate in separated condition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate like elements, and in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a car audio set of the present invention, wherein the control box is separated from the face plate of the car audio set;
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the car audio set of the present invention, the view showing the whole construction of the car audio set;
FIG. 3A is a sectional view of the car audio set of the present invention, wherein the control box is separated from the face plate of the car audio set;
FIG. 3B is a view similar to FIG. 3A, this view showing the control box assembled to the face plate of the car audio set;
FIG. 3C is a view similar to FIG. 3A, this view showing the process of the separation of the control box from the car audio set;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV--IV of FIG. 3C;
FIG. 5 is a partial rear view of the face plate of the car audio set of the present invention, this view showing the contact block and the control box assembled by means of a lever;
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line VI--VI of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII--VII of FIG. 5; and
FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B are enlarged views of the encircled portion of FIG. 6, these views showing the process of separation of the control box
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a car audio set constructed in accordance with the present invention consists of a housing body 1, a control box 10 and a contact block assembly 20. The control box 10 is receivable in a concave well 3 formed in a face plate 2. The control box 10 is engagable with or disengagable from the concave well 3. The contact block assembly 20 is positioned between the rear face of the face plate 2 and a frame member 1a for electrical connection between the control box 10 and a circuit board 1c which is provided within the housing body 1 (FIG. 4).
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the control box 10 comprises an elongated housing 10a. The elongated housing 10a has laterally spaced push button knobs 11 in the face plate thereof. A circuit board 12 internally housed within the housing 10a has laterally spaced push switches 13 actuated by the push button knobs 11. A recess 10b is provided in the housing 10a at the rear center face. In the recess 10b and at the rear face of the circuit board 12 are a plurality of contact members 12a and longitudinal openings 10c which are positioned alternatively. Outwardly side extensions 10d are provided in the rear region of the side walls of the housing 10a.
An elongated slot 3b is provided in the mid-region of the concave well 3 of the face plate 2. The elongated slot 3b has curved frames 3a which are fitted in the recess 10b.
On one side of the slot 3b and through the face plate is a push button 4 that has an actuator member 4a resiliently supported by a spring 4b. On each side wall of the concave well 3 is provided a slot 3c through which an extension 6b of a latch pawl 6 engages the extension 10d of the housing 10a. The latch pawl 6 is resiliently supported by a panel spring 5 and is pivoted by the pivot portion 6a. The lower portion 6c of the latch pawl 6 is spaced from the rear face of the face plate 2.
On the right side of the concave well 3 and through the face plate 2 is provided another push button 7 having an actuator member 7a resiliently surrounded by a spring 8. As shown in FIG. 5, the rear end portion of the actuator member 7a contacts with one arm 9a of a lever 9 which has two opposite-directed arms 9a and 9b. The other end arm 9b of the lever 9 contacts with the lower portion 6c of the latch pawl 6. By this arrangement as the push button 7 is pushed, the lower portion 6c of the latch pawl 6 will be pushed forward, thereby removing the extension 6b from the slot 3c.
The contact block assembly 20 provided between the face plate 2 and the frame 1a of the housing body 1 comprises a contact block frame 21 and a contact block 24. The contact block frame 21 has a forwardly protruding portion 21a having a number of longitudinal slots 21b corresponding to the slots 10c in the rear recess 10b of the control box 10. The contact block 24 comprises a forwardly protruding portion 24a on which a number of parallel spaced contact pins 23 are disposed. The protruding portion 24a of the contact block 24 is slidably received in the rear concave of the protruding portion 21a of the contact block frame 21 by receiving the contact pins 23 through the slots 21b. The contact block frame 21 has two opposite bosses 21c for receiving bolts 22. Upon bolting the contact block frame 21 and the frame 1a, the two frames 21 and 1a engage with each other.
As shown in FIG. 4 the lower end 23a of the contact pins 23 passes downwardly through the contact block 24 to be connected to a connector 26 at the one end of a flexible wire 25 which is connected to the circuit board 1c. To both sides of the rear face of the contact block 24 are connected the two ends of a tension spring 27. The mid-portion of the tension spring 27 is hanging by a hook member 1d provided on the frame 1a, thereby biasing the contact block 24 rearwardly.
A lever 28 is hinged on one of the bosses 21c by a shaft pin 21d One end of the lever 28 contacts the mid-portion of the rear face of the assembled contact block 24, while the other end of the lever 28 defining a contact member 28a contacts the actuator member 4a of the push button 4.
Hereinafter the operation and effect of the present 10 invention will be described in detail.
In FIG. 3 the control box 10 is detached from the housing body 1 of the audio set. In this condition the contact block 24 is strained rearwardly by the force of the tension spring 27 thus maintaining a space between the contact block 24 and the frame 21. Therefore, the forwardly protruding point of the contact pins 23 is positioned behind the slots 21b and the one end of the lever 28 contacting the rear face of the contact block 24 is in the anti-clockwise direction about the shaft pin 21d causing the contact member 28a to push the actuator member 4a subsequently causing the push button 4 to protrude forwardly of the face plate 2. In this arrangement the contact pins 23 will not be exposed to the outside of the face plate 2 and not be damaged by the force exerted from the outside.
To operate the audio set, the control box 10 is slidably received in the concave well 3 of the face plate 2. As shown in FIG. 3B the extensions 10d of the control box housing 10a engage the extensions 6b of the latch pawl 6 thus preventing the detachment of the control box 10. In this condition the rear face of the control box 10 will push the forwardly extruding push button 4 causing the actuator member 4a to push the contact member 28a rearwardly and subsequently to rotate the other end of the lever 28 clockwise.
According to the above operation of the lever 28 the contact block 24 which has been strained rearwardly will move forwardly, causing the forwardly projected point of the contact pins 23 to be exposed forwardly and subsequently to be passed through the longitudinal slots 10c. Subsequently, the pins 23 will contact the contact member 12, causing the electrical contact to be accomplished between the push switches 13 on the control box 10 and the circuit board 1c internally housed in the housing body 1.
In this condition, the one side of the rear face of the control box 10 is in contact condition to the push button 4 which has been retreated from the face plate 2.
And both the restoring force of the spring 4b under pressure and the force of the tension spring 27 are exerted on the push button 4. Therefore, the contact block 24 is biased forwardly by the push button 4.
When it is desired to detach the control box 10 from the housing body 1, as shown in FIG. 3C, the push button 7 is pushed, thereby disengaging the extensions 10d of the control box 10 from the latch pawl 6. Depression of the push button 7 with the actuator member 7a depresses the one end 9a of the lever 9. Subsequently, the other end 9b of the lever 9 will depress the lower portion 6c of the latch pawl 6. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8B, the extension 6b of the latch pawl 6 will be removed from the slot 3c, thus disengaging the extension 6b from the extension 10d of the control box 10.
At this moment, however, by the restoring force of the push button 4 the one side of the control box 10 will be pushed forwardly from the concave well 3, while the other side of the control box 10 will remain in engaging condition, thus preventing unexpected sudden falling and damaging of the control box 10.
When it is desired to remove the control box 10 completely from the face plate 2, the forwardly detached portion of the control box 10 will be caught and pulled by the user's hand. And then, the other end of the control box 10 in latched position will be completely removed from the housing body 1.
The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no necessary limitations should be understood therefrom, as some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in the art. | A separable car audio set for antitheft includes a control box, a face plate, a frame and a contact block assembly between the face plate and the frame. The face plate has a concave well in and from which the control box is easily received and separated. When it is desired top protect the audio set from theft during parking the control box will be easily removed from the concave well of the face plate without separating the whole audio set from a vehicle. | 7 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of German Patent Application DE 10 2009 013 170.1, filed Mar. 13, 2009; the prior application is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing a pseudo-stochastic master surface for producing a cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a master surface for producing a cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material, to a method for producing a cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material, to a cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material, to a machine for processing printing material, in particular a sheet-processing rotary printing press for lithographic offset printing, to methods for producing printed products and to a method for microstamping printed products.
In machines in the so-called graphic industry (prepress stage, print production and further print processing), printing materials, for example paper, cardboard or films, are conveyed and processed. The printing materials can be conveyed in printing presses through the use of rotating cylinders which, for that purpose, have surfaces that make contact with printing material, preferably in the form of exchangeable cylinder covers (so-called “jackets”). The surfaces are as a rule equipped with two properties: firstly they are anti-adhesive (repelling ink, varnish and dirt) and secondly they are wear-resistant due to the mostly very hard materials being used. Furthermore, the surfaces as a rule have a mostly microscopic structure, that is to say they are not smooth, but rather of (micro-) rough configuration. That roughness reduces the contact area for the printing material and therefore reduces the possibility of ink being deposited on the surface. For some years, for example, thermally sprayed (therefore microrough), ceramic coatings with sealing compounds of low surface energy such as silicone (“PerfectJacket” product by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG) or galvanically produced coatings with sealing compounds of low surface energy such as chromium or a so-called sol-gel (“Mark 3” and “TransferJacket” products by Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG) have been used.
Up to now, due to the production processes being used, the structure of known covers has mostly been of a stochastic nature. A problem can occur in that case which is that predefined spacings of structure elevations or their respective width and/or height are disadvantageously undershot or exceeded (for example, by contiguous structure elevations) and the stated disadvantages of individual covers reinforce one another or are added to one another in the production of printed products. If, on the other hand, regular structures which can be produced easily are used, effects which can be discerned by the naked eye and are therefore disruptive quickly occur, such as the known moiré effect.
International Publication No. WO 2006/112696 A2 has disclosed a production method for covers, in which method, starting from a flat film which is electrically conductive on the surface and has a pattern of electrically insulating micro-circle faces, a surface or a cover with regularly disposed structure elevations is produced in a multiple-step galvanic method. The height of structure elevations to be produced depends causally on the respective diameter of the circle faces. No information for producing the initial film for the cover can be gathered from International Publication No. WO 2006/112696 A2.
German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 10 2008 019 254 A1, corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0282916 A1, describes a method which builds on the disclosure of International Publication No. WO 2006/112696 A2 for producing covers with structure elevations of different height which are spaced apart in a defined ratio. The structure elevations can be disposed regularly or stochastically and can have identical or stochastically distributed heights. No information for producing the initial film can be gathered from German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 10 2008 019 254 A1, corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0282916 A1, either.
German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 10 2008 013 322 A1, corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0236411 A1, discloses a method, in which a printing material is printed and at the same time is stamped by a microstructure with an information item (security feature) which cannot be discerned by the naked eye. Reference is made to International Publication No. WO 2006/112696 A2, but no information is given for producing the initial film. In that context, European Patent EP 1 673 230 B1, corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2007/0202348 A1, also discloses a method for producing a stamping die for stamping security features, with a three-dimensional digitized master being produced and the digital data being transferred onto the stamping die through the use of laser beams. International Publication No. WO 2004/096570 A2, corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. US 2007/0296203 A1 and US 2008/0134912 A1, also discloses the stamping of hidden information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method for producing a pseudo-stochastic master surface, a master surface, a method for producing a cylinder cover, a cylinder cover, a machine processing printing material, a method for producing printed products and a method for microstamping or embossing printed products, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known methods, products and machines of this general type and which make it possible to influence the (surface) configuration or microstructuring of a cover or its digital and material precursors in a targeted and substantially reproducible manner and to avoid disruptive effects which can be discerned by the naked eye in a likewise targeted manner.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a method for producing a pseudo-stochastic master surface for producing a cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material. The method comprises providing the master surface with a pseudo-stochastic distribution of microsurfaces.
The pseudo-stochastic distribution of microsurfaces according to the invention makes it advantageously possible to influence the (surface) configuration or microstructuring of a cover or its digital and material precursors in a targeted and substantially reproducible manner and to avoid disruptive effects which can be discerned by the naked eye in a likewise targeted manner.
In accordance with another mode of the method of the invention, which is advantageous with regard to the avoidance of optically disruptive effects and is therefore preferred, the master surface is provided with a pseudo-stochastic microsurface positional distribution.
In accordance with a further mode of the method of the invention, which is advantageous with regard to the production of structure elevations of different heights and is therefore preferred, the master surface is provided with a pseudo-stochastic microsurface size distribution.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a master surface for producing a cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material. The master surface comprises a pseudo-stochastic distribution of microsurfaces due to a regular repetition of cells having a stochastic microsurface pattern.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is furthermore provided a method for producing a cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material. The method comprises producing a pseudo-stochastic master surface according to the invention, and producing the cover galvanically by utilizing the pseudo-stochastic master surface.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is additionally provided a cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material. The cover comprises pseudo-stochastic structuring formed by a regular repetition of cells having a stochastic structure elevation pattern.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is also provided a machine for processing printing material, in particular a sheet-processing rotary printing press for lithographic offset printing. The machine comprises at least one pseudo-stochastically structured cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material, the cover having pseudo-stochastic structuring according to the invention.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is furthermore provided a method for producing printed products. The method comprises providing at least one structured cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material and at least one screened printing form, and adapting a structuring of the cover and a screening of the printing form to one another to reduce or avoid moiré effects.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is additionally provided a method for producing printed products. The method comprises providing at least one pseudo-stochastically structured cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material, the cover having pseudo-stochastic structuring, providing at least one pseudo-stochastically screened printing form, the printing form having pseudo-stochastic screening, and adapting the pseudo-stochastic structuring of the cover and the pseudo-stochastic screening of the printing form to one another to reduce or avoid moiré effects.
With the objects of the invention in view, there is concomitantly provided a method for microstamping printed products. The method comprises providing at least one pseudo-stochastically structured cover of a cylinder for contacting printing material, providing the cover with pseudo-stochastic structuring, and providing the pseudo-stochastic structuring of the cover with at least one microstamping region with the structuring to be transferred onto the printing material.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a method for producing a pseudo-stochastic master surface, a master surface, a method for producing a cylinder cover, a cylinder cover, a machine processing printing material, a method for producing printed products and a method for microstamping printed products, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims, noting that the invention and the advantageous developments thereof also represent advantageous developments of the invention in combination with one another.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIGS. 1A-C are diagrammatic, perspective views illustrating a sequence of one preferred exemplary embodiment of a method according to the invention for producing a cover;
FIGS. 2A-G are plan views of preferred exemplary embodiments of pseudo-stochastic distributions of cells according to the invention which are repeated periodically; and
FIG. 3 is a plan view of one preferred exemplary embodiment of a pseudo-stochastic distribution of cells according to the invention which are repeated periodically.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, in which mutually corresponding elements are each provided with the same designations, and first, particularly, to FIGS. 1A to 1C thereof, there is seen a sequence of a method according to the invention for producing a cover 1 (a so-called “jacket”) of a cylinder 2 which makes contact with or contacts printing material, for example a cover for an impression cylinder or some other transport cylinder of a lithographic sheet-fed offset printing press 3 which prints or varnishes/coats paper, cardboard or films. In the two first method steps, the sequence also includes a method according to the invention for producing a pseudo-stochastic master surface 4 for producing a cover 1 of this type.
In a first step of the method according to the invention (see FIG. 1A ), a digital master 5 is produced in a computer 6 for the material pseudo-stochastic master surface 4 and for the cover 1 which is produced by way of the latter. The digital master can be produced in the context of a computer-assisted jacket preliminary stage 6 , in which method steps are carried out in a manner corresponding to method steps of a known prepress stage for producing digital masters for printing forms. For example, during the production of the digital master, a method which is known per se from the prepress stage of FM screening or its algorithms can be carried out. As a result of the use of a jacket preliminary stage based on corresponding methods of the prepress stage, a microstructure 7 of the cover to be produced can be constructed in a targeted manner. In this case, in particular, a pseudo-stochastic structure can also be produced in addition to the known regular or stochastic microstructures. In the context of the jacket preliminary stage, (mean) diameters and (mean) spacings of pseudo-stochastically distributed microsurfaces 8 are fixed, for example, and converted into a parameter which corresponds to the so-called area coverage in the production of printing forms. Structure elevations 9 correspond later to the microsurfaces: the diameter of the microsurface substantially defines the height of the associated structure elevation and the spacings of the microsurfaces define the spacings of the associated structure elevations.
The digital master 5 has a pseudo-stochastic distribution of microsurfaces 8 . Cells 10 which are repeated periodically are provided and filled with a stochastic pattern of microsurfaces. In this case, the stochastic pattern is configured in such a way that, as a result of the periodic repetition of the pattern, no periodic patterns which can be discerned by the naked eye are produced in the digital master or on the master surface 4 or the cover 1 , for example moiré effects. This use of cells which are repeated periodically, with the cells being filled with a stochastic pattern of microsurfaces, leads to an overall pattern which can be denoted “pseudo-stochastic” as above.
In addition, the pseudo-stochastic pattern can be configured in this case in such a way that, in later interaction of the cover 1 being produced with further covers during the production of printed products, no periodic patterns which can be discerned by the naked eye are produced on the printed product, for example moiré effects. This can be achieved, for example, by the stochastic patterns of the cells 10 of different digital masters 5 for different master surfaces 4 or covers, differing from one another, in a manner which is adapted to one another. So-called screen angles may be mentioned as an example of the adaptation (see the following description with regard to the adaptation of covers 1 and printing forms 11 ).
In addition, the pseudo-stochastic pattern can furthermore be configured in this case in such a way that, in later interaction of the produced cover 1 with the printing forms 11 during the production of printed products, no periodic patterns which can be discerned by the naked eye are produced on the printed product, for example moiré effects. This can be achieved, for example, by the stochastic patterns of the cells 10 of different digital masters 5 for different master surfaces 4 or covers and the stochastic patterns of the cells of different pseudo-stochastically screened printing forms (or their digital printing masters) differing from one another, in a manner which is adapted to one another. The following may be mentioned as an example: during the production of the so-called color separations and/or the corresponding printing forms, so-called screen angles of the color separations are adapted to one another in a manner which is known per se. There can be provision in the method according to the invention for the produced covers and not only the printing forms to also have screen angles, with the latter being adapted to the screen angles of the printing forms in such a way that, in particular, moiré effects are avoided or at least reduced.
There can be provision for the jacket preliminary stage and the printing form preliminary stage to be combined in the computer 6 (as common preliminary stage hardware), in order to simplify the adaptation of the respective pseudo-stochastic distributions, preferably using common preliminary stage software.
In a second step of the method according to the invention (see FIG. 1B ), a master surface 4 , for example a master film, a master plate or a master sheet, is produced from the digital master 5 . This can take place with the use of an exposer 12 which is known per se and transfers the digital master onto a material surface 4 in a manner which is known per se, for example through the use of laser radiation.
The master surface 4 can be provided with a pseudo-stochastic microsurface positional distribution, that is to say the respective spatial positions of the individual microsurfaces 8 on or in the master surface are distributed pseudo-stochastically. This leads to the later structure elevations 9 likewise being distributed pseudo-stochastically, that is to say that their respective spacings from one another are also distributed pseudo-stochastically. As an alternative or in addition, the master surface can be provided with a pseudo-stochastic microsurface size distribution, that is to say the respective diameters or corresponding dimensions of the individual microsurfaces are distributed pseudo-stochastically. This leads to the heights of the later structure elevations likewise being distributed pseudo-stochastically.
In a third step of the method according to the invention (see FIG. 1C ), a microstructured cover 1 or a jacket is produced from the master surface 4 . This can take place in a galvanizing system 13 using a galvanic method which is known per se, as disclosed, for example, in International Publication No. WO 2006/112696 A2. In this case, i) the microsurfaces 8 of the distribution on the master surface 4 are provided with a so-called photoresist, ii) the master surface is then treated galvanically for a first time, afterward iii) it is passivated and iv) it is treated galvanically for a second time, and a negative form which is produced in this way is v) removed, vi) passivated and once again vii) treated galvanically and finally viii) the positive form 1 which is produced in this way is removed. The cover 1 which is produced or the covers which are produced and are adapted optionally to one another and/or optionally to the printing forms, can then be applied to the corresponding cylinders 2 and can be used. As an alternative to the galvanic method described, an etching method can also be used to produce a cover on the basis of the master surface.
FIGS. 2A to 2G diagrammatically show different pseudo-stochastic patterns of cells 10 which are repeated periodically, in which the cells are filled with a stochastic pattern of microsurfaces 8 . FIG. 2A shows (on the left hand side) a distribution of the microsurfaces of the digital master 5 , the master surface 4 and the corresponding structure elevations 9 of the cover 1 , in which the distribution is substantially uniform with regard to the area density (frequency) but is pseudo-stochastic. In addition, FIG. 2A shows (on the right hand half) a cell, from which the overall pattern is formed as a result of periodic repetition. FIGS. 2B to 2E in each case show a pseudo-stochastic distribution of the microsurfaces, in which distribution the area density of the microsurfaces varies. FIG. 2B shows an axially directed frequency change, FIG. 2C shows a radially directed frequency change, FIG. 2D shows a periodic frequency change in one dimension and FIG. 2E shows a periodic frequency change in two dimensions. FIGS. 2F and 2G in each case show a pseudo-stochastic distribution of microsurfaces of different sizes. FIG. 2F shows the combination of microsurfaces of two different sizes with a substantially uniform distribution of the microsurfaces, and FIG. 2G shows the combination of microsurfaces of different sizes with an axially directed size change.
Furthermore, the covers 1 which are produced according to the invention can also be used for microstamping or microembossing printing materials in accordance with German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 10 2008 013 322 A1, corresponding to U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2008/0236411 A1. To this end, an image, a text, a pattern, etc. (in short: an information item) is incorporated in a targeted manner in the jacket preliminary stage 6 into the pseudo-stochastic pattern which preferably cannot be discerned by the naked eye. Since it is “hidden” from the observer, this information item can serve as a security feature in checking the authenticity of printed products. For example, the height of individual structure elevations 9 and thus their effect as a respective stamping element only micrometers in size can be influenced in a targeted manner through the selection of microsurface diameters. As an alternative, there can also be provision for the microstamping structure 7 to produce a structure which can be discerned by the naked eye on the printing material, for example in order to improve its esthetic or functional effect.
FIG. 3 shows a pseudo-stochastic pattern of cells 10 which are repeated periodically (right hand half), wherein the cells are filled with a stochastic pattern of microsurfaces 8 . In addition, a logo “HEI” is incorporated as a hidden information item 14 (left hand half), wherein the logo is not to be discernible by the naked eye later on the printed product. The logo can, for example, have a pattern which differs from the surrounding area, and can be made visible by auxiliary measures. | A method for producing a pseudo-stochastic master surface for producing a cover or jacket of a cylinder for contacting printing material, includes providing the master surface with a pseudo-stochastic distribution of microsurfaces. The master surface is produced on the basis of a digital master in a jacket preliminary stage and serves for a preferably galvanic production of a microstructured cover, in which structure elevations correlate with the microsurfaces. The pseudo-stochastic distribution helps to avoid disruptive discernible effects, for example the moiré effect and helps to construct the microstructuring in a targeted manner. A master surface, a method for producing a cylinder cover, a cylinder cover, a machine for processing printing material, a method for producing printed products and a method for microstamping printed products, are also provided. | 8 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0000] Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0000] Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX
[0000] Not Applicable
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] My invention is intended to be used in food processing and pharmaceutical processing facilities to improve the inspectability and cleanability of pipe, conduit, and tube installations. Currently, these facilities are forced to use standard mounting systems to install pipe, conduit, and tube. The standard mounting systems are inherently dirty. Also, the standard mounting systems are exceedingly difficult to inspect and clean.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] My invention is a new sanitary system for mounting pipe, conduit, and tube in food grade or pharmaceutical grade installations. It is designed such that it resists contamination, is easy to inspect, and easy to clean.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S)
[0003] 1 A. Top view of wall mount strut assembly
[0004] 1 B. Side view of wall mount strut assembly
[0005] 1 C. Front view of wall mount strut assembly
[0006] 1 D. Exploded isometric assembly of wall mount strut application
[0007] 2 A. Top view of trapeze mount strut assembly
[0008] 2 B. Side view of trapeze mount strut assembly
[0009] 2 C. Front view of trapeze mount strut assembly
[0010] 2 D. Exploded isometric assembly of trapeze mount strut application
[0011] 3 A. Top view of spacer
[0012] 3 B. Front view of spacer
[0013] 4 A. Top view of wall mount strut
[0014] 4 B. Front view of wall mount strut
[0015] 4 C. End view of wall mount strut
[0016] 5 A. Top view of trapeze mount strut
[0017] 5 B. Front view of trapeze mount strut
[0018] 5 C. End view of trapeze mount strut
[0019] 6 A. Top view of “L”-bracket
[0020] 6 B. Front view of “L”-bracket
[0021] 6 C. Side view of “L”-bracket
[0022] 7 A. End view of hanger rod
[0023] 7 B. Front view of hanger rod
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] My invention is a mounting system that sanitarily mounts pipes, conduits, and tubes to vertical and horizontal surfaces in locations that require a high degree of cleanliness. Typically, this mounting system would be employed in food processing and pharmaceutical factories.
[0025] In the past, these facilities have had only standard strut systems to mount their pipes, conduit, and tubes. This has been a major food and drug safety problem, as standard strut systems are easily soiled, harbor contaminants, are difficult to inspect, and difficult to clean.
[0026] My sanitary strut system can be configured for two general applications. When mounting pipes, conduits, or tubes to a wall (or other vertical surface), the “wall mount” strut assembly (shown in FIGS. 1A, 1B , 1 C, and 1 D) is preferred. The main components of this assembly are “wall mount strut” (shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B , and 4 C) and multiple “spacers” (shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B ). The wall mount strut is punched and cold formed from 12 gauge T304 stainless steel sheet that is polished to a #4 sanitary finish. The multiple punched holes and slots permit mounting of the strut to the wall and pipes to the strut in multiple locations. Specifically, note that the strut's cross section has no horizontal surfaces (see FIG. 1B ). Standard struts typically have multiple horizontal surfaces. My strut's configuration is better than standard strut, in that is tends to “shed” falling contaminants downward, as opposed to collecting them. The wall mount spacers are machined from solid 1″ diameter T304 stainless steel round bar. Specifically, note that the spacers hold the strut away from the wall at a distance of not less than 1″ (see FIG. 1A ). Standard strut systems typically mount the strut directly to the wall. My strut system is better than standard systems in that this gap between the wall and the back of the strut facilitates inspection, cleaning, and allows falling contaminants and water from wash downs to fall through this gap and downward. Conversely, the back surface of standard strut mounted directly to the wall is not inspectable, cleanable, and harbors filth and mildew. The pipes, conduits, or tubes are attached to the wall mount strut with stainless steel U-bolts of minimum thread length, as threads are difficult to clean. The entire assembly is attached to the wall with ⅜″ diameter stainless steel wedge anchors (see FIG. 1D ).
[0027] To mount pipes, conduits, or tubes below a ceiling (or other horizontal surfaces), the “trapeze mount strut” assembly (shown in FIGS. 2A, 2B , 2 C, and 2 D) is preferred. The main components of this assembly are “trapeze mount strut” (shown in FIGS. 5A, 5B , and 5 C) and smooth hanger rods (shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B ). The trapeze mount strut is punched and cold formed from 12 gauge T304 stainless steel sheet that is polished to a #4 sanitary finish. The multiple punched holes and slots permit mounting of strut to ceiling and pipes to strut in multiple locations. Specifically, note that my strut is an “open” C-channel with legs pointing downward (see FIG. 2B ). Standard trapeze struts are “closed” C-channels with hemmed legs that point upward. My strut system is better than standard strut systems, in that the legs of my trapeze mount strut are open, not hemmed, and point downward, thus allowing easy inspection, cleaning, and eliminates any upward facing troughs to collect and hold contaminants. Conversely, standard trapeze mount installations have upward facing channels that trough to hold falling debris, and wash down water. Their design is so enclosed as to require disassembly for cleaning in some cases to achieve an adequate level of sanitation. The smooth hanger rods are fabricated from T304 stainless steel schedule 80 pipe. They are tapped in each end for ⅜″ national coarse threads, and the outer surface is polished to a #4 sanitary finish (see FIGS. 7A and 7B ). Standard trapeze struts are mounted with continuously threaded rod. My trapeze strut system is better, as the smooth hanger rods are easy to clean, where as the outer surface of the standard strut's continuously threaded rods is so convoluted, that they are extremely difficult to satisfactorily clean. The pipes, conduits and tube are attached to the trapeze mount strut with the same stainless steel minimum thread U-bolts used for wall mount strut, and the entire trapeze assembly is attached to the ceiling with L-brackets (see FIGS. 6A, 6B , and 6 C).
[0028] Overall, my stainless steel strut system provides a means by which one can attach pipes, conduits, and tubes to horizontal and vertical surfaces in a sanitary way. This level of inspectability and cleanability is not provided by the struts currently on the market. | Have invented a new strut system designed for the attachment of pipes, conduit, and tubes to vertical and horizontal surfaces in a sanitary manner. The mounting of pipes, conduits or tubes in an environment that demands a high level of sanitation, (i.e.; food processing and pharmaceutical manufacturing) is best accomplished through the use of my invention. Unlike strut systems currently available, my strut system repels contaminants, is easy to inspect, and easy to clean. | 5 |
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 08/943,749, filed Oct. 3, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,092, which is a division of Ser. No. 08/707,680 filed Sep. 4, 1996 U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,168 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/005,140 filed Oct. 12, 1995.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are three types of lesions found in the arteries which are associated with atherosclerosis: fatty streaks, fibrous plaques, and complicated plaques. Fatty streaks occur early in life and consist of an accumulation of lipid-filled macrophages and smooth muscle cells (foam cells) and accumulated fibrous tissue on the intima. In general, these fatty streaks appear not to be particularly dangerous in themselves; however, they may be contributory to the formation of fibrous plaques. Fibrous plaques are raised lesions on the intima. These plaques consist of a central core of extracellular lipid and necrotic cell debris and are covered with an overlayment of smooth muscle cells and collagen matrix. This makes the fibrous plaque foci, a place of constricted blood flow in the artery. The fibrous plaque is characteristic of advancing atherosclerotic disease. The complicated plaque is a calcified fibrous plaque and is an area of thrombosis, necrosis, and ulceration. This plaque constricts the blood flow and causes stenosis that can lead to organ insufficiency. The site of a complicated plaque is, also, an area of weakened arterial wall which may fail, causing aneurysm formation and hemorrhaging.
One theory of atherogensis is the reaction-to-injury hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, the lining endothelial cells of the artery are exposed to acute, repeated acute, or chronic injury, which causes the cells to detach from one another, thus exposing the underlying connective tissue bed. This break in the continuous system of endothelium elicits platelet adhesion, aggregation, and the formation of microthrombi. This platelet interaction causes the release of mitogenic factors leading to the proliferation of smooth muscle cells, the production of matrix, and the trapping of lipids from the serum. Although this repairs the immediate break in the system, the disturbance in the blood around the lesion often causes further damage to endothelium in adjacent areas, especially down stream from the initial insult, thus increasing the plaque size. This process continues to build the lesion and leads to constriction of the blood flow and eventual occlusion or failure of the arterial wall.
Today, balloon angioplasty is one of the most common procedures used in treating atherosclerotic plaques, especially for relatively small plaques. It is often preferred over by-pass surgery, in that it is less expensive and is a great deal less traumatic to the patient.
Although angioplasty is very effective at initially opening the occluded artery, this artery often fails to remain open for an extended period of time. Within one year, 30-50% of the arteries opened by angioplastic surgery are occluded in the same or adjacent location as the initial blockage. The process by which this re-occlusion occurs is called restenosis. For reviews covering the morphologic changes and biopathology of restenosis following angioplasty see: Haudenschild, C. C., Am. J. of Med., 94, (Suppl 4A), p. 4A-40S-4A44S (1993) and Waller, B. F., et al. Radiology, 174, (3), p. 961-967 (1990).
Currently, there is no treatment for the restenosis of an artery, other than repeating the angioplasty, which may exacerbate the problem, or performing a more extensive procedure such as by-pass surgery.
It has been shown that another benzothiophene, raloxifene (formula I, R 1 is n-piperidenyl, and R 2 and R 3 are hydrogen) is active in experimental models in inhibiting restenosis (see: EP652,003, published May 10, 1995). In experimental models conducted in vivo, raloxifene was administered via a systemic route (oral) demonstrating its beneficial effect at inhibiting restenosis. Additionally, it has now been shown that raloxifene is capable of inhibiting intimal thickening at a local site of angioplasty insult. This result is of great significance in that raloxifene is of a chemical class of compounds known as mixed estrogen agonist/antagonists, or SERMs, selective estrogen receptor modulators. Administration of a compound having a similar profile as that of raloxifene, but at the local site, would be an advantage for the treatment of restenosis induced by angioplastic intervention.
Ideally, it would be desirable to administer such an agent directly into the plaque at the time of angioplasty. This is problematic in that raloxifene is not very soluble in the highly lipophilic matrix found in the atherosclerotic plaque. Additionally, large volumes of solvent would be necessary to dissolve an effective amount of raloxifene which would then have to be delivered via the angioplasty catheter into the atherosclerotic plaque. Both of these raise practical concerns over the use of either raloxifene or its known derivatives from use as locally active agents for preventing restenosis via an angioplasty catheter.
It would be of great benefit if there were an efficient non-surgical treatment for restenosis. It would be of particular benefit if such a treatment could be confined to the immediate locality of the occluding plaque, since this would limit any potential side-effects of the treatment. A treatment such as a drug which could be delivered locally to the plaque site at the time of angioplasty and prevent restenosis at that site would be ideal.
"Post-menopausal syndrome" is a term used to describe various pathological conditions which frequently affect women who have entered into or completed the physiological metamorphosis known as menopause. Although numerous pathologies are contemplated by the use of this term, three major effects of post-menopausal syndrome are the source of the greatest long-term medical concern: osteoporosis, cardiovascular effects such as hyperlipidemia, and estrogen-dependent cancer, particularly breast and uterine cancer.
Osteoporosis describes a group of diseases which arise from diverse etiologies, but which are characterized by the net loss of bone mass per unit volume. The consequence of this loss of bone mass and resulting bone fracture is the failure of the skeleton to provide adequate structural support for the body. One of the most common types of osteoporosis is that associated with menopause. Most women lose from about 20% to about 60% of the bone mass in the trabecular compartment of the bone within 3 to 6 years after the cessation of mensus. This rapid loss is generally associated with an increase of bone resorption and formation. However, the resorptive cycle is more dominant and the result is a net loss of bone mass. Osteoporosis is a common and serious disease among post-menopausal women.
There are an estimated 25 million women in the United States, alone, who are afflicted with this disease. The results of osteoporosis are personally harmful and also account for a large economic loss due its chronicity and the need for extensive and long term support (hospitalization and nursing home care) from the disease sequelae. This is especially true in more elderly patients. Additionally, although osteoporosis is not generally thought of as a life threatening condition, a 20% to 30% mortality rate is related with hip fractures in elderly women. A large percentage of this mortality rate can be directly associated with post-menopausal osteoporosis.
The most vulnerable tissue in the bone to the effects of post-menopausal osteoporosis is the trabecular bone. This tissue is often referred to as spongy or cancellous bone and is particularly concentrated near the ends of the bone (near the joints) and in the vertebrae of the spine. The trabecular tissue is characterized by small osteoid structures which inter-connect with each other, as well as the more solid and dense cortical tissue which makes up the outer surface and central shaft of the bone. This inter-connected network of trabeculae gives lateral support to the outer cortical structure and is critical to the bio-mechanical strength of the overall structure. In post-menopausal osteoporosis, it is, primarily, the net resorption and loss of the trabeculae which leads to the failure and fracture of bone. In light of the loss of the trabeculae in post-menopausal women, it is not surprising that the most common fractures are those associated with bones which are highly dependent on trabecular support, e.g., the vertebrae, the neck of the weight bearing bones such as the femur and the fore-arm. Indeed, hip fracture, collies fractures, and vertebral crush fractures are hall-marks of post-menopausal osteoporosis.
At this time, the only generally accepted method for treatment of post-menopausal osteoporosis is estrogen replacement therapy. Although therapy is generally successful, patient compliance with the therapy is low primarily because estrogen treatment frequently produces undesirable side effects.
Throughout premenopausal time, most women have less incidence of cardiovascular disease than age-matched men. Following menopause, however, the rate of cardiovascular disease in women slowly increases to match the rate seen in men. This loss of protection has been linked to the loss of estrogen and, in particular, to the loss of estrogen's ability to regulate the levels of serum lipids. The nature of estrogen's ability to regulate serum lipids is not well understood, but evidence to date indicates that estrogen can upregulate the low density lipid (LDL) receptors in the liver to remove excess cholesterol. Additionally, estrogen appears to have some effect on the biosynthesis of cholesterol, and other beneficial effects on cardiovascular health.
It has been reported in the literature that post-menopausal women having estrogen replacement therapy have a return of serum lipid levels to concentrations to those of the pre-menopausal state. Thus, estrogen would appear to be a reasonable treatment for this condition. However, the side-effects of estrogen replacement therapy are not acceptable to many women, thus limiting the use of this therapy. An ideal therapy for this condition would be an agent which would regulate the serum lipid level as does estrogen, but would be devoid of the side-effects and risks associated with estrogen therapy.
The third major pathology associated with post-menopausal syndrome is estrogen-dependent breast cancer and, to a lesser extent, estrogen-dependent cancers of other organs, particularly the uterus. Although such neoplasms are not solely limited to a post-menopausal women, they are more prevalent in the older, post-menopausal population. Current chemotherapy of these cancers has relied heavily on the use of anti-estrogen compounds such as, for example, tamoxifen. Although such mixed agonist-antagonists have beneficial effects in the treatment of these cancers, and the estrogenic side-effects are tolerable in acute life-threatening situations, they are not ideal. For example, these agents may have stimulatory effects on certain cancer cell populations in the uterus due to their estrogenic (agonist) properties and they may, therefore, be contraproductive in some cases. A better therapy for the treatment of these cancers would be an agent which is an anti-estrogen compound having negligible or no estrogen agonist properties on reproductive tissues.
In response to the clear need for new pharmaceutical agents which are capable of alleviating the symptoms of, inter alia, post-menopausal syndrome, the present invention provides new benzothiophene compounds, pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods of using such compounds for the treatment of post-menopausal syndrome and other estrogen-related pathological conditions such as those mentioned below.
Uterine fibrosis (uterine fibroid disease) is an old and ever present clinical problem which goes under a variety of names, including uterine fibroid disease, uterine hypertrophy, uterine lieomyomata, myometrial hypertrophy, fibrosis uteri, and fibrotic metritis. Essentially, uterine fibrosis is a condition where there is an inappropriate deposition of fibroid tissue on the wall of the uterus.
This condition is a cause of dysmenorrhea and infertility in women. The exact cause of this condition is poorly understood but evidence suggests that it is an inappropriate response of fibroid tissue to estrogen. Such a condition has been produced in rabbits by daily administrations of estrogen for 3 months. In guinea pigs, the condition has been produced by daily administration of estrogen for four months. Further, in rats, estrogen causes similar hypertrophy.
The most common treatment of uterine fibrosis involves surgical procedures both costly and sometimes a source of complications such as the formation of abdominal adhesions and infections. In some patients, initial surgery is only a temporary treatment and the fibroids regrow. In those cases a hysterectomy is performed which effectively ends the fibroids but also the reproductive life of the patient. Also, gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonists may be administered, yet their use is tempered by the fact they can lead to osteoporosis. Thus, there exists a need for new methods for treating uterine fibrosis, and the methods of the present invention satisfy that need.
Endometriosis is a condition of severe dysmenorrhea, which is accompanied by severe pain, bleeding into the endometrial masses or peritoneal cavity and often leads to infertility. The cause of the symptoms of this condition appear to be ectopic endometrial growths which respond inappropriately to normal hormonal control and are located in inappropriate tissues. Because of the inappropriate locations for endometrial growth, the tissue seems to initiate local inflammatory-like responses causing macrophage infiltration and a cascade of events leading to initiation of the painful response. The exact etiology of this disease is not well understood and its treatment by hormonal therapy is diverse, poorly defined, and marked by numerous unwanted and perhaps dangerous side effects.
One of the treatments for this disease is the use of low dose estrogen to suppress endometrial growth through a negative feedback effect on central gonadotropin release and subsequent ovarian production of estrogen; however, it is sometimes necessary to use continuous estrogen to control the symptoms. This use of estrogen can often lead to undesirable side effects and even the risk of endometrial cancer.
Another treatment consists of continuous administration of progestins which induces amenorrhea and by suppressing ovarian estrogen production can cause regressions of the endometrial growths. The use of chronic progestin therapy is often accompanied by the unpleasant CNS side effects of progestins and often leads to infertility due to suppression of ovarian function.
A third treatment consists of the administration of weak androgens, which are effective in controlling the endometriosis; however, they induce severe masculinizing effects. Several of these treatments for endometriosis have also been implicated in causing a mild degree of bone loss with continued therapy. Therefore, new methods of treating endometriosis are desirable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides novel benzothiophenes of the formula (I): ##STR2## wherein R 1 is N-pyrrolidinyl or N-piperidinyl; R 2 and R 3 are independently hydrogen, --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 branched alkyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkenyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 polyalkenyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkynyl), or --CO--(CH 2 ) n COR 4 ; provided R 2 and R 3 are not both dodecanoyl, and one of R 2 or R 3 is not hydrogen
R 4 is -3-cholesteryl or --O(CH 2 ) 2 (OR 5 )CH 2 OR 6 ;
R 5 and R 6 are independently hydrogen, --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 branched alkyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkenyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 polyalkenyl), or --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkynyl); provided one of R 5 or R 6 is not hydrogen;
n is 0-4; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof.
Included within the scope of compounds of formula I are isomers of asymmetric centers and cis/trans isomers associated with alkenyl moieties.
The present invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds of formula I, optionally containing estrogen or progestin, and the use of such compounds, alone, or in combination with estrogen or progestin, for alleviating the symptoms of post-menopausal syndrome, particularly osteoporosis, cardiovascular related pathological conditions, and estrogen-dependent cancer. As used herein, the term "estrogen" includes steroidal compounds having estrogenic activity such as, for example 17β-estradiol, estrone, conjugated estrogen (Premarin®), equine estrogens, 17β-ethynyl estradiol, and the like. As used herein, the term "progestin" includes compounds having progestational activity such as, for example, progesterone, norethylnodrel, nongestrel, megestrol acetate, norethindrone, and the like.
Further, this invention provides for a method of administration of a compound of formula I at the site of an atherosclerotic plaque.
This invention also provides for methods of use of the compounds of formula I for the local treatment and prevention of restenosis administered during the angioplasty of atherosclerotic plaques.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The current invention relates to the discovery of a new series of lipophilic esters of 2-phenyl-3-aroylbenzo[b]thiophenes shown in formula I. These compounds are useful for treating or preventing restenosis, particularly by administration at a local site, following angioplasty of an atherosclerotic plaque, as well as inhibiting pathological conditions associated with post-menopausal syndrome.
The term "inhibit" includes its generally accepted meaning which includes prohibiting, preventing, restraining, and slowing, stopping, or reversing progression, severity, or a resultant symptom. As such, the methods include both medical therapeutic and/or prophylactic administration, as appropriate.
The general chemical terms used in the description of a compound of formula I have their usual meanings. For example, the term "--CO(C 10-22 alkyl or C 10 -C 22 branched alkyl)" would include --CO(C 14 -C 22 alkyl) and --CO(C 14 -C 22 branched alkyl), and groups such as decanoyl, undecanoyl, lauroyl, myristoyl, palmitoyl, stearoyl, arachidoyl, 2,2-dimethylundecanoyl, d,1-2-ethylundecanoyl, and the like. The term "C 10 -C 22 alkenyl or C 10 -C 22 poly-alkenyl" would include groups such as: palmitoleoyl, oleoyl, linoleoyl, linolenoyl, arachidonoyl, and the like, including natural and un-natural cis/trans isomers. The term "C 10 -C 22 alkynyl" would include such groups as 2-alkynyl-undecanoyl, 3-alkynyl-stearoyl, and the like.
The compounds of this invention may be prepared by known and/or analogous chemical synthesis methods well known in the art. Briefly, the starting benzothiophene, such as, raloxifene, can be prepared from readily available starting materials by procedures described in the U.S. Pat. Nos., 4,133,814 and 4,418,068, incorporated herein by reference.
The preparation of the acyl esters of the 4' and 6 phenolic hydroxyls of raloxifene can be accomplished with the use of activated carboxylates of the long chain acids, many of which are commercially available. Examples of such activated carboxylic acids are: stearoyl chloride, stearoyl anhydride, plamitoyl chloride, arachidonoyl chloride, and the like. The acylation reaction may be carried out in a variety of aprotic solvents such as THF, DMF, EtOAc, ether, benzene, toluene, or halogenated solvents such as chloroform or methylenechloride. THF is a preferred solvent.
The reaction may be carried in the presence of an acid scavenger such as triethylamine, pyridine, or the like. Triethylamine is a preferred base. Additionally, an acylation catalyst such as 4-dimethylaminopyridine can be used. The acylation reaction may be carried out under a variety of reaction conditions from 0°-100° C. and under a nitrogen atmosphere. Usually, ambient temperature is sufficient. The reaction times can be from 1-36 hours depending on the nature of the acylating moiety and other reaction conditions, progress of the reaction can be monitored by techniques such as tlc. The resulting products are purified by evaporation of the reaction solvent in vacuo and re-dissolving the residue, in EtOAc. The EtOAc solution is washed with aqueous base (1 N NaOH) and then with water and dried by filtration through anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 or MgSO 4 . The resulting organic solution is evaporated to a solid in vacuo. The final product is then obtained by chromatographing the crude mixture on a silica gel column eluted with mixtures of EtOAc-hexane or the like. A preferred solvent combination is 80% EtOAc-hexane. The appropriate fractions containing the desired product may be identified by tlc and these fractions combined and evaporated to dryness in vacuo.
Mono- and di-esters of this invention may be prepared by using either one or two equivalents of the appropriate acylating reagent. The use of one equivalent of acylating reagent gives rise to a statistical distribution of: dihydroxy (raloxifene, starting material), 4' hydroxy-6-acylraloxifene, 4'-acyl-6-hydroxyraloxifene, and 4',6-diacylraloxifene. These compounds are easily separated by chromatographic procedures, silica gel eluted with mixtures of EtOAc and hexane. Thus, the various mono-derivatives may be obtained. The long-chain ester of formula I are tan, oily, and amorphous solids, or thick oils.
Mono- or di-glycerides, and 3-cholesterol derivatives of formula I may be prepared by using a "linker" dicarboxylic acid. This moiety links the phenolic hydroxyls of the starting material (raloxifene) to the alcoholic hydroxyl of the mono- or di-glyceride or cholesterol via carboxylic esters. Examples of such "linking" dicarboxylic acids are oxaloyl, succinoyl, glutaroyl, etc. The formation of such di-esters are well known in the art.
Briefly, activated carboxylic acid moieties such as oxaloyl chloride, succinic anhydride, or glutaric anhydride can be used. Succinic anhydride is preferred.
In a manner similar to the formation of the acid esters described above, the mono- or preferred di-succinates of raloxifene are prepared. The free carboxylic acid moieties can further activated to react with alcoholic hydroxyls of cholesterol or mono- or di-glycerides. The activation of these free carboxylic acids may be accomplished by formation of mixed anhydrides with alkylchloroformates (i-butylchloroformate) and the intermediate mixed anhydride reacted with the appropriate alcohol. Similarly, the free carboxyls may be directly esterified with the appropriate alcohol using a dehydrating agent such as DCC (di-cyclohexylcarbodimide) in an appropriate aprotic solvent such as THF. Alternately, the "linking" dicarboxylic esters can be prepared by first, esterifying the lipophyllic alcohol, e.g., cholesterol, and then forming the other ester bond with the phenol of raloxifene. The final purified compounds of formula I can be obtained by chromatographic techniques. These compounds are oils or oily, amorphous solids.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are 4',6-distearoyl raloxifene or ([6-stearoyloxy-2-[4-(stearoyloxy)phenyl]benzo[b]thien-3-yl][4-(2-(1-piperidenyl)ethoxy) phenyl] methanone); 4',6-di-[3-cholesterolatesuccinoyl] raloxifene; and 4',6-di-[1,2-di-stearoyl-3-glycerolsuccinate] raloxifene.
Below are described detailed preparations of selected compounds of formula I. These descriptions are for the purpose of illustration and are not meant to be limiting to the scope of this invention.
EXAMPLE 1
[6-Stearoyloxy-2-[(4-stearoyloxy)phenyl]benzo[b]thien-3-yl][4-(2-(1-piperidenyl)ethoxy)phenyl]methanone
(4',6-Distearoyl raloxifene)
A suspension of 2.6 g (0.005 mol) of raloxifene hydrochloride in 250 mL of THF was prepared. To this was added 11 g (0.1 mol) of triethylamine and 20 mg of dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP). The reaction mixture was allowed to stir for 10 minutes at ambient temperature under an atmosphere of nitrogen. Stearoyl chloride, 3.3 g (0.011 mol), was added and the reaction was allowed to proceed for sixteen hours. The reaction mixture was evaporated to dryness in vacuo and resuspended in 100 mL of EtOAc. The EtOAc suspension was washed with water, then 1 N NaOH, and finally with water. The organic layer was dried by filtration through anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and evaporated to dryness. The crude product was further purified by chromatography on a silica gel column eluted with EtOAc. Evaporation of the desired fractions yielded 1.46 g of the title compound as a oily, low melting solid.
PMR: consistent with the proposed structure; MS: m/e=1006 FD; EA: Calc: C, 76.37; H, 9.51; N, 1.39 Found: C, 76.17; H, 9.56; N, 1.56; C 64 H 95 NO 6 S.
EXAMPLE 2
4',6-Dilinolenoyl Raloxifene
This derivative was prepared in a manner similar to Example 1, using 2.6 g (0.005 mol) of Raloxifene HCl, 2 g (0.02 mol) of triethylamine, 20 mg of DMAP, and 3.2 g (0.01 mol) of linolenoyl chloride in 250 mL of THF. The final product was chromatographed on a silica gel column eluted with EtOAc-hexane (8:2). This yielded 3.21 g of the title compound as clear oil.
PMR: consistent with the proposed structure; MS: m/e=994 FD.
EXAMPLE 3
4',6-Dilinoleoyl Raloxifene
The derivative was prepared in a manner similar to that in example 2, using 2.6 g (0.005 mol) of Raloxifene HCl, 3 g (0.03 mol) of triethylamine, 20 mg of DMAP, and 3.2 g (0.01 mol) of linoleoyl chloride in 250 mL of THF. This yielded 4.76 g of the title compound as thick oil.
PMR: consistent with proposed structure; MS: m/e=998 FD
EXAMPLE 4
4',6-Dimyristoyl Raloxifene
This derivative was prepared in a manner similar to that in example 2, using 2.6 g (0.005 mol) of Raloxifene HCl, 5 g (0.05 mol) of triethylamine, 20 mg of DMAP, and 2.8 g (0.012 mol) of myristoyl chloride in 250 mL of THF. This yielded 2.61 g of the title compound as thick oil which solidified upon standing at room temperature.
PMR: consistent with proposed structure; MS: m/e-893 FD
EXAMPLE 5
4',6-Dipalmitoyl Raloxifene
This derivative was prepared in a manner similar to that in example 2, using 2.6 g (0.005 mol) of Raloxifene HCl, 5 g (0.05 mol) of triethylamine, 20 mg of DMAP, and 3.3 g (0.012 mol) of palmitoyl chloride in 250 mL of THF. This yielded 1.25 g of the title compound as a thick oil which solidified upon standing at room temperature.
PMR: consistent with proposed structure; MS: m/e=949 FD
The compounds used in the methods of this invention form pharmaceutically acceptable acid and base addition salts with a wide variety of organic and inorganic acids and bases and include the physiologically acceptable salts which are often used in pharmaceutical chemistry. Such salts are also part of this invention. Typical inorganic acids used to form such salts include hydrochloric, hydrobromic, hydroiodic, nitric, sulfuric, phosphoric, hypophosphoric and the like. Salts derived from organic acids, such as aliphatic mono and dicarboxylic acids, phenyl substituted alkanoic acids, hydroxyalkanoic and hydroxyalkandioic acids, aromatic acids, aliphatic and aromatic sulfonic acids, may also be used. Such pharmaceutically acceptable salts thus include acetate, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thus include acetate, phenylacetate, trifluoracetate, acrylate, ascorbate, benzoate, chlorobenzoate, dinitrobenzoate, hydroxybenzoate, methoxybenzoate, methylbenzoate, o-acetoxybenzoate, naphthalene-2-benzoate, bromide, isobutyrate, phenylbutyrate, β-hydroxybutyrate, butyne-1,4-dioate, hexyne-1,4-dioate, caprate, caprylate, chloride, cinnamate, citrate, formate, fumarate, glycollate, heptanoate, hippurate, lactate, malate, maleate, hydroxymaleate, malonate, mandelate, mesylate, nicotinate, isonicotinate, nitrate, oxalate, phthalate, teraphthalate, phosphate, monohydrogenphosphate, dihydrogenphosphate, metaphosphate, pyrophosphate, propiolate, propionate, phenylpropionate, salicylate, sebacate, succinate, suberate, sulfate, bisulfate, pyrosulfate, sulfite, bisulfite, sulfonate, benzene-sulfonate, p-bromophenylsulfonate, chlorobenzenesulfonate, ethanesulfonate, 2-hydroxyethanesulfonate, methane-sulfonate, naphthalene-1-sulfonate, naphthalene-2-sulfonate, p-toluenesulfonate, xylenesulfonate, tartarate, and the like. A preferable salt is the hydrochloride salt.
The pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts are typically formed by reacting a compound of formula I with an equimolar or excess amount of acid. The reactants are generally combined in a mutual solvent such as diethyl ether or benzene. The salt normally precipitates out of solution within about one hour to 10 days and can be isolated by filtration or the solvent can be stripped off by conventional means.
Bases commonly used for formation of salts include ammonium hydroxide and alkali and alkaline earth metal hydroxides, carbonates and bicarbonates, as well as aliphatic and aromatic amines, aliphatic diamines and hydroxy alkylamines. Bases especially useful in the preparation of additional salts include ammonium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, calcium hydroxide, methylamine, diethylamine, ethylene diamine, cyclohexylamine and ethanolamine.
The pharmaceutically acceptable salts generally have enhanced solubility characteristics compared to the compound from which they are derived, and thus are often more amenable to formulation as liquids or emulsions.
Pharmaceutical formulations can be prepared by procedures known in the art. For example, the compounds can be formulated with common excipients, diluents, or carriers, and formed into tablets, capsules, suspensions, powders, and the like. Examples of excipients, diluents, and carriers that are suitable for such formulations include the following: fillers and extenders such as starch, sugars, mannitol, and silicic derivatives; binding agents such as carboxymethyl cellulose and other cellulose derivatives, alginates, gelatin, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone; moisturizing agents such as glycerol; disintegrating agents such as agaragar, calcium carbonate, and sodium bicarbonate; agents for retarding dissolution such as paraffin; resorption accelerators such as quaternary ammonium compounds; surface active agents such as cetyl alcohol, glycerol monostearate; adsorptive carriers such as kaolin and bentonite; and lubricants such as talc, calcium and magnesium stearate, and solid polyethyl glycols.
The compounds can also be formulated as elixirs or solutions for convenient oral administration or as solutions appropriate for parental administration, for instance by intramuscular, subcutaneous or intravenous routes. Additionally, the compounds are well suited to formulation as sustained release dosage forms and the like. The formulations can be so constituted that they release the active ingredient only or preferably in a particular part of the intestinal tract, possibly over a period of time. The coatings, envelopes, and protective matrices may be made, for example, from polymeric substances or waxes. alleviating post-menopausal syndrome in women which comprises the aforementioned method using compounds of Formula I and further comprises administering to a woman an effective amount of estrogen or progestin. These treatments are particularly useful for treating osteoporosis and lowering serum cholesterol because the patient will receive the benefits of each pharmaceutical agent while the compounds of the present invention would inhibit undesirable side-effects of estrogen and progestin. Activity of these combination treatments in any of the post-menopausal tests, infra, indicates that the combination treatments are useful for alleviating the symptoms of post-menopausal symptoms in women.
Various forms of estrogen and progestin are commercially available. Estrogen-based agents include, for example, ethynyl estrogen (0.01-0.03 mg/day), mestranol (0.05-0.15 mg/day), and conjugated estrogenic hormones such as Premarin® (Wyeth-Ayerst; 0.3-2.5 mg/day). Progestin-based agents include, for example, medroxyprogesterone such as Provera® (Upjohn; 2.5-10 mg/day), norethylnodrel (1.0-10.0 mg/day), and nonethindrone (0.5-2.0 mg/day). A preferred estrogen-based compound is Premarin, and norethylnodrel and norethindrone are preferred progestin-based agents.
The method of administration of each estrogen- and progestin-based agent is consistent with that which is known in the art. For the majority of the methods of the present invention, compounds of Formula I are administered continuously, from 1 to 3 times daily. However, cyclical therapy may especially be useful in the treatment of endometriosis or may be used acutely during painful attacks of the disease. In the case of restenosis, therapy may be limited to short (1-6 months) intervals following medical procedures such as angioplasty.
As used herein, the term "effective amount" means an amount of compound of the present invention which is capable of alleviating the symptoms of the various pathological conditions herein described. The specific dose of a compound administered according to this invention will, of course, be determined by the particular circumstances surrounding the case including, for example, the compound administered, the route of administration, the state of being of the patient, and the pathological condition being treated. A typical daily dose will contain a nontoxic dosage level of from about 5 mg to about 600 mg/day of a compound of the present invention. Preferred daily doses generally will be from about 15 mg to about 80 mg/day.
The local delivery of inhibitory amounts of active compound for the treatment of restinosis can be by a variety of techniques which administer the compound at or near the proliferative site. Examples of local delivery techniques are not intended to be limiting but to be illustrative of the techniques available. Examples include local delivery catheters, site specific carriers, implants, direct injection, or direct applications.
Local delivery by a catheter, including a permeable membrane catheter, allows the administration of a pharmaceutical agent directly to the proliferative lesion. Examples of local delivery using a balloon catheter are described in EPO 383 492 A2 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,195 (Wolinsky, Jan. 13, 1987).
Local delivery by an implant describes the surgical placement of a matrix that contains the pharmaceutical agent into the proliferative lesion. The implanted matrix releases the pharmaceutical agent by diffusion, chemical reaction, or solvent activators. Lange, Science 249: 1527-1533 (September, 1990).
An example of local delivery by an implant is the use of a stent. Stents are designed to mechanically prevent the collapse and reocclusion of the coronary arteries. Incorporating a pharmaceutical agent into the stent delivers the drug directly to the proliferative site. Local delivery by this technique is described in Kohn, Pharmaceutical Technology (October, 1990).
Another example is a delivery system in which a polymer that contains the pharmaceutical agent is injected into the lesion in liquid form. The polymer then cures to form the implant in situ. This technique is described in PCT WO 90/03768 (Donn, Apr. 19, 1990).
Another example is the delivery of a pharmaceutical agent by polymeric endoluminal sealing. This technique uses a catheter to apply a polymeric implant to the interior surface of the lumen. The pharmaceutical agent incorporated into the biodegradable polymer implant is thereby released at the surgical site. It is described in PCT WO 90/01969 (Schindler, Aug. 23, 1989).
A final example of local delivery by an implant is by direct injection of vesicles or microparticulates into the proliferative site. These microparticulates may be composed of substances such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates or synthetic polymers. These microparticulates have the pharmaceutical agent incorporated throughout the microparticle or over the microparticule as a coating. Delivery systems incorporating microparticulates are described in Lang, Science 249: 1527-1533 (September, 1990) and Mathiowitz, et al., J. App. Poly. Sci., 26:809 (1981).
Local delivery by site specific carriers describes attaching the pharmaceutical agent to a carrier which will direct the drug to the proliferative lesion. Examples of this delivery technique includes the use of carriers such as a protein ligand or a monoclonal antibody. Lange, Science 249: 1527-1533 (September).
Local delivery by direct application includes the use of topical applications. An example of a local delivery by direct application is applying the pharmaceutical agent directly to the arterial bypass graft during the surgical procedure.
Another aspect of this invention are efficacious formulations of the compounds of formula I for delivery into the highly lipophilic environment of the atherosclerotic plaque. Usual formulations of the type used for intravenous injections (normally aqueous solutions) are inadvisable in light of the environment of the target site (plaque). The major considerations involving the formulation are 1) the formulated product must pumped through the angioplasty catheter, 2) the formulated product must facilitate the penetration of a compound of formula I into the lipophyllic matrix of the plaque, and 3) the formulated product must have minimal toxicity.
Carrier agents which would produce flowable solutions of a compound of formula I are DMSO, glycerol, liquid poly-alcohols, low molecular weight oils, and the like. These liquids may be adjusted with small amounts of water or alcohols to lower their viscosity. Additional agents such as cyclodextrins may be useful to aid the dissolution of the compounds of formula I in the carrier.
Penetration agents would facilitate entry into the plaque and include detergents such as tritons, organophosphates, organosulfates, carboxymethylcellulose, DMSO, and the like.
Also, trace quantities of radio-contrasting agent or dye may be incorporated into the formulations to aid the attending physician to verify the effective delivery of the formulation to its intended target site.
The exact amount of a compound of formula I and the volume of the formulated product for use in inhibiting atherosclerotic plaque at the local site may vary depending the circumstances and is best determined by the attending physician. Such factors as the depth and size of the atherosclerotic plaque to be treated are highly variable, in general, 0.5-2.0 mg would be an effective amount of a compound of formula I and this to be delivered in a volume of 1-3 mL. Thus various strengths and volumes of these formulations would be necessary to allow the greatest latitude of choice to the attending physician.
The clinical use of this invention would not differ greatly from the standard angioplastic procedure currently in practice. An additional benefit of this invention, due to the inclusion of a radio-contrasting agent in the formulated product, is that the attending physician may verify the location and the extent of penetration of the formulation into the plaque and surrounding tissue by radiographic techniques.
Listed below are formulations for the compounds of formula I. These formulations are given for purposes of illustration and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention in anyway. The term "active ingredient" means a compound of formula I.
______________________________________Formulation 1Ingredient Quantity (mg/capsule)______________________________________Active Ingredient 0.5-3.0 mgB-cyclodextrin 0.1 mgDMSO 1.5 mLBarium Oxide 0.1 mgSterile Water______________________________________
A compound of formula I (0.5-3.0 mg) and 0.1 mg of B-cyclodextrin is dissolved in 1.5 mL of DMSO and 0.1 mg of barium oxide is added. The mixture is heated to induce solution (50° C.) and allowed to cool to ambient temperature. Sterile water is added to bring the volume to 2 mL.
______________________________________Formulation 2Ingredient Quantity (mg/capsule)______________________________________Active Ingredient 0.5-3.0 mgglycerol 1 mLDMSO 1 mLTriton X 0.1 mgBarium Oxide 0.1 mg______________________________________
A compound of formula I (0.5-3.0 mg) is dissolved in 1 mL of DMSO. Triton X (0.1 mg) and barium oxide (0.1 mg) are added along with 1 mL of glycerol. The mixture is thoroughly mixed.
______________________________________Formulation 3: Gelatin CapsulesHard gelatin capsules are prepared using the following:Ingredient Quantity (mg/capsule)______________________________________Active ingredient 0.1-1000Starch, NF 0-650Starch flowable powder 0-650Silicone fluid 350 centistokes 0-15______________________________________
The formulation above may be changed in compliance with the reasonable variations provided.
A tablet formulation is prepared using the ingredients below:
______________________________________Formulation 4: TabletsIngredient Quantity (mg/tablet)______________________________________Active ingredient 2.5-1000Cellulose, microcrystalline 200-650Silicon dioxide, fumed 10-650Stearate acid 5-15______________________________________
The components are blended and compressed to form tablets.
Alternatively, tablets each containing 2.5-1000 mg of active ingredient are made up as follows:
______________________________________Formulation 5: TabletsIngredient Quantity (mg/tablet)______________________________________Active ingredient 25-1000Starch 45Cellulose, microcrystalline 35Polyvinylpyrrolidone 4(as 10% solution in water)Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose 4.5Magnesium stearate 0.5Talc 1______________________________________
The active ingredient, starch, and cellulose are passed through a No. 45 mesh U.S. sieve and mixed thoroughly. The solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone is mixed with the resultant powders which are then passed through a No. 14 mesh U.S. sieve. The granules so produced are dried at 50°-60° C. and passed through a No. 18 mesh U.S. sieve. The sodium carboxymethyl starch, magnesium stearate, and talc, previously passed through a No. 60 U.S. sieve, are then added to the granules which, after mixing, are compressed on a tablet machine to yield tablets.
Suspensions each containing 0.1-1000 mg of medicament per 5 ml dose are made as follows:
______________________________________Formulation 6: SuspensionsIngredient Quantity (mg/5 ml)______________________________________Active ingredient 0.1-1000 mgSodium carboxymethyl cellulose 50 mgSyrup 1.25 mgBenzoic acid solution 0.10 mLFlavor q.v.Color q.v.Purified water to 5 mL______________________________________
The medicament is passed through a No. 45 mesh U.S. sieve and mixed with the sodium carboxymethyl cellulose and syrup to form a smooth paste. The benzoic acid solution, flavor, and color are diluted with some of the water and added, with stirring. Sufficient water is then added to produce the required volume.
An aerosol solution is prepared containing the following ingredients:
______________________________________Formulation 7: AerosolIngredient Quantity (% by weight)______________________________________Active ingredient 0.25Ethanol 25.75Propellant 22 (Chlorodifluoromethane) 70.00______________________________________
The active ingredient is mixed with ethanol and the mixture added to a portion of the propellant 22, cooled to 30° C., and transferred to a filling device. The required amount is then fed to a stainless steel container and diluted with the remaining propellant. The valve units are then fitted to the container.
Suppositories are prepared as follows:
______________________________________Formulation 8: SuppositoriesIngredient Quantity (mg/suppository)______________________________________Active ingredient 250Saturated fatty acid glycerides 2,000______________________________________
The active ingredient is passed through a No. 60 mesh U.S. sieve and suspended in the saturated fatty acid glycerides previously melted using the minimal necessary heat. The mixture is then poured into a suppository mold of nominal 2 g capacity and allowed to cool.
An intravenous formulation is prepared as follows:
______________________________________Formulation 9: Intravenous SolutionIngredient Quantity______________________________________Active ingredient 50 mgIsotonic saline 1,000 mL______________________________________
The solution of the above ingredients is intravenously administered to a patient at a rate of about 1 mL per minute.
______________________________________Formulation 10: Combination Capsule IIngredient Quantity (mg/capsule)______________________________________Active ingredient 50Premarin 1Avicel pH 101 50Starch 1500 117.50Silicon Oil 2Tween 80 0.50Cab-O-Sil 0.25______________________________________
______________________________________Formulation 11: Combination Capsule IIIngredient Quantity (mg/capsule)______________________________________Active ingredient 50Norethylnodrel 5Avicel pH 101 82.50Starch 1500 90Silicon Oil 2Tween 80 0.50______________________________________
______________________________________Formulation 12: Combination TabletIngredient Quantity (mg/capsule)______________________________________Active ingredient 50Premarin 1Corn Starch NF 50Povidone, K29-32 6Avicel pH 101 41.50Avicel pH 102 136.50Crospovidone XL10 2.50Magnesium Stearate 0.50Cab-O-Sil 0.50______________________________________
More generally, the total active ingredients in such formulations comprises from 0.1% to 99.9% by weight of the formulation. By "pharmaceutically acceptable" it is meant the carrier, diluent, excipients and salt must be compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation, and not deleterious to the recipient thereof.
As mentioned previously, one of the novel aspects of this invention is the enhanced lipophillicity of compounds of formula I. Experimental demonstration of this enhanced lipophillicity, and thus enhanced ability to penetrate an atherosclerotic plaque, may be shown by several techniques: 1) excellent solubility of the compounds of formula I in lipophillic solvents such as EtOAc, 2) excellent lipophillic character of the compounds of formula I as shown by a standard, chemical technique such as log p partion coefficients (n-octanol/water), or 3) enhanced diffusion rates of the compounds of formula I into a lipophillic matrix such as cholesterol.
The following assays are used to illustrate the invention:
Balloon Injury of Carotid Arteries
Balloon injury to the left common carotid arteries of male, Sprague-Dawley rats (350-400 g) is accomplished by three passes of an inflated 2F Fogarty balloon catheter (Baxter Healthcare, McGraw Park, Ill.) as described by Clowes A. W., et al., Lab. Invest. 49, p.208-215 (1983). Animals are anesthetized with Ketamine (80 mg/kg, IM) and Rompun (16 mg/kg, IM). Entry of the balloon catheter to the left common carotid artery is made by a nick in the external carotid artery, which is tied off at the end of the surgical procedure.
Following balloon injury, a single daily dose of a compound of formula I is applied to the exterior of the injured carotid artery as a "loading dose" of drug in a small volume (120 uL). Subsequent to this, continuous delivery of the compound to the adventitial (exterior) space surrounding the injured carotid artery is accomplished by means of a miniosmotic pump (Alzet, 2ML2, Palo Alto, Calif.) implanted subcutaneously in the back of the rat. Pumps are primed before surgery and implanted immediately following balloon injury. Dosing solutions are delivered to the adventitial space via a micro-renathane catheter (MRE-40). The catheter is sutured in place with two ligatures (4-0 silk) to the left external carotid artery, and the tip is positioned to deliver the drug solutions at the midpoint of the common carotid artery. The dosing vehicle employed in this study is 20% cyclodextrin in sterile water.
Fourteen days post surgery, animals are anesthetized (vide supra) and perfused through the abdominal aorta in a retrograde manner at physiological pressure with a zinc formalin fixative (Anatech LTD, Battle Creek, Mich.). Middle sections (5 mm) of the carotids are removed from the animals, processed, and embedded in paraffin. Three adjacent cross sections (5 μm thick) of each vessel are cut, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and cross sectional intimal areas are quantitated with an image analyzer (Quantimat 970, Cambridge Inst. Cambridge. UK).
The results of this experiment demonstrate the ability of the compounds of formula I to inhibit the reduction of intimal area due to restenosis initiated by injury of the balloon catheter.
In the examples illustrating the methods, a post-menopausal model is used in which effects of different treatments upon circulating lipids are determined.
Seventy-five day old female Sprague Dawley rats (weight range of 200 to 225g) are obtained from Charles River Laboratories (Portage, Mich.). The animals are either bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX) or exposed to a Sham surgical procedure at Charles River Laboratories, and then shipped after one week. Upon arrival, they are housed in metal hanging cages in groups of 3 or 4 per cage and had ad libitum access to food (calcium content approximately 0.5%) and water for one week. Room temperature is maintained at 22.2°±1.70° C. with a minimum relative humidity of 40%. The photoperiod in the room is 12 hours light and 12 hours dark.
Dosing Regimen Tissue Collection
After a one week acclimation period (therefore, two weeks post-OVX) daily dosing with test compound is initiated. 17α-ethynyl estradiol or the test compound are given orally, unless otherwise stated, as a suspension in 1% carboxymethylcellulose or dissolved in 20% cyclodextrin. Animals are dosed daily for 4 days. Following the dosing regimen, animals are weighed and anesthetized with a ketamine: xylazine (2:1, V:V) mixture and a blood sample is collected by cardiac puncture. The animals are then sacrificed by asphyxiation with CO 2 , the uterus is removed through a midline incision, and a wet uterine weight is determined.
Cholesterol Analysis
Blood samples are allowed to clot at room temperature for 2 hours, and serum is obtained following centrifugation for 10 minutes at 3000 rpm. Serum cholesterol is determined using a Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics high performance cholesterol assay. Briefly the cholesterol is oxidized to cholest-4-en-3-one and hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide is then reacted with phenol and 4-aminophenazone in the presence of peroxidase to produce a p-quinone imine dye, which is read spectrophotemetrically at 500 nm. Cholesterol concentration is then calculated against a standard curve. The entire assay is automated using a Biomek Automated Workstation.
Uterine Eosinophil Peroxidase (EPO) Assay
Uteri are kept at 4° C. until time of enzymatic analysis. The uteri are then homogenized in 50 volumes of 50 mM Tris buffer (pH-8.0) containing 0.005% Triton X-100. Upon addition of 0.01% hydrogen peroxide and 10 mM O-phenylenediamine (final concentrations) in Tris buffer, increase in absorbance is monitored for one minute at 450 nm. The presence of eosonophils in the uterus is an indication of estrogenic activity of a compound. The maximal velocity of a 15 second interval is determined over the initial, linear portion of the reaction curve.
Source of Compound
17α-ethynyl estradiol is obtained from Sigma Chemical Co., St. Louis, Mo.
Osteoporosis Test Procedure
Following the General Preparation Procedure, infra, the rats are treated daily for 35 days (6 rats per treatment group) and sacrificed by carbon dioxide asphyxiation on the 36th day. The 35 day time period is sufficient to allow maximal reduction in bone density, measured as described herein. At the time of sacrifice, the uteri are removed, dissected free of extraneous tissue, and the fluid contents are expelled before determination of wet weight in order to confirm estrogen deficiency associated with complete ovariectomy. Uterine weight is routinely reduced about 75% in response to ovariectomy. The uteri are then placed in 10% neutral buffered formalin to allow for subsequent histological analysis.
The right femurs are excised and digitilized x-rays generated and analyzed by an image analysis program (NIH image) at the distal metaphysis. The proximal aspect of the tibiae from these animals are also scanned by quantitative computed tomography.
In accordance with the above procedures, compounds of the present invention and ethynyl estradiol (EE 2 ) in 20% hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin are orally administered to test animals.
MCF-7 Proliferation Assay
MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells (ATCC HTB 22) are maintained in MEM (minimal essential medium, phenol red-free, Sigma, St. Louis, Mo.) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (V/V), L-glutamine (2 mM), sodium pyruvate (1 mM), HEPES {(N-[2-hydroxyethyl]piperazine-N'-[2-ethanesulfonic acid]10 mM}, non-essential amino acids and bovine insulin (1 ug/mL) (maintenance medium). Ten days prior to assay, MCF-7 cells are switched to maintenance medium supplemented with 10% dextran coated charcoal stripped fetal bovine serum (DCC-FBS) assay medium) in place of 10% FBS to deplete internal stores of steroids. MCF-7 cells are removed from maintenance flasks using cell dissociation medium (Ca++/Mg++ free HBSS (phenol red-free) supplemented with 10 mM HEPES and 2 mM EDTA). Cells are washed twice with assay medium and adjusted to 80,000 cells/mL. Approximately 100 μL (8,000 cells) are added to flat-bottom microculture wells (Costar 3596) and incubated at 37° C. in a 5% CO 2 humidified incubator for 48 hours to allow for cell adherence and equilibration after transfer. Serial dilutions of drugs or DMSO as a diluent control are prepared in assay medium and 50 μL transferred to triplicate microcultures followed by 50 μL assay medium for a final volume of 200 μL. After an additional 48 hours at 37° C. in a 5% CO 2 humidified incubator, microcultures are pulsed with tritiated thymidine (1 uCi/well) for 4 hours. Cultures are terminated by freezing at -70° C. for 24 hours followed by thawing and harvesting of microcultures using a Skatron Semiautomatic Cell Harvester. Samples are counted by liquid scintillation using a Wallac BetaPlace βcounter.
DMBA-Induced Mammary Tumor Inhibition
Estrogen-dependent mammary tumors are produced in female Sprague-Dawley rats which are purchased from Harlan Industries, Indianapolis, Ind. At about 55 days of age, the rats receive a single oral feeding of 20 mg of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). About 6 weeks after DMBA administration, the mammary glands are palpated at weekly intervals for the appearance of tumors. Whenever one or more tumors appear, the longest and shortest diameters of each tumor are measured with a metric caliper, the measurements are recorded, and that animal is selected for experimentation. An attempt is made to uniformly distribute the various sizes of tumors in the treated and control groups such that average-sized tumors are equivalently distributed between test groups. Control groups and test groups for each experiment contain 5 to 9 animals.
Compounds of Formula I are administered either through intraperitoneal injections in 2% acacia, or orally. Orally administered compounds are either dissolved or suspended in 0.2 mL corn oil. Each treatment, including acacia and corn oil control treatments, is administered once daily to each test animal. Following the initial tumor measurement and selection of test animals, tumors are measured each week by the above-mentioned method. The treatment and measurements of animals continue for 3 to 5 weeks at which time the final areas of the tumors are determined. For each compound and control treatment, the change in the mean tumor area is determined.
Uterine Fibrosis Test Procedures
Assay 1
Between 3 and 20 women having uterine fibrosis are administered a compound of the present invention. The amount of compound administered is from 0.1 to 1000 mg/day, and the period of administration is 3 months.
The women are observed during the period of administration, and up to 3 months after discontinuance of administration, for effects on uterine fibrosis.
Assay 2
The same procedure is used as in Test 1, except the period of administration is 6 months.
Assay 3
The same procedure is used as in Test 1, except the period of administration is 1 year.
Assay 4
A. Induction of fibroid tumors in guinea pig.
Prolonged estrogen stimulation is used to induce leiomyomata in sexually mature female guinea pigs. Animals are dosed with estradiol 3-5 times per week by injection for 2-4 months or until tumors arise. Treatments consisting of a compound of the invention or vehicle is administered daily for 3-16 weeks and then animals are sacrificed and the uteri harvested and analyzed for tumor regression.
B. Implantation of human uterine fibroid tissue in nude mice.
Tissue from human leiomyomas are implanted into the peritoneal cavity and or uterine myometrium of sexually mature, castrated, female, nude mice. Exogenous estrogen are supplied to induce growth of the explanted tissue. In some cases, the harvested tumor cells are cultured in vitro prior to implantation. Treatment consisting of a compound of the present invention or vehicle is supplied by gastric lavage on a daily basis for 3-16 weeks and implants are removed and measured for growth or regression. At the time of sacrifice, the uteri is harvested to assess the status of the organ.
Assay 5
A. Tissue from human uterine fibroid tumors is harvested and maintained, in vitro, as primary nontransformed cultures. Surgical specimens are pushed through a sterile mesh or sieve, or alternately teased apart from surrounding tissue to produce a single cell suspension. Cells are maintained in media containing 10% serum and antibiotic. Rates of growth in the presence and absence of estrogen are determined. Cells are assayed for their ability to produce complement component C3 and their response to growth factors and growth hormone. In vitro cultures are assessed for their proliferative response following treatment with progestins, GnRH, a compound of the present invention and vehicle. Levels of steroid hormone receptors are assessed weekly to determine whether important cell characteristics are maintained in vitro. Tissue from 5-25 patients are utilized.
Activity in at least one of the above tests indicates the compounds of the present invention are of potential in the treatment of uterine fibrosis.
Endometriosis Test Procedure
In Tests 1 and 2, effects of 14-day and 21-day administration of compounds of the present invention on the growth of explanted endometrial tissue can be examined.
Assay 1
Twelve to thirty adult CD strain female rats are used as test animals. They are divided into three groups of equal numbers. The estrous cycle of all animals is monitored. On the day of proestrus, surgery is performed on each female. Females in each group have the left uterine horn removed, sectioned into small squares, and the squares are loosely sutured at various sites adjacent to the mesenteric blood flow. In addition, females in Group 2 have the ovaries removed.
On the day following surgery, animals in Groups 1 and 2 receive intraperitoneal injections of water for 14 days whereas animals in Group 3 receive intraperitoneal injections of 1.0 mg of a compound of the present invention per kilogram of body weight for the same duration. Following 14 days of treatment, each female is sacrificed and the endometrial explants, adrenals, remaining uterus, and ovaries, where applicable, are removed and prepared for histological examination. The ovaries and adrenals are weighed.
Assay 2
Twelve to thirty adult CD strain female rats are used as test animals. They are divided into two equal groups. The estrous cycle of all animals is monitored. On the day of proestrus, surgery is performed on each female. Females in each group have the left uterine horn removed, sectioned into small squares, and the squares are loosely sutured at various sites adjacent to the mesenteric blood flow.
Approximately 50 days following surgery, animals assigned to Group 1 receive intraperitoneal injections of water for 21 days whereas animals in Group 2 receive intraperitoneal injections of 1.0 mg of a compound of the present invention per kilogram of body weight for the same duration. Following 21 days of treatment, each female is sacrificed and the endometrial explants and adrenals are removed and weighed. The explants are measured as an indication of growth. Estrous cycles are monitored.
Assay 3
A. Surgical induction of endometriosis
Autographs of endometrial tissue are used to induce endometriosis in rats and/or rabbits. Female animals at reproductive maturity undergo bilateral oophorectomy, and estrogen is supplied exogenously thus providing a specific and constant level of hormone. Autologous endometrial tissue is implanted in the peritoneum of 5-150 animals and estrogen supplied to induce growth of the explanted tissue. Treatment consisting of a compound of the present invention is supplied by gastric lavage on a daily basis for 3-16 weeks, and implants are removed and measured for growth or regression. At the time of sacrifice, the intact horn of the uterus is harvested to assess status of endometrium.
B. Implantation of human endometrial tissue in nude mice.
Tissue from human endometrial lesions is implanted into the peritoneum of sexually mature, castrated, female, nude mice. Exogenous estrogen is supplied to induce growth of the explanted tissue. In some cases, the harvested endometrial cells are cultured in vitro prior to implantation. Treatment consisting of a compound of the present invention supplied by gastric lavage on a daily basis for 3-16 weeks, and implants are removed and measured for growth or regression. At the time of sacrifice, the uteri is harvested to assess the status of the intact endometrium.
Assay 4
A. Tissue from human endometrial lesions is harvested and maintained in vitro as primary nontransformed cultures. Surgical specimens are pushed through a sterile mesh or sieve, or alternately teased apart from surrounding tissue to produce a single cell suspension. Cells are maintained in media containing 10% serum and antibiotic. Rates of growth in the presence and absence of estrogen are determined. Cells are assayed for their ability to produce complement component C3 and their response to growth factors and growth hormone. In vitro cultures are assessed for their proliferative response following treatment with progestins, GnRH, a compound of the invention, and vehicle. Levels of steroid hormone receptors are assessed weekly to determine whether important cell characteristics are maintained in vitro. Tissue from 5-25 patients is utilized.
Activity in any of the above assays indicates that the compounds of the present invention are useful in the treatment of endometriosis.
Inhibition of Aortal Smooth Cell Proliferation/Restenosis Test Procedure
Compounds of the present invention have capacity to inhibit aortal smooth cell proliferation. This can be demonstrated by using cultured smooth cells derived from rabbit aorta, proliferation being determined by the measurement of DNA synthesis. Cells are obtained by explant method as described in Ross, J. of Cell Bio. 50: 172 (1971). Cells are plated in 96 well microtiter plates for five days. The cultures become confluent and growth arrested. The cells are then transferred to Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) containing 0.5-2% platelet poor plasma, 2 mM L-glutamine, 100 U/ml penicillin, 100 mg ml streptomycin, 1 mC/ml 3 H-thymidine, 20 ng/ml platelet-derived growth factor, and varying concentrations of the present compounds. Stock solution of the compounds is prepared in dimethyl sulphoxide and then diluted to appropriate concentration (0.01-30 mM) in the above assay medium. Cells are then incubated at 37° C. for 24 hours under 5% CO 2 /95% air. At the end of 24 hours, the cells are fixed in methanol. 3 H thymidine incorporation in DNA is then determined by scintillation counting as described in Bonin, et al., Exp. Cell Res. 181: 475-482 (1989).
Inhibition of aortal smooth muscle cell proliferation by the compounds of the present invention are further demonstrated by determining their effects on exponentially growing cells. Smooth muscle cells from rabbit aortae are seeded in 12 well tissue culture plates in DMEM containing 10% fetal bovine serum, 2 mM L-glutamine, 100 U/ml penicillin, and 100 mg/ml streptomycin. After 24 hours, the cells are attached and the medium is replaced with DMEM containing 10% serum, 2 mM L-glutamine, 100 U/ml penicillin, 100 mg/ml streptomycin, and desired concentrations of the compounds. Cells are allowed to grow for four days. Cells are treated with trypsin and the number of cells in each culture is determined by counting using a ZM-Coulter counter.
Activity in the above assays indicates that the compounds of the present invention are of potential in the treatment of restenosis. | The invention provides novel benzothiophenes of the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R 1 is N-pyrrolidinyl or N-piperidinyl; R 2 and R 3 are independently hydrogen,--CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 branched alkyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkenyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 polyalkenyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkynyl),or --CO--(CH 2 ) n COR 4 ; provided R 2 and R 3 are not both dodecanoyl, and one of R 2 or R 3 is not hydrogen
R 4 is -3-cholesteryl or --O(CH 2 ) 2 (OR 5 )CH 2 OR 6 ;
R 5 and R 6 are independently hydrogen, --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 branched alkyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkenyl), --CO--(C 10 -C 22 polyalkenyl), or --CO--(C 10 -C 22 alkynyl); provided one of R 5 or R 6 is not hydrogen;
n is 0-4; and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates thereof.
The present invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds of formula I, and the use of such compounds. | 2 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 10/126,146, filed Apr. 19, 2002, which claims the benefit of Provisional Application No. 60/284,954 filed Apr. 19, 2001. The contents of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates generally to low emission one part adhesives and methods of making the same, and more particularly to adhesives, such as flooring adhesives, that have low emissions of undesirable materials, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Many products are assembled using adhesives. For example, various flooring products made from wood, vinyl, tile, carpet and so forth are permanently adhered to a surface or substrate through the use of an adhesive. Commonly used adhesives include those sold under the trademarks Taylor Enviotec 2090 Vinyl Adhesive and Taylor Envirotec 2055 Premium Carpet Adhesive sold, by W. F. Taylor Co. of Fontana, Calif.
[0004] There are at least two general types of adhesives: two component adhesives and one component adhesives. Two components reactive adhesives are generally formed with a resin component and a hardener component and the resin and hardener are mixed immediately prior to application. This causes a chemical reaction to occur which typically initiates some type of cross-linking process. Two component adhesives are often considered undesirable because considerable mixing of the components must occur just prior to use. This can be inconvenient. Also, just the right amount of adhesive must be mixed prior to application. If too much is mixed, or the working “pot” time is exceeded, the adhesive will harden and the excess must be discarded. Reactive urethane type adhesives contain materials such as isocyanates, which are often considered undesirable.
[0005] Single component adhesives can be more convenient to use than two component adhesives. Many single component adhesives are solvent-based adhesives in which an adhesive composition is mixed with a solvent and packaged in a drum, can or tube. After the adhesive is applied to a substrate, the solvent evaporates, which causes the adhesive to cure.
[0006] The solvents used in certain conventional solvent-based adhesives are believed by some to be undesirable. Solvents commonly used in construction and flooring adhesives include, but are not limited to, acetone, cyclohexane, methyl ethyl ketone, perchloroethylene, toluene, trichloroethylene and xylene. These solvent-based adhesives are undesirable because they emit VOCs. Depending on the working environment, available ventilation, and the amount of adhesive to be used, some consider the VOC's and other emitted chemicals to be disadvantageous. Other single component adhesives contain excessive amounts of water, which can damage wood surfaces. There are other single component reactive adhesives such as moisture cure urethanes, but they typically exhibit emission problems because they give off solvents and other potentially dangerous materials including isocyanates such as toluene diisocyanate and methylene bisphenyl diisocyanate, which are considered to pose a substantial risk of serious or fatal respiratory disease.
[0007] Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved adhesive which overcomes drawbacks and inadequacies of conventional adhesives.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a one component high strength adhesive composition which can be formulated to have low or substantially no VOC emissions is provided. Adhesives in accordance with the invention can be formulated as high solids, one-part, reactive, cross-linked adhesives. This can be achieved by utilizing amide-ester-acrylate reactions or reactions with any other carboxylated polymers. Adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention can include a viscous mixture of drying oil, such as renewable soybean oil, linseed oil and sunflower oil, inorganic fillers, renewable tackifiers such as rosins, polymers with carboxyl and/or hydroxyl functionality, metal catalysts and a non-toxic cross-linking agent.
[0009] Adhesives in accordance with the invention can also include various hydrocarbon resins, particularly crosslinkable hydrocarbons having a melting point in the range 70° C. to 140° C. These can be dissolved or otherwise mixed in the drying oil component. For example, C-5 hydrocarbon resins formed from hydrocarbons having an average of about five carbon atoms and C-9 hydrocarbon resins formed of hydrocarbons having an average of about 9 carbon atoms and preferably both, mixed in effective proportions to provide desired cured strength, green strength, open working times and so forth can be satisfactory.
[0010] Adhesives in accordance with the invention can also include fugitive alkali agents, such as ammonia, monomethanol amine (MEA) and triethanol amine (TEA). Cross linking agents, such as Oxazoline with pendant groups; n-Methylol acrylamide; Glycidyl methacrylate; 3-Methacryloxypropyl-Trimethoxysilane; 3-Mercaptopropyl Trimethoxysilane; Polyvalent metal carboxylate salts; Diacetone acrylamide; Acid diahydrazide; Adipic dihyrazide; DAAM/Glyoxal; Urea/Glyoxal; Carbodiimide functionalized material such as polycarbodiimides and carbodiimide; Epoxy functional water miscible/emulsifiable additives such as aziridine; Metal ionic cross-linkers, such as zirconium, zinc, calcium; Polyisocyanates; Organosilanes, Urea formaldehyde/melamine formaldehyde resins; Aziridine functionalized materials and Polyethylenimine are also advantageously included. Various other mixing, flow and other handling ingredients can also be included.
[0011] High solids construction adhesives in accordance with the invention can be particularly useful in assembling various flooring products made from wood, vinyl, ceramic, rubber to various substrates common to flooring installations including: concrete, plywood, underlayment grade particle board, vinyl, ceramic tile, cement patches and underlayments, radiant heat flooring and terrazzo. Adhesives in accordance with the invention can benefit from polymer emulsions with carboxyl functionality, polymer emulsion cross-linkers containing pendant oxazoline group are also advantageously employed. Other useful ingredients include tackifying hydrocarbon resins dissolved in drying oils; napthanates of metals such as cobalt, calcium, zirconium, and manganese; fugitive bases for pH adjustment; and other stabilizing agents, such as fugitive anti-oxidants.
[0012] The initial chemical reactions involved in the curing process of the adhesive in accordance with the invention are believed to be mainly a result of autoxidation of the drying oil. The process is believed to involve formation of hydroperoxide-substituted fatty acids and breakdown of the hydroperoxides, giving rise to highly reactive radicals and subsequent cross-linking. The cross-linking reaction can be catalyzed by the presence of transition metals. The resulting cross-linked bonds can be covalent ethers, peroxide and carbon-carbon bonds. As the cross-linking proceeds and the adhesive solidifies, a three-dimensional network can be formed when there is more than one reactive site on the unsaturated fatty acids in the drying oil, hence more than one point to create a cross-link bond.
[0013] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved adhesive.
[0014] Another object of the invention is to provide an improved method of making an adhesive.
[0015] Still other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will, in part, be apparent from the specification. The invention accordingly comprises the composition of matter, the method of making a composition of matter and the method of using the composition of matter which will be exemplified in the compositions and methods hereinafter described, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] In the drawing figures, which are merely illustrative:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a graph depicting shear strength development over three months aging, comparing the performance of a preferred embodiment of the invention with a leading moisture cure urethane adhesive on the market. As demonstrated in FIG. 1 , an adhesive in accordance with the preferred embodiments of the invention is immediately stronger than a leading moisture cure urethane adhesive, cures to have higher shear strength and does not give off unacceptable VOCs while curing.
[0018] FIG. 2 is a graph showing increase in cross link density of an adhesive formulated in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, with progressing time.
[0019] FIG. 3 depicts a fresh un-reacted adhesive film.
[0020] FIG. 4 depicts a partially cross-linked film.
[0021] FIG. 5 depicts a fully cross-linked adhesive.
[0022] FIGS. 3-5 are schematic models depicting different stages in the developing of the three dimensional network of cross-linked bonds in an adhesive based on drying oils.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] The invention is directed to adhesive compositions and methods of making adhesive compositions which can include ingredients set forth below. The invention also relates to methods of applying flooring involving the use of those adhesives. As will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art, substitutions, omissions and additions will be possible in order to provide adhesives with customized selected properties.
[0024] Preferred ingredients, preferred percentages of components and mixing processes in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention will be set forth below in Table 1.
TABLE 1 Preferred Amount Preferred Ingredient wt % Preferred Process 1 Drying Oils such as Linseed 4 to 10 Oil, Tung Oil, Sunflower Oil, Cashew Shell Oil, Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Cotton Seed Oil, Fish Oil, Oiticica Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Safflower Oil, Sesame Oil, Soybean Oil, Walnut Oil, Synthetic Drying Oils, Tall Oil, Fatty Acids, or any blend of the above. 2 Aliphatic C-5 Hydrocarbon 4 to 10 Resin with a softening point of between about 75° and 115° C., such as that produced from Acyclic Aliphatic monomers such as Cis 1, 3 Pentadiene, Trans 1, 3 Pentadiene, 2- Methyl 2 Butene, Dicyclopentadiene Copolymers, Vinyltoluene Copolymers 3 Alkylated Aromatic C-9 Resin 10 to 20 Ingredient 2 and 3 are combined with a softening point of with Ingredient 1. Temperatures of between about 100° and between about 240° and 300° F. may 140° C., produced from C-8 to be required to form a substantially C-10 monomers such as homogenous solution. This Styrene, Vinyl Toluene, homogenous solution should be Indene, Methyl Indene, Alpha held at between about 250° and Methyl Styrene. 260° before being combined with the ingredients below. 4 Surfactants, such as 6 to 10 0.50 to 1.50 Add ingredients 4 and 5 to mole ethoxylates of ingredient 6 while mixing until nonylphenols and other uniform. emulsifying agents such as saponified esters. 5 Anti-foaming agents such as 0.05 to 0.10 non-silicon anti-foaming agents 6 Polymer emulsions or hot melt 30 to 60 Maintain the temperature of polymers (advantageously high ingredient 6 to between 60° and 90° solids) with carboxyl F.. Add ingredients 4 and 5 while functionality, such as Acrylic, mixing until uniform. Then add the Styrene Butadiene, EVA, VAE premixed ingredients 1, 2 and 3 above to ingredient 6 with high shear agitation until ingredients form a homogenous emulsion. 7 Fugitive anti-oxidants such as 0.10 to 1.00 Add while agitating oximes such as methyl ethyl ketoxime, Bactericide, Fungicides, and Freeze-Thaw Stabilizers 8 Fugitive alkali agent, such as 0.10 to 1.00 Use the alkali to adjust the above Ammonia, MEA, TEA emulsion pH to between 8-10 before adding ingredients 9 and 10 9 Dispersing Agent, such as salts 0.10 to 1.00 Add while agitating of poly acrylic acid 10 Napthanates of metals such as 0.10 to 1.00 Add while agitating cobalt, calcium, zirconium, and manganese 11 Polymer emulsion with 1.00 to 7.00 Add while agitating pendant oxazoline groups or other suitable cross-linking agent 12 Fillers such as Calcium 20 to 40 Add slowly with high shear Carbonate, Kaolin Clay, Mica, agitation Talc, Silica, etc.
[0025] Adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention advantageously include liquids that can be used to dissolve and blend other ingredients, but which can be easily and readily oxidized and/or polymerized to transform into a hard, dry material after exposure to air. Examples of such material include relatively highly unsaturated oils and polymers, such as those identified above as drying oils. The drying oil component can be included as about 1 to 20%, preferably 4 to 10%, more preferably about 2% to 5%. By dissolving (mixing) the resins in the drying oil component and the addition of fugitive anti-oxidants, the resins can be prevented from cross-linking until the drying oil is exposed to air and hardens. The cross-linking starts as the composition starts to dry and the fugitive anti-oxidant starts to evaporate. Thus, there should be sufficient anti-oxidant to prevent the composition from curing too quickly, and to provide sufficient open time and ease of handling. Preferred open time should be up to about 30 and sometimes up to about 60 minutes and depend on the desired application.
[0026] Adhesives in accordance with the invention can also include hydrocarbon resins. The resins are selected to give the cured adhesive the desired amount of cured strength. Appropriate selection of resins also affects the uncured strength (initial shear strength) of the adhesive, often referred to as green strength. For example, if the adhesive is used as a flooring adhesive, it is desirable that the uncured adhesive maintain the applied flooring in place with reasonable security so that tiles, for example, can be aligned properly and so that minor bumps and nudges do not require reseating and realignment of the flooring materials. Below in Table 2 is a comparison of typical green strength in psi, of adhesives in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention compared to a leading VOC emitting Moisture Cure Urethane Adhesive currently on the market:
TABLE 2 Cure Time 15 Min 30 Min 45 Min 60 Min 3 Hour 6 Hour 16 Hour 24 Hour Invention Adhesive 5 22 23 32 45 50 86 94 Moisture Cure Urethane 1 1 1 1 7 28 53 57 Cure Time 1 week 1 month 2 months 3 months 158 269 325 448 Moisture Cure Urethane 100 132 153 174
[0027] Conventional moisture Cure Urethane adhesives can contains up to 1% 4,4′-Diphenylmethane Diisocyanate (MDI), up to 1% Toluene Diisocyante, up to 10% Aliphatic Petroleum Distillates, up to 1% Ethyl Benzene, Up to 5% Xylene, Up to 7% Mineral Spirits and up to 1.5% 1,2,4-Trimethyl Benzene. All these VOCs are listed in the hazardous materials section of the MSDS for most commercial grade moisture cure urethane adhesives.
[0028] It has been determined that the cured strength and green strength of the adhesive can be related to the softening points of the resin material. As used herein, softening point will refer to the temperature at which viscous flow of a material that does not have a definite melting point changes to plastic flow.
[0029] Resins in accordance with preferred embodiments of the invention generally have softening points between 75° C. and 140° C. It has also been determined that by mixing resins with different softening points, advantageous characteristics of each resin can be realized. For example, resins with a relatively low softening point, e.g., about 95-105° C. will have up to 30-40% less green strength and cured strength than resins with a relatively high softening point in the range of e.g., 115-130° C. Softening point also affects processing and handling properties. If a softening point is too high, desired materials might be difficult to emulsify at temperatures needed for proper mixing.
[0030] In one embodiment of the invention, a resin formed with hydrocarbons having, on average, 6 or fewer carbon atoms and a softening point preferably between 75° C. and 115° C. is combined with a relatively harder resin formed from hydrocarbons having an average of 7 or more carbon atoms and a softening point preferably about between 100° C. and 140° C.
[0031] In preferred embodiments of the invention, the relatively soft resin is an aliphatic hydrocarbon resin formed of hydrocarbons having an average of about 5 carbon atoms. Advantageous resins can be formed from acyclic aliphatic monomers, such as cis 1, 3 pentadiene, trans 1, 3 pentadiene, and 2-methyl 2 butene and cyclopentadienes.
[0032] Adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention also advantageously include a relatively harder hydrocarbon resin, particularly one having a higher temperature softening point in the range of 100° C. to 140° C. In particular, alkylated aromatic resins, particularly those formed from hydrocarbons having an average of 8 to 10 carbon atoms, such as those produced from C-8, C-9 and C-10 monomers, such as styrene, vinyl toluene, indene, methyl indene, alpha methyl styrene. Particularly suitable C-9 resins include petroleum aromatic hydrocarbon resins having softening points in the range 100° C. to 135° C. These relatively harder resins are advantageously included as 10 to 20%, preferably 12% to 18%. Other non-limiting examples of suitable C-9 and C-5 Resins are described below in Table 3. Adhesives in accordance with the invention can also be formulated with Versadil 100, Versadil 101 and Versadil 200.
TABLE 3 Manufacturer C-9 Resins C-5 Resins Rutgers VFT AG Novares TT120 Varziner Strasse 49, D-47138 Novares TT130 Duisburg Germany Sartomer Company Norsolene S115, Oaklands Corporate Center Norsolene S125, 502 Thomas Jones Way Norsolene S135 Exton, PA 19341 Exxon Chemicals Escorez 1102 Houston Escorez 1304 2401 S. Gessner Escorez 1310LC Houston, TX 77063-2005, USA Escorez 1315 Escorez 1580 Neville Chemical Company Nevchem 110 LX-1200 2800 Neville Road Nevchem 120 LX-1200-130 Pittsburgh, PA 15225 Nevchem 130 LX-2600-125 Nevex 100 Eastman Chemical Company Petrorez 100 P.O. Box 431 Kingsport, TN 37662 Petrorez 199 Petrorez 200 Resinall Resinall 711 Resinall 769 3065 High Ridge Road Resinall 717 P.O. Box 8149 Resinall 736 Stamford CT 06903 Resinall 737 Resinall 747 Resinall 771 Resinall 774 TOSOH Corporation Petcoal ® 100 Suite 600, 1100 Circle Petcoal ® 120 75 Parkway, Atlanta, GA Petcoal ® 120HV 30339-3097, Petcoal ® 140 U.S.A. Arakawa CHEMICAL (USA) INC. Arkon SM-10 625 N. Michigan Avenue - Suite #1700 Arkon SP10 Chicago, IL 60611 USA Grenhall Chemicals Limited Resin GC100, 7686 Bath Road, Resin GC300, Mississauga, ON Canada L4T 1L2 Resin GC400 Hercules Inc. Picco 5120 Piccotac 115 Resins Division Picco 6115 Piccotac B Hercules Plaza 1313 North Market Street Wilmington, DE 19894 Yuen Liang Industrial Co., Ltd Petroresin (yl-series, South Korea sk-series, gs- series b-series with softening point of between 90-130° C. Sunbelt Chemicals, Inc. SB1000 R100AS 407 N. Cedar Ridge, Suite 230 SB1100 S105A Duncanville, Texas 75116 SB14OES R100G LUKOIL Bulgaria PYROLEN 100 Bulgaira 1421 Sofia, 59 A Cherni Vrah Blvd
[0033] When preparing adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention, the low softening point resins (with 6 or fewer carbon atoms) are advantageously provided in the drying oil component in about a 2:1 to 1:2, preferably 1:1 weight ratio. The mixture of ingredients 1 and 2 of Table 1 can then be advantageously heated to a temperature above the softening point of the high temperature resin, preferably in the range of 115° C. to 140° C. with mixing, to form a generally homogeneous combination. Care should be taken to insure that the composition is not heated to a temperature too far over the softening points of the materials or it can be difficult to blend with the rest of the ingredients. Thus, after a homogeneous combination is achieved, the temperature can be reduced to a point when ease of mixing is maintained, generally approximately 115° C. to 130° C.
[0034] Surfactants, such as 6 to 10 mole ethoxylates of nonylphenols can be included, advantageously in the range of less than 5% by weight, advantageously 0.5 to 1.5%.
[0035] It is also advantageous to include anti-foaming agents, in particular, non-silicon anti-foaming agents. These are advantageously included as less than about 0.5 weight percent, preferably 0.05 to 0.10 weight percent.
[0036] Adhesives in accordance with the invention also advantageously include polymer emulsion materials, particularly those having carboxyl functionality to provide enhanced adhesive properties, such as those having acrylic, styrene butadiene, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) and vinyl acetate ethylene copolymer can be included as about 20 to 80%, preferably about 30 to 60%, more preferably about 35 to 55% of the composition. The emulsion should be maintained at a temperature of about 15 to 30° C. Ingredients 4 and 5 can then be added and mixed until uniform. Ingredients 1, 2 and 3 are then added with high shear agitation until the ingredients form a substantially homogeneous blend.
[0037] Compositions in accordance with the invention also advantageously include fugitive anti-oxidants, such as oximes, such as methyl ethyl ketoxime, bactericides, fungicides and freeze/thaws stabilizers.
[0038] Compositions in accordance with the invention also advantageously include fugitive alkali agents, such as ammonia, monomethanol amine (MEA) and triethanolamine (TEA). This alkali agent can be useful to adjust the pH of the emulsion to at least 7, preferably between about 8 and 10 before the oxazoline containing component is added.
[0039] Adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention can also include up to 2%, preferably 2.1 to 1% dispersing agents, such as salts of polyacrylic acids and dryers, in particular naphthanates of metals, such as cobalt, calcium, zirconium and manganese. The dryers should be included in an effective amount to catalyze the drying speed of the drying oil to a desired rate. The precise amount will depend on both the desired speed of cure and the particular composition of the adhesive. These should be added with agitation.
[0040] Adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention also advantageously include cross-linking agents. Prefered cross-link agents include: oxazole containing materials, in particular, polymer emulsion materials that include pendant oxazoline groups; 3-methacryloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane (MEMO); 3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MTMO); glyoxal such as DAAM/glyoxal or urea/glyoxal; epoxy functional, water miscible/emulsifiable additives such as aziridine; polyvalent metal carboxylate salts or metal ionic cross-linkers, such as zirconium, zinc, calcium; carbodiimide functionalized material such as polycarbodiimides and carbodiimide; polymerizable organosilanes; aziridines functionalized materials. Other likely crosslinkers include n-methylol acrylamide, glycidyl methacrylate, acid dihydrazide such as diacetone acrylamide or adipic dihyrazide, and water dispersible polyisocyanates
[0041] When oxazoline with pendant groups act as the cross-linking agents, there should preferably be about a 1:1 mole ratio between carboxly groups in the composition and oxazoline groups. If too much of these materials are added, it will lower the possible solids content. If too little is added there will be lower cross, link density and a weaker adhesive.
[0042] Oxazolines are 5-membered heterocyclic compounds, having the general formula C 3 H 3 NO and are frequently used in organic synthesis. Emulsions containing particles of an oxazoline-modified polymer containing pendant oxazoline groups are discussed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,474,923, 4,508,869 and 4,325,856, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Preferred oxazolines have the following formula:
wherein R 1 is an acyclic or organic radical having addition polymerizable unsaturation; each R 2 is independently hydrogen, halogen or an inertly substituted, organic radical and n is 1 or 2. The oxazoline containing emulsion preferably also includes at least one other addition polymerizable monomer which is copolymerizable with the oxazoline and discrete particles of a coreactive polymer which coreactive polymer had been prepared in an emulsion polymerization process from (1) an addition, polymerizable coreactive monomer containing pendant groups which are capable of reacting with an oxazoline group to form covalent bonds thereto and (2) at least one other monomer which is copolymerizable with said coreactive monomer.
[0044] Adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention can also include effective amounts of fillers, such as calcium carbonate, kaolin clay, mica powder, talc and so forth. Fillers should generally represent less than 50% of the composition, preferable in the range of 20-40% of the composition. If too much filler is included the cohesive strength of the product can be reduced. If too little filler is included, the solids content will be too low for many applications.
[0045] These components should be added slowly, with high shear agitation, to ensure a substantially homogeneous mixture.
[0046] After adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention are deposited, the polymer emulsion containing the oxazoline groups is believed to become available to act as a cross-linking agent to cure the carboxylated polymers. Accordingly, a one component self-curing adhesive which can be made substantially or entirely free of VOC's can be achieved.
[0047] In another non-limiting embodiment of the invention, the process by which the adhesive in accordance with the invention is made can be split into two stages. The first stage can comprise the blending of the first seven ingredients and storing, with constant slow agitation, the resulting mixture as a premix to be used the final blend. The second stage comprises blending the last five ingredients with the premix.
[0048] Prior to blending the premix with the remaining ingredients, the premix may be cooled to a temperature preferable in the range of 75° F. to 1 10° F. The cooling may occur using such devices as: a cooling jacket with cold water, a cooling jacket with a cooling tower, heat exchanger, a flash vacuum cooling system, or any other cooling device that can lower the temperature to within the desired range. Heat exchangers such as shell and tube heat exchangers, spiral heat exchangers, plate and frame heat exchangers, or compabloc welded plate heat exchangers may be used.
[0049] After blending the premix with the remaining ingredients and prior to packaging the composition, the final temperature of the batch should be cooled to a temperature of preferably not more than 90° F.
[0050] Areas designed to house electrical equipment or various manufacturing or testing procedures often need to avoid the build-up of static electricity. In another non-limiting embodiment of the invention, adhesives in accordance with the invention can be rendered electrically conductive. Conductive adhesive are advantageously used in constructing Electrostatic Dissipative Floors (ESD) by the inclusion of electro-conductive agents in the adhesive composition. Particularly suitable electro-conductive agents include carbon black, synthetic conductive fibers, electrically conductive metal chips or fragments, or any other conductive materials such as conductive nano materials.
[0051] Table 4, below provides formulation information for preparing electrically conductive adhesives in accordance with the invention. Table 4 also shows an alternative manufacturing process, which can also be used with the non-conductive adhesive. Other processing steps can be substituted such as those in Table 1.
TABLE 4 Conductive Adhesive Preferred Preferred Ingredients Amount wt % Preferred Process 1 Drying Oil such as Linseed oil, 4 to 10 Tung Oil, Sunflower Oil, Cashew Shell Oil, Castor Oil, Coconut Oil, Cotton Seed Oil, Fatty Acids, Fish Oil, Oiticica Oil, Rapeseed Oil, Safflower Oil, Sesame Oil, Soybean Oil, Walnut Oil, Synthetic Drying Oils, Tall Oil, Fatty Acids, 2 Aliphatic C-5 Hydrocarbon Resin 4 to 10 with a softening point of between 75° and 115° C., such as those produced from Acyclic Aliphatic monomers such as Cis 1,3 Pentadiene, Trans 1,3 Pentadiene, 2-Methyl 2 Butene, Dicyclopentadiene Copolymers, Vinyltoluene Copolymers, 3 Alkylated Aromatic C-9 Resin 10 to 20 Ingredient 2 and 3 are dissolved with a softening point of between in ingredients 1 at temperatures about 100° and 140° C., produced of between 240° and 300° F. to from C8 to C-10 monomers such as form a homogenous solution. Styrene, Vinyl Toluene, Indene, This homogenous solution Methyl Indene, Alpha Methyl should be held at between 250° Styrene. and 260° F. before being added to ingredients below. 4 Surfactants, such as 6 to 10 mole 0.50 to 1.50 Ingredients 1 through 5 should ethoxylates of nonylphenols. be premixed and then heated and maintained at temperature between about 240° and 260° F.. 5 Anti-foaming agents, such as Non- 0.05 to 0.10 Silicon Anti-foaming agents 6 Polymer emulsion, advantageously 30 to 60 Pre-heat and maintain the with high solids content, e.g. Latex temperature of ingredient 6 to Polymer with Carboxyl between 60° and 100° F.. Add Functionality, such as Acrylic, the premixed ingredients above Styrene Butadiene, EVA, VAE. to ingredient 6 with high shear agitation until ingredients form a homogenous emulsion. 7 Fugitive anti-oxidants, Bactericide, 0.10 to 1.00 Add while agitating Fungicides, and Freeze-Thaw Stabilizers Stage one is the blending of the first 7 ingredients and storing preferably (with constant slow agitation). The resulting mixture is used as a premix to be used in the final blend. Prior to blending the premix above with the rest of the ingredients below, the premix should be coded. 8 Dispersing Agent, such as salts of 0.10 to 1.00 Add while agitating poly acrylic acid. 9 Electro-conductive agents such as; 5.0 to 15.0 Add while agitating Carbon black, Synthetic Conductive Fibers, Electrically Conductive metal chips or fragments, or any other conductive materials such as Conductive Nano Materials 10 Napthanates of metals such as 0.10 to 1.00 Add while agitating cobalt, calcium, zirconium, and manganese 11 Fugitive alkali agent, such as 0.10 to 1.00 Use the alkali to adjust the Ammonia, MEA, TEA above emulsion pH to between 8-10 before adding ingredients 9 and 10 12 Fillers such as Calcium carbonate, 20 to 40 Add slowly with high shear Kaolin Clay, Mica, Talc etc agitation 13 Latex polymer emulsion with 1.00 to 7.00 Add while agitating pendant oxazoline groups The final temperature of the batch should be cooled to a temperature of not more than 90° F., prior to packaging.
[0052] The following examples are provided for purposes of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.
TABLE 5 Shear Strength Data (psi) at various Cure Times 15 30 45 1 3 6 16 24 Min Min Min Hour Hour Hour Hour Hour Example 1 4.3 11.6 26.2 29.8 45.3 50.3 86.6 94.0 Example 2 4.1 20.7 23.3 29.4 38.9 43.2 81.5 89.1 Example 3 4.9 21.7 23.3 31.5 45.3 50.3 85.7 94.0 Conventional 1 1 1 1 7 28 53 57 Moisture Cure Urethane
[0053] As shown in Table 5, the adhesive of Examples 1-3, set forth below, exhibited excellent green strength and cure strength compared to conventional adhesives such as moisture cure urethane and exhibited acceptably low VOC emissions while curing.
[0054] Table 6, below, provides non-limiting examples of application examples. As shown, adhesive in accordance with the invention can be used to apply a wide variety of flooring. Acceptable coverage depends on the underlying floor substrate and the backing of the flooring to be applied. However, coverage in the range of about 20 to 300 ft 2 /gallon can be acceptable, preferably about 20-150 ft 2 /gallon for wood; 100-300 ft 2 /gallon for vinyl or ceramic and 50-150 ft 2 /gallon for carpet. The adhesive can be applied using any suitable dispensing method such as trowelling, spray pumping, extrusion and so forth.
TABLE 6 Application Devices and Application Rates Installation Trowel Size Coverage Application (width × depth × spacing) (square feet per gallon) Carpet or {fraction (3/32)}″ × {fraction (3/32)}″ × {fraction (3/32)}″ v notch 100-120 Wood Carpet ⅛″ × ⅛″ × {fraction (1/16)}″ v notch 75-108 Carpet ⅛″ × ⅛″ × {fraction (1/16)}″ u notch 36-63 Vinyl {fraction (1/16)}″ × {fraction (1/16)}″ × {fraction (1/16)}″ sq. notch 150-180 Vinyl {fraction (1/16)}″ × {fraction (1/32)}″ × {fraction (1/32)}″ u notch 180-250 Wood ⅛″ × ⅛″ × ⅛″ sq. notch 60-80 Wood {fraction (3/16)}″ × {fraction (3/16)}″ × {fraction (3/16)}″ sq. notch 30-40 Wood {fraction (3/16)}″ × ¼″ × ½″ V notch 50-60
EXAMPLE 1
Construction Adhesive
[0055]
Ingredient
Amount wt %
Process
1
Linseed Oil
6.00
2
Aliphatic C-5
6.00
Hydrocarbon Resin
with a softening
point of 85° C.
3
Alkylated Aromatic
14.25
Ingredient 2 and 3 are dissolved in
C-9 Resin with a
ingredients 1 at temperatures of
softening point of
between 240° and 300° F. to form a
115° C.
homogenous solution. This
homogenous solution should be held
at between 250° and 260° F. before
being added to ingredients below.
4
9 mole ethoxylates
1.00
Add ingredients 4 and 5 to
of nonylphenols
ingredient 6 while mixing until
surfactant
uniform.
5
Non-Silicon Anti-
0.25
foaming agent
6
Carboxylated High
43.00
Maintain the temperature of
Solids Acrylic
ingredient 6 to between 60° and 90°
F.. Add ingredients 4 and 5 while
mixing until uniform. Then add the
premixed ingredients 1, 2, and 3
above to ingredient 6 with high shear
agitation until ingredients form a
homogenous emu
7
Fugitive anti-
0.05
Add while agitating
oxidant, and
Freeze-Thaw
Stabilizer
7
Bactericide, and
0.05
Add while agitating
Fungicides
8
Ammonia
0.50
Use the alkali to adjust the above
emulsion pH to between 8-10 before
adding ingredients 9 and 10
9
Dispersing Agent,
0.20
Add while agitating
such as salts of poly
acrylic acid.
10
Cobalt,
0.20
Add while agitating
Managanese, and
Manganese
Napthanates
11
Polymer emulsion
1.50
Add while agitating
with pendant
oxazoline groups
12
Calcium Carbonate
27.00
Add slowly with high shear agitation
EXAMPLE 2
For Construction Adhesives
[0056]
Ingredient
Amount wt %
Process
1
Tung Oil
6.00
2
Aliphatic C-5
6.00
Hydrocarbon Resin
with a softening point
of 85° C.
3
Alkylated Aromatic C-
14.25
Ingredient 2 and 3 are dissolved
9 Resin with a
in ingredients 1 at temperatures
softening point of 115°
of between 240° and 300° F. to
C.
form a homogenous solution.
This homogenous solution
should be held at between 250°
and 260° F. before being added
to ingredients below.
4
9 mole ethoxylates of
1.00
Add ingredients 4 and 5 to
nonylphenols surfactant
ingredient 6 while mixing until
uniform.
5
Non-Silicon Anti-
0.25
foaming agent
6
Carboxylated High
43.00
Maintain the temperature of
Solids Styrene
ingredient 6 to between 60° and
Butadiene Rubber
90° F.. Add ingredients 4 and 5
while mixing until uniform.
Then add the premixed
ingredients 1, 2, and 3 above to
ingredient 6 with high shear
agitation until ingredients form
a homogenous emu
7
Fugitive anti-oxidant,
0.05
Add while agitating
and Freeze-Thaw
Stabilizer
7
Bactericide, and
0.05
Add while agitating
Fungicides
8
Ammonia
0.50
Use the alkali to adjust the
above emulsion pH to between
8-10 before adding ingredients
9 and 10
9
Dispersing Agent, such
0.20
Add while agitating
as salts of poly acrylic
acid.
10
Cobalt, Managanese,
0.20
Add while agitating
and Manganese
Napthanates
11
Polymer emulsion with
1.50
Add while agitating
pendant oxazoline
groups
12
Calcium Carbonate
27.00
Add slowly with high shear
agitation
EXAMPLE 3
Construction Adhesive
[0057]
Ingredient
Amount wt %
Process
1
Sunflower Oil
6.00
2
Aliphatic C-5 Hydrocarbon Resin
6.00
with a softening point of 85° C.
3
Alkylated Aromatic C-9 Resin
14.25
Ingredient 2 and 3 are
with a softening point of 115° C.
dissolved in ingredients 1 at
temperatures of between 240°
and 300° F. to form a
homogenous solution. This
homogenous solution should
be held at between 250° and
260° F. before being added to
ingredients below.
4
9 mole ethoxylates of
1.00
Add ingredients 4 and 5 to
nonylphenols surfactant
ingredient 6 while mixing until
uniform.
5
Non-Silicon Anti-foaming agent
0.25
6
Carboxylated High Solids Styrene
43.00
Maintain the temperature of
Butadiene Rubber
ingredient 6 to between 60°
and 90° F.. Add ingredients 4
and 5 while mixing until
uniform. Then add the
premixed ingredients 1, 2, and
3 above to ingredient 6 with
high shear agitation until
ingredients form a
homogenous emu
7
Fugitive anti-oxidant, and Freeze-
0.05
Add while agitating
Thaw Stabilizer
8
Bactericide, and Fungicides
0.05
Add while agitating
9
Ammonia
0.50
Use the alkali to adjust the
above emulsion pH to between
8-10 before adding ingredients
9 and 10
10
Dispersing Agent, such as salts of
0.20
Add while agitating
poly acrylic acid.
11
Cobalt, Managanese, and
0.20
Add while agitating
Manganese Napthanates
12
Polymer emulsion with pendant
1.50
Add while agitating
oxazoline groups
13
Kaolin Clay
7.00
Add slowly with high shear
agitation
14
Calcium Carbonate
20.00
Add slowly with high shear
agitation
[0058] Table 7 below provides Moisture Transmission Data (per ASTM 96-00) of adhesive in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention versus leading Moisture Cure Urethane Wood Adhesive which emit undesirable VOCs.
TABLE 7 ASTM 96-00 Moisture Transmission, Adhesive G/m2(24 hr-mm Hg) A preferred embodiment of 0.59. the invention Commercial Moisture Cure 1.20. Urethane Wood Adhesive 1 Commercial Moisture Cure 0.60. Urethane Wood Adhesive 2
[0059] Low moisture transmission permits an adhesive to act as a moisture barrier. Table 6 shows that adhesives in accordance with the invention can be formulated to have at least as good moisture barrier properties as conventional urethane adhesives, but without the same level of VOC emissions.
[0060] FIG. 1 shows that in certain respects, adhesives in accordance with the invention can have enhanced adhesive properties compared with conventional urethane adhesives. Adhesives in accordance with the invention can be formulated to have a shear strength of over 5 psi, even over 10 psi at 15 minutes, and over 10 psi, even over 20 psi at 30 min. Final cure strengths (at 3 months) can exceed 200 psi, and can even exceed 300 psi or 400 psi. The adhesive used for FIG. 1 exhibited a shear strength of 450 psi. In addition to exhibiting advantageous green strengths, adhesives in accordance with the invention also exhibit desirable open times. Even at open times of up to 60 minutes the adhesive will still exhibit advantageous strength characteristics.
[0061] FIG. 2 shows the progression of cross-link density with time for one embodiment of the invention. Adhesives in accordance with the invention can be formulated to exhibit an immediate initiation of cross-linking and a steady progression for the first hour. Different embodiments of the invention can be formulated to exhibit faster or slower progressions, varying by e.g.—about 10 or 20%, or otherwise depending on the desired applications.
[0062] It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained, and, since certain changes may be made in carrying out the above method and in the compositions set forth without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
[0063] It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.
[0064] Particularly it is to be understood that in said claims, ingredients or compounds recited in the singular are intended to include compatible mixtures of such ingredients wherever the sense permits. | An adhesive composition which can be formulated to have low or substantially no VOC emissions is provided. Adhesives in accordance with the invention can be formulated as high solids, one-part, reactive, cross-linked adhesives. This can be achieved by utilizing amide-ester-acrylate reactions or reactions with any other carboxylated polymers. Adhesive compositions in accordance with the invention can include oils, such as various drying oils and similarly acting polymers, co-polymers, and fatty acids. Adhesives in accordance with the invention can also include various hydrocarbon resins, particularly crosslinkable hydrocarbons having a melting point in the range 70° C. to 140° C. Cross-linking agents, such as materials with pendant oxazoline groups are also advantageously included. Various other mixing, flow and other handling ingredients can also be included. | 2 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the storage of a sample processed within a fluidic device or the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] WO2010091414 describes a microfluidic device which can biochemically amplify DNA from a biological sample by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and store, in liquid form, a portion of the sample that is not used in the PCR, in what is called a ‘sample archive’. In that document it is proposed to seal the archive with paraffin wax for storage.
[0003] The present inventor has recognised that the storage arrangement described in WO2010091414 has drawbacks, particularly, in terms of sample stability, and the likely need for low temperatures during extended storage, and the use of liquid seals which can leak. The present inventor has also realised that there is a need to provide more a robust storage device, which allows storage of a processed biological sample at room temperature for many years if necessary, but which is low cost and very reliable. Such an improved storage device would, for example, be ideal for storing processed samples collected forensically from a crime scene.
SUMMARY
[0004] According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a fluidic device for processing a biological sample in order to extract nucleic acids contained in said sample and for subsequently amplifying said extracted nucleic acids, said device including a processed sample storage archive area comprising an absorbent solid substrate treated with at least one nucleic acid stabilising reagent or reagent mix, said substrate allowing the generally dry and stabilised storage of said extracted and/or amplified nucleic acids.
[0005] Herein, a processed biological sample is one which has been subjected to some chemical or biochemical process, for example, where a sample is initially a raw crime scene sample, then processing will include initial purification and/or elution of a that sample. Processing will also include subsequent steps such as PCR steps. So the scope of this invention includes storage of nucleic acids exacted from biological samples for example via purification and/or elution processing steps but which have not yet undergone a PCR, as well as those nucleic acids which have been exacted and amplified, for example via a PCR.
[0006] Herein, amplification of nucleic acids is not restricted to a PCR. Other known methods for multiplying or otherwise copying nucleic acids taken from biological samples are within the scope of this invention.
[0007] According to a second aspect, the invention further provides a processed biological sample storage archive for generally dry storage of a nucleic acids extracted from a processed biological sample, the archive comprising a generally dry absorbent solid substrate treated with at least one nucleic acid stabilising reagent or reagent mix, said substrate allowing the generally dry and stabilised storage of said extracted and/or amplified nucleic acids, said archive being adapted for removable mounted to the fluidic device according to the first aspect.
[0008] According to a third aspect, the invention provides a method of operating a biological sample processing fluidic device, in order to store a portion of the processed sample, the method comprising the following steps, in any suitable order: i) receiving a biological sample at a receiving chamber; ii) initially processing said sample, for example by purification and elution of nucleic acids in the sample; iii) directing a portion of said initially processed sample to a sample storage archive for generally dry storage of nucleic acids extracted from a biological sample, the archive comprising a generally dry absorbent solid substrate treated with at least one nucleic acid stabilising reagent or reagent mix; iv) optionally removing said storage archive and optionally removing the substrate from the remainder of the archive.
[0009] The invention is further characterised by the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The invention can be put into effect in numerous ways, illustrative embodiments of which are described below with reference to the drawings, wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 shows a sample archive according to the invention, mounted to a fluidic device;
[0012] FIG. 2 shows another view of the sample archive shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0013] FIGS. 3 and 4 show top and bottom views respectively of the sample archive removed from the fluidic;
[0014] FIGS. 5 a, b and c show side views of the sample archive; and
[0015] FIGS. 6 to 13 illustrate the method of use of the sample archive shown in the previous figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1 , a fluidic device 1 , for example principally as disclosed in WO2010091414 includes a removable plastics sample archive chamber 10 housed on the device 1 . The device 1 is shown transparently for clearer visibility of the archive 10 , although in practice it is likely not to be so.
[0017] The archive chamber 10 sits inside the fluidic device 1 , in this case a DNA analysis chipset. Typically, extraction and purification involve the use of silica, with a chaotrope and organic solvent to elute the nucleic acids. Following sample extraction/purification of nucleic acids, a predetermined amount of that processed sample is delivered to an amplification chamber for a PCR, to amplifying any extracted nucleic acids. The process involves an enzymatic reaction using oligonucleotide sequences and subsequent electrophoresis. The remaining portion of the sample is delivered to the archive chamber 10 along a fluid path 12 in the direction of arrow B, where it is absorbed onto a solid fibrous storage medium 14 , in this case a treated cellulose paper-like matrix, for example as sold by Whatman Inc. under the trade name FTA®, housed releasably within the archive chamber 12 . The archive chamber is formed from a plastics frame 11 , which supports a flexible elastomeric seal 16 mounted to the periphery of the frame 11 . The seal 16 removably holds the archive 10 in place on the device and includes upper and lower lips 15 / 17 which provide a fluid-tight vacuum seal between the archive 10 and the device 1 .
[0018] Referring additionally to FIG. 2 , once the processing on the chipset is complete the archive chamber can be removed from the device 1 . In order to remove the archive 10 from the device 1 an implement can be inserted into a recess 19 in order to lever it out. The relatively small archive chamber 10 is easier to store and handle than the entire chipset which can then be disposed of. If required, the processed sample now stored on the substrate 14 can be removed from the archive chamber 10 and used in downstream processing using standard analysis techniques or it can be stored for future use, possibly many years later. The sample archive allows for generally dry storage and retrieval of a purified DNA sample extracted from a sample being processed on the device.
[0019] In FIG. 2 , an opening 13 of the fluid path 12 is visible which opens into the archive between the upper and lower lips and delivers the processed sample to the archive.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 3 the upper face of the now-removed archive 10 in shown. The archive 10 includes a transparent cover member 20 sealed to the frame 11 by a tamper-evident adhesive bond 22 around its periphery shown as a dotted line, so that it is evident that the cover member has, or has not been removed from the remaining archive. The adhesive bond 22 extends over the seal 16 also, so that it is possible to see whether or not the archive 10 has been removed from the device 1 .
[0021] Referring to FIG. 4 , the lower surface of the archive is shown. The archive includes an integrated RFID tag 24 that matches the identification of the microfluidic chipset 1 , for sample tracking purposes. The archive chamber 10 also includes a barcode 26 for the same purposes. Also included is an area 28 for labelling with a sticky label, marker pen or other indicia.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 5 a , a side view of the archive 10 is shown schematically. In FIG. 5 b , the cover member 20 is shown partially removed, and in FIG. 5 c, the substrate 14 is shown removed in the direction of arrow X, from the remainder of the archive 10 .
[0023] FIGS. 6 to 13 illustrate a method of processing a sample for use with the archive described above.
[0024] FIG. 6 : according to the method, a DNA sample, for example from a buccal swab or a blood sample, is deposited into a receiving chamber 2 of a fluidic device 1 , in this case a microfluidic processing chipset, for processing. The sample is purified at a downstream location 3 , in this case by binding the DNA to a membrane, and carrying out multiple washing steps. The purified DNA is eluted from the membrane into a channel 8 .
[0025] FIG. 7 : The processed sample in the form of eluted fluid F flows through the channel 8 in the direction of arrow A and then into a PCR chamber 4 .
[0026] FIG. 8 : The PCR chamber 4 fills and becomes choked at its narrow exit 9 .
[0027] FIG. 9 : The choking of the PCR chamber 4 prompts the flow of further processed sample fluid F to divert into the channel 12 in the direction of arrow B toward an open valve 5 .
[0028] FIG. 10 : The fluid F flows past the open valve 5 and into the archive chamber 10 at the opening 13 where it is absorbed on the substrate 14 , in this case FTA paper as described above.
[0029] FIG. 11 : The valve 5 is closed, to seal the archive 10 .
[0030] FIG. 12 : The processed sample F is further processed by a PCR to amplify any nucleic acids in the sample fluid, for example according to known thermo-cycling and enzymatic techniques.
[0031] FIG. 13 The further processed sample fluid F exits the PCR chamber 4 at exit 9 , for yet further processing, for example electrophoretic separation. The sample archive 10 can remain in the microfluidic device, or it can be removed as described above.
[0032] Although embodiments have been described and illustrated above, it will be apparent to the skilled addressee that additions, omissions and modifications are possible to those embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention claimed. For example, although this invention can be implemented onto a microfluidic device which employs just a few millilitres of fluid, to allow recovery of a processed sample rather than sending the excess processed sample to waste, any fluidic device can utilise this invention. If used in a microfluidic device, this invention will be useful in forensics, in particular for crime scene samples, where the sampling opportunities may be limited, thereby preserving the sample. It will allow the same sample to be reinvestigated if a sample were to fail the initial analysis, but it would also give the option to perform other forensic analysis tests on the same sample such as mitochondrial DNA, YSTR, SNP analysis. The fact that the sample is initially processed, for example purified, will save time and cost of performing these extra tests.
[0033] One specific example of the substrate 14 has been given as FTA®, which has been chosen because its treatment inhibits the degradation of DNA. In one embodiment, the substrate treatment is wet-applied stabilising reagents in the form of combination of a weak base, and a chelating agent, optionally, uric acid or a urate salt, and optionally an anionic surfactant.
[0034] It is preferred that the weak base is a Lewis base which has a pH of about 6 to 10, preferably about pH 8 to 9.5.
[0035] Alternatively, the weak base is an organic and inorganic base, and if inorganic then optionally includes an alkali metal carbonate, bicarbonate, phosphate or borate (e.g. sodium, lithium, or potassium carbonate), and if organic then optionally includes, tris-hydroxymethyl amino methane (Tris), ethanolamine, tri-ethanolamine and glycine and alkaline salts of organic acids (e.g. trisodium citrate).
[0036] Alternatively, the weak base is Tris present either as a free base or as a salt, for example, a carbonate salt.
[0037] Preferably, the chelating agent binds multivalent metal ions with a comparable or better affinity than ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), and is preferably EDTA.
[0038] Preferably, the anionic surfactant includes a hydrocarbon moiety, aliphatic or aromatic, containing one or more anionic groups.
[0039] Preferably, the anionic surfactant is a detergent, for example sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) and/or sodium lauryl sarcosinate (SLS).
[0040] Other stabilising reagents could be employed, for example a chaotropic substance such as a chaotropic salt, for example guanidinium thiocyanate.
[0041] The substrate 14 is treated with the stabilising reagents mentioned above so as to be capable of carrying out several functions: (i) lyse intact cellular material upon contact, releasing genetic material, (ii) enable and allow for the conditions that facilitate genetic material immobilization to the solid support (probably by a combination of mechanical and chaotrophic), (iii) maintain the immobilized genetic material in a stable state without damage due to degradation, endonuclease activity, UV interference, and microbial attack, and (iv) maintain the genetic material as a support-bound molecule that is not removed from the solid support during any downstream processing. It will be apparent to the skilled addressee that other reagent mixes could perform one or more of the functions mentioned above.
[0042] It is possible that the processed sample could be stored in the archive after PCR amplification, where an amplified or otherwise copied DNA sequence is required. | A fluidic device is disclosed for processing a biological sample in order to extract nucleic acids contained in said sample and for subsequently amplifying said extracted nucleic acids, said device including a processed sample storage archive area 10 comprising an absorbent solid substrate 14 treated with at least one nucleic acid stabilising reagent or reagent mix, said substrate allowing the generally dry and stabilised storage of said extracted and/or amplified nucleic acids, for example for long term storage of biological samples recovered forensically. | 1 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This Application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 08/139,559 filed Oct. 20, 1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,430, which in turn is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 07/860,731, filed Feb. 21, 1992, now abandoned which in turn is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 07/665,021, filed Mar. 5, 1991 now abandoned.
INTRODUCTION
1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a high performance computer data storage device including a combination of solid state storage and a rotating magnetic disk device.
2. Description of Prior Art
A number of computer data storage systems exist which make some use of solid state memory devices as a caching controller for placement between a computer host device and rotating magnetic disk devices. A typical caching system uses a single solid state memory unit as a holding area for data stored on a string of magnetic disks, thereby allowing certain information to be stored in a high speed cache memory, thereby increasing speed of performance as compared to the use solely of relatively lower speed disk memories, i.e. the percentage of times a desired piece of data is contained in the high speed cache memory, thereby allowing faster access as compared with when that data is only stored in a disk drive. A block diagram of such a system is shown in FIG. 1. Host computer 101 communicates with the entire string 102 of disks 102-1 through 102-N via cache unit 103 via Host interface 104, such as Small computer Systems Interface (SCSI). All data going to or from disk strip 102 passes through the cache-to-disk data path consisting of host interface 104, cache unit 103, and disk interface 105. Cache unit 103 manages the caching of data and services requests from host computer 101. Major components of cache unit 103 include microprocessor 103-1, cache management hardware 103-2, cache management firmware 103-3, address lookup table 103-4, and solid state cache memory 103-5.
The prior art cache system of FIG. 1 is intended to hold frequently accessed data in a solid state memory area so as to give more rapid access to that data than would be achieved if the same data were accessed from the disk media. Typically, such cache systems are quite effective when attached to certain host computers and under certain workloads. However, there exist some drawbacks and, under certain conditions, such cache systems exhibit a performance level less than that achieved by similar, but uncached, devices. Some of the factors contributing to the less than desirable performance of prior art cached disk devices are now described.
The single cache memory 103-5 is used in conjunction with all disks in disk string 102. Data from any of the disks may reside in cache memory 103-5 at any given time. The currently accessed data is given precedence for caching regardless of the disk drive on which it resides. When fulfilling a host command, the determination of whether or not the data is in cache memory 103-5, and the location of that data in cache memory 103-5, is usually via hashing schemes and table search operations. Hashing schemes and table searches can introduce time delays of their own which can defeat the purpose of the cache unit itself.
Performance is very sensitive to cache-hit rates. Due to caching overhead and queuing times, a low hit rate in a typical string oriented cache system can result in overall performance that is poorer than that of configured uncached string of disks.
The size of cache memory 103-5 relative to the capacity of disk drives 102 is generally low. An apparently obvious technique to remedy a low hit rate is to increase the cache memory 103-5 size. However, it has been found that there is an upper limit to the size of cache memory 103-5 above which adding more capacity has limited benefits. With limited cache memory 103-5 capacity, a multitude of requests over a variety of data segments exhausts the capability of the cache system to retain the desirable data in cache memory 103-5. Often, data that would be reused in the near future is decached prematurely to make room in cache memory 103-5 for handling new requests from the host computer 101. The result is a reduced cache hit rate. A reduced hit rate increases the number of disk accesses; increased disk accesses increases the contention on the data path. A self-defeating cycle is instituted.
"Background" cache-ahead operations are limited since the data transferred during such activities travels over the same data path as, and often conflicts with, the data transferred to service direct requests from the host computer 101. The data path between cache unit 103 and disk string 102 can easily be overloaded. All data to and from any of the disks in disk string 102, whether for satisfying requests from host computer 101 or for cache management purposes, travels across the cache-to-disk path. This creates a bottleneck if a large amount of prefetching of data from disk string 102 to cache memory 103-5 occurs. Each attempt to prefetch data from disk string 102 into cache memory 103-5 potentially creates contention for the path with data being communicated between any of the disk drives of disk string 102 and host computer 101. As a result, prefetching of data into cache memory 103-5 must be judiciously limited; increasing the size of the cache memory 103-5 beyond a certain limit does not produce corresponding improvements in the performance of the cache system. This initiates a string of related phenomena. Cache-ahead management is often limited to fetching an extra succeeding track of data from disk wherever a read command from the host cannot be fulfilled from the cached data. This technique helps to minimize the tendency of cache-ahead to increase the queuing of requests waiting for the path between cache memory 103-5 and disk string 102. However, one of the concepts on which caching is based is that data accesses tend to be concentrated within a given locality within a reasonably short time frame. For example, data segments are often accessed in sequential fashion. Limiting the cache-ahead operations to being a function of read misses can have the negative effect of lowering the cache hit rate since such limitation may prevent or degrade the exploitation of the locality of data accesses.
A variety of algorithms and configurations have been devised in attempts to optimize the performance of string caches. A nearly universally accepted concept involves the retention and replacement of cached data segments based on least-recently used (LRU) measurements. The decaching of data to make room for new data is managed by a table which gives, for each cached block of data, its relative time since it was last accessed. Depending on the algorithm used, this process can also result in some form of table search with a potential measurable time delay.
Cache memory 103-5 is generally volatile; the data is lost if power to the unit is removed. This characteristic, coupled with the possibility of unexpected power outages, has generally imposed a write-through design for handling data transferred from host computer 103 to the cached string. In such a design, all writes from host computer 103 are written directly to disk; handled at disk speed, these operations are subject to all the inherent time delays of seek, latency, and lower transfer rates commonly associated with disk operations.
Cache unit 103 communicates with the string of disk drives 102 through disk interface 105.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Computer operations and throughput are often limited by the time required to write data to, or read data from, a peripheral data storage device. A solid state storage device has high-speed response, but at a relatively high cost per megabyte of storage. A rotating magnetic disk, optical disk, or other mass media provides high storage capacity at a relatively low cost per megabyte, but with a low-speed response. The teachings of this invention provide a hybrid solid state and mass storage device which gives near solid state speed at a cost per megabyte approaching that of the mass storage device.
For the purposes of this discussion, embodiments will be described with regard to magnetic disk media. However, it is to be understood that the teachings of this invention are equally applicable to other types of mass storage devices, including optical disk devices, and the like.
This invention is based on a combination of hardware and firmware features.
The hardware features include: one or more rotating magnetic disk media, an ample solid state storage capacity; private channels between the disks and the solid state storage device; and high speed microprocessors to gather the intelligence, make data management decisions, and carry out the various data management asks.
The firmware features include the logic for gathering the historical data, making management decisions, and instructing the hardware to carry out the various data management operations. Important aspects of the firmware include making the decisions regarding the retention of data in the solid state memory based on usage history gathered during the device's work load experience.
The present invention includes a unique methodology for retaining, or recycling, of certain cached data which normally would be decached. While it would be normal to decache that data which is least recently used, this invention adds the further feature of utilizing a simple, but effective method of determining the probability of reuse of the least recently used data. This recycling methodology determines which data, although currently the least recently used, should still be retained in cache based on its higher potential reuse; and which least recently used data has a lessor probability of being reused, and thus, should be decached to make space in cache for other data which is or may be of current need.
The hybrid storage media of this invention performs at near solid state speeds for many types of computer workloads while practically never performing at less than normal magnetic disk speeds for any workload.
A rotating magnetic disk media is used to give the device a large capacity; the solid state storage is used to give the device a high-speed response capability. By associating the solid state media directly with a single magnetic disk device, a private data communication line is established which avoids contention between normal data transfers between the host and the device and transfers between the solid state memory and the disk. This private data channel permits virtually unlimited conversation between the two storage media. Utilization of ample solid state memory permits efficient maintenance of data for multiple, simultaneously active data streams. Management of the storage is via one or more microprocessors which utilize historical and projected data accesses to perform intelligent placement of data. No table searches are employed in the time-critical path. Host accesses to data stored in the solid state memory are at solid state speeds; host accesses to data stored on the magnetic disk are at disk device speeds. Under most conditions, all data sent from the host to the device is handled at solid state speeds.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical prior art cached disk computer data storage system;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting one embodiment of a cached disk computer data storage device constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting one embodiment of a hardware controller for implementing the described invention;
FIG. 4 is a flow chart depicting the operation of one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting a more detailed description of the operation of the host command step of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting the operation of one embodiment of the analyze host I/O command operation of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting in more detail the operation of the setup track address list operation of FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a flow chart depicting in more detail the address translation of FIG. 7;
FIG. 9 is a flow chart depicting the cache read hit operation depicted in FIG. 5;
FIG. 10 is a flow chart depicting in more detail the cache read miss/operation depicted in FIG. 5;
FIG. 11 is a flow chart depicting the cache write hit operation of FIG. 5;
FIG. 12 is a flow chart depicting the cache write miss operation of FIG. 5;
FIG. 13 is a flow chart depicting the seek cache miss operation of FIG. 5;
FIG. 14 is a flow chart depicting the decache LRU operation of FIGS. 6, 13 and 15;
FIG. 15 is a flow chart depicting the cache ahead operation of FIG. 4;
FIG. 16 is a flow chart depicting the operation of the cache ahead determination operation of FIG. 15;
FIG. 17 is a flow chart depicting the operation of the initiate background sweep operation of FIG. 4;
FIG. 18 is a flow chart depicting the step of background sweep initiation at host I/O completion depicted in FIG. 4;
FIG. 19 is a flow chart depicting the generate background event operations depicted in FIGS. 17, 18, and 20;
FIG. 20 is a flow chart depicting the operation of the continued background sweep step of FIG. 4;
FIG. 21 is a flow chart depicting the power down control operations; and
FIG. 22 is a flow chart depicting the final background sweep operation depicted in FIG. 21.
DESCRIPTION OF THE TABLES
Tables F-1 through F-4 describe the organization of Tables T-1 through T-4, respectively;
Table T-0 depicts a sample of I/O commands extracted from computer system operations during normal usage. These I/O commands, and the intervening commands, were the basis for the sample predicted LRU and ADT tables as shown in Tables T-1 through T-3.
Table T-1 depicts an example of values in the address translation (ADT) table prior to the handling of the first I/O operation from the host CPU;
Table T-2 depicts an example of values in the Least-Recently-Used (LRU) table prior to the handling of the first I/O operation from the host CPU; and
Table 3 is formed of Tables T-3a through T-3e, which depict the ADT table after various numbers of I/O operations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Glossary of Terms
ADDRESS TRANSLATION:
The conversion of a sector address into a track address and sector offset within the track. CACHE-AHEAD FACTOR; PROXIMITY FACTOR:
At each track hit or rehit, cached data sufficient to satisfy a number of I/O's may remain in front of, and/or behind, the current location of the data involved in the current I/O. When either of these two remaining areas contain valid data for less than a set number of I/O's, the cache-ahead is activated. That minimum number of potential I/O's is the cache-ahead factor, or the proximity factor.
ADDRESS TRANSLATION TABLE; ADT TABLE:
The table which maintains the relationship between disk track identifiers and solid state memory addresses; also may hold frequency of access and/or other information as required.
CACHE:
The solid state memory area which holds user data within the cache system of this invention.
CPU SECTOR:
See Logical Sector.
DISK; MAGNETIC DISK; ROTATING MAGNETIC DISK:
A rotating magnetic media disk drive.
DISK SECTOR ADDRESS:
The address of a physical sector on the magnetic disk device.
DISK SERVER:
The logical section of the caching device which handles the writes to, and reads from, the rotating magnetic disk.
DISK TRACK ADDRESS; TRACK ADDRESS:
The address of the first sector of data in a given track on disk. These addresses correspond to physical locations on the rotating magnetic disk. Each sector address as specified in an I/O operation can be converted into a track address and a sector offset within that track.
DMA:
Direct Memory Access; that is, memory-to-memory transfer without the involvement of the processor.
DRAM:
Dynamic random access memory. The chip or chips that are used for solid state memory devices.
EDAC:
Error Detection And Correction
EEPROM:
Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
EPROM:
Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory
HOST:
The computer to which the caching device is attached.
HOST SERVER:
The portion of the caching device which interfaces with the host computer.
I/O SIZE:
The size of a host I/O request as a number of sectors.
LOGICAL BLOCK:
See TRACK.
LOGICAL SEGMENT:
One or more contiguous sectors within a logical track.
LOGICAL TRACK:
See TRACK.
LRU:
Least Recently Used, describes the data currently occupying a cache data storage track and which has not been accessed for the longest period of time of all currently cached data. This is a well known concept for determining which cached data to release from a cache track in order to be able to reuse the cache space currently occupied by that data for caching some currently required, uncached data.
LRU TABLE; LEAST-RECENTLY-USED TABLE:
The table containing the information which allows the caching device's controller to determine which solid state memory data areas may be reused with the least impact on the cache efficiency.
MASS STORAGE DEVICE:
A rotating magnetic disk, optical disk, or other mass media which provides high storage capacity at a relatively low cost per megabyte, but with a low-speed response.
MODIFIED DATA:
That data stored in the cache which has been written from a host to this described device and which has not yet been written by this described device to the mass storage device.
MODIFIED SEGMENT:
One or more contiguous sectors within a logical block which contain data written from the host to the cache and which data has not been subsequently written to the mass storage device.
MRU:
Most-Recently-Used, as pertains to that data storage track which has been accessed in the nearest time past.
NORMAL MODE:
The condition of the device in which it can use its normal priorities in order to reach its optimal performance level.
NULL, NULL VALUE:
A value in a table field which indicates the field should be considered to be empty; depending on usage, will be zero, or will be the highest value the bit structure of the field can accommodate.
PHYSICAL TRACK; DISK TRACK:
A complete data track on a disk; one complete band on one platter of the disk device.
PROXIMITY FACTOR:
See Cache-Ahead Factor.
READ-MISS-MAXSIZE:
The size of a host read transaction as a number of sectors which, when exceeded, causes the transaction to be handled in pseudo disk mode.
RECYCLE:
The term used to describe the retention of data in a track in cache beyond that tracks arrival at the LRU position; such retention may be based on a number of factors, including whether or not the track was used at some time since the data in the track was most recently read from disk into cache, or since the cached data track was last retained in cache by the recycling mechanism.
RECYCLE FLAG:
SEE RECYCLE REGISTER.
RECYCLING MECHANISM:
The term used to describe an entire set of procedures whose function it is to retain in cache data beyond the time that data would have been retained had the retention been based solely on the standard LRU concept. The recycling mechanism maintains and uses in decisions a recycle flag or recycle register.
RECYCLE REGISTER:
The term used to describe a register or data field, one of which is associated with each cache track, and whose value is adjusted based on the activity of the data cached in that track. The value in the recycle register is used to help make the decisions as to which cache tracks to be reused when a cache track is required for caching a currently uncached track. In its simplest form, this can be a single bit, and can be considered simply as a RECYCLE FLAG which is set to one when the data in a cache track qualifies for recycling, and is set to zero when the data in the cache track no longer qualifies for recycling.
SCSI:
Small Computer System Interface; the name applied to the protocol for interfacing devices, such as a disk device to a host computer.
SCSI CONTROL CHANNEL:
A physical connection between devices which uses the SCSI protocol, and is made up of logical controllers connected by a cable.
SECTOR:
The logical sub-unit of a disk track; the smallest addressable unit of data on a disk.
SOLID STATE MEMORY, SOLID STATE DEVICE; SSD:
Storage media made up of solid state devices such as DRAMs.
SSD TRACK ADDRESS:
The address in the solid state memory at which the first byte of the first sector of a given disk track resides.
TRACK; LOGICAL TRACK; LOGICAL BLOCK:
A logical data track on disk, or its equivalent in SSD; may or may not be identical to a physical track on disk (one complete magnetic band on one platter of the disk). It is noted that an I/O operation may involve more than one logical block.
TRACK SIZE:
The number of sectors considered to be in a disk track; this may or may not be equal to the actual number of sectors in a physical disk track.
URGENT MODE:
The condition of the device in which it must shift priorities in order to maintain at least magnetic disk level performance.
WRITE-MISS-MAXSIZE:
The size of a host write transaction as a number of sectors which, when exceeded, causes the transaction to be handled in pseudo disk mode.
System Overview
In accordance with the teachings of this invention, a computer peripheral data storage device is provided comprising a combination solid state memory and rotating magnetic disk; such device having the large capacity of magnetic disk media with near solid state speed at a cost per megabyte approaching that of magnetic disk media. For the purposes of this discussion, embodiments will be described with regard to magnetic disk media. However, it is to be understood that the teachings of this invention are equally applicable to other types of mass storage devices, including optical disk devices, and the like.
The caching device described herein derives its large storage capacity from the rotating magnetic disk media. Its high speed performance stems from the combination of a private channel between the two storage media, multiple microprocessors utilizing a set of unique data management algorithms, a unique prefetch procedure, combined in a methodology which incorporates simultaneity of memory management and data storage operations and an ample solid state memory. This hybrid storage media gives overall performance near that of solid state memory for most types of computer workloads while practically never performing at less than normal magnetic disk speeds for any workload.
To the host computer, the device of this invention appears to be a single, directly addressable entity. By the combination, within the device, of a solid state memory and one or more magnetic disk devices, private data communication lines are established within the device which avoids contention between normal data transfers between the host and the device, and transfers between the solid state memory and the disk media. This private data channel permits unrestricted data transfers between the two storage media with practically no contention with the communication between the host computer and the described device. Utilization of ample solid state memory permits efficient retention of data for multiple, simultaneously active data streams. Management of the storage is via microprocessors which anticipate data accesses based on historical activity. Data is moved into the solid state memory from the disk media based on management algorithms which insure that no table searches need be employed in the time-critical path. Host computer accesses to data stored in the solid state memory are at near solid state speeds; accesses to data stored on the magnetic disk are at near disk device speeds. All data sent from the host to the device is transferred at solid state speeds limited only by the channel capability.
Hardware Description
A device constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention is depicted in FIG. 2. Memory device 200 is a self-contained module which includes interfaces with certain external devices. Its primary contact is with host computer 201 via host interface 204. Host interface 204 comprises, for example, a dedicated SCSI control processor which handles communications between host computer 201 and memory manager 205. An operator interface is provided via the console 207, which allows the user to interrogate as well as exercise overall control of the memory device 200. Another method of interfacing with the caching device 200 is by means of dial-in line 202 operating through the console.
Memory manager 205 handles all functions necessary to manage the storage of data in, and retrieval of data from disk drive 210 (or high capacity memory devices) and solid state memory 208, the two storage media. The memory manager 205 consists of one or more microprocessors associated firmware 205-2, and management tables, such as Address Translation (ADT) Table 205-3 and Least Recently Used (LRU) Table 205-4.
Solid state memory 208 is utilized for that data which memory manager 205, based on its experience, deems most useful to host computer 201, or most likely to become useful in the near future.
Magnetic disk 201 is the ultimate storage for all data, and provides the needed large storage capacity. Disk interface 209 serves as a separate dedicated control processor (such as an SCSI processor) for handling communications between memory manager 205 and disk drive 210.
Information about functional errors and operational statistics are maintained by diagnostic module-error logger 206. Access to module 206 is obtained through console 207. Console 207 serves as the operator's access to the memory device 200 for such actions as reading or resetting the error logger, or inquiring of the caching device's status or operating statistics.
The memory device 200 includes power backup system 203 which includes a rechargeable battery. Backup system 203 is prepared to maintain power to memory device 200 should normal power be interrupted. If such a power interruption occurs, the memory manager 205 takes whatever action is necessary to place all updated data stored in solid state memory 208 onto magnetic disk 210 before shutting down memory device 200.
FIG. 3 depicts a hardware controller block diagram of one embodiment of this invention. As shown in FIG. 3, hardware controller 300 provides three I/O ports, 301, 302, and 303. I/O ports 301 and 302 are differential SCSI ports used to connect hardware controller 300 to one or more host computers 201 (FIG. 2). I/O port 303 is a single-ended SCSI port used to connect controller 300 to disk drive 210 (which in this embodiment is a 5.25" magnetic hard disk drive). Disk drive 210 provides long-term non-volatile storage for data that flows into controller 300 from host computers 201. "Differential" and "single-ended" refer to specific electrical characteristics of SCSI ports; the most significant distinction between the two lies in the area of acceptable I/O cable length. The SCSI aspects of I/O ports 301, 302, and 303 are otherwise identical.
Cache memory 308 (corresponding to memory 208) is a large, high-speed memory used to store, on a dynamic basis, the currently active and potentially active data. The storage capacity of cache memory 308 can be selected at any convenient size and, in the embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, comprises 64 Megabytes of storage. Cache memory 308 is organized as 16 Megawords; each word consists of four data bytes (32 bits) and seven bits of error-correcting code. Typically, the storage capacity of cache memory 308 is selected to be within the range of approximately one-half of one percent (0.5) to 100 percent of the storage capacity of the one or more magnetic disks 210 (FIG. 2) with which it operates. A small portion of cache memory 308 is used to store the tables required to manage the caching operations; alternatively, a different memory (not shown, but accessible by microcontroller 305) is used for this purpose.
EDAC circuitry 306 performs error detecting and correcting functions for cache memory 308. In this embodiment, EDAC circuitry 306 generates a seven-bit error-correcting code for each 32-bit data word written to cache memory 308; this information is written to cache memory 308 along with the data word from which it was generated. The error-correcting code is examined by EDAC circuitry 306 when data is retrieved from cache memory 308 to verify that the data has not been corrupted since last written to cache memory 308. The modified Hamming code chosen for this embodiment allows EDAC circuitry 306 to correct all single-bit errors that occur and detect all double-bit and many multiple-bit errors that occur.
Error logger 307 is used to provide a record of errors that are detected by EDAC circuitry 306. The information recorded by error logger 307 is retrieved by microcontroller 305 for analysis and/or display. This information is sufficiently detailed to permit identification by microcontroller 305 of the specific bit in error (for single-bit errors) or the specific word in error (for double-bit errors). In the event that EDAC circuitry 306 detects a single-bit error, the bit in error is corrected as the data is transferred to whichever interface requested the data (processor/cache interface logic 316, host/cache interface logic 311 or 312, and disk/cache interface logic 313). A signal is also sent to microcontroller 305 to permit handling of this error condition (which involves analyzing the error based on the contents of error logger 307, attempting to scrub (correct) the error, and analyzing the results of the scrub to determine if the error was soft or hard).
In the event that EDAC circuitry 306 detects a double-bit error, a signal is sent to microcontroller 305. Microcontroller 305 will recognize that some data has been corrupted. If the corruption has occurred in the ADT or LRU tables, an attempt is made to reconstruct the now-defective table from the other, then relocate both tables to a different portion of cache memory 308.
If the corruption has occurred in an area of cache memory 308 that holds user data, microcontroller 305 attempts to salvage as much data as possible (transferring appropriate portions of cache memory 308 to disk drive 210, for example) before refusing to accept new data transfer commands. Any response to a request for status from the host computer 201 will contain information that the host computer 201 may use to recognize that memory device 200 is no longer operating properly.
Microcontroller 305 includes programmable control processor 314 (for example, an 80C196 microcontroller available from Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif.), 64 kilobytes of EPROM memory 315, and hardware to allow programmable control processor 314 to control the following: I/O ports 301, 302, and 303, cache memory 308, EDAC 306, error logger 307, host/cache interface logic 311 and 312, disk/cache interface logic 313, processor/cache interface logic 316, and serial port 309.
Programmable control processor 314 performs the functions dictated by software programs that have been converted into a form that it can execute directly. These software programs are stored in EPROM memory 315.
In one embodiment, the host/cache interface logic sections 311 and 312 are essentially identical. Each host/cache interface logic section contains the DMA, byte/word, word/byte, and address register hardware that is required for the corresponding I/O port (301 for 311, 302 for 312) to gain access to cache memory 308. Each host/cache interface logic section also contains hardware to permit control via microcontroller 305. In this embodiment I/O ports 301 and 302 have data path widths of eight bits (byte). Cache memory 308 has a data path width of 32 bits (word).
Disk/cache interface logic 313 is similar to host/cache interface logic sections 311 and 312. It contains the DMA, byte/word, word/byte, and address register hardware that is required for disk I/O port 303 to gain access to cache memory 308. Disk/cache interface logic 313 also contains hardware to permit control via microcontroller 305. In this embodiment, I/O port 303 has a data path width of eight bits (byte).
Processor/cache interface logic 316 is similar to host/cache interface logic sections 311 and 312 and disk/cache interface logic 313. It contains the DMA, half-word/word, word/half-word, and address register hardware that is required for programmable control processor 314 to gain access to cache memory 308. Processor/cache interface logic 316 also contains hardware to permit control via microcontroller 305. In this embodiment, programmable control processor 314 has a data path width of 16 bits (half-word).
Serial port 309 allows the connection of an external device (for example, a small computer) to provide a human interface to the system 200. Serial port 309 permits initiation of diagnostics, reporting of diagnostic results, setup of system 200 operating parameters, monitoring of system 200 performance, and reviewing errors recorded inside system 200. In other embodiments, serial port 309 allows the transfer of different and/or improved software programs from the external device to the control program storage (when memory 315 is implemented with EEPROM rather than EPROM, for example).
Formats of control tables
Format of Address Translation (ADT) Table
The Address Translation Table, along with the LRU table, maintains the information required to manage the caching operations. There are two sections in the ADT table, the indexed, or tabular portion, and the set of unindexed, or single-valued items.
The unindexed portion of the ADT table contains two types of data fields; the first are those items which are essential to the cache management, the second category contains those data items which maintain records of the unit's performance.
The first group of unindexed items, or those requisite to the cache management, includes the following single-valued items.
1) ADT-CNL.
The number of tracks on the cached disk spindle; also equals the number of lines in the ADT table. This is set at the time the caching device is configured and is not changed while the unit is in operation.
2) ADT-HEAD-POS.
The current position of the read/write head of the cache disk. This is updated every time the head is positioned.
3) ADT-SWEEP-DIR.
The direction in which the current sweep of the background writes is progressing. This is updated each time the sweep reverses its direction across the disk.
4) ADT-MOD-COUNT.
The total number of tracks in the cache which have been modified by writes from the host and are currently awaiting a write to disk by the Disk server. This is increased by one whenever an unmodified cache track is updated by the host, and it is decreased by one whenever a modified cache track is copied to the cache disk.
ADT-MOD-URGENT.
The number of cache slots which, when in the modified condition, causes the caching device to shift priorities to maintain optimal performance.
The second group of unindexed items are those which record the unit's performance, and are all used to compute the current operating characteristics of the unit. They include the following single-valued items.
1) ADT-READ-HITS.
The number of cache read-hits encountered since the last reset. This value is set to zero by a reset operation from the console. It is incremented by one for each read I/O which is entirely satisfied from data which is resident in the cache memory.
2) ADT-READ-MISSES.
The number of cache read-misses encountered since the last reset. This value is set to zero by a reset operation from the console. It is incremented by one for each read I/O which cannot be entirely satisfied from data which is resident in the cache memory.
3) ADT-WRITE-HITS.
The number of cache write-hits encountered since the last reset. This value is set to zero by a reset operation from the console. It is incremented by one for each write I/O for which the corresponding track or tracks are found to be in cache memory.
4) ADT-WRITE-MISSES.
The number of cache write-misses encountered since the last reset. This value is set to zero by a reset operation from the console. It is incremented by one for which at least one of the corresponding track is not found to be in cache memory.
There is one line in the tabular portion for each data track on the spindle. A line is referred to by its line number, or index. That line number directly corresponds to a track number on the disk. When the host wants to access or modify data on the disk, it does so by referencing a starting sector address and indicating the number of sectors to be accessed or modified. For caching purposes, the starting sector address is converted into a track identifier and offset within that track.
A disk sector address is converted into a track number and a sector offset by dividing it by the number of sectors per track. The remainder is the offset into the track. The quotient is the track identifier and is the index into the ADT table. Using this index, the condition of the specified disk track can be determined directly from data in the ADT table; no search is required to determine cache-hits or misses.
Each ADT line contains the following items:
1) ADT-SLOT.
The number of the cache slot which contains the data for the disk track corresponding to this ADT table line number. By design, the value in ADT-SLOT also points to the line in the LRU table related to the cached disk track. If the disk track is not in cache memory, the value in this field is meaningless and is set to its null value. It is by means of this field that cache-hits can be serviced completely without any table search. A null value in this field indicates the corresponding disk track is not stored in the cache. This field is updated each time a track is entered into or removed from the SSD area.
2) ADT-MODIFIED.
A flag indicating whether or not the corresponding cached track has been modified by a write operation from the host, and thus, needs to be copied from the cache to the disk.
Format of Least Recently Used (LRU) Table
The LRU table maintains the information relative to the times when cached tracks of data were last accessed. This information is necessary for the unit to always be aware of which cache slots are available for overwriting whenever uncached data tracks must be placed in cache. Its contents also provide redundancy for the data kept in the ADT table, thus contributing to system reliability.
There are two sections in the LRU table, the indexed, or tabular portion, and the set of unindexed, or single-valued items. The unindexed portion of the LRU table contains data required to manage the caching process. The tabular portion is composed of pointers for LRU chaining purposes, pointers into the ADT table, and the recycle control registers or flags.
It is by means of this LRU information and the ADT table information that the system determines which cached track to overwrite when a cache area is needed for an uncached disk track. The unindexed items are requisite to the cache management, and includes the following single-valued items.
1) LRU-CNL.
The number of track-equivalent slots in the cache area; this is equal to the number of lines in the LRU table.
2) LRU-LRU.
The LRU-LRU table element points to the cache area track-slot containing the cached data which has been left un-touched for the longest time. It is updated when new activity for the referenced slot makes it no longer the least-recently-used. The referenced slot is the top candidate for overwriting when new data must be written into the cache.
3) LRU-MRU.
The LRU-MRU table element points to the cache area track-slot containing the cached data which has been most-recently referenced by the host. LRU-MRU is updated every time a track is touched by either a read or a write from the host. At that time, the address of the accessed track is placed in LRU-MRU and the LRU chains are updated in the indexed portion of the LRU table.
There is one line in the tabular portion for each cache area slot in the cache data area. A line is referred to by its line number, or index. That line number directly corresponds to a slot in the cache data area.
Each LRU table line contains pointer fields plus other control fields.
1) LRU-TRACK.
The pointer to the ADT line which references the disk track currently resident in the corresponding cache slot. By design, this value is also the identifier of the disk track whose data currently resides in the corresponding cache slot, if any.
2) LRU-LAST.
This is part of the bidirectional chaining of the cache data slots. LRU-LAST is the pointer to the next-older (in usage) cache slot. If this slot is the oldest, LRU-LAST will contain a zero.
3) LRU-NEXT.
This is the other half of the bidirectional chaining of the cache data slots. LRU-NEXT is the pointer to the next newer (in usage) cache slot. If this slot is the newest, LRU-NEXT will contain a zero.
4) LRU-CACHED-LOW.
A field containing the track-relative number of the lowest sector of this cached track which contains valid cached data.
5) LRU-CACHED-HIGH.
A field containing the track-relative number of the highest sector of this cached track which contains valid cached data.
6) LRU-MOD-LOW.
A field containing the track-relative number of the lowest sector of this cached track which contains modified cached data.
7) LRU-MOD-HIGH.
A field containing the track-relative number of the highest sector of this cached track which contains modified cached data.
8) LRU-LOCKED.
A flag indicating whether or not the corresponding cached track is currently the target of some operation, such as being acquired from the disk, being modified by the host, or being written to the disk by the cache controller; such operation making the track unavailable for certain other operations.
9) LRU-RECYCLE-REGISTER.
This field is used to control the recycling mechanism. It is increased or reduced based on the usage of the data cached in the corresponding track and based on other system factors such as the amount of modified data in the entire cache at various relevant times. This register's adjusted value is used to determine whether to decache or recycle the data in this cache track when this track arrives at a decision point such as when it reaches the LRU position in the LRU table. In its simplest form, this register becomes a single-bit RECYCLE-FLAG. In this simplified case, a single bit marker is maintained to indicate whether or not the corresponding track should be recycled. This flag is set to 1 (on) whenever the data in the track is referenced by the host; the flag is set to 0 (off) when the corresponding track is recycled (moved to the MRU position). The flag is initially set to 0 when a track is brought into cache as a result of a cache-ahead decision. For a track brought in to satisfy a cache miss, it is set to 1. In the more complete form, the recycle register can assume values from zero to n and the value is controlled by a set of recycling rules. See recycling mechanism examples elsewhere in this document.
EXAMPLES OF TABLES
Initial ADT table
When a unit is first powered on, the ADT table is in an indeterminate state. In order to become operational, initial values must be entered into their appropriate table elements. Initial values for unindexed fields of the ADT table are as follows:
The ADT-CNL field must be set to the size of the cache disk as a number of tracks.
The ADT-HEAD-POS field is set to zero to indicate the head is currently at the edge of the disk. This may, or may not, be true, but it does not matter; it will become correct on the first access to the disk.
The ADT-SWEEP-DIR field is arbitrarily set to one (1) to indicate the head is moving in an upward (based on track addresses) direction. This will be corrected at the initiation of the first background sweep.
The ADT-MOD-COUNT field is set to zero to reflect the fact that no modified tracks are waiting in cache to be copied to disk.
The ADT-READ-HITS field is set to zero to reflect the fact that no cache hits have occurred during read operations.
The ADT-READ-MISSES field is set to zero to reflect the fact that no cache misses have occurred during read operations.
The ADT-WRITE-HITS field is set to zero to reflect the fact that no cache hits have occurred during write operations.
The ADT-WRITE-MISSES field is set to zero to reflect the fact that no cache misses have occurred during write operations.
All indexed fields of all lines of the ADT table are initially set to zero to indicate that no tracks are resident in cache.
Initial LRU table
When the described caching device is first powered on, the LRU table is in an indeterminate state. In order to become operational, initial values must be entered into their appropriate table elements. While there are many acceptable ways to initialize the chaining fields, a simple one has been selected, and is described here.
Initial values for unindexed fields of the LRU table are as follows:
The LRU-CNL field must be set to the size of the cache, as a number of track-equivalent slots.
The LRU-LRU field is set to one to represent the lowest numbered cache slot as being the oldest. This is an arbitrary choice in keeping with the chaining values selected, below.
The LRU-MRU field is set equal to LRU-CNL to represent the highest cache slot as being the most recently used. This is an arbitrary choice in keeping with the initial chaining values selected, below.
Initial values for indexed fields of the LRU table are as follows:
The LRU-TRACK field of every line of the LRU table is set to zero to indicate that no disk data tracks are currently held in cache.
The LRU-LAST field of every line of the LRU table is set to that line's index minus one. This action, along with the settings for the LRU-NEXT values, produce a chained list suitable for the cache start-up operation.
The LRU-NEXT field of every line, except the highest, of the LRU table is set to that line's index plus one. The LRU-NEXT field of the highest line is set to zero. These settings, along with the settings for the LRU-LAST values, produces a chained list suitable for the cache start-up operation.
The LRU-CACHED-LOW field of every line is set to its null value to indicate that no portion of the disk track is currently held in cache.
The LRU-CACHED-HIGH field of every line is set to its null value to indicate that no portion of the disk track is currently held in cache.
The LRU-MOD-LOW field of every line is set to its null value to indicate that no portion of the disk track currently held in cache is in a modified condition.
The LRU-MOD-HIGH field of every line is set to its null value to indicate that no portion of the disk track currently held in cache is in a modified condition.
The LRU-LOCKED field of every line of the LRU table is set to zero to indicate no cache slot is currently locked.
The LRU-RECYCLE-REGISTER field of every line of the LRU table is set to zero to indicate that no slot is currently a candidate for recycling. While any set of recycling algorithms could have been used, the following rules have been chosen for this example:
1) The recycle register will be a single bit;
2) Cache tracks whose data is originally cached due to a cache read miss will have their recycling register set to one at the time of their original caching. This will give that data a longer life in cache than data cached for some of the other reasons;
3) Cache tracks whose data is originally cached by prefetch (based on proximity) will have their recycling register set to zero. This will give that data the minimum time in cache unless the data is referenced by the host before it is decached when it reaches the LRU position.
4) Cache tracks whose data is originally cached by a cache write miss will have their recycling register set to zero. Again, data cached in this manner will be given a minimum time in cache unless the data is referenced by the host before it is decached when it reaches the LRU position.
5) Cache tracks whose data is subsequently referenced by a host operation will have their recycle register set to one.
Operational state ADT tables
The operational state ADT table examples illustrate the conditions after the very first (sample) I/O has occurred and after the system has reached a fully active condition. These fully active examples show the effects of several I/O's on the state of the ADT table contents. Also included in these examples is the effect of a background sweep which wrote modified tracks from cache to disk. A detailed description of these specific sample operations appears under the LRU table discussion, below.
Operational state LRU tables
The operational state LRU table examples illustrate the conditions after the very first I/O has occurred and after the system has reached a fully active condition. These fully active examples show the effects of several I/O's on the state of the LRU table contents.
Description of Sample I/O's
For purposes of illustration, a sample of I/O's were chosen to be discussed in detail. Those chosen for discussion are I/O numbers 1, 1000, 1001, and 1002 taken from a trace of actions at an operational site; they are detailed in Table T-0 as projected into the described system. The following discussions of the sample I/O's include the effects on both the ADT and the LRU tables.
Actions related to I/O operation number 1:
1. This I/O is a read involving disk track numbers 46 and 47; since nothing is in cache, it must be a cache-miss. A portion of track 46, and all of track 47 is brought into cache. The ADT table is modified to show the locations of the tracks in cache; the amount of each track now cached is recorded; the chains are relinked to show the tracks to be the MRU and the next-to-MRU tracks; and they are both marked for recycling. They are marked for recycling since the data in these cache tracks were cached due to a read miss. According to the recycling rules set out for this example, cache tracks containing data brought from the disk as a result of a cache read miss are to be given a recycle register value of one.
2. Based on the I/O size and the distance from the end of the data requested in the I/O operation number 1 to the end of track 47, a prefetch of track 48 is initiated. That activity is not reflected in the ADT and LRU tables since it is initiated as a background operation after the completion of the current I/O.
After 999 I/O's have occurred, the ADT and LRU tables have reached a certain status. I/O number 1000 is a read of 68 sectors starting at sector address 14,190. This occupies sectors 11 through 78 of disk track 56. Based on these conditions, the following actions relate to I/O operation number 1000:
1. This I/O is a read involving track 56 which is not in cache; the required portion of it must be brought into cache. While fetching this required data, the portion of track 56 from the end of the requested data to the end of the track is also fetched. This is done here since this is the most expeditious time to do so, and satisfies the prefetch rules. The LRU table is updated to reflect the caching of track 56 and slot into which this data is fetched is placed at the MRU position in the LRU chain.
2. To make room for caching track 56, the old LRU track was decached.
3. A read I/O operation does not affect the need for a background sweep. There are three tracks in cache that need to be copied to disk; this condition remains unchanged by the current I/O.
4. Several cache tracks have non-zero recycling registers, including the track at the LRU end of the chain and the track it points to. Before any prefetch is initiated, these tracks will be moved to the MRU and next-to-MRU positions and their recycle registers will have been set to zero. This is in accordance with the recycle rules chosen for the current example wherein the recycle register is a single bit which is either 1) a one to indicate the data in the cache track is to be retained beyond its arrival at the LRU position; or 2) a zero which indicates the data in the cache track should be decached when it arrives at the LRU position and a cache track is needed for data from some other disk track.
5. Since track 57 is already in cache, no prefetch is needed for it.
5. The size of the I/O (68 sectors) and the current I/O's proximity to the first sector in track 56 indicate that track 55 should be prefetched by a cache-ahead action. That prefetch will be initiated as a background operation. Based on the LRU chain and the recycling situation, track 55 will be cached into slot 10. For the moment it will occupy the MRU position in the chain.
Actions related to I/O operation number 1001:
1. Prefetching of track 55, which was initiated by I/O 1000 has now been completed.
2. I/O number 1001 is a write involving sectors 191-256 of track 61, and sectors 1-2 of track 62. The LRU and ADT table references to them are updated.
3. This I/O action modified two cached tracks, bringing the total number of tracks which need written to disk up to the trigger point for the background sweep.
4. The background sweep is initiated and starts writing the modified tracks from cache to disk.
5. Since the background sweep is using the disk spindle, no cache-ahead is initiated, even though the unit would consider the prefetch of track 60 into cache.
Actions related to I/O operation number 1002:
1. The background sweep completed writing all modified tracks from cache to disk; it then went into the dormant state.
2. I/O 1002 was a write involving track 214 which is already resident in cache. The track is marked in the ADT table as having been modified. In the LRU table, track 214 in slot number 13 is removed from the MRU-LRU chain, and the amount modified is recorded in the LRU-MOD-LOW and LRU-MOD-HIGH fields.
3. A prefetch of track 215 is initiated since the position of the current I/O in track 214 is near enough to the end of the track to warrant a cache-ahead operation. This activity does not appear in the ADT and LRU tables for I/O 1002 since it will occur in the background after the completion of the current I/O.
4. Since a prefetch of track 215 has been initiated, track 213 is not considered for prefetching.
FIRMWARE
Firmware Overview
The memory controller of this invention goes into a semi-dormant state when there is no activity that it needs to handle. As depicted in the flow chart of FIG. 4, there are three types of occurrences that may cause the controller to become active:
1. The host computer sends a command;
2. The background sweep completes an event;
3. The background sweep times out.
Insofar as possible, the host computer commands are given priority over other memory device activities. Thus, when a command is received from the host, it is immediately turned over to the Host Command Handler (described elsewhere). At the completion of the activity called for by that command, the memory controller determines if the background sweep is active. If it is not active, the background status is inspected and action is taken as appropriate, as described later with regard to the background check. Following the background status check, the cache-ahead status is checked, as described later with regard to the cache-ahead management. The controller then waits for the next host command. The controller may not be completely inactive at this time, inasmuch as either the background sweep or the cache-ahead may have initiated or continued some disk activity. If the background was found to be active, its activity is continued until such time as it has no more immediate work to do, as described later with regard to background continuation.
When the background sweep completes a command, the controller is given an interrupt with a signal that indicates the sweep needs its attention. At that time, the controller initiates the next sweep event, if any is waiting, and schedules the next write from cache to disk also based on need, as described later with regard to the background continuation. At the completion of each sweep event, the controller determines if there is a need to continue the sweep. If no such need exists, the background sweep is placed in the dormant state. In either case, when the controller has completed its housekeeping, it becomes inactive awaiting its next task.
The background sweep can be activated in either of two ways; it will be activated when a set number of cached tracks have been modified and are in need of being written from cache to disk. The sweep may also be activated by a timeout. A timeout occurs whenever the sweep is inactive, and there exists any modified track waiting to be written from cache to disk which has been waiting more than a preset amount of time. When a timeout occurs, the controller is signaled that the sweep requires its attention. The controller initiates the background sweep (see description of background initiation) and, after completing the appropriate housekeeping, awaits the next command or event requiring its attention. The background sweep itself continues in operation until there is no more immediate need for its services. At that time it is returned to the dormant state.
Host-Command Management
Whenever a command is received from the host computer, it is given the highest possible priority and handled as depicted in FIG. 5. To determine what actions are required, the command must be analyzed. A portion of the firmware is dedicated to that purpose (see description of host command analysis). The analysis of the command determines the type of command (read, write, seek, or other) and, where meaningful, will make a cache hit/miss determination. The analysis also sets up a table of one or more lines which will be used later in servicing the command.
If the command is a read and it can be serviced entirely from cache (i.e. a cache hit), the command is serviced by the read-hit portion of the controller (see description of read-hit handling).
If any portion of the read cannot be serviced from cached tracks (i.e. a cache miss), the command is turned over to the read- miss portion of the controller (see description of the read-miss handling).
If the command is a write and all tracks involved in the operation are already in cache, the command is serviced by the write-hit portion of the controller (see description of write-hit handling).
If any portion of the write involves an uncached track or tracks, the command is turned over to the write-miss portion of the controller (see description of the write-miss handling).
If the command is a seek, and the target track is already cached, no action is required. If the target track is not cached, the command is turned over to the seek-miss portion of the controller (see description of seek-miss handling).
Analyze Host I/O Command
As depicted in FIG. 6, the analysis of a host command includes creation of a track address list which contains the locations of each track involved in the operation (see description of track address list setup). For each such track, the list contains the track's current location in cache, if it already resides there; or where it will reside in cache after this command and related caching activity have been completed. In the case that a track is not already cached, the space for it to be put into in cache is located, and the current track resident in that space is decached. The analysis includes setting the cache hit/miss flag so that the controller logic can be expedited.
Set Up Track Address List
As shown in FIG. 7, the controller segment which sets up the track address list uses the I/O sector address and size to determine the disk track identifying numbers for each track involved in the I/O operation (see description of address translation). The number of tracks involved is also determined, and for each track, the portion of the track which is involved in the operation is calculated.
Address Translation
FIG. 8 describes the operation for this translation. A sector address can be converted into a track address by dividing it by the track size. The quotient will be the track number, and the remainder will be the offset into the track where the sector resides.
Cache Read-Hit Operation
Refer to FIG. 9. A read hit is satisfied entirely from the cached data. In order to reach this module of the controller, the command will have been analyzed and the track address table will have been set up. With this preliminary work completed, the host read command can be satisfied by using each line of the track address table as a subcommand control. Since all required portions of all affected tracks are already in cache, all required data can be sent directly from the cache to the host. In addition to transferring the data to the host, this module will rechain the affected tracks to become the most-recently-used tracks in the LRU table. Finally, the recycle register value is adjusted according to the recycling rules in effect. As a minimum, in the simplest case the recycle register is set to one to indicate that this cache track is to be considered for recycling. If more complex recycling rules have been specified, the recycle register is incremented according to those rules.
Cache Read-Miss Operation
A cache read-miss (FIG. 10) is satisfied in part or wholly from the disk. In order to reach this module of the controller, the command will have been analyzed and the track address table will have been set up. With this preliminary work completed, the host read command can be satisfied by using each line of the track address table as a subcommand control. For an I/O whose size exceeds the READ-MISS-MAXSIZE, uncached portions are sent directly from the disk to the host without affecting the cache in any way. For an I/O whose size does not exceed the READ-MISS-MAXSIZE, the operation is handled based on the caching device's current mode.
If the unit is not in urgent mode: For track segments which are already in cache, the data can be sent directly from the cache to the host. For a track segment not resident in the cache, the data is sent from the disk to the host, and simultaneously, the portion of the track from the first sector of the requested data to the end of that track is sent to the cache. The LRU-CACHED-LOW and LRU-CACHED-HIGH fields of the corresponding LRU table line(s) are set to reflect the portions of those tracks which have been brought into cache.
If the unit is in urgent mode: For a track not resident in the cache, the data is sent directly from the disk to the host without being entered into the cache.
In either mode, in addition to transferring the data to the host, this module will rechain affected, cached tracks to become the most-recently-used slots in the LRU table.
Cache Write-Hit Operation
A Cache Write-Hit (FIG. 11) is handled entirely within the cache. In order to reach this module of the controller, the command will have been analyzed and the track address table will have been set up. With this preliminary work completed, the host write command can be satisfied by using each line of the track address table as a subcommand control. Since all affected tracks are already represented in cache, all data can be sent directly from the host to the cache without any concern for post-transfer staging of partial tracks. In addition to transferring the data to the cache, this module will, if the slot was linked into the LRU chain, remove the affected cache slot from the LRU chain. In every case, the corresponding LRU-MOD-LOW, LRU-MOD-HIGH, LRU-CACHED-LOW, and LRU-CACHE-HIGH fields are updated to reflect the existence of this new data. Finally, the recycle register value is adjusted according to the recycling rules in effect.
Cache Write-Miss Operation
If the I/O size exceeds the WRITE-MISS-MAXSIZE, uncached tracks or track segments are written directly to disk with no effect on the cache. For an I/O whose size does not exceed WRITE-MISS-MAXSIZE, the operation is handled based on the caching device's current mode. If the caching device is operating in normal mode, a write miss is handled entirely within the cache but requires the placing of information into the LRU-CACHED-LOW, LRU-CACHED-HIGH, LRU-MOD-LOW, and LRU-MOD-HIGH fields to insure that any data required to fill gaps between the modified portions of any partial tracks can be read from the disk into the cache memory, as depicted in FIG. 12. In order to reach this module of the controller, the command will have been analyzed and the track address table will have been set up. With this preliminary work completed, the host write command can be satisfied by using each line of the track address table as a subcommand control. Since this is a cache-miss, some or all of the affected tracks are not in cache; however, all data can be sent directly from the host to the cache.
The cache controller has the responsibility for reading from disk into cache that data required to fill any gaps in the modified portion of tracks. In actuality, only the first and/or last tracks involved in the transfer can be partial tracks; all interior tracks must be full tracks, and thus require no data to be read from the disk to fill gaps in the modified portion of the cached data in any case. For those tracks requiring post-transfer staging, the controller sets up a list of caching events to bring any required track segments into cache to maintain the integrity of the cached tracks. In addition to transferring the data to the cache, this module removes the affected tracks from the LRU chain. If the caching device is operating in urgent mode, the handling of a write miss bypasses the cache for any tracks which are not currently cached, sending the data directly from the host to the disk. The LRU and ADT tables are updated for any cached tracks which may have been affected. Finally, the recycle register value is adjusted according to the recycling rules in effect.
Seek Cache Miss
As shown in FIG. 13, the controller has the option of ignoring a seek command since the controller will ultimately be responsible for fulfilling any subsequent, related I/O command. For a seek command for which the target track is already in cache, no controller action is needed or appropriate. For a seek command for which the target track is not in cache, the controller, if the disk to which the seek is directed is not busy, will cache that target track. This action is based on the assumption that the host would not send a seek command unless it was to be followed by a read or a write command. If the disk to which the seek is directed is busy when a seek command is received from the host, the seek command is ignored.
Recycling of Cached Tracks
It is a well known concept that the basic LRU methodology is a way to keep data in cache based on its very recent history. The recycle feature extends the amount of history considered for data retention with the older portion of history having a lesser effect on the decision to retain the data in cache. The recycling of currently cached tracks is a method of maintaining in cache the tracks of data which have the highest likelihood of being reused.
Recycling Based on Simple Rules
In its simplest form, any cached track which has been read from or written into since it was most recently cached or similarly reused since it was last moved to the MRU position is a candidate for recycling. When a cached track is reused, the recycle register is set and the cached track is moved to the MRU position in the LRU table. When a cached track reaches the LRU position in the LRU table, its recycle register is checked. If the recycle register is zero, indicating the cached track was not reused in its most recent trip from the MRU position to the LRU position, the cached track is a candidate for reuse. If, however, the recycle register is nonzero, indicating the cached track had recently been reused, the cached track is moved to the MRU position of the LRU table, and the recycle register is cleared.
In this manner, a track of data whose recent history indicates reusage is allowed to remain in cache for a longer time than a track of data without such recent use. The effect of this procedure is to allow tracks containing data which has had a low frequency of usage to be reused for caching new material in preference to reusing those tracks whose data have exhibited a higher rate of usage, and to allow the more frequently used data to remain in cache for a longer time.
Recycling Based on Complex Rules
In its more complex form, the recycle register for each cache track is more than a single bit, allowing for a maximum value of n based on the number of bits allocated to the register. The recycle register value is set or adjusted based on certain events in a cached track's life. For example,
1. When a cache track is initially assigned to a specific disk track, the cache track recycle register is given some initial value.
2. When a cached track is rehit, such as by a read or write hit, its recycle register value is adjusted by some amount to increase the tracks chances of being retained in cache at some future time when it would otherwise be a candidate for decaching.
3. When a cached track reaches the LRU position in the LRU table, and if, based on the recycle register value, the cached track is not decached, then, as a penalty for not being rehit during its last trip from the MRU position to the LRU position, its recycle register value is adjusted by some amount to reduce the track's chances of being retained in cache upon some future examination.
The important of the recycle register is in making the correct determination of whether or not to decache a cached track when it has reached the LRU position in the LRU table.
When a cached track reaches the LRU position in the LRU table, its recycle register is examined. If the recycle register value does not meet some set criteria, such failure indicating the history of the cached track does not justify retention in cache, the cached track is a candidate for decaching and its space can be made available for reuse. If, however, the register value meets the preset condition, indicating the cached track has had a level of activity that indicates the cached track should be retained in cache for some more time, the cached track is moved to the MRU position of the LRU table, and the recycle register value is adjusted by some amount to indicate the track was moved to the MRU position based on its history, rather than due to a reusage such as an instant read hit.
Some of the factors to be considered in determining the initial setting of the recycle register when the track is first cached are:
1. The reason for caching the track such as read miss, write miss, or read-ahead;
2. The current system status, such as the proportion of cache which is now in a modified condition and needs written to the disk.
Some of the factors to be considered in determining the amount of adjustment of the recycle register value when the cached track is reused are:
1. The current value in the recycle register;
2. The original reason for caching the track such as read miss, write miss, or read-ahead;
3. The nature of the most recent activity of the cache track, such as a read hit, it has just been written to disk following one or more writes from the host into it, or that it has just been cached by a read-ahead operation.
4. The current system status, such as the proportion of cache which is now in a modified condition and needs written to the disk.
Some of the factors to be considered in determining the action to be taken, and the amount of adjustment to the recycle register value if any, when the cached track reaches the LRU position are:
1. The current value in the recycle register;
2. The original reason for caching the track such as read miss, write miss, or read-ahead;
3. The nature of the most recent activity of the cache track, such as a read hit, it has just been written to disk following one or more writes from the host into it, or that it has just been cached by a read-ahead operation.
4. The current system status, such as the proportion of cache which is now in a modified condition and needs written to the disk.
Example of Usage of the Recycle Register
The following is one possible example of a set of the controlling factors and corresponding register adjustments for one incarnation of the recycle register concept. This is a simple example which favors quick release of data cached by read-ahead, and also reduces retention of cached material when the caching device is encountering heavy data modification (host writes). For the sake of illustration in this example, one can assume P% to be 50%.
1. When a cache track is initially assigned to a specific disk track, the recycle register is set according to the following table:
______________________________________reason for caching: read misscache modified: none <P% >P%set register to: 2 1 0reason for caching: read-aheadcache modified: ignore this factorset register to: 0reason for caching: write misscache modified: none <P% >P%set register to: 2 1 0______________________________________
2. Adjustment to recycle register when rehit (in all cases of a rehit, the track is moved to the MRU position):
______________________________________reason for caching: read missmost recent activity: read hit read hit read hitcache modified: none <P* >P*current value: 2 2 2adjust register: +2 +1 +1reason for caching: read aheadmost recent activity: read hit read hit read hitcache modified: none <P* >P%current value: 2 2 2adjust register: +2 +1 +1reason for caching: write missmost recent activity: read hit read hit read hitcache modified: none <P% >P*current value: 2 2 2adjust register: +2 +1 +1______________________________________
3. Adjustment to recycle register when track reaches LRU:
______________________________________reason for caching: anymost recent activity: read hit read hit read hitcache modified: none <P% >P%current value: n n nadjust register: value/2 value/2 value/2actions1) if new move to MRU move to MRU move tovalue > or = 1: MRU2) else: decache decache decachereason for caching: (read ahead)most recent activity: read aheadcache modified: anycurrent value: anyadjust register: set to 0action: decache decache decachereason for caching: anymost recent activity: write hit write hit write hitcache modified: none <P% >P%current value: n n nadjust register: value/2 value/2 value/2actions1) if new move to MRU move to MRU move tovalue > or = 1: MRU2) else: decache decache decache______________________________________
Decache a Track
For every cache-miss I/O that occurs, and for every cache-ahead operation, some previously cached track or tracks of data must be decached. The primary function of the LRU table is to allow the controller to expeditiously determine which cached track of data is the best candidate for decaching. The decaching module depicted in FIG. 14 chooses the track to be decached. Normally, the track with the longest elapsed time since its last usage will be the track to be decached. This is the track which is pointed to by the LRU-LRU element of the LRU table. The LRU-LRU pointer is maintained in such a way as to always point to the least-recently-used track. In the described device, the decision of which track to decache is based not only on the LRU concept, but also takes into account the recycling factors as described in the sections of this document regarding recycling.
The first condition that must be met in order to decache a track is that the track must be inactive and the cached data must be unmodified; that is, it is not at this instant the subject of any activity such as being written from the cache to the disk. It is highly unlikely that the LRU-LRU track would be the current subject of any activity since most activities on a track reposition it out of the LRU-LRU slot. Also, for modified data, it is most likely it would have been written to disk before the cached track has moved down through the LRU table to the LRU position. However, the possibility is covered by the decaching algorithm.
The second condition that must be satisfied before a track can be decached is that the track to be decached must not be a candidate for recycling. The recycling mechanism provides for moving cached tracks from the LRU position to the MRU position in the LRU table. Normally, recycling will be done as a background task. In the event a track which should be recycled is found in the LRU position when a track is needed for caching new data, that recycle candidate can be recycled at that time. The recycling mechanism described above will determine the desirability of recycling of each track as it reaches the LRU position. When a track reaches the LRU position, the recycle mechanism also makes the appropriate adjustment to the recycle register. As stated in the recycling description, the effect of this procedure is to allow the tracks containing the more frequently used data to remain in cache for a longer time.
If, for any of the above reasons, the LRU-LRU track is unable to be decached, the LRU chain will point to the next-to-LRU track. While it is possible for the LRU track to be a candidate for recycling, it will be an unusual situation in which the decaching module will need to inspect more than one LRU slot to find the track to be decached.
When the actual candidate for decaching has been identified, both the LRU and ADT tables are updated to reflect that the chosen candidate is no longer cached. This is a minor amount of work; no disk activity is involved.
Cache-Ahead Management
The cache hit and management operation is depicted in FIG. 15. The controller attempts to cache-ahead after every host I/O which is a read operation regardless of whether the I/O was a cache hit or a cache miss. Operations which write data from the host to the device need no cache-ahead operations since data can always be accepted from the host into the cache's SSD. However, a read cache-ahead action is a background type of activity, and only uses the private channel between disk and cache, it will have a very minimal negative impact on the caching device's response time to host I/O activity. To further limit the impact, the cache-ahead is given a lower priority than any incoming host I/O request.
A major factor in limiting the cache-ahead activity is the lack of need for its operation following most host I/O's. As depicted in FIG. 16, the caching device determines the number of data segments of the same size as the current host I/O which remain between the location of the end of the current host I/O data and the end of the cached track containing that data. If this computed number of data segments is more than a predetermined number, the cache unit can handle that number of host I/O's before there is a need to fetch data for the succeeding track from the disk into the cache memory.
If, on the other hand, the computed number of data segments is not more than the predetermined number, it is possible for the host to access all those segments between the end of the current host I/O data location and the end of the cached track in the same or less time than it would take for the caching device to fetch the succeeding track of data from the disk into the cache memory. In this case, the caching device should immediately initiate action to fetch the succeeding data track from the disk so that the service to the host can proceed with the least disk-imposed delays.
Conversely, if the caching device were to ignore the above-described locality factor and always fetch the next data track after every cache read-miss, many unneeded tracks of data would be fetched from disk into cache memory. Such excessive fetches would use up more of the caching device's resources with a negative impact on the caching device's host service time.
There are only two candidates for cache-ahead: they are the single track immediately following that involved in the host I/O and the track immediately preceding that of the host I/O. Since these tracks will often have already been cached by previous cache-ahead activity, the cache-ahead activity is largely a self-limiting process.
Only one track is cached-ahead for any given host I/O: the track succeeding the host I/O is the primary candidate. If it is not already cached, and the proximity factor indicates the cache-ahead should occur, the forward track is cached at this time. If the succeeding track is already cached, the track preceding the host I/O is considered; if it is not already cached, and the proximity factor favors caching, this preceding track is cached at this time. Of course, if both of these candidate tracks had been cached previously, the cache-ahead module has no need to do any caching.
A very important benefit accrues from this cache-ahead, cache-back feature. If related tracks are going to be accessed by the host in a sequential mode, that sequence will be either in a forward or backward direction from the first one accessed in a given disk area. By the nature of the cache-ahead algorithm, an unproductive cache-ahead will only involve one track which lies in the wrong direction from the initial track in any given track cluster. This, coupled with the proximity algorithm, makes the cache-ahead behavior self-adapting to the direction of the accesses.
Background Sweep Management
When a write I/O from the host is serviced by the controller, the data from the host is placed in the cache. It is written from the cache to the disk in the background, minimizing the impact of the disk operations on the time required to service the I/O. The module that handles this background activity is the background sweep module. To limit the sweep activity, and thus limit contention for the spindle, only those portions of tracks which have been modified are written from SSD to disk during a sweep. In the interest of further efficiency, the background sweep module does not always copy data from cache to disk as soon as it is available. Rather, it remains dormant until some minimum number of modified tracks are waiting to be copied before going into action. In order to avoid having a single modified track wait an inordinately long time before being copied from cache to disk, the background sweep will also be activated by a timeout. Thus, if any modified track has been waiting a certain minimum time, and the sweep is not active, the sweep will be activated. After the sweep has copied all modified portions of tracks from cache to disk, it returns to a dormant state.
Sweep Timeout
A timeout occurs when some cached data track has been modified and the corresponding track on disk has not been updated after a certain minimum time has elapsed. When a timeout occurs, by definition there will be at least one cached track which needs to be copied to disk. At this time, the background will be changed into the active state. The timeout module (FIG. 17) also causes the first background event to be set up (see description of background event generation), and if no conflict exists with the host for access to the disk, the execution of the event will be initiated. After this event is initiated, the next event, if one is known to be needed, is also set up and held for later execution. When these things have been done, the background sweep waits for circumstances to cause it to continue its operation or to return to a dormant state.
Sweep Initiation
At the completion of each host I/O operation, the sweep initiation module (FIG. 18) is entered. One of three cases may exist. The first case is that the sweep is dormant, and there are not a sufficient number of modified tracks waiting to be copied to disk to cause the sweep to be enabled at this time. In this case, which is the most common one, there is no action to be taken at this time.
In the second case, the sweep is active, and a background event is operating. In this situation, no new action is needed at this time.
In the final case, the sweep is active, but no background event is currently in operation. Under these conditions, a background event is generated (see description of Generate Sweep Event) and, if appropriate, its execution is initiated.
Generate Sweep Event
The need for the generation of a background sweep event is predicated on there being no other ongoing activity involving the disk. If the event generation module of FIG. 19 is entered when any such activity is in progress, no event is generated.
At times, the event generation module will find that there are no more modified tracks waiting to be copied to the disk. In this case, the background sweep is returned to the dormant condition. At other times, the background sweep is in the active mode, but has been temporarily interrupted to handle the higher priority activity of servicing a host I/O. Such interruption requires the background sweep to be restarted. It does this by finding the modified track which is nearest, but not directly at, the disk head; initiating a seek to that track; and then setting up a write event for the track. This write event will not be initiated until later, but its existence signals the sweep continuation module (see description of continuation module) that, if possible, this write is the next thing to be done.
The effect of this method of handling background writes is to minimize the impact on the host operations. The controller has an opportunity to service host I/O misses between the background seek and the corresponding write operation. None of this has any significant effect on servicing host I/O cache hits since hits are always handled immediately. The disk is not involved in a hit.
The sweep handles the writing of modified tracks differently depending on whether all the sectors in the track have been modified, or only some of the sectors have been modified. Further, the number of wholly modified tracks and the number of partially modified tracks are both taken into consideration in the setting of priorities for writing individual tracks to disk. When a larger number of wholly modified tracks exist, as opposed to the number partially modified, the wholly modified tracks are given preference by the sweep operation.
Writing a modified track from cache to disk is limited to handling only the modified portion of the track as defined by the corresponding LRU-MOD-LOW and LRU-MOD-HIGH values. Once the modified track or track segment has been written to disk, the track's cache slot, which has been in an unchained status, is placed in the LRU chain at the MRU position if the track had been only partially modified, and is placed at the LRU position if the track had been wholly modified. At the same time, the corresponding LRU-MOD-LOW and LRU-MOD-HIGH fields are set to their null value to indicate that no part of the cached data differs from that in the corresponding disk track.
Sweep Continuation
As depicted in the flow chart of FIG. 20, each background sweep event, whether a seek or a write, prepares a waiting event for the sweep's subsequent action. Thus, the initiation of a seek always prepares the subsequent, related write event; the initiation of a write prepares the subsequent, unrelated seek event, if another track is waiting to be copied to disk.
The continuation module is entered upon the completion of each sweep event. If the host has issued an I/O command which requires the disk (in other words, a cache-miss), the background sweep sequence is interrupted, and the waiting event is erased. This action is taken in order to expedite the servicing of the host's commands, and is taken regardless of the type of sweep event which is waiting. It can result in wasting background seek actions. This is acceptable; the aborted write will be handled later when time permits. 0f course, once a sweep command, whether a seek or a write, has actually been initiated, it cannot be aborted.
If the sweep continuation module is entered after the sweep operations have been interrupted, it will use the event generation module (see description of event generation) to restart the sweep sequence.
Finally, if the continuation module finds that the just completed sweep operation was a write, and no more modified tracks are waiting to be copied to the disk, the sweep is put into the dormant state.
Power Down Control
As depicted in the flow chart of FIG. 21, this portion of the firmware is invoked when the unit senses that the line power to it has dropped. Since some of the data in the unit may be in the cache portion in a modified state and awaiting transfer to the disk, power must be maintained to the cache memory until the modified portions have been written to the disk. Thus, a failure of the line power causes the unit to switch to the battery backup unit. The battery backup unit provides power while the memory device goes through an intelligent shutdown process.
If the host is in the process of a data transfer with the memory device when power drops, the shutdown controller allows the transfer in progress to be completed. It then blocks any further transactions with the host from being initiated.
The shutdown controller then must initiate a background sweep to copy any modified portions of data tracks from the solid state memory to the disk so that it will not be lost when power is completely shut off to the control and memory circuits. After the sweep is completed (which will take only a few seconds), all data in the solid state memory will also reside on the disk. At this point the disk spindle can be powered down, reducing the load on the battery.
Most power outages are of a short duration. Therefore, the controller continues to supply battery power to the control circuits and the solid state memory for some number of seconds. If the outside power is restored in this time period, the controller will power the spindle back up and switch back to outside power. In this case, the operation can proceed without having to reestablish the historical data in the solid state memory. In any case, no data is at risk since it is all stored on the rotating magnetic disk before final shutdown.
Final Background Sweep
The final background sweep (FIG. 22) copies modified portions of tracks from the solid state memory to the magnetic disk. There will usually be only a few such tracks, or portions of tracks to copy since the number that can reach this state is intentionally limited by the operations of the system. The final sweep makes use of logic developed for the normal operation of the background sweep.
The sweep is initiated in much the same manner as for a timeout during normal operation. If no tracks need to be copied, the sweep is left in the dormant state, and no further sweep action is required. If any tracks need copied, the sweep initiator sets up and initiates the first background seek, as well as sets up the related write event. At the completion of this first seek, control goes to the background continuation module which alternately executes the previously created, waiting event and generates the next event and puts it into a wait status. When no modified tracks remain to be copied, the sweep is finished.
Parameters and Particulars
This specification refers to items which are not given specific quantities or identities. These have been purposely left unquantified so as not to imply any absolute limits or restrictions. For purposes of illustration, and to provide known workable dimensions and identities, the following ranges of values and identifiers are provided, along with a set which is satisfactory for a sample configuration.
BACKGROUND SWEEP TRIGGER, NUMBER OF MODIFIED TRACKS
Range: One to number of tracks on chosen disk.
Sample configuration: Five
BACKGROUND SWEEP TRIGGER, TIME
Range: One millisecond to unlimited.
Sample configuration: Five seconds.
EPROM MEMORY FOR MICROPROCESSOR
Size range: Non-specific.
Sample configuration: 64 kilobytes.
HARDWARE MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLER
Candidates: Any suitable and available microprocessor.
Sample configuration: 80C196, 24 Mhz (Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif.).
POWER DOWN, CACHE HOLD TIME
Range: Zero seconds to limitation imposed by battery backup unit.
Sample configuration: Five minutes.
ROTATING MAGNETIC DISK CAPACITY
Size range: Any available disk capacity.
Sample configuration: 675 megabytes formatted.
SCSI CONTROLLER
Candidates: Any suitable and available controller device.
Sample configuration: NCR 53C90A (National Cash Register Corporation, Dayton, Ohio).
SECTOR SIZE
Size range: Any appropriate for the host system and the selected disk drive.
Sample configuration: 180 bytes.
SECTORS PER TRACK
Range: Any appropriate for selected disk and host system.
Sample configuration: 256.
SOLID STATE MEMORY SIZE
Size range: One megabyte to 100 percent of the capacity of the attached disk capacity.
Sample configuration: 32 megabytes.
TRACK SIZE
Size range: One sector to any size appropriate for the selected disk drive.
Sample configuration: 256 sectors.
TRACKS PER DISK
Range: Any available on chosen disk.
Sample configuration: 14628.
TABLE FORMATS
TABLE F-1______________________________________ADDRESS TRANSLATION (ADT) TABLE FORMAT -UNINDEXED ELEMENTSTABLEITEM DESCRIPTION______________________________________ADT-CNL Number of tracks on the cached disk spindle; equals the number of lines in the ADT table.ADT-HEAD-POS Position of read/write head of cache disk.ADT-SWEEP-DIR Direction of current DISK SERVER sweep; 1 = sweep is progressing from low-to-high. 0 = sweep is progressing from high-to-low.ADT-MOD-COUNT Total number of tracks in the cache which have been modified by writes from the host and are currently awaiting a write to disk by the Disk server.ADT-MOD-URGENT The number of cache slots which, when in a modified condition, causes the device to shift priorities to maintain optimal performance.ADT-READ-HITS Number of cache read-hits encountered since last reset.ADT-READ-MISSES Number of cache read-misses encountered since last reset.ADT-WRITE-HITS Number of cache write-hits encountered since last reset.ADT-WRITE-MISSES Number of cache write-misses encountered since last reset.______________________________________
TABLE F-2______________________________________ADDRESS TRANSLATION TABLE FORMAT -INDEXED ELEMENTSTABLE MAXIMUM ITEMITEM VALUE DESCRIPTION______________________________________(INDEX) (ADT-CNL) ADT table index; equivalent to the corresponding disk track number. There is one ADT table line for each disk track.ADT-SLOT (LRU-CNL) Number of the cache slot which contains the disk track of data corresponding to this ADT index; also points to line in LRU table related to the disk track. If the disk track is not in cache, this field is set to its null value to indicate that fact.ADT-MODIFIED 1 Flag indicating whether or not this (cached) track has been modified by a write operation from the host, and thus, needs to be written from the cache to the disk. 0 = This track (if cached) is unmodified and does not need to be written to disk. 1 = This track needs written to disk.______________________________________
TABLE F-3______________________________________LEAST-RECENTLY-USED (LRU) TABLEFORMAT - UNINDEXED ELEMENTSTABLEITEM DESCRIPTION______________________________________LRU-CNL Number of lines in the LRU table; equal to the number of slots in the cache area.LRU-LRU Pointer to least-recently-used end of the LRU chain.LRU-MRU Pointer to most-recently-used end of the LRU chain.______________________________________
TABLE F-4______________________________________LEAST-RECENTLY-USED TABLEFORMAT - INDEXED ELEMENTSTABLE MAXIMUM ITEMITEM VALUE DESCRIPTION______________________________________LRU-TRACK (ADT-CNL) Disk track number for data stored in this cache slot; also points to line in ADT table related to the disk track.LRU-NEXT (LRU-CNL) Pointer to following link in LRU chain; 0 = this is last (LRU) link in chain.LRU-LAST (LRU-CNL) Pointer to previous link in LRU chain; 0 = this is first (MRU) link in chain.LRU-CACHED- (TRACK Lowest track-relativeLOW SIZE) sector number within the cached track which contains valid data.LRU-CACHED- (TRACK Highest track-relativeHIGH SIZE) sector number within the cached track which contains valid data.LRU-MOD-LOW (TRACK Lowest track-relative SIZE) sector number within the cached track which contains modified data.LRU-MOD-HIGH (TRACK Highest track-relative SIZE) sector number within the cached track which contains modified data.LRU-LOCKED 1 Flag indicating whether or not this (cached) track is currently the target of some operation, such as being acquired from the disk, being written to the disk by the cache controller. 0 = the (cached) track is not locked; it is available for any operations. 1 = the (cached) track is locked; it cannot, at this moment, become the target of another, conflicting operation.LRU-RECYCLE- n Recycle register; usedREGISTER for maintaining the recycling value. Used as a means for retaining data in cache beyond its arrival at the LRU position in the LRU table.______________________________________
TABLV T-0______________________________________Sample I/O's for IllustrationThe LRU and ADT table examples are based on I/O samplestaken from an actual operating computer system andprojected into the system's environment.For each I/O, the following information is available:(I/O SIZE (COMPUTEDREF SECTOR IN TRACKNBR) ADDRESS SECTORS NUMBER) comment______________________________________ 1 11,742 68 46, 47 read starts in 46, ends in 47. . . .. . . .. . . .1000 14,190 68 56 read com- pletely in 561001 15,550 68 61, 62 write starts in 61, ends in 621002 54,582 68 214 write entirely in 214. . . .. . . .. . . .______________________________________
TABLE T-1______________________________________INITIAL ADT TABLE______________________________________The ADT TABLE is set to initial conditions to indicate that nodisk tracks are cached.ADT-CNL = 14628ADT-HEAD-POS = 0ADT-SWEEP-DIR = 1ADT-MOD-COUNT = 0ADT-MOD-URGENT = 11ADT-READ-HITS = 0ADT-READ-MISSES = 0ADT-WRITE-HITS = 0ADT-WRITE-MISSES = 0DISK SSDTRACK SLOT MODIFIED______________________________________1 * 02 * 03 * 04 * 05 * 06 * 0. . .. . .. . .(ADT-CNL)______________________________________ Note: A "*" indicates a null value.
TABLE T-2__________________________________________________________________________INITIAL LRU TABLE__________________________________________________________________________The LRU TABLE is arbitrarily chained to allow initialoperations to proceed with a minimum of special handling duringstartup of the caching operations. Table is listed in MRU-to-LRU order.CNL = 22LRU = 1MRU = 22SSD LRU LRU DISK CACHED MODIFIED LRU RE-SLOT LAST NEXT TRACK LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOCK CYCLE__________________________________________________________________________22 21 0 0 * * * * 0 0(Slot 22 is arbitrarily designated the MRU)21 20 22 0 * * * * 0 020 19 21 0 * * * * 0 019 19 20 0 * * * * 0 018 17 19 0 * * * * 0 017 16 18 0 * * * * 0 016 15 17 0 * * * * 0 015 14 16 0 * * * * 0 014 13 15 0 * * * * 0 013 12 14 0 * * * * 0 012 11 13 0 * * * * 0 011 10 12 0 * * * * 0 010 9 11 0 * * * * 0 0 9 8 10 0 * * * * 0 0 8 7 9 0 * * * * 0 0 7 6 8 0 * * * * 0 0 6 5 7 0 * * * * 0 0 5 4 6 0 * * * * 0 0 4 3 5 0 * * * * 0 0 3 2 4 0 * * * * 0 0 2 1 3 0 * * * * 0 0 1 0 2 0 * * * * 0 0(Slot 1 is arbitrarily designated the LRU)__________________________________________________________________________ Note: A "*" indicates a null value.
TABLE T-3a______________________________________ADT TABLE AFTER ONE I/O OPERATION(A read involving tracks 46 and 47)ADT-CNL = 14628ADT-HEAD-POS = 47ADT-SWEEP-DIR = 1ADT-MOD-COUNT = 0ADT-MOD-URGENT = 11ADT-READ-HITS = 0ADT-READ-MISSES = 1ADT-WRITE-HITS = 0ADT-WRITE-MISSES = 0DISK SSDTRACK SLOT MODIFIED COMMENTS______________________________________1 * 02 * 03 * 04 * 05 * 06 * 0. . .. . .. . .46 1 0 from read-miss (2-track)47 2 0 from read-miss (2-track)48 * 049 . .(ADT-CNL) . .______________________________________ Note: A "*" indicates a null value.
TABLE T-3b__________________________________________________________________________LRU TABLE AFTER ONE READ I/O OPERATION(A read involving track 46)LRU-CNL = 22LRU-LRU = 3LRU-MRU = 2SSD LRU LRU DISK CACHED MODIFIED LRU RE-SLOT LAST NEXT TRACK LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOCK CYCLE__________________________________________________________________________ 2 1 0 47 1 256 * * 0 0(Slot 2 becomes the new MRU) 1 22 2 46 222 256 * * 0 0(Slots 1 and 2 have been used to cache the 2-trackread-miss.)22 21 1 * * * * * 0 0(Slot 22 was old MRU)21 20 22 * * * * * 0 020 19 21 * * * * * 0 019 18 20 * * * * * 0 018 17 19 * * * * * 0 017 16 18 * * * * * 0 016 15 17 * * * * * 0 015 14 16 * * * * * 0 014 13 15 * * * * * 0 013 12 14 * * * * * 0 012 11 13 * * * * * 0 011 10 12 * * * * * 0 010 9 11 * * * * * 0 0 9 8 10 * * * * * 0 0 8 7 9 * * * * * 0 0 7 6 8 * * * * * 0 0 6 5 7 * * * * * 0 0 5 4 6 * * * * * 0 0 4 3 5 * * * * * 0 0 3 0 4 * * * * * 0 0(Slot 3 becomes the new LRU)__________________________________________________________________________
TABLE T-3c__________________________________________________________________________LRU TABLE AFTER 1000 I/O OPERATIONSI/O 1000 was a read involving track 56.Table is listed in MRU-to-LRU order.LRU-CNL = 22LRU-LRU = 3LRU-MRU = 21SSD LRU LRU DISK CACHED MODIFIED LRU RE-SLOT LAST NEXT TRACK LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOCK CYCLE__________________________________________________________________________21 18 0 56 110 256 * * 0 1(read-miss on a cache-ahead slot)18 19 21 213 1 256 * * 0 0(cleaned by writing modified portion to disk)19 5 18 212 227 256 * * 0 0 5 17 19 8071 255 256 * * 0 017 1 5 63 1 256 * * 0 0(cached-ahead for read of track 62) 1 8 17 62 1 256 * * 0 0(cached by read miss spanning tracks 61-62) 8 9 1 61 191 256 * * 0 0 9 14 8 48 117 256 * * 0 014 20 9 65 1 256 * * 0 0(cached-backward for read of track 66)20 16 14 66 135 256 * * 0 0(cached due to read-miss of track 66)16 2 20 57 127 256 * * 0 0 2 12 16 46 153 256 * * 0 012 22 2 52 181 256 * * 0 022 4 12 67 1 256 * * 0 0 4 15 22 41 1 256 * * 0 015 10 4 42 21 256 * * 0 010 6 15 43 1 256 * * 0 0 6 3 10 58 1 256 * * 0 0 3 0 6 215 1 256 * * 0 0(slot 3 is now the LRU slot)Following slots have been modified but not yet cleaned bywriting modified portion to disk; thus, they are notchained. 7 * * 45 1 256 1 2 0 011 * * 44 191 256 191 256 0 013 * * 214 55 256 55 122 0 0__________________________________________________________________________ Note: A "*" indicates a null value.
TABLE T-3ca__________________________________________________________________________LRU TABLE AFTER RECYCLING FOLLOWING 1000th I/O OPERATIONI/O 1000 was a read involving track 56.Table is listed in MRU-to-LRU order.LRU-CNL = 22LRU-LRU = 3LRU-MRU = 6SSD LRU LRU DISK CACHED MODIFIED LRU RE-SLOT LAST NEXT TRACK LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOCK CYCLE__________________________________________________________________________a 6 3 0 58 1 256 * * 0 0b 3 21 6 215 1 256 * * 0 021 18 3 56 110 256 * * 0 1(cached due to a read-miss of disk track 56)18 19 21 213 1 256 * * 0 0(cleaned by writing modified portion to disk)19 5 18 212 227 256 * * 0 05 17 19 8071 255 256 * * 0 017 1 5 63 1 256 * * 0 0(cached-ahead for read of track 62)1 8 17 62 1 256 * * 0 1(cached by read miss spanning tracks 61-62)8 9 1 61 191 256 * * 0 19 14 8 48 117 256 * * 0 014 20 9 65 1 256 * * 0 0(cached-backward for read of track 66)20 16 14 66 135 256 * * 0 1(cached due to read-miss of track 66)16 2 20 57 127 256 * * 0 02 12 16 46 153 256 * * 0 012 22 2 52 181 256 * * 0 022 4 12 67 1 256 * * 0 04 15 22 41 1 256 * * 0 015 10 4 42 21 256 * * 0 010 0 15 43 1 256 * * 0 0(slot 10 is now the LRU slot)Following slots have been modified but not yet cleaned bywriting modified portion to disk; thus, they are notchained.7 * * 45 1 256 1 2 0 011 * * 44 191 256 191 256 0 013 * * 214 55 256 55 122 0 0__________________________________________________________________________ Note: A "*" indicates a null value.
TABLE T-3cb__________________________________________________________________________LRU TABLE AFTER PREFETCH FOLLOWING 1000th I/O OPERATIONI/O 1000 was a read involving track 56.Table is listed in MRU-to-LRU order.LRU-CNL = 22LRU-LRU = 15LRU-MRU = 10SSD LRU LRU DISK CACHED MODIFIED LRU RE-SLOT LAST NEXT TRACK LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOCK CYCLE__________________________________________________________________________a 10 6 0 55 1 256 * * 0 0b 6 3 10 58 1 256 * * 0 0c 3 21 6 215 1 256 * * 0 021 18 3 56 110 256 * * 0 1(cached due to a read-miss of disk track 56)18 19 21 213 1 256 * * 0 0(cleaned by writing modified portion to disk)19 5 18 212 227 256 * * 0 05 17 19 8071 255 256 * * 0 017 1 5 63 1 256 * * 0 0(cached-ahead for read of track 62)1 8 17 62 1 256 * * 0 1(cached by read miss spanning tracks 61-62)8 9 1 61 191 256 * * 0 19 14 8 48 117 256 * * 0 014 20 9 65 1 256 * * 0 0(cached-backward for read of track 66)20 16 14 66 135 256 * * 0 1(cached due to read-miss of track 66)16 2 20 57 127 256 * * 0 02 12 16 46 153 256 * * 0 012 22 2 52 181 256 * * 0 022 4 12 67 1 256 * * 0 04 15 22 41 1 256 * * 0 015 10 4 42 21 256 * * 0 0(slot 15 is now the LRU slot)Following slots have been modified but not yet cleaned bywriting modified portion to disk; thus, they are notchained.7 * * 45 1 256 1 2 0 011 * * 44 191 256 191 256 0 013 * * 214 55 256 55 122 0 0__________________________________________________________________________ Note: A "*" indicates a null value.
TABLE T-3d__________________________________________________________________________I/O TABLE AFTER 1001 I/O OPERATIONSI/O 1001 was a write involving tracks 61 and 62.Table is listed in MRU-to-LRU order.LRU-CNL = 22LRU-LRU = 15LRU-MRU = 21SSD LRU LRU DISK CACHED MODIFIED LRU RE-SLOT LAST NEXT TRACK LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOCK CYCLE__________________________________________________________________________10 6 0 53 1 256 * * 0 1(slot 10 is still the MRU)6 3 10 58 1 256 * * 0 019 5 18 212 227 256 * * 0 05 17 19 8071 255 256 * * 0 017 9 5 63 1 256 * * 0 09 14 17 48 117 256 * * 0 014 20 9 65 1 256 * * 0 020 16 14 66 135 256 * * 0 016 2 20 57 127 256 * * 0 02 12 16 46 153 256 * * 0 012 22 2 52 181 256 * * 0 022 4 12 67 1 256 * * 0 04 15 22 41 1 256 * * 0 015 10 4 42 21 256 * * 0 010 6 15 43 1 256 * * 0 06 3 10 58 1 256 * * 0 03 0 6 215 1 256 * * 0 0(slot 15 is still the LRU slot)Following slots have been modified but not yet cleaned bywriting modified portion to disk; thus, they are notchained. Since five tracks have been modified, thebackground sweep will be turned on.1 * * 62 1 256 1 2 0 07 * * 45 1 256 1 2 0 08 * * 61 191 256 191 256 0 011 * * 44 191 256 191 256 0 013 * * 214 55 256 55 122 0 0__________________________________________________________________________ Note: A "*" indicates a null value.
TABLE T-3e__________________________________________________________________________LRU TABLE AFTER 1002 I/O OPERATIONSI/O 1002 was a write involving track 214.Table is listed in MRU-to-LRU order.LRU-CNL = 22LRU-LRU = 15LRU-MRU = 11SSD LRU LRU DISK CACHED MODIFIED LRU RE-SLOT LAST NEXT TRACK LOW HIGH LOW HIGH LOCK CYCLE__________________________________________________________________________11 7 0 44 191 256 * * 0 0(slot 11 is new MRU, based on cleaning operations)7 8 11 45 1 256 * * 0 08 1 7 61 191 256 * * 0 01 10 8 62 1 256 * * 0 010 6 1 55 1 256 * * 0 06 3 10 58 1 256 * * 0 03 21 6 215 1 256 * * 0 021 18 3 56 110 256 * * 0 1(cached due to a read-miss of disk track 56)18 19 21 213 1 256 * * 0 0(cleaned by writing modified portion to disk)19 5 18 212 227 256 * * 0 05 17 19 8071 255 256 * * 0 017 9 5 63 1 256 * * 0 0(cached-ahead for read of track 62)9 14 17 48 117 256 * * 0 014 20 9 65 1 256 * * 0 0(cached-backward for read of track 66)20 16 14 66 135 256 * * 0 0(cached due to read-miss of track 66)16 2 20 57 127 256 * * 0 02 12 16 46 153 256 * * 0 012 22 2 52 181 256 * * 0 022 4 12 67 1 256 * * 0 04 15 22 41 1 256 * * 0 015 0 4 42 21 256 * * 0 0(slot 15 is now the LRU slot)Following slots have been modified but not yet cleaned bywriting modified portion to disk; thus, they are notchained. Since only 1 track is modified, the backgroundsweep will remain inactive.13 * * 214 55 256 55 122 0 1(this was a hit on cached data; recycle register is setto one)__________________________________________________________________________ Note: A "*" indicates a null value.
The invention now being fully described, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many changes and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims. | A computer data storage device made up of both solid state storage and rotating magnetic disk which maintains a fast response time approaching that of a solid state device for many workloads and improving on the response time of a normal magnetic disk for practically all workloads. The high performance is accomplished by a special hardware configuration coupled with unique procedures and algorithms pertaining to the methodology of placing and maintaining data in the most appropriate media based on actual and projected activity. The system management features a completely searchless method for determining the location of data within and between the two devices. Sufficient solid state memory capacity is incorporated to permit retention of useful, active data, as well as to permit prefetching of data into the solid state component when the probabilities favor such action. Movement of updated data from the solid state storage to the magnetic disk and of prefetched data from the magnetic disk to the solid state component is done on a timely, but unobtrusive, basis as background tasks of the described device. The direct, private channel between the solid state storage and the magnetic disk prevents the conversations between these two media from conflicting with the transmission of data between the host computer and the described device. A set of microprocessors manage and oversee the data transmission and storage. Data integrity is maintained through a power interruption via a battery assisted, automatic and intelligent shutdown procedure. | 6 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 921,450, filed Jul. 28, 1992 now abandoned which was a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No., 829,123 filed Feb. 3, 1992, also abandoned. Related applications include the following:
U. S. Ser. No. 07/478,072, filed Feb. 9, 1990, entitled, PURIFICATION OF 1,1,1-TRIS (4'-HYDROXYPHENYL)ETHANE (THPE) now U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,598;
U.S. Ser. No. 07/576,630, filed Aug. 31, 1990, entitled, ACRYLATE ESTERS OF 1,1,1-TRISHYDROXYPHENYLETHANE (THPE) now abandoned;
U. S. Ser. No. 07/595,887, filed Oct. 11, 1990, entitled, ACRYLATE ESTERS OF 1,1,1 -TRISHYDROXYPHENYLETHANE (THPE) now U.S. Pat. No. 5,130,467;
U. S. Ser. No. 07/989,397, filed Dec. 11, 1992, entitled, PROCESS FOR PREPARING 1-TRIS (4'-HYDROXYPHENYL)ETHANE now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 07/819,167, filed Jan. 8, 1992, entitled, PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF 1,3,5TRIS(4'-HYDROXYPHENYL)BENZENE & ITS DERIVATIVES & INTERMEDIATE COMPOUNDS, now abadoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 07/819,168, filed Jan. 8, 1992, entitled, PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF 1,3,5-TRIS(4'-HYDROXYARYL)BENZENE now abandoned;
U.S. Ser. No. 08/068,460, filed May 27, 1993, entitled PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF 1,3,5-TRIS(4'-HYDROXYARYL)BENZENE now U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,698;
U.S. Ser. No. 07/819,166, filed Jan. 8, 1992, entitled, EPOXIDATION PRODUCTS OF 1,3,5-TRIS(4'-HYDROXYPHENYL)BENZENES now abandoned;
U.S. Pat. No. 08/069,966, filed May 28, 1993, entitled AMINES DERIVED FROM THPE & PROCESSES FOR PREPARING THE SAME now U.S. Pat. No 5,312,988; and
U.S. Ser. No. 08/069,966, filed May 28, 1993, entitled, POLYAMINES DERIVED FROM THPB & PROCESSES FOR PREPARING THE SAME now U.S. Pat. No. 5,300,559.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to novel compounds which include a triaryl or quadaryl nucleus coupled to a stabilizing or colorant moiety. The novel compounds, relatively high in molecular weight, are particularly suitable for incorporation into condensation polymers.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
Additives to impart ultraviolet ("UV") stabilizing properties or antioxidant properties to polymers or to perform as colorants are known. For example, the Uvinul™ materials (BASF Corporation, Chemicals Division, Parsippany, N.J.) and the Tinuvin™ additives (Ciba-Geigy Corporation, Additives Department, Hawthorne, N.Y.) are ultraviolet stabilizers that are commercially available for use with polymers. Such additives generally are low molecular weight species, and have several problems including poor compatibility with the polymer matrix, poor dispersion into the polymer formulation, migration within the polymer, losses due to volatility of the additive material during processing or use, and leaching into liquids, for instance, when fabrics made of stabilized polymeric fibers are washed.
One method of overcoming this problem is to incorporate stabilizers directly into the polymer; for example, nitroso compounds are directly incorporated into synthetic rubbers, while amine and phenol antioxidants have been grafted onto synthetic elastomers to form masterbatch concentrates which are subsequently blended with pure polymer. Nir and Vogl have disclosed 2-(2-hydroxy-5-vinylphenyl)-2H-benzotriazole and polymers thereof as ultraviolet stabilizers in addition polymer systems. Nir, Z., and Vogl, O., Journal of Polymer Science; Polymer Chemistry Edition Vol. 20, pp. 2735-2754 Wiley and Sons, (1982). Similar subject matter is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,099,027; 4,943,637 and 4,812,575. See also Gomez, P. M. and Vogl, O. Polymer Journal, Volume 18, No. 5 pp. 429-437 (1986) which discloses dihydroxy benzotriazole compounds.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The present invention is directed in a first aspect to substituted multi-aryl compounds useful for incorporation into condensation polymers. The substitutions forming a part of the subject matter of the invention include those useful as antioxidants, colorants, ultraviolet (UV) light stabilizers, flame retardants and stain blockers such as hindered amines, diazoarenes, benzotriazoles, aroyls including benzophenones, branched alkyl groups, halides, phosphates, phosphites, phosphonites, and sulfonates. The foregoing substitutents are attached to a triaryl or quadaryl nucleus having bifunctionality suitable for incorporation into condensation polymers.
More specifically, there is included within the present invention functionalized compounds capable of being incorporated into a condensation polymer having a triaryl or quadaryl nucleus and including at least a first structural unit selected from group I and chemically bonded thereto at least a second substituent structural unit selected from group II wherein group I is: ##STR1## and group II is hindered amines; diazoarenes; aroyls including benzophenones; benzotriazoles; branched alkyl groups; a halide selected from the group consisting of chlorine, bromine or iodine; phosphates; phosphites; phosphonates and phosphonites; and sulfonates. Preferably, group I is and group II is ##STR2## where the extending line indicates a bond site to the group I nucleus.
A particularly preferred compound for UV stabilization is 1-(3'-(benzotriazol-2"-yl)-4'-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane ("THPE-BZT"); while the following compounds are useful as antioxidants, colorants, flame retardants, stain blockers and for UV stabilization: ##STR3##
In another aspect of the invention, the foregoing compounds are incorporated into condensation polymers such as polyesters, polycarbonates, polyurethanes, polysulfones and epoxy resins.
In a further aspect of the invention, there is disclosed and claimed a method of preparing 3-(benzotriazol-2'-yl)-4-hydroxyacetophenone (4-HAP-BZT) comprising preparing 3-(2'-nitrophenylazo)-4hydroxyacetophenone (4-HAP-AZO) and reductively cyclizing the 4-HAP-AZO.
In still further aspects of the invention, preferred methods of preparing and purifying diazoarene derivatives of 4-hydroxyacetophenone are disclosed and claimed and it was discovered that water increases solubility of the inventive compounds in certain organic solvents.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The invention is described in detail below in connection with numerous examples and various figures in which:
FIG. 1 is a plot showing the relative stability to ultraviolet light of certain polysulfone polymers prepared in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a plot showing the relative stability to ultraviolet light of certain polycarbonate polymers prepared in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The invention is described in detail below for purposes of illustration only and not by way of limitation. One of skill in the art will readily appreciate that ingredients may be substituted and reaction conditions altered from the specific examples hereinafter provided.
One may practice the present invention by synthesizing (THPE-BZT) as shown in SCHEME 1 below. ##STR4##
The general procedure of SCHEME 1 may be used to produce a variety of substituted compounds with multiple ring systems by way of suitable reactants such as diazoarenes useful as colorants for polymers, hindered amines useful as antioxidants or phosphates, phosphites, phosphonates, or phosphonites useful as flame retardants as well as the aroyls, benzotriazoles branched alkyl groups and sulfonates specifically exemplified hereinafter.
Suitable compounds of the present invention may be homopolymerized or copolymerized via condensation polymerization to produce further embodiments of the present invention. By employing condensation polymerization, polymers such as polysulfones, polyesters, polycarbonates, polyurethanes, polyethers, epoxies, and the like may be produced. Suitable hydroxy comonomers for condensation polymerization include 1,4-dihydroxybenzene, 1,3-dihydroxybenzene, 2,6-dihydroxynaphthalene, 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene, 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl, 2,2-di(4'-hydroxyphenyl)propane (bisphenol A), 2,2-di(4'-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane (hexafluorobisphenol A), 1,1-di(4'-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, di(4'-hydroxyphenyl)methane, and the like. Other comonomers such as, for example, ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, neopentylglycol, 1,4-butanediol, and the like, may also be used.
Suitable carboxyl and like comonomers for condensation polymerization include phosgene, dimethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, diphenyl carbonate, thionyl chloride, sulfuryl chloride, dimethyl sulfate, diethyl sulfate, terephthalic acid, terephthaloyl dichloride, dimethyl terephthalate, diethyl terephthalate, isophthalic acid, isophthaloyl dichloride, dimethyl isophthalate, diethyl isophthalate, 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid, 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylic acid dichloride, dimethyl 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylate, diethyl 4,4'-biphenyldicarboxylate, 1,3-benzenedisulfonyl dichloride, dimethyl 1,3-benzenedisulfonate, diethyl 1,3-benzenedisulfonate, 4,4'-biphenyldisulfonyl dichloride, dimethyl 4,4-biphenyldisulfonate, diethyl 4,4'-biphenyldisulfonate, 6,2-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 6,2-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid dichloride, dimethyl 6,2-naphthalenedicarboxylate, diethyl 6,2-naphthalenedicarboxylate, 1,5-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 1,5-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid dichloride, dimethyl 1,5-naphthalenedicarboxylate, diethyl 1,5-naphthalenedicarboxylate, 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonic acid dichloride, dimethyl 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate, diethyl 1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate, 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonic acid dichloride, dimethyl, 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonate, diethyl 2,6-naphthalenedisulfonate, oxalic acid, oxalyl dichloride, dimethyl oxalate, diethyl oxalate, malonic acid, malonyl dichloride, dimethyl malonate, diethyl malonate, succinic acid, succinic anhydride, succinyl dichloride, dimethyl succinate, diethyl succinate, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, dimethyl maleate, diethyl maleate, and the like. Other monomers may include isocyanates, glycidyl ethers and epichlorohydrin.
The following Examples describe suitable processes to synthesize some representative compositions of the present invention. Thus, for example, while some of the Examples may illustrate the synthesis of 4-hydroxyacetophenone ("4-HAP") derivatives, it is to be understood that where appropriate, similar derivatives with the foregoing Formulas may also be prepared by following similar procedures.
EXAMPLE 1
4-HAP-AZO
A 1-L round bottom flask was charged with 400 g of ice water and 90 mL concentrated HCl. While stirring and cooling with an ice bath 69 g of o-nitroaniline was added. The slurry was cooled to 0° C. and a solution composed of 38 g sodium nitrite and 88 g water was added slowly over a 20 minute period. The flask contents were stirred at 0° C. for 1.5 hrs. The excess nitrite was quenched with urea and the solution placed in an addition funnel. The addition funnel was fitted to a 2-L round bottom flask which contained 650 mL water, 21 g sodium hydroxide, 68 g 4-HAP, and 38 g sodium carbonate. The diazonium salt solution was then added to the stirred flask over a 30 minute period while the temperature was held under 5° C. with an ice bath. The slurry was stirred for 40 minutes in the ice bath, then the bath removed and the contents warmed to room temperature and stirred for 1 hr. The solids were filtered and dried in a vacuum oven at 65° C. yielding 148 g of a red solid. LC analysis revealed the solid was 40.5% 4-HAP-azo, 16.9% Unknown 1, 4.1% Unknown 2, 1.45% 4-HAP, and 11.8% water.
EXAMPLE 2
4-HAP-AZO Alternate Procedure
A 1-L round bottom flask was charged with 375 g ice/water, 90 mL concentrated HCl and 68 g o-nitroaniline. The slurry was cooled to 0° C. and a solution composed of 35.9 g sodium nitrite and 88mL water was added over a 30 minute period. The flask contents were then stirred at 0° C. for 1.5 hrs. The excess nitrite was consumed with sulfamic acid and the solution placed in an addition funnel. A second addition funnel was charged with a solution composed of 550 g water, 20 g sodium hydroxide, and 68 g 4-HAP. The two addition funnels were attached to a 5-L flask which was charged with 1500 g of ice water and 40 mL pyridine. The contents of the flask were stirred and cooled with an ice bath while the contents of the two addition funnels were added simultaneously over a 30 minute period. A simultaneous addition period of as short as five or 10 minutes may be used. The contents of the flask were stirred at 0° C. for 4 hrs. and then filtered. The solids were dried in a vacuum oven at 65° C. yielding 106 g of red solids. LC analysis revealed 63.9% 4-HAP-AZO, 3.1% unknown 1, 2.3% unknown 2, 1.8% 4-HAP, and 0.3% water.
EXAMPLE 3
4-HAP-BZT
A 2-L round bottom flask was fitted with a mechanical stirrer, a thermowell, and a condenser. The flask was charged with 106 g of 4 HAP-AZO from above, 250 mL water, 500 mL isopropanol, and 182 g 50% sodium hydroxide. The solution was stirred under nitrogen then 72 g of formamidinesulfinic acid was added in one portion. The temperature rose to 79° C. and the contents were heated at reflux for 1 hr. The inorganic salts were filtered and the solution cooled to 35° C. with an ice bath, and 75 mL of concentrated HCl was added to adjust the solution to pH 4.5. The slurry was stirred for 2 hrs at room temperature, then filtered. The solids were washed with 200 mL of water and dried in a vacuum oven at 65° C. yielding 53.5 g of solids which were 94.1% 4-HAP-BZT and 1.7% others by LC.
Example 4
Reductive Cyclization of 3-(2'-nitrophenylazo)-4-hydroxyacetophenone (4-HAP-AZO) to 3-(benzotriazol-2'-yl)-4-hydroxyacetophenone (4-HAP-BZT)
A methanol solution of 5.50% by weight sodium hydroxide is prepared. 4-HAP-AZO is added to the amount of this methanol solution containing a molar quantity of sodium hydroxide equal to 14.9 times the moles of starting 4-HAP-AZO. A solution of water (52.7 wt %), methanol (41.7 wt %), sodium dithionite (Na 2 S 2 O 4 , 4.26 wt %), and sodium hydroxide (1.28 wt %) is prepared. To the mixture of 4-HAP-AZO in methanolic sodium hydroxide stirred at 75° C. under nitrogen is added over 15 minutes the amount of the aqueous methanol solution containing a molar quantity of sodium dithionite equal to 2.00 times the moles of starting 4-HAP-AZO. The reaction mixture is then stirred at 75° C. under nitrogen for five hours prior to filtration. The filtrate is diluted with a volume of water equal to the volume of methanol in the sodium hydroxide solution to which the starting 4-HAP-AZO was added. On acidification with aqueous HCl to pH 5, the filtrate precipitates solid 4-HAP-BZT. The solid 4-HAP-BZT is recovered by filtration and washed with 0-5° C. water.
The procedure of this Example was used to produce 0.2081 moles of 4-HAP-BZT from 0.3648 moles of 4-HAP-AZO as a crude solid. The crude solid 4-HAP-BZT was purified by recrystallization from diethyl ether.
EXAMPLE 5
4-HAP-BZT
An alternate procedure to produce 4-HAP-BZT from 4-HAP-AZO is to catalytically hydrogenate 4-HAP-AZO. This procedure was used as follows:
The following ingredients were charged to a 100 cc pressure reactor fitted with a temperature controller, a hydrogen regulator and stirrer:
5.5 g 4-HAP-AZO
14.0 g Toluene
6.3 g Methanol
1.3 g Diethylamine
0.4 g 5% Pd/C
The reactor was purged twice with 50 Psi nitrogen by alternately pressuring up with nitrogen then slowly opening the vent followed by pressure checking the reactor for 20 minutes with 200 psi nitrogen. After a successful pressure check the reactor was vented and purged twice with 50 psi hydrogen. The hydrogen regulator was set at 50 psi, and the valve opened during the reaction while the stirrer was activated and the temperature maintained at 35° C. for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature was increased to 50° C. and maintained for an additional hour. The heater was then turned off and the reactor allowed to cool to room temperature while the reactor was de-pressurized, purged and the 4-HAP-BZT product was removed and recovered in at least 40% yield.
EXAMPLE 6
4-HAP-BZT
A 5-L four neck round bottom flask was fitted with an overhead stirrer, an addition funnel, a thermowell, and a nitrogen purge. The flask was charged with 2100 g of ice water, 540 mL concentrated HCl, and 414 g o-nitroaniline. The contents were stirred and cooled with an ice bath for 30 minutes then a solution composed of 215 g sodium nitrite and 525 g water was added slowly over a 40 minute period while holding the temperature at 5° C. When the addition was complete the contents were allowed to stir at 5° C. for 2 hrs. The excess nitrite was then destroyed with sulfamic acid (5 g sulfamic acid dissolved in 50 mL water). Starch iodide paper was used to confirm absence of nitrite. A 12-L flask four neck flask was fitted with an overhead stirrer, an addition funnel, a thermowell and a nitrogen purge. The flask was charged with 3300 g ice water, 120 g sodium nydroxide pellets, 408 g 4-hydroxyacetophenone, 225 g sodium carbonate and 1000 g ice. The contents were stirred and cooled to 5° C. and then the diazonium salt solution added over a 40 minute period while holding the temperature under 10° C. The contents were allowed to stir at 10° C. for 2.5 hrs and then warm to room temperature and stand stirring overnight. The next morning the solids were filtered and slurried with 3 L of isopropanol and returned to the 12-L flask. The flask was fitted with a reflux condenser and a heating mantle and then 909 g of 50% sodium hydroxide added yielding a homogeneous soluton. Next, 389 g of formamidine sulfinic acid was added and the contents stirred for 1 hr during which time the exotherm caused the temperature to rise to 78° C. Then 480 g of 50% sodium hydroxide was added and 324 g of formamidine sulfinic acid added in three portions over a 15 minute period. The contents were allowed to reflux for 2 hrs and then stand overnight. The next day the inorganic solids were removed by filtration and the filtrate acidified to pH 3 with concentrated HCl. The slurry was stirred and cooled for 1 hr and the solids filtered and washed with 1 L of water. Drying in a vacuum oven overnight yielded 318 g of 4-HAP-BZT which assayed at 91.4% purity.
EXAMPLE 7
4-HAP-BZT to THPE-BZT
A four neck 12-L round bottom flask was equipped with an air cooled reflux condenser, an overhead stirrer, a thermowell, and an addition funnel. The flask was charged with 760 g of 4-HAP-BZT and 2400 g molten phenol. The contents were stirred and a nitrogen purge started. Then 321 g of 2-mercaptopropionic acid ("2-MPA") was charged through the addition funnel. The addition funnel was charged with 318 g of methanesulfonic acid. The methanesulfonic acid was added slowly over 30 minutes to hold the exotherm under 52° C. The flask was fitted with a temperature controlled heating mantle and the contents stirred at 52° C. for 21 hrs. The next day the heating mantle was removed and 2100 g of ice cold methanol was added to the flask and the contents cooled with an ice bath to 4° C. and stirred for 1 hr. The slurry was filtered through a coarse fitted filter and the solids washed with two 1050 g portions of cold methanol. The crude THPE-BZT solid was slurried and stirred for 10 minutes with a solution composed of 100 mL concentrated ammonium hydroxide and 1950 mL water. The slurry was filtered and washed with 2000 mL of water. The solids were placed in a 12-L round bottom flask which contained 560 mL water, 8 L acetone, and 25 g activated carbon. The contents were stirred and refluxed under nitrogen for 2 hrs. Then 50 g of Celite was added and the mixture stirred for 10 minutes. The slurry was filtered through a celite pad and allowed to cool to room temperature. A few drops of concentrated HCl was added to decrease the color of the filtrate. The filtrate was transferred to a carboy and 8 L of water was added slowly while stirring vigorously. The carboy was then placed in a cold box at 8° C. and allowed to stand overnight. The next day the slurry was filtered and the white solids washed with two 3 L portion of water. The purified solids were dried in a vacuum oven at 60° C. yielding 1011 g of white solids which assayed at 99% THPE-BZT.
Examples 8,9
Alternative Purification of Crude THPE-BZT
Crude THPE-BZT prepared as above was dissolved in either isopropanol or preferably, acetone. The resulting brownish solution was then eluted through an Amberlyst-21 basic ion exchange resin pretreated by elution with isopropanol followed by acetone. The sample was eluted with acetone. The resulting yellow solution was treated with 5% aq. HCl, until pH<7. Water was then added to the acetone solution until it became slightly turbid. A reddish-brown oil precipitated out and solidified upon standing at room temperature. Analysis of this material by LC showed it contained THPE-BZT, and two unknowns. The white turbid solution decanted from the colored oil was allowed to precipitate slowly to yield a white solid which was filtered, washed with water and dried on the filter. Analysis of this material by LC showed it contained THPE-BZT, and two unknowns. After slow precipitation of the white solid from the acetone solution the solid was filtered, washed with water and dried on the filter. Recovery was 80 to 87% depending on purity of the starting material and was increased to 92% by recycling the reddish-brown solid through the purification process. Purity of the resulting THPE-BZT was 99+%. In another run, Amberlyst-15, an acidic ion exchange resin, was substituted for the aqueous acid treatment. Here the crude THPE-BZT was treated with Amberlyst-21 followed by Amberlyst-15. Water was added to the yellow acetone solution until it turned slightly turbid. Again, a reddish-brown oil precipitated out first. The supernatant was decanted from the turbid solution. The second crop yielded (white) THPE-BZT recovered in 85% yield. Purity was 99+%. Runs made with isopropanol as the solvent did not result in a reddish-brown oil precipitating, and, as expected the APHA colors were higher and the overall purities were lower in these cases.
THPE-BZT in the anhydrous form is not generally soluble in aprotic organic solvents such as diethyl ether, CH 3 CN, tetrahydrofuran and the like. In contrast, protic solvents like dimethyl sulfoxide and N,N dimethyl formamide will readily dissolve THPE-BZT in either hydrated or anhydrous form. If it is desired to dissolve anhydrous THPE-BZT in an aprotic organic solvent, the solvent may be mixed with from 1 to 50 weight percent water based on the solvent/water mixture, preferably from about 1 to 10 percent water to promote dissolution of the THPE-BZT. Alternatively, the hydrated form will readily dissolve in aprotic solvents.
EXAMPLE 10
Preparation of the tribenzoate of tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane: ##STR5##
An aqueous NaOH solution (80 g in 200 g H 2 O) containing tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane (prepared in accordance with Example 7, except that only unsubstituted 4-HAP is used) (153 g, 0.5 mol) and a phase transfer catalyst, tetrabutyl ammonium bromide (1 g) was added dropwise to a rapidly stirred solution of benzoyl chloride (212 g, 1.5 mol) in 200 g CH 2 Cl 2 at room temperature. After the addition was complete the two-phase mixture started to reflux. Refluxing ended in 20 minutes. The reaction was stirred for an additional two hours. Then the water layer was decanted and the organic layer washed with water, dried over MgSO 4 and rotovap to yield a white solid. The white solid was recrystallized from acetone to give 295.18 g (96% yield) of the tribenzoate, MP=224° C.
EXAMPLE 11
Conversion of the Tribenzoate to the Tribenzophenone ##STR6##
Tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane tribenzoate (1.69 g, 2.7 mmol) was dissolved in degassed HPLC grade THF (100 g). The colorless solution was poured into an Ace-Hanovia photochemical reactor. The solution was photolyzed for 6 to 12 hours. The resulting bright yellow solution showed no starting benzoate by thin-layer chromatography (silica gel, 20% acetone/toluene). LC analysis showed a mixture containing the Fries rearranged products, mono (8%), di (31%) and tri (30%). The benzophenone structures were confirmed by IR, MS, and NMR. No starting material was detected.
EXAMPLE 12
Fries Rearrangement of Tris(4'-hydroxyphenyl)ethane Tribenzoate to the Tribenzophenone
Tris(4'-hydroxyphenyl)ethane tribenzoate is added to a stirred autoclave. The reactor is evacuated then chilled to about -30° C. Anhydrous HF (about 12 times the weight of the starting tribenzoate ester) is now added via suction to about half-fill the reactor. The contents of the vessel are heated at about 55° C. for about 5 hours. The reactor contents are vented (via a dip tube) onto about 8 times their weight of wet ice and neutralized with potassium hydroxide to a pH of about 6.5. The crude solid tribenzophenone product is filtered on a Buchner funnel. Pure 1,1,-tris(3'-benzoyl-4'-hydroxyphenyl)ethane may be obtained by recrystallization from acetone, chloroform or other suitable solvent.
EXAMPLE 13
Production of 3'-Benzoyl-4'-hydroxyacetophenone by Ring Benzoylation of 4-HAP
Anhydrous AlCl 3 (3.09 moles) is weighed and transferred under nitrogen to flask fitted with a mechanical stirrer, a nitrogen inlet, and an exit bubbler. To the AlCl 3 is added 9.19 moles of 1,2-dichloroethane and 1.160 moles of benzotrichloride. The resulting mixture is stirred on an ice bath at 0° C. for 10 minutes before addition of 4-HAP (1.00 mole), in portions, at 0° C. with immediate evolution of HCl fumes. The reaction mixture is stirred at 0° C. for an additional 15 minutes before being poured over about 4.0 times its weight of ice-water. The resulting aqueous mixture is stirred and heated at 70° C. for 30 minutes and then extracted with about 4.57 moles of 1,2-dichloroethane. Vacuum rotary evaporation of the 1,2-dichloroethane extract provides crude 3'-benzoyl-4'-hydroxyacetophenone, which can be purified by distillation, recrystallization, or HPLC.
The procedure of this Example 13 was used to produce 3'-benzoyl-4'-hydroxyacetophenone (1.994 moles, 60.1% yield) from 4'-hydroxyacetophenone (3.32 moles) and benzotrichloride (3.85 moles); which may then be used to produce substituted THPE compounds.
EXAMPLE 14
Alkylation of tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane with ##STR7## isobutylene
Tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane 3 g, 9.8 mmol) is heated in 25 mL of tolune with 0.03 g of aluminum powder at 100° C. in an autoclave. At this point isobutylene (68.6 mmol) is added. The mixture is maintained at 100° C. to complete the reaction. The pressure in the autoclave is held at 100 psi. The reaction time is 7 hours. The resulting product is isolated by evaporation of the toluene. Similarly, the isopropyl analog is readily synthesized.
EXAMPLE 15
3,5-Di-t-butyl-4-hydroxyacetophenone
A mixture of 2,6-di-t-butylphenol (41.1 g, 0.20 moles) and glacial acetic acid (17.8 g, 0.30 moles) was slowly added to freshly distilled trifluoroacetic anhydride (60.8 g, 0.29 moles) over a period of 30 minutes. The temperature was maintained at 25° C. using a water bath. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for an additional 22 hours and then was diluted with methyl-t-butyl ether (175 mL). The solution was carefully neutralized with sodium bicarbonate (20% wt/wt) and the organic layer was washed with water (3×300 mL). The solution was reduced to a solid under vacuum and was recrystallized from MTBE, vacuum dried (r.t., 24 hours, 5 torr), and weighed (31.0 g, 0.13 mole, 62.6%). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm 7.86 (s,Ar--H), 5.75 (s, OH), 2.56 (s,C═OCH 3 ), 1.19 (s,C(CH 3 ) 3 ).
EXAMPLE 16
1,1-Bishydroxyphenyl-1-(3',5' -di-t-butyl-4'-hydroxyphenyl)ethane ##STR8##
A mixture of 3,5-Di-t-butyl-4-hydroxyacetophenone (7.8 g, 0.031 moles) and phenol (25.89 g, 0.28 moles) was heated to 80° C. Mercaptoproprionic (3.8 g, 0.06 moles) and methanesulfonic acid (3.2 g, 0.03 moles) were slowly added over a period of 30 minutes. The mixture was maintained at 80° C. for 24 hours and then cooled to room temperature. Phenol was removed by distillation under vacuum (80° C., 1 torr) to give a dark red oil. The oil was diluted with methanol and maintained at 0° C. for 2 weeks. The methanol was removed under vacuum to give a red solid (11.4 g, 0.027 moles, 87.2%). 13 C NMR (CDCl 3 ) δ ppm 49.9 (s, CH 3 C--).
EXAMPLE 17
Preparation of Tris-1,1,1-(3,5'-dibromo-4'-hydroxyphenyl)ethane ##STR9##
A 1 L three neck round bottom flask is equipped with a thermometer, an addition funnel and a reflux condenser which is connected to a gas scrubber. The flask is charged with 30.6 g (0.1 mol) trishydroxyphenylethane and 300 mL of glacial acetic acid. The contents of the flask are stirred and a 15° C. water bath is placed around the flask. The addition funnel is charged with 96 g (0.6 mol) bromine. The bromine is added dropwise to the stirred flask over a 2 hr period while holding the temperature at 15° C. The contents of the flask are stirred for an additional 2 hrs and then added to a beaker containing 1000 mL water. The solid which precipitates out is filtered and is washed with water. The solid is then dried in a vacuum oven.
EXAMPLE 18
Preparation of 1',1",1'"-trishydroxy-1,1,1-triphenylethane-2',2",2'"-trisulfonic acid or 1,1,1-tris(p-hydroxyphenyl)ethane-3',3",3'"-trisulfonic acid ##STR10##
A 1-L round bottom flask is charged with 30.6 g trishydroxyphenylethane (0.1 mol) and 500 mL concentrated sulfuric acid. The flask is fitted with a reflux condenser. The flask is heated with a water bath at 60° C. for 4 hrs while being stirred. The contents of the flask are poured on to 2000 g of ice and the solid is filtered and washed with water. The solid is dried in a vacuum oven. This material is particularly useful as a stain-blocker when incorporated into a polymer as described hereinafter. Similarly, the trinitro analog of like utility is readily made.
EXAMPLES 19, 20
The following examples 19 and 20 relate to hindered amine light stabilizer (HALS) compounds of the present invention.
EXAMPLE 19
Production of HALS Derivative 1-[3'-2',2",6",6"-tetramethylpiperidine-4"-yl)-4'-hydroxyphenyl]-1,1-bis(4'"-hydroxyphenyl)ethane
AlCl 3 (3 moles) is added slowly to a stirred mixture of 1,1,1-tris(4'-hydroxyphenyl)ethane(1 mole) and 4-chloro-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (1.00 mole, Helv. Chim. Acta 49 (1966) at P. 694) in nitrobenzene (5 L) maintained at 25° C. with cooling as necessary. HCl gas, formed as a byproduct, is vented throughout the entire reaction period. The reaction mixture is stirred and heated to 65° C. for 45 minutes, cooled to 25° C., and then added slowly to three times its weight of water maintained at 5°-25° C. with cooling. The resulting aqueous mixture is extracted with diethyl ether. The aqueous phase of the extraction is neutralized to pH 8 by addition of 25 wt % aqueous NaOH with cooling to 25° C. The resulting aluminum salt precipitate is removed by filtration, and the aqueous filtrate is extracted with diethyl ether. All the diethyl ether extracts are combined and evaporated to a residue of non-volatile reaction products, from which the HALS product is isolated by recrystallization, distillation, or HPLC.
EXAMPLE 20
Production of HALS Derivative 1-[3'-(2",2",6",6"-tetramethylpiperidine-4"-yl)-4'-hydroxyphenyl]-1,1-bis(4'"-hydroxyphenyl)ethane
2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydropyridine (1 mole; Helv. Chim. Acta 49 (1966) at p.694) 1 mole is added to a mixture of and sulfuric acid (4 moles) and stirred at 0° C. in an autoclave. The resulting mixture is stirred and heated to 65° C. for 45 minutes, cooled to 25° C., and then added slowly to twice its weight of water maintained at 5°-25° C. with cooling. The resulting aqueous mixture is stirred and neutralized to pH 8 by addition of 25 wt % aqueous NaOH and is then extracted with diethyl ether. The diethyl ether extracts are evaporated to a residue of non-volatile reaction products, from which the HALS product is isolated by recrystallization, distillation, or HPLC.
EXAMPLE 21
Preparation of THPB by condensation trimerization of 4-HAP
A 250 mL round bottom flask equipped with a magnetic stirrer, a Dean-Stark trap and a condenser is charged with 4-HAP (0.05 m), aniline (0.2 moles), and toluene (100 ml). The reaction mixture is heated at reflux under nitrogen atmosphere for 17 hours. Aniline hydrochloride (0.0038 moles) is then added, and toluene is removed via distillation. After being heated at 190°-200° C. for 3 hours, the reaction mixture is cooled to 120° C. Toluene (100 ml) is added to the cooled reaction mixture to separate an oil. After the supernate liquid is decanted, hexanes (100 ml) are added to the oily residue to precipitate 1,3,5-tris(4'-hydroxyphenyl)benzene (THPB), which is recovered by filtration and which can be purified by recrystallization or HPLC. (yield: 79%).
Part of 4-HAP may be replaced by a different phenolic compound, to produce a substituted THPB as with THPE in the above examples. Also, the trimerization reaction in this example uses aniline as the condensation reagent. Instead, an acid catalyzed trimerization using, for example, HCl and triethyl orthoformate, may be employed.
Example 22
Following the procedure of example 7 generally, aromatic thiol is substituted in appropriate amounts to produce functionalized units including the structural unit: ##STR11##
The inventive compounds prepared in accordance with examples above are particularly useful as stabilizers, flame retardants, colorants and the like when incorporated directly into a condensation polymer chain as described further hereinafter.
Examples 23-27
Preparation of Polysulfones Containing THPE-BZT
Polysulfones are typically prepared from equimolar amounts of dihydric phenols and 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone as described in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, Vol. 13, p. 196-211 (Wiley, 2nd. Editon, 1988). THPE-BZT prepared in accordance with the examples above was substituted for a portion of the stoichiometric amount of dihydric phenol, preferably in an amount of from about 0.05 to about 5 mole percent of the reaction mixture to produce the novel polysulfone polymers of the present invention as follows:
______________________________________Moles Moles Moles4,4'-dichlorodiphenylsulfone Bisphenol A THPE-BZT______________________________________1 0.90 0.11 0.95 0.051 0.99 .011 0.995 .0051 0.999 0.001______________________________________
Polymerization of the foregoing mixtures is carried out by way of the in-situ preparation of sodium or potassium salts of the dihydric phenol and reaction with the dichlorosulfone.
EXAMPLE 28
Polysulfone may be prepared as specifically described in this example
To a 3 neck 1-liter flask fitted with a thermowell, mechanical stirrer, and distillation head was added bisphenol(22.45 g, 0.098 mol), 4-fluorophenylsulfone (25.04 g, 0.098 mole) and potassium carbonate (27.09 g, 0.196 mol). Once all the reactants were added, 400 g of N-methylpyrrolidone and 50 g of toluene were added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature until most of the reactants dissolved. The pale yellow solution was stirred while the temperature was raised from 25° C. to 65° C. over a two hour ramp. Removal of water was accomplished by azeotroping with toluene. The temperature was held at 165° for 16 hours, then ramped to 75° C. in five minutes and held there for 2 hours. The dark brown solution was allowed to cool to room temperature. The solution was decanted from the residual salts and precipitated into isopropanol/acidified water, 75/25. The resulting solid was filtered, redissolved into THF and precipitated again into isopropanol. The resulting white polymer was filtered and dried in a vacuum oven at 100° C. The intrinsic viscosity (IV) measured in tetrachloroethane at 30° C. was 0.35.
EXAMPLES 29-33
Further examples of THPE-BZT containing polysulfones are described in this section
(THPE-BZT) (0.4155 g, 0.98 mol% based on bpA), bisphenol-A (22.37 G, 0.098 mol), 4-fluorophenylsulfone (25.24 g, 0.099 mol) and potassium carbonate (27.32 g, 0.098 mol) were added to a 3 neck 1-liter flask fitted with a thermowell, mechanical stirrer and distillation head. N-methyl pyrrolidone (400 g) and toluene (50 g) were added. The polymerization procedure described above was used. The resulting dark brown solution was precipitated into water containing ˜1% HCl to neutralize any salts. The white flocculent polymer was filtered, extracted with methanol to remove any unreacted THPE-BZT and dried in a vacuum oven at 100° C. The white polymer had an IV of 0.29. UV analysis showed an absorption at λ=335 nm. The resulting polymer was then cast into a film and exposed to UV light. Yellowness index (YI) measurements were made hourly with a Hunter colorimeter on a series of polymers prepared in accordance with the above. Results appear in FIG. 1 and are compared with pure polysulfone and polysulfone containing commercially available additive (absorber A) that is blended with polymer.
EXAMPLES 34-36
Polycarbonates containing THPE-BZT substituted for a portion of the bisphenol-A were prepared by way of reaction with phosgene. This may be accomplished by any known method, however it was found preferable to carefully control the amount of excess phosgene present and pH as follows:
Suitable amounts of Bisphenol A, THPE-BZT are ground and added to a reactor with ammonium salt as well as CO 3 and HCO 3 buffer. The mixture is stirred. Methylene chloride is added and phosgene bubbled through while the pH is maintained at 9 through the addition of NaOH. Phosgene addition is continued only when the pH is approximately 9.
Results for a series of copolymers prepared in accordance with the above appear in FIG. 2 with levels of 0.5%, 1% and 2% mole per cent THPE-BZT.
EXAMPLE 37
Polyesters may be prepared by using THPE-BZT as a portion of the diol by condensation with a suitable dicarboxylic acid or a dicarboxylic acid derivative, for example acid chloride or diphenyl ester.
EXAMPLE 38
Preparation of Polyurethanes Containing THPE-BZT
Polyurethanes are prepared incorporating THPE-BZT by substitution of THPE-BZT for other polyols present in a reaction mixture. Examples are described in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, Vol. 13, p. 243-303 (2nd. Edition, 1988, Wiley). As used herein, the term polyurethane refers to materials that include the carbamate function as well as other functional groups such as ester, ether, amide and urea. Polyurethanes are usually produced by the reaction of a polyfunctional isocyanate with a polyol or other hydroxyl-containing reactant. Since the functionality of the hydroxyl-containing reactant or the isocyanate can be adjusted, a wide variety of branched or cross-linked polymers can be formed. The hydroxyl-containing component may be of a wide variety of molecular weights and types including polyester and polyether polyols. The polyfunctional isocyanates may be aromatic, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or polycyclic in structure and can be used directly as produced or modified. The flexibility in reactants leads to the wide range of physical properties of available materials. Present invention polymers are prepared by substituting THPE-BZT (from Example 4 above) for a portion of the hydroxyl-containing reactant in a mole ratio of THPE-BZT/hydroxyl from about 0.001:1 to about 0.1:1 for the polyol in a polyurethane reaction mixture or, in other words, from about 0.05 to about 5 mole percent of the total mixture as described above in connection with polysulfones.
EXAMPLE 39
Preparation of Epoxy Resins Containing THPE-BZT
Epoxy resins may be produced by reactions of epichlorohydrin and a hydroxyl monomer such as bisphenol A [2,2-di(4'-hydroxyphenyl)propane]. Examples are described in the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, Vol. 6., p. 322-382 (2nd. Edition, Wiley, 1988). When a portion of the hydroxyl monomer is replaced by THPE-BZT, such processes yield epoxy resins with covalently bound, non-migratory UV-light stabilizing functionality. The THPE-BZT may be added in any suitable amount, depending upon the reaction system selected, it being appreciated by those of skill in the art that perhaps the most important intermediate in epoxy resin technology is the liquid reaction product of excess epichlorohydrin and bisphenol A as noted above.
The invention has been described above in connection with numerous specific embodiments which are illustrative. Modifications and substitutions will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art, for example, the brominated compounds of the present invention may be substituted for THPE-BZT or diol when it is desired to impart flame--resistant properties to a polymer or the compound of Example 18 may be incorporated into a polymer as a stain blocker. Such modifications are within the spirit and scope of the present invention which is limited and defined only by the appended claims. | Compounds useful as polymer stabilizers which are polymerizable into condensation polymer systems are disclosed and claimed. A particularly preferred embodiment is 1-(3'-(benzotriazol-2"-yl)-4'-hydroxyphenyl)-1,1-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane. | 2 |
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/192,234, (the '234 application), filed Aug. 15, 2008, which claims the benefit of priority U.S. Provisional Applications, each respectively having Ser. Nos. 61/043,790 (filed Apr. 10, 2008) and 61/075,149 (filed Jun. 24, 2008). both of which are herein incorporated by reference.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] This application is related to U.S. Applications, each respectively having Ser. Nos. 11/519516 (filed Sep. 12, 2006), Ser. No. 12/136,014 (filed Jun. 9, 2008), Ser. No. 12/136,018 (filed Jun. 9, 2008), and Ser. No. 12/136,023, all of which are incorporated by reference.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0003] One or more embodiments and features and benefits thereof may be understood upon review of the following detailed description together with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0004] FIG. 1A illustrates a schematic of an embodiment of a voltage regulator whose operation varies based upon load conditions.
[0005] FIG. 1B illustrates a schematic of an alternate embodiment of a voltage regulator controller whose operation varies based upon load conditions.
[0006] FIGS. 2A-H illustrates exemplary signal waveforms generated by the embodiment of the voltage regulator illustrated in FIG. 1A .
[0007] FIG. 3 illustrates a system that may incorporate an embodiment of the voltage regulator whose operation varies based upon load conditions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use one or more embodiments of the present invention as provided within the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the disclosed embodiment(s) will, however, be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments shown and described herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features herein disclosed.
[0009] Some voltage regulators (‘VRs’) convert a first DC voltage to a higher or lower second DC voltage. Such VRs may enhance conversion efficiency to reduce or eliminate wasted power.
[0010] It may be important to maintain high VR conversion efficiency under light-load conditions (i.e. when the load consumes relatively low power), e.g. to maintain battery life. VR efficiency under light-load conditions may be enhanced in different ways.
[0011] One technique for enhancing efficiency under light-load conditions is by ‘phase dropping,’ which is when a VR inactivates one or more phase(s) (i.e., make some phase(s) inactive) during light-load conditions.
[0012] Another technique to further enhance efficiency under light-load conditions is to implement the VR with a diode-emulation control (also referred to as synchronous rectification, or discontinuous conduction mode, or ‘DCM’, control). A DCM control circuit prevents sinking current, and removing energy, from the VR's capacitance 143 ( FIG. 1 ), Cout, during light-load conditions. This also may further improve VR conversion efficiency. One technique for implementing DCM control circuitry is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,643,145 (issued Jul. 26, 2002) which is hereby incorporated by reference. Other DCM control circuitry may be used; known conventional alternatives are not illustrated here for the sake of brevity.
[0013] To implement a DCM control scheme in a VR, the VR is provided a signal indicating that a light-load condition exists or will exist. In one embodiment, the load, e.g. a microprocessor, generates a power-state indicator (PSI#). For example, this may occur in an implementation of Intel Corporation's VR11 specification, e.g. VR11.1. The PSI# is provided to the VR controller to signify a light-load condition. The “#” symbol appended to a signal name denotes negative logic in which PSI#=logic 1 (asserted high) for normal operation, and PSI#=logic 0 (asserted low) for light-load conditions. The power-state indicator is analogous to the PSC signal described below.
[0014] Alternatively, the light-load condition may be determined by measuring the current to the load. The measured current is compared to a threshold current level. If the measured current is below the threshold current level, then an appropriate signal is generated and provided to the VR controller to indicate a light-load condition.
[0015] To further improve light-load efficiency, the VR may be implemented with coupled inductors, such as a two (2) phase VR with two (2) coupled inductors. Coupled-inductor VRs may also have the benefit of reducing the space occupied by such VRs in comparison to corresponding, non-coupled-inductor VRs. Coupled inductors are two or more inductors whose windings are magnetically coupled so that current flowing in one inductor affects the current flowing in one or more other inductors. For example, a pair of coupled inductors may be fabricated by winding two inductors about the same magnetic core. A magnetic core, however, is not required. The measure of coupling (or ‘mutual coupling’) between a pair of inductors is known as mutual inductance, M.
[0016] When a VR having a fixed PWM switching frequency (otherwise known as ‘FSW’) operates in DCM mode in the lightest-load conditions the energy supplied to the capacitance 143 , Cout, may become greater than the energy consumed by the load. In this case the controller will adjust and force the modulator to skip PWM pulses in some switching cycles.
[0017] In a two (2) phase pulse-width-modulation (‘PWM’) VR using coupled inductors and operating in a light-load condition, the drive signals for the two phases may be interleaved and approximately 180 degrees phase shifted from each other. This interleaving may reduce peak-to-peak current in each inductor, may reduce the magnitude of VR peak-to-peak output ripple current, and, therefore, may reduce the magnitude of VR output voltage ripple, reduce the capacitance 143 , Cout, or some combination of the foregoing. When the VR controller enters DCM and the load current reduces sufficiently to force the modulator to skip PWM pulses, the output ripple voltage may become erratic and increase beyond specified peak-to-peak limits.
[0018] The two interleaved coupled phases create inductor currents that do not have a singular triangular waveform (in one switching cycle) as is the case for a two-phase implementation using conventional (non-coupled) inductors. Rather, the two interleaved phases generate inductor currents with a wave form that has two peaks and two valleys during one switching cycle.
[0019] This inductor-current waveform may complicate the implementation of the DCM control circuitry and cause inaccurate zero current detection, in DCM and Continuous Conduction Mode (CCM'), and reduce efficiency in DCM operation.
[0020] The following describes an embodiment of a technique that may solve some or all of the foregoing problems. This embodiment may also reduce the magnitude of output voltage ripple under light-load conditions.
[0021] FIG. 1A illustrates an embodiment of a Voltage Regulator (‘VR’) 100 , which includes a VR controller 110 , two driver circuits (drivers') 120 , 122 , two switches 130 , 131 and 132 , 133 , e.g., pairs of field effect transistors (FETs'), two inductors (L 1 and L 2 ) 141 , 142 that are coupled, output current sensors 151 , 152 , a capacitance 143 , Cout, and other conventional components that are omitted for brevity. Each switch, alternatively, may be implemented by one or more of other devices, e.g., bipolar transistors, diodes, or combinations of a variety of devices; known conventional alternatives are not illustrated for the sake of brevity. The switches 131 and 133 are coupled to a DC supply voltage node 135 , Vin. The inductors 141 , 142 and the capacitance 143 form a filter that may reduce either the magnitude of the Iload ripple in comparison to such ripple in a conventional non-coupled inductor VR or reduce the transient response at Vout in comparison to a conventional non-coupled inductor VR, or a trade off of some lesser reduction of both Iload ripple and the transient response at Vout. The process for designing such a filter and making such a trade-off is not disclosed for the sake of brevity.
[0022] A load 160 is coupled to the output 137 of the VR 100 . The load 160 may be one or more electrical devices, e.g. a processor, memory, bus, or the combination thereof.
[0023] The drivers 120 , 122 provide an interface between the VR controller 110 , operating at relatively low voltage and current levels, and the switches 130 , 132 operating at relatively high voltages and currents; the drivers 120 , 122 permit the VR controller 110 to turn the switches 130 , 132 on and off. The drivers 120 , 122 also include circuitry to implement CCM and DCM operation based upon receiving the appropriate PWM signals 410 , 420 , as is subsequently described. Exemplary drivers are Intersil Corporation's ISL6612, ISL6614, ISL6609, ISL6610, ISL6622, and ISL6620 drivers whose data sheets are herein incorporated by reference.
[0024] The generator and phase shift controller 114 may include one or more of the following: a signal generator, a phase shifter, and/or a switch. The implementation for the generator and phase shift controller is not illustrated for the sake of brevity.
[0025] The generator and phase shift controller 114 may generate analog ramp signal(s) provided to each PWM controller and are used to generate PWM signals. The generator and phase shift controller 114 may generate signal(s) other than analog ramp signal(s), e.g. digitized ramp signals; for the sake of brevity alternative signal wave forms are not illustrated herein.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 1A , the VR controller 110 includes an error amplifier 112 , coupled to two PWM controllers 113 , 115 . The VR controller 110 also includes a comparator 116 coupled to a generator and phase shift controller 114 and a summer 118 . The comparator 116 generates a PSC signal. The error amplifier 112 compares the voltage at the output 137 of the VR 100 to a reference voltage 145 , Vref. The output of the error amplifier 112 , which provides the COMP signal, is coupled to the two PWM controllers 113 , 115 . The operation of the foregoing circuitry is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/318081 (Filed May 17, 2006), which is hereby incorporated by reference. The VR controller has two outputs 170 , 171 which respectively provide output signals, e.g. signals PWM 1 and PWM 2 , or just signal PWM 1 as is further discussed herein. The VR controller 110 , for example, may be implemented with Intersil Corporation's ISL6334 or ISL6336 PWM controllers or incorporate circuitry like that found in such controllers. The datasheets for such controllers are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
[0027] The output current, I 11 and I 12 , from each coupled inductor 141 , 142 is measured by respective current sensors 151 , 152 . The first and second current sensors 151 , 152 measure the current respectively flowing through the the first and second inductors 151 , 152 . The current sensors 151 , 152 may be implemented using a conventional DCR current sensing network. DCR current sensing is accomplished by measuring the DC voltage drop across a capacitor in series with a resistor; a series capacitor and resistor network is coupled in parallel with each inductor 140 , 141 . The capacitor and resistor values are selected so that the voltage across the capacitor is in phase with, and has the same amplitude profile, as the current of the inductor across which the series capacitor and resistor network is in parallel. DCR current sensing, and an alternative current sensing using Rds (On), are further described in Intersil Corporation Data Sheet FN9098.5 (May 12, 2005) which is entitled “Multi-Phase PWM Controller with Precision Rds (On) or DCR Differential Current Sensing for VR 10.X Application,” which is incorporated by reference.
[0028] A first output current sensor 151 measures a first current flowing through inductor 141 . A second output current sensor 152 measures a second current flowing through inductor L 2 142 . The first and second current measurements are summed by summer 118 that provides a signal, Iout, representative of the current (Iload) flowing through the load 160 .
[0029] Signal Iout is then compared by comparator 116 with a threshold current level 139 , Ithreshold. During normal VR 100 operation, the level of signal lout is greater then the threshold current level 139 and the comparator 116 generates a phase shift control (PSC) signal waveform, e.g. with a zero volt level. Such PSC signal waveform causes the phase difference between PWM 1 113 and PWM 2 115 to be approximately one hundred and eighty degrees. However, in a light-load condition, the level of signal lout will be less then the threshold current level 139 and the comparator 116 generates a PSC signal waveform that causes the phase difference between PWM 1 113 and PWM 2 115 to change by approximately one hundred and eighty degrees. Hence, the resulting phase difference between PWM 1 signal 170 and PWM 2 signal 171 is approximately zero degrees.
[0030] Note, the threshold current level 139 , Ithreshold, may correspond to a very light-load condition rather then just a light-load condition. A very light load condition occurs when the value of Iload is less then the value of Iload at the light-load condition. Thus, the other light-load efficiency enhancement techniques mentioned herein may be used at light-load current levels above the threshold current level below which embodiments of the invention provide a benefit.
[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary waveforms 200 of signals generated by one embodiment of the multimode Voltage Regulator (“VR”) 100 of FIG. 1A . FIG. 2 illustrates the use of dual ramps (e.g. RAMP 1 A and RAMP 1 B 310 , 312 ) to generate a PWM signal (e.g. PWM 1 410 ). This technique is also illustrated in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/318081 (Filed May 17, 2006). Alternatively, other techniques for using one or more ramps to create a PWM signal may be used; known conventional alternatives are not illustrated for the sake of brevity.
[0032] During normal operation (or “first operating mode”) of the VR 100 , the PSC signal waveform 210 is in a low voltage state. As a result, the generator and phase shift controller 114 generates four ramp signals, RAMP 1 A, RAMP 1 B 310 , 312 and RAMP 2 A, RAMP 2 B 320 , 322 , where ramp signals RAMP 1 A and RAMP 2 A, and RAMP 1 B and RAMP 2 B are respectively out-of-phase, having approximately one hundred and eighty (180) degree phase difference. When the voltage level of the two sets of ramp signals 310 , 312 and 320 , 322 exceeds the voltage level at the Comp node, then PWM controllers 113 , 115 generate PWM 1 and PWM 2 signals to have signal waveforms 410 , 420 that are interleaved, i.e. approximately one hundred and eighty (180) degrees out of phase. The PWM signals 410 , 420 operate the Drivers 121 , 122 to turn the switches 131 , 132 on and off in an alternating fashion. As a result the currents, Ill and 112 , flowing through coupled inductors 140 have waveforms 151 , 152 that are also interleaved. Such interleaving desirably reduces the magnitude of the ripple of Vout as compared to any phase difference other than approximately 180 degrees.
[0033] In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the PWM signals 410 , 420 are tri-level to enable DCM through drivers 120 , 122 . DCM is enabled through a driver only after the load current I 1 n of the corresponding phase transitions from a positive current to zero current, and the corresponding PWM signal is at its middle level. The zero level (e.g. zero volts) and high level (e.g. five volts) of the tri-level PWM signals 410 , 420 instruct the drivers 120 , 122 to operate in CCM. When the PWM 1 signal 410 is at zero level, the lower FET 130 is turned on. When the PWM signal is at a high level, the upper FET 131 is turned on. FETs 132 , 133 operate in an analogous fashion based upon the level of PWM 1 signal 420 . Other techniques for activating DCM and CCM may be used; known conventional alternatives are not illustrated for the sake of brevity. Embodiments of the invention may also be used in coupled inductor voltage regulators that do not operate in DCM, i.e. that only operate in CCM.
[0034] Under a light-load condition, the interleaved signals waveforms of I 11 510 and I 12 520 may be undesirable because they create a more complex inductor current waveform (i.e. the signal waveforms of I 11 +I 12 ). Hence, implementation of diode emulation control circuitry and detection of zero current crossings may become more difficult. Also, the magnitude of the ripple on Vout may be undesirably increased.
[0035] Therefore, when a light-load condition occurs, such as at time T 1 222 , the PSC signal waveform 210 transitions to a high state. The PSC signal waveform 210 is provided to a generator and phase shift controller 114 .
[0036] Upon the PSC signal waveform 210 transitioning to a high voltage level representative of a light-load condition, the VR 100 enters a second operating mode. The generator and phase shift controller 114 shifts the phase difference between the RAMP 1 A and B, and RAMP 2 A and B waveforms 310 , 320 by approximately one hundred and eighty (180) degrees. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 at Time 220 T 1 222 .
[0037] This causes the PWM signal waveforms to shift by approximately one hundred and eighty (180) degrees so that the PWM signal waveforms 410 , 420 are in phase, i.e., have a phase difference of approximately zero degrees. This is illustrated in FIG. 2 at Time 220 T 1 222 . As a result the currents, I 11 and 112 , flowing through coupled inductors 400 have waveforms 510 , 520 that are also in-phase (i.e. have approximately zero degree phase difference) at Time 220 T 1 222 .
[0038] Because the inductor current waveforms 510 , 520 after Time 220 T 1 222 are similar to those found in VRs employing non-coupled inductors, diode emulation control circuitry used in non-coupled inductor VRs may be used by the VR 100 during light-load operation. Also, detection of zero current crossings can more accurately be detected, in part due to reduced noise because of the more conventional current waveform. This results in enhanced VR efficiency. The magnitude of the ripple at Vout is also reduced under light-load conditions.
[0039] To further enhance the performance of the VR 100 , the current threshold level 139 , Ithreshold, may be modified to improve efficiency and minimize output voltage ripple. The value of the current threshold level 139 , Ithreshold, may be stored in memory (not shown), e.g. in the VR controller 110 .
[0040] FIG. 1B illustrates an alternate embodiment of a multimode voltage regulator (“VR”) controller 110 . In this alternate embodiment, the generator and phase shift controller 114 is replaced by a generator 117 . Like the generator and phase shift controller 114 , the generator 117 generates signal(s), e.g., ramp signal(s). However, unlike a generator and phase shift controller 114 , the generator 117 does not perform phase shifting. Rather, as illustrated in FIG. 1B , the phase is shifted by the use of a switch 119 coupled between the outputs of the PWM controllers 113 , 115 and the VR controller outputs 170 , 171 .
[0041] The alternate embodiment of the VR controller 110 includes a switch 119 , e.g. a single pole, double throw (“SPDT”) switch, coupled to the outputs of both PWM controllers 113 , 115 and both drivers 120 , 122 . The SPDT switch 119 may contain buffer and control logic circuitry. The output of comparator 116 is coupled to the SPDT switch 119 . One or more switch(es), e.g. SPDT or other configurations of poles and throws, may be required for VRs having more than two phases.
[0042] A change in the PSC signal, generated by comparator 116 , toggles the state of switch 119 . Under normal VR 100 operating conditions, the switch 119 couples the PWM 1 signal from the output of PWM controller 113 to the input of driver 120 , and couples the PWM 2 signal from the output of PWM controller 115 to the input of driver 122 . As a result, the PWM signals provided to drivers 120 , 122 are dissimilar, and thus out-of-phase.
[0043] However, when the VR 100 operates under light-load conditions, the PSC signal toggles the switch 119 so that the PWM 1 signal from the output of PWM controller 113 is provided to the input of both drivers 120 , 122 . The output of PWM controller 115 is terminated by a termination, e.g. a resistor, an open circuit or another impedance having resistive, capacitive, and/or inductive components.
[0044] As a result, the PWM signals provided to drivers 120 , 122 are the same, and thus in-phase. The benefit of such in-phase signals is further described herein.
[0045] The PWM 2 signal from the output of PWM controller 115 is provided to neither driver 120 , 122 . In another embodiment, the output of comparator 116 may also be coupled to PWM controller 115 . When the VR 100 operates under light-load conditions, the PSC signal would disable PWM controller 115 , e.g. turning it off, to further conserve power and reduce noise.
[0046] An embodiment of the present invention is applicable to VRs with N-coupled inductors, and with PWM VRs having fixed and variable frequencies. To maintain higher efficiency at lower loads, i.e. reduced VR power output, the PWM frequency may be reduced. PWM frequency, for example, may be adjusted by varying the frequency of RAMP 1 and RAMP 2 waveforms in the generator and phase shift controller.
[0047] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary system 300 , e.g. a computer or telecommunications system. An embodiment of the VR 100 of FIG. 1 may be incorporated into the system 300 . The system 300 includes a power source 301 coupled to the VR 303 . The power source 301 may be a conventional AC to DC power supply or battery; other power sources may be used but are excluded for the sake of brevity. The load 160 may be one or more of a processor 305 , memory 309 , a bus 307 , or a combination of two or more of the foregoing. The processor 305 may be a one or more of a microprocessor, microcontroller, embedded processor, digital signal processor, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing. The processor 305 is coupled by a bus 307 to memory 309 . The memory 309 may be one or more of a static random access memory, dynamic random access memory, read only memory, flash memory, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing. The bus 307 may be one or more of an on chip (or integrated circuit) bus, e.g. an Advanced Microprocessor Bus Architecture (‘AMBA’), an off chip bus, e.g. a Peripheral Component Interface (‘PCI’) bus or PCI Express (‘PCIe’) bus, or some combination of the foregoing. The processor 305 , bus 307 , and memory 309 may be incorporated into one or more integrated circuits and/or other components.
[0048] Although one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described in considerable detail with reference to certain disclosed versions thereof, other versions and variations are possible and contemplated. For example, an embodiment may be implemented with more than two coupled inductors and phases. The capacitance 143 , Cout, may be implemented with one or more capacitors which, for example, can be leaded, leadless, or a combination thereof. Also, the circuits and/or logic blocks described herein may be implemented as discrete circuitry and/or integrated circuitry and/or software, and/or in alternative configurations. For example, additional components, e.g. the Drivers 120 , 122 and switches 130 , 131 , 132 , 133 may be integrated with the PWM controller into a single integrated circuits. Alternatively, a driver and a switch may be respectively be integrated into a single integrated circuit or package. Further alternatively, some components illustrated as being part of the VR controller 110 may be implemented discretely, i.e. not part of a PWM controller integrated circuit. The illustrated embodiments show VRs that are buck converters. Other embodiments of the invention may be implemented with other VR topologies, e.g. boost converters or buck-boost converters, a constant on time implementation, and combinations thereof. Finally, those skilled in the art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiments as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | A method for operating a voltage regulator controller, for use in a voltage regulator including coupled inductors, is provided as follows. A first signal is generated for driving a first switch of the voltage regulator. A second signal is generated driving a first switch of the voltage regulator. The voltage regulator determines whether a light-load condition exists. Upon determining the existence of a light-load condition, adjusting the phase difference between said first and second signals so that the first and second signals are approximately in-phase. | 7 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a building system and, in particular, to a building system comprising individual building elements connected together by connecting elements adapted therefor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a building system comprising individual building elements, each element having an upper and a lower surface which are substantially parallel to each other and each building element having at least one opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, the building elements being such that they can be positioned on top of each other so that openings of different elements are aligned with respect to each other, and wherein a connecting element can be placed in each opening whereby a first building element belonging to it can be pressed to a second building element located immediately below the first building element, which connecting element of each first building element acts on the upper surface of that first building element and is connectable to the connecting element belonging to the second building element.
[0003] In the actual building systems the building elements or building blocks are positioned on top of each other whereby the building elements or building blocks can be connected to each other by different systems. In the most traditional system use is made of cement in order to connect two building elements which are positioned on top of each other or are put side by side. In other systems, commonly called quick building systems, use is made of liquid or paste-like glues in order to connect the building elements to each other. In these systems the building elements according to the preamble can be used as well, the openings being made either to reduce the weight of the building elements and improve the insulating characteristics, or to accommodate lines or the like, or to increase the active surface for the glue or the cement.
[0004] The known building systems all have the disadvantage that they are unsuitable for the unskilled man. During the placing of the building elements and the mutual connecting, the building elements must be positioned accurately with respect to each other and simultaneously they must be connected to each other. This requires the preliminary installment and positioning of adjusting profiles, a wire being stretched there between at the right level along with the next layer of building elements can be positioned and connected. The connection of the building elements requires the availability of a connecting agent such as cement or glue. The handling thereof is not always easy for the unskilled man, as specific requirements must be met with respect to the physical properties during its application, especially with respect to its viscosity. This all has resulted in the fact that the building of walls and the like is not done by the do-it-yourself man, but that as a rule the help of a skilled man is invoked to fulfill this task. Further, the traditional building systems as a result of the connecting means used have the disadvantage that the building height of a wall per time unit is restricted, as the connecting agent needs some time to harden and to obtain the required strength before additional height can be added. When afterwards a building made out of traditional building elements must be broken down, the renewed use of the building elements is generally impossible or labour intensive and therefore not very effective. The cement or the glue must be seen as waste whereas the building elements only partly and only with great efforts can be made suitable for renewed use. In most cases a substantial portion must be accepted as waste.
[0005] In FR-A-2.473.590 there is disclosed a building system as described in the preamble of claim 1 . In this known system each building element is provided with grooves extending around the building element. When two building elements are placed on top of each other with the groove in the lower surface of the top element in line with the groove in the upper surface of the bottom element, a first connecting element can be provided having a strip-like shape with an upper and lower groove provided with holding means. A second connecting element can be snapped in the lower groove of the first connecting element and the upper groove of a lower first connecting element, thereby pressing together the different building elements. The second connecting elements are positioned in the portion of the grooves on the side walls of the building element.
[0006] This known system has the disadvantage that the connection between the different layers is made by so-called saw-teeth connections (ratchet teeth) allowing only very discrete positioning of the connecting elements, and thereof on irregular pressure distribution between the different layers of the building elements. As a result thereof it is somewhat unpredictable whether two super-imposed building elements have been pressed together with the required pressure to ensure a sufficient stability of the erected wall.
[0007] In FR-A-1.487.332 there is also described a system as disclosed in the preamble of the main claim. Herein the connecting element is formed as a bolt, one end being a threaded end and one and being shaped as a nut with greater cross-section. The vertical openings in the building element are shaped as bores and between the bolt and the wall of the bore an elastically deformable material has been provided.
[0008] Upon screwing one bolt on top of another already positioned inside a bore will the elastic material surrounding it, this elastic material is deformed and pressed against the wall of the bore. In this way the connecting elements or bolts are unified with the building elements, and this allows the different building elements on top of each other to be pressed together.
[0009] It might be possible to press two superimposed building elements together with a defined force but no information is given about that. Otherwise the fixation of the connecting element to each individual building element will generate important forces on the material of the building element. As these lateral forces generate tensions in the material of the building element it is highly susceptible to break, and thereby loosing the fixation. This is especially the case with building materials such as cement, which normally have a very low resistance against tension forces.
[0010] It is an object of the invention to provide a building system as elucidated in the preamble wherein the above mentioned disadvantages are avoided.
[0011] This object is achieved in that a deformation member has been applied between the lower surface of the first building element and the connecting element of the second building element, which is deformed by a first predetermined force, thereby inducing a stress in the connecting element of the first building element, and that each first building element is pressed with a second predetermined force to a second building element.
[0012] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description and annexed drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] In general, the present invention comprises a building system comprising a plurality of individual building elements and connecting mechanisms. Each of the building elements has an upper and a lower surface which are substantially parallel to each other and at least one opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, each of said building elements being adapted for alignment with respect to an opening in another building element, each of said connecting mechanisms being dimensioned to fit within and extend through an opening in a building element, each of said connecting mechanisms interconnecting a plurality of associated building elements and a plurality of deformation members, said deformation members being positioned between a lower surface of a first building element and a connecting mechanism of a second building element, said deformation member being deformable by a predetermined force to induce a stress in said connecting mechanism of said first building element such that each of said first building elements is pressed with a second predetermined force to a second building element.
[0014] In an embodiment, the connecting mechanism may comprise a rod which has one end provided within an enlarged portion to enable it to rest on shoulders in the openings of the building elements. One end of the rod fixes to a building element and the other end has an enlarged portion that presses against an upper surface of another building element. The enlarged portion may have a threaded bore for accommodating a lower end of a rod of another building element and the upper and/or lower surface of the building elements has a cut-out for accommodating the enlarged portion of the rod. Additionally, the surfaces may have gutters ending in side walls through which rods can be positioned to connect gutters of associated building elements to form a lateral connection. Other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent from a perusal of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] [0015]FIG. 1 is a top view of a building element which can be used in a building system according to the invention.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 2 is a cross section according to the line II-II in FIG. 1.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section of a number of superimposed building elements which are connected to each other by means of the system according to the invention.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 3A is a schematic cross section of a number of superimposed building elements which are connected to each other by a means of the system according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0019] [0019]FIG. 3B is a schematic cross section of a number of superimposed building elements which are connected to each other by means of the system according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0020] [0020]FIG. 4 is a cross section, on enlarged scale, of the connecting element placed between two building elements, the connection being made according to the invention.
[0021] [0021]FIG. 5 is a cross section corresponding to the cross section of FIG. 3 of a second embodiment of a building system according to the invention.
[0022] [0022]FIG. 6 is a cross section corresponding to the cross section of FIG. 4 of the second embodiment of the building system according to the invention.
[0023] [0023]FIG. 7 is a top view of a building element according to the invention which is modified with respect to the embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0024] [0024]FIG. 8 is a cross-section according to the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7.
[0025] [0025]FIG. 9 is a view corresponding to the view of FIG. 6 of a third embodiment of a connecting system for the building system according to the invention, shown in the condition before the real connection takes place.
[0026] [0026]FIG. 10 is a view corresponding to the view of FIG. 9, after the two building elements have been connected to each other.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] In the FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a building element 1 which can be used for realizing the building system according to the invention. In the embodiment shown the building element 1 has the shape of rectangular block, having an upper surface 2 and a lower surface 3 , two short side walls 4 and 5 and two long side walls 6 and 7 . This building element 1 can be made out of a number of materials, such as natural materials as used in the traditional building blocks, e.g. bricks, as thermoplastic or resin-type materials. Preferably the building element is made out of sand-lime or concrete, as these materials present the required combination of correct measurements, low cost-price with suitable thermal, mechanical and acoustic properties.
[0028] In order to be able to connect the building elements 1 to each other so that a building system is obtained, each building element 1 is provided with at least one opening extending from the upper surface 2 until to the lower surface 3 . In the description and also in the drawings the expression opening is used, and in the further description this opening has the shape of a bore with circular cross-section. However it should be clear that the invention is not restricted to circular bores, but that basically any opening extending between the two named surfaces having any cross-section can be used. In the embodiment shown two such openings 10 and 11 have been provided. The ends of the openings 10 and 11 located near to the upper surface 2 are provided with cut-outs 12 and 13 having a cross-section which is larger than the cross-section of the openings 10 and 11 , and the cut-outs 12 and 13 are concentric with respect to the openings 10 and 11 . In the same way and close to the lower surface the openings 10 and 11 are provided with cut-outs 14 and 15 , which in the embodiment shown have the same shape as the cut-outs 12 and 13 , but in principle they can have a different shape and in some circumstances they can be left out completely. In this way the end portions of the openings 10 and 11 are provided with shoulders 16 , 17 , 18 and 19 .
[0029] In order to connect multiple building elements 1 to each other two such elements 1 A and 1 B are put on top of each other one of the openings 10 or 11 of the one element 1 A being positioned in line with one of the openings 10 or 11 of the other element 1 B, and the lower surface of the element 1 A resting on the upper surface of the other element 1 B, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0030] For the connection of two building elements 1 A and 1 B which are put on top of each other, use is made of a connecting element or mechanism 30 as shown in FIG. 3. In the embodiment shown the connecting mechanism 30 comprises a rod 31 which has one end provided with an enlarged portion 32 by means of which the connecting mechanism can rest against one of the shoulders 16 , 17 , 18 or 19 in the openings. The enlarged portion 32 can constitute one unit with the rod, but it might also be a separate unit which during the erection of the wall is provided each time to the end of the rod 31 . The enlarged portion 32 is provided with means for accommodating the end of another rod 31 , in such a way that the two rods are fixed to each other. In the embodiment shown the enlarged portion 32 as seen in the axial direction of the rod is provided with a bore 33 which is provided with a thread, and the rod 31 , or at least the end portion thereof is provided with a thread of the same pitch, the diameter of the thread of the bore 33 corresponding to the thread of the rod 31 . The external surface of the enlarged portion 32 can have the shape of an hexagonal nut, so that it fits to tools by means of which the rod 31 can be screwed on.
[0031] The length of the connecting mechanism 30 varies to accommodate a plurality of building elements. In one embodiment as shown in FIG. 3, the length of connecting mechanism 30 is basically equal to the height of the building element plus the length of the thread portions extending into the enlarged portion 31 of the next connecting element. In another embodiment as shown in FIG. 3A, the length of connecting mechanism 30 is basically equal to twice the height of the building element plus the length of the threaded portions extending into the enlarged portion 31 of the next connecting mechanism. The connecting mechanism in such embodiment provides for the connection of three building elements. By increasing the length of the connecting mechanism, a greater number of building elements may be connected thereby saving a substantial amount of work, as shown for example in FIG. 3B. The diameter of the rod is somewhat smaller than the diameter of the openings 10 or 11 , so that the rod can be inserted through the openings 10 or 11 with some tolerance.
[0032] In order to connect multiple building elements, a rod 31 is inserted through the opening 10 or 11 positioned in line with the opening 10 or 11 of the building element positioned below the first mentioned, so that the enlarged portion 32 is protruding at the upper part. In the opening of the lower building element such a connecting mechanism 30 has already been provided, the now inserted rod can be screwed in the thread of the lower connecting mechanism. By selecting the right dimensions of the building element and the connecting mechanism 30 the rod can be screwed on to such an extent that the last positioned building element is pressed between the enlarged portion 32 of its own connecting mechanism 30 and the upper surface 2 of the lower building element 2 B. By using a suitable tool the force of this pressing can be adjusted to a defined value, e.g. a force of 3000 N so that the composition receives enough pre-stress in a direction perpendicular to the contact surface and friction along this surface, in order to meet (apart from the pressure resulting of the piling up) all cross stresses, bending-stress and local stress as may be expected.
[0033] In FIG. 3 there is schematically shown how a number of buildings elements are connected to each other by means of the connecting mechanisms 30 . From this drawing it becomes clear how a wall can be obtained in which all the building elements are pressed to each other with the same force. Measurements have shown that basically a force of 1000 N is sufficient to give the wall enough strength against lateral forces. Preferably greater pressure forces between the building elements are used, e.g. of the magnitude of 3000 N. In this way a solid and secure wall can be obtained. With respect to the anchoring it must be remarked that the lowermost layer of building elements can be fixed to a fundament by means of the connecting mechanisms 30 , the fundament being already made before erecting the wall and being provided with hollow elements provided with thread for accepting the lower ends of the rods 31 . If needed, the rods 31 of the lowest layer can be longer than the standard rod length.
[0034] In case the height of the enlarged portion 32 is smaller than the height of the shoulder 12 or 13 , the enlarged portion 32 falls completely within the shoulder 12 or 13 and the shoulders 14 and 15 at the lower surface of the building elements can be eliminated. In view however of the positioning of the next building element to be placed it is preferred that the enlarged portion 32 is extending somewhat above the upper surface 2 .
[0035] In the embodiment described above problems may arise when one of the rods 31 breaks, whereby the complete tension force over the height of the wall above the fracture disappears. This can be improved by anchoring at least partly each building element to the building element or elements located above it. How this can be achieved is described with respect to the FIGS. 5 and 6.
[0036] The system as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is substantially identical to the system as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, except for the presence of a deformation element 35 which has been positioned between the enlarged portion 32 and the shoulder 19 of the cut-out 15 . In the embodiment shown the deformation element is a ring with a truncated conical shape. The dimensions and the material of the deformation element 35 are selected in such a way that the deformation element, as a result of a predetermined force e.g. 1000 N, is deformed in a non-elastic permanent way. It is clear that the invention is not restricted to the embodiment of the deformation element shown, but that it is possible to use other type of deformation elements. Essentially the operation of the deformation element 35 must be such that as a result of a predetermined force a permanent non-reversable deformation is taking place, which force must be substantially smaller than the force whereby the superimposed building elements must be pressed together.
[0037] The dimensions of the deformation element 35 are selected in such a way that in the horizontal direction it completely fits within the cut-outs 12 , 13 , 14 and 15 . The vertical dimension in undeformed condition must be such that the sum of the height of the enlarged portion 32 and the height of the deformation element 35 is bigger than the sum of the heights of the cut-outs 12 and 14 or 13 and 15 . If these conditions are met the following function is obtained.
[0038] It is assumed that the building system is already composed of a number of layers. Before a new building element is positioned with its openings 10 and 11 in line with the openings 10 and 11 of the building element located immediately below the first one, a deformation element is placed on each enlarged portion 32 which will be used by this new building element for connecting purposes. After positioning of the building element, the connecting mechanisms 30 are inserted through the openings 10 and 11 which extend through the already available deformation elements 35 until to the upper end of the bores 33 in the enlarged portions 32 . When the connecting mechanism 30 is screwed into the bore, the enlarged portion 32 of this connecting mechanism 30 is brought into contact with the shoulder 16 or 17 . From this moment on further screwing of the connecting mechanism 30 will cause the building element to be pressed in the direction of the lower building element. In view of the dimensions as elucidated above, the first place that contact is made is between the deformation element and the shoulder 18 or 19 . As soon as the pressure has reached a defined value, e.g. 1000 N, the deformation element starts deformation until the lower surface of the upper building element is contacting the upper surface of the lower building element. Further screwing of the connecting mechanism 30 will cause the two surfaces to be pressed together until the desired pressure force of e.g. 3000 N has been reached. From this moment on the deformation element 35 is deformed and squeezed between the shoulders 18 or 19 on the one hand and the enlarged portion 32 of the connecting mechanism 30 on the other hand. Thereby the deformation element presses with a force of 1000 N against the shoulder 18 or 19 .
[0039] In this way it is achieved that each connecting mechanism 30 is anchored on its own and that the force over the height of a number of superimposed building elements is not completely transferred to the lower connecting mechanism. When now for any reason one of the connecting mechanisms is broken or is not any more capable to transfer the stress downwardly, the required stress force in a number of layers is sufficiently built up to guarantee the required anchoring of the system. In view of the large number of connecting mechanisms which are present in a wall made by means of the building system according to the invention, the consequences in case of an interruption in one of the vertical connecting mechanisms are restricted to a local event, which can not extend to the complete height of the wall.
[0040] In a number of situations it might be desirable to increase the lateral strength of a wall made by means of the building system according to the invention. This can be the case with high walls or in order to connect the inner walls to the outer walls in a construction having a hollow wall. In these situations use can be made of the building element as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.
[0041] The building element 39 according to the FIGS. 7 and 8 is substantially identical to the building element according to FIG. 1, except for the fact that the upper and lower surface have been provided with gutters having a semi-circular or U-shaped cross-section. The gutters 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 and 45 extend from the edges between the upper surface 2 and the side-walls 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 to the cut-outs 12 and 13 in the upper surface 2 . It is possible that the gutters 40 and 41 , 42 and 44 and 43 and 45 are extensions of each other and can emerge into each other. In the same way the lower surface 3 is provided with gutters 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 and 55 which also extend from the edges between the lower surface 3 and the side-walls 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 . In the embodiment shown each gutter 40 - 45 and 50 - 55 is provided with a thread. The location of the gutters 40 - 45 and 50 - 55 is chosen in such a way that when two building elements 39 are placed on top of each other with their openings on one line, at least one gutter in the lower surface of the upper building element is directly opposite one gutter in the upper surface of the lower building element, so that it looks as if one bore provided with thread has been formed. Neighboring building elements may have corresponding bores located on one line with these bores.
[0042] The operation of the lateral anchoring is as follows. During the erection of the wall two building elements 39 are positioned along each other with their upper surface being the same height and the gutter 41 being aligned with the gutter 40 of the neighboring building element. In this way a nearly common gutter is shaped in the common upper surface of the two building elements. In this gutter a rod provided with thread can be placed in such way that it co-operates with the thread in the gutters 41 and 40 respectively. The positioning of the next layer of building elements 39 is done in such a way that at least one of the gutters 50 or 51 is fitting upon the threaded rod which is placed in the gutters 41 and 40 so that the rod is completely enclosed and a lateral anchoring is formed between the two building elements. There is no need that the building elements are directly in contact to each other. It is possible that two walls together forming a hollow wall are laterally fixed to each other. Further this provides the freedom to adapt the number of lateral anchoring in the height depending upon the circumstances, e.g. by providing lateral anchoring in each layer at the critical levels, and only in defined layers in less critical levels.
[0043] Furthermore it is possible to use other lateral anchoring than the system with threaded rods as described above. So it is possible to use gutters 40 - 45 and 50 - 55 respectively in which at a defined distance from the edges between the upper surface 2 and the lower surface 3 respectively and the sidewalls 4 , 5 , 6 and 7 there are provided cut-outs having a bigger dimension than the cross section of the gutters. The anchoring can take place by means of rods which at both ends are provided with correspondingly shaped enlarged portions. In the most simple embodiment this can be achieved by providing in each gutter at a defined distance from the side walls a bore, cross hole or other enlarged hole perpendicular with respect to the surface of the upper surface 2 or lower surface 3 respectively. The anchoring element may comprise a rod having two end portions bent over an angle of 90°. If such an embodiment is chosen it may be enough to provide a cut-out only in the upper surface or the lower surface. In the same way the threaded bore formed by the two threaded gutters made symmetrically in the upper and lower surface may be substituted by asymmetrical shaped gutter-like holes. This can be achieved by means of a U-shaped gutter in which the threaded rod is completely incorporated and fixed, closed by the completely flat surface of the other building element. A threaded rod can, contrary to a spacing rod (made of bent iron wire), be installed and removed without disassembling the building elements.
[0044] In the FIGS. 9 and 10 a third embodiment of the building system according to the invention has been shown. This embodiment differs from the embodiments described above in that the connecting mechanism is made out of several parts and by the shape of the deformation element. At the same time the shape of the openings in the building elements has been adapted.
[0045] The cut-outs 115 and 112 in the building elements 101 A and 101 B shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 correspond to the cut-outs 15 and 12 in the building elements 1 A and 1 B of the FIGS. 3 and 4. The cut-out 115 consists of a conical outer part 160 , a cylindrical intermediate part 161 and a conical bottom part 119 corresponding to the shoulder 19 in FIG. 2. In the same way the cut-out 112 is composed out of an outer part 170 , an intermediate part 171 and a bottom part 116 .
[0046] The connecting mechanism consists of a rod 131 which at least near to its ends is provided with thread. The length of the rod corresponds substantially to the height of the building element 101 . Further the connecting mechanism comprises a nut 180 with a height somewhat lesser than the sum of the depths of the cut-outs 112 and 115 . The internal threads of the nut 180 is halfway provided with a stop or the like, whereby it is prevented that the thread end of the rod 131 can be further screwed into the nut 180 . The deformation element 181 consists of a ring the central opening of which has a diameter which substantially corresponds to the outer diameter of the rod 131 , an upright edge 182 being formed around the opening, in such a way that the ring can be slipped over the thread end of the rod with some light clamping force. The outer diameter of the ring is substantially equal to the diameter of the intermediate part 161 and 171 of the cut-out 115 and 112 respectively. Further a closing ring 184 is used with a conical shape which nearly fits to the conical shape of the bottom part 119 and 116 respectively.
[0047] In order to describe the operation of this embodiment, the starting point is the situation as shown in FIG. 9, wherein it is assumed that the building element 101 b through the rod 131 , the nut 180 and the ring 184 is pressed against the building element located below it. In order to position the next building element the rods 113 are inserted into the openings 110 and 111 thereof, whereas at the same time over the lower end of the rods 131 there is placed a ring 181 and over the upper end a ring 184 and the nut 180 is loosely screwed to the upper end. In this way the connecting mechanisms remain in position during the manipulation of the building element. If needed the building element can already be prepared in this way during the production of the building elements and being supplied in this form. Thereupon the building element 101 A is placed on top of the building element 101 B in such a way that the lower end of the rod 131 can be screwed into the nut 180 relating to the building element 101 B. By means of a suitable tool fitting to the nut 180 screwed onto the rod 131 of the building element 101 A, the nut is initially screwed further on the upper end, until it reaches the internal stop, after which the rod 131 starts to turn together with the nut. During further screwing the ring 184 will contact the bottom part 116 . In this way it is obtained that the rod 131 is centralized in the opening 110 . During further screwing of the nut and rod the upper end of the nut 180 will press against the deformation element 181 . After reaching a defined pressure force, e.g. of 1000 N the element 181 will deform in such a way that ultimately it is compressed between the nut 180 and the bottom part 119 . At the same time the building element 101 A is pressed against the building element 101 B until the pressure force has reached a value of e.g. 3000 N. Further screwing of the nut and the rod is stopped. FIG. 10 shows how the combination of ring, nut and deformation element are positioned after the screwing of the nut and rod has been terminated.
[0048] It is clear that in this way an anchoring of the building elements has been obtained which practically corresponds to the system described with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6. The advantage of the third embodiment is that the connecting mechanism is completely composed of parts which are normally commercially available and therefor need not to be manufactured in a special way. This may result in a substantial saving in the cost price.
[0049] It will be clear that the invention is not restricted to the embodiments described and shown in the drawing, but that numerous modifications can be applied within the scope of the inventive idea such as expressed in the claims. | A building system comprising a plurality of individual building elements and connecting mechanisms, each of said building elements having an upper and a lower surface which are substantially parallel to each other and having at least one opening extending from the upper surface to the lower surface, each of said building elements being adapted for alignment with respect to an opening in another building element, each of said connecting mechanisms being dimensioned to fit within and extend through an opening in a building element, each of said connecting mechanisms interconnecting a plurality of associated building elements and a plurality of deformation members, said deformation members being positioned between a lower surface of a first building element and a connecting mechanism of a second building element, said deformation member being deformable by a predetermined force to induce a stress in said connecting mechanism of said first building element such that each of said first building elements is pressed with a second predetermined force to a second building element. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a thermoelectric cooler, and more particularly, to a thermoelectric cooler, in which a thermoelectric module is applied to a current blow system of a fan, for converting a simple blow system into a blow system having a low noise cooling function.
[0003] 2. Background of the Related Art
[0004] In general, the blow system is provided with a motor for generating a driving force, and a fan for being rotated by the motor to blow air forcibly, of which typical example is an electrical fan.
[0005] A related art electrical fan will be explained with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates a related art electrical stand type fan, provided with a motor 21 in an upper part of a body, and fan blade set 22 shaft coupled to the motor 21 in front thereof. When the fan blade set 22 are rotated, the related art electrical fan cools down a temperature of an object as the air accelerates heat exchange between a surface of the object and the air by convection when the air forcibly flows from rear of the fan blade set 22 to front of the electrical fan 2 .
[0006] However, the electrical fan 2 can not cool down a temperature of room air. That is, in general, because the electrical fan merely circulates the room air forcibly, a user feels no coolness if the room temperature is similar to a body temperature. Contrary to this, as the fan blade set 22 are fixed to a motor 21 shaft, the electrical fan 2 becomes to blow warm air when the electrical fan 2 is used for a long time, since a heat of the motor 21 heated from prolonged use is rejected to a front part of the electrical fan 2 through the fan blade set 22 .
[0007] In the meantime, general air conditioners used in home for dropping a room temperature are mostly of a separated, vapor compression type in which the air conditioner is separated into an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. In a case of such a air conditioner in which room air is cooled down by using a phase change of refrigerant, though a cooling capability is excellent, there are following problems.
[0008] Re-positioning of once installed indoor unit and outdoor unit of the air conditioner is difficult, and there are spatial limitations in selection of an installation position of the air conditioner.
[0009] The air conditioner produces a loud noise, and has a poor durability to cause refrigerant leakage, or disorder in a driving part, a great power consumption to give a heavy burden to consumers, and expensive.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a thermoelectric cooler that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide a thermoelectric cooler, in which a thermoelectric module of the Peltier effect is applied to current electric fan to provide a cooling function to a simple electric fan, for providing a cooler which has a low cost compared to an air conditioner, low noise and low power consumption caused by a driving part, and a long lifetime, and permits easy re-positioning.
[0012] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
[0013] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the thermoelectric cooler includes a thermoelectric module having thermoelectric elements each for absorbing or dissipating a heat at a junction of two different metal depending on a direction of a current flowing through the junction, a fan blade set for blowing air cooled at a heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module to a desired place, and a motor for giving a rotating force to the fan blade set.
[0014] An area of the planar thermoelectric module may vary with a required cooling capacity, and preferably at least larger than an area of the fan blade set.
[0015] The thermoelectric module is planar, preferably, in a circular or rectangular form.
[0016] The circular, or rectangular thermoelectric module may have a variety of sections, such as a straight line, bent form, or arc form.
[0017] The thermoelectric cooler may further has fins fitted to surfaces of the heat absorption side or a heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module for increasing a heat transfer area.
[0018] The heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module has a heat pipe or thermosiphon fitted thereto for rejection of heat to an outside of the room.
[0019] According to the present invention, when the thermoelectric module is employed in a current electric fan, the current electric fan can also serve as a cooler.
[0020] According to the present invention, when the heat dissipated at the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module is rejected to an outside of the room by using the heat pipe or the thermosiphon, a cooling efficiency is enhanced.
[0021] Because the heat pipe or the thermosiphon is employed for enhancing a cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric cooler of the present invention, a noise caused by a driving part and an increased power consumption are prevented.
[0022] As the thermoelectric cooler of the present invention is fabricated by applying a thermoelectric module to an electric fan that is not expensive, a fabrication cost is saved, fabrication and installation are easy, and purchasing cost is low.
[0023] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention:
[0025] In the drawings:
[0026] [0026]FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an electrical fan, one of related art blow apparatuses;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 2 illustrates a section a thermoelectric device in a thermoelectric module of a thermoelectric cooler of the present invention;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a thermoelectric cooler in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a thermoelectric cooler in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] [0030]FIG. 5 illustrates a longitudinal section of the heat pipe in FIG. 4;
[0031] FIGS. 6 A- 6 C illustrates perspective views of exemplary thermoelectric modules employed in the thermoelectric cooler of the present invention;
[0032] [0032]FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of a thermoelectric cooler in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0033] [0033]FIG. 8 illustrates a section of a thermosiphon evaporator in FIG. 7; and,
[0034] [0034]FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the thermosiphon evaporator in FIG. 8.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0035] Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings FIGS. 2 - 9 . The thermoelectric cooler of the present invention includes thermoelectric elements connected in parallel, each of which causes a temperature difference between two ends thereof from an electromotive force to cause the Peltier effect.
[0036] A system and work of a thermoelectric element employed in the thermoelectric cooler 100 of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates a section a thermoelectric device in a thermoelectric module of a thermoelectric cooler of the present invention, wherein the thermoelectric device includes thermoelectric elements 13 of semiconductor doped with N type impurity ions or P type impurity ions connected in parallel, electrodes 11 and 14 of copper or the like respectively connected to an upper side and a lower side of the thermoelectric elements 13 , and a ceramic substrate 12 or the like enclosing the electrodes 11 and 14 .
[0037] Upon application of a current (DC) to a junction part, the thermoelectric device is involved in the Peltier effect in which the upper part is cooled and the lower part is heated as electrons in the case of the N type semiconductor, or holes in the case of the P type semiconductor, take heat from the upper part and discharges the heat to the lower part. That is, in the Peltier effect, one of electric phenomenon, when a current flows through a junction part of two different metals, a heat is either dissipated or absorbed at the junction part. Therefore, upon application of the current to the thermoelectric device, one side of the thermoelectric device becomes a heat absorption side with a low temperature, and the other side of the thermoelectric device becomes a heat dissipation side with a high temperature, and, if a direction of the current is reversed, the heat absorption side and the heat dissipation side are reversed.
[0038] A basic system of the thermoelectric cooler of the present invention having the thermoelectric module 1 of the thermoelectric elements, which cause the Peltier effect, employed therein will be explained.
[0039] The thermoelectric cooler 100 of the present invention includes a thermoelectric module 1 having thermoelectric elements each for absorbing or dissipating a heat at a junction part depending on a direction of a current flowing through the junction part of two different metals, fan blade set 22 for directing air cooled at a heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module 1 to a desired place, and a motor 21 for providing a rotation force to the fan blade set 22 . Of the junction part of the thermoelectric module 1 , a side close to the fan blade set 22 forms the heat absorption side, and a side far from the fan blade set 22 forms the heat dissipation side.
[0040] The thermoelectric module 1 is formed flat, and more specifically, in a disk or rectangular form. Moreover, in order to form a smooth air flow toward the motor shaft coupled to the fan blade set 22 , the thermoelectric module 1 may have a variety of forms, such as an arc form which is designed to have the smaller radius of curvature as it goes nearer to a front side of the electrical fan, or a bent form which has a bent at a middle part. The thermoelectric module 1 may have an area varied with a required cooling capacity, but preferably at least larger than an area of the fan blade set 22 .
[0041] A thermoelectric cooler in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained in more detail. FIG. 3 illustrates a side view of a thermoelectric cooler in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 6 A- 6 C illustrates perspective views of exemplary thermoelectric modules employed in the thermoelectric cooler of the present invention.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 3, the thermoelectric module 1 in accordance with a first preferred embodiment of the present invention is fitted to an outer circumference of the motor 21 in rear of the fan blade set 22 of the electric fan 2 , and has a surface facing the fan blade set 22 serving as a heat absorption side, and a surface opposite to the fan blade set 22 serving as a heat dissipation side, when a power is applied to the thermoelectric module 1 .
[0043] The air drawn from rear of the fan blade set 22 as the fan blade set 22 rotates heat exchanges with the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module 1 , is cooled down, and flows in a front direction of the electric fan 2 . That is, the air drawn from rear of the fan blade set 22 of the electric fan is blown forcibly in a front direction of the electric fan in a cooled down state, to give a cool feeling to a user in front of the electric fan.
[0044] In the meantime, a variety of forms of heat dissipation means may be provided to the heat absorption side and the heat dissipation side of the first embodiment thermoelectric module 1 for improving a heat exchange efficiency. As one of specific examples, surfaces of the heat absorption side and the heat dissipation side may be designed to have a form that enhances heat exchange, or heat dissipation fins 30 may be fitted to the surfaces of the heat absorption side and the heat dissipation side. In addition to this, a small fan 40 coupled to the motor 21 of the electric fan 2 may be fitted to the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module 1 , when the heat on the heat dissipation side can be rejected to a rear direction of the electric fan, quickly.
[0045] In the meantime, since the heat dissipated at the heat dissipation side is not rejected to outside of an enclosed space even if the heat dissipation fins 30 or the small fan 40 is fitted to the heat dissipation side, to elevate a room temperature in overall, another heat rejection means is provided for rejecting the heat on the heat dissipation side to outside of the enclosed space.
[0046] In the meantime, referring to FIGS. 7 A- 7 C, the thermoelectric module 1 employed in the thermoelectric cooler 100 may have a through hole of a circular or other forms at a center thereof in conformity with a part, such as the motor 21 , the thermoelectric module 1 is to be fitted, may be planar or cylindrical in an overall outer appearance, and, in addition to this, may be an arc form which has the smaller radius of curvature as it goes the nearer to a front side of the electrical fan, or a bent form which has a bent at a middle part, for smooth wind blow toward the motor shaft coupled to the fan blade set 22 . A size of the thermoelectric module 1 may vary with a cooling requirement.
[0047] A second embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 illustrates a side view of a thermoelectric cooler in accordance with a second preferred embodiment of the present invention.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 4, there is a heat pipe 50 fitted to a heat dissipation side of a thermoelectric module 1 fitted to an outer circumference of the motor 1 . As shown in FIG. 5, the heat pipe 50 includes a duplex tube of an inner tube 51 and an outer tube 52 formed of an insulating material, and both ends formed of an excellent heat conductive material. That is, as an example, the ends of the duplex tube may be formed of a good heat conductive material, such as copper, and most preferably, of a super-conductive material. An inside of the duplex tube is in a vacuum after a working fluid with an excellent heat absorptivity is injected therein. The working fluid is selected from helium, hydrogen, neon, and a mixture of them.
[0049] The working fluid flows toward the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module 1 in the outer tube 52 in a liquid state by capillary tube phenomenon, and takes a heat from the heat absorption side, converted into a gas state, expanded to flow to the an outside of room along the inner tube 51 . Thus, a part close to the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module 1 within a part disposed in the room of the heat pipe 50 forms an evaporation part 53 , and a part exposed to outside of the room forms a condensing part 54 . The duplex tube is in communication at ends of the condensing part 54 and the evaporation part 53 .
[0050] Upon application of a power to the thermoelectric module 1 having such a heat pipe 50 fitted thereto, the heat is dissipated at the heat dissipation side, and absorbed by the working fluid flowing along the outer tube 52 of the heat pipe 50 of a high heat conductivity. Accordingly, the working fluid absorbed a large amount of heat is vaporized by latent heat vaporization, flows toward the condensing part 54 at a very fast speed along the inner tube 51 , transfers the heat to external air at the condensing part 62 exposed to outside of room, and is condensed. The condensed working fluid flows along the outer tube 52 to the evaporation part 53 side again by capillary forces, thereby making a continuous circulation within the heat pipe 50 . On the other hand, the air cooled at the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module 1 is blown to in a front direction of the electric fan, to drop a room temperature.
[0051] Eventually, since the heat pipe 50 with a very high heat conductivity is fitted to the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module 1 , the second embodiment thermoelectric cooler 100 of the present invention can enhance a heat transfer efficiency even if a temperature difference between the heat absorption side and the heat dissipation side is very small because a large amount of heat can be transferred to the condensing part side through the heat pipe 50 , and dissipated therefrom to the air.
[0052] Different from the general air conditioner, the second embodiment thermoelectric cooler 100 of the present invention has no noise caused by driving parts, such as compressors and the like, a long lifetime, and a significantly small power consumption, because the heat pipe 50 is fitted to the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module 1 to facilitate circulation of the working fluid and cooling only by heat transfer without the driving parts for forced circulation of the working fluid. In addition to this, it is apparent that the condensing part 54 of the heat pipe 50 may be designed to have a form of an increased surface area for effective heat dissipation, for an example, fins 30 .
[0053] In the meantime, referring to FIGS. 6 A- 6 C, the thermoelectric module 1 of the second embodiment thermoelectric cooler 100 of the present invention may have a through hole of circular or other forms at a center thereof in conformity with a part, such as the motor 21 , the thermoelectric module 1 is to be fitted, may be planar or cylindrical in an overall outer appearance, and, in addition to this, may be an arc form which has the smaller radius of curvature as it goes the nearer to a front side of the electrical fan, or a bent form which has a bent at a middle part, for smooth wind blow toward the motor shaft coupled to the fan blade set 22 .
[0054] A thermoelectric cooler in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained, with reference to FIG. 7.
[0055] Referring to FIG. 7, the thermoelectric cooler 100 in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a thermosiphon connected to a thermoelectric module 1 of the thermoelectric cooler 100 for rejection of heat dissipated at a heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module 1 to outside of the thermoelectric cooler 100 . The thermosiphon 60 includes an evaporator 61 disposed in a room, and a condenser 62 disposed outside of the room. The evaporator 61 has a working fluid filled inside of a body, and a refrigerant inlet tube 163 connected to one side of a lower part thereof, and a refrigerant outlet 164 connected to the other side of an upper part thereof. The condenser 62 , one of general heat exchangers, fitted to outside of the room has fins 30 on outside of tube the working fluid flows therein for increasing a heat dissipation area, and tube connected to the evaporator 61 . The condenser 62 is placed at a position higher than the evaporator 61 .
[0056] Referring to FIG. 8, the evaporator 61 is designed to have a structure in which a heat dissipation side surface of the thermoelectric device is submerged in the working fluid for an efficient transfer of the heat from the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric device to the cooling medium filled in the coolant flow passage.
[0057] Upon application of a current to the thermoelectric module 1 of the thermoelectric cooler 100 having the thermosiphon 60 fitted thereto, the heat is dissipated at the heat dissipation side, and absorbed by the working fluid in the evaporator 61 coupled to the thermosiphon 60 . The working fluid absorbed the heat is vaporized, and flows toward the condenser 62 side through the refrigerant outlet 164 . The working fluid introduced into the condenser 62 is condensed by heat exchange with external air as the working fluid flows inside of the condenser 62 , and flows into the evaporator 61 again by gravity owing to a difference of heights between the condenser 62 and the evaporator 61 . That is, the heat rejected from the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric device is transferred to the refrigerant in the evaporator 61 the heat dissipation side is submerged therein, and rejected to the air at the condenser.
[0058] Thus, the thermoelectric cooler 100 in accordance with a third preferred embodiment of the present invention can cool down room air more effectively as the heat dissipated at the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module 1 can be rejected to the air effectively by the thermosiphon having a simple structure and operative on a temperature difference and gravity without driving part.
[0059] In the meantime, as has been explained, referring to FIGS. 7 A- 7 C, the thermoelectric module 1 employed in the third embodiment thermoelectric cooler 100 of the present invention may also have a through hole of a circular or other forms at a center thereof in conformity with a part, such as the motor 21 , the thermoelectric module 1 is to be fitted thereto, may be planar or cylindrical in an overall outer appearance, and, in addition to this, may be an arc form which has the smaller radius of curvature as it goes the nearer to a front side of the electrical fan, or a bent form which has a bent at a middle part, for smooth wind blow toward the motor shaft coupled to the fan blade set 22 .
[0060] In the meantime, through each of the thermoelectric coolers of the present invention is designed such that the air cooled at the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module 1 flows away from the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module 1 , if the heat pipe 50 or the thermosiphon is provided like the case of the second embodiment, or the third embodiment of the present invention, the thermoelectric cooler may be designed such that the air blown by the fan blades 22 is directed to the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module 1 , reflected at the heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module 1 , and scattered into the room.
[0061] As has been explained, the thermoelectric cooler of the present invention has the following advantages.
[0062] The employment of a thermoelectric module in an electric fan in the present invention permits to add a cooling function to the electric fan as air cooled down by the thermoelectric module is blown to the user, and the thermoelectric cooler of the present invention is easy to fabricate, and install, and has a low cost, significantly low noise compared to any existing air conditioner which uses a compressor and the like, and a reduced power consumption.
[0063] When a small fan, a heat pipe, or a thermosiphon is employed in the thermoelectric cooler of the present invention, the cooling efficiency is enhanced because the heat dissipated at the heat dissipation side of the thermoelectric module can be rejected to the atmosphere, more effectively.
[0064] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the thermoelectric cooler of the present invention without departing from the spirit or 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. | The present invention relates to a thermoelectric cooler, and more particularly, to a thermoelectric cooler, in which a thermoelectric module is applied to a blow system of a fan blade set and a motor, for converting a current blow system into a blow system having a cooling function with a low noise.
To do this, the present invention provides a thermoelectric cooler including a thermoelectric module having thermoelectric elements each for absorbing or dissipating a heat at a junction of two different metal depending on a direction of a current flowing through the junction, a fan blade set for blowing air cooled at a heat absorption side of the thermoelectric module to a desired place, and a motor for giving a rotating force to the fan blade set. | 5 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates in general to the field of computers and similar technologies, and in particular to integrated circuits utilized in this field. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to maintaining circuit delay characteristics during power management mode.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] During an integrated circuit chip power dissipation reduction management mode of operation, it is possible to stop toggling the clock distribution to save chip power dissipation. In this stopped mode, the clock buffer circuits' inputs are not toggling, but set to a deterministic Voltage. This condition can cause some transistors in the buffer circuits to stay in a conducting or “on” state and the remaining transistors to stay in a non-conducting or “off” state. In silicon Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) technology, when a transistor is maintained in the “on” state for a period of time, the electrical characteristics of the transistor can slowly change over that time period so that the device no longer conducts as much current. The changes to the electrical characteristics can result in transistor device degraded performance. When a transistor is maintained in the “off” or non-conducting state, the electrical characteristics of the transistor degrade significantly slower. For purposes of clock distribution, the difference in device performance degradation between “on” and “off” devices occurring when the clock distribution is not toggling, introduces a difference in propagation delay through a clock distribution between a low to high transition and a high to low transition clock signal.
[0005] FIGS. 1A-1D , labeled Prior Art, show a block diagram of a simplified clock distribution circuit which includes a clock gating NAND gate, with inputs Clock Signal and Clock Gating Signal, followed by four inverting clock buffers, and a clock signal receiving circuit with a clock signal input and a gating signal input. When the clock signal is gated “off”, certain transistors within the clock buffer circuits are stressed and change electrical characteristics. These stressed devices delay propagation of the logic high to low clock signal, causing the clock signal pulse width to increase or decrease over time. This pulse width increase is undesirable and could cause the chip to no longer function. More specifically FIG. 1A generally shows the clock distribution block circuit. FIG. 1B shows the clock distribution circuit where a rising clock signal edge propagates through the clock buffer stages such that the transistors 110 , 112 , 114 , 126 are conducting. FIG. 1C shows the clock distribution circuit where a falling clock signal edge propagates through the clock buffer stages such that the transistors 120 , 122 , 124 , 126 are conducting. FIG. 1D shows the clock distribution circuit when the clock signal is gated off such that certain transistors (e.g., transistors 120 , 122 , 124 , 126 ) within the clock buffer circuit are stressed and thus change electrical characteristics over time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In accordance with the present invention, a system and method for maintaining circuit delay characteristics during power management mode is shown. More specifically, the method for maintaining circuit delay characteristics during power management mode continually toggles the clock distribution circuits at a frequency sufficiently low that it does not significantly impact chip power dissipation. The clock frequency used to toggle the clock distribution circuits is high enough to minimize any asymmetrical stress on the clock buffer transistors so that both P and N device characteristics equally change over time. Asymmetrical stress can occur when a clock signal is set to a static logic level because one group of P and N devices are stressed while another group of P and N devices are not stressed.
[0007] In certain embodiments of the clock distribution circuits, a gated NAND gate is replaced with a multiplexer (i.e., a selector) circuit. When a lower clock distribution power dissipation is required, the low frequency clock signal is selected for the clock distribution. The lower clock frequency signal continues to toggle both the P and N devices so that each device is stressed about the same amount of time when the low frequency clock signal is about 50% duty cycle. If it is determined the P and N devices change electrical characteristics at different rates over time, the low frequency clock signal duty cycle is adjusted accordingly to compensate for the different rate changes.
[0008] More specifically, in one embodiment, the invention relates to an apparatus for maintaining circuit characteristics which includes a selector circuit, a buffer circuit coupled to the selector circuit, and a receive circuit coupled to the buffer circuit. The selector circuit receives a clock signal, a power saving clock signal and a clock gating signal. The clock gating signal causes the selector circuit to pass the power saving clock signal to the buffer circuit when the apparatus is operating in a power saving mode of operation. The power saving clock signal continually toggles the buffer circuit at a frequency sufficiently low so at to not impact chip power dissipation while being high enough to minimize asymmetrical stress within the buffer circuit.
[0009] In another embodiment, the invention relates to a method for maintaining circuit characteristics which includes generating a clock signal, a power saving clock signal and a clock gating signal, selecting one of the clock signal and the power saving clock signal with the clock gating signal to provide a selected clock signal, and providing the selected clock signal to a buffer circuit, the clock gating signal being provided to the buffer circuit to operate the buffer circuit in a power saving mode of operation, the power saving clock signal continually toggling the buffer circuit at a frequency sufficiently low so at to not impact chip power dissipation while being high enough to minimize asymmetrical stress within the buffer circuit.
[0010] In another embodiment, the invention relates to a data processing system comprising a clock circuit. The clock circuit includes a selector circuit which receives a clock signal, a power saving clock signal and a clock gating signal, a buffer circuit coupled to the selector circuit, the clock gating signal causing the selector circuit to pass the power saving clock signal to the buffer circuit when the apparatus is operating in a power saving mode of operation, the power saving clock signal continually toggling the buffer circuit at a frequency sufficiently low so at to not impact chip power dissipation while being high enough to minimize asymmetrical stress within the buffer circuit, and a receive circuit coupled to the buffer circuit.
[0011] The above, as well as additional purposes, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further purposes and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:
[0013] FIGS. 1A-1D , labeled Prior Art, show a simplified clock distribution block diagram.
[0014] FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a clock distribution circuit in accordance with the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a clock distribution circuit in accordance with the present invention.
[0016] FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a representative data processing system suitable for practicing the principles of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] Referring to FIG. 2 , a clock distribution circuit 200 which maintains circuit delay characteristics during power management mode is shown. More specifically, the clock distribution circuit 200 includes a multiplexer 210 (i.e., a selector) circuit 210 as well as a receiving circuit 212 . Coupled between the multiplexer 210 and the receiving circuit 212 is a buffer circuit 213 . The buffer circuit 213 comprises a plurality of buffers (e.g., inverters) 214 . Each of the buffers 214 includes a p-type transistor 220 and an n-type transistor 222 . It will be appreciated that while the example clock distribution circuit is shown with four buffers 214 , any number of buffers could, and likely would, be included within the buffer circuit 213 .
[0018] The multiplexer 210 receives a clock signal, a low frequency clock signal (e.g., a clock signal that is a small percentage (e.g., less than 5%) of the clock signal) as well as a clock gating signal. The multiplexer 210 provides a clock signal to the first of the series of buffers 214 . The receiving circuit 212 receives the output of the buffers as well as a clock gate signal.
[0019] In the clock distribution circuit 200 , a gated NAND gate is replaced with the multiplexer (i.e., a selector) circuit 210 . The selector circuit, which is controlled by the clock gating signal generated by power management function (not shown), allows a low frequency clock signal (i.e., a power management clock signal) to be applied to the buffer circuit 213 . When a lower power dissipation is desired, the low frequency clock signal is selected via the clock gating signal for the clock distribution. The lower clock frequency signal continues to toggle both the P and N devices so that each device is stressed about the same amount of time. The low frequency clock signal is initially generated with about a 50% duty cycle. If it is determined that the P and N devices are changing electrical characteristics at different rates over time, the low frequency clock signal duty cycle can be adjusted accordingly to compensate for the different rate changes.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 3 , a clock distribution circuit 300 which maintains circuit delay characteristics during power management mode is shown. More specifically, the clock distribution circuit 300 includes a multiplexer 210 (i.e., a selector) circuit 210 as well as a receiving circuit 212 . Coupled between the multiplexer 210 and the receiving circuit 212 is a buffer circuit 213 . The buffer circuit 213 comprises a plurality of buffers (e.g., inverters) 214 . Each of the buffers 214 includes a p-type transistor 220 and an n-type transistor 222 .
[0021] The clock distribution circuit 300 also includes a divider 310 . The divider receives the clock signal and divides the clock signal by a predetermined amount to provide the low frequency clock signal. In one embodiment, the divider 310 divides the clock signal by 64 to provide the low frequency clock signal, thus providing a low frequency clock signal with a frequency that is less than two percent of the frequency of the clock signal.
[0022] FIG. 4 is a high level functional block diagram of a representative data processing system 400 suitable for practicing the principles of the present invention. Data processing system 400 includes a central processing system (CPU) 410 operating in conjunction with a system bus 412 . System bus 412 operates in accordance with a standard bus protocol, such as the ISA protocol, compatible with CPU 434 . CPU 434 operates in conjunction with electronically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) 416 and random access memory (RAM) 414 . Among other things, EEPROM 416 supports storage of the Basic Input Output System (BIOS) data and recovery code. RAM 414 includes DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) system memory and SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) external cache. I/O Adapter 418 allows for an interconnection between the devices on system bus 412 and external peripherals, such as mass storage devices (e.g., a hard drive, floppy drive or CD/ROM drive), or a printer 440 . A peripheral device 420 is, for example, coupled to a peripheral control interface (PCI) bus, and I/O adapter 418 therefore may be a PCI bus bridge. User interface adapter 422 couples various user input devices, such as a keyboard 424 or mouse 426 to the processing devices on bus 412 . Display 438 which may be, for example, cathode ray tubes (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD) or similar conventional display units. Display adapter 436 may include, among other things, a conventional display controller and frame buffer memory. Data processing system 400 may be selectively coupled to a computer or telecommunications network 441 through communications adapter 434 . Communications adapter 434 may include, for example, a modem for connection to a telecom network and/or hardware and software for connecting to a computer network such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). CPU 434 and other components of data processing system 400 may contain DLL circuitry for local generation of clocks wherein the DLL circuitry employs a phase detector according to embodiments of the present invention to conserve power and to reduce phase jitter. A phase detector in accordance with the present invention may be found within a variety of elements within the data processing system.
[0023] 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.
[0024] For example, in certain embodiments, it is possible to purposely distort the lower frequency clock signal duty cycle so that during the power management mode certain P and N devices are pre-stressed to counteract any device degradation occurring in the buffering tree during functional mode. In certain timing circuits, a non 50% duty cycle functional clock signal may be generated as such a clock signal can provide a higher processor operating frequency than a 50% duty cycle signal due to receiving circuit design characteristics. Toggling the clock distribution buffers with a non 50% duty cycle clock signal, over time, can potentially affect the device characteristics of the clock circuit thus causing a change the clock signal duty cycle. This effect may be nulled by distorting the lower frequency clock signal in such a way as to overly stress, during power management operations, the relatively unstressed devices and achieve, overall, a balanced stressing of all devices.
[0025] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, the present invention may be embodied as a method, system, or computer program product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.” Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-usable storage medium having computer-usable program code embodied in the medium.
[0026] As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, while the present invention, and circuits within the present invention are described using certain combinations of logic, other logic combinations are also within the scope of the invention. For example, it will be appreciated other logic combinations to provide a delay circuit and a stretching circuit are known. Also, it will be appreciated that changing the polarity of the logic gates, e.g., from AND to NAND, are also within the scope of the invention.
[0027] The block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems and methods according to various embodiments of the present invention. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
[0029] In the present invention, a transistor may be conceptualized as having a control terminal which controls the flow of current between a first current handling terminal and a second current handling terminal. An appropriate condition on the control terminal causes a current to flow from/to the first current handling terminal and to/from the second current handling terminal. In a bipolar NPN transistor, the first current handling terminal is the collector, the control terminal is the base, and the second current handling terminal is the emitter. A sufficient current into the base causes a collector-to-emitter current to flow. In a bipolar PNP transistor, the first current handling terminal is the emitter, the control terminal is the base, and the second current handling terminal is the collector. A current exiting the base causes an emitter-to-collector current to flow.
[0030] A MOS transistor may likewise be conceptualized as having a control terminal which controls the flow of current between a first current handling terminal and a second current handling terminal. Although MOS transistors are frequently discussed as having a drain, a gate, and a source, in most such devices the drain is interchangeable with the source. This is because the layout and semiconductor processing of the transistor is symmetrical (which is typically not the case for bipolar transistors). For an N-channel MOS transistor (also referred to as an N type transistor or an N device), the current handling terminal normally residing at the higher voltage is customarily called the drain. The current handling terminal normally residing at the lower voltage is customarily called the source. A sufficient voltage on the gate causes a current to therefore flow from the drain to the source. The gate to source voltage referred to in an N channel MOS device equations merely refers to whichever diffusion (drain or source) has the lower voltage at any given time. For example, the “source” of an N channel device of a bi-directional CMOS transfer gate depends on which side of the transfer gate is at a lower voltage. To reflect the symmetry of most N channel MOS transistors, the control terminal is the gate, the first current handling terminal may be termed the “drain/source”, and the second current handling terminal may be termed the “source/drain”. Such a description is equally valid for a P channel MOS transistor (also referred to as a P type transistor or a P device), since the polarity between drain and source voltages, and the direction of current flow between drain and source, is not implied by such terminology. Alternatively, one current-handling terminal may be arbitrarily deemed the “drain” and the other deemed the “source”, with an implicit understanding that the two are not distinct, but interchangeable
[0031] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
[0032] Having thus described the invention of the present application in detail and by reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. | A system and method for maintaining circuit delay characteristics during power management mode. The method for maintaining circuit delay characteristics during power management mode continually toggles the clock distribution circuits at a frequency sufficiently low that it does not significantly impact chip power dissipation. The clock frequency used to toggle the clock distribution circuits is high enough to minimize the asymmetrical stress on the clock buffer transistors so that both P and N device characteristics equally change over time. | 7 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a method for mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub. The invention further relates to an assembly and to a system for mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Wind turbine usually comprise at least the following principal components: a tower, a nacelle, a generator and a rotor comprising a hub and wind turbine blades. The nacelle is placed on top of the tower and the generator is situated inside the nacelle. The rotor is connected to the generator by means of a drive train.
[0003] In recent years, the construction of wind turbines has become more and more of a challenging task due to the general tendency to considerably increase sizes and weights of modern wind turbines. Mounting a wind turbine may usually include transporting wind turbine components to a site of construction, assembling a tower, lifting and mounting a nacelle with a generator to the tower, assembling a rotor on the ground, i.e. mounting wind turbine blades to the hub, and lifting and mounting the assembled rotor to the nacelle. For lifting these wind turbine components mobile cranes can be applied.
[0004] EP 2003333 A1 discloses one such method of mounting wind turbine components. According to this method, blades are mounted to a hub on the ground using a reach stacker and the assembled rotor is then lifted to a nacelle. However, such method has several drawbacks. Assembling the rotor on the ground can be difficult since it requires a large, clear and stable area in order to provide for suitable conditions for workers and the devices applied. In addition, lifting the assembled rotor to the nacelle is a complicated procedure since, besides an enormous size and weight of the rotor, it has to be rotated from a horizontal into a vertical position during lifting. A horizontal position of the rotor would mean that the rotor blades are orientated essentially horizontally, i.e. parallel to the whereas the vertical position is again defined by the essentially vertical orientation of the rotor blades.
[0005] An alternative method of mounting a wind turbine rotor to a nacelle is disclosed in EP 1925582 A1. This method includes mounting blades to a hub which has already been mounted to the nacelle before. The orientation of a blade is kept substantially horizontal when it is lifted off the ground and mounted to the hub through a corresponding empty blade hole on the hub. After mounting the first blade the hub is turned, so that a next blade, which again is lifted substantially horizontally, can be mounted to a next empty blade hole on the hub. The process is repeated until the last blade has been lifted and mounted to the hub. Apart from other drawbacks, this method has the disadvantage that it cannot be applied when it is not possible to turn the hub during the mounting process, e.g. when no or little electrical power is available during the installation to turn the hub.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an improved possibility of how to mount wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub, preferably also in cases in which it is not possible to turn the hub during the mounting process.
[0007] The object of the invention is achieved by an assembly for 35, mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub according to claim 1 , a system for mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub according to claim 11 , and by a method for mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub according to claim 12 .
[0008] The assembly for mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub according to the invention comprises a blade retaining arrangement to accommodate at least two blades and an interface to a lifting device for lifting the assembly to the hub. The blade retaining arrangement may comprise a number of blade retaining elements, each constructed to hold at least one blade. Such blade retaining arrangement may be made up in a very simple manner, e.g. by comprising only one compartment in which several blades can be accommodated. In the other extreme, it can be made up of numerous mechanical elements joined together so that movement of such elements and thus of the individual blades are made possible. Detailed examples of such blade retaining arrangements will be given below. The interface may comprise a hook or a lug by which it can be attached to a crane or a similar lifting device. Such hook may be adjusted in position by using wire winches or similar adjustment means.
[0009] The effect of such an assembly—be it made up in a very simple manner or be it a sophisticated system—is always that several blades can be mounted to the hub of the wind turbine at one given time. Therefore, less time is consumed during the lifting process and less effort is needed on the ground as well as up at the level of the hub. At least two blades, preferably all the blades, can all be accommodated in the blade retaining arrangement during one accomodation process on the ground, there is only one lifting procedure necessary and then several blades are ready at hand up at hub level. One can imagine that for instance the time consumed during the lifting process for blades of a rotor comprising three blades altogether can be reduced to about half time while the assembly at hub level can still be carried out at about the same time as before or—depending on the level of sophistication of the assembly—even faster than before.
[0010] The system for mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub according to the invention comprises the assembly described above and a lifting device for lifting the assembly to the wind turbine hub, e.g. a mobile crane, a crane attacked to a wind turbine tower, or a helicopter. The assembly according to the invention may be permanently connected to the lifting device so that the system according to the invention is a uniform unit. However, the assembly may also be non-permanent, i.e. only assembled for the temporary purpose of mounting the blades to the wind turbine, while after such process the assembly will be detached from the lifting device so that the lifting device can be used for lifting other loads in the course of the assembly of the rest of the wind turbine.
[0011] In the corresponding method for mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub the assembly according to the invention can be used. To carry out a process according to this method, the wind turbine hub is already positioned in a designated operating height of the wind turbine. The method comprises the following steps: at least two blades are first attached to a blade retaining arrangement of an assembly. Further, the assembly with the blades is lifted to the wind turbine hub using a lifting device. Finally, the blades are mounted to the wind turbine hub.
[0012] In such a process all blades can be lifted in one operation, which decreases the time needed to operate a crane, thus reducing costs and effort.
[0013] Particularly advantageous embodiments and features of the invention are given by the dependent claims, as revealed in the following description. Thereby, features revealed in the context of the assembly may also be realized in the context of the method and vice versa.
[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the assembly the blade retaining arrangement comprises at least two blade retaining elements wherein each of the blade retaining elements is constructed such that a blade can be detachably attached to the blade retaining element. This implies that the blades need not be accommodated together in one space but can be spaced apart, preferably such that their position within the assembly corresponds with a designated mounting position at the hub. This means for example that if three blades are to be mounted onto the hub at 120° from each other, a preferred arrangement of the blade retaining elements would be to have three blade retaining elements which are also arranged at 120° from each other. This way mounting the blades at the hub level is made easier.
[0015] In accordance with this preferred embodiment of the assembly, the method according to the invention comprises a step in which each blade is attached to a blade retaining element of the blade retaining arrangement.
[0016] In another preferred embodiment of the assembly the blade retaining elements are connected to each other by means of at least one hinge, so that they are movable relative to each other. The blade retaining arrangement may also comprise a frame, whereby the blade retaining elements are each connected to the frame by means of a hinge. The frame can thus function as a central part of the assembly. It can be constructed as a yoke. Each of the blade retaining elements can be hingedly connected to the frame such that the blade retaining elements are pivotable relative to the frame. In addition, each blade retaining element can be constructed such that a blade can be detachably attached to the blade retaining element. A lifting hook can be attached to the frame as an interface to a lifting device, which hook is pivotable relative to the frame.
[0017] For holding a blade firmly in a blade retaining element different solutions are possible. Use can be made of mechanical, electrical or hydraulic holding means for holding the blade and also of such holding means which are based on more than one of these principles but rather on a combination thereof. Which kind of holding means is chosen mainly depends on the shape and material of the blades, but may also be chosen according cording to other criteria: For instance, a hydraulic activation of holding means needs a hydraulic system for providing hydraulic pressure. Thus a hydraulic holding means is preferred in such case when such hydraulic system is readily available, for instance as a component of the lifting device. The same applies to electrical systems, whereas mechanical systems need no additional supplies from elsewhere and can therefore be used more universally.
[0018] According to an embodiment of the invention, a blade retaining element comprises a clamp, in which a blade is held. The blade can be held or squeezed at its root end region, i.e. the area where it changes shape from cylindrical to flat, for more stability. The clamps can be developed to hold individual blade types. They may be constructed as a cage with two halves interconnected by a clamp hinge. These two halves can be pivotable relative to each other through the clamp hinge. A blade can thus be attached and held within the clamp which is easy to open and close.
[0019] Such a blade retaining element with a clamp can further comprise slide bearings for bearing the clamp, or, more general, a guiding means for guiding a blade towards the hub. Those guiding means enables the clamp to be slidable within the retaining element. The guiding direction can be parallel to a longitudinal axis of the retaining element, i.e. the longitudinal axis of a blade when fastened within the blade retaining element. This feature can be used for guiding a blade into a corresponding hub hole during a mounting process: this way the blade can be guided to the hub by sliding the clamp using the guiding means.
[0020] Operating a blade retaining element, e.g. pivoting or folding out the blade retaining element relative to a frame can be realized by using a mechanical and/or electrical and/or hydraulic moving means for moving one of the blade retaining elements relative to another blade retaining element and/or relative to the frame. As for the choice of activation technology of the moving means, this is again based on the same considerations as outlined above concerning the holding means.
[0021] Preferably, the blade retaining element is pivotable between a first position and a second position relative to the assembly itself. The first position of the blade retaining element can correspond to a substantially horizontal position of the blade (as defined above in the introductory section) while the second position of the blade retaining element can correspond to a substantially vertical position of the blade. Any other position between substantially horizontal and substantially vertical positions may also be available, however it is particularly advantageous if the blade retaining elements can be locked in at least one of these two positions (preferably in both) so that they do not get out of a predefined designated position in at a moment at which this is not desired. In a horizontal position it is particularly easy to connect the blades to the blade retaining elements whereas the vertical position corresponds to that orientation of the blades which is needed during their mounting onto the hub.
[0022] The method according to the invention thus can be characterized in this context as follows:
[0023] The blade retaining elements are connected to each other by means of at least one hinge. Each blade is attached to a blade retaining element. The assembly is lifted to the wind turbine hub using a lifting device. The blade retaining elements are pivoted from a first position to a second position.
[0024] The blades are guided towards the hub and then mounted to the hub.
[0025] In the context of the method according to the invention each of the blades is therefore preferably detachably attached to a corresponding blade retaining element of the blade retaining arrangement and most preferably assured mechanically against falling out. In this position the blades can be arranged in the assembly in a so-called “revolver position” (i.e. similar to bullets in a revolver, which means essentially parallelly aligned). As a next step the assembly is lifted to the wind turbine hub using a lifting device, e.g. a mobile crane. The lifting device is hooked at the lifting hook of the assembly. The lifting hook can be adjusted using wire winches. While the assembly is hanging at the height level of the hub, one of the blade retaining elements is pivoted from a first position to a second position. It can be the upper or top blade retaining element holding a blade (12 o'clock blade), which is brought in a mounting position after pivoting the blade retaining element. As a further step the blade is guided towards the hub into a corresponding hub hole and mounted to the hub. The steps of pivoting, guiding and mounting are repeated for the remaining blade retaining elements until all blades are mounted to the hub. Finally the mounting assembly can be lowered to the ground.
[0026] During the method or process of mounting the wind turbine blades the pivoting of a blade retaining element from a first position to a second position can be performed before lifting the mounting assembly to the wind turbine hub. That means that pivoting of at least one blade retaining element from the first position into the second position precedes the step of lifting the assembly to the wind turbine hub. Preferably the blade retaining element which is pivoted before lifting the assembly is a top blade retaining element holding a 12 o'clock blade. After pivoting, the corresponding blade can then be placed in a vertical position. Lifting the assembly in such a position is easier, since it gives more space for a crane hook. After lifting the assembly and mounting the first blade, the wind turbine can be used as a stable point to unfold the other blades. This is advantagous since the centre of gravity of the assembly cannot move during the process whereas operating would be difficult with the assembly hanging in the crane hook. It is also possible to unfold two blades on the ground before lifting at low wind rates.
[0027] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the hub is not rotated during the mounting of the blades. This means that it is constantly held in one particular mounting position, i.e. rotation position for mounting all blades. In such case, there is no need for a special equipment, e.g. a motor and a gear, directly or indirectly attached to a main shaft of the hub to turn the hub. This is also especially useful for gearless, direct drive wind turbines with a generator having permanent magnets and where no or little electrical power is available during the installation.
[0028] Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed descriptions considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for the purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.
[0029] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a blade mounting assembly with blades according to an embodiment of the invention in a first position,
[0030] FIG. 2 shows the same assembly in a second position,
[0031] FIG. 3 shows a wind turbine with the assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2 in the second position,
[0032] FIG. 4 shows the wind turbine of FIG. 3 with the assembly in a third position,
[0033] FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of FIG. 3 before mounting a blade,
[0034] FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of FIG. 3 after mounting the blade.
[0035] In the drawings, like reference numbers refer to like objects throughout. Objects in the diagrams are not necessarily drawn to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0036] FIGS. 1 to 6 show an embodiment of the blade mounting assembly 10 according to the invention with three blades 20 which are to be mounted to a wind turbine hub (not shown).
[0037] As for FIG. 1 , the assembly 10 comprises a frame 12 and a blade retaining arrangement 3 comprising three blade retaining elements 11 . The blade retaining elements 11 are connected to the frame 12 by means of hinges (cf. FIGS. 5 and 6 ), such that the blade retaining elements 11 are pivotable relative to the frame 12 . Each blade retaining element 11 comprises a clamp 15 , in between which a blade 20 is held during the mounting process. The clamps 15 comprise interconnecting means (not shown) for mechanically locking or holding the root end part of each blade 20 , i.e. that end part of the blade 20 which is to be connected with the hub. These inter-connecting means are actuated by mechanical means. Also electrical and/or hydraulic means can be used, depending on the resources and operation circumstances as outlined above. Each blade retaining element 11 comprises slide bearings (not shown) for bearing a corresponding clamp 15 within the blade retaining element 11 .
[0038] In FIG. 1 there is shown a first position P 1 of the assembly 10 in which all blade retaining elements 11 are pivoted in a direction going essentially from left to right in the drawing. Therefore the blades 20 are also all orientated longitudinally in this direction. In such a position, which can be characterized as a revolver position, lifting the assembly 10 is easier than if all blades retaining elements 11 where pivoted along the hinges into positions which resemble their final assembly position, i.e. with the blades 20 being arranged in a star-like manner at an angle of 120° from each other. In order to be able to lift the assembly 20 , a hook 17 is also hingedly attached to the frame 12 .
[0039] FIG. 2 shows the assembly 10 in a second position P 2 . One of the blades 20 , namely the top blade or so-called 12 o'clock blade has been pivoted around the axis of the hinge of its blade retaining element 11 . That means that the 12 o'clock blade 20 stands up into the air in an upright position. The other two blades 20 remain as they were in position P 1 shown in FIG. 1 . It can also be seen that the hook 17 has been lifted into a slightly less upright position so that it projects away from the other two blades 20 and also in a slight angle from the 12 o'clock blade 20 which stands upright. A hook of a crane (not shown) can thus easily be attached to the hook 17 so that the assembly 10 can be lifted by the crane.
[0040] It may be noted that pivoting or folding out the blade retaining elements 11 can be implemented by mechanical, electrical and/or hydraulic means according to the criteria described above in more detail.
[0041] FIG. 3 shows the assembly 10 in the second position P 2 as in FIG. 2 while being lifted by a crane 40 . The assembly 10 together with the train form a system 50 for mounting the blades 20 to a hub 30 of a wind turbine 1 . The hook 17 functions as the interface 17 to the crane 40 . The assembly 10 is now on the level of the hub 30 to which the blades 20 are to be attached. Overall, the wind turbine 1 comprises a tower 5 on which there rests a nacelle 7 at one longitudinal end of which there is attached the hub 30 .
[0042] FIG. 4 shows the wind turbine 1 with the assembly 10 in a third position. The crane 40 is left out in this drawing for mere reasons of clarity. The third position is defined by the fact that all blade retaining elements 11 have now been pivoted around the axes of their hinges so that the blades 20 are all in an assembly position which directly reflects their final position within the hub 30 . That means that they have been brought into a vertical position which directly corresponds with their position in the hub 30 . They can now be mounted on the hub 30 in a way which is shown in more detail in FIGS. 5 and 6 .
[0043] FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of FIG. 3 , i.e. with the assembly 10 in the second position P 2 . It can be seen clearer that the assembly is positioned such that the 12 o'clock blade 20 is positioned exactly above one opening 31 of the hub 30 . The blade will now be lowered into that opening so that it can be affixed therein. As can be seen in FIG. 6 , for this purpose the clamp 15 of the blade retaining element 11 is moved into the direction of the hub 30 so that the lower end section of the blade 20 is inserted into the opening 31 .
[0044] The same can be done with the other two blades 20 . It may also be noted that once a first blade 20 is affixed to the hub 30 , there is a connection between the assembly 10 and the hub during all the rest of the time of the mounting process. After all blades 20 have been mounted in the same way as described in detail before, the blade retaining elements 11 can be opened and thus the blades 20 will be released. The assembly 20 can be driven away by the crane 40 and reused for mounting the next set of blades.
[0045] The embodiment of the invention as described with reference to the figures realizes a particular feature of the invention, namely that the hub 30 is not turned or moved during the mounting process. Therefore, no actors such as motors or the like are used to change the rotation position of the hub 30 . This is particularly helpful particularly in those cases in which a so-called direct drive wind turbine is assembled. In these cases the drive train connecting the hub to the generator in the nacelle is particularly heavy and thus difficult to move.
[0046] Although the present invention has been disclosed in the form of preferred embodiments and variations thereon, it will be understood that numerous additional modifications and variations could be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0047] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements. | An assembly for mounting wind turbine blades to a wind turbine hub is disclosed. Such assembly includes a blade retaining arrangement to accommodate at least two blades and an interface to a lifting device for lifting the assembly to the hub. Furthermore, a system and a method for the same purpose are disclosed. | 5 |
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to train brakes and, more particular, to a pneumatic control system for use with electronically controlled and non-electronically controlled train brakes.
Traditional train brakes utilize compressed air entering a brake cylinder to actuate each cars brakes. A normally pressurized brake pipe extends the entire length of the train and is used as a control signal such that a reduction in air pressure in the brake pipe causes the brakes to actuate. Each car has a reservoir of compressed air to power the brake cylinders. While the system has satisfactorily functioned in the past, certain deficiencies exist.
Due to the substantial length of many freight trains, the use of pressure drop as an actuation signal sometimes cause undesirable results. Specifically, a substantial amount of time is required for the pressure drop to propagate from car to car. The pressure drop propagation lag causes a corresponding delay in the application of brakes on each subsequent car. Unfortunately, the brake actuation delay increases the train stopping distance.
To avoid the time lag between first signaling for a brake application and when the last brakes apply, each of the car brakes would optimally apply simultaneously to achieve the shortest possible stopping distance. As such, electronically controlled brakes are highly desirable. Unfortunately, the cost of equipping each existing railway car with an electronic brake system is very high. Additionally, implementation of such a change would take years to achieve. It would also be difficult to assure that each and every car was equipped with the proper electronics.
Therefore, it is desirable to produce a pneumatic control system capable of using electronic or brake pipe pressure signals to actuate the brakes of a train car. Such a system is able to take advantage of electronically braked cars while also utilizing a brake pipe pressure drop to actuate the brakes in non-electronically controlled cars.
Accordingly, the pneumatic control system of the present invention operates in at least three separately definable modes. Firstly, the brake control system is operable without the use of electrical power. In this pneumatic mode, the brakes are actuated once a pressure drop in the brake pipe causes motion of certain pneumatic valves. Secondly, the brake control system of the present invention is operable in an electronically controlled pneumatics mode where each brake is operated via an electronic signal. Lastly, the system may operate in an emulation mode. Cars equipped with the pneumatic control system of the present invention operating in emulation mode electronically sense brake pipe pressure. Based on the rate of pressure drop, the brakes are actuated accordingly as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The pneumatic control system also electronically signals a valve to exhaust the brake pipe on each car so equipped. The further exhaustion of brake pipe assists in sending the brake pipe signal down the train in an expedited manner. Cars in the train that are not equipped with the present invention will be signaled with a brake pipe pressure drop.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic of a pneumatic control system constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic depicting the pneumatic control system in the present invention in a pressurized condition;
FIG. 3 is a schematic depicting a service brake application;
FIG. 4 is a schematic depicting service brake release;
FIG. 5 is a schematic depicting a first-time segment of an emergency train stop in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic of a second-time segment of the emergency train stop of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a third-time segment of the aforementioned emergency train stop;
FIG. 8 is a fourth-time segment of the emergency train stop;
FIG. 9 is a fifth and final segment of the emergency train stop condition;
FIG. 10 is a schematic of the pneumatic control system of the present invention depicting the valve positions and flow paths corresponding to a manual vent valve in a second position;
FIG. 11 is a schematic showing the manual vent valve after it has been released from the second position as in FIG. 10, but at a later time;
FIG. 12 is yet another schematic depicting the manual vent valve after it has been released from the second position at a time after FIGS. 10 and 11;
FIG. 13 is a schematic depicting the manual vent valve in a third position;
FIG. 14 is a schematic showing the exhausting of the reservoir while the manual vent valve is in the third position; and
FIG. 15 is a schematic depicting the pneumatic control system of the present invention in a fully exhausted condition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to FIG. 1, a pneumatic control system constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is generally identified at reference numeral 10 . Pneumatic control system 10 is depicted in schematic form using standardized pneumatic and fluid system symbols. It should be appreciated that each car of a freight train is preferably equipped with similar pneumatic control systems 10 . Accordingly, only one pneumatic control system 10 will be described in detail.
Pneumatic control system 10 includes a block manifold 12 having a service side 14 and an emergency side 16 . Pressurized air is supplied from a brake pipe 18 which extends substantially along the entire length of the train. Brake pipe 18 is plumbed to a brake pipe port 20 on service side 14 and a port 22 on the emergency side. Brake pipe 18 is also coupled to ports 24 and 26 via a filter 28 .
Pneumatic control system 10 functions to provide service brake applications and emergency brake applications via electronic input or pneumatic input as previously described. Accordingly, pneumatic system 10 may function in a purely electronic mode, a purely pneumatic mode, or an emulation mode. In the mixed or emulation mode, some cars are equipped with fully electronic braking control systems while others are not.
Block manifold 12 also includes reservoir ports 30 , 32 and 34 in fluid communication with an emergency reservoir 36 and an auxiliary reservoir 37 . An exhaust port 38 is also provided on the service side. Ports 40 , 42 , 44 and 46 are also plumbed in communication with exhaust port 38 . A quick action chamber port 48 is in communication with a quick action chamber 50 . Quick action chamber 50 is preferably sized to store 150 to 175 cubic inches of air. A brake chamber port 52 is in communication with a brake chamber 54 . Brake chamber 54 converts the pressure supplied therein to a linear force acting upon a push rod 56 . Push rod 56 in turn actuates the car brakes.
A manual vent valve 58 is plumbed in communication with an exhaust port 60 and reservoir port 30 . The opposite side of manual vent valve 58 communicates with a plurality of valves via a line 62 as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. Manual vent valve 58 is a three position directional control valve which is spring biased in the up position as shown in FIG. 1 . Manual vent valve 58 includes a lever 64 selectively operable to reposition the valve to one of the two other positions shown.
A variety of sensors and valves comprise the remaining portion of pneumatic control system 10 . For clarity, each component will be initially introduced and subsequently described. A check and orifice valve 66 is plumbed between the brake pipe and the reservoirs to control the rate at which each car reservoir fills. Check and orifice valve 66 assures that the cars along the entire length of the train pressurize at approximately the same time. Under certain conditions, this also assures that the brakes are released at approximately the same time.
Pneumatic control system 10 also includes a quick release valve 68 . Quick release valve 68 is a two position directional control valve that includes a spring biasing the valve to the position shown in FIG. 1 . Quick release valve 68 also includes an electrical solenoid 70 that is selectively energized to bypass check and orifice valve 66 . Therefore, quick release valve 68 provides a method of quickly filling the brake pipe of the car.
A supply valve 72 , an exhaust valve 74 and an exhaust latching valve 76 comprise the requisite valves for conducting a service brake application. Supply valve 72 is a two-way, two position directional control valve spring biased in the up position as shown in FIG. 1 . Supply valve 72 also includes an electrical solenoid 78 which may be selectively energized to move supply valve 72 to the down position. Exhaust valve 74 is also a two-way, two position directional control valve having a spring bias. Exhaust valve 74 includes a pneumatic pilot 80 . Upon receipt of a pressure signal to pilot 80 , exhaust valve 74 shifts to the blocked, down position. Exhaust latching valve 76 is a three-way, two position directional control valve having an upper solenoid 82 and a lower solenoid 84 . Each of the solenoids may be selectively energized to displace the valve. In addition, exhaust latching valve 76 includes an upper pilot 86 and a lower pilot 88 . It should be appreciated that lower pilot 88 acts upon a larger piston diameter than upper pilot 86 . Accordingly, if both upper and lower pilots receive equal pressure signals, pilot 88 will cause exhaust latching valve 76 to move to the up position as shown in FIG. 1 .
Pneumatic control system 10 also includes a quick service valve 90 in communication with the filtered brake pipe. Quick service valve 90 is a two position directional control valve that is spring biased to the position shown in FIG. 1 . Quick service valve 90 includes an electrical solenoid 92 which is selectively energizable to move it to the down position.
An emergency valve assembly 94 is represented by four separate valves schematically. One skilled in the art will appreciate that a variety of physical valve constructions may exist to achieve the functions schematically depicted. Therefore, valve variants which include different combinations of the valves schematically depicted in one or more housings are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention. For example, emergency valve assembly 94 includes an emergency backup pilot valve 96 , a pressure sensing valve 98 , a first emergency backup valve 100 and a second emergency backup valve 102 physically mounted within a single housing. Valve 96 is a three-way, two position directional control valve which is spring biased in the up position. Valve 96 also includes an electrical solenoid 104 which is selectively energizable to move valve 96 to the down position. Valve 98 is also a three-way, two position directional control valve which is spring biased in the up position. Valve 98 includes a pair of upper pilots 106 and 108 as well as a lower pilot 110 . Lower pilot 110 acts upon a piston diameter equal to pilot 106 . Accordingly, if a greater pressure signal is present at pilot 106 , sufficient to overcome the combined force of lower pilot 110 and the lower spring, valve 98 will move to the down position as shown in FIG. 7 .
Valve 100 is a two-way, two position directional control valve which is spring biased to the up position as shown in the figure. Valve 100 includes a pair of upper pilots 112 and 114 along with a lower pilot 116 . Pilots 112 and 114 act upon a diameter greater than pilot 116 . As such, valve 100 shifts to the down position if a signal is placed upon pilot 112 and 114 regardless of the presence of a signal upon pilot 116 . Valve 100 also includes a mechanical push rod 118 . Valve 100 includes a push rod 118 mechanically engagable with valve 102 such that when valve 100 is in the down position valve 102 is in the down position as well. If valve 100 were subsequently switched to the up position, valve 102 would not necessarily follow because push rod 118 is not coupled to valve 102 .
Valve 102 is a three-way, two position directional control valve that is spring biased in the up position. Valve 102 includes an upper pilot 119 and two lower pilots. The pilot valves are sized such that a signal upon either lower pilot causes valve 102 to be in the up position regardless of the presence of a signal upon pilot 119 .
A brake cylinder dump valve 120 is plumbed in communication with manual vent valve 58 and brake cylinder 54 . Brake cylinder dump valve 120 is required because a number of trains are equipped with a retainer valve 122 in line with the exhaust of the brake cylinder. Retainer valve 122 supplies a restriction to the exhaust of brake cylinder 54 . The restriction is used to maintain a brake application for a desired length of time. However, retainer valve 122 maintains the pressure in the range of 10 to 22 P.S.I. within the system. In order to completely evacuate brake cylinder 54 , brake cylinder dump valve 120 is plumbed as shown. Brake cylinder dump valve 120 is a two-way directional control valve having a pair of upper pilots 128 and 130 along with a pair of lower pilots 132 and 134 .
With reference to FIG. 2, pneumatic control system 10 has been pressurized by providing a supply of pressurized air at the inlet or brake pipe 18 . It should be appreciated that at this time emergency reservoir 36 , auxiliary reservoir 37 and quick action chamber 50 are pressurized as well. High pressure within a given line is indicated by a bold line. Low pressure is indicated by a dashed line. An evacuated line is depicted by a solid line of standard weight. Typically, pneumatic control system 10 is pressurized to approximately 90 P.S.I. when fully charged.
An electronic controller 135 is coupled in electrical communication with each of the solenoids and pressure sensors described. An electronic controller 135 is mounted to each car equipped with the present invention. With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a service brake application and a service brake release are depicted. During a service brake application, pressure from reservoirs 36 and 37 is supplied to brake cylinder 54 . Entry of pressurized fluid within brake cylinder 54 causes push rod 56 to axially displace and actuate the car brakes. To initiate a service brake application, a brake pipe pressure drop is generated by the engineer at the locomotive. The brake pipe pressure is sensed by a pressure sensor 136 . Electronic controller 135 then electrically energizes solenoid 82 of exhaust latching valve 76 thereby causing the valve to move to the down position as shown in FIG. 3 . By switching exhaust latching valve 76 to the down position, pilot 80 of exhaust valve 74 is signaled. Upon receipt of the pilot signal, exhaust valve 74 shifts to the closed position. Once exhaust latching valve 76 shifts down, a signal is sent to pilot 86 . Therefore, exhaust latching valve 76 “latches” in the down position without the need for electrical energy to solenoid 82 . Another electrical signal is sent to solenoid 78 of supply valve 72 . Supply valve 72 shifts to the down position thereby providing a pathway for pressurized fluid to enter a line 137 and fill brake cylinder 54 . A pressure sensor 138 is coupled to line 137 to provide brake cylinder pressure data to electronic controller 135 if the train is so equipped.
With reference to FIG. 4, the service brakes are released by de-energizing solenoid 78 of supply valve 72 . Because supply valve 72 has a spring bias, the valve shifts to the closed, up position once solenoid 78 is no longer actuated. Also, an electrical signal is sent to lower solenoid 84 of exhaust latching valve 76 to shift the valve to the up position. Because of the exhaust latching valve shift, a line 141 coupled to pilot 80 is exhausted. Once the signal to pilot 80 has been removed, exhaust valve 74 returns to its spring biased up position. At this time, pressurized air from brake cylinder 54 travels through exhaust valve 74 and a shuttle valve 142 up through ports 46 , 44 , 42 and 40 to finally arrive at exhaust port 38 . Pressurized fluid vents to atmosphere at retainer valve 122 .
FIGS. 5-9 depict valve states and line pressure conditions corresponding to an emergency train stop. The figures correspond to an emergency train stop in emulation mode where an electronic controller senses a rapid decrease in brake pipe pressure. Specifically, cars connected to an electrical supply are signaled to energize a predetermined set of valve solenoids to begin an emergency stop. Pneumatic control system 10 also functions to propagate the pneumatic signal to cars not equipped with the present invention by rapidly dropping the brake pipe pressure in each car equipped with the present invention.
To initiate the emergency train stop, solenoid 82 of exhaust latching valve 76 is electrically energized. Exhaust latching valve 76 shifts to the down position to provide pilot 80 of exhaust valve 74 with a signal. Exhaust valve 74 shifts to the down position to close the pathway to exhaust. Pressure is supplied to pilot 86 on the top of exhaust latching valve 76 to “latch” valve 76 in the down position without the presence of an electrical signal to solenoid 82 . To conserve energy, the signal to solenoid 82 is applied only momentarily. Additionally, solenoid 78 of supply valve 72 is electrically energized. Upon energization, supply valve 72 shifts to the down position to pressurize line 137 and brake cylinder 54 . One skilled in the art will appreciate that the time required to actuate the brakes in the aforementioned emergency situation is minimal due to the use of solenoids 78 and 82 . At this time, it is desirable to exhaust the brake pipe on each car equipped with electricity to signal cars which are currently operating in pneumatic mode only.
FIG. 6 represents the next state of pneumatic control system 10 to further continue the emergency train stop and exhaust brake pipe 18 . Electrical solenoids 78 and 82 are de-energized. Due to the spring bias within supply valve 72 , the valve resets to the up position once solenoid 78 is de-energized. To reset exhaust latching valve 76 , an electrical signal is sent to energize solenoid 104 of valve 96 . Valve 96 shifts to the down position allowing pressurized fluid to pass through valve 98 and pressurize a line 144 . Pressurized fluid from line 144 passes through a shuttle valve 146 and provides a signal to pilot 88 on the lower side of exhaust latching valve 76 . As such, exhaust latching valve 76 is reset in the up position. Once exhaust latching valve 76 is reset, pressure in line 141 that was previously acting upon pilot 80 is exhausted. As a result, exhaust valve 74 shifts to the spring biased up position shown in FIG. 6 .
Additionally, because line 144 has been pressurized, a signal is sent to pilot 112 . As discussed earlier, valve 100 is constructed such that the valve shifts to the down position if both pilots 112 and 114 are energized regardless of the presence of a signal on pilot 116 . Thus, brake pipe 18 is exhausted to atmosphere at vent 148 . As valve 100 is shifted to the down position, push rod 118 mechanically shifts valve 102 to the down position. When valve 102 is in the down position, pressurized air from reservoir 36 passes through valve 102 , shuttle valve 142 and exhaust valve 74 to further pressurize brake cylinder 54 . Further pressurization of brake cylinder 54 is required because train brake cylinders typically leak. Even though the brake should theoretically maintain actuation once the pressurized air is trapped within the brake cylinder, the actual brake force decreases unless pressure is continuously supplied.
FIG. 7 depicts the further decay of brake pipe pressure through valve 100 . A water expulsion valve 150 is plumbed in communication with filtered brake pipe port 26 and located at an elevational low point to provide a purge point for any water trapped in the line. During the filtered brake pipe exhaust, the signal on pilot 110 is depleted. An accumulator 152 is plumbed in combination with an orifice 154 to maintain a signal on pilot 106 during venting of the brake pipe. Based on these signal conditions, valve 98 shifts to the down position and orifice 156 limits the depletion of quick action chamber 50 to maintain the signal at pilot 108 for a desired period of time. Accordingly, the quick acting chamber acts as a timing mechanism that holds valve 98 off it's seat until quick action chamber 50 is depleted. Similarly, pilot 112 of valve 100 is signaled with pressurized air until brake pipe 18 and quick action chamber are fully exhausted.
With reference to FIG. 8, solenoid 104 is deactivated. It is important to note that reservoir pressure continues to supply brake cylinder 54 and brake pipe pressure continues to be exhausted after solenoid 104 is de-energized. Valve 96 provides an excellent example of how power is conserved during operation of pneumatic control system 10 . Specifically, an electrical signal of very short duration is all that is required for solenoid 104 to shift valve 96 and begin exhausting the brake pipe. Once valve 100 has been shifted, pilot 112 maintains the proper position of valve 100 . As such, solenoid 104 may be deactivated to conserve energy.
FIG. 9 represents the last state diagram corresponding to an emergency train stop. At this time, the brake pipe, filtered brake pipe and quick action chamber have been completely exhausted. Valve 98 returns to the spring biased up position. Valve 100 also returns to the spring biased up position. Once valve 100 resets, the exhaust path of brake pipe 18 is closed. Valve 102 does not automatically reset upon movement of valve 100 but stays in the down position based on the signal to pilot 119 . As described earlier, valve 102 remains in this position to maintain the supply of pressurized fluid to brake cylinder 54 . Therefore, the brakes will remain actuated until the reservoirs are completely depleted due to cylinder leakage or intervention of another signal from the train operator.
For example, if the operator wishes to manually release the brakes after an emergency stop, manual vent valve 58 may be actuated. With reference to FIG. 10, manual vent valve 58 is deployed in its second or middle position by pulling and holding lever 64 . Once in the second position, manual vent valve 58 supplies pressure to line 62 to reset valves 76 and 102 and to open valve 120 . To shift valve 120 to its reset or down position, pilot 128 is signaled. Similarly, the lower pilot of valve 102 and pilot 88 of valve 76 are also signaled. It should be appreciated that valve 120 is incorporated within pneumatic control system 10 because some trains are equipped with retainer valves while others are not. If the train is equipped with a retainer valve, a residual amount of pressure is maintained within brake cylinder 54 and the brakes are not fully released. Valve 120 is plumbed directly to an exhaust port 158 thereby allowing the pressure to completely dissipate.
FIG. 11 depicts the state of pneumatic control system 10 after lever 64 of manual vent valve 58 has been released to allow the valve to return to its spring biased first position. The pilot signal which was previously introduced to line 62 is now exhausted to atmosphere.
FIG. 12 depicts pneumatic control system 10 in a state where the brake cylinder 54 has been completely evacuated. The only remaining pressure within the system is stored in emergency reservoir 36 , auxiliary reservoir 37 and the associated lines. The condition depicted is known as the brakes off mode of the train.
In FIG. 13, manual vent valve 58 is shifted to the third position shown. The third position couples emergency reservoir 36 and auxiliary reservoir 37 to exhaust through the manual vent valve. For maintenance purposes, it is at times desirable to service a “dead car”. A dead car contains no pressures within any lines, storage tanks or accumulators on the car. It should be appreciated that manual vent valve 58 may be shifted to the third position shown in FIG. 14 immediately following an emergency stop. It is not a requisite step to first enter the second position of manual vent valve 58 prior to entering the third position. Accordingly, if it is desirable to produce a dead car and completely evacuate the reservoirs after an emergency stop, an operator preferably actuates lever 64 to index manual vent valve 58 to the third position thereby venting the brake cylinder and the reservoirs to atmosphere through the manual vent valve. FIG. 15 depicts a completely exhausted car which is the result of holding manual vent valve 58 in the third position shown in FIGS. 13 and 14.
While the invention has been described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings with reference to certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalence may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. For example, those skilled in the art will understand that emergency valve assembly 94 may alternatively be constructed as two or more separate valve assemblies to accomplish the function previously described. Similarly, electrical solenoids may be substituted for fluid pilots and fluid pilots may be substituted for electrical solenoids where feasible. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment illustrated by the drawings described in the specification as a best mode presently contemplated for caring out this invention, but that the invention will include any embodiments falling within the foregoing description and the appended claims. | A pneumatic control system for a freight car having a brake pipe, auxiliary and emergency reservoirs normally charged with pressurized fluid from the brake pipe, a fluid pressure activated brake cylinder device and an exhaust including an electronic controller, at least one pressure sensor, an electrically operated supply valve controlled by the electronic controller selectively communicating the brake cylinder with one of the reservoirs to perform a brake application, an exhaust valve selectively communicating the brake cylinder with the atmosphere thereby performing a brake release function, and an electronically operated exhaust latching valve controlled by the electronic controller to selectively signal the exhaust valve to connect the brake cylinder to the exhaust. | 1 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 263,191 filed May 13, 1981.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to the fabrication of unitary structures of complex shape, such as missile radomes, from fiber reinforced plastic material. More particularly, the present invention relates to hollow structures, such as radomes, which have improved longitudinal strength and, in the case of a radome, improved electromagnetic energy transmission characteristics.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
While not limited thereto in its utility, the present invention is particularly well suited for use in the manufacture of radomes. Accordingly, the discussion below will be primarily related to radomes.
Ceramic radomes are typically used for missiles intended to operate at speeds of Mach 4 or higher. These ceramic radomes have been found to be at best marginal in performance due to fragility, susceptibility to thermal shock, high thermal conductivity and high rates of rain impact damage. A definite need for a workable alternative to ceramic radomes existed for many years.
Radomes made from polymeric materials have been suggested as a possible alternative to ceramic radomes. Polytetrafluoroethylene, hereinafter PTFE, is one such polymeric material which might be suitable for radome applications. However, "neat" or simple filled PTFE does not possess the requisite characteristics, uniformity of erosion and ablation for example, for use in the demanding evironment of a missile radome. Tests have shown that fiber reinforced PTFE, i.e., a PTFE composite with the fibers having a high aspect ratio, would have those characteristics dictated by radome and similar usage.
Prior to the invention disclosed in application Ser. No. 149,952, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,884, it had been a practical impossibility to fabricate a radome from a PTFE-fiber composite. The production of a solid block of PTFE composite of sufficient size to permit machining a radome therefrom is not feasible due to the virtual impossibility of heating such a large block through the crystalline melt point and subsequently cooling through the recrystallization point with enough uniformity of temperature to avoid fissures and damage from thermal stress. Furthermore, even if the temperature gradient and thermal stress problems could be avoided, an extremely long heating and cooling cycle (perhaps on the order of several weeks) would be required, and that long cycle time would result in thermal degradation. Other approaches, such as flowing a sheet of PTFE composite material to form a radome shape or laminating a series of rings or discs cut from such sheet material all involve substantial technical or cost problems which precluded the use of such material and techniques.
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,884 discloses a novel radome structure comprised of a fiber reinforced plastic material wherein the fibers are, to a high degree, randomly oriented in planes which are perpendicular to the axis of the radome. This novel fiber reinforced plastic radome is manufactured by sintering together preformed segments of the radome while maintaining axial pressure upon the segments. The preformed segments are formed by cold pressing a powdered PTFE-fiber composite material into rings or discs, the cold pressing step causing the fibers to become oriented randomly in planes perpendicular to the axes of the discs. These discs are machined to form a series of preforms of desired size and shape. The preforms are stacked within a mold cavity and subjected to heat and axial pressure. The resulting unitary sintered structure is machined to form the final desired product.
The final unitary product produced in accordance with the teachings of the above-mentioned U.S. Patent overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior art. It has excellent resistance to ablation and rain erosion and is not as fragile as previous ceramic radomes. Also, a fiber reinforced radome produced in accordance with the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,884 is economical to produce when compared to the cost of machining a radome from a large block of PTFE-fiber composite
However, a radome produced in accordance with the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,884 possesses characteristics which limit its usage. For example, since the fibers are oriented in planes perpendicular to the radome axis, the longitudinal tensile strength of the structure is comparatively low. Accordingly, a supporting liner is needed in some cases. The liner will typically be comprised of a glass fiber-epoxy structure or a polyimide-glass fiber honeycomb structure. The bonding of a supporting liner within a previously formed radome may result in the radome fracturing or there may be incomplete bonding between the radome and the supporting liner. The problems associated with bonding a liner within a radome are due in part to the radome having a much higher degree of thermal expansion in the axial direction than does the supporting liner. When fracturing and/or incomplete bonding occurs it will happen during the processing step when heat is applied to cure the adhesive used to bond the liner to the radome. Either voids will form between the liner and the radome due to the radome expansion or the radome will fracture due to tension as it contracts on cooling if there is adequate bonding to the liner. It has also been observed that when exposed to low temperatures the bonded radome and liner assembly experiences axial stresses due to the differences in thermal expansion. These stresses result in tension between the radome and liner which can lead to fissure formation.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the above-discussed disadvantages and other deficiencies of the prior art by providing a novel unitary structure of complex shape and comprised of a fiber reinforced composite material, such as a radome, and a method of manufacture thereof.
Thus, in accordance with the present invention a product comprised of fiber-reinforced polymeric material is produced wherein the fibers are to a high degree randomly oriented in planes which are perpendicular to lines which are normal to the inner surface of the radome. Longitudinal strength is greatly improved and lower thermal expansion co-efficient in the circumferential and longitudinal directions is obtained because of this fiber orientation. It is to be noted that resistance to ablation and rain erosion are not as great in the case of a radome produced in accordance with the present invention as in the case of the radome disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,884. However, a radome in accordance with the present invention has sufficient resistance to rain erosion and ablation to be acceptable for many applications.
The method of the present invention includes uniformly packing a thoroughly blended mixture of a polymeric material and reinforcing fibers in particulate form around a mandrel which is supported in a mold cavity. The mandrel has a surface contour which is commensurate with the desired contour of the interior of the structure to be produced. The layer of composite material formed about the mandrel is subjected to sufficient external pressure for a sufficient period of time to compact the powder to almost its ultimate desired density. In order to assure that a large percentage of the fibers become oriented in planes which are perpendicular to lines normal to the surface of the mandrel, the pressure should be applied equally over the entire exposed surface of the layer of composite material in a direction normal to the mandrel surface. The preferred method for applying this pressure is a known isostatic pressing technique. The mandrel and composite material are enclosed in a sealed flexible bag to prevent penetration of the pressing fluid into the composite material. It is further preferable to evacuate any air from within the bag and polymeric material powder in order to prevent fissures from developing in the formed layer when the pressure being applied is released.
After the composite material layer has been compacted by the applied pressure it is subjected to a sufficiently high temperature to fuse or sinter the polymeric material. In the case of PTFE, this temperature should range between 350° to 400° C. Furthermore, in order to reduce the possibility of cracking or fissure formation within the radome, or other structure, this heating is carried out in an inert atmosphere. If the powder layer is heated while still positioned around the mandrel it is essential to maintain the temperature differential across the layer of composite material between the mandrel and the surrounding atmosphere within a narrow range. This is especially crucial when the temperature is being raised through the crystalline melting temperature of PTFE and when it is being lowered through the recrystallization temperature of PTFE. If the temperature difference between the mandrel and surrounding atmosphere becomes too great, the radome may crack or fissure.
After the mandrel, if still present, and the cured PTFE layer are cooled to room temperature, the PTFE layer is finished by machining it to the desired dimensions of the product, for example a radome, being formed.
It has been determined that the reflection of microwave energy from a radome produced in accordance with the present invention may be reduced by providing either or both of the inner and outer surfaces of a radome comprised of a polymeric material-fiber composite with grooves. For a missile radome, if only one surface is to be grooved, it is aerodynamically better to provide the grooves on the inner surface. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, inner surface grooves are formed by compacting the composite material about a mandrel which is provided with a selected groove pattern. This pattern may comprise either a series of longitudinal grooves or one or more helical grooves. After the powder has been compacted and sintered about the mandrel the finished radome structure is removed. If the groove is of helical shape removal is effected by a twisting action. Grooves may be provided in the exterior surface after the radome is finished by suitable known machining procedures and, if provided, are preferrably longitudinal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The present invention may be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements in the several FIGURES, and wherein:
FIGS. 1A and 1B depict, in cross-sectional side elevation, two mandrels which may be employed in the novel manufacturing process of the present invention, polymeric composites being indicated schematically on the mandrels;
FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of the novel process of the present invention;
FIG. 3 shows a side elevational view, partially in section, of a finished radome in accordance with the invention;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views illustrating the step of forming a layer of composite material around a mandrel in practicing the method of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a mandrel and composite material layer in position within an elastic bag for compacting by an isostatic pressing technique;
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of a finished radome with a supporting liner bonded therein;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a mandrel with a helically shaped surface groove;
FIG. 8 is a side elevational view, partially in section, of a finished radome having grooves provided in both its exterior and interior surfaces;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the radome shown in FIG. 8 take along line 9--9;
FIG. 10 is an end view of another mandrel for use in the practice of the present invention; and
FIG. 11 is a side elevation view, partly in section, of a finished radome produced using the mandrel of FIG. 10.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention consists of a novel unitary structures comprised of fiber-reinforced plastic material and methods of manufacture thereof. It is to be noted that while a radome and the manufacture thereof will be discussed and illustrated, the invention is not limited to such use.
With reference now to the drawing, and particularly to FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2, the first step in the practice of the present invention involves packing a mixture comprising reinforcing fibers and a polymeric material, preferrably polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter PTFE), to form a layer 12 around mandrel 10. It is to be noted that the layer 12 has been shown as a double broken line to indicate that the fiber reinforced plastic is initially in the form of a powder which is subsequently compacted to reduce its thickness and increase its density. Mandrel 10 is preferably comprised of aluminum and has a surface contour 16 which corresponds to the desired contour of the interior surface of the radome. Mandrel 10 is prepared by any conventional machining technique and may be reused for processing numerous radomes of the desired shape. Preferably, mandrel 10 is provided with undercut 14. The function of undercut 14 will be discussed below.
Layer 12 is a thoroughly blended mixture of PTFE in powder form and reinforcing fiber. This blended mixture is prepared by a dry process which provides an intimate blending of the PTFE particles with the individual fibers. Also, the PTFE powder is sifted through a screen before blending to insure against lumps. Two examples of composite materials, i.e., thoroughly blended polymeric material-fiber mixtures, capable of use in the practice of the present invention are "RT/duroid" types 5650M and 5870M available from Rogers Corporation, Rogers, Conn. and comprising by weight:
______________________________________"RT/duroid" type 5650 M 5870 M"Teflon" 7A (polytetrafluoroethylene, 75% 85%available from E. I. duPont)Ceramic fibers 25% 0%(aluminum silicate fibers of randomsize and having an average diameterof about 1 μm and an average lengthexceeding 100 μm)Glass Microfibers 0 15%(available from the John-Manville Corp.and having an average diameter ofabout 0.2 μm and an lengthexceeding 30 μm)______________________________________
The final compounded powder, i.e., the PTFE-fiber mixture, has a preferred bulk density of about 0.25 grams/cubic centimeter.
The reinforcing fibers useful in the practice of the present invention may be comprised of a ceramic material, glass microfibers or other similar material. The fibers, which are inorganic, will typically range in diameter from 0.05 to 10 micrometers and will preferably have an aspect ratio of at least 30. The final fiber content of the mixture should range between 5% and 40% by weight.
While the above discussion has been limited to the use of only PTFE, other fluoropolymers may be added to the PTFE powder for the purpose of modifying the processing requirements or for obtaining certain desirable characteristics. Typically, such additives will possess lower melting temperatures, lower melt viscosity, better ability to wet fiber or filler surfaces, and better ability to close voids. Other types of PTFE resins which may be used as Teflon 7C or other commercially available granular or coagulated dispersion types of PTFE. Finally, melt processible fluoropolymers, such as Dupont's "Teflon FEP" or "Teflon PFA" may be added to serve as an aid to coalescence during the sintering step.
It is further possible to prepare the PTFE-fiber composite as an aqueous slurry. If the aqueous slurry process is employed a PTFE dispersion is added along with a flocculating agent to a mixture of water and fiber. This slurry is then dewatered, by vacuum, against a mesh fabric covered form, preferably a perforated sheel shaped similarly to the mandrel 10. The resulting low density "pulp form" shape has, after drying, an inside diameter resembling the form. A PTFE dispersion useful in the practice of the present invention is "Fluon" AD704, produced by ICI, America.
With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, a preferred method of forming the PTFE-fiber composite layer of the present invention of FIG. 1 about mandrel 10 is depicted. A mold 28 is provided with a cavity 30 that is larger than the exterior contour of the radome to be formed. The cavity configuration is designed to allow for the bulk factor of the mixture so as to insure that the layer 12, in its final configuration is sufficiently oversized to permit machining the outer contour by cutting away a minimal amount of trim. An elastic bag 32, having approximately the same shape as cavity 30, is positioned within cavity 30. The open end of bag 32 is stretched over the mold 28 and sealed against the exterior surface thereof. The space between the bag 32 and the cavity 30 is evacuated by a high volume pump (not shown) which is connected to cavity 30 through passages provided in mold 28 (also not shown). This conforms bag 32 to the surface of cavity 30.
Mold 28 is positioned upon a base plate 34. Three posts 38, only two of which are shown, extend upwardly from plate 34. Posts 38 are arranged triangularly and are provided with threaded ends 40. A Y-shaped support plate 42 is supported on posts 38 by passing threaded ends 40 of the posts through apertures 44 in plate 42. Plate 42 is secured at a desired height by nuts 46 as shown.
A mandrel support shaft comprising a pair of interconnected rods 48 and 50 extends from Y-shaped support plate 42. Rod 48 is provided with external threads at both ends while rod 50 is provided with only one externally threaded end. The second end of rod 50 has an internally threaded blind hole which engages a first end of rod 48. The other end of rod 48 passes through an aperture 54 in plate 42 and is held to plate 42 by a pair of nuts 52.
The externally threaded end of rod 50 engages mandrel 10. Mandrel 10 is lowered into cavity 30 of mold 28 until the desired spacing between the wall of cavity 30 and mandrel 10 is achieved. This spacing should be sufficient to allow the appropriate amount of PTFE composite powder 36 to be delivered into bag 32. An elastomeric plug 56, preferably in two sections, is positioned around the mandrel support shaft. Plug 56 is provided with a hole 58 which, while allowing passage of rods 48 and 50, provides a tight enough fit to seal a vacuum. Plug 56 is also provided with a cavity 62, which receives a self-sealing rubber stopper 64, and an evacuation port 66 which extends from the bottom of cavity 62.
The PTFE composite powder 36 is seived into the space between mandrel 10 and bag 32. Caution must be taken while loading the powder 36 to insure even distribution of the powder 36 within bag 32 and light tamping and/or vibration may be employed. After bag 32 is fully filled, it is closed. This is accomplished by sliding elastomeric disc plug 56 down shafts 48 and 50 until it contacts mandrel 10. The bag 32 is then taped to the plug 56, preferably by plastic pressure-sensitive tape 60, as shown in FIG. 4B. This prevents liquid intrusion into bag 32 during isostatic pressing step 20.
It has been found that by evacuating air from within the bag 32 and powder 36, fissures are prevented during the pressure release stage or isostatic pressing step 20. In order to permit evacuation of bag 32, a fabric strip 68 is positioned between the two sections of plug 56 in the vacinity of port 66 before bag 32 is sealed to the plug. The fabric strip defines a gas flow path between the sections of the plug and functions as a filter which prevents the evacuation of powder. A large bore hypodermic needle 70 is then pierced through stopper 64 into port 66. The air is drawn out of bag 32 and powder 36 by attaching needle 70 to a vacuum pump (not shown) through tubing 72. This evacuation step will typically consist of pumping down the sealed and powder filled bag for at least one hour. After the air has been withdrawn, the needle 70 is removed and, since stopper 64 is self-sealing, the interior of bag 32 will remain air free. Next, as shown in FIG. 5, rod 48 is disengaged from rod 50 and is replaced by machine screw 74 and stopper 76. This ensures proper sealing. A second elastomeric bag 78 is then placed over plug 56 and taped to bag 32 by tape 80.
Once the air has been evacuated from bag 32 and powder 36 and the bag 78 sealed to plug 56 and bag 32, isostatic pressing step 20 is commenced. This involves removing the mandrel 10 with bag 32 and composite powder layer 36 from mold 28 as a unit and placing this unitary assembly in a cold isostatic press which consists of a high pressure vessel (not shown) filled with water or other suitable liquid that will not degrade bags 32 and 78. The pressure of the liquid is raised slowly to the maximum desired value, preferably 30,000 psi, over a time span of about an hour. The maximum pressure is held for about 5 minutes. The pressure is then slowly reduced at a constant rate to 14.7 psi over a time span of 45 to 60 minutes. The controlled release of pressure is typically achieved by a high pressure needle value. Caution must be taken not to release the pressure too rapidly. If the pressure is released too rapidly, the compacted powder layer may fracture. While the above are the preferred pressures and times for the isostatic pressing of a PTFE composite layer, the maximum pressure may range from 5000 psi to 100,000 psi and be reached within 30 to 60 minutes. The maximum pressure should be held between 1 to 10 minutes. Furthermore, it is also possible to reduce the pressure from the maximum to atmospheric pressure within 5 to 60 minutes. As noted above, mandrel 10 is provided with undercut 14. This insures that layer 12 of compacted PTFE composite is locked and retained upon mandrel 10 after the completion of pressing step 20.
After completion of isostatic pressing step 20 the powder has been compacted into a layer 12 (FIGS. 1 and 6) which is very nearly at the ultimate desired density and which has a major percentage of fibers oriented as desired. The fibers in layer 12, before the isostatic pressing step 20, are randomly oriented substantially equally in all directions. The pressure applied during step 20 is in a direction normal to the surface of mandrel 10. This causes a large percentage of the fibers within the powder being compacted to become randomly oriented in planes which are perpendicular to lines (not shown) which are normal to the nearest surface of mandrel 10. This may be contrasted to the technique of U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,884 wherein the principal fiber orientation is in planes which are perpendicular to the radome axis.
After completion of pressing step 20, the mandrel 10 and compressed layer 12 are subjected to a sintering step 22. This involves removing the mandrel 10 and layer 12 from the elastomeric bag 32 and subjecting layer 12 to a temperature ranging between 350° C. to 400° C., with the preferred temperature being 380° C. This heating is carried out by placing the mandrel 10 with layer 12 in a forced circulation oven (not shown) which is provided with an inert atmosphere, preferably nitrogen. The sintering temperature is reached within 3 to 30 hours and held between 1 to 8 hours. The mandrel and layer 12 are then cooled to room temperature. Caution must be taken during cooling and heating the mandrel 10 and layer 12 to insure that a significant temperature differential is not established across the layer 12. This is especially critical as the temperature passes through the crystalline melting temperature of the PTFE and also as the temperature is lowered through the recrystallization temperature of the PTFE. If the temperature difference between the mandrel 10 and the exterior surface of the PTFE composite layer becomes too great the radome may crack. While sintering with layer 12 still positioned upon mandrel 10 is the preferred procedure, it is also possible to remove layer 12 from mandrel 10 prior to sintering step 22. This is accomplished by either machining the layer 12 to remove the locking tabs which engage undercut 14 or employing a mandrel which does not have the undercut. The sintering temperature and times remain the same for both methods.
With sintering step 22 completed, layer 12 is finished by machining it to the desired dimensions of the radome. If layer 12 remains upon mandrel 10 during sintering step 22, the mandrel 10 may be used as a support fixture for the concentric finishing of the outside contour of layer 12. The completed radome is obtained by removing layer 12 from mandrel 10. This is accomplished, as noted above, by a machining operation to separate the material around undercut 14.
It has been found that an added advantage of retaining layer 12 upon mandrel 10 during sintering step 22 is that the final percentage of fibers having the desired orientation is improved. This is a result of layer 12 being locked to undercut 14. Normally, layer 12 would creep up as it shrinks during the heating. By heating locked to undercut 14, layer 12 must stretch as it shrinks in order to accommodate mandrel 10. This causes further compression of layer 12 in a direction normal to the axis (not shown) of mandrel 10.
It should be apparent from the above discussion that the preferred technique of retaining layer 12 upon mandrel 10 during the sintering step 22 reduces the machining requirements and improves the final radome product.
With reference now to FIG. 3, a finished radome is indicated generally at 26. It should be apparent that radome 26, which is comprised of a compacted and sintered layer 12 of PTFE composite, may be produced in any desired shape by using an appropriately designed mandrel 10.
By providing the surfaces of a radome with grooves, exterior or interior or both, microwave reflection may be reduced. This reduction of reflection broadens the useable frequency range for the particular radome. It is believed that this reduction in reflection is a result of a gradual transition from the dielectric constant of the air to the dielectric constant of the radome material which results from the uniformly uneven surface contour.
Referring jointly to FIGS. 8 and 9, a radome 26 is shown with internal grooves 84 and external grooves 86. The internal grooves 84 are formed by molding the blended powder of PTFE and fibers around a mandrel 10 (FIG. 7) which is provided with a circumferentially oriented groove 88 in the form of a spiral or helix. In this manner the radome 26 can be removed from the mandrel 10 after it is sintered by twisting. The result is a radome 26 which has an inwardly spiraling groove 84, as seen best in FIG. 9, on its inner surface.
The exterior surface of radome 26 is provided with longitudinal grooves 86 during the final machining step 24. Preferably, the grooves 86 are longitudinal and radiate outwardly from the tip 90 of radome 26, but any configuration is possible.
Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, another embodiment of the present invention will be discussed. FIG. 10 shows a mandrel 92 which is provided with longitudinal grooves 94 which forms longitudinal grooves 96 in the interior surface of radome 26 of FIG. 11.
It is to be noted that when the mandrel is provided with an irregular surface contour, for the purpose of forming grooves in the interior surface of the radome, the fiber orientation will be tangent to the average of the nearest mandrel surface. Thus, in the vicinity of the grooves 96 there will be regions wherein the majority of the fibers will not lie in planes which are perpendicular to lines normal to the mandrel surface.
It is further to be noted that, in discussing fiber orientation herein, applicant is referring to mutually orthogonal X, Y and Z axes (not shown) within the PTFE composite material, with the Z axis being normal to the interior surface of the radome. Employing this convention, the least number of fibers are oriented in the Z direction because of the direction of the applied pressure during the compacting step.
While preferred embodiments have been described and illustrated, modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation. | A method of producing unitary hollow structures, for example radomes, comprised of fiber reinforced plastic with a large percentage of the fibers being randomly oriented in directions essentially parallel to the wall surfaces of the structures and with at least one surface having grooves to reduce microwave reflection is presented. The structures are produced by packing a layer of fiber filled polymeric material in powder form around a mandrel which may have a pattern of grooves of ridges in its outer surface. The mandrel and packed powder are subjected to isostatic pressing to properly orient the fibers and achieve a density increase and powder cohesion. The pressed structure is sintered and the outer surface subesquently machined to a finished contour. | 1 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a substantially constant velocity flexible torque coupling for coupling two shafts, and more particularly to a constant velocity flexible coupling providing reduced static and dynamic imbalance when coupled to two misaligned shafts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The use of flexible couplings for interconnecting driving and driven shafts of precision instruments wherein the coupling is capable of accommodating shaft misalignments and axial shaft movements and permits limited torsional or radial deflection thereof is well known. Some examples of such flexible couplings are shown by U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,305 which discloses a flexible coupling for torque transmission having a plurality of helical beams, and by U.S. Pat. No. 3,071,942 which discloses a flexible coupling having a first plurality of parallel slots cut into a body and a second plurality of parallel slots cut between the first plurality at a 90° angle. In both examples, a portion of the ends of two shafts are inserted into the bores of hubs at opposite ends of the coupling. Each hub has a bore which has an inside diameter essentially the same as the diameter of the shaft which is to be inserted therein. After insertion, the shafts are fixedly attached to the hub by a set screw threaded into an aperture in the side of the hub. Unfortunately, the use of a set screw forces the shaft, within the tolerance of the bore of the hub, to move to a side of the bore opposite that of the set screw. Because the shaft is not aligned in the bore of the hub, dynamic loading of the flexible coupling results and thereby reduces the effectiveness of the flexible coupling's ability to transfer torque smoothly from the driving shaft to the driven shaft. Sometimes a shaft is fixedly attached to a hub by a separate single or double slotted clamp or, in some cases the shaft is fixedly attached to a flexible coupling body by a hub-slotted clamp assembly which is integral to the body as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,506. Whether an integral or separate, single or double slotted clamp is used to secure the shaft, such devices often cause the shaft, within the tolerance of the bore, to move to the side opposite that of the clamping screw. This in turn causes static and dynamic imbalance and dynamic loading of the flexible coupling, which reduces its effectiveness for transferring torque. The flexible coupling of the present invention incorporates an improved clamping mechanism to effectively reduce the static and dynamic imbalances caused by the clamping systems of the prior art, thereby eliminating the imbalances and preloading of the coupling.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a constant velocity flexible coupling for joining two misaligned shafts comprising a unitary cylindrical body having a means for flexing disposed between two hubs. The hubs each have a bore therein and have at least one diametric slot running from a point adjacent to a first end of the hub, joined to the body, to a second terminating end of the hub. The two shafts are secured to the coupling by inserting each into one of the slotted hubs followed by fastening a separate single slotted balanced clamp around the slotted hub.
One objective of the present invention is to provide a constant velocity flexible coupling for joining two misaligned shafts.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a constant velocity flexible coupling with reduced inherent dynamic loading.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a clamping system for securing a shaft to the hub of the flexible coupling so as to reduce dynamic and static imbalance and loading.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description read in conjunction with the attached drawings and claims appended hereto.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevational front view of a constant velocity flexible coupling embodying the features of the present invention, including the use of a balanced clamp.
FIG. 2 is another elevational front view of the flexible coupling of FIG. 1 showing the body of the coupling rotated 90°, in a flexed position and having an additional clamp securing a second shaft at an opposite end.
FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view through a slot taken on a plane essentially along line 3--3 of FIG. 1 showing horizontal positioning of a beam between two adjacent disks which form a pair of slots.
FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view through a slot adjacent to the slot shown in FIG. 3 taken on a plane essentially along the line 4--4 of FIG. 1 showing vertical positioning of a beam between two adjacent disks and vertical positioning of a beam immediately adjacent to a horizontal beam.
FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the end of the constant velocity flexible coupling of FIG. 1 and showing a four slot hub clamped by a single slotted balanced clamp.
FIG. 6 is an elevational view of a set screw type clamp of the prior art.
FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a double slotted clamp of the prior art.
FIG. 8 is an elevational front view of another embodiment of a constant velocity flexible coupling showing adjacent beams between disks offset by 30°, with the clamp of FIG. 5, and a bore running axially through slotted members of the body.
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the constant velocity flexible coupling of FIG. 8 showing adjacent beams between successive disks offset by 30°.
FIG. 10 is a transverse sectional view through a slot taken on a plane essentially along the line 10--10 of FIG. 8 showing vertical positioning of a beam between two adjacent disks.
FIG. 11 is a transverse sectional view through a slot taken on a plane essentially along the line 11--11 of FIG. 8 showing a beam 30° offset from the beam shown in FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a transverse sectional view through a slot taken on a plane essentially along the line 12--12 of FIG. 8 showing a beam 30° offset from the beam shown in FIG. 11.
FIG. 13 is a transverse sectional view through a slot taken on a plane essentially along the line 13--13 of FIG. 8 showing a beam 30° offset from the beam shown in FIG. 12.
FIG. 14 is a transverse sectional view through a slot taken on a plane essentially along the line 14--14 of FIG. 8 showing a beam 30° offset from the beam shown in FIG. 13.
FIG. 15 is a transverse sectional view through a slot taken on a plane essentially along the line 15--15 of FIG. 8 showing a beam 30° offset from the beam shown in FIG. 14.
FIG. 16 is a fragmentary view of a beam of the flexible coupling having varying thickness along its length.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Now referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, the constant velocity flexible coupling 20 comprises a cylindrical body 22 formed from a unitary elastically flexible, "springing" metal alloy such as 17-4 precipitation hardened stainless steel or beryllium copper heat treatable alloy or any other suitable metal alloy having physical properties which give a flexing, springing action when used in the present invention as hereinafter described. The body 22 has a first cylindrical slotted hub 24 and a second cylindrical slotted hub 26 integrally attached at opposite ends. Each hub has a concentric axial bore 28 therein. The slots of each hub extend in an axial direction along the length of the hub up to a pointwhere the hub is attached to the main body. As will be seen and described more fully later, the slots allow slight deformation of the hub so as to better align and secure the coupling to a shaft inserted into the bore of the hub.
The body 22 has a plurality of disks 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, and 116 disposed between the hubs. The disks are formed by first and second pluralities of complementary pairs of slots. The first plurality of complementary pairs of slots 34, 36, 38, 40, 42 and 44 extend inwardly from the circumference of the body to a predetermined depth so as to form a first plurality of beams 46, 48 and 50 between the complimentary pairs of slots (e.g. beam 46 between slot pairs 34 and 36), joining and bridgingthe space between adjacent disks. The second plurality of complimentary pairs of slots 52, 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62 is alternately disposed between the first plurality of complimentary pairs of slots. The second plurality of complimentary pairs of slots also extend inwardly to the same depth as the first plurality of slots so as to form a second plurality of beams 64,66 and 68 between the second plurality of complimentary pairs of slots, andbridging between adjacent disks. The beams of the second plurality are of equal thickness to the first plurality but angularly offset 90° from the first plurality. The beams resulting from the complimentary pairsof slots may have uniform or varying thickness (see FIG. 16) along its length.
To prevent premature failure and permanent deformation of the coupling due to bending of the beams beyond their elastic or fatigue endurance stress limits, the thickness of the slots, the thickness of the beams and the diameter of the body are dimensioned so that two adjacent disks will make contact at the circumference of the body (as shown at 120 in FIG. 2) before the adjoining beam between them reaches its elastic limit where it will be permanently deformed. For example, to prevent failure, the disks of a flexible coupling having relatively thin beams (i.e. deeper slots) will be larger than the disks of a flexible looping having relatively thick beams (i.e. shallower slots).
A shaft 70 is secured to the coupling 20, for example, by placing a single slot counterweighted clamp 72 around the outer circumference 30 of the slotted hub 26 after a shaft has been inserted into the bore 28. The clamp72 has a counterweight 76 for balancing the inertial weight of clamping screw 76. The single slotted clamp provides better clamping pressure around the shaft than clamps of the prior art shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 because it applies a more uniform pressure on the outer circumference of the slotted hub. Because the hub has a plurality of axial slots 29 along its entire length, the inside diameter of the hub can be deformed so as toapply a more evenly distributed pressure against the shaft thereby eliminating static and dynamic imbalances induced by poor axial alignment of the shaft 70 with respect to the coupling 20. While the preferred embodiment illustrates a flexible coupling having four coaxial slots on each hub, other numbers of equally spaced slots may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.
FIGS. 8 through 15 show another embodiment of the present invention whereinthe body 22 comprises a plurality of disks formed by complementary pairs ofslots forming beams therebetween which are offset by 30°. Referring to FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, a first beam 78 is disposed between a first disk 80and a second disk 82. The first beam 78 is aligned with vertical axis y andthus has a zero degree orientation with respect to vertical axis y. Referring to FIGS. 8, 9, and 11, a second beam 84 is disposed between the second disk 82 and a third disk 86. The beam 84 is offset 30° clockwise from the y axis. Referring to FIGS. 8, 9, and 12, a third beam 88 is disposed between the third disk 84 and a forth disk 90 and is offsetclockwise 60° from the y axis. Referring to FIGS. 8, 9, and 13, a forth beam 92 is disposed between the fourth disk 90 and a fifth disk 92 and is offset clockwise 90° from the y axis. Referring to FIGS. 8, 9, and 14, a fifth beam 96 is disposed between the fifth disk 92 and a sixth disk 98 and is offset clockwise 120° with respect to the y axis. Finally, referring to FIGS. 8, 9, and 15, a sixth beam 100 is disposed between the sixth disk 98 and a seventh disk 102 and is offset clockwise from the y axis by 150°. As is readily apparent from the drawings, each beam is offset 30° from any adjacent beam. This arrangement provides a coupling which has a greater torsional rigidity than a coupling with 90° offset beams. The smaller angular offset between beams results in a smoother transition between the torsional loading of adjacent beams. For example, a coupling having 12 beams whereineach beam is offset from adjacent beams by 45°, is more flexible andis more torsionally rigid than a coupling having 6 beams, wherein each beamis offset from adjacent beams by 90°.
While a flexible coupling embodiment having disks and beams distributed therealong in 30° offset orientations has been described, other embodiments can be made with a greater or smaller number of disks and beams and other offset distributions therealong without departing from thespirit of the invention.
Thus, what has been described is a constant velocity flexible coupling for joining two misaligned shafts so as to allow the transfer of torque at substantially constant angular velocity from a first shaft to a second shaft. While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described and illustrated, it is understood that the preferred embodiment is capable of variation, addition, omission, and modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. | A constant velocity flexible coupling for coupling two shafts has a solid unitary body with a plurality of complimentary pairs of slots positioned between a first and second end. The body also has a first and second slotted hub protruding therefrom. Single slot counterbalanced clamps are positioned over the slotted hubs so as to clamp shafts inserted into the hubs to the coupling. | 5 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/486,280 filed on Feb. 24, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates generally to dredging, and, more particularly, to a multi-purpose vessel and method for recovering, storing and/or transporting, and off-loading material in a dredging operation.
[0004] Due largely to erosion, the waterways of many areas of the world are becoming choked with silt and the like. As the waterways become more and more shallow, certain problems arise. For example, navigation through the waterways becomes difficult or altogether impossible. In addition, the risk of flooding adjoining areas of a waterway increases as the depth of the waterway decreases.
[0005] Over the years, many dredging techniques have been devised. Perhaps the most popular dredging technique involves a vacuuming dredge which sucks silt and the like from the bottom of the waterway through a conduit or a hose. This technique is disadvantageous in several respects. For example, it collects large volumes of water in the dredging process. As a result, the material recovered by this dredging technique is largely a liquid mixture that is difficult to handle and dispose of. By way of another example, the vacuuming technique mentioned above tends to disturb the bed of the waterway in a manner that mixes silt and impurities imbedded in the silt into the water. Some of these impurities may be toxic lead and mercury). Dredging with this old technique can, therefore, pose an environmental hazard. Due to these and other difficulties, dredging a waterway using the vacuuming technique is an expensive, time-consuming and hazardous proposition.
[0006] Recently, Caterpillar® has invented a new dredging assembly. The dredging assembly is a large wheel that rolls along and slices into the bed of a waterway. The wheel is compartmentalized by slicing blades that slice and pick-up segments of the bed of the waterway as the wheel turns in a fashion similar to a cookie cutter slicing cookies from dough. The development of this new dredging technology has made it possible to dredge waterways in a much more efficient, cost-effective manner. Specifically, because the dredging wheel lifts large segments of silt from the waterway bed, the material it recovers is largely solid and undisturbed, is not mixed with much (if any) additional water during dredging, and, thus, can be more efficiently handled than material recovered by the prior art vacuuming system discussed above.
[0007] While the development of the Caterpillar® dredging wheel offers a significant opportunity to recover material from the Waterways of the world and to restore those waterways to navigable depths, it has also given rise to a new set of technological problems from the material handling perspective. Specifically, now that it is possible to quickly dredge large volumes of substantially solid material from a waterway, it is necessary to develop apparatus and systems for handling, transporting and/or disposing of the material recovered by the dredge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a multi-purpose vessel for use when recovering material from a bottom surface of a body of water comprises a hull, a dredge assembly mounted to the hull, a hopper, and a transfer conveyor. The dredge assembly is adapted to recover the material from the bottom surface and the hopper is supported by the hull and is adapted to receive the material. The transfer conveyor is adapted to receive the material from the dredge assembly, and is shiftable between a first position in which the transfer conveyor is operable to convey the material toward the hopper, and a second position in which the transfer conveyor is operable to convey the material off the vessel.
[0009] In further accordance with a preferred embodiment, the hull may be provided with a propulsion system, and the hopper may include a moveable floor adapted to move the material in the hopper. The moveable floor may include a slat conveyor, such as comprising a plurality of cleats attached to the moveable floor, The moveable floor may include a flexible belt mounted on a plurality of rollers, or the moveable floor may include an ejector blade moveably mounted within the hopper, with the ejector blade being adapted to move the material in the hopper.
[0010] The vessel preferably includes a distribution conveyor mounted to the hull. The distribution conveyor includes a first end and a second end, and a discharge conveyor may be provided having a portion extending into the hopper and being adapted to discharge the material from the hopper to the distribution conveyor adjacent the first end. The distribution conveyor second end is moveable to a desired position to thereby unload the material at a desired location. The distribution conveyor may include an extendable portion, such as by slidably mounting the extendable portion in a housing, and may include a rack and pinion assembly mounted to the housing and engaging the extendable portion for extending and retracting the extendable portion. Still preferably, the distribution conveyor is mounted on a turret assembly, and a rack and pinion assembly may be provided, which is arranged to rotate the distribution conveyor on the turret assembly.
[0011] Preferably, the transfer conveyor is moveably mounted to the hull, such as by mounting the transfer conveyor on a turret assembly. A rack and pinion may be provided which is arranged to rotate the transfer conveyor on the turret assembly.
[0012] The hopper may be generally rectangular, and preferably a discharge auger or other discharge assembly is mounted to the hull and includes a portion extending into the hopper to discharge the material from the hopper. The discharge assembly may include a pair of counter rotating augers, with each of the augers including a portion extending into the hopper.
[0013] The hull may be provided with a propulsion system for moving the hull through the water. The propulsion system may include a tractive element which is adapted to engage the bottom surface of the body of water. Preferably, the tractive element is moveably mounted to the hull and is shiftable between a retracted position in which the tractive element is disposed toward the hull and an extended position in which the tractive element engages the bottom surface. The propulsion system may also include a plurality of positioning jets.
[0014] Preferably, the distribution conveyor is provided with a moveable counterweight. The counterweight is positionable relative to the distribution conveyor so as to counteract the forces applied to the distribution conveyor by the material.
[0015] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a multi-purpose vessel for use when recovering material from a bottom surface of a body of water comprises a hull, with a dredge assembly being mounted to the hull. The dredge assembly is adapted to recover the material from the bottom surface. A conveyor system is provided, with the conveyor system including a first portion adapted to receive the material from the dredge assembly, a moveable second portion, and a distribution conveyor. The second portion is moveable to a first position in which the second portion is adapted to receive the material from the first portion and to convey the material to a first desired location disposed a first distance away from the hull. The second portion is further moveable to a second position in which the second portion is adapted to convey the material to the distribution conveyor. The distribution conveyor is adapted to convey the material a second distance greater than the first distance away from the hull.
[0016] In accordance with a still further aspect of the invention, a multipurpose vessel for use on a body of water vessel comprises a hull, a dredge assembly mounted to the hull, with the dredge assembly being adapted to recover material from a bottom surface of the body of water, a hopper supported by the hull, with the hopper being adapted to receive the material, and a conveyor system. The conveyor system includes a first portion adapted to receive the material from the dredge assembly, and further includes a moveable second portion adapted to receive the material from the first portion and to convey the material along a plurality of desired paths. A first of the desired paths being away from the hull and a second of the desired paths being toward the hopper.
[0017] In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a method of conveying material recovered in a dredging operation to a desired location comprises the steps of positioning a water4iorne vessel having a dredge assembly and a distribution conveyor at a first position in a waterway, recovering the dredged material from the waterway and conveying the material to a first end of the distribution conveyor, positioning a second end of the distribution conveyor at a desired location, and conveying the material along the distribution conveyor to the second end for deposition therefrom as the vessel proceeds along the waterway.
[0018] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method of forming a working channel in a silt4aden waterway comprises the steps of moving a water-borne vessel having a dredge assembly and a distribution conveyor through the waterway, recovering the silt material from the waterway and conveying the silt material to a first end of the distribution conveyor, positioning a second end of the distribution conveyor at a desired location, and conveying the material along the distribution conveyor to the second end for deposition therefrom as the vessel proceeds along the waterway.
[0019] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a method of forming an emergency levee in a waterway comprises the steps of moving a water-borne vessel having a dredge assembly and a distribution conveyor through the waterway, recovering the material from a bottom surface of the waterway and conveying the silt material to a first end of the distribution conveyor, positioning a second end of the distribution conveyor at a desired levee location, and conveying the material along the distribution conveyor to the second end for deposition therefrom as the vessel proceeds along the waterway.
[0020] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the invention, a method of repairing a breach in a levee comprises the steps of moving a water-borne vessel having a dredge assembly and a distribution conveyor through a waterway adjacent the levee, recovering material from a bottom surface of the waterway and conveying the material to a first end of the distribution conveyor, positioning a second end of the distribution conveyor at a desired location adjacent the breach, and conveying the material along the distribution conveyor to the second end for deposition therefrom as the vessel proceeds along the waterway.
[0021] Other features and advantages are inherent in the disclosed apparatus or will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and its accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0023] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a multi-purpose vessel for use in a dredging operation which has been constnicted in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vessel of FIG. 1 and illustrating the vessel in one possible state of operation in which the recovered material is being transferred to a nearly full hopper;
[0025] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vessel of FIG. 1 but illustrating the vessel in another possible state of operation in which the recovered material is being offloaded onto an adjacent transport vessel;
[0026] FIG. 4 is a right side elevational view, partly in section, of the vessel illustrated in FIG. 1 ;
[0027] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the vessel illustrated in FIG. 1 ;
[0028] FIG. 6 is an stern end elevational view of the vessel illustrated in FIG. 1 but illustrating the vessel in yet another possible state of operation in which the recovered material is being offloaded at a desired location; the distribution conveyor is shown in a rotated or slewed position;
[0029] FIG. 7 is a bow end elevational view of the vessel of FIG. 1 providing an end view of the dredging assembly;
[0030] FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cress-sectional view taken along line 8 - 8 of FIG. 7 and illustrating the manner of operation of one possible dredge assembly for use on the vessel of FIG. 1 ;
[0031] FIG. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 9 and illustrating recovered material exiting the dredge wheel and being deposited into a collection trough;
[0032] FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the hopper having a moveable floor;
[0033] FIG. 11 is an enlarged, fragmentary side elevational view taken along line 11 - 11 of FIG. 10 showing the moveable floor and the ejection augers;
[0034] FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing an alternative configuration for the hopper in which the slat conveyor floor of the hopper is supplemented by an ejector blade assembled in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary end view taken along line 1343 of FIG. 12 , partly in cut away, illustrating the ejector blade;
[0036] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another multi-purpose vessel for use in a dredging operation which has been constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, the vessel is shown in one possible state of operation in which recovered material is being conveyed directly toward a distribution conveyor for deposition therefrom at a desired location;
[0037] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the vessel of FIG. 14 , hut shown in a second possible state of operation in which the recovered material is being conveyed to an adjacent transport vessel;
[0038] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the vessel of FIG. 14 , but shown in a third possible state of operation in which the recovered material is being directed toward a storage hopper.
[0039] FIG. 17 is a side elevational view of the vessel of FIG. 14 ;
[0040] FIG. 18 is a top plan view thereof illustrating the manner by which portions of the conveyor system and the distribution conveyor may be rotated or slewed;
[0041] FIG. 19 is stem end elevational view of the vessel illustrating the manner by which the distribution conveyor may be slewed to deposit recovered material at a desired location away from. the vessel;
[0042] FIG. 20 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 20 - 20 of FIG. 18 ; and
[0043] FIG. 21 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of an alternate retractable tractive propulsion element constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0044] The following description of the preferred embodiments is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed, but instead is intended to be illustrative of the principles of the invention so that others may follow its teachings.
[0045] Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 11 of the drawings, an exemplary water-borne multi-purpose vessel constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention is generally referred to by the reference numeral. 30 and is shown afloat on a body of water 32 having a bottom surface 34 (viewable in FIGS. 4 and 7 - 9 ), which bottom surface may have deposited thereon a layer of silt material 36 . The vessel 30 includes a hull 38 to which is mounted a dredge assembly 40 . The hull 38 is designed with a low draft for operation in shallow water. Preferably, the dredge assembly 40 mounted to the hull 38 is a dredge wheel 42 developed by Caterpillar®, which dredge wheel 42 is shown in greater detail in FIGS. 7-9 . The Caterpillar® dredge wheel 42 may be used to rapidly dredge large amounts of the material 36 from the bottom surface 34 of a waterway, such as rivers, lakes, etc. A further description of an exemplary dredge wheel 42 will be provided in greater detail below.
[0046] A hopper 44 and a conveyor system 60 are also mounted to the hull. As shown to advantage in FIGS. 1-3 and 10 , the hopper 44 is preferably rectangular in shape and is preferably substantially centered with respect to the hull 38 and extends substantially along the length thereof. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that hoppers of other shapes, sizes and locations can be utilized without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In any event, the size of the hopper 44 is preferably selected along with the hull dimensions to provide a desired payload capacity. The hull 38 is powered by a propulsion system (not shown) which is controlled by an operator located in a cab 48 in a conventional manner.
[0047] The dredge wheel 42 is located in a well or aperture 50 ( FIGS. 3, 8 and 9 ) which is formed generally centrally relative to the hull 38 . The dredge wheel 42 is supported by hydraulic jacks 43 (See FIGS. 8 and 9 ) or the like which can be powered to raise or lower the dredge wheel 42 to a desired depth for dredging or transport.
[0048] Referring now to FIGS. 7-9 , for the purpose of capturing the recovered material 3 $ to be dredged from the bed or bottom surface 34 of the waterway, the dredge wheel 42 is provided with a number of generally evenly spaced blades 52 . The blades 52 divide the outer perimeter of the dredging wheel 42 into a plurality of capture cavities 54 . Two of the blades 52 cooperate to form two, oppositely disposed sides of each capture cavity 54 . The other two opposite sides of the cavities 54 are formed by generally parallel, circular wheel plates 56 . The top and bottom (i.e., the radially outward and radially inward sides, respectively) of each capture cavity 54 are open.
[0049] In operation, as the vessel 30 moves forward (i.e., to the left when viewing FIGS. 8 and 9 ), the dredging wheel 42 rotates such that a capture cavity 54 digs into the waterway bottom and collects a slab of material 36 to be dredged (See FIGS. 8 and 9 ). As the wheel 42 continues to rotate, the filled capture cavity 54 rotates between an inner capture plate 55 and an outer capture plate 57 formed at the back of the wheel 42 . The capture plates 55 , 57 seal the radially inner and outer openings of the capture cavity 54 to ensure the recovered material 36 remains in the cavity 54 as the cavity 54 rotates toward the top of the wheel 42 .
[0050] As the filled capture cavity 54 reaches the top of the wheel 42 , the inner capture plate 55 terminates such that, when the filled cavity 54 reaches the top of the wheel 42 , the dredged material 36 falls out of the capture cavity 54 under the influence of gravity (and, optionally, under the influence of a mechanical assist (not shown)) and into a hopper or trough 58 disposed toward the center of the wheel 42 . As shown in FIGS. 1-3 and 5 - 7 , the trough 58 is serviced by two, oppositely disposed angers 59 which function independently to discharge the recovered material 36 from the trough 58 . A more detailed description of the structure and function of an exemplary dredge wheel 42 may be found in Satzler, U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,989, Satzler, U.S. Pat. No. 5,907,915, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/834,676, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
[0051] For the purpose of handling the material 36 recovered by the dredge assembly 40 , the vessel 30 is further provided with a conveyor system 60 . The conveyor system 60 may include a transfer conveyor 62 , which is mounted on a turret 64 of conventional design. It will be understood that the vessel 30 is preferably provided with a pair of transfer conveyors 62 , one on each side of the hull 38 . The transfer conveyor 62 may be a rotatable belt conveyor, and includes a first end 63 and a second end 65 . A receiving box 63 a is provided adjacent the first end 63 in order to contain material 36 deposited thereon. A rack and pinion assembly 68 is provided, which enables the transfer conveyor to be rotated or pivoted between the position shown in FIG. 2 , in which the second end 65 of the transfer conveyor is disposed over the hopper, and the position shown in FIG. 3 , in which the second end 65 of the transfer conveyor 62 is disposed over an adjacent transport vessel. As shown in FIGS. 1-3 , the transfer conveyor 62 is preferably upwardly inclined to facilitate loading into the hopper or the adjacent vessel. Note that as an alternatively, hydraulic cylinders may be employed in place of the rack and pinion assembly 68 in order to pivot the transfer conveyor 62 on the turret. Additional details concerning the structure and function of the adjacent transport vessel can be found in en-pending application Ser. No., ______, attorney docket number 29038/10003 PCT, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0052] Another conveyor 70 is disposed on the hull 38 generally adjacent to the dredge wheel 42 , and includes a first end 71 having a receiving box 71 a , and a second end 72 disposed generally adjacent to the first end 63 of the transfer conveyor 62 . The receiving box 71 is disposed generally below the auger 59 so as to receive material. 36 ejected thereby. The second end 73 of the conveyor 70 is pivotally mounted to the hull 38 by a pivot 39 ( FIGS. 1-3 ), to accommodate upward and downward movement of the wheel 42 as the cylinders 43 raise and lower the wheel 42 to adjust the dredge assembly for different working depths.
[0053] Each turret 64 permits the corresponding receiving box 63 a and transfer conveyor 62 to rotate approximately 180°. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate that both the turrets 64 and the belts of the conveyors 62 , 70 can be driven in many ways without departing 1 mm the scope or spirit of the invention. By way of examples, not limitations, the conveyor belts and/or the turrets can be driven by electrical motors or hydraulic motors.
[0054] Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11 , the hopper 44 is provided with a movable floor 74 . The movable floor 74 preferably extends over substantially the entire length and width of the hopper 44 and supports the material recovered in the dredging operation within the hopper 44 . As most easily seen in FIG. 11 , the movable floor 74 is preferably implemented by a conveyor belt 76 mounted upon a plurality of idler rollers 78 journalled between the side walls of the hopper 44 . The idler rollers 78 are preferably mounted in low friction bearings (not shown) of conventional design and are closely spaced, but do not touch one another to minimize friction during movement of the floor 74 .
[0055] The belt 76 , which is preferably endless, is preferably implemented by commercially available conveyor belting material such as steel or nylon reinforced rubber. As shown in FIG. 10 , the belt 76 is also preferably provided with steel cleats 80 to reduce, and preferably prevent, slippage between the moving floor 74 and the recovered material the floor supports as the material is being conveyed or moved by the floor 74 .
[0056] The belt 76 is driven by a pair of ejection winches 82 , which are operatively connected to a pair of cables 83 which extend along the top length of the belt 76 , over an end roller 84 , and back along the length of the belt 76 to an attachment point 85 ( FIG. 11 ). A return winch 86 is provided, which also has a cable 87 secured to the attachment point 85 . The arrangement of the winches 82 , 86 and their associated cables 83 , 87 , respectively, makes possible a dual mode operation as follows. As material 36 is being deposited in the hopper 44 on the floor 74 , the winches 82 gradually draw in their cables 83 and the winch 86 gradually lets out its cable 87 . Thus, as the hopper 44 is loaded, the attachment point traverses the bottom of the hopper 44 (i.e., toward the left when viewing FIG. 11 ), to a point adjacent the end roller 84 , at which point the hopper 44 is full of material 36 . When it is desired to empty the hopper 44 (such as with the assistance of an ejection or discharge assembly 88 which will be described in greater detail below), the winches 82 continue to pull the belt 76 via the attachment point 85 , such that the attachment point 85 travels up over the end roller 84 , and traverses the hopper 44 again (i.e., this time to the right when viewing FIG. 11 ), as the discharge assembly 88 draws the material out of the hopper 44 . When the hopper 44 is empty, the return winch 86 is used to reverse the motion of the belt 76 .
[0057] As an alternative, the hopper 44 may be equipped with an ejector blade 90 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 . The ejector blade 90 is preferably mounted within a pair of guides defined in the sidewalls of the hopper 44 and secured to the belt 76 . The structure and function of the ejector blade 90 is described more fully in the above-mentioned co-pending application Ser. No. ______, attorney docket number 29038110003 PCT, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Note that in the present application, and by way of example rather than limitation, the blade 90 may be de-coupled from the flexible belt 16 , such that the above-described dual mode operation is still possible. The blade 90 may then be operable independently to assist in clearing the material 36 from the hopper 44 .
[0058] Referring now to FIGS. 1-6 , a distribution conveyor 92 is preferably a faxed length conveyor and is mounted to the hull 38 adjacent an end 93 of the hopper 44 . The distribution conveyor 92 is preferably mounted to a turret 94 of conventional design, and is rotatable on the turret 94 by a rack and pinion assembly 95 . The distribution conveyor 92 includes a first end 96 disposed in a receiving box 97 , and further includes a second end 98 . As shown for example in FIG. 4, 5 or 6 , the second end 98 can be placed at a desired location a substantial distance away from the hull 38 , and can further be rotated or slewed by operation of the turret 94 .
[0059] The discharge assembly 88 preferably includes a pair of counter-rotating augers 100 , each of which is rotated by conventional electric or hydraulic motors as would be known. The augers 100 are disposed in a housing 102 having an ejection chute 104 generally adjacent to the receiving box 97 . A bottom portion 106 of each auger 100 extends into the hopper 44 , such that the material 36 may be extracted therefrom and conveyed through the housing 102 to the ejection chute 104 , from where the material is conveyed to the first end 96 of the distribution conveyor 92 via the receiving box 97 . The distribution conveyor 92 includes a flexible and rotatable belt and suitable drive motors, all of which are of conventional design and which are carried by a suitable support 108 mounted on the turret 94 . The distance the second end 98 is disposed from the vessel 30 may typically be controlled simply by slewing the distribution conveyor 92 on its turret 94 .
[0060] As shown in FIG. 1 , the distribution conveyor 92 may optionally be extensible, such as by slidably mounting an extensible portion 110 in a suitable housing 111 defined in the support 108 . A rack and pinion assembly 112 may be provided for extending and retracting the extensible portion 110 .
[0061] In order to enhance the maneuverability of the vessel 30 , the vessel 30 is further provided with stern and bow thrusters 114 on each of its sides as can be seen in each of FIGS. 1-3 . The thrusters 114 are preferably implemented as low power water jets or impellers of conventional design. In other words, they are implemented by hydraulically or electrically driven impellers located in transverse tubes having preferably oval shaped outlet ports 116 to ensure the thrusters create a fan-shaped water stream (as opposed. to a circular water jet which might be less effective than the fan-shaped jet in shallow water). A more detailed description of the thrusters may be found in co-pending application Ser. No. ______, attorney docket number 29038/10003 PCT.
[0062] The vessel 30 is also provided with a rudder (not shown) of conventional design, which enhances the steerability provided by the side thrusters 114 . Suitable engines (not shown) are provided for primary propulsion, preferably twin engines having suitably spaced, high pitch low diameter screws. The engines along with the side thrusters 114 , the rudder and the various other systems of the vessel 30 are preferably aontrolied from a control panel located in the cab 48 .
[0063] While as described above, twin engines 58 are preferred as the primary source of propulsion for the vessel 50 , persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that water jets could be used in place of the engines 58 without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.
[0064] In operation, the vessel proceeds along under power in a direction generally to the upper left when viewing FIG. 1 . As described above, the rotating dredge wheel 42 continually deposits recovered material 36 into the trough 58 , from where the material 36 is extracted by the augers 59 and deposited into the receiving box 71 a of the conveyor 70 . The material is then conveyed from the first end 71 to the second end 73 , from where it is deposited into the receiving box 63 a of the transfer conveyor 62 .
[0065] The transfer conveyor 62 enables the conveyor system 60 to operate in a number of modes. One such mode is shown in FIG. 3 , in which an adjacent transport vessel of the type described above is disposed alongside the vessel 30 and secured thereto by a suitable docking pins and capture anus of the type described more fully in the above-mentioned co-pending patent application Ser. No. ______, attorney docket number 29038/10003 PCT. By operation of the rack and pinion assembly 68 , the transfer conveyor 62 maybe rotated on its turret 64 such that the second end 65 is disposed over the hopper of the adjacent vessel. According, the material 36 recovered by the dredge wheel 42 may be deposited along a path directly into the adjacent vessel for transport.
[0066] Another such operational mode is illustrated in FIG. 1 , wherein the second end 65 of the conveyor 62 is positioned directly over the hopper 44 of the vessel 30 . In this mode, the material may be directed along a path into the hopper 44 . As the material 36 is deposited on the moveable floor 74 , the winches 82 are activated such that the hopper 44 is gradually loaded as the moveable floor 74 carries the material 36 toward the discharge assembly 88 . Further in this operational mode, once the hopper 44 is full it may be emptied by continuing to operate the winches 82 . As the belt 76 proceeds as described above, the material 36 is conveyed toward the augers 100 of the discharge assembly 88 , which augers 100 draw the material 36 from the hopper 44 and convey the material 36 to the receiving box 97 of the distribution conveyor 92 via the discharge chute 104 . The material is then conveyed along the distribution conveyor 92 to the second end 98 thereof, from where the material is deposited at a desired location.
[0067] It will be understood that the vessel 30 may also load an adjacent vessel simultaneously with loading its own hopper 44 , simply by independently positioning the transfer conveyors 62 on both sides of the vessel as required. It will also be understood that the vessel 30 may load the hopper 44 until full, cease dredging operations, and then travel to a designated location to deposit the material 36 (such as at a levee to be constructed, at an island to be constructed, or at a designated truck loading station if it is desired to haul the material 36 away). Other possible modes of operation will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
[0068] Referring now to FIGS. 14 through 21 , a multi-purpose vessel constructed in accordance with the teachings of a second embodiment of the present invention is shown and is referred to by the reference numeral 130 . To the extent possible, those elements that are the same or similar to the elements outlined above with respect to the first embodiment have the same or similar reference numerals, but increased by 100 . The vessel 130 includes a hull 138 , a dredge assembly 140 , such as the same dredge wheel 142 construction, and a conveyor system 160 . A trough 158 is disposed toward the center of the wheel 142 , and is serviced by two, oppositely disposed augers 159 which function independently to discharge the recovered material 136 from the trough 158 .
[0069] The conveyor system 160 includes first and second conveyors 170 and 172 , as well as an intermediate transfer conveyor 162 . The conveyor 170 includes a first end 171 , a second end 173 , and a receiving box 171 a , while the second conveyor includes a receiving box 172 a at a first end 172 b , and further includes a second end 172 c . The receiving boxes 171 a , 172 a work to contain the material 136 received at their respective ends. The conveyor system 160 also includes a transfer conveyor 162 , which is mounted on a turret 164 of conventional design. Again, it will be understood that the vessel 130 is preferably provided with substantially similar conveyor systems 160 on both sides of the hull 138 . The transfer conveyor 162 may be a rotatable belt conveyor, and includes a first end 163 and a second end 165 . A receiving box 163 a is provided adjacent the first end 163 in order to contain material 136 deposited thereon. A rack and pinion assembly 168 is provided, which enables the transfer conveyor 162 to be rotated or pivoted between the position shown in FIG. 14 , in which the second end 165 of the transfer conveyor 162 is disposed over the receiving box 172 a of the conveyor 172 , to the position of Fig. i˜ in which the second end 165 of the transfer conveyor 162 is disposed over the hopper 144 , and to the position of FIG. 16 in which the second end 165 of the transfer conveyor is disposed over the hopper of an adjacent transport vessel. Again, each turret 164 permits the corresponding receiving box 163 a and transfer conveyor 162 to rotate approximately 180°.
[0070] The hopper 144 includes a moveable floor 174 of the type described above with respect to the first embodiment. The movable floor 174 preferably extends over substantially the entire length and width of the hopper 144 and supports the material recovered in the dredging operation within the hopper 144 . The movable floor 174 is preferably implemented by an endless conveyor belt 176 mounted upon a. plurality of idler rollers (not shown). As shown in FIG. 14 , the belt 176 is also preferably provided with steel cleats 180 to reduce, and preferably prevent, slippage between the moving floor 174 and the recovered material the floor supports as the material is being conveyed or moved by the floor 174 . The belt 176 is driven by a pair of ejection winches 182 and a retracting winch 186 , so as to be capable of the dual mode operation described above.
[0071] Referring now to FIGS. 14-18 , a distribution conveyor 192 is mounted to the hull 138 adjacent an end 193 of the hopper 144 . The distribution conveyor 192 is preferably mounted to a turret 194 of conventional design, and is rotatable on the turret 194 by a rack and pinion assembly 195 . The distribution conveyor 192 includes a first end 196 disposed in a receiving box 197 , and. further includes a second end 198 . As shown to advantage in FIGS. 17-19 , the second end 198 can be placed at a desired location a substantial distance away from the hull 138 , and can further be rotated or slewed by operation of the turret 194 .
[0072] The discharge assembly 188 preferably includes a pair of counter-rotating augers 200 , each of which is rotated by conventional electric or hydraulic motors as would be known. The augers 200 are disposed in a housing 202 having an ejection chute 104 generally adjacent to the receiving box 197 . A bottom portion 206 of each auger 200 extends into the hopper 144 , such that the material 136 may be extracted therefrom and conveyed through the housing 202 to the ejection chute 204 , from where the material is conveyed to the first end 196 of the distribution conveyor 192 via the receiving box 197 . As can be seen in FIG. 17 , the housing 202 includes a lower inlet 203 , through which material 136 may be drawn from the hopper 144 , and further includes an upper inlet 205 , through which material 136 may be received from the second end 172 e of the conveyor 172 . Material entering through either inlet 203 or 205 will be conveyed by the augers 200 to the discharge chute 204 , for deposition onto the first end 96 of the distribution conveyor 192 . The distribution conveyor 192 includes a flexible and rotatable belt and suitable drive motors, all of which are of conventional design and which are carried by a suitable support 208 mounted on the turret 194 . The distance the material 136 is deposited away from the hull 138 may typically be controlled by slewing the distribution conveyor 192 on its turret 194 .
[0073] As shown in FIG. 17 , the distribution conveyor 192 may optionally be extensible, such as by slidably mounting an extensible portion 210 in a suitable housing 211 defined in the support 208 . A rack and pinion assembly 212 may be provided for extending and retracting the extensible portion 210 .
[0074] The distribution conveyor 192 includes a support 208 which includes an extending cantilevered portion 214 . The cantilevered portion 214 includes a moveable counterweight 216 ( FIGS. 14-16 ) which is slidably mounted in a track 218 defined in the cantilever portion 214 . The counterweight 216 is slidable within the track, such as by a rack and pinion arrangement or a winch and cable assembly (not shown), so as to counteract the significant weight of the material, on the conveyor 192 .
[0075] Referring now to FIGS. 14, 15 , 17 and 19 - 21 , a propulsion system 220 having a flexible tractive belt is mounted to the underside of the hull 1 . 38 . Such a propulsion system 220 may be used in place of or in addition to a more traditional propulsion system (not shown) such as water jets or propeller drive systems. The propulsion system 220 includes a flexible, cleated track 222 , and is mounted to a retractable linkage assembly 224 actuated by a hydraulic cylinder 226 ( FIG. 21 ). The linkage assembly 224 permits the track 222 to be raised and lowered between the drive position of FIG. 21 and the retracted position shown in phantom in FIG. 21 . The track 222 is preferably driven by hydraulic motors having suitably sealed operating systems. Such a flexible track 222 having a hydraulic drive system is manufactured by Caterpilar®.
[0076] In operation, the vessel 130 proceeds along under power in a direction generally to the upper left when viewing FIG. 14 . As described above, the rotating dredge wheel 142 continually deposits recovered material 136 into the trough 158 , from where the material 136 is extracted by the augers 159 and deposited into the receiving box 171 a of the conveyor 170 . The material is then conveyed from the first end 171 to the second end 173 , from where it is deposited into the receiving box 163 a of the transfer conveyor 162 .
[0077] The transfer conveyor 162 enables the conveyor system 160 to operate in a number of modes. One such mode is shown in FIG. 16 , in which an adjacent transport vessel of the type described above is disposed alongside the vessel 130 and secured thereto by a suitable docking pins and capture arms of the type described more fully in the above-mentioned co-pending patent application Ser. No. ______, attorney docket number 29038/10003 ItT. By operation of the rack and pinion assembly 168 , the transfer conveyor 162 maybe rotated on its turret 164 such that the second end 165 is disposed over the hopper of the adjacent vessel. Accordingly, the material 136 recovered by the dredge wheel 142 may be deposited along a path directly into the adjacent vessel for transport.
[0078] Another such operational mode is illustrated in FIG. 15 , wherein the second end 165 of the conveyor 162 is positioned directly over the hopper 144 of the vessel 130 . In this mode, the material may be directed along a path into the hopper 144 . As the material 136 is deposited on the moveable floor 174 , the winches 182 are activated such that the hopper 144 is gradually loaded as the moveable floor 174 carries the material 136 toward the discharge assembly 188 . Further in this operational mode, once the hopper 144 is full it may be emptied by continuing to operate the winches 182 . As the belt 176 proceeds as described above, the material 136 is conveyed toward the augers 200 of the discharge assembly 188 , which augers 200 draw the material 136 from the hopper 144 through the lower inlet 203 and convey the material 136 to the receiving box 197 of the distribution conveyor 192 via the discharge chute 204 . The material 136 is then conveyed along the distribution conveyor 192 to the second end 198 thereof, from where the material is deposited at a desired location.
[0079] It will be understood that the vessel 130 may also load an adjacent vessel simultaneously with loading its own hopper 144 , simply by independently positioning the transfer conveyors 162 on both sides of the vessel as required. it will also be understood that the vessel 130 may load the hopper 1 . 44 until full, cease dredging operations, and then travel to a designated location to deposit the material 136 (such as at a levee to be constructed, at an island to be constructed, or at a designated truck loading station if it is desired to haul the material 136 away).
[0080] Another possible mode of operation is illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 19 . With the transfer conveyor 162 positioned as shown with the second end 16 . 5 disposed over the receiving box 172 a of the conveyor 172 , the material 136 may be routed directly and continuously to the distribution conveyor as the vessel 130 operates. As shown in FIG. 19 , with the distribution conveyor 192 slewed by rotating the conveyor on its turret 194 , the vessel may deposit the material on the riverbank, on a levee, or build an island as the vessel 130 continues through the waterway. in certain circumstances wherein there is not enough room in a channel top operate adjacent transport vessels, the vessel 130 can directly transport the material 136 sideways for deposit until a working channel has been created. Alternatively, the vessel 130 can create a levee as it travels through the waterway, and can even repair a breach in a levee as it travels by slewing, advancing, and/or retracting the conveyor 192 as required to continuously deposit material 136 at a designated location. Accordingly, the vessel 130 can operate quickly to construct a levy using on-site materials, namely, materials dredged from the bottom of a waterway threatening to flood, In view of the large volumes of material that can be recovered and deposited quickly by the vessel 130 , levies can be constructed or repaired in a very short thne frame to address a potentially dangerous situation. Again, other possible modes of operation, including operating in a number of modes simultaneously, will: become readily apparent to those of skill in the art.
[0081] Although certain instantiations of the teachings of the invention have been described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto, On the contrary, this patent covers all instantiations of the teachings of the invention fairly falling within the scope of the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine of equivalents. | A method of building a levee or an island is disclosed. The method includes dredging material from a surface of a body of water with a dredge assembly mounted to a hull and supporting a hopper with the hull. The hopper is adapted to receive the material. The hopper includes a floor with a portion of the floor moveable to permit movement of the material in the hopper, and depositing at a desired location dredge material from the dredge using a transfer conveyor. The transfer conveyor is mounted on the hull and is shiftable between a first position in which the transfer conveyor receives material | 4 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 61/769,019, filed Feb. 25, 2013 and titled LOW PROFILE HEAD RAIL, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates generally to blinds or coverings for windows or for other similar openings. More particularly, the present invention relates to a window covering having a lower profile head rail than is traditionally used in the industry for use with Venetian-type horizontal blind slats.
[0004] 2. Background Information
[0005] Blinds are often used to cover windows and other similar openings to provide privacy and/or to control the level of light that enters a room. A popular type of blind, sometimes called a “Venetian” blind, comprises a series of spaced-apart blind slats assembled parallel to each other. As a type of window covering, Venetian blinds offer versatility in controlling light or view and are easy to use.
[0006] A common, commercially available Venetian blind generally includes a head rail, a bottom rail, a plurality of blind slats, and a means for tilting the blind slats. Some commercially available Venetian blinds further include a means for lifting and gathering the blind slats at a position adjacent the head rail. The slats are generally suspended from the head rail via a system of cords that form a ladder. The ladder comprises forward and rearward rails that are interconnected with a plurality of rungs. Each rung of the ladder is configured to hold a blind slat at a desired distance from an adjacent blind slat. The ladder is further connected to the head rail and the bottom rail.
[0007] Tilting the blind slats causes each slat to pivot about a point on the rung. Tilting is generally accomplished via a tilting drum that is secured to a tilting rod located in the head rail. The ladder is attached perpendicularly to the tilting drum so that as the tilting rod is rotated, the tilting drum is also rotated. The forward and rearward rails of the ladder are coupled to the tilting drum such that as the tilting drum rotates, the vertical positions of the forward and rearward rails are adjusted up and down. This up and down movement tilts the rungs of the ladder, thereby tilting the blind slats supported thereon.
[0008] The components of the tilting means for a traditional Venetian blind can be quite complex, expensive, bulky and heavy. The head rails of traditional Venetian blinds are required to have a minimum size necessary to accommodate the various components to achieve tilting. For example, the tilting drum of a traditional Venetian blind must comprise a diameter with a ratio to the width of a blind slat that is large enough to accommodate complete rotation of the blind slat. Thus, the head rail must have a minimum width and height that is approximately equal to the width of the blind slat. This generally provides a head rail that may be large and bulky. A valance is commonly used to address this issue by covering or disguising the head rail.
[0009] Further, in some instances the components utilized in the traditional tilting mechanism of traditional Venetian blinds can create a limitation or barrier to achieving superior closure of the blind. For example, the minimum width of the tilting drum may prevent complete closure of the upper-most blind slat, i.e. the blind slat that is closest to the head rail. This is due to the inability of the forward and rearward rails of the ladder to close or be brought close together sufficiently due to the required minimum width of the tilting drum. As such, light-leakage commonly occurs between the upper-most blind slat and its adjacent blind slat when the window covering is closed.
[0010] Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved systems and methods for tilting blind slats of a horizontal blind window covering. Specifically, there is a need for a window covering system that addresses and eliminates the requirements of the complex, expensive, bulky, and heavy components of traditional Venetian blind systems. Such a window covering system is disclosed herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention relates generally to blinds or coverings for windows or for other similar openings. More particularly, the present invention relates to a window covering having a low profile head rail for use with Venetian-type horizontal blind slats. The low profile head rail of the present invention eliminates the traditional components of Venetian-type horizontal blinds thereby reducing the cost of production, as well as reduce the amount of metal or other materials required in the head rail. Some implementations of the present invention provide a head rail that does not require the use of a valance.
[0012] Some implementations of the present invention include a window covering having a head rail which includes a plate having a length sufficient to cover, or at least partially cover a window opening. The head rail of the present invention may include a low profile as compared to traditional, Venetian-type horizontal blinds. This is accomplished by altering or eliminating the blind tilting components of traditional Venetian-type horizontal blinds. Traditional blind tilting components are oriented in a generally vertical position thereby requiring a minimum head rail height. In contrast, the tilting components of the present invention are capable of being oriented in a generally horizontal position, thereby reducing the required minimum head rail height. Further, the tilting components of the present invention provide blind closure that is superior to achievable closure by traditional, Venetian-type horizontal blinds.
[0013] Some implementations of the present invention provide a low profile head rail device for use with a Venetian-style horizontal blind slat, the low profile head rail device having a plate having a top surface, a bottom surface, a length, and a width, wherein the plate supports or carries one or more cord drive components that are rotatably coupled to the top surface of the plate in a generally horizontal orientation. The cord drive component is fixedly coupled to an anchor end of a first and second tilt cord. A terminal end of each tilt cord is coupled to a blind slat, thereby suspending the blind slat below the plate of the head rail. In some implementations, the head rail further comprises a lift cord that is coupled to a bottom rail of the horizontal blind to facilitate lifting of the plurality of blind slats.
[0014] The head rail may include a belt drive which is coupled to the cord drive component via a synchronization pulley to rotate the cord drive component in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. In some implementations, the cord drive component comprises a top planar surface on which a synchronization pulley is mounted or otherwise attached. The synchronization pulley comprises an annular groove in which the belt drive is seated. In some instances, the belt drive contacts and interacts with a surface of the cord drive component to rotate the cord drive component. For example, in some embodiments the belt drive contacts and interacts with a second groove located on the cord drive component. In other instances, the belt drive contacts a surface of the cord drive component, that is adjacent the groove.
[0015] One having skill in the art will appreciate that the cord drive components of the instant invention may be driven by any method and/or device known in the art. For example, in some instances the cord drive components are driven directly, such as by a worm gear that contacts a complementary set of gear teeth on the cord drive component. As the worm gear is rotated by the user, the cord drive component is also rotated. Alternatively, in some instances the cord drive components are driven indirectly, such as by a belt or chain that interconnects the cord drive component to a separate gear or drive component that is rotated directly by the user. Thus, as the user rotates the separate gear or drive component, the cord drive component is rotated via the belt or chain. Some implementations further include an opening or openings in the plate through which the first and second tilt cords are fed. In some instances, an axle is further provided to direct the first and second tilt cords through the opening without contacting a periphery of the opening. Some implementations of the present invention provide a lift cord that passes through an opening in the plate and passes through or adjacent to the blind slats and then couples to the bottom rail.
[0016] As the cord drive component is rotated in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction, the first and second tilt cords are either wound onto the cord drive component, or are wound off. As such the length of the tilt cords is adjusted thereby causing the blind slat to tilt in a clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation. In some instances, this movement of the first and second tilt cords allow for the cord drive component to over-rotate the blind slats in the clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. The over-rotation of the blind slats is characterized by one tilt cord being overly wound onto the cord drive component while the other tilt cord is unwound from the cord drive component, thereby resulting in the unwound tilt cord assuming a flaccid or slack state, while the overly wound tilt cord is taut. Further, the overly wound tilt cord lifts the upper edge of the blind slat towards the head rail, thereby reducing and/or eliminating a gap between the blind slat and the head rail. Thus, superior closure of the blind slats may be accomplished without requiring the tilting components of traditional Venetian-type horizontal blind window coverings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The foregoing and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the accompanying drawings when considered in conjunction with the following description. Although the drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are thus not to be deemed as limiting the scope of the invention, the accompanying drawings help explain the invention in added detail.
[0018] FIG. 1 , shown in parts A-C, shows various views of a low profile head rail and system for tilting Venetian-style horizontal blind slats, the blind slats shown in a fully-opened position in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIGS. 1D and 1E show various configurations of a cord drive component having a second groove or surface to receive or support a belt drive in accordance with representative embodiments of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 1F is a top plan view of a low profile head rail having a cord drive component comprising a worm gear and a worm in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention
[0021] FIG. 2 , shown in parts A-C, shows various views of a low profile head rail and system for tilting Venetian-style horizontal blind slats, the blind slats shown in a partially closed position in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 3 , shown in parts A-C, shows various views of a low profile head rail and system for tilting Venetian-style horizontal blind slats, the blind slats shown in a closed position in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 4 , shown in parts A-C, shows various views of a low profile head rail and system for tilting Venetian-style horizontal blind slats, the blind slats shown in an over-rotated position thereby providing superior closure of the blind slats in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] FIG. 5 shows a plan top view of a low profile head rail and system for tilting Venetian-style horizontal blind slats, the system for tilting incorporating cord guides to maintain the position of the tilt cords over the axle in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 6 , shown in parts A and B, shows various views of a low profile head rail and system for tilting Venetian-style horizontal blind slats, the head rail comprising a plurality of cord drive components, axles, belt drives, cord supports, and tilt cords in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 6C shows a plan top view of a low profile head rail having a plurality of cord drive components interconnected via a single cam arm in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 6D shows a side view of a low profile head rail having a plurality of cord drive components attached thereto in an inverted configuration in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 7 shows a low profile head rail having front and rear sidewalls having a height that is approximately equal to a height of the cord drive component in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] FIG. 8 shows a plan top view of a low profile head rail comprising a belt drive in a figure-eight configuration in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] FIGS. 9A and 9B , show a low profile head rail having a plurality of cord drive components interconnected via a plurality of belt drives and tilt cords in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] FIG. 9C is a side view of a low profile head rail in an inverted configuration in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] FIG. 10 is a plan top view of a low profile head rail having a single cord drive component and a plurality of tilt cords and cord supports in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention;
[0033] FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a low profile head rail utilizing a grommet as a cord support in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention; and
[0034] FIGS. 12A and 12B illustrate a low profile head rail with multiple openings which the cords pass through in accordance with a representative embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0035] The following detailed description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings (hereby expressly incorporated as part of this detailed description), sets forth specific numbers, materials, and configurations in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. The following detailed description, in conjunction with the drawings, will enable one skilled in the relevant art to make and use the present invention.
[0036] A purpose of this detailed description being to describe the invention so as to enable one skilled in the art to make and use the present invention, the following description sets forth various specific examples, also referred to as “embodiments,” of the present invention. While the invention is described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it will be understood, because the embodiments are set forth for explanatory purposes only, that this description is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments. Indeed, it is emphasized that the present invention can be embodied or performed in a variety of ways. The drawings and detailed description are merely representative of particular embodiments of the present invention.
[0037] As used herein, the term “cord drive component” is understood to include any device or combination of devices which are configured to facilitate movement of tilt cords to rotate a blind slat. For example, a cord drive component may include a pulley, a cam, a lever arm, a gear, a gear box, a bar, a friction device, a spring or cord lock and combinations thereof.
[0038] As used herein, the term “cord support” is understood to include any device or combination of devices configured to prevent contact between a tilt cord and the plate of a low profile head rail. For example, a cord support may include a grommet, an axle, a pulley, a post, an eyelet, a guide wheel, and combinations thereof. In some instances, a cord support may be placed directly in contact with an opening in the plate to serve as a barrier between a tilt cord and the plate.
[0039] One having skill in the art will appreciate that the embodiments shown and discussed herein comprise various components that may be scaled and adjusted as needed to accommodate blind slats of desired widths, lengths and thicknesses. For example, the embodiments shown and discussed herein may be scaled for use with a 0.5 inch blind slat, a 1.0 inch blind slat, a 1.5 inch blind slat, a 2.0 inch blind slat, and/or a 3.0 inch blind slat. Alternatively, the embodiments shown and discussed herein may be scaled to any desired dimensions. Further, the embodiments shown and discussed herein may comprise any length sufficient to cover or partially cover a window opening, as may be desired. One having skill in the art will further appreciate that the embodiment shown and discussed herein may include any number of cord drive components, cord supports, belt drives, ladders, lift cords, and other components that may be desired or required to accommodate a blind slat having a desired shape, width and/or length.
[0040] Reference will now be made in detail to several embodiments of the invention. The various embodiments will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like elements are designated by like numeric characters throughout.
[0041] Referring now to FIGS. 1A-1C , a low profile head rail 10 is shown. Low profile head rail 10 generally comprises a plate 20 having a width 22 and a length 24 sufficient to support a blind slat 40 having approximately equal dimensions. In some instances, length 24 is selected to be approximately equal to the width of a window opening, such that head rail 10 spans the distance across the width of a window opening. However, length 24 may comprise any value. In some instances, length 24 is selected to partially span a window opening. In other embodiments, length 24 is selected to be greater than the width of a window opening, wherein plate 20 is secured to the window opening with an outside mount. In other instances, length 24 is selected to cover a window that is part of a door, or another non-traditional type of window. Head rail 10 may further be used in combination with another type of traditional window covering, such as a set of curtains or a pull shade.
[0042] Plate 20 may further comprise any material that is compatible for use in supporting horizontal blind slats 40 . For example, in some embodiments plate 20 comprises a metallic material, such as steel or aluminum. Plate 20 may further include a polymer material, such as polystyrene, polyurethane, polycarbonate, and polyvinylchloride. In some instances, plate 20 comprises a wood material. In some instance, plate 20 comprises a combination of materials. Where plate 20 comprises front and rear sidewalls, plate 20 may be formed by bending the metallic material into a desired shape, or may be provided by an extrusion or molding process (see FIG. 7 , below). One having skill in the art will appreciate that the teachings of the present invention are not limited to any specific material or manufacturing process, and therefore may be applied and incorporated into any compatible material and its respective manufacturing process.
[0043] Blind slat 40 generally comprises a horizontal blind slat, similar to blind slats that are traditionally used in Venetian-type blinds. Blind slat 40 may comprise any material. For example, blind slat 40 may include wood, metal, fabric, plastic, thermoplastic, thermoset, and composite materials, as well as any material comprising a combination of the materials stated herein. Blind slat 40 may further include any structural or ornamental configuration, as may be desired. For example, in some embodiments blind slats 40 are flat. In other embodiments, blind slats 40 comprise a crescent cross-section. Other cross-section profiles for horizontal blind slat 40 include wavy, convex, concave, rectangular, ellipsoid, and double convex. Horizontal blind slats 40 may further include other design or structural features. For example, horizontal blind slats 40 may include a painted surface, embossing, a veneer, a texture, a printed design or color, a coating, or a paper covering.
[0044] Horizontal blind slats 40 generally comprise a distal edge 42 , and a proximal edge 44 , wherein the blind slat is positioned below the bottom surface 26 of plate 20 . For purposes of describing various embodiments of the present invention, distal edge 42 is generally positioned towards a window opening when the blind slat 40 is in an open position, and proximal edge 44 is generally positioned opposite the window opening when the blind slat 40 is in an opened position.
[0045] In some embodiments, a plurality of horizontally-oriented blind slats 40 are suspended from plate 20 via a first tilt cord 50 and a second tilt cord 60 . First and second tilt cords 50 and 60 may comprise any length necessary to support the suspended blind slats 40 beneath plate 20 . Further, first and second tilt cords 50 and 60 may comprise any material compatible for use in a window covering. For example, in some embodiments first and second tilt cords 50 and 60 comprises a braided rope cord.
[0046] First and second tilt cords 50 and 60 each have an anchor end 52 and 62 , respectively, which is fixedly coupled to an annular groove 72 of a cord drive component 70 . In some embodiments, the positions at which anchor ends 52 and 62 are attached to groove 72 facilitates a desired tilting motion of blind slats 40 . In some instances, the positions of anchor ends 52 and 62 within groove 72 allow for superior closure of the blind slats when the tilt cord is over-rotated in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.
[0047] In some embodiments, anchor end 52 of tilt cord 50 enters groove 72 on the distal side of cord drive component 70 , passes around the backside of cord drive component 70 , and is coupled to groove 72 on the proximal side of cord drive component 70 . Similarly, anchor end 62 of tilt cord 60 enters groove 72 on the proximal side of cord drive component 70 , passes around the backside of cord drive component 70 , and is coupled to groove 72 on the distal side of cord drive component 70 . This configuration results in a portion of tilt cord 50 adjacent to a portion of tilt cord 60 at the backside of cord drive component 70 .
[0048] The precise positions of anchor ends 52 and 62 may be adjusted within groove 72 as desired. The positions may be varied based upon the circumference, shape and position of the cord drive component. In some embodiments, the positions of anchor ends 52 and 62 within groove 72 are selected to maintain a constant distance 53 between tilt cords 50 and 60 when cord drive component 70 is rotated in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions. In some embodiments, distance 53 is approximately equal the width of groove 72 as measured across pivot point 85 of cord drive component 70 . Thus, when cord drive component 70 is maximally over-rotated in a clockwise direction, anchor end 52 is repositioned to the proximal side of cord drive component 70 , but does not rotate to the front-side of cord drive component 70 . The clockwise over-rotation of cord drive component 70 further winds additional lengths of tilt cord 60 onto groove 72 , thereby drawing blind slat upwards towards plate 20 to provide superior closure of the blind.
[0049] In some embodiments, the annular shape of groove 72 comprises a circle, such that distance 53 is constant for all positions of measurement across pivot point 85 . In other embodiments, the annular shape of groove 72 comprises a non-circular shape whereby distance 53 varies for various positions of measurement across pivot point 85 . For example, in some embodiments the annular shape of groove 72 is an oval. In other embodiments, the annular shape of groove 72 is rectangular. Further, in some embodiments the annular shape of groove 72 is triangular or another polygon shape. Thus, as cord drive component 70 is rotated and distance 53 is measured across pivot point 85 from a constant position, distance 53 may vary dependent upon the annular shape of groove 72 .
[0050] A non-circular shape for groove 72 may be desirable to control the speed and timing for rotating blind slats 40 in response to rotating cord drive component 70 . A non-circular shape for groove 72 may also be desirable achieve a smaller value for distance 53 when blind slats 40 are in a closed position, and achieve a larger value for distance 53 when blind slats 40 are in an open position. Thus, one having skill in the art will appreciate that the shape of groove 72 and/or the shape of cord drive component 70 may be adjusted to assist in achieving a desired movement of blind slats 40 .
[0051] In some embodiments, the positions of anchor ends 52 and 62 are selected so that when cord drive component 70 is maximally over-rotated in a clockwise direction, anchor end 52 is repositioned to the front-side of cord drive component, thereby resulting in a flaccid or slack state of tilt cord 50 . Similarly, the position of anchor end 62 may be selected so that when cord drive component 70 is maximally over-rotated in a counter clockwise direction, anchor end 62 is repositioned to the front-side of cord drive component 70 , thereby resulting in a flaccid or slack state of tilt cord 60 . The non-flaccid tilt cord is simultaneously pulled taut thereby lifting the uppermost edge of the tilted blind towards to head rail to provide superior closure of the blind.
[0052] Cord drive component 70 is directly or indirectly coupled to plate 20 in a rotatable manner, and is positioned on plate 20 in a generally horizontal orientation. In some embodiments, cord drive component 70 is coupled to a top surface of plate 20 , as shown. In other embodiments, cord drive component 70 is coupled to a bottom surface of plate 20 , wherein all of the components of the low profile head rail 10 are located beneath plate 20 in an inverted configuration, as shown and discussed in connection with FIGS. 6D and 9C , below. Further, in some embodiments plate 20 comprises a U-channel, wherein the various components are positioned within the U-channel, as shown in FIG. 7 . In some instances, the U-channel further comprises a lid or cover (not shown), whereby the various components are enclosed within the U-channel.
[0053] In some embodiments, anchor end 52 is secured at a first position within groove 72 , and anchor end 62 is secured at a second position within groove 72 , wherein tilt cords 50 and 60 are adjacent to one another within groove 72 at a position around the backside of cord drive component 70 , wherein the first and second positions are approximately 180° apart, or positioned on approximately opposite sides of groove 72 . In some instances, anchor end 52 and 62 are secured at the same position. This may be dependent upon the cord size, diameter of the drive device, and number of time the cord has been coiled around the drive device. In other instances, anchor ends 52 and 62 are positioned at any location that best allows for the management of tilt cords.
[0054] In some embodiments, tilt cord 50 abuts tilt cord 60 within groove 72 . Further still, in some embodiments tilt cords 50 and 60 are independently positioned within adjacent grooves on cord drive component 70 . One having skill in the art will appreciate that the diameter of the cord drive component 70 will influence the rate of tilt and number of revelations in either the clockwise or counter clockwise direction to tilt the blind slats to an open or closed position.
[0055] In some instances, anchor ends 52 and 62 are set in a neutral position when blind slats 40 are in a fully-opened orientation, as shown. A fully-opened orientation is understood to describe a tilted position of blind slat 40 wherein the plane of blind slat 40 is approximately parallel with the plane of head rail 20 , and approximately perpendicular with a plane of the window opening. A neutral position of anchor ends 52 and 62 is further understood to describe a rotational position of cord drive component 70 wherein additional rotation of cord drive component 70 in either a clockwise or a counter-clockwise direction results in tilting of blind slats 40 to an orientation other than a fully-opened.
[0056] In some instances, groove 72 comprises a depth sufficient to receive tilt cords 50 and 60 when cord drive component 70 is rotated in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. Further, in some implementations, groove 72 comprises a depth sufficient to receive both tilt cords 50 and 60 in an overlapped configuration. For example, in some instances cord drive component 70 is over-rotated such that the anchor ends 52 and 62 are rotated more than 180° from their initial, neutral position. As such, one of the anchor ends is rotated under the middle of the other tilt cord within groove 72 . Accordingly, some pulleys of the present invention comprise a groove having a sufficient depth to receive both tilt cords in an overlapped configuration. In other embodiments, groove 72 comprises a width sufficient to receive tilt cords 50 and 60 in an abutted manner, whereby tilt cords 50 and 60 are prevented from overlapping when cord drive component 70 is rotated.
[0057] Cord drive component 70 may comprise any material that is compatible for use in a window covering. In some embodiments, cord drive component 70 comprises a plastic material, such as nylon. In other embodiments it may be comprised by other thermoplastic materials or out of metals. Some implementations of cord drive component 70 comprise a top planar surface 74 and a bottom planar surface 76 with groove 72 being positioned therebetween. Cord drive component 70 is oriented in a horizontal configuration such that bottom planar surface 76 is oriented towards top surface 28 of plate 20 , and cord drive component 70 is capable of being rotated in a plane that is parallel to the plane of top surface 28 . Cord drive component 70 is rotatably coupled to plate 20 via a pivot point or bearing 85 , such that cord drive component 70 may be rotated about a center axis of cord drive component 70 in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions.
[0058] Tilt cords 50 and 60 further comprise terminal ends 54 and 64 , respectively, which are positioned below plate 20 and coupled to a bottom rail 80 . In some instances, plate 20 comprises an opening 21 through which tilt cords 50 and 60 are passed. Opening 21 generally comprises a width and length sufficient to permit unencumbered passage of tilt cords 50 and 60 . In some embodiments, plate 20 further comprises a cord support, such as an axle 23 which is positioned approximate to opening 21 and comprises a surface over which tilt cords 50 and 60 pass. Axle 23 may be positioned near opening 21 such that tilt cords 50 and 60 are passed over axle 23 and through opening 21 without contacting the periphery of opening 21 . In this manner, damage to tilt cords 50 and 60 due to contact with opening 21 , is prevented. Alternatively, in some embodiments plate 20 comprises a cord support comprising a grommet that is inserted into opening 21 and is provided to support tilt cords 50 and 60 as they pass through opening 21 , in either a single opening as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B , or through multiple openings as is illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B . In some instances, a grommet is provided that comprises a low-friction material, such as nylon or Teflon®. Also, in some embodiments it may include more than one cord support per opening.
[0059] In some embodiments, tilt cords 50 and 60 further comprise middle portions forming ladders on which blind slats 40 are supported. In some embodiments, the ladders comprise a top rung 56 and a bottom rung 66 , wherein blind slat 40 is positioned between the top and bottom rungs. In other embodiments, the ladder comprises a single rung, wherein blind slat 40 is secured to the ladder via a retainer clip 67 , as shown in FIG. 7 . Generally, ladders are spaced along the middle portions of tilt cords 50 and 60 to accommodate a plurality of blind slats. In some instances, ladders are spaced so that the edges of adjacent blind slats overlap when the blind slats are tilted into a closed orientation. In this way, the closed positions of blind slats 40 prevent light from passing through the window covering, as is common with traditional Venetian-type horizontal blinds.
[0060] In some instances, cord drive component 70 further comprises a means for rotating cord drive component 70 in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions 78 . This means for rotating may include any device or combination of devices capable of rotating cord drive component 70 . For example, in some embodiments cord drive component 70 comprises a synchronization pulley 90 coupled to the top planar surface 74 of cord drive component 70 . Synchronization pulley 90 comprises a groove 92 in which is seated a belt drive 94 . In some embodiments, cord drive component 70 further comprises a second groove 102 that is adjacent groove 72 and configured to receive belt drive 94 , as shown in FIG. 1D . In other embodiments, cord drive component 70 comprises a surface 104 that is adjacent groove 72 and configured to support or receive belt drive 94 , as shown in FIG. 1E .
[0061] Belt drive 94 is further coupled to a rotating device 96 . In some embodiments, rotating device 96 comprises a gear box. In other embodiments, rotating device 96 comprises a spring recoil pulley. Further, in some embodiments rotating device 96 comprises a third pulley around which belt drive 94 is further looped on an adjacent cord drive component. Further still, in some instances rotating device 96 is merely a cord that is grasped and manipulated by a user.
[0062] In some embodiments, an exposed, circumferential surface of cord drive component 70 comprises a set of teeth 71 forming a worm gear, as shown in FIG. 1F . The worm gear is configured to mesh with a worm 97 that is operatively connected to rotating device 96 . In some instances, a wormshaft 99 of the worm is coupled to a wand 96 , whereby a user rotates the wand 96 to turn the worm 97 thereby rotating the worm gear (i.e. cord drive component 70 ) in a clockwise and/or counter-clockwise direction. Alternatively, the wormshaft 99 of the worm 97 may be coupled to a pulley and a drive belt, drive chain, or other cord, whereby a user may turn the worm 97 and rotate the worm gear by rotating the pulley. One having skill in the art will recognize that rotating device 96 may include any number of variations within the spirit of the teachings disclosed herein. One having skill in the art will also appreciate that rotating cord drive component 70 can be accomplished in any number of variations either through direct or indirect connection with rotating device 96 , as discussed above.
[0063] Some embodiments of the present invention further include a lift cord 51 that is passed through opening 21 and is attached to the bottom most blind slat and/or a bottom rail of the blind assembly. In some instances, plate 20 further comprises an axle 123 positioned proximate to opening 21 to facilitate passage of lift cord 51 through opening 21 . Plate 20 may alternatively comprise a separate opening for lift cord 51 . In some embodiments, lift cord 51 comprises a free end that is coupled to a retaining mechanism, such as a cord lock or other retention device as is commonly used in the art.
[0064] Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2C , low profile head rail 10 is shown with blind slats 40 in a partially-closed orientation, wherein cord drive component 70 has been rotated approximately 90° in a clockwise direction 79 . As cord drive component 70 is rotated in clockwise direction 79 , anchor end 62 is moved from a distal position (as shown in FIGS. 1A-1C ) to a right-hand position, as shown in FIGS. 2A-2C . Similarly, anchor end 52 is moved from a proximal position to a left-hand position, as shown. With anchor end 52 in a left-hand position, tilt cord 50 is partially displaced from groove 72 thereby increasing the distance between distal edge 42 and plate 20 . Conversely, the right-hand position of anchor end 62 results in a portion of tilt cord 60 being wound further onto cord drive component 70 thereby shortening the distance between proximal edge 44 of blind slat 40 and plate 20 . The simultaneous displacement of proximal and distal edges 42 and 44 results in a partially-closed, tilted orientation of blind slats 40 .
[0065] The abutted configuration of tilt cords 50 and 60 within groove 72 results in the tilt cords being spaced from one another a distance 53 which is equal to the distance between the distal and proximal apexes of groove 72 or approximately the diameter of groove 72 as measured across pivot point 85 . As cord drive component 70 is rotated in clockwise direction 79 , anchor end 52 is rotated to the left-hand position, and anchor end 62 is rotated to the right-hand position, as described above. In some instances, the left-hand and right-hand positions of anchor ends 52 and 62 are approximately centered between the proximal and distal apexes of groove 72 . In other instances, the left-hand and right-hand positions of anchor ends 52 and 62 determined based upon different variables, such as the size of cord drive component 70 in relation to blind slat 40 , and the number of times tilt cords 50 and 60 are wrapped around cord drive component 70 . Thus, the following is provided merely as a non-limiting representative embodiment of the present invention.
[0066] As shown in FIGS. 2A-2C , the middle portions of tilt cords 50 and 60 remain in contact with the apexes of groove 72 when cord drive component 70 is rotated. In particular, the middle portions of tilt cords 50 and 60 remain in contact with the distal apex of groove 72 , and the middle portion of tilt cord 60 also remains in contact with the proximal apex of groove 72 . When anchor end 52 is rotated to the left-hand position, a portion of tilt cord 50 is released from groove 72 and a portion of tilt cord 60 is drawn into groove 72 thereby resulting in the simultaneous lowering of distal edge 42 and the raising of proximal edge 44 of blind slat 40 . In other words, blind slat 40 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction. As proximal edge 44 is raised, distal edge 42 is lowered and swings in proximal direction 77 to a position approximately under the proximal position of proximal edge 44 . This repositioning of distal edge 42 causes tilt cord 50 to slide in proximal direction 77 across axle 23 .
[0067] Upon further rotation of cord drive component 70 in clockwise direction 79 , anchor end 62 is positioned at the proximal apex of groove 72 , and anchor end 52 is positioned at the distal apex of groove 72 , as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C . In this configuration, tilt cords 50 and 60 are maximally slid in distal direction 77 on axle 23 and blind slats 40 are in a closed configuration. As such, blind slat 40 is fully positioned under the distal edge of plate 20 . Further, distal edge 42 of blind slat 40 is maximally distanced from plate 20 , and blind slat 40 is in a generally vertical orientation with respect to the generally horizontal orientation of plate 20 .
[0068] In some embodiments, the position of blind slat 40 in FIGS. 3A-3C results in a small gap 41 between proximal edge 44 and the underside of plate 20 . Gap 41 may be undesirable due to light-leakage from the window opening when blind slats 40 are in the closed configuration. Accordingly, in some embodiments gap 41 may be closed by further rotating cord drive component 70 in clockwise direction 79 , as shown in FIGS. 4A-4C .
[0069] Referring now to FIGS. 4A-4C , head rail 10 is shown with cord drive component 70 in an over-rotated configuration. Upon over-rotation of cord drive component 70 in clockwise direction 79 , anchor end 62 is rotated past the proximal apex of groove 72 and to a position between the proximal apex and the left-hand position. Similarly, upon over-rotation of cord drive component 70 in clockwise direction 79 , anchor end 52 is rotated past the distal apex of groove 72 and to a position between the distal apex and the right-hand position. This over-rotation results in an additional length of tilt cords 50 being unwound from groove 72 , and an additional length of tilt cord 60 being wound onto groove 72 of cord drive component 70 . At the point in which anchor end 62 is rotated past the proximal apex of groove 72 , proximal edge 44 of blind slat 40 is raised towards plate 20 , thereby closing gap 41 . Further, at the point in which anchor end 52 is rotated past the distal apex of groove 72 , tilt cord 50 becomes flaccid as proximal edge 44 is raised towards plate 20 . The flaccid status of tilt cord 50 permits distal edge 42 of blind slat 40 to hang freely and assume a maximally closed position. This over-rotation thereby results in superior closure of the blind slats.
[0070] By winding additional tilt cord 60 onto groove 72 , the distance between proximal edge 44 and plate 20 is decreased, thereby closing gap 41 . In some embodiments, belt drive 94 and rotating device 96 further comprise a cord retention mechanism to maintain a desired degree of rotation for cord drive component 70 .
[0071] One having skill in the art will appreciate that low profile head rail 10 may work in the opposite direction by simply rotating cord drive component 70 in a counter-clockwise direction. Thus, in some embodiments blind slats 40 may be tilted in a clockwise direction by rotating cord drive component 70 in a counter-clockwise direction. The specifics regarding the motion of tilt cord 50 , tilt cord 60 , anchor end 52 , and anchor end 62 are thus reversed thereby resulting in a closed orientation for blind slats 40 where distal edge 42 abuts the underside of plate 20 , and tilt cords 50 and 60 are slid in a distal direction on axle 23 to align in a closed configuration generally under the distal edge of plate 20 . Thus, by rotating cord drive component 70 , blind slats 40 are simultaneously tilted and slid along axle 23 to reside at either a proximal position or a distal position under plate 20 of the head rail 10 .
[0072] Some embodiments of the present invention further includes a cord support comprising a set of guides 95 which are rotatably threaded onto axle 23 , as shown in FIG. 5 . Guides 95 each comprises an annular groove that is configured to receive a middle portion of tilt cords 50 and 60 . Guides 95 assist in movement of tilt cords 50 and 60 over axle 23 in forward and rearward directions 81 during rotation of cord drive component 70 . Guides 95 further assist in movement of tilt cords in distal 77 and proximal 75 directions as the angular positions of anchor ends 52 and 62 change during rotation of cord drive component 70 . Guides 95 may comprise any material compatible for use with a window covering. For example, in some embodiments wheels 95 comprise a polymer material, such as nylon or other suitable thermoplastic. In other embodiments wheels 95 comprise a metallic material. Further, in some instances wheels 95 comprises a combination of polymer and metallic materials.
[0073] Referring now to FIGS. 6A and 6B , in some embodiments a head rail 100 is provided comprising a plate 120 having a plurality of pulleys interconnected via a plurality of belt drives. For example, in some embodiments a low profile head rail 100 is provided comprising a first cord drive component 70 a is coupled to a first and second tilt cord 50 a and 60 a which are seated on wheels 95 of a first axle 23 a . The first and second tilt cords 50 a and 60 a are fed through a first opening 21 a in plate 120 and are coupled to a set of blinds (not shown) suspended below plate 120 . Plate 120 further comprises a second cord drive component 70 b that is coupled to a third and fourth tilt cord 50 b and 60 b which are similarly seated on wheels 95 of a second axle 23 b . The third and fourth tilt cords 50 b and 60 b are fed through a second opening 21 b in plate 120 .
[0074] The independent rotations of first and second pulleys 70 a and 70 b are coordinated via a second belt drive 94 b which is coupled to a first and second synchronizing pulley 90 a and 90 b . In some embodiments, cord drive component 70 may comprise a first synchronizing pulley 90 a having a first groove 91 a and a second groove 93 a to facilitate in coordinated rotation of adjacent pulleys. Thus, as belt drive 94 a is turned to rotate cord drive component 70 a , belt drive 94 b is also rotated thereby synchronizing the rotations of the pulleys 70 a and 70 b . In some embodiments, synchronizing pulley 90 b further comprises a third belt drive 94 c that is coupled to a synchronizing pulley of a downstream pulley (not shown). Thus, some embodiments of the present invention may include any number of components desired to provide a window covering.
[0075] In some embodiments, additional belt drives may be replaced with a single cam arm 130 , as shown in FIG. 6C . Cam arm 130 may include pivot points 132 and 134 to permit full synchronized rotation of pulleys 70 a and 70 b . Additional pulleys may be coupled together by extending and coupling cam arm 130 to the additional pulleys.
[0076] In some implementations, a low profile head rail 250 is provided comprising a plate 20 having a bottom surface 26 on which the various components of the head rail are coupled and oriented to provide an inverted head rail configuration, as shown in FIG. 6D . For example, in some embodiments bottom surface 26 comprise one or more cord drive components 70 rotatably coupled to plate 20 in a horizontal configuration. Tilt cords 50 and 60 are supported via a cord supports 123 that also suspended from bottom surface 26 . Cord drive components 70 are rotated via belt drives 94 to change the distance between the cord drive component 70 and a second end of the tilt cords which are attached to blind slats suspended beneath plate 20 .
[0077] Referring now to FIG. 7 , a low profile head rail 270 is shown. In some embodiments, head rail 270 comprises a plate 220 having a distal face 222 and a proximal face 224 thereby providing a u-channel cross sectional profile. Distal and proximal faces 222 and 224 are provided to conceal the various components of the head rail 270 . In some embodiments, the horizontal orientation of cord drive component 70 permits head rail 270 to have an overall height that is less than 0.5 inches. As such, low profile head rail 270 may be installed without requiring a valance or other device to conceal head rail 270 .
[0078] Some embodiments of the present invention include various belt drive configurations that provide benefits over other belt drive configurations. For example, with reference to FIG. 8 , in some embodiments a drive belt 194 is provided in a figure-eight configuration to accommodate left and right placement of cord drive components 70 on plate 20 , with respect to the relative placement and orientation of openings 21 . The figure-eight configuration of drive belt 194 permits cord drive component 70 a to be rotated in a clockwise direction while simultaneously rotating cord drive component 70 b in a counter-clockwise direction, thereby simultaneously releasing tilt cords 50 and retracting tilt cords 60 to coordinate the counter-clockwise rotation of blinds slats suspended below.
[0079] In FIGS. 9A and 9B , drive belt 294 shares groove 72 with tilt cords 50 and 60 , thereby eliminating the need for a synchronizing pulley. In some instances, tilt cords 50 a and 60 a are attached to positions on cord drive device 70 a adjacent opening 21 a , wherein tilt cords 50 a and 60 a pass through opening 21 a and are coupled to blind slats 40 suspended beneath plate 20 . Further, in some embodiments tilt cords 50 b and 60 b are coupled to positions on cord drive device 70 b at positions 73 a and 73 b , which positions are proximate to the distal and proximal apexes of cord drive component 70 b when blind slats 40 are oriented in a neutral position. A second end of tilt cords 50 b and 60 b pass through opening 21 b and are attached to the blind slats 40 . Thus, drive belt 294 synchronizes the rotations of cord drive components 70 a and 70 b thereby simultaneously changing the distance between the cord drive components and the second ends of the tilt cords to rotate the blind slats. With reference to FIG. 9C , a low profile head rail is shown in an inverted configuration, wherein the head rail, cord drive components, drive belts and tilt cords function in a similar to the function of the device shown and described in FIGS. 9A and 9B .
[0080] Referring now to FIG. 10 , in some embodiments a low profile head rail 300 is provided which comprises a single cord drive component 70 that is configured to simultaneously adjust a plurality of tilt cords ( 50 , 50 a , 50 b , 60 , 60 a , and 60 b ) in a synchronized manner to achieve blind rotation. In some embodiments, head rail 300 comprises a single cord drive component 70 that turned in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions via a drive belt and a tilting mechanism. Cord drive component 70 further comprises a groove or other surface that is configured to receive and retain anchor ends of tilt cords 50 and 60 .
[0081] Tilt cords 50 and 60 extend outwardly from cord drive component 70 and along the length of plate 20 in a plane that is approximately parallel the top surface of plate 20 . Extension tilt cords are coupled to tilt cords 50 and 60 at various locations along the length of the respective tilt cords. For example, in some embodiments tilt cord 50 comprises two extension tilt cords; one extension tilt cord being coupled to tilt cord 50 at point 50 a and a second extension tilt cord being coupled at point 50 b . Similarly, tilt cord 60 comprises two extension tilt cords coupled at points 60 a and 60 b . The extension tilt cords branch off of their respective tilt cords and pass over cord supports or guides 95 and exit through openings 21 a and 21 b in plate 20 . The terminal ends of tilt cords 50 and 60 continue past openings 21 a and 21 b thereby passing over addition cord supports and exiting through opening 21 c . The terminal ends of tilt cords 50 and 60 , as well as the terminal ends of extension tilt cords 50 a , 50 b , 60 a , and 60 b are coupled to a blind slat positioned under plate 20 to achieve synchronized tilting, pivoting or rotating of the blind slat as cord drive component 70 is rotated. In some embodiments, a series of extension tilt cords are coupled directly to the terminal ends of the ladders that are configured to support a plurality of blind slats suspended under the plate of the low profile head rail. Thus, a single cord drive component may be utilized to provide synchronized tilting of a plurality of tilt cords on a single plate. In other embodiments tilt cords 50 a , 50 b , 50 c , 60 a , 60 b , and 60 c are all directly connected to a single cord drive component 70 . One having skill in the art will also recognize that there are many connection configurations that allows for tilt cords 50 and 60 to be coupled either directly or indirectly to rotating cord drive component 70 .
[0082] Referring now to FIGS. 11A and 11B , in some embodiments a grommet 210 is inserted into opening 21 . Grommet 210 is used as a cord support for cords 50 and 60 , thereby permitting cords 50 and 60 to pass through plate 20 in a protected manner. As such, contact between cords 50 and 60 and plate 20 is prevented.
[0083] Referring now to FIGS. 12A and 12B , in some embodiments plate 20 further comprises a grommet 211 having multiple openings. Grommet 211 is inserted into opening 21 and is used as a cord support for cords 50 and 60 to pass through plate 20 in a protected manner. Tilt cords 50 , and 60 and lift cord 51 pass through individual openings in grommet 211 , as shown.
[0084] It is underscored that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments herein should be deemed only as illustrative. | Various systems and methods for tilting a horizontal blind slat. More particularly, the present invention relates to a window covering having a lower profile head rail than is traditionally used in the industry for use with Venetian-type horizontal blind slats. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
Agricultural tractor vehicles generally. Specifically agricultural tractors of conventional layout having a first chamber enclosing the engine and a second chamber enclosing an ambient air corridor. Engine heat is evacuated from the engine enclosure by apertures providing venturi, convection and vacuum effects. Air flow is induced in the ambient air corridor by a fan which discharges the spent air out the front of the tractor.
Ancillary equipment is interposed in the air flow path throughout the ambient air conduit. Typically an air intake, an integral air cleaner and a variety and plurality of heat exchangers would reside in this second chamber.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Agricultural tractor vehicles of contemporary ilk are equipped with front mounted heat exchangers ahead of an engine driven sucker fan. Air flow is drawn through the grille at the front of the vehicle, and then through the heat exchangers between the grille and the fan. Oftentimes more than just engine coolant radiators are placed in the air flow stream. The temperature of the air flow is increased substantially after passing through such heat exchangers. Nevertheless it is usually directed around the engine block before escaping out the bottom of the engine compartment. This problem is eliminated in the instant invention.
There are prior art engine enclosures that are designed to suppress the noise of the engine from the host vehicle. For instance there are motor bus patents, automobile patents and tractor vehicle patents that show enclosed engines.
A tractor vehicle having some but not all of the features of this invention is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,866,580 of Whitehurst, et al. This patent teaches the use of separate compartments for the engine and the heat exchanger where heat is drawn out of the engine and drive line section of the vehicle by a venturi effect exhaust pipe. Ambient air is drawn through the heat exchanger by a non-engine driven fan and is expelled out the front or grille portion of the vehicle. There are significant differences between this prior art tractor and the presented invention as will be pointed out.
A fan induced exhaust manifold draft plenum, where a front discharge fan draws air through a heat exchanger and also evacuates heated air from an exhaust manifold enclosing chamber, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,614 to Bentz. The primary distinction between this device and the instant invention is that in the instant invention the fan induces evacuation flow in a conduit emanating from a full enclosure surrounding the entire engine rather than just the exhaust manifold.
The instant invention incorporates specific enclosures, one for containing engine heat and the other for containing ambient air. The first enclosure is evacuated through the use of an exhaust system convection and venturi effect device and also by means of a conduit between the first enclosure and the zone between the radiator and the fan. The fan sucks the air through the radiator and discharges it out the front of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A tractor vehicle having a main frame supported on a front steerable axle and a rear driven axle incorporates a first enclosure surrounding the engine and a second enclosure as an ambient air plenum acting as a conduit.
The first enclosure comprises top, side and end panels affixed together to form a bottomless container. There is no floor portion of the first enclosure. The enclosure panels may be equipped with sound attenuating material bonded to either the inner or outer surface thereof to control engine noise. In addition to the opened bottom of the first enclosure the enclosure is also provided with at least an aperture to accommodate a convection or venturi effect exhaust means and an aperture allowing communication with a duct leading to the front (discharge) side of the heat exchanger.
The second enclosure comprises a top panel, two side panels, a bottom panel and one end panel. The side panels are provided with screened air source inlet or louvers allowing ambient air entry into the second enclosure. Ambient air exits through the opened end of the second enclosure which is in a position associated with the usual grille location on a contemporary tractor vehicle.
The second enclosure surrounds the engine air intake provision (air cleaner, etc.) so that air being supplied to the engine is taken from the enclosure and is initially filtered by the screens of the intake air source inlet or louvers. Also inside the second enclosure are the operating fluid heat exchangers including the engine coolant heat exchanger, engine lubricating oil heat exchanger, the vehicle hydraulic fluid heat exchanger, and the air conditioner condenser. A sucker type fan driven off the engine, either via a drive shaft through the radiator or alternatively, a drive shaft below the radiator, draws ambient air into the second enclosure through the intake louvers, through the heat exchangers and out the opened forward facing grille opening of the second enclosure.
The instant invention offers the following advantages and improvements as well as others obvious from this specification. The dual chamber assembly improves engine cooling, reduces operator compartment temperatures, reduces and/or eliminates the impingement of the cooling fan blast on the ground thereby reducing dust agitation and allows the engine to be enclosed to reduce engine related sound levels at the operator's compartment or at by-pass noise sensing decibel meters.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent upon perusal of the drawing figures in which:
FIG. 1 presents a side elevation view of a tractor vehicle incorporating the invention:
FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a representative forward section of a tractor vehicle having a side panel removed to expose an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 3 is a front elevation view of the grille portion of the tractor vehicle of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a presentation of the venturi and convection effect exhaust means of the vehicle; and
FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the forward portion of an engine compartment having enclosing panels partially broken away.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
An agricultural tractor vehicle generally 10, is supported on a forward steerable axle 12 and a rear driving axle 14 having forward and rear wheel and tire assemblies 16 and 20 respectively. A frame 22 supports the operator's work zone 24 and the engine compartment 26 on the axles 14 and 12. A four wheel vehicle is presented with the illustrated right side similar to the hidden left side.
Details shown in FIG. 1 of significance to this invention include the muffler shroud 30, the hood component 32, the screened hood intake grille 34 (one on each side of the hood), the side panels 36, the side intake grille 40 (which may have a door provided to prevent or control air intake volume), the side air exhaust grille 42 and the front air exhaust grille 44.
Although FIG. 1 presents an agricultural vehicle it is apparent that this invention would apply equally well to an industrial tractor vehicle and other tractor based vehicles either of the two wheel, four wheel, or multi-wheel drive variety having either a continuous chassis or an articulated chassis.
FIG. 2 shows the details of the engine compartment and the first and second enclosures in a general layout. Minute details of the engine and various equipment have not been included for the sake of clarity.
The basic arrangement of the first enclosure, generally 46, includes a rear wall 50, a front wall 52, a top panel 54, a left side panel 56 and a right side panel which is not shown in this view as it has been removed to expose the engine 62. Notice that there is no floor portion for the first enclosure. This is to enable ambient air to be drawn in below the engine and wash over the engine before being exhausted through the muffler shroud 30 and the exhaust duct 60.
The second enclosure, generally 64, is enclosed by the hood panel 66, the left side panel 70, a right side panel 72 (FIG. 1), a back end panel 74, and first and second bottom panels 76 and 80. Air inlet openings are provided in the left and right side panels. A screened or louvered hood intake grille 34 is seen from the back side as it is located on the left side of the tractor. Also seen is the back side of a side intake grille 40.
A fan 82 is keyed to a fan shaft 84 which passes through an aperture 86 of the engine coolant heat exchanger 90. The fan shaft 84 is supported at its outboard end by a bearing 92 carried on support 94 and at its inboard end is supported for rotational movement by the drive pulley assembly 96 which is in turn supported by the water pump bearing (not shown). A belt 100 is driven from the engine crankshaft via crankshaft pulley 102.
A fan shroud 104 may surround the fan 82 to aid in flow inducement. Engine coolant may communicate between the engine 62 and the engine coolant heat exchanger 90 by means of an upper and a lower radiator hose 106 and 110 respectively.
An auxiliary heat exchanger such as the oil cooler 112 may be mounted to the intake side of the engine coolant heat exchanger as is current practice.
During vehicle operation ambient air will enter the first enclosure 46 from below the engine 62. The air will be induced upwardly to wash the engine in relatively cool air by means of the muffler shroud 30 and the exhaust duct 60.
The muffler shroud is shaped to provide a venturi effect due to the passage of gasses out the exhaust pipe proper. Inducement of fluid movement through the movement of a primary fluid, the exhaust gasses in this case, is known in the appropriate fluid dynamics art. Convection phenomena also is an aid extracting heat from the first enclosure 46 via the muffler shroud aperture.
The exhaust duct 60 is a low pressure suction source that also is used to induce flow through the first enclosure. The duct 60 communicates with low pressure area between the fan 82 and the heat exchanger 90. Heated air drawn through this duct is exhausted to the front of the vehicle along with heated air being drawn through the heat exchanger 90 by the fan 82.
Various arrows indicate air flow through the first enclosure and out the muffler shroud and exhaust duct.
Ambient air is also drawn into the second enclosure 64 by the fan 82. Entry is via the hood intake grilles 34 on either side of the hood and also via the side intake grilles 40 on either side of the engine compartment when desired. Aspiration air is drawn from this air supply through the air cleaner 114 for delivery as by intake duct 116 to the air delivery manifold (not shown). Ambient air is pulled through the heat exchangers 90 and 112 and is then pushed out the front grille area 44. A portion also escapes through the side air exhaust grilles 42 of FIG. 1.
By separating the cooling air from the engine heated air a greater temperature differential exists between the air passing through the heat exchangers and the coolant therein thus improving cooling. Ambient air most usually is passed first through the engine coolant heat exchanger then passed the engine to wash it and carry off radiant heat. In this embodiment ambient air is used to cool both the heat exchanger and the engine.
Air flow velocities through the engine compartment would be very low due to the large inlet area formed by the opened bottom of the engine enclosure. This low air velocity would not draw chaff into the engine compartment. As stated earlier the hot air drawn from the engine compartment through duct 60 would not pass through the engine coolant heat exchanger since it enters the air stream beyond the heat exchanger.
FIG. 3 presents a frontal view of a tractor engine compartment showing the fan 82, the bearing support 94, the fan shroud 104, and the exhaust duct 60. Also shown is the hood component 32, the muffler shroud 30, the left 70 and right 72 side panels. A grille screen (not shown) may be provided for cosmetic and safety considerations.
FIG. 4 presents a configuration of a simplified venturi effect muffler and shroud passing through the hood panel 66. The shroud 30 is supported on the top panel of the first enclosure 54 and surrounds an exhaust pipe 120 and a muffler 122. Arrows indicate the direction of heated air flow from the first enclosure out the venturi effect muffler. The exhaust velocity is used to draw air from the bottom of the opened main frame up across the engine and out around the exhaust pipe in the top of the hood. The muffler shroud is at the top of the engine compartment enclosure so it will act as a natural chimney and evacuate hot air from the engine compartment even after the engine is stopped.
FIG. 5 presents an alternative fan drive layout for use in an embodiment of the instant invention. Parts being identical to the first embodiment in this embodiment are the frame 22, the first enclosure 46, the engine 62, the hood panel 66, the exhaust duct 60 and the fan shroud 104 as well as other inconsequential parts. The change in this embodiment is the use of an auxiliary fan drive shaft 124 carried in a pair of pillow blocks 128 and 130 mounted to the frame 22. The auxiliary fan drive shaft 124 includes a pulley wheel 132 at its inboard end and a second drive pulley 134 at the outboard end of the shaft. A fan belt 136 is driven off the end of the crankshaft at 140 to turn the water pump driven pulley 142. The auxiliary fan drive shaft 124 passes under the alternative heat exchanger 144 thus negating the need for the aperture equipped heat exchanger 90 of FIG. 2. The fan 146 is carried on a short axle 150 supported by bearings at each end 152 and 154 and is driven by the driven fan pulley 156 via belt 160.
A flexible coupling 162 is used between the auxiliary fan drive shaft 124 and the end of the crankshaft 140 to eliminate alignment problems and to provide an easily disconnectible fitting to allow changing of belt 136. The belt 160 is located between the front air exhaust grille 44 and the fan 146, rather than between the fan and the heat exchanger 144 in order to allow this belt to be changed easily.
In this alternative embodiment the purpose and advantages of the first embodiment are retained, however, the fan is driven by the shaft 124 thus allowing full cooling use of the heat exchanger without the blockage of any core elements as is necessary to accommodate an aperture in the heat exchanger of FIG. 2.
Another advantage of this drive system is that the fan and the engine water pump are driven independently, thus allowing different speed ratios for the water pump and the fan, which would allow optimization of both ratios for improved engine cooling. Furthermore the fan position is not controlled by the water pump position, again allowing greater freedom to position the fan for optimum performance.
Both embodiments have been found to present a cooler running tractor vehicle than those currently in the field. One of the outstanding advantages of this structure is however, the entrapment and control of engine noise. It is expected that the engine enclosure panels will be made of sound attenuating material which would significantly reduce the noise emanating from the engine. Mounting the fan on the grille side of the heat exchanger also has a positive effect on the reduction of noise. Noise generated by the fan, usually a significant source of noise, would have to pass through the heat exchanger and past the engine enclosure and the back end panel 74 before entering the operator's work zone. "Line of sight" noise paths will be mostly out the front grille of the tractor or down towards the ground from the engine compartment.
An advantage of the alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 5, vis-a-vis noise, is that the fan can be driven at a speed much slower than is normally possible due to the independence between the fan and the water pump. As the fan is slowed the noise it generates is also reduced thus yielding a significant noise reduction potential.
The location of the intake grilles high on the sides of the front of the tractor is also an advantage as chaff and debris generally does not get to this height level. As a normal tractor moves through a high stand of corn the normal front grille, when serving as an intake, is frequently blocked with chaff and leafy debris. The intake layout of the instant invention avoids this problem as the front grille is an air flow exit.
Thus it has been shown that there is provided a tractor vehicle having a multiple chambered engine compartment for filling the objects and advantages set forth previously in this application. | A tractor vehicle having an engine in a heat and sound controlling enclosure. A plurality of access apertures are provided therein including a pair or evacuation apertures for allowing the passage of heated air out from the enclosure. A second enclosure through which a flow of ambient air is drawn has an air intake and filter and a plurality of heat exchanging units housed therein. A flow inducing fan draws air through the chamber and the heat exchangers and directs it directly out the front grille of the vehicle. | 1 |
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the regeneration of ion exchange materials.
High purity water can be obtained from mixed-bed water treatment units such as condensate polishers in boiler water treatment plant. In order to maintain the quality of the treated water, it is necessary to minimise the deleterious effects which occur because either type of ion exchange material is unavoidably contacted by the regenerant appropriate for the other type. The ion exchange materials are classified before regeneration and cross-contamination of either type of material by the other to some degree is unavoidable. For example, contaminant cation type material present in the anion type is converted to the sodium form by the sodium hydroxide regenerant used to regenerate the anion type material and may give rise to a leakage of sodium ions into the treated water to the detriment of the boiler and the turbine. Sodium ions are quite readily displaced from the sodium form cation material by other ions.
Prior proposals to avoid such effects have involved regenerating the materials in separate vessels. Such methods involved transferring the upper anion material layer from a separator vessel, in which the materials had been classified, to an anion regeneration vessel. The transfer of anion material generally results in the transfer of relatively large amounts of contaminant cation material to the anion regeneration vessel. Typically, contaminant cation material could be 5% by volume of the material transferred. In some methods the regenerated anion material was treated, for example, with ammonia or calcium hydroxide to displace the sodium ions from the contaminant cation material. In another method the anion material was regenerated using a regenerant having a density intermediate the densities of the two types of material, giving a separating effect which removed the contaminant cation type material.
In an alternative proposal, described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,696 issued to Emmett, such cross-contamination of materials is minimised. U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,696 describes a method in which, following classification, material is transferred from the bottom of a separator vessel and the transfer flow is monitored to determine when one type of material has left the separator vessel. Transfer of materials by this method leaves the interfacial region between the materials relatively undisturbed so that contamination of one type of material with another is minimised. The interfacial region can comprise an inert material having a density intermediate the densities of the cation and anion materials. Alternatively, the interfacial region can comprise anion and cation materials in which case the interfacial region is isolated from the relatively pure volumes of anion and cation materials at least during regeneration of those materials.
However, even using the improved method described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,696, it has been found that a relatively small amount, typically of the order of 0.2 to 0.5% by volume, of cation material may be dispersed in the anion material. To ensure that customer requirements on water purity are met, it is preferable to minimise any contribution even that small amount of contaminant cation material may make to sodium leakage. It is particularly important to minimise such contribution when ammonia is added to boiler condensate to raise the pH of the condensate to minimise corrosive effects. In that situation, as the ammonia exhausts the cation material, ammonium ions progressively displace sodium ions from the cation material down the bed until the sodium ions leak into the treated water. However, the cation material still functions as an exchange material with respect to sodium and other ions even though it is in the ammonium form when, for example, a condenser tube leaks and introduces those ions into the top of the bed. Operation of the condensate polisher in such circumstances is usually referred to as operation through into the ammonia cycle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a method of regenerating ion exchange materials in which sodium leakage in subsequent service use is reduced.
According to the invention, a method of regenerating particulate anion and cation ion exchange materials comprises classifying the materials above a perforate barrier in a separator vessel into an upper anion material layer, an intermediate interfacial region and a lower cation material layer by passing water upwardly within the vessel, transferring cation material from the vessel through a conduit having an inlet adjacent the barrier and an outlet outside the vessel by passing water into the vessel and allowing flow through the conduit until a major proportion of cation material has passed through said outlet of the conduit, a major proportion of material from the interfacial region has entered the conduit and a major proportion of anion material remains in said separator vessel, detecting an interface in the conduit between materials, isolating said outlet from said inlet in response to detection of said interface, regenerating at least said major proportions of cation and anion materials, reclassifying the regenerated anion material by passing water upwardly therethrough to allow any contaminant cation material present in the anion material to settle to the bottom of the anion material, removing material from the bottom of the anion material to remove settled contaminant cation material, said removed material being isolated from the regenerated materials and remixing the regenerated materials.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Methods of regenerating ion exchange materials will now be described by way of example only to illustrate the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically apparatus by which the methods can be performed; and
FIG. 2 is a graph in which micrograms/liter (μ/l) of sodium ion leakage into boiler condensate is plotted against the time the ion exchange materials have been in service.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is similar to that described in specification U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,696.
The apparatus has a separator and anion regeneration vessel 10 and a cation regeneration vessel 12. The vessels 10 and 12 have respective perforate barriers 14 and 15, consisting of epoxy resin bonded sand for example, in their bases. The barriers 14, 16 permit the passage of liquid while retaining ion exchange materials thereon. The vessels 10 and 12 are connected at their lower ends below the respective barriers 14 and 16 to a drain and to a supply of mixed-bed quality deionised water via respective inlet/outlet pipes 18 and 20 flow through which is controlled by valves 22 and 24, respectively. The water supply pipe 26 is shown but the drain connection is not shown.
The vessels 10 and 12 have respective inlet/outlet pipes 28 and 30 at their upper ends. The pipes 28 and 30 have respective strainers 32 and 34 at their ends in the vessels. The ends of the pipes 28 and 30 outside the vessels are connected respectively to pipes 36 and 38, flow through which is controlled by valves 40 and 42, which lead to drain at 44 and 46. A further pipe 48, flow through which is controlled by a valve 50, additionally connects the pipe 28 to the drain at 44 for a purpose to be described below.
A transfer conduit 52 has an inlet in the vessel 10 adjacent the barrier 14 and an outlet in the vessel 12 above the barrier 16. A detector in the form of a conductivity cell 54 is located in the conduit 52. Flow through the conduit 52 is controlled by valve means in the form of two valves 56 and 58.
A pipe 60, flow through which is controlled by a valve 62, is connected to the conduit 52 between the valve 56 and the vessel 10 for the transfer of materials from the vessel 10 to a storage or service unit (not shown).
The conduit 52 is connected to the base of an isolation vessel 64 by a pipe 66 flow through which is controlled by a valve 68. The pipe 66 is connected to the conduit 52 at a position intermediate the valves 56 and 58, which are close together.
The isolation vessel 64 has an inlet/outlet pipe 70 which has a strainer 72 at its end in the vessel 64 and is connected to drain at 74 by a pipe 76, flow through which is controlled by a valve 78, at its end outside the vessel 64.
A second transfer conduit 80 has an inlet in the vessel 12 adjacent the barrier 16 and an outlet in the vessel 10 above the barrier 14. Flow through the conduit 80 is controlled by valve means in the form of two valves 82 and 84. A pipe 86, flow through which is controlled by a valve 88, is connected to the conduit 80 between the valve 84 and the vessel 10 for the transfer of materials to the vessel 10 from a service unit (not shown).
The water supply pipe 26 is connected by a pipe 90, which has several branches, to the ends of the pipes 28, 30 and 70 which are external to their respective vessels and to the pipe 66 between the vessel 64 and the valve 68. Flow of water from the pipe 26 through the branches of the pipe 90 is controlled by valves 92, 94, 96 and 98, respectively.
Other pipework, for example for air supply, venting and regenerant supply, has been omitted to simplify the figure.
Mixed anion and cation ion exchange materials which are to be regenerated are transferred from a service unit (not shown), for example a condensate polisher, to the vessel 10 through the pipe 86, the valve 88 and the extreme end of the conduit 80, the valve 84 being closed.
Air and water are introduced into the vessel 10 through pipe 18 to subject the materials to a preliminary air scouring and backwashing operation to remove dirt. Following the backwashing step, a controlled flow of water is introduced into the vessel 10 through pipe 18 to classify the materials into an upper anion material layer, an interfacial region consisting of a mixture of anion and cation materials and a lower cation material layer. Water leaves the vessel 10 through the pipe 28 and the valve 40 and goes to drain 44 through the pipe 36. Preferably, the controlled flow is relatively high for an initial period and is then reduced to a smaller flow for the remaining period during which classification of the materials occurs. Typically, the flow rates are selected to give velocities in the parallel-sided portion of the vessel 10 of the order of 12 meters/hour (m/h) and 8 m/h, respectively.
Once classification is complete, the flow of water into the vessel 10 is adjusted to a flow rate suitable for transferring material from the vessel 10. Valve 40 is closed and valves 56 and 58 are opened and cation material is hydraulically transferred from vessel 10 through the conduit 52 to the vessel 12. The vessel 10 is maintained full of water during transfer so that, as the level of the top of the anion layer descends, water flows up through the materials to make up the volume of the material as it leaves the vessel. Thus a classifying flow is maintained during transfer. As the transfer of cation material from the vessel 10 is nearly completed, the rate of transfer is preferably slowed down by opening the valve 50 so that water flows out of the vessel 10 through the control valve 50 and the flow through the conduit 52 is reduced to a low rate.
As the transfer proceeds, the conductivity cell 54 detects an interface between materials. In this instance, the interface is between relatively pure cation material and relatively pure anion material and is substantially coextensive with the interfacial region. The interface is detected by a fall in conductivity as material from the interfacial region passes the cell 54.
In response to the detection of the interface by the cell 54, the valve 58 is closed, after a suitable timed delay, to isolate the inlet from the outlet of the conduit 52 to leave substantially pure cation material only downstream of the valve 58. As the materials differ in colour, the conduit 52 can be provided with windows 100, for example, so that an operator can determine (or subsequently check) what the delay period should be by visually checking in the windows when the material type in the conduit 52 changes following detection of an interface by the cell 54. At the same time that valve 58 is closed, valve 68 is opened so that continued transfer of materials from the vessel 10 causes materials from the interfacial region to flow through pipe 66 into the isolation vessel 64. After a suitable timed interval, during which substantially all the materials from the interfacial region are passed to the vessel 64, the valves 50 and 56 are closed and the flow of water into the vessel 10 is stopped by closing valve 22.
The valves 56 and 98 and then 58 and 98 are operated to allow water to flow from the pipe 26 to flush the relatively pure anion material and relatively pure cation material from the conduit 52 into the respective vessels 10 and 12.
The materials in each vessel 10 and 12 are then subjected to a main air scouring and backwashing operation, followed by regeneration with suitable regenerants, for example sodium hydroxide solution for the anion material and sulphuric acid solution for the cation material, and rinsing.
A classifying flow of water is then introduced into the vessel 10 through the pipe 18 to subject the regenerated anion material to a further classification process.
As previously explained, the Applicant has found that, after the initial classification of the mixed materials the anion layer may have a relatively small amount of cation material, typically 0.2to 0.5% by volume, dispersed therein. That contaminant cation material has been converted, during regeneration of the anion material, to the sodium form and it is preferred that it should be removed from the anion material prior to that material being returned to service.
The applicant has found that the sodium form of cation material has a falling rate in water some 25% or more greater than the falling rates of the hydrogen or ammonium forms of the cation material, which have similar falling rates.
Consequently, during the further classification of the regenerated anion material, the contaminant cation material, now in its sodium form, preferentially settles at the bottom of the vessel 10 below the anion material.
Following classification of the regenerated anion material, valves 56 and 68 are opened and a transfer flow of water is introduced into the vessel 10 through the pipe 18. The transfer flow of water causes material to be transferred from the vessel 10 through the conduit 52 and the pipe 66 to the isolation vessel 64. The transfer flow is maintained for a period sufficient to ensure that any settled contaminant cation material together with some anion material is transferred to the isolation vessel 64. The transfer flow of water is then stopped and valve 98 is operated to allow a flow of water from the pipe 26 to flush anion material from the conduit 52 back into the vessel 10.
The regenerated cation material is transferred from the vessel 12 to the vessel 10 through the conduit 80 by introducing a transfer flow of water into the vessel 12 through the pipes 20 and 30 and opening valves 82 and 84. Once transfer of the cation material has been completed the regenerated cation and anion materials are mixed in the vessel 10 and are then transferred through the conduit 52 and the pipe 60 either back to the service unit or to a storage vessel for subsequent use in a service unit.
The mixture of materials held in the isolation vessel 64 is then transferred to the vessel 10 to await the next batch of mixed materials for regeneration. The transfer is accomplished by flow of water from the pipe 26 by closure of the valves 58 and 98 and the opening of the valves 56, 68 and 96. If necessary, following the transfer the conduit 52 given a final flush with water by closing the valve 96 and opening the valves 56, 68 and 98.
It will be understood that the vessels will be connected to drain or vented as necessary during the various operations described above with reference to FIG. 1.
In the method described above with reference to FIG. 1, the mixed materials from the interfacial region and the contaminant cation material which has been converted to the sodium form are both isolated from the regenerated materials which are returned to service.
Tests on a plant showed that, using the method according to the invention, very low levels of cation material remain in the anion material following removal of the settled contaminant cation material after reclassification of the regenerated anion material. The results of the tests are given in Table I below.
TABLE I______________________________________Test No. A* B**______________________________________1 0.385 0.0532 0.235 0.0553 0.45 0.044 0.81 0.053______________________________________ *the figures quoted in column A are the percentages by volume of cation material remaining in the anion material following transfer of the cation material from the separator vessel but prior to regeneration of the materials. **the figures quoted in column B are the percentages by volume of cation material remaining in the anion material following removal of the settled contaminant cation material after reclassification of the regenerated anion material.
In the particular system on which the tests were performed, the cation material to anion material ratio was 2:1. Consequently, the percentage by volume of cation material in the sodium form which was returned to service was of the order of 0.02 to 0.275%. In other systems in which the ratio if 1:1, the percentage would be of the order of 0.05%.
On the graph (FIG. 2), two curves have been plotted. One curve shows the sodium leakage calculated for a system in which the percentage of cation material in the sodium form is 0.05% (i.e. a typical figure which is achievable using the present invention) and the other curve shows the sodium leakage calculated for a system in which the percentage of cation material in the sodium form is 0.35% (i.e. a typical figure which is achievable using the invention described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,696). The sodium leakages have been calculated for systems which are operated through into the ammonia cycle. The line marked 102 indicates the end of the period during which substantially all of the cation material is converted into the ammonium form. The two limit lines marked on the graph are the current maximum levels of sodium leakage which are acceptable to the Central Electricity Generating Board (C.E.G.B.), England and the Queensland Electricity Generating Board (Q.E.G.B.), Australia for systems which are operated through into the ammonia cycle.
In an alternative form of the method described above with reference to FIG. 1, the mixed materials of the interfacial region are not transferred to the isolation vessel 64. Thus, both of the valves 56 and 58 are closed after the delay period has elapsed. The valves 56, 68 and 98 and then the valves 58, 68 and 98 are then operated to flush, respectively, anion material and materials from the interfacial region which are predominantly anion material into the vessel 10 and cation material and materials from the interfacial region which are predominantly cation material into the vessel 12. The subsequent steps of the method, i.e. regeneration of the materials, the reclassification of the anion material and the isolation of the settled contaminant cation material in the vessel 64, are then carried out as described above with reference to FIG. 1.
Other modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.
For example, instead of holding materials in the isolation vessel 64, the conduit 52 could have a length and volume sufficient to hold those materials. The regenerated and remixed materials would then be transferred from the vessel 10 either through the conduits 52 and 60 (suitable valve arrangements being provided) or through a different conduit. In another modification, the inlet to the conduit 52 could be coplanar with the perforate barrier, the conduit 52 extending downwardly out of the bottom of the vessel.
In a further modification, an inert particulate material may be used with the mixed materials. The inert material has a density intermediate the density of the anion and cation materials so that the interfacial region formed upon classification is substantially pure inert material as described in Pat. No. 4,298,696. In that instance, detection of either the interface between cation material and inert material or between inert material and anion material may be used to determine the transfer step. The inert material could be held either in the isolation vessel 64; or in the conduit 52; or the conduit 52 could be flushed both ways prior to regeneration to pass inert material to both of the vessels 10 and 12. The contaminant cation material separated from the regenerated anion material could be held either in the vessel 64 or the conduit 52. | In a method of regenerating mixed ion exchange materials, the materials are classified into layers. The lower layer is then transferred from the separator vessel. The transfer is controlled by detecting an interface between materials. The separated materials are then regenerated after which the anion material is reclassified to allow any contaminant cation material to settle to the bottom thereof. Material is then removed from the bottom of the anion layer to remove settled contaminant cation material. The removed material is isolated from the regenerated materials which are then remixed.
The method reduces the cross-contamination of materials that occurs during the separation of classified materials and, particularly, reduces the amount of cation material in the sodium form (following regeneration of the anion material) that is eventually returned to service. | 1 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of patent application Ser. No. 09/702,636, entitled HYDROGEN DIFFUSION CELL ASSEMBLY AND ITS METHOD OF MANUFACTURE, filed Nov. 1, 2000, which has issued U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,759.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to hydrogen diffusion cells. More particularly, the present invention relates to hydrogen diffusion cells that contain wound coils of palladium tubing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In industry, there are many known techniques for separating hydrogen from more complex molecules in order to produce a supply of hydrogen gas. One such technique is electrolysis, wherein hydrogen gas is obtained from water. Regardless of how hydrogen gas is obtained, the collected hydrogen gas is typically contaminated with secondary gases, such as water vapor, hydrocarbons and the like. The types of contaminants in the collected hydrogen gas are dependent upon the technique used to generate the hydrogen gas.
Although contaminated hydrogen gas is useful for certain applications, many other applications require the use of pure hydrogen. As such, the contaminated hydrogen gas must be purified. One technique used to purify hydrogen is to pass the hydrogen through a hydrogen diffusion cell. A typical hydrogen diffusion cell contains a single coil of palladium tubing. The palladium tubing is heated and the contaminated hydrogen gas is directed through the palladium tubing. When heated, the palladium tubing is permeable to hydrogen gas but not to the contaminants that may be mixed with the hydrogen gas. As such, nearly pure hydrogen passes through the palladium tubing and is collected for use.
Prior art hydrogen diffusion cells that use coils of palladium tubing have many problems. One of the major problems is that of reliability as the hydrogen diffusion cell ages. As a coil of palladium tubing is repeatedly heated and cooled, it expands and contracts. The longer the wound tube is, the more the tube expands and contracts. As the palladium tubing expands and contracts, cracks occur in the tubing. Cracks are particularly prevalent at the ends of the tubing where the palladium tubing is welded to common piping. Once a crack occurs in the palladium tubing or the welded supports of the tubing, the hydrogen diffusion cell ceases to function properly.
The problem of palladium tube cracking is amplified by the manner in which hydrogen gas is drawn out of the hydrogen diffusion cell. In a prior art hydrogen diffusion cell, hydrogen is typically drawn out of one end of the cell. This creates a one-way flow of hydrogen within the confines of the hydrogen diffusion cell as the hydrogen gas flows to one exit point within the cell. Depending upon how rapidly hydrogen gas is drawn from the hydrogen diffusion cell, the flow of hydrogen gas within the confines of the hydrogen diffusion cell can range from a constant mild flow to a sudden severe flow.
As hydrogen gas flows out of such a prior art hydrogen diffusion cell, the flowing hydrogen applies a biasing force to the palladium coils contained within the hydrogen diffusion cell. Over time, the biasing force of the flowing hydrogen physically deforms the palladium coils. The palladium coils become compressed at the end of the coils that are nearest the exit port within the hydrogen diffusion cell. This is because the flowing hydrogen gas biases the palladium coils in the direction of the flow. Likewise, the ends of the palladium coils that face away from the hydrogen gas exit port become stretched as the palladium coils are pulled away by the flowing hydrogen gas. As a result, the palladium coils become stressed in the areas where they are stretched. As the coils expand and contract when heated and cooled, the stressed areas of the palladium coils crack over time and begin to leak. Once a palladium coil begins to leak, the hydrogen diffusion cell is no longer functional.
One solution that has been attempted to increase the reliability of hydrogen diffusion cells is to decrease the length of the palladium tubing and/or the number of windings in the coil of palladium tubing. These techniques reduce the degree of deformation experienced by the palladium tubing caused by the flowing hydrogen gas. However, these techniques also greatly decrease the surface area of the palladium tubing and thus the output and efficiency of the hydrogen diffusion cell.
A need therefore exists for a new hydrogen diffusion cell that has increased reliability yet does not have decreased flow efficiency. This need is met by the present invention as it is described and claimed below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a hydrogen diffusion cell that is used to purify contaminated hydrogen gas. The hydrogen diffusion cell has a supply tube that supplies contaminated hydrogen gas and a drain tube that removes contaminated hydrogen gas. Hydrogen permeable coils are disposed between the supply tube and the drain tube. Disposed in the center of the hydrogen permeable coils is an output tube that collects any hydrogen that diffuses through the hydrogen permeable coils as it flows between the supply tube and the drain tube. The output tube is at least as long as the hydrogen permeable coils and is perforated along its length. In this manner, hydrogen gas is drawn into the output tube throughout the center of the hydrogen diffusion cell. This prevents hydrogen gas from flowing laterally within the hydrogen diffusion cell and deforming the hydrogen permeable coils.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description of exemplary embodiments thereof, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hydrogen diffusion cell in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a selectively fragmented view of an alternate embodiment of a hydrogen diffusion cell in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, a first exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen diffusion cell 10 is shown in accordance with the present invention. The diffusion cell 10 contains a supply tube 12 , a drain tube 14 and an output tube 15 . The supply tube 12 supplies unpurified hydrogen gas to the hydrogen diffusion cell 10 . The drain tube 14 removes the unused, unpurified hydrogen gas from the hydrogen diffusion cell 10 . The output tube 15 removes purified hydrogen gas from the hydrogen diffusion cell 10 . The supply tube 12 , drain tube 14 , and output tube 15 are all made of stainless steel or another inert high strength alloy. The supply tube 12 , drain tube 14 and output tube 15 all pass through an end cap plate 16 . The supply tube 12 , drain tube 14 and output tube 15 are welded to the end cap plate 16 at the points where they pass through the end cap plate 16 . To prevent stresses caused by expansion and contraction, the end cap plate 16 is preferably made of the same material, as is the supply tube 12 , drain tube 14 and output tube 15 .
On the supply tube 12 is located a clustered set of brazing flanges 20 . Each brazing flange 20 is a short segment of tubing that is welded to the supply tube 12 . The short segment of tubing is made of the same material as is the supply tube 12 . Within each clustered set of brazing flanges 20 , each brazing flange 20 is a different distance from the end cap plate 16 . Furthermore, each brazing flange 20 in the clustered set radially extends from the supply tube 12 at an angle different from that of any of the other brazing flanges 20 in that same clustered set.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, there is only one clustered set of brazing flanges 20 on the supply tube 12 and that clustered set contains two brazing flanges 20 . Such an embodiment is merely exemplary. As will later be explained, multiple clustered sets of brazing flanges 20 can be present on the supply tube 12 and any plurality of brazing flanges 20 can be contained within each clustered set.
The drain tube 14 also contains clustered sets of brazing flanges 22 . The brazing flanges 22 are of the same construction as those on the supply tube 12 . The number of clustered sets of brazing flanges 22 on the drain tube 14 corresponds in number to the number of clustered sets of brazing flanges 20 present on the supply tube 12 . Similarly, the number of brazing flanges 22 contained within each clustered set on the drain tube 14 correspond in number to the number of brazing flanges 20 in each clustered set on the supply tube 12 .
A plurality of concentric coils 24 , 26 are provided. The concentric coils 24 , 26 are made from palladium or a palladium alloy. The process used to make the coils is the subject of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/702,637, which has issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,352, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING THIN WALLED TUBING, the disclosure of which is incorporated into this specification by reference.
The number of brazing flanges 20 , 22 in each clustered set corresponds in number to the number of coils 24 , 26 . One end of each coil 24 , 26 extends into a brazing flange 20 on the supply tube 12 . The opposite end of each coil 24 , 26 extends into a brazing flange 22 on the drain tube 14 . The concentric coils 24 , 26 have different diameters so that they can fit one inside another. Furthermore, each coil has a slightly different length so that the ends of the coils align properly with the different brazing flanges 20 , 22 on the supply tube 12 and the drain tube 14 , respectively.
In the embodiment of FIG. 1, there are two coils 24 , 26 . As such, there are two brazing flanges 20 on the supply tube 12 and two brazing flanges 22 on the drain tube 14 . It will be understood that more than two concentric coils can be used. In any case, the number of supply brazing flanges 20 and drain brazing flanges 22 matches the number of coils used.
The coils 24 , 26 have a nearly constant radius of curvature from one end to the other. As such, the coils 24 , 26 do not contain any natural stress concentration points that may prematurely crack as the coils 24 , 26 expand and contract. To further increase the reliability of the hydrogen diffusion cell 10 , the brazing flanges 20 on the supply tube 12 and the brazing flanges 22 on the drain tube 14 are treated. The brazing flanges 20 , 22 are chemically polished prior to brazing. Such a preparation procedure produces high quality brazing connections that are much less likely to fail than brazing connections with untreated brazing flanges.
The output tube 15 extends down the center of the hydrogen diffusion cell 10 . The coils 24 , 26 surround the output tube 15 . As such, the output tube 15 extends down the center of the concentrically disposed coils 24 , 26 . The length of the output tube 15 is at least as long as the length of the coils 24 , 26 . As such, the output tube is present along the entire length of the coils 24 , 26 .
The output tube 15 is perforated along its length. The perforation enables purified hydrogen gas to pass into the output tube 15 . The holes 29 used to perforate the output tube 15 can have a constant diameter. However, in a preferred embodiment, the holes 29 increase in diameter along the length of the output tube 15 , as the output tube 15 extends away from the end cap plate 16 . In this manner, the draw of hydrogen gas into the output tube 15 through the various holes 29 remains relatively constant along the entire length of the output tube 15 .
Once the coils 24 , 26 placed around the output tube 15 and are attached to both the supply tube 12 and the drain tube 14 , the coils 24 , 26 are covered with a cylindrical casing 28 . The cylindrical casing 28 is welded closed at the end cap plate 16 , thereby completing the assembly.
To utilize the hydrogen diffusion cell 10 , the cell 10 is heated. Once at the proper temperature, contaminated hydrogen gas is fed into the supply tube 12 . The contaminated hydrogen gas fills the coils 24 , 26 . Purified hydrogen gas permeates through the coils 24 , 26 and is collected in the cylindrical casing 28 . The purified hydrogen gas is drawn into the output tube 15 . The remainder of the contaminated hydrogen gas is drained through the drain tube 14 for reprocessing.
Since the output tube 15 is located in the center of the coils 24 , 26 , the flow of hydrogen gas from the coils 24 , 26 to the output tube 15 does not act to laterally deform the coils 24 , 26 . Rather, the flow of the hydrogen gas merely acts to move the coils radially inwardly. The shape of the coils 24 , 26 naturally resist this force and the coils 24 , 26 remain undeformed by the flow of hydrogen.
Referring to FIG. 2, an alternate embodiment of a hydrogen diffusion cell 30 is shown. In this embodiment, there are multiple clusters of brazing flanges 32 on both the supply tube 34 and the drain tube 36 . For each cluster of brazing flanges 32 , there is a set of concentric coils. In the shown embodiment, there are three clusters of supply brazing flanges 32 and three clusters of drain blazing flanges (not shown). Accordingly, there are supplied three separate sets of concentric tubes 37 , 38 , 39 . Each set of concentric tubes 37 , 38 , 39 consists of multiple tubes of different diameters. The ends of the tubes are brazed to the corresponding clusters of supply brazing flanges 32 and drain brazing flanges.
The coils within the hydrogen diffusion cell 30 have a combined length L, however, no one coil in the hydrogen diffusion cell 30 extends across that length. Since shorter coils are used in series, the amount of expansion and contraction experienced by any one coil is minimized. However, the effective combined length of the various coils can be made to any length.
A single output tube 40 is used in the hydrogen diffusion cell 30 . The output tube 40 has a length at least as long as the combined length L of the coil sets in the diffusion cell. The output tube 40 is perforated to receive the purified hydrogen gas emitted by the various coils. The holes 42 that create the perforations can be calibrated to create an even intake flow rate along the entire length of the output tube 40 .
To help even out the intake flow of gas along the length of the output tube 40 , baffle plates 44 can be placed in the hydrogen diffusion cell 30 in between different sets of concentric coils 37 , 38 , 39 . The baffle plates 44 can be solid obstructions. However, the baffle plates 44 are preferably partial obstructions that inhibit, but do not prevent the lateral flow of hydrogen gas outside the various sets of coils 37 , 38 , 39 in the hydrogen diffusion cell 30 .
The baffle plates 44 serve multiple functions. First, the baffle plates 44 help prevent hydrogen gas from flowing toward one end of the hydrogen diffusion cell 30 . Additionally, the baffle plates help the output tube 40 receive the purified hydrogen gas with a minimal lateral movement of the hydrogen gas around the various sets of coils 37 , 38 , 39 . Second, the baffle plates 44 reinforce the position and orientation of the supply tube 34 , the drain tube 36 and the output tube 40 . In this manner, the supply tube 34 , drain tube 36 and output tube 40 are less likely to vibrate. This minimizes stress on these components and the coils that are supported by these components.
The use of three separate sets of coils 37 , 38 , 39 in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is merely exemplary and it will be understood that any number of sets can be used. Furthermore, each set of coils can contain any number of concentric coils depending upon the design requirements of the hydrogen diffusion cell 30 .
There are many variations to the present invention device that can be made. For instance, the length and diameter of the coils, supply tube, drain tube and/or output tube can be changed. The number of sets of concentric coils and baffle plates can be changed. It will therefore be understood that a person skilled in the art can make numerous alterations and modifications to the shown embodiments utilizing functionally equivalent components to those shown and described. All such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. | A hydrogen diffusion cell that is used to purify contaminated hydrogen gas. The hydrogen diffusion cell has a supply tube that supplies contaminated hydrogen gas into a confined area and a drain tube that removes contaminated hydrogen gas from the confined area. Hydrogen permeable coils are disposed between the supply tube and the drain tube. The hydrogen permeable coils surround a perforated output tube that draws in any hydrogen gas that diffuses through the hydrogen permeable coils. The presence and position of the output tube prevent any significant lateral movement of hydrogen gas within the diffusion cell. | 8 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a plug, such as those used with headphones, and more particularly to a plug that fits multiple brands of stereo-audio-capable mobile telephones.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Over recent years, the technology in mobile telephones has evolved to incorporate the functionality previously available in other small appliances. This phenomenon, known in the industry as “convergence,” has led to mobile telephones that can be used as alphanumeric pagers, internet browsers, e-mail devices, PDAs, as well as several other technologies. Most recently, it has become popular to combine the functionality of portable music (and even multimedia) players into mobile telephones.
[0005] The resulting “music phones” necessitated the development of a headset that could be used both to listen to the music and to use the telephone in a hands-free manner. This hybrid headset not only needed stereo audio output, but a microphone and a control switch, as well. This meant that headset jacks for these devices and the resulting plug design needed to be developed with four conductors. Previous conventional stereo headsets (i.e., those for use with portable music players) have used a 3-conductor plug/jack system with a 3.5 mm diameter (the outside diameter of the plug and approximate inside diameter of the corresponding jack). Previous mobile telephone monophonic headsets with microphone and control button have used a 3-conductor plug/jack system with a 2.5 mm diameter. A de facto standard has been developed for both of these systems, which standardizes the location of the contact points along the plug/jack.
[0006] Unfortunately, no standard (de facto, or otherwise) was developed for the new 4-conductor plug/jack systems for use with music phones, despite the fact that all manufacturers appear to use the form factor found in the conventional 2.5 mm system. The exact reason for this lack of standardization is unknown. However it may have been the result of a rush on the part of the major telephone manufacturers to get their music phones to market. Regardless of the genesis of the current situation, it has created problems.
[0007] The biggest problem is that manufacturers of after-market mobile telephone accessories have, thus far, needed to develop a separate plug for the music phone headsets for each major manufacturer's music phone. This is costly for several reasons, but the most significant reasons is that it requires accessory manufacturers to create tooling for, and them and their distribution chain to maintain inventory control on, 4 or 5 times as many related products than would have been the case had the industry standardized.
[0008] Thus, it is an object of the present invention to develop a 4-conductor plug for use with music phones that can be used with music phones from multiple manufacturers.
[0009] It is a further object of the present invention to maximize the number of manufacturer's music phones with which such a plug is compatible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] It is with the above objects in mind that the present invention was conceived. The present invention was developed based on the fact that each of the various major manufacturer's 4-conductor plug/jack systems uses the same form factor for the plug—namely a 2.5 mm diameter plug, with a standard length (11.5±0.3 mm). This is the same form factor as used with the 3-conductor systems. The difference between each of the 4-conductor systems is the precise location of the contact points within the jack, and thus the dimensions and locations of the conductor terminations (and the insulators disposed between each adjacent set of conductor terminations) along the plug.
[0011] Careful reverse engineering of each different system was required, before it was discovered that precise dimensioning of the conductors and corresponding insulators was possible so that a plug could be used with jacks from multiple systems. This was not a case of merely finding optimal dimensions for the components of the plug. First, it had to be determined that such a multiple-compatible system was even feasible. Additionally, if conductor terminations were made too wide (insulators too narrow), the conductor termination would make contact with multiple jack contact points in some systems. Conversely, if conductor terminations were made too narrow (insulators too wide), the conductor termination would miss contact with the corresponding contact point in the jack of some systems. Both of these scenarios are obviously unacceptable, as this would cause the otherwise stereophonic audio to be heard in only one ear piece, or in some cases, no audio output at all.
[0012] Eventually, a plug was discovered with precise dimensioning that is compatible with the 4-conductor systems of three different major music phone manufacturers. Specifically, a headset made with this plug will provide stereophonic audio as well as telephone control, with music phones made by Motorola®, LG®, and Samsung®. This universal plug still uses a 2.5 mm diameter by 11.5 mm form factor, and is even compatible with jacks on conventional mobile telephones using the standard 3-conductor system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] So that the manner in which the above-identified features, advantages, and objects of the present invention are attained and can be understood in detail, a more particular description of the invention, briefly summarized above, may be had by reference to the embodiment thereof which is illustrated in the appended drawings.
[0014] It is noted however, that the appended drawings illustrate only a typical embodiment of this invention and is therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments. Reference the appended drawings, wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a general representation of the standard form factor for a 4-conductor plug;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a cutaway view of a prior art 3-conductor plug in a conventional 3-conductor jack;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a cutaway view of the plug of the present invention in a conventional 3-conductor jack; and
[0018] FIG. 4 is a cutaway view of the plug of the present invention in a 4-conductor jack, generally.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] Referring now to FIG. 1 , the form factor of a 4-conductor plug 10 is shown generally. This genre of plug is typically used with headsets designed to listen to stereo audio from a mobile telephone, while at the same time providing an audio input (microphone) to the telephone and a control means, such as a single-pole, single-throw, momentary switch (which can function to answer or make telephone calls depending on the model of telephone).
[0020] The plug 10 is generally cylindrical and comprises a tip 12 which acts as a conductor termination for one of the conductors of the headset and three more conductor terminations 14 a , 14 b , and 14 c that are collinear with the tip are disposed along the surface of the plug 10 . The tip 12 is not cylindrical like the remainder of the plug, but rather has a beveled end 16 and a beveled indentation 28 to allow the entire plug 10 to be retained by the corresponding jack (as best seen in FIGS. 2-4 ). In between each adjacent conductor termination 12 , 14 , is disposed an insulator ring 18 a , 18 b , and 18 c so that no two conductors are in electrical contact with one another, which would obviously create a short in the headset circuit.
[0021] The drawing of FIG. 1 is not drawn to scale because of the very nature of the problem to be solved. Each manufacturer of mobile telephones uses different dimensions of the various electrical contact points within the jack, and thus the dimensions and placement of the conductor terminations are different for each manufacturer. Only the form factor is common among the various manufactures. The diameter of the plug is 2.5 mm and the length from the end of the tip 16 to the distal end of the last conductor termination 14 c is 11.5 mm (±0.3 mm). The following table shows the different lengths of the components of the plug 10 in millimeters (rounded to the nearest 0.05 mm) in the system of various manufacturers:
TABLE 1 Length of 4-Conductor Plug Components in Various Systems 1 st 1st 2nd 2nd 3rd 3rd Insulator Conductor Insulator Conductor Insulator Conductor Ring Termination Ring Termination Ring Termination Tip Length Length Length Length Length Length Length Manufacturer (12) (18a) (14a) (18b) (14b) (18c) (14c) LG 3.80 0.85 1.20 0.75 1.30 0.75 3.00 Samsung 4.00 0.75 1.25 0.80 1.20 0.80 2.90 Motorola 3.90 0.75 1.55 0.65 1.55 0.75 2.30
[0022] The present invention is a specially modified version of the plug 10 that works with jacks of the 4-conductor plugs of at least the three manufacturers mentioned above. This is accomplished by very carefully designing the dimensions and location of the conductor terminations 14 . In the present invention, the tip is 3.7 mm long, and the remaining conductor terminations 14 a , 14 b , and 14 c , are 1.4 mm, 1.4 mm, and 2.9 mm respectively. The widths of the insulator rings, 18 a , 18 b , and 18 c , are 0.7 mm, 0.5 mm, and 0.6 mm respectively.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows how a similar, prior art, 3-conductor plug 101 fits in a 3-conductor jack 20 . Note that the plug 101 has three conductor terminations 102 (including the tip), each of which is separated from the adjacent conductor terminations 102 by an insulator ring 103 , and each of which makes contact with exactly one electrical contact point 22 in the jack 20 .
[0024] In the present invention, the plug 10 is also compatible with the standard 3-conductor jack 20 , which can be seen in FIG. 3 . Note that the first, second, and fourth conductor terminations 12 , 14 a , and 14 c make contact with the electrical contact points 22 .
[0025] FIG. 4 shows the similar situation of the plug 10 of the present invention fitting inside a 4-conductor jack 24 of an unspecified manufacturer. This drawing represents a compatible fit between the plug 10 and this jack 24 . Note that each conductor termination 12 , 14 makes contact with exactly one electrical contact point 26 in the jack, and consequently no electrical contact point 26 is located on an insulator ring 16 when the plug 10 is inserted.
[0026] Other manufacturers may choose to adopt yet different standards for their 4-conductor plug/jack systems, and the present invention may or may not need to be modified accordingly. Such adaptations are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention. It may or may not even be possible to find a solution to dimensions and placement of the conductor terminations 12 , 14 such that compatibility can be maintained with the three known systems discussed herein and the aforesaid new standard yet to be created.
[0027] While the foregoing is directed to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, other and future embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof, and the scope thereof is determined by the claims which follow. | A universal plug is shown for use with the 4-conductor jacks of some mobile telephones, such as those that play stereo music. The universal plug is especially adapted to work with at least three different standards of various manufacturers, as well as the industry standard 3-conductor jacks of other mobile telephones. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a taping device, i.e. a device capable of fixing a tape, for example a self-adhesive tape, completely around a body kept fixed, and in particular around the periphery of a coil formed in a coil winding machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In coil winding machines with a fixed wire guide and rotating coil, the taping problem is extremely simple. A reel of tape mounted on a fixed axis, parallel to the axis of the coil, feeds the tape to the coil around which it is wound by the rotation of the coil itself.
The problem becomes more difficult when taping is to be carried out on fixed coils. In this case a solution is generally adopted in which the reel of tape is again disposed on an axis parallel to the coil axis, but this axis is made to rotate about the coil axis. By operating in this manner, the tape, one end of which is held on the coil, is progressively laid on the coil itself during rotation, and simultaneously unwinds from the reel. However this arrangement has the disadvantage of requiring considerable free space around the coil to allow rotation of the reel of tape. In coil winding machines of the turret type, this disadvantage becomes more serious because it means that considerable space is occupied in the circumferential direction, i.e. a relatively extensive circular sector of the turret, so taking up a space which is vital for other devices which have to operate on the coil.
In order to obtain a reasonably limited pitch in the turret, so as to increase the number of operations which can be automatically carried out on the coils while at the same time avoiding a turret of excessive diameter, the general tendancy is to limit as far as possible the tangential or circumferential bulk of the operational devices associated with the turret, and allow the bulk instead to increase in the radial direction. However, taping devices which satisfy this requirement have not yet been proposed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This problem is brilliantly solved by the device according to the present invention, which has precisely the advantage of a drastically reduced tangential bulk, especially in the position of application of the tape on the coil, while its extension is essentially in the radial direction. This device comprises first guide means very close to the coil for guiding the tape in a plane parallel to the coil axis and tangential to the coil periphery, second guide means at a short distance from the first means, lateral to the coil, for deviating the tape to a feed path which is substantially radial with respect to the turret axis, pivoting means for the reel of tape disposed in substantial alignment with said path, and a support common to said first and second guide means and to said pivoting means, said common support being mounted rotatable about the coil axis.
According to a preferred embodiment, said second guide means consists of at least one transmission roller mounted rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the coil axis, the tape undergoing a 90° twist about its own axis during its travel between said first and second guide means, while along said feed path the tape slides in a plane substantially parallel to the coil axis.
According to a further embodiment, said second guide means consists of a fixed, at least partially cylindrical slidable surface, the axis of which is positioned substantially as the bisecting line of the angle complementary to the angle formed between the direction of sliding of the tape along said feed path and along the path between said first and second guide means respectively, along both these paths the tape sliding on flat surfaces.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be evident from the following description of some embodiments of the invention, given by way of example and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the taping device according to the invention, with parts broken away for clarity, fixed on a stepwise rotatable turret coil winding machine, of this latter there being shown only that part which supports the device;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of the same device, seen along the arrow F' of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same device;
FIG. 4 is a plan view, analogous to FIG. 3, of a further embodiment of the taping device;
FIGS. 5 and 6 are a detailed view to an enlarged scale of a unit for applying the tape to the coil in an advanced working position, with relation to the embodiment of FIG. 3 and that of FIG. 4 respectively;
FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the unit of FIGS. 5 or 6 in the withdrawn position, in which the tape is cut;
FIG. 8 is an operating diagram.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
As shown, the device according to the invention is mounted on a very thick tubular arm 1, which projects radially from the fixed base M of a coil winding machine. This device comprises a plate 2 mounted on the arm 1, and supporting the self-braking motor 3. The shaft of this latter rotates a worm 4 engaged with a gear 5, which transmits motion to the shaft 6. This latter is rotatably mounted at one end on the plate 7 also rigid with the arm 1, and at the other end on the plate 2 by way of bearings 8.
The shaft 6 is tubular and in its interior is mounted a second spindle 6a, which is axially slidable but is not rotatable with respect to the shaft 6. To that end of the spindle 6a opposite the gear 5 is fixed a radial pin 9, which selectively engages in an axial slot in the shaft 6, and so acts as a key.
At its opposite end, the spindle 6a is subjected to the action of a spring 10, which tends to move it towards the right of the drawing, and to the action of an electromagnetic unit 11 which, when energised, tends to move it towards the left, in the direction indicated by the arrow F', selectively to engage and disengage pin 9 in and from said slot in shaft 6, respectively.
On the shaft 6 is also mounted a drum 22, in a rotatable but not axially slidable manner, and on it are keyed various disc cams 23, the purpose of which will be better illustrated hereinafter.
The left hand end (with respect to FIG. 1) of the drum 22, opposite the gear 5, is provided with three notches 22a, disposed at 120° to each other, in one of which engages the aforementioned pin 9 in the manner of a key, so enabling the drum 22 to be driven by the shaft 6.
A support arm 12 is swingably mounted on the pivot 12a, which is supported at one end on the plate 2 and at the other end on the plate 2a, also fixed to the tubular arm 1.
The arm 12 carries at its lower end a roller 13 which rests against the contour of the first cam 23A. The contact between the roller 13 and the cam 23A is ensured by the spring 14, which is fixed at 14a to the plate 2 and at 14b to the arm 12, and tends to make the arm 12 swing in the clockwise direction with respect to FIG. 2.
At the upper end of the arm 12 is mounted a bush 15, in which the shaft 17 is rotatably supported. The arm 12, under the control of the cam 23A, can swing between two positions, namely a working position, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, in which the axis of the shaft 17 coincides with the axis of the coil (not shown) on which the taping operation is to be carried out, and a rest position, in which the tape can be cut, in this latter position the arm 12 being further rotated in the clockwise direction with respect to FIG. 2, while the roller 13 is engaged in the cavity 23A' of the cam 23A.
On the shaft 6 is also mounted a pulley 16, which transmits its motion to the belt 16a, preferably a toothed belt, and thus to the pulley 16b. This latter is mounted on the shaft 17, and is made rigid with the shaft by a pair of friction discs 18, 19, the action of which can be calibrated by a setting nut 20 and the pressure spring 21.
On the support arm 12 is also mounted an electromagnetic unit 29 which, when energised, acts on the latch 31, to make it swing in the clockwise direction (with respect to FIG. 2) against the action of the spring 30, so as to disengage its tooth from a stop notch provided in the periphery of the disc 32, keyed on to the shaft 17. By means of this construction, even when the belt 16a is moved, the shaft 17 is kept locked against rotation, together with the disc 32, until the tooth of the latch 31 is removed from said notch in the disc 32, which is possible because of the sliding of the friction discs 18, 19.
The device also comprises an arm 39 rigid with one end of the shaft 17, rotatable in the bush 15. A pivot 40 is fixed at one end to the arm 39 and projects from it parallel to the axis of the shaft 17. The rotation of the arm 39 with the shaft 17, the axis of which coincides with the axis of the coil B on which the taping operation is to be carried out, makes the pivot 40 describe a cylindrical surface which encloses the coil.
A plate 41 is swingably mounted on the pivot 40. This plate can make a small movement in the anticlockwise direction (with respect to FIG. 2) under the control of the cylinder 28, so as to move into the working position, and in the clockwise direction, to return to the rest position, under the action of the return spring 42. As the cylinder 28 is rigid with the arm 39 and rotates with it, the compressed air fed through the pipe 43 is introduced into an inner chamber of the bush 15, and from here it passes through air passages, sealed by ring gaskets, into the shaft 17 and arm 39, and from this to the cylinder 28.
The swing of the plate 41, under the control of the cylinder 28, is limited by the adjustable setscrew 57, against which the appendix 58 of the plate 41 rests.
In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 an appendix 44, terminating in the form of a spatula 45, is fixed to the plate 41, possibly in an interchangeable manner.
A reel of tape 46 is mounted on a hub rotatable about a pivot rigid with the plate 41. Said hub is braked by the disc 47, the braking action of which is adjusted by the spring 48 and setting nut 49.
The tape 46 unwinds by passing around the roller 50, mounted freely rotatable at the end of the arm 51, which allows free swing. From the roller 50, the tape 46 passes to the deviation roller 52 mounted on the appendix 44 by means of a pivot perpendicular to the appendix 44. From the roller 52, the tape finally passes between the rollers 53 and 54 (FIG. 5) the axes of which are perpendicular to the axis of the roller 52. Along this path the tape 46 undergoes a 90° twist about its longitudinal axis, which, if the distance of the roller 52 and the roller 53 is suitably proportioned to the width of the tape, is not difficult to produce. Normally for tapes having a width less than 12-13mm the distance between the rollers 52 and 53 may be kept sufficiently small, for example 5-6cm, so as to definitely lie within the maximum desirable transverse bulk, in relation to the other turret stations of the coil winder.
The tape 46 which passes about the roller 52 is firmly held between the rollers 53 and 54. The roller 54 has an indented surface and is mounted rotatable about a pivot supported by the appendix 44, while the roller 53 is mounted on a pivot supported by the arm 55, which swings on a support 44' of the appendix 44. A spring 56 is fixed to the arm 55, its other end being fixed to the appendix 44, and its action causes the roller 53 to press on the periphery of the roller 54, so clamping the tape 46. This latter also slides under the spatula 45 which guides it into contact with the lateral surface of the coil B.
To prevent accidental backward sliding of the tape 46, one of the deviation rollers, for example the roller 54, may be mounted rotatable on its own pivot by a free wheel mechanism, which prevents its backward rotation. The clamping of the tape between the rollers 53 and 54 also prevents the tape slipping out.
With the appendix 44 is also associated the pressure roller 59, mounted freely rotatable at the end of a swinging arm 60. This latter is subjected to the action of the return spring 61 which tends to rotate it in the clockwise direction (with respect to FIG. 5) in order to keep it in the position shown, with the appendix 60' in contact with a tooth of the appendix 44.
A ring gear 24, with axial toothing facing downwards, rotates rigidly with the hub of the reel of tape 46. Below the ring gear 24 there is a microswitch 25, the arm 25a of which is forced against the toothing of the ring gear 24. When the ring gear 24 rotates, together with the reel of tape 46, said toothing transmits swinging movements to the arm 25a, which alternately open and close the micro-switch 25 for the purpose which will be indicated hereinafter.
Lastly, the entire unit carried by the plate 41 is mounted on the pivot 40 adjustable axially by means of the adjustment nut 62, opposed by the spring 63.
The further embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 has been designed particularly to allow the use of tapes which are wider crosswise, or more rigid, or generally cannot undergo the aforementioned axial twisting in the small space between the roller 52 and the rollers 53-54.
This embodiment differs from that shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 essentially in the configuration of the means for guiding the tape from the roller 50 to the coil B. In this case the appendix 44A is disposed perpendicular to the plane of the plate 41, i.e., substantially parallel to the plane of the tape 46 in its feed path between the roller 50 and said guiding means.
These guiding means also consist of a simple cylinder 65 supported in a fixed manner at its ends on two lugs 66 of the appendix 44A, this cylinder 65 being disposed with its axis at 45° to the feed direction of the tape arriving from the roller 50, or more generally, perpendicular to the bisecting line of the angle formed between the tape approaching and leaving cylinder 65.
With this arrangement, the tape 46 originating from the feed reel is applied to the oblique surface of the cylinder 65, along a generating line forming an angle of 45° with the feed direction of the tape. As it winds on the surface of the cylinder 65, the tape 46 follows a helical path, with a 45° inclination, which enables the tape -- after one half of a turn -- to withdraw from the cylinder 65 in a direction substantially at 90° to the aforementioned feed direction.
It is evident from the drawing that as the tape undergoes no axial twist in the arrangement shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, there are no problems or limitations with regard to dimensions, and in particular the width, of the tape used.
The embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 also includes a simplified system for guiding the tape at its point of application to the coil B. This system comprises a spatula 67 which, instead of being rigid with the appendix 44A as in the case of the spatula 45 of the appendix 44, is freely swingably mounted at 68 on the appendix 44A. In the rest position, the spatula 67 rests on the support arm 69, projecting rigidly from the appendix 44A, by the force exerted by the leaf spring 70. The tape 46 passes between the spatula 67 and arm 69 and is normally held between these two elements.
In the working position, when the plate 41 moves the appendix 44A close to the coil B, the tape 46 is pressed against the periphery of the coil B by the end of the spatula 67, this latter being then slightly raised, by the opposing thrust of the coil B and against the action of the spring 70, so as to enable the tape 46 to slide freely.
The two guide systems for the tape applied to the coil B, i.e. with the rollers 53 and 54 and fixed spatula 45 (in accordance with FIG. 5) or with the swinging spatula 67 (in accordance with FIG. 6), do not necessarily relate to the respective embodiments of FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, but may be used either with the roller 52 or with the roller 65.
The spatula 45 or 67 for applying the tape 46 may be of metal, of plastics material of the nylon type, or of any other suitable material, possibly with its resting edge of felt, according to the type of tape 46 to be applied.
The roller 59 for pressing the tape on the periphery of the coil B will also generally be provided in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, but has not been shown.
From the description given heretofore, particularly with reference to FIGS. 3 and 6, it is evident that the fundamental advantage of the device according to the invention derives from the fact that the tape 46 unwinds in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the coil B only during the first very short path between the application spatula 45 or 67 and the roller 52 or 65, whereas from these latter to the feed roll, or the roller 50, the tape unwinds along a second path substantially parallel to the axis of the coil B and withdrawing from it, i.e., a path which may be of any length, radial to the main axis of the coil winding machine. It follows therefore that the transverse bulk of the device, particularly in the most critical position, i.e., close to the point of application of the tape on the coil, is reduced to a minimum, whereas at the same time the elements of a larger bulk, such as the roll of tape itself and all other means for controlling rotation, may be moved to the outside of the machine because of said second path of the tape, without any limitation, and as far as is necessary in relation to the space available.
The device according to the invention also comprises a system for locking the beginning of the tape 46 on the periphery of the coil B. This system, in the arrangement shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, comprises a pneumatic cylinder 71 mounted on a support bracket 37, projecting upwards from and fixed to the arm 1 of the machine M by the clamp 38. The lower end of the rod 72 of the cylinder 71 is provided with a small pad 73, and can assume two positions: a raised rest position, indicated by full lines, and a lowered working position indicated by dashed lines.
In this latter position, the pad 73 rests on the periphery of the coil B, for the purpose indicated hereinafter.
Finally the device comprises a tape cutting unit, consisting of a blade 35 mounted on the swinging arm 34 (FIGS. 1 and 7), this latter being pivoted at 36 to the bracket 37. The arm 34 is made to swing by the pneumatic cylinder 33, one end of which is fixed to the clamp 38 and the other end to the lever 34a, keyed on to the support pivot for the lever 34.
When the cylinder 33 is operated, the blade 35 jumps upwards, as indicated by the arrow F" of FIG. 7, so cutting the tape 46.
The operation of the device heretofore described, with reference to the diagram of FIG. 8, is as follows;
The device is operated with the cam unit in the 0° position by starting the motor 3, which rotates both the pulley 16 and the cam unit 23. The pulley 16 transmits motion to the belt 16a, and this transmits motion to the pulley 16b. However motion is not yet transmited to the shaft 17, which is kept locked by the engagement of the latch 31 in the notch of the disc 32, because of the slip of the friction discs 18 and 19.
The cam 23A, which in the 0° position has its recessed part 23A' at the roller 13, begins to rotate and immediately raises the roller 13, thus making the arm 12 swing in an anticlockwise direction (with respect to FIG. 2). This swing, which terminates after 23° of rotation of the cam unit, brings the axis of the shaft 17 into coincidence with the axis of the coil B.
All other cams act through corresponding micro switches (indicated diagrammatically at 27) which are respectively opened or closed at predetermined moments, i.e. at predetermined stages of the rotation cycle of cams 23, as indicated hereinafter.
Starting from the 0° position, the cam 23C acts on a microswitch for opening a solenoid valve (not shown) which operates the cylinder 28. Consequently, the lower end of the rod of the cylinder 28 presses on the plate 41 and causes it to swing about the pivot 40, against the action of the spring 42. This swing, which is stopped when the appendix 58 of the plate 41 rests against the adjustment screw 57, moves the free end of the spatula 45 or 67 against the periphery of the coil B, so making the tape 46 adhere to the coil.
Immediately after the approach of the spatula 45 or 67 to the periphery of the coil, the cam 23J operates the cylinder 71 by means of a corresponding microswitch and solenoid valve. The rod 72 then rapidly descends to bring the pad 73 against the periphery of the coil B.
The arrangement of the cylinder 71 is such that the pad 73 is applied to the periphery of the coil B exactly in the position in which the beginning of the tape 46 has already been applied by the approach movement of the spatula 45 or 67, the tape projecting beyond the free end of the spatula.
The pressure exerted by the pad 73 is such that the beginning of the tape 46 is strongly applied and held locked on the coil B. Thus any danger of the tape 46 accidentally leaving the coil B and making the subsequent taping operation impossible, is avoided.
When the device has been set in this manner and the tape positioned on the coil B, the taping stage can begin.
For this purpose, at the 23° position, the cam 23D energises the magnet 29 by way of a corresponding microswitch, and consequently the latch 31 is disengaged from the stop notch on the disc 32. The pivot 17 is now free to rotate, and, driven by the pulley 16b by means of the belt 16a, which is always moving, can rotate the plate 41 and the elements supported on it about the axis of the coil B.
During this rotation, which takes place in the clockwise direction with respect to FIGS. 3 or 4, the tape 46, the beginning of which is held, as stated, against the coil B by the pad 73, is progressively applied around the whole of the periphery of the coil B.
During rotation of the unit, the spatula 45 or 67 constantly presses the tape 46 against the periphery of the coil B, to which it is consequently made to adhere firmly.
When the tape has been wound through about one half of a turn on the coil B, and is thus firmly anchored on the coil periphery, the cam 23J moves the cylinder 71 backwards, so returning the pad 73 to its raised rest position. In this latter position the lower end of the pad 73 is outside the circular trajectory of the appendix 44 or 44A about the axis of the coil B.
The shaft 17 and the unit 41, 44 can thus make a complete turn about the coil B, the whole periphery of which is thus wound with a layer of tape. This complete turn finishes at the 160° position of the cam unit, when the unit 41, 44 has again reached the position shown in FIGS. 3 or 4. At this moment, the latch 31, which had been released by the deenergised electromagnet 29, returns to engagement with the notch of the disc 32, so locking the unit 41, 44.
At this point, the machine operation takes place in one of two different ways, according to whether a single layer of tape is to be wound on the coil B, or a number of layers respectively.
Where only one layer is to be wound, when the 160° position is reached, the unit 41, 44 has practically terminated the tape application stage. Consequently, starting from this 160° position and until the 172° position, the cam 23A again operates, using a second peripheral cavity (not shown), to swing the arm 12 in the clockwise direction, aided by the spring 41. The unit 41,44 is thus withdrawn from the coil B by an amount, determined by the depth of said second cavity in the cam 23A, sufficient to allow the tape cutting means to act. This amount is indicated diagrammatically in FIG. 7 by the distance between the coil B and the end of the spatula 45.
At the 172° position, the cam 23E operates the cylinder 33 by means of the corresponding microswitch and solenoid valve. This causes the arm 34 to rotate with a jerk and the knife 35 to rise, this latter then cutting the tape 46.
The operation comprising the raising of the cutting knife 35 and the return of the knife 35 to its rest position terminates at the 194° position. At this moment a portion of tape freely projects from the periphery of the coil B in an approximately tangential direction.
In this 194° position, the cam 23C returns the cylinder 28 to its rest position, so causing the plate 41 to rotate about the pivot 40 (in the clockwise direction with respect to FIG. 2) under the return action of the spring 42. Simultaneously, the cam 23A acts on the roller 13 to again swing the arm 12 in the anticlockwise direction, and thus return the unit 41, 42 close to the coil B. On termination of these two swing movements, i.e., at the 223° position, the appendix 44 or 44A is thus again close to the coil B, but in a higher position, so that the roller 59 now rests from below against the coil B, instead of the spatula 45 or 67.
While the roller 59 remains firmly resting on the periphery of the coil B, aided by the thrust produced by the spring 61, the cam 23G acts with an operation analagous to that of the cam 23D, and again energises the electromagnet 29, which releases the latch 31 from the notch in the disc 32. The unit 41, 44 is consequently again free to rotate about the coil B.
During this further rotation, the roller 59 presses the tape 46, and particularly the end portion of it which projected tangentially after the tape was cut, against the periphery of the coil, on which the tape consequently remains firmly and finally applied.
This pressing stage terminates when the unit 41, 44 has again made a complete turn, and is again locked by the engagement of the latch 31 in the notch of the disc 32.
After this, the cam 23A makes the arm 12 perform its final swing, in the clockwise direction towards the rest position, and this swing terminates in the 360° position of the cam unit.
In this 360° position, the cams 23B and 23F also operate. The purpose of the cam 23B is to interrupt the current supply to the entire taping unit, by means of a corresponding microswitch, so as to safely stop its operation. The purpose of the cam 23F is to supply, by way of a respective microswitch, a signal indicating "termination" of the taping operation, and "consent" to the further advancement of the turret of the coil winding machine. This latter, because of the fact that in its rest position the unit 41, 44 is sufficiently far from the coil trajectory, can then undergo its normal advancement to withdraw the coil of which the tape has already been wound and bring into position a coil on which the tape has yet to be applied.
If a plurality of superimposed layers of tape are to be applied to the coil, instead of a single layer of tape as above, the operation, starting from the 160° position, is as follows:
Firstly the cam 23H acts in order to energise the electromagnetic unit 11, by way of its own microswitch. This moves the shaft 6a, inside the shaft 6, in the direction of the arrow F'. By means of this movement, the radial pin 9 leaves the notch 22a of the drum 22 in which it was engaged and consequently the drum 22 is disengaged from the shaft 6.
The shaft 6 can thus proceed with its rotation, together with the pulley 16, while the drum 22 stops in the 160° position.
Locking means (not shown because they are of known type) are preferably associated with the drum 22, in order to keep this latter firmly locked in position, against accidental movements, while the electromagnetic unit 11 remains energised.
The cam 23J, which is of the multi-functional type, again intervenes simultaneously with the intervention of the cam 23H for operating the electromagnetic unit 11. In effect, besides operating the cylinder 71, as seen above, the cam 23J also activates a revolution counter (not shown), which counts the revolutions of the unit 41, 44 by means of the microswitch 74, operated by the tooth 75 rigid with the disc 32.
The aforementioned revolution counter forms part of an electronic control unit (not shown) with which it is possible to automatically ensure that the required number of turns of tape 46 are wound on the coil.
Having set the required number of turns on the electronic control unit, the operation is as follows, it being assumed that three turns are required:
The device operates until the 160° position in the manner heretofore described, in order to wind the first layer of tape. Then the electronic control unit comes into operation as the cam unit 23 stops by the action of the cam 23H. While counting takes place, the electronic unit emits a continuous signal for energising the electromagnet 29, the latch 31 being in this way kept disengaged from the notch of the disc 32.
The unit 41, 44 is thus free to continue its rotation, continually applying the tape to the periphery of the coil B, until it has made the set number of turns, this number being counted by the electronic control unit by way of the impulses emitted by the microswitch 74. When said electronic unit has counted a set number of turns, in this case the third turn (including obviously the first turn, made before the 160° position), it interrupts the feed to the electromagnet 29. The latch 31, under the thrust of the respective spring 30, again engages with the notch of the disc 32 as soon as this latter has reached the cycle initiation position, together with the entire unit 41, 44 shown in FIG. 2.
On termination of the set number of turns, the electronic control unit besides deenergising the electromagnet 29 also deenergises the electromagnetic unit 11. The shaft 6a consequently returns to its rest position, under the thrust of the spring 10, moving in the direction opposite to the arrow F'. As the shaft 6a continues to rotate during this stage, the pin 9 can become inserted into the first of the notches 22a which it encounters during its rotation, so again making the drum 22 rigid with the shaft 6. At this moment the unit 41, 44 is in the cycle initiation position, and the cam unit is in the 160° position, these latter thus again being perfectly in phase. The previously described series of operations required for closing the tape, which occur during the stages between 160° and 360°, can take place.
It is evident that the system heretofore described for locking the cam unit in the intermediate 160° position, while the unit 41, 44 continues to wind the tape on the coil, separates the problem of phasing the movements of the various working parts of the machine from the problem of determining the number of turns of winding, in that the machine cycle is locked in the intermediate 160° position until the set number of turns has been made.
A further important function of the device described is that of safety, obtained by cooperation between the rack 24 and microswitch 25. As stated, while the reel of tape 46 rotates, indicating that the tape is correctly fed, the rack 24 also rotates, which alternately opens and closes the microswitch 25 to feed a succession of impulses to the said electronic unit These impulses make the electronic circuit produce a consent signal for the rotation of the motor 3. This signal is however interrupted and consequently the motor 3 is locked together with the entire device, when said impulses from the microswitch 25 are missing. This lack of impulses is an indication that the reel of tape has stopped, for example because of breakage or lack of tape, and in any case is a sign of lack of application of the tape to the coil.
The invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described, and various modifications may be made to them, particularly with regard to the different stages of operation described with reference to FIG. 8, without departing from the scope of the invention itself. | Device for winding and applying a tape, particularly an adhesive tape, around the coil kept fixed in a coil winding machine, of the type comprising a support table to rotate about a fixed coil and carrying a reel of feed tape, comprising means for pivoting the reel of tape, first guide means for guiding the tape in strict proximity of the fixed body in a plane parallel to the winding axis, second guide means disposed at a short distance from the first guide means and in a position such that the tape unwinds between the first and second guide means along a first path substantially perpendicular to the winding axis, said second guide means being arranged to deviate the tape along a second path which withdraws from the coil and which forms an angle which may be as small as desired, even zero, to the winding axis, the pivoting means for the reel of tape being aligned with the second path. | 7 |
BACKGROUND
The present invention relates to electronic amplifier systems and, in particular, to such a system which is exceptionally well adapted for use in instruments utilized in medical diagnoses and monitoring of physiological functions. This novel amplifier system exhibits the normal condition stability of AC coupling, yet is capable of providing the effective recovery from a broad range of overload conditions which has heretofore been available only with the less desirable DC coupled amplifiers.
Because of their ability to reject undesirable input signal DC components arising, for example, from electrode offset potentials or long term DC drifts, AC coupled amplifiers are employed for virtually all routine diagnostic and monitoring applications involving the measurement of electrical potentials associated with the human heart. However, in order to faithfully reproduce these electrical signals, the time constants associated with the AC coupling capacitors in the signal processing amplifier must be relatively long. For example, time constants which yield a low frequency 3 dB point between about 0.5 Hz and 0.05 Hz are commonly used in ECG monitoring and routine diagnostic ECG equipments.
Unfortunately, the use of such long time constants can result in undesirable amplifier response should the amplifier be driven into overload. Such amplifier overload response may vary from disturbances of the normal signal which severely limit its clinical usefulness to complete loss of the normal signal for several seconds. In addition, these undesired responses may cause malfunctions in additional processing circuitry such as heart rate meters, alarm sensing circuits, signal display scopes, and hard copy recorders.
In actual practice, ECG amplifiers are quite frequently driven into overload conditions. Signals which produce amplifier overload can be broadly classified into two groups; the short, transient type such as may arise from a pacemaker pulse or defibrillator discharge, or the longer term, extended type which may result from electrode recovery following a defibrillator discharge or the presence of a sustained overscale electrode offset potential. Whichever the type, it is evident that the disturbance of the charge on the AC coupling capacitor of the amplifier from its nominal value by the overload signal is the primary factor which results in the undesired residual amplifier response after the overload signal passes.
Previously available amplifier systems have been generally designed to deal with the two broad classes of overload signals by means of distinctly different circuitry, each optimized to handle separately one or the other class of overload signal. More specifically, signal overloads of a short or transient nature have usually been processed through slew rate limiter circuits which limit the amount of charge disturbance on the coupling capacitor by controlling the maximum rate of change at which charge can be either increased or decreased in the capacitor. Signal overloads of a longer duration have normally been dealt with by various circuit means which either modify coupling time constants or provide controlled charge establishment on the coupling capacitor after a specific interval of time.
While slew rate limiting is an effective means for suppressing transient disturbances, it has various inherent disadvantages which restrict its utility. For example, slew rate limiting forces a compromise between the high frequency signal handling ability of the amplifier and the amount of transient suppression desired. This represents a definite disadvantage, since reproduction of the higher frequency components is desirable for certain clinically encountered heart potentials such as large amplitude, rapidly changing signals associated with pediatric patients, neonatal patients, and certain invasive measurements on adult patients.
Further, since the rate of change in decreasing signal level is no less affected, slew rate limiting produces a stretching effect for pulse type overloads which essentially doubles the width of pacemaker "spikes" and aggravates the problem of distinguishing in heart rate meter circuits between such a "spike" and certain narrow QRS complexes in adults.
In addition, if slew rate limiting is applied to the degree necessary to suppress to a negligible level any baseline disturbance of the normal ECG signal, a pacemaker "spike" is so suppressed that it is difficult to determine the temporal relationship between the "spike" and the ECG signal. The ability to "see" the pacemaker "spike" without undue disturbance of the normal ECG signal or the heart rate counting circuitry is particularly important for diagnostic procedures and research studies such as pacemaker-cardiac capture mechanisms or certain high rate atrial pacing techniques.
On the other hand, charge re-establishment circuits are severely limited in utility to the specific overload conditions for which they are designed. For example, if the duration of the overload is longer than a brief transient but shorter than the specific time interval in which such a circuit acts to compensate for a charge disturbance, the charge on the coupling capacitor may be disturbed to such an extent that the normal signal is displaced outside the operating range of associated processing apparatus such as display scopes, hard copy recorders, or heart rate meters. When such a condition occurs it can take several seconds for the signal to return to a range where these peripheral devices can provide useful data. Also, such circuits seldom provide well-defined amplifier output response during the period of time the overload persists. As a result of such a lack of defined output level subsequent signal processing circuits can be overloaded. Further lacking are means for controlling charge compensation in proportion to the gain or scale factor chosen by the equipment operator. Such fixed compensation circuitry thus results in much longer recovery times whenever the gain or scale factor of the amplifier is increased.
SUMMARY
The amplifier system of the present invention obviates the noted disadvantages of previous systems by means of a "bootstrap" technique which provides an exact linear replica of that portion of an input signal which exceeds a predetermined constant, and applies that replica of what is in effect an overload signal to the coupling capacitor in such a manner as to oppose the change which would normally occur in the capacitor charge as a result of such overload. Since the predetermined constant is preferably selected to be equal to the nominal full scale range of the system, an otherwise overloading signal appears to the coupling capacitor as not more than a nominal full scale signal regardless of amplitude, wave shape, or duration. As a result, the time constant associated with the coupling capacitor may be sufficiently large to ensure proper signal reproduction without fear of deleterious amplifier response to overloading input signals.
The system comprises as a key element an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) which operates as a voltage controlled current source with a preset maximum symmetrical output current which essentially establishes the desired nominal full scale range. Under normal signal conditions, i.e. where the input signal is less than that which would result in an amplified overscale output, the OTA continues to supply current to a variable resistor network load within the system and amplified signal output continues unhindered. With the occurrence of an overloading input, however, the current output of the OTA increases to its predetermined limit at which point it is abruptly clamped forcing a loop closure in associated elements with a resulting feedback of the excessive input to counter the charge buildup in the AC coupling capacitor.
Further, variable load for the OTA is arranged to change in response to any operator-selected change in the gain or scale factor of the system in order to ensure capacitor charge compensation which is proportional to amplifier gain. Thus, whenever the scale factor is increased, for example, the OTA load is appropriately decreased to an extent sufficient to cause the maximum current output to occur at a lower input signal level with the result that loop closure and feedback to the coupling capacitor are effected soon enough to avoid overscale output.
In addition to the noted "bootstrap" feedback protection of the coupling capacitor during short term overload conditions, the amplifier system also includes means for preventing disruptive capacitor charge disturbance which would otherwise result from overloads of extended duration. To this end means including a "window" circuit is utilized to detect the existence of an overload and control the application of a reset signal to modify the capacitor charge and shift the output signal to a level within the desired range. This detector means further includes a delay function which ensures the distinction between transient overload input signals for which compensation is provided in the "bootstrap" circuitry and long duration overloads, such as arise from electrosurgical procedures, for which reset capability is desirable to prevent amplifier saturation.
The instant invention thus provides an amplifier system which protects the AC coupling capacitor from exposure to signals greater than nominal full scale regardless of input overload conditions, yet provides precisely defined output levels under such conditions and, in addition, ensures the accurate retention of essential data following short term overload signals. As a result, the utility of clinical ECG instrumentation, for example, has been considerably expanded to the extent that such equipment may be universally employed in substantially all conditions of physiological monitoring and diagnostics.
DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of an amplifier according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an overscale detector and reset timing generator comprising the embodiment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 depicts representative waveforms at indicated test points throughout the amplifier of FIG. 1 during the processing of a normal full scale signal;
FIG. 4 depicts such representative waveforms during the processing of a relatively long term overscale signal; and
FIG. 5 depicts such representative waveforms during the processing of a shot term, "spike"-type overscale signal.
DESCRIPTION
Referring to the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, an input signal, such as an ECG signal which has been partially processed and amplified in the usual manner by common means, not shown, is carried on conductor 11 to be summed with the reference voltage V o from precision source 13 in summing amplifier/DC limiter 15 comprising operational amplifiers 12,14. Amplifier/limiter 15 has a normal signal gain of unity and provides bipolar limiting points of about one third the ±15 V supply voltage used in the system. The preamplified signal introduced to the "bootstrap" circuitry via coupling capacitor 16 is thus restricted to a dynamic range of about 10 V peak-to-peak.
A fivefold operating voltage gain in the signal, as set by the division ratio of resistors 52,53, is effected in the non-inverting circuit comprising amplifier elements 17,18, and 19. Device 17 is an FET input operational amplifier with low input bias currents and offset voltage, such as a PMI OP-15; and op amp 19, e.g. a PMI OP-11, is used as a non-inverting, unity gain buffer. The limiting element of the system is operational transconductance amplifier 18, such as an RCA CA 3080, which operates as a unity gain voltage controlled current source having a maximum symmetrical output current which may be readily established by means of the bias controlled at resistors 31,32. Any slight asymmetry in the current output from OTA 18 may be compensated at variable resistor 37.
Resistor 33 serves as a load for the current output of OTA 18 and determines the input voltage level at which the maximum current output level is reached. Additional resistors 35 introduced into a parallel network with resistor 33 by means of solid state switches 34 provide a means for varying the load and thus automatically ensuring coupling capacitor charge compensation which is proportional to any changes in scale factor of the system effected by the operator at gain selector means 36.
Under normal operating conditions, i.e. where all signal levels are within nominal full scale range, OTA 18 can continue to supply current to its load and, as a result, its output voltage tracks the signal input from op amp 17 and is buffered at op amp 19 to produce the amplified output signal which proceeds to further processing for visual display and the like in peripheral equipment, not shown. Signal waveforms under these conditions are simply represented in FIG. 3 which shows, at A, the preamplified signal at test point A of FIG. 1 as it is input at coupling capacitor 16. As can be seen, this input signal varies within the full load amplitude range of ±e, about ±30 mV. This normal input signal is amplified by a factor of five and appears, as shown at FIG. 3B and 3C, at test points B and C as a ±5e full scale range output signal.
Also comprising the instant overload control system are operational amplifiers 55, 56, 57 which form a precision instrumentation amplifier having a fixed differential voltage gain of unity. By virtue of the division ratio of resistors 52, 53, signal input to this amplifier assembly via conductor 54 is essentially 20% of the output signal appearing at C, thus varying over the full load range of ±e under the normal conditions presently being considered. Further comprising this system is nonlinear network 51 which allows substantially no significant feedback to op amp 17 as long as the signal level at B is less than the network threshold of about 1.2V. Thus, under the present normal operating conditions, there is no voltage difference across resistor 58 and, since the inputs to op amps 55,56 are equal, the resulting output from differential amplifier 57 is zero, as shown at FIG. 3D, and there is no compensating signal potential applied through conductor 59 to the downstream side of coupling capacitor 16. Such a potential is, of course, unnecessary since the input signal is within the nominal full scale range of ±e and can readily be accounted for.
Upon the occurrence of an overload input signal, such as that depicted at FIG. 4A as having an amplitude range of ±2e, i.e. twice the maximum full scale range of the system, the amplified output of op amp 17 at first rises, as shown in FIG. 4B, to a level of ±5e at which, as input thereto, it initiates the maximum current output from OTA 18. At that point the voltage output of OTA 18 is clamped at a level of ±5e, as indicated at the buffered output shown in FIG. 4C, and the resulting substantially infinite gain exhibited by amplifier 17 causes an immediate rise in output potential (point B) which exceeds the threshold (V t in FIG. 4B) of network 51 and forces loop closure through that network with feedback to device 17, causing op amp 17 thereafter to respond as a unity gain voltage follower of the signal at its input.
As that signal-following voltage change, essentially the signal portion, e, of the input signal in excess of maximum normal input, e, feeds back through network 51 there results a potential difference across resistor 58 which appears at the output (point D) of differential amplifier 57 as a replica of the overloading signal portion, as depicted in FIG. 4D. This replica signal is applied through conductor 59 to coupling capacitor 16 to effectively offset that matching portion of the overload signal input at A which would otherwise be in excess of normal full range.
As soon as the input to op amp 17, and the resulting input to OTA 18, returns to a level within full load range the system returns to normal amplification, as depicted in FIG. 4, with subsequent overloads being similarly accounted for, as shown. In this manner the signal output at C is never allowed to exceed the predetermined full scale range, and the coupling capacitor is prevented from becoming charged to such an extent that recovery from an overloading input and faithful reproduction of otherwise normal input signals are hindered.
In a similar manner, extreme, short term signal overloads in the amplitude range, for example, of 100e, such as might result from cardiac pacemaker pulses (FIG. 5A), are effectively accounted for by the generation of overload replica offset signals (FIG. 5D) which prevent deleterious charge accumulation on the AC coupling capacitor. A particular advantage of the present system is apparent in FIG. 5C which shows the effect of the clamping of the output of OTA 18 to retain the initial, in-scale portion of the overloading "spikes" and establish, for example, the temporal relationship of the pacemaker pulse to the normal ECG signal. Slew rate limiting techniques could simply suppress the "spike" signal to such an extent as to make it relatively indistinguishable or, at best, expanded to a point where it could provide only limited significant clinical data.
While the described "bootstrap" feedback circuit provides ample protection against disruptive charge accumulation on the coupling capacitor under overloading signal input conditions, it is often desired that the overscale signal be retained at least to the extent that it may be reproduced in an observable manner, such as an CRT displays. For this purpose the instant system comprises an overscale detector and reset timing generator, generally shown at 20 in FIG. 1 and more specifically depicted in FIG. 2, the purpose of which is to supply a reset pulse which modifies the charge on the coupling capacitor and brings the signal within normal full scale range.
As shown, this assembly comprises a "window" detector which includes comparators 24,24 and preset upper and lower voltage references determined by supply-dividing resistor combinations 22,23. The abrupt and substantial voltage level change in the signal (point B) which is input to the detector circuit on conductor 21 clearly establishes the existence of an overload condition in the system; however, since it is desired that short term overloads such as pacemaker pulses be retained for processing as described, a time delay function comprising RC combination 25,25' is provided to prevent reset for any overload signals which persist for less than an interval of about 420 ms. Sufficiently extended overload signals initiate a reset pulse which is output on conductor 29 to actuate solid state switch 38 and cause modification of the charge on coupling capacitor 16 so as to reduce the extended overload signal, such as generated in electrosurgical devices, to a stable baseline within nominal full scale range.
To ensure a reset pulse of sufficient duration to effectively modify the capacitor charge, comparator 27 and resistors 28 are selected so as to provide a degree of hysteresis which will maintain a reset signal for about 65 ms after termination of the overload signal. In this manner the capacitor charge is allowed sufficient time to return to normal operating levels even in the event of overload signals of marginal duration. Further, in order that repetitive short pulse overload signals not degenerate the noted time delay, diode 26 provides for rapid recharging of capacitor 25', thus effectively reseting the delay function after each short term overload.
The described detector and reset circuitry also provides a reset pulse at occasions of power surge, such as when the ECG system is initially put into operation or when the power supply recovers from momentary interruptions. The output signal is thus retained within full scale range for ultimate display even during such power transitions. | An AC coupled amplifier system is protected from overloading input signals by means of a "bootstrap" circuit which provides a compensation signal substantially matching the overscale portion of such input signal and applies that compensation signal to the coupling capacitor as an offset in order to prevent excessive charge accumulation on that capacitor. A voltage controlled current source serves as a signal range limiter in the circuit and responds to overscale input signals by causing a circuit loop opening and forcing loop closure in a secondary feedback circuit from which the extent of input signal overscale is determined. The matching compensation signal is then derived from such determination. The protection circuit further provides a reset function to account for extended overscale input signal levels. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a melting device for producing a glass melt, having a row arrangement of at least one loading opening for glass raw materials, a melting region, a refining region, a constriction, a conditioning region, and an overflow for conducting the glass melt to a processing unit, the row arrangement having floor surfaces, side walls, and cover surfaces.
[0002] The technology of glass production is very complex. It is based on principles of physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, thermokinetics, statics, and the geometry of the melt container, as well as, not least, legal regulations that protect humans and the environment against harmful substances and that regulate energy efficiency and pricing. As a rule, the production methods are based on temperatures exceeding 1500° C., corresponding to white heat. Here it is important that the components and parameters must be evaluated in their complex interactions with one another, and often affect one another in disputed ways.
[0003] These considerations are also be taken into account from the point of view of the manufacturers of glass products such as household glass and containers such as drinking glasses and bottles, as well as flat glass, and from the point of view of the manufacturers of glass melting installations, which are parts of complicated factories having a large number of peripheral devices and buildings, and are not simply tubs such as a bathtub. This is all the more important due to the fact that glass melting installations are long-term investments that have to be maintained and repaired as needed.
[0004] Particularly tricky in this context are container glasses such as drinking glasses, bottles, and other dishware, as well as, in particular, large flat or float glass products, because these are products in which flaws such as clouding by small particles, gas bubbles, streaks, tints and color deviations due to combustion products, as well as variations in thickness, remain permanently visible in the glass. In the case of flat glass used in the manufacture of solar elements, further problems result: because the flat glass here is used as a substrate and must be highly transparent to light, the glass must be substantially free of absorbing components such as e.g. iron oxide. The present invention is concerned with the solution, to at least a great extent, of such problems.
[0005] From U.S. Pat. No. 3,884,665 A, in a melt oven for manufacturing flat glass it is known to provide a first constriction between the melting region, equipped with lateral burners, and the refining region, which does not have burners, in the chamber filled with the combustion gas above the loading material and the melt, without however thereby hindering the melt. Between the refining region and the region for cooling the melt to form a glass ribbon, a further constriction is provided that has a floor threshold and whose flow cross-section in the vertical direction can be adjusted by a movable element situated over the floor threshold. The maximum temperature of the glass melt can lie below the first constriction of the gas chamber, because the description contains the indication that the melt in the refining region is cooled to a suitably high viscosity. The floor threshold here is not a refining bench, because it lacks a sufficiently large horizontal surface in the flow direction to provide a corresponding sojourn time of the melt. The sojourn time is in fact particularly short due to the cylindrical curvature and the narrow horizontal gap between the threshold and the lower edge of the movable element.
[0006] From U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,014 A, during the manufacture of flat glass it is known to thermally produce two flows within the melt in a cuboidal tub volume. For this purpose, in the roof of the oven and transverse to the direction of flow a plurality, e.g. eight, groups of burners are situated between the loading opening and the take-off opening; these groups can be set to different power levels by modifying the supply of combustion gas. The highest temperature range here produces a strong forward flow and is therefore also called the “spring zone.” This spring zone not only divides, purely functionally and hydraulically, the oven chamber into a melting region and a refining region, but also so separates the flow directions on the surface and over the floor of the tub. The surface flows are directed away from one another, while the floor flows are directed toward one another, and a part of the floor flow of the stream in the refining region is remixed with the surface flow in the melting region in the direction toward the loading material. Shifting the spring zone in the direction toward the flat glass tub, by shifting the specific heat power of the burner group according to curve B in FIG. 3 , achieves a lengthening of the flow path before the spring zone. This is intended to achieve a prolongation of the sojourn time and thus an improvement of the glass quality. The length ratio of the melting region to the refining region is here indicated as preferably between 1.25:1 and 1.50:1. However, this measure is realized at the expense of the length of the refining region, so that significant problems remain. A refining bench is also not disclosed in this document.
[0007] From U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,296 A, and the corresponding EP 0 763 503 B1, it is known to force a separation between a melting region and a refining region, and between the flows taking place therein, by using a floor threshold, and to reinforce the separating effect thereof by using rows of floor electrodes at both sides and a row of bubbler nozzles situated before said electrodes. However, the floor threshold does not have the effect of a refining bench, because its height in the glass bath should be limited to a maximum of 50% of the filling level at both sides, and its cross-section should taper strongly upwards, so that the flows are hindered as little as possible. Between the refining region and a homogenization region, immediately behind a step there is situated a constriction, which is referred to as a neck or waist, but which does not have any installed components inside the melt.
[0008] From U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,081, it is known to use floor electrodes to heat a melting region for glass raw materials and a riser chamber for the melt. A raised part of the floor, called a weir, is situated between the riser chamber and the conditioning region, and its outer side walls are exposed to air in order to cool the melt. This document does not say anything about the distance of the upper side of the weir from the melt surface or the length in the flow direction of the glass, so that the raised part of the floor cannot, and is not intended to, act as a refining bench or to separate glass flows. To the extent that a heating by burners is disclosed (column 5, lines 18 through 27), these burners are situated in wall openings (ports) 40 and 41 , and are therefore, according to standard definitions, cross-flow burners whose effect is limited to the cross-flow region situated between them. A longitudinal flow of combustion gases through the conditioning chamber is in this way also not possible. The flows in the glass are indicated by arrows, and it can be seen that above the weir and inside the riser chamber there occur counter-flows and turbulences that at least hinder refinement of the melt at this location. Indeed, in the same paragraph, in lines 18 through 21, it is expressly stated that the reduction of impurities and bubbles is supposed to take place after (!) the melt flows over weir 39 . However, the bath depth after weir 39 is clearly opposed to this, so that weir 39 cannot be considered to be a refining bench.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Therefore, the present invention is based on the object of improving a device of the type named above in such a manner that before being provided to a processing device the glass melt is freed as much as possible of flaws such as cloudiness due to mini-particles, gas bubbles, streaks, discoloration and color deviation due to combustion products, and variations in thickness that remain permanently visible in the glass.
[0010] According to the present invention, this object is achieved in that
[0000] (a) between the melting region and the beginning of the refining region, there is situated a refining bench whose upper side has a distance from a constructively prespecified filling level of the glass melt such that a back-flow of the glass melt from the refining region to the melting region is as small as possible,
(b) in each side wall, side burners and extraction openings for flue gases are situated between the at least one loading opening and the refining bench,
(c) the constriction is delimited at both ends by end walls that leave open narrow flow cross-sections for flue gases above the glass melt, and
(d) cooling means for the glass melt are situated inside the constriction.
[0011] Through the interaction of these means, the object of the invention is achieved reliably and economically in that the device of the type described above is improved such that before being supplied to a further processing device the glass melt is freed as much as possible of flaws such as cloudiness due to mini-particles, gas bubbles, streaks, discoloration and color deviation due to combustion products, and variations in thickness that remain permanently visible in the glass. Due to the refining bench and its blocking effect, back-flows into the melting region with strong heating, and the carrying along of disturbing effects, such as in particular particles, into the final product are prevented, and at the same time the energetic degree of efficiency is significantly improved, while protecting the environment.
[0012] The term “refining bench” was introduced by applicant several years ago because it indicates the geometry, spatial form, and relative position within the melt that a refining bench has. In the dictionary “ABC Glas” (Deutsche Verlag für Grundstoffundustrie, Leipzig, 1991), the terms “refining” and “refining zone” are explained on pages 165 and 166. According to page 165, what is concerned is a removal of bubbles by shortening the path of the bubble rise by causing a melt containing bubbles to flow slowly and horizontally in the take-off direction in a broad thin layer at a high temperature, e.g. over a floor wall installed in the melt. The shortening of the bubble rise path contributes here to the thermal refining effect. This principle ensures a strong refining effect (direct quotation). Similar statements can be found under the entry “refining zone” on page 166.
[0013] In further embodiments of the device, it is particularly advantageous if (either individually or in combination):
the cooling means are situated in the constriction in height-adjustable fashion, the cooling means are made up of pipe segments whose axes are situated in meander-shaped fashion in a common vertical plane, agitating elements are situated after the cooling means in the direction of flow,
(a) between the at least one loading opening and the first flue gas extraction openings, there are situated side burners for the heating and melting of the glass raw materials, and
(b) between the first flue gas extraction openings and the second flue gas extraction openings, there are situated further side burners for the completion of the melting, and in addition
(c) the refining region is kept free of burners,
in the conditioning region, flue gas extraction openings and burners are situated in a sequence such that the flue gases flow in the direction opposite to the surface flow of the glass melt, the floor surfaces are delimited from one another by a step formation that is fashioned so as to rise in the direction toward the overflow, in particular if the step height in each case is between 5 and 30 cm, the difference in height of the floor surfaces before and after the refining bench is between 10 and 30 cm, the level of filling of the glass melt over the refining bench is between 0.2 and 0.5 m, preferably between 0.3 and 0.4 m, the length of the refining bench in the direction of the sum flow of the glass melt is between 0.8 and 3.0 m, preferably between 1.0 and 2.5 m, the width of the melting region and refining region is between 6.0 and 10.0 m, the ratio of the tub lengths inside the melting region ( 2 ) and the refining region before and after the refining bench is between 2.4 and 3.0, the width ratio of the refining region to the constriction is between 0.4 and 0.6, at least one preheating device for preheating oxidants for the combustion of the fuels is situated before the melting region, the at least one preheating device is made up of a regenerator block, and/or the melting device is fashioned as a cross-flame oven, if a respective generator block is situated on each side of the melting region and is connected via burner ports to the chamber above the glass melt, and if under-port burners are situated under the burner ports and above the surface of the glass melt.
[0028] The present invention also relates to a method for producing a glass melt by means of a melting device having a loading opening for glass raw materials, the glass melt being conveyed to a final processing stage through a row arrangement of a melting region, a refining region, a constriction, a conditioning region, and an overflow.
[0029] In order to achieve the same object and the same advantages, such a method is characterized in that the glass melt
[0000] (a) is guided between the melting region and the refining region over a refining bench whose upper side has a distance from the filling level of the glass melt such that a back-flow of the glass melt from the refining region to the melting region is as small as possible,
(b) is heated between the at least one loading opening and the refining bench by side burners and associated extraction openings for flue gases,
(c) is cooled in the constriction by cooling means, and
(d) is heated in the conditioning region by burners and flue gas extraction openings that are situated in a sequence such that the flue gases flow in the direction opposite to the surface flow of the glass melt,
(e) the heat input dosage to the flow path of the glass melt being set such that the maximum temperature of the glass melt is reached above the refining bench.
[0030] In further embodiments of the method, it is particularly advantageous if (either individually or in combination):
the flow speed of the melt over the refining bench is set by cooling means that are situated in the constriction in height-adjustable fashion, the melt is agitated by agitating elements after the cooling means, in the direction of flow, the temperature profile of the glass melt from the melting region up to the overflow is set such that in the melting region, going out from the refining bench, a surface flow of the glass is brought about in the direction toward the loading opening, and in the refining region, in the constriction, and in the conditioning region a surface flow of the glass in the direction toward the overflow is brought about, a flow only in the direction toward the overflow being brought about above the refining bench, the flow cross-section of the glass melt is reduced between the melting region and the conditioning region, the reduction of the flow cross-section is carried out in stepped fashion, the oxidants for the combustion of the fuels are preheated, the preheating of the oxidants is carried out in regenerator blocks, the melting device is operated in a cross-flame method, and the oxidants are introduced from the regenerator blocks through burner ports into the melting region, and/or the fuels are supplied to burners situated underneath the burner ports, and the flames are directed into the gas chamber above the glass melt.
[0040] The use of the method and device are particularly advantageous for the production of flat glass and of panels for solar elements.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0041] In the following, two exemplary embodiments of the subject of the present invention and of its manner of operation, and further advantages, are explained in more detail on the basis of FIGS. 1 through 7 .
[0042] FIG. 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section through a first exemplary embodiment of a melting device,
[0043] FIG. 2 shows a horizontal longitudinal section through the subject matter of FIG. 1 at the height of the burners and of the flue gas extraction openings,
[0044] FIG. 3 shows a detail from FIG. 1 in an enlarged scale,
[0045] FIG. 4 shows a horizontal section through the subject matter of FIG. 3 along the plane E-E,
[0046] FIG. 5 shows a horizontal side view in the direction of arrow P in FIG. 4 in an enlarged scale,
[0047] FIG. 6 shows a vertical longitudinal section through a second exemplary embodiment of a melting device having burner ports and under-port burners in a smaller scale, and
[0048] FIG. 7 shows a horizontal longitudinal section through the subject matter of FIG. 6 at the height of the burner ports.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0049] FIGS. 1 and 2 show a melting device 1 that has, connected in series, a melting region 2 , a refining region 3 , a constriction 4 , and a conditioning region 5 . Tub lower part 6 is formed by corresponding tub regions 6 a , 6 b , and 6 c , which lead from a loading opening 7 for the solid loading material to an overflow 8 , and contain corresponding partial quantities of a glass melt 9 . Above loading opening 7 there is situated a first end wall 10 , and another end wall 11 is situated above overflow 8 . Constriction 4 is situated between two further end walls 12 and 13 whose horizontal lower edges extend to just above melt surface 6 d , so that a sufficient separation of the gas chambers above glass melt 9 is provided. Further observations below relate to the main direction of flow of the glass melt.
[0050] In melting region 2 , in each of the two wall regions there is situated a respective first group of side burners 15 followed in each of the two wall regions by a respective flue gas extraction opening 16 . This is the site of the greatest heat requirement, because here the loading material is preheated and is at least mostly melted. Each first group is followed by a respective second group of side burners 17 , followed in each case by a flue gas extraction opening 18 .
[0051] The following refining region 3 is free of burners and extraction openings, and has at its beginning refining bench 19 , which is of decisive importance for the present invention and extends over the entire inner width of tub region 6 b . Tub floor 20 is made in stepped fashion between floor surfaces 20 a , 20 b , and 20 c . The filling level before refining bench 19 is 1.45 m, and in conditioning region 5 it is 1.15 m; here it is to be emphasized that these values are given only as examples. The filling level over refining bench 19 is usefully selected between 0.3 and 0.4 m; i.e. about 20 to 30%, from which it will be observed that refining bench 19 has a considerable height. The length of refining bench 19 in the direction of the sum flow is between 1.0 and 2.1 m, so that a sufficient sojourn time of the melt solely on refining bench 19 is provided. Here it is decisive that the cuboidal volume of the melt above refining bench 19 has a small height, but has a large length in the direction of flow in order to enable a thorough refining, due also to the sojourn time of the melt.
[0052] According to FIGS. 3 through 5 , in constriction 4 there is situated a cooling device 21 that is fastened in height-adjustable fashion to two vertical drives 22 and 23 , and is made up of two meander-shaped pipe segments 21 a and 21 b , as can be seen in FIG. 5 . The pipe axes lie in vertical planes, and vertical drives 22 and 23 are also water-cooled. According to FIGS. 3 and 4 , in constriction 4 there is situated another series of pipe elements 26 that are fastened to vertical drive shafts 26 a.
[0053] In conditioning region 5 , at each of the two sides there is situated a respective group of burners 24 and a respective flue gas extraction opening 25 (see also FIG. 1 ). Another essential point of the operating method is that the highest temperature of the glass melt is reached above refining bench 19 .
[0054] The advantageous effect of refining bench 19 is explained on the basis of the flow arrows in FIG. 1 : stable flow conditions and controlled conditions for refining result from the formation of two flows, at both sides of refining bench 19 . Due to a significantly smaller back-flow of cooler glass from conditioning region 5 into refining region 3 , losses are reduced, because this glass stream would have to be reheated in the melting region or refining region, which would draw significant quantities of energy from the process. As shown, the glass flows in only one direction over refining bench 19 . The quantity per time unit corresponds on average to the quantity of supplied loading material and the quantity of glass taken away through the overflow.
[0055] The second flow (to the right of refining bench 19 ) ensures that the glass leaving the first flow (to the left of refining bench 19 ) is conveyed to the surface. In this way, an emission of bubbles that are still disturbing the flow is provided. The second flow works as a kind of flow barrier against the first flow. The cooling power in conditioning region 5 is greater than the quantity of energy that must be drawn solely from the glass exiting melting device 1 via overflow 8 . The characteristics of this second flow are influenced by process parameters such as throughput, but also by the immersion depth of cooling device 21 , which is immersed in the region of constriction 4 . The second flow is significantly less influenced by this. In contrast to the known barriers in the floor region having a lower height, refining bench 19 brings about an effective separation of the two flows. Therefore, in comparison with the prior art significantly lower quantities of energy are drawn from the melt via the second flow in the hot region in the melt tub.
[0056] The following is also to be noted concerning the significance of cooling device 21 : its pipe segments 21 a and 21 b , depending on their immersion depth, prevent the direct flow of glass melt 9 into conditioning region 5 . In the region near pipe segments 21 a and 21 b , the glass is strongly cooled, so that this glass does not participate in the flow, or does so only very slightly.
[0057] The vertical positioning of pipe segments 21 a and 21 b is one of the main ways of influencing the quantity of glass flowing back. If the immersion depth is small, a larger quantity of glass flows into conditioning region 5 than if the immersion depth is greater. Based on a constant take-off quantity per time unit from the installation, the quantity of recirculating glass is therefore increased in the first case and decreased in the second case. The quantity of glass that flows back into the melting region now essentially determines the position and the stability of the flow zone in which the recirculating glass quantity meets the glass flowing forward coming from loading opening 7 .
[0058] In the prior art, on the one hand a stable flow state is achieved in that a glass quantity that is as large as possible is made to recirculate, while on the other hand the forward flow is also accelerated in the region from the reversal point to constriction 4 . This region through which the glass flows is however critical for the quality of the glass that can be achieved. A short sojourn time in this region is synonymous with a poorer resolution of melt residuals and the degasification of the melt. This makes it clear that the setting and ensuring of the quality depends significantly on the skill and experience of the operating personnel when positioning such elements in constriction 4 .
[0059] Refining bench 19 according to the present invention precisely achieves the advantageous effect in comparison with the prior art, and excludes uncertainty. The flows in the apparatus are significantly stabilized through the installation of refining bench 19 . Model calculations and trials have shown that the position of the cooling device then has only a very small influence on the overall flow conditions.
[0060] Thus, in such an installation refining bench 19 brings significant advantages in two respects: the glass is forced to the surface by refining bench 19 . This ensures that remaining gas bubbles are driven out. The length and coverage by glass of refining bench 19 is to be designed so that even the smallest gas bubbles can rise to the surface on refining bench 19 .
[0061] FIG. 6 shows a vertical longitudinal section through the second exemplary embodiment of a melting device having regenerator blocks 27 and 28 at both sides of tub lower part 6 , as well as burner ports 29 and what are known as under-port burners 30 , in a smaller scale. The differences relate to the allocation of burner ports 29 and of under-port burners 30 to melting region 2 and to refining region 3 , for which the previous reference characters have been retained.
[0062] From FIG. 7 , which shows a horizontal longitudinal section through the subject matter of FIG. 6 at the height of burner ports 29 , the following additionally follows: what is concerned is a so-called cross-flame tub operated in alternating fashion in changeover operation mode. In the one phase, the preheated combustion air flows from generator block 27 in the direction of the upper row of arrows into tub regions 6 a and 6 b , while at the same time through under-port burners 30 fuels and oxidants, in mixture if warranted, and/or air enriched with oxygen are supplied for combustion, requiring special burner designs which are however known to those skilled in the art. At the same time, the combustion or exhaust gases flow in the direction of the lower row of arrows into generator block 28 . The directions of flow are reversed with a particular frequency, with which under-port burners 30 at both sides are also activated in alternating fashion. This manner of operation is also known to those skilled in the art, so that further explanation thereof is not required.
[0063] However, according to the present invention the presence of the above-described refining bench 19 between melting region 2 and the beginning of refining region 3 here plays an essential role, in interaction with the inner design and function of constriction 4 , as described above and presented in FIGS. 3 through 5 . FIGS. 6 and 7 are therefore also to be evaluated in a combined view with FIGS. 3 through 5 . In the case of FIGS. 6 and 7 , the number of burner ports 29 before refining bench 19 is greater than the number of such ports after refining bench 19 .
[0064] As is apparent from the foregoing specification, the invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modifications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding specification and description. It should be understood that we wish to embody within the scope of the patent warranted hereon all such modifications as reasonably and properly come within the scope of our contribution to the art.
LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS
[0000]
1 melting device
2 melting region
3 refining region
4 constriction
5 conditioning region
6 tub lower part
6 a tub region
6 b tub region
6 c tub region
6 d melt surface
7 loading opening
8 overflow
9 glass melt
10 end wall
11 end wall
12 end wall
13 end wall
15 side burner
16 flue gas extraction opening
17 side burner
18 flue gas extraction opening
19 refining bench
20 tub floor
20 a floor surface
20 b floor surface
20 c floor surface
21 cooling device
21 a pipe segment
21 b pipe segment
22 vertical drive
23 vertical drive
24 burner
25 flue gas extraction opening
26 agitating elements
26 a drive shafts
27 regenerator block
28 regenerator block
29 burner ports
30 under-port burner | A glass melting oven for producing a glass melt in a row arrangement, having a loading opening for raw glass materials, a melting region, a refining region, a constriction, a conditioning region and an overflow into a processing unit. To remove flaws from the melt that remain visible in the end product, a method includes the steps of a) arranging a refining bench between the melting region and the beginning of the refining region; b) arranging side burners and extraction openings for flue gases between the loading opening and the refining bench; c) delimiting the constriction at both ends by end walls that leave narrow flow cross-sections above the glass melt for flue gases; and d) cooling the glass melt inside the constriction. The glass melting oven is particularly suited for producing flat glass and panels for solar elements. The oxidants for the fuels may also be preheated. | 2 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention concerns a drilling system having a drilling head fixed to a drill string which comprises an outer pipe and a percussion string inserted therein, wherein the percussion string comprises a plurality of rods which bear against each other with their end faces.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0002] A drilling system of that kind is known from EP 0 387 218 B1. This involves a rock drilling arrangement for producing straight boreholes for receiving anchors for buildings or explosive charges for carrying out rock blasting operations. In that case the cylindrical shank of the drilling bit is mounted axially displaceably to the front end of the outer pipe by way of a cylindrical guide which is several centimetres long and which is in contact with a small clearance. The same applies in regard to the free end of the rear drill rod against which a hammer or percussion piston strikes to apply the percussion forces. Each individual rod is guided in the region of two bushes at two positions on its length. Provided in the region of the guides for the percussion rod are axially extending ducts for passing therethrough a flushing medium, which make it possible for a flushing medium to be conveyed towards the drilling head from the rear end of the drill string through the intermediate space between the outer pipe and the percussion string or through the axially extending ducts between the outer pipe and the percussion string. The end faces of the individual rods of the percussion string, which bear against each other, extend in the radial direction so as to afford a maximum effective surface area for transmission of the axially acting percussion forces.
[0003] The arrangement described in EP 0 387 218 B1 has some major advantages which are essentially that the inner percussion string comprises various individual rods which bear against each other without screwing. The individual short rod has a natural frequency which is very much higher than a long screwed percussion string. Thus, in terms of transmission of the percussion force, very much harder and undamped transmission of the percussion force is afforded by way of a plurality of short rods which bear against each other without a screw connection. Added to that is greater ease of handling during the drilling operation. After the drilling arrangement is advanced by the length of an outer pipe section or an inner rod, the rotary and percussion drive is separated from the drill string and a fresh inner rod and a fresh outer pipe is introduced into the drill string. That situation involves time savings by virtue of the fact that the inner rod to be inserted does not have to be screwed in place.
[0004] The arrangement known from the above-quoted document is however suitable by virtue of its structure only for making bores which extend precisely in the axial direction of the drill string.
[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a drilling system which permits a greater variation in the drilling direction.
[0006] In accordance with the invention that object is attained in that the outer pipe is adapted to be deformable along its longitudinal axis and the end faces of two rods which bear against each other are such that they bear against each other substantially in surface contact upon inclined positioning of the axes of the two rods relative to each other.
[0007] Drilling systems with elastically bendable outer pipes—so-called directional drilling systems—are known from the state of the art, for example from DE 196 12 902 A1. That publication states that a drill string having a drilling head which produces a curved borehole configuration is used for directional drilling. In straight-line drilling the drilling head is rotated at a uniform, generally low angular speed so that the force deflecting the drilling head is uniformly distributed to the entire periphery of the drilling head and is thus cancelled out. For drilling a radius, the drilling head remains in a given angular position without drilling drive so that it follows the curved path which is predetermined by virtue of its structural features. In that case the drilling heads may be of very different configurations. The drill string is usually mounted on a rail-guided sliding carriage connected to a linear drive and has a rotary or rotary-percussion drive with which the string can be caused to rotate and possibly also driven into the ground. In the previously known directional drilling systems the outer string was in principle used for transmission of the percussion force. Besides the above-described problem that the long outer string has a low natural frequency and is of a high mass, that gave rise to an additional problem that the wall friction of the outer string which is guided in the curvedly extending borehole in the earth nullifies a considerable proportion of the percussion energy. Furthermore, in addition to the mass of the outer pipe, the mass of the flushing medium contained in the outer pipe also has to be accelerated by the percussion drive. Finally, a hammer blow on the rear end of a curved pipe produces not only axial acceleration but also a bending force. In practice it has been found that the percussion force acting on the rear end of the drill string scarcely arrives in the region of the drilling head.
[0008] The inner string which can be found for example in FIGS. 6 and 7 of DE 196 12 902 A1 could not be used for percussion force transmission purposes. Either it was proposed that the individual elements of the inner string are connected together by way of universal joints which are destroyed by ongoing percussion forces. Alternatively, it was proposed that the universal joints be omitted, if the inner string is sufficiently flexible. With a high degree of flexibility however, it is not possible to achieve a sufficiently great percussion force transmission effect.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The proposal in accordance with the present invention, to provide a drilling system with rods which bear against each other in unscrewed relationship as a directional drilling system with a flexible outer pipe permits the transmission of percussion force by way of the inner percussion string if the end faces of two rods, which bear against each other, are so designed that they bear against each other substantially in surface contact even upon inclined positioning of the axes of the two rods. In other words, based on the drilling system described in the opening part of this specification and disclosed in EP 0 387 218 B1, end faces which depart from the flat radial shape had to be proposed, so as to ensure effective transmission of percussion forces even in a situation involving bending of the outer pipe which results in inclined positioning of the longitudinal axes of two drill rods relative to each other.
[0010] In comparison with the previously known transmission of percussion forces in directional drilling systems by way of the outer pipe, percussion force transmission by way of an inner percussion string has the crucial advantage that the percussion force cannot be reduced by virtue of friction of the percussion string against the wall of the borehole. As a general rule a flushing medium is passed between the outer pipe and the inner string, the flushing medium comprising for example water with swellable clay (bentonite). The aqueous swellable clay is of a viscous to pasty consistency and produces relatively slight frictional resistances upon movement of the percussion string with respect to the outer pipe. In that respect the flushing medium itself is not accelerated by the hammer blows and cannot absorb any percussion energy.
[0011] The hammer blows are transmitted by short straight rod sections of the inner string, in which respect no bending forces can occur as the individual rods of the inner string are not curved.
[0012] An essential feature of the invention provides that, in the case of the inner percussion string of the directional drilling system according to the invention, no fixed connection exists between the ends of the individual rods of the percussion string. In particular, screwing of the rod ends was eliminated. A screwed percussion string is unsuitable precisely in relation to directional drilling in which—unlike the situation with straight drilling operations—often only a slow rotary drive for the drilling head is involved or the drilling head remains completely in a specific angular position for a relatively long period of time. If a permanent hydraulic percussion drive acts on a screwed string, the screw connections generally loosen due to the hammer blows. It is only if the string is constantly driven in the fastening direction of the screw means by a rotary drive that it is ensured that the screw connections do not come apart, in spite of the hammer blows on the string. In the case of a directional drilling arrangement in which the rotary drive often has to be stopped for a relatively long period of time, there is the risk that the screw connections of the individual rods of the percussion drive come loose because of the hammer blows, and that results in destruction of the percussion string upon further forward drive movement of the drilling system.
[0013] That risk does not occur in the drilling system according to the invention which eliminates fixed connections between the rod ends and in particular screw connections between the rod ends.
[0014] As the outer pipe is adapted to be deformable along its longitudinal axis, that is to say the longitudinal axis is bendable in a radius about a centre of a circle, care should be taken to ensure that each rod is supported against the inner wall of the outer pipe only in one or two short regions of the length of the rod. In that respect, the preferred structure is one in which each rod is supported against the outer pipe only in a single annular region of the rod periphery and in the other regions of its length it is of an outside diameter which is one or more centimetres smaller than the inside diameter of the outer pipe. In the region of a bend in the outer pipe the inner percussion string can extend from one support location to another in various straight sections.
[0015] Care should still be taken to ensure that flushing medium can pass unimpededly through the annular space between the outer pipe and the percussion string. For that reason, in the region in which each rod of the percussion string is guided against the inner wall of the outer pipe, there should be provided a recess which extends in the axial direction or a duct which extends in the axial direction, so that the flushing medium can still pass therethrough. For example, grooves which extend in the longitudinal direction and through which the flushing medium flows can be provided in the wide regions of the rod, which bear against the inner wall of the outer pipe. Alternatively, the outer pipe can be provided over its entire length with axial grooves for the flushing liquid to be passed therethrough. That means however that it is necessary to reckon on an increase in the manufacturing costs for the outer pipe.
[0016] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the end faces, which bear against each other, of two rods of the percussion string are curved on the one hand convexly and on the other hand concavely. Preferably each rod of the percussion string has a first end with a ball head and a second end with a ball socket, wherein the radii of curvature of the ball surfaces of the ball head and the ball socket substantially correspond to each other. The percussion rod of the percussion drive, on which the percussion piston of the percussion drive acts, should then have a surface which is complementary to the end face of the rearmost rod of the percussion string. Likewise the shank of the drilling bit with the drilling head has an end face which is complementary to the foremost end face of the foremost rod of the percussion string.
[0017] When the end of the percussion rod is in the form of a ball head, the ball head preferably forms the region for radial support of the rod against the inner wall of the outer pipe. The section of the rod, which extends from the ball head and which is in the form of a cylindrical rod, is of a smaller diameter than the ball head. To form the axially extending flow ducts for the flushing medium, the ball head has axially extending recesses which are arranged in the region of its equator, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rod.
[0018] As mentioned in the opening part of this specification, a rotary force is transmitted to the drilling head in order either to rotate it continuously or to move it into a given angular position when a radius is to be drilled. In the case of directional drilling systems in accordance with the state of the art, in which percussion forces which are possibly produced are transmitted by way of the outer pipe, the drilling head is simply rigidly connected to the outer pipe. In the present case in which percussion forces are transmitted to a drilling bit, the drilling bit can be held non-rotatably in the outer pipe, in which case it should be movable axially by a certain distance. The axially movable support for the drilling bit ensures that the percussion energy acting on the drilling bit is not applied to the outer pipe. The drilling bit is displaceable with respect to the outer pipe so that the percussion energy is transmitted directly on to the bottom of the borehole by way of the drilling head.
[0019] The non-rotatable fitment of the drilling bit in the outer pipe can be achieved for example by a positively locking connection between the shank of the drilling bit and the outer pipe. The shank of the drilling bit can be provided with an external spline or tooth configuration which engages into an internal spline or tooth configuration of the outer pipe. The rotary drive is then connected to the rear end of the outer pipe and is preferably hydraulically actuated to achieve the required torque levels.
[0020] Alternatively the torques can be transmitted to the drilling head by way of the percussion string if the ends of two rods which bear against each other have connecting elements which engage into each other in positively locking relationship. For example, one of the ends, in particular the end in the form of a ball socket, can be provided with a recess into which projects a projection at the other end, in particular the end in the form of the ball head. The ball socket, in the region of the outer periphery of the ball, may have a groove disposed on a great circle extending in the longitudinal direction of the rod. The ball head, at two mutually diametrally oppositely disposed positions, may have a respective cylindrical protrusion, each of the protrusions engaging into an end of the groove in the ball socket. The protrusions can be displaced in the direction of the groove and pivoted about their protrusion axis. Such a claw-like connection between the end of the first rod and the end which bears thereagainst of the second rod permits the transmission of sufficiently high rotary forces. In an embodiment of that kind, the drilling bit must also be non-rotatably connected to the foremost end face of the percussion string. The rear end of the percussion string in that case must be non-rotatably connected to the rotary drive so that rotary forces can be transmitted from the drive unit outside the borehole to the drilling head. The frictional loss can also be considerably reduced by virtue of transmission of the rotary forces by way of the inner percussion string. The rotary forces do not have to be transmitted against the friction within the entire borehole, but only against the frictional forces operative between the outer pipe and the percussion string.
[0021] The above-described claw-like connection between the rod ends only represents an example. Any other connections involving a positively locking relationship which permit pivotal movement of the individual rods of the percussion string relative to each other are possible. In that respect, it is to be noted that a motion play of a few degrees between the two end faces of the rods may be sufficient to permit the required inclined positioning between two rods. By virtue of the limited flexibility of the outer pipe, in general very large radii for the borehole axis are achieved, so that the individual rods are each inclined relative to each other only by a few degrees.
[0022] Preferably the ends of two rods which bear against each other have guide elements which guide the protrusion for the transmission of rotary force into the recess, when the rod ends bear and press axially against each other. That ensures that for example when fitting a new outer pipe and a new inner rod to the drill string, the non-rotatable connection between the individual rods of the drill string is achieved without involving special adjustment by the operators. Even if the rods of the inner string come loose from each other when inserting a new section of the drill string, the non-rotatable connection between the individual rods is restored automatically by virtue of the action of the guide elements, when the drill string is subsequently fixedly connected to the drive unit.
[0023] In this embodiment the rotary drive has to be connected to the percussion string. In order not to apply percussion forces to the rotary drive or the transmission assembly of the rotary drive, a percussion rod should be held axially movably but non-rotatably in the rotary drive. For that purpose a drive pinion may have an internal tooth configuration which co-operates with an axially extending external tooth configuration on the percussion rod and which ensures freedom of axial movement with a positively locking connection in the peripheral direction.
[0024] A seal is preferably arranged between the shank of the drilling bit and the outer pipe to prevent uncontrolled discharge of the flushing liquid. The shank of the drilling bit also has an axially extending duct through which the flushing liquid or the flushing medium is passed from the annular space between the percussion string and the outer pipe to the drilling head.
[0025] In order to fix the drilling bit within the end section of the outer pipe, the outer pipe, near the drilling head, has a radial reduction in inside diameter, while arranged on the shank of the drilling bit is an enlargement in diameter, which is greater than the reduction in the inside diameter of the outer pipe. In that way the drilling bit is secured by the radial diametral enlargement to prevent it from falling out of the end section of the outer pipe. In a practical embodiment the entrainment profile of the outer pipe in the form of an internal spline or tooth configuration is screwed fast to the end of the outer pipe. That screw connection preferably fixes a divided holding ring which can be fitted into the outer pipe and which forms the reduction in the inside diameter of the outer pipe. Also mounted on the shank of the drilling bit is an annular body which forms the enlargement in the diameter thereof. The element with the spline configuration, which is screwed to the end of the front section of the outer pipe, preferably also carries a sensor or signal generator, by means of which it is possible to ascertain the position of the drilling head by way of a measuring device outside the borehole so that the drilling drive can be controlled to achieve the desired drilling configuration.
[0026] Preferably all sections of the outer pipe are connected together by screw sleeves. The screw sleeves may be of a diameter which is enlarged with respect to the diameter of the sections of the outer pipe, for receiving the ball head.
[0027] The percussion drive for the percussion string strikes against the rod of the percussion string, which is rearmost in the direction of advance movement. It is generally flange-mounted behind the rotary drive, in which case it acts on a percussion rod which protrudes through the rotary drive and which is axially displaceable with respect to the rotary drive so that the percussion forces applied thereto are not transmitted to the rotary drive but to the percussion string.
[0028] The feed for the flushing liquid is preferably arranged near the front end of the percussion rod at a screw connection between the rotary drive and the rearmost section of the outer pipe and is formed by a radial duct which acts through the outer pipe into the annular space between the outer pipe and the percussion string. Preferably, arranged between the outer pipe and the front section of the percussion rod is a seal set which seals off the annular space between the outer pipe and the percussion rod. That ensures that the flushing medium is conveyed exclusively through the annular space between the outer pipe and the percussion string forwardly to the drilling head and not rearwardly in the direction of the drive for the drill string.
[0029] In a further preferred embodiment the percussion string can be arrested selectively in the axial direction with respect to the outer pipe. The arresting effect operates at least in the forward feed direction in which the percussion forces also act. The arresting means provide that the percussion forces are transmitted from the piston by way of the percussion string to the outer pipe. As long as the percussion forces are to be used to drive the drilling bit forwardly as rapidly as possible, the outer pipe is to be uncoupled from the percussion string so that the percussion forces act exclusively on the drilling bit and are transmitted thereby to the bottom of the borehole. If however there is a wish to apply hammer blows to the outer pipe by way of the percussion mechanism, for example in order to overcome high frictional forces in the borehole, the outer pipe can be coupled to the percussion string. The percussion forces can also be temporarily applied to the outer pipe which comprises a plurality of pipe sections screwed together, in order to release the screw connections between the pipe sections. The coupling, that is to say the connection which is fixed in the axial direction, must be ensured at least in the direction in which the percussion forces act.
[0030] Preferably, the coupling between the outer pipe and the percussion string is effected in the region of the drilling bit at the front end of the drill string. In that way, the drill string is subjected to a pressure loading by the percussion mechanism and transmits its pressure forces at the front end in the region of the drilling bit to the outer pipe. The latter is pulled by the percussion forces in the forward feed direction or the percussion direction. Preferably, the enlargement in diameter of the drilling bit, which fixes it in the outer pipe, is used to provide for axial coupling. For that purpose, the enlargement in diameter can be adapted to be arrested in the condition of bearing in the axial direction against the reduction in diameter of the outer pipe.
[0031] That can be achieved by the outer pipe being mounted to the forward drive machine displaceably in the axial direction and fixably in at least two different axial positions. For example, a part of the outer pipe may have radial pins or protrusions which are guided in a sliding sleeve which is fixed to the forward drive machine. For each radial protrusion the sliding sleeve has a guide groove with an axial portion and two holding portions extending in the peripheral direction at the two ends of the axial portion. The radial protrusions of the outer pipe can be accommodated in the guide groove either in the first holding portion or in the second holding portion. In the first holding portion the front end of the front pipe end section of the outer pipe bears against the rearward contact face of the drilling bit so that the drilling bit is freely held in the outer pipe in the forward direction, that is to say in the percussion and forward feed direction. In contrast, in the second holding portion, the reduction in diameter of the outer pipe bears against the enlargement in diameter of the drilling bit so that the axial percussion forces are transmitted to the outer pipe by way of the drilling bit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] The invention is described in greater detail hereinafter by means of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0033] [0033]FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of an arrangement for carrying out directional drilling,
[0034] [0034]FIG. 2 shows a drill string according to the invention of a directional drilling system,
[0035] [0035]FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the drilling head of the directional drilling system of FIG. 2,
[0036] [0036]FIG. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of the drive device of the drilling system according to the invention,
[0037] [0037]FIG. 5 is a view of a connecting region in which two sections of the drill string are fitted together,
[0038] [0038]FIG. 6 shows the end section of the drill string with the first embodiment of the drilling head of FIG. 2,
[0039] FIGS. 7 - 10 show an alternative embodiment of the directional drilling system according to the invention with a percussion string adapted for the transmission of rotary forces, and
[0040] [0040]FIGS. 11 and 12 show an embodiment corresponding to FIGS. 7 - 10 of the directional drilling system according to the invention with percussion force transmission from the percussion string to the outer pipe.
INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
[0041] European Patent Application No. 01 201 167.2 filed on Mar. 12, 2001, whose inventor is Dr. Gunter W. Klemm, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as though fully and completely set forth herein.
[0042] European Patent Application No. 00 126 781.4 filed on Dec. 6, 2000, whose inventor is Dr. Gunter W. Klemm, is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as though fully and completely set forth herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0043] Referring to FIG. 1, the mode of operation involved in directional drilling can be seen therein. Using a forward drive machine 1 , to produce a borehole a drilling head 2 is driven into the ground at an angle by means of a drill string 3 . The drill string 3 is carried on a rail-guided sliding carriage of the machine 1 and is driven into the ground by a linear drive. After a forward drive movement by a given distance, a fresh section of the drill string 3 is attached to the drill string 3 , the fresh section comprising an outer pipe section 15 and a rod 14 inserted therein of a percussion string 13 (see FIG. 2), and the sliding carriage is withdrawn in order further to advance the drill string 3 which has been increased in length.
[0044] Arranged in the proximity of the drilling head 2 is a usually magnetic probe 4 which makes it possible to ascertain the respective precise position of the drilling head 2 by way of a navigation system and a monitor unit. The machine 1 also has a rotary drive with which the drill string 3 can be rotated about its longitudinal axis and arrested in a given angular position. In that way, the plane of the radius of curvature of the borehole produced can be inclined in any directions. The borehole can thus be guided substantially parallel to the surface of the earth in any directions. In particular, as can be seen in FIG. 1 , the borehole can be guided with a large radius of curvature from an entry opening into the ground as far as an exit opening so that it is possible to overcome obstacles such as buildings, bodies of water or traffic areas, without an open timbering or lining. If straight borehole sections are to be produced the drilling head 2 is rotated uniformly about its axis.
[0045] A pump and mixing unit 5 for a flushing medium, also referred to as drilling mud, which comprises a mixture of bentonite and water, is connected to the drill string 3 . The drilling mud is passed into the drill string 3 under high pressure and issues from flushing nozzles in the drilling head 2 . That causes material to be removed in the region of the drill head 2 . The bentonite in the drilling mud then passes into the annular gap between the drill string and the borehole. That on the one hand supports the borehole which has been formed and on the other hand produces a really low-friction sliding film which reduces the resistance to the forward movement of the drill string 3 .
[0046] After the pilot bore has been finished, the drilling head 2 which has issued from the exit opening of the borehole is removed from the drill string 3 . An enlargement drilling head can then be fixed to the drill string 3 , which is again drawn through the pilot bore with the drill string 3 .
[0047] The substantial proportion of the material removed during the drilling operation is effected by the flushing medium issuing from the flushing nozzles of the drilling head 2 . Particularly in the case of relatively hard rock the amount of material removed is increased by hammer or percussion forces applied to the drilling head and possibly continuous rapid rotary movements.
[0048] [0048]FIG. 2 shows a drill string according to the invention, which permits the transmission of hammer or percussion forces and rotary movements from the forward feed machine 1 to the drilling head 2 . This embodiment includes a directional drilling head which is in the form of a guide shoe. The front end face 6 of the drilling head 2 is inclined with respect to the radial direction of the borehole to be produced. Shown by way of example are three outlet nozzles 7 , 8 , 9 for the drilling mud which is fed to the drilling head 2 through an axial duct 10 . The medium issuing from the outlet nozzle 8 flows along a groove 11 in the end face of the drilling head 2 and is then distributed in the borehole. A plurality of outlet nozzles 9 are distributed at the periphery of the drilling head 2 and one opens at the end face 6 thereof. The end face 6 of the drilling head 2 further has hardened drilling tips 47 . The drilling head 2 is deflected along a circular path, as shown in FIG. 1, by virtue of the inclined positioning of the end face 6 . When the drilling head 2 is rotated by rotation of the drill string 3 , the plane in which the drilling head 2 is deflected is turned.
[0049] As can be seen from FIG. 2, the drill string 3 comprises an outer pipe 12 and a percussion string 13 . In this case the percussion string 13 comprises individual rods 14 and the outer pipe 12 comprises individual pipe sections 15 . The pipe sections 15 are respectively screwed together by way of connecting sleeves 16 . The rods 14 of the drill string 13 bear against each other with their end faces without a connection therebetween in the axial direction.
[0050] A hammer or percussion rod 17 acts on the rearmost rod 14 . Axial hammer blows are applied to the percussion rod 17 by a hydraulically driven piston 18 (see FIG. 4).
[0051] As can be seen from FIG. 1, a slight curvature must be applied to the entire drill string 3 in order to follow the curved configuration of the borehole, which is typical of directional drilling. The outer pipe 12 or the pipe sections 15 thereof are of sufficient flexibility to be curved elastically within the borehole. The individual rods 14 of the percussion string 13 in contrast should be substantially rigid in order for the percussion energy to be transmitted to the drilling head 2 with as little delay and as few losses as possible. For that reason, the end faces of the rod ends, which bear against each other, are curved, so that the axes of the rods 14 can be at an angle relative to each other and nonetheless the rod ends bear against each other in surface contact for percussion force transmission purposes.
[0052] [0052]FIG. 5 shows in particular the features of the design configuration of the various rod ends. In this case the rod end 19 which is the rear end in the forward drive direction is of a ball-shaped configuration. The front rod end 20 is of a smaller diameter and is in the shape of a ball socket whose diameter corresponds to the diameter of the spherical rod end 19 . It will be readily apparent that, even upon inclined positioning of the longitudinal axes of the two rods 14 which can be seen in FIG. 2, the rod ends 19 , 20 are guaranteed to bear against each other in surface contact. That ensures effective transmission of percussion forces from the percussion drive to the drilling head 2 . As FIG. 2 shows the diameter of the rear spherical rod end 19 is larger than the diameter in the remaining region of the rod 14 . The region of the spherical rod end 19 is also larger than the inside diameter of a pipe section 15 . The spherical rod end 19 is inserted into the connecting sleeve 16 which is of a larger inside diameter than the pipe sections 15 connected thereto. In that way the rod end is held in the connecting sleeve 16 displaceably axially over a certain distance without being capable of falling out of the connecting sleeve. It will also be seen from FIG. 5 that the surface of the spherical rod end 19 has radially outwardly disposed recesses 21 which extend in the axial direction and which permit the flushing medium to pass therethrough. The inside diameter of a pipe section 15 is somewhat larger than the outside diameter of a rod 14 so that inclined positioning of the rod 14 through a few degrees is made possible, within the pipe section 15 .
[0053] As FIG. 1 shows, the curvature of the borehole is of a very large radius so that the drill string rods are inclined only by a few degrees relative to each other and the relatively small gap between the percussion rod 14 and the section 15 of the outer pipe 12 is sufficient to permit the bending of the drill string 3 .
[0054] [0054]FIG. 4 shows the rotary drive 22 and the hammer or percussion drive 23 which are fixed on the linear guide of the forward drive machine 1 (FIG. 1). The rotary drive 22 comprises a hydraulic motor 24 , on the motor shaft of which is fixed a pinion 25 meshing with a gear 26 which is connected non-rotatably to the outer pipe 12 by way of a connection sleeve 27 . The connection sleeve 27 is embraced by a sealed collar member 28 into which opens a feed line 29 for a flushing medium. The connection sleeve 27 has two radial feed ducts 30 through which the flushing medium can pass into the interior of the outer pipe 12 .
[0055] The gear 26 is hollow along its axis and has a percussion rod 17 extending therethrough. The front end face of the percussion rod 17 is in the form of a ball socket and bears against the end face, which is at the rear in the direction of forward feed, of the rearmost rod 14 of the percussion string 13 . The percussion rod 17 is sealed with respect to the connection sleeve 27 by means of a plurality of seals 33 in order to prevent flushing liquid from escaping rearwardly. The above-mentioned hydraulically driven piston 18 of the percussion drive 23 acts on the rearward end of the percussion rod 17 . FIG. 4 only shows the front end section of each of the piston 18 and the percussion drive 23 . Percussion drives of that kind for applying percussion forces to drill strings have long been known to the men skilled in the art.
[0056] When the drilling head 2 is driven forward the drill string 3 is moved forwardly by a respective given longitudinal distance by the forward drive machine 1 (see FIG. 1). Then, a unit of the drill string 3 comprising a rod 14 and an outer pipe section 15 is attached, with the sliding carriage of the forward drive machine 1 having been retracted beforehand. In a fresh forward drive step, the sliding carriage of the forward drive machine 1 is displaced forwardly.
[0057] Therefore, following the rotary/percussion drive which can be seen in FIG. 4, the drill string 3 shown in FIG. 2 comprises a plurality of drill string sections, in which respect the section of the drill string 3 which is the foremost section in the forward feed direction is connected to an end section 31 of the outer pipe and a drilling bit 32 . The end section 31 of the outer pipe 12 and the drilling bit 32 can be particularly clearly seen in FIG. 6. FIG. 6 is a view on an enlarged scale in relation to FIG. 2 showing the drilling head 2 with the inclined end face 6 , and the outlet nozzles 7 - 9 for the flushing medium, which are fed from the axial duct 10 . The drilling head 2 which is at the front in the forward drive direction and a shank 31 in the form of a cylindrical rod form the two main components of the drilling bit 32 .
[0058] The drilling bit 32 is held non-rotatably in the front end section 21 of the outer pipe 12 . The shank 34 of the drilling bit 32 has an external tooth configuration 35 meshing with an internal tooth profile 36 . In that way the drill shank 34 is held axially displaceably and fixedly in the direction of rotation, in the pipe end section 31 . The pipe end section 31 is formed by a sleeve member which bears a male screwthread at the end which is the rear end in the forward drive direction, and is fixedly screwed to a connecting sleeve 37 at the front end of the foremost pipe section 15 of the outer pipe 12 . Fixed by way of that screwthread connection is a holding ring 38 which forms a reduction in the diameter of the outer pipe 12 near its end section 31 . That holding ring 38 co-operates with an annular shoulder 39 which is carried on the rear end of the shank 34 of the drilling bit 32 and forms an enlargement in the diameter of the shank 34 . In that way the drilling bit 32 is prevented from falling out when the drill string 3 is retracted in the opposite direction to the forward drive direction.
[0059] Also arranged in the holding ring 38 is a seal 40 which seals off the internal space in the outer pipe 12 with respect to the shank 34 of the drilling bit 32 . Arranged at the rear end of the shank 34 of the drilling bit 32 are two inclinedly extending duct portions 41 which open into the annular space between the shank 34 and the outer pipe 12 and which permit flushing medium to pass into the axial duct 10 of the drilling it 2 .
[0060] [0060]FIG. 7 and the detailed views on an enlarged scale in FIGS. 8 a - 8 c , 9 a - 9 c and 10 show an alternative embodiment of the drilling system in which rotary forces are also applied to the drilling head 2 by way of the percussion string 13 ′.
[0061] The views on an enlarged scale showing individual parts in FIGS. 8 a - 8 c show the two ends 19 ′ and 20 ′ of the rods 14 ′. In this respect, FIG. 8 a is a view in longitudinal section showing the rod end 20 ′ which is in the form of a ball socket and into which the rod end 19 ′ which is in the form of a ball head is inserted. FIG. 8 b shows only the rod end 19 ′ in the form of the ball socket, as a plan view and two side views. FIG. 8 c shows the rod end 20 ′ in the form of a ball socket, as a plan view, in longitudinal section and as a side view. Each rod 14 ′ of the percussion string 13 ′ includes a rear rod end 19 ′ which is curved in the form of a ball head and on which are arranged projections 42 in the form of a star. The front rod end 20 ′ which is curved in the form of a ball socket has star-shaped grooves 43 for receiving the projections 42 of the rear rod end 19 ′ of the adjoining rod 14 ′. The oppositely disposed rod ends 19 ′, 20 ′ are fixedly connected together in the direction of rotation by the projections 42 engaging into the grooves 43 . Preferably the front rod end 20 ′ is provided with guide surfaces which guide the projections 42 at the rear rod end 19 ′ into the grooves 43 at the front end 20 ′ of the adjoining rod 14 ′ when the ends are pressed against each other. In that way the rod ends 19 ′, 20 ′ do not have to be oriented relative to each other in respect of direction of rotation, in the assembly procedure.
[0062] No trouble is caused if the projections 42 and the grooves 43 limit the free pivotability of the ball joint which is formed by the rod ends 19 ′, 20 ′. As already mentioned, the angle involved in the inclined positioning of two mutually adjoining rods relative to each other is very slight. Thus, a certain clearance between the projections 42 and the grooves 43 is sufficient to permit adequate pivotability of mutually adjoining rods 14 ′ about the parallel position.
[0063] In an alternative representation of the individual parts shown on an enlarged scale in FIGS. 9 a - 9 c in respect of the rod ends 19 ′ and 20 ′ for transmission of the rotary force, FIG. 9 a shows the interengaged rod ends 19 ′ and 20 ′, FIG. 9 b shows a side view of the rod end 19 ′ in the form of a ball head and FIG. 9 c shows a view in longitudinal section of the rod end 20 ′ in the form of a ball socket. Here, the projections 42 ′ are in the form of radially extending, mutually diametrally opposite pins or protrusions. The grooves 43 ′ in the rod end 20 ′ in the form of the ball socket are also disposed in diametrally opposite relationship and receive the protrusions 42 ′. The embodiment illustrated here for the non-rotatable connection permits a greater angle of pivotal movement of the ball head 19 ′ with respect to the ball socket 20 ′.
[0064] By virtue of the rotary movement being transmitted by means of the percussion string 13 ′, the drive force of the rotary drive 22 is no longer reduced by friction of the outer pipe 22 against the wall of the borehole.
[0065] It will be appreciated that other structural systems of the drilling system are also altered because of the transmission of rotary force by means of the percussion string 13 ′. Thus, the drilling bit 34 ′ which has the drilling head 2 is held freely rotatably in the front end of the outer pipe 12 ′. To apply the rotary force to the percussion string 13 ′, the hollow gear 26 ′ is mounted rotatably in the housing 44 of the rotary drive 22 and is not connected to the outer pipe 12 ′ in the direction of rotation. The hollow gear 26 ′ has an inner tooth or spline profile 45 which co-operates with an external tooth or spline configuration 46 on the percussion rod 17 ′. Thus, the rotary force of the rotary drive 22 is transmitted to the percussion rod 17 ′ by way of the inner tooth or spline profile 45 and the external tooth or spline configuration 46 , in which case the percussion rod 17 ′ is axially displaceable with respect to the gear 26 ′ so that the percussion or hammer forces transmitted by the piston 18 of the percussion drive 23 on to the rear end of the percussion rod 17 ′ are not transmitted to the gear 26 ′ but only to the percussion rod 13 ′. All end faces which bear against each other, in the form of a ball and a ball socket, have the projections 42 , 42 ′ and grooves 43 , 43 ′ for making the connection which is fixed in the direction of rotation, so that the rotary drive 22 is non-rotatably connected to the drilling head.
[0066] If the inner percussion string 13 ′ is non-rotatably connected to the gear 26 ′ of the rotary drive, it will be appreciated that the non-rotatable coupling of the outer string 12 ′ to that gear 26 ′ can be omitted. The detail view in FIG. 10 shows that the outer pipe 12 ′ is uncoupled in the direction of rotation with respect to the gear 26 ′ by a rolling bearing 48 . In this case positively locking connecting bodies 49 can be releasably arranged in the region of the connection between the outer pipe 12 ′ and the gear 26 ′. When those connecting bodies 49 are inserted the rotary drive acts both on the percussion string 13 ′ and also on the outer pipe 12 ′. If the positively locking connecting bodies 49 ′ are removed, then only the inner percussion string 13 ′ is rotated.
[0067] [0067]FIG. 11 with the detail views in FIGS. 11 a and 11 b and FIG. 12 with the detail views of FIGS. 12 a and 12 b show an embodiment in which the percussion energy can be transmitted on the one hand to the drilling bit 32 ′ alone and on the other hand to the drilling bit 32 ′ and the outer pipe 12 ′. For that purpose the outer pipe 12 ′ is connected to the forward drive machine by way of a sliding sleeve member 50 . The sleeve member 50 is arranged in front of the connecting sleeve member 27 in the direction of advance movement and co-operates with a coupling portion 51 which is screwed to a reduced-length rear pipe section 52 of the outer pipe 12 ′.
[0068] The coupling portion 51 has at uniform spacings at three peripheral positions respective protrusions 53 which are accommodated in a guide groove in the thrust member 50 . Each of the three guide grooves includes an axial portion 54 which goes into two holding portions 55 , 56 which extend in the peripheral direction. The protrusion-groove connection between the coupling portion 51 and the sleeve member 50 acts like a bayonet fastening. In the first rotational position of the coupling portion 51 , which is shown at the left in FIGS. 11 b and 12 b , the protrusions 53 can be displaced in the axial portion 54 of the guide groove. In the second rotational position of the coupling portion 51 , which is shown at the right in FIGS. 11 b and 12 b , the protrusions 53 can be received in the peripherally extending holding portions 55 , 56 of the guide grooves. The two rotational positions are illustrated in FIGS. 11 a and 12 a on the one hand above the centre line (protrusion 53 received in the holding portion 55 or 56 ) and on the other hand below the centre line (protrusion displaceable in the axial portion 54 of the guide groove).
[0069] When the protrusions 53 are disposed in the front holding portion 56 , as shown in FIGS. 11 and 11 a , the outer pipe 21 ′ is pushed relative to the percussion string 13 ′ and the drilling bit 32 ′ into the front position. The drilling bit 32 ′ is pushed substantially into the outer pipe 12 ′ and can be driven axially out of the outer pipe 12 ′ by the percussion string 13 ′. It is to be noted that the annular collar member 39 which forms the enlargement in the diameter of the drilling bit 32 ′ has adequate motion clearance as far as the holding ring 38 in the connecting sleeve 37 in the advance or percussion direction.
[0070] When in contrast the protrusions 53 are disposed in the rear holding portion 55 , as shown in FIGS. 12 and 12 a , the outer pipe 12 ′ is pushed into the rear position relative to the percussion string 13 ′ and the drilling bit 32 ′. The drilling bit 32 ′ is pushed substantially out of the outer pipe 12 ′. In this case, the annular collar member 39 which forms the enlargement in the diameter of the drilling bit 32 ′ bears axially against the holding ring 38 in the connecting sleeve 37 so that the hammer blows which are transmitted by the percussion string 13 ′ to the drilling bit 32 ′ are passed by the drilling bit 32 ′ to the outer pipe 12 ′. In that way, in the drilling operation, starting from the bottom of the drill hole, percussion forces can be applied to the outer pipe 12 ′, which forces for example pull the string further into the borehole with a high level of friction at the outside of the string. Before dismantling of the arrangement the hammer blows which are transmitted to the outer pipe 12 ′ can loosen the connecting screwthreads between the individual pipe sections 15 of the outer pipe 12 ′.
[0071] List of References
[0072] [0072] 1 forward drive machine
[0073] [0073] 2 , 2 ′ drilling head
[0074] [0074] 3 drill string
[0075] [0075] 4 magnetic probe
[0076] [0076] 5 pump and mixing device/conveyor device
[0077] [0077] 6 end face
[0078] [0078] 7 outlet nozzle
[0079] [0079] 8 outlet nozzle
[0080] [0080] 9 outlet nozzle
[0081] [0081] 10 duct
[0082] [0082] 11 groove
[0083] [0083] 12 , 12 ′ outer pipe
[0084] [0084] 13 , 13 ′ percussion string
[0085] [0085] 14 , 14 ′ rod
[0086] [0086] 15 pipe section
[0087] [0087] 16 connecting sleeve
[0088] [0088] 17 , 17 ′ percussion rod
[0089] [0089] 18 piston
[0090] [0090] 19 , 19 ′ rear rod end, rear end face, ball head
[0091] [0091] 20 , 20 ′ front rod end, front end face, ball socket
[0092] [0092] 21 recess
[0093] [0093] 22 rotary drive
[0094] [0094] 23 percussion drive
[0095] [0095] 24 hydraulic motor
[0096] [0096] 25 pinion
[0097] [0097] 26 , 26 ′ gear
[0098] [0098] 27 connecting sleeve member
[0099] [0099] 28 collar member
[0100] [0100] 29 feed line
[0101] [0101] 30 feed duct
[0102] [0102] 31 pipe end section
[0103] [0103] 32 , 32 ′ drilling bit
[0104] [0104] 33 seal
[0105] [0105] 34 , 34 ′ shank
[0106] [0106] 35 external tooth configuration
[0107] [0107] 36 internal tooth profile
[0108] [0108] 37 connecting sleeve member
[0109] [0109] 38 holding ring, reduction in diameter
[0110] [0110] 39 annular collar member, enlargement in diameter
[0111] [0111] 40 seal
[0112] [0112] 41 inclined duct portions
[0113] [0113] 42 , 42 ′ projection
[0114] [0114] 43 , 43 ′ groove
[0115] [0115] 44 housing
[0116] [0116] 45 tooth profile
[0117] [0117] 46 external tooth configuration
[0118] [0118] 47 drilling tip
[0119] [0119] 48 rolling bearing
[0120] [0120] 49 connecting element
[0121] [0121] 50 sliding sleeve member
[0122] [0122] 51 coupling portion
[0123] [0123] 52 reduced-length pipe section
[0124] [0124] 53 protrusion
[0125] [0125] 54 axial portion of the guide groove
[0126] [0126] 55 front holding portion of the guide groove
[0127] [0127] 56 rear holding portion of the guide groove | The invention concerns a drilling system having a drilling head ( 2, 2′ ) fixed to a drill string ( 3 ) which comprises an outer pipe ( 12, 12′ ) and a percussion string ( 13, 13′ ) inserted therein, wherein the percussion string ( 13, 13′ ) comprises a plurality of rods ( 14, 14′ ) which bear against each other with their end faces ( 19, 20; 19′, 20′ ). Known systems were suitable exclusively for producing straight boreholes. One object of the present invention is to provide a drilling system with an inner percussion string, which permits a greater variation in the drilling direction and which can be used as a directional drilling system. To attain that object the outer pipe ( 12 ) is adapted to be deformable along its longitudinal axis and the end faces ( 19, 20 ) which bear against each other of two rods ( 14 ) are so designed that they bear against each other substantially in surface contact upon inclined positioning of the axes of the two rods ( 14 ) relative to each other. | 4 |
This is continuation of our application Ser. No. 07/388,604, filed July 1, 1989 which was a continuation of application Ser. No. 284,939, filed Dec. 15, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,080, granted Sept. 19, 1989.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a tufting machine and is more particularly concerned with a computer controlled tufting machine and a process of controlling the parameters of operation of a tufting machine.
In tufting machines, it is necessary to synchronize the feed of the backing material across the bed rail with the speed of reciprocation of the needles so as to produce a prescribed number of stitches per inch in a longitudinal direction in the backing material. This determines the number of tufts per linear inch of the backing material. In the event that it is desired to change the number of stitches per inch, it has been necessary in the past, to change the sheaves on the gear box which is connected to the in-feed and out-feed rolls of the tufting machine. Thus, generally speaking, it is difficult to change the number of stitches per inch which are sewn by the tufting machine in a manner to arrive at a predetermined weight for a square yard of such carpeting. Sometimes this involved trial and error as to the size sheave or pulley to be employed on the gear reducer for receiving the timing belt from the main drive shaft. Thus, it was quite time consuming in order to change from producing one particular weight of carpet to producing either a lighter or heavier weight of carpeting, using the same yarn.
In the past, when it was necessary to change pile heights for different patterns of goods, it was necessary to manually adjust the height of the bed rail of the tufting machine so as to have the machine produce a higher or lower tuft. Again, the problem presented itself of predetermining the amount of adjustment of the bed rail which would be necessary in order to produce a fabric having a prescribed density. Usually the change in drive of the in-feed and out-feed rolls and the change in position of the bed rail of the tufting machine required that sample carpets be sewn after each change in order to provide swatches which could be weighed to thereby determine whether or not the changes were sufficient to achieve the desired result.
While counters have been placed on the backing material in order to determine the linear length of carpeting which is produced by a tufting machine, it has, in the past, been left to the operator of the machine to determine when a prescribed linear length of carpeting has been produced to a particular job order. As a result, there are usually overruns of each pattern of carpet so as to assure that the desired amount of carpet has been produced.
Briefly described, the present invention includes a conventional tufting machine which in the present embodiment is a cut pile tufting machine, a yarn feed mechanism for simultaneously feeding a plurality of yarns to the needles of the tufting machine, in-feed and out-feed rolls for the backing material, and synchronous motors the speeds of which are controlled by the computer. One synchronous motor controls the feed of the backing material and the other synchronous motor is attached to the yarn feed mechanism for feeding each needle a prescribed amount of yarn. There are two encoders, one encoder reads the speed of the main drive shaft and the other encoder determines the absolute height of the bedrail. The signals from these encoders are fed to the computer. Programs in the computer prescribe such parameters as the number of stitches to the inch, the weight of the face yarn per square yard, the depth of stroke of the needles, the amount of yarn that is fed to each needle per stroke, the speed of the tufting machine, and the adjustment of the bed rail to provide the appropriate length of tufting. Also prescribed by the software is the linear length of carpeting to be produced according to the particular pattern prescribed.
A number of different patterns and orders for those patterns can be stored in the computer so that there is essentially no interruption between producing one particular pattern and the next pattern to be produced. The computer through the control of the main motors will shut the machine on and off and a stop motion machine is connected to the computer so as to automatically shut down the machine in the event of a break in the yarn.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a tufting machine which requires little attention of an operator and which will inexpensively and efficiently produce tufted fabric.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tufting machine which can be programmed to produce a prescribed length of tufting.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tufting machine which can be programmed to produce successively, different prescribed lengths of tufting of different designs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tufting machine in which the stitches per inch sewn by the needles can be readily and easily changed as desired.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tufting machine in which the setting for pile height can be varied as desired.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tufting machine in which the density of the tufted product can be changed, without the necessity of producing samples to determine whether the appropriate density has been achieved by an adjustment of the machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a tufting machine which will automatically produce successive lengths of tufting which have been programmed into the machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process of tufting which will enable an operator to control the product produced from a tufting machine from a remote location.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic rear elevational view of a tufting machine constructed in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view elevational view of one side of the machine depicted in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating the backing material transported over the motor-driven bed rail.
FIG. 4 is a mechanical diagram for the operation of the computer-controlled tufting machine.
FIG. 5A is part of an electrical flow diagram for the operation of the computer-controlled tufting machine.
FIG. 5B is the other part of the diagram of FIG. 5A.
FIG. 6 is an illustration of the main operation interface menu-driven screen display.
FIG. 7 is an illustration of the STYLE INFORMATION menu-driven screen display.
FIG. 8 is an illustration of the DISPLAY RUN LIST menu-driven screen display.
FIG. 9 is an illustration of the DISPLAY STYLE INFORMATION menu-driven screen display.
FIG. 10 is an illustration of the DISPLAY ADDITIONAL SYTLE INFORMATION screen display.
FIG. 11 is an illustration of the PRODUCTION & OPERATION display.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring now in detail to the embodiment chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention, numeral 10 in FIGS. 1 and 2 denotes generally the frame of a conventional cut pile tufting machine which includes a conventional main drive shaft 11 driven by belts 12 from main motors M1 and M2.
The shaft 11 reciprocates a plurality of push rods 13 which reciprocate a needle bar 14 which carries a plurality of needles 15. Yarn 16 is supplied to the tufting machine from a yarn supply such as a creel 17, the yarn 16 passing through a yarn feed mechanism or a yarn control 20 and thence to the respective needles 15.
The yarn feed mechanism 20 includes four transversely disposed rollers 21 over which the yarns 16 pass successively and then down to the needles 15. These rollers 21 are synchronized with each other to feed the yarn and are controlled by a synchronous motor M3 through a gear reducer 22.
The base fabric or backing material 23 is fed in an essentially horizontally linear path from a roll of backing material up over a front of input drive roll or feed roll 24, passing across the machine over an idler roller 25 and a pin roll 26 and then over a rear or output cloth drive roll or discharge roll 27. A timing belt 28 passing around sheaves or rollers 29 on the drive shafts 31 of the rolls 24 and 27 synchronize the rotation of the shafts 31 so as to rotate the front roll 24 at a slightly slower speed than the rear roll 27, to thereby assure that the backing material 23 is in a taut condition when passing over the bed rail 30 shown in FIG. 3. The pin roll 26 is an idler roller which generates an interrupt signal to the computer for each rotation. The interrupt generated by rotation of the pin roll 26 causes the incrementing of a counter which determines the length of carpet produced.
A motor M4 at the right side of the frame 10 drives a reducers 32 and 18 which in turn drives the rear feed roll 27. Thus, the feed rolls 24 and 27 are driven in synchronization with each other to pass the backing material 23 across the bed rail 30 and beneath the needles 15 for stitching action of the needles 15.
The bed rail 30 is moved upwardly and downwardly as desired by means of motors such as stepping motor M5 which drives through a gear box 37 the bedrail lifts which are screws such as screw 33 which are threadedly carried by brackets such as bracket 34 attached to the frame 10. As is well known, the height of the bed rail 30 will determine how deep the needles 15 sew the loops of yarn which are caught by loopers such as looper 35. The loops are subsequently cut by knives such as knife 36. Since the function of a tufting machine in producing conventional cut pile fabric is well known, a more detailed description of the parts of the tufting machine is not deemed necessary.
According to the present invention, the motors M1, M2, M3, M4 and M5 are respectively controlled so as to dictate the various parameters of the cut pile fabric to be sewn using the machine of the present invention. The motors M1 can be driven either forwardly or rearwardly so that the machine can be rocked back and forth when the bed rail 30 is to be raised so as to permit the cutting of the loops of yarn which are held by the looper. Otherwise, the raising of the bed rail 30 may cause the loops of yarn 16 to break several of the loopers, particularly when the loopers have been subjected to metal fatigue.
FIG. 4 shows a mechanical diagram for the operation of computer-controlled tufting machine 10. The servomotors M3 and M4 drive the yarn feed roll 21 and cloth feed rolls 24, 27, in ratio to the speed of the main shaft 11 by electronic means through gear reducers 22, 32, 18 and tension belt 28. The yarn feed reducer 22 on the yarn feed servomotor M3 changes the ratio between revolutions of the main shaft 11 to fractions of a revolution of the yarn feed roll 21 to vary the yarn feed between 0.35 and 3 inches of yarn per revolution of the main shaft. Similarly, the cloth feed reducers 32, 18 change the ratio between revolutions of the main shaft 11 to the fraction of the revolution of the front and rear cloth feed drive rolls 24, 27 to vary the backing feed rate between 0.06 and 0.2 inches of backing per revolution of the main shaft 11.
The main shaft motors M1, M2 rotate the main shaft 11 which drives the reciprocating needle bar 14. An optical encoder 40 mounted on main shaft 11 and consisting of a light emitting diode, a photocell and a slotted disk between the diode and photocell, is an incremental shaft-angle encoder that follows the rotation of the main shaft and transmits an electrical input signals to both the cloth feed motor M4 and to the yarn feed motor M3. Bedrail lift motor M5 is a stepper motor cOntrOlled by computer 50 and raises and lowers the bedrail 30 through the gear box 37. An absolute encoder 45 located on the output shaft of gear box 37 senses the position of bedrail 30. Also shown in FIG. 4 is electric bedrail hydraulic pump 38 which cooperates with motor M5 to operate bedrail clamp 39 to lock the bedrail 30 in place when motor M5 is stopped after it is raised or lowered the bedrail 30. The absolute encoder 45 driven from main shaft 11 provides a binary-coded-decimal coded digital output word for each discrete displacement increment of the bedrail.
The electrical components of the computer-controlled tufting machine 10 are shown in the block diagram of FIG. 5A and 5B. Microprocessor-based computer 50 provides status information to the operator through operation interface 51 which in the preferred embodiment is a touch screen. Permanent style information is stored in battery backed-up random access memory. In an alternate embodiment, the interface may be a keyboard (not shown) for input and to a disk drive (not shown) for permanent storage of style information on disk. In still another alternate embodiment the interface 51 may consist of a plurality of microcomputers (not shown) networked to a central computer (not shown) to permit control of a multiplicity of tufting machines from one source. Style information and job orders would then be entered and stored at the location of the central computer. The computer 50 also interfaces with a printer 52 to provide automatically run data on operation of the tufting machine along with statistical data on efficiency of operation of the machine during a specific period of time such as a work shift duration.
The computer 50 controls the setting of the indexer 41 for the yarn feed and the indexer 42 for cloth feed 42 which, in turn, controls operation of yarn feed motor M3 and cloth feed motor M4, respectively, through servo drives 43 and 44. The resolver 43a on yarn feed motor M3 provides position information to the yarn feed servo drive 43. Similarly, the resolver 44a on cloth feed motor M4 provides feedback to the cloth feed servo drive 44 to control the rate of feed of the backing material 23.
The indexers 41, 42 are set with the correct ratio information through computer 50. The ratio information is fed to the gear reducers 22, 32 which control the ratio between revolutions of the main shaft 11 to fractions of revolutions of the yarn feed roll 21 and the cloth feed roll 24, respectively. Changing the two ratios determines the style of carpet, i.e., the depth and density of the carpet. The encoder 40 on the main shaft 11 follows the rotation of the main shaft 11 and sends a pulse to the indexers 41, 42 for every rotation of the main shaft 11. The indexers 41, 42 comprise electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM). The input signals from main shaft encoder 40 are used by each indexer 41 or 42 to output a pulse stream to the respective servo drive 43, 44 which control operation of the yarn and cloth feed servo motors M3, M4. Each pulse from the indexers 41, 42 is translated into steps on servo drives 43, 44. For the yarn feed rolls 21, there are between 0.5-5 steps on the servo drive 43 for each pulse from the encoder 40. The computer 50 is also used to set up interrupts and an interrupt occurs for every complete revolution of the cloth roll 27. The cloth roll 27 is a spike roll which might typically have a circumference of 12.566 inches. Each interrupt results in the incrementing of a counter representing the linear length of carpet produced.
SYSTEM OPERATION
When the computer-controlled tufting machine 10 is powered up, the resident software program defining the operator interface 51 goes through a system initialization cycle wherein the graphics mode is set, the indexers 41, 42 for the yarn feed and cloth feed are reset, the touch screen 70 is initialized, interrupts are enabled, timers are initialized and the tufting machine 10 is "locked out" to prevent inadvertent operation.
After the system is initialized the first menu is displayed. Each menu requires operator interaction before another menu can be displayed. As indicated in FIG. 6, the machine operator is given the choice on touch screen 53 of setting style information block 53a, selecting the maintenance mode block 53b or selecting the production mode block 53c. If STYLE INFORMATION block 53a were selected by operator the operator would touch on that area of the display screen 53, whereby the operator is provided with the screen display 153 in FIG. 7. As indicated in FIG. 7 the choices available are creating or adding to the run list block 153a, displaying the style numbers 153b in the style data base, or changing an existing style 153c in the style data base. There is an exit option available on each screen, after the initial one, which will enable the operator to back up to the immediately preceding menu.
If CREATE OR ADD TO RUN LIST block 153a were chosen, then the operator is given the screen display 253 depicted in FIG. 8, which lists the present run list, if any, in columnar format. The first column 253a displays the order number, the second column 253b the style number, the third column 253c the batch number, the fourth column 253d the number of rolls and the final column 253e the number of feet of carpet to run on a particular job. The FEET TO RUN is the product of the number of rolls and the roll length, both of which are user inputs. The operator has a numeric touch sensitive key pad 253f on the right half of the display screen 53 enabling him to select any digit or to delete an erroneous entry. The operator selects from the add block 253g, move block 253h, or erase block 253i options. If ADD is selected, the screen display will prompt the operator, in the area of the display above the present run list, for a style number, a batch number, the number of rolls, and a run length. The order number is incremented automatically in the add mode and the entire job is added to the run list. The operator touches the MOVE block 253h on screen 253 to move a job order from one point on the run list to another which can be either higher or lower. The operator is again prompted on the screen for input in the move mode. The key pad is used to select both the order number of the job to be moved and the order number for it to be moved to on the run list. The ERASE block 253i is touch activated when the operator wants to erase a job entirely from the run list. The touch key pad is used to enter the order number to remove from the run list in response to screen prompts.
When DISPLAY STYLE NUMBERS pad 153b is selected, the operator is presented with a list of style numbers that are presently stored in memory. An EXIT pad is provided to leave this function. The user is prompted in succession for the associated stitch rate, yarn feed rate, bedrail height, and tufting machine speed in revolutions per minute. The numeric touch key pad 353f is again depicted on the right half of the screen 353 for user data entry. A second menu 453 depicted in FIG. 10 is then presented for entry of backing type, the number of front and rear cams required, the tufted width, the yarn size (denier and ply), the roll length, and carpet weight (in ounces).
When EDIT STYLE INFORMATION pad 153c is selected, the operator is presented with display 353 depicted in FIG. 7. The operator first inputs a style number. If the style number does not already exist in memory, then all the variables which are required to define that style are then initialized to zero by the computer 50. If the style number does already exist then the computer 50 loads from permanent storage the style information associated with the style number. The user then edits the information relating to that style.
The maintenance mode (Block 53b) will allow the following operations:
1. Running only the cloth or yarn feed motors (M4 or M3) for threading the machine or changing the backing 23;
2. Setting the stopping position of the needle bar 14; and
3. Raising or lowering the bedrail 30 for system tests.
Selection of PRODUCTION & OPERATION block 53c on the screen displayed in FIG. 6 will present the user with the screen 553 display depicted in FIG. 11. The style number at the top of the run list is read and the corresponding style information is retrieved from the permanent storage medium (e.g. random access memory) and displayed on the left side of the screen. STAND-BY is written to the system status line on the screen display. The computer 50 loads the indexers 41, 42 with the correct ratio information. After the indexers 41, 42 are loaded, the machine lock-out is removed enabling the machine to operate. MACHINE READY is then written to the system status line on the screen display 553. The system is initialized to non-active status and then to screen lock. The tufting machine 10 can be operated now, but efficiencies will not be calculated.
At this point the machine is idle and waiting for operator input. The operator starts the operation of the machine by the separate machine controls. FIG. 11 indicates that there are six possible operator inputs having to do with calculation and display of production run statistics. The ADDITIONAL INFO option displays the additional information shown in FIG. 10. The LOCKED option causes the screen lock-out to be toggled. The START, STOP, RESET and EXIT options are affected by the screen lock-out. When the screen 553 is not locked-out, START initializes efficiency calculations, STOP suspends efficiency calculations, RESET serves to reinitialize efficiency calculations and sets the timers to zero. EXIT returns the display screen to that shown in FIG. 6. As the batch is being produced on the tufting machine 10, the information indicated on the lower part of the menu is displayed and continuously updated at the screen refresh rate. This information includes batch number, requested feet, total feet for the batch, total feet for the shift, run time for shift, and efficiency (percent).
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited by the specific illustrative embodiments described herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims. | A tufting machine is provided with separate motors which drive the main drive shaft, control the feed of the backing material and control the bedrail height. A computer is electrically connected to these motors and to the yarn feed controls. The software indicates patterns to be produced, informing the computer to control the number of stitches per inch of backing, the weight of face yarn per square yard, the pile height, the amount of yarn fed to the needles and the linear length of carpeting produced. The computer also dictates the schedule by which prescribed lengths of additional patterns are produced by the tufting machine and can control a number of such tufting machines. When the pile height is to be changed, the computer automatically controls the main motors for rocking the main shaft, to reciprocate the needles while controlling the yarn feed controls and the motor to the bedrail. | 3 |
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application relies upon U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/830,430, filed Jul. 13, 2006, the content of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates to an apparatus for regulating the body temperature of a human and in greater detail the present invention includes a portable apparatus for cooling and heating the core of the human body.
BACKGROUND
[0003] A person working in a warm environment or performing tasks for which protective clothing is required may find the working conditions uncomfortable and may even experience a deterioration in performance or increased fatigue due to the build-up of body heat. Additionally construction workers also experience the same heat discomfort. This may result in elevated body temperatures and increased stress.
[0004] One technique for keeping the body cool in such situations has been to employ a coolant-chilled garment. A coolant liquid such as chilled water is pumped through tubes which are attached to the garment to chill the garment. Such systems are typically closed systems in which the coolant is circulated through a cooling unit to maintain the garment and coolant at a chilled temperature.
[0005] Although the entire system may be self contained, a person wearing the chilled garment must be tethered at all times to the cooling unit. The tether, of course, restricts the mobility of the wearer of the garment. Cooling by means of a liquid increases the weight the cooling garment and also the complexity and cost of the system. In addition, the cooling and tank units that are required for the liquid coolant may impede the movements of the wearer or others when the system is used in confined areas or when movement in the work area is necessary.
[0006] Additionally, there have been systems employing air or refrigerated air for cooling individuals. However, these systems have been uncomfortable to wear, cumbersome to use, and frequently have the same disadvantages as the liquid cooling systems.
[0007] Thus, what is needed is an apparatus for regulating the body temperature of a human that is both portable and easy to use while providing comfort to the user.
SUMMARY
[0008] The present invention comprises an apparatus for regulating the body temperature of a human by including a portable apparatus for cooling and heating the core of the human. The present personal climate control device provides a hands free cooling and heating device which may be clipped to the belt or pant of a wearer. In cooling the body the device amplifies evaporation and decreases the chances of shirt to skin contact.
[0009] In greater detail, the present invention includes a personal climate control device comprising a housing for venting and directing an airflow upward and across a core of a human body. The housing includes a first and second opposed opening formed within the housing and a fan located within the housing. The fan is capable of directing an air stream from the first opening and towards the second opening of the housing so that the air stream is directed across the core of the human body. An electric motor operatively connected to the fan with a power supply connected to the electric motor. A clip is further included and connected to the housing for securing the housing to the human body.
[0010] The motor may be a piezoelectric motor with the fan selected from the group consisting essentially of a tube-axial fan, a centrifugal radial fan and combinations thereof. The device may further include a pre-chilled element located within the housing and operatively located such that air passes over the pre-chilled element to produce a cooled air stream. The device may also include a pre-heated element located within the housing and operatively located such that air passes over the pre-heated element to produce a heated air stream.
[0011] In a further embodiment, the personal climate control device includes a heating element located within the housing and operatively located such that air passes over the heating element to produce a heated air stream. An additional embodiment includes a mechanical heating and cooling apparatus located within the housing for cooling and heating the air stream for heating and cooling the core of the human body.
DRAWINGS
[0012] In the drawings:
[0013] FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of the present personal climate control device including the electric motor, housing, power source and an axial fan;
[0014] FIG. 2 further illustrates an embodiment of the present personal climate control device including a centrifugal radial fan;
[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates a further of the present personal climate control device comprising a piezoelectric motor and fan blade that oscillates back and forth;
[0016] FIG. 4 depicts an additional embodiment of the climate control device illustrating the pre-chilled and/or pre-heated element located in the housing of the device;
[0017] FIG. 5 illustrates the heating coil embodiment of the present device wherein the heating coil is located in the housing;
[0018] FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of the mechanical heating and cooling element located within the housing including an axial fan; and
[0019] FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the mechanical heating and cooling element located within the housing including a centrifugal fan.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] The present invention comprises an apparatus for regulating the body temperature of a human by including a portable apparatus for cooling and heating the core of the human. In greater detail the present invention includes a personal climate control device comprising a housing for venting and directing an airflow upward and across a core of a human body. The housing includes a first and second opposed opening formed within the housing and a fan located within the housing. The fan is capable of directing an air stream from the first opening and towards the second opening of the housing so that the air stream being directed across the core of the human body. An electric motor operatively connected to the fan with a power supply connected to the electric motor. A clip is further included and connected to the housing for securing the housing to the human body.
[0021] Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-7 depict the present apparatus for regulating the body temperature of a human.
[0022] FIG. 1 depicts the personal climate control device 2 comprising a housing 8 for venting and directing an airflow upward and across a core of a human body. The housing may be made of any material and take on most any shape. As illustrated, the housing 8 may be cylindrical and may be sized to fit comfortably to a human. In one embodiment, the housing 8 is sized such that it may attach to the belt of a user or the pant and fit comfortably under the shirt of a user.
[0023] The housing 8 includes a first opening 4 and second 6 opposed opening formed within the housing 8 . The first opening 4 receives air intake and directs it up the housing 8 and then out the second opening 6 to cool or heat the core of a human. The second opening 6 may fit under the shirt of the user for directing the cooled or heated air stream. A fan 12 is located within the housing. The fan is capable of directing an air stream from the first opening and towards the second opening of the housing so that the air stream is directed across the core of the human body. The fan 12 may be mounted at various positions within the housing 8 , including vertically and horizontally within the housing 4 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the fan 12 is illustrated as an axial fan/blower blade.
[0024] An electric motor 16 is operatively connected to the fan 12 , typically via a drive shaft. Typically, the motor 16 is located within the housing 8 . However, it is contemplated that the motor 18 may be located outside of the housing 8 . The motor 16 may be any type of motor capable of powering the fan 12 . The motor 16 is connected to a power supply 14 . The power supply 14 may be any device capable of providing power or electricity to the motor 16 , including a solar cell, battery and rechargeable battery. Additionally connected to the housing is a clip 10 for attaching the device 2 to the human user. The term “clip” is used herein to mean a singular non-belt type attachment means used to secure the device 2 to the user. In one embodiment, the clip 10 is as shown in FIG. 1 as a pincher mechanism.
[0025] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an additional embodiment of the present personal climate control device 2 including a centrifugal radial fan 12 . FIG. 3 illustrates a further embodiment of the present personal climate control device 2 comprising a piezoelectric motor 16 and fan blade 12 . FIG. 4 adds the further element of a pre-chilled and/or pre-heated element 18 . The pre-chilled and/or pre-heated element 18 is typically an element capable retaining heat or cold for a duration and is placed in the housing 8 as a cold or heated element. In one embodiment, the pre-chilled and/or pre-heated element 18 is placed within the housing 8 near the second opening 6 . FIG. 5 illustrates the present device 2 having a heating element 20 for heating an air stream as it is directed to the core of a human body.
[0026] FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the mechanical cooling and heating embodiment of the present invention. The mechanical cooling mechanism includes a condenser 22 and a filter 26 , battery 14 , fan 12 , compressor 24 and motor 16 . Various configurations of mechanical cooling may be used or contemplated in the present invention. One embodiment is known as a heat pump. The device 2 does not utilize a moisture stream to aid in cooling and is substantially free of such, including being substantially free of a water reservoir.
[0027] While applicant has set forth embodiments as illustrated and described above, it is recognized that variations may be made with respect to disclosed embodiments. Therefore, while the invention has been disclosed in various forms only, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many additions, deletions and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, and no undue limits should be imposed except as set forth in the following claims. | Disclosed is an apparatus for regulating the body temperature of a human by including a clip on portable apparatus for cooling and heating the core of the human. The present personal climate control device provides a hands free cooling and heating device which may be clipped to the belt or pant of a wearer. In cooling the body, the device amplifies evaporation and decreases the chances of shirt to skin contact. | 8 |
This is a divisional application Ser. No. 08/892,842 filed Jul. 11, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,433, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method for presenting, over a network, materials contained in a single computer file.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet, as it is popularly known, has become an important and useful tool for accessing a wide variety of information. One component of the Internet is the World Wide Web (hereinafter, the web). In recent years the web has become an increasingly popular vehicle for providing information to virtually anyone with access to the Internet. Many sites (hereinafter, web sites) have been established to provide information in many different forms, such as text, graphics, video and audio formats over the web.
A typical web site includes system and application software programs installed on a web server that is connected to the Internet. By connecting the web server to the Internet, clients that are connected to the Internet can access the web site via the web server. Usually a client is located remotely from the web server, although the client and server can be at the same location. Also, a web server can be connected to a private intranet, as opposed to or in addition to the public Internet, in order to make a web site privately available to clients within an organization.
A client typically accesses the web site by using a web browser. The web browser is a software program which runs on the client and receives from the server information formatted in a known manner. A very popular format for information sent over the web from a server to a client, is the hypertext mark-up language (HTML). HTML is a tag based script format, in which tags surround the information to be presented. By tagging the information to be sent to a browser, the browser can interpret the tags and handle the presentation of the information sent from the server. It is left to the web browser, at the client, to determine the specific formatting of the information, based on the tags included in the HTML information sent from the server. For example, information to be displayed at a client might include header information followed by a list of other information. FIG. 1A shows a portion of HTML code with such a header and list. When the HTML information is received by a client and interpreted by a web browser, the information is displayed, as is shown in FIG. 1B, for example, in which a header 10 and list 12 are presented to a user at the client.
The HTML information sent by the server does not specify the particular size, font and placement of the header 10 and the list 12 . Rather, the header and list information are surrounded by HTML tags which identify that information as a header and a list, respectively. It is the responsibility of the web browser at the client to determine how the information is presented.
Over the past several years, HTML-compliant web browsers have, proliferated at a great rate. Accordingly, a large install base of HTML-compliant web browsers has been established worldwide.
HTML supports the use of links, which allow a web browser user to link from one source of information to another, easily and rapidly. A link provides a user with the means to navigate the web, and even navigate within a specific web site. The server, when sending HTML information to a web browser, would include a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in information associated with the link. Typically, a link would be displayed to a user in a special format, such as being highlighted. The user could select that link, for example, by moving a pointing device such as a computer mouse to position a cursor over the link and selecting that link by pressing a button on the mouse. When a user selects a link, the web browser sends a request for the corresponding URL. The URL identifies a specific web resource, such as a specific web page at the web site. The server receives the request for the URL, determines the information to be sent to the client, accesses that information and then sends that new information to the client for presentation. The client receives the new presentation information sent by the server, which is typically HTML formatted information, and presents it to the user via the web browser. In this manner, the World Wide Web can be navigated by selecting links presented by the web browser, in which the links identify HTML web pages in a web site.
A web site generally includes more than one web page. Typically, each web page is defined in a single computer file, containing only the contents of that web page. In other words, the web page is defined in a flat HTML file. When the server receives a message containing a request for a URL, that URL generally identifies the file for the requested web page. The server, in response to the message, retrieves the file for the requested web page and transmits the contents of the retrieved file to the client. In this manner, the web pages are maintained separately for ease of access. However, using a separate file for each web page introduces problems with maintaining multiple files. As a web site becomes larger and more complex, the number of web pages generally would increase. Accordingly, the number of HTML flat files becomes larger. With the increase in the number of HTML flat files comes added complexity for the document creator or webmaster to manage those files.
A solution to the problem of managing a large number of HTML flat files is to include a plurality of a web site's pages in a single file. Here, each time the client requests one of the plurality of pages, the server would download to the client the entire single file containing the requested page as well as the other pages stored in the same file but not requested. Accordingly, when a client requests any of the web pages in the site, the entire file containing the requested page would be sent to the requesting client, including some non-requested pages. For a very small web site, a single file which contains all the web pages of the site could be used. Although, while storing all the pages in a single site may be feasible; as the size of the web site grows, the size of the single file would grow. Transmitting a large file containing all the web pages, or even a plurality of web pages, would likely cause the performance of the web site to be degraded, manifesting itself in long response times at the client, and increased network traffic.
Accordingly, in the conventional environment described above, an HTML document creator, or webmaster, is faced with either the system administration headache of managing and maintaining multiple, flat HTML files, or subjecting users to downloading one, potentially very large document for each request.
Also, a limitation of earlier versions of HTML-compliant web browsers is that only a single web page could be presented to a user at any particular time. Although the web provides tremendous capabilities for presenting a wide variety and great depth of information, this limitation of existing web browsers to display only a single page of information at a time limits the usefulness, and the power of the web.
A solution to this problem has been to include in web browsers a feature known as frames, as used in some of the NAVIGATOR products manufactured by Netscape Communications Corp. A frame-capable web browser, such as NAVIGATOR 3.0, allows a client to display, via the web browser, more than one frame at a time. This feature allows a user to display one set of information in one frame, while displaying another set of information in another frame, so that both frames are displayed by the web browser at the same time. FIG. 2 shows an example of a display generated by a frame-capable web browser. The display shown in FIG. 2 includes four frames of information displayed at the same time. As depicted in FIG. 2, a table of contents frame 20 , shown on the left-hand side of the display, would list items related to the table of contents of a document. A header frame 22 , shown in the upper portion the display, would contain information identifying the information shown in a main frame 24 , depicted in the middle of the display of FIG. 2 . The main frame 24 would contain detailed information related to the item selected in the table of contents frame 20 . A footer frame 26 may also be included to present information at the bottom of the display, such as footnotes, or a number of links, for example.
In this frame-based environment if a user selects one of the items contained in the table of contents frame, a request for a URL is sent to the web server to direct it to send new information to be displayed in the main frame relating to that specific URL. For example, if the user selects an item in the table of contents frame, the web browser, in response, sends to the web server a request for a URL unique to that selected item. The web server receives the request for the URL which might identify a separate computer file on the server. The information in that file is transmitted to the web browser and the web browser displays the received information in the main frame.
In order to manage and identify the frames in which the information is to be displayed, the server requires that specific frames be identified in the HTML structure of the files at the server. For example, Table 1 shows an example of HTML source code necessary for creating the frames shown in FIG. 2 . For example, frame tags are required in the HTML source code to identify a frame. Those frame tags include a frame source name (SRC) and attributes about the frame such as the location for display by the web browser (e.g., row and column sizes). Here for example, the table of contents frame is located in a separate file named TOC.HTM. The frame tag identifies the size of the frame and location of the frame. Similarly, the frame tags for the header, main and footer frames identify those frames as well as the relative positions of those frames for display by the web browser. Upon receiving these special frame tags, the frame-capable web browser decodes those frame tags. The web browser then displays the information relating to each frame in the corresponding frame. That information is displayed in areas at the location and relative size specified by the frame tags.
TABLE 1
HTML Source Code for A Frame Based Web Browser
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Title of Web Page With Frames</TITLE></HEAD>
<FRAMESET ROWS=“20%,60%,20%”>
<FRAME SRC=“header.htm”>
<FRAMESET COLS=“20%,80%”>
<FRAME SRC=“toc.htm”>
<FRAME SRC=“main.htm”>
</FRAMESET>
<FRAME SRC=“footer.htm”>
</FRAMESET>
</HTML>
File: HEADER.HTM
<HTML><BODY>
Header Frame
</BODY></HTML>
File: TOC.HTM
<HTML><BODY>
Table of Contents Frame
</BODY></HTML>
File: MAIN.HTM
<HTML><BODY>
Main Frame
</BODY></HTML>
File: FOOTER.HTM
<HTML><BODY>
Footer Frame
</BODY></HTML>
Although use of frames provides another dimension of functionality for display of web-based information, web sites that use frames require web browsers to support the frame feature, in order to have information presented in the frames. While displaying information according to a frame paradigm can be useful in displaying web-based information, the size of the install base of non-frame-capable web browsers limits the use of frames. That is, in order to use frames, a frame-capable web browser must be installed on the client. However, because of the large number of installed web browsers which are not frame-capable, use of frames on web sites is often avoided, or else HTML code is included to generate both frame-based and non-frame-based web pages for transmission to frame capable and non-frame-capable web browsers. Creating two sets of data, one for frame-capable browsers and another for non-frame capable browsers, creates difficulties in managing and maintaining the redundant information.
Another problem with the use of presenting information in frames, is that a single, unified background image cannot be presented by a web-browser that presents frames of information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to solving the above problems. That is, the present invention is directed to presenting information over the World Wide Web in a manner such that information from different files or from the same file can be displayed at the same time in a related manner, but without requiring a frame-capable web browser.
An object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for managing internet presentation materials in a single file format for ease of administration while presenting to an internet requestor only those portions of the file requested, for maximum performance.
Another object is to provide a system and method for presenting internet information using borderless presentation areas, where the background specification is decoupled from the presentation area specification.
Yet another object is to provide a system and method for using a dynamic web page builder to generate and manage multiple simultaneous presentation areas, including where one presentation area includes table of contents information covering other content on a web site and where the table of contents information is maintained continuously on-screen for ease of navigation through the web site.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a method and system for generating presentation materials for transport over a network to a browser, in which the browser is not capable of handling frames.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a web macro, which is computer-readable and embodied on a tangible medium, and which directs generation of pages of presentation materials, wherein only a single instance of information is maintained, yet that information is used in generating a plurality of the pages of presentation material.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:
FIGS. 1A and B respectively depict HTML source code for a web page and a display generated by a web browser based on that source code, as is known in the prior art;
FIG. 2 depicts frames produced by a frame-capable web browser, as is known in the prior art;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a client/server system for transmitting presentation materials from a web-based server to a client according to the invention;
FIG. 4 shows presentation of materials on a web browser according to the invention;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for describing a process of generating the presentation materials shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 shows presentation of other materials on a web browser according to the invention;
FIG. 7 shows a display of materials with pseudo-frames, according to the invention; and
FIG. 8 shows a plurality of presentation areas with a uniform background across all the presentation areas.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of a method, system and article of manufacture for managing internet presentation materials in a single file format according to the present invention is described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The present invention is directed to a method, system and article of manufacture for managing internet presentation materials in a single file format. The invention takes advantage of properties of a dynamic HTTP application software 32 program which runs on a web server 30 , as shown in FIG. 3 . An example of a preferred dynamic HTTP application is NET.DATA manufactured by IBM Corp., although, other programs capable of dynamically creating internet/intranet information can be used. The dynamic HTTP application 32 allows information on a web page to be created or changed dynamically, while the application program is running, as opposed to maintaining merely static information which can be changed only by a system administrator, or similarly authorized person. The dynamic HTTP application 32 operates according to a web macro 34 .
The web macro 34 includes programming statements and is an embodiment of the single file format of the present invention. The web macro can be stored on a tangible, computer-readable medium, such as a computer-readable disk or tape. However, the web macro 34 is not limited to those media and may be recorded on any media which can be read so that the programming statements are supplied to the dynamic HTTP application 32 . Table 2 shows an example of a portion of a web macro according to the present invention. The web macro can be recorded in a single file and includes two sections. The first section of the web macro is a definition section, typically beginning with a statement of the form %define{variable_name={variable_value%}%}.
TABLE 2
Web Macro with a Plurality of HTML Sections
%define{
header = {
<center>IBM Internet Yellow Pages</center>
% }
contents = {
<b>Table of Contents</b>
<ul>
<li><a href=“. . .”>Purpose</a>
<li><a href=“. . .”>Overview</a>
<li>Hot <a href=“. . .”>New Technology</a>
</ul>
% }
purpose = {
<b><i>Purpose</i></b>
<blockquote>
To rapidly communicate material and . . .
<p>This internet site is updated . . .
</blockquote>
% }
overview = {
<b><i>Overview</i></b>
<blockquote>
IBM's Internet Yellow Page Solution is a
collection of IBM software and hardware products . . .
<p>Using IBM's award-winning database, DB2, . . .
</blockquote>
% }
footer = {
<a href=“. . . ”>IBM home page</a> |
<a href=“. . .”>Order</a> |
<a href=“. . .”>Search</a> |
</BODY></HTML>
% }
% }
%HTML(purpose){
$(header)
$(contents)
$(purpose)
$(footer)
% }
%HTML(overview){
$(header)
$(contents)
$(overview)
$(footer)
% }
% }
Variables are defined within the %define section of the web macro. For example, five variables are defined in the %define section of the web macro shown in Table 2. The first variable defined in this example is the variable “header,” followed by the variable “contents.” Here, the value of the “contents” variable is text describing a table of contents for a series of charts used in a presentation. This example uses charts as the content of the web pages, merely to illustrate that the value of a variable can be essentially any type of information. Here, the Table of Contents includes at least three items, namely, Purpose, Overview and Hot New Technology. The third variable is named “purpose.” The value of the variable “purpose” is text describing the purpose of the subject matter of the charts. As shown in Table 2 the value of the variable “purpose” is simply some paragraphs of text information. The fourth variable shown in this web macro is named “overview.” Here too, the value of the variable “overview” is text information. The text in the “overview” variable is to be presented on the web page as part of the charts for presentation at the client. The fifth variable in the web macro is named “footer” and includes links for a menu bar displayed at the bottom of the page.
The second section of the web macro is the portion of the macro for generating HTML. In the example shown in Table 2 the statement %HTML{ . . . %} encompasses the HTML statements which are generated by the dynamic HTTP application. In the example shown in Table 2, the HTML generated is based on substitution of the contents of four variables for those variables. See %HTML(purpose){ . . . %} for example. The first variable is “header” which provides header information for a header to be included in the web page to be generated. The second variable is “contents.” Here, the value of the variable “contents,” which is discussed above, is inserted in the web page. Accordingly the variable “contents” in this example provides the Table of Contents to be displayed on the left-hand column of the web page, as shown in FIG. 4 . In a frame-based system, which would require a frame-capable browser, the Table of Contents would correspond to a separate frame for displaying table of contents information. However, as seen here, separate frames are not required since the information can be displayed in a single web page generated by the dynamic HTTP application 32 . The third variable in the HTML section is the variable “purpose”. Here, the value of the variable “purpose” is inserted into the web page by the dynamic HTTP application, when the macro is interpreted. As shown in FIG. 4, the paragraphs defined as the values of the variable “purpose” are included in the HTML for the web page sent to the client 36 . Accordingly, the web browser 38 displays those paragraphs in an area that would correspond to a main frame in a frame-based system. The last variable in the HTML section for this example is the variable “footer”. Here, a footer is produced by generating corresponding HTML tags for the web page by substituting the contents of the variable “footer”, resulting in a footer being displayed on the web page. The footer in FIG. 4 is a menu bar 59 shown at the bottom of the display.
Multiple HTML-input sections can be included in the web macro. In the example shown in Table 2, two HTML sections are defined. The first HTML section defines the case where a user has selected the “Purpose” item listed in the Table of Contents presented by the web browser. The result is an HTML web page generated which contains a header, a table of contents, a Purpose section presented in the middle portion of the display, and a footer, as shown in FIG. 4 .
The web page shown in FIG. 4 includes a first area 50 (Table of Contents) and a second area 56 (Purpose), which are associated by the list of items in the first area.
Operation of the web macro according to the invention is described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 . When a requestor selects the Purpose item 52 listed in the table of contents area 50 of the display shown in FIG. 4, the first HTML section of the web macro shown in Table 2 is interpreted, thereby generating HTML for a web page. More specifically, when the Purpose item 52 is selected by the requester (step S 100 ), the web browser 38 generates a message including a request for a URL, which is sent to the web server 30 to link to the Purpose page. The web server 30 passes the request for the URL to the dynamic HTTP application 32 (step S 110 ). The dynamic HTTP application 32 invokes the web macro 34 and supplies the variable “purpose” to the web macro's HTML sections (step S 120 ). In this case, the first HTML section corresponds to “purpose,” and accordingly that portion of the HTML part of the web macro is interpreted by the dynamic HTTP application 32 . When the first HTML section is interpreted, the value of the variable “purpose” is substituted for the variable “purpose”, along with values of other specified variables being substituted (step S 130 ). The result is the web page shown in FIG. 4 being generated (step S 140 ). The web page shown in FIG. 4 includes the header 58 , the table of contents 50 , and the footer 59 , and it also includes in a middle portion, or main area 56 , the purpose information that is defined for the “purpose” variable. Here, the value of the “purpose” variable is shown in the middle portion of the display and includes the word “Purpose” and two paragraphs of text. In this manner when a requestor selects an item from the first area 50 , corresponding to the Table of Contents in this example, a request is sent to the web server 30 and ultimately to the dynamic HTTP application 32 to generate another web page which includes not only the information of the first area 50 (e.g., the table of contents information) but also second information corresponding to information displayed in the main area 56 , here, the Purpose information. Once the HTML web page is generated and transmitted from the web server 30 to the client 36 (step S 150 ), the web browser 38 displays the HTML page as shown in FIG. 4 (step S 160 ). Other information such as header 58 and footer 59 information can also be included in the generated web page, for presentation at the client by the web browser.
Only portions of the web macro 34 requested by the user, are interpreted. Accordingly, a plurality of web page definitions can be stored and managed in a single file, i.e., the web macro, yet only those portions requested by a user are included in the web page generated from the web macro 34 .
As another example, when the user selects the Overview item 53 in the Table of Contents 50 , a URL is generated which identifies the “overview” variable. The corresponding request for the URL is transmitted to the web server 30 . The web server 30 passes the request for the URL to the dynamic HTTP application which generates a new web page by interpreting the second HTML section of the web macro 34 . Here the second HTML section, which is selected when the “overview” variable is identified, is interpreted since the URL identifies the variable “overview.” As described above, a web page is then generated having the same header 58 , footer 59 and Table of Contents information 50 as before, and also having an Overview portion 66 , which is presented in a main area of the web browser display, as shown in FIG. 6 . Here, the contents of the “overview” variable are substituted in the HTML generated for the requested web page. Similarly, the values of the other variables specified for the selected HTML section, are substituted when generating the requested web page. That requested web page, generated by the dynamic HTTP application, is passed to the server which transmits it to the client. The client 36 receives the generated HTML for the web page, passes it to the web browser 38 which displays it, thereby presenting the same header 58 , footer 59 and table of contents 50 presented in the previous page, but now also presenting new information shown in the main area, namely, the Overview information 66 .
In the manner described above, information is defined only once, in the variable definitions, and can be maintained in a single file, yet multiple web pages can be generated from that single instance of the information. Accordingly, the information which is used in multiple web pages can be maintained in only a single location, thereby eliminating the need to maintain a separate copy of that information for each web page in which it is used. Maintaining all the information for the web site in a single computer file simplifies the webmaster's task of having to keep track of all the separate files which comprise a web page, or web site. Moreover, by only providing those portions of the web page requested by a user, maintaining all the information for the web page or web site does not impact performance, since only the requested portions are transmitted. Furthermore, the single instance of the information stored in the web macro can be handled and presented with a non-frame capable web browser. Such a non-frame capable web browser can present the information, maintained in a single instance, because the client receives a complete web page in response to each selection of an item in the first area, rather than receiving only a fame of information. Accordingly, a web page generated according to the present invention and presented at the client using a non-fame capable web browser, gives the appearance of consisting of logical frames, without requiring the web browser to be capable of supporting frame tags. This appearance is a result of the information being dynamically updated at various locations of the display, yet the web browser does not need to support frame tags and must only be able to receive and present a single page of web information. Accordingly, the present invention provides the capability of giving the appearance of presenting information in frames, but does not require a frame-capable web browser to be installed on the client in order to present that information.
In another embodiment of the present invention the web macro 34 can include only a single HTML section, yet support generation of web pages that give the appearance of including a plurality of frames. Table 3 shows an example of a web macro 34 for the same web pages shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, but employs only a single HTML section. Here, the %define section of the web macro is the same as in the embodiment discussed above, in which the “header”, “contents” and “footer” variables are defined the same as in the previously described embodiment. However, the variables for the main area of display are included in an “if” structure. Here, when the dynamic HTTP application 32 receives a request for a URL from the web browser 38 which indicates a particular item selected from the first area (e.g., the Table of Contents area), the variable in the “if” structure, corresponding to the received URL request, is evaluated to generate the HTML information to be transmitted to the client 36 . For example, if a requestor selects the Overview section, a request for the URL for “overview” is sent to the web server 30 which pass it to the dynamic HTTP application. The dynamic HTTP application executes the HTML section and evaluates the “if” statement. Accordingly, the value of the variable “overview” is substituted for the $(overview) statement in the HTML section of the web macro, since the argument passed to the HTML section is “overview.” In this manner the same HTML section can be used for all the items listed in the Table of Contents area of the web page.
TABLE 3
Web Macro with Single HTML Section
%define{
header = {
<center>IBM Internet Yellow Pages</center>
% }
contents = {
<b>Table of Contents</b>
<ul>
<li><a href=“. . .”>Purpose</a>
<li><a href=“. . .”>Overview</a>
<li>Hot <a href=“. . .”>New Technology</a>
</ul>
% }
purpose = {
<b><i>Purpose</i></b>
<blockquote>
To rapidly communicate material and . . .
<p>This internet site is updated . . .
</blockquote>
% }
overview = {
<b><i>Overview</i></b>
<blockquote>
IBM's Internet Yellow Page Solution is a
collection of IBM software and hardware products . . .
<p>Using IBM's award-winning database, DB2, . . .
</blockquote>
% }
footer = {
<a>IBM home page</a> |
<a>Order</a> |
</BODY></HTML>
% }
%HTML_INPUT{
$(header)
$(contents)
%if( “$(arg)” == “purpose” )
$(purpose)
%elseif( “$(arg)” == “overview” )
$(overview)
$(footer)
% }
In still another embodiment the web browser 38 is controlled by the web macro and web server to make the presentation of the information in the web macro 34 appear even more like frames, by including borders around the various logical frames, or presentation areas, of the web page, as shown in FIG. 7 . More specifically, the HTML generated based on the web macro 34 causes the web browser to create a pseudo-border 82 around each of the presentation areas defined in the HTML section, as shown in FIG. 7 . Here, a border is drawn around one or more of the presentation areas of the web page. The border is defined by the HTML generated to produce the web page. The web page is constructed by the dynamic HTTP application 32 so that the client continues to receive a full web page upon each request. However, in this embodiment borders are also produced to more clearly delineate the boundaries between the different presentation areas displayed at the client.
In yet another embodiment, the web macro 34 allows a web page to be generated which include a plurality of presentation areas and a background. Here, the background is decoupled from the plurality of presentation areas so that the background appears uniform across the presentation areas. For example, if the web macro includes a background tag for pages that are generated, upon receiving a request for the Purpose information discussed above, the dynamic HTTP application would generate a web page having header, footer, Table of Contents and Purpose presentation areas, along with a single uniform background defined in the web macro. FIG. 8 shows an example of a web page created in which the macro, in the HTML section for the requested information, defines a background 80 to be displayed. As can be seen in FIG. 8, the background 80 appears uniform across all the presentation areas. This capability would not be possible ware the web page implemented with frame tags.
In still yet another embodiment, the variables are defined in one or more different files. By use of “include” statements, the values of the variables can be retrieved from the files in which they are stored and included in the single web macro containing the HTML sections when that macro is invoked.
Other modifications and variations to the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the foregoing disclosure and teachings. Thus, while only certain embodiments of the invention have been specifically described herein, it will be apparent that numerous modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the present invention is described in terms of generating HTML as a language for producing the web page. However, the present invention is not limited to only the HTML language. Rather, the present invention includes any other language capable of being dynamically generated to express materials to be presented at a client. Also, the present invention is not limited to an HTTP application, but includes any other dynamic application capable of dynamically substituting values of variables to create presentation materials. | A method and system are disclosed for managing Internet presentation materials in a single file format for ease of administration while presenting to an Internet requestor only those portions of the file requested, for maximum performance. Also disclosed is a system and method for presenting Internet materials using borderless presentation areas, where the background specification is decoupled from the presentation area specification. The invention also relates to a system and method for using a dynamic web page builder to generate and manage multiple instances of information to be simultaneously displayed in multiple presentation areas, in which one of the presentation areas contains table of contents information listing various selectable web pages stored in a single file. The table of contents information is continuously displayed on-screen when any of the items listed in the table of contents is selected for ease of navigation through a web site. | 6 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an oligonucleotide for detecting stripe disease resistant rice, also relates to a method for using the oligonucleotide to detect stripe disease resistant rice.
Rice stripe disease occurs in Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan and Russia. An agent that causes rice stripe disease is RSV (rice stripe virus) which is transmitted by small brown planthoppers (Laodelphax striatelluls Fallen) in a persistent manner and passes through egg of an infective female to progeny. Infection of rice plant with RSV causes severe damage to agriculture.
To control stripe disease, rice cultivars with resistance to RSV have been bred in Japan. For breeding rice cultivars resistant to RSV, many plant materials generated after crossing a resistant plant with a susceptible one are inspected by inoculation testes. In the inoculation test, young seedlings of rice are inoculated with a colony of infective insects and are transplanted to a nursery box in an insect-free greenhouse. Within 2-3 weeks after inoculation, susceptible plants have symptoms of stripe disease and are discarded, whereas stripe disease resistant plants have no symptom and are selected for the next generation. However, this method is quite laborious and time-consuming, and requires a colony of infective insects and air-conditioned greenhouse. Especially, maintenance of the infecting ability of insects is very difficult, because the rate of infective individuals in a colony becomes lower than that in the former generation. For this reason, selection of infective individuals in a colony must be made by inoculation test or serological method every 5-7 generations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an oligonucleotide which can be effectively used to specifically detect stripe disease resistant rice, so that the detection of stripe disease resistant rice may be easily performed in a laboratory, dispensing with any laborious and time consuming operations.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of detecting stripe disease resistant rice with the use of the oligonucleotide, so that the detection of the resistant plants may be easily performed in a laboratory, dispensing with any laborious and time consuming operations.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an oligonucleotide for specifically detecting stripe disease resistant rices, said oligonucleotide comprising a sort of nucleic acid sequence 5'-CAGACCGACC-3' SEQ ID NO. 1 and being capable of amplifying a specific DNA fragment of stripe disease resistant rice.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for specifically detecting stripe disease resistant rices, said method comprising the steps of (1) isolating a genomic DNA from rice leaves; (2) amplifying a DNA fragment by polymerase chain reaction; (3) detecting stripe disease resistant rices by means of agarose gel electrophoresis.
The above objects and features of the present invention will become more understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONON OF DRAWING(S)
FIG. 1 is a picture showing the bands of the amplified DNA fragments which were amplified in polymerase chain reaction and separated by agarose gel electrophoresis.
In FIG. 1, each lane shows a rice cultivar as follows.
1: Modan
2: St.No.1
3: Tsukinohikari
4: Akanezora
5: Koigokoro
6: Tochigi 2
7: Chugoku 31
8: Musashikogane
9: Akenohoshi
10: Norin 8
11: Nipponbare
12: Koshihikari
13: Koganebare
14: Tamakei 56
15: Hitomebore
16: DNA size marker
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following description will be given to explain about an oligonucleotide for detecting stripe disease resistant rice, and a method for using the oligonucleotide to detect stripe disease resistant rice.
According to the present invention, at first genomic DNA is isolated from young leaves of rice plants, then the oligonucleotide is used as a primer in PCR (polymerase chain reaction) during which DNA fragments are amplified. Afterwards, the amplified DNA fragments are separated by virtue of agarose gel electrophoresis, so as to detect stripe disease resistant rices by taking a photograph on agarose gel containing amplified separated DNA fragments.
Oligonucleotide is used as a primer in the PCR. Such Oligonucleotide comprises ten bases each having nucleic acid sequence 5'-CAGACCGACC-3'SEQ ID NO: 1, and can be synthesized in a method developed by R. T. Letsinger et al. (R. T. Letsinger, W. B. Lursford, J. Am. Chem. Society. 98, 3655), using a DNA synthesizer (Bechman System Plus). However, such oligonucleotide may also be synthesized in some other known methods.
The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the following example, but it should be understood that the scope of the present application shall not be limited by such example.
EXAMPLE
<Isolation of Genomic DNA>
Genomic DNA was isolated from 3.0 g of young leaves from rice plants by CTAB (cetyl trimetyl ammounium bromide) method. Solutions a)-h) for use in CTAB method were prepared as follows. The prepared solutions of a),b),c),e),f),g) were autoclaved and then reserved at room temperature.
a) 2×CTAB Solution (2% CTAB, 0.1M Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 1.4M NaCl
______________________________________CTAB (Sigma, USA) 4 g1M Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 20 ml0.5M EDTA, pH 8.0 8 ml5M Sodium Chloride (NaCl) 56 ml______________________________________
A necessary amount of distilled water (dH 2 O) was used to mix with the above agents until the total volume of thus formed solution becomes 200 ml.
b) 1×CTAB Solution
2×CTAB solution a) was diluted with the same volume of dH 2 O.
c) 10% CTAB Solution (10% CTAB; 0.7M NaCl)
2 g of CTAB was solved in 17 ml of dH 2 O. The solution was adjusted to 20 ml after adding 2.8 ml of 5M NaCl.
d) Chloroform/isoamylalcohol (24:1, v/v)
______________________________________Chloroform 240 mlIsoamylalcohol 10 ml______________________________________
The above agents were mixed and preserved at 4° C.
e) Precipitation Buffer (1% CTAB, 5 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 10 mM EDTA)
______________________________________CTAB 1 g1M Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 5 ml0.5M EDTA, pH 8.0 2 ml______________________________________
A necessary amount of dH 2 O was used to mix with the above agents until the total volume of thus formed solution becomes 100 ml.
f) 1M NaCl--TE (1M NaCl, 10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 1 mM EDTA)
______________________________________5M NaCl 20 ml1M Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 1 ml0.5M EDTA 0.2 ml______________________________________
A necessary amount of dH 2 O was used to mix with the above agents until the total volume of thus formed solution becomes 100 ml.
g) TE Buffer (10 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 1 mM EDTA)
______________________________________1M Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 10 ml0.5M EDTA, pH 8.0 2 mldH.sub.2 O 988 ml______________________________________
h) 10×Ribonuclease A (RNase A) (10 mg/ml)
1 μl of 10 mg/ml RNase was added to 1 ml of autoclaved dH 2 O and preserved at -20° C.
The leaves (3.0 g of fresh weight) were frozen in liquid Nitrogen (N 2 ) and powdered using a cold mortar and pestle in liquid N 2 . The green powder was suspended sufficiently by spatula in 3 ml of 2×CTAB solution and 6 ml of 1×CTAB solution (60° C.) in 50 ml polypropylene centrifuge tube and incubated at 55° C. for 30 minutes, thus obtaining a suspension. 9 ml of chloroform/isoamylalcohol was added to the suspension and swung gently at horizontal position for 30 minutes at room temperature. The upper layer of the suspension was separated by centrifugation (2,800 r.p.m. for 15 minutes at room temperature, Himac (Hitachi,Japan)) and transferred into new 50 ml tube. The lower layer was combined with 6 ml of 1×CTAB solution and swung gently for 20 minutes again. After treating by means of centrifugation in the same manner as above, both upper layers were combined, and 15 ml of chloroform/isoamylalcohol was added thereinto and swung gently for 20 minutes. The upper layer was separated by means of the centrifugation as above and was mixed with 1/10 volume of 10% CTAB solution by turning upside down without using vortex. The nucleic acids were precipitated by adding the same volume of precipitation buffer and by mixing gently and carefully. After standing for 30 minutes, the precipitate separated by the same centrifugation as above was resuspended in 5 ml of 5M NaCl--TE and incubated at 55° C. until it was resolved completely. Into the solution was added the same volume of isopropylalcohol and mixed gently and carefully. The mixture was centrifuged at 2,600 r.p.m. for 5 minutes at room temperature, while precipitate was washed with 3 ml of 70% ethanol, followed by centrifugation as above. Into the precipitate was added 500 μl of TE and incubated at 55° C. till it was resolved. This solution was found containing RNA and DNA, and then RNA was digested by incubation of the solution at 55° C. for 30 minutes with RNase at a concentration of 1 μg/ml, and the genomic DNA was obtained. The size and yield of the genomic DNA were checked by agarose gel electrophoresis and such genomic DNA was preserved at 4° C.
<Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)>
PCR reaction will be described as follows.
Taq polymerase reaction buffer was prepared which contains:
(Perkin Elmer, USA, attached with Taq polymerase)
______________________________________Tris-HCl, pH 8.0 10 mMPotassium chloride (KCl) 50 mMMagnesium chloride (MgCl.sub.2) 1.5 mMGelatin 0.001% (w/v)______________________________________
Then, the following agents were prepared:
______________________________________Taq polymerase (Perkin Elmer, USA) 0.5 unitdATP, dGTP, dCTP, dTTP mix (Pharamacia, USA) each 150 μMOligonucleotide, as primer 0.25 μMRice genomic DNA, as template 25 ng______________________________________
Afterwards, the following agents were added together to make each PCR reaction mixture having a total volume of 25 μl.
______________________________________Taq polymerase reaction buffer (10 × conc.) 2.5 μlTaq polymerase (0.5 units/μl) 1.0 μldATP, dGTP, dCTP, dTTP mix (each 150 μM) 1.5 μlOligonucleotide (10 μM in 1/10 TE) 0.6 μl______________________________________
The 1/10 TE is a diluted TE (10 mM Tris-HCl, 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) at 10 times with dH 2 O and autoclaved for sterilization. dH 2 O is a distilled water (Nacalai, Japan) filtrated through 0.2 μm filter and sterilized by autoclaving.
PCR reaction was conducted first at 94° C. for 4 minutes, then was continued for 45 cycles with each cycle being conducted for 1 minute at 94° C., 1 minute at 36° C. and 2 minutes at 72° C., respectively. Finally, the PCR reaction was conducted at 72° C. for 7 minutes. The entire process of the PCR reaction employed GeneAmp PCR system 9600 (Perkin Elmer), GeneAmp PCR system 2400 (Perkin Elmer), and program control system PC-700 (ASTEC, Japan).
During the above PCR reaction, rice genomic DNA fragments were amplified.
<Detection of Amplified DNA Fragments>
The DNA fragments amplified by PCR reaction were separated by a 1.4% (w/v) agarose gel electrophoresis using an electrophoresis apparatus called mupid (Cosmo-Bio, Japan). In detail, agarose (0.42 g) was melt in 30 ml of TAE buffer (40 mM Tris-Acetate, 1 mM EDTA, pH 8.0) to make a gel/plate having a size of 5.9 cm ×10.7 cm ×0.5 cm. 9 μl of a PCR reaction products was mixed with 2 μl of electrophoresis dye, and the mixture thus formed was used as a sample to be electrophoresed using the gel/plate at 100 volts for 30 minutes, so as to separate amplified DNA fragments. After electrophoresis, the gel/plate was soaked in 0.5 μg/ml of etidium bromide solution for 30 min to stain amplified DNA fragments.
<Taking a Photograph>
After staining, a photograph was taken on a slightly washed gel, through a red filter MC-Rl (KANKO, Japan) at 1/1 sec of shutter speed, and using iris diaphragm 8 under long-wave length ultraviolet on a transilluminator (Funakoshi, Japan). The Polaroid film type 667 and MP-4 LAND CAMERA (Polaroid, USA) were used. The results are shown in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, each lane represents a cultivar as follows. An arrow on the left in FIG. 1 is used to indicate specifically amplified DNA band (ca. 730 bp) of stripe disease resistant cultivars. As shown in FIG. 1, lanes 1-9 each having one horizontal luminous band directed by the arrow, are determined as resistant cultivars. Also in FIG. 1, lanes 10-15 not having any horizontal luminous band directed by the arrow, are determined as susceptible cultivars. Lane 16 is a marker used to indicate DNA size.
Therefore, stripe disease resistant cultivars and stripe disease susceptible cultivars may easily determined with reference to FIG. 1.
(Resistant Cultivars)
1: Modan
2: St.No.1
3: Tsukinohikari
4: Akanezora
5: Koigokoro
6: Tochigi 2
7: Chugoku 31
8: Musashikogane
9: Akenohoshi
(Susceptible Cultivars)
10: Norin 8
11: Nipponbare
12: Koshihikari
13: Koganebare
14: Tamakei 56
15: Hitomebore
As is understood from the above description and examples, the use of the present invention permits easy detection of stripe disease resistant rices because such detection may be performed and completed in a laboratory. Therefore, it becomes possible to dispense with a large amount of labour and time which are otherwise unavoidable in a conventional method for detecting stripe disease resistance rices.
While the presently preferred embodiment of the this invention has been shown and described above, it is to be understood that the above disclosure is for the purpose of illustration and that various changes and modifications may be made without departing form the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
__________________________________________________________________________SEQUENCE LISTING(1) GENERAL INFORMATION:(iii) NUMBER OF SEQUENCES: 1(2) INFORMATION FOR SEQ ID NO: 1:(i) SEQUENCE CHARACTERISTICS:(A) LENGTH: 10 base pairs(B) TYPE: nucleic acid(C) STRANDEDNESS: double(D) TOPOLOGY: linear(ii) MOLECULE TYPE: DNA(xi) SEQUENCE DESCRIPTION: SEQ ID NO: 1:CAGACCGACC10__________________________________________________________________________ | There is provided an oligonucleotide for specifically detecting rice plants resistant to stripe disease, said oligonucleotide comprising a sort of nucleic acid sequence 5'-CAGACCGACC-3' SEQ ID NO: 1 and being capable of amplifying a specific DNA fragment of stripe disease resistant rice. There is also provided a method for specifically detecting rice plants resistant to stripe disease, said method comprising the steps of (1) isolating a genomic DNA from rice leaves; (2) amplifying a DNA fragment by polymerase chain reaction; (3) detecting stripe disease resistant rice plants by an agarose electrophoresis. | 2 |
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application relates to subject matter disclosed and claimed in copending application Ser. No. 421,889, entitled "Manually Set Switching Device", filed Dec. 5, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,893,054 copending application Ser. No. 421,903, entitled "Manually Set Magnetic Relay", filed Dec. 5, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,650 and copending application Ser. No. 421,902, entitled "Manually Set Magnetic Relay", filed Dec. 5, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,864,651 the copending applications having the same assignee as the present application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of electrical relays and more particularly, is related to a single-cycle magnetic relay in an electrical interlock system which must be manually set prior to each operation.
It is well known to provide electrical interlocks in systems to prevent operation unless specific conditions have been met. For example, as a safety measure in automobiles, the ignition system may be disabled until the driver and all of his passeners have fastened their seat belts. To implement such a system, an electrical interlock operated by sensors or switches sequentially set by the driver and passengers entering the car and fastening the belts may be provided in the ignition system of the automobile. Unless the belts are fastened after entry, the interlock disables the ignition system and the engine cannot be started.
It will be recognized that a failure of the electrical interlock system may completely disable the ignition system and prevent operation of the automobile. Such a situation may not only be frustrating to the driver and his passengers but also could prove to be a serious hazard particularly in an emergency situation in which the automobile must be moved.
To remedy the situation and eliminate the possible hazards posed by the electrical interlock, an override or bypass relay has been installed to bypass the electrical interlock. The relay should be of the type that requires manual resetting before each override operation and located in a position not readily accessible to the driver. Current designs of bypass relays have been successful but there is always a desire to have a relay and system that is more reliable and inexpensive.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to disclose a highly reliable manually set magnetic relay which automatically disables itself when deenergized to limit its use to a single-cycle or one-time operation. It is a further object to disclose a device which includes a bypass relay function along with an electrical interlock relay function. It is yet another object to disclose a relay which is of simple, rugged and economical construction. Other objects and features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
The present invention resides in a manually settable magnetic bypass relay which includes two sets of contacts which perform two separate functions.
The magnetic relay comprises a set of normally closed contacts which act as the load switch for the electrical interlock, a set of normally open contacts which when closed act as the bypass, a cantilevered flexible clapper arm and latch spring which move in response to an electromotive force and on which one of the normally closed contacts is positioned, a manually operable actuator which closes the set of normally open contacts, and an electromagnetic coil which is serially connected electrically to the interlock logic module. If a sequence of events occurs in a predetermined proper order, i.e. the fastening of the seat belt after a person is seated in the car, no signal is sent from an interlock logic module to open the load switch and therefore cut off the power from the starter motor. However, if the sequence occurs in the wrong order the interlock logic module sends a signal to energize the coil upon attempting to start the car which causes the clapper arm and latch spring to move in response to the electromotive force and open the normally closed interlock load contacts so the car can not be started.
The bypass system of this relay can override the load switch of the electrical interlock when the load switch is in the open contacts position by providing a parallel circuit which can be manually actuated. The manual pressing of the actuator closes the normally open bypass contacts and completes the circuit. Subsequent energization of the coil when starting the car causes the clapper and, in turn, bypass contacts to move from a first latch position to a second latch position so that upon deenergization of the coil the contacts separate and go back to the normally open position.
In the accompanying drawings, in which several embodiments of the invention are illustrated:
FIG. 1 is an electrical schematic diagram illustrating one system in which the manually set magnetic relay of the present invention may be employed;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an interlock bypass relay built in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 3--3 of FIG. 2 with the top casing removed and with the bypass switch and interlock contacts in the closed position;
FIG. 4 is a left side elevation view of the relay shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the bypass switch contacts in the closed position and the interlock switch contacts in the open position;
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the bypass switch contacts in the open position and the interlock contacts in the closed position;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a frame member used in the relay of FIGS. 2-6;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a latch spring used in the relay of FIGS. 2-6;
FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of a slide member used in the relay of FIGS. 2-6;
FIG. 10 is a plan view of a bypass relatively stationary contact arm used in the relay of FIGS. 2-6;
FIG. 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the interlock and bypass contacts and the latching system employed in the relay of FIGS. 2-6;
FIG. 12 is a plan view of the bypass movable contact arm used in the relay of FIGS. 2-6;
FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 3 of a second embodiment of this invention; and
FIG. 14 is an electrical schematic diagram illustrating a system in which the second embodiment of this invention may be employed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 is an electrical diagram showing schematically the combination interlock-bypass relay of the present invention in the starting circuitry of an automobile. The interlock-bypass relay prevents energization of the electrical starter motor unless the seat belts have been properly fastened in each of the occupied seats of the automobile or the bypass has been manually actuated. It should be understood that the interlock-bypass relay can be employed in other environments to which its operation is suited.
The interlock-bypass relay of the present invention generally designated by the numeral 10, is connected serially in the electrical starting circuit between the start switch 12, which as shown in FIG. 1 may be incorporated in a single switching device manually operated by means of the ignition key, and the start relay 14. The ignition-start switch 12 is connected to the plus terminal of the battery (not shown) and the start relay is connected to the ground terminal through the frame of the automobile. The energization of the ignition-start switch also energizes other portions of the electrical system such as the spark coil, fuel pumps and instrumentation needed during operation of the engine.
The seat belt interlock-bypass system includes a logic module 16 and the interlock-bypass system includes a logic module 16 and the interlock-bypass relay 10. The logic module 16 receives signals from sensing switches indicating which seats of the automobile are occupied and which seat belts have been fastened. If the seats are first occupied and then the respective seat belts are fastened in that order, no signal issues from the module 16 to actuate the coil 18 and the normally closed interlock relay contacts 20 remain in the closed position so the car can be started. If the logic module detects an unfastened seat belt in one of the occupied seats, or if the sensing switches are not actuated in the proper order indicating, for example, a permanently buckled seat belt, the coil 18 is energized which opens the normally closed interlock relay contacts 20 and prevents energization of the start relay unless the bypass relay contacts 22 are manually closed to provide an alternate current path.
As seen in FIG. 2 the interlock-bypass relay has an outside casing 24 which may be conveniently made out of metal with a hole in the top surface which receives the manual reset bypass button 26. Depressing button 26 causes closure of bypass relay contacts 22 to be discussed in greater detail below. Casing 24 is secured to a base 28 of the relay in any conventional manner as by staking. Base 28 is made of an electrically insulating material such as phenolic resin.
As shown in FIG. 3 base 28 has two coil terminals 30 and 32 mounted in the base which act to connect the logic module 16 to the coil 18. The base also has two load terminals 34 and 36 which serve to connect ignition-start switch 12 and the start relay. The current has two parallel paths to travel between load terminal 34 and load terminal 36 which will be explained more fully below.
In stacked relation on top of load terminal 34 are a movable contact arm 38, as best shown in FIG. 12 for the bypass part of the relay, and a frame 40. These two elements of the relay along with the terminal 34 are firmly attached to the base 28 as by a rivet. The movable contact arm 38 extends in cantilever relation from the load terminal 34 and has a movable contact 80 attached at the opposite distal end. Frame 40 as shown in FIG. 7 may be formed of a single piece of suitable material exhibiting magnetic properties such as low carbon steel and has right angle bends at the top and bottom of a straight verticle portion 42. In addition, at a point about half way up the verticle portion 42 a center rectangular piece 44 of the frame is cut on three sides so that this piece can be bent at a right angle in relation to portion 42 to form the core 44 of the coil 18. The coil is made in a conventional manner and need not be discussed further here. A top portion 48 of the frame also has a rectangular piece 50 which is cut on three sides and bent up 90° in relation to the plane of the top portion 48. This top rectangular piece 50 along with a first slot 52 formed in the frame by cutting piece 50 therefrom cooperate to receive and position a clapper 54 to be discussed further below. A second slot 56 positioned between the first slot 52 and the end of the top portion 48 is provided for receiving a slide 58 which will likewise be discussed in detail below.
An electrically insulating rectangular member 60, shown in FIG. 3, is positioned on core 44 prior to winding to insulate the coil windings from the verticle portion 42 and to act as an end stop. A similar member 62 is positioned on the other end of core 44 and, along with a frame member 64 which supports core 44, anchors the coil 18. The lower portion of the frame member 64 has a rectangular opening to allow passage and free movement of the movable contact arm 38 which runs through it.
A latch spring 66 as shown in FIG. 8, made of material having good spring characteristics such as stainless steel is attached at one end to the top piece 50 and at a point intermediate its ends to a clapper 54. Clapper 54 made of suitable magnetic material such as low carbon steel is disposed on a surface of spring 66 and is positioned in the first slot 52 in the top portion 48 of frame 40 contiguous to the coil 18. This sytem of attachment of the latch spring 66 to top rectangular piece 50 and to clapper 54 allows the latch spring 66 and clapper 54 to pivotally move toward and away from the coil 18 upon energization and deenergization thereof. Latch spring 66 may be attached to top piece 50 and clapper 54 by means of rivets (not shown).
Latch spring 66 extends through a long transversely extending narrow rectangular slit 67, as shown in FIG. 12, in movable contact arm 38. On each of two opposite faces of the latch spring 66 there is a tab or latch 68, 70 cut on three sides and bent up at an angle of preferably under 45 degrees which serve as latches for the bypass part of the relay. The first latch 68 on the side away from the coil is closer to the bottom of the latch spring 66 than the second latch 70 on the other side.
A relatively stationary contact arm 72, as shown in FIG. 10, for the bypass portion of the relay is generally U-shaped with two ears 74 and 76 at the stationary contact end. Arm 72 has one end connected to load terminal 36 and the other slightly movable end positioned in relation to movable arm 38 so that a stationary contact 78 attached to the relatively stationary arm 72 will be engaged by the movable contact 80 upon depression of movable contact arm 38.
Movable contact arm 38 is depressed by manually pushing the button 26 extending out of the top casing 24 which causes a slide 58 best shown in FIG. 9 provided with a top plug 82, press-fitted into the button 26 to likewise move. Slide 58 fits in the second slot 56 of the frame top 48 and has a first notched out center portion 84 to allow clearance for movable contact 80 and a second notched out portion 85 in which the movable contact arm is disposed. Bottom leg portions 86, 87 of slide 58 initially just making contact with the ear portions 74, 76 of the U-shaped stationary contact arm 72 when the button is unactuated, cause the arm to move downwardly when the button 26 is depressed preventing the closure of contacts 78, 80. Thus, as long as the button remains fully depressed contacts 78, 80 will be open. This feature makes the device trip-free so that even if the button is permanently depressed as by tapeing, the system will not be overridden. As soon as the pressure is removed from the button, the movable contact arm 38 is latched in position by latch 68 and the depressed relatively stationary contact arm 72 comes back to its normal position with contacts 78, 80 in engagement. A U-shaped spring 88 can be used for better guiding of the slide 58 upon actuation with the two ear portions 89, 91 serving as positive stops to lateral movement of the slide as viewed in FIG. 3.
Contacts 78, 80 as best shown in FIG. 11 of the bypass portion of the relay remain in engagement after being manually activated with the first latch 68 holding them there. However, upon energization of the coil 18 the clapper 54 and the latch spring 66 connected thereto move toward the coil 18 which causes unlatching of the first latch 68 and the subsequent latching of the second latch 70 on the opposite face of latch spring 66 as shown in FIG. 5. Spacing between the two latches must be such that the movable contact arm 38 will move only part of the distance between the latches in the time it takes the clapper 54 and latch spring 66 to move to the energized coil position. Upon deenergization of the coil movable contact arm 38 is freed from the second latch 70 and returns to its initial contacts open position as shown by FIG. 6.
Attached to the latch spring 66 on the lower front left corner as viewed in FIG. 3 from the coil looking toward the movable contact 80 of the bypass portion of the relay is the movable contact 90 of the interlock portion of the relay. This contact 90 as well as the other contacts used in this relay are conventionally made out of fine silver and may be rivoted to their respected support members. A stationary contact arm 92 of the interlock portion of the relay is attached to and extends from load terminal 36 to a position directly in front of the movable contact 90 of the interlock portion of the relay so that a stationary contact 94 attached to arm 92 will be in engagement with the movable contact 90 when the latch spring 66 is situated in the deenergized coil position. Normally closed contacts 90, 94 provide the interlock portion of the relay.
Upon trying to start the car if the seat belts have been fastened properly, the interlock logic module will not sent a signal to energize the coil and the current will flow from the ignition-start switch 12 into load terminal 34 through frame 40 to latch spring 66 to interlock movable contact 90 to stationary contact 94 through the stationary contact arm 92 to load terminal 36 and on to start relay. The car can then be started. However, if the seat belts have not been fastened properly, the interlock module will send a signal to energize the coil which causes the interlock contacts to open so the car can not be started. The bypass portion of the relay can be activated to allow the car to be started. The button 26 is pushed and bypass contacts 78, 80 are brought into engagement. The current path now is from the ignition start switch 12 into load terminal 34 through bypass movable contact arm 38 to movable contact 80 to stationary contact 78 through bypass stationary contact arm 72 to load terminal 36 and on to start relay 14. The car once again can be started but upon turning off the ignition the bypass contacts will go back to open position.
Thus it will be seen that the invention advantageously provides a relay which incorporates the functions of both an interlock relay and a bypass relay in a single device.
As shown in FIG. 13 an alternate embodiment of this invention is shown in which the interlock contact assembly is replaced with a separate external interlock relay 100 comprising a normally closed switch 104 and a coil 108 serially connected to an interlock logic module 110 and electrically connected in parallel with the above device. The electrical schematic shown in FIG. 14 and compared to FIG. 1 is slightly altered by the two relay system but the two relay system functions in the same manner as the single relay system. Current will run from the ignition start position 102 through the normally closed contacts 104 of the interlock relay to the start relay 106 provided the interlock logic module 110 does not sense improper seat belt operation and open the contacts 104. If the contacts 104 are opened then the only way to energize the system is to manually actuate the bypass relay 112 by button 118. The coil 114 of the bypass relay 112 is energized when the ignition is in run position 116 so when the car is turned off the bypass relay 112 will return to the contacts open position.
Although the present invention has been and is illustrated in terms of specific preferred embodiments, it will be apparent that changes and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. | A magnetic relay incorporating an electrical interlock function along with a bypass function in which the bypass function needs to be manually set, operates once in a cycle, and is trip free. | 7 |
The invention relates to a production of isoflavone rich process streams by a treatment of an aqueous alcohol extract of defatted soybean flakes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Isoflavones are a unique class of plant flavonoids that have a limited distribution in the plant kingdom and may be physically described as colorless, crystalline ketones. The most common and important dietary source of these isoflavones are soybeans which contain the following twelve isoflavone isomers: genistein, genistin, 6"-0-malonylgenistin, 6"-0-acetylgenistin; daidzein, daidzin, 6"-0-malonyldaidzin, 6"-0-acetylgenistin; glycitein, glycitin, 6"-0-malonylglycitin, 6"-0-acetylglycitin (Kudou, Agric. Biol. Chem. 1991, 55, 2227-2233). Ninety-seven to ninety-eight percent of the soybean isoflavones are in the glycosylated form.
Traditionally, individuals have been limited in their use of soy foods to increase their levels of dietary isoflavones because the number and variety of soy foods available in the U. S. marketplace is limited.
The isoflavone, genistin, was first isolated from soybean meal in 1931 by Walz (Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem 489, 118) and later confirmed in 1941 by Walter (J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 63, 3273). Patents have described the production of isoflavone enriched soy-protein products (WO 95/10512; WO 95/10529; WO 95/10530), genistin malonate and daidzin malonate (U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,746), pharmaceutical-type compositions containing isoflavones (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,424,331; 4,883,788), and isolation and modification of isoflavones from tempeh (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,390,559; 4,366,248; 4,366,082; 4,264,509; 4,232,122; 4,157,984). However, the present patent relates to the manufacture of highly enriched isoflavone products containing either a wide-range of soy isoflavones or highly-purified genistin gained from an ethanol extract of defatted soybean flakes.
Since coronary heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of death, especially in the United States and other industrialized nations, an elevated total and LDL cholesterol levels are important risk factors affecting human health. In humans, soy protein products appear to lower serum total cholesterol levels by an average of about 9.3% and to lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by an average of about 12.9% when consumed at an average intake level of 47 g soy protein per day (Anderson et al., NEJM, 333:276-282, 1995).
Isoflavones (Phytoestrogens) are implicated as a class of compounds in soy protein products which is at least partly responsible for this cholesterol-lowering effect in animals (Setchell, in McLachlan JA, ed. Estrogens in the Environment II:69-85, 1985). In addition, studies with primates suggest that soy isoflavones may account for up to about 60-70% of the hypocholesterolemic properties of soy protein (Anthony et al., Circulation, 90:Suppl:I-235. (abstract), 1994; Anthony et al., J. Nutr., 125:Suppl 3S:803S-804S. (abstract), 1995; Anthony et al., Circulation, 91:925. (abstract), 1995).
It has also been suggested that isoflavones have an ability to play a role in the prevention of certain cancers. Japanese women who have consumed diets rich in isoflavones appear to have a very low incidence of breast cancer (Adlercreutz et al., J. Nutr. 125:757S-770S, 1995). Soy products have also been shown to decrease mammary tumor formation or to inhibit mammary tumor progression in rat breast cancer models (Barnes et al., Clin. Biol. Res. 347:239-253; Hawrylewicz et al., J. Nutr. 121:1693-1698, 1991). Genistein has been shown to inhibit protein tyrosine kinase (Akiyama et al., J. Biol. Chem. 262:5592-5595, 1987), to inhibit angiogenesis (Fotsis et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 90:2690-2694, 1993), and to induce differentiation in several malignant cell lines (Peterson, J. Nutr. 125:784S-789S, 1995), all of which may be important risk factors in cancer development. Genistein and glycitein (Biochanin A) also appear to inhibit the growth of androgen-dependent and independent prostatic cancer cells in vitro (Peterson and Barnes, Prostate 22:335-345, 1993). Genistein may act as an antioxidant (Wei et al., Nutr. Cancer 20:1-12, 1993).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a convenient way for individuals to consume isoflavones either as a nutritional supplement or as an ingredient in more traditional types of food.
In light of the potentially positive role of isoflavones and particularly genistein in the prevention of human disease, an object of this invention is to isolate purified forms of genistin, such as the glycone form of genistein, with or without subsequent recrystallization as a further purification step.
Another object is to produce a product which is enriched in the entire range of soy isoflavones in order to provide isoflavone products for human diet supplementation or to enrich food products or food ingredients.
In keeping with an aspect of the invention, selected isoflavones are extracted based on the differentials of the solubilities of isoflavones in aqueous solutions. Alcohol is removed from an extract of defatted soybean flakes by evaporation. Then, the remaining aqueous solution is subjected to ultrafiltration (UF) at an elevated temperature in order to separate soluble isoflavones from other and insoluble materials. The UF permeate containing the soluble isoflavones may be treated in either one of two ways: 1) the permeate is treated with an adsorptive resin for enabling a recovery of a broad range of isoflavone isoforms while removing soluble sugars and salts; or 2) the permeate cools to promote a crystallization of genistin. Then, genistin is isolated in a highly purified form by either centrifugation or filtration. The genistin may be further purified by a subsequent recrystallization from aqueous alcohol solutions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
These and other objects of this invention will become more apparent from the following specification taken with the attached drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a graph showing the solubility of genistin in water vs. temperature;
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the concentration of isoflavone in a UF permeate vs. temperature; and
FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram showing the production of the inventive product.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This invention employs methods based on the differential of solubilities of isoflavones in aqueous solutions. Genistin is the least water soluble of the isoflavone glycosides, is insoluble in cold water, and is only slightly soluble in hot water (FIG. 1).
In greater detail, FIG. 1 shows that the solubility of genistin is practically unchanged as the temperature increases from 4° C. to 50° C., but that the solubility increases rapidly as the temperature increases from 70° to 90° C. Therefore, if the manufacturing process is to recover genistin, the recovery step should be carried out at the high temperature end of the scale.
All isoflavone glycosides other than genistin have higher solubilities in water and readily pass through an ultrafiltration membrane, along with other water soluble components. By increasing the temperature of the aqueous solution prior to ultrafiltration, genistin and all other isoflavones can be separated from insoluble materials. The isoflavones in the ultrafiltration permeate can be recovered by treating the solution with a resin, washing the resin with water to remove soluble sugars, and eluting the isoflavones with a mixture of ethanol and water.
The starting material for the inventive processes is derived from an aqueous ethanol extract of hexanedefatted soybean flakes. The defatted soybean flakes are extracted with aqueous ethanol (approximately 60-80% ethanol by volume) at temperatures in the range about 44°-63° C. or 120°-150° F. This aqueous ethanol extract is then subjected to a vacuum distillation in order to remove ethanol. The alcohol-stripped extract is also known as "soy molasses" or "soy solubles."
Then the extract is adjusted within an appropriate temperature range (about 65°-95° C.) and subjected to ultrafiltration preferably by using a 10,000 molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) membrane. However, the process is not limited to this 10,000 cut-off membrane since any membrane which enables a filtration of the desired isoflavones may be used. The smallest cut-off membrane suitable for the inventive procedures should pass a molecular weight of 532, which provides a sufficient retention of insoluble material and passage of isoflavones.
The effect of temperature on the concentration of two principle isoflavones, daidzin and genistin, in the UF permeate, is shown in FIG. 2. Cooler temperatures result in lower concentrations of genistin in the UF permeate. Daidzin concentrations are much less affected by temperature. To achieve optimal concentrations of isoflavones in the UF permeate, ultrafiltration should be carried out at a temperature above 65° C.
For example, FIG. 2 shows the differential between the concentration of daidzin and genistin in an aqueous solution permeate subjected to ultrafiltration. Ultrafiltration at 24° C. produces a high concentration of daidzin and a low concentration of genistin. Therefore, if the manufacturing step is to recover daidzin and reject genistin, perhaps the recovery should be carried out at the relatively low temperature of 24° C., although the exact temperature may be selected on a basis of how much genistin can be located in the permeate. On the other hand, if the manufacturing process is designed to recover both daidzin and genistin, perhaps it would be better to operate at the crossover point of about 78° C. For genistin, recovery should be carried out at a higher temperature.
A flow diagram representing one example of a manufacturing processes is shown in FIG. 3.
In greater detail, FIG. 3 shows at 20 that the preferred starting material is soy molasses which is subjected to ultrafiltration at 22. At 24, the retentate of the ultrafiltration is further processed, recycled, or otherwise used in another process.
If a batch type process is employed, the volume of the UF retentate fraction 24 is reduced during the ultrafiltration process by about one-third to two-thirds of the original alcohol-stripped extract volume, or stated otherwise is up to 12-15% solids. The UF retentate may be diafiltered with about one to three retentate volumes of water, which has been previously adjusted to be within a temperature range of about 65°-95° C. in order to recover a greater percentage of isoflavones in the permeate.
With or without the diafiltered permeate, the ultrafiltration permeate at 26 contains a variety of isoflavones and is adjusted to an appropriate temperature (45°-95° C.). Then, it is treated with an adsorptive resin at 28 in either a batch or chromatography column type process, followed by washing the resin with water at 30. Next, the isoflavones are eluted at 32 with aqueous alcohol (20-100% by volume, at 25°-85° C.) as either a gradient or single percentage process. The resulting material is dried (not shown in FIG. 3), preferably by evaporation, in order to produce a product which is approximately 30% isoflavones on a solids basis. The alcohol which is used at 32 may be ethanol, methanol, or isopropanol. The resin may be, but is not limited to, ethylvinylbenzene-divinylbenzene, styrene-divinylbenzene or polystyrene polymers, and may be either ionic or non-ionic.
Alternatively or in addition, with or without a diafiltered permeate, the ultrafiltration permeate 26 is adjusted to an appropriate temperature (about 4°-45° C.) in order to promote genistin crystallization at 34. Highly purified genistin crystals are then removed at 36 by a low-speed centrifugation or filtration and are finally washed with cold water (not shown in FIG. 3). The final product is between 70-90% pure genistin, measured on a dry basis. The genistin crystals can be further purified by recrystallization from aqueous alcohol solutions, such as aqueous ethanol, methanol, or isopropanol.
EXAMPLES
1) Ultrafiltration of Soy Solubles
Using a stainless steel steam-heated immersion coil, soy solubles (15.26 kg) were heated to a constant temperature of about 80° C. The soy solubles were then passed through a model 92-HFK-131-UYU spiral wound, polysulfone, 10,000 nominal molecular weight cut-off ultrafiltration membrane (Koch Membrane Systems, Inc., St. Charles, Ill.) by using a parastaltic pump. Back pressure on the exit side of the membrane was adjusted by means of a hand-tightened clamp to provide a permeate flow of 70 mL/minute. Ultrafiltration was continued until 9.4 kg of permeate was collected leaving 4.8 kg of retentate. Isoflavone profiles of the various fractions are shown below:
______________________________________ Weight % Total Genistin DaidzinSample (kg) Solids Isoflavones (g) (g) (g)______________________________________Solubles 15.26 8.65 11.45 4.01 4.30Retentate 4.8 11.5 4.63 1.75 1.67Permeate 9.4 7.7 6.6 2.29 2.68______________________________________
2) Diafiltration of UF Retentate
Ultrafiltration retentate (80° C. initial temperature) was subjected to ultrafiltration as described in Example 1, except that 4.8 kg of tap water (25° C.) was fed into the retentate at a feed rate which is the same as the permeate rate or flux of the permeate that was being produced. The retentate was then further ultrafiltered to a final weight of 1.93 kg. Isoflavone profiles of the various fractions is shown below:
______________________________________ Weight % Total Genistin DaidzinSample (kg) Solids Isoflavones (g) (g) (g)______________________________________Retentate 4.8 11.5 4.63 1.75 1.67Diafilt. 7.25 4.28 2.12 0.72 0.96PermeateDiafilt. 1.93 12.26 2.14 0.91 0.58Retentate______________________________________
3) Adsorption and Recovery of Isoflavones From a Resin
A glass liquid-chromatography column (2.54 cm i.d.) was slurry packed in 70% ethanol with Dow XUS 40323 divinylbenzene, ethylvinylbenzene copolymer resin. The resin was cleaned with an additional 500 mL of 70% wt ethanol followed by 0.1% wt NaOH (500 mL) and water (500 mL). The resin was then back-flushed with water until the resin bed volume had expanded by about one half of its originally packed volume in order to partition the resin by size. The final packed volume was 100 mL. Fresh UF permeate (2000 mL or 20 column volumes) at an initial temperature of 60° C. was fed through the resin bed at 6 column volumes/hour or 10 mL/minute. The resin bed was washed with 500 mL of water at 10 mL/minute to remove residual sugars and other impurities. Isoflavones were then eluted from the resin with a linear gradient of 20-95% ethanol (500 mL total) at 10 mL/minute. Next, the entire ethanolic isoflavone containing fraction was vacuum dried to obtain a product with the following profile:
______________________________________ Weight Total Genistin DaidzinSample (g) Isoflavones (g) (g) (g)______________________________________Column 6.56 2.2 0.92 0.83Product______________________________________
4) Precipitation of Genistin From UF Permeate
A 7.69 kg volume of ultrafiltration permeate (85° C. initial temperature) was allowed to cool gradually to an ambient temperature (22° C.) during a 16 hour period, with constant stirring. The cooled permeate was then centrifuged at 900×g for 10 minutes in order to pelletize the genistin precipitate. The supernatant was poured off. The white pellet was diluted with water (100 mL) and recentrifuged at 900×g for 10 minutes in order to remove any residual supernatant. The white pellet was then vacuum dried to produce 1.02 g of a dried powder. The isoflavone composition of the dried powder was as follows:
______________________________________ Weight Total Genistin DaidzinSample (g) Isoflavones (g) (g) (g)______________________________________Genistin 1.02 1.00 0.77 0.17Precipitate______________________________________
5) Recrystallization of Genistin From UF Permeate Precipitate
A volume of 80% ethanol (50 mL) was slowly added to 1 g of permeate precipitate while refluxing until the precipitate dissolved. Then, the solution was filtered through Whatman 42 filter paper and slowly cooled (22° C.) to produce fine yellow-white crystals. The crystals were harvested by centrifugation at 900×G for 10 minutes. The supernatant was poured off. Next, the crystals were mixed with 50 mL of water (4° C.) and recentrifuged to remove any residual supernatant. The water was then poured off and the crystals were vacuum dried to produce a product with the following isoflavone profile:
______________________________________ Weight Total Genistin DaidzinSample (g) Isoflavones (g) (g) (g)______________________________________Genistin 0.52 0.52 0.45 0.05Crystals______________________________________
Those who are skilled in the art will readily perceive how to modify the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are to be construed to cover all equivalent structures which fall within the true scope and spirit of the invention. | The temperature sensitive differential of the solubilities of isoflavones is used to separate them by heating an aqueous soy molasses feed stream. The temperature of the feed stream is increased to select isoflavone fractions. Then the heated feed stream is passed through an ultrafiltration membrane. The resulting permeate is cooled to crystallize the isoflavone fractions. Or, the permeate may be put through a resin adsorption process in a liquid-chromatography column to separate out the desired isoflavone fractions. Various processes are described for drying and recrystallizing the resulting isoflavone solids. | 2 |
This application is a continuation of Ser. No. 460,596 filed on Jan. 24, 1983 now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the floor of a bridge or a similar structure, to floor arch stones and to a method of constructing a bay of a bridge comprising a floor of this type.
The expression "floor or a bridge or a similar structure" designates any structure which spans a certain range and is only supported at certain points, like a bridge floor, a flooring or a building cover.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, the bridge floor or similar structure is characterised in that it is constructed from arch stones or sections which are assembled step by step, these arch stones or sections comprising series of mixed steel-concrete arch stones or sections, each comprising a metal frame of steel integral with an upper concrete slab, said series of mixed arch stones or sections being separated by interposed concrete arch stones or sections, the assembly of the arch stones or sections being reinforced by prestress cables which penetrate the metal frames and are attached at their ends to the concrete arch stones.
The term "arch stone" designates a repetitive transverse section of the floor, this section extending on the one hand over the complete width of the floor and, on the other hand, over only a fraction of the length of the floor. Consequently, the expressions "longitudinal" and "transverse" will be used with reference to the floor, i.e. "longitudinal" will designate a line or plate which extends in the length of the floor and "transverse" will designate a line or plane which extends in the width of the floor.
The present invention also relates to a preferred mixed arch stone for constructing the floor, this arch stone comprising an upper concrete slab supported by a metal frame, the metal frame comprising prefabricated connection pieces distributed in an area ruled by the intersections of longitudinal lines, transverse lines and diagonal lines, the longitudinal lines and the transverse lines being located in said adjusted area and the diagonal lines connecting this area to the upper concrete slab, the metal frame comprising sections positioned along said lines and welded together and/or to said connection pieces.
One example of an arch stone and of a floor according to the present invention will now be described in the following with reference to the figures of the accompanying drawings, some of which are essentially diagrams, whereas others are detail views, the views being restricted to what is necessary for a man skilled in the art to understand this invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective of an arch stone;
FIG. 2 is a front view of a connection piece of the metal frame of a mixed arch stone according to this invention, the plane of view being a transverse vertical plane;
FIG. 3 is a section of the connecting piece according to the plane III--III of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a fraction of a view of the arch stone in a transverse vertical plane, showing two connection pieces of the frame and the oblique sections of the vertical plane which terminate at these pieces;
FIG. 5 is a diagram of an apparatus for attaching an oblique section of the metal frame to the upper slab of the arch stone;
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the concrete slab of the arch stone in the region where oblique sections of the metal frame terminate;
FIG. 7 is a diagram of a bay of a bridge comprising an arch stone according to the present invention, and
FIG. 8 is a diagram relating to the method of constructing a bridge bay.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
A standard example of a mixed arch stone according to the present invention is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1.
This arch stone comprises an upper concrete table 1 supported by a three-dimensional metal frame 2. The metal frame is contructed from sections and connection pieces.
The sections are positioned, on the the one hand, in a virtual ruled area 3 along longitudinal lines 4 and transverse lines 5 and, on the other hand, along diagonal lines 6 connecting the lower area 3 to the upper table 1. The sections positioned along the diagonal lines or "oblique" sections are located in virtual planes 7 which are alternately inclined towards the left-hand side and towards the right-hand side. The sections have not been illustrated in FIG. 1 for reasons of clarity, but only the lines along which they are arranged are shown. Moreover, only the diagonal lines or oblique sections 6 of the first plane 7 inclined towards the left-hand side and of the first plane 7 inclined toward the right-hand side of the left-hand end of the arch stone have been shown, but it will be understood that the other inclined planes contain similar oblique sections. The lines 8 do not have a particular significance and have only been illustrated to clarify the drawing.
The frame of the arch stone comprises eight connection pieces A to H, simplified by dots in FIG. 1. Each connection piece is a node where a longitudinal section or frame member L, one or two transverse sections or frame members T, two oblique sections or frame members P 1 , P 2 inclined towards the left-hand side and two oblique sections or frame members P 1 , P 2 inclined towards the right hand side meet and are assembled.
The connection pieces are located in the ruled area 3.
One connection piece has been illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. This is for example piece B.
The connection piece comprises a front plate 9 to be fitted against a plate or a corresponding surface of the adjacent arch stone and which is provided with holes 10 for the passage of bolts for attaching the two arch stones, and/or means 11 for the relative positioning of the two arch stones and/or holes 12 for the free passage of prestress cables. The positioning means 11 preferably comprise pin/bore couplings, the pin of one plate penetrating the bore of the adjacent plate and absorbing the shearing stresses. The connection piece has, behind the front plate 9, inclined surfaces 13, against which the ends of some of the oblique sections come to abut perpendicularly and are welded.
In fact, the oblique sections comprise, on the one hand, sections P 1 positioned obliquely in a vertical plane (which is the plane of the front surface or of the rear surface of the arch stone) and, on the other hand, sections P 2 directed obliquely towards regions such as S (FIG. 1) substantially situated in the middle of the under-face of the upper slab.
The oblique sections P 2 are welded to the surfaces 13, whereas the oblique sections P 1 are welded to the plates 9 and to the oblique sections P 2 (FIG. 3).
The connection piece has horizontal surfaces 14, 15, between which the ends of the sections L are positioned, arranged along the longitudinal lines, and to which these ends are welded.
In the illustrated example, the sections L arranged along the longitudinal lines are H-shaped sections and the sections T arranged along the transverse lines are welded to the flanges of the H-shaped sections in the region of the connection pieces. More precisely, the sections T arranged along the transverse lines are formed by two angle irons 16, 17 welded to a flat part 18 positioned between the angle irons and itself welded to the H-shaped section (FIG. 2).
The connection pieces are preferably cast parts, at least some of which comprise a vertical front plate 9 and, on the back of this wall, a lower horizontal plate 19 and an upper horizontal plate 20 which has two cuneiform wings (FIGS. 2 and 3).
According to one characteristic of the present invention, each oblique section is attached to the concrete slab by a device which allows the section to be disconnected from the slab at will. This device will be described in the following with reference to the oblique sections P 1 of the transverse vertical planes.
In one example, this device comprises (FIGS. 1, 4 and 5) a plate 21 located in the zone S 1 of the concrete of the upper slab 1, and a plate 22 located outside this concrete, welded to the upper end of an oblique H-shaped section and resting flat against an oblique surface 23 formed on the under-face of the concrete slab 1, these two plates being penetrated by a threaded rod 24 held by screws 25 and 26 on both sides of the plates 21 and 22, one of the screws being located inside the concrete, while the other screw is outside the concrete and is accessible from the botom of the concrete.
The threaded rods with said screws form high resistance bolts.
A metallic sheath 27 is attached by welding to the upper plate 21 to isolate the rod 24 form the concrete of the upper slab while the concrete is being cast.
The present invention is obviously not restricted to the production means which have merely been described by way of example.
Similar means are used for attaching the H-shaped oblique sections P 2 to the median zones S of the under-face of the concrete slab (FIGS. 1 and 6).
The concrete arch stones do not comprise the metal frame of the mixed arch stones, but they comprise means for positioning and fixing the mixed arch stones adjacent to the concrete arch stones. These means are, for example, bolt rods or adequate plates attached to the concrete arch stones to guide and receive for attachment the adjacent connection pieces of the metal frames of the mixed arch stones. On the other hand, the concrete arch stones comprise means for anchoring the ends of the prestress cables which penetrate the frames of the mixed arch stones.
A construction consisting of a floor or a similar structure according to the present invention rests on supports which are usually situated right under the concrete arch stones, and FIG. 7 is a diagram of a bay of a bridge according to the present invention. For this example, it has been assumed that this bay comprises eight mixed arch stones V m between two concrete arch stones V B , the assembly being reinforced by prestress cables C p anchored in the concrete arch stones and passing into perforations 12 in the transverse plates of the assembly parts.
In order to produce a running bay of such a construction, it is possible, according to the present invention, to apply a method which comprises (FIG. 8), on a prefabrication bed or other flat surface, the construction of one of the concrete arch stones V B of the bay; the construction of the adjacent mixed arch stone V M of the bay away from the adjacent surface 28 of the concrete arch stone in order to perfectly join the concrete of the upper slab of the concrete arch stone and the upper slab of this mixed arch stone; the construction of each of the other mixed arch stones of the bay by proceeding each time away in end-to-end relationships from the lateral adjacent surface of a mixed arch stone which has already been constructed to construct the following mixed arch stone in order to perfectly join the upper slabs and the metal frames of the adjacent mixed arch stones; the construction of the second concrete arch stone of the bay away from the last mixed arch stone of the bay in order to perfectly join the concrete slab of the last mixed arch stone and the concrete slab of the second concrete arch stone; the individual transport of the prefabricated arch stones into their service position in the bay; and the assembly of the mixed arch stones and of the two concrete arch stones between which the mixed arch stones are positioned by prestress cables penetrating the metal frames of the mixed arch stones and anchored at their ends in the concrete arch stones.
The present invention is not restricted to the embodiments which have been described, and a departure is not made from this invention by replacing the technical means which have been described by equivalent means. For example, provision is made to replace, if desired, the single sections by double sections, notably to divide the longitudinal sections into two, which makes it possible to modify the location of the holes for the passage of the longitudinal prestress cables. | This invention relates to a production of a structure by means of arch stones. The arch stones comprise series of mixed steel-concrete arch stones (V M ), each comprising a metal frame of steel integral with an upper concrete slab, these series being separated by interposed concrete arch stones or sections, (V B ), the assembly of the arch stones being reinforced longitudinally by prestress cables which penetrate the metal frames and are attached at their ends to the concrete arch stones. This invention may be applied to bridge floors and similar structures. | 4 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application, titled “System, Method, And Service For Automatically Determining An Initial Sizing Of A Hardware Configuration For A Database System Running A Business Intelligence Workload,” Ser. No. _____, filed concurrently herewith, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, and which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to business intelligence or data warehouse systems, and more specifically to a method for characterizing the workload of a new business intelligence system that has not yet been run in a production environment. In particular, the workload is characterized in terms of resource usage and performance characteristics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Database systems perform a vital role in the information technology infrastructure of a business or corporation. Specialized databases for data warehousing and data analysis are becoming an important segment of the total database market. Business intelligence systems transform raw data into useful information. Common applications of business intelligence systems are, for example, fraud detection, risk analysis, market segmentation, and profitability analysis.
[0004] In a business intelligence system, data is extracted from heterogeneous operational databases and external data sources, then cleansed, transformed, and loaded into a large data warehouse or data mart storage areas. Data warehouses are subject-oriented, integrated, and time-varied collections of data used primarily for making decisions. Data marts are departmentalized subsets of the data warehouse focusing on selected subjects, rather than the entire enterprise data.
[0005] Data is stored and managed by one or more data warehouse servers that provide data access to front end tools for querying, reporting, analysis, and mining. Specialized online analytical processing (OLAP) servers may also be used to construct multidimensional views of the data, where operations on data can be performed.
[0006] Business intelligence workloads have different characteristics than the traditional transaction processing workloads used in conventional capacity planning and sizing methods. Business intelligence workloads place a greater emphasis on summarized and consolidated data as opposed to individual records. Business intelligence workloads typically use a very large size database. Queries of business intelligence workloads are heterogeneous, complex, and ad-hoc in nature, varying greatly in the amount of time required to execute the queries. These queries often touch millions of records and may perform many table joins, sorts, or aggregations. Furthermore, queries of business intelligence workloads can produce very large results sets, requiring a large amount of concurrent I/O.
[0007] Computer capacity planning is the process of analyzing and projecting an existing workload to determine the type of hardware resources needed to meet future demand and to predict when system saturation occurs. The capacity planning process can be long and challenging, depending on the size and complexity of the application, the quality and quantity of information available, as well as the approaches and tools employed. A computer capacity-sizing expert often performs computer capacity planning manually with insufficient information and using an unstructured, informal approach.
[0008] Database system sizing attempts to arrive at an initial estimate of a hardware configuration that satisfies performance demands, cost constraints, and functional requirements of a new business intelligence system. Typically, detailed information about the system and its workload are not available during the sizing process. In conventional database system sizing, a sizing expert uses published performance results of a similar workload with similar performance requirements. The sizing expert extrapolates these results to the new business intelligence system. This extrapolation is performed using informal industry guidelines (“rules of thumb”) and published performance relationships between different types of hardware. The sizing expert thus obtains an initial estimate of the hardware configuration comprising the processor, disk, and memory required to meet resource demands of the expected workload and the expected size of the database.
[0009] Selecting the appropriate hardware resources can be a complicated task because of the wide variety of processor, disk, network, and memory technologies available. Further, determining the quantity of each resource needed and predicting how the different components interact under a specific workload are non-trivial tasks.
[0010] Many of the approaches and tools used for capacity planning were developed in the late-1970s and early-1980s when mainframe computers were the dominant computing platform. Mainframes were very expensive; therefore it was critical to perform detailed planning and analysis before a particular model was purchased. A variety of tools were created to help a planner with this task, including tools for performance monitoring, workload forecasting, performance simulation, and design/configuration advice.
[0011] As mainframe architectures slowly gave way to client-server, and more recently, n-tier architectures, the focus on planning was not as systematic. This may be partly attributed to financial factors; namely the declining cost and improving performance of computer hardware. The cost of a cluster of inexpensive server machines networked together became substantially less than that of a mainframe. Fixing configuration errors resulting from poor planning could cost in the thousands of dollars for n-tier architectures versus millions of dollars for mainframes. The additional cost to perform detailed planning analysis often exceeded the costs to correct configuration errors, thus complete planning studies were relatively unattractive.
[0012] The complexity of modeling performance in n-tier architectures also makes planning more difficult. Traditional methods used for mainframes are not directly transferable to n-tier architectures. In the mainframe domain, components such as processors, disks, and memory share similar designs and characteristics; however, this is not the case in n-tier environments. The proliferation of competing and sophisticated processor, disk, memory, and network technologies makes creating generic performance models very difficult.
[0013] The resource demands of modern applications are also more complex and demanding in nature than in the past, making their performance less predictable. The popularity and commercialization of the Internet and World Wide Web fostered the demand for newer and richer data such as graphics, audio, video, and XML. Whereas this data was once stored for archival purposes only, companies have now started analyzing it with specialized data analysis applications to discover new information about their business and customers. This places additional resource burdens on systems in addition to the traditional transaction processing workloads being handled.
[0014] Time and business pressures also make detailed capacity planning studies infeasible. In today's e-business on demand environment, customers demand and expect answers in a timely fashion. A day or week is often a critical amount of time for completing a hardware sale. This implies that any planning analysis needs to be performed quickly while maintaining a high degree of accuracy.
[0015] The result of the sizing process is an initial estimate of the hardware configuration (processor, disk, and memory) needed to meet the resource demands of the expected workload and size of database. Customers expect a cost-efficient and effective hardware solution that meets the performance requirements of their application while offering the maneuverability to accommodate future expansion. There is generally no opportunity for experts to validate their hardware recommendations because of financial and time constraints. The sizing process currently involves significant manual effort to complete.
[0016] Successful sizing of a business intelligence system requires a characterization of the anticipated workload. Workload characterization dates back to the 1970s when workloads largely comprised large transactions and batch jobs performed on mainframe computers. Techniques have evolved to accommodate some of the modern workloads encountered in current computing environments. The majority of conventional workload characterization approaches assume that detailed performance measurements from a production environment are available to build models of system performance.
[0017] One conventional workload characterization approach uses clustering analysis to construct a profile of a data warehousing workload to summarize the characteristics of the workload. The profile can be used to help a designer during logical and physical optimization. The profile can be further used to generate workloads useful for evaluating system performance in testing and benchmark settings.
[0018] Conventional techniques for workload characterization rely on a combination of structural query properties and statistical parameters to perform a clustering. The structural properties are based on the text of a query, such as the number of table joins, the number of predicates, and the type of predicates. Statistical parameters comprise quantitative values in the catalog tables of a database system, such as table size, size, the type of indexes on a table, and the skew of data values in the table. Although these techniques have proven to be useful, it would be desirable to present additional improvements. Currently, there is no known conventional technique for workload characterization that makes use of performance-oriented measurements, that are subsequently used to aid in the sizing of a new database system running a business intelligence workload.
[0019] Conventional techniques for selecting an initial size of a hardware configuration for a database system are manually performed by sizing experts. Furthermore, conventional techniques assume that little system environment information or performance measurements are available, thus a sizing expert relies on extrapolations from similar workloads, personal experience, industry benchmarks, informal industry guidelines, and hardware performance guidelines to determine the type and quantity of required resources. Currently, there is no available method for characterizing an anticipated workload based on performance-oriented characterization of a similar workload.
[0020] What is therefore needed is a system, a service, a computer program product, and an associated method for characterizing a business intelligence workload to aid in sizing the hardware configuration of a new database system. The need for such a solution has heretofore remained unsatisfied.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] The present invention satisfies this need, and presents a system, a service, a computer program product, and an associated method (collectively referred to herein as “the system” or “the present system”) for characterizing the workload of a business intelligence system. This characterization is used to facilitate the process of sizing a hardware configuration required by a new database system. The present system is a workload characterization analysis that can be used as a basis for describing business intelligence workloads. The present system applies unsupervised data mining techniques to group individual business intelligence queries into general classes of queries based on system resource usage. The workload characterization generated by the present system provides insight into the resource demands of classes of queries typically found in a business intelligence workload. The workload characterization can be further exploited in, for example, workload management or meeting quality of service requirements.
[0022] The present system utilizes performance-oriented measurements to characterize a workload. The present system further employs clustering algorithms known for revealing underlying or hidden dimensions in data. The ability to reveal underlying dimensions is particularly useful because of the many different interactions occurring between software and hardware during query processing that affect system performance.
[0023] Business intelligence applications and their workloads vary depending on the type of application, the target industry, and the nature of business questions being asked. The present system uses an exemplary workload, specifically, the TPC-H benchmark, as a representative workload for characterizing a business intelligence system. The TPC-H benchmark comprises 22 ad-hoc queries that answer questions representative of any industry that manages, sells, or distributes a produce worldwide, such as a car rental business, a food distribution business, a parts business, a supplier, etc.
[0024] It is difficult to build an accurate model if a workload is considered as a single entity (i.e., an average of the heterogeneous queries comprising it). A workload model also becomes too complex if each individual query is considered, in effect, as an independent workload. The present system achieves a balanced and practical solution by partitioning a collection of queries into a few general classes of queries, based on the system resource usage by the queries. Each class comprises queries that are similar to each other based on resource usage and other relevant characteristics.
[0025] The present system identifies the basic components of a workload, chooses characterizing parameters for the workload, collects data for the workload, normalizes the collected data, partitions the workload into classes, and identifies interesting characteristics of the partitioned classes.
[0026] The present system groups or clusters the queries of the exemplary workload into broad categories, each with different characteristics. One group describes trivial types of queries, with short run-times, a small number of tables being joined, and exhibiting high CPU utilization. Another group represents simple queries that are I/O-bound and have a small number of tables being joined. A further group represents moderate-complexity queries with moderately high response times, and moderate CPU and I/O usage. Yet another group represents complex queries that are long-running, have a large number of tables being joined and exhibit high sequential and random I/O usage.
[0027] The present invention may be embodied in a utility program such as a workload characterization utility program. The present invention provides means for the user to provide the set of data to be characterized by the present system. The present invention further provides means to help the user to characterize a workload or set of data from descriptions of groups or clusters generated. A user specifies a benchmark, workload, or set of data and then invokes the workload characterization utility program. The user then describes the benchmark, workload, or set of data in terms of the clusters generated by the workload characterization utility program.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] The various features of the present invention and the manner of attaining them will be described in greater detail with reference to the following description, claims, and drawings, wherein reference numerals are reused, where appropriate, to indicate a correspondence between the referenced items, and wherein:
[0029] FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an exemplary operating environment in which a workload characterization system of the present invention can be used;
[0030] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the high-level architecture of the workload characterization system of FIG. 1 ;
[0031] FIG. 3 is a process flow chart illustrating a method of operation of the workload characterization system of FIGS. 1 and 2 ;
[0032] FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating a classification of selected attributes performed by the workload characterization system of FIGS. 1 and 2 ;
[0033] FIG. 5 is a graph illustrating a characterization of an exemplary workload performed by the workload characterization system of FIGS. 1 and 2 ;
[0034] FIG. 6 is a graph illustrating a classification of artificially generated points in addition to all the points in the graph of FIG. 5 , wherein artificial points are generated based on an intuitive meaning of the different clusters arising from the clustering shown in the graph of FIG. 5 ;
[0035] FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating a classification of artificially generated points in addition to all the points in the graph of FIG. 5 , wherein the artificial points are generated based on an intuitive meaning of the new dimension u 1 in the characterization by the workload characterization system of FIGS. 1 and 2 for the exemplary workload;
[0036] FIG. 8 is a graph illustrating a classification of artificially generated points in addition to all the points in the graph of FIG. 5 , wherein the artificial points are generated based on an intuitive meaning of the new dimension u2 in the characterization by the workload characterization system of FIGS. 1 and 2 for the exemplary workload; and
[0037] FIG. 9 is a graph illustrating a classification of artificially generated points in addition to all the points in the graph of FIG. 5 , wherein the artificial points are generated based on an intuitive meaning of the new dimension u 3 in the characterization by the workload characterization system of FIGS. 1 and 2 for the exemplary workload.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0038] FIG. 1 portrays an exemplary overall environment in which a system and associated method for automatically selecting an initial sizing of a hardware configuration for a business intelligence workload according to the present invention may be used. System 10 comprises a software programming code or a computer program product that is typically embedded within, or installed on a host server 15 . Alternatively, system 10 can be saved on a suitable storage medium such as a diskette, a CD, a hard drive, or similar devices.
[0039] Clients, such as remote Internet users, are represented by a variety of computers such as computers 20 , 25 , 30 , and can access the host server 15 through a network 35 . Computers 20 , 25 , 30 each comprise software that allows the user to interface securely with the host server 15 . The host server 15 is connected to network 35 via a communications link 40 such as a telephone, cable, or satellite link. Computers 20 , 25 , 30 , can be connected to network 35 via communications links 45 , 50 , 55 , respectively. While system 10 is described in terms of network 35 , computers 20 , 25 , 30 may also access system 10 locally rather than remotely. Computers 20 , 25 , 30 may access system 10 either manually, or automatically through the use of an application.
[0040] A client provides input to a workload characterization system 10 for a business intelligence system. System 10 facilitates the process of determining the broad characterizations that may be use to describe the workload composition of the new business intelligence system.
[0041] FIG. 2 illustrates a high-level hierarchy of system 10 . System 10 comprises a component identification module 205 , a parameter selection module 210 , a data collection module 215 , a normalization module 220 , a partitioning module 225 , and an identification module 230 .
[0042] FIG. 3 illustrates a method 300 of system 10 in constructing a workload model. The component identification module 205 identifies the basic components of a workload (step 305 ). The parameter selection module 210 selects characterizing parameters for the workload (step 310 ). The data collection module 215 collects data for the workload (step 315 ). The normalization module 220 normalizes the collected data (step 320 ). The partitioning module 225 partitions the workload into classes (step 325 ) (further referenced herein as groups or clusters). The identification module 230 identifies characteristics of the partitioned classes (step 330 ).
[0043] System 10 uses a workload, such as the 22 queries of the TPC-H benchmark, as a representative business intelligence workload in order to identify the basic components of a typical business intelligence workload and to simulate the business intelligence environment (step 305 ). While the present system is described in terms of a benchmark like the TPC-H benchmark, it should be clear that any standard workload may be used. For example, several workloads may be operating concurrently. The selected benchmark simulates the type of resource activity commonly found in business intelligence system implementations.
[0044] Care is taken to ensure that each benchmarked system is balanced. A system is considered balanced when all of the resources of the system are operating in concert to allow an optimal amount of workload through the system to meet specific objectives. System 10 assumes that the performance of a balanced system is relative to the available quantity of system resources. For example, if the quantity of system resources is increased in a balanced fashion, system performance increases. The difference in performance between benchmark configurations is typically relative. That is, the performance of a particular query in a benchmark run, is generally relative to the performance of other queries in the same benchmark run.
[0045] The parameter selection module 210 selects performance-oriented parameters to analyze for each individual query (step 310 ). Exemplary performance-oriented parameters comprise, for example, response time, average processor (CPU) utilization, sequential Input/Output (I/O) throughput rate, and the rate of random I/O operations per second. The response time is the amount of time (in seconds) that elapses from query submission to result set return. The average processor (CPU) utilization is the average utilization of the processor(s) over the duration of query execution.
[0046] The average processor utilization comprises the utilization of user processes, as opposed to the operating system kernel or privileged threads/processes. The sequential Input/Output (I/O) throughput rate is the average rate that data is sequentially read from disk over the duration of query execution, measured in megabytes per second (MB/second). The random I/O operations per second (IOPS) rate is the average rate of random I/O requests processed per time window over the duration of query execution. In one embodiment, system 10 monitors other types of parameters, such as memory and network utilization.
[0047] System 10 accepts workload data arising from different system configurations comprising varied computer models, hardware parts, operating systems, and database scales. The data collection module 215 accepts raw performance data obtained from the different systems. This data is typically obtained using standard operating system performance monitoring tools (step 315 ). These monitoring tools are configured to sample the desired parameters at a predetermined interval, such as five-second intervals. Representative parameter values for each query are determined by averaging the raw data samples collected over a predetermined elapsed time for each respective parameter. Table 1 illustrates an exemplary sample of collected performance data.
TABLE 1 Averaged parameter values for data from a benchmark power run. Average Response CPU System Query Time Utilization Average Average Number Number (seconds) (%) MB/second IOPS A 1 251 72 870.4 2508 A 2 50 25 269.3 6510 A 3 64 61 435.8 1342 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[0048] The choice of units of measurement can affect the characterization analysis of system 10 . For instance, expressing temporal data in seconds versus hours can produce a different result, depending on the type of analysis technique used. To avoid dependence on the choice of units, the normalization module 220 standardizes the collected data through normalization (step 320 ). To normalize the data, the normalization module 220 calculates a z-score of each measured parameter variable. A z-score transforms the dataset of measured parameters into a dataset with a mean of 0 and standard deviation of 1. The z-score of a parameter value can be calculated as follows:
z - score = measured value - mean value standard deviation
[0049] The normalized data resembles a format similar to that shown in Table 2.
TABLE 2 Normalized parameter values for data for a benchmark power run illustrated in Table 1. Normal- Normalized Normal- ized Average Normalized ized System Query Response CPU Average Average Number Number Time Utilization MB/second IOPS A 1 0.308699 0.686123 −0.719756 0.816672 A 2 −0.966750 −3.625209 2.033492 −1.287711 A 3 −0.918418 −0.434621 −1.247433 −0.642141 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[0050] Once the data for each benchmark is normalized, the normalization module 220 combines all the data into a single matrix (table), which is used by the partitioning module 225 to partition the workload into classes.
[0051] The partitioning module 225 employs clustering techniques to partition the workload (step 325 ). Clustering is the process of grouping data into classes or clusters so that objects within a cluster are similar to each other, but are dissimilar to objects in other clusters. The partitioning module 225 utilizes singular value decomposition (SVD) and semi-discrete decomposition (SDD) to partition the workload into classes. When used in combination with each other, SVD positions the dataset of system 10 in a graphical space while SDD provides further classification of the dataset within that graphical space. Singular value decomposition and semi-discrete decomposition are examples of unsupervised data mining techniques. Unsupervised data mining discovers structured information in a dataset without prior knowledge or user-provided hints as to what the structure might looks like.
[0052] Singular value decomposition and semi-discrete decomposition view the dataset as a matrix and decompose a dataset matrix into a product of three new matrices. However, the structure and meaning of each of the new matrices is different in each technique.
[0053] SVD decomposes a dataset matrix A into the product of matrices, U, S, and V such that:
A=U S V T
where U is n×m, S is a diagonal matrix of non-increasing non-negative values, and V is m×m. In effect, SVD transforms an m-dimensional space into a new m-dimensional space. The new m-dimensional space comprises axes that are orthonormal and ordered so that a maximum amount of variation is contained in the first m axes in the new space. The entries in the matrix S are scaling factors indicating the relative importance of each axis. Geometrically, the rows of U represent coordinates of the corresponding rows of A in a space spanned by the columns of V, while the rows of V represent the coordinates of the corresponding columns of A. A common practice in SVD is to truncate the representation to k dimensions, where k is some arbitrary constant, to make analysis more manageable. Since SVD concentrates as much variation as possible into the first few dimensions, truncating is feasible because the least possible information is discarded.
[0054] SDD is similar to SVD in that it decomposes a dataset matrix A into a product of three matrices, such that:
A=X D Y
However, the matrices of the SDD have a different form and meaning than SVD. X is an n×k matrix, D is a k×k diagonal matrix, and Y is a k×m matrix, where k is an arbitrary constant. The entries of X and Y are from the set {−1, 0, +1}. Objects are divided based on their value in an initial column of X (−1, 0, +1). Objects can be further subdivided according to their values in the subsequent columns of X. In effect, SDD discovers rectilinearly aligned regions of the matrix of similar (positive and negative) magnitude. These regions/partitions determine which objects are related.
[0055] SVD and SDD can be jointly applied to the dataset of system 10 by using both decompositions, truncating the SVD at k=3, plotting the points corresponding to queries, and labeling each point according to its location in the top few levels of the SDD decomposition.
[0056] In one embodiment, additional attributes are added to each row of the dataset of Table 1. One such attribute is, for example, the size of the largest n-way table join in each query. Table joins are a prominent characteristic of business intelligence queries and are processing-intensive. The addition of this attribute results in a tighter clustering of data points due to a closer relation between queries with the same label. For example, the data values for all the query 1 s should appear closer together in the clustering, since the size of the largest n-way table join is the same for query 1 , regardless of the system it is run on.
[0057] FIG. 4 is a graph of the results of a joint SVD and SDD classification on the set of selected attributes, illustrating the relative contribution of each selected attribute to the analysis. As shown in FIG. 4 , the selected attributes are response time, average CPU utilization, sequential input/output throughput rate, random I/O operations per second rate, and the size of the largest n-way table join. Since the points 430 corresponding to the selected attributes are distributed relatively uniformly in a geometric space of the graph of FIG. 4 , each attribute is significant and adds useful information to the analysis of system 10 .
[0058] FIG. 5 illustrates the results of a joint SVD and SDD classification of the dataset using an exemplary workload consisting of the set of 22 queries from the TPC-H benchmark run on an exemplary set of system configurations: A, B, C, D, and E. Each benchmark query for each system configuration is plotted in FIG. 5 as illustrated by point A 2 , 505 labeled A 2 for query 2 run on system A. Four clusters of queries appear to be present in this dataset: cluster 1 , 510 , cluster 2 , 515 , cluster 3 , 520 , and cluster 4 , 525 (collectively referenced as clusters 530 ). Approximate cluster boundaries are indicated with dashed lines as boundary 535 , boundary 540 , boundary 545 , and boundary 550 (collectively referenced as boundaries 555 ).
[0059] In the example of FIG. 5 , system 10 determines that cluster 1 , 510 , comprises the following queries in the exemplary workload: Q 11 , Q 14 , Q 5 , Q 12 , Q 8 , Q 7 , Q 1 , Q 3 , Q 4 , and Q 10 . System 10 determines cluster 2 , 515 , comprises the following queries in the exemplary workload: Q 2 , Q 20 , and Q 17 (queries Q 19 and Q 6 are borderline to cluster 2 , 515 ). System 10 further determines that cluster 3 , 520 , comprises the following queries in the exemplary workload: Q 9 , Q 18 , Q 21 . System 10 determines that cluster 4 , 525 , comprises the following queries in the exemplary benchmark: Q 13 , Q 22 , Q 15 , Q 16 .
[0060] As illustrated in FIG. 5 , queries in the exemplary workload appear to scale well across different system architectures and benchmark scales represented by the selected system configurations. For instance, points corresponding to query 1 appear close together in cluster 1 , 510 . The same is true for most of the other queries.
[0061] In general, cluster 2 , 515 , represents fairly simple queries that are IO-bound in nature and have a small number of tables being joined. Cluster 3 , 520 , represents long-running, large and complex queries with a large number of tables being joined (for example, greater than 5 joins). Queries in cluster 3 , 520 , further exhibit high sequential and random I/O usage. Cluster 4 , 525 , represents short-running trivial queries with a varying amount of tables being joined (for example, 3 to 8 table joins). Cluster 1 , 510 , represents medium-running queries with a smaller number of tables being joined (for example, 5 or fewer joins) and exhibiting high CPU utilization. Cluster 1 , 510 , is considered less interesting since the data points in cluster 1 , 510 , are those closest to the origin in the graph of data points shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 .
[0062] Artificially-generated data points are used to further lend support to the meaning of the clusters 530 . FIG. 6 illustrates the data points of FIG. 5 with the addition of four artificial points, X 1 , 605 , X 2 , 610 , X 3 , 615 , and X 4 , 620 (collectively referenced as artificial points 625 ). Characteristics of the artificial points 625 are selected to correspond to a query that performs according to each of the cluster characterizations described above. Each of the artificial points 625 is in close proximity to the center of its respective cluster, lending support to the interpretation of cluster semantics made by system 10 .
[0063] To further illustrate the validity and appropriateness of the clustering performed by system 10 , another set of artificially-generated query data points is created to represent extreme examples of each dimension. If the SVD transformation of these artificial query data points places them at extreme ends of one of the transformed dimensions, further evidence is provided to interpret the meaning of the new dimension. FIG. 7 is the graph of FIG. 5 with artificial points, AU 1 a , 705 , and AU 1 z , 710 , added to help interpret the meaning of the variance in the U 1 dimension. Both points appear at the extreme ends of the U 1 dimension, lending weight to the belief that the U 1 dimension distinguishes between queries that are CPU-bound versus those that are IO-bound.
[0064] FIG. 8 illustrates a similar analysis for dimension U 2 ; FIG. 8 is the graph of FIG. 5 with artificial points, AU 2 a , 805 , and AU 2 z , 810 , added to help interpret the meaning of the variance in the U 2 dimension. Both points appear at the extreme ends of the U 2 dimension, lending weight to the belief that the U 2 dimension distinguishes between large variances in query response times.
[0065] FIG. 9 illustrates a similar analysis for dimension U 3 ; FIG. 8 is the graph of FIG. 5 with artificial points, AU 3 a , 905 , and AU 3 z , 910 , added to help interpret the meaning of the variance in a U 3 dimension. Both points appear at or near the extreme ends of the U 3 dimension, lending weight to the belief that the U 3 dimension further distinguishes between queries that are sequential-I/O intensive and random-I/O intensive.
[0066] It is to be understood that the specific embodiments of the invention that have been described are merely illustrative of certain applications of the principle of the present invention. Numerous modifications may be made to a system, service, and method for characterizing a business intelligence workload for sizing a new database system hardware configuration described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, while the present invention is described for illustration purpose only in relation to users connected through a network, it should be clear that the invention is applicable as well to, for example, to local users.
[0067] Furthermore, while the present invention is described for illustration purposes only in relation to a business intelligence workload, it should be clear that the invention is applicable as well to, for example, workloads for any type of database system or any other computational system using queries. Furthermore, while system 10 is described in terms of a benchmark for queries of a business intelligence workload, it should be clear that system 10 operate on any set of data requiring characterization. | A workload characterization system characterizes an exemplary business intelligence workload for use in sizing a hardware configuration required by a new database system running a similar business intelligence workload. The workload characterization system uses performance-oriented measurements to characterize an exemplary workload in terms of resource usage and performance metrics. The workload characterization system applies unsupervised data mining techniques to group individual business intelligence queries into general classes of queries based on system resource usage, providing insight into the resource demands of queries typical of a business intelligence workload. The general classes of queries are used to define an anticipated workload for a planned database system and to help identify the hardware required for the planned database system. | 6 |
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional application 61/549,661, filed 20 Oct. 2011, hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] An antimicrobial formulation consisting of a mixture of organic acids and aldehydes where such combination resulted in synergistic response as compared to the addition of high levels of the other component.
[0004] 2. Background
[0005] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly one out of six Americans or 48 million people are sickened by food borne illnesses each year. Another 128,000 are hospitalized and approximately 3,000 die of food borne disease every year. In a 2011 report the CDC estimated that 20,000 cases of Salmonella resulted in hospitalization, and that 378 of these cases resulted in death. It has also estimated that E. coli 0157:H7 causes approximately 62,000 cases of food borne disease and approximately 1,800 food borne illness-related hospitalizations in the United States.
[0006] A study by the Pew Charitable Trusts of Georgetown University suggested that food borne illnesses cost the United States $152 billion in health-related expenses each year.
[0007] As the world trends toward more natural and/or organic antimicrobials, the need to find them has resulted in a great amount of research, as well as increased cost for new raw materials due to the low commercial availability of these new natural/organic products.
[0008] Formaldehyde has been use as an antiseptic for many years. Two patents, U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,987 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,467, teach the use of formaldehyde to control Salmonella in animal feed. These patents do not suggest that a combination of formaldehyde and an organic acid would provide a synergistic effect, as described in the present invention.
[0009] New antimicrobials have been found in many plants. These antimicrobials protect plants from bacterial, fungal, viral and insect infestation. These antimicrobials, which are components of the plant essential oils, can be acidic, alcohol or aldehyde-based chemicals.
[0010] One of the volatile compound used in this invention is trans-2-hexenal, which is six-carbon aldehyde with a conjugated double bond, C 6 H 10 O and MW=98.14. Aldehydes are represented by the general formula RCHO, where R is can be hydrogen or an aromatic, aliphatic or a heterocyclic group. They are moderately soluble in water and solubility decreases as the molecular weight increases. Unsaturated aliphatic aldehydes includes, propenal, trans-2-butenal, 2-methyl-2-butenal, 2-methyl-(E)-2-butenal, 2-pentenal, trans-2-hexenal, trans-2-hexen-1-ol, 2-methyl-2-pentanal, 2-isopropylpropenal, 2-ethyl-2-butenal, 2-ethyl-2-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenal, 3,7-dimethyl-6-octenal, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal, (2E)-3,7-dimethyl-2-6-octadienal, (2Z)-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal, trans-2-nonenal, (2E,6Z)-nonadienal, 10-undecanal, 2-dodecenal, 2,4-hexadienal and others.
[0011] Trans-2-hexenal is present in many edible plants such as apples, pears, grapes, strawberries, kiwi, tomatoes, olives, etc. The use of plants and plant extracts have been successful in studies looking for new anti-microbials. For example, cashew apple was effective against Helicobacter pylori and S. cholerasuis (50-100 ug/ml). The two main components were found to be anacardic acid and trans-2-hexenal. The minimum inhibitory activity and minimum biocidal activity of trans-2-hexenal were determined to be 400 and 800 ug/ml, respectively (Kubo, J.; Lee, J. R.; Kubo, I. Anti- Helicobacter pylori Agents from the Cashew Apple. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1999, v. 47, 533-537; Kubo, I. And K. Fujita, Naturally Occurring Anti- Salmonella Agents. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2001, v. 49, 5750-5754). Kim and Shin found that trans-2-hexenal (247 mg/L) was effective against B. cereus, S. typhimurium, V. parahaemolyticus, L. monocytogenes, S. aureus and E. coli O157:H7 (Kim, Y. S.; Shin, D. H. Volatile Constituents from the Leaves of Callicarpa japonica Thunb. and Their Antibacterial Activities. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2004, v. 52, 781-787). Nakamura. and Hatanaka (Green-leaf-derived C6-aroma compounds with potent antibacterial action that act on both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2002, v. 50 no, 26, 7639-7644) demonstrated that (3E)-hexenal was effective in controlling Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium at a level of 3-30 ug/ml. Trans-2-hexenal completely inhibited proliferation of both P. syringae pathovars (570 ug/L of air) and E. coli (930 micrograms/L of air) (Deng, W.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Nielsen, M.; Anderson, R.; Collins, G.; Hilderbrand, D. Effects of Six-Carbon Aldehydes and Alcohols on Bacterial Proliferation. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1993, v. 41, 506-510). It was observed that trans-2-hexenal at 250 ug/ml was effective at inhibiting the growth of Phoma mycelium (Saniewska, S. and M. Saniewski, 2007. The effect of trans-2-hexenal and trans-2-nonenal on the mycelium growth of Phoma narcissi in vitro, Rocz. A R. Pozn. CCCLXXXIII, Ogrodn . V. 41, 189-193). In a study to control mold in fruits it was found that trans-2-hexenal was not phytotoxic to apricots, but it was phytotoxic for peaches and nectarines at 40 μL/L (Neri, F., M. Mari, S. Brigati and P. Bertolini, 2007, Fungicidal activity of plant volatile compounds for controlling Monolinia laxa in stone fruit, Plant Disease v. 91, no. 1, 30-35). Trans-2-hexenal (12.5 μL/L) was effective on controlling Penicillium expansum that causes blue mold (Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A.; Brigati, S.; Bertolini, P. Control of Penicillium expansum in pears and apples by trans-2-hexenal vapours. Postharvest Biol. and Tech. 2006, v. 41, 101-108. Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A. M.; Brigati, S. Activity of trans-2-hexenal against Penicillium expansum in ‘Conference’ pears. J. Appl. Micrbiol. 2006, v. 100, 1186-1193). Fallik, E. et. al. (Trans-2-hexenal can stimulate Botrytis cinerea growth in vitro and on strawberries in vivo during storage, J. ASHS. 1998, v. 123, no. (5, 875-881) and Hamilton-Kemp, et. al, ( J. Agric. Food Chem. 1991, v. 39, no. 5, 952-956) suggested that trans-2-hexenal vapors inhibited the germination of Botrytis spores and apple pollen.
[0012] US Published Application No. 2007/0087094 suggests the use of at least two microbiocidally active GRAS compounds in combination with less than 50% alcohol (isopropanol or isopropanol/ethanol) as a microbicide. Trans-2-hexenal could be considered one of the GRAS compounds (Schuer. Process for Improving the Durability of, and/or Stabilizing, Microbially Perishable Products. US Published Application No. 2007/0087094). Also, Archbold et. al. observed that the use of 2-hexenal at 0.86 or 1.71 mmol (100 or 200 microliters neat compound per 1.1 L container, respectively) for 2 weeks as for postharvest fumigation of seedless table grapes showed promise for control of mold (Archbold, D.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Clements, A.; Collins, R. Fumigating ‘Crimson Seedless’ Table Grapes with (E)-2-Hexenal Reduces Mold during Long-term Postharvest Storage. HortScience. 1999, v. 34, no. (4, 705-707).
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,599 suggests a method to inhibit mycotoxin production in a foodstuff by treating it with trans-2-hexenal. Trans-2-hexenal completely inhibited the growth of A. flavus, P. notatum, A. alternate, F. oxysporum, Cladosporium species, B. subtilis and A. tumerfaciens at a concentration of 8 ng/L air. When comparing trans-2-hexenal to citral in controlling yeast (10 5 CFU/bottle) in beverages it was found that 25 ppm of trans-2-hexenal and thermal treatment (56° C. for 20 min) was equivalent to 100-120 ppm citral. In beverages that were not thermally treated, 35 ppm of trans-2-hexenal was necessary to stabilize them (Belletti, N.; Kamdem, S.; Patrignani, F.; Lanciotti, R.; Covelli, A.; Gardini, F. Antimicrobial Activity of Aroma Compounds against Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Improvement of Microbiological Stability of Soft Drinks as Assessed by Logistic Regression. AEM. 2007, v. 73, no. 17, 5580-5586). Not only has trans-2-hexenal has been used as antimicrobial but also been observed to be effective in the control of insects. Volatiles (i.e. trans-2-hexenal) were effective against beetles such as Tibolium castaneum, Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus granaries, Sitophilus orazyzae and Cryptolestes perrugineus (Hubert, J.; Munzbergova, Z.; Santino, A. Plant volatile aldehydes as natural insecticides against stored-product beetles. Pest Manag. Sci. 2008, v. 64, 57-64). U.S. Pat. No. 6,201,026 (Hammond et al. Volatile Aldehydes as Pest Control Agents) suggests of an organic aldehyde of 3 or more carbons for the control of aphides.
[0014] Several patents suggest the use of trans-2-hexenal as a fragrance or perfume. U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,681 suggests the use of trans-2-hexenal as a fragrance in a wipe for surface cleaning. U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,866, U.S. Pat. No. 6,960,350 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,638,114 suggest the use of essential oil or terpenes (for example trans-2-hexenal) as perfume for antimicrobial products. U.S. Pat. No. 6,479,044 demonstrates an antibacterial solution comprising an anionic surfactant, a polycationic antibacterial and water, where an essential oil is added as perfume. This perfume could be a terpene such as trans-2-hexenal or other type of terpenes. U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,171, U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,224 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,915 demonstrate an antimicrobial purpose microemulsion containing a cationic surfactant where an essential oil is added as a perfume. This perfume can contain various terpenes including trans-2-hexenal. U.S. Pat. No. 6,960,350 demonstrates an antifungal fragrance where a synergistic effect was found when different terpenes were used in combinations (for example trans-2-hexenal with benzaldehyde).
[0015] The mode of action of trans-2-hexenal is thought to be alteration of the cell membrane due to a reaction of the unsaturated aldehyde with sulfhydryl or cysteine residues, or the formation of Schiff bases with amino groups in peptides and proteins (Deng, W.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Nielsen, M.; Anderson, R.; Collins, G.; Hilderbrand, D. Effects of Six-Carbon Aldehydes and Alcohols on Bacterial Proliferation. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1993, v. 41, 506-510). Trans-2-hexenal is reported to act as a surfactant but it likely permeates by passive diffusion across the plasma membrane. Once inside the cells, its α,β-unsaturated aldehyde moiety reacts with biologically important nucleophilic groups. This aldehyde moiety is known to react with sulphydryl groups mainly by 1,4-addition under physiological conditions (Patrignani, F.; Lucci, L.; Belletti, N.; Gardini, F.; Guerzoni, M. E.; Lanciotti, R. Effects of sub-lethal concentrations of hexanal and 2-(E)-hexenal on membrane fatty acid composition and volatile compounds of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli. International J. Food Micro. 2008, v. 123, 1-8).
[0016] It was suggested that the inhibition of Salmonella typhimurim and Staphylococcus aureus by trans-2 hexenal is due to the hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding of its partition in the lipid bilayer. The destruction of electron transport systems and the perturbation of membrane permeability have also been suggested as modes of action (Gardini, F.; Lanciotti, R.; Guerzoni, M. E. Effect of trans-2-hexenal on the growth of Aspergillus flavus in relation to its concentration, temperature and water activity. Letters in App. Microbiology. 2001, v. 33, 50-55). The inhibition of P. expansum decay may be due to damage to fungal membranes of germinating conidia. (Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A.; Brigati, S.; Bertolini, P. Control of Penicillium expansum in pears and apples by trans-2-hexenal vapours. Postharvest Biol. and Tech. 2006, v. 41, 101-108; Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A. M.; Brigati, S. Activity of trans-2-hexenal against Penicillium expansum in ‘Conference’ pears. J. Appl. Micrbiol. 2006, v. 100, 1186-1193).
[0017] Studies have been performed to compare trans-2-hexenal to similar compounds. Deng et. al. showed that unsaturated volatiles, trans-2-hexenal and trans-2-hexen-1-ol, exhibited a greater inhibitory effect than the saturated volatiles, hexanal and 1-hexanol (Deng, W.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Nielsen, M.; Anderson, R.; Collins, G.; Hilderbrand, D. Effects of Six-Carbon Aldehydes and Alcohols on Bacterial Proliferation. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1993, v. 41, 506-510). Trans-2-hexenal was more active than hexanal, nonanal and trans-2-octenal against all ATCC bacterial strains (Bisignano, G.; Lagana, M. G.; Trombetta, D.; Arena, S.; Nostro, A.; Uccella, N.; Mazzanti, G.; Saija, A. In vitro antibacterial activity of some aliphatic aldehydes from Oleo europaea L. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 2001, v. 198, 9-13). Others have found that (E)-2-hexenal had lower minimal fungal-growth-inhibiting concentrations than hexanal, 1-hexanol, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol, and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol as determined for several species of molds, basically aldehydes>ketones>alcohols (Andersen, R. A.; Hamilton-Kemp, T.; Hilderbrand, D. F.; McCraken Jr., C. T.; Collins, R. W.; Fleming, P. D. Structure—Antifungal Activity Relationships among Volatile C 6 and C 9 Aliphatic Aldehydes, Ketones, and Alcohols. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1994, v. 42, 1563-1568). Hexenal and hexanoic acid were more effective than hexanol in inhibiting salmonella (Kubo, I. And K. Fujita, Naturally Occurring Anti- Salmonella Agents. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2001, v. 49, 5750-5754).
[0018] Muroi et al suggested that trans-2-hexenal exhibited broad antimicrobial activity but its biological activity (50 to 400 μg/mL) is usually not potent enough to be considered for practical applications (Muroi, H.; Kubo, A.; Kubo, I. Antimicrobial Activity of Cashew Apple Flavor Compounds. J. Agric. Food Chem. 1993, v. 41, 1106-1109). Studies have shown that trans-2-hexenal can potentiate the effectiveness of certain types of antimicrobials. Several patents suggest the use of potentiators for aminoglycoside antibiotics (U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,152), and potentiators for polymyxin antibiotic (U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,919 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,358). These potentiators can include indol, anethole, 3-methylindole, 2-hydroxy-6-R-benzoic acid or 2-hexenal. A strong synergic effect was observed when trans-2-eptenal, trans-2-nonenal, trans-2-decenal and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal were tested together (1:1:1:1 ratio) against ATCC and clinically isolated microbial strains (Bisignano, G.; Lagana, M. G.; Trombetta, D.; Arena, S.; Nostro, A.; Uccella, N.; Mazzanti, G.; Saija, A. In vitro antibacterial activity of some aliphatic aldehydes from Oleo europaea L. FEMS Microbiology Letters. 2001, v. 198, 9-13).
[0019] Humans are exposed daily to trans-2-hexenal through consumption of food and beverages. Human exposures to trans-2-hexenal are ˜350 μg/kg/day, with 98% derived from natural sources and 2% from artificial flavoring. It is unlikely that trans-2-hexenal would be toxic to humans since toxic levels in rats are 30 times higher than normal intake by humans (Stout, M. D.; Bodes, E.; Schoonhoven, R.; Upton, P. B.; Travlos, G. S.; Swenberg, J. A. Toxicity, DNA Binding, and Cell Proliferation in Male F344 Rats following Short-term Gavage Exposures to Trans-2-Hexenal. Soc. Toxicologic. Pathology Mar. 24 2008, 1533-1601 online). In another rat study, feeding trans-2-hexenal at dietary levels of 0 (control), 260, 640, 1600 or 4000 ppm fed for 13 wk did not induce any changes in hematological parameters or organ weights. At 4000 ppm there was a reduction in body weight and intake, but it was not significant (Gaunt, I. F.; Colley, J. Acute and Short-term Toxicity Studies on trans-2-Hexenal. Fd Cosmet. Toxicol. 1971, v. 9, 775-786).
[0020] Even in fruits, twenty four hours to seven days exposure of pears and apples to trans-2-hexenal (12.5 μL/L did not affect fruit appearance, color, firmness, soluble solids content or titratable acidity. In a trained taste panel, no significant differences in the organoleptic quality of untreated and trans-2-hexenal treated “Golden Delicious” apples were observed, while maintenance of off-flavors was perceived in “Bartlett”, “Abate Fetel” and “Royal Gala” fruit (Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A.; Brigati, S.; Bertolini, P. Control of Penicillium expansum in pears and apples by trans-2-hexenal vapours. Postharvest Biol. and Tech. 2006, 41, 101-108; Neri, F.; Mari, M.; Menniti, A. M.; Brigati, S. Activity of trans-2-hexenal against Penicillium expansum in ‘Conference’ pears. J. Appl. Micrbiol. 2006, v. 100, 1186-1193).
[0021] Citral and cinnamaldehyde, have been found to be antifungal. The mode of action of these aldehydes is by reacting with the sulfur group (—SH) from fungi (Ceylan E and D Fung. Antimicrobial Activity of Spices. J. Rapid Methods in Microbiology. 2004 v. 12, 1-55).
[0022] U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,256 and RE 39543 suggest the use of aromatic aldehydes like α-hexyl cinnamic aldehyde for the control of ant population but does not suggest any synergistic effect of the aldehyde in combination with a organic acid to improve effectiveness or a reduction on the active ingredient or their effectiveness on bacterial control.
[0023] The essential oil of Coriandrum sativum contains 55.5% of aldehydes which has been effective on preventing growth of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. These aldehydes include: n-octanal, nonanal, 2E-hexenal, decanal, 2E-decenal, undecenal, dodecanal, 2E-dodecenal, tridecanal, 2E-tridecene-1-al and 3-dodecen-1-al (Matasyoh, J. C., Z. C. Maiyo, R. R. Ngure and R. Chepkorir. Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of the Essential Oil of Coriandrum sativum. Food Chemistry. 2009 v. 113, 526-529).
[0024] Furfural, a cyclic aldehyde, is currently used as fungicide and nematicide but there are no reports of its use in combination with an organic acid i.e., nonanoic acid, as demonstrated in the present invention.
[0025] Two aldehydes, n-decanal and nonanal were effective at controlling fungal growth (Dilantha Fernando, W. G., R. Ramaranthnam, A. Krihnamoorthy and S. Savchuck. Identification and use of potential organic antifungal volatiles in biocontrol. Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 2005 v. 37, 955-964)
[0026] The prior art has not suggested or observed that the use of aldehydes in combination with organic acids improved the antimicrobial activity of either of the components by themselves. It has suggested synergy with the combination of essential oils and as potentiators of antibiotics.
[0027] Commercial mold inhibitors and bactericides are composed of single organic or a mixture of organic acids and formaldehyde. These acids are primarily propionic, benzoic acid, butyric acid, acetic, and formic acid. Organic acids have been a major additive to reduce the incidence of food borne infections. The mechanism by which small chain fatty acids exert their antimicrobial activity is that undissociated (RCOOH=non-ionized) acids are lipid permeable and in this way they can cross the microbial cell wall and dissociate in the more alkaline interior of the microorganism (RCOOH->RCOO − +H + ) making the cytoplasm unstable for survival. (Van Immerseel, F., J. B. Russell, M. D. Flythe, I. Gantois, L. Timbermont, F. Pasmans, F. Haesebrouck, and R. Ducatelle. 2006. The use of organic acids to combat Salmonella in poultry: a mechanistic explanation of the efficacy, Avian Pathology . v. 35, no. 3, 182-188; Paster, N. 1979, A commercial study of the efficiency of propionic acid and acid and calcium propionate as fungistats in poultry feed, Poult. Sci. v. 58, 572-576).
[0028] Pelargonic acid (nonanoic acid) is a naturally occurring fatty acid. It is an oily, colorless fluid, which at lower temperature becomes solid. It has a faint odor compared to butyric acid and is almost insoluble in water. Pelargonic acid has been used as a non-selective herbicide. Scythe (57% pelargonic acid, 3% related fatty acids and 40% inert material) is a broad-spectrum post-emergence or burn-down herbicide produced by Mycogen/Dow Chemicals. The herbicidal mode of action of pelargonic acid is due first to membrane leakage during darkness and daylight and second to peroxidation driven by radicals originating during daylight by sensitized chlorophyll displaced from the thylakoid membrane (B. Lederer, T. Fujimori., Y. Tsujino, K. Wakabayashi and P Boger, 2004. Phytotoxic activity of middle-chain fatty acids II: peroxidation and membrane effects. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology 80: 151-156).
[0029] Chadeganipour and Haims (2001) showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of medium chain fatty acids to prevent growth of M. gypseum was 0.02 mg/ml capric acid and for pelargonic acid 0.04 mg/ml on solid media and 0.075 mg/ml capric acid and 0.05 mg/ml pelargonic in liquid media. These acids were tested independently and not as a mixture (Antifungal activities of pelargonic and capric acid on Microsporum gypseum ” Mycoses v. 44, no 3-4, 109-112). N. Hirazawa, et. al. (Antiparasitic effect of medium-chain fatty acids against ciliated Crptocaryon irritans infestation in the red sea bream Pagrus major, 2001 , Aquaculture v. 198, 219-228) found that nonanoic acid as well as C6 to C10 fatty acids were effective in controlling the growth of the parasite C. irritans and that C8, C9 and C19 were the more potent. It was found that Trichoderma harzianum , a biocontrol for cacao plants, produces pelargonic acid as one of many chemicals, which was effective in controlling the germination and growth of cacao pathogens. (M Aneja, T. Gianfagna and P. Hebbar, 2005).
[0030] Several US patents disclose the use of pelargonic acids as fungicides and bactericides: US Published Application 2004/026685 discloses a fungicide for agricultural uses that is composed of one or more fatty acids and one or more organic acids different from the fatty acid. In the mixture of the organic acids and the fatty acids, the organic acid acts as a potent synergist for the fatty acid to function as a fungicide. U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,995 discloses a method to eradicate fungal and bacterial infections in plants and to enhance the activity of fungicides and bactericides in plants through the use of fatty acids and their derivatives. This formulation contains 80% pelargonic acid or its salts for the control of plants fungi. The fatty acids used are primarily C9 to C18. U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,630 discloses a novel pesticide for plant use containing an inorganic salt that enhance the efficacy of C 8 to C22 fatty acids. One of the examples shows a powdered product with 2% pelargonic acid, 2% capric acid, 80% talc, 10% sodium carbonate and 5% potassium carbonate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,124 discloses a fungicide and arthropodice for plants comprising of alpha mono carboxylic acids and their salts. Preferably the fungicide consists of the C9 to C10 fatty acids, partially neutralized by active alkali metal such as potassium. The mixture described consists of 40% active ingredient dissolved in water and includes 10% pelargonic, 10% capric acid and 20% coconut fatty acids, all of with are neutralized with potassium hydroxide. U.S. Pat. No. 6,596,763 discloses a method to control skin infection comprised of C6 to C18 fatty acids or their derivatives. U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,768 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,856 discloses the unique utility of fatty acids and derivatives to eradicate existing fungal and bacterial infections in plants. This method is not preventive but showed effectiveness in already established infections. Sharpshooter, a commercially available product, with 80% pelargonic acid, 2% emulsifier and 18% surfactant showed effectiveness against Penicillium and Botrytis spp. U.S. Pat. No. 6,638,978 discloses an antimicrobial preservative composed of a glycerol fatty acid ester, a binary mixture of fatty acids (C6 to C18) and a second fatty acid (C6 to C18) where the second fatty acid is different from the first fatty acid for preservation of food. WO 01/97799 discloses the use of medium chain fatty acids as antimicrobials agents. It shows that an increase of the pH from 6.5 to 7.5 increased the MIC of the short chain fatty acids containing 6-8 carbons chain.
[0031] Pelargonic acid is used as a component of a food contact surface sanitizing solution in food handling establishments. A product from EcoLab consist of 6.49% pelargonic acid as active ingredient to be use as a sanitizer for all food contact surfaces (12CFR178.1010 b). The FDA has cleared pelargonic acid as a synthetic food flavoring agent (21 CFR 172.515), as an adjuvant, production aid and sanitizer to be used in contact food (12 CFR 178.1010 b) and in washing or to assist in lye peeling of fruits and vegetables (12 CFR 173.315). Pelargonic acid is listed by the USDA under the USDA list of Authorized Substances, 1990, section 5.14, Fruit and Vegetable Washing Compounds.
[0032] The present invention relates only to the use of some of the aldehydes extracted from plants or chemically synthesized that synergistically improve the antimicrobial capacity of these compounds by the addition of organic acids especially nonanoic acid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0033] One object of the present invention is to provide a composition that synergistically improves the microbicidal effect of organic acids and aldehydes.
[0034] The composition can be a solution comprising of an organic acid or a mixture of several organic acids in combination of aldehydes.
[0035] The composition can further comprise a volatile aldehyde resulting from the lipoxygenase pathway.
[0036] The aldehydes of the composition comprise butyraldehyde, undecylenic aldehyde, citral, decanal, decenal, 2-4-decadienal and other aldehydes from C1 to C24 carbon length or shape.
[0037] The organic acids of the composition comprise organic acids of 1 to 24 carbon chain length, saturated, unsaturated, cyclic or other organic acid.
[0038] The effective mixture of the invention comprising 1 to 70% by volume organic acids,
[0039] The effective mixture of the invention comprising 0 to 70% by volume pelargonic acid.
[0040] The effective mixture of the invention comprising 5 to 50% aldehyde.
[0041] The effective mixture of the invention comprising 0 to 70% by volume water.
[0042] The composition is effective against various fungi present in feed and major feed ingredients.
[0043] The composition is effective against various bacteria present in feed and major feed ingredients.
[0044] The composition is effective against various bacteria and fungi present in water.
[0045] The composition is effective against microbes detrimental for the production of alcohol from fermentation of cellulose, starch or sugars.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0046] In this specification and in the claims which follow, reference will be made to a number of terms which shall be defined to have the following meanings.
Definitions
[0047] A “volume percent” of a component is based on the total volume of the formulation or composition in which the component is included.
[0048] An organic acid of the composition can comprise formic, acetic, propionic, butyric, pelargonic, lactic and other C 2 to C 24 fatty acid or mono-, di-, or triglycerides containing C 1 to C 24 fatty acids. These fatty acids comprising small chain, medium chain, long chain fatty acids or small chain, medium chain, long chain triglycerides.
[0049] The term “effective amount” of a compound means anh amount capable of performing the function of the compound or property for which an effective amount is expressed, such as a non-toxic but sufficient amount of the compound to provide the desired antimicrobial benefits. Thus an appropriate effective amount may be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art using only routine experimentation.
[0050] Formulations can vary not only in the concentration of major components i.e. organic acids, but also in the type of aldehydes and water concentration used. This invention can be modified in several ways by adding or deleting from the formulation the type of organic acid and aldehyde.
[0051] By the terms “synergistic effect or synergy” of the composition is meant to the improved the preservative effect when the ingredients are added as a mixture rather than as individual components.
[0052] Composition (s)
[0053] A composition of the present invention comprises an effective amount of organic acids of 1 to 24 carbons chain and an aldehyde.
[0054] The composition can comprise 1 to 100% by volume organic acids, 0 to 99% by volume acetic acid, 0 to 99% by volume propionic acid, 0 to 99% lactic acid, 0 to 99% pelargonic acid. The composition can comprise 0 to 99% water. The composition can comprise 0 to 99% of other aldehyde.
Methods
[0055] The present invention is effective against bacteria and fungi.
The present invention is applied to water. The present invention is applied to the raw material before entering the mixer. The present invention is applied to the unmixed raw materials in the mixer. The present invention is applied during the mixing of the raw ingredients. The present invention is applied in liquid form or as a dry product mixed with a carrier. The present invention is applied is such a form that provides a uniform and homogeneous distribution of the mixture throughout the feed.
[0062] One of the objectives of the present invention is to control the level of microbes in feed and feedstuffs. Several mixtures of organic acids and aldehydes resulted in several formulations that showed effectiveness against bacteria in buffer and feed. Other objective of the present invention is to formulate an antimicrobial with natural occurring compounds or safe to use compounds. All of the chemicals used in the present invention are currently approved for human uses as antimicrobials, flavor enhancers and perfumery.
[0063] There were unexpected results, i.e. synergism and additive effect, when the organic acids and aldehydes were used.
[0064] Throughout this application, various publications are referenced. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.
Example 1
[0065] Formaldehyde and/or pelargonic acid were added to test tubes at concentrations shown in Table 1. Solutions were vortexed for 10 seconds to ensure mixing. There were three replicate tubes per treatment. A suspension of Salmonella typhimurium (10 3 cfu/ml, ATCC #14028) was added to three test tubes containing each formulation. The solutions were vortexed, incubated at room temperature for 24 hours plated on SMA (Standard Methods Agar) for 24 hours before counting Salmonella colonies. The effectiveness of each formulation as a percent reduction compared to its control value is shown in the following table.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Interaction of Pelargonic acid and formaldehyde
Formaldehyde
Pelargonic acid
Salmonella
Test Product
(%)
(%)
% reduction
Control
0
0
0
Formaldehyde
0.025
0
90.8
0.0125
0
59.0
0.00625
0
39.3
0.00312
0
17.3
Pelargonic acid
0
0.0025
0
0
0.00125
0
0
0.000625
0
0
0.000312
0
HCHO: Pelargonic
0.025
0.0025
94.2
0.0125
0.0025
61.0
0.00625
0.0025
40.7
0.00312
0.0025
26.1
0.025
0.00125
92.5
0.0125
0.00125
52.5
0.00625
0.00125
38.6
0.00312
0.00125
27.8
0.025
0.000625
83.1
0.0125
0.000625
54.6
0.00625
0.000625
45.4
0.00312
0.000625
18.6
0.025
0.000312
90.2
0.0125
0.000312
57.6
0.00625
0.000312
39.7
0.00312
0.000312
22.7
[0066] A dose response curve was observed with formaldehyde and the formaldehyde: pelargonic acid treatments. Pelargonic acid at the highest dose tested was not bactericidal. Pelargonic acid at 0.00125 and 0.0025% did appear to increase the effectiveness of formaldehyde.
Example 2
[0067] Formaldehyde and/or pelargonic acid were added to test tubes at concentrations shown in Table 2. Solutions were vortexed for 10 seconds to ensure mixing. There were three replicate tubes per treatment. A suspension of Salmonella typhimurium (10 3 cfu/ml, ATCC #14028) was added to three test tubes containing each formulation. The solutions were vortexed, incubated at room temperature for 24 hours and plated on SMA (Standard Methods Agar) for 24 hours before counting Salmonella colonies. The effectiveness of each formulation as a percent reduction compared to its control value is shown in the following table.
[0000]
TABLE 2
Interaction of pelargonic acid and formaldehyde
Formaldehyde
Pelargonic acid
Salmonella
Test Product
(%)
(%)
% reduction
Control
0
0
0
Formaldehyde
0.025
0
88.3
0.0125
0
50.5
0.00625
0
41.0
0.00312
0
17.7
Pelargonic acid
0
0.01
100
0
0.005
96.5
0
0.0025
8.8
0
0.00125
2.1
HCHO: Pelargonic
0.025
0.01
100
0.025
0.005
98.6
0.025
0.0025
97.2
0.025
0.00125
91.9
0.0125
0.01
100
0.0125
0.005
100
0.0125
0.0025
62.9
0.0125
0.00125
37.8
0.00625
0.01
100
0.00625
0.005
99.6
0.00625
0.0025
20.8
0.00625
0.00125
38.2
0.00312
0.01
100
0.00312
0.005
97.2
0.00312
0.0025
36.0
0.00312
0.00125
0.4
[0068] A dose response curve was observed with formaldehyde, pelargonic acid and the formaldehyde:pelargonic acid treatments. Pelargonic acid at 0.00125% and 0.0025% did not have a significant impact on Salmonella reduction. However, when these levels of pelargonic acid were mixed with formaldehyde, the bactericidal efficacy of formaldehyde was improved.
Example 3
[0069] Five formulations were prepared for in vitro studies as presented in Table 3. Formulations were added to test tubes at concentrations of 0.01% and 0.05%. Solutions were vortexed for 10 seconds to ensure mixing. There were three replicate tubes per treatment.
[0000]
TABLE 3
Chemical Composition of Product Formulas (%)
Chemical
1
2
3
4
5
Acetic acid
20
20
20
20
20
Propionic acid
50
50
50
50
50
Pelargonic acid
5
10
15
20
25
Trans-2-Hexenal
25
20
15
10
5
TOTAL
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
[0070] A suspension of Salmonella typhimurium (10 4 cfu/ml) was added to three test tubes containing the different dilutions of each formulation. The tubes were vortexed, incubated at room temperature for 24 hours and then the solution was plated on SMA (Standard Methods Agar) for 48 hours before counting Salmonella colonies. The effectiveness of each formulation is reported as a percent reduction compared to its control value as is shown in the following table.
[0000]
TABLE 4
Percent Salmonella Reduction
0.01%
0.05%
Treatment
Dilution
Dilution
Formula 1
80.6
100
Formula 2
73.0
99.5
Formula 3
52.3
97.7
Formula 4
41.4
96.8
Formula 5
18.9
93.7
[0071] Pelargonic acid at 10% increases the efficacy of trans-2-hexenal.
Example 4
[0072] Three formulations from study 3 were chosen to test their effectiveness against Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC #14028) in feed. Poultry mash feed was amended with a meat and bone meal inoculum of Salmonella typhimurium at a level of 10 3 cfu/g of feed. Contaminated feed was then treated with either 0, 1.5 or 2 kg/MT of the formulations listed below. After 24 hours, 10 g of subsamples of the untreated and treated feed were suspended in 90 ml Butterfield buffer. Dilutions were plated on XLT-4 agar and incubated at 37° C. for 48 hours before counting Salmonella colonies. Additional samples were taken at 7 days after treatment for Salmonella enumeration. The formulas used are shown in the following table.
[0000]
TABLE 5
CHEMICAL FORMULATIONS (%)
Chemical
1
2
3
Acetic acid
20
20
20
Propionic acid
50
50
50
Pelargonic acid
5
10
15
Trans-2-hexenal
25
20
15
Total
100
100
100
[0073] Results: The following table shows that all formulations were effective against Salmonella . Increasing the level of pelargonic acid resulted in similar efficacy as high level of hexenal.
[0000]
TABLE 6
Effect of Chemicals on Salmonella at 1 and 7 Days Post-Treatment
% Reduction
% Reduction
Treatment
Kg/MT
at 1 Day
at 7 Day
Control
0
0
0
Formula #1
1.5
85 .0
97.4
2
93.8
98.9
Formula #2
1.5
75.6
94.3
2
98 .0
99.6
Formula #3
1.5
90.6
92.1
2
91.8
96.6
Example 5
[0074] The five formulations used in Example 3 were chosen to test their effectiveness against Salmonella typhimurium . Poultry mash feed was amended with a meat and bone meal inoculum of Salmonella typhimurium . Contaminated feed was then treated with either 0 or 2 kg/MT of the formulations. After 24 hours, 10 g of subsamples of the treated feed were suspended in 90 ml Butterfield buffer. Dilutions were plated on XLT-4 agar and incubated at 37° C. for 48 hours before counting Salmonella colonies. Additional samples were taken 7 days after treatment for Salmonella enumeration. The following table shows that all formulations were effective against Salmonella .
[0000]
TABLE 7
Effect of Chemicals on Salmonella at 1 and 7 Days Post-Treatment
% Reduction
% Reduction
Treatment
at 24 Hours
at 7 Days
Control
0
0
Formula 1
90 .0
96.6
Formula 2
92.6
97.6
Formula 3
86.1
91.0
Formula 4
47.3
76.5
Formula 5
55.1
66.7
[0075] Equal concentration of Pelargonic acid and trans-2-hexenal resulted in similar effectiveness as high levels (25%) trans-2-hexenal.
Example 6
[0076] Formula 1 from Example 3 composed of 25% trans-2-hexenal, 5% pelargonic acid and 70% aqueous organic acids was compared to trans-2-hexenal for residual activity in feed. Poultry mash feed was treated with 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 or 1.0 kg/ton of hexenal compared to 1 kg/ton of the hexenal: pelargonic acid combination product (0.25 kg/ton of hexenal), At 1, 6 and 13 days post treatment, feed was contaminated with a meat and bone meal inoculum of Salmonella typhimurium at a level of 10 3 cfu/g of feed. After 24 hours, 10 g of subsamples of the untreated and treated feed were suspended in 90 ml Butterfield buffer. Dilutions were plated on XLT-4 agar and incubated at 37° C. for 48 hours before counting Salmonella colonies.
[0077] The following table compares the impact of pelargonic acid on the residual activity of hexenal against Salmonella .
[0000]
TABLE 8
Evaluating the Synergism of Pelargonic acid and
Hexenal on Residual Activity in Treated Feed
% Reduction
Treatment
at 13 Days
Control
0
Hexenal: pelargonic mixture
93.5
(0.25 kg/ton hexenal)
0.10 kg/ton hexenal
0
0.25 kg/ton hexenal
0
0.50 kg/ton hexenal
77.4
1.00 kg/ton hexenal
87.1
[0078] The addition of pelargonic acid (5%) to trans-2-hexenal resulted in better effectiveness against Salmonella than trans-2-hexenal by itself.
Example 7
[0079] Seven aldehydes (butyraldehyde, citral, undecylenic aldehyde, decadienal, cinnamaldehyde, decanal and furfural) were blended with trans-2-hexenal, pelargonic acid, propionic acid and acetic acid as presented in Table 9. A 20% (X−1) and a 25% (F18) hexanal: organic acid product were included as positive controls. Formulations were added to test tube at concentration of 0.1%, 0.05%, 0.01% and 0.005%. Solutions were vortexed for 10 seconds to uniformly mix the solution. There were three replicate tubes per treatment. A suspension of Salmonella typhimurium (10 4 cfu/ml) was added to three test tubes containing the different dilution of each formulation. The solutions were vortexed, incubated at room temperature for 24 hours and then plated on XLT-4 agar for 48 hours before counting Salmonella colonies.
[0080] The effectiveness of each formulation as percent reduction compared to the control value is shown in the following tables.
[0000]
TABLE 9
Effect of Butyraldehyde, Hexenal and Pelargonic Acid on Salmonella
FORMULAS
F18
X-1
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
Pelargonic acid
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
10
10
10
10
10
Acetic acid (56%)
20
20
20
20
20
20
25
15
15
15
15
20
2-hexenal
25
20
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
Propionic acid
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
Butyraldehyde
5
10
15
20
20
5
10
15
20
20
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
% Reduction of Salmonella Growth
Concentration
F18
X-1
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
0.005%
26.7
21.2
26.7
9.1
4.2
0
0
9.1
15.2
1.2
0
0
0.01%
70.9
52.1
44.8
40.0
11.5
0
0
67.3
38.2
6.7
0
0
0.05%
100
100
100
100
94.5
69.7
0
100
99.4
95.2
77.0
0
[0000]
TABLE 10
Effect of Citral, Hexenal and Pelargonic Acid on Salmonella
FORMULAS
F18
X-1
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
Pelargonic acid
5
10
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
5
10
10
Acetic acid (56%)
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
25
15
15
2-hexenal
25
20
25
20
10
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
Propionic acid
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
citral
5
10
15
20
20
5
10
15
20
20
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
% Reduction of Salmonella Growth
Concentration
F18
X-1
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
0.005%
26.7
21.2
23.6
33.9
44.8
43.0
29.1
19.4
45.5
36.4
37.0
38.2
0.01%
70.9
52.1
70.3
63.0
63.0
77.0
33.3
68.5
60.6
60.6
53.3
30.9
0.05%
100
100
100
100
100
100
90.9
100
100
100
100
94.5
[0000]
TABLE 11
Effect of Undecylenic, Hexenal and Pelargonic Acid on Salmonella
FORMULAS
F18
X-1
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
Pelargonic acid
5
10
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
5
10
10
Acetic acid (56%)
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
25
15
15
2-hexenal
25
20
25
20
10
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
Propionic acid
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
undecylenic
5
10
15
20
20
5
10
15
20
20
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
% Reduction of Salmonella Growth
Concentration
F18
X-1
F95
F96
F97
F98
F99
F100
F101
F102
F103
F104
0.005%
0
0
5.9
20.1
29.6
47.2
85.1
16.1
14.7
21.5
50.6
29.6
0.01%
38.4
19.5
60.7
52.6
74.3
79.7
90.5
49.2
69.5
41.1
51.9
62.1
0.05%
100
100
99.3
100
100
100
98.6
100
100
100
99.3
89.8
[0000]
TABLE 12
Effect of Decadienal, Hexenal and Pelargonic Acid on Salmonella
FORMULAS
F18
X-1
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
Pelargonic acid
5
10
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
5
10
10
Acetic acid (56%)
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
25
15
15
2-hexenal
25
20
25
20
10
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
Propionic acid
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
2,4 decadieneal
5
10
15
20
20
5
10
15
20
20
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
% Reduction of Salmonella Growth
Concentration
F18
X-1
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
0.005%
0
0
74.3
72.9
83.1
70.2
79.7
49.2
81.7
87.8
90.5
93.9
0.01%
38.4
19.5
98.0
94.6
93.2
92.6
96.6
91.9
99.3
98.6
99.3
91.2
0.05%
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
[0000]
TABLE 13
Effect of Cinnamaldehyde, Hexenal and Pelargonic Acid on Salmonella
FORMULAS
F18
X-1
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
Pelargonic acid
5
10
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
5
10
10
Acetic acid (56%)
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
25
15
15
2-hexenal
25
20
25
20
10
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
Propionic acid
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
cinnamaldehyde
5
10
15
20
20
5
10
15
20
20
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
% Reduction of Salmonella Growth
Concentration
F18
X1
F105
F106
F107
F108
F109
F110
F111
F112
F113
F114
0.005%
50.3
29.9
31.0
39.9
26.8
5.9
21.6
31.5
24.7
22.6
37.8
23.1
0.01%
73.3
50.3
59.2
62.9
44.6
45.6
18.4
66.0
55.6
57.1
45.6
15.3
0.05%
100
100
100
100
100
100
84.8
100
100
100
100
90.6
[0000]
TABLE 14
Effect of Decanal, Hexenal and Pelargonic Acid on Salmonella
FORMULAS
F18
X-1
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
Pelargonic acid
5
10
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
5
10
10
Acetic acid (56%)
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
25
15
15
2-hexenal
25
20
25
20
10
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
Propionic acid
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
decanal
5
10
15
20
20
5
10
15
20
20
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
% Reduction of Salmonella Growth
Concentration
F18
X1
F115
F116
F117
F118
F119
F120
F121
F122
F123
F124
0.005%
50.3
29.9
39.9
47.2
56.6
77.5
88.5
51.9
45.1
70.7
92.7
91.6
0.01%
73.3
50.3
61.8
89.0
93.7
94.2
94.8
67.6
74.4
86.9
93.2
94.8
0.05%
100
100
100
100
100
100
97.4
100
100
100
100
97.4
[0000]
TABLE 15
Effect of Furfural, Hexenal and Pelargonic Acid on Salmonella
FORMULAS
F18
X-1
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
Pelargonic acid
5
10
5
10
5
5
5
5
5
5
10
10
Acetic acid (56%)
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
25
15
15
2-hexenal
25
20
25
20
10
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
Propionic acid
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
50
furfural
5
10
15
20
20
5
10
15
20
20
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
% Reduction of Salmonella Growth
Concentration
F18
X1
F125
F126
F127
F128
F129
F130
F131
F132
F133
F134
0.005%
50.3
29.9
33.6
40.4
41.4
34.1
41.4
28.9
29.9
39.3
24.7
47.7
0.01%
73.3
50.3
63.4
43.5
33.6
34.1
36.7
78.6
41.4
33.1
29.9
28.9
0.05%
100
100
100
97.9
95.8
81.7
0
100
100
90.6
80.1
6.4
[0081] Results:
1. At 5% pelargonic acid, butyraldehyde by itself is not as effective as trans-2-hexenal. 2. At 10% pelargonic acid, 20% butyraldehyde was as effective as 20% trans-2-hexenal. 3. At both, 5% and 10% pelargonic acid, butyraldehyde can partially replace trans-2-hexenal. 4. At 5% pelargonic acid, citral by itself is not as effective as trans-2-hexenal. 5. At 10% pelargonic acid, 20% citral was as effective as 20% trans-2-hexenal. 6. At both, 5% and 10% pelargonic acid, citral can partially replace trans-2-hexenal. 7. At both, 5% and 10% pelargonic acid, undecylenic aldehyde can replace trans-2-hexenal. 8. At both, 5% and 10% pelargonic acid, decadienal aldehyde can replace trans-2-hexenal. 9. At both, 5% and 10% pelargonic acid, cinnamaldehyde can replace trans-2-hexenal. 10. At both, 5% and 10% pelargonic acid, decanal can replace trans-2-hexenal. 11. At both, 5% and 10% pelargonic acid, furfural can replace trans-2-hexenal. 12. All the formulations tested were as effective and in some instance better than a positive formula with 25% or 20% trans-2-hexenal or the formic/propionic formulation.
CONCLUSION
[0094] Pelargonic acid potentiates the efficacy of each individual aldehyde and aldehyde combination. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of the invention can be made without departing from the sprit and scope of the teachings above. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only and are not restrictive. | An antimicrobial composition for extending the shelf-life of water, feed or feed ingredients, comprising: water, a mixture of CrC18 organic acids, a mixture of CrC24 aldehydes, 5-25 wt. % pelargonic acid, and 5-30 wt. % trans-2-hexenal. | 0 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/797,797, filed Feb. 7, 1997, U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,345, and of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/076,470, filed May 12, 1998, now abandoned, a divisional of the '797 application, which is abandoned. The disclosures of each of application Ser. Nos. 08/797,797 and 09/076,470 are incorporated herein by reference. Each of these applications claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/034,705, filed Jan. 3, 1997, the disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention generally relates to a method for facilitating the closure of an open end of a tubular article. More specifically, the invention is directed to a method for facilitating the seaming closure of a tubular knit article such as the toe end of an item of hosiery.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the manufacture of tubular products such as knit hosiery, it is generally necessary to close one end of the tubular structure to form the toe end of the finished product. (For purposes of this application, the term “hosiery” is meant in its broadest sense, and is intended to encompass all types of hosiery articles such as socks, ladies stockings, and the like.) Hosiery articles are conventionally manufactured on either single or double-cylinder circular knitting machines. This operation is typically performed by sewing opposite sides of the open end of the tubular structure together to form a toe pocket of the hosiery article. In some varieties of hosiery, both of the opposite sides of the tubular structure are substantially the same length, so that the toe seam is located on the end of the finished product. In this way, when the hosiery article is positioned on a wearer's foot, the seam is located proximate the ends of the wearer's toes. This construction is primarily used in the manufacture of ladies' sheer hosiery.
In many cases, however, it is desired to have the seam located other than at the ends of the toes, and/or it is also desired to have a structure which more closely corresponds to the three-dimensional shape of a wearer's foot. In such embodiments, one side of the tubular structure is knit so as to have a greater dimension than the opposite side of the tubular structure. This is usually achieved by knitting a tubular structure in a circular fashion, then where extra material is desired, knitting in a reciprocating fashion to provide additional knit courses on one side of the tubular structure. For example, reciprocation is often performed at two spaced-apart regions on one side of the tubular structure, to form a heel pocket and a toe pocket for the wearer's heel and toes, respectively. Because of the extra knit courses formed on one side of the knit structure, when opposite sides of the tubular structure are subsequently joined together to form a closed toe end, the toe-forming seam is positioned on one side (e.g. the top) of the finished stocking. In this way, the toe portion of the stocking can be manufactured to closely follow the contours of the human foot, and the seam can be located at a position where it is unlikely to cause irritation to the wearer's foot when the stocking is worn.
In many sock manufacturing operations, the tubular structures are knit, then transferred to a centralized toe-closing area. Each sock is manually placed by an operator onto a turner which turns the sock inside out. Each sock is then manually placed on a high speed sewing machine which sews the toe together. When placing the sock on the sewing machine, the operator must manually line up the opposite sides of the tubular structure such that the “corners” (formed where the circular knitting stops and the reciprocating knitting starts) are properly oriented to form a properly-shaped pocket and the ends of the opposite sides of the tubular structure are aligned relative to each other. The toe is then seamed closed, and the sock is then turned either manually or by the sewing machine so that the sock is right side out.
Another commercially-utilized method for closing the toes of articles of hosiery involves using a dual bed knitting machine (i.e. one having both a cylinder and a dial) and transferring the last stitch onto the dial. The dial folds in half so that the toe opening is properly aligned for seaming, and the sock is off-loaded from the machine while the stitch is still attached and the opening sewn closed. Some disadvantages with this process are that it requires new machines (i.e., it cannot be done on existing machines), and the purchase price, maintenance, and upkeep costs are generally more expensive than with a standard machine.
Another method used to manufacture socks involves knitting a shaped toe portion on the machine by starting the knitting process at the toe portion rather than at the cuff in the conventional manner. However, this method results in raveling being experienced at the cuff portion, which typically necessitates the provision of an extra band of knitting at the top of the sock. As a result, socks produced in this manner can have an uncomfortable fit which is not smooth. In addition, the machines are generally more expensive than the conventional machines and can be more expensive to maintain. Furthermore, the socks produced by this method have a toe seam on the outside of the sock, which can be aesthetically unappealing.
Because most toe closing operations typically require removal of the tubular structure from the knitting machine, alignment of opposite sides of the structure at the open end and sewing, they are generally relatively labor intensive, and therefore can represent a significant factor in the manufacturing cost of stockings. Furthermore, the toe seaming step, due in part to its labor intensiveness, provides the opportunity for the creation of defects (e.g. by the improper alignment of the opposite sides of the open end of the tubular structure), which can lead to the formation of “seconds” which in turn cannot be sold at the same price as first quality items.
Because circular weft knit fabrics unravel from the last portion knitted, stockings are generally knit starting with the cuff and ending at the toe. A non-raveling region or “clip’ is therefore typically knit to the open end of the toe portion so that the open end will be sufficiently stable to allow for the toe closing operation.
Examples of prior attempts to automate the process of closing the ends of stockings are described in patents as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,926,513 to Tew describes a method of closing a toe of a stocking, where the machine engaged in continuous circular knitting is converted to reciprocating knitting. During the reciprocating knitting, certain of the needles are disengaged while the remaining needles continue the knitting operation. Continuous circular knitting is resumed as all needles are engaged for the knitting operation and the toe portion is completed. The tubular foot portion is manually folded flat, with care being taken to ensure the gores of the toe pocket are in registration and the opening is seamed closed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,559 to Fecker describes a method for closing the toes of stockings on conventional circular knitting machines. A toe-closing thread is knit into the toe end of a tubular mesh. The mesh is then cast off the needles of a circular knitting machine and the closing thread is pulled or partially drawn out of the mesh, causing the mesh to be constricted, thereby closing the toe. The closing thread is then knotted to prevent withdrawal of the thread.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,186 to Ferraguti describes a method for forming a closed end of a tubular knit sock on a circular knitting machine. Two annular tubular layers are formed as continuations of the tubular knit fabric at separate stages by needles operating in the same cylinder of the machine. The loops at the free edge of the inner layer are held on a support arranged in a circle and the free edge of the inner layer is held on support members arranged in a circle. The free edge of the outer layer is held by the needles until a relative rotation of at least 180 degrees between the circle of support members and the cylinder has been effected. The loops held onto the support members are transferred to the needles of the cylinder, and a final few rows are knit before the fabric is removed from the needles to thereby close the end of the tubular knit fabric.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,507 to Allaire et al. describes a method for closing the toe of a double-layered sock. A first course knit by needles corresponding to the end of the tip of a first layer is transferred onto a central transfer plate of a machine where the sock is held. Knitting of the first layer continues from the tip to the mock-up edges. Then knitting is continued on the mock-up edges of the second layer to the tip, the knit tubular structure being suspended by one circular end from the central transfer plate and by the other circular end from the needle cylinder in the course of work, shaping the two concentric layers within each other. The initial course in standby on the plate is transferred to the needles of the cylinder to join the two layers together, and the toe is joined together by knitting.
An additional alternative which has been proposed involves adapting small linking machines to become knitting machines. The stocking is removed from the needles by a split dial and linked onto the knitting machine. While this method can provide satisfactory end closure without operator intervention, many types of existing equipment are not readily adaptable to this conversion. Also, substantial costs are involved in converting the equipment resulting in additional maintenance.
Therefore, a need exists for a method of closing the ends of tubular articles, and in particular, for closing the ends of items of hosiery, which can be performed with minimal labor input and using conventional equipment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing in mind, the instant invention facilitates the seaming of an open end of a tubular structure, and in particular, that of a knit stocking, by simplifying the alignment step of the seaming operation.
More specifically, the instant invention involves the provision of first and second handles along opposite sides of the open end of a tubular structure which is to be closed, so that when the handles are extended away from each other, the tubular structure is flattened and the edges of the open end along the opposite faces of the tubular structure automatically aligned with each other. In this way, the structure can be readily seamed together to form a closed end on the tubular article, with increased accuracy and efficiency.
The handles can be provided in a variety of ways. In one aspect of the invention, the tubular structure is circularly knit and the handles are integrally formed with the tubular structure. In a preferred method for producing this embodiment of the invention, the tubular structure is circularly knit, then a yarn is knit onto a small number of needles (e.g. one to five) on one side of the knitting cylinder, then the yarn is not knit onto the next substantially greater number of needles until it reaches the opposite side of the cylinder from where it previously knit. The yarn is then knit onto a small number of needles on that side of the cylinder. This knitting arrangement results in a long float or “bridge” extending from a first side of the tubular structure to the opposite side of the tubular structure. The yarn then again passes over a number of needles without knitting, as it proceeds around the cylinder in the same direction until it reaches the region of the cylinder corresponding to where it first knit on only a small number of needles. The yarn is then knit onto a small number of needles at this position (e.g. such as one to five), which can be the same needles which were previously knit upon. The process is then desirably continued for several revolutions around the knitting machine, so that the thus-formed bridge includes a number of long floats. In a preferred form of the invention, the tubular article has a substantially 360 degrees circumference, and opposite ends of the bridge are secured approximately 180 degrees around the circumference from each other.
The bridge defines two handles; the bridge is desirably severed proximate its center in order that it forms two handles having free ends. In this way, the handles can be readily and easily formed during the process of knitting the tubular article itself, and the bridge can be used to assist in the transfer of the tubular article from the knitting machine to the next processing station, as well as assist in inverting the article for seaming.
In alternative embodiments of the invention, the handles can be provided in the form of plastic or other types of straps or bands. These handles can be provided as discrete separate bands or can have opposite ends secured together to form a bridge traversing the open end of the tubular structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a tubular structure according to the instant invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of a needle arrangement and stitch configuration on a knitting machine, which can be used to integrally knit the two handles on a tubular article;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of a tubular structure, illustrating the first and second handles in their separated form; and
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the tubular structure of FIG. 3, as it appears when the first and second handles are extended in opposite directions so as to flatten the tubular structure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
With reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the instant invention, which is in the form of a section of a blank which can be used to form an item of hosiery, such as a sock. The blank, shown generally at 10 , includes a tubular structure 12 which terminates in at least one generally circular open end 14 . The open end 14 desirably has a substantially 360° circumference. (Although referred to as “generally circular” and “circumference”, it is noted that these terms are meant to describe that the structure is adapted to substantially entirely surround an interior region, and is intended to cover such configurations as a somewhat or generally flattened circular structure, and the like.)
A first handle 16 is secured proximate the open end 14 of the tubular structure 12 at a first position and extends outwardly from the open end. A second handle 18 is desirably secured proximate the open end 14 of the tubular structure at a second position, with the second position being located proximate the open end 14 at a location generally opposite that of the first position. In a preferred form of the invention, the open end 14 defines a substantially 360° circumference, and the first and second handles 16 , 18 are secured at the respective first and second positions so that the positions are spaced from each other about 180° from each other along the circumference of the tubular structure. In this way, the handles 16 , 18 are spaced from each other approximately the same distance in each direction around the open end 14 .
In one aspect of the invention, the first and second handles 16 , 18 are initially integrally formed with each other, and provided to the tubular structure 12 in the form of an integral bridge 20 traversing the open end 14 of the tubular structure. It has been found that this, in some aspects of the invention, serves to simplify the manufacturing process, as the two handles can thus be provided in a single operation. In these embodiments, the bridge 20 is subsequently severed to form discrete handles 16 , 18 , with each of the two handles having a free end 16 a , 18 a , as will be discussed in more detail further herein. Alternatively, the handles 16 , 18 can be individually provided from the outset in the form of two individual discrete pieces.
In a form of the invention particularly useful in forming garments such as items of hosiery, the tubular structure 12 is desirably circularly knit, and the handles 16 , 18 are integrally knit during the knitting process forming the tubular structure. For example and as illustrated in FIG. 2, the tubular structure 12 can be knit in a known manner to include an open end 14 . As the knitting cycle approaches the formation of the knit courses forming the open end 14 of the tubular structure 12 , one or more yarns can be knit into a relatively small number of needles on the machine (i.e. one or greater), then the yarn will not be knit again until it reaches the opposite side of the knitting cylinder, where it is again knit into one or more needles. Because a relatively large number of needles are “skipped over”, the result is an elongated piece of yarn in the form of a bridge extending from one side of the tubular structure to the other side of the tubular structure. In other words, the yarn Y is knit into one or more needles on one side of the knitting cylinder, then “floated” over a number of needles (which are in their inoperative state so that the yarn does not knit on those needles), until it reaches the opposite side of the cylinder, where the yarn then forms a knit loop on at least one needle so that the yarn is secured to the opposite side of the tubular structure. The yarn Y is then desirably floated over a number of needles on the opposite circumferential side of the knitting machine cylinder (i.e., the yarn continues to be fed in the same direction around the knitting machine cylinder) until it reaches needles proximate the initial needles where the yarn Y was knit, where it again formed knit loops on one or more needles, to again sure the yarn to the tubular structure. At this point, first and second floats are then formed, with each having its opposite ends secured to the tubular structure so that each float bridges the open center of the tubular structure. In a preferred form of this embodiment of the invention, the yarn Y is knit into more than one needle on each side of the cylinder, so that each end of each of the floats is secured by more than one stitch, as it is believed that this will reduce distortion in the tubular structure. In another aspect of the invention, the yarn Y is secured by knitting on every other needle to form the points of securement of the floats to the tubular structure. For example, it has been found that in the production of a sock blank, it works well to form the bridge by knitting the yarn on 3 out of 5 adjacent needles so that the yarn knits on every other needle. An example of the invention is shown in FIG. 2, where the yarn Y can be knit into a needle A, then floated across a number of subsequent needles B, then knit on a second needle A (which is located on an opposite side of the knitting cylinder.) In this way, each of the float ends is secured within the knit fabric structure as the tubular structure 12 is produced.
This process is desirably repeated for several courses, such that a plurality of elongated floats are formed. For example, in the production of an article of hosiery for a human wearer, the yarn Y can be knit on 4-5 needles on one side of a circular knitting cylinder then floated across the intervening needles until it is knit onto 4-5 needles on the opposite side of the cylinder of the knitting machine. As the yarn then continues being fed in the same direction (e.g. either clockwise or counter-clockwise around the knitting cylinder), it is floated across the intervening needles and knit into the same 4-5 needles where it was originally knit. The same pattern is desirably repeated for 4-5 courses, with the result being the formation of a plurality of elongated floats formed on opposite sides of the tubular structure proximate its open end.
In a particularly preferred form of the invention, the active needles A (which can be one or more needles on each side of the knitting cylinder) are positioned on the knitting cylinder at a position substantially 180° from each other, so that the point of float securement is accomplished at opposite sides of the tubular structure. In this way, the handles are secured so as to be substantially the same distance apart regardless of which direction around the circumference of the open end the distance is measured. This needle selection can be performed using conventional patterning mechanisms on commercially available machines, the programming of which will be readily understood by those having ordinary skill in the art.
One or more courses are then desirably knit subsequent to the courses forming the elongate floats, so as to form a relatively small margin 22 , which forms a seam allowance when the open end of the tubular structure is subsequently seamed closed.
Where the handles of the instant invention are used during the formation of a item of fitted hosiery, the tubular structure can be reciprocatingly knit in a conventional manner to form extra courses which in turn form shaped toe and/or heel pockets. Where a shaped toe pocket is utilized, the tubular structure can be knit using the needles around the entire cylinder of the knitting machine, then the reciprocation begun to form extra courses along one face of the tubular structure. The courses forming the bridge 20 are then desirably knit in the manner described above, and can be provided so that the points of securement of the handles on the tubular structure correspond to the position where the reciprocating courses are begun. In this way, the handles can be secured proximate the juncture of the reciprocated toe pocket with the circularly knit portion of the tubular structure.
In alternative embodiments of the invention, the handles can be provided in the form of plastic or other types of straps or bands. These handles can be provided as discrete separate bands or can have opposite ends secured together to form a bridge traversing the open end of the tubular structure. Such straps or bands can be secured to the tubular structure in any known manner, such as by inserting a shaped end through the tubular structure in the manner in which hanging pricetags are secured to garments within a store. Another method which could be used is to circularly knit a tubular structure, stop the knitting process briefly to allow the insertion of the two handles (such as by dropping in a hang-tag-type loop between needles on the knitting machine), then proceeding with the knitting operation to form a knit margin which can be used to retain the plastic hang-tag-type loop within the knit structure. Where the handles are integrally formed as a bridge traversing the open end of the tubular structure, the bridge is then severed so that each handle includes a free end 16 a , 18 a.
In one form of the invention, the handles are provided proximate the open end at a position slightly spaced from the terminal edge of the open end. In this way, a small margin 22 is provided, which forms a seam allowance when the open end of the tubular structure is subsequently seamned closed.
The free end 16 a , 18 a of each of the respective handles is then grasped, either by a machine or an operator, and one or both of the handles are extended so that the respective handles are extended in opposite directions. This causes the tubular structure to flatten upon itself, with the opposite faces 12 a , 12 b of the tubular structure assuming an aligned configuration so that the opposite faces of the open end of the structure terminate along a common plane. The opposite faces of the open end of the tubular structure can then be seamed together, to readily and easily form a neat and accurately-aligned closed end of the structure.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which this invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. | A method for facilitating in seaming closed an open end of a generally tubular structure is described. The method involves providing first and second handles extending from opposite sides of an open end of the tubular structure, extending the first and second handles in opposing directions to thereby flatten the tubular structure upon itself and align opposing faces of the tubular structure so that the open end terminates along a common edge. The open end can then be seamed by sewing or other securement methods, to thereby form a closed end on the tubular structure. The first and second handles can be integrally formed as a bridge extending across the open end of the tubular structure, and subsequently severed to form a free end on each of the handles. The tubular structure can be circular knit, with the bridge being formed during the knitting process through the formation of long floats extending a substantial distance around the circumference of the open end of the tubular structure. The method is particularly useful in the manufactured of closed-toed hosiery. | 3 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention deals with the field of devices for materials handling. In particular, the materials to be handled in the present invention comprise trays or totes or tubs used in various industries but particularly found used in the poultry industry. Such trays or tubs can interlock with respect to one another by being placed within one another to form a compact, vertically extending stack. However, they are easily detachable from interlocking with respect to one another by exerting vertical pressure during removal.
Such trays or totes are normally handled in stacks of 10, 20 or even greater in order to facilitate handling and minimize labor costs. These stacks of trays need to be separated in order to allow refurbishing of the individual trays such as washing, sanitizing, drying and other cleaning operations normally required periodically. The present invention provides an automated means for separating stacks of trays such that they can be processed as desired.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Examples of prior art devices utilized for such materials handling applications are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,070 patented Oct. 14, 1975 to Vern V. Cronk et al and assigned to Baker Perkins, Inc. on a "Tray Handling Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,519 patented Sep. 9, 1980 to K. Nord et al and assigned to Ex-Cell-O Corporation on a "Conveying And Stacking Machine"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,939 patented Oct. 26, 1982 to H. J. Musgrave on a "Palletized Poultry Coop Handling System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,403,900 patented Sep. 13, 1983 to P. M. Thomas and assigned to Builders Equipment Company on a "Pallet Storing And Distributing Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,341 patented May 13, 1986 to K. Motoda and assigned to Motoda Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha on an "Article Delivery Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,692 patented Jun. 3, 1986 to D. Suizu et al and assigned to Okura Yusoki Kabushiki Kaisha on a "Pallet Loading Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,013 patented Feb. 10, 1987 to F. Mundus et al and assigned to Windmoller & Holscher on an "Apparatus For Stacking Flat Articles"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,771 patented Mar. 10, 1987 to I. Yoshioka on a "Robot Hand For Stacking Boxes"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,089 patented Dec. 1, 1987 to T. Schneider and assigned to Velten & Pulver, Inc. on an "Article Unstacking System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,913 patented Sep. 6, 1988 to K. Baba and assigned to Kabushiki Kaisha Komatsu on a "Destacker"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,103 patented Apr. 11, 1989 to W. C. Dorner et al and assigned to Dorner Mfg. Corp. on an "Apparatus For Vertically Stacking And Storing Articles"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,308 patented Apr. 25, 1989 to F. Carboniero et al and assigned to Omera Spa on a "Separating And Lifting Device For Stacked-Up Flat Elements"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,515 patented Sep. 12, 1989 to W. Dorner et al and assigned to Dorner Mfg. Corp. on an "Apparatus For Unstacking And Stacking Containers"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,412 patented Mar. 20, 1990 to A. Cerf and assigned to Polycerf Inc. on "Machines And Methods For Separating Nested Trays"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,578 patented Apr. 10, 1990 to H. Becker and assigned to Total Tote, Inc. on a "Bin Unstacking Machine"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,870 patented Dec. 25, 1990 to W. Mojden et al and assigned to Fleetwood Systems, Inc. on an "Automatic Tray Loading, Unloading and Storage System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,263 patented Jan. 29, 1991 to H. Odenthal and assigned to Ostma Maschinebau GmbH on an "Apparatus For The Destacking Of Pallets"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,339 patented Mar. 5, 1991 to M. Antonis and assigned to FPS Food Processing Systems, B.V. on a "Device For Stacking Trays With Articles"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,597 patented Dec. 3, 1991 to L. Doctor on an "Automatically Loading And Unloading Mechanism For Flat Removable Storage Elements"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,112,181 patented May 12, 1992 to H. Rasmussen and assigned to Sanovo Engineering A/S on a "Feeding Apparatus For Transferring Eggs"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,283 patented Dec. 8, 1992 to W. Covert on a "Basket Denester"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,441 patented Sep. 20, 1994 to K. Takemasa et al and assigned to Sony Corporation on a "Parts Tray Conveying System"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,391,051 patented Feb. 21, 1995 to L. Sabatier et al and assigned to Compagnie Generale d'Automatisme CGA-HBS on an "Unstacker For Unstacking Flat Items, The Unstacker Including Realignment Apparatus"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,001 patented Aug. 13, 1996 to B. Capdeboscq and assigned to SA Martin on a "Station For Piling, Separating And Ejecting Batches Of Plate-Like Workpieces At An Outlet Of A Processing Machine"; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,252 patented Sep. 17, 1996 to R. Kuster and assigned to MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG on a "Stack Lifting Apparatus And Method".
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus which is designed for unstacking of trays in an automated fashion from a vertically extending interlocking stack of trays which are easily detachable. The apparatus preferably includes a frame which defines an input station and an output station thereon. The input station is adapted to receive the stacks of trays for separation and movement one at a time to the output station. Normally the input station is designed to receive the stacks of trays placed there manually which then may be supplied thereto by a conveyor but normally in that case the conveyor would receive manual placement of the stacks of trays or totes thereon. The output of the unstacking apparatus is normally positioned adjacent to some type of processing equipment. Such equipment normally is used for cleaning such as washing, rinsing, sanitizing and drying of such trays or totes to maintain the required level of cleanliness necessary for the specific industry with which the trays or totes are being used.
Within the frame means a main driveshaft is pivotally mounted. Preferably this driveshaft extends horizontally at a position intermediate between the input station and the output station. This main driveshaft is preferably pivotally movable through a 180 degree path of movement. A main beam is fixedly secured to the main shaft preferably and extends outwardly therefrom and is pivotally movable with the main driveshaft as it pivots through its approximately 180 degree path of movement. The main beam is preferably movable responsive to this movement between a position adjacent the input station and a position adjacent the output station. In this manner the main beam provides a means for moving of trays one at a time from the input station to the output station after which the main beam is relocated in the input station to allow removal of another tray. In this manner trays are successively removed from the top of a stack thereof to facilitate processing by machinery adjacent to the output station.
A main drive is also preferably included operatively secured with respect to the main driveshaft in such a manner as to selectively cause pivotal movement of the main beam between a position adjacent the input station and a position adjacent the output station.
An elevating platform is also preferably included mounted adjacent the input station of the frame. The elevating platform is preferably vertically movable between a lower elevator position adapted to receive stacks of interlocking trays and an upper elevator position to facilitate removal of trays one at a time from the stack of interlocking trays.
A tray gripping apparatus may be included mounted on the main beam such as to be movable therewith. This tray gripping apparatus is preferably operative to selectively grip a single tray from a stack of interlocking trays positioned upon the elevating platform within the input station and release these trays one at a time within the output station. Preferably the tray gripping apparatus further includes a pivot arm mounted on the main beam and pivotally movable with respect thereto. This pivot arm preferably includes a pivot arm gripping end defined thereon to facilitate gripping of the top tray of an interlocking stack. The gripping arm further defines a pivot arm driven end spatially disposed from the pivot arm gripping end which can be driven to facilitate pivotal movement of the pivot arm.
A gripping device may be included fixedly secured to the gripping pivot arm end of the pivotal arm such as to be movable therewith. This gripping member is preferably movable to a gripping position to grip a single tray from a position on top of a stack of interlocking trays sitting on the elevator platform. They are also removable to a releasing position to release a tray gripped as such. Movement of the gripping device between the gripping position and the releasing position is preferably responsive to pivotal movement of the pivot arm. The tray gripping apparatus is preferably adapted to urge the gripping device to the gripping position thereof only under those conditions where the main beam is located adjacent to the stack of trays within the input station. In this manner grasping will be facilitated of a tray from the top of the stack of trays located on the elevating platform. The tray gripping apparatus may also be adapted to urge the gripping device to the releasing position whenever the main beam is adjacent the outer station in order to facilitate release of the removed tray therein. The pivot arm may also be pivotally movable with respect to the frame means and define a vertically extending pivot axis to allow lateral movement of the pivot arm for urging movement of the gripping device laterally adjacent to a tray positioned upon a stack of trays within the input station in such a manner as to enhance gripping.
The configuration of the gripping device preferably includes an upper gripping member adapted to extend at least partially over the tray being gripped from the stack of trays within the input station in order to facilitate gripping. Also, the gripping device includes a lower gripping member adapted to extend at least partially under the tray being removed from the stack of trays within the input station in order to also facilitate gripping. The lower gripping member is preferably positioned at some distance from the upper gripping member in order to define a gripping slot therebetween for holding a tray therewithin during gripping and removal thereof from a stack of trays positioned on the elevating platform. This gripping slot preferably is C-shaped in order to facilitate gripping of individual trays.
An axially extensible member such as an hydraulic cylinder is preferably movably attached to the pivot arm driven end of the pivot arm. This axially extensible member is operable to move the gripping means between the gripping position and the releasing position responsive to axial extension thereof. This pivot arm is preferably pivotally secured with respect to the frame at a position intermediate between the pivot arm gripping end and the pivot arm driven end.
A stack retaining means is preferably mounted to the frame and is positioned adjacent to the input station. The stack retaining device is preferably operable to selectively retain trays of an interlocking stack thereof by urging a downward bias upon all trays within a stack below the uppermost stack which is to be removed.
This stack retaining device preferably includes a clamping arm means pivotally mounted with respect to the frame and movable between a clamping position within the input station above the elevating platform being engageable with respect to an interlocking stack of trays. The clamping arm means is also movable to a retracted position spatially disposed from the stack of interlocking trays positioned upon the elevating platform within the input station. The stack retaining device is preferably adapted to move the clamping arm thereof to the clamping position responsive to the main beam being moved adjacent a stack of trays within the input station in order to facilitate retaining of the remaining trays of a stack of interlocking trays positioned upon the elevator platform during removal of a tray from the stack of interlocking trays.
The stack retaining device also is adapted to move the clamping arm thereof to the retracted position whenever the main beam is moved away from the input station toward the output station in order to facilitate vertical repositioning of a stack of interlocking trays positioned upon the elevating platform by vertical movement of this platform.
A locking tab may also be included within the apparatus of the stack retaining means which extends outwardly from the individual clamping arms. These locking tabs are adapted to extend over at least a portion of the stack of trays positioned upon the elevating platform means within the input station in order to facilitate retaining of all trays within a stack thereof below the top tray on the elevating platform within the input station. The clamping arm is preferably pivotally mounted with respect to the frame and defines a horizontally extending pivot axis to allow lateral movement of the clamping arm for urging movement of the locking tab laterally into abutment with a stack of trays positioned within the input station for retaining same upon the elevating platform.
A clamping arm drive may be operatively secured to the clamping arm means for selectively urging movement thereof between the clamping position with the locking tab within the input station retaining a stack of trays on the elevated platform and the retracted position. The retracted position is defined when the locking tabs are withdrawn from the input station. The clamping arm drive includes an axially extensible clamping arm drive. A pivot shaft member may also be mounted horizontally pivotable with respect to the frame. The clamping arm is preferably fixedly mounted to the pivot shaft member.
A pivot shaft tab member is fixedly secured to the pivot shaft member and extends outwardly therefrom to facilitate control of pivotal movement thereof. The axially extensible clamping arm drive is operatively secured to the pivot shaft tab member to cause movement thereof and pivoting of the pivot shaft member responsive to axially extending movement of the axially extensible clamping device to facilitate clamping of a stack of trays upon the elevating platform means within the input station.
The apparatus of the present invention may also include a sensing means such as a photocell member affixed to the frame means and operative to sense the vertical positioning of a stack of interlocking trays upon the elevating platform. This photocell sensing means is operative to sense this vertical position in order to control vertical movement of the elevating platform device in order to facilitate repositioning of the uppermost tray at the same vertical position each time after removal of the tray in order to facilitate grasping and gripping thereof by the tray gripping apparatus of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof wherein maintenance requirements are minimized.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof wherein equipment down time is minimized.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof wherein a number of moving parts is minimized.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof wherein complete automated handling of totes or trays is made possible.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof wherein stacks of dirty poultry totes can be unstacked for cleaning singly within a conveyor passing through a washing apparatus.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof wherein use with small as well as very large stacks of trays is made possible.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof wherein use with any type of a processing station which requires an input of trays one at a time is possible.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof wherein labor costs are significantly minimized.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof wherein use with poultry totes is significantly advantageous.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portions herein, a preferred embodiment is set forth in the following detailed description which may be best understood when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a side plan view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention for automatically unstacking trays from a vertically extending interlocking stack thereof;
FIG. 2 is a top plan view of an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an end plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the tray gripping apparatus in the gripping position; and
FIG. 4 is an end plan view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with the tray gripping apparatus in the releasing position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention provides an apparatus for receiving stacks 12 of trays or totes 10. Such containers 10 are commonly used in many industries and, in particular, are used in the poultry industry for receiving and retaining chicks therein. Such trays 10 are often used in association with lids especially where slaughtered poultry is handled.
The present invention provides a means for unstacking a plurality of detachable yet interlocking trays 10 normally handled in stacks 12. The apparatus of the present invention includes a frame 14 which defines an input station 16 for receiving stacks of trays 10 and an output station 18 for receiving the trays individually which are removed one at a time from the top 11 of stack 12. This top tray 11 is removed one at a time from the input station 16 to the output station 18 for handling.
Under some operating circumstances an input conveyor 82 is provided which is adapted to convey stacks of trays 10 which need to be processed such as by washing thereof. Input conveyor 82 moves the tray stacks 12 to the input station 16 of the present invention. Within the input station 16 an elevating platform 28 is located.
Elevating platform 28 is movable vertically between a lower elevated position 30 for receiving stacks of trays 10 from the input conveyor 82 and the upper elevator position 32 wherein stacks of trays 12 are ready for unstacking.
Vertical movement of the elevator platform 28 is achieved by a platform chain 80 preferably in the form of a chain loop which is driven by a platform drive means 78. Drive means 78 can conventionally move the platform chain 80 around the chain sprockets 86. Chain 80 is fixedly secured to the elevating platform 28 such that operation of the platform drive 78 causes movement of the platform chain 80 about the chain sprockets 86 to cause movement of the elevating platform 28 vertically between the lower elevator position 30 and the upper elevator position 32 or to any position therebetween.
A main driveshaft means 20 is pivotally mounted within the frame 14. A main beam means 22 preferably in the form of two specific main beams as shown best in FIG. 2 are fixedly secured to the main driveshaft 20 and extend outwardly therefrom. Preferably pivotal movement of the main driveshaft 20 is possible through 180 degrees of movement in order to achieve a similar degree of movement capability in the main beam means. The main driveshaft 20 may be operatively secured with respect to a main drive 26 which urges movement of the main driveshaft 20 and the main beam 22 through the approximately 180 degrees of movement freedom.
Preferably the main drive 26 is capable of moving the main beam 22 to a position extending into or adjacent the input station 16 to pick up a tray for processing. The main drive means 26 is preferably capable of pivoting the main driveshaft 20 and thereby moving the main beam 22 to a position adjacent to the output station 18 preferably approximately 180 degrees from the position adjacent the input station 16.
To facilitate tray movement singly from the input station 16 to the output station 18 a tray gripping apparatus 34 may be included fixedly secured to the main beam 22. This tray gripping apparatus preferably includes a pivot arm 36 which includes a pivot arm gripping end 38 and a pivot arm driven end 40. A gripping means 42 is preferably secured to the pivot arm gripping end 38 and is movable with respect to the main beam 22. Preferably the gripping means 42 is movable between a gripping position 44 to facilitate the grasping of the top tray 11 of a stack 12 of trays 10 and a releasing position 46 for releasing thereof.
In specific, the configuration of the gripping means 42 is such that it is pivotable between the gripping position 44 and the releasing position 46 about the vertically extending pivot axis 48. This specific configuration of the gripping device includes an upper gripping member 50 preferably extending over at least a portion of the top tray 11 and the lower gripping member 52 spatially disposed from the upper gripping member 50 and extending under at least a portion of the top tray 11. With the upper and lower gripping members 50 and 52 spatially disposed from one another, a gripping slot means 54 is defined therebetween. This gripping slot means is preferably C-shaped to facilitate holding of the top or uppermost tray 11 therebetween. An axially extensible means 56 is operatively secured with respect to the pivot arm driven end 40 to achieve movement of the gripping means 42 between a gripping position 44 and a releasing position 46 selectively whether releasing or gripping of the top tray 11 is desired.
In a preferred configuration of the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, movement of the gripping means 42 to the gripping position 44 would be achieved when the main beam 22 is positioned within the input station 16. In this position the C-shaped gripping slot 54 will be positioned about both opposite sides of the top tray 11 for retaining thereof. The main drive 26 will then be activated causing the main shaft 20 to pivot and the main beam 22 to move through a 180 degree arc 24 of movement thereby transferring top tray 11 from the input station 16 to the output station 18. In this path of movement as shown in FIG. 1, the tray itself will invert due to the pivotal path of movement of main beam 22. This inversion does not in any way affect the capability of the gripping means 42 to firmly grip the tray 11 because of the shape of the gripping slot 54 such that it extends at least partially both above and below the tray thereby retaining it in place firmly.
It has been found to be necessary in the apparatus of the present invention to provide a means for enhancing separation between the top tray 11 and the remaining trays 10 located within the stack 12. For this reason a stack retaining means 58 is included. This retaining means includes a clamping arm means 60 movable between a clamping position 62 and a retracted position 64 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The clamping arm 60 includes a plurality of locking tabs 66 thereon adapted to extend above the remaining trays 10 within the stack 12 below the top tray 11. That is, the clamping arm 60 is adapted when moved to the clamped position 62 to position the locking tab 66 thereof above the uppermost tray within the remaining stack 12 below the top tray 11. Within the clamping position with tabs preferably extending from both sides, the remaining portion of the stack 12 will be urged downwardly toward the elevating platform 28 and thereby be clamped thereto. In this manner as the main beam 22 starts to pivot away from the input station 16 and toward the output station 18 separation between the top tray 11 and the remaining trays 10 within the stack 12 will be easily achievable.
The stack retaining device 58 preferably is pivotable through a horizontally extending pivot axis 68 formed preferably by a pivot shaft 72 extending horizontally. This pivot shaft member 72 preferably includes a pivot shaft tab 74 extending outwardly therefrom which is operatively secured with respect to a clamping arm drive 70. Such clamping arm drive 70 preferably is axially extensible and is movably secured to the pivot shaft tab member 74 such that axial extension and retraction of the clamping arm drive 70 will cause movement of the pivot shaft tab member 74 thereby in turn causing rotation of the pivot shaft member 72 about the horizontally extending pivot axis 68 thereof. In this manner the clamping arms 60 of the stack retaining device 58 will be selectively movable between a clamping position 62 and a retracted position 64.
It is desired that the clamping arms 60 be moved to the clamping position 62 immediately prior to engagement of the gripping means 42 to enhance separation of the top tray 11 from the remaining portion of the stack 12. It is also preferable that the clamping arm 60 be moved to the retracted position 64 immediately thereafter to allow vertical movement of the elevator platform 28 as necessary.
After each successive top tray 11 is removed from the stack of trays 12 it is preferable that the elevator platform 28 move upwardly through a distance necessary to bring the next or new top tray 11 to a position to be easily gripped by the gripping slot 54 of the gripping means 42. This vertical movement is controlled by operation of the platform drive 78 as linked through the platform chain 80 to the elevating platform 28 itself. In order to position the stack 12 properly such that the top tray 11 is ready for removal thereof, the present invention may preferably include a sensing means 76 as a photocell sensing means to be sure that the top tray 11 is always located at the same vertical position as the main beam 22 returns to the input station 16. This sensing means 76 preferably in the form of a photocell achieves this purpose by monitoring the vertical position of the top tray 11 of the current stack 12 positioned within the input station 16.
As the main beam 22 removes the top tray 11 it inverts the tray and transfers it through a 180 degrees arc 24 to the output station 18. Once the top tray 11 is located in the output station 18 the gripping means preferably will move from the gripping position 44 to the releasing position 46 thereby placing the removed tray in the output station 18. At this point the main beam 22 will start to pivot to return to the input station 16 for removing the next top tray 11 from the stack 12 positioned therein. The tray which has been released within the output station 18 can then be moved or is actually placed upon an output conveyor 84 to facilitate movement thereof as desired for processing such as refurbishing, cleaning, sanitizing or drying.
In operation, the apparatus of the present invention provides a means for receiving stacks 12 of trays 10 conveyed thereto on an input conveyor 82. The input conveyor 82 is adapted to move the stacks 12 into an input station 16 of the present invention. Input station 16 includes elevator platform 28 powered through a platform drive 78 and a platform chain 80 to move upwardly and carry the stack 12 of trays 10 thereon upwardly therewith. The elevator platform 28 will move upwardly until the top tray 11 is sensed by the photocell sensing means 76 to be in the correct position for removal thereof by the tray gripping apparatus of the present invention.
Once the top tray 11 is in the proper position for removal the main drive 26 can be activated to cause the main beam 22 to move into the input station 16 causing the tray gripping apparatus 34 to be positioned adjacent the top tray 11. The pivot arm 36 is then pivoted by operation of the axially extensible means 56 to cause movement of the gripping means to the gripping position 44 with the C-shaped gripping slot 54 extending about both sides of the top tray 11.
Once the top tray 11 is firmly grasped by gripping means 42 operation of the main drive 26 is initiated causing pivotal movement of the main beam 22 through approximately a 180 degree path of movement 24 from the input station 16 to the output station 18. Once the tray 11 is located in the output station 18 the gripping means 42 of the tray gripping apparatus 34 is moved to the releasing position 46 thereby dropping the tray 11 onto the output conveyor 84 for processing.
At this time the elevator platform 28 will be moved upwardly by operation of the platform drive 78 until the photocell sensing means 76 senses that the new top tray 11 of the stack 12 is in the proper position for gripping and removal thereof. Then the main drive 26 will be operated in an opposite direction to cause movement of the main beam 22 from the output station 18 to the input station 16. Once the main beam 22 is positioned within the input station 16 with the tray gripping apparatus 34 adjacent the new top tray 11 of stack 12 the gripping apparatus 42 can be activated to move to the gripping position 44 to restart the cycle again.
While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown in the drawings and described above, it will be apparent, that many changes may be made in the form, arrangement and positioning of the various elements of the combination. In consideration thereof it should be understood that preferred embodiments of this invention disclosed herein are intended to be illustrative only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. | An apparatus for separating stacks of detachably interlocking totes or trays one at a time by removal at the uppermost tray for processing thereof such as cleaning, sanitizing or otherwise refurbishing. The apparatus includes an elevating platform for maintaining the position of the uppermost tray in a stack thereof at a pre-specified vertical position defined by a sensing device such as a photocell. A tray gripping apparatus having a pivot arm and a gripping head is adapted to selectively grasp the uppermost tray from the top of a stack while at the same time a stack returning device is adapted to clamp the remaining portion of the stack downwardly. The tray is removed and moved through a 180 degree arc where it is released at the output station for cleaning or other service. A main beam member is pivotally mounted to the frame to achieve the back and forth pivotal movement for removal of the top tray one at a time from the stack thereof. | 1 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/470,077 filed Mar. 31, 2011, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD
The disclosures herein relate to hydrocarbon feedstocks and products, and hydrotreating processes thereof.
BACKGROUND
One method for increasing the feedstocks suitable for production of fuels can be to use cracking to convert higher boiling petroleum feeds to lower boiling products. For example, distillate boiling range feeds can be hydrocracked to generate additional naphtha boiling range products.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,385,663 describes an integrated process for hydrocracking and catalytic dewaxing of middle distillates. An initial feed is hydrocracked to produce at least a middle distillate stream having a boiling range from 232° C.-450° C. This middle distillate stream is then dewaxed. Some naphtha boiling range compounds are also produced, but an amount of conversion to lower boiling products is not specified.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,824 describes a process for upgrading hydrocarbons to produce a distillate product and a high octane naphtha product. An initial feed suitable for distillate production is split into a lower boiling fraction and a higher boiling fraction at a cut point between about 500° C. and 800° C. The higher boiling fraction is hydrocracked. The fractions are combined after hydrocracking for dewaxing. Because the lower boiling portion is not hydrocracked, the method has a substantial distillate yield.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,858 describes a process for converting hydrocarbon feedstocks into middle distillate products. A feedstock is first treated with an aqueous acid solution. The feedstock is then subjected to hydrocracking and dewaxing. The target product appears to be a distillate product with a boiling range between 149° C. and 300° C.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009/0159489 describes a process for making high energy distillate fuels. A highly aromatic feedstream is contacted with a hydrotreating catalyst, hydrocracking catalyst, and dewaxing catalyst in a single stage reactor. At least a portion of the highly aromatic stream is converted to a jet fuel or diesel product.
SUMMARY OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment of the invention herein is a method for producing a naphtha product and an unconverted product, comprising:
exposing a feedstock to a first hydrocracking catalyst under first effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a first hydrocracked effluent, the feedstock having a cetane number of about 35 or less, at least about 60 wt % of the feedstock boiling above about 400° F. (about 204° C.) and at least about 60 wt % of the feedstock boiling below about 650° F. (about 343° C.);
exposing the first hydrocracked effluent, without intermediate separation, to a first dewaxing catalyst under first effective dewaxing conditions to form a dewaxed effluent;
separating the dewaxed effluent to form a first gas phase portion and a first liquid phase portion;
fractionating the first liquid phase portion and a second liquid phase portion in a first fractionator to form at least one naphtha fraction and an unconverted fraction, the naphtha fraction corresponding to at least about 65 wt % of the feedstock and having a final boiling point of about 400° F. (about 204° C.) or less;
withdrawing at least a first portion of the uncoverted fraction as an unconverted product stream, the weight of the unconverted product stream corresponding to from about 5 wt % to about 35 wt % of the feedstock; wherein the unconverted product stream has an initial boiling point of at least about 400° F. (about 204° C.), a cetane number of at least about 45, and a cloud point at least about 10° F. (about 6° C.) less than the cloud point of the feedstock;
exposing at least a second portion of the unconverted fraction to a second hydrocracking catalyst under second effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a second hydrocracked effluent;
separating the second hydrocracked effluent to form a second gas phase portion and the second liquid phase portion; and
sending at least a portion of the second liquid phase portion to the first fractionator.
In another embodiment of the invention herein is a method for producing an improved octane naphtha product stream, comprising:
exposing a light cycle oil from a fluid catalytic cracking process to a first hydrocracking catalyst under first effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a first hydrocracked effluent, the light cycle oil having a cetane number of about 35 or less, at least about 60 wt % of the feedstock boiling above about 400° F. (about 204° C.) and at least about 60 wt % of the feedstock boiling below about 650° F. (about 343° C.);
exposing the first hydrocracked effluent, without intermediate separation, to a first dewaxing catalyst under first effective dewaxing conditions to form a dewaxed effluent;
separating the dewaxed effluent to form a first gas phase portion and a first liquid phase portion;
fractionating the first liquid phase portion and a second liquid phase portion in a first fractionator to form at least one naphtha fraction and an unconverted fraction, the naphtha fraction corresponding to at least about 65 wt % of the feedstock and having a final boiling point of about 400° F. (about 204° C.) or less;
withdrawing at least a portion of the unconverted fraction as an unconverted product stream, the weight of the unconverted product stream corresponding to from about 5 wt % to about 35 wt % of the light cycle oil; wherein the unconverted product stream has an initial boiling point of at least about 400° F. (about 204° C.), a cetane number of at least about 45, and a cloud point at least about 10° F. (about 6° C.) less than the cloud point of the light cycle oil;
exposing at least a second portion of the unconverted fraction to a second hydrocracking catalyst under second effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a second hydrocracked effluent;
separating the second hydrocracked effluent to form a second gas phase portion and the second liquid phase portion;
sending at least a portion of the second liquid phase portion to the first fractionator; and
sending the at least one naphtha fraction to a reformer unit and producing an improved naphtha product stream, wherein the improved naphtha product stream has a to higher octane value (RON+MON) than the naphtha fraction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
FIG. 1 schematically shows a first embodiment of a reaction system suitable for processing of a hydrocarbon feed according to the invention.
FIG. 2 schematically shows a second embodiment of a reaction system suitable for processing of a hydrocarbon feed according to the invention.
FIG. 3 shows a plot of the amount of cloud point reduction as a function of dewaxing temperatures for the series of experiments shown in Table 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
Overview
In various embodiments, methods are provided that can allow for production of a naphtha product and an unconverted product, the unconverted product having an increased cetane value, improved cold flow properties, and/or a greater yield of unconverted product at a given target for cetane value and/or cold flow properties. The methods can include hydrocracking of a distillate feed in a two stage reaction system. The effluent from the first stage can be fractionated to produce a converted fraction and an unconverted fraction. The converted fraction can be suitable for use, for example as a naphtha product, or can be subjected to further processing, such as reforming. A portion of the unconverted fraction can be withdrawn as an unconverted product, such as a diesel product, while a remaining portion of the unconverted fraction can be hydrocracked in a second stage. The effluent from the second stage can be returned to the fractionator to form a recycle loop. A dewaxing catalyst can be included in the first and/or the second stage to allow for dewaxing of hydrocracked effluent in the corresponding stage. This can allow for a desired level of production of the converted fraction while producing a second unconverted product with desirable properties.
One conventional process for gasoline production can be to convert a higher boiling feed into a naphtha boiling range product. For example, a relatively low-grade distillate feed, such as a light cycle oil, can be hydrocracked to gasoline at high conversion with some internal recycle of unconverted product. Instead of recycling the entire unconverted product, a portion of the unconverted product can be withdrawn as an unconverted product, such as a diesel product. This withdrawn unconverted product can have improved properties relative to the feed. For example, the cetane of the unconverted product can be increased relative to the feed, e.g., allowing the cetane for the unconverted product to likely meet an on-road diesel specification. The sulfur content of the unconverted product can additionally or alternately be improved and can advantageously have a sulfur content suitable for use as ultra low sulfur diesel.
By operating a light feed hydrocracker reaction system to have less than 100% conversion of feed to naphtha boiling range products, the reaction system can be used to make a portion of this improved unconverted product. Operating the light feed hydrocracker reaction system to produce an unconverted product in addition to a converted product can provide flexibility for refineries to match products with changes in demand. However, as the amount of conversion is reduced to increase the amount of yield for the unconverted product, it has been found that the cloud point of the unconverted product can increase, resulting in a cloud point that can exceed the specification shown in ASTM D975 for a diesel fuel. Another factor that can impact the cloud point of a diesel product can be the input feedstock for the process. If a refinery desires to generally increase distillate production, an additional volume of higher boiling feeds may be processed, such as additional quantities of heavy atmospheric gas oils. The initial cold flow properties of these heavier feeds can be less favorable.
In various embodiments, methods are provided for producing a converted product and an unconverted product. The converted product and unconverted product can be defined relative to a conversion temperature. An at least partially distillate boiling range feed can be exposed to hydrocracking conditions in a first hydrocracking stage. A dewaxing catalyst can be included at the end of the first hydrocracking stage. The effluent from the first stage can then be passed through a separator to separate a gas phase portion of the effluent from a liquid phase portion. The liquid effluent can then be fractionated to produce at least a converted fraction and an unconverted fraction. A portion of the unconverted fraction can be withdrawn as an unconverted product. Because of the presence of the dewaxing catalyst at the end of the first stage, the unconverted product can have improved cold flow properties. The remaining portion of the unconverted fraction can then be exposed to hydrocracking conditions in a second hydrocracking stage. The effluent from the second hydrocracking stage can be separated to remove a gas phase portion. The remaining liquid effluent from the second hydrocracking stage can be fed to a (the same) fractionator. Optionally, the liquid effluent from the first stage and the second stage can be combined prior to entering the fractionator. Optionally, the dewaxing catalyst can be included at the end of the second stage instead of the first stage, or dewaxing catalyst can optionally be included at the end of both the first stage and the second stage.
In some embodiments, incorporating dewaxing catalyst into a hydrocracking stage in a light feed hydrocracker can provide one or more advantages. Including a dewaxing catalyst can increase the amount of unconverted product that can be withdrawn from a light feed hydrocracker while still maintaining desired levels for the cetane number and/or the cloud point for the unconverted product. By incorporating the dewaxing catalyst into a hydrocracking stage, the entire hydrocracking effluent can be exposed to the dewaxing catalyst. In some embodiments, this can allow lower temperatures to be used during dewaxing while still achieving a desired improvement in cold flow properties. In an embodiment where dewaxing catalyst is included in the first hydrocracking stage, the hydrocracked effluent can be exposed to the dewaxing catalyst under sour conditions. This can reduce the amount of incidental aromatic saturation performed by the dewaxing catalyst. This can reduce the amount of hydrogen consumed during dewaxing.
Feedstock
A mineral hydrocarbon feedstock refers to a hydrocarbon feedstock derived from crude oil that has optionally been subjected to one or more separation and/or other refining processes. The mineral hydrocarbon feedstock can be a petroleum feedstock boiling in the diesel range or above. Examples of suitable feeds can include atmospheric gas oils, light cycle oils, or other feeds with a boiling range profile similar to an atmospheric gas oil and/or a light cycle oil. Other examples of suitable feedstocks can include, but are not limited to, virgin distillates, hydrotreated virgin distillates, kerosene, diesel boiling range feeds (such as hydrotreated diesel boiling range feeds), and the like, and combinations thereof.
The boiling range of a suitable feedstock can be characterized in various manners. One option can be to characterize the amount of feedstock that boils above about 350° F. (about 177° C.). At least about 60 wt %, or at least about 80 wt %, or at least about 90 wt % of a feedstock can boil above about 350° F. (about 177° C.). Additionally or alternately, at least about 60 wt %, for example at least about 80 wt % or at least about 90 wt %, of the feedstock can boil above about 400° F. (about 204° C.). Another option can be to characterize the amount of feed that boils below a temperature value. In addition to or as an alternative to the boiling range features described above, at least about 60 wt %, for example at least about 80 wt % or at least about 90 wt %, of a feedstock can boil below about 650° F. (about 343° C.). Additionally or alternately, at least about 60 wt %, for example at least about 80 wt % or at least about 90 wt %, of a feedstock can boil below about 700° F. (about 371° C.). Further additionally or alternatively, a feedstock can have a final boiling point of about 700° F. (about 371° C.) or less, for example of about 750° F. (about 399° C.) or less, of about 800° F. (about 427° C.) or less, or of about 825° F. (about 441° C.) or less.
In some embodiments, a “sour” feed can be used. In such embodiments, the nitrogen content can be at least about 50 wppm, for example at least about 75 wppm or at least about 100 wppm. Even in such “sour” embodiments, the nitrogen content can optionally but preferably be about 2000 wppm or less, for example about 1500 wppm or less or about 1000 wppm or less. Additionally or alternately in such “sour” embodiments, the sulfur content can be at least about 100 wppm, for example at least about 200 wppm or at least about 500 wppm. Further additionally or alternately, even in such “sour” embodiments, the sulfur content can optionally but preferably be about 3.0 wt % or less, for example about 2.0 wt % or less or about 1.0 wt % or less.
In some embodiments a “sweet” feed having a relatively lower level of sulfur and/or nitrogen contaminants may be used as at least a portion of the feed entering a reactor. A sweet feed can represent a hydrocarbon feedstock that has been hydrotreated and/or that otherwise can have a relatively low sulfur and nitrogen content. For example, the input flow to the second stage of the hydrocracking reaction system can typically be a sweet feed. In such embodiments, the sulfur content can advantageously be about 100 wppm or less, for example about 50 wppm or less, about 20 wppm or less, or about 10 wppm or less. Additionally or alternately in such embodiments, the nitrogen content can be about 50 wppm or less, for example about 20 wppm or less or about 10 wppm or less.
In the discussion below, a biocomponent feedstock refers to a hydrocarbon feedstock derived from a biological raw material component, from biocomponent sources such as vegetable, animal, fish, and/or algae. Note that, for the purposes of this document, vegetable fats/oils refer generally to any plant based material, and can include fat/oils derived from a source such as plants of the genus Jatropha . Generally, the biocomponent sources can include vegetable fats/oils, animal fats/oils, fish oils, pyrolysis oils, and algae lipids/oils, as well as components of such materials, and in some embodiments can specifically include one or more type of lipid compounds. Lipid compounds are typically biological compounds that are insoluble in water, but soluble in nonpolar (or fat) solvents. Non-limiting examples of such solvents include alcohols, ethers, chloroform, alkyl acetates, benzene, and combinations thereof.
Major classes of lipids include, but are not necessarily limited to, fatty acids, glycerol-derived lipids (including fats, oils and phospholipids), sphingosine-derived lipids (including ceramides, cerebrosides, gangliosides, and sphingomyelins), steroids and their derivatives, terpenes and their derivatives, fat-soluble vitamins, certain aromatic compounds, and long-chain alcohols and waxes.
In living organisms, lipids generally serve as the basis for cell membranes and as a form of fuel storage. Lipids can also be found conjugated with proteins or carbohydrates, such as in the form of lipoproteins and lipopolysaccharides.
Examples of vegetable oils that can be used in accordance with this invention include, but are not limited to rapeseed (canola) oil, soybean oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil, peanut oil, linseed oil, tall oil, corn oil, castor oil, jatropha oil, jojoba oil, olive oil, flaxseed oil, camelina oil, safflower oil, babassu oil, tallow oil, and rice bran oil.
Vegetable oils as referred to herein can also include processed vegetable oil material. Non-limiting examples of processed vegetable oil material include fatty acids and fatty acid alkyl esters. Alkyl esters typically include C 1 -C 5 alkyl esters. One or more of methyl, ethyl, and propyl esters are preferred.
Examples of animal fats that can be used in accordance with the invention include, but are not limited to, beef fat (tallow), hog fat (lard), turkey fat, fish fat/oil, and chicken fat. The animal fats can be obtained from any suitable source including restaurants and meat production facilities.
Animal fats as referred to herein also include processed animal fat material. Non-limiting examples of processed animal fat material include fatty acids and fatty acid alkyl esters. Alkyl esters typically include C 1 -C 5 alkyl esters. One or more of methyl, ethyl, and propyl esters are preferred.
Algae oils or lipids are typically contained in algae in the form of membrane components, storage products, and metabolites. Certain algal strains, particularly microalgae such as diatoms and cyanobacteria, contain proportionally high levels of lipids. Algal sources for the algae oils can contain varying amounts, e.g., from 2 wt % to 40 wt % of lipids, based on total weight of the biomass itself.
Algal sources for algae oils include, but are not limited to, unicellular and multicellular algae. Examples of such algae include a rhodophyte, chlorophyte, heterokontophyte, tribophyte, glaucophyte, chlorarachniophyte, euglenoid, haptophyte, cryptomonad, dinoflagellum, phytoplankton, and the like, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, algae can be of the classes Chlorophyceae and/or Haptophyta. Specific species can include, but are not limited to, Neochloris oleoabundans, Scenedesmus dimorphus, Euglena gracilis, Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Pleurochrysis carterae, Prymnesium parvum, Tetraselmis chui , and Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
The biocomponent feeds usable in the present invention can include any of those which comprise primarily triglycerides and free fatty acids (FFAs). The triglycerides and FFAs typically contain aliphatic hydrocarbon chains in their structure having from 8 to 36 carbons, for example from 10 to 26 carbons or from 14 to 22 carbons. Types of triglycerides can be determined according to their fatty acid constituents. The fatty acid constituents can be readily determined using Gas Chromatography (GC) analysis. This analysis involves extracting the fat or oil, saponifying (hydrolyzing) the fat or oil, preparing an alkyl (e.g., methyl) ester of the saponified fat or oil, and determining the type of (methyl) ester using GC analysis. In one embodiment, a majority (i.e., greater than 50%) of the triglyceride present in the lipid material can be comprised of C 10 to C 26 , for example C 12 to C 18 , fatty acid constituents, based on total triglyceride present in the lipid material. Further, a triglyceride is a molecule having a structure substantially identical to the reaction product of glycerol and three fatty acids. Thus, although a triglyceride is described herein as being comprised of fatty acids, it should be understood that the fatty acid component does not necessarily contain a carboxylic acid hydrogen. Other types of feed that are derived from biological raw material components can include fatty acid esters, such as fatty acid alkyl esters (e.g., FAME and/or FAEE).
Biocomponent based diesel boiling range feedstreams typically have relatively low nitrogen and sulfur contents. For example, a biocomponent based feedstream can contain up to about 500 wppm nitrogen, for example up to about 300 wppm nitrogen or up to about 100 wppm nitrogen. Instead of nitrogen and/or sulfur, the primary heteroatom component in biocomponent feeds is oxygen. Biocomponent diesel boiling range feedstreams, e.g., can include up to about 10 wt % oxygen, up to about 12 wt % oxygen, or up to about 14 wt % oxygen. Suitable biocomponent diesel boiling range feedstreams, prior to hydrotreatment, can include at least about 5 wt % oxygen, for example at least about 8 wt % oxygen.
In an embodiment, the feedstock can include up to about 100% of a feed having a biocomponent origin. This can be a hydrotreated vegetable oil feed, a hydrotreated fatty acid alkyl ester feed, or another type of hydrotreated biocomponent feed. A hydrotreated biocomponent feed can be a biocomponent feed that has been previously hydroprocessed to reduce the oxygen content of the feed to about 500 wppm or less, for example to about 200 wppm or less or to about 100 wppm or less. Correspondingly, a biocomponent feed can be hydrotreated to reduce the oxygen content of the feed, prior to other optional hydroprocessing, to about 500 wppm or less, for example to about 200 wppm or less or to about 100 wppm or less. Additionally or alternately, a biocomponent feed can be blended with a mineral feed, so that the blended feed can be tailored to have an oxygen content of about 500 wppm or less, for example about 200 wppm or less or about 100 wppm or less. In embodiments where at least a portion of the feed is of a biocomponent origin, that portion can be at least about 2 wt %, for example at least about 5 wt %, at least about 10 wt %, at least about 20 wt %, at least about 25 wt %, at least about 35 wt %, at least about 50 wt %, at least about 60 wt %, or at least about 75 wt %. Additionally or alternately, the biocomponent portion can be about 75 wt % or less, for example about 60 wt % or less, about 50 wt % or less, about 35 wt % or less, about 25 wt % or less, about 20 wt % or less, about 10 wt % or less, or about 5 wt % or less.
In embodiments where the feed is a mixture of a mineral feed and a biocomponent feed, the mixed feed can have a sulfur content of about 5000 wppm or less, for example about 2500 wppm or less, about 1000 wppm or less, about 500 wppm or less, about 200 wppm or less, about 100 wppm or less, about 50 wppm or less, about 30 wppm or less, about 20 wppm or less, about 15 wppm or less, or about 10 wppm or less. Optionally, the mixed feed can have a sulfur content of at least about 100 wppm of sulfur, or at least about 200 wppm, or at least about 500 wppm. Additionally or alternately in embodiments where the feed is a mixture of a mineral feed and a biocomponent feed, the mixed feed can have a nitrogen content of about 2000 wppm or less, for example about 1500 wppm or less, about 1000 wppm or less, about 500 wppm or less, about 200 wppm or less, about 100 wppm or less, about 50 wppm or less, about 30 wppm or less, about 20 wppm or less, about 15 wppm or less, or about 10 wppm or less.
In some embodiments, a dewaxing catalyst can be used that includes the sulfide form of a metal, such as a dewaxing catalyst that includes nickel and tungsten. In such embodiments, it can be beneficial for the feed to have at least a minimum sulfur content. The minimum sulfur content can be sufficient to maintain the sulfided metals of the dewaxing catalyst in a sulfided state. For example, the partially processed feedstock encountered by the dewaxing catalyst can have a sulfur content of at least about 100 wppm, for example at least about 150 wppm or at least about 200 wppm. Additionally or alternately, the feedstock can have a sulfur content of about 500 wppm or less, for example about 400 wppm or less or about 300 wppm or less. In yet another embodiment, the additional sulfur to maintain the metals of a dewaxing catalyst in a sulfide state can be provided by gas phase sulfur, such as H 2 S. One potential source of H 2 S gas can be from hydrotreatment of the mineral portion of a feed. If a mineral feed portion is hydrotreated prior to combination with a biocomponent feed, a portion of the gas phase effluent from the hydrotreatment process or stage can be cascaded along with hydrotreated liquid effluent.
The content of sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, and olefins (inter alga) in a feedstock created by blending two or more feedstocks can typically be determined using a weighted average based on the blended feeds. For example, a mineral feed and a biocomponent feed can be blended in a ratio of about 80 wt % mineral feed and about 20 wt % biocomponent feed. In such a scenario, if the mineral feed has a sulfur content of about 1000 wppm, and the biocomponent feed has a sulfur content of about 10 wppm, the resulting blended feed could be expected to have a sulfur content of about 802 wppm.
In an embodiment, a distillate boiling range feedstream suitable for use as a hydrocracker feed can have a cloud point of at least about 6° F. (about −14° C.), for example at least about 12° F. (about −11° C.) or at least about 18° F. (about −7° C.). Additionally or alternately, the distillate boiling range feedstream can have a cloud point of about 42° F. (about 6° C.) or less, preferably about 30° F. (about −1° C.) or less, for example about 24° F. (about −4° C.) or less, or about 15° F. (about −9° C.) or less. In an embodiment, the cetane number for the feed can be about 35 or less, or about 30 or less. Additionally or alternately, the cetane number for the feed can be a cetane number typically observed for a feed such as a light cycle oil.
Reactor Configuration
In various embodiments, a reactor configuration can be used that is suitable for performing light feed hydrocracking for generation of fuel products. The reaction system can be operated so that at least a majority of the products from the light feed hydrocracking are converted products, such as naphtha boiling range products.
A reaction system suitable for performing the inventive method can include at least two hydrocracking stages. Note that a reaction stage can include one or more beds and/or one or more reactors. The first hydrocracking stage can optionally include two or more reactors, with the total effluent passed into each reactor in a stage. In an embodiment with two or more reactors in the first stage, a first reactor can include one or more catalyst beds that contain hydrotreating catalyst. This can allow for hydrodesulfurization, hydrodenitrogenation, and/or hydrodeoxygenation of a feedstock. A second reactor can contain one or more catalyst beds of hydrocracking catalyst. Having two or more reactors can allow for additional flexibility in selecting reaction conditions between the reactors. Various alternative configurations can be used for the first stage. For example, the first stage can include beds of both hydrotreating and hydrocracking catalyst in a single reactor. Another option can be to have multiple reactors, with at least one reactor that contains both hydrotreating and hydrocracking catalyst.
In addition to the hydrocracking and optional hydrotreating catalyst, at least one bed of catalyst in the first stage can include a catalyst capable of dewaxing. Optionally but preferably, the dewaxing catalyst can be placed in a bed downstream from at least a portion of the hydrocracking catalyst in the stage, such as by placing the dewaxing catalyst in a final catalyst bed in the stage. Other options for the location of dewaxing catalyst can be: to place the dewaxing catalyst after all of the hydrocracking catalyst; to place the dewaxing catalyst after at least one bed of hydrocracking catalyst; or to place the dewaxing catalyst before the first bed of the hydrocracking catalyst. Placing the dewaxing catalyst in the final bed of the stage can allow the dewaxing to occur on the products of the hydrocracking reaction. This means that dewaxing can be performed on any paraffinic species created due to ring-opening during the hydrocracking reactions. Additionally, having the dewaxing catalyst in a separate bed from the hydrocracking catalyst can allow for some additional control of reaction conditions during catalytic dewaxing, such as allowing for some separate temperature control of the dewaxing and hydrocracking processes. Locating the dewaxing catalyst in the first stage can allow the dewaxing to be performed on the total feedstock/effluent in the stage.
One option for achieving additional control of the dewaxing reaction conditions can be to include a quench between the hydrocracking catalyst bed(s) and the dewaxing catalyst bed(s). Because hydroprocessing reactions are typically exothermic, using a quench stream between beds of hydroprocessing catalyst can provide some temperature control to allow for selection of dewaxing conditions. For example, an optional gas quench, such as a hydrogen gas quench and/or an inert gas quench, can be included between the hydrocracking beds and the dewaxing bed. If hydrogen is introduced as part of the quench, the quench hydrogen can also modify the amount of available hydrogen for the dewaxing reactions.
A separation device can be used after the first stage to remove gas phase contaminants generated during exposure of the feedstock to the hydrocracking, dewaxing, and/or hydrotreating catalysts. The separation device can produce a gas phase output and a liquid phase output. The gas phase output can be treated in a typical manner for a contaminant gas phase output, such as scrubbing the gas phase output to allow for recycling of any hydrogen content.
The liquid phase output from the separator can then be fractionated to form at least a converted fraction and an unconverted fraction. For example, the fractionator can be used to produce at least a naphtha fraction and a diesel fraction. Additional fractions can also be produced, such as a heavy naphtha fraction. Any naphtha fractions from the fractionator can be sent to the gasoline pool, or the naphtha fractions can undergo further processing. Such further processing can be used, for example, to improve the octane rating of the gasoline. This could include using a naphtha fraction as a feed to a reforming unit.
A portion of the unconverted fraction can be withdrawn as a product stream. The remainder of the unconverted fraction can be used as an input for a second hydrocracking stage. Relative to the first stage, the second hydrocracking stage can have a relatively low level of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants. The hydrocracking conditions in the second stage can be selected to achieve a total desired level of conversion. Optionally, a dewaxing catalyst can be included in the second stage in addition to and/or in place of the dewaxing catalyst in the first stage.
Optionally, the second stage effluent can be passed into another gas-liquid separation device. The gas phase portion from the separation device can be recycled to recapture hydrogen, or used in any other convenient manner. The liquid phase portion can be fed to the fractionator. The liquid phase portion can be combined with the liquid effluent from the first stage prior to entry into the fractionator, or the two liquid effluent streams can enter the fractionator at separate locations. Alternately, separate fractionators can be used to process the first and the second stage effluents.
In an alternative embodiment, a preliminary stage can be included prior to the first stage. In this type of embodiment, a preliminary stage reactor (or reactors) can be used to perform hydrotreatment of a feedstock. The preliminary stage reactor(s) can optionally include hydrocracking catalyst as well. A gas-liquid separation device can be used after the preliminary stage reactor(s) to separate gas phase products. The liquid effluent from the preliminary stage reactor(s) can then pass into the one or more first stage reactors that include hydrocracking catalyst. As described above, the one or more first stage reactors can optionally also include some hydrotreating catalyst. An embodiment involving a preliminary stage can be useful, for example, if the feedstock includes a biocomponent portion. The preliminary stage reactor(s) can be operated to perform a mild hydrotreatment that is sufficient for hydrodeoxygenation of the (biocomponent-containing) feed, as well as some optional hydrodesulfurization and/or hydrodenitrogenation. The hydrodeoxygenation reaction can produce CO and CO 2 as contaminant by-products. In addition to being potential catalyst poisons, any CO generated may be difficult to handle, particularly if it is passed into the general refinery hydrogen recycle system. Using a preliminary hydrotreatment stage can allow contaminants such as CO and CO 2 to be removed in the preliminary stage separation device. The gas phase effluent from the preliminary stage separation device can then receive different handling from a typical gas phase effluent. For example, it may be cost effective to use the gas phase effluent from a preliminary stage separator as fuel gas, as opposed to attempting to scrub the gas phase effluent and recycle the hydrogen.
Catalyst and Reaction Conditions
In various embodiments, the reaction conditions in the reaction system can be selected to generate a desired level of conversion of a feed. Conversion of the feed can be defined in terms of conversion of molecules that boil above a temperature threshold to molecules below that threshold. For example, in a light feed hydrocracker, the conversion temperature can be about 350° F. (about 177° C.), for example about 375° F. (about 191° C.), about 400° F. (about 204° C.), or about 425° F. (about 218° C.). Optionally, the conversion temperature can be indicative of a desired cut point for a converted fraction product generated by the light feed hydrocracker reaction system. Alternately, the conversion temperature can be a convenient temperature for characterizing the products, with cut points selected at other temperatures.
The amount of conversion of a feedstock can be characterized at several locations within a reaction system. One potential characterization for the conversion of feedstock can be the amount of conversion in the first reaction stage. As described above, the conversion temperature can be any convenient temperature, such as about 350° F. (about 177° C.), for example about 375° F. (about 191° C.), about 400° F. (about 204° C.), or about 425° F. (about 218° C.). In an embodiment, the amount of conversion in the first stage can be at least about 40%, for example at least about 50%. Additionally or alternately, the amount of conversion in the first stage can be about 75% or less, for example about 65% or less or about 60% or less. Another way to characterize the amount of conversion can be to characterize the amount of conversion in the total liquid products generated by the reaction system. This can include any naphtha, diesel, and/or other product streams that exit the reaction system. This conversion amount includes conversion that occurs in any stage of the reaction system. In an embodiment, the amount of conversion for the reaction system can be at least about 50%, for example at least about 60%, at least about 70%, or at least about 80%. Additionally or alternately, the amount of conversion for the reaction system can be about 95% or less, for example about 90% or less, about 85% or less, or about 75% or less.
Hydrocracking catalysts typically contain sulfided base metals on acidic supports, such as amorphous silica-alumina, cracking zeolites such as USY, acidified alumina, or the like, or some combination thereof. Often these acidic supports are mixed/bound with other metal oxides such as alumina, titania, silica, or the like, or combinations thereof. Non-limiting examples of metals for hydrocracking catalysts to include nickel, nickel-cobalt-molybdenum, cobalt-molybdenum, nickel-tungsten, nickel-molybdenum, and/or nickel-molybdenum-tungsten. Additionally or alternately, hydrocracking catalysts with noble metals can alternately be used. Non-limiting examples of noble metal catalysts include those based on platinum and/or palladium. Support materials which may be used for both the noble and non-noble metal catalysts can comprise a refractory oxide material such as alumina, silica, alumina-silica, kieselguhr, diatomaceous earth, magnesia, zirconia, or combinations thereof, with alumina, silica, and alumina-silica being the most common (and preferred, in some embodiments).
In various embodiments, hydrocracking conditions in the first stage and/or second stage can be selected to achieve a desired level of conversion in the reaction system. A hydrocracking process in the first stage (or otherwise under sour conditions) can be carried out at temperatures from about 550° F. (about 288° C.) to about 840° F. (about 449° C.), hydrogen partial pressures from about 250 psig (about 1.8 MPag) to about 5000 psig (about 34.6 MPag), liquid hourly space velocities from 0.05 hr −1 to 10 hr −1 , and hydrogen treat gas rates from 200 scf/bbl (about 34 Nm 3 /m 3 ) to about 10000 scf/bbl (about 1700 Nm 3 /m 3 ). In other embodiments, the conditions can include temperatures in the range of about 600° F. (about 343° C.) to about 815° F. (about 435° C.), hydrogen partial pressures from about 500 psig (about 3.5 MPag) to about 3000 psig (about 20.9 MPag), liquid hourly space velocities from about 0.2 hr −1 to about 2 hr −1 , and hydrogen treat gas rates from about 1200 scf/bbl (about 200 Nm 3 /m 3 ) to about 6000 scf/bbl (about 1000 Nm 3 /m 3 ).
A hydrocracking process in a second stage (or otherwise under non-sour conditions) can be performed under conditions similar to those used for a first stage hydrocracking process, or the conditions can be different. In an embodiment, the conditions in a second stage can have less severe conditions than a hydrocracking process in a first (sour) stage. The temperature in the hydrocracking process can be at least about 40° F. (about 22° C.) less than the temperature for a hydrocracking process in the first stage, for example at least about 80° F. (about 44° C.) less or at least about 120° F. (about 66° C.) less. The pressure for a hydrocracking process in a second stage can be at least 100 psig (about 690 kPag) less than a hydrocracking process in the first stage, for example at least 200 psig (about 1.4 MPag) less or at least 300 psig (2.1 MPag) less. Additionally or alternately, suitable hydrocracking conditions for a second (non-sour) stage can include, but are not limited to, conditions similar to a first or sour stage. Suitable hydrocracking conditions can include temperatures from about 550° F. (about 288° C.) to about 840° F. (about 449° C.), hydrogen partial pressures from about 250 psig (about 1.8 MPag) to about 5000 psig (about 34.6 MPag), liquid hourly space velocities from 0.05 hr −1 to 10 hr −1 , and hydrogen treat gas rates from 200 scf/bbl (about 34 Nm 3 /m 3 ) to about 10000 scf/bbl (about 1700 Nm 3 /m 3 ). In other embodiments, the conditions can include temperatures in the range of about 600° F. (about 343° C.) to about 815° F. (about 435° C.), hydrogen partial pressures from about 500 psig (about 3.5 MPag) to about 3000 psig (about 20.9 MPag), liquid hourly space velocities from about 0.2 hr −1 to about 2 hr −1 , and hydrogen treat gas rates from about 1200 scf/bbl (about 200 Nm 3 /m 3 ) to about 6000 scf/bbl (about 1000 Nm 3 /m 3 ).
In various embodiments, a feed can also be hydrotreated in the first stage and/or in a preliminary stage prior to further processing. A suitable catalyst for hydrotreatment can comprise, consist essentially of, or be a catalyst composed of one or more Group VIII and/or Group VIB metals on a support such as a metal oxide support. Suitable metal oxide supports can include relatively low acidic oxides such as silica, alumina, silica-aluminas, titania, or a combination thereof. The supported Group VIII and/or Group VIB metal(s) can include, but are not limited to, Co, Ni, Fe, Mo, W, Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir, and combinations thereof. Individual hydrogenation metal embodiments can include, but are not limited to, Pt only, Pd only, or Ni only, while mixed hydrogenation metal embodiments can include, but are not limited to, Pt and Pd, Pt and Rh, Ni and W, Ni and Mo, Ni and Mo and W, Co and Mo, Co and Ni and Mo, Co and Ni and W, or another combination. When only one hydrogenation metal is present, the amount of that hydrogenation metal can be at least about 0.1 wt % based on the total weight of the catalyst, for example at least about 0.5 wt % or at least about 0.6 wt %. Additionally or alternately when only one hydrogenation metal is present, the amount of that hydrogenation metal can be about 5.0 wt % or less based on the total weight of the catalyst, for example about 3.5 wt % or less, about 2.5 wt % or less, about 1.5 wt % or less, about 1.0 wt % or less, about 0.9 wt % or less, about 0.75 wt % or less, or about 0.6 wt % or less. Further additionally or alternately when more than one hydrogenation metal is present, the collective amount of hydrogenation metals can be at least about 0.1 wt % based on the total weight of the catalyst, for example at least about 0.25 wt %, at least about 0.5 wt %, at least about 0.6 wt %, at least about 0.75 wt %, or at least about 1 wt %. Still further additionally or alternately when more than one hydrogenation metal is present, the collective amount of hydrogenation metals can be about 35 wt % or less based on the total weight of the catalyst, for example about 30 wt % or less, about 25 wt % or less, about 20 wt % or less, about 15 wt % or less, about 10 wt % or less, or about 5 wt % or less. In embodiments wherein the supported metal comprises a noble metal, the amount of noble metal(s) is typically less than about 2 wt %, for example less than about 1 wt %, about 0.9 wt % or less, about 0.75 wt % or less, or about 0.6 wt % or less. The amounts of metal(s) may be measured by methods specified by ASTM for individual metals, including but not limited to atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AAS), or the like.
Hydrotreating conditions can typically include temperatures from about 550° F. (about 288° C.) to about 840° F. (about 449° C.), hydrogen partial pressures from about 250 psig (about 1.8 MPag) to about 5000 psig (about 34.6 MPag), liquid hourly space velocities from 0.05 hr −1 to 10 hr −1 , and hydrogen treat gas rates from 200 scf/bbl (about 34 Nm 3 /m 3 ) to about 10000 scf/bbl (about 1700 Nm 3 /m 3 ). In other embodiments, the conditions can include temperatures in the range of about 600° F. (about 343° C.) to about 815° F. (about 435° C.), hydrogen partial pressures from about 500 psig (about 3.5 MPag) to about 3000 psig (about 20.9 MPag), liquid hourly space velocities from about 0.2 hr −1 to about 2 hr −1 , and hydrogen treat gas rates from about 1200 scf/bbl (about 200 Nm 3 /m 3 ) to about 6000 scf/bbl (about 1000 Nm 3 /m 3 ). The different ranges of temperatures can be used based on the type of feed and the desired hydrotreatment result. For example, the temperature range of about 550° F. (about 288° C.) to about 650° F. (about 343° C.) could be suitable for a mild hydrotreatment process for deoxygenation of a feed containing a biocomponent portion.
In still another embodiment, the same conditions can be used for hydrotreating and hydrocracking beds or stages, such as using hydrotreating conditions for both or using hydrocracking conditions for both. In yet another embodiment, the pressure for the hydrotreating and hydrocracking beds or stages can be the same.
In various embodiments, a dewaxing catalyst can also be included in the first stage, the second stage, and/or other stages in the light feed hydrocracker. Typically, the dewaxing catalyst can be located in a bed downstream from any hydrocracking catalyst present in a stage. This can allow the dewaxing to occur on molecules that have already been hydrotreated to remove a significant fraction of organic sulfur- and nitrogen-containing species. The dewaxing catalyst can be located in the same reactor as at least a portion of the hydrocracking catalyst in a stage. Alternately, the entire effluent from a reactor containing hydrocracking catalyst can be fed into a separate reactor containing the dewaxing catalyst. Exposing the dewaxing catalyst to the entire effluent from prior hydrocracking can expose the catalyst to a hydrocarbon stream that includes both a converted fraction and an unconverted fraction. In some embodiments, exposing the dewaxing catalyst to this type of hydrocarbon stream can provide unexpected benefits. For example, using the entire hydrocarbon stream instead of just the unconverted fraction can decrease the temperature required to achieve a desired drop in cloud point for the unconverted fraction of the hydrocarbon stream. This decrease in temperature can be accompanied by an increase in space velocity for the feed over the dewaxing catalyst, such as an increase in space velocity sufficient so that at least as much unconverted fraction is dewaxed as compared to a configuration where only the unconverted fraction is dewaxed.
Suitable dewaxing catalysts can include molecular sieves such as crystalline aluminosilicates (zeolites). In an embodiment, the molecular sieve can comprise, consist essentially of, or be ZSM-5, ZSM-22, ZSM-23, ZSM-35, ZSM-48, zeolite Beta, or a combination thereof, for example ZSM-23 and/or ZSM-48, or ZSM-48 and/or zeolite Beta. Optionally but preferably, molecular sieves that are selective for dewaxing by isomerization as opposed to cracking can be used, such as ZSM-48, zeolite Beta, ZSM-23, or a combination thereof. Additionally or alternately, the molecular sieve can comprise, consist essentially of or be a 10-member ring 1-D molecular sieve. Optionally but preferably, the dewaxing catalyst can include a binder for the molecular sieve, such as alumina, titania, silica, silica-alumina, zirconia, or a combination thereof, for example alumina and/or titania or silica and/or zirconia and/or titania.
One characteristic that can impact the activity of the molecular sieve is the ratio of silica to alumina (Si/Al 2 ratio) in the molecular sieve. In an embodiment, the molecular sieve can have a silica to alumina ratio of about 200:1 or less, for example about 150:1 or less, about 120:1 or less, about 100:1 or less, about 90:1 or less, or about 75:1 or less. Additionally or alternately, the molecular sieve can have a silica to alumina ratio of at least about 30:1, for example at least about 40:1, at least about 50:1, or at least about 65:1.
Aside from the molecular sieve(s) and optional binder, the dewaxing catalyst can also optionally but preferably include at least one metal hydrogenation component, such as a Group VIII metal. Suitable Group VIII metals can include, but are not limited to, Pt, Pd, Ni, or a combination thereof. When a metal hydrogenation component is present, the dewaxing catalyst can include at least about 0.1 wt % of the Group VIII metal, for example at least about 0.3 wt %, at least about 0.5 wt %, at least about 1.0 wt %, at least about 2.5 wt %, or at least about 5.0 wt %. Additionally or alternately, the dewaxing catalyst can include about 10 wt % or less of the Group VIII metal, for example about 5.0 wt % or less, about 2.5 wt % or less, about 1.5 wt % or less, or about 1.0 wt % or less.
In some embodiments, the dewaxing catalyst can include an additional Group VIB metal hydrogenation component, such as W and/or Mo. In such embodiments, when a Group VIB metal is present, the dewaxing catalyst can include at least about 0.5 wt % of the Group VIB metal, for example at least about 1.0 wt %, at least about 2.5 wt %, or at least about 5.0 wt %. Additionally or alternately in such embodiments, the dewaxing catalyst can include about 20 wt % or less of the Group VIB metal, for example about 15 wt % or less, about 10 wt % or less, about 5.0 wt % or less, about 2.5 wt % or less, or about 1.0 wt % or less. In one preferred embodiment, the dewaxing catalyst can include Pt and/or Pd as the hydrogenation metal component. In another preferred embodiment, the dewaxing catalyst can include as the hydrogenation metal components Ni and W, Ni and Mo, or Ni and a combination of W and Mo.
In various embodiments, the dewaxing catalyst used according to the invention can advantageously be tolerant of the presence of sulfur and/or nitrogen during processing. Suitable catalysts can include those based on zeolites ZSM-48 and/or ZSM-23 and/or zeolite Beta. It is also noted that ZSM-23 with a silica to alumina ratio between about 20:1 and about 40:1 is sometimes referred to as SSZ-32. Additional or alternate suitable catalyst bases can include 1-dimensional 10-member ring zeolites. Further additional or alternate suitable catalysts can include EU-2, EU-11, and/or ZBM-30.
A bound dewaxing catalyst can also be characterized by comparing the micropore (or zeolite) surface area of the catalyst with the total surface area of the catalyst. These surface areas can be calculated based on analysis of nitrogen porosimetry data using the BET method for surface area measurement. Previous work has shown that the amount of zeolite content versus binder content in catalyst can be determined from BET measurements (see, e.g., Johnson, M. F. L., Jour. Catal ., (1978) 52, 425). The micropore surface area of a catalyst refers to the amount of catalyst surface area provided due to the molecular sieve and/or the pores in the catalyst in the BET measurements. The total surface area represents the micropore surface plus the external surface area of the bound catalyst. In one embodiment, the percentage of micropore surface area relative to the total surface area of a bound catalyst can be at least about 35%, for example at least about 38%, at least about 40%, or at least about 45%. Additionally or alternately, the percentage of micropore surface area relative to total surface area can be about 65% or less, for example about 60% or less, about 55% or less, or about 50% or less.
Additionally or alternately, the dewaxing catalyst can comprise, consist essentially of, or be a catalyst that has not been dealuminated. Further additionally or alternately, the binder for the catalyst can include a mixture of binder materials containing alumina.
Catalytic dewaxing can be performed by exposing a feedstock to a dewaxing catalyst under effective (catalytic) dewaxing conditions. Effective dewaxing conditions can include can be carried out at temperatures from about 550° F. (about 288° C.) to about 840° F. (about 449° C.), hydrogen partial pressures from about 250 psig (about 1.8 MPag) to about 5000 psig (about 34.6 MPag), liquid hourly space velocities from 0.05 hr −1 to 10 hr −1 , and hydrogen treat gas rates from 200 scf/bbl (about 34 Nm 3 /m 3 ) to about 10000 scf/bbl (about 1700 Nm 3 /m 3 ). In other embodiments, the conditions can include temperatures in the range of about 600° F. (about 343° C.) to about 815° F. (about 435° C.), hydrogen partial pressures from about 500 psig (about 3.5 MPag) to about 3000 psig (about 20.9 MPag), liquid hourly space velocities from about 0.2 hr −1 to about 2 hr −1 , and hydrogen treat gas rates from about 1200 scf/bbl (about 200 Nm 3 /m 3 ) to about 6000 scf/bbl (about 1000 Nm 3 /m 3 ). In some embodiments, the liquid hourly space velocity (LHSV) of the hydrocracker feed exposed to the dewaxing catalyst can be characterized differently. For instance, the LHSV of the feed relative to only the dewaxing catalyst can be at least about 0.5 hr −1 , or at least about 2 hr −1 . Additionally or alternately, the LHSV of the hydrocracker feed relative to only the dewaxing catalyst can be about 20 hr −1 or less, or about 10 hr −1 or less.
Additionally or alternately, the conditions for dewaxing can be selected based on the conditions for a preceding reaction in the stage, such as hydrocracking conditions or hydrotreating conditions. Such conditions can be further modified using a quench between previous catalyst bed(s) and the bed for the dewaxing catalyst. Instead of operating the dewaxing process at a temperature corresponding to the exit temperature of the prior catalyst bed, a quench can be used to reduce the temperature for the hydrocarbon stream at the beginning of the dewaxing catalyst bed. One option can be to use a quench to have a temperature at the beginning of the dewaxing catalyst bed that is about the same as the outlet temperature of the prior catalyst bed. Another option can be to use a quench to have a temperature at the beginning of the dewaxing catalyst bed that is at least about 10° F. (about 6° C.) lower than the prior catalyst bed, for example at least about 20° F. (about 11° C.) lower, at least about 30° F. (about 16° C.) lower, or at least about 40° F. (about 21° C.) lower.
Reaction Products
In various embodiments, the hydrocracking conditions in a light feed hydrocracking reaction system can be sufficient to attain a conversion level of at least about 50%, for example at least about 60%, at least about 70%, at least about 80%, or at least about 85%. Additionally or alternately, the hydrocracking conditions in the reaction system can be sufficient to attain a conversion level of not more than about 85%, not more than about 80%, or not more than about 75%, or not more than about 70%. Further additionally or alternately, the hydrocracking conditions in the high-conversion/second hydrocracking stage can be sufficient to attain a conversion level from about 50% to about 85%, for example from about 55% to about 70%, from about 60% to about 85%, or from about 60% to about 75%. As used herein, the term “conversion level,” with reference to a feedstream being hydrocracked, means the relative amount of change in boiling point of the individual molecules in the feedstream from above 400° F. (about 204° C.) to 400° F. (about 204° C.) or below. Conversion level can be measured by any appropriate means and, for a feedstream whose minimum boiling point is at least 400.1° F. (204.5° C.), can represent the average proportion of material that has passed through the hydrocracking process and has a boiling point less than or equal to 400.0° F. (204.4° C.), compared to the total amount of hydrocracked material.
In various embodiments, a light feed hydrocracker reaction system can be used to produce at least a converted product and an unconverted product. The converted product can correspond to a product with a boiling point below about 400° F. (about 204° C.), while the unconverted product can correspond to a product with a boiling point above about 400° F. (about 204° C.). Note that the temperature for the conversion level can differ from the temperature for defining a converted product and an unconverted product.
A converted product can be a majority of the product generated by the light feed hydrocracker reaction system. An example of a converted product can be a naphtha boiling range product. In an embodiment, a converted product can have a boiling range from about 75° F. (about 24° C.) to about 400° F. (about 204° C.). Additionally or alternately, an initial boiling point for a converted product can be at least about 75° F. (about 24° C.), for example at least about 85° F. (about 30° C.) or at least about 100° F. (about 38° C.) and/or a final boiling point can be about 425° F. (about 218° C.) or less, for example about 400° F. (about 204° C.) or less, about 375° F. (about 191° C.) or less, or about 350° F. (about 177° C.) or less. Further additionally or alternately, it may be desirable to create multiple products from an unconverted fraction. For example, a light naphtha product can have a final boiling point of about 325° F. (about 163° C.) or less, for example about 300° F. (about 149° C.) or less or about 275° F. (about 135° C.) or less. Such a light naphtha product could be complemented by a heavy naphtha product. A heavy naphtha product can have a boiling range starting at the final boiling point for a light naphtha product, and a final boiling point as described above.
Another option for characterizing a converted product, separately or in addition to an initial and/or final boiling point, can be to characterize one or more intermediate temperatures in a boiling range. For example, a temperature where about 10 wt % of the converted product will boil can be defined. This type of value can be referred to as a T10 boiling point for the converted product. In an embodiment, the T10 boiling point for the converted product can be at least about 100° F. (about 38° C.), for example at least about 115° F. (about 46° C.) or at least about 125° F. (about 52° C.). Additionally or alternately, the T90 boiling point can be about 375° F. (about 191° C.) or less, for example about 350° F. (about 177° C.) or less or about 325° F. (about 163° C.) or less. In some situations, intermediate boiling point values such as T10 or T90 values can be beneficial for characterizing a hydrocarbon fraction, as the intermediate boiling point values may be more representative of the overall characteristics of a fraction.
The amount of converted product can vary depending on the reaction conditions. In an embodiment, at least about 65 wt % of the total liquid product generated by the light feed hydrocracker reaction system can be a converted product, for example at least about 70 wt %, at least about 75 wt %, at least about 80 wt %, or at least about 85 wt %. Additionally or alternately, about 95 wt % or less of the total liquid product can be a converted product, for example about 90 wt % or less, about 85 wt % or less, or about 75 wt % or less.
An unconverted product from the light feed hydrocracker reaction system can also be characterized in various ways. In an embodiment, an unconverted product can be a product with a boiling range from about 400° F. (about 204° C.) to about 825° F. (about 441° C.). Additionally or alternately, an initial boiling point for an unconverted product can be at least about 350° F. (about 177° C.), for example at least about 375° F. (about 191° C.), at least about 400° F. (about 204° C.), at least about 425° F. (about 218° C.), or at least about 450° F. (about 232° C.). Further additionally or alternately, a final boiling point can be about 825° F. (about 441° C.) or less, for example about 800° F. (about 427° C.) or less, about 775° F. (about 413° C.) or less, or about 750° F. (about 399° C.) or less.
Another option for characterizing an unconverted product, separately or in addition to an initial and/or final boiling point, can be to characterize one or more intermediate temperatures in a boiling range. For example, a temperature where about 10 wt % of the unconverted product will boil can be defined. This type of value can be referred to as a T10 boiling point for the unconverted product. In an embodiment, the T10 boiling point for the unconverted product can be at least about 325° F. (about 163° C.), for example at least about 350° F. (about 177° C.), at least about 375° F. (about 191° C.), at least about 400° F. (about 204° C.), at least about 425° F. (about 218° C.), or at least about 450° F. (about 232° C.). Additionally or alternately, the T90 boiling point can be about 700° F. (about 371° C.) or less, for example about 675° F. (about 357° C.) or less, about 650° F. (about 343° C.) or less, or about 625° F. (about 329° C.) or less.
Still another way to characterize an unconverted product can be based on the amount of the unconverted product that boils above about 600° F. (about 316° C.). In an embodiment, the amount of unconverted product that boils above about 600° F. (about 316° C.) can be about 25 wt % or less of the unconverted product, for example about 20 wt % or less of the unconverted product, from about 10 wt % to about 25 wt % of the unconverted product, or from about 10 wt % to about 20 wt % of the unconverted product.
The amount of unconverted product can vary depending on the reaction conditions. In an embodiment, at least about 5 wt % of the total liquid product generated by the light feed hydrocracker reaction system can be an unconverted product, for example at least about 10 wt %, at least about 15 wt %, or at least about 20 wt %. Additionally or alternately, about 35 wt % or less of the total liquid product can be an unconverted product, for example about 30 wt % or less, about 25 wt % or less, about 20 wt % or less, or about 15 wt % or less.
It is noted that the initial boiling point for the unconverted product can be dependent on how the cut point is defined for the various products generated in the fractionator. For example, if a fractionator is configured to generate a converted product and an unconverted product, the initial boiling point for the unconverted product can be related to the final boiling point for the naphtha product. Similarly, a T90 boiling point for a converted product may be related in some manner to a T10 boiling point for the unconverted product from the same fractionator.
Although the boiling ranges above are described with reference to a converted product and an unconverted product, it is understood that a plurality of different cuts could be generated by the fractionator while still satisfying the above ranges. For example, a product slate from a fractionator could include a light naphtha and a heavy naphtha as converted products, and the withdrawn portion of the unconverted fraction can correspond to a diesel product. Still other combinations of products could also be generated.
In some embodiments, the unconverted product withdrawn from the reaction system can be characterized by a cetane number. In such embodiments, the cetane number for the unconverted product can be at least about 50, for example at least about 52, at least about 55, or at least about 57.
In another embodiment, the cloud point for an unconverted product withdrawn from the reaction system can be characterized. In an embodiment, a withdrawn unconverted product can have a cloud point of about 18° F. (about −7° C.) or less, for example about 12° F. (about −11° C.) or less, about 6° F. (about −14° C.) or less, or about 0° F. (about −18° C.) or less. Additionally or alternately, the cloud point of a withdrawn unconverted product can be dependent on the amount of unconverted product withdrawn relative to the amount of feed. For example, if the withdrawn amount of unconverted product corresponds to from about 5 wt % to about 15 wt % of the feed, the cloud point of the withdrawn unconverted product can be about 30° F. (about 16° C.) lower than the cloud point of the feed. Additionally or alternately, if the withdrawn amount of unconverted product corresponds to from about 10 wt % to about 25 wt % of the feed, the cloud point of the withdrawn unconverted product can be about 20° F. (about 11° C.) lower than the cloud point of the feed. Further additionally or alternately, if the withdrawn amount of unconverted product corresponds to from about 20 wt % to about 35 wt % of the feed, the cloud point of the withdrawn unconverted product can be about 10° F. (about 6° C.) lower than the cloud point of the feed.
Other Embodiments
Additionally or alternately, the present invention can include one or more of the following embodiments.
Embodiment 1
A method for producing a naphtha product and an unconverted product, comprising:
exposing a feedstock to a first hydrocracking catalyst under first effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a first hydrocracked effluent, the feedstock having a cetane number of about 35 or less, at least about 60 wt % of the feedstock boiling above about 400° F. (about 204° C.) and at least about 60 wt % of the feedstock boiling below about 650° F. (about 343° C.);
exposing the first hydrocracked effluent, without intermediate separation, to a first dewaxing catalyst under first effective dewaxing conditions to form a dewaxed effluent;
separating the dewaxed effluent to form a first gas phase portion and a first liquid phase portion;
fractionating the first liquid phase portion and a second liquid phase portion in a first fractionator to form at least one naphtha fraction and an unconverted fraction, the naphtha fraction corresponding to at least about 65 wt % of the feedstock and having a final boiling point of about 400° F. (about 204° C.) or less;
withdrawing at least a first portion of the uncoverted fraction as an unconverted product stream, the weight of the unconverted product stream corresponding to from about 5 wt % to about 35 wt % of the feedstock; wherein the unconverted product stream has an initial boiling point of at least about 400° F. (about 204° C.), a cetane number of at least about 45, and a cloud point at least about 10° F. (about 6° C.) less than the cloud point of the feedstock;
exposing at least a second portion of the unconverted fraction to a second hydrocracking catalyst under second effective hydroprocessing conditions to form a second hydrocracked effluent;
separating the second hydrocracked effluent to form a second gas phase portion and the second liquid phase portion; and
sending at least a portion of the second liquid phase portion to the first fractionator.
Embodiment 2
The method of embodiment 1, wherein at least about 80 wt % of the feedstock boils below about 700° F. (about 371° C.).
Embodiment 3
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein the weight of the unconverted product stream corresponds to less than about 25 wt % of the feedstock.
Embodiment 4
The method of embodiment 3, wherein the cloud point of the unconverted product stream is at least about 20° F. (about 11° C.) less than the cloud point of the feedstock.
Embodiment 5
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein the unconverted product stream has a cetane number of at least about 50.
Embodiment 6
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein the unconverted product stream has a T10 boiling point of at least about 425° F. (about 218° C.).
Embodiment 7
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein the T90 boiling point of the unconverted product stream is about 700° F. (about 371° C.) or less.
Embodiment 8
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein about 25 wt % or less of the unconverted product stream boils above about 600° F. (about 316° C.).
Embodiment 9
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein the first effective hydroprocessing conditions are selected from effective hydrocracking conditions or effective hydrotreating conditions.
Embodiment 10
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein during exposing of the first hydrocracked effluent to the first dewaxing catalyst, the space velocity of the first hydrocracked effluent relative to the first dewaxing catalyst is at least about 15 hr −1 .
Embodiment 11
The method of any of the above embodiments, further comprising quenching the first hydrocracked effluent prior to exposing the first hydrocracked effluent to the first dewaxing catalyst.
Embodiment 12
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein the first dewaxing catalyst comprises ZSM-48, ZSM-23, zeolite Beta, or a combination thereof.
Embodiment 13
The method of any of the above embodiments, further comprising exposing the second hydrocracked effluent to a second dewaxing catalyst under second effective catalytic dewaxing conditions.
Embodiment 14
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein the weight of the naphtha fraction corresponds to at least about 75 wt % of the feedstock.
Embodiment 15
The method of any of the above embodiments, wherein the feedstock comprises a light cycle oil from a fluid catalytic cracking process, and sending the naphtha fraction to a reformer unit and producing an improved naphtha product stream, wherein the improved naphtha product stream has a higher octane value (RON+MON) than the naphtha fraction.
Examples of Reaction System Configurations
FIG. 1 shows an example of a two stage reaction system 100 for producing a converted and unconverted product according to an embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 1 , a first stage of a two stage hydrocracking system is represented by reactors 110 and 120 . A hydrocarbon feed 112 and a hydrogen stream 114 are fed into reactor 110 . Hydrocarbon feed 112 and hydrogen stream 114 are shown as being combined prior to entering reactor 110 , but these streams can be introduced into reactor 110 in any other convenient manner. Reactor 110 can contain one or more beds of hydrotreating and/or hydrocracking catalyst. The feed 112 can be exposed to the hydrotreating and/or hydrocracking catalyst under effective hydrotreating and/or hydrocracking conditions. The entire effluent 122 from reactor 110 can then be cascaded into reactor 120 . Optionally, an additional hydrogen stream 124 can be added to reactor 120 , such as by adding additional hydrogen stream 124 to first reactor effluent 122 . Reactor 120 can also include one or more beds of hydrotreating and/or hydrocracking catalyst. Additionally, reactor 120 can also include one or more beds of dewaxing catalyst 128 downstream from the hydrocracking catalyst in reactor 120 . Optionally, a quench stream 127 can be included prior to dewaxing catalyst bed(s) 128 , such as a hydrogen quench stream.
The hydrocracked and dewaxed effluent 132 from reactor 120 can be passed into separator 130 for separation into a gas phase portion 135 and a liquid phase portion 142 . The gas phase portion 135 can be used in any convenient manner, such as by scrubbing the gas phase portion to allow for recovery and recycle of the hydrogen in gas phase portion 135 . Liquid phase portion 142 can be sent to fractionator 140 for fractionation into at least a converted portion and an unconverted portion. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , fractionator 140 produces a light naphtha portion 146 and a heavy naphtha portion 147 as converted portions. Fractionator 140 also typically produces a bottoms or unconverted portion 152 . An unconverted product stream 155 can be withdrawn from unconverted portion 152 . The unconverted product stream 155 can be a diesel product generated by the reaction system. The remainder of unconverted portion 152 can be used as the input for reactor 150 , which can serve as the second stage in the reaction system. An optional hydrogen stream 154 can also be introduced into reactor 150 . The input into reactor 150 can be exposed to one or more beds of hydrocracking and/or hydrotreating catalyst in reactor 150 . Optionally, one or more beds of dewaxing catalyst 158 can also be included in reactor 150 . The one or more beds of dewaxing catalyst 158 can be in addition to and/or instead of the one or more beds of dewaxing catalyst 128 in the first stage. The effluent 162 from reactor 150 can be separated in separator 160 to form a gas phase portion 165 and a liquid phase portion 172 . The gas phase portion 165 can be used in any convenient manner, such as by scrubbing the gas phase portion to allow for recovery and recycle of the hydrogen in gas phase portion 165 . The liquid phase portion 172 can be fractionated in fractionator 140 . The liquid phase portion 172 can be introduced into fractionator 140 in any convenient manner. For ease of display in FIG. 1 , liquid phase portion 172 is shown as entering the fractionator separately from stream 142 . Liquid phase portion 172 and liquid phase portion 142 can alternatively be combined prior to entering fractionator 140 .
FIG. 2 shows the integration of a reaction system such as the reaction system in FIG. 1 with other refinery processes. In FIG. 2 , the reaction system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is represented within the central box. In FIG. 2 , the input feedstream to reaction system 100 corresponds to a distillate output from a fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit 280 . One of the potential outputs from an FCC unit 280 can be a distillate portion that has a boiling range in the same vicinity as an atmospheric gas oil. However, a naphtha stream generated by hydrocracking of an FCC distillate output can lead to a naphtha with a relatively low octane rating. In order to achieve a higher octane rating, the naphtha output from reaction system 100 can be used as a feed to a reforming reactor 290 . The reforming reactor 290 can generate a naphtha output stream 292 with an improved (i.e., higher) octane rating (RON+MON) relative to the octane rating of the naphtha stream from the reaction system 100 .
Processing Examples
A series of experiments were performed to test the benefits of dewaxing on unconverted products from a fuels hydrocracker. In a first set of experiments, a small scale reaction system was used to investigate the impact of dewaxing on a hydrocracked distillate feed. The experiments were designed to replicate the conditions in a dewaxing catalyst bed at the end of a hydrocracking stage. In the experiments, the treat gas used was ˜100% hydrogen. The hydrogen treat gas was fed to the pilot reactor at a rate of about 2150 scf/bbl (about 366 Nm 3 /m 3 ). The pressure in the reactor was maintained at about 2150 psig (about 14.8 MPag) at the reactor outlet.
Table 1 lists feedstock properties for the materials used in the first two experiments. In the first experiment a hydrocracked feed (column A) was used as feedstock. This material was selected to be representative of the unconverted portion of a commercially hydrocracked distillate feedstock. The unconverted portion of the hydrocracked distillate feed had already been severely hydroprocessed and had very low sulfur and nitrogen contents and a cloud point of about −3.6° C. The second feedstock, Column B, was comprised of the unconverted portion of the hydrocracked distillate spiked with dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) and tributyl amine (TBA) to approximate the sulfur and nitrogen contents of a commercial hydrocracker feed.
TABLE 1
B
A
Spiked
Hydroprocessed
Hydroprocessed
Test Description
Feed
Feed
API Gravity
40.4
39.5
Cloud Point
° C.
−3.6
−3.6
Sulfur
ppm
3.5
18,600
Nitrogen
<0.2
580
Simulated Distillation
° F.
(D2887)
0.5% Off
295
218
5%
352
3520
10%
380
381
20%
417
418
50%
493
493
80%
600
601
90%
655
657
95%
689
693
99:5%
763
766
Aromatics
wt %
1-Ring
15.5%
2-Ring
1.3%
3-Ring
0.1%
Total
17.0%
Cetane Number by NMR
57.5
The small scale reaction system consisted of two reactors. A lead reactor contained about 121 g (about 150 cm 3 ) of a standard alumina-bound NiMo hydrotreating catalyst. The use of this catalyst was necessary to decompose the DMDS (to H 2 S) and TBA (to NH 3 ) to simulate the gaseous catalyst poisons which may be present in a commercial hydrocracker. The second reactor contained about 8.98 g (about 18.5 cm 3 ) of a dewaxing catalyst followed by about 4.1 g (about 5.9 cm 3 ) of a standard alumina-bound CoMo hydrotreating catalyst. The dewaxing catalyst used was an alumina-bound Pt/ZSM-48 containing ˜0.6 wt % platinum. Versal alumina was used as the binder and the zeolite to alumina ratio was about 65:35 by weight. The silica-to-alumina ratio of the ZSM-48 was approximately 90. All catalysts were pre-sulfided prior to use. Note that the lead reactor containing NiMo catalyst was bypassed for the initial experiment using unspiked distillate feed.
Table 2 shows the results from processing of the feeds in the small scale reaction system. Columns 1 and 2 of Table 2 show results from processing of the unconverted portion of hydrocracked feed from Column A in Table 1. Column 3 of Table 2 corresponds to processing of the spiked fed from Column B in Table 1.
TABLE 2
3 Spiked
1 Hydro-
2 Hydro-
Hydro-
Feedstock
processed
processed
processed
Test Description
Feed
Feed
Feed
API Gravity at ~60° F.
42.3
42.3
41.3
Cloud Point (ISL)
° C.
−8.0
−12.2
−8.3
Simulated Distillation (ASTM D2887), ° F.
0.5% off (T0.5)
280
268
208
5% (T5)
343
339
344
10% (T10)
369
367
373
20% (T20)
433
431
437
50% (T50)
485
484
487
80% (T80)
557
555
558
90% (T90)
649
648
686
95% (T95)
685
684
686
99:5% (T99.5)
755
756
761
Aromatics
wt %
1-Ring
0.5%
0.4%
12.0%
2-Ring
0.1%
0.1%
0.7%
3-Ring
—
—
0.1%
Total
0.6%
0.5%
12.8%
H 2 Consumption
scf/bbl
331
331
177
Adjusted H 2 Consumption
scf/bbl
331
331
107
Dewaxing Temperature
° F.
595
614
740
LSHSV
hr −1
10
10
15
Columns 1 and 2 in Table 2 illustrate the ability of a Pt/ZSM-48 dewaxing catalyst to reduce pour point at high space velocity. Because the dewaxing occurred in a sweet environment, significant aromatics saturation and hydrogen consumption occurred. Column 3 shows that the dewaxing catalyst was also effective for reducing cloud point in a sour environment, similar to the environment of a commercial hydrocracker. The presence of ammonia and H 2 S result in significantly lower aromatics saturation and lower hydrogen consumption than for the unspiked feed. The dewaxing catalyst was effective for reducing cloud point for the spiked distillate feed at a throughput of about 15 LHSV. It is noted that in a commercial embodiment, the amount of dewaxing catalyst in a reactor may only be one bed within the reactor. As a result, even though the overall space velocity in a reactor may be between about 0.1 to about 5 hr −1 , the effective space velocity relative to just the dewaxing catalyst tends to be higher.
To more fully approximate the material that the dewaxing catalyst would process in a fuels hydrocracking reaction system, the unconverted portion of hydrocracked feed of Table 1 was blended with light and heavy hydrocracked naphthas (representing converted portions of feed) in a weight ratio of about 25:25:50 light naphtha/heavy naphtha/unconverted portion. This was believed to simulate a composition that could be present at the end of the first stage in a two stage fuels hydrocracking reactor. The resulting blend was spiked with DMDS and TBA to approximate the sulfur and nitrogen levels of the hydrocracker feed. Table 3 shows various properties of the light naphtha, heavy naphtha, unconverted portion of hydrocracked feed, and the combined spiked blend.
TABLE 3
Light
Heavy
Hydro-
HDC
HDC
cracked
Spiked
Naphtha
Naphtha
Feed
Blend
API Gravity at ~60° F.
—
58.6
46.6
40.4
45.1
Cloud Point
° C.
—
—
−3.6
—
Sulfur
ppm
1.5
1.9
3.5
19,100
Nitrogen
ppm
<0.2
<0.2
<0.2
648
Simulated Distillation, ° F.
0.5% off (T0.5)
125
151
295
126
5% (T5)
131
220
352
157
10% (T10)
138
240
380
187
20% (T20)
176
278
417
224
50% (T50)
199
293
493
333
80% (T80)
225
320
600
521
90% (T90)
244
341
655
595
95% (T95)
250
353
689
650
99:5% (T99.5)
277
377
763
741
The Spiked Blend feed shown in Table 3 was processed over the dual reactor system described earlier at about 10 LHSV over the dewaxing catalyst, about 2150 psig (about 366 Nm 3 /m 3 ), and a treat gas rate of about 3360 scf/bbl (about 570 Nm 3 /m 3 ) of ˜100% H 2 . Liquid products were collected and distilled to roughly the same cutpoint of the hydrocracked feed. In Table 4, yield on charge refers to the weight of unconverted product recovered relative to the weight of the spiked feed. For the experiments shown in Table 4, hydrogen consumption ranged from about 220 scf/bbl (about 37 Nm 3 /m 3 ) to about 250 scf/bbl (about 43 Nm 3 /m 3 ) and 350° F.+(171° C.+) conversion ranged from about 0.5% to about 2.0%, indicating the relatively high selectivity of the Pt/ZSM-48 for distillate cloud reduction, without secondary cracking to light gases. A summary of product properties is shown by Table 4.
TABLE 4
Dewaxing Rxr Temp., ° F.
720
720
730
730
740
740
725
715
715
715
Yield on charge
wt %
47.1
51.3
51.4
50.9
51.4
50.6
47.7
46.6
45.0
45.7
API Gravity at ~60° F.
41.3
41.5
41.5
41.5
41.5
41.4
41.3
41.3
41.4
42.5
Simulated Distillation, ° F.
0.5% off (T0.5)
336
327
286
290
288
289
291
287
312
302
5% (T5)
384
360
341
342
339
340
350
344
371
358
10% (T10)
406
380
370
371
369
369
382
381
401
392
30% (T30)
459
443
439
439
437
438
450
454
458
456
50% (T50)
508
494
490
490
489
490
500
505
509
506
70% (T70)
575
562
558
558
555
556
567
572
574
572
90% (T90)
656
649
647
647
645
645
651
654
655
654
95% (T95)
690
684
682
682
680
680
685
688
688
687
99.5% (T99.5)
762
754
752
753
751
752
754
756
756
755
Cloud Point (Automated)
° C.
−9.6
−11.2
−13.8
−14.0
−17.2
−17.2
−11.5
−10.0
−10.8
−11.0
Cloud Point (Manual)
° C.
−11
−12
−16
−15
−18
−19
−12
−10
−11
−12
Cetane Number by NMR
58.8
57.0
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
—
Table 4 shows that a dewaxing catalyst can effectively improve the cloud point of unconverted product in a mixed naphtha/unconverted product stream that could be present in a commercial hydrocracker. Comparing the data in Table 4 with the results shown in Table 2 also demonstrates an unexpected result. Based on the data in Table 4, it appears that exposing the dewaxing catalyst to unconverted product mixed with naphtha streams (converted products) resulted in an increase in the activity of the dewaxing catalyst. This can be seen more clearly by comparing the data in Table 2 with the data shown in FIG. 3 .
FIG. 3 shows a plot of the amount of cloud point reduction as a function of temperature for a series of experiments at the dewaxing temperatures and conditions shown in Table 4. The data in FIG. 3 can be compared with the results shown in Table 2. For example, for the data shown in Table 2 for a spiked feed at 15 LHSV, a reaction temperature greater than about 740° F. was required to reach a ˜5° C. cloud point reduction. However, with the naphtha present, FIG. 3 suggests that less than about 710° F. would be required to reach a ˜5° C. cloud point with the diluted feed. It is noted that the feed for the data in FIG. 3 contained roughly 50% naphtha, which would be expected to have little or no interaction with the catalyst. As a result, the LHSV of about 10 hr −1 over the dewaxing catalyst for the total feed would correspond to an LHSV of about 20 hr −1 for just the unconverted portion of the feed. Thus, the LHSV for just the unconverted portion was actually 33% higher than the LHSV of about 15 hr −1 for the undiluted example shown in Table 2. The magnitude of the beneficial impact of naphtha was unexpected and, without being bound by theory, may reflect reduced diffusional resistance owing to lower viscosity of the hydrocarbon liquid. This unexpected benefit means that higher flow rates of feed can be used within a hydrocracking stage while still achieving a desired cloud point reduction. Alternately, the amount of dewaxing catalyst required within a stage can be reduced, due to the beneficial impact of the naphtha during dewaxing.
Although the present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments, it is not so limited. Suitable alterations/modifications for operation under specific conditions should be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is therefore intended that the following claims be interpreted as covering all such alterations/modifications as fall within the true spirit/scope of the invention. | This invention relates to a process involving hydrocracking and dewaxing of a feedstream in which a converted fraction can correspond to a majority of the product from the reaction system, while an unconverted fraction can exhibit improved properties. In this hydrocracking process, it can be advantageous for the yield of unconverted fraction for gasoline fuel application to be controlled to maintain desirable cold flow properties for the unconverted fraction. Catalysts and conditions can be chosen to assist in attaining, or to optimize, desirable product yields and/or properties. | 2 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention generally relates to optical waveguides and coupling, and particularly relates to coupling to an optical waveguide in a silicon photonics die.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] In a silicon photonic circuit, the silicon serves as the optical medium. For example, an optical waveguide may be formed in a silicon layer and light may be confined to the optical waveguide by cladding the silicon material on its top and bottom with silicon dioxide (SiO2), for example.
[0003] FIG. 1 illustrates an example silicon photonics die 10 (“die 10 ”). The die 10 has an exterior die edge 12 along a vertical face of the die 10 , which includes an optical waveguide 14 . The centerline or optimal alignment point for the optical waveguide 14 is denoted by line 16 , and is also referred to as the (X 2 , Z 2 ) point within the X, Y, Z dimensional references of the die 10 . Merely as an example configuration for discussion, the die 10 may have electrical contacts—not shown—for converting input electrical signals into corresponding light emissions transmitted through the optical waveguide 14 , or for converting light coupled into the optical waveguide into corresponding output electrical signals.
[0004] Transmitting or receiving light through the optical waveguide generally requires precise alignment of an optical fiber or other external optical coupling medium or element with the optical waveguide 14 . In this regard, the critical alignment point of the optical waveguide 14 may be referred to as the (X 2 , Z 2 ) point, where the die 10 has X, Y, and Z dimensions of (X 1 , Y 1 , Z 1 ). With this notation, it will be appreciated that (X 2 , Z 2 ) defines a point within the die face running along the exterior edge 12 of the die 10 . It is known to manufacture such dies with X 1 , Y 1 , and Z 1 dimensions in the range of 100-250 μm. In turn, the cross-sectional dimensions of single-mode silicon waveguide is in the range of a few hundred nanometers. Of course, these dimensions should be understood as non-limiting examples.
[0005] With such small dimensions involved, coupling to the die 10 in a manner that achieves and maintains accurate optical alignment with the die's waveguide(s) is difficult. It is known to use hetero-structure like grating couplers or butt coupling at the edge 12 of the die 10 , but such usage does not overcome the problems that are inherent in fixing the alignment of a single-mode optical fiber having a minimum diameter of typically 8000 nm or 9000 nm to the (X 2 , Z 2 ) optical alignment point of the optical waveguide 14 .
[0006] Indeed, “active” alignment is a known technique for obtaining acceptable insertion loss between the optical waveguide 14 and an optical fiber coupled to it. In manufacturing processes based on active alignment, the alignment process is controlled according to live or ongoing direct or indirect measurements of insertion loss. Such approaches can be understood as a “closed loop” approach in which observations of optical and/or electrical measurements drive the mechanical alignment between the optical waveguide 14 and an external coupler, such as a single-mode optical fiber.
[0007] However, while active alignment can be used to obtain sufficiently accurate alignment between external couplers and corresponding optical waveguides 14 in dies 10 , active alignment has several disadvantages. For example, active alignment can be time consuming, depending of course upon the sophistication of the manufacturing system(s) used to vary and fix the alignment and to measure insertion loss or other alignment parameters, for error signal feedback into the alignment process. Further, active alignment systems can be expensive, particularly if they are designed for high-speed/high-volume coupling operations.
SUMMARY
[0008] This disclosure teaches an optical transposer that provides “passive” alignment between optical waveguides in a silicon photonics die seated within a receptacle that is formed in a body member of the optical transposer and corresponding optical waveguides that are precisely dimensioned and located within the body member via laser scribing. The manufacturing method and optical transposer configuration taught herein allow for essentially automated placement (e.g., seating and gluing) of silicon photonics dies within corresponding optical transposer receptacles, without need for controlling final die alignment/placement as a function of measured optical insertion loss. In particular, such passive alignment is obtained via accurate dimensioning of the receptacles relative to the dies and by precise positioning of the entry points into the receptacles of the optical waveguides that are laser scribed into the body member of the optical transposer.
[0009] In an example embodiment, the contemplated optical transposer comprises a body member that is configured as a carrier for a silicon photonics die that has an optical waveguide positioned along a die edge. The body member includes a laser-scribed optical waveguide that opens into an interior face of a receptacle that is formed within the body member. The receptacle is dimensioned to receive and passively align the optical waveguide of the silicon photonics die with the optical waveguide of the optical transposer.
[0010] In a corresponding example, the contemplated manufacturing method includes forming a receptacle within a body member of an optical transposer. The forming operation includes dimensioning the receptacle to receive a silicon photonics die in optical alignment with an optical waveguide of the optical transposer, which opens into an interior face of the receptacle. That is, the optical waveguide of the optical transposer is fabricated so that one end of it opens into the receptacle at a location that aligns with the optical waveguide of the silicon photonics die, when the die is seated in the receptacle. Laser scribing is used to form at least a portion of the optical waveguide of the optical transposer into the body member, to achieve precise dimensioning and position and/or to reduce manufacturing time and expense.
[0011] Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above features and advantages. Indeed, those skilled in the art will recognize additional features and advantages upon reading the following detailed description of example embodiments, and upon viewing the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a known silicon photonics die arrangement, illustrating an optical waveguide along an exterior edge of the die.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a diagram of one embodiment of an optical transposer as taught herein, which advantageously serves as a carrier for a silicon photonics die and provides passive alignment between the optical waveguides in the die and the optical waveguides in the optical transposer, which are precisely positioned and dimensioned within a body member of the optical transposer using laser scribing.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a logic flow diagram of one method of manufacturing an optical transposer, as contemplated herein.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a diagram of other embodiments of the optical transposer, as used in context with a modular circuit assembly.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a diagram of example details for changing a pitch (spacing) of optical interconnects using an embodiment of the optical transposer contemplated herein.
[0017] FIGS. 6A and 6B are diagrams of further example details, wherein electrical contacts are integrated into a receptacle of an optical transposer, for electrically contacting corresponding electrical contacts of a silicon photonics die.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a diagram of further example manufacturing details for an optical waveguide feature that is at least partially formed in an optical transposer via laser scribing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of an optical transposer 20 , as contemplated herein. The term “transposer” will be understood as denoting a carrier for one or more silicon photonics dies 10 (“die 10 ” or “dies 10 ”), wherein that carrier has the properties, features, and advantages detailed by way of example herein.
[0020] In the illustrated example, the die 10 has body dimensions of X 1 , Y 1 , and Z 1 , and has multiple optical waveguides 14 , e.g., 14 - 1 , 14 - 2 , and so on, which are exposed within an exterior face running along the edge 12 of the die 10 . The reference number “ 14 ” will be used in the singular and plural senses without any suffixing, unless suffixes aid clarity.
[0021] The optical transposer 20 in the illustrated example comprises a body member 22 that is configured as a carrier for the die 10 , which, as noted, has a number of optical waveguides 14 positioned along a die edge 12 . The body member 22 includes a set 26 of laser-scribed optical waveguides 28 opening into an interior face 34 of a receptacle 24 that is formed within the body member 22 . The receptacle 24 is dimensioned to receive the die 10 into a seated position within the receptacle 24 and thereby passively align each optical waveguide 14 of the die 10 with a corresponding one of the optical waveguides 28 , which are formed into the body member 22 of the optical transposer 20 and which open into the receptacle 24 at precisely located points corresponding to the locations of the optical waveguides 14 of the die 10 in its seated position.
[0022] In at least some embodiments, the body member 22 is a silicon-based glass material and the optical waveguides 28 are formed within that material. By way of non-limiting example, in at least one such embodiment the body member 22 is made from one of: Silicon Oxinitride (SiO x N y ), Germanium Dioxide (GeO 2 ), or doped Silicon Dioxide (SiO 2 ).
[0023] In any case, the body member 22 is made of a material possessing suitable physical, thermal, optical and electrical properties. In particular, the body member material should provide for precise machining, molding, or other formation of the receptacle 24 , to provide for precise matching with the X 1 , Y 1 , Z 1 dimensions of the die 10 . That is, the corresponding X 3 , Y 3 , Z 3 dimensions of the receptacle 24 are sized to provide a precise seating of the die 10 within the receptacle 24 , so that each optical waveguide 14 of the die 10 passively aligns with a corresponding optical waveguide 28 of the optical transposer 20 , when the die 10 is seated within the receptacle 24 .
[0024] For example, in one embodiment, the nominal X 3 , Y 3 and Z 3 dimensions of the receptacle 24 are set a few percent larger than the nominal X 1 , Y 1 , Z 1 dimensions of the die 10 . It is also contemplated to make allowances, e.g., in the X 3 and/or Z 3 dimensions, to accommodate bonding material, such as a thin layer of low-viscosity glue. Of course, other variations are contemplated. For example, the Z 3 dimension can be appreciably larger than the maximum Z 1 dimension of the die 10 —i.e., the receptacle 24 can be deeper than the die 10 is tall—and a lid or other retaining element can be fixed into place over the receptacle 24 , to hold the die 10 in position within the receptacle 24 . Similarly, the Y 3 dimension can be appreciably larger than the Y 1 dimension, thus allowing the die 10 to be slid into or otherwise seated all the way forward into the receptacle 24 , with a back-end retainer or bonding material used within the open receptacle space afforded by the Y 3 −Y 1 difference.
[0025] Moreover, the coefficient of thermal expansion and/or other thermal properties of the optical transposer 20 should be suitable for the contemplated application. Preferably, the optical transposer 20 will be made from a material that is relatively insensitive to temperature, in terms of thermal expansion, and the material will be relatively well matched to the thermal expansion characteristics of the die 10 .
[0026] A key aspect is that the body member 22 includes one or more optical waveguides 28 formed therein. Each optical waveguide 28 opens into the receptacle 24 and precisely aligns with a corresponding optical waveguide 14 of the die 10 , when the die 10 is seated in the receptacle 24 . A laser-scribing process is used to precisely form at least a portion of each optical waveguide 28 , to insure precision alignment with the corresponding optical waveguide 14 of the die 10 .
[0027] Laser scribing is cheaper and more efficient than the active alignment mentioned in earlier herein. On the other hand, while laser scribing is more time consuming and expensive than photolithography etching for large volume manufacturing, it offers the precision of active alignment at lower cost and with more flexibility, including post-processing. One aspect of such flexibility flows from the fact that optical transposer 20 can be understood as decoupling the die 10 from the details of final fiber or other interconnect coupling. Further, laser scribing allows for the formation of waveguide structures in bulk material, which would not be possible with etching.
[0028] For example, laser scribing can be used to form the terminal portion of each optical waveguide 28 where it opens into the receptacle 24 , for precise alignment. In another example, laser scribing is used to form longer portions of an overall optical waveguide 28 within the body member 22 , e.g., to save manufacturing time and because laser scribing allows precision at the junction between a preformed section of optical waveguide 28 and a laser-scribed portion of the same optical waveguide 28 .
[0029] In the example of FIG. 2 , one can see that the die 10 has four optical waveguides 14 - 1 , 14 - 2 , 14 - 3 and 14 - 4 . Correspondingly, the body member 22 of the optical transposer 20 includes a set 26 of four optical waveguides 28 . Each optical waveguide 28 includes a first end 30 and a second end 32 . That is, a first one of the optical waveguides 28 has opposing ends 30 - 1 and 32 - 1 , a second one of the optical waveguides 28 has opposing ends 30 - 2 and 32 - 2 , and so on.
[0030] The first end 30 of each optical waveguide 28 opens into an interior face 34 of the receptacle 24 at a location that aligns with a corresponding one of the optical waveguides 14 of the die 10 , when the die 10 is seated in the receptacle 24 . That is, each first end 30 is located at a position (X 4 , Z 4 ) on the interior face 34 of the receptacle 24 that precisely aligns with a corresponding one of the optical waveguides 14 of the die 10 , when the die 10 is properly seated within the receptacle 24 .
[0031] Accurate alignment between the first ends 30 of the optical waveguides 28 and respective ones of the optical waveguides 14 in a seated die 10 is obtained in at least some embodiments by laser-scribing of the first end 30 of each optical waveguide 28 within the interior face 34 of the receptacle 24 and by accurate dimensioning of the receptacle 24 . This arrangement “automatically” yields sufficiently precise optical alignment between the optical waveguides 14 of the die 10 and the corresponding first ends 30 of the optical waveguides 28 of the optical transposer 20 , upon proper seating of the die 10 within the receptacle 24 .
[0032] Here, “proper seating” means that the die 10 is seated within the receptacle 24 so that its edgewise face along the exterior edge 12 (which face carries the optical waveguides 14 ) engages with or otherwise abuts the interior face 34 of the receptacle 24 , which includes the first ends 30 of the optical waveguides 28 . Equivalently, it is contemplated that the die 10 may have additional or alternative exit points for its optical waveguides 14 on its bottom surface relative to the receptacle 24 . In such a case, the optical waveguides 28 of the optical transposer 20 are formed in corresponding positions in the seating surface of the receptacle 24 . Thus, the terms “edge” and “face” as used herein to refer to the die 10 and the body member 22 should be given a broad construction, and may be referring to any surface of the die 10 and any corresponding engaging surface in the receptacle 24 , where such surfaces may be horizontal, vertical, etc.
[0033] Continuing with the example of FIG. 2 , the second end 32 of each optical waveguide 28 of the transposer 20 opens into an exterior face 36 along an exterior edge 38 of the body member 22 . In an advantageous but non-limiting example embodiment, each such second end 32 is configured to receive an optical fiber. Such an arrangement provides convenient termination of an optical fiber at the second end 32 of each optical waveguide 28 . An optical fiber is thus placed into alignment with an optical waveguide 14 of the die 10 by virtue of connecting it to the terminal end 32 of a respective one of the optical waveguides 28 of the optical transposer 20 .
[0034] In one or more embodiments, the die 10 includes a plurality of optical waveguides 14 along a die edge 12 , and the body member 22 of the optical transposer 20 includes a plurality of optical waveguides 28 , each opening into the interior face 34 of the receptacle 24 . Each such optical waveguide 28 aligns with a respective one of the optical waveguides 14 of the die 10 , when the die 10 is seated within the receptacle 24 .
[0035] As a further option, the optical transposer 20 may be used to change the pitch or geometry used for optically coupling with the plurality of optical waveguides 14 of the die 10 . For example, the first ends 30 of the plurality of optical waveguides 28 formed in the body member 22 open into the receptacle 24 at a first spacing—which spacing is dictated by the spacing of the optical waveguides 14 of the die 10 . However, the second ends 32 of the plurality of optical waveguides 28 formed in the body member 22 open into a second receptacle 24 (not shown in FIG. 2 ) in the body member 22 , or into an exterior face 36 of the body member 22 , at a second spacing that is greater than the first spacing. Of course, it should be understood that other relationships can be configured between the first spacing and the second spacing.
[0036] Equivalently, the geometry, arrangement, and/or order of the second ends 32 may differ from that of the first ends 30 , which must be arranged according to the arrangement of optical waveguides 14 in the die 10 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate the potential advantages gained by expanding the pitch and/or geometry between the second ends 32 , as compared to that used for the first ends 30 , in terms of simplifying connections to external couplers, such as multiple optical fibers, etc. In an example arrangement, the second ends 32 are arranged in a geometry corresponding to a multi-core fiber, to thereby transmit or receive differing optical signals on different fiber cores to or from different ones of the optical waveguides 14 in the die 10 .
[0037] With the above in mind, FIG. 3 illustrates an example method 300 of manufacturing the contemplated optical transposer 20 . The method 300 includes forming the (die) receptacle 24 in the body member 22 (Block 302 ). In an example case, the receptacle 24 is machined into the body member 22 . However formed, key manufacturing control variable inputs to this step include, e.g., the nominal die dimensions (X 1 , Y 1 , Z 1 ). The position (X 2 , Z 2 ) of each optical waveguide 14 provided by the die 10 also may be provided as an input.
[0038] As noted before, the receptacle 24 may be formed or otherwise constructed to include certain additional features, such as die and/or alignment retaining features, and adhesive control features such as dams or drainage channels. For example, the floor of the receptacle 24 may be finely grooved to permit the outflow of excess glue, to prevent the die 10 from floating on a layer of adhesive and becoming vertically misaligned relative to the optical waveguide(s) 28 in the interior face 34 of the receptacle 24 during the die seating process.
[0039] The method 300 further includes a laser-scribing process, to form all or part of the optical waveguides 28 in the body member 22 (Block 304 ). In particular, in at least one embodiment, laser scribing is used to precisely locate the first end 30 of each optical waveguide 28 within the interior face 34 of the receptacle 24 . Thus, the critical alignment point of each optical waveguide 14 , as projected onto the interior face 34 of the die 10 when it is seated in the receptacle 34 , is provided as an input to this process.
[0040] These points are denoted as the (X 4 , Z 4 ) locations and they represent the locations at which the first ends 30 of the optical waveguides 28 will be laser scribed into the interior face 34 of the receptacle 24 . Each (X 4 , Z 4 ) position can be determined, within applicable manufacturing tolerances, from the (X 2 , Z 2 ) location known for each optical waveguide 14 provided by the die 14 , along with a delta Z value associated with glue, etc., bearing on the final seated height of the die 10 .
[0041] The method 300 may further include seating and/or gluing of the die 10 into the receptacle 24 (Block 306 ). However, these operations are not necessarily part of the contemplated method 300 , as optical transposers 20 may be made in advance, for a specific type/style of die 10 , and sold separately to a downstream manufacturer or module fabricator who provides the dies 10 and performs the die seating operation, e.g., as part of fabricating a larger assembly. In this regard, different models and configurations of optical transposers 20 are contemplated, for a range of die types, sizes, and configurations. It is also contemplated to provide different coupling solutions via different models of optical transposers 20 . For example, some models may be tailored for termination of optical fibers, while others may target System-on-a-chip or multi-chip module applications. Still others may provide a hybrid of these two targeted applications.
[0042] FIG. 4 illustrates examples of such variations of the optical transposer 20 . In particular, one sees a multi-chip module substrate 40 carrying a pair of integrated circuits 42 - 1 and 42 - 2 . A first optical transposer 20 - 1 provides an electro-optical interface between the two integrated circuits 42 by providing a first receptacle 24 - 1 that provides electrical connections (not visible in the diagram) to the first integrated circuit 42 - 1 and provides optical coupling to a second receptacle 24 - 2 via a set 26 of waveguides 28 .
[0043] Thus, in at least one embodiment, the optical transposer 20 further includes a second receptacle 24 formed within the body member 22 and dimensioned to receive a die 10 having one or more second optical waveguides 14 positioned along a die edge 12 . The optical waveguides 28 have their first ends 30 opening into the first receptacle 24 and their second ends opening into an interior face 34 of the second receptacle 24 , in alignment with the one or more second optical waveguides 14 . This arrangement thereby provides optical paths between the first optical waveguides 14 of the first die 10 and the second optical waveguides 14 of the second die 10 , when the dies 10 are seated in their respective first and second receptacles 24 .
[0044] As a further example configuration, and as shown in the figure, the second receptacle 24 - 2 is optically coupled to a third receptacle 24 - 3 via another set 26 of waveguides 28 . Either or both of the second and third receptacles 24 - 2 and 24 - 3 may electrically couple to the second integrated circuit 42 - 2 , thus completing the bridging of the second integrated circuit 42 - 2 to the first integrated circuit 42 - 1 . The third receptacle 24 - 3 may further couple to a fourth receptacle 24 - 4 via yet another set 26 of waveguides 28 .
[0045] Notably, the different receptacles 24 of the first optical transposer 20 - 1 may be configured for different types of dies 10 —i.e., one optical transposer 20 can carry more than one type of die 10 . A given receptacle 24 is “configured” for a particular type or style of die 10 by virtue of its (X 3 , Y 3 , Z 3 ) dimensioning and by the number and positioning of waveguides 28 opening into the receptacle 24 .
[0046] FIG. 4 further depicts a second optical transposer 20 - 2 that includes two receptacles 24 - 5 and 24 - 6 , one or both of which include electrical interconnections for connecting to the second integrated circuit 42 - 2 . Moreover, the two receptacles 24 - 5 and 24 - 6 are optically coupled via a set 26 of waveguides 28 , and the receptacle 24 - 6 includes a further set of waveguides 28 whose second ends 32 open on an exterior face 36 of the optical transposer 20 - 2 . Advantageously, these second ends 32 are configured with fiber optic connectors 44 for terminating fiber optic cables 46 .
[0047] It will be appreciated that the die 10 intended for the receptacle 24 - 6 includes optical waveguides 14 facing the optical waveguides 28 between the receptacle 24 - 6 and the receptacle 24 - 5 , and optical waveguides 14 facing the optical waveguides 28 that terminate on the exterior face 36 of the optical transposer 24 - 6 . Further, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , the optical waveguides 28 that extend from the receptacle 24 - 6 to the exterior face 36 of the optical transposer 20 - 2 may change pitch from their first ends 30 to their second ends 32 .
[0048] This arrangement allows, for example, changing from a pitch “P 1 ” between optical waveguides 14 on a die 10 to a pitch “P 2 ” between fiber optic connectors 44 or other external coupler arrangements adapted for termination on the exterior face 36 of the body member 22 of the optical transposer 20 - 2 . Of course, the ability to change pitch between respective ends of a set 26 of waveguides 28 may be used anywhere needed, e.g., to optically interconnect a first die 10 in a first receptacle 24 with a second die 10 in a second receptacle 24 , where the two dies 10 use different pitches between the two or more optical waveguides 14 provided by each die 10 .
[0049] Similar flexibility may be used regarding electrical interconnections. As shown in FIG. 6A , a given receptacle 24 may include electrical contacts 50 that are configured to engage corresponding electrical contacts 52 (shown in the die bottom view of FIG. 6B ) of the silicon photonics die 10 , when the silicon photonics die 10 is seated within the receptacle 24 . The electrical contacts 50 in the receptacle 24 may extend through the body member 22 , e.g., for electrically contacting corresponding contacts on a substrate or other carrier on which the optical transposer 20 is mounted. Alternatively, the optical transposer 20 may be configured with a first set of electrical contacts for external connections, and those contacts may be wired or otherwise electrically coupled to the contacts 50 within the receptacle 24 .
[0050] As a further point of manufacturing flexibility and/or efficiency, it is contemplated herein that laser-scribing be used for forming less than all of a given waveguide 28 . For example, FIG. 7 depicts a top view of an example optical transposer 20 , wherein one or more portions 28 A of a waveguide 28 are fabricated using a manufacturing process other than laser scribing, e.g., a process that may be cheaper or simpler but perhaps less precise. In an example embodiment, the portion(s) 28 A are fabricated using photolithography.
[0051] However, one or more key portions 28 B of the optical waveguide 28 are fabricated using laser scribing, to obtain the precise dimensioning available with that manufacturing process. In particular, a terminal portion of the optical waveguide 28 that ends in the first opening 30 into the receptacle 24 is laser scribed, to obtain the precise dimensioning and accurate positioning of that first opening 30 with respect to a corresponding optical waveguide 14 of a die 10 , when the die 10 is seated in the receptacle 14 . Similarly, the terminal portion of the optical waveguide 28 that ends in the second opening 32 also may be laser scribed.
[0052] As for the laser scribing system used in forming all or portions of the optical waveguides 28 , commercial laser scribing systems are known. Further, as is known, the characteristics of the laser beam itself should be targeted to the particular material type used for the body member 22 . Selectable parameters for the laser include any one or more of: beam width, beam shape, laser wavelength, laser power, and laser pulse rate. The laser may be a diode-pumped solid-state (DPSS) laser, in which the pulse repetition rate, pulse width, laser wavelength, and beam power are tailored for micro-machining the type of material selected for the body member 22 .
[0053] Use of laser scribing in the contemplated manner provides low cost, high-volume passive alignment of Si-photonics dies to other such dies and or to optical fibers or other external optical couplers. The laser scribing process offers this precision while at the same time being much simpler than other known technologies and laser scribing has no implicit thermal or polarization dependence. Also, as waveguides 28 can be laser-scribed in any direction on the body member 22 of the contemplated optical transposer 20 , it is contemplated herein to retrofit Si-photonics dies that use grating couplers, for example, to offer a superior coupling solution as compared to fiber-to-grating coupling, while obviating the need for new spin of the die. Such an approach has the potential to save significant money because it avoids the need for die redesign and a corresponding new CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) mask fabrication.
[0054] Further, the optical transposer 20 offers great flexibility at the optical fiber interface point, and does so at a lower cost than spinning a different CMOS layout for different coupling patterns. Thus, the optical waveguides 14 of a given die 10 could come to the edge 12 of the die 10 and be coupled to the optical waveguides 28 of the optical transposer 20 in a parallel fashion and either keep the channels parallel or arrange them, e.g., in a desired multicore fiber pattern, or other pattern.
[0055] Notably, modifications and other embodiments of the disclosed invention(s) will come to mind to one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention(s) is/are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure. Although specific terms may be employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. | This disclosure teaches an optical transposer that provides “passive” alignment between optical waveguides in a silicon photonics die seated within a receptacle that is formed in a body member of the optical transposer and corresponding optical waveguides that are precisely dimensioned and located within the body member via laser scribing. The manufacturing method and optical transposer configuration taught herein allow for essentially automated placement (e.g., seating and gluing) of silicon photonics dies within corresponding optical transposer receptacles, without need for controlling final die alignment/placement as a function of measured optical insertion loss. In particular, such passive alignment is obtained via accurate dimensioning of the receptacles relative to the dies and by precise positioning of the entry points into the receptacles of the optical waveguides that are laser scribed into the body member of the optical transposer. | 1 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/377,982, filed Aug. 20, 1999.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to downhole circulation subs. More particularly, this invention relates to the use of an electric motor to drive a downhole circulation sub.
Retrieval of oil and other hydrocarbons from below ground typically includes drilling a borehole, also known as a wellbore, in the Earth. As drilling technology has advanced, these boreholes may be drilled off of vertical, sometimes even sideways or horizontal. In this way, an operator can reach a formation that contains the desired substance. Thus, the terms “upper” and “lower”, or “above” and “below” as used herein are made with respect to a position in the borehole, and may not necessarily reflect whether two elements are above or below each other in an absolute sense. FIG. 1 includes rock formation 100 surrounding a borehole 110 . Borehole 100 is formed by the cutting action of drill bit 125 attached to rotating, drill string 120 . Drill string 120 also includes a circulating sub 170 .
A variety of drill bits 125 are known, but a common feature is that each contains ports or nozzles on its face to direct drilling mud 130 (also known as drilling fluid) flowing through drill string 120 . The drilling mud 130 exits the drill bit as shown by arrows 160 . This mud not only cools the face of the drill bit, but also carries to the surface a substantial amount of shavings and cuttings 140 that result from the drilling action. These cuttings are carried up to the surface from downhole along an area between the drillstring and the borehole wall known as the annulus 150 . At the surface, the drilling mud is then cleaned, filtered and recycled for repeated use.
One problem occurs when the ports or nozzles on the face of the drill bit 125 become blocked or otherwise impeded from spraying drilling mud out the face of the drill bit 160 . This prevents or substantially slows the flow of mud to the surface, resulting in the rock cuttings falling to the bottom of the wellbore. It also results in a pressure build-up in the mud contained in the drill string. The increase in pressure can damage equipment uphole such as pumps. To minimize this problem, it is known to provide a circulating sub 170 that provides an alternate route 165 for drilling mud flow when the mud is unable to exit drill bit 160 properly.
Referring to FIG. 2, a known circulating sub 200 is called a ball-drop circulating sub. It includes a cylindrical valve sleeve 210 having holes or ports 220 . At its lower end is a lip 230 that reduces the inner diameter of the cylindrical valve sleeve 210 . The circulating sub housing surrounds valve sleeve 210 and also includes ports 225 . Shoulder 260 is positioned for abutment against the lower portion of valve sleeve 210 , as explained below. Between valve sleeve 210 and drill string 120 are o-rings 240 - 242 and a shear pin 250 . Ball 270 is shown falling in mid-travel from the surface before lodging in area formed by lip 230 .
During normal operation (i.e., when mud is properly flowing 160 through the drill bit 125 ), drilling mud 130 flows through the center of circulating sub 200 as shown by arrows 280 . However, upon a blockage in the flow of mud, a ball 270 is shot from the surface down to ball-drop circulations sub 200 . Ball 270 lodges against lip 230 , preventing the flow of mud 130 along flow path 280 . Pressure built up in the mud column exerts itself against ball 270 and causes shear pin 250 to break. Valve sleeve 210 drops down until stopped by shoulder 260 . This aligns ports or holes 220 and 225 . Drilling mud 130 then escapes circulating sub 200 and follows mud path 165 (shown in FIG. 1) to the surface. This lifts the rock cuttings above the circulating sub 200 to the surface. However, the ball-drop circulating subs have a number of problems. For example, because the bail 270 originates at the surface, it can take up to thirty minutes from the time the mud flow stops through a drill bit to the time the circulating sub redirects the flow. In addition, this design is a one-time actuation and cannot be reset.
Other circulating subs having various problems, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,787, are also presently known.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of the present invention features a downhole circulation sub having an electric motor associated with a valve poppet. The valve poppet moves from a first position to a second position in response to force from the electric motor, causing drilling fluid flowing through the circulation sub to switch its path of travel from a first route generally downhole to a second route generally uphole. In its second position, the valve sleeve may engage a valve plug. Further, the valve poppet may be placed back in its first position by operation of the electric motor. The circulation sub is designed so that this movement of the valve sleeve from its first to its second position, and back again, may be carried out repeatedly.
Another aspect to the invention is a method of redirecting the flow of drilling fluid in a circulation sub. This aspect of the invention includes actuating an electric motor to apply force to a connected valve sleeve, moving the valve sleeve from a first position inside a housing to a second position by actuation of the electric motor, preventing by movement of the valve sleeve to the second position the flow of fluid past a lower end of the circulation sub, and directing by the movement of the valve sleeve to the second position the flow of fluid through ports positioned between the valve sleeve and an annulus. The first position is typically an upper position with respect to a wellbore, and the second position is a lower position.
Thus, the present invention comprises a combination of features and advantages which enable it to overcome various problems of prior devices. The various characteristics described above, as well as other features, will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, and by referring to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates the typical flow of drilling fluid in a borehole.
FIG. 2 depicts the operation of a ball drop circulating sub.
FIGS. 3A and 3B is a cut-away view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4A is a cut-away view of the valve sleeve of the preferred embodiment in a closed position.
FIG. 4B is taken along line A—A of FIG. 4 A.
FIG. 5 is a cut-away view of the valve sleeve of the preferred embodiment in an open position.
FIG. 6 is a cut-away diagram of a second embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIGS. 3A and 3B generally show the operation of the preferred embodiment. A fluid circulating sub 300 according to the preferred embodiment is attached to drill string or other housing 390 . The circulating sub 300 includes a DC motor 310 with associated downhole circulating sub electronics 308 , the DC motor 310 being mechanically coupled to rotate threaded screw 330 in either direction. Nut 340 terminates in piston 335 . Nut 340 threadably affixes to screw 330 , and moves laterally as shown by arrow 345 upon the rotation of the screw by motor 310 . Chamber 350 terminates at its narrow end at piston 335 and at its wide end at piston 360 . Piston 360 connects to connecting, rod 365 . Also shown in FIG. 3A are mud passage 305 around the perimeter of the circulating sub, oil compensation spring 355 , oil compensation piston 357 , and fail-safe spring 367 .
FIG. 3B also illustrates drillstring 320 and connecting rod 365 . Additionally shown are valve sleeve 370 , also known as a valve poppet, formed to sealably engage valve seat 375 . Valve seat 375 , also called a valve plug, may be mounted by use of a screw, for example, and includes an o-ring 378 to form a seal with valve sleeve 270 . Holes 380 and 381 for mud flow 390 into the center of the circulating Sub are formed in the upper portion of valve sleeve 370 . Holes 382 and 383 in valve sleeve 370 correspond to holes 384 and 385 in the housing and provide an alternate route for the drilling mud when the circulating sub is open and activated. The housing is a circulating sub housing that engages with the valve sleeve, but may be any appropriate housing such as a section of the drill string. In addition, many of the advantages of the preferred embodiment may still be obtained even where the valve poppet is not exactly like the configuration shown. The valve poppet can therefore be any of a variety of configurations.
During operation, downhole circulating sub electronics 308 receive power from the surface. To facilitate power delivery, the system may be preferably part of a coiled tubing drillstring equipped with electric wiring. Alternatively, the system may be part of a slim-hole jointed drill pipe string, for example, or may be any other structure suitable to deliver power downhole. Real-time data communications from the surface are also sent to the downhole circulating sub electronics. In response, the electronics 308 control the operation of electric motor 310 . Electric motor 310 is preferably a DC motor, although this is not crucial to the invention. The electric actuation motor 310 is reversible and may turn screw 330 in either direction to repeatedly open and close the circulating sub 300 . As such, the circulating sub disclosed herein has a longer life span than circulating subs known in the prior art. It also does not require replacement when the drillstring is “tripped”, or removed from the well bore. It is therefore more economical than circulating subs known in the prior art.
As electric motor 310 turns screw 330 , the nut 340 moves laterally 345 by force of threaded screw 330 . This moves piston 335 within chamber 350 . Chamber 350 includes both a smaller cross-sectional end for piston 335 and a larger cross-sectional end for piston 360 . As screw 330 is actuated (i.e., moves from left to right in FIG. 3 B), it applies force to clean hydraulic fluid filling chamber 350 . This fluid transmits the force from piston 335 to piston 360 . What results is a hydraulic intensifier requiring less torque from, and thus less instantaneous current for, DC motor 310 . As force is applied to piston 360 , connecting rod 365 moves laterally in opposition to fail-safe spring 367 . In case of power failure, fail-safe spring returns the connecting rod 365 , and hence the circulating sub, to its unactuated and closed position.
Surrounding chamber 350 is an oil compression spring to resist the collapsing force from the drilling mud under high pressure and traveling through passage 305 . Oil compensation piston 357 accounts for the expansion and contraction of the hydraulic fluid due to temperature variations.
When valve sleeve is in its unactuated position as shown in FIG. 3B, drilling mud flows through holes 380 and 381 and follows mud path 390 past valve seat 375 and down to a drill bit, where it exits and travels up to the surface. The movement of connecting rod 365 from left to right opens the circulating sub by movement of valve sleeve 370 .
When this occurs, valve sleeve 370 covers and seals with valve seat 375 by, for example, o-ring seal 378 . This movement of the valve sleeve aligns holes 383 and 385 , and holes 382 and 384 , respectively, to provide an alternate mud flow path to the annulus. This alternate mud flow path bypasses the downhole drill bit and provides direct access to the annulus for the drilling fluid. It would now be apparent to the artisan of ordinary skill that the valve plug need not necessarily engage within the valve sleeve exactly as shown, but rather that other appropriate geometries and structures could be used, so long as the valve sleeve engages to prevent flow of drilling fluid past the circulation sub.
FIG. 4A includes a connecting rod 365 that connects to sliding sleeve valve 370 . Sleeve valve 370 resides in nozzle sub 420 and lower sub 320 . Valve body 470 includes a bypass chamber 410 and wire channel 520 , as well as containing plug valve 275 . Sleeve valve 370 prevents the flow of mud into the bypass chamber 410 and forces the flow of drilling mud 390 past valve plug 375 toward a downhole assembly. Wires in wire channel 520 supply power downhole. Thus, like FIG. 3, FIG. 4A depicts the valve assembly in a closed position. FIG. 4B is taken along line A—A of FIG. 4 A.
FIG. 5 shows the valve assembly in an open position. Connecting rod 365 attaches to sliding sleeve valve 370 . A seal between these two components is made by o-ring seal 378 . As can be seen, mud flow is prevented from going past valve plug 375 and instead is directed to bypass chamber 410 and out replaceable nozzles 430 . These nozzles 430 are angularly mounted with the centerline, creating a spiraling fluid stream that is effective to lift and transport cuttings out of the borehole for hole cleaning purposes. Further, because all bore fluid flow is cut off from the lower port of the bottomhole assembly, all of the drilling mud is forced to circulate to the annular region between the drillstring and the borehole wall. This results in the cuttings in the borehole above the circulating sub being circulated to the surface (where they can be cleaned from the drilling fluid) prior to the tripping or removal of the drill string from the borehole.
FIG. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention. This circulating sub 600 includes an electric motor 610 attached to a lead screw 630 . The lead screw 630 attaches to a valve sleeve 670 . Hence, this embodiment does not use hydraulic force amplification. Instead, this embodiment uses direct mechanical actuation involving the advancing and retracting of a lead screw 630 by the electric motor 610 , the lead screw opening and closing the valve sleeve 670 .
FIG. 7 illustrates a third embodiment of this invention that does not include a connecting rod to associate the electric motor to the valve sleeve. An assembly inside a housing 720 includes an electric motor 710 associated with a valve poppet 770 . A translation means 730 applies from the electric motor 710 to the valve poppet 770 . Thus, a non-mechanical linkage, such as a hydraulic arrangement, may be used as the translation means 730 to open and close the downhole valve poppet 770 by operation of the electric motor 710 .
While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, modifications thereof can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or teaching of this invention. The embodiments described herein are exemplary only and are not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the system and apparatus are possible and are within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is only limited by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. | A preferred novel circulating sub includes an electric motor, hydraulic intensifier, connecting rod, valve sleeve, valve plug, and angled nozzles. Upon activation of the circulating sub the electric motor drives the valve sleeve over the valve plug, causing a flow of drilling fluid to exit the angled nozzles. Upon deactivation of the circulating sub, the electric motor removes the valve sleeve from the valve plug, allowing the flow of drilling fluid to once again flow to the drill bit. Because the electric motor is reversible, the circulating sub can be repeatedly activated and deactivated. | 4 |
[0001] The application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/652,040, filed Jan. 5, 2010, which claims the filing-date priority of Provisional Application No. 61/142,575, filed Jan. 5, 2009, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety; the application also claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/139,391 filed Jun. 13, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for efficient deposition of a patterned film on a substrate. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for supporting and transporting a substrate on gas bearing during thermal jet printing of material on a substrate.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] The manufacture of organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) requires depositing one or more organic films on a substrate and coupling the top and bottom of the film stack to electrodes. The film thickness is a prime consideration. The total layer stack thickness is about 100 nm and each layer is optimally deposited uniformly with an accuracy of better than .+-0.1 nm. Film purity is also important. Conventional apparatuses form the film stack using one of two methods: (1) thermal evaporation of organic material in a relative vacuum environment and subsequent condensation of the organic vapor on the substrate; or, (2) dissolution of organic material into a solvent, coating the substrate with the resulting solution, and subsequent removal of the solvent.
[0006] Another consideration in depositing the organic thin films of an OLED is placing the films precisely at the desired location on the substrate. There are two conventional technologies for performing this task, depending on the method of film deposition. For thermal evaporation, shadow masking is used to form OLED films of a desired configuration. Shadow masking techniques require placing a well-defined mask over a region of the substrate followed by depositing the film over the entire substrate area. Once deposition is complete, the shadow mask is removed. The regions exposed through the mask define the pattern of material deposited on the substrate. This process is inefficient as the entire substrate must be coated, even though only the regions exposed through the shadow mask require a film. Furthermore, the shadow mask becomes increasingly coated with each use, and must eventually be discarded or cleaned. Finally, the use of shadow masks over large areas is made difficult by the need to use very thin masks (to achieve small feature sizes) that make said masks structurally unstable. However, the vapor deposition technique yields OLED films with high uniformity and purity and excellent thickness control.
[0007] For solvent deposition, ink jet printing can be used to deposit patterns of OLED films. Ink jet printing requires dissolving organic material into a solvent that yields a printable ink. Furthermore, ink jet printing is conventionally limited to the use of single layer OLED film stacks, which typically have lower performance as compared to multilayer stacks. The single-layer limitation arises because printing typically causes destructive dissolution of any underlying organic layers. Finally, unless the substrate is first prepared to define the regions into which the ink is to be deposited, a step that increases the cost and complexity of the process, ink jet printing is limited to circular deposited areas with poor thickness uniformity as compared to vapor deposited films. The material quality is also lower due to structural changes in the material that occur during the drying process and due to material impurities present in the ink. However, the ink jet printing technique is capable of providing patterns of OLED films over very large areas with good material efficiency.
[0008] No conventional technique combines the large area patterning capabilities of ink jet printing with the high uniformity, purity, and thickness control achieved with vapor deposition for organic thin films. Because ink jet processed single layer OLED devices continue to have inadequate quality for widespread commercialization, and thermal evaporation remains impractical for scaling to large areas, it is a major technological challenge for the OLED industry to develop a technique that can offer both high film quality and cost-effective large area scalability.
[0009] Manufacturing OLED displays may also require the patterned deposition of thin films of metals, inorganic semiconductors, and/or inorganic insulators. Conventionally, vapor deposition and/or sputtering have been used to deposit these layers. Patterning is accomplished using prior substrate preparation (e.g., patterned coating with an insulator), shadow masking as described above, and when a fresh substrate or protective layers are employed, conventional photolithography. Each of these approaches is inefficient as compared to the direct deposition of the desired pattern, either because it wastes material or requires additional processing steps. Thus, for these materials as well there is a need for a method and apparatus for depositing high-quality, cost effective, large area scalable films.
[0010] Certain applications of thermal jet printing require non-oxidizing environment to prevent oxidation of the deposited materials or associated inks. In a conventional method, a sealed nitrogen tent is used to prevent oxidation. Conventional systems use a floating system to support and move the substrate. A floatation system can be defined as a bearing system of alternative gas bearings and vacuum ports. The gas bearings provide the lubricity and non-contacting support for the substrate, while the vacuum supports the counter-force necessary to strictly control the height at which the relatively light-weight substrate floats. Since high-purity nitrogen gas can be a costly component of the printing system, it is important to minimize nitrogen loss to the ambient.
[0011] Accordingly, there is a need for load-locked printing system which supports a substrate on gas bearings while minimizing system leakage and nitrogen loss.
SUMMARY
[0012] The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a thermal jet printing operation. The thermal jet printing operation may include OLED printing and the printing material may include suitable ink composition. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The substrate may be transported using gas bearings which are formed using a plurality of vacuum and gas input portals. The controller may also provide a non-oxidizing environment within the chamber using a gas similar to, or different from, the gas used for the gas bearings. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.
[0013] In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for printing a film of OLED material on a substrate by (i) receiving the substrate at an inlet chamber; (ii) flooding the inlet load-locked chamber with a noble gas and sealing the inlet chamber; (iii) directing at least a portion of the substrate to a print-head chamber and discharging a quantity of OLED material from a thermal jet discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate; (iv) directing the substrate to an outlet chamber; (v) partitioning the print-head chamber from the outlet chamber; and (vi) unloading the print-head from the outlet chamber. In one embodiment of the invention, the print-head chamber pulsatingly delivers a quantity of material from a thermal jet discharge nozzle to the substrate.
[0014] In another embodiment, the disclosure relates to a method for depositing a material on a substrate. The method includes the steps of: (i) receiving the substrate at an inlet chamber; (ii) flooding the inlet chamber with a chamber gas and sealing the inlet chamber; (iii) directing at least a portion of the substrate to a print-head chamber and discharging a quantity of material from a thermal jet discharge nozzle onto the portion of the substrate; (iv) directing the substrate to an outlet chamber; (v) partitioning the print-head chamber from the outlet chamber; and (vi) unloading the print-head from the outlet chamber. The print-head chamber pulsatingly delivers a quantity of material from a thermal jet discharge nozzle to the substrate.
[0015] In another embodiment, the disclosure relates to a load-locked printing apparatus, comprising an inlet chamber for receiving a substrate, the inlet chamber having a first partition and a second partition; a print-head chamber in communication with the inlet chamber, the print-head chamber having a discharge nozzle for pulsatingly metering a quantity of ink onto a substrate, the second partition separating the print-head chamber from the inlet chamber; an outlet chamber in communication with the print-head chamber through a third partition, the outlet chamber receiving the substrate from print head chamber and exiting the substrate from a fourth chamber. In a preferred embodiment, the inlet chamber, the print-head chamber and the outlet chamber provide an inert gas environment while the discharge nozzle pulsatingly meters the quantity of ink onto the substrate. Although the implementation of the invention are not limited thereto, the inert gas environment can be a noble gas (e.g. argon, helium, nitrogen or hydrogen).
[0016] In still another embodiment, the disclosure relates to a load-locked thermal jet printing system. The system includes a housing with an inlet partition and an outlet partition. The housing defines a print-head chamber for depositing a quantity of ink onto a substrate. The housing also includes an inlet partition and an outlet partition for receiving and dispatching the substrate. A gas input provides a first gas to the housing. A controller communicates with the print-head chamber, the gas input and the inlet and outlet partitions. The controller comprises a processor circuit in communication with a memory circuit, the memory circuit instructing the processor circuit to (i) receive the substrate at the inlet partition; (ii) purge the housing with the first gas; (iii) direct the substrate to a discharge nozzle at the print-head chamber; (iv) energize the thermal jet discharge nozzle to pulsatingly deliver a quantity of film material from the discharge nozzle onto the substrate; and (v) dispatch the substrate from the housing through the outlet partition.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] These and other embodiments of the disclosure will be discussed with reference to the following exemplary and non-limiting illustrations, in which like elements are numbered similarly, and where:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a conventional substrate floatation system;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an exemplary load-locked printing housing;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the load-locked printing housing of FIG. 2 receiving a substrate;
[0021] FIG. 4 schematically shows the substrate received at the print-head chamber of the housing;
[0022] FIG. 5 schematically shows the completion of the printing process of FIGS. 3 and 4 ;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a print-head for use with the load-locked housing of FIG. 2 ; and
[0024] FIG. 7 is an exemplary load-locked system according to an embodiment of the invention;
[0025] FIG. 8 shows several types of substrate misalignment within the print system, and
[0026] FIG. 9 shows a substrate pattern including fiducials and initial locus of area viewed by a camera or other imaging devices.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a conventional substrate floatation system. More specifically, FIG. 1 shows a portion of a flotation system in which substrate 100 is supported by air bearings. The air bearings are shown schematically as arrows entering and leaving between baffles 110 . The substrate floatation system of FIG. 1 is typically housed in a sealed chamber (not shown). The chamber includes multiple vacuum outlet ports and gas bearing inlet ports, which are typically arranged on a flat surface. Substrate 100 is lifted and kept off a hard surface by the pressure of a gas such as nitrogen. The flow out of the bearing volume is accomplished by means of multiple vacuum outlet ports. The floating height is typically a function of the gas pressure and flow. In principle, any gas can be utilized for such a substrate floatation system; however, in practice it is preferable to utilize a floatation gas that is inert to the materials that come into contact with the gas. As a result, it is conventional to use noble gases (e.g., nitrogen, argon, and helium) as they usually demonstrate sufficient inertness.
[0028] The floatation gas is an expensive component of the substrate floatation system. The cost is compounded when the printing system calls for substantially pure gas. Thus, it is desirable to minimize any gas loss to the environment.
[0029] FIG. 2 is a simplified representation of an exemplary load-locked printing housing according to one embodiment of the disclosure. Housing 200 is divided into three chambers, including inlet chamber 210 , print-head chamber 220 and outlet chamber 230 . As will be discussed, each chamber is separated from the rest of housing 200 through a gate or a partition. In one embodiment of the disclosure the gates or partitions substantially seal the chambers from the ambient environment and from the rest of housing 200 . In another embodiment of the disclosure (not shown), chamber 230 is not included in housing 200 , and chamber 210 is utilized as both an inlet and an outlet chamber.
[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of the load-locked printing housing of FIG. 2 receiving a substrate. During operation, substrate 350 is received at inlet chamber 310 through inlet gates 312 . Inlet gates 312 can comprise a variety of options, including single or multiple moving gates. The gates can also be complemented with an air curtain (not shown) for minimizing influx of ambient gases into inlet chamber 310 . Alternatively, the gates can be replaced with air curtains acting as a partition. Similar schemes can be deployed in all gates of the housing. Once substrate 350 is received at inlet chamber 310 , inlet gates 312 close. The substrate can then be detained at inlet chamber 310 . At this time, the inlet chamber can be optionally purged from any ambient gases and refilled with the desired chamber gas, which is conventionally selected to be the same as the floatation gas, e.g. pure nitrogen or other noble gases. During the purging process, print-head inlet gate 322 as well as inlet gate 312 remain closed. Print-head inlet gate 322 can define a physical or a gas curtain. Alternatively, print-head inlet gate 322 can define a physical gate similar to inlet gate 312 .
[0031] FIG. 4 schematically shows the substrate received at the print-head chamber of the housing. Air bearings can be used to transport substrate 450 from inlet chamber 410 through print-head inlet gate 422 and into print-chamber 420 . Print-head chamber 420 houses the thermal jet print-head, and optionally, the ink reservoir. The printing process occurs at print-head chamber 420 . In one implementation of the invention, once substrate 450 is received at print-head chamber 420 , print-head gates 422 and 424 are closed during the printing process. Print-head chamber can be optionally purged with a chamber gas (e.g., high purity nitrogen) for further purification of the printing environment. In another implementation, substrate 450 is printed while gates 422 and 424 remain open. During the printing operation, substrate 450 can be supported by air bearings. The substrate's location in relation to housing 400 can be controlled using a combination of air pressure and vacuum, such as those shown in FIG. 1 . In an alternative embodiment, the substrate is transported through housing 400 using a conveyer belt.
[0032] Once the printing process is complete, the substrate is transported to the outlet chamber as shown in FIG. 5 . Here, print-head gates 522 and 524 are closed to seal off outlet chamber 530 from the remainder of housing 500 . Outlet gate 532 is opened to eject substrate 550 as indicated by the arrow. The process shown in FIGS. 3-5 can be repeated to continuously print OLED materials on multiple substrates. Alternatively, gates 512 , 522 , 524 and 532 can be replaced with air curtains to provide for continuous and uninterrupted printing process. In another embodiment of the disclosure, once the printing process is complete, the substrate is transported back to the inlet chamber 310 through gate 322 , where gate 322 can be subsequently sealed off and gate 312 opened to eject the substrate. In this embodiment, inlet chamber 310 functions also as the outlet chamber, functionally replacing outlet chamber 530 .
[0033] The print-head chamber houses the print-head. In a preferred embodiment, the print-head comprises an ink chamber in fluid communication with nozzle. The ink chamber receives ink, comprising particles of the material to be deposited on the substrate dissolved or suspended in a carrier liquid, in substantially liquid form from a reservoir. The ink head chamber then meters a specified quantity of ink onto an upper face of a thermal jet discharge nozzle having a plurality of conduits such that upon delivery to the upper face, the ink flows into the conduits. The thermal jet discharge nozzle is activated such that the carrier liquid is removed leaving behind in the conduits the particles in substantially solid form. The thermal jet discharge nozzle is then further pulsatingly activated to deliver the quantity of material in substantially vapor form onto the substrate, where it condenses into substantially solid form.
[0034] FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of a thermal jet print-head for use with the load-locked housing of FIG. 2 . Print-head 600 includes ink chamber 615 which is surrounded by top structure 610 and energizing element 620 . Ink chamber 615 is in liquid communication with an ink reservoir (not shown). Energizing element 620 can comprise a piezoelectric element or a heater. Energizing element 620 is energized intermittently to dispense a metered quantity of ink, optionally in the form of a liquid droplet, on the top surface of the thermal jet discharge nozzle 640 .
[0035] Bottom structure 630 supports nozzle 640 through brackets 660 . Brackets 660 can include and integrated heating element. The heating element is capable of instantaneously heating thermal jet discharge nozzle 640 such that the ink carrier liquid evaporates from the conduits 650 . The heating element is further capable of instantaneously heating the thermal jet discharge nozzle 650 such that substantially solid particles in the discharge nozzle are delivered from the conduits in substantially vapor form onto the substrate, where they condense into substantially solid form.
[0036] Print-head 600 operates entirely within the print-head chamber 220 and housing 200 of FIG. 2 . Thus, for properly selected chamber and floatation gases (e.g. high purity nitrogen in most instances), the ink is not subject to oxidation during the deposition process. In addition, the load-locked housing can be configured to receive a transport gas, such as a noble gas, for carrying the material from the thermal jet discharge nozzle 640 onto the substrate surface. The transport gas may also transport the material from the thermal jet discharge nozzle 640 to the substrate by flowing through conduits 650 . In a preferred embodiment, multiple print-heads 600 are arranged within a load-locked print system as an array. The array can be configured to deposit material on a substrate by activating the print-heads simultaneously or sequentially.
[0037] FIG. 7 is an exemplary load-locked system according to an embodiment of the invention. Load-locked system of FIG. 7 includes a housing with inlet chamber 710 , print-head chamber 720 and outlet chamber 730 . Inlet chamber 710 communicates through gates 712 and 722 . Print-head chamber 720 receives substrate 750 from the inlet chamber and deposits organic LED material thereon as described in relation to FIG. 6 . Gate 724 communicates substrate 750 to outlet chamber 730 after the printing process is completed. The substrate exists outlet chamber 730 through gate 732 .
[0038] Vacuum and pressure can be used to transport substrate 750 through the load-locked system of FIG. 7 . To control transporting the substrate, controller 770 communicates with nitrogen source 762 and vacuum 760 through valves 772 and 774 , respectively. Controller 770 comprises one or more processor circuits (not shown) in communication with one or more memory circuit (not shown). The controller also communicates with the load-locked housing and ultimately with the print nozzle. In this manner, controller 770 can coordinate opening and closing gates 712 , 722 , 724 and 732 . Controller 770 can also control ink dispensing by activating the piezoelectric element and/or the heater (see FIG. 6 ). The substrate can be transported through the load-locked print system through air bearings or by a physical conveyer under the control of the controller.
[0039] In an exemplary operation, a memory circuit (not shown) of controller 770 provides instructions to a processor circuit (not shown) to: (i) receive the substrate at the inlet partition; (ii) purge the housing with the first gas; (iii) direct the substrate to a discharge nozzle at the print-head chamber; (iv) energize the discharge nozzle to pulsatingly deliver a quantity of material from the thermal jet discharge nozzle onto the substrate; and (v) dispatch the substrate from the housing through the outlet partition. The first gas and the second gas can be different or identical gases. The first and/or the second gas can be selected from the group comprising nitrogen, argon, and helium.
[0040] Controller 770 may also identify the location of the substrate through the load-locked print system and dispense ink from the print-head only when the substrate is at a precise location relative to the print-head.
[0041] Another aspect of the invention relates to registering the substrate relative to the print-head. Printing registration is defined as the alignment and the size of one printing process with respect to the previous printing processes performed on the same substrate. In order to achieve appropriate registration, the print-head and the substrate need to be aligned substantially identically in each printing step. In one implementation of the invention, the substrate is provided with horizontal motion (i.e., motion in the x direction) and the print-head head is provided with another horizontal motion (i.e., motion in the y direction). The x and y directions may be orthogonal to each other. With this arrangement, the movement of the print-head with respect to the substrate can be defined with a combination of these two horizontal directions.
[0042] When the substrate is loaded onto a load-locked system, the areas to be printed are usually not perfectly aligned in the x and y directions of the system. Thus, there is a need for detecting the misalignment, determining the required corrections to the motion of the print-head relative to the substrate and applying the corrections.
[0043] According to one embodiment of the invention, the pattern or the previous printing is detected using a pattern recognition system. This pattern can be inherent in the previous printing or may have been added deliberately (i.e., fiducials) for the pattern recognition step. By means of its recognition of the pattern, the misalignment of the substrate to the printing system's motion, direction or axis can be determined. This manifests itself as a magnification misalignment, a translational misalignment and an angular misalignment.
[0044] FIG. 8 shows several types of substrate misalignment within the print system, including translational misalignment, rotational misalignment, magnification misalignment and combinational misalignment. For each print-head scan motion relative to the substrate, the pattern recognition system will look for and find/recognize the desired pattern. The pattern recognition system can optionally be integrated with the controller (see FIG. 7 ). The pattern recognition system will look for and find/recognize the desired pattern. The pattern recognition system will provide the degree of error/misalignment in the x and y directions to the system's controller, which will then reposition the print-head and substrate to eliminate the error/misalignment. This means that for several motions of the print-head with respect to the substrate, the motion control system will check for misalignment and make the necessary corrections.
[0045] Alternatively, an initial scan of the entire substrate can be performed by the pattern recognition system utilizing the x and y motions available in the printing system. FIG. 9 shows a substrate pattern including fiducials and initial locus of area viewed by a camera or other imaging devices. In FIG. 9 , fiducials or alignment targets are identified as boxes 910 in each replicated “pixel.” Each pixel in this example, and in many OLED applications, comprises three sub-pixels each having a distinct color: red, green, and blue (RGB). The camera or the pattern recognition device initially focuses on an area of the substrate identified by circle 930 . Once the amount of misalignment is determined, the motion control system can compensate for the misalignment by causing the x and the y directions to move in a rotated and translated set of axes x 1 and y 1 such that these axis are a linear combination of the previous motions.
[0046] For either alignment technique, the printing control system will then cause the print-head to fire appropriately at the desired print axis as it scans the substrate. In the case of the embodiment described above, the print system will periodically use the pattern recognition system to update and adjust for any misalignment, causing the print-head to fire after alignment has been achieved. Depending on the degree of misalignment, the required update and adjustment steps may have to be repeated more often during the printing operations. Alternatively, the pattern recognition system must scan the substrate initially to assess the amount and direction of misalignment, then printing control system will utilize the misalignment information to adjust the print-head firing accordingly.
[0047] While the principles of the disclosure have been illustrated in relation to the exemplary embodiments shown herein, the principles of the disclosure are not limited thereto and include any modification, variation or permutation thereof. For example, while the exemplary embodiments are discussed in relation to a thermal jet discharge nozzle, the disclosed principles can be implemented with different type of nozzles. Moreover, the same or different gases can be used for floating the substrate and for providing a non-oxidizing environment within the chamber. These gases need not be noble gases. Finally, the substrate may enter the system from any direction and the schematic of a tri-chamber system is entirely exemplary. | The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a disk-changing device for an audio/video type of player which plays back information recorded on a disk-shaped recording medium such as a laser disk or a compact disk, and, more specifically, it concerns an incremental movement mechanism for conveying a play-back mechanism to a desired disk at a certain level, among a number of disks which are housed on a plurality of levels in a stack arrangement along a vertical direction, in order to individually select, extract and play back the desired disk.
As shown in FIG. 1, in a conventional play-back mechanism, the play-back mechanism 505 is moved in increments using a straight-line guide channel 502 provided in a chassis 501 and a stepped channel 504 provided in a plate cam 503 to restrict and control a pin 506 projecting from a part of the play-back mechanism 505. To elaborate, by moving the plate cam 503 reciprocally in the right-angled direction (the X-direction in the figure) with respect to the straight-line guide channel 502, the pin 506 moves reciprocally between the upper limiting position U and the lower limiting position D of the straight-line guide channel 502 while at the same time it moves in increments along the straight-line guide channel 502, controlled by the stepped channel 504. In the figure, the position of the play-back mechanism 505' corresponds to the position of the plate cam 503' shown by the double-dot and chain line. In its course, it stops at each of the horizontal portions 507 of the stepped channel 504, which are at right angles to the guide channel 502. The positions of the stepped horizontal portions 507 correspond to the positions of the levels where the disks are stacked and, therefore, the disk can be extracted from its housing position in a magazine by means of its horizontal movement to the play-back mechanism 505 by a known method and is played back before being returned to the housing position.
By way of another moving mechanism, as published in Japanese Utility Model Publication HEI 4-103347 and as shown in FIG. 2, there is an arrangement which achieves the same effect as with the single plate cam discussed above using a linked-carrying action of two plate cams, in which the stepped channel is divided and allocated between two plate cams 601 and 602.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, if there is an elevated number of disks and a large number of housing levels, there is an unavoidable enlargement of the plate cam in the height direction. In addition to this, in both the prior art techniques mentioned above, the dimensions of the plate cam are also enlarged in the lateral direction because the stepped channel will be extended out to the side as viewed in the figure. Thus, in that, for example, play-back players for vehicles in particular are limited as to their volume dimensions, they cannot cope with a large number of disks. The aim of the present invention is to provide a small-scale disk-changing device which is able to cope with large numbers of disks.
For this purpose, according to the invention, there is provided a disk-changing device comprising
a housing means (18) having a plurality of housing positions (16), and able to house disk-shaped recording media in each housing position,
a loading means (30) which selects and loads a housed recording medium from a desired housing position in the abovementioned housing means,
a plurality of pairs of plates (36ab and 38ab) which move the abovementioned loading means between each of the abovementioned housing positions, zig-zag shaped cams (40abc and 42abc) are formed on the plates and are positioned approximately horizontally with a freedom of reciprocal movement,
pin-shaped cam followers (33, 34 and 35) are provided on the loading means and are constructed in such a way as to be inserted in the abovementioned zig-zag shaped cams, and
a movement means (85) which reciprocally moves the plurality of plates with a predetermined timing with the result that it moves the loading means in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the plurality of plates.
With the disk-changing device of the present invention, when the first and second plates are moved reciprocally by the moving device, the disk selection device, engaged with the above-mentioned cam, moves incrementally to arrive at the position in which the desired disk can be selected.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a plate cam of an embodiment of the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a front view of a plate cam of another example of the prior art.
FIG. 3 is a front view of an outline of a first embodiment of a disk-changing device according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross section along the line II--II in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a front view of a plate cam of a first embodiment along the line III--III in FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 shows front views of other embodiments of the plate cam of the disk-changing device according to the present invention, (a) being a second embodiment, (b) being a third embodiment, and (c) being a fourth embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a horizontal view of one example of a drive device used in the present invention, taken along the line VII--VII in FIG. 3.
FIG. 8 shows explanatory drawings of drive modes of the plate cam of the abovementioned drive device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modes contemplated by the inventors of carrying out their invention. Various modifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled in the art, since the generic principles of the present invention have been defined herein specifically to provide an improved disk-changing device.
Embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. Identical references have been used for parts which are common throughout the drawings. FIG. 3 is a simplified front view of a disk-changing device according to the present invention, 10 being the casing, 12 the chassis, 14 the control panel, and 16 the magazine housing shelves, three magazines being distributed on three levels to allow storage of disks. In the depiction in the figure, magazines 18 are installed housed in the magazine housing shelves 16 on the lower two levels, and the top- most level is empty without any magazine being installed in it. 20 is a sliding door which opens and closes the magazine housing chamber, and in the figure it is in the position in which the magazine housing shelves 16 are opened. 22 is the opening-and-closing handle of the sliding door 20 and 24 is a viewing window which is provided through the sliding door 20 to allow an external visual check of the indicator 26, provided in the control panel 14, for checking the position of the selected disk. In the case depicted, the pointer S of the indicator 26 shows that the mechanism is in the operation position (marking=E 3 ) for ejecting the magazine in the magazine housing shelf 16 at the top-most level. For the sake of convenience, this embodiment depicts an example of a player in which three magazines 18 are each able to accommodate six disks 27, allowing control of a total of eighteen disks, but it goes without saying that the number of magazines and the number of disks which can be accommodated in the magazines is not limited to this specific number.
The control switches provided in the control panel 14 are screened by the other portions of the sliding door 20 and are protected from erroneous operation due to uncalled-for contact. 28 are eject control buttons respectively corresponding to the magazine housing shelves, and a desired magazine can be taken out by pressing one of these. A magazine is fitted by pressing the magazine well back in the desired shelf position, and, at the end of this pressing operation, the magazine is automatically locked and held in this position by a well-known method. Upon operating the opening-and-closing handle 22 and opening the sliding door 20 in this way, completing the operation of fitting or removing the magazine and closing the sliding door 20, the control panel 14 is exposed to the front at the right in the figure, and the operation of playing back a disk 27 can be carried out. It should be noted that, with this changing device, only the eject control buttons 28 need be provided and control switches need not be provided on the panel given the reference 14. In this case, various commands for the changing device such as disk changing and play-back are carried out from a head unit, which is not depicted, connected to the changing device.
FIG. 4 is a horizontal cross section along the line II--II in FIG. 3, in which M is the magazine housing unit and P is the disk play-back unit. 30 is a lift panel on which the disk select and play-back device is mounted, on which three shift pins 33, 34 and 35 are integrally planted, which is supported by zig-zag shaped stepped cam channels 40a and 42a provided on a first plate cam 36a and a second plate cam 38a on the side of the control panel 14 at the front, and by zig-zag shaped stepped cam channels 40b, 40c, 42b and 42c provided in two sites distanced laterally respectively on the first plate cam 36b and the second plate cam 38b to the back, and which is guided vertically by a straight-line guide channel 43 (FIG. 5) provided in the chassis 12.
The abovementioned cam channels 40a (FIG. 5), 40b, 40c, 42a (FIG. 5), 42b and 42c are respectively formed in a stepped shape having horizontal regions (m 2 , m 6 . . . ) along the course of portions formed at an incline, and the inclined portions are formed in a zig-zag shape which reverses between left and right.
The shapes of the zig-zag shaped stepped cam channels 40a, 40b and 40c provided in the first plate cams 36a and 36b are all identical and repetitively reverse direction as they extend across the respective flat plate cam member. The cam channel 40a is formed on the plate cam 36a, and the stepped cam channels 40b and 40c are formed on the plate cam 36b. In addition, the shapes of the zig-zag shaped stepped cam channels 42a, 42b and 42c provided in the second plate cams 38a and 38b are also all identical. The cam channel 42a is provided on the plate cam 38a, and the stepped cam channels 42b and 42c are provided on the plate cam 38b.
The plan form of the magazine housing shelves 16 is roughly the same shape as the magazine 18, and they have on their upper surfaces locking and ejecting mechanisms, which are not shown, which lock and eject the magazines 18 in their housing positions. Also, the magazine housing shelves 16 are provided with cut-away portions 46 in the same shape as and in the same position as in the magazine 18, and the operating key 50 for levers 48 which eject disks and are provided continuously in the magazine 18 runs through this cut-away portion 46 in the vertical direction.
The operating key 50 is linked by an arm 52 to a drive unit which is not depicted but is provided on the lift panel 30, and rises and falls together with the lift panel 30. By operating the operating key 50 so that it projects to the left, depicted by the double-dot and chain line in FIG. 4, the disk ejection lever 48 at the same height as the operating key 50 is rotated counterclockwise, and only the disk 27a which is engaged with it is pushed out in the direction of the disk play-back unit P up until it is in the position shown by the double-dot and chain line in the figure, and it is set in the disk play-back unit P by a known means. Further, the arrangement is such that when the operating key 50 is set in any of the levels E 1 , E 2 or E 3 where the disk ejection levers 48 do not play a role, it can operate a magazine eject lever provided in the locking and ejection mechanism mentioned above with the same action as on the disk ejection lever 48.
In FIG. 4, 54a is the coupling between the first plate cam 36a and the drive lever 56a, and the first plate cam 36a is operated reciprocally by the swing action of the drive lever 56a. Opposite this, the first plate cam 36b at the back is also provided with a coupling 54b which engages with a lever integral with the drive lever 56a and extending in the opposite direction to move it reciprocally.
Meanwhile, 58a is the coupling between the second plate cam 38a and the drive lever 60a, and the plate cam 38a is operated reciprocally by the swing action of the drive lever 60a. Opposite this, the second plate cam 38b at the back is also provided with a coupling 58b which engages with a lever integral with the drive lever 60a and extending in the opposite direction to move it reciprocally. The first plate cams 36a and 36b at the front and back experience simultaneous relative movement due to the rotation of the drive lever 56a and thereby cause the same simultaneous action at all three of the shift pins 33, 34 and 35 due to the stepped cam channels 40a, 40b and 40c. Similarly, with the second plate cams 38a and 38b at the front and back as well, the stepped cam channels 42a, 42b and 42c cause the same simultaneous action on all three of the shift pins 33, 34 and 35 due to the rotation of the drive lever 60a.
76a and 76b (FIG. 5) are straight-line guides for moving the first plate cams 36a and 36b reciprocally and in line to left and right, while 78a and 78b are straight line guides for moving the second plate cams 38a and 38b reciprocally and in line to left and right; all of them performing an oscillating action engaged with the stud pins 80 and 82 fixed to the chassis. 62 is a pin formed by extending the shift pin 33, the end of which is used as the pointer S of the indicator 26, it is inserted through the elongated hole 64 of the indicator 26 provided in the control panel 14, and the operator can visually check the position of this pointer S from the outside to check which disk 27 the lift panel 30 corresponds to in terms of housing level.
FIG. 5 is a front view of the first plate cam 36a and the second plate cam 38a, taken along the line III--III in FIG. 4, in which a zig-zag shaped stepped cam channel 40a is provided in the first plate cam 36a and another zig-zag shaped stepped cam channel 42a is provided in the second plate cam 38a. For the sake of convenience in this description, the switch-backs to the left of the zig-zag shaped stepped cam channel 40a in the first plate cam 36a will be termed crests while the switch-backs to the right will be termed troughs. The zig-zag shaped channel 40a comprises a succession of steps 66 running upward the troughs to the crests, steps 68 running only on the crest side, steps 70 running from the crests to the troughs, and steps 72 running only on the trough side. In this first embodiment, the second plate cam 38a also has a zig-zag shaped cam portion, it being arranged so that the inclined portions 74 of the stepped cam channel 42a correspond to the successively provided steps 68 and 72 on the first plate cam 36a, and the run between these steps 68 and 72 is assisted by the second plate cam 38a: the stepped cam channel 42a of the second plate cam does not necessarily have to be stepped or of a zig-zag shape.
Next the incremental movement of the lift panel 30 is described with reference to the action of the first and second plate cams 36a and 38a with respect to the shift pin 33. The explanation of the other pins 34 and 35 is omitted since they perform in exactly the same way due to the stepped cam channels 40b, 42b, 40c and 42c of the first and second plate cams 36b and 38b which engage therewith. Each of the plate cams performs an intermittent reciprocal movement between the crests and troughs of the zig-zag shape under the action of the drive levers 56a and 60a which are electrically and/or mechanically controlled.
It is assumed that to begin with the lift panel 30 is in the bottom position m 1 (control panel marking=1: referred to as marking=1 hereinbelow). With the second plate cam 38a ("cam 38a" hereinbelow) stopped, the first plate cam 36a ("cam 36a" hereinbelow) moves in the direction of the arrow R and stops in the half-stroke position. The position where the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a is m 2 , and the shift pin 33 stops in the position of marking=2. Upon moving the cam 36a in the direction of the arrow R for a full stroke, the position where the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a reaches m 3 , and the shift pin 33 is positioned at marking=3. During this action, it is in position 75 of the cam channel 42a of the cam 38a involving no interference at all.
Next, with the cam 36a stopped, the cam 38a is moved in the direction of the arrow L and is stopped in the half-stroke position. The position where the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a is m 4 , and the shift pin 33 stops positioned at marking=4. If the cam 38a is moved further in the direction of the arrow L to the full stroke position, the position where the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a is m 5 , and the shift pin 33 is positioned at marking=5. Then, by stopping the cam 38a and stopping the cam 36a in the half-stroke position, the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a at m 6 , so that the shift pin 33 stops positioned at marking=6. Then the cam 36a is moved further to the full stroke position, the shift pin 33 engages at m 7 of the cam channel 40a and the shift pin 33 is positioned at marking=E 1 . During this action, the cam channel 42a of the cam 38a is in position 75 at which it does not interfere with the movement of the shift pin 33 at all. Thus the shift pin 33 advances by increments in one direction in the straight-line main guide channel 43. The shift pin 33 can be advanced in reverse by reversing the above procedure.
Markings 1 to 6 correspond to the housing levels of the disks 27 in the lower level magazine 18, and by stopping the shift pin 33 in the required level position and locking it in this position using a separately established method, and operating the operating key 50 of the disk ejection lever 48 by a command from the operating panel 14 for the lift panel 30 which has reached the same level as the required disk 27, a known means can be used to eject the disk 27 from its housed position, play it back and then, after use, to return it to its housing position.
Then, with the cam 36a stopped, the cam 38a is moved in the direction of the arrow R and is stopped in the half-stroke position. The position where the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a is m 8 , and the shift pin 33 stops positioned at marking=E 2 . If the cam 38a is moved further in the direction of the arrow R for a full stroke, the position where the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a is m 9 , and the shift pin 33 is positioned at marking=E 3 . At the positions m 7 , m 8 and m 9 corresponding to the markings E 1 , E 2 and E 3 , a space where there is no disk is created by the thickness of the magazine housing frame and the magazine case. The magazine eject operation is then performed by providing ejection levers which can be operated by the operating key 50 in this level position so as to correspond to the marking positions E 1 , E 2 and E 3 at each magazine housing level.
The above involved an operation for disks in a magazine fitted in the top level, but the aim of getting the lift panel 30 to correspond to each individual disk housing position can be achieved by repeating the same operation with the cam 36a and the cam 38a for disks in magazines fitted in the middle level and the top level as well. The three step positions m 16 , m 17 and m 18 (markings=F, F, F) between the middle level magazine and the top level magazine are dead space where there are no particular functional parts operated by the operating key 50 or the like, and there is therefore no need to provide steps in between, and the device is controlled in such a way that, when the shift pin 33 is in this position, the cam 38a moves a complete stroke without stopping.
Other embodiments of the first and second plate cams are now described based on FIG. 6. FIG. 6 (a) shows a second embodiment involving an applied example in which the disk housing levels are all at equal intervals. The cam channels 440a and 442a formed in the first and second plate cams 436a and 438a do have a zig-zag shape but are not formed in a stepped shape. Movement of the first plate cam 436a to the left causes the position where the shift pin 33 engages with the zig-zag shaped cam channel 440a to move from m 1 to m 2 , then further movement of the facing second plate cam 438a to the right causes it to be pushed up against the inclined portion of the cam channel 442a so that the position of engagement becomes m 3 , and then the position of engagement moves to m 4 upon movement to the right of the plate cam 436a returning to the position depicted. Next, the return of the plate cam 438a to the position depicted brings the position of engagement of the shift pin 33 to m 5 . In this way the shift pin 33 is moved incrementally along the straight-line guide channel 43.
By subsequently repeating this action of the plate cams 436a and 438a, the shift pin 33 passes through engagement positions m 6 , . . . , m 17 to reach the top-most end position m 18 . In other words, the stopping positions of the shift pin 33 correspond to 18 disks at m 1 , . . . , m 18 . The fact that these stopping positions correspond to the housing levels of the disks, that the desired operation can be carried out on the required disk in a stopping position, and that the raising and lowering action can be carried out freely from any desired position are exactly the same as in Embodiment 1. Thus, in this second embodiment, a correspondence with eighteen disks was arranged with this incremental movement mechanism simply by reciprocally moving the plate cams 436a and 438a a slight distance.
In this way, a play-back player can cope with a large number of housed disks without increasing its dimensions in the lateral direction. Further, by providing the horizontal portions 442x at right angles to the straight-line guide channel 43 at the ends of the zig-zag channel 442a the plate cam 438a can be further displaced while the shift pin 33 is stopped at the end of the range of its run, and this movement can be used as an action signal, such as a reset signal for resetting another part in the device, or can be made to correspond to an action, such as an ejection operation.
Furthermore, FIG. 6 (b) depicts a third embodiment in which the straight-line portion 440y has been formed with the step intervals between the crests of the zig-zag shaped cam channel 440b partially increased. The first plate cam 436b and the second plate cam 438b are alternately moved reciprocally to left and right, and the two cam channels 440b and 442b are used to incrementally advance the shift pin 33 along the straight-line guide channel 43, which is as in the second embodiment. In FIG. 6 (b), there are equal step intervals between the stopping positions m 1 to m 6 , m 7 to m 12 and m 13 to m 18 where the shift pin 33 engages with the zig-zag shaped cam channel 440b, and each corresponds to the housing intervals of six disks in each magazine. Meanwhile, there are increased intervals for m 6 and m 7 as well as m 12 and m 13 in the stopping position, and this corresponds to the spaces where there are no disks, which are created by the thickness of the magazine housing frame and the magazine case.
Further, FIG. 6 (c) is a fourth embodiment in which the mid course stopping positions m 2 , m 3 , m 8 , m 11 , m 14 and m 17 are set by dividing up the run steps between the crests and the troughs of the zig-zag shaped cam channel 440c, so that the cam channel 440c is constructed with a stepped shape. Horizontal portions are provided in the portions of the stepped cam channel 440c where the plate cam 436c is temporarily stopped in the mid course of its reciprocal movement. Otherwise, the process is carried out in the same way as in the embodiments discussed above in that the shift pin 33 is incrementally advanced inside the straight-line guide channel 43 with the aid of the second plate cam 442c. Additionally, the disk housing intervals and the intervals spaced by the housing shelves between magazines are set in the same way as in the third embodiment. Moreover, in this fourth embodiment, there are fewer zigzag convolutions than in the second and third embodiments even though the number of disks handled is the same, and a mechanism for detecting the middle of plate cam strokes and sending out a stop signal is provided separately as in the first embodiment. Further, the channel e projecting even further down from the bottom end position m 1 is the position to which the lift panel 30 moves, which lift panel is designed to operate another part such as an eject lever or the like provided below the bottom-most disk position, using a mechanism such as an operating key or the like provided in the disk selection and play-back means.
Such aspects as the zig-zag-shape of the cam channel, the step intervals, and the end shape of the cam channel are not limited to the above embodiments and it goes without saying that various modifications and adaptations are possible in view of design considerations in disk play-back players. More specifically, the pair of cam channels provided in the first and second plate cams were both zig-zag shaped stepped channels in the first embodiment, they were both zig-zag shaped channels in the second and third embodiments, and one was a zig-zag shaped channel and the other a zig-zag shaped stepped channel in the fourth embodiment, but only one of the cam channels need be zig-zag shaped and the other need not have a zig-zag shape but need only be an inclined channel or a stepped channel.
Further, the disk may be of any type, for example CD (compact disk), or LD (laser disk), or one housed in a cassette, such as an MD (mini disk) or FD (floppy disk). Also, examples were adopted in which the disks were housed in magazines, but the present invention may also be employed in systems in which the disks are not housed in magazines but are housed directly in the disk device.
An explanation of the drive mechanism of the cams 36a and 38a now follows. FIG. 7 is a plan view of one example of a drive device 85 for the first and second plate cams, taken in cross section along the line VII--VII in FIG. 3. 94a and 94b are gear wheels of equal diameter which mesh with each other and which are operated from a controlled drive motor 88, via the step-down gear train 89 to turn forward, turn backward or stop. 96a and 96b are work pins which are respectively planted in the gear wheels 94a and 94b. 56 and 60 are drive levers which are respectively free to rotate about the shafts 90 and 86. Further, the shafts 86 and 90 are positioned on a tangent to where the gear wheels 94a and 94b mesh and symmetrically on either side of a line joining the gear wheel shafts 95a and 95b. The two drive levers 56 and 60 have the same shape and are positioned facing each other lying over the gear wheels 94a and 94b. 87 and 91 are escape channels respectively formed in the drive levers 56 and 60, and are provided so that the movement of the drive levers 56 and 60 is not impeded by the shafts 86 and 90.
Further, the drive levers 56 and 60 have in them cam holes 98a, 98b: 100a and 100b which are run through and touched on the inside by the work pins 96a and 96b. Each of the cam holes is constructed with a shape in which a thin elongated hole portion n and a wide elongated hole portion w are connected in the length direction. Each of the work pins 96a and 96b engages with the thin elongated hole portions n, but is in a loose state in the wide elongated hole portions w. The regions of the elongated holes with different widths are referred to hereinbelow by adding an n or a w to the cam hole references.
With the drive levers 56 and 60, the pins 57a and 61a planted in one end engage with the coupling 54a and the coupling 58a provided integrally with the second plate cam 38a and the first plate cam 36a at the front to move the first plate cam 36a and the second plate cam 38a reciprocally and individually. Opposite, a coupling 54b and a coupling 58b which respectively engage with the pins 57b and 61b planted at the other ends of the drive levers 56 and 60 are also provided on the second plate cam 38b and the first plate cam 36b at the back in order to move them reciprocally.
The front and back first plate cams 36a and 36b move simultaneously relative to one another due to the drive lever 56 rotating, and the stepped cam channels 40a, 40b and 40c cause all three shift pins 33, 34 and 35 to perform the same actions simultaneously. Further, the second plate cams 38a and 38b move simultaneously relative to one another due to the drive lever 60 rotating, and, in the same way, the stepped cam channels 42a, 42b and 42c cause all three shift pins 33, 34 and 35 to perform the same actions simultaneously in the front and back second plate cams 38a and 38b.
55a, 55b: 59a and 59b are arc channels provided in the chassis 12, they are run through by the bottom ends of the pins 57a, 57b: 61a and 61b and guide their sliding motion, in addition to which they sandwich and hold, to the extent of the plate thickness, the chassis using the flange areas where the end portions of the pins 57a, 57b: 61a and 61b have been enlarged and they thereby stabilize the motion of the drive levers 56 and 60.
102 is a turning disk which turns integrally with the gear wheel 94b and which is provided around its circumference with eight small holes 104, . . . , 104 at equal intervals. 106 is a photoelectric element which generates a signal of 1 pulse each time a small hole 104 is directly opposite. The pulses are counted by a means such as an up/down counter and the resulting data is used as the basis for control of the drive member in a comparison with an external input. More specifically, one turn of the turning disk 102 corresponds to eight pulses, and each pulse-generating position shows a one-to-one correspondence with a phase of the two drive levers, and it is therefore possible to stop the two drive levers in a specific phase by turning the gear wheel 94b forward or backward until it reaches a position of equilibrium with the number of pulses input from the outside. As will be discussed hereinbelow, the housing level intervals of the disks 27 are set to correspond with the pitch between the small holes 104.
The action of the drive device 85 discussed above and the incremental movement of the lift panel 30 due to said drive device 85 are now discussed in detail with reference to FIG. 8, taking as an example the action of the first and second plate cams 36a and 38a with respect to the shift pin 33. As regards the other pins 34 and 35, the stepped cam channels 40b, 40b: 42c and 42c of the first and second plate cams 36b and 38b which engage with them operate in exactly the same way by linked motion with the action of the drive levers 56 and 60, and a description of these has therefore, been omitted.
Now, if in FIG. 8 (a) it is taken that the shift pin 33 which incrementally advances the disk selecting means toward the stacked disks is in the bottom-most level position m 1 , and the gear wheel 94a is rotated counterclockwise for example, then the work pin 96b, which turns clockwise due to the meshing gear wheel 94b, is in a loose state visa vis the cam holes 98b and 100b and does not interfere with the movement of the drive levers in any way, whereas the work pin 96a is released from engagement with the cam hole 98an and shifts to engagement with the cam hole 100an. Thus, the drive lever 56 stops rotating, the drive lever 60 starts rotating in the counterclockwise direction and the state shown in FIG. 8 (b) is reached. This means that, because only the plate cam 36a moves to the right in the figure and the plate cam 38a is stopped, the shift pin 33 rises to position m 3 along the straight-line guide channel 43. Moreover, as discussed previously, when the engagement between the pin 96a and the cam hole 98an is released, the drive lever 56 stops rotating, but in addition to this the pin 96a subsequently moves along the curved area of the cam hole 98aw (the arced area provided to the side 98an) and the other pin 96b moves along the curved area of the cam hole 98bw (the arced area provided to the side 98bn), and the drive lever 56 is stopped stably rather than shakily.
If the turning of the gear wheels 94a and 94b is advanced further from the situation in FIG. 8 (b), then the work pin 96a will move to the region of the cam hole 100aw, and the drive lever 60 will therefore stop rotating. Moreover, as discussed previously in relation to FIG. 8 (a), because the pins 96a and 96b respectively move to the curved areas of the cam holes 100aw and 100bw, the drive lever 60 is stopped stably.
Meanwhile, the other work pin 96b engages in the cam hole portion 98bn, the drive lever 56 rotates in the clockwise direction, and the plate cam 36a is stopped, in which state the plate cam 38a moves to the position in FIG. 8 (c) and the shift pin 33 therefore rises to the position m 5 . At this time, the work pin 96a is in the loose state in the cam hole 98aw and does not interfere with the movement of the drive lever 56.
If the gear wheels 94a and 94b are turned further from the state in FIG. 8 (c), the work pin 96b is freed from engagement with the cam hole 98bn and engages with the cam hole 100bn, the drive lever 60 rotates in the clockwise direction to assume the state in FIG. 8 (d), and the plate cam 36a moves to the left in the figure so that the shift pin 33 follows the straight-line guide channel 43 to reach the position m 7 , shown in FIG. 8(a). If the gear wheels 94a and 94b turn further, the work pin 96b is freed from engagement and instead the work pin 96a engages with the cam hole portion 98an, and the drive lever 56 therefore rotates in the counterclockwise direction and the plate cam 36a stops, in which state the plate cam 38a moves to the right and the shift pin 33 rises in the straight-line guide channel 43 to the position m 9 . This process (the process of one rotation of the gear wheels 94a and 94b) is one cycle, and the drive levers 56 and 60 as well as the plate cams 36a and 38a return to the positional relationships they had in FIG. 8 (a). In this way, the motion of the drive levers is reversed successively at each quarter turn of the gear wheels.
Meanwhile, pulses caused by the turning disk 102 are generated every eighth of a turn and the stop signal for the drive device is of the same period as the pulse generating positions, and therefore the drive levers 56 and 60 can be stopped even in the middle within a movable area thereof. This is to say, by continuing to turn the gear wheel 94a, for example in the counterclockwise direction, the drive levers 56 and 60 can repeat the process described above and the shift pin 33 can continue to rise incrementally from the bottom-most level position m 1 to the top-most level position m 24 (FIG. 5). Also, by turning the gear wheel 94a in the clockwise direction, the shift pin 33 can be made to move downward whenever required. Because the shift pin 33 is directly linked and integral with the disk selection and play-back means, the disk selection and play-back means can be moved accurately to the level of the required disk by making the position m x (X=1 to 24) correspond to the disk housing level and stopping the gear wheels from turning in the desired position whenever required.
Further, the movement of the lift panel 30 is described with reference to FIG. 5. It is assumed that the lift panel 30 is initially in the bottom position m 1 (marking=1 on the indicator 26, referred to as "marking=1" hereinbelow). The gear wheel 94b is turned through an interval of 1 pulse (one eighth of a turn) and, when the next small hole 104 is directly opposite the photoelectric element 106 and the next pulse is generated, the second plate cam 38a (referred to as the "cam 38a " hereinbelow) is stopped, in which state the first plate cam 36a (referred to as the "cam 36a" hereinbelow) is moved in the direction of the arrow R so that the shift pin 33 enters the horizontal region of the step 66 and stops rising in the half stroke position. At this time, the position where the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a is m 2 , and the shift pin 33 is positioned at marking=2. After the next one eighth turn of the gear wheel 94b, the cam 36a moves in the direction of the arrow R until the full stroke is reached, the position where the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a is m 3 , and the shift pin 33 is positioned in marking=3. The next small hole 104 on the turning disk 102 comes directly opposite the photoelectric element 106 and 1 pulse is counted. During this action, the cam channel 42a formed on the cam 38a is in a position 75 at which it does not interfere with the movement of the shift pin 33.
After the next one eighth turn of the gear wheel 94b, the cam 36a stops, in which state the cam 38a is moved in the direction of the arrow L so that the shift pin 33 is in the position m 4 of engagement with the cam channel 40a on the horizontal portion of the cam channel 42a, and is in the position marking=4, in the half stroke position. After a further one eighth turn of the gear wheel 94b, the cam 38a moves in the direction of the arrow L until the full stroke is reached, the position where the shift pin 33 engages with the cam channel 40a is m 5 , the shift pin 33 is positioned in marking=5, and the small hole 104 generates the next pulse. Now, after the following one eighth turn of the gear wheel 94b, the cam 38a stops and, with the cam 36a in the half stroke position, the shift pin 33 engages in the position m 6 on the horizontal portion in step 70 of cam channel 40a, and reaches the position of marking=6. Thereupon, the gear wheel 94b makes a further one eighth turn, the cam 36a moves to a full stroke, and the shift pin 33 engages in position m 7 on cam channel 40a to reach the position marking=E 1 . During this operation as well, the cam channel 42a of the cam 38a is in a position at which it does not interfere with the movement of the shift pin 33 at all.
In this way, the shift pin 33 advances by increments in one direction in the straight-line guide channel 43. The procedure described above can be reversed to advance the shift pin 33 in the other direction. Markings=1 to 6 correspond to housing levels of disks 27 in the lower level magazine 18, and a disk 27 can be extracted from its housing position, played and then returned to its housing position after use by a known means by operating an operating key 50 on the disk extraction lever 48 by giving a command from the operating panel 14 to the lift panel 30, which is at the same level as the required disk 27, after having stopped the shift pin 33 in the required level position and locked it in that position by a separately provided means.
By a similar subsequent operation of spinning the gear wheel 94b in one direction in one eighth turns, the cam 36a first stops, the cam 38a moves half a stroke in the direction of the arrow R, and the shift pin 33 comes to be positioned at marking=E 2 in the position m 8 of engagement with the cam channel 40a in the horizontal portion of the cam channel 42a, whereupon a pulse is generated by a small hole 104 of the turning disk 102. After further moving the cam 38a in the direction of the arrow R for a full stroke, the position of engagement of the shift pin 33 with the cam channel 40a is m 9 , it is positioned at marking=E 3 , and a pulse is generated by a small hole 104 of the turning disk 102.
It should be noted that the drive mechanism described above controlled plate cams 36a and 38a which had cam channels 40a and 42a as depicted in FIG. 3, and when controlling plate cams having cam channels as depicted in FIGS. 4 (a) to (c), the pitch with which the small holes 104 provided in the turning disk 102 are formed should be a pitch corresponding to the positions where the plate cams will stop.
As described above, in the disk-changing device according to the present invention, a stepped cam channel for incrementally moving a disk selection means is formed in a zig-zag shape, the operating stroke of the plate cam provided with the stepped cam channel is reduced, and it can fully cope with miniaturization of the device even if the number of magazines is increased and the number of disks installed is increased.
Furthermore, because the disk selection means is arranged for direct visual confirmation from outside the device, an intervening signal transmission member is omitted and the device is not only freed from the troubles which these members can cause but it is also more economic because it does not entail the additional space and costs concomitant with increasing the number of disks.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein. | A disk-changing device is disclosed which is able to house a plurality of disk-shaped recording media, and is capable of miniaturization. The recording media are arrayed in one orientation, and the play-back mechanism selects one desired disk, takes it out and performs a predetermined operation such as play-back on the data recorded on the disk. The play-back mechanism is constructed to be capable of movement between the housing positions of the recording media. This movement is based on a plurality of pairs of plate cams which are provided on the inside of the chassis of the device and are able to move reciprocally, and on cam followers which are provided in the play-back mechanism and are inserted into the cams of the plate cams. The shape of the cam is a back-switching stepped shape, with the result that it is constructed in such a way that the amount of movement of the play-back mechanism in the horizontal direction is small. Consequently, the volume of the device as a whole can be kept low. | 6 |
FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a phenalkamine composition, a process of preparing such phenalkamine composition, an asphalt emulsion composition and a curable asphalt composition comprising such phenalkamine composition.
INTRODUCTION
[0002] Asphalt emulsions are widely used in road paving and maintenance applications such as tack coats, fog seals, slurry seals and micro-surfacing. During application, aggregates and other additives (for example, fillers and dispersants) are usually added into the asphalt emulsion to obtain a pavement. However, the resultant pavement tends to deform or crack under repeated loadings.
[0003] To address the above mentioned problems, conventional rubbers such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) latex or styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) copolymers are commonly used to modify asphalt emulsions. Rubber-modified asphalt emulsions are usually supplied in one-component or two-component systems. Compared to unmodified asphalt emulsions, rubber-modified asphalt emulsions, upon drying, can provide better adhesion to a substrate and/or aggregates, which is a critical attribute for improving the durability and maintenance life of paved road surfaces. However, rubber-modified asphalt emulsions still deform after repeated use, especially in the summer when the temperature of road surfaces sometimes reaches as high as 50 to 60° C. Moreover, rubber-modified asphalt-paved road surfaces usually suffer from aging problems.
[0004] Another common approach to modify asphalt emulsions is to mix asphalt emulsions with waterborne epoxy resins and conventional water-soluble amine hardeners. Asphalt and epoxy resins are known to be incompatible, so the combination of asphalt and epoxy resin is usually not able to form an emulsion stable enough for storage, processing and transportation to meet industrial requirements such as the JTG E20-2011 industry standard in China (hereinafter “the JTG E20-2011 standard”). Therefore, conventional waterborne epoxy-modified asphalt compositions are usually supplied in a three-component system: an asphalt emulsion, a waterborne epoxy resin and a hardener. These three components are usually stored separately in different tank cars or storage containers, and then mixed on-site at the time of application. These known epoxy-modified asphalt compositions are unable to be applied using existing conventional equipment and vehicles that are normally used for one-component or two-component rubber-modified asphalt emulsions described above. Hence, the use of epoxy-modified asphalt compositions with existing conventional equipment results in a significant increase in the amount of labor and equipment; and cost.
SUMMARY
[0005] The present invention provides inter alia (1) a novel composition that can emulsify asphalt so as to provide a stable asphalt emulsion composition; (2) a modified curable asphalt composition that can provide paved road surfaces with beneficial properties such as enhanced durability, maintenance life and thermal resistance relative to conventional rubber-modified asphalt emulsions; and (3) a modified curable asphalt composition that can be applied using conventional available equipment and vehicles commonly used for conventional rubber-modified asphalt emulsions.
[0006] Surprisingly, the novel phenalkamine composition of the present invention can provide an asphalt emulsion composition with satisfactory stability, which does not require the use of a conventional emulsifier. “Satisfactory stability” herein means that the solids content difference for the asphalt emulsion composition is less than 1% after one-day storage at room temperature (20 to 25° C.), less than 1% after one-day storage at 60° C., and less than 5% after 5-day storage at room temperature as measured by the T0655-1993 method described in the JTG E20-2011 standard.
[0007] A curable asphalt composition comprising such asphalt emulsion composition and a waterborne epoxy resin can be prepared and applied using conventional available equipment for a two-component system. The curable asphalt composition of the present invention can be prepared by combining the asphalt emulsion composition and the waterborne epoxy resin upon application. Compared to conventional rubber-modified asphalt emulsions, the curable asphalt composition of the present invention, upon curing, provides higher pull-off adhesion strength from an asphalt or concrete substrate at room temperature, and in particular, at a temperature (e.g., 50 to 60° C.) higher than room temperature.
[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention is a phenalkamine composition comprising the reaction product of:
(a) an aldehyde, (b) a polyamine having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value of 11 or less, and (c) cashew nut shell liquid comprising cardol and polymerized materials of cardanol, cardol, or mixtures thereof; wherein the total content of cardol and the polymerized materials is at least 20 weight percent (wt %), based on the total weight of the cashew nut shell liquid.
[0012] In a second aspect, the present invention is a process of preparing the phenalkamine composition of the first aspect. The process comprises:
providing (a) an aldehyde, (b) a polyamine having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance value of 11 or less, and (c) cashew nut shell liquid comprising cardol and polymerized materials of cardanol, cardol, or mixtures thereof; wherein the total content of cardol and the polymerized materials is at least 20 wt %, based on the total weight of the cashew nut shell liquid; and reacting the aldehyde, the polyamine, and the cashew nut shell liquid to form the phenalkamine composition.
[0015] In a third aspect, the present invention is an asphalt emulsion composition comprising (i) the phenalkamine composition of the first aspect, (ii) at least one acid, (iii) water, and (iv) asphalt.
[0016] In a fourth aspect, the present invention is a process of preparing the asphalt emulsion composition of the third aspect. The process comprises admixing (i) the phenalkamine composition of the first aspect, (ii) at least one acid, (iii) water, and (iv) asphalt.
[0017] In a fifth aspect, the present invention is a curable asphalt composition comprising (A) the asphalt emulsion composition of the third aspect, and (B) a waterborne epoxy resin having a solids content.
[0018] In a sixth aspect, the present invention is a process of preparing a curable asphalt composition of the fourth aspect. The process comprises admixing (A) an asphalt emulsion composition comprising (i) the phenalkamine composition of the first aspect, (ii) at least one acid, (iii) water, and (iv) asphalt; and (B) a waterborne epoxy resin having a solids content.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] The phenalkamine composition of the present invention comprises the reaction product of an aldehyde, a polyamine, and a specific cashew nut shell liquid (“CNSL”) via the Mannich reaction (aminomethylation).
[0020] CNSL used to prepare the phenalkamine composition of the present invention comprises cardol. Cardol has the following structure:
[0000]
[0000] wherein R is a straight-chain alkyl with 15 carbons containing 0 to 3 C═C bond(s) selected from the group consisting of —C 15 H 31 , —C 15 H 29 , —C 15 H 27 , and —C 15 H 25 ; or a straight-chain alkyl with 17 carbons containing 1 to 3 C═C bond(s) selected from the group consisting of —C 17 H 33 , —C 17 H 31 , and —C 17 H 29 .
[0021] The concentration of cardol in CNSL may be, based on the total weight of CNSL, 3 wt % or more, 7 wt % or more, 10 wt % or more, or even 13 wt % or more, and at the same time, 90 wt % or less, 70 wt % or less, 50 wt % or less, 30 wt % or less, or even 25 wt % or less. The concentration of components of CNSL is determined by gas chromatography equipped with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) described in the Examples section below.
[0022] CNSL used to prepare the phenalkamine composition of the present invention also comprises polymerized materials of cardanol, cardol, or mixtures thereof. Cardanol herein refers to a mixture of phenols which contain one hydroxyl group and differ in the number of C═C bonds in the aliphatic side chain in the meta-position. The structure of cardanol is shown as follows:
[0000]
[0000] wherein R is as previously defined with reference to Formula (I).
[0023] The polymerized materials in CNSL may comprise dimers of cardanol, trimers of cardanol, dimers of cardol, trimers of cardol, oligomers of cardol, oligomers of cardanol; their isomers; or mixtures thereof. Trienes of cardol and/or cardanol may react under a succession of autocatalyzed polymerization reactions under heating. The C═C double bond(s) in the R group of cardol and/or cardanol may undergo isomerisation to isomers with conjugated trans double bonds. These isomers may be dimersed into Diels-Alder adducts. The Diels-Alder adducts may be further polymerized with cardanol and/or cardol, wherein C═C double bond(s) are further consumed. The polymerized materials may comprise dimers of cardanol having the chemical formula of C 42 H 60 O 2 and their isomers, dimers of cardol having the chemical formula of C 42 H 60 O 4 and their isomers, or mixtures thereof. The polymerized materials can also be formed through auto-oxidation reactions of cardanol, cardol, or mixtures thereof.
[0024] The polymerized materials in CNSL may have a polystyrene equivalent weight average molecular weight of 620 or higher, 700 or higher, 750 or higher, or even 800 or higher, and at the same time, 8,000 or lower, 6,000 or lower, 4,000 or lower, or even 2,000 or lower, according to gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis described in the Examples section below.
[0025] The concentration of the polymerized materials in CNSL may be, based on the total weight of CNSL, 1 wt % or more, 3 wt % or more, 5 wt % or more, or even 10 wt % or more, and at the same time, 97 wt % or less, 70 wt % or less, 50 wt % or less, or even 30 wt % or less.
[0026] The total content of cardol and the polymerized materials in CNSL may be, based on the total weight of CNSL, 20 wt % or more, 25 wt % or more, or even 30 wt % or more, and at the same time, 97 wt % or less, 80 wt % or less, 60 wt % or less, or even 50 wt % or less.
[0027] CNSL used to prepare the phenalkamine composition of the present invention may further comprise cardanol. When present, the concentration of cardanol in CNSL may be 10 wt % or more, 40 wt % or more, or even 60 wt % or more, and at the same time, 80 wt % or less, 75 wt % or less, or even 70 wt % or less.
[0028] CNSL used to prepare the phenalkamine composition of the present invention may be produced by decarboxylation of natural CNSL through a heating step, which leads to the formation of the polymerized materials of cardanol, cardol, or mixtures thereof. Natural CNSL is a liquid that typically comprises approximately 70 wt % of anacardic acid, 18 wt % of cardol, and 5 wt % of cardanol, based on the total weight of the natural CNSL. The heating step may be conducted at a temperature from 160 to 220° C., or from 180 to 200° C. Suitable commercially available CNSL useful for preparing the phenalkamine composition may include technical CNSL and distilled technical CNSL both available from Huada Saigao (Yantai) Science & Technology Company Limited. In one embodiment, CNSL used to prepare the phenalkamine composition of the present invention comprises from 65 to 75 wt % of cardanol, from 5 to 15 wt % of cardol, and from 15 to 25 wt % of the polymerized materials, based on the total weight of CNSL.
[0029] The aldehyde used to prepare the phenalkamine composition of the present invention can be formalin solution, paraformaldehyde, formaldehyde, any substituted aldehyde, or mixtures thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the aldehyde used in the present invention can be formaldehyde.
[0030] The polyamine used to prepare the phenalkamine composition of the present invention can have a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) value of 11 or less, 8 or less, or even 6 or less. HLB value herein is determined according to the Griffin Formula: HLB=20*Mh/M, wherein Mh is the molecular mass of the hydrophilic portion of a molecule and M is the molecular mass of the whole molecule (“Calculation of HLB Values of Non-Ionic Surfactants”, Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists 5 (4): 249-56, 1954). The polyamine may be an aliphatic diamine, an aromatic diamine, a polyamide, a cycloaliphatic polyamine, a polycyclic polyamine, a polyamidoamine, or mixtures thereof. The aliphatic diamine may be a diamine containing an aliphatic ethylene group having the structure of —(CH 2 ) m —, wherein m is from 1 to 10, or from 1 to 5. Examples of suitable aliphatic diamines include ethylenediamine (EDA), diethylenediamine, or mixtures thereof. The aromatic diamines may be m-xylylenediamine (MXDA). Examples of suitable cycloaliphatic polyamines include isophorone diamine (IPDA); 1,3-cyclohexanebis(methylamine) (1,3-BAC); 4,4′-methylenebis(cyclohexylamine) (PACM); or mixtures thereof. Preferably, the phenalkamine composition of the present invention is the Mannich reaction product of CNSL with formaldehyde, and a polyamine selected from ethylenediamine, diethylenediamine, or mixtures thereof.
[0031] The phenalkamine composition of the present invention can be prepared according to the Mannich reaction conditions known in the art. The phenalkamine composition may be prepared by providing the aldehyde, the polyamine and CNSL described above, and reacting them via the Mannich reaction to form the phenalkamine composition. Solvents such as benzene, toluene or xylene can be used for removal of water produced during this reaction at an azeotropic distillation point. Nitrogen is also recommended for easing the water removal. The reaction may be conducted at a temperature from 60 to 130° C., or from 80 to 110° C. The initial molar ratio of CNSL:aldehyde:polyamine for preparing the phenalkamine composition can vary in the range of 1.0: 1.0-3.0: 1.0-3.0, or in the range of 1.0: 1.4-2.4: 1.4-2.2. In some embodiments, CNSL and the polyamine are mixed, and then the aldehyde is added into the resulting mixture. Time duration for adding the aldehyde can vary in the range of from 0.5 to 2 hours, or from 0.6 to 1 hour.
[0032] The phenalkamine composition of the present invention can be used as an emulsifier. When used as an emulsifier, the phenalkamine composition can be mixed with sufficient acid and water to form a cationic emulsifier. The phenalkamine composition is particularly useful in emulsifying asphalt.
[0033] The phenalkamine composition of the present invention is also useful as a hardener for curing a compound containing a functional group reactive with active hydrogen in the phenalkamine composition. In particular, the phenalkamine composition can be used as a hardener for curing an epoxide group-containing compound.
[0034] The asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention comprises (i) the phenalkamine composition described above, (ii) at least one acid, (iii) water, and (iv) asphalt. The concentration of the phenalkamine composition may be, based on the total weight of the asphalt emulsion composition, 0.05 wt % or more, 0.1 wt % or more, or even 0.2 wt % or more, and at the same time, 15 wt % or less, 6 wt % or less, or even 2 wt % or less.
[0035] The asphalt useful in the present invention may be any asphalt known in the art, or mixtures of different types of asphalt. Examples of suitable asphalt include heavy traffic asphalt such as AH-70 or AH-90 asphalt, polymer-modified asphalt such as SBS- or SBR-modified asphalt, or mixtures thereof. Asphalt is usually a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. The asphalt useful in the present invention may have a needle penetration at 25° C. of from 40 to 100 decimillimeters (dmm), from 50 to 90 dmm, or from 60 to 90 dmm according to the T0604-2011 method described in the JTG E20-2011 standard.
[0036] Suitable commercially available asphalt useful in the present invention may include, for example, Zhonghai 70 # asphalt, Zhonghai 90 # asphalt, Donghai 70 # asphalt, and Donghai 90 # asphalt all available from Sinopec; AH-70 asphalt and AH-90 asphalt both available from Shell; or mixtures thereof.
[0037] The concentration of the asphalt may be, based on the total weight of the asphalt emulsion composition, 10 wt % or higher, 45 wt % or higher, or even 50 wt % or higher, and at the same time, 70 wt % or lower, 65 wt % or lower, or even 60 wt % or lower.
[0038] The asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention also comprises an acid such as an inorganic acid, an organic acid, or mixtures thereof. Preferably, an inorganic acid is used. Examples of suitable inorganic acids include hydrochloric acid (HCl), phosphoric acid, nitric acid or mixtures thereof. The organic acid may be selected from formic acid, acetic acid, acrylic acid, succinic acid, malonic acid, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid or mixtures thereof. Preferably, hydrochloric acid or oxalic acid is used. The acid can be in an amount sufficient to achieve a suitable pH value. For example, the pH value of an emulsion comprising the phenalkamine composition described above, the acid and water is generally from 1.5 to 3, from 1.7 to 2.5, or from 1.8 to 2.2.
[0039] The asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention also comprises water.
[0040] The asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention may be free of, or further comprise one or more emulsifiers known in the art. The emulsifiers can be a cationic emulsifier, a nonionic emulsifier, or a mixture of a cationic emulsifier and a nonionic emulsifier. Preferably, the emulsifier comprises one or more cationic emulsifiers. The cationic emulsifier may comprise an amine, and preferably a quaternary amine Examples of suitable cationic emulsifiers include polyamines; imidazolines; alkyl betaines; alkylamido detaines; reaction products of polyamines with polycarboxylic acids, anhydrides or sulfonated fatty acids, their quaternization products; polyalkanol amines, their esterification products; mixtures of polyalkanol amines and carboxylic acids; quaternization products of polyalkanol amines, quaternization products of polyalkanol amines' esterification products; polyalklene amines, their reaction products with kraft lignin or maleinized lignin; or mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable nonionic emulsifiers include octylphenol ethoxylates, nonylphenol ethoxylates, dodecylphenol ethoxylates, or mixtures thereof.
[0041] Suitable commercially available emulsifiers useful in the present invention include, for example, INDULIN™ MQK-1M and INDULIN MQ3 emulsifiers available from MeadWestvaco Corporation, REDICOTE™ E4819 and REDICOTE EM44 emulsifiers available from Akzo Nobel, or mixtures thereof.
[0042] When used, the emulsifier can be used in an amount known in the field. The concentration of the emulsifier may be, based on the total weight of the asphalt emulsion composition, 0.01 wt % or more, 0.05 wt % or more, or even 0.1 wt % or more, and at the same time, 5 wt % or less, 3 wt % or less, 2 wt % or less, or even 1.6 wt % or less.
[0043] Preferably, the asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention is substantially free of any conventional emulsifiers. More preferably, the asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention is free of any conventional emulsifiers, wherein the phenalkamine composition described above acts as an emulsifier in the asphalt emulsion composition. The phenalkamine composition can emulsify the asphalt, which does not require the use of any conventional emulsifiers. The asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention surprisingly has satisfactory stability. Solids content difference for the asphalt emulsion composition is less than 1% after one-day storage at room temperature, less than 1% after one-day storage at 60° C., and less than 5% after 5-day storage at room temperature as measured by the T0655-1993 method described in the Examples section below.
[0044] The process of preparing the asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention may comprise admixing (i) the phenalkamine composition, (ii) the acid, (iii) water, and (iv) the asphalt. The asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention may be prepared by (I) mixing the phenalkamine composition, the acid, water and if present, the emulsifier to form an emulsion; (II) separately heating asphalt; (III) mixing the separately heated asphalt and the emulsion obtained from step (I) to form the asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention. Preferably, preparation of the asphalt emulsion composition is conducted in the absence of an emulsifier. In the step (I) of preparing the asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention, the phenalkamine composition, the acid, water and if present, the emulsifier can be mixed in any order. Preferably, the emulsifier is firstly mixed with the phenalkamine composition, followed by mixing with water. The acid is then added to form the emulsion. The emulsion obtained from the step (I) may have a pH value of from 1.5 to 3, from 1.7 to 2.5, or from 1.8 to 2.2. Components of the asphalt emulsion composition typically mixed and dispersed at a temperature enabling the preparation of a well-dispersed emulsion. Before mixing with the asphalt, the emulsion obtained from the step (I) may be heated to a temperature of 40° C. or higher, 50° C. or higher, or even 60° C. or higher, and at the same time, 90° C. or lower, 85° C. or lower, or even 80° C. or lower. The asphalt in step (II) can be heated to 120° C. or higher, or even 140° C. or higher.
[0045] The process of preparing the asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention may be a batch or a continuous process. The mixing equipment used in the process may be any vessel and ancillary equipment well known to those skilled in the art, for example, a colloid mill.
[0046] The present invention also provides a method for emulsifying asphalt in water. The method may comprise admixing the phenalkamine composition of the present invention, the acid, water and the asphalt described above. Preferably, the phenalkamine composition, the acid, and water are mixed to form an emulsion before mixing with the asphalt. The method of emulsifying asphalt is preferably conducted in the absence of an emulsifier.
[0047] The curable asphalt composition of the present invention comprises (A) the asphalt emulsion composition described above, and (B) a waterborne epoxy resin. The phenalkamine composition may be present in an amount sufficient to emulsify, cure and/or partially cure the waterborne epoxy resin in the curable asphalt composition. The equivalent ratio of epoxy group in the waterborne epoxy resin to active hydrogen in the phenalkamine composition may be 1:0.5 or lower, 1:0.6 or lower, 1:0.7 or lower, or even 1:0.8 or lower, and at the same time, 1:2 or higher, 1:1.5 or higher, 1:1.2 or higher, 1:1.1 or higher, or even 1:1 or higher.
[0048] The waterborne epoxy resin, or epoxide group-containing compound, that is curable with the above phenalkamine composition can be selected from any conventional, water-dispersible epoxy compounds. The waterborne epoxy resin can be a dispersion of a liquid epoxy resin, a dispersion of a solid epoxy resin, or a dispersion of a mixture of a liquid epoxy resin and a solid epoxy resin. Preferably, the waterborne epoxy resin is a dispersion of a solid epoxy resin.
[0049] The waterborne epoxy resin useful in the present invention can be a self-emulsified epoxy resin. The self-emulsified epoxy resin may be in the form of an aqueous dispersion. The self-emulsified epoxy resin can be an adduct of an epoxy compound with a hydrophilic monomer or polymer containing at least one group selected from carboxyl, hydroxyl, sulfonate group, ethylene oxide group or amino group.
[0050] The waterborne epoxy resin useful in the present invention can be an emulsion or a dispersion of one or more epoxy compounds and a surfactant. The epoxy compounds can be solid epoxy resins or liquid epoxy resins. The epoxy compound may include, for example, epoxy resins based on reaction products of polyfunctional alcohols, phenols, cycloaliphatic carboxylic acids, aromatic amines, or aminophenols with epichlorohydrin. Examples of suitable epoxy compounds include bisphenol A diglycidyl ether, bisphenol F diglycidyl ether, resorcinol diglycidyl ether, triglycidyl ethers of para-aminophenols, and reaction products of epichlorohydrin with o-cresol novolacs, hydrocarbon novolacs, phenol novolacs or mixtures thereof. Suitable commercially available epoxy compounds may include, for example, D.E.R.™ D.E.R. 332, D.E.R. 334, D.E.R. 337, D.E.N.™ 431, D.E.N. 438, D.E.R. 671 or D.E.R. 852 epoxy resins all available from The Dow Chemical Company (D.E.R. and D.E.N are trademarks of The Dow Chemical Company).
[0051] The surfactant useful herein can be a nonionic or ionic surfactant, which is used to emulsify the epoxy compounds described above in water. Preferably, the surfactant in the waterborne epoxy resin is a nonionic surfactant containing at least one epoxy group, which can react with reactive hydrogen in a hardener. Preferably, the waterborne epoxy resin is a dispersion of a nonionic emulsified epoxy resin.
[0052] The waterborne epoxy resin useful in the present invention may have an epoxide equivalent weight (EEW) of 150 or higher, 200 or higher, 300 or higher, or even 350 or higher, and at the same time, 750 or lower, 600 or lower, 550 or lower, 500 or lower, or even 450 or lower. The waterborne epoxy resin may be in the form of a dispersion or an emulsion having a solids content of 40 wt % or higher, 45 wt % or higher, or even 50 wt % or higher, and at the same time, 99 wt % or lower, 90 wt % or lower, 80 wt % or lower, 70 wt % or lower, or even 65 wt % or lower, based on the total weight of the waterborne epoxy resin.
[0053] The amount of the waterborne epoxy resin in the curable asphalt composition may be dependent on the concentration of asphalt. The weight ratio of solids of the waterborne epoxy resin to the asphalt may be 0.01:1 or higher, 0.02:1 or higher, 0.04:1 or higher, or even 0.05:1 or higher, and at the same time, 10:1 or lower, 5:1 or lower, 1:1 or lower, or even 0.5:1 or lower.
[0054] The curable asphalt composition of the present invention may also comprise aggregates. Aggregates are usually used for many applications such as micro-surfacing or slurry seal. “Aggregates” herein refers to a broad category of coarse particulate material used in construction, including for example sand, gravel, crushed stone, slag, recycled concrete, geosynthetic aggregates or mixtures thereof. Aggregates may be selected from dense-graded aggregates, gap-graded aggregates, open-graded aggregates, reclaimed asphalt pavement or combinations thereof. When used, the aggregates are generally in an amount of from 70 to 99 wt %, from 80 to 95 wt %, or from 85 to 90 wt %, based on the total weight of the curable asphalt composition.
[0055] In addition to the foregoing components, the curable asphalt composition of the present invention can further comprise, or be free of, any one or combination of the following additives: styrene copolymers such as SBR and SBS, dispersants, stabilizers, curing promoters, adhesion promoters, pigments, other hardeners, anti-rutting agents, anti-stripping agents, flow modifiers, and fillers such as cement. These additives are generally in an amount of 0 to 10 wt %, from 0.1 to 5 wt %, or from 0.2 to 1 wt %, based on the total weight of the curable asphalt composition.
[0056] The process of preparing the curable asphalt composition of the present invention may comprise admixing (A) the asphalt emulsion composition, (ii) the acid, (iii) water, and (iv) the asphalt; and (B) the waterborne epoxy resin. Preferably, the curable asphalt composition of the present invention is prepared by (I) mixing, the phenalkamine composition, the acid, water and if present, the emulsifier described above to form an emulsion; (II) separately heating asphalt; (III) mixing the separately heated asphalt and the emulsion obtained from step (I) to form an asphalt emulsion composition; (IV) mixing the asphalt emulsion composition and a waterborne epoxy resin to obtain the curable asphalt composition. Steps for preparing the asphalt emulsion composition are substantially the same as described above. Preferably, no emulsifier is used when preparing the asphalt emulsion composition, and the phenalkamine composition acts as both a hardener and an emulsifier in the curable asphalt composition. The asphalt emulsion composition obtained from step (III) is typically cooled down to room temperature before mixing with the waterborne epoxy resin. In large-scale industry production, it usually takes 1 day for the asphalt emulsion composition to cool down to room temperature. The asphalt emulsion composition has satisfactory stability at 60° C. to ensure that the emulsion will not break during processing.
[0057] The process of preparing the curable asphalt composition of the present invention may comprise another step (V): adding aggregates to the curable asphalt composition obtained from step (IV).
[0058] The process of preparing the curable asphalt composition of the present invention may be a batch or a continuous process. The mixing equipment used in the process may be any vessel and ancillary equipment well known to those skilled in the art, for example, a colloid mill.
[0059] In one embodiment, the curable asphalt composition of the present invention is prepared by firstly preparing an emulsion that comprises the phenalkamine composition, the acid, water and if present, the emulsifier described above. The resulting emulsion and heated asphalt are then pumped into a colloid mill with high-shear mixing, so as to form an asphalt emulsion composition having asphalt droplets dispersed therein. The obtained asphalt emulsion composition is then mixed with the waterborne epoxy resin described above to form the curable asphalt composition of the present invention.
[0060] The curable asphalt composition of the present invention can be supplied in two parts: a “Part A” (asphalt emulsion composition) and a “Part B” (waterborne epoxy resin). The process for preparing the curable asphalt composition of the present invention includes admixing Part A and Part B upon application. Other optional ingredients described above may be added to during or prior to the mixing of Part A and Part B to form the curable asphalt composition. The preparation of the curable asphalt composition can be achieved by blending, in known mixing equipment, the asphalt emulsion composition and the waterborne epoxy resin.
[0061] Curing the curable asphalt composition of the present invention may be carried out at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined period of time sufficient to cure the curable asphalt composition. The temperature of curing the curable asphalt composition is generally from -10 to 300° C., from -5 to 190° C., from 20 to 175° C., or from 21 to 50° C. The time of curing the curable asphalt composition may be chosen between 1 minute to 24 hours, between 5 minutes to 12 hours, or between 30 minutes to 2 hours. It is also operable to partially cure the curable asphalt composition and then complete the curing process at a later time. Upon curing, the curable asphalt composition of the present invention is able to provide higher pull-off adhesion strength at room temperature or at 60° C. than that of a conventional rubber-modified asphalt emulsion such as a SBR-modified asphalt emulsion.
[0062] The curable asphalt composition of the present invention may be used in various applications, for example, as water-proofing material for architecture, as coatings such as anti-corrosion coating, and in road paving and maintenance applications. In particular, the curable asphalt composition is suitable for use in road paving and maintenance applications such as tack coats, fog seals, slurry seals and micro-surfacing. The curable asphalt composition can be supplied with conventional equipment commonly used for a two-component system. During application, Part A (the asphalt emulsion composition) and Part B (the waterborne epoxy resin) are stored in two different tanks, mixed on-site, and optionally mixed with other optional components in the curable asphalt composition such as aggregates, then applied to a substrate such as road surface.
EXAMPLES
[0063] The following examples illustrate embodiments of the present invention. All parts and percentages in the examples are by weight unless otherwise indicated. The following materials are used in the examples:
[0064] A waterborne epoxy resin XZ92598, available from The Dow Chemical Company, has a solids content of from 63 to 65 wt % and is a nonionic emulsified bisphenol A diglycidyl ether (BADGE), wherein BADGE has an EEW of from 193 to 204.
[0065] Donghai 70 # asphalt is available from Sinopec.
[0066] Asphalt emulsion is an emulsion based on 70 # asphalt and is available from Sinopec.
[0067] Technical cashew nut shell liquid (“CNSL”) comprises, based on the total weight of CNSL, about 66 wt % of cardanol, about 14 wt % of cardol, and about 20 wt % of polymerized materials according to the GC-FID test method described below.
[0068] CNSL-85 comprises, based on the total weight of CNSL, about 83 wt % of cardanol, about 13 wt % of cardol, and about 4 wt % of polymerized materials according to the GC-FID test method described below.
[0069] CNSL-90 comprises, based on the total weight of CNSL, about 90 wt % of cardanol, about 7 wt % of cardol, and about 3 wt % of polymerized materials according to the GC-FID test method described below.
[0070] CNSL-95 comprises, based on the total weight of CNSL, about 94 wt % of cardanol, about 3 wt % of cardol, and about 3 wt % of polymerized materials according to the GC-FID test method described below.
[0071] Technical CNSL, CNSL-85, CNSL-90 and CNSL-95 described above are all available from Huada Saigao (Yantai) Science & Technology Company Limited.
[0072] Ethylenediamine, available from SCRC, is an aliphatic amine and has a calculated HLB value of 10.7.
[0073] Paraformaldehyde is available from Sinopharm Chemical.
[0074] SBR latex 1502 has a solids content of 60 wt % and is available from Shandong Gaoshike Company.
[0075] Hydrochloric acid is available from Zhende Chemical.
[0076] The following standard analytical equipment and methods are used in the Examples.
Stability of An Asphalt Emulsion Composition
[0077] The stability of an asphalt emulsion composition is determined using a SYD-0655 type stability test equipment according to the T0655-1993 method described in the JTG E20-2011 standard. Two hundred fifty (250) milliliter (ml) of an asphalt emulsion composition is stored in a tube having two outlets under different conditions: (1) 1 day at room temperature (RT), (2) 1 day at 60° C., and (3) 5 days at room temperature, respectively. After storage under a certain condition described above, emulsion samples are collected from each outlet for measuring solids content. For the same storage condition, solids content difference between the emulsion samples from the above two outlets is used to evaluate the stability of the asphalt emulsion composition. An asphalt emulsion composition having satisfactory stability needs to meet all the following requirements:
the difference of solids content of the asphalt emulsion composition between the above two outlets is: (1) less than 1% after one-day storage at room temperature, (2) less than 1% after one-day storage at 60° C., and (3) less than 5% after 5-day storage at room temperature.
Pull-off Adhesion Strength
[0079] A curable asphalt composition or a SBR-modified asphalt emulsion is paved on a concrete board to form a layer. After emulsions break, six dollies are placed onto the surface of the layer. The resulting sample is placed at room temperature for 4-5 days for complete curing to form a tack coat with a thickness of around 1 millimeter (mm) Then, a pull-off tester is employed to measure the pull-off adhesion strength of the tack coat from the concrete substrate at a pulling rate of 300 newtons per second (N/s), at room temperature and 60° C., respectively. Three samples are employed for the pull-off test.
Tyndall Effect Test
[0080] A red laser pointer is held up to one side of a glass cup containing an asphalt emulsion composition, then the laser is turned on to go through the emulsion to observe light scatting effect. The light scattering effect can be used to decide whether the size of emulsion particles in an emulsion is comparable with or larger than light length. If a beam of light is visible when the laser goes through the emulsion composition, it indicates that the emulsion composition shows the Tyndall effect.
GPC Analysis
[0081] CNSL samples are dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) to form a CNSL solution with a concentration of 5 milligrams per cubic meter (mg/m 3 ), and then filtered with 0.45 micrometer (μm) polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filter. Fifty (50) microliters (μl) of the filtered sample is injected into the GPC. The GPC analysis is conducted on Agilent 1200 with two mixed E columns (7.8*300mm) in tandem with column temperature of 40° C., THF as the mobile phase, and an Agilent Refractive Index detector.
GC-FID Analysis
[0082] By using 3-pentadecylphenol (PDP) as calibration standard, the quantification analysis of the concentration of components in CNSL samples is conducted by GC-FID. A standard solution is prepared as follows: about 0.2 grams of PDP is dissolved in about 8 grams of THF to give the PDP standard solution with a concentration of about 2.5 wt %. The resulting standard solution is filtered with 0.45 μm syringe filter before the GC injection. About 0.2 grams of CNSL sample are diluted with about 8 grams of THF. 1 μl of the resulting CNSL solution is injected into the GC after filtered. The analysis is then conducted on Agilent 7890A equipped with FID.
Example (Ex) 1
Phenalkamine Composition
[0083] The phenalkamine composition of Ex 1 was prepared as follows. A 1-litre round flask was equipped with a Dean-Stark water trap connected to a refluxing condenser, a mechanical stirrer and a nitrogen adapter. 297 grams (1.0 mole) of technical CNSL were mixed with 120.2 grams (2.0 moles) of ethylenediamine; then the mixture was stirred to be homogeneous and heated up to 80° C. With continuous mechanical stirring, mild nitrogen flow and cooling water circulation, 66 grams (2.2 moles) of paraformaldehyde were charged into the flask over a time period of 45 to 60 minutes. Then, 31.9 grams (0.3 mole) of xylene were added to the flask and the flask temperature was raised to 110° C. Water generated during reaction was removed by xylene under azeotropic distillation. When the technical CNSL was consumed up by observing thin layer chromatography (TLC) under 254 nanometer (nm) ultraviolet, the reaction was stopped. The obtained mixture was further treated by rotary evaporation (90° C., 30-50 mbar vacuums) to remove the residue of the azeotrope and volatiles. The resultant product appears black and viscous, having a viscosity of around 5,000 centipoises (cps) (25° C., ASTM D2196) and an amine value of about 330 milligram potassium hydroxide per gram sample (mg KOH/g) (ISO 9702).
Comparative Example (Comp Ex)
A Phenalkamine Composition
[0084] The phenalkamine composition of Comp Ex A was prepared according to the process described in Ex 1, except CNSL-85 was used instead of the technical CNSL. The resultant product appears black and viscous, having viscosity around 3,000 cps (25° C., ASTM D2196) and an amine value of about 330 mg KOH/g (ISO 9702).
Comp Ex B
Phenalkamine Composition
[0085] The phenalkamine composition of Comp Ex B was prepared according to the process described in Ex 1, except CNSL-90 was used instead of the technical CNSL. The resultant product appears black and viscous, having viscosity around 2,800 cps (25° C., ASTM D2196) and an amine value of about 330 mg KOH/g (ISO 9702).
Comp Ex C
Phenalkamine Composition
[0086] The phenalkamine composition of Comp Ex C was prepared according to the process described in Ex 1, except CNSL-95 was used instead of the technical CNSL. The resultant product appears black and viscous, having viscosity around 2,800 cps (25° C., ASTM D2196) and an amine value of about 330 mg KOH/g (ISO 9702).
Ex 2 and Comp Exs D-F
Asphalt Emulsion Compositions
[0087] Using phenalkamine compositions of Ex 1 and Comp Exs A-C obtained above, asphalt emulsion compositions were prepared based on formulations shown in Table 1. Fifty-five (55) grams of a phenalkamine composition were mixed with 377 grams of water. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) was added to the resultant mixture to adjust pH value to 1.5-2.5 to form an emulsion. The emulsion was then heated to 60-90° C. and poured into a colloid mill. Meanwhile, 510 grams of solid Donghai 70 # asphalt was heated to about 140° C. and added into the colloid mill under agitation for 2 minutes to form an asphalt emulsion composition.
[0088] The asphalt emulsion compositions of Comp Exs D-F did not exhibit the Tyndall effect. In contrast, the asphalt emulsion composition of Ex 2 showed the Tyndall effect.
[0089] Stabilities of the asphalt emulsion compositions obtained above were also evaluated according to the test method describe above and were reported in Table 1. Only the asphalt emulsion composition (Ex 2) comprising the phenalkamine composition of the present invention showed satisfactory stability. In particular, the asphalt emulsion composition of the present invention showed satisfactory stability without the use of any conventional emulsifiers. In contrast, the asphalt emulsion compositions of Comp Exs D-F all did not show satisfactory stability.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Solids Content Difference of Asphalt
Emulsion Composition
Asphalt Emulsion
Phenalkamine
<1% after 1
<1% after 1
<5% after 5
Composition
Composition used
day at RT
day at 60° C.
days at RT
Ex 2
Ex 1 Phenalkamine
Yes
Yes
Yes
Comp Ex D
Comp Ex A Phenalkamine
Yes
No
No
Comp Ex E
Comp Ex B Phenalkamine
No
No
No
Comp Ex F
Comp Ex C Phenalkamine
No
No
No
Ex 3
Curable Asphalt Composition
[0090] One hundred (100) grams of the asphalt emulsion composition (“Part A”) of Ex 2 was further blended with 15 grams of waterborne epoxy XZ92598 (“Part B”) to form epoxy-modified curable asphalt composition of Ex 3.
Comp Exs G-I
[0091] An asphalt emulsion based on 70 # asphalt was mixed with SBR latex at a SBR concentration of 4 wt %, 8 wt %, or 10 wt % to form a SBR-modified asphalt emulsion of Comp Exs G, H and I, respectively. Weight percentage of SBR is based on the total weight of the asphalt and solids weight of the SBR latex.
[0092] Table 2 shows properties of tack coats made from curable asphalt compositions of the present invention and SBR-modified asphalt emulsions. Compared to the tack coats made from the SBR-modified asphalt emulsions of Comp Exs G-I, the tack coat made from the curable asphalt composition of Ex 3 showed higher pull-off adhesion strength both at room temperature (RT) and at 60° C.
[0000]
TABLE 2
Comp Ex G
Comp Ex H
Comp Ex I
Ex 3
Pull-off
0.76
1.23
0.71
1.37
adhesion
strength
(megapascals
(MPa), RT)
Pull off
0.2 ± 0.02
0.22 ± 0.02
0.2 ± 0.02
0.38 ± 0.07
adhesion
strength
(MPa, 60° C.) | A novel phenalkamine composition capable of emulsifying asphalt to form a stable asphalt emulsion composition; a curable asphalt composition comprising such asphalt emulsion composition and a waterborne epoxy resin showing improved pull-off adhesion strength from a substrate; and a process of preparing the phenalkamine composition. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention lies in the field of conveyor technology, and relates to a conveyor system according to the preamble of the independent patent claim. The conveyor system serves for conveying printed products, in particular newspapers, magazines, brochures or parts thereof.
Known conveyor systems for the application in field of printer's shops, in particular with regard to mailroom technology, with whose help printed products are to be conveyed in a held manner, are usually chain transporters, thus have a revolvingly driven conveyor member in the form of a chain, on which gripper elements are arranged at regular distances, with which the printed products are gripped and conveyed. A suitable design of the chain, in particular with chain links which are capable of rolling and roll along in a suitable channel, permit the realization of revolving paths or conveyor paths extending in three dimensions with such chain transporters. It is also simply possible with such chain transporters, to convey the printed products conveyed in a held manner, or the gripper elements used for this, in a very accurate sequence. High demands with regard to accuracy are particularly placed on the gripping and the releasing of the printed products by way of the gripper elements and for the processing of the printed products during the conveying. The disadvantages of the chain transporters, as the case may be, lie in the fact that they are relatively expensive, and the distances of the gripper elements on a predefined chain may only be changed in a very restricted manner.
In other technical fields, it is counted as belonging to the state of the art, to use conveyor systems based on cables for the conveyor purposes, not only for the relatively large scale transport of humans (cable cars, ski lifts), but also for the small scale transport of articles. In such a conveyor system, carrier elements (chairs, gondolas etc) or catches, which are to be loaded with the people or goods to be conveyed, or to which the persons or goods are to be coupled, are fastened on a pull cable. The cable thereby first and foremost serves as a pull means, but may also simultaneously carry the carrier elements and determine their revolving path. If the cable merely serves as a pull means, then the carrier elements usually comprise runner rollers which roll along on suitable carrier rails determining the revolving path of the carrier elements. Usually, the revolving path of the cable or of the carrier elements runs in a plane, but systems with three-dimensional revolving paths are also known. The carrier elements usually have articulated connections between the cable and the loading region, in a manner such that the loading region always hangs freely from the cable, thus is equally directed relative to gravity, so that the carrier elements always have the same spatial position at regions of the peripheral path, which are directed differently with regard to gravity.
One example of a goods conveyor system of the above mentioned type is described in the publication GB-873921.
Applications of conveyor systems functioning with a pull cable and carrier elements fastened thereon, in the field of printer's shops and in particular with regard to mailroom technology are not known. The corresponding tasks, as briefly described above, are usually assumed by chain transporters with grippers. A reason for this is probably the high precision which has likewise been discussed above, and which is necessary with regard to the spatial attitude and position of the grippers or the printed products which are conveyed held by the grippers. The man skilled in the art assumes that such accuracy is very simple to accomplish with a chain transporter.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the object of the invention, to provide a conveyor system which may be applied for the demands in the field of printer's shops and in particular with regard to mailroom technology, in a very flexible manner, wherein this conveyor system may not only attain the required accuracy in the same manner as the known chain transporters, but may master the required flexibility better than the chain conveyor. The conveyor system according to the invention should therefore not only be suitable to be set up for the most different of conveyor tasks, but it should also be suitable to accomplish such different conveyor tasks at different locations of a single revolving path in an essentially simultaneous manner. Despite this, the conveyor system according to the invention should be simple in manufacture and in operation.
This object is achieved by the conveyor system as is defined in the patent claims.
The conveyor system according to the invention, as with the initially mentioned conveyor systems known from other fields of technology, comprises a revolvingly driven conveyor member, which consists essentially of a pull cable and a plurality of carrier elements. The carrier elements are equipped for a positionally fixed and, if required, a rotationally secured fastening on the pull cable, and they each carry a gripper at their one end. The grippers are suitable for carrying individual printed products or of larger or smaller groups of printed products. The ends of the carrier elements equipped with the grippers, given an untwisted pull cable, project away from the pull cable in the same direction, which means that the carrier elements are aligned to one another and the grippers are arranged in a row essentially parallel to the pull cable. The carrier elements are not only pulled, but also carried by the pull cable. The pull cable is slightly tensioned for this.
The conveyor system according to the invention preferably comprises a further cable additionally to the pull cable, and this further cable is essentially equally long as the pull cable and revolves essentially parallel to this, and may serve as a guide cable or as a further pull cable, and in any case, guides and holds the carrier elements in their position aligned to one another. If the further cable is designed as a guide cable, the carrier elements are only loosely fastened thereto, and are only held in the position aligned to one another by the guide cable. If the further cable is to serve as a second pull cable, the carrier elements are fastened thereon as on the first pull cable. In both cases, the two cables together with the carrier elements form a stable, belt-like revolving conveyor member, on whose one narrow side the grippers are arranged in a row. Of course, the conveyor system according to the invention may also comprise more than two cables, of which at least one serves as a pull cable, which means that the carrier elements are fastened or may be fastened on at least one of the cables in a positionally fixed manner.
The conveyor system according to the invention may also comprise only the pull cable and no further cable. In this case, the carrier elements are not only fastened or fastenable on the pull cable in a positionally fixed manner, but also in a rotationally secured manner.
The conveyor system according to the invention further comprises at least one drive, and guide means which are arranged along the revolving path and by way of which the revolving path of the conveyor member is generally defined, which particularly also means the revolving path of the grippers and thus also the course of the conveyor path along which printed products held by the grippers are conveyed. The grippers are closed and opened for gripping and releasing printed products.
The revolving path of the conveyor member in the conveyor system according to the invention is in particular a three-dimensional formation, wherein the guide means deflect the conveyor member in different planes, and in particular in planes which are not parallel to one another. The conveyor member is twisted between such deflections, in a manner such that the carrier elements relative to the deflection plane are always directed equally, in particular perpendicularly to the deflection plane, so that guide means functioning according to the same principle may be applied for the deflections independently of the position of the deflection planes, said guide means preferably engaging neither on the pull cable nor on the further cables, but on the carrier elements. Further guide means functioning according to the same principle may be applied, in order not to deflect the conveyor member, but to create twists on straight-lined regions of its revolving path, or by way of such twists, to bring the carrier elements and in particular the grippers arranged thereon or the printed products held by these, into a predefined position, e.g. for the gripping, releasing or the processing of printed products held by the grippers. If the conveyor member only comprises the pull cable and no further cable and is significantly less stable than a conveyor member with one or more cables by way of this, it may then be advantageous to also apply guide means functioning according to the same principle, also on straight-lined revolving path regions without any twisting, thus merely for stabilizing the conveyor member.
Selected guide means may also assume a drive function additionally to their guiding function.
Evidently, the guide means of the system according to the invention play a very central role. They are not only applied where a change in direction (deflection) in the revolving path is to be realized, but also where the conveyor member is to be twisted without a change in direction or is only to be stabilized. As already mentioned, preferably it is always the same type of guide means which is used for the different guide functions, wherein this guide means type is to be as independent as possible of the distance of the carrier elements on the pull cable, so that it may be used in an unchanged manner in conveyor systems or regions thereof, which are provided for the most varied of conveyor functions. These guide means, as already mentioned, preferably engage not on the pull cable or on further cables, but on the carrier elements, and specifically offset with respect to the pull cable and the further cables, and on the one side or on two opposite sides of the carrier elements, depending on the guide function. The parts of the guide means contacting the carrier elements are revolving guide members, in particular revolving guide belts or guide chords. Of course, the conveyor system according to the invention may also comprise other types of guide means, additionally to the mentioned preferred type of guide means, or of drives combined with guide means.
The connection between the carrier element and the pull cable may be rigid, wherein the carrier elements are then preferably fastened at regular distances to one another along the pull cable. The connection between the carrier element and the pull cable may however also be releasable, in a manner such that the pull cable continues to act as a guide cable when the connection is released, or in a manner such that the carrier element may be completely decoupled from the pull cable. If the pull cable acts as a guide cable when the connection of the carrier elements is released, then for example in this condition, the distances between the carrier elements may be varied during the conveyor operation, and the carrier elements may also stand still relative to the pull cable and for example be buffered.
The carrier elements may be equipped with the most varied of grippers for gripping, holding and releasing printed products. Essentially, all types of known such grippers may be applied, as well as essentially all control means which are known for the opening and closure of such grippers. The grippers grasp the printed products in the manner known per se, in the region of an edge. This edge may be aligned parallel to the conveyor direction, wherein the distances of the gripper is of such a size, that each gripper grips a printed product, and these are conveyed overlapping one another and one after the other. It is however also possible, with grippers or carrier elements arranged suitably closer to one another, to provide an imbricate flow, wherein each gripper grips a plurality of products overlapping one another, and each product is held by a plurality of grippers. The product edges gripped or to be gripped by the grippers may also be aligned transversely to the conveyor direction, so that the printed products are aligned in a compacted flow one after the other and essentially aligned on one another. Of course, it is possible to arrange the grippers on the carrier elements in a tiltable, pivotable or rotatable manner, wherein control means are provided at predefined locations of the revolving path, by way of which certain tilt-positions, pivot positions or rotation positions may be set and/or maintained at predefined locations of the revolving path.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Exemplary, preferred embodiments of the conveyor system according to the invention are described in detail by way of the following figures. With this, they are shown in:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one exemplary embodiment of the conveyor system according to the invention, said embodiment comprising deflection wheels deflecting the conveyor member in different planes;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevation view of a deflection by way of deflection wheel of the conveyor system according to FIG. 1 (section parallel to the axis of the deflection wheel, section line II-II in FIG. 1 );
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a twist location of the conveyor system according to FIG. 1 , in a larger scale;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional elevation view of an exemplary gripping location or release location of the conveyor system according to FIG. 1 (section parallel to the axis of the deflection wheel, section line IV-IV in FIG. 1 );
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a further guide means which may be used in a conveyor system according to FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a guide means as in FIG. 5 , applied in a conveyor system with only one pull cable;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further guide means, applied in a conveyor system with only one pull cable, wherein the conveyor member is twisted and supported by the guide means, but not deflected;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional elevation view of section line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7 , sectioned transversely to the conveyor direction;
FIG. 9 is an elevation view of a buffer stretch of the carrier elements;
FIG. 10 is an elevation view of the carrier element in section parallel to the pull cable in the condition fastened on the cable, and in the condition released from this;
FIG. 11 is an elevation view of the carrier element in section parallel to the pull cable in the condition fastened on the cable, and in the condition released from this;
FIG. 12 is an elevation view of the carrier element in a section transversely to the pull cable;
FIG. 13 is an elevation view of a buffer stretch of the carrier elements;
FIG. 14 is an elevation view of the carrier element sectioned partly parallel to the pull cable;
FIG. 15 is an elevation view of a further exemplary embodiment of carrier elements which may be applied in the conveyor system according to the invention, with releasable connection to the pull cable, in a manner such that the carrier elements may be decoupled from the pull cable and may be fastened on another pull cable (four consecutive stages of a transfer from one pull cable to the other pull cable);
FIG. 16 is an elevation view of the carrier element in the condition coupled on the pull cable; and
FIG. 17 is an elevation view of the carrier element in the condition decoupled from the pull cable and guided in a guide channel).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a very schematic representation of a first, preferred embodiment of the conveyor system according to the invention, of which only one part which is of relevance to the conveying is represented. The conveyor system comprises two equally long, closed cables 1 . 1 and 1 . 2 which are in each case closed into an endless loop and which are driven in a revolving manner at the same speeds essentially parallel to one another, and together with the carrier elements 2 , form an endlessly revolving, belt-like conveyer member 1 , on which the grippers 2 are arranged laterally in a row. At least one of the cables, preferably the cable 1 . 1 further distanced from the grippers, serves as a pull cable which means that the carrier elements are fastened thereon in a positionally fixed manner.
The carrier elements 2 which are not all shown in FIG. 1 , are fastened on the pull cable 1 . 1 at regular distances, and are in each case equipped with a gripper 3 arranged laterally of the belt-like conveyor member. The revolving path of the conveyor member 1 is defined by guide means 4 , which in the shown case are designed as freely rotating deflection wheels 5 , wherein a plurality of guide members 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 revolving with the rotating deflection wheels 5 , are arranged around the periphery of each deflection wheel 5 . The conveyor member 1 with the carrier elements 2 is deflected by the deflection wheels 5 in different planes (three planes perpendicular to one another in the represented case), and is forcibly twisted at twist locations 7 between deflections in different planes.
If the friction between the guide members 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 and carrier elements 2 is adequately large, then one of the deflection wheels 5 may also be designed as a conveyor drive, which means it is not mounted in a freely rotating manner, but suitably driven in a rotating manner. A chain wheel with teeth (not shown) may also be applied, for example as a conveyor drive, wherein the teeth engage into the belt-like conveyor member 1 , between the cables 1 . 1 and 1 . 2 and between adjacent carrier elements 2 .
The conveyor system according to FIG. 1 is designed for conveying an imbricate flow 10 in the conveyor direction F, wherein printed products 11 are arranged overlapping one another in the imbricate flow 10 . The imbricate flow 10 is gripped by the grippers 3 of the carrier elements 2 in a gripping location 12 and are released in a releasing location 13 , wherein the distances of the grippers 3 on the belt-like conveyor member 1 and the length of the products 11 and their overlapping in the imbricate flow 10 are for example matched to one another such that each gripper 3 grips a plurality of products 11 overlapping one another, and each product 11 is held by a plurality of grippers 3 . In this manner, the imbricate flow 10 is held and conveyed as a whole. Control means 15 are arranged at the gripping location 12 and at the releasing location 13 , with which the grippers for gripping are opened as the case may be, and closed again; and for the release are opened and are closed again, if required.
FIG. 2 in a larger scale, shows a section (section line II-II in FIG. 1 ) through one of the deflection wheels 5 represented in FIG. 1 , as well as a carrier element 2 which is fastened on at least one of the cables 1 . 1 and 1 . 2 , and is conveyed about the deflection wheel 5 . The carrier element 2 is equipped with an exemplary gripper 3 , wherein the gripper 3 is closed about one edge of a printed product 11 . The deflection wheel 5 is rotatingly mounted freely about an axis A, or, if its serves as a conveyor drive, is also rotatingly driven about this axis A.
The represented carrier element 2 comprises two clamping parts 2 . 1 and 2 . 2 , which at their oppositely directed sides comprise inner grooves 20 . 1 and 20 . 2 which are aligned to one another, are matched in their cross section to the cables 1 . 1 and 1 . 2 , and together in each case form an opening for the cables 1 . 1 and 1 . 2 , which leads through the carrier element 2 . The clamping parts 2 . 1 , 2 . 2 are clamped against one another with suitable, non-shown clamping means, in a manner such that the carrier element 2 is fastened in a positionally fixed manner on at least one of the cables 1 . 1 , 1 . 2 by way of the clamping effect. Furthermore, the clamping parts 2 . 1 and 2 . 2 comprise outer grooves 21 . 1 and 21 . 2 which run parallel to the inner grooves 20 . 1 and 20 . 2 , and are adapted to the revolving guide members 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 of the guide means 4 . The revolving guide members 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 in the present case are designed as chords which are arranged in corresponding grooves 22 . 1 and 22 . 2 running around the periphery of the deflection wheel 5 .
In order for the carrier elements 2 to be able to be deflected in different directions by way of equal guide means, both clamping parts 2 . 1 and 2 . 2 comprise outer grooves 21 . 1 and 21 . 2 , as this is shown in FIG. 2 . In order for the carrier elements 2 to be able to be applied in an as comprehensive as possible manner, these preferably comprise a third inner groove 20 . 3 , which is arranged centrally between the two outer grooves 21 . 1 and 21 . 2 , and in the embodiments of the conveyor system according to the invention, are used with only one cable (see FIGS. 6 to 8 ) for receiving the cable. Whilst it would be evidently possible in the represented case of a conveyor system with two cables, to provide a guide wheel 5 with only one revolving guide member and to arrange this for a contact with the carrier elements between the two cables, in the case of the conveyor system with only one cable, it is necessary for two revolving guide members to be provided. Of course, it is also possible to provide further cables and/or further revolving guide members and corresponding grooves in the clamping parts 2 . 1 and 2 . 2 .
FIG. 3 , again in an enlarged scale, shows a twist location 7 of the conveyor system according to FIG. 1 , which for example occurs between a deflection wheel 5 with a vertical axis (deflection plane horizontal) and a deflection wheel 5 following this, with a horizontal axis (deflection plane vertical). The same elements are indicated with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 . The carrier elements 2 are the same as those in FIG. 2 . The clamping means, with which the two clamping parts 2 . 1 and 2 . 2 of the carrier elements 2 are clamped about the cables 1 . 1 and 1 . 2 , are screws 25 which are engage from one clamping part into the other clamping part, and which are arranged in the region of the cable 1 . 1 . By way of this, a larger clamping force around the cable 1 . 1 than around the cable 1 . 2 results (with equally designed inner grooves), in a manner such that the holding elements 2 are fastened on the cable 1 . 1 in a positionally fixed manner and render this a pull cable, whilst they likewise encompass the cable 1 . 2 , but are somewhat movable relative thereto, and this cable becomes a guide cable due to this.
It is evident from FIG. 3 that in the twist location 7 , not only is the relative spatial position of the two cables 1 . 1 and 1 . 2 changed, but also the spatial position of the carrier elements 2 and thus also the spatial position of the printed products 11 held by the grippers 3 .
FIG. 4 shows a section (section line IV-IV in FIG. 1 ) through the deflection wheel 5 of the gripping location 12 ( FIG. 1 ), as is represented in FIG. 1 . The same elements are again indicated with the same reference numerals. The gripping location 12 lies in the region of the lower apex point of the deflection wheel 5 . The grippers 3 (designed somewhat differently than the gripper represented in FIG. 2 ), in the opened condition ( 3 . 1 , dot-dashed), run into the gripping location 12 , and are closed at the gripping location, in order to grip a lateral edge of the imbricate flow 10 , which for example is conveyed on a conveyor belt 30 into the gripping location 12 . The gripper 3 in the closed condition is indicated at 3 . 2 and is represented unbroken. Control means (e.g. a stationary cam) which are not shown, for opening the grippers 3 , for example engages on cam wings 32 connected to the gripper jaws 31 , and drive the gripper jaws 31 against the clamping force of a spring 33 into a position distanced to one another (gripper open). The spring 33 closes the gripper 3 which thus grips the edge region of the imbricate flow 10 , when the action of the control means is ceased.
FIG. 5 shows a further exemplary guide means 4 or deflection means, which may be applied in a conveyor system according to FIG. 1 . In contrast to the deflection wheels 5 of FIG. 1 , the two revolving guide members 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 of the guide means 4 according to FIG. 5 are not arranged around the periphery of the wheel, but they run over a plurality of rollers 40 mounted in a freely rotating manner, wherein the rollers 40 are arranged in a curve and on their periphery comprise runner channels 41 adapted the revolving guide members 6 . 1 , 6 . 2 . Preferably, the guide means 4 also comprises a resiliently mounted roller 40 . 1 serving as a tension roller. If the guide means 4 according to FIG. 5 is also to function as a conveyor drive, then it additionally comprises a roller 40 . 2 designed as a drive roller, which is rotatingly driven by its own drive 42 . In order for the slip between the drive roller 40 . 2 and the guide members 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 to be kept as small as possible, it is advantageous to arrange the rollers 40 and 40 . 1 in a manner such that the wrapping of the drive roller 40 . 2 by the guide members 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 is as large as possible.
FIG. 6 shows an equal guide means 4 as in FIG. 5 , which however is applied in a conveyor system with only one pull cable 1 . 3 . The carrier elements 2 are the same as those described in connection with FIG. 2 , wherein the single cable 1 . 3 runs through the middle inner grooves 20 . 3 of the clamping parts 2 . 1 and 2 . 2 of the carrier elements 2 .
FIGS. 7 and 8 show further, exemplary guide means 4 , which do not effect a deflection of the conveyor member 1 , but only a twisting of the conveyor member 1 . These guide means 4 consist of two guide means parts 4 . 1 and 4 . 2 which engage on opposite sides of the carrier element 2 and which are designed in essentially the same manner as the guide means described in combination with the FIGS. 5 and 6 . FIG. 7 shows the guide means in a three-dimensional representation, FIG. 8 in a section perpendicular to the conveyor direction (section line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7 ).
The two guide means parts 4 . 1 and 4 . 2 again, in each case comprise the two revolving guide members 6 . 1 and 6 . 2 , which in the present case each run over two rollers 40 . The axes of the rollers 40 are all arranged at the same distance to the carrier elements 2 parallel to one another and perpendicularly to the conveyor direction, so that the conveyor member 1 which is guided between the guide members running over the rollers 40 , is not deflected but only twisted. The carrier elements 2 are the same as the carrier elements described in the context of FIG. 2 . One may particularly deduce from FIG. 8 , that it makes essentially no difference as to whether the conveyor member comprises one cable or two cables.
The conveyor member 1 for example runs with vertically aligned carrier elements 2 against the guide means 4 (for example from a deflection in a horizontal plane), and is twisted by the guide means 4 , in a manner such that the carrier elements 2 are rotated into a horizontal position. Evidently, it is also possible to arrange the guide means parts 4 . 1 and 4 . 2 in a manner such that the guide member is not twisted, but is held and stabilized in a position which it has already before running into the guide means 4 . In this manner, this position is held in a precise manner, which may be particularly important for conveyor members with only one cable, since these may be twisted already by way of very small side forces, and thus may advantageously be guided at locations, at which an exact positioning of the grippers 3 is necessary.
It is evident from FIGS. 1 to 8 , that with the use of one of the shown guide means 4 as a conveyor drive, the conveyor system may be operated in two opposite directions, and the operation is essentially independent of the distance of the carrier elements 2 in the conveyor member 1 . This distance may thus be adapted to the respective use, and to characteristics of the printed products to be conveyed, without other system parts having to be used on account of this. If, for a specific application, such a large distance between the carrier elements 2 should be necessary, that the cable or the cables are kinked too much with deflections before and after a carrier element, or that the cable or the cables come into undesired contact with parts of guide means 4 , between the carrier elements in deflections, so-called blind carrier elements without grippers also may be integrated in the conveyor member between the conveying carrier elements, thus those equipped with grippers.
In particular, wire cables with a diameter of approx. 5 mm or less are applied as cables 1 . 1 , 1 . 2 or 1 . 3 . It has been shown that carrier elements for the usual loads in the mentioned field of technology may not only be fastened in a positionally fixed manner, but also in a rotational fixed manner on such cables without further clamping. The advantage of the embodiments with more than one cable lies in the fact that the belt-like conveyor member has a greater twisting stiffness. The advantage of the embodiment forms with only one cable lies in the fact that apart from the guide means 4 described above, for deflecting the conveyor member, one may also apply other, for example cog-like deflection means, by way of which deflections with carrier members directed parallel to the deflection plane, and grippers which are spread apart on account of this, are possible, which entails an even greater flexibility.
FIGS. 9 to 14 shows further embodiments of carrier elements 2 which may be applied in the conveyor system according to the invention. These carrier elements 2 are releasably fastened on a pull cable 1 . 3 , in a manner such that the pull cable 1 . 3 may no longer pull but still guide the carrier elements 2 given a released fastening, so that the carrier elements 2 are slidable along the cable 1 . 3 , or the carrier elements 2 may stand still, whilst the cable 1 . 3 revolves. The distances of the carrier elements 2 from one another may also be set during the conveyor operation by way of temporarily releasing the fastening. FIGS. 9 and 13 show an exemplary application of such carrier elements 2 releasably fastened on the pull cable 1 . 3 , specifically a buffer stretch 50 on which carrier elements 2 are dammed and are released again in a controlled manner, for example in a regularly cycled manner.
The carrier elements 2 of FIGS. 9 to 12 comprise a continuous opening 51 for the cable 1 . 3 , and which for example is formed by inner grooves aligned to one another, in two clamping parts, similarly to the carrier elements discussed in combination with FIG. 2 . Thereby, the grooves however are dimensioned in a manner such that the opening 51 has an inner cross section which is larger than the cable cross section, thus the cable may run through the opening in a loose manner. Additionally, a clamping device, for example a clamping spring 52 , is arranged in the opening 51 , and is sufficiently biased against the cable, in order to be able to firmly hold the cable in the opening 51 is a positionally fixed and, as the case maybe, rotationally secured manner. A control element 53 actively connected to the clamping device projects from the opening 51 out of the carrier element 2 , via which control element 53 , the clamping effect of the clamping spring 52 may be lifted or reactivated in a controlled manner. The control element 53 , as represented in the FIGS. 9 to 12 , is for example a control lever 54 with a control slide 55 or control roller which slide or roll on a suitable cam 56 , in a manner such that the clamping spring 52 is lifted by the control lever 54 from the cable 3 . 1 by its own spring force, when the connection between the cable 1 . 3 and the carrier element 2 is to be released. Simultaneously, the control element 53 and the cam 56 may be used in order to maintain the rotation position of the carrier elements 2 on the cable 1 . 3 , or to change it in a controlled manner, whilst the clamping spring 52 is held in its inactive position.
The buffer stretch 50 represented in FIG. 9 comprises a stop 57 , which for example in a regularly cycled manner, projects into the conveyor path of the carrier elements 2 or is removed from this (double arrow S). The cam 56 is arranged behind the stop 57 in the conveyor direction F, by way of which cam the connection between the carrier elements 2 which are conveyed against the stop 57 , and the cable 1 . 3 , is kept released. The carrier elements 2 are then conveyed by an individual drive, which may be gravity with a dropping conveyor path, against the stop 57 and the carrier elements dammed by this. If the stop 57 releases a carrier element 2 , then this leaves the region of the cam 56 and by way of this, is again fastened on the cable 1 . 3 and conveyed further, whilst the loose carrier elements 2 follow on against the stop 57 .
For illustration of the clamping device by way of clamping springs 52 described above, FIGS. 10 and 11 show a carrier element 2 according to FIG. 9 sectioned parallel to the cable 1 . 3 , fastened on the cable and in the condition released from the cable, and FIG. 12 shows the same carrier element 2 sectioned transversely to the cable 1 . 3 .
FIGS. 13 and 14 show a further carrier element 2 which is released from the pull cable 1 . 3 and is led through the pull cable in the released condition. The connection between the carrier element 2 and the cable 1 . 3 is again controllable via a control element 53 in a manner not represented in more detail, wherein the control element 53 is activated by a carrier element 2 which runs in front and which is already released from the cable, and is thus moved more slowly or stands still. One may realize buffer stretches 50 of an infinite length with carrier elements 2 equipped in such a manner, whilst the buffer stretch according to FIG. 9 may not be longer than the length over which the connections between the carrier element 2 and cable 1 . 3 may be held in a released manner by the cam 56 .
In this context, it is possible for the man skilled in the art, without further ado, in this context, to adapt the carrier elements 2 and their releasable fastening on the cable 1 . 3 , as they are represented in the FIGS. 9 to 14 , to applications with more than one cable and for other applications, which are thus not buffer stretches.
FIGS. 15 to 17 show carrier elements 2 , whose fastening on the pull cable is not only releasable, but which may be completely decoupled from the cable. The same figures also show exemplary applications for such carrier elements.
The carrier elements 2 according to FIG. 15 may be transferred from a first cable 1 . 4 to a second cable 1 . 5 , wherein, fastened on the first cable 1 . 4 , they are conveyed into a transfer location (condition a), and in the transfer location in which the two cables 1 . 4 and 1 . 5 are led parallel next to one another, are fasted on the second cable 1 . 5 (condition b), and then decoupled from the first cable 1 . 4 (condition c). After the transfer location, the carrier element 2 is led away fastened on the second cable 1 . 5 (condition d). In order to permit the mentioned transfer, the carrier element function is for example distributed to three separate elements which are essentially independent of one another, specifically to two fastening parts 60 . 1 and 60 . 2 which are assigned in each case to one of the cables 1 . 4 and 1 . 5 and are rigidly or releasably fastened on this, and to carrier part 61 , which carries the gripper 3 and which may be selectively coupled to the one or the other fastening part 60 . 1 or 60 . 2 , for example, as represented in FIG. 15 , by way of suitable clamping means 62 ( 62 . 1 clamping means in deactivated condition, 62 . 2 clamping means in the activated condition) which may be activated and accordingly activated again via a control means (e.g. cam 56 ).
Of course, it is also possible to design the clamping means for a direct fastening to the first and the second cable 1 . 4 and 1 . 5 , instead of providing separate fastening parts for this for the fastening on the cables 1 . 4 and 1 . 5 , as is the case in FIG. 15 .
FIGS. 16 and 17 show a further embodiment of carrier elements 2 which may be decoupled from the pull cable 1 . 3 and which are provided with runner rollers 71 on its side lying opposite the gripper 3 , for guiding in a guide channel 70 . A pivotable clamping lever 2 . 3 is provided for fastening on the pull cable 1 . 3 , and this lever with a cam roller 72 which runs on a cam which is not shown and by way of which the pivotable clamping lever is applied around the cable (carrier element fastened on the cable, FIG. 16 ) or is distanced to this (carrier element released from the cable and may be decoupled or is decoupled, FIG. 17 ).
FIG. 16 shows the leading of the carrier element 2 against a deflection, in which the cable 1 . 3 is deflected to the left. Before the deflection of the cable, the guide channel 70 runs parallel to the cable 1 . 3 , and the runner rollers 71 run in the channel 70 . This condition is shown in FIG. 16 . Between the run-in of the runner rollers 71 into the channel 70 , and the cable deflection, thus with a still parallel guiding of the cable 1 . 3 and the guide channel 70 , the fastening of the carrier element 2 on the cable 1 . 3 is released (clamping lever 2 , 3 pivoted up, on the left in FIG. 17 ) and the carrier element 2 , as soon as it comes onto a region in which the cable 1 . 3 and the guide channel 70 no longer run parallel (on the right in FIG. 17 ), is decoupled from the cable 1 . 3 .
A coupling onto the cable runs essentially in a reverse manner to the decoupling described above.
The above description and the figures clearly show that very many different conveyor tasks may be solved with the conveyor system according to the invention. Thereby, the cables, the carrier elements and the guide means may be joined together in a modular manner into the most different of conveyor systems, and/or one may realize conveyer paths with the carrier elements which are releasable or may even be decoupled from the pull cable, on which the most different of conveyor tasks are solved one after the other. | A conveying system to be used in the printing industry, especially in mailroom technology, includes a revolvingly driven conveying member that is provided with supporting elements that are fixed to a traction rope in a stationary and optionally torsion-proof manner. The conveying member can be provided with another rope that has the same length as the traction rope, revolves substantially parallel thereto, and is used as a guide rope or second traction rope. Grippers that are disposed laterally on the belt-shaped conveying member, which is formed by ropes and supporting elements, are arranged on the supporting elements in order to grab and hold individual printed products or groups of printed products. The conveying member is deflected onto different deflection planes via guiding devices while being twisted between such deflections such that the three-dimensional position of the supporting elements and the conveyed printed products can be modified. The guiding devices are equipped with revolving guiding members that are positioned so as to be in contact with the supporting elements. | 1 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an error control encoding system in effecting data communication via a fading channel dominated by a burst error in the data communication of a moving body such as an automobile.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Error correcting codes for automatically correcting digital information are essential to improve the reliability of contemporary computer communication systems. Error correcting codes are divided into, depending on correctable error patterns, an error correcting code suited to random errors and an error correcting code suited to burst errors.
In a mobile communication system, a severely degraded transmission path, such as a fading channel, is dominated by a burst error. An interleaving system is a known system used to correct the burst error, and is described in: "Error correcting Codes Entering upon Extensive Use in Various Fields" by Tanaka, Nikkei Electronics, 1975 12-15, p.p. 48 to 52. This employs powerful random error correcting codes for a communication channel dominated by a burst error, interleaves the codes with the digital information, and transforms a burst error to a random error.
However, the interleaving system encounters difficulties with a system having a severe delay time since it takes longer for decoding the data due to the interleaving.
In addition, another error correcting system, known as an automatic repeat request system (ARQ), is described in "Batch Throughput Efficiency of ADCCP/HDLC/SDLC Selective Reject Protocols" by Malcolm C. Easton, IEEE Transactions on Communications, Vol. Com: 28, February, 1980, p.p. 187 to 195.
These systems however needs several hundreds of bits of interleaving for randomizing the signal concerned with the aid of the interleaving since an automobile widely changes its moving speed from zero to a speed of one hundred and several tens of kilometers per hour as well as its receiving level from above minus 100 dBm to about minus several tens of dBm, and results in undesirably long delay times. Thus, a large capacity random access memory (RAM) is required together with a measure for improving the throughput efficiency which has been deteriorated. The deteriorated throughput efficiency is very severe in communication systems using only a burst length error correcting code.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the drawbacks with the prior art error control encoding system, it is an object of the present invention to provide an error control encoding system whose throughput efficiency is not significantly changed in a mobile communication system even if the moving body containing the system changes its moving speed from zero to one hundred and several tens of kilometers per hour or changes its receiving level from a lower value to several tens of dBs. The error control encoding system according to the present invention is adapted to detect any error involved in received data as a frame error rate in a data block or a bit error rate in a data block when the receiving side receives the data transmitted from the transmitting side, and selecting a frame length in response to the extent of the error rate for encoding and decoding the transmission data.
An error correcting method according to the present invention in a mobile data communication monitors an error rate of data received on the receiving side and adaptively changes a frame length on the transmitting side based on a result of the monitoring, and comprises the steps of:
(1) transmitting transmission data encoded with use of a designated frame length to a communication channel;
(2) decoding the data received through the communication channel and thereby detecting error information involved in the received data;
(3) converting the error information to error data and returning it to the transmitting side;
(4) receiving the error information from the receiving partner for analysis and selecting an adaptive frame length in response to the analyzed result, and
(5) framing erroneous data with use of the selected frame length for retransmission while designating the frame length as a frame length for use in step (1).
For the error information in this method, there are instances where the number of error frames (i.e., frame error rate) involved in a data block received and a bit error rate in one-block data received are profitably employed.
In addition, a mobile data communication device according to the present invention consists of: in a transmitting part:
(1) a frame length memory for storing a plurality of kinds of frame lengths;
(2) a receiver for receiving error information involved in received data transmitted from a remote receiving part;
(3) a decoder for decoding an output from the receiver;
(4) a frame length selecting means for selecting an adaptive frame length from the frame length memory in conformance with error information being an output from the decoder;
(5) an encoder for encoding data delivered from a transmitting terminal using the frame length selected by the frame length selecting means, and
(6) a transmitter for transmitting the encoded data to a communication channel;
and in a receiving part:
(1) a receiver for receiving data transmitted from a remote transmitting part;
(2) a decoder for decoding an output from the receiver, and delivering it to a receiving terminal while detecting any error involved in the received data;
(3) a means for converting error infromation to error data;
(4) an encoder for encoding said error information converted to a suitable data format, and
(5) a transmitter for transmitting an output from the encoder to the remote transmitting part.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which it preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1, consisting of FIGS. 1A and 1B, is block diagram illustrating a first embodiment of an error control encoding system according to the present invention;
FIG. 2, consisting of FIGS. 2A-2C, is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the block diagram of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the transition among the steps of frame lengths from L1 to L4;
FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an exemplary transmission procedure with use of the embodiment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the details of the encoder 2 shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the details of the decoder 6 shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 7 is a view illustrating throughput efficiency in the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8, consisting of FIGS. 8A and 8B, is a block diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the error control encoding system according to the present invention, and
FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the arrangement of a burst length measuring part 6B in the embodiment of FIG. 8.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A first embodiment of an error control encoding system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. According to this embodiment, a received error frame is detected on the receiving side and an ACK signal or an error frame number and an NAK signal are transmitted back to the transmitting side for each data block. A frame error rate for each data block is evaluated in the transmitting side and the frame length is altered in conformance with the evaluation for error frame retransmission and data transmission thereafter.
In FIG. 1, element 1 is a transmitting terminal; element 2 is an encoder; element 3 is a transmitter; element 4 is a communication channel; element 5 is a receiver; element 6 is a decoder; element 7 is a receiving terminal; element 8 is an error frame number selecting means; element 9 is an encoder; element 10 is a transmitter; element 11 is a communication channel; element 12 is a receiver; element 13 is a decoder; element 14 is a frame length selecting part; element 15 is in a frame length selecting device, and element 16 is a frame length memory.
The following is a description of the operation of the error control encoding system of FIG. 1. Four different lengths, L1, L2, L3, and L4 (for example, the frame length L1 is assumed to be twice L2, L2 twice L3, and L3 twice L4) are employed as frame lengths in the encoder 2, and the data concerned is assumed to be encoded with the frame length L1 as initial setting.
The encoder 2 encodes the data with an error detecting code (for example, a cyclic code), frames it with the frame length L1, numbers each frame, and blocks it with a prescribed frame number (FIG. 2, box 22).
The encoded data is modulated through the transmitter 3 and transmitted to the communication channel 4 (FIG. 2, box 23). The communication channel 4 is a fading channel which produces a burst error on the modulated signal as the moving body containing the system travels and the modulated signal with the burst error is received by the receiving side. The receiving side demodulates the received signal through the receiver 5 (FIG. 2, box 24). Subsequently, the decoder 6 decodes the demodulated signal using the error correcting code or the error detecting code for detecting an erroneous frame, and data obtained from frames without any error are supplied to the receiving terminal 7 (FIG. 2, box 25).
The error frame number selecting means 8 supplies the erroneous frame number and the NAK signal to the encoder 9 for a block decoded by the decoder 6. The frame number is yielded by a counter (not shown) serving to count the frame number involved in one block. Moreover, the error frame number selecting means supplies an ACK signal to the encoder 9 for the correct frames. The encoder 9 encodes the frame number and NAK signal or ACK signal using a code having a powerful error correcting capability such as a majority logic code, and delivers them to the communication channel 11 via the transmitter 10 (FIG. 2, boxes 26, 27).
The error frame number and the NAK signal or the ACK signal are sent to a frame length selecting part of the frame length selecting device 15 for each frame via the receiver 12 and the decoder 13 in conformity with an arbitrarily set time-out needed to permit the ACK/NAK signal to be properly transmitted.
The frame length selecting part 14 receives the ACK signal and the NAK signal and selects a frame length based on their states. For example, with the ACK signal or the NAK signal received in the order of the arriving frames, the frame length selecting part 14 decides at that time that a longer frame length should be selected provided all the frames involved in one block are the ACK signal, and decides that a shorter frame length should be selected provided a rate of the ACK signal involved in all the frames is less than a predetermined value, and otherwise decides that the present frame length should be maintained. These procedures are repeated until no frame error is found (FIG. 2, boxes 30, 31, 32). The decided results serve as a signal for selecting one of the frame lengths L1, L2, L3, and L4 in the frame length memory 16. The selection is effected by allowing a controller (not shown) to receive the selection signal.
For example, assuming that data is first sent with the frame length L1, provided that a frame error rate is less than a predetermined value, the frame length is changed to the length L2 which is shorter than that of the length L1. The encoder 2, for which the frame length L2 in the frame length memory 16 is designated, effects data retransmission for a frame having the frame mumber supplied with the NAK signal, with a new frame length L2 (FIG. 2, boxes 33 and 34). Then, provided that the frame number indicative of the NAK signal is less than the number of frames constituting a block, new data is assigned to the remaining frames based on the frame length L2. Provided that data retransmission with a further shorter frame length is required in the case of the transmission with the frame length L2, a further shorter frame length L3 is selected.
Transmitted the ACK signal for all the frames from the receiving side to the transmitting side, the frame length selecting part 14 selects a longer frame length and delivers input data with its frame length. Details of the retransmission thereafter will be omitted here.
Referring then to FIG. 3, the following is a description of the transition among the steps of from the frame length L1 to L4. An initial state is started from a state 1. The state changes toward an arrow 301 based on information on the receiving side indicative of that a frame error rate in one block exceeds a predetermined value. Provided that it is less than the predetermined value, it keeps the same state in accordance with an arrow 303. Where the state changes from the state 1 to the state 2 and with degraded channel conditions, such that a frame error rate in one block exceeds a predetermined value, the state changes to a state 3 in accordance with an arrow 304. When the channel conditions get better and a frame error rate is less than a prescribed specific value, the state changes to the state 1 in accordance with arrow 302. When frame error rate ranges within a predetermined specific value, the state keeps the same state in accordance with an arrow 306. Transitions to states 3 and 4 are effected in a likewise fashion. It is also possible to encode data with an error correcting code on the receiving side for a frame length of each state. For instance, when the state is initiated from the state 1, the state changes to the state 2 in accordance with the arrow 301 based on information on the receiving side indicative of that a frame error rate in a block is evaluated from data yielded by decoding a predetermined error correcting code and it exceeds a predetermined specific value because all of the existent errors cannot to be corrected. Provided that all of the existent errors can be sufficiently corrected using the error correcting code, the state keeps the same state in accordance with the arrow 303. The state changes to the state 3 in accordance with the arrow 304 provided that the errors are incorrectable with the error correcting code in the state 2.
While, provided that the existent error can be sufficiently corrected with the error correcting code in the state 2 and the frame error rate is less than a predetermined specific value, the state changes to the original state 1 in accordance with the arrow 302. In addition, when the frame error rate lies within a predetermined specific value, the state keeps the same state in accordance with an arrow 306. Also for the states 3 and 4, the state changes in the same manner. Error correcting codes employed here may differ from each other in each state of FIG. 3. Namely, different error correcting codes may be selected and combined, for example, only an automatic repeat request system may be applicable in the state 1, a BCH (Bose, Chaudhuri, and Hocquenghem) code applicable in the state 2, and a majoring logic code in the state 4.
It can be easily understood that although the above description is for the automatic repeat request ARQ, it is applicable also for a block ARQ and a basic ARQ. The basic ARQ, if there is any NAK signal, retransmits all frames in a block and thus transmits back also a block number together with the NAK signal. In addition, although the transition from the i to i+1 or i-1 was described as shown in FIG. 3, transmitting from i to i+2 and i-2, and i+3 and i-3 are also possible depending on the channel conditions.
As shown in FIG. 4, which illustrates an example of a transmission procedure, the transmitting side adds an error correcting code to data, frames it with an initial setting frame length L2, and transmits it to the receiving side. The receiving side effects error detection and transmits back to the transmitting side the number of an erroneous frame together with a NAK signal after applying the error detecting code described above. With an error is produced here, the transmitting side sends no data to the receiving side, and so the receiving side again issues the same NAK signal.
Hereupon, although in the present embodiment the transmitting side is adapted to simply transmit data and the receiving side adapted to simply receive data so as to serve as effect a halfduplex transmission, it is evident that the present invention is applicable to full duplex systems since one terminal has both transmitting and receiving parts in general.
Referring to FIG. 5, an arrangement of an encoder 2 shown in FIG. 1 is illustrated, which operates with a diffusion code. The encoder, as is well known, consists of shift registers and exclusive ORs (mod 2). A circut in the encoder 2 is uniquely determined with a generator polynomial. Accordingly, the encoder 2, with the diffusion code described above, is arranged as shown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 5, element 50 is an encoder input terminal; element 51 is a b+1 stage shift register; elements 53 and 55 are respectively b-stage shift registers; elements 52, 54, and 56 are respectively exclusive OR gates; element 57 is a switch for switching between an information mode and a check mode, and element 58 is an encoder output terminal. An information bit supplied to the encoder input terminal 50 is delivered on one hand to the information/check mode switching switch 57, and on the other hand to an input of the b+1 stage shift regester 51. The information bit, thereafter, is delayed through the exclusive ORs and b-stage shift registers, and a check bit is finally delivered from an output of the exclusive OR 56. These information and check bits are alternately supplied to the encoder output terminal 58 through operation of the information/check switching switch 57, and furthermore delivered to the transmitter 3.
Moreover, the decoder 6 of FIG. 1 comprises a circuit of FIG. 6. The decoder 6 of FIG. 6 employs the diffusion code and decodes any data with a majority logic of a convolution code. As shown in the figure, elements 62 and 63 are b-stage shift registers; element 64 is a b+1 stage shift register, and elements 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69 are respectively exclusive OR gates. An information bit is supplied to the b-stage shift register 62 through switch 61 for alternately switching between information and check bits, and delayed via the b-stage shift register 64. In addition, a check bit is supplied from an output of the exclusive OR 66, the check bit being based on the received information bit. The check bit is operated upon by a check bit supplied via the information/check switching switch 61 by an exclusive OR 65. An output from the exclusive OR 65 is supplied on one hand to the exclusive OR 71 and error-detected through the exclusive ORs 71, 74, 77, and 79, the single-stage shift register 71, the b-stage shift registers 73 and 76, the b+1 stage shift register 78, and the majority element 80. As a result, the output of the majority element 80 provides an error detecting signal for the information bit while the output of the exclusive OR 79 provides that for the check bit. In addition, an output from the majority element 80 is supplied on one hand to the exclusive OR 69 for effecting erro correction for the information bit supplied from the b+1 stage shift register 64, and a data output signal is delivered to the receiving ternimal 8 via the data output terminal 70 of the decoder, the output from the majority element 80 is supplied on the other hand to an information/check switching switch 81. Moreover, an output from the exclusive OR 79 is supplied to the information/check switching switch 81 which alternately switches between the error detection signal for the information bit and that for the check bit and outputs one of them. As a result, the error detection signal is delivered to the error frame number selecting means 8 via the error detection signal output terminal 82.
Referring the FIG. 7, which illustrates an effect of the present embodiment, the transmission efficiency of data is shown with respect to frame lengths with received powers being taken as a parameter when the moving body contains the system is travelling at 55 km/h and receives the data.
As shown in FIG. 7, with the received power being higher, the longer the frame length, the higher the transmission efficiency, while with the received powere being lower, the frame length must be reduced for raising the transmission efficiency. An error produced in the case is burst-natured and produced due to fading, etc. Consequently, when the moving body moves faster with the received power being reduced such that frequent burst errors are produced with a guard length being reduced, a reduced frame length enables a relatively high efficiency transmission to be achieved. When the moving body stops and performs data transmission, no burst error is produced to permit high efficiency transmission to be assured, provided that the frame length is increased.
Therefore, when the transmitting side receives more NAK signals than those under prescribed conditions, if the transmitting side retransmits the data concerned while leveling down a frame length previously prepared one step at a time, it can transmit the data with the optimum frame length in response to the conditions of a fading channel. Moreover, since the frame length is determined for each block, the present system can follow up abrupt changes of the conditions of the fading channel. Futhermore, when the number of frames received with any NAK signal and needed to be retransmitted is more than half the number of frames transmitted, the data transmission can be more effectively achieved provided that the data is retransmitted with a frame length leveled down by two steps from a previously prepared frame length.
A second embodiment of an error control encoding system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 8. Although the first embodiment described above was adapted to change a frame length based on an error frame rate involved in a block, the present second embodiment estimates a bit error rate of received data for each frame by comparing the estimated value with a specified transmission quality, i.e., a channel error rate, and thereby decides whether or not the frame concerned is an erroneous one for each frame and changes frame length based on a rate of the number of the resultant error frames involved in a block.
As shown in FIG. 8, element 6 is a decoder; element 6A is a decoding part; element 6B is a burst length measuring part, and the other symbols are the same as those shown in FIG. 1. The transmitted data provided from the transmitting terminal 1 is delivered to the encoder 2. The encoder 2 encodes the data for a frame unit using the frame length L1, numbers them for each frame, and blocks a plurality of frames. (The present embodiment is assumed to employ a convolutional code as the error correcting code.)
The blocked encoded data is modulated through the transmitter 3 and provided to the communication channel 4. The frame length L1 is also delivered as data. In the receiving side, the received encoded data is demodulated through the receiver 5 and thereafter is decoded in the decoder 6. The decoding part 6A decodes the data using of a prescribed error correcting code or an error detecting code and sends normal data to the receiving terminal 7. Hereupon, the burst length measuring part 6B receives the error detecting signal delivered from the decoding part 6A and measures the length of a burst error and the length of an error-free interval for each frame for converting them into a channel bit error rate. Hereupon, when transmission quality is intended, for example, to be less than 10 -6 in terms of the channel error rate, the burst length measuring part 6B decides that the measured frame is correct if its channel error rate is less than 10 -6 and is incorrect if its error rate is more than 10 -6 .
Subsequently, a data-making device 17 converts the frame number decided to be erroneous to a data format suited to the present processing, and the encoder 9 encodes this data and provides it to the transmitter 10. The encoder 9 executed the encoding in conformity with a predetermined encoding system. The encoded data is modulated in the transmitter 10 and delivered to the communication channel 11.
The tranmitting side demodulates received modulated data through the receiver 12 and decodes the encoded data in the decoder 13 for detecting the error frame number. Although the decoded data is retransmitted from the receiving side to the transmitting side, the details thereof will be omitted here.
In succession, the frame length selecting part 14 evaluates a rate of the error frame number to the number of all of the frames previously transmitted and selects a frame length corresponding to this rate from the frame length memory 16. The selection of the frame is conducted in the same manner as that described in FIGS. 2 and 3. A frame corresponding to a frame number erroneously received by the receiving side is encoded with a selected frame length, modulated, and retransmitted to be receiving side via the transmitter 3. Thereupon, a newly selected frame length is also transmitted from the transmitting side to the receiving side. Hereby, the decoding part 6 of the receiving side can perform decoding corresponding to the frame length. After that, although the subsequent block data from the transmitting terminal 1 is transmitted with the newly selected frame length, the frame length is thereafter changed corresponding to a frame error rate for each block.
Referring to FIG. 9, which illustrates the details of the burst length measuring part 6B which measures the length of a burst error and the length of an error free interval from an error detecting signal provided from the decoding part 6A.
As shown in FIG. 9, element 90 is an error detecting signal input terminal; element 91 is a receiving clock input terminal; elements 92 and 104 are respectively flip flops; elements 94 and 105 are respectively counters; elements 95, 96, 98, and 107 are respectively latches; element 97 is a burst error length output terminal; element 106 is a decoder; element 108 is an error-free interval length output terminal; elements 93, 100, 102 are respectively AND gates, and elements 99, 101, 103 are respectively inverters.
With a busrt error being existent on the communication channel 4, the flip-flop 92 is set by a first error of an error detecting signal supplied from the decoding part 6A via the error detecting signal terminal 90, and an output from the flip-flop is supplied to the counter via the AND gate 93. The value stored in the counter 94 is kept in the latch 95 every time any burst error is produced. On the other hand, when there is no burst error, a clock signal is provided to the counter 105 via the AND gate 102 and the inverter 103. The counter 105 counts the length of the state without any burst error. When the counted value by the counter 105 reaches a burst limit, this is detected by the decoder 106. As result, an output from the decoder 106 is provided to the clock input of the latch 96 and the burst error length is delivered from the latch 96. In addition, the output from the decoder 106 is supplied to the flip-flop 92 and a reset terminal (RESET) of the counter 94 to reset them. The length of the error-free interval in counting in the counter 105 is delivered from the latch 107 due to a signal provided via the latch 98 and the flip-flop 104 by a succeeding error. As a result, the burst error length and the error-free interval length are outputted respectively via the burst error length output terminal 97 and the error-free interval length output terminal 108 disposed in the burst length measuring part, and finally delivered to the outside via the burst length output terminal 18 and the error-free length output terminal 19 shown in FIG. 8.
Although certain preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of the appended claims. | An error control encoding method and a mobile data communication system using the method in a moving body communication system such as mobile telephone for effecting data communication through a fading channel dominated by a burst error, upon receiving data transmitted from the transmitting side on the receiving side, detects any error involved in said received data as a frame error rate involved in block data or a bit error rate in the block data and thereby changes the frame length in response to the detected error rates. The mobile data communication system employs the error control encoding method wherein a frame length employed in the transmitting part is changed in response to the extent of any involved error in the received data detected by the remote receiving part. | 7 |
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/200,532, filed Mar. 7, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,399,853, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/724,559, filed Dec. 21, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,667,717, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/175,510, filed Jul. 1, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,336,231, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/361,242, filed Jan. 28, 2009 (abandoned), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/971,455, filed Oct. 22, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,484,322, the entire disclosures which are incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to a reduction system for removing soil to expose underground utilities (such as electrical and cable services, water and sewage services, etc.), and more particularly to a system for removing materials from the ground and backfilling the area.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
With the increased use of underground utilities, it has become more critical to locate and verify the placement of buried utilities before installation of additional underground utilities or before other excavation or digging work is performed. Conventional digging and excavation methods such as shovels, post hole diggers, powered excavators, and backhoes may be limited in their use in locating buried utilities as they may tend to cut, break, or otherwise damage the lines during use.
Devices have been previously developed to create holes in the ground to non-destructively expose underground utilities to view. One design uses high pressure air delivered through a tool to loosen soil and a vacuum system to vacuum away the dirt after it is loosened to form a hole. Another system uses high pressure water delivered by a tool to soften the soil and create a soil/water slurry mixture. The tool is provided with a vacuum system for vacuuming the slurry away.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention recognizes and addresses disadvantages of prior art constructions and methods, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved drilling and backfill system. This and other objects may be achieved by a mobile digging and backfill system for removing and collecting material above a buried utility. The system comprises a mobile chassis, a collection tank mounted to the chassis, a water pump mounted to the chassis for delivering a pressurized liquid flow against the material for loosening the material at a location, a vacuum pump connected to the collection tank so that an air stream created by the vacuum pump draws the material and the fluid from the location into the collection tank, and at least one backfill reservoir mounted to the chassis for carrying backfill for placement at the location.
In another embodiment, a mobile digging and backfill system for removing and collecting material comprises a mobile digging and backfill system for removing and collecting material. The system has a mobile chassis, a collection tank moveably mounted to the chassis, and a digging tool comprising at least one nozzle and a vacuum passage proximate the nozzle. A water pump mounted on the chassis has an output connected to the nozzle for delivering a pressurized liquid flow against the material for loosening the material at a location. A vacuum pump mounted on the chassis has an input connected to the collection tank so that an air stream created by the vacuum pump draws the material and the fluid from the location into the collection tank. A motor mounted to the chassis and is in driving engagement with the water pump and said vacuum pump. A first backfill reservoir is moveably mounted on the chassis for carrying backfill for placement at the location.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a drilling and backfill system constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a key hole drill for use with the drilling and backfill system of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a reduction tool for use with the drilling and backfill system of FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4 is bottom view of the reduction tool shown in FIG. 3 ;
FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the reduction tool of FIG. 3 in use digging a hole;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a key hole drilling tool base for use with the key hole drill of FIG. 2 ;
FIG. 6A is a bottom perspective view of the tool base shown in FIG. 6 ;
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the reduction tool of FIG. 3 in use digging the hole;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the drilling and backfill system of FIG. 1 , showing the hole being backfilled;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the drilling and backfill system of FIG. 1 , showing the hole being tamped; and
FIG. 10 is a schematic view of the hydraulic, electric, water, and vacuum systems of the drilling and backfill system of FIG. 1 .
Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Reference will now be made in detail to presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
Referring to FIG. 1 , a drilling and backfill system 10 generally includes a water reservoir tank 12 , a collection tank 14 , a motor 16 , a drilling apparatus 18 , and back fill reservoirs 20 and 22 , all mounted on a mobile chassis 24 , which is, in this embodiment, in the form of a trailer. Trailer 24 includes four wheels 38 (only three of which are shown in FIG. 1 ) and a draw bar and hitch 40 . Drilling and backfill system 10 generally mounts on a platform 42 , which is part of trailer 24 . It should be understood that while drill and backfill system 10 is illustrated mounted on a trailer having a platform, the system may also be mounted on the chassis of a vehicle such as a truck or car. Further, a chassis may comprise any frame, platform or bed to which the system components may be mounted and that can be moved by a motorized vehicle such as a car, truck, or skid steer. It should be understood that the components of the system may be either directly mounted to the chassis or indirectly mounted to the chassis through connections with other system components.
The connection of the various components of system 10 is best illustrated in FIG. 10 . Motor 16 is mounted on a forward end of trailer 24 and provides electricity to power two electric hydraulic pumps 30 and 172 , and it also drives both a water pump 26 and a vacuum pump 28 by belts (not shown). Motor 16 is preferably a gas or diesel engine, although it should be understood that an electric motor or other motive means could also be used. In one preferred embodiment, motor 16 is a thirty horsepower diesel engine, such as Model No. V1505 manufactured by Kubota Engine division of Japan, or a twenty-five horsepower gasoline engine such as Model Command PRO CH25S manufactured by Kohler Engines. The speed of motor 16 may be varied between high and low by a wireless keypad transmitter 108 that transmits motor speed control to a receiver 110 connected to the throttle of motor 16 .
The water system will now be described with reference to FIG. 10 . Water reservoir tank 12 connects to water pump 26 , which includes a low pressure inlet 44 and a high pressure outlet 46 . In the illustrated embodiment, water pump 26 can be any of a variety of suitable pumps that delivers between 3,000 and 4,000 lbs/in 2 at a flow rate of approximately five gallons per minute. In one preferred embodiment, water pump 26 is a Model No. TS2021 pump manufactured by General Pump. Water tank 12 includes an outlet 50 that connects to a strainer 52 through a valve 54 . The output of strainer 52 connects to the low pressure side of water pump 26 via a hose 48 . A check valve 56 is placed inline intermediate strainer 52 and low pressure inlet 44 . High pressure outlet 46 connects to a filter 58 and then to a pressure relief and bypass valve 60 . In one preferred embodiment, pressure relief and bypass valve 60 is a Model YUZ140 valve manufactured by General Pump.
A “T” 62 and a valve 64 , located intermediate valve 60 and filter 58 , connect the high pressure output 46 to a plurality of clean out nozzles 66 mounted in collection tank 14 to clean the tank's interior. A return line 68 connects a low pressure port 69 of valve 60 to water tank 12 . When a predetermined water pressure is exceeded in valve 60 , water is diverted through low port 69 and line 68 to tank 12 . A hose 70 , stored on a hose reel 73 ( FIG. 1 ), connects an output port 72 of valve 60 to a valve 74 on a digging tool 32 ( FIG. 3 ). A valve control 76 ( FIG. 3 ) at a handle 78 of digging tool 32 provides the operator with a means to selectively actuate valve 74 on digging tool 32 . The valve delivers a high pressure stream of water through a conduit 80 ( FIGS. 3, 5, 7, and 10 ) attached to the exterior of an elongated pipe 82 that extends the length of digging tool 32 .
Referring to FIG. 3 , digging tool 32 includes handle 78 for an operator 34 ( FIG. 7 ) to grasp during use of the tool. A connector 84 , such as a “banjo” type connector, connects the vacuum system on drilling and back fill system 10 ( FIG. 1 ) to a central vacuum passage 86 ( FIG. 4 ) in digging tool 32 . Connector 84 is located proximate handle 78 . Vacuum passage 86 extends the length of elongated pipe 82 and opens to one end of a vacuum hose 88 . The other end of hose 88 connects to an inlet port 90 on collection tank 14 ( FIG. 7 ). It should be understood that other types of connectors may be used in place of “banjo” connector 84 , for example clamps, clips, or threaded ends on hose 88 and handle 78 .
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 , a fluid manifold 92 , located at a distal end 94 of digging tool 32 , connects to water conduit 80 and contains a plurality of nozzles that are angled with respect to one another. In one preferred embodiment having four nozzles, two nozzles 96 and 98 are directed radially inwardly at approximately 45 degrees from a vertical axis of the digging tool, and the two remaining nozzles 100 and 102 are directed parallel to the axis of the digging tool. During use of the drilling tool, nozzles 96 and 98 produce a spiral cutting action that breaks the soil up sufficiently to minimize clogging of large chunks of soil within vacuum passage 86 and/or vacuum hose 88 . Vertically downward pointing nozzles 100 and 102 enhance the cutting action of the drilling tool by allowing for soil to be removed not only above a buried utility, but in certain cases from around the entire periphery of the utility. In other words, the soil is removed above the utility, from around the sides of the utility, and from beneath the utility. This can be useful for further verifying the precise utility needing service and, if necessary, making repairs to or tying into the utility.
Digging tool 32 also contains a plurality of air inlets 104 formed in pipe distal end 94 that allow air to enter into vacuum passage 86 . The additional air, in combination with the angled placement of nozzles 96 and 98 , enhances the cutting and suction provided by tool 32 . Returning to FIG. 6 , digging tool 32 may also include a control 106 for controlling the tool's vacuum feature. Control 106 may be an electrical switch, a vacuum or pneumatic switch, a wireless switch, or any other suitable control to adjust the vacuum action by allowing the vacuum to be shut off or otherwise modulated. An antifreeze system, generally 190 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ), may be provided to prevent freezing of the water pump and the water system. Thus, when the pump is to be left unused in cold weather, water pump 26 may draw antifreeze from the antifreeze reservoir through the components of the water system to prevent water in the hoses from freezing and damaging the system.
Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 10 , vacuum pump 28 is preferably a positive displacement type vacuum pump such as that used as a supercharger on diesel truck. In one preferred embodiment, vacuum pump 28 is a Model 4009-46R3 blower manufactured by Tuthill. A hose 112 connects an intake of the vacuum pump to a vacuum relief device 114 , which may be any suitable vacuum valve, such as a Model 215V-H01AQE spring loaded valve manufactured by Kunkle. Vacuum relief device 114 controls the maximum negative pressure of the vacuum pulled by pump 28 , which is in the range of between 10 and 15 inches of Hg in the illustrated embodiment. A filter 116 , located up stream of pressure relief valve 114 , filters the vacuum air stream before it passes through vacuum pump 28 . In one preferred embodiment, the filter media may be a paper filter such as those manufactured by Fleet Guard. Filter 116 connects to an exhaust outlet 118 of collection tank 14 by a hose 120 , as shown in FIGS. 1, 7, 8, and 9 . An exhaust side 122 of vacuum pump 28 connects to a silencer 124 , such as a Model TS30TR silencer manufactured by Cowl. The output of silencer 124 exits into the atmosphere.
The vacuum air stream pulled through vacuum pump 28 produces a vacuum in collection tank 14 that draws a vacuum air stream through collection tank inlet 90 . When inlet 90 is not closed off by a plug 127 ( FIG. 1 ), the inlet may be connected to hose 88 leading to digging tool 32 . Thus, the vacuum air stream at inlet 90 is ultimately pulled through vacuum passage 86 at distal end 94 of tool 32 . Because it is undesirable to draw dirt or other particulate matter through the vacuum pump, a baffle system, for example as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,470,605 (the entire disclosure which is incorporated herein), is provided within collection tank 14 to separate the slurry mixture from the vacuum air stream. Consequently, dirt, rocks, and other debris in the air flow hit a baffle (not shown) and fall to the bottom portion of the collection tank. The vacuum air stream, after contacting the baffle, continues upwardly and exits through outlet 118 through filter 116 and on to vacuum pump 28 .
Referring once again to FIG. 1 , collection tank 14 includes a discharge door 126 connected to the main tank body by a hinge 128 that allows the door to swing open, thereby providing access to the tank's interior for cleaning. A pair of hydraulic cylinders 130 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 8 ) are provided for tilting a forward end 132 of tank 14 upwards in order to cause the contents to run towards discharge door 126 . A gate valve 140 , coupled to a drain 142 in discharge door 126 , drains the liquid portion of the slurry in tank 14 without requiring the door to be opened. Gate valve 140 may also be used to introduce air into collection tank 14 to reduce the vacuum in the tank so that the door may be opened.
Running the length of the interior of collection tank 14 is a nozzle tube 132 ( FIG. 10 ) that includes nozzles 66 for directing high pressure water about the tank, and particularly towards the base of the tank. Nozzles 66 are actuated by opening valve 64 ( FIG. 10 ), which delivers high pressure water from pump 26 to nozzles 66 for producing a vigorous cleaning action in the tank. When nozzles 66 are not being used for cleaning, a small amount of water is allowed to continuously drip through the nozzles to pressurize them so as to prevent dirt and slurry from entering and clogging the nozzles.
Nozzle tube 132 , apart from being a conduit for delivering water, is also a structural member that includes a threaded male portion (not shown) on an end thereof adjacent discharge door 126 . When discharge door 126 is shut, a screw-down type handle 134 mounted in the door is turned causing a threaded female portion (not shown) on tube 132 to mate with the male portion. This configuration causes the door to be pulled tightly against an open rim (not shown) of the collection tank. Actuation of vacuum pump 28 further assists the sealing of the door against the tank opening. Discharge door 126 includes a sight glass 136 to allow the user to visually inspect the tank's interior.
Backfill reservoirs 20 and 22 are mounted on opposite sides of collection tank 14 . The back fill reservoirs are mirror images of each other; therefore, for purposes of the following discussion, reference will only be made to backfill reservoir 22 . It should be understood that backfill reservoir 20 operates identically to that of reservoir 22 . Consequently, similar components on backfill reservoir 20 are labeled with the same reference numerals as those on reservoir 22 .
Referring to FIG. 1 , back fill reservoir 22 is generally cylindrical in shape and has a bottom portion 144 , a top portion 146 , a back wall 148 , and a front wall 150 . Top portion 146 connects to bottom portion 144 by a hinge 152 . Hinge 152 allows backfill reservoir 22 to be opened and loaded with dirt by a front loader 154 , as shown in phantom in FIG. 1 . Top portion 146 secures to bottom portion 144 by a plurality of locking mechanisms 156 located on the front and back walls. Locking mechanisms 156 may be clasps, latches or other suitable devices that secure the top portion to the bottom portion. The seam between the top and bottom portion does not necessarily need to be a vacuum tight seal, but the seal should prevent backfill and large amounts of air from leaking from or into the reservoir. Front wall 150 has a hinged door 158 that is secured close by a latch 160 . As illustrated in FIG. 8 , hydraulic cylinders 130 enable the back fill reservoirs to tilt so that dirt can be off loaded through doors 158 .
As previously described above, backfill reservoirs 20 and 22 may be filled by opening top portions 146 of the reservoirs and depositing dirt into bottom portion 144 with a front loader. Vacuum pump 28 , however, may also load dirt into back fill reservoirs 20 and 22 . In particular, back fill reservoir 22 has an inlet port 162 and an outlet port 164 . During normal operation, plugs 166 and 168 fit on respective ports 162 and 164 to prevent backfill from leaking from the reservoir. However, these plugs may be removed, and outlet port 164 may be connected to inlet port 90 on collection tank 14 by a hose (not shown), while hose 88 may be attached to inlet port 162 . In this configuration, vacuum pump 28 pulls a vacuum air stream through collection tank 14 , as described above, through the hose connecting inlet port 90 to outlet port 164 , and through hose 88 connected to inlet port 162 . Thus, backfill dirt and rocks can be vacuumed into reservoirs 20 and 22 without the aide of loader 154 . It should be understood that this configuration is beneficial when backfill system 10 is being used in an area where no loader is available to fill the reservoirs. Once the reservoirs are filled, the hoses are removed from the ports, and plugs 166 and 168 are reinstalled on respective ports 162 and 164 .
Referring once more to FIG. 10 , hydraulic cylinders 130 , used to tilt collection tank 14 and backfill reservoirs 20 and 22 , are powered by electric hydraulic pump 30 . Hydraulic pump 30 connects to a hydraulic reservoir 170 and is driven by the electrical system of motor 16 . A high pressure output line 171 and a return line 173 connect pump 30 to hydraulic cylinders 130 . Hydraulic pump 172 , mounted on trailer 24 , is separately driven by motor 16 and includes its own hydraulic reservoir 174 . An output high pressure line 175 and a return line 186 connect pump 172 to a pair of quick disconnect couplings 182 and 184 , respectively. That is, high pressure line 175 connects to quick disconnect coupling 182 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) through a control valve 178 , and return line 186 connects quick disconnect coupling 184 to reservoir 188 . A pressure relief valve 176 connects high pressure line 175 to reservoir 188 and allows fluid to bleed off of the high pressure line if the pressure exceeds a predetermined level. A pressure gauge 180 may also be located between pump 172 and control valve 178 .
Quick disconnect coupling 182 provides a high pressure source of hydraulic fluid for powering auxiliary tools, such as drilling apparatus 18 , tamper device 185 , or other devices that may be used in connection with drilling and backfill system 10 . The high pressure line preferably delivers between 5.8 and 6 gallons per minute of hydraulic fluid at a pressure of 2000 lbs/in 2 . Hydraulic return line 186 connects to a quick disconnect coupling 184 ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) on trailer 24 . Intermediate quick disconnect coupling 184 and hydraulic fluid reservoir 174 is a filter 188 that filters the hydraulic fluid before returning it to hydraulic reservoir 174 . While quick disconnect couplings 182 and 184 are shown on the side of trailer 24 , it should be understood that the couplings may also be mounted on the rear of trailer 24 .
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , drilling apparatus 18 is carried on trailer 24 and is positioned using winch and crane 36 . Drilling apparatus 18 includes a base 192 , a vertical body 194 , and a hydraulic drill motor 196 slidably coupled to vertical body 194 by a bracket 198 . A high pressure hose 200 and a return hose 202 power motor 196 . A saw blade 204 attaches to an output shaft of hydraulic motor 196 and is used to drill a coupon 206 ( FIG. 7 ) in pavement, concrete or other hard surfaces to expose the ground above the buried utility. The term coupon as used herein refers to a shaped material cut from a continuous surface to expose the ground beneath the material. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 7 , coupon 206 is a circular piece of concrete that is cut out of a sidewalk to expose the ground thereunder.
Body 194 has a handle 220 for the user to grab and hold onto during the drilling process. Hydraulic fluid hoses 200 and 202 connect to two connectors 222 and 224 ( FIG. 10 ) mounted on body 194 and provide hydraulic fluid to hydraulic drill motor 196 . A crank 226 is used to move the drill motor vertically along body 194 . Drilling apparatus 18 is a Model CD616 Hydra Core Drill manufactured by Reimann & Georger of Buffalo, N.Y. and is referred to herein as a “core drill.”
In prior art systems, base 192 was secured to pavement or concrete using lag bolts, screws, spikes, etc. These attachment methods caused unnecessary damage to the surrounding area and required additional repair after the utility was fixed and the hole was backfilled. Additionally, having to drill additional holes for the bolts or screws or pounding of the spikes with a sledge hammer presented unnecessary additional work. Thus, the drilling apparatus of the present invention uses the vacuum system of drilling and backfill system 10 to secure base 192 to the pavement.
Referring to FIGS. 6 and 6A , base 192 includes a flat plate 195 having a connector 206 attached to a top surface thereof. Connector 206 attaches to an outlet port 208 formed in a top surface of plate 195 that is in fluid communication with a recessed chamber 210 ( FIG. 6A ) formed in a bottom surface 212 of plate 195 . That is, outlet port 208 has a passageway therethrough that extends between the top and bottom surfaces. A groove 230 formed in bottom surface 212 receives a pliable gasket 232 that forms a relatively air tight seal between the bottom surface 212 and the pavement or concrete being drilled. It should be understood that while a gasket is shown, it may not be necessary depending on the strength of the vacuum air stream being pulled through connector 206 since bottom surface 212 can form a sufficient seal with the pavement or concrete. A bracket 214 coupled to a top surface of plate 195 fixedly secures body 194 ( FIG. 2 ) to base 192 . A bolt or screw 216 is received through body 194 and into a threaded bore 218 to secure the body to the base. Wheels attached to the base allow the drilling apparatus to be moved around the work area after it has been off loaded the trailer by winch and crane 36 . The term “base” as used herein refers to a drill support structure that maintains a secure connection of the drill to a surface proximate the area to be drilled. The drill base should have a generally planar bottom surface, and the remaining structure of the base may be of any suitable shape to secure the drill motor to the base.
Referring to FIG. 2 , hose 88 connects to connector 206 by a suitable clamp (not shown). Once core drill 18 is positioned, vacuum pump 26 is turned on and a vacuum is pulled through hose 88 into chamber 210 , providing a vacuum of between 12-15 inches of Hg, which is sufficient to fixedly secure base 192 to the pavement or concrete during the drilling process. Prior to moving core drill 18 , vacuum pump 28 is shut down to eliminate the vacuum produced in chamber 210 .
The operation of the drilling and backfill system will now be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 7 to 9 and 10 . Prior to using drilling and backfill system 10 , water is added to water tank 12 , and valve 54 is opened to allow water to flow to water pump 26 . Motor 16 is powered up, and water pressure is allowed to build in the system.
Referring to FIG. 2 , if a utility is located under concrete, core drill 18 is positioned over the utility, and vacuum hose 88 is connected from inlet port 90 on collection tank 14 to connector 206 on base plate 195 . Hydraulic hoses 200 and 202 are connected to hydraulic motor 196 at connectors 222 and 224 , and vacuum pump 28 and hydraulic pump 172 are powered up. Saw 204 is used to cut coupon 206 ( FIG. 7 ) from the concrete to expose the ground over the utility. Hose 70 connects to saw 204 and provides a steady stream of water that flushes the drill bit during the drilling process. Coupon 206 is removed from the hole and placed aside so that it can be reused in repairing the hole after it is backfilled.
Next, and referring to FIG. 7 , the user disconnects vacuum hose 88 from connector 206 and connects the hose to digging tool handle 78 using banjo connector 84 . High pressure water hose 70 is also connected to valve 74 to provide water to the digging tool. As tool 32 is used, it is pressed downwardly into the ground to dig a hole. For larger diameter holes, digging tool 32 is moved in a generally circular manner as it is pressed downward. Slurry formed in the hole is vacuumed by tool 32 through vacuum passage 86 ( FIGS. 4 and 5 ) and accumulates in collection tank 26 . Once the hole is completed and the utility exposed, the vacuum system can be shut down, and the operators may examine or repair the utility as needed.
After work on the utility is completed, and referring to FIG. 8 , the operator may cover the utility with clean backfill from backfill reservoirs 20 and 22 . In particular, trailer 24 is positioned so that one of backfill reservoirs 20 or 22 is proximate the hole. Hydraulic cylinders 130 are activated, causing the tanks to tip rearward so that backfill can be delivered through door 158 into the hole. Once the hole is sufficiently filled, hydraulic cylinders 130 return reservoirs 20 and 22 to their horizontal position, and door 158 is secured in the closed position.
With reference to FIG. 9 , operator 34 may use a tamping device 185 to tamp the backfill in the hole. Tamping device 185 connects to hydraulic pump 172 through quick disconnect couplings 182 and 184 via hydraulic lines 200 and 202 . Tamping device 185 is used to pack the backfill in the hole and to remove any air pockets. Once the hole has been filed and properly packed, coupon 206 is moved into the remaining portion of the hole. The reuse of coupon 206 eliminates the need to cover the hole with new concrete. Instead, coupon 206 is placed in the hole, and grout is used to seal any cracks between the key and the surrounding concrete. Thus, the overall cost and time of repairing the concrete is significantly reduced, and the need for new concrete is effectively eliminated.
Drilling and backfill system 10 can be used to dig multiple holes before having to empty collection tank 14 . However, once collection tank 14 is full, it can be emptied at an appropriate dump site. In emptying collection tank 14 , motor 16 is idled to maintain a vacuum in tank 14 . This allows the door handle to be turned so that the female threaded member (not shown) is no longer in threading engagement with the male member (not shown) on nozzle rod 132 , while the vacuum pressure continuing to hold the door closed. Once motor 16 is shut down, the vacuum pressure is released so that air enters the tank, thereby pressurizing the tank and allowing the door to be opened. Once opened, hydraulic cylinders 130 can be activated to raise forward end 132 upward dumping the slurry from the tank.
Collection tank 14 may also include a vacuum switch and relay (not shown) that prevents the tank from being raised for dumping until the vacuum in the tank has dropped below a predetermined level for door 126 to be opened. Once the vacuum in the tank has diminished to below the predetermined level, tank 14 may be elevated for dumping. This prevents slurry from being pushed up into filter 116 if door 126 can not open.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. It is intended that the present invention cover such modifications and variations as come within the scope and spirit of the appended claims and their equivalents. | A mobile digging and backfill system for removing and collecting material above a buried utility. The system comprises a mobile chassis, a collection tank mounted to the chassis, a water pump mounted to the chassis for delivering a pressurized liquid flow against the material for loosening the material at a location, a vacuum pump connected to the collection tank so that an air stream created by the vacuum pump draws the material and the fluid from the location into the collection tank, and at least one backfill reservoir mounted to the chassis for carrying backfill for placement at the location. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The ever-increasing accessibility to numerous facilities by the handicapped using wheelchairs demands chairs having greater convenience of operation and greater versatility of use.
One very common problem encountered by wheelchair users is the difficulty and sometimes the impossibility of the chair occupant passing through a doorway or other passageway which is narrower than the chair when the chair is fully extended in its normal use width.
The prior art contains teachings of means to adjust the widths of wheelchairs but generally these devices are rather costly and of a nature requiring that they be built-into the chair by the manufacturer. A more simplified device for adjusting the width of a folding wheelchair is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,264,085, issued to Volin. This patented device involves a hand crank and screw shaft adjuster which operates in conjunction with a folding hinge across the chair transversely between its two vertical side frames. Turning the crank in one direction results in narrowing the chair width. The device can be operated by the chair occupant and can be installed on the wheelchair readily by the owner of the chair instead of by the manufacturer.
The objective of the present invention is to provide a wheelchair width adjuster of an even simpler and less expensive nature than the device disclosed in the above Volin patent. The present invention is embodied in a simple manual hand lever pivotally installed on one side frame of the chair and operable in a swinging mode initiated by the chair occupant to cause partial lateral folding of the chair seat and chair frame to provide greater mobility through restricted passageway. The device can be provided to chair users as an attachment kit for existing chairs which can easily be installed by chair owners. It is very efficient and quite inexpensive compared to all known prior art devices. The device requires little effort to operate and is entirely safe.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following detail description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a wheelchair equipped with a manual width adjuster according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing the chair in a full width mode.
FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the chair in a reduced width state caused by operation of the width adjusting lever.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the width adjusting lever and associated components of the chair.
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 5--5 of FIG.4 showing the width adjusting lever in the active width reducing position.
FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing a modification.
FIG. 7 is a vertical section taken through a modified form of lever operated chair width adjuster with the chair in the full width mode.
FIG. 8 is a similar view showing the width adjusting lever in an intermediate position.
FIG. 9 is a similar view showing the lever in the full active position to reduce the width of the chair.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 10--10 of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to the drawings in detail wherein like numerals designate like parts, a conventional wheelchair as depicted in FIGS. 1 through 3 comprises a pair of vertical side frame 20 which are interconnected at their bottoms by a transverse folding X-frame 21. The top of the X-frame is connected to a pair of parallel fore and aft extending seat support tubes 22 which can move vertically relative to a pair of fixed parallel fore and aft chair body tubes 23 below them on the side frame 20. The tubes 23 are fixed to and rigid with the two side frames 20. A flexible seat web 24 is connected with and suspended between the two movable tubes 22 and a flexible backrest web 25 is similarly connected between the two guiding handle bars 26 of the wheelchair. The main propulsion and support wheels 27 of the chair are conventionally journaled on the side frames 20 close to and outwardly of the latter and caster wheels 28 are carried by the bottoms of the two side frames ahead of the main wheels 27, as shown.
In a preferred form of the invention, FIGS. 1 through 6, a chair width adjuster in the form of a fore and aft vertically swinging hand lever 29 is provided having an extensible and retractable telescoping handle 30 which is extended when the lever 29 is pulled rearwardly by the chair occupant to reduce the chair width and is retracted when the lever is in the normal forward position so as to be out of the way of the chair occupant.
The manual lever 29 is installed on one side frame 20 only immediately outwardly of the same, FIG. 3. A bottom short transverse extension 31 of the hand lever 29 extends laterally inwardly and forms a pivot axle for the lever which is journaled in a bearing sleeve 32 fixed to the top of a clamp 33 which tightly embraces the adjacent chair body tube 23 at one side of the chair. The split clamp 33 is secured to the tube 23 by bolting means 34 so that the adjusting lever can be readily installed on and removed from the chair by the chair user.
Above and parallel to the axle extension 31 and fixed on the lever 29 is a lifting roller support axle 35 on which is freely journaled a cylindrically concave lifting roller 36 which engages the lower side of the adjacent seat support tube 22 in a stable manner.
In the use of the device, the handle 30 will normally be collapsed over the lever 29, FIG. 4, while the wheelchair is in a full width mode, as shown in FIG. 2. The weight of the occupant on the seat 24 tends to spread the X-frame 21 laterally and therefore biases the chair to the full width position. When in such position, the seat support tubes 22 are in down positions relatively near and above the fixed parallel tubes 23 and the lever 29 is angled forwardly steeply as shown in solid lines in FIGS. 1 and 4. If desired, the lever 29 while in this normal stowed position can be engaged with a releasable holding clip not shown on the underlying tube 23, or the lever can be allowed simply to gravitate downwardly until the roller 36 rests on the top of tube 23.
When the chair occupant wishes to reduce the width of the chair several inches as depicted in FIG. 3, the telescopic handle 30 is extended and the lever 29 is swung upwardly and rearwardly toward a vertical position shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 4. During this movement, the lifting roller 36 acting on the bottom of seat support tube 22 elevates this tube away from the fixed tube 23 and, in so doing, the X-frame 21 is caused to partly fold laterally thus pulling together the two side frames 20 and wheels 27 to reduce the width of the chair. During this activity, the contoured shape of the lifting roller 36 assures constant and positive engagement with the tube 22 as the latter is being lifted.
When the lever 29 reaches a substantially vertical position, the roller axle 35 is vertically above the lever pivot axle 31 in a dead center relationship, whereby the lever will tend to hold the chair at its reduced width until the lever is pushed forwardly and downwardly by the occupant. If desired, a fixed stop element for the lever in the upright position, not shown, can be provided on the chair. When the lever 29 is pushed forwardly, the occupant's weight on the seat web 24 will tend to automatically return the chair to its normal width and will also return the lever 29 to its normal down position. The device is extremely simple and economical in construction, convenient and reliable in operation and safe.
A variant of the preferred form of the invention is shown in FIG. 6 wherein the contoured roller 36' and clamp 33' are reversed relative to the tubes 22 and 23. The roller 36' is journaled on the lower axle extension 31 of the lever 29 and the upper axle extension 35 is journaled in the bearing sleeve 32' fixed to the clamp 33'. The roller 36' bears on top of the fixed tube 23 of the chair. When the lever 29 is pivoted on the axis of sleeve 32', the roller 36 pressing downwardly on the fixed tube 23 effects the result of elevating the tube 22 to reduce the width of the chair exactly as described previously, except for the fact of the reversal of the roller and clamp with respect to the tubes 22 and 23.
FIGS. 7 to 10 show a second embodiment of the invention in which a manual lever 37 operable to reduce the width of the wheelchair is provided on one side of the chair and is swingable in a vertical plane perpendicular to the axis of and around the axis of the tube 23 instead of fore and aft as with the lever 29.
The lever 37 includes an elbow extension 38 attached to a clamp 39 containing a dry lube bushing 40, such as a nylon bushing, rotatable around the tube 23. An adjustable length elbow connecting link 41 having a screw-threaded adjustment means 42 is pivotally attached at 43 to a short arm extension 44 on the rotatable clamp 39 at its side away from the extension 38.
The other end of the link 41 is pivoted at 45 to a curved shoe 46 fixed to the bottom of the tube 22. A rigid stop arm 47 is secured to the arm extension 44 and extends beyond the latter and carries a screw stop 48. Pivots 43 and 45 are formed on said link by opposite end short transverse pivot extensions.
When the wheelchair is at full width, FIG. 2, the tubes 22 of seat 24 are relatively near the fixed tubes 23 and the width adjusting lever 37 is in a near upright position, FIG. 7, and is biased in this position by the weight of the chair occupant. The elbow link 41 is relatively near the tube 23 and generally parallel to lever extension 38.
To narrow the chair, the occupant pushes downwardly on the lever 37 which rotates with the clamp 39 through the intermediate position of FIG. 8 to the down position of FIG. 9 where the chair is in the narrowed state. The lever rotates around the axis of the fixed tube 23 and the movable tube 22 is lifted to cause partial folding of the X-frame 21 exactly as described in the prior embodiment. In FIG. 8, the link 41 is roughly perpendicular to the extension 44 and in the final position, FIG. 9, the link 41 extends roughly longitudinally of the extension 44. In this final position, the screw stop 48 carried by the lever 37 has swung around and engaged the inner side of link 41 to limit the downward stroke of the lever 37. In the position of FIG. 9, where the wheelchair has been narrowed, the lever 37 can be caused to engage a suitable clip or other releasable holding device, not shown. The lever 37 tends to be biased toward the full chair width position of FIG. 7 by the weight of the chair occupant.
The advantages present in both simple embodiments should be apparent to those skilled in the art.
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. | The width of a laterally foldable wheelchair can be reduced by the chair occupant by manipulation of a hand lever on one side of the chair frame which is operable to elevate a flexible seat support member thereby inducing partial folding of the chair to reduce its width. The weight of the occupant on the chair seat tends to bias the hand lever toward its inactive stowed position. | 8 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application and the present invention claim under U.S. Patent Law, including under 35 U.S.C. §120, the benefit of and priority from U.S. Application Ser. No. 60/900,047 filed Feb. 7, 2007 and Ser. No. 11/594,012 filed Nov. 7, 2006, both co-owned with the present invention and incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to underwater power fluid systems and recovery of expended power fluid from such systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Deepwater power fluid systems provide pressurized working fluid for the control and operation of equipment, e.g. for blowout preventer operators; gate valves for the control of flow of oil or gas to the surface or to other subsea locations; hydraulically actuated connectors; and similar devices. The fluid to be pressurized is typically an oil based product or a water based product with added lubricity and corrosion protection, e.g., but not limited to hydraulic fluid. In certain prior art systems, once the power fluid has done its job in the operation of a device, it is exhausted into the water environment around the device.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,108,006; 6,202,753; 4,777,800; 4,649,704; and 3,677,001 are illustrative of various prior art subsea power fluid systems and are mentioned here not by way of limitation nor as exhaustive of the available prior art; and all said patents are incorporated fully herein for all purposes.
There has long been a need, recognized by the present inventor, for an effective method and system for preventing exhausted power fluids from polluting a body of water.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention, in certain aspects, discloses a fluid recovery system in which power fluid used by and exhausted from a subsea apparatus, e.g., but not limited to a blowout preventer operator, is recovered and pumped from beneath the water back to the surface.
In certain aspects, such a system has reserve capacity apparatus for receiving the exhausted power fluid so that a pump (or pumps) pumping the fluid is not overloaded or rendered inefficient.
In certain aspects, in such a system a negative internal pressure is maintained on a pump system (with a pump or pumps), e.g. with a line leading to the pump system maintained at a pressure lower than a pressure in an input line to a system providing reserve capacity so that the reserve capacity system remains evacuated of all power fluid and filled or substantially filled with water (e.g. seawater) exterior to the system. This insures that, in certain aspects, all power fluid to be pumped to the surface is indeed pumped to the surface. Optionally this is achievable using a switch that turns the pump(s) off when the reserve capacity system is empty of pushing fluid.
In certain aspects, a pumping system useful in embodiments of the present invention has both high pressure and low pressure protection, e.g. one or more relief valves (e.g. “cracking” check valves) so that the line leading to a pump system is not at too high a pressure, i.e., to protect a pump system enclosure or housing from undesirable pressures (either too high or too low).
In certain embodiments, two (or more) pumps are used to pump exhausted power fluid to the surface. The pumps' action is timed so that, when one pump is pumping fluid, the other pump is in the process of receiving fluid to be pumped. Thus fluid can be continuously pumped without the downtime associated with a single pump system's fluid reception by the single pump. In certain aspects, using more than one pump results in a reduced requirement for reserve capacity and/or provides a relatively constant flow rate of fluid to the surface. In certain aspects, pilot signals are provided from each pump to a valve assembly of the other pump so that only one pump at a time is pumping fluid to the surface.
In certain aspects, in system according to the present invention the pump or pumps are automatically shut off once all the exhausted fluid has been pumped to the surface.
In certain embodiments of the present invention, a pump or pumps (and, if present, a reserve capacity apparatus) are controlled by the pressure of exhausted power fluid and require no control or intervention by either subsea controls or devices or by surface controls or devices. This results in a simpler, less complex system. Upon complete evacuation of an amount of exhausted power fluid, the pump(s) stop.
In certain aspects by employing a reserve capacity apparatus in systems according to the present invention, the flow in a line or lines in which exhausted power fluid is pumped to the surface is minimized, reducing required discharge pressures and, thus reducing the power required to pump fluid to the surface. This reduced power requirement translates to a lower flow required on a pump system piston, i.e., the piston's bottom area can be reduced in size while the system still effectively pumps the fluid to the surface.
In certain aspects, in system according to the present invention, the pressure at which power fluid is supplied to an underwater device or apparatus is equalized to the pressure of the water on the underwater device or apparatus. Due to the difference in density between the power fluid and, e.g., seawater at depth, a density pressure differential occurs. Without pressure equalization, seawater could flow into the system, e.g. via check valves, resulting in the pumping of seawater with power fluid to the surface. In one aspect a relief valve in line from the pump system to the surface provides for the equalization of pressure due to the density differential.
Accordingly, the present invention includes features and advantages which are believed to enable it to advance subsea power fluid evacuation. Characteristics and advantages of the present invention described above and additional features and benefits will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and referring to the accompanying drawings.
Certain embodiments of this invention are not limited to any particular individual feature disclosed here, but include combinations of them distinguished from the prior art in their structures, functions, and/or results achieved. Features of the invention have been broadly described so that the detailed descriptions that follow may be better understood, and in order that the contributions of this invention to the arts may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional aspects of the invention described below and which may be included in the subject matter of the claims to this invention. Those skilled in the art who have the benefit of this invention, its teachings, and suggestions will appreciate that the conceptions of this disclosure may be used as a creative basis for designing other structures, methods and systems for carrying out and practicing the present invention. The claims of this invention are to be read to include any legally equivalent devices or methods which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
What follows are some of, but not all, the objects of this invention. In addition to the specific objects stated below for at least certain preferred embodiments of the invention, there are other objects and purposes which will be readily apparent to one of skill in this art who has the benefit of this invention's teachings and disclosures.
It is, therefore, an object of at least certain preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide:
New, useful, unique, efficient, non-obvious fluid recovery systems for underwater power fluid systems;
Such systems with reserve capacity apparatus;
Such systems with high pressure and low pressure protection;
Such systems with multiple pumps (two, three, four, or more) for providing continuous pumping of recovered fluid;
Such systems with pumps with pistons having an internal compensation apparatus to facilitate piston movement and/or to assist in maintaining a negative pressure in a piston housing;
Such systems with two pumps in which only one pump at time is allowed to pump fluid to the surface;
Such systems with automatic pump shut-off; and
Such systems with power-fluid/water pressure equalization.
The present invention recognizes and addresses the problems and needs in this area and provides a solution to those problems and a satisfactory meeting of those needs in its various possible embodiments and equivalents thereof. To one of skill in this art who has the benefits of this invention's realizations, teachings, disclosures, and suggestions, other purposes and advantages will be appreciated from the following description of certain preferred embodiments, given for the purpose of disclosure, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The detail in these descriptions is not intended to thwart this patent's object to claim this invention no matter how others may later attempt to disguise it by variations in form, changes, or additions of further improvements.
The Abstract that is part hereof is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and scientists, engineers, researchers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent terms or legal terms of phraseology to determine quickly from a cursory inspection or review the nature and general area of the disclosure of this invention. The Abstract is neither intended to define the invention, which is done by the claims, nor is it intended to be limiting of the scope of the invention or of the claims in any way.
It will be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention may include one, some, or all of the disclosed, described, and/or enumerated improvements and/or technical advantages and/or elements in claims to this invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
A more particular description of embodiments of the invention briefly summarized above may be had by references to the embodiments which are shown in the drawings which form a part of this specification. These drawings illustrate certain preferred embodiments and are not to be used to improperly limit the scope of the invention which may have other equally effective or equivalent embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a power fluid system according to the present invention with a fluid recovery system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2B is a rear perspective view of the system of FIG. 2A .
FIG. 2C is a top view of the system of FIG. 2A .
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of part of the system of FIG. 2A .
FIG. 3B is a side view of the part shown in FIG. 3A .
FIG. 4A is a cross-section view of the part shown in FIG. 3A .
FIG. 4B is an enlargement of a portion of the part shown in FIG. 4A .
FIG. 4C is an enlargement of a portion of the part shown in FIG. 4A .
FIG. 4D is an enlargement of a portion of the part shown in FIG. 4A .
FIG. 5 is a cutaway perspective view of a valve according to the present invention used in systems according to the present invention.
FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a reserve capacity apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 6B is a cross-section view of the apparatus of FIG. 6A .
FIG. 7 illustrates schematically a system according to the present invention for equalizing pressure between power fluid and seawater.
FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a system according to the present invention.
FIG. 8A is an enlargement in cross-section of part of a pump of a system according to the present invention, e.g., a pump as in FIG. 4A , 8 , or 9 A.
FIG. 8B is a cross-section view of a compensator piston of the pump of FIG. 8A .
FIG. 9A illustrates a step in a method according to the present invention.
FIG. 9B illustrates positions of various parts in a step as in FIG. 9A .
FIG. 9C is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 9B .
FIG. 9D is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 9B .
FIG. 9E is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 9B .
FIG. 9F is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 9B .
FIG. 10A illustrates a step in a method according to the present invention.
FIG. 10B illustrates positions of various parts in a step as in FIG. 10A .
FIG. 10C is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 10B .
FIG. 10D is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 10B .
FIG. 10E is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 10B .
FIG. 10F is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 10B .
FIG. 11A illustrates a step in a method according to the present invention.
FIG. 11B illustrates positions of various parts in a step as in FIG. 11A .
FIG. 11C is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 11B .
FIG. 11D is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 11B .
FIG. 11E is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 11B .
FIG. 11F is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 11B .
FIG. 12A illustrates a step in a method according to the present invention.
FIG. 12B illustrates positions of various parts in a step as in FIG. 12A .
FIG. 12C is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 12B .
FIG. 12D is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 12B .
FIG. 12E is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 12B .
FIG. 12F is an enlargement of a portion of FIG. 12B .
Presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. It should be understood that the appended drawings and description herein are of preferred embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. In showing and describing the preferred embodiments, like or identical reference numerals are used to identify common or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic in the interest of clarity and conciseness.
As used herein and throughout all the various portions (and headings) of this patent, the terms “invention”, “present invention” and variations thereof mean one or more embodiment. Accordingly, the subject or topic of each such reference is not automatically or necessarily part of, or required by, any particular description merely because of such reference.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a system S according to the present invention in which power fluid from an hydraulic power unit is provided to a subsea apparatus, e.g., but not limited to, a blowout preventer operator (“BOP OPERATOR”). Hydraulic power fluid is pumped from a reservoir (“TANK”) by a pump (“PUMP”) through a check valve (“CHECK VALVE”) to a bank of accumulator containers at the surface (“ACCUMULATOR SYSTEM”). This fluid is then provided beneath a water level L through a check valve (“CHECK VALVE”), then optionally, to an accumulator system, e.g. with one or more depth compensated containers or bottles (“ACCUMULATOR SYSTEM”) (e.g. a conventional bladder or piston accumulator or with depth compensated bottles as disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/594,012 filed Nov. 7, 2006 and co-owned with the present invention). A control valve (“DIRECTIONAL CONTROL VALVE”) selectively provides the power fluid from the depth compensated accumulator containers to operate a subsea device or apparatus, e.g. the BOP operator shown. Fluid exhausted from the BOP operator either flows into the water (“VENT”) or to a fluid recovery system (“FLUID RECOVERY SYSTEM”) according to the present invention (any disclosed herein) with any pump or pumps disclosed herein. The power fluid is pumped to the surface, e.g. to a fluid reservoir (“TANK”) or to other containers and/or conditioning systems. The accumulator system may be any suitable accumulator system including, e.g., those disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 11/594,012 filed on Nov. 7, 2006.
FIGS. 2A-2C show a fluid recovery system 10 according to the present invention which has two reserve bottles 20 and 30 secured to a enclosure (or pod) 12 in which valves, etc. are located and to which are secured structural members 22 and 32 (which can serve as guide tubes for guide wires that allow the system to be retrieved). Two pump systems 40 and 50 , secured on the base 12 , receive power fluid from the reserve bottles 20 and 30 . The fluid (e.g., but not limited to, hydraulic fluid, e.g., but not limited to, from a device powered by the power fluid, e.g., but not limited to, an operator for a blowout preventer) is conveyed to the reserve bottles 20 and 30 through a line A (see also line a, FIG. 8 ). The system 10 has check valves X and Y (as in FIG. 8 ).
A typical hydraulic manifold box 14 houses hydraulic controls. Power fluid is pumped from the pump systems 40 and 50 to the surface in a return line B (see also line b, FIG. 8 ). Via a line C, (see also line C, FIG. 8 ) a constant flow of fluid under pressure is pumped from a surface system to the pump systems so that a negative internal pressure is maintained.
A suction/discharge manifold 80 houses the check valves X and Y and check valves M and N for the lines A and B (these check valves shown in dotted line in FIG. 2C ); e.g. like the valves P and Q, FIG. 8 ; the valve P which may be a check valve or as shown). Each pump system 40 , 50 has a corresponding valve system 41 , 51 (respectively) (see, e.g. the valves V 1 , V 2 , FIG. 9A and the valve system of FIG. 5 ).
FIGS. 6A and 6B show one possible embodiment of the reserve bottle 20 (the bottle 30 is like the bottle 20 ). The bottle 20 has an outer housing 22 in which is mounted an inflatable bladder 24 . Water exterior to the bottle 20 can enter the bladder 24 through a hole 26 in the housing 22 . Power fluid exhausted from a subsea apparatus or device enters the housing 22 through a hole 28 . As power fluid enters the housing 22 at a pressure greater than the pressure of the water exterior to the housing, water is exhausted from the bladder 24 out from the housing 22 .
Alternatively, the bladder 24 is used to contain exhausted power fluid and water is introduced around the bladder 24 . In certain particular embodiments, each bottle 20 and 30 can contain about 80 gallons of power fluid.
As shown in FIGS. 4A-4D , the pump systems 40 , 50 have valve systems 41 and 51 (respectively) including main bodies 42 , 52 with valves V 1 , V 2 (body 42 ) and valves V 3 , V 4 (body 52 ). The valve V 1 includes a mechanical actuator 43 and the valve V 4 includes a mechanical actuator 53 . As described in detail below, movement of pistons 44 , 54 (respectively) results in movement of actuators 45 , 55 (respectively) which in turn results in movement of the mechanical actuators 43 , 53 during a sequence of operation of the pump systems 40 , 50 . Optional springs 46 56 provide a “snap” feature for shifting the valves V 1 , V 4 (respectively) between positions to divert flow through various lines. As shown in FIG. 9A , e.g., the lines A, B, C (as in FIG. 2A and FIG. 8 ) are in communication with the pump systems 40 , 50 . When the piston 54 is pumped up, a pilot signal is sent from the valve system 51 (from the valve V 4 ) to the valve system 41 (to the valve V 2 ) which vents a pressure chamber CR around a main piston 44 (or vice-versa regarding the chamber CR around the piston 54 when the main piston 44 is pumped up) so that the piston 44 is not pumped up, i.e., so that both pistons do not pump fluid to the surface simultaneously. When a valve system's mechanical activator 45 or 55 is moved up (e.g. when a piston 44 or 54 pulls up on an activator 45 or 55 ), a line is opened by action of a valve V 1 or V 4 and a line is closed so that a chamber CR around a main piston 44 or 54 is vented in the line B to tank. When one of the activators 45 or 55 pushes down on an activator 43 or 53 , this chamber CR (one chamber CR around each of the pistons 44 , 54 ) fills with pressurized fluid pressurizing the chamber to push that piston up, pushing the fluid on the top that piston out of the pump into the line B back to the surface.
As shown in FIG. 5 the valve V 2 is hydraulically actuated for closing and actuated open by the force of springs 47 , 48 . As shown in FIG. 5 the valve V 2 is open by pilot pressure (e.g. from the outlet of the valve V 4 as seen in FIG. 12A ). The valve V 1 is mechanically actuated via the mechanical actuator 43 (both to open and to close the valve V 1 ). As shown in FIG. 5 the valve V 1 is open. The other valve systems herein, e.g. the valve system 51 and those of FIGS. 9A-12A , may be like the valve system 41 shown in FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 illustrates the equalization of the pressure of power fluid in a line LN from a fluid recovery system FRS according to the present invention with the pressure of seawater at depth (e.g., but not limited to, at a depth of 10,000 feet). The power fluid (e.g. to power an apparatus 23 ) in this instance is slightly less dense than is the seawater, resulting in a pressure differential of about 120 psi. So that seawater is not sucked into the Line LN via a “Low Pressure Protect” check valve W and pumped to the surface, a relief valve VL is placed in the line LN between a reserve system 20 (with a bottle or bottles 21 , if any) and a surface reservoir (“Return tank”). For example, the relief valve VL is set at 120 psi (the pressure differential) and, if the pressure in the line LN drops below the setting of the valve VL (e.g. 120 psi) the relief valve VL closes the line LN to flow (e.g. until more power fluid is to be pumped to the surface by the system FRS in a line LE leading to the system FRS). The system FRS has a pump system PS (or pump systems) (e.g. like any pump system according to the present invention, e.g. like the pump systems 40 , 50 or those shown in FIGS. 8A , 9 A- 12 A). A check valve V (like the check valve X, above) provides high pressure protection. Check valves G and H (like the check valves P and Q, above) provide a check valve function on either side of a line LE to the system FRS.
FIG. 8A illustrates part of the interior structure of a pump system 40 (and of a pump system 50 ; and of the pumps in FIGS. 9A-12A ). A fluid recovery system with such a pump system (“PUMP SYSTEM”) is shown schematically in FIG. 8 . An embodiment of the system 10 (“POWER FLUID RECOVERY SYSTEM”) has a reserve capacity apparatus (as may any embodiment of the present invention) which equalizes pressure between the exterior water (e.g. sea water outside) and the hydraulic fluid returns, e.g., but not limited to (as is the case for any embodiment herein) bottles like the bottles 20 , 30 , FIG. 2A (“RESERVE CAPACITY BOTTLES”) which recover hydraulic fluid from a blowout preventer operator (“BOP OPERATOR”), flow to which is controlled by a control valve (“CONTROL VALVE”) which itself is controlled by a drive control (“VALVE DRIVE CONTROL”). The pump system (“PUMP SYSTEM”) (e.g. like the systems 40 , 50 ) with a valve system VS (like the systems 41 , 51 ) receives fluid from the blowout preventer operator (in a line A) and pumps it in a line B back to a surface reservoir (“TANK”). An optional relief valve (“RELIEF VALVE”) provides for equalization of pressure due to the density differential discussed above. The pump system may have any desired number of pumps (like those of the systems 40 , 50 ).
Check valves as indicated in the various lines provide a check valve function. The two check valves labeled X and Y provide high pressure protection (valve X) and low pressure protection (valve Y) (e.g. like the valves V and W, FIG. 7 ). Accumulator containers at the surface (“SURFACE ACCUMULATOR BOTTLES”) serve as containers for fluid pumped from the tank; and optional subsea containers (“ACCUMULATOR SYSTEM”) provide an accumulator function at the level of the Power Fluid Recovery System.
As shown in FIG. 8A , via the line C, a constant flow of fluid under pressure is provided to the Pump System's pump which maintains the negative internal pressure in the pump as discussed above. Via the line A (like line A, FIG. 2A ), the pump receives fluid exhausted from the BOP operator and, via the line B (like line B, FIG. 2A ), the pump pumps the fluid back to the surface. The piston 44 movably disposed in the housing 44 h is movable (downwardly as shown in FIG. 8A ) in response to exhausted power fluid being introduced into the housing 44 h and the piston 44 is movable (upwardly as shown in FIG. 8A ) to pump the fluid into the line B and to the surface. In such movement, the piston 44 overcomes any friction drag due to a seal 45 that seals the piston/housing interface. As shown in FIGS. 9A-12A , the piston 44 is movable to contact and move a valve actuator of a valve system 41 or 51 .
The piston 44 has a central member 42 a with a hollow channel 42 b therein. Releasably secured to the housing 44 h is a compensator piston CP (shown in FIG. 8B ) with a hollow channel 49 a therethrough. Fluid under pressure flowing through the line C flows into, down, and through the compensator piston CP and up into the hollow channel 42 b . The pressure of this fluid pushes against the piston 44 pushing the piston 44 away from the top inner surface of the housing 44 h . The pressure in the line A is maintained less than the pressure of water exterior to the housing 44 h . The force applied to the main piston 44 through the compensator piston CP assists the main piston 44 in overcoming friction drag due to the seal 45 . The compensator piston CP is connected to the housing 44 h , e.g. with a threaded coupling 49 b . A snap ring 48 a holds a gland 48 b in place around the compensator piston CP. The gland 48 b includes a seal 48 c which seals the gland/housing interface. A seal 48 d on the interior of the gland seals the gland/compensator-piston interface.
In certain aspects, several interchangeable compensator pistons are provided with different effective diameters permitting fine tuning of the suction characteristics of the pump (“fine tuning”—referring to the ability to select the negative pressure level desired by selecting a particular compensator piston (so the line A is maintained at a negative pressure so the reserve capacity bottles remain fully evacuated of all power fluid and the bladders therein remain full of water (water from exterior to the bottles) until the BOP operator functions and power fluid used to operate the BOP operator which is exhausted from the BOP operator is to be pumped to the surface.
FIG. 8B shows the compensator piston CP. The compensator piston CP is secured to the housing 44 h with the threaded coupling 49 b . Since the piston CP is fixed to the housing 44 h , fluid entering in the line C and flows down through the piston CP and up into the space around the piston CP, resulting in a force pushing the piston 44 downward. Thus, as this piston tries to draw fluid in the pump via the check valve Q, a negative pressure is maintained in the return line A and movement of the piston 44 is facilitated.
FIGS. 9A-12F illustrate steps in methods according to the present invention using a fluid recovery system according to the present invention which has two pumps (e.g., like the pumps of the systems of FIGS. 2A , 3 A, 8 A). One pump is a “Left Pump” (with a “Left Piston”) and one pump is a “Right Pump” (with a “Right Piston”) (see FIG. 9A ).
The line labelled “FLUID RETURNS BACK TO SURFACE” is the line through which the pumps pump power fluid back to the surface and corresponds to line B, FIG. 8 and FIG. 8A . The line labelled “POD RETURNS” is the line through which the pumps receive exhausted fluid, corresponding to line A, FIG. 8 and FIG. 8A . In the line labelled “3000 PSI PRESSURE” fluid is supplied from the accumulator system, corresponding to the line C, FIG. 8A (of course the pressure in this line is not limited to 3000 psi and may, according to the present invention, be any suitable pressure).
As shown in FIGS. 9A , 10 A, 11 A and 12 A, systems according to the present invention may have a series of valves V 1 , V 2 , V 3 , V 4 (e.g. within a body like the body BY, FIG. 2A ) for controlling fluid flow to and from the pumps to effect efficient and continuous pumping of fluid from a powered downhole apparatus or device to the surface. In one aspect the valves V 1 -V 4 are as indicated in FIGS. 4A-4D . Valves V 1 and V 4 are mechanically operated by movement of the Left Piston and Right Piston moving corresponding mechanical valve actuators A 1 and A 2 (like the mechanical actuators 43 , 53 , FIG. 4A ).
FIG. 9A (“STEP 1 ”) illustrates fluid pressure from the line C pushing the Left Piston up to pump power fluid (previously supplied through line A) into the line B from above the Left Piston. The Left Piston has previously moved down, pushing the valve actuator A 1 down to activate the valve V 1 to allow fluid under pressure in the line C to enter below the Left Piston.
Also as shown in FIG. 9A , as the Left Piston is pumping fluid into the line B, the housing of the Right Piston is beginning to receive exhausted power fluid via the line A (through the check valve Q) which is flowing into the space above the Right Piston for eventual pumping to the surface. The Right Piston has previously moved the mechanical valve actuator A 2 to operate the valve V 4 to close the valve V 4 (so that no further power fluid enters below the Right Piston and the fluid from beneath the Right Piston is allowed to vent to the line A). In FIG. 9A , valve V 2 is opened by the spring force of its spring so that fluid under pressure is allowed to flow to the valve V 1 from the line C. Also, as shown in FIG. 9A , fluid under pressure in the line C flows to the compensator piston C 1 (like the compensator piston CP, FIG. 8B ) of the Left Pump and to the compensator piston C 2 (like the compensator piston CP, FIG. 8B ) of the Right Pump. Valve V 3 closes off flow from the line C to the Right Pump (thereby venting fluid to line A from the bottom of the Right Piston). The dotted line in FIG. 9A (and in subsequent figures) indicates a pilot line for providing a pilot signal to the valve V 3 to insure that fluid from the bottom of the Right Piston is vented to the line A regardless of the position of the valve V 4 (so that in certain positions, e.g. as in FIG. 9A , the Right Piston cannot pump exhausted power fluid to the surface; i.e., so that only one pump pumps exhausted power fluid to the surface at a time). “Mech SPM” refers to a mechanically actuated valve (e.g. V 1 , V 4 ) and “Hyd SPM” refers to an hydraulically actuated valve (e.g. V 2 , V 3 ). “Work Port” refers to a port from the chambers CR.
As shown in FIG. 10A (“STEP 2 ”) the Left Piston is in the process of pumping fluid to the surface and the Right Piston is in the process of moving the actuator A 2 down to actuate the valve V 4 (“firing”) to stop further power fluid “POD RETURNS” from flowing to the Right Piston. The valve V 2 is still permitting fluid under pressure to flow beneath the Left Piston as it continues to pump fluid to the surface and the valve V 3 is receiving the pilot signal which keeps the valve V 3 shifted to a closed position (as in FIG. 9A ) while fluid from the line C is provided to the bottom of the Left Piston. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 10A , no pressure from the line C is applied beneath the Right Piston so the Right Piston cannot go up when the Left Piston is going up. (Thus only one pump pumps power fluid to the surface at a time).
FIG. 11A illustrates the Left Piston approaching the upper limit of its travel, still pumping fluid into the line B, and almost at the point of pulling the mechanical actuator A 1 up to the required extent to activate the valve V 1 to shut off the flow of fluid under pressure in the line C to the space beneath the Left Piston. No exhausted fluid is flowing into the space above the Left Piston. The space above the Right Piston is filled with exhausted power fluid and the Right Piston as shown is static. The reserve capacity bottles (“Reserve Bottles”) are in the process of receiving more power fluid exhausted from the power-fluid-operated downhole device (e.g. a BOP operator). The space above the Left Piston will be substantially evacuated before any more exhausted power fluid is introduced above the Left Piston.
As shown in FIG. 11A , the valve V 2 is in the same position as in FIGS. 9A and 10A allowing fluid from the line C to go to the valve V 1 . The Right Piston, shown as static, is ready to pump fluid above it to the surface via the line B; and the Left Piston is in the process of finishing the pumping of fluid into the line B and of moving (“firing”) the valve V 1 .
As shown in FIG. 12A , exhausted power fluid is flowing into the space X 1 above the Left Piston while the Right Piston is moving up and pumping exhausted power fluid to the surface in line B. The valve V 1 has been activated to permit fluid from beneath the Left Piston allowing the Left Piston to move down so that the space X 1 above the Left Piston can receive exhausted power fluid from the line A. The valve V 2 is insuring that fluid from the bottom of the Left Piston can flow to the line A. The valve V 4 has been activated to permit fluid under pressure from line C to flow into the space beneath the Right Piston to move it up to pump exhausted power fluid in the space X 2 above the Right Piston to the surface in the line B. The pilot signal from the valve V 1 is vented to the line A, hence the valve V 3 is vented allowing the spring of the valve V 3 to shift the valve V 3 open allowing fluid through the line C to go to the valve V 4 and then to the space below the Right Piston.
In all of the steps, STEP 1 -STEP 4 , fluid under pressure from the line C is constantly applied to the compensator pistons C 1 and C 2 to assist in moving the Left and Right Pistons down when the spaces above them are receiving exhausted power fluid.
Accordingly, while preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown and described, many variations, modifications and/or changes of the system, apparatus and methods of the present invention, such as in the components, details of construction and operation, arrangement of parts and/or methods of use, are possible, contemplated by the patentee, within the scope of the invention, and may be made and used by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit or teachings of the invention and scope of the invention. Thus, all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings should be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting, and the scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown herein.
The present invention, therefore, provides in at least certain embodiments, a method for recovering power fluid used to power a device under water and for pumping the recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water, the method including: flowing fluid from a subsurface apparatus to a subsurface recovery system, the fluid initially provided to the subsurface apparatus to power the subsurface apparatus; and the subsurface recovery system including a pump system for selectively pumping recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water; the pump system including at least one pump, and a valve system, the valve system controlling the at least one pump, and pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container with the at least one pump. In such a method the at least one pump may have a main piston movably disposed in a main piston chamber in a main piston housing, the main piston housing having a flow channel therethrough in fluid communication with the main piston chamber for providing fluid under pressure from a subsurface recovery system into the main piston housing above the main piston, the method further including introducing fluid under pressure into the main piston chamber through the flow channel to maintain a pressure within the main piston housing less than a pressure of fluid exterior to the at least one pump.
The present invention, therefore, provides in at least certain embodiments, a method for recovering power fluid used to power a device under water and for pumping the recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water, the method including: flowing fluid from a subsurface apparatus to a subsurface recovery system, the fluid initially provided to the subsurface apparatus to power the subsurface apparatus; and the subsurface recovery system including a pump system for selectively pumping recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water, the pump system including a first pump, a second pump, and a valve system, the valve system controlling the first pump and the second pump to allow only one pump of the first pump and the second pump to pump recovered power fluid to the fluid container above the surface of the water, the method further including pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container with only one pump at a time of the first pump and the second pump. Such a method may have one or some, in any possible combination, of the following: wherein the pump system includes pilot signal apparatus for supplying a pilot signal to the first pump and to the second pump signalling when one bump of the first pump and the second pump is pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container so that another pump of the first and second pump receiving said pilot signal is then prevented from pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container, the method further including sending said pilot signal to the first pump and the second pump and then preventing said another pump from pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container; continuously pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container with the pump system using alternately the first pump then the second pump; wherein a definite amount of power fluid powers the subsurface apparatus, the method further including automatically shutting off the pump system when the definite amount of power fluid has been pumped by the pump system to the fluid container; wherein the recovered power fluid is re-used to power the subsurface apparatus; wherein each of the first pump and the second pump has a main piston and an associated mechanically-activated valve actuatable by contact by a corresponding main piston, the method further including moving a main piston of the first pump or of the second pump to contact a corresponding mechanically-actuated valve to close said valve allowing said main piston to move down so that a chamber in which said piston is movable can fill with recovered power fluid to be pumped to the fluid container; wherein each main piston of the first pump and the second pump has an activation member connected thereto for contacting a corresponding mechanically-activated valve and said activation member is spring loaded with a spring device to provide snap action for facilitating contact with and actuation of the mechanically-activated valve, the method further including facilitating actuation with said spring device of the mechanically-activated valves; wherein each pump has a main piston movably disposed in a main piston chamber in a main piston housing, each main piston housing having a flow channel therethrough in fluid communication with a main piston chamber for providing fluid under pressure from a surface fluid system above a main piston, the method further including introducing fluid under pressure into each main piston chamber through the flow channel to maintain a pressure within each main piston housing less than a pressure of fluid exterior to the pump system; wherein each of the first pump and the second pump has a main piston movably disposed in a main piston chamber in a main piston housing, each main piston having main a piston body with a central hollow member extending down within the main piston body, each of the first pump and the second pump having a compensation member connected to a main piston housing, the compensation member extendable into the central hollow member of the main piston body, the compensation member having a flow channel therethrough from top to bottom, said flow channel in fluid communication with a channel providing fluid under pressure from a surface fluid system, the method further including introducing fluid under pressure into the central hollow member of the main piston body through the flow channel of the compensation member to maintain a pressure within the main piston housing less than a pressure of fluid exterior to the pump; wherein force of said fluid under pressure flowed in the central hollow member of the main piston facilitates downward movement of the main piston, the method further including facilitating downward movement of the main piston with the force of fluid introduced into the central hollow member of the main piston and which flows therefrom into the main piston housing; wherein each of the first pump and the second pump includes a corresponding pump housing which receives recovered power fluid to be pumped to the surface, the method further including each of the first pump and the second pump commencing pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container only upon complete filling of it corresponding pump housing with recovered power fluid; and/or while the first pump is pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container, providing recovered power fluid to the second pump for the second pump, in turn, to pump to the fluid container.
The present invention, therefore, provides in at least certain embodiments, a method for recovering power fluid used to power a device under water and for pumping the recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water, the method including: flowing fluid from a subsurface apparatus to a subsurface recovery system, the fluid initially provided to the subsurface apparatus to power the subsurface apparatus; and the subsurface recovery system including a pump system for selectively pumping recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water, the pump system including a first pump, a second pump, and a valve system, the valve system controlling the first pump and the second pump to allow only one pump of the first pump and the second pump to pump recovered power fluid to the fluid container above the surface of the water, the method further including pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container with only one pump at a time of the first pump and the second pump, wherein the pump system includes pilot signal apparatus for supplying a pilot signal to the first pump and to the second pump signalling when one of the first pump and the second pump is pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container so that the pump receiving said pilot signal is then prevented from pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container, the method further including sending said pilot signal to one of the first pump or the second pump and then preventing said pump receiving said pilot signal from pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container, continuously pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container with the pump system using alternately the first pump then the second pump, and while the first pump is pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container, providing recovered power fluid to the second pump for the second pump, in turn, to pump to the fluid container.
The present invention, therefore, provides in at least certain embodiments, a system for recovering power fluid used to power a device under water and for pumping the recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water, the system including: subsurface recovery system for receiving power fluid exhausted subsurface from a subsurface apparatus, the power fluid initially provided to the subsurface apparatus to power the subsurface apparatus; a pump system for selectively pumping recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water, the pump system including at least one pump for pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container, a valve system, and the valve system for controlling the at least one pump. Such a system may have one or some, in any possible combination, of the following: wherein the at least one pump is a first pump and a second pump, the valve system for controlling the first pump and the second pump to allow only one pump at a time of the first pump and the second pump to pump recovered power fluid to the fluid container above the surface of the water; the pump system including pilot signal apparatus for supplying a pilot signal to the first pump and to the second pump signalling when one of the first pump and the second pump is pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container so that the pump receiving said pilot signal is then prevented from pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container; the pump system for continuously pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container; wherein a definite amount of power fluid powers the subsurface apparatus, the system further including the pump system including shut off apparatus for automatically shutting off the pump system when the definite amount of power fluid has been pumped by the pump system to the fluid container; wherein each of the first pump and the second pump has a main piston and an associated mechanically-activated valve actuatable by contact by a corresponding main piston so that moving a main piston of the first pump or of the second pump to contact a corresponding mechanically-activated valve to close said valve allows said main piston to move down so that a chamber in which said piston is movable can fill with recovered power fluid to be pumped to the fluid container; wherein each main piston of the first pump and the second pump has an activation member connected thereto for contacting a corresponding mechanically-activated valve and said activation member is spring loaded with a spring device to provide snap action for facilitating contact with and actuation of the mechanically-activated valve; wherein the at least one pump has a main piston movably disposed in a main piston chamber in a main piston housing, the main piston housing having a flow channel therethrough in fluid communication with the main piston chamber for providing fluid under pressure from a surface fluid system above the main piston so that introducing fluid under pressure into the main piston chamber through the flow channel maintains a pressure within the main piston housing less than a pressure of fluid exterior to the at least one pump; wherein each of the first pump and the second pump has a main piston movably disposed in a main piston chamber in a main piston housing, each main piston having a main piston body with a central hollow member extending down within the main piston body, each of the first pump and the second pump having a compensation member connected to a main piston housing, the compensation member extendable into the central hollow member of the main piston body, the compensation member having a flow channel therethrough from top to bottom, said flow channel in fluid communication with a channel providing fluid under pressure from a surface fluid system so that introducing fluid under pressure into the central hollow member of the main piston body through the flow channel of the compensation member maintains a pressure within the main piston housing less than a pressure of water exterior to the pump system; wherein force of said fluid under pressure flowed in the central hollow member of the main piston facilitates downward movement of the main piston; wherein each of the first pump and the second pump includes a corresponding pump housing which receives recovered power fluid to be pumped to the surface, each of the first pump and the second pump controlled so that said pump is able to commence pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container only upon complete filling of a corresponding pump housing with recovered power fluid; and/or fluid provision apparatus for providing recovered power fluid to the second pump for the second pump while the first pump is pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container.
In conclusion, therefore, it is seen that the present invention and the embodiments disclosed herein and those covered by the appended claims are well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends set forth. Certain changes can be made in the subject matter without departing from the spirit and the scope of this invention. It is realized that changes are possible within the scope of this invention and it is further intended that each element or step recited in any of the following claims is to be understood as referring to the step literally and/or to all equivalent elements or steps. The following claims are intended to cover the invention as broadly as legally possible in whatever form it may be utilized. The invention claimed herein is new and novel in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §102 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in §102. The invention claimed herein is not obvious in accordance with 35 U.S.C. §103 and satisfies the conditions for patentability in §103. This specification is in accordance with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. §112. The inventors may rely on the Doctrine of Equivalents to determine and assess the scope of their invention and of the claims that follow as they may pertain to apparatus not materially departing from, but outside of, the literal scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. All patents and applications identified herein are incorporated fully herein for all purposes. What follows are some of the claims for some of the embodiments and aspects of the present invention, but these claims are not necessarily meant to be a complete listing of nor exhaustive of every possible aspect and embodiment of the invention. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. Thus, although a nail and a screw may not be structural equivalents in that a nail employs a cylindrical surface to secure wooden parts together, whereas a screw employs a helical surface, in the environment of fastening wooden parts, a nail and a screw may be equivalent structures. It is the express intention of the applicant not to invoke 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6 for any limitations of any of the claims herein, except for those in which the claim expressly uses the words ‘means for’ together with an associated function. | Systems and methods for recovering power fluid used to power a device under water and for pumping the recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water, the method in certain aspects including: flowing fluid from a subsurface apparatus to a subsurface recovery system, the fluid initially provided to the subsurface apparatus to power the subsurface apparatus; and the subsurface recovery system including a pump system for selectively pumping recovered power fluid to a fluid container above a surface of the water, the pump system having at least one pump and, in some aspects, a first pump, a second pump, and a valve system; the valve system controlling the first pump and the second pump to allow only one pump of the first pump and the second pump to pump recovered power fluid to the fluid container above the surface of the water; and pumping recovered power fluid to the fluid container with only one pump at a time. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure and is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims, 37 C.F.R. 1.72(b). | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a catalytic system for polymerizing olefins, a novel component of the system containing titanium halide, a process for preparing the novel component containing titanium halide, and the use of the system in polymerizing olefins, especially propylene.
The polymerization of olefins by coordinate complex catalytic systems, often termed Ziegler-Natta catalysis, has been well-known for over 25 years. Generally, there are two components in this type of system: the catalyst containing a titanium or other transition metal halide, and the cocatalyst based on an organoaluminum compound or its substitute. The cocatalyst may be accompanied by an electron donor. Although thousands of such catalytic systems have been disclosed, there is always a quest for improvement in two important properties: activity and isotatic index.
Activity is measured by the grams of polyolefin produced per gram of titanium component or other transition metal component employed in the catalytic system. The higher the activity, the lower the amount of metallic ash and corrosive halide left in the polymer. If the activity is high enough, then the de-ashing step in processing the final polyolefin can be omitted - an important improvement.
For olefins, such as propylene, which can form isotactic structures, the higher the isotactic index, the better the physical properties of the polymer. Isotactic polypropylene is more ordered, less soluble in halocarbons or hydrocarbons, and useful for its higher strength than the more soluble atactic form. Isotactic indices of 90 or higher are favored for commercial polypropylene.
In British Pat. No. 1,577,301 granted to Toyota et al. a process is disclosed for polymerizing olefins with a catalyst component obtained by copulverizing a magnesium halide, Mg alkyl halide, Mg alkoxyhalide, or Mg phenoxyhalide with a carboxylic ester (optionally halogenated) and then mixing the activated product with aliphatic or alicyclic alcohols or a phenol, such as cresol, at room temperature.
Japanese Pat. No. 72/6,408 granted Feb. 23, 1972 to Yamazaki et al. (C.A. 77:49175 g) discloses a polymerization catalyst of titanium trichloride and the reaction products of a trialkylaluminum with adipic acid, benzoic acid, or stearic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,143,223 granted to Toyota et al. discloses a catalytic component obtained by copulverizing a magnesium halide with an organic ester and an active-hydrogen compound, which may be an alcohol or a phenol, and reacting this activated product with a liquid tetravalent titanium halide or alkoxide.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,220,745 granted to Tanaka et al. discloses preparation of a catalytic component by copulverizing magnesium halides and aromatic carboxylic orthoesters with titanium halides.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,692 granted to Goldie discloses a fluidized bed of a magnesium compound supporting a titanium catalyst which has been post-treated with an alcohol or phenol.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,746 granted to Kashiwa et al. discloses a process for preparing a transition metal catalyst supported on a divalent halide which has been activated by an electron donor and treated by a liquid or gaseous titanium or vanadium compound.
It is an object of this invention to provide a catalytic system for polymerizing olefins, such as propylene, so that de-ashing may be omitted and polymer with high isotactic index prepared. Other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Surprisingly, both a high activity and high isotactic index (II) can be achieved by employing the novel catalyst of the present invention for the polymerization of olefins, particularly propylene. The novel catalytic system comprises:
(a) a component containing an organoaluminum compound, and
(b) a component containing a titanium halide obtained by a process comprising:
(i) intimately contacting a magnesium compound containing halogen or a manganese compound containing halogen with a carboxylic acid to produce an activated product,
(ii) optionally treating the activated product with a phenol, and
(iii) reacting the activated product, optionally treated with a phenol, with a titanium halide compound.
For another aspect of the present invention the novel component containing a titanium halide and a process for producing the novel component containing a titanium halide are provided.
For still another aspect of the present invention a process for employing the novel catalytic system to polymerize olefins such as propylene and ethylene is provided.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is broadly applicable to the polymerization of olefinic monomers especially 1-olefins including ethylene, dienes especially conjugated ones such as butadiene, and those other olefins which are only marginally polymerizable, such as 2-butene. The preferred monomeric olefins are those corresponding to the formula R--CH═CH 2 , wherein R is an alkyl radical containing up to 12 carbon atoms inclusive and hydrogen. Among the preferred, olefinic monomers are ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 1, 3-butadiene, 1-pentene, 4-methyl-1 pentene, 1-hexene, and the like. These monomers may be employed individually or in comonomeric mixtures such as ethylene/propylene, ethylene/propylene/butadiene, and the like.
Although for illustrating the present invention the polymerization of propylene is described herein as an example, the invention is by no means limited to any one olefin.
Component (a) containing an organoaluminum compound is well-known to those skilled in the art of coordinate complex (Ziegler-Natta) addition polymerization. Component (a) may be selected from the following compounds: trialkyl aluminums such as triethylaluminum, triisobutylaluminum, and trihexylaluminum, dialkyl aluminum halides such as diethylaluminum chloride, diethylaluminum bromide, and dibutylaluminum chloride, alkylaluminum sesquihalides such as ethylaluminum sesquichloride, alkylaluminum dihalides such as ethylaluminum dichloride, ethylaluminum difluoride, and butylaluminum dichloride, and dialkylaluminum alkoxides such as diethylaluminum ethoxide, diethylaluminum butoxide, and diethylaluminum phenoxide.
An electron donor such as an alkyl ester of an aromatic acid may be used in conjunction with component (a). Methyl toluate and ethyl anisate are examples of such electron donors. Electron donors in component (a) are advantageously used in molar ratio from about 1:10 to 1:1 with respect to the aluminum alkyl.
The first step (i) in obtaining component (b) containing a titanium halide is intimately contacting a magnesium compound or a manganese compound or a mixture thereof containing halogen as a support with an electron donor activating agent, most preferably a carboxylic acid.
By "intimately contacting" any process at the molecular or working particle level of matter is intended rather than mere mixing of diverse materials or phases. The preferred method of intimately contacting is by copulverization. Copulverization may be carried out in any suitable milling equipment such as a ball mill, a hammer mill, a vibratory mill, a grinding mill, or the like. Use of a ball mill is preferred, especially employing stainless steel balls, but ceramic, glass, or balls of other material may be substituted.
Copulverization may be carried out in the presence of an organic or inorganic pulverization aid which may be a simple compound or a polymer. Representative pulverization aids are kerosene, polystyrene, polypropylene, organosiloxanes, boron oxide, silicon oxide and aluminum oxides. Of the cited pulverization aids the polysiloxanes, which also have electron-donating properties, are preferred. From about 0.001 to about equal weight of such pulverization aid compared to the support material may be used.
The preferred support for practicing the instant invention is anhydrous magnesium dichloride, but other support materials may be selected from magnesium hydroxychloride, magnesium alkoxychloride, magnesium bromide, magnesium hydroxybromide, magnesium alkoxybromide; manganese chloride, manganese bromide, manganese hydroxychloride, manganese hydroxybromide, and manganese alkoxyhalide. Magnesium phenoxy halides and magnesium substituted phenoxy halides may also be used. Preferred substituents in the phenoxy moiety are alkyl groups containing 1 to 5 carbon atoms, halogen groups such as chlorine or bromine, and the nitro group. As in chlor-substituted phenoxy magnesium compounds, the magnesium or manganese compound containing halogen need not have the halogen atom directly bonded to the magnesium or manganese atom.
The support, chosen from the halogenated materials cited above, may also be partially converted to alcoholate groups. Furthermore, the support may contain diluents, up to about 70 percent, of inert, powdered material such as inorganic carbonates, sulfates, borates, or oxides. Examples of such diluents are dry NaCl, KCl, LiCl, CaCO 3 , BaCO 3 , Na 2 SO 4 , K 2 SO 4 , Na 2 CO 3 , K 2 CO 3 , Na 2 B 4 O 7 , CaSO 4 , B 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , TiO 2 , and the like.
In the present invention the activating agent is a carboxylic acid electron donor. This carboxylic acid may be chosen from any hydrocarbyl acid defined as aliphatic carboxylic acids, alicyclic carboxylic acids, or aromatic carboxylic acids containing hydrogen and carbon. Acids with non-interfering substituents such as halogen, alkoxyl, or nitro moieties may also be employed. The preferred electron donor carboxylic acids are aromatic carboxylic acids having 7 to 15 carbon atoms. Highly preferred carboxylic acids are benzoic acid and the toluic acids.
The carboxylic acid may be placed in the apparatus for intimate contacting before, during, or after some of the pulverizing time, as long as the support material and the carboxylic acid are intimately contacted during some of the pulverization. The preferred amount of carboxylic acid ranges from about 0.01 to about 1 mole per mole of support material.
The intimate contact or pulverizing step (i) of the present invention may be carried out for from about 1 hour to about 10 days. A time of from about 2 to about 5 days is preferred for step (i).
The second step (ii) of the present invention is optional.
It is treatment of the activated support material with a phenolic compound such as phenol itself or a cresol in a solvent preferably at an elevated temperature.
Treatment with a phenol can take place at any temperature between about 0° and about 200° C., but a treatment temperature between about 50° and 100° C. is preferred. Depending on the temperature of treatment, the treatment time can vary from a few minutes to a day or more with shorter treatment times being more appropriate with higher treatment temperatures. The preferred time is from about one-half to four hours. Especially preferred is a treatment time from one to three hours at about 50° to about 60° C. Normally a molar excess of phenol compared to the support is employed in an inert hydrocarbon diluent such as heptane.
Phenolic compounds which may be employed for the optional treatment step (ii) are phenols and naphthols which have at most 20 carbon atoms and their derivatives substituted with at most four alkyl moieties, alkoxy moieties, or halogen atoms. Typical examples of such phenols and/or naphthols which may be employed to treat the activated support material are phenol, itself C 6 H 5 OH, p-cresol, m-cresol, o-cresol, anisole, tert-butyl phenol, 2,6-dimethyl phenol, other xylenols, β-naphthol, α-naphthol, picric acid, octyl phenols, nonyl phenols, and cumyl phenol. Any of these phenols or naphthols may be used individually or in mixtures with each other. The preferred phenolic compounds are phenol, itself, and p-cresol.
After optional treatment with a phenol the support material is normally filtered, washed with a volatile hydrocarbon solvent such as heptane, and vacuum dried. No one or all of these three steps is necessary, however, for carrying out the process of this invention. If convenient, separation, washing, and drying is preferred.
The third step (iii) in the process of this invention is reaction with a titanium compound in order to prepare the titanium component of the heterogeneous complex polymerization catalyst.
The titanium compound employed for the reactive step may be represented by the formula:
Ti X.sub.n (OR').sub.p (NR.sup.2 R.sup.3).sub.q (OCOR.sup.4).sub.r
wherein X is a chlorine, bromine, or iodine atom; R', R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 may be the same or different and are hydrocarbyl radicals having from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms; n is a number from 1 to 4; p, q, and r are numbers from 0 to 3, and n+p+q+r is 3 or 4.
Some examples of titanium halocompounds useful in performing the reactive step are titanium tetrachloride, titanium tetrabromide, titanium tetraiodide, methoxytitanium trichloride, dimethoxytitanium dichloride, ethoxytitanium trichloride, dimethylaminotitanium trichloride, bis (dimethylamino) titanium dichloride and titanium benzoate trichloride. Preferably the reactive titanium compound is a liquid, but this is not necessary if a convenient, inert solvent can be found for the reagent. The titanium compound can be employed neat or in a suitable solvent. The ratio of titanium compound to magnesium support material can range from about 0.1 to about 100 molar.
Titanium trichloride material may also be used.
The titanium reaction can be carried out at any temperature from about 25° to about 200° C., but temperatures from about 75° to about 150° C. are preferred. This reaction can be carried out for from a few minutes to several hours, but a reaction time of one-half to four hours is preferred.
After the pulverization, optional phenol-treating, and titanium-reaction steps, the product is preferably separated from the liquid medium, washed with an inert solvent such as heptane, and dried, preferably by vacuum drying at ambient temperature. Because this supported titanium catalyst component is sensitive to air and moisture it should be stored in a dry, inert atmosphere.
The titanium catalyst component which is a product of the process of the present invention may be used along with a suitable organoaluminum compound as a catalyst for the polymerization of olefins such as ethylene, propylene, butene and butadiene, or copolymers of these olefins with each other and other olefins, in the heterogeneous complex (Ziegler-Natta) type of polymerization in conventional fashion, as is well-known. This polymerization is illustrated in the Examples. The molar ratio of organoaluminum compound to titanium in the treated and modified titanium component of the present invention may range from about 2000:1 to about 0.5:1; the preferred molar ratio is from about 200:1 to about 100:1. Electron donors such as aromatic carboxylic esters may be employed in conjunction with the organoaluminum compound at a molar ratio of from about 1:1 to about 1:10 ester to organoaluminum compound.
Having described the present invention above, we now illustrate it in the following Examples. These Examples, however, do not limit the present invention, which may be carried out by other means but still remain within the scope of the present disclosure.
EXAMPLE 1
This Example illustrates the present invention including the optional step of treating the catalytic component with phenol.
A 1-1 ball mill was charged with anhydrous MgCl 2 (30 g, 315 mmol), benzoic acid (0.8 g, 6.6 mmol), silicone oil (4.5 ml, General Electric Co. SF 96-100), and 1750 grams of stainless steel balls (diameter of 1.6 cm) and milled for 162 hours. To an aliquot (10 g) of this milled product suspended in 200 ml of heptane was added phenol (7.4 g, 78.7 mmol). The mixture was stirred at 55° C. for two hours and then filtered. The precipitate was washed with heptane (800 ml), dried under vacuum and sieved through a standard 140-mesh screen. The screened product (5.4 g) was then reacted with neat TiCl 4 (90 ml, 818 mmol) at 105° C. for two hours. After filtration at ambient temperature, the precipitate was washed with heptane (800 ml), dried under vacuum, and sieved through a standard 140-mesh screen to yield 4.3 g of titanium catalyst component.
EXAMPLE 2
This Example illustrates standard test conditions for slurry polymerization, one of the techniques for utilizing the present invention.
A polymerization reactor in the form of a four-liter, jacketed autoclave was equipped with a heater, purging ports, thermocouple, and mechanical stirrer. It was charged with two liters of dry heptane and brought to 50±5° C. A nitrogen purge was commenced, and a weighed quantity of the organoaluminum compound was added by syringe and stirred for about 10 seconds. Then a weighed amount of the electron donor was added through the entry port, and the reaction mixture stirred for about 10 seconds again. At this point the solid titanium component of the catalyst system, as made in Example 1, was added. Polymer-grade propylene was then pumped into the reactor until a pressure of 10 atmospheres was reached at 65° C. During the polymerization more propylene was added to maintain the pressure at 10 atmospheres at 65° C. for 11/2 hours, the duration of the standard test.
After the 11/2 hour standard test the polymer was filtered, washed with isopropyl alcohol, over-dried at 70° C., and weighed, thus giving a weight termed Dry Polymer. In order to determine the amount of heptane-soluble polymer formed the reaction solvent filtrate was evaporated to dryness.
EXAMPLE 3
This Example illustrates standard test conditions for bulk polymerization, another technique for utilizing the present invention.
As in Example 2, a 2.8 l. jacketed autoclave was equipped with a heater, purging ports, thermocouple, and mechanical stirrer. The nitrogen purge, addition of organoaluminum compound, electron donor, and titanium component of the present invention was carried out as in Example 2. Then 2 l. of liquid propylene was added and brought to 70° C. Again the standard polymerization test was run for 11/2 hours. At the end of the polymerization time excess propylene was vented from the reactor. The polymer was collected, dried at 70° C., and weighed to give the amount of Dry Polymer.
For both the slurry test of Example 2 and the bulk polymerization of Example 3, the activity of the titanium component of the present invention was defined as follows: ##EQU1##
The amount of polymer insoluble in heptane was determined by a three-hour extraction at the boiling point of heptane and termed "C 7 ". Isotactic Index (II) was then defined as: ##EQU2##
This standard bulk polymerization was carried out as above employing 33.0 mg of the novel titanium component prepared as in Example 1 as catalyst and triethylaluminum/methyl p-toluate in the ratio of 9 mmol:3 mmol as cocatalyst. After separation, drying, and weighing, the activity was found to be 9256 (g/g) and the II 88.0.
EXAMPLES 4-10
These Examples illustrate the present invention for several carboxylic acids as activating agents without employing the optional treating step with a phenolic compound.
The same equipment and procedure as in Example 1 was employed individually for each of the carboxylic acids listed below. Anhydrous MgCl 2 (30 g, 315 mmol), the carboxylic acid (0.8-1.5 g), and silicone oil (4.5 ml) were milled for 4 to 5 days in a 1-1 ball mill with 1750 g of 1.6-cm diameter stainless steel balls. A 5-g aliquot of each activated product was then treated with 75 ml (682 mmol) of neat TiCl 4 for 1.5 hours at 100° C. The reaction mixture was then filtered. The precipitate was washed with 800 ml heptane, vacuum-dried overnight, and sieved through a standard 140-mesh screen.
The standard slurry polymerization was carried out as in Example 2 employing 50 mg of titanium component as catalyst and using triethylaluminum and methyl p-toluate in the ratio of 12:3 mmol as the cocatalyst. The following results for activity and II for each of the designated Examples were found:
______________________________________ g Acid/Example Carboxylic Acid 30g MgCl.sub.2 Activity/II______________________________________1 Benzoic 0.8 6779/88.44 Benzoic 1.5 7324/83.65 Benzoic 0.8 5423/89.16 Phthalic 1.5 4010/84.47 o-Toluic 0.9 6165/87.68 m-Toluic 0.9 5021/86.19 p-Toluic 0.9 4867/87.910 m-Phenoxybenzoic 0.9 3913/87.6______________________________________ | A catalytic system for polymerizing olefins comprises:
(a) a component containing an organoaluminum compound, and
(b) a component containiong a titanium halide prepared by a process comprising:
(i) intimately contacting a magnesium compound containing halogen or a manganese compound containing halogen with a carboxylic acid to produce an activated product,
(ii) optionally treating the activated product with a phenol, and
(iii) reacting the activated product, optionally treated with phenol, with a titanium halide compound.
The invention also includes a process for preparing component (b) containing a titanium halide, the composition of component (b), and the use of the catalytic system for polymerizing olefins such as ethylene or propylene. | 2 |
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to avionics and, in particular, to communication between an aircraft and a ground station.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Airlines regularly update in-flight entertainment (IFE) content on their aircraft, typically during the “turn around” time between successive flights when an airliner may be parked next to a jetway or gate at an airport ground terminal. Currently, the usual manner in which IFE content and other data needed by the aircraft is updated consists of sending maintenance personnel out to the aircraft who then manually (e.g., either through optical or magnetic media) transfer new IFE content onto the onboard file servers. Such a method can be slow and expensive however, due to the need for using trained personnel and having the personnel travel to the aircraft, connect equipment, monitor the transfer, disconnect the equipment, and return to the ground station.
[0003] Because of the large amount of data required to update the IFE content and other information, transferring data using other techniques, such as radio frequency (RF) communications, has not been a practical or cost effective alternative because of the high bandwidth required for such a system to update the data within a commercial airline's average airport turnaround time constraint, which may typically be about an hour between successive flights. In the future, RF based systems may increase enough in speed to allow some of the high bandwidth data transfer to be performed wirelessly, but there may remain electro-magnetic interference (EMI), spectrum availability, and licensing issues with RF systems.
[0004] As a result, there is a need to be able to transfer large amounts of data (e.g., in-flight entertainment content) onto an airplane at higher data rates than currently possible through existing communications technologies. There is also a need to update IFE content on commercial airlines' aircraft without requiring the presence of maintenance personnel on-site to upload new content manually.
SUMMARY
[0005] According to one embodiment, a communications system includes a first transceiver at a first location, the first transceiver comprising a laser transmitter and a first receiver adapted to receive transmissions from a light emitting diode (LED) transmitter; and a second transceiver at a second location, the second transceiver comprising the LED transmitter and a second receiver adapted to receive transmissions from the laser transmitter. The first transceiver and the second transceiver establish an asymmetric free space optical communications link having a higher bandwidth from the first location to the second location than from the second location to the first location.
[0006] According to another embodiment, a free space optical communications system includes a first transmitter on a ground location; a first receiver on an aircraft adapted to receive transmissions from the first transmitter at a first bandwidth; a second transmitter on the aircraft; and a second receiver on the ground location adapted to receive transmissions from the second transmitter at a second bandwidth. The first bandwidth is higher than the second bandwidth so that the transmitter and receiver on the airplane side are lighter than the transmitter and receiver on the ground side.
[0007] According to another embodiment, a method includes communicating using laser light at a first bandwidth on a downlink to an aircraft from a ground location; and communicating using LED light at a second bandwidth on an uplink from the aircraft to the ground location, in which the first bandwidth is higher than the second bandwidth.
[0008] The scope of the disclosure is defined by the claims, which are incorporated into this section by reference. A more complete understanding of embodiments will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages thereof, by a consideration of the following detailed description of one or more embodiments. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings that will first be described briefly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a pictorial diagram illustrating a ground terminal to aircraft free space optical communications system in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 2A is a system block diagram illustrating a ground side for the communication system shown in FIG. 1 .
[0011] FIG. 2B is a system block diagram illustrating an aircraft side for the communication system shown in FIG. 1 .
[0012] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for ground terminal to aircraft communications in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0013] Embodiments and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods disclosed herein provide for high speed free space optical (FSO) communications between an aircraft and ground systems (e.g., at a ground terminal at an airport) allowing the transfer of high bandwidth data (e.g., in-flight entertainment (IFE) content) when the aircraft is parked at a gate or jetway to transfer data through the use of an asymmetric data link. In one embodiment, a laser based optical transmitter and photo diode receiver communicate from the airport side of an FSO communications system, and a small blade shaped antenna operates from the aircraft side with a light emitting diode (LED) based transmitter and receiver adapted to receive laser signals. Embodiments may be useful to commercial airlines by allowing them to streamline their current processes regarding the updating of large volumes of data involved with in-flight-entertainment content by wirelessly transferring large volumes of data to an aircraft in a short amount of time. Currently, airlines are forced to send maintenance personnel out to each airplane in order to manually update IFE content, which can be time consuming, expensive, and can slow down the turnaround time between successive flights for airplanes at a gate. Transfer of this large data volume content is not currently possible within the existing time constraints for airliner turnaround using existing RF wireless systems. Using an embodiment, wireless data transfers can be made at very high data rates, allowing the updating of IFE content, as well as additional ground-to-aircraft data transfers, with a high enough throughput to meet the airline's operational constraints such as turnaround time. In addition, due to the fact that embodiments use optical technology as opposed to RF communications, there are no spectrum availability and licensing requirements and no problems with radio frequency electro-magnetic interference (EMI).
[0015] Current optical communications systems generally provide a symmetrical link between both transceivers, in contrast to embodiments of the present disclosure, which provide a high bandwidth link to the airplane, and a much lower but adequate level of bandwidth from the airplane. An embodiment of the present disclosure uses a combination, for example, of LEDs and lasers in an FSO communications system to provide an asymmetrical link with a much higher downlink (from the ground to the airplane) bandwidth than uplink bandwidth. By using an LED to transmit from the airplane side to the ground side (i.e., the uplink), more uncertainty in the alignment of the airplane can be tolerated and environmental factors (e.g., fog, absorption, scattering, physical obstructions, pointing stability, scintillation, solar interference) may have less effect on the performance of the uplink In addition, an embodiment using a combination of LEDs and lasers can be lighter than a system using laser transceivers on both sides of the system.
[0016] While no currently available FSO communications systems are specifically adapted toward use with commercial aircraft, communications systems that use optical technology on both ends of the system and in use in other environments often require large laser transceivers (which are impractical for an airplane) and provide symmetrical bandwidth. Existing commercial FSO communications systems are also adapted to much greater distances (up to several kilometers) than needed for a ground terminal to aircraft system so that the light (i.e., optical) beam of existing systems is too narrow as to allow for uncertainty in the alignment of the transceivers, an important consideration for a ground terminal to aircraft system.
[0017] Embodiments of the present disclosure are adapted specifically for transferring large amounts of data to an airplane under the predictable and reliable constraints when it is parked at the location of an airport gate Embodiments can be much faster and more efficient than current methods of having maintenance personnel upload updated WE data to the airplane manually, or transferring the data through existing RF communications links. Embodiments can also be much more efficient in terms of size and weight than implementations of existing FSO communication equipment on an aircraft.
[0018] FIG. 1 illustrates a ground terminal to aircraft communications system 100 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. As seen in FIG. 1 , an aircraft 102 (e.g., an airplane or commercial airliner) may be parked (i.e., stationary) at a ground terminal 104 and may have a limited amount of time (also referred to as turnaround time) in which to complete certain operations such as de-boarding and boarding passengers, cleaning the aircraft interior, loading food and baggage, refueling, and communicating informational data to and from the aircraft. Turnaround time may depend on airport and airline scheduling, may be reliable and predictable, and may typically take on the order of one-half to one and one-half hours.
[0019] Ground terminal to aircraft communications system 100 may include a ground side optical transceiver 106 , which may comprise a laser transmitter and an LED receiver. Ground side optical transceiver 106 may transmit a signal (also referred to as downlink signal) on a laser beam 108 to aircraft 102 . Laser beam 108 may have a beam width 109 with a minimum width of 1 to 5 degrees. Ground terminal to aircraft communications system 100 may include an aircraft side optical transceiver 110 , which may comprise an LED transmitter and a receiver adapted to receiving a signal on laser beam 108 . Aircraft side optical transceiver 110 may be housed in a blade shaped antenna structure 112 , which may, for example, reduce aerodynamic drag of transceiver 110 . Aircraft side optical transceiver 110 may transmit a signal (also referred to as uplink signal) on an LED beam 114 to ground terminal 104 . LED beam 114 may have a beam width 115 with a minimum width of 15 to 20 degrees.
[0020] Beam widths 109 , 115 may provide flexibility in the positioning of the location and directional alignment of aircraft 102 with respect to the location of ground terminal 104 and transceiver 106 in that the aircraft may be positioned with respect to the gate or ground terminal 104 in the usual manner—e.g., without any special considerations being given to communications system 100 —without affecting the signal quality or reliability of communications system 100 .
[0021] The laser transmitter of ground side optical transceiver 106 may transmit data at rates on the order of magnitude of 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and may be used to transmit ground-to-aircraft data, which may typically contain a large volume of information. For example, ground-to-aircraft data may include IFE data—such as movies, music, and TV shows—airport approach plates, Jeppesen charts, loadable software parts and configuration data; and airline modifiable information (AMIs). The LED transmitter of aircraft side optical transceiver 110 may transmit data with lower bandwidth requirements back to the ground side of the system at rates on the order of magnitude of 100 megabits (Mbps) per second or more and may be used to transmit aircraft-to-ground data, which may typically contain a smaller volume of information than that of ground-to-aircraft data. For example, aircraft-to-ground data may include maintenance data; operational information; trending data; and configuration data.
[0022] FIG. 2A illustrates ground side transceiver 106 for communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1 according to one embodiment. Ground side transceiver 106 may include a laser transmitter comprising a laser diode 120 . Laser diode 120 may, for example, operate to provide a laser beam (e.g., beam 108 ) at a power output of approximately 5 to 11 milliWatts (mW) at a wavelength, for example, of approximately 785 nanometers (nm). Laser diode 120 may transmit beam 108 through an auto-tracking optics 122 . Auto-tracking optics 122 may be used, for example, to direct the centerline of beam 108 within an angle of approximately plus-or-minus 10 degrees and may provide an additional flexibility in positioning and aligning aircraft 102 and tolerance for uncertainty in the alignment of the transceivers 106 , 110 .
[0023] Ground side transceiver 106 may include a photo-diode receiver 124 adapted to receive signals transmitted via an LED emitted optical (e.g., infrared, visible, or ultra-violet) beam such as LED beam 114 . Photo-diode receiver 124 may receive LED beam 114 through auto-tracking optics 122 . Auto-tracking optics 122 may be used in receiving, for example, as in the case of transmitting, to provide an additional flexibility in positioning and aligning aircraft 102 and tolerance for uncertainty in the alignment of the transceivers 106 , 110 by directing the centerline of beam 108 more directly toward the position of blade antenna 112 .
[0024] For transmitting, laser diode 120 may receive an input signal 125 from a signal processor 126 , which may be implemented, for example, using field programmable gate array (FPGA), digital signal processor (DSP), or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). For receiving, signal processor 126 may receive an input signal 127 from photo diode receiver 124 . Signal processor 126 may communicate with other ground systems or users via a network interface 128 , which may have capability, for example, to interface with 1 or 10 Gigabit Ethernet or a fiber optic communication system.
[0025] FIG. 2B illustrates aircraft side transceiver 110 for the communication system 100 shown in FIG. 1 according to one embodiment. Aircraft side transceiver 110 may include an LED transmitter 130 LED transmitter 130 may, for example, operate to provide an LED emitted optical beam (e.g., LED beam 114 ) at a power output of approximately 0.5 to 2 Watts (W) at a wavelength, for example, of approximately 785 nm. LED transmitter 130 may transmit LED beam 114 through a wide angle optics 132 . Wide angle optics 132 may be used, for example, to provide an additional flexibility in positioning and aligning aircraft 102 and tolerance for uncertainty in the alignment of the transceivers 106 , 110 by increasing the effective beam width on the aircraft side for both transmitting and receiving. Wide angle optics 132 may be effective for such a purpose at far less complexity, weight, and volume than auto-tracking optics 122 and may enable LED transmitter 130 , wide angle optics 132 , and photo-diode receiver 134 to be housed in an aerodynamically shaped blade antenna 112 mounted to the aircraft 102 , as seen in FIG. 1 .
[0026] Aircraft side transceiver 110 may include a photo-diode receiver 134 adapted to receive signals transmitted via laser beam such as laser beam 108 . Photo-diode receiver 134 may receive laser beam 108 through wide angle optics 132 .
[0027] For transmitting, LED transmitter 130 may receive an input signal 135 from signal processor 136 , which, like signal processor 126 , may be implemented, for example, using FPGA, DSP, or ASIC technology. For receiving, signal processor 136 may receive an input signal 137 from photo diode receiver 134 . Signal processor 136 may communicate with other aircraft systems or users via a network interface 138 , which may have capability, for example, to interface with 1 or 10 Gigabit Ethernet or a fiber optic communication system aboard the aircraft 102 .
[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates a method for ground terminal to aircraft communications in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. At block 302 , the method of FIG. 3 may transmit data at a first, higher bandwidth (e.g., suitable for completing transmission of a relatively larger amount of data comprising ground-to-aircraft data—such as WE data—within an aircraft turnaround time constraint) using laser light (e.g., laser beam 108 ) and a narrow beam width (e.g., about 1 to 5 degrees minimum beam width compared to 15 to 20 degrees minimum beam width for the aircraft side) from a ground side device (e.g., ground side transceiver 106 ) to an aircraft side device (e.g., aircraft side transceiver 110 ).
[0029] At block 303 , the high bandwidth data is processed by the aircraft, such as receiving the data via a suitable antenna and wide-range optics. The data may then be further processed and stored for use, such as in presenting IFE to passengers.
[0030] At block 304 , the method of FIG. 3 may transmit data at a lower bandwidth (e.g., suitable for completing transmission of a relatively lesser amount of data comprising aircraft-to-ground data—such as maintenance data; operational information; trending and configuration data—within an aircraft turnaround time constraint) using LED light (e.g., LED beam 114 ) and a wide beam width (e.g., about 15 to 20 degrees minimum beam width compared to 1 to 5 degrees minimum beam width for the ground side) from an aircraft side device (e.g., aircraft side transceiver 110 ) to a ground side device (e.g., ground side transceiver 106 ).
[0031] At block 305 , the lower bandwidth data is processed by the ground station, such as receiving the data via a suitable antenna and auto-tracking optics. The ground station may then further process the data for appropriate use.
[0032] Because data is transmitted from the aircraft side device (e.g., aircraft side transceiver 110 ) at lower bandwidth and wider beam width (e.g., as just described), the aircraft side device 110 can be made to weigh less than that of a comparable symmetric system, occupy less volume (e.g., allowing aircraft side transmitter, receiver, and wide angle optics to be housed in blade antenna 112 ), and consume less power than a comparable symmetric system.
[0033] Embodiments described herein illustrate but do not limit the disclosure. For example, specific beam widths and powers, as well as specific types of transmitting frequencies, are described. However, other combinations may also be suitable, such that an asymmetric system may be implemented in which high bandwidth data is capable of being transmitted in one direction, while a lower bandwidth data and lower power transmission is capable of being transmitted in the other direction. It should also be understood that numerous modifications and variations are possible in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure is defined only by the following claims. | A free space optical communications link is established, for example, between a commercial aircraft and an airport ground terminal unit, the link being asymmetric in the sense that a downlink to the aircraft has a much higher bandwidth than the reverse link from the aircraft so that the system is adapted for quickly loading large amounts of data (e.g., in-flight entertainment) onto the aircraft while still providing enough bandwidth for the lesser amounts of data (e.g., maintenance data) required to be transmitted from the aircraft to ground. Such adaptation provides significant benefits over standard, commercially available, free space optical communications systems. For example, equipment on the aircraft can be much smaller and lighter than ground unit equipment; and the communications link can allow for greater uncertainty in the alignment of the optical transceivers than do current free space optical communication systems and can allow for operation in harsher environmental conditions. | 7 |
PRIOR ART OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates to cross-linked and retarded fracture fluids based on return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, and methods for using fracture fluids of subterranean formations drilled by production wells.
Description of Prior Art
[0002] Petroleum and gas wells are often submitted to hydraulic fracture operations to increase petroleum and natural gas flow from subterranean formations. Hydraulic fracture is achieved by injecting a viscous fracture fluid through the well tubing in a subterranean formation to be fractured, and the application of enough fluid pressure in the formation to produce one or more fractures thereon. The fracture fluid may be prepared using return water, production water, sea water, fresh water or mixtures thereof, to hydrate a gelling agent and form a viscous aqueous fluid. In order to promote the appropriate viscosity for increasing well depths, buffers and cross-linking agents, such as compounds with borate ion release capacity, may be incorporated in fracture fluids.
[0003] Borate cross-linked fracture fluids based on return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof show a satisfactory performance in fracture applications at low to medium temperature, up to a range of to 120° C. (200 to 250° F.). At these temperatures, the pH required to form a sufficiently cross-linked gel is within the range of 8.5 to 9.5. In general, the sufficiently cross-linked gel may be defined as having a reference viscosity of about 100 centipoise or more at a shear rate of 100/sec. In order to form a sufficiently cross-linked gel for use at formation temperatures within a range higher than 90 to 120° C. (200 to 250° F.), the initial pH of a borate cross-linked fracture fluid should be within a range higher than 8.5 to 9.5. The pH elevation of fracture fluid at a level higher than 9.5 has, however, some operating problems. For example, the return water, production water, sea water, fresh water or mixtures thereof has multivalent ions such as calcium and magnesium ions, that form insoluble precipitates at a higher pH within a range of 9.5 to 10.0, in case no chelating or sequestering agents are used that inhibit multivalent ions. The presence of solid precipitates reduces the package effective conductivity of supporting agent inside the fracture, and eventually, thus affects the productivity of fracture operation.
[0004] In order to carry out deeper fracture operations, it is desired to delay the cross-linking of the fracture fluid. Particularly, a delayed cross-linking is advantageous in fracturing formations when these operations are generally performed at lower injection speeds caused by limitations in pumping equipment. The reduction of injection speeds, typically of about 1589.9 L/minute (10 barrels/minute) or less, lead to an increase in transit times. Transit time means to the time required by the fracture fluid to travel from the surface pumping equipment to the formation to be fractured. In general, it is desired that the cross-linking occurs near the final transit time as fluid reaches the formation to be fractured. If the cross-linking is produced too soon, the increase in fracture fluid viscosity will increase the loss on friction in tubings and will produce an increase in pumping pressures. In order to overcome these problems, the fracture fluid cross-linking is delayed until the fluid reaches a location near the formation to be fractured. On the other hand, this same analysis may be applied to this type of formation fracture operations when they are generally performed at higher injection speeds. Higher injection speeds, typically of 7949.4-11924 L/minute (50-75 barrels/minute) or more, lead to an increase tubing friction.
[0005] For these and other reasons understood by those skilled in the art, there is a need for a fracture fluid based on return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, that avoids the formation of precipitates and forms delayed fluids in fracture operations at low, medium and high temperature.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 represents the results of tests carried out to verify the rheological behavior with a cross-linked gel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides cross-linked fracture fluids and methods of use of said fluids to fracture subterranean formations meeting the above described needs and overcome the deficiencies of prior art. The fracture fluids and methods of the invention are particularly useful for use in petroleum and gas fields where the return and production water management have involved different complications such as on those fields where there are no injecting wells or where the water production flow was exceeded over the injection flows. Even though fluids are based on return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, the cross-linking may be delayed and controlled in order to facilitate the injection of fluid and to control other aspects of fracture operation.
[0008] In general embodiments, the composition of the invention is a delayed cross-linked fracture fluid with high temperature, comprising:
[0009] return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, present in at least enough amount to hydrate the gelling agent, thus forming a gellified aqueous fluid;
[0010] a gelling agent;
[0011] an iron control agent capable of controlling the presence of Iron and other metals such as Manganese, Cobalt, Copper, Molibdene, Tin, etc.;
[0012] a boron control agent capable of keeping the control of boron concentration in return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, in order to avoid any potential action of them on the cross-linking reaction;
[0013] an alkaline buffer capable of increasing the pH, even at low temperatures under high salinity and hardness conditions;
[0014] a cross-linking agent, capable of causing a delayed cross-linking of gelling agent at a pH within a range between 8.5 to 9.5, so that the delay in cross-linking is about 1 minute or more; and
[0015] a rupture system to “break” the fluid and improve the cleaning of the fracture;
[0016] the system may include many other additives as widely used in the art: biocides, clay stabilizers, surfactants, non-emulsifiers, return upgraders, temperature stabilizers, friction reducers, gas hydrate inhibitors, supporting agents return control, fluid loss control additives, foaming agents, coupling agents, supporting agent suspension additives, solvents, mutual solvents, paraffin/asphaltenes control additives, relative permeability modifiers, resin activators, incrustation inhibitors, and any other additive that may be useful for the design of specific stimulation work.
[0017] In an embodiment, the method of the invention for fracturing a subterranean formation penetrated by a well and having a temperature up to a range of 90 to 120° C. (200 to 250° F.), basically comprises the following stages:
[0018] (a) preparing a cross-linked and delayed fracture fluid based on return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof comprising a gelling agent; return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof present in at least an amount sufficient for hydrating the gelling agent, thus forming a gellified aqueous fluid; an iron control agent capable of controlling the presence of iron and other metals; a boron control agent capable of keeping the control of boron concentration in return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof; an alkaline buffer capable of increasing the pH, even at low concentrations under high salinity and hardness conditions; a cross-linking agent, capable of causing a delayed cross-linking of gelling agent at a pH within a range of 8.5 to 9.5, whereby the delay in cross-linking is of about 1 minute or more; and a rupture system to break the liquid and improve the cleaning of fracture; and
[0019] (b) introducing said fracture fluid in a subterranean formation at a speed and pressure with which subterranean formation fractures are formed.
[0020] Besides of fracturing subterranean formations, the fracturing fluids of the invention are also useful as regards other operations. For example, fluids may be used in combined fracture/engraving operations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0021] A main advantage of cross-linked fracture fluids of the present invention is that fluids may be prepared with return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof pumped from any source (injecting wells, elimination wells, oceans, seas, rivers, etc.) to the fracture operating site, no matter where the work is being done. As a result, the present compositions are cheap and easy to prepare, using either lot mixing procedures or on continuous pumping.
[0022] Another main advantage is that cross-linked fracture fluids of the present invention are stable at temperatures up to a range of 90 to 120° C. (200 to 250° F.) and at a pH within a range of 8.5 to 9.5. Due to a lower pH, fluids are compatible with enzymatic rupture agents, and calcium and magnesium salts remain in solution. Also, when gelling agent has been hydrated with return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, the fracture fluid gives a delay in cross-linking, which is suitable to fracture subterranean formations at deeper heights and/or with lower pumping flows. Thus, the fracture fluid has an initial viscosity which is high enough for the transport of supporting agent, but it is not so high as to difficult pumping.
[0023] Generally, the cross-linked fracture fluids of the present invention comprise a gelling agent; return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof present in at least an amount sufficient for hydrating the gelling agent, thus forming a gellified aqueous fluid; an iron control agent capable of controlling the presence of iron and other metals; a boron control agent capable of keeping the control of boron concentration in return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof; an alkaline buffer capable of increasing the pH, even at low concentrations under high salinity and hardness conditions; a cross-linking agent, capable of causing a delayed cross-linking of gelling agent at a pH within a range of 8.5 to 9.5, whereby the delay in cross-linking is of about 1 minute or more; and a rupture system to break the liquid and improve the cleaning of fracture.
[0024] Suitable gelling agents include galactomannan gums, modified or derived galactomannan gums and derivatives of cellulose. Additional examples of gelling agents that may be used in the present invention include, but are not limited to, guar gum, hydroxypropyl guar, carboxymethylhydroxypropyl guar, carboxymethyl guar, carboxymethyl cellulose, carboxymethyl hydroxyethyl cellulose, and mixtures thereof. Preferred gelling agents include guar gum and hydroxypropylguar. Also, other natural or synthetic polymers well known in the art, but which are not specifically mentioned herein, may be used.
[0025] Gelling agent is present in fracture fluid in the range of 25.75 to 103.02 Kg/m 3 (15 to 60 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, preferably from 34.34 to 77.27 Kg/m 3 (20 to pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, and most preferably from 42.92 to 61 Kg/m 3 (25 to 35 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof.
[0026] Return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, is present in at least enough amount to hydrate the gelling agent, thus forming a gellified aqueous fluid.
[0027] Fracture fluids of the present invention comprise an iron control agent capable of controlling the presence of Iron and other metals such as Manganese, Cobalt, Copper, Molibdene, Tin, etc. Suitable iron control or chelating agents include, but are not limited to, chelating compound agents such as, for example, thiourea; ethylenediamino tetraacetic acid (EDTA); propylenediamine tetraacetic acid (PDTA); nitrile triacetic acid (NTA); (2-hydroxyethyl)ethylenediamino triacetic acid (HEDTA); cyclohexylenediamino tetraacetic acid (CDTA); diphenylamino sulfonic acid (DPAS); ethylenediamino-di(or-hydroxyphenylacetic) acid (EDDHA); salicilic acid; sulfosalicilic acid; glycoheptanoic acid; gluconic acid; ascorbic acid; erytorbic acid; fumaric acid; citric acid; sulfamic acid; maleic acid; formic acid; lactic acid; phthalic acid; tartaric acid; thiocyanic acid; methylglycine diacetic acid (MGDA); 3-alaninediacetic acid (3-ADA); ethylenediaminosuccinic acid; S,S-ethylenediaminosuccinic acid (EDDS); iminodisuccinic acid (IDS); hydroxyiminodisuccinic acid (HIDS); polyaminoduccinic acids; N-bis[2-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl) ethyl]glycine (BCA6); N-bis [2-(1,2-dicarboxyethoxy)ethyl]aspartic acid (BCA5); N-bis[2-(1,2-dicarboxyethoxy)ethyl]methylglycine (MCBAS); N-tris[(1,2dicarboxyethoxy)ethyl]amine (TCA6); N-methyliminodiacetic acid (MIDA); iminodiacetic acid (IDA); N-(2-acetamido)iminodiacetic acid (ADA); hydroxyethyl-iminodiacetic acid; 2-(2-carboxyethylamino)succinic acid (CEAA); 2-(2-carboxymethylamino)succinic acid (CMAA); o diethylentriamino-N,N″-disuccinic; triethylenetetramino-N,N″′-disuccinic acid; 1,6-hexamethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid; tetraethylenepentamino-N, N″″-disuccinic acid; 2-hydroxypropylen-1,3-diamino-N,N′-disuccinic acid; 1,2-propylenediamino-N,N′-disuccinic acid; 1,3-propylenediamino-N,N′-disuccinic acid; cis-cyclohexanodiamino-N,N′-disuccinic acid; trans-cyclohexanodiamino-N,N′-disuccinic acid; ethylene-bis(oxyethylenenitrile)-N,N′-disuccinic acid; cisteic-N,N-acid diacetic acid; cisteic-N-monoacetic acid; alanine-N-monoacetic acid; acidN-(3-hydroxysuccinil)aspartic; N-[2-(3-hydroxysuccinil)]-L-serine; aspartic-N,N-acid diacetic acid; aspartic acid-N-monoacetic acid; dithyiocarbamate compositions; any salt thereof, any derivative thereof, any mixture thereof and the like.
[0028] It has been found that alkylenediphosphonic acids, any salt thereof, any derivative thereof, any mixture thereof and the like, are effective for this invention as iron inhibitor agents and similar substances. The exemplary alkilene diphospnonic acid compounds include, but are not limited to, acetic methylene diphosphonic acid; acetic ethylidene diphosphonic acid; acetic isopropylidene diphosphonic acid; acetic 1-hidroxy etylidenediphosphonic acid; acetic hexamethylene diphosphonic acid; acetic trimethylene diphosphonic acid; acetic decamethylene diphosphonic acid; acetic 1-hidroxy propylidene diphosphonic acid; acetic 1,6-dihydroxy acid, 1,6-dimethyl, hexanethylene diphosphonic acid; acetic 1,4-dihydroxy acid, 1,4-dietil, tetramethylene diphosphonic; acetic 1,3-dihydroxy acid, 1,3-dipropyl, trimethylene diphosphonic acid; acetic 1,4-dibuthyl acid, tetramethylene diphosphonic acid; acetic dihydroxy acid, diethyl, ethylene diphosphonic acid; acetic tetrabutyl butylenediphosphonic acid; acetic 4-hydroxy acid, 6-ethyl, Hexamethylene diphosphonic acid. Preferred iron control agents are formic acid, sulphamic acid, gluconic acid and thiocyanic acid.
[0029] The iron control agent is generally present in fracture fluid in the range of 0 to 85.85 Kg/m 3 (0 to 50 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, preferably from 1.72 to 42.93 Kg/m 3 (1 to 25 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, and most preferably from 4.29 to 25.76 Kg/m 3 (2.5 to pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof.
[0030] Fracture fluids of the present invention comprise a boron control agent capable of keeping the control of boron concentration in return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, in order to avoid any potential action of them on the cross-linking reaction. Said boron control agent may be selected from the group consisting of “polyhydric alcohols” or “polyols”.
[0031] As used in this specification, by terms “polyhydric alcohol” or “polyols” is meant an organic compound having adjacent hydroxyl groups in a cis orientation, i.e., cis-hydroxyls. Therefore, the polyol may comprise materials such as saccharides, including, but not limited to, monosaccharides, oligosaccharides having a molecular weight up to 2000, and polysaccharides having natural and synthetic gums. Also included in the term “polyols” are the acid, acid salt, ester, hydrogenation derivatives and polyol amine provided that the polyol has and continues having at least one set of cis-hydroxyl groups. For example, glucose is a monosaccharide. Monosaccharides are any of different simple sugars having formula C 6 H 12 O 6 . Gluconic acid is the acid derived from glucose. A gluconate, for example, sodium gluconate, is the gluconic acid salt. Therefore, a gluconate is the salt of an acid derivate of a saccharide. Mannitol and sorbitol are both hexahydroxyl alcohols with an hydroxyl group as the carbon atom, and both of them are glucose hydrogenation derivatives, which is a monosaccharide or, generically, a saccharide.
[0032] Suitable polyols are those providing the suitable interaction with bore in return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, and stabilizing the fracture fluid under the final use conditions of fracture process. Suitable polyols are preferably those having an equilibrium constant of the complex in the same range of guar derivatives or guar gum (Keq at leasts 10 3 , preferably at least 10 4 ). Examples of such suitable polyols include fructose, sorbitol, gluconic acid and their salts, for example, sodium gluconate, glucoheptanoic acid and its salts, for example, sodium glucoheptanoate, mannitol, ribose, arabinose and xilose. Polyols that have shown not to be suitable for guar or guar gum derivatives, but that may be useful for other polymers, include glucose, ethylene glycol, glycerol, mannose, ramnose, galactose, tartaric acid, citric acid, EDTA.
[0033] The boron control agent is generally present in fracture fluid in the range of 0 to 17.17 Kg/m 3 (0 to 10 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, preferably from 0.086 to 8.58 Kg/m3 (0.05 to 5 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, and most preferably from 0.17 to 4.29 Kg/m3 (0.1 to 2.5 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof.
[0034] Fracture fluids of the present invention comprise an alkaline buffer capable of increasing pH, even at low concentrations under high salinity and hardness conditions, said alkaline buffer is selected from the group consisting of mono-, di-, tri- and/or polyamines, mono-, di-, tri- and/or poli-substituted, and/or mixtures thereof. Suitable alkaline buffers include, but are not limited to, methylamine; dimethylamine; trimethylamine; ethylamine; diethylamine; triethylamine; n-butylamine; n-decylamine; dodecylamine (DDA); monoethanolamina (MEA); diethanolamina (DEA); triethanolamina (TEA); diisopropylamine; tetramethylenediamine (TMDA); hexamethylenediamine (HMD); 1,6-hexanediamine; diethylenetriaminea (DETA); triethylenetetramine (TETA); hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA); tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA); pentaethylenehexaminea (PEHA); and mixtures thereof. From these, monoethanolamine (MEA); diethanolamine (DEA); triethanolamine (TEA); hexamethylenediamine (HMD); diethylenetriamine (DETA), and/or mixtures thereof are preferred.
[0035] The alkaline buffer is generally present in fracture fluid in the range of 0 to 34.34 Kg/m 3 (0 to 20 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, preferably from 0.86 to 25.75 Kg/m 3 (0.5 to 15 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, and most preferably from 1.71 to 17.17 Kg/m 3 (1 to pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof.
[0036] The cross-linking agent used in the present invention is able to cause a delay in cross-linking of the gelling agent at a pH within the range of 8.5 to 9.5 for tubing transit times higher than 5 minutes. Therefore, the delay in cross-linking exhibited by the compositions of the present invention is about 5 minutes or more. Suitable cross-linking agents include, but are not limited to, boron oxide, boric acid, boronic acids, methaborate salts, octoborate salts, tetraborate salts, Colemanite, Florovite, Ginorite, Gowerite, Hydroboracite, Inderborite, Inderite, Inyoite, Kaliborite (Heitzite), Kurnakovite, Meyerhoffeirite, Nobleite, Paternoite, Pinnoite, Preobrazhenskite, Priceite, Probertite, Tertschite, Ulexite, Veatchite and mixtures thereof. From these, Ulexite, Hydroboracite, boric acid, metaborate salts, octoborate salts, tetraborate salts, and/or mixtures thereof are preferred. The used cross-linking agent consists of a concentrated suspension having an equivalent concentration of 15 to 18% B 2 O 3 . The delayed cross-linking agent is generally combined with the gellified aqueous fluid in a sufficient amount to provide for a boron concentration in the range of 0.01 to 0.1 percent by weight of said gelling agent.
[0037] Supporting agents may also be added to the fracture fluids of the present invention in order to keep fractures open after the fracturing fluid flows again inside the well. Generally, the supporting agents should have enough resistance to compression to resist flattening, but also they should be enough non-abrasive and non-angular to prevent the shear and incrustation in formation. Suitable supporting agents examples include, but are not limited to, sands, graduated loose stones, glass beads, sinterized bauxites, resin sinterized bauxites, resin sands, ceramics and resin ceramics. Supporting agents may be present in the composition of the invention in an amount in the range from 0 to 2.99 kg/L (0 to 25 pounds per gallon), preferably in an amount in the range from 0.012 to 2.16 kg/L (0.1 to 18 pounds per gallon), and most preferably in an amount in the range from 0.03 to 1.44 kg/L (0.25 to 12 pounds per gallon).
[0038] Fracturing fluids of the present invention also comprise a gel disruptor that “breaks” or reduces the viscosity of the fracturing fluid so that it can easily recover from the fracture during cleaning. Examples of suitable disruptors for use with fracturing fluids of the invention incude oxidating agents, enzymes, acids and esters. The most preferred combination being the one made of oxidating agents and esters. The application of disruptors based on esters also provides another advantage to the fluid of the present invention: esters cleave the carboxilic acids after being exposed to the well bottom conditions. The presence of acid in th fluid will reduce the pH to destabilize the fluid and improve the viscosity reduction but, at the same time will help reducing the probability for the formation of incrustations. The oxidating tel disruptor is generally present in fracture fluid in the range of 0 to 34.34 Kg/m 3 (0 to 20 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, preferably from 8.58 to 25.76 Kg/m 3 (5 to 15 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, and most preferably from 8.58 to 17.17 Kg/m 3 (5 to 10 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof. The ester type oxidating tel disruptor is generally present in fracture fluid in the range of 0 to 17.17 Kg/m 3 (0 to 10 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, preferably from 0.43 to 8.58 Kg/m 3 (0.25 to 5 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, and most preferably from 0.43 to 4.29 Kg/m 3 (0.25 to 2.5 pounds per 1000 gallons) of return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof.
[0039] The fracturing fluid may include a variety of other conventional additives, such as biocides, clay stabilizers, surfactants, non-emulsifiers, return upgraders, temperature stabilizers, friction reducers, gas hydrate inhibitors, supporting agents return control, fluid loss control additives, foaming agents, coupling agents, suspension additive supporting agents, solvents, mutual solvents, paraffin/asphaltenes control additives, relative permeability modifiers, resin activators, incrustation inhibitors, and the like, that may be useful for the design of specific stimulation work, which do not unfavorably react with the fracturing fluids or do not affect their properties in an non-desired way.
[0040] All the components of the present invention may be manufactured and manipulated in solid presentations, aqueous solutions, aqueous suspensions, non-aqueous solutions, non-aqueous suspensions. At the same time, one or more specific additives per se or mixed with one or more additives to reduce the number of products to be dosed during operations.
[0041] Cross-linked fracturing fluids of the present invention may be prepared by dissolving a gelling agent in return water, production water, sea water, fresh water or mixtures thereof to form a gellified aqueous fluid, and by the combination of the gellified aqueous fluid of a delayed cross-linking agent, able to cause a delay in cross-linking of gelling agent at a pH within the range of 8.5 to 9.5. The gelling agent is added to the return water, production water, sea water, fresh water or mixtures thereof, either as a solid or as a liquid gel concentrate in a pre-hydrated form or in suspension using conventional mixing processes and pumping equipment. Then, the delayed cross-linking composition is combined with the gellified aqueous fluid. As it is understood by those skilled in the art, the cross-linking agent may be pumped and dosed in the gellified aqueous fluid as the gellified aqueous fluid is pumped into the well.
[0042] The present invention also provides a method for fracturing a subterranean formation penetrated by a well and having a temperature up to a range of 90 to 120° C. (200 to 250° F.), which basically comprises the following stages: (a) preparing a cross-linked and delayed fracture fluid based on return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixture thereof comprising a gelling agent; return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof present in at least an amount sufficient for hydrating the gelling agent, thus forming a gellified aqueous fluid; an iron control agent capable of controlling the presence of iron and other metals; a boron control agent capable of keeping the control of boron concentration in return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof; an alkaline buffer capable of increasing the pH, even at low concentrations under high salinity and hardness conditions; a cross-linking agent, capable of causing a delayed cross-linking of gelling agent at a pH within a range of 8.5 to 9.5, whereby the delay in cross-linking is of about 1 minute or more; and a rupture system to break the liquid and improve the cleaning of fracture; and (b) introducing said fracturing fluid in a subterranean formation at a flow rate and pressure by means of which fractures are formed in the subterranean formation.
[0043] In order to additionally illustrate the compositions and methods of the present invention, the following examples are provided:
PERFORMANCE EXAMPLES
Example 1
Base Water
[0044] Base water was prepared by mixing 50% v/v of return water collected from a separation battery, with no treatment, and 50% of fresh river water (regular stimulation water), just before carrying out the following examples.
[0045] Below, Table 1 details the analysis of water for return water and the analysis for fresh river water:
[0000]
TABLE 1
Water Samples
Tests
Unit
Method
Return water
Fresh River Water
pH
—
S.M.4500 H-B
5.84
7.7
Temperature - In Situ
° C.
S.M.4500 H-B
15
17.8
Density at 25.5° C.
gr/cm 3
ASTM D-1429-86
1085
1
Conductivity at 25° C.
mS/cm
S.M.2510-B
147200
272
Resistivity at 25° C.
P/m
Stoichiometric
0.06793
36.76470
SH2 - In Situ
ppm
S.M. 4500 S-E
0.8
<0.5
CO2 - In Situ
ppm
S.M. 4500 CO2
123.2
4.4
Chlorides
ppm
S.M. 4500 Cl-B
75000
38
Sulphates
ppm
S.M. 4500 SO4-E
160
40
Carbonates
ppm
S.M. 2320 B
0
0
Bicarbonates
ppm
S.M. 2320 B
325.3
97
Calcium
ppm
S.M. 3500 Ca-D
18036
45.69
Magnesium
ppm
S.M. 3500-Mg-E
2431.2
13.12
Sodium
ppm
Stoichiometric
20419.94
0246
Total Iron - In Situ
ppm
S.M. 3500 Fe-D
176
0.34
Iron (II) - In Situ
ppm
S.M. 3500 Fe-D
132.6
0.22
Iron (III) - In Situ
ppm
S.M. 3500 Fe-D
43
0.12
Barium
ppm
S.M. 3500 Ba-C
0
0
Potassium
ppm
S.M. 3500 K-B
2245
4.45
Total Dissolved Solids
ppm
Stoichiometric
108538.87
238.85
Total Suspended Solids
ppm
S.M. 2540-D
80
28
Total hardness (CaCO 3 )
ppm
S.M. 2340-C
49000
168
Calcium Hardness (CaCO 3 )
ppm
Stoichiometric
45090
114.23
Magnesium Hardness (CaCO 3 )
ppm
Stoichiometric
3985.94
53792
Alkalinity at pH 4.5
ppm
Stoichiometric
266746
79.54
Total Hydrocarbons
ppm
EPA 418.1
21.25
0
Solids settling in 10 minutes
ml/L
Himhoff Cone
<0.05
1
Solids settling in 2 hours
ml/L
Himhoff Cone
<0.05
1
Lead
ppm
S.M. 4500 C
<0003
<0003
Cadmium
ppm
S.M.3500 Cd-D
<0003
<0003
Total chrome
ppm
S.M. 3500 Cr-D
<0002
<0002
Mercury
ppm
S.M. 3500 Hg-C
<0001
<0001
Arsenic
ppm
S.M.3500 Como-D
<0005
<0005
Boron
ppm
S.M. 4500 C
84.2
0.2
Manganese
ppm
S.M. 3500 Mn-D
35.49
0
Example 2
Linear Gel
[0046] The linear gel was mixed according to the following stages:
[0047] a) 250 ml of water mixed in Example 1 were added to a mixer jar.
[0048] b) The jar was placed in the mixer, and stirring was started at rpm enough to avoid the entrance of air in the fluid.
[0049] c) 0.05 gal/Mgal of a biocide were added (GTM BIOX L 01).
[0050] d) 2 gal/Mgal of a Clay Stabilizer were added (GTM CLAC L 02).
[0051] e) 2 gal/Mgal of a Non-Emulsifier were added (GTM SURF NE 02).
[0052] f) 0.5 gal/Mgal of a Boron control agent were added (ExtremeBoron 01).
[0053] g) 6.6 pounds/Mgal of an Iron control agent were added (ExtremeIron 02).
[0054] h) The pH of the mixture was tested to assure the polymer moistening (pH was 6.6).
[0055] i) 25 pounds/Mgal of Rapidly Moistening Guar Gum were added (GTM GA 01).
[0056] j) Stirring was constant for 5 minutes, and the gel was completely hydrated and was ready for cross-linking.
[0057] During the tests of the present invention, it was found that the polymer should be moistened only for the necessary time, under conditions equivalent to continuous pumping operations, just before performing the rheology test for cross-linked gels. An excess in time, will show a lower performance during tests, even if linear gel is stored in the refrigerator.
Example 3
Cross-Linked Gel
[0058] The cross-linked gel was mixed through the following steps, after completing Step (j) of Example 2 above.
[0059] a) 6.5 gal/Mgal of a delayed cross-linking agent were added (ExtremeLink 01).
[0060] b) 5 gal/Mgal of alkaline buffer were added (ExtremeBuffer 01).
[0061] c) Stirring was kept to observe the vortex closing time, i.e., a range of 35 to 55 seconds.
[0062] d) Stirring was kept to observe the crown forming time, i.e., a range of 45 to 65 seconds.
[0063] e) Stirring was stopped and the cross-linked gel was stirred by “cup to cup” movement in order to observe the tongue formation time, i.e., a range of 50 to 75 seconds or less.
[0064] f) The pH of cross-linked gel was proved to assure the good value in order to avoid any incrustation formation (pH 9.4).
Example 4
Cross-Linked Gel Test
[0065] The cross-linked gel from Example 3 was tested through the following steps:
[0066] a) An aliquot of 52 ml of cross-linked gel was transferred to the rotor (R1) of a Model M5600 Grace Instruments rheometer.
[0067] b) The rotor containing the fluid sample was enclosed to the viscosimeter equipped with a bob B5.
[0068] c) Fluid sample was pressurized at 27.58 Bar (400 psi), and the bath pre-heated in the rheometer was placed in the test position.
[0069] d) The rotor was started at 601 rpm, providing a shear rate of 511/s for 3 minutes, and it was then reduced to 118 rpm, supplying a shear rate of 100/s to the end of the test. The rheometer was programmed to keep a constant shear speed of 100/s on the fluid test, except when the shear rate ramp is performed. A shear rate scan was programmed to be performed at 100, 75, 50, 25, 50, 75, and 100/s every 10 minutes after the fluid test reached a temperature to a range from 90 to 120° C. (200 to 250° F.). The apparent viscosity test results are shown in FIG. 1 .
[0070] e) The shear stress was recorded at each shear rate. The strength profile rates were recorded, n′ and K′, from the rheometer software. These rates are defined in the RP39 publication by the American Petroleum Institute (API), 3rd edition, Section 6. The results for these calculations and the apparent viscosity of the tests at each shear rate are shown in Table 2.
[0071] Generally, it is assumed that fluids with a viscosity higher than 100 centipoise at 100/s are suitable for fracture operations. The stability of a fracture fluid is defined in terms of its capacity to keep a suitable viscosity during a prolonged period at a given temperature. With reference to Table 2, data shows that the fluid based on a mixture of untreated return water and fresh water formulated through the examples has a viscosity higher than 350 centipoise at 100/s after 90 minutes at a temperature to a range from 90 to 120° C. (200 to 250° F.). Therefore, data illustrates that cross-linked fracturing fluids based on return water of the present invention are stable for prolonged periods of time at temperatures higher than 93° C. (200° F.)
[0000]
TABLE 2
Detn.
Visc at
Visc at
Visc at
Time
Temperature
Coeff.
K′ Slot
40/s
100/s
170/s
(min)
(° C.)
N′
(R 2 )
(lbf · s n /100 ft 2 )
(cP)
(cP)
(cP)
17
93
0.486727
0.8009
9.856105
789.19
485.93
358.09
27
93
0.419027
0.9015
14.923544
838.06
492.13
361.57
37.1
93
0.362242
0.9449
19.387187
882.96
492.21
350.9
47.1
93
0.422955
0.8877
14.31432
815.58
480.66
353.88
57.1
93
0.451181
0.8856
12.577644
795.27
480.97
359.45
67.2
93
0.435852
0.8715
13.539879
809.04
482.47
357.66
77.2
93
0.47026
0.9335
11.498147
780.02
480.07
362.43
87.2
93
0.357802
0.8778
18.771047
841.01
466.92
332.09 | The present invention provides cross-linked fracture fluids that allow for reusing return water with no treatment, minimizing the environmental impact thereof and reducing the use of fresh water to very low levels to stimulate wells or re-stimulate wells stimulated in the past. Preparation and use methods of said fluids in fractured subterranean formations drilled by wells, based on return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof, are provided. Fluids are basically composed of: return water, production water, sea water, fresh water and mixtures thereof present in a sufficient amount to moisten the gelling agent and to form a gellified aqueous agent; a gelling agent; an iron control agent; an alkaline buffer; a delayed cross-linking agent, and a rupture system to “break” the fluid and improve fracture cleaning. | 2 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a yarn processing system allowing high insertion speeds for different yarn qualities.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The yarn tension target profile for the insertion cycles has to be adjusted during the first setting-up or after a changeover of the yarn processing system to another yarn quality (style change). A yarn tension target profile is selected which guarantees optimal insertion frequency and insertion speed with a minimum number of yarn breakages for the respective yarn quality. The yarn tension is influenced by a plurality of parameters, e.g. the withdrawal tension from the yarn feeding device, the braking effect of the yarn brake, the type and function of the insertion device of the textile machine, the yarn quality, and the like.
[0003] Even characteristics of the yarn like the rubbing property, the diameter, the elasticity, or the density are decisive for the resulting yarn tension profile. Those parameters need certain adjustments e.g. at braking devices influencing the yarn tension. Deviations from the set yarn tension profile needing compensation may even sometimes occur during operation of the yarn processing system, e.g. caused by different diameters of the supply bobbins, fluctuating yarn characteristics and differently spooled supply bobbins. The textile machine ought to process the yarn as quickly as possible for obvious reasons. In case of weak yarns the strength of the yarn sets a limit. If then the machine speed is raised beyond a critical limit the number of yarn breakages increases exponentially. The highest tension peaks caused by the high insertion speed may be reduced by means of a controlled yarn brake such that the tension remains close to lower values during particularly critical phases of the insertion. For this purpose high grade controllable and adjustable yarn brakes already exist. The precise setting of those yarn brakes is complicated such that they gained only limited positive influences on the processing efficiency in the yarn processing system in practice. Controlled yarn brakes can be adjusted optimally only with the information of the actual tension or the actual tension profile, respectively, during an insertion cycle. The information on the yarn tension can be obtained with the help of the tensiometer. The tensiometer, however, means an additional yarn friction angle during the measurement of the yarn tension. This additional friction angle, caused by the tensiometer, may mean a catastrophe for weak yarns, because the additional tension generated by the tensiometer increases the likelihood of yarn breakages dramatically such that the tensiometer cannot be used for a continuous operation of the yarn processing system with weak yarns. In the setting phase and until an optimal yarn tension target profile is adjusted this disadvantageous influence of the tensiometer on weak yarns, however, can be tolerated. Stronger yarns, which are processed with the help of a controlled yarn brake, to the contrary, can stand the detrimental influence of the tensiometer without an increase of the likelihood of yarn breakages even during constant operation.
[0004] It is known to employ a portable tensiometer which is put in the yarn path, measures the yarn tension, and, in some cases, shows the yarn tension on a laptop. The tensiometer is used for a number of insertion cycles which is representative of the adjustment of the yarn tension target profile, in order to adjust e.g. the withdrawal tension at the yarn feeding device, the braking level or timing of the yarn brake, and the like. During this adjustment phase yarn breakages or other disturbances may occur to a certain extent, until finally the optimal yarn tension target profile is found and established.
[0005] A yarn processing system known from EP 0 357 975A (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,648) employs a controlled yarn brake which is operated with the help of a tensiometer which is placed permanently in the yarn path. The tensiometer, permanently operating in its detection position would allow to adjust an optimal yarn tension target profile, however, the influence of the tensiometer is a drawback for weak yarn qualities because of the additional yarn deflection and yarn friction.
[0006] EP 0 605 550 A (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,094) discloses a yarn processing system having a tensiometer which is permanently associated to a controlled yarn brake and which is adjustable between a passive position and a detection position. Since the tensiometer is adjusted to the detection position only temporarily during each insertion cycle, namely when simultaneously the yarn brake is operating, no information on the yarn tension is available when the yarn brake does not brake. So to speak, the tensiometer only is able to measure a restricted section of the yarn tension profile during an insertion cycle. For an adjustment of an optimal yarn tension target profile, however, both the development and the course of the yarn tension during the entire insertion cycle are needed.
[0007] It is an object of the invention to provide a yarn processing system as disclosed at the beginning which allows high insertion speeds for different yarn qualities and with a minimal yarn breakage quota only.
[0008] Said object can be achieved by a yarn processing system comprising at least one yarn feeding device associated to a yarn channel, a textile machine like a weaving machine or a knitting machine, a yarn brake in the yarn path between the yarn feeding device and the textile machine, which yarn brake at least is adjustable, and a tensiometer at least for measuring the yarn tension, which tensiometer scans the yarn downstream of the yarn brake, which tensiometer is provided permanently in the yarn path and is switchable between a passive position and at least one detection position, and which tensiometer can be selectively switched from the respective detection position into the passive position after a number of insertion cycles has occurred which number is representative at least for the adjustment of a yarn tension target profile.
[0009] As soon as the tensiometer is switched over to the detection position, the tensiometer monitors the development and the course of the yarn tension during the entire insertion cycle. The tensiometer remains in the detection position for a representative number of insertion cycles, typically for about 50 to 100 insertion cycles, until the optimal yarn tension target profile is adjusted by varying the parameters influencing the yarn tension. The optimal yarn tension target profile is a target profile which assures a minimum number of yarn breakages in case of optimal high insertion speeds. In case of strong yarn qualities the tensiometer may remain in the detection position after the adjustment, in order further on to provide permanent information on the yarn tension, because strong yarn qualities can stand the additional friction caused by the tensiometer. However, as the tensiometer selectively can be readjusted to the passive position, an optimal yarn tension target profile can be adjusted even for weak yarn qualities, in some cases first with disturbances caused by the tensiometer. The finally found yarn tension target profile guarantees a minimal yarn breakage quota for an optimal high insertion speed, however, and after the tensiometer has been switched back to the passive position. The short period of time during which the weak yarn has to stand the additional friction does not mean a significant reduction of the efficiency of the textile machine. In the case that for strong yarn qualities the tensiometer is maintained in the detection position, even during constant operation new adjustments of the parameters may be carried out, e.g. at the controlled yarn brake, when e.g. the quota of yarn breakages should have increased as a consequence of the above-described influences. In case of a non-controlled yarn brake the tension measured by the tensiometer in the detection position may be used with the help of graphical or numerical displays to manually adapt the braking level of the yarn brake.
[0010] The switchable tensiometer, expediently, is associated to a yarn brake operating with an adjustable braking level which remains unchanged during the insertion cycle, in order to vary the braking level until an optimal yarn tension target profile could be found, or is associated to a controlled yarn brake, respectively, which allows to vary the braking effect during one and the same insertion cycle. The timing and/or the braking level of the controlled yarn brake can be adjusted with the help of the information from the tensiometer.
[0011] The tensiometer, advantageously, is directly connected to an adjustment device of the yarn brake such that it may operate in a closed regulation loop with feedback. In this case a computerised control device or braking level adjustment device of the yarn brake are expedient which responds to the measured yarn tension in some cases in a correcting fashion.
[0012] In a simple embodiment the tensiometer or at least the tensiometer element which actuates the yarn during a measurement can be switched manually or mechanically. A manual switching operation may be carried out by directly engaging at the tensiometer or the element respectively. A mechanical switch over e.g. can be carried out with the help of a spring which automatically adjusts the tensiometer into the passive position after the representative number of insertion cycles has passed.
[0013] The tensiometer or the element engaging on the yarn, respectively, expediently is connected with a switch over actuator, preferably an electromagnet or an electric motor which receives the command, e.g. from a timer or a program, to adjust the passive position of the tensiometer after the representative number of insertion cycles had passed.
[0014] The handling is very comfortable if the tensiometer is provided with a display device for the measurement results, preferably a display device with a graphical or numerical indication.
[0015] Since the tensiometer is permanently provided in the yarn path it is expediently connected to the operation panel of the textile machine such that the tensiometer cannot only be switched over from the operation panel but such that the measurement results can be displayed and in some cases even recorded on the operation panel. In such cases it is expedient if the display already provided on the operation panel also can be used to display the measured yarn tension.
[0016] It is expedient to connect the tensiometer to an automatic switch over control device which takes care, e.g. after the representative number of insertion cycles has occurred, that the tensiometer is switched over to the passive position, and which also takes care that the tensiometer is brought in to the respective correct detection position.
[0017] In order to minimise the influence of the tensiometer in the detection position for the yarn the tensiometer is structurally combined with the yarn brake, preferably such that the tensiometer uses at least one yarn deflection location of the yarn brake for the measurement.
[0018] The tensiometer even may be provided upstream or downstream of a yarn detector, preferably of a weft yarn detector of a weaving machine, and, expediently, even may be structurally combined with the weft yarn detector, preferably such that the tensiometer uses at least one yarn deflection location of the weft yarn detector for the measurement.
[0019] Particularly expedient, the tensiometer can be switched into several different detection positions, e.g. depending on the respective yarn quality, which differ from each other e.g. by the respective yarn deflection angle. This is because heavy yarn qualities may need a smaller friction angle for a correct tension measurement than light yarn qualities.
[0020] In order to achieve correct measurements despite the different detection positions, it is expedient to provide an electronic measurement evaluation device comprising an automatic compensation circuitry for the different detection positions in order to compensate for the then differing parameters. For the respective detection position at least one position sensor ought to be provided which is connected to the evaluation device. There are namely different force triangles during the measurements in the different detection positions. Those different force triangles would influence the measuring parameters and could falsify the measurements, respectively. The evaluation electronics, however, are able to select the respective correct parameters with the help of the information from the position sensor in order to guarantee correct measurements independent from the respective detection position.
[0021] In the case that the yarn processing comprises several yarn channels each of which is supplied by at least one yarn feeding device, expediently one tensiometer is permanently provided in each yarn channel such that it can be switched over, in order to allow the adjustment of the same optimal yarn tension profile for each yarn channel, or even in some cases to adjust an individual optimal yarn tension profile in each yarn channel, respectively.
[0022] The invention is applicable to all kinds of weaving machines and knitting machines. A yarn processing system, however, is preferred the textile machine of which is a rapier weaving machine or a projectile weaving machine, although even a jet weaving machine could be provided. In case of knitting machines different machine types could be used like circular knitting machines or flat knitting machines, or the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Embodiments of the object of the invention will be explained with the help of the drawing in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a yarn processing system including a weaving machine,
[0025] FIG. 2 is a detail as a variant to FIG. 1 ,
[0026] FIG. 3 is a further detail as a variant to FIG. 1 ,
[0027] FIG. 4 is a detail as a further variant to FIG. 1 , and
[0028] FIG. 5 is a yarn tension target profile.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] A yarn processing system S shown in FIG. 1 comprises at least one yarn feeding device F which is associated to a channel Kl of a textile machine M and which supplies the textile machine M with a yarn Y. The yarn Y is taken from a yarn bobbin L, is intermediately stored on a storage body 1 of the yarn feeding device F, and is inserted along a yarn path by an insertion device E into the textile machine M. The textile machine M shown in FIG. 1 is a weaving machine, in particular a projectile weaving machine or a rapier weaving machine, however, but also could be a jet weaving machine. Alternatively, the textile machine even could be a knitting machine.
[0030] In the case of a weaving machine as the textile machine M, a yarn brake B, downstream thereof permanently a tensiometer T, downstream thereof in some cases a weft yarn detector D and subsequently the insertion device E are provided in the yarn path downstream of the yarn feeding device F. The yarn Y is inserted into a weaving shed 8 intermittently in insertion cycles determined by a control device CU of the weaving machine by the insertion device E and then is respectively beaten up by a not shown reed. An operation panel having a display G is not shown in detail but belongs to the control device CU of the weaving machine.
[0031] In the case of a projectile weaving machine or a rapier weaving machine a withdrawal brake 2 is associated to the storage body 1 of the yarn feeding device F which withdrawal brake 2 generates a predetermined relatively constant basic tension in the yarn Y during withdrawal. In the case of a jet weaving machine no withdrawal brake 2 is provided, but instead a not shown stopping device which provides the length measurement of the weft yarn.
[0032] The yarn brake B includes an adjustment device 3 for adjusting the braking level (the braking force), in order to generate during the withdrawal operation a desired yarn tension in the yarn Y between the insertion device E and the yarn brake B. In some cases stationary yarn guiding elements 5 may be provided at the yarn brake B.
[0033] FIG. 1 shows in dotted lines a possible alternative of a controlled yarn brake B having a control device 4 . This means that the control yarn brake B is activated and deactivated during each insertion cycle by the control device CU, e.g. depending on control signals, in order to vary the braking effect during one and the same insertion cycle and/or to switch between phases with a braking effect and without a braking effect, respectively.
[0034] The weft yarn detector D monitors the movement of the withdrawn yarn Y and emits a disturbance signal in the case that in a phase no movement is detected during which phase a movement of the yarn Y is to be expected.
[0035] In the case of a rapier weaving machine or a projectile weaving machine the insertion device E includes a yarn selector which selects the respective yarn Y which is to be inserted from one of in some cases several yarn channels and brings the selected yarn to the insertion element which then inserts the yarn into the weaving shed 8 , before the yarn is beaten up by the reed and is cut. In the case of a rapier weaving machine the yarn is taken by a bringer gripper at the insertion side end of the weaving shed and then is transported to about the middle of the weaving shed 8 , is then transferred to a taker gripper and finally is brought by the taker gripper completely through the weaving shed 8 . In a projectile weaving machine a projectile is shot through with each weft yarn. In the case of a jet weaving machine the insertion device E includes at least one main nozzle and in some cases additional nozzles in the weaving shed 8 in order to insert the yarn Y with the help of air jets.
[0036] The yarn processing system S is provided with the permanently installed tensiometer T downstream of the yarn brake B. The tensiometer T (or the element P of the tensiometer engaging at the yarn Y) can be switched over between a passive position (in dotted lines) and at least one detection position (in full lines). There is no engagement at the yarn in the passive position. In the detection position the yarn Y is actuated with a deflection and with friction in order to measure the yarn tension. The deflection, e.g., is carried out in relation to the stationary yarn guiding elements 5 . The switch over movement is indicated by a double arrow 6 . The tensiometer T has an indicator 7 for the measured tension. The yarn tension may be displaced graphically or numerically. Dotted lines indicate that the tensiometer T is connected with the control device CU or the operation panel of the textile machine, respectively. In the latter case, the display G also can be used to indicate the measured tension. Even the setting devices (a keyboard) in the operation panel may be used in order to actuate the tensiometer and to adjust the tensiometer in some cases, respectively.
[0037] The tensiometer T may be provided at one of different positions, as indicated by the arrows a, b and c.
[0038] The tensiometer T is used to adjust or establish an optimal yarn tension target profile for the insertion cycles (a tension curve over one insertion cycle), which assures the lowest quota of yarn breakages for an optimally high insertion speed in the textile machine.
[0039] The yarn tension target profile is shown in FIG. 5 schematically for the example of a rapier weaving machine. The adjustment of a yarn tension target profile inter alia is carried out in case of the first operation or after a change of the processed yarn quality or when the quota of yarn breakages should have increased during operation of the yarn processing system, respectively. The adjustment can be carried out manually at components of the yarn processing system which are decisive for the yarn tension, or even automatically within at least one closed regulation loop with feedback. For an adjustment with the tensiometer brought in to the detection position a sequence of insertions is carried out, typically 50 to 100 insertions, in order to adjust the parameters which influence the yarn tension profile. In the case of a strong yarn Y the tensiometer T remains in the detection position after the adjustment has been carried out. The tensiometer then may in some cases be used further on for the control of the controlled yarn brake B and the like. In the case of weak or delicate yarn material the tensiometer T is switched over to the passive position after the adjustment phase such that the tensiometer does not further on have any influence on the yarn Y. The options to selectively bring the tensiometer or the element P of the tensiometer which acts upon the yarn, respectively, in to the passive position, in case that this is expedient for the processed yarn material, or, to the contrary, to maintain the tensiometer in the detection position if the yarn material can stand the additional friction and the deflection by the tensiometer, are an essential feature of the tensiometer T which per se is permanently provided in the yarn path. In the case that there are several yarn channels at the textile machine M a tensiometer is provided in each yarn channel and such that it can be switched over between a passive position and at least one detection position.
[0040] FIG. 2 shows a manually switchable tensiometer T the element P of which engages at the yarn is supported adjustably in a guide 9 and is adjustable back and forth between stops 10 defining the passive position I and one detection position II. A handle 11 e.g. is provided for the switching operation which allows to carry out the adjustments manually by being pivoted in the direction of the double arrow 6 . As a not shown alternative the tensiometer may be loaded by a spring in a direction towards the passive position and may be held by a detent mechanism in the detection position. A not shown control device, e.g. a timer or a program, releases the detent mechanism after the representative number of insertion cycles needed for the adjustment such that the tensiometer T then automatically is switched over to the passive position.
[0041] The tensiometer T shown in FIG. 3 is connected to an actuator A which carries out the switch over movements (double arrow 6 ). The actuator may be an electromagnet or an electric motor. The tensiometer T in FIG. 3 or the element P engaging on the yarn, respectively, does not have a single detection position II, but has at least one further detection position III. Different yarn deflection angles result in both detection positions II and III. The actuator A may be controlled from an operation panel of the weaving machine in order to adjust the selected detection position, or may be controlled directly at the tensiometer T, respectively, in order to switch the tensiometer T, e.g., back to the passive position I. A timer or a program may be provided which take care of the switch over action after the representative number of insertion cycles has been carried out.
[0042] FIG. 3 shows a control unit C of the tensiometer T in which an evaluation device for the measurement result (computerised circuitry including a microprocessor) is contained and in some cases, a compensating device 12 for the consideration of the differing force triangles occurring in the different detection positions II and III and to gain respective correct measurement results despite the differing force triangles. The control unit C of the tensiometer may be connected with at least one position sensor 13 which detects the respectively taken detection position II or III and which informs the control device C correspondingly for a compensation.
[0043] In order to produce as little additional friction and deflection as possible in the yarn, the tensiometer T may be structurally combined with the yarn brake B or the detector D, respectively. In FIG. 4 , e.g., the tensiometer T uses a yarn guiding element 14 of the weft yarn detector D as a stationary deflection location relative to the element P. The yarn guiding element 14 e.g. is a piezoelectric element responding to the yarn motion. A similar structural combination instead could also be provided with the yarn guiding element 5 downstream of the yarn brake B.
[0044] A typical yarn tension profile (similar to a heart curve) results from the operation of a rapier weaving machine. FIG. 5 illustrates the yarn tension (in grams g) during an insertion cycle (rotational angle of the main shaft of the weaving machines). The yarn has a predetermined basic tension, generated by the withdrawal brake 2 and by the yarn brake B (in the case that the latter is not a controlled yarn brake but has a basic adjustment of the braking level). After the yarn is taken by the bringer gripper a first relatively sharp rise 16 results in the curve 15 . In the subsequent acceleration phase of the bringer gripper the yarn tension rises in the curved part 17 before the yarn tension again is reduced shortly prior to the transfer phase in the middle of the weaving shed during the deceleration of the bringer gripper. At this time (curve part 18 ) a predetermined yarn tension is obtained with which the yarn is transferred to the taker gripper. This yarn tension is important in order to assure a correct transfer. Subsequently the taker gripper accelerates such that again a curved part 17 with increasing yarn tension occurs, before the yarn tension drops with the deceleration of the taker gripper to a curved part 19 . The tension variations shown at 19 result from the beat up movement of the reed and the cutting of the yarn. It is important for the curve which is adjusted during the adjustment procedure that the curve parts 17 are relatively mild and that a certain tension development is achieved with a predetermined basic tension in the curved part 18 .
[0045] In the detection position the tensiometer T measures the yarn tension downstream of the yarn brake B. Then, with the help of the measurement result or the measurement results of the representative number of insertion cycles, respectively, the withdrawal brake 2 and the yarn brake B, and in some cases, the detector D can be set so that the optimal curve 15 of FIG. 5 results. Those adjustments can be carried out manually or in a closed regulation loop by means of automatic regulating devices which are not shown in detail, e.g. guided by the control device C and/or the control device CU. In this fashion the curve 15 is established. As soon as this has been done the yarn processing system may start the normal operation. In the case of a strong yarn which does not have a tendency to break despite the engagement of the tensiometer, the tensiometer T is kept in the detection position. This allows to monitor the normal operation with the help of measurement results and to carry out, in some cases, further adjustments or optimisations. In the case of a weak yarn, however, the tensiometer T then is switched over to the passive position in order not to influence the yarn further on. If necessary, in case of the occurrence of irregularities or when the quota of yarn breakages increases, or even regularly only for “checking purposes”, e.g. with each 100000 th insertion, the tensiometer T then may be switched over in to the or into one detection position, respectively, in order to then carry out re-adjustments.
[0046] The shown tensiometer operates according to the principle of yarn deflection by the element P which is adjusted laterally to the yarn running path and relative to two stationary deflection locations 5 . However, also other types of tensiometers may be used, e.g. comprising a piezoelectric element or a pivotable element P. The indicator 7 may be provided directly at the tensiometer. However, alternatively, only the indicator on the display G of the operation panel of the weaving machine could be used, or even both indicators.
[0047] For the adjustments e.g. of the withdrawal brake 2 or the yarn brake B, respectively (in some cases also of the detector D), auxiliary devices could be provided which are not shown in detail and which are designed to carry out the adjustments automatically in a closed regulation loop, guided by the measurement result of the tensiometer T.
[0048] Although a particular preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts, lie within the scope of the present invention. | The invention relates to a yarn processing system, comprising a yarn-feeder (F), a textile machine (M), at least one controlled yarn brake (B) and a tensiometer, which senses the yarn downstream of said yarn brake, for at least measuring the yarn tension (g). According to said invention, the tensiometer (T) is permanently arranged within the yarn path, can be adjusted between a passive position (I) and at least one deflection position (II, III) and can be readjusted from said detection position (II, III) to the passive position (I) after a number of weft cycles, which number suffices to represent at least the proper adjustment of a yarn tension target profile. | 3 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an extensible suspension arm for damping vibrations of a tube of a laundry washing and drying machine, comprising a tension spring having ends attached to two suspension members, which tension spring is disposed in a tube of a first suspension member, which tube constitutes a first element of a damping means and is adapted to slide in a cylindrical casing which is rigidly connected to a second suspension member and which constitutes a second element of the damping means.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is common practice to suspend the tub of a washing machine in the chassis or the housing of the machine by means of elastic extensible devices such as springs and to absorb the vibration energy produced by the rapid rotation (spin-drying) of the drum loaded with laundry in the washing tub.
An example of such a machine is known from French Patent Specification No. 2,516,952. The suspension arm described in this Patent Specification No. 2,516,952 makes it possible to use a helical spring having bent ends which are hooked into eyes formed in suspension members and to promote the dissipation of the heat produced in the damper, the cylindrical casing which rubs against the tube being situated at the outside of the arm, so that its diameter can be as large as possible.
Said suspension arm has the drawback that it provides a constant damping regardless of the amplitude of the movement caused by the vibrations of the tub and regardless of the speed of rotation of the drum arranged in said tub.
As a matter of fact, a washing machine has a certain number of natural frequencies in its range of operating speeds. In particular, it has a first natural frequency in a range between 50 and 100 r.p.m. and a second natural frequency at approximately 200 r.p.m. At speeds below approximately 100 r.p.m. the exciting force is small. Since the damping cannot be too low because this is undesirable when higher critical speeds are exceeded, it is necessary to adjust the damping to the limit of fouling at a speed corresponding to higher natural frequencies.
Therefore a compromise is made, i.e. an intermediate value is selected for the damping force between the minimum and maximum damping force.
Another drawback of the constant damping is that at high speeds a substantial power is dissipated by the dampers. Since the possibilities of dissipating the heat are limited, this may give rise to very high temperatures, leading to a substantial wear, which prohibits the use of non-lubricated dampers. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a damping for the sole purpose of crossing the critical speeds.
The use of a constant damping also gives rise to additional noise associated with the transition frequency of the damping system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a substantial damping for the movement of the washing unit when the natural frequencies are crossed, during which the movement of the washing unit have substantial amplitudes, without damping the low-amplitude movements.
The suspension arm in accordance with the invention is characterized in that between at least one element of the damping means and the suspension member to which it is connected there is arranged a means which provides a specific longitudinal degree of freedom between said element and the suspension member. The damping means is loaded when the two suspension members exceed a specific amplitude to other side of the position occupied by the suspension arm when the drum in the tub does not rotate.
The suspension arm provides no damping during low-amplitude movements of the tub.
The suspension arm only provides damping when critical speeds are crossed and can provide a very strong damping at the exact instant at which this is necessary without the risk of premature wear.
In a special embodiment of the invention the means providing a degree of freedom between an element of the damping means and the suspension member to which it is connected comprises a substantially cylindrical body which is adapted to slide longitudinally along or on the tube and is clampingly engaged by the casing, the travel of said body being limited by a shoulder on the first suspension member and by a stop at the end of the tube, said body being also radially constrained by the casing.
Thus, the damping is provided between the cylindrical body and the casing, the degree of freedom being obtained by the fact that said body can slide freely on the tube of the first suspension member.
In another embodiment of the invention the means providing a degree of freedom between an element of the damping means and the suspension member to which it is connected is a cylindrical sleeve constituting an elastic means which is coupled to the element of the damping means at one of its ends and to the corresponding suspension member at its other end. Such an elastic sleeve can be arranged on one or on both suspension members and it has the advantage that the suspension arm can be of simple and economic construction.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention at least one elastic means is arranged between the cylindrical body and the first suspension member and its tube. The elastic means provide(s) stiffness for the relative movement of the body. It may be considered to damp this relative movement also to a small extent. The system then provides two damping actions.
In another special embodiment of the invention an elastic means is arranged between one end of the movable body and the first suspension member, or rather an elastic means is arranged between one end of the movable body and the stop.
Preferably, the elastic means is a helical spring. It is possible to use any other inexpensive means such as for example a buffer made of rubber, of a spongy metal or a synthetic foam. An elastic means can also be obtained by giving the ends of the cylindrical body, of the first suspension member or of the stop a specific shape.
In particular, a damping means is connected to the elastic means.
The invention also relates to a washing machine whose tub is suspended by means of suspension arms of the type described above.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the suspension arm.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the suspension arm provided with two elastic means for damping the body.
FIG. 3 shows a part of the suspension arm including a part of the casing.
FIG. 4 is a curve representing the amplitude of the displacement of the tub of a washing machine as a function of the rotational frequency of the drum, in which curve the types of damping are indicated.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a suspension arm in accordance with the invention. The suspension arm is provided with a helical spring 1, which is arranged to operate as a tension spring and whose bent ends are hooked into holes or eyes 2 and 3 formed in two suspension members 4 and 5. In the Figures the suspension members 4 and 5 are provided with elastic sleeves 6 in which bearings 7 are mounted for attaching the arm to the tub and to the housing or chassis of the washing machine by means of a shaft. Any other method of pivotally connecting the suspension members 4 and 5 to the tub and the housing may be considered.
The suspension member 4 is integral with a tube 8 which extends substantially up to the suspension member 5 when the spring is relaxed, the spring 1 extending freely in the cavity 9.
A substantially cylindrical body 10 is adapted to slide concentrically along the tube 8 with a specific degree of freedom. The longitudinal displacement of the body 10 relative to the tube 8 is limited by a shoulder 11 formed on the suspension member 4 and by a stop 12 arranged opposite the suspension member, at the end of the tube 8.
At least two plates 13 constituting a casing 14 surrounding the body 10 are connected to the suspension member 5. The plates 13, which are preferably made of a metal, are shaped as, for example, cylindrical shells and enclose the body 10 over substantially its entire length when the spring is relaxed. Near its end facing the supension member 4 the casing 14 is clamped onto the body 10 by a clamping means in the form of an elastic ring 15 or a bracket formed by a blade spring. This clamping provides the friction enabling the suspension arm to convert the kinetic vibration energy into heat when the tub connected to this arm vibrates with high amplitudes. The casing 14 is slotted over substantially its entire length up to portion 16. The slot is engageable by a pin 17 which belongs to the stop 12 and which is free to move up to the portion 16, which limits the maximum travel of the arm.
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the suspension arm provided with two elastic means 18, 19 which couple the tube to the body 10.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the body 10, which is adapted to slide on the tube 8, is elastically coupled to said tube by two elastic buffers 18 and 19 which comprise two helical springs in the present embodiment.
For this purpose other means may be considered. The helical springs preclude shocks which may occur between the body 10 and the suspension member 4 or the stop portion 12 during operation of the suspension arm. A single elastic means may be adequate if the elastic means is mechanically coupled, either between the suspension member 4 and the body 10, or between the body 10 and the stop portion 12.
FIG. 3 shows a part of the suspension arm comprising the elastic ring 15 which is tightened around the casing 14 to exert pressure on the body 10 and thus produce friction.
The suspension arm described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 operates as follows: The suspension members 4 and 5, which are connected to the housing and to the tub of the washing machine respectively, are only coupled to each other by the spring 1 and can therefore oscillate freely relative to one another under control of the spring force.
Thus, the cylindrical body 10 is movable along tube 8 between two stops 11 and 12, i.e. body 10 slides on the outer surface of tube 8. Additionally, the casing 14 clampingly engages the cylindrical body 10. In the case of only small vibrational movements between the tub and the washing machine housing, the body 10 slides over the tube 8 but will not reach the stops 11 and 12. The grip of the casing 14 on the body 10 does not change so that these movement are only damped by the friction between the body 10 and tube 8, if any. When the amplitude of the vibrations increases the movement of the body 10 relative to the tube 8 is limited by the stops 11 and 12 and further movement of the suspension members 4 and 5 relative to each other is only possible when casing 14 slides over cylindrical body 10. This sliding movement of casing 14 over body 10 provides the additional damping required when oscillations occur in the region of a natural frequency.
As is shown in FIG. 4, the variations in the amplitude of the tub displacement, indicated in broken lines, result, for example, in two critical speeds 20 and 21.
For low amplitudes the body remains rigidly coupled to the casing, so that there is no damping.
When the oscillation amplitude increases and exceeds the fixed threshold A, the body acts on the suspension member 4 and becomes disengaged from the casing 14. The body 10 and the casing 14 then rub against one another, thereby converting the kinetic oscillation energy into heat which is dissipated into the ambient atmosphere.
When the oscillation amplitude is below the threshold A after crossing the natural frequencies, it is no longer necessary to have damping. The damping, which is indicated in solid lines, no longer plays a part during the second crossing at high speeds of the threshold A, which represents a specific amplitude value.
In the present example of a suspension arm provided with two helical springs arranged between the suspension member 4 and the body 10, the displacement of the body relative to the suspension member is subject to a specific stiffness. It may be envisaged to provide an additional damping when this is of functional interest.
During high amplitudes two types of behaviour may be considered, depending on the stiffness of the two types of spring:
1. The abutment of the elastic means followed by a primary damping action.
2. The action of the body dictated by the stiffness of the compressed spring, the turns not adjoining one another. | An extensible suspension arm for damping the vibrations of the tub of a laundry washing and drying machine comprises a tension spring whose ends are connected to two suspension members, a damping member, and at least one stop providing a degree of freedom between the damping member and the suspension member to ensure that the damping action does not occur beyond a specific amplitude of the displacement between the two suspension members, damping being necessary only at high amplitudes during passage of the natural frequencies of the laundry washing machine. | 3 |
U.S. GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST
[0001] This invention was made with U.S. Government support under contract No. N00024-97-C-4057 awarded by Naval Sea Systems Command. The U.S. Government has certain rights in this invention.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to an improved propulsion unit, and an improved method of cooling such a propulsion unit.
[0003] It is well known to provide propulsion units that are suspended below the hull of a vessel, typically a ship in order to provide the ship with propulsion, and such propulsion units are commonly referred to as PODs. The concept of a POD for ship propulsion has been known for some time (examples are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,403,216, and European Patent No. 1 010 614) and is now in common use. In such an arrangement, the propulsion motor, which is generally electrical, is contained in a pod-like housing suspended below the hull of the vessel. The motor is directly connected to one or more propellers at one end, or both ends, of the pod housing. In cases where there is a propeller at only one end, the propeller can be either in front of or behind the pod casing relative to the water flow.
[0004] It will be appreciated that as the ship moves, the POD suspended therebelow will experience drag, which will oppose the motion of the ship. There is therefore a desire to reduce the physical dimensions of the POD so as to minimize the drag experienced by the ship. Therefore, PODs generally have minimal access to the insides thereof, and the propulsion motor is generally mounted on, or in close proximity to the wall of the POD. Therefore, vibrations from the propulsion motor are readily transmitted through the wall of the POD, leading to noise being passed from the POD, into the surrounding water.
[0005] In many applications, it is desirable to minimize the level of noise transmitted to the surrounding water. A typical application requiring the minimization of noise is for cruise ships that want to travel into environmentally sensitive areas, environmental research vessels, fisheries research vessels, etc. However, it is a problem that known noise isolation systems tend to require an increase in the size of the POD, and that the design of the POD therefore tends to be a compromise between low noise and small size.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It is an aim of the present invention to overcome, or at least reduce, the problems discussed above.
[0007] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a propulsion unit arranged to propel a waterborne vessel comprising an electric motor, arranged to provide propulsion, and a housing, arranged to contain the motor, wherein said motor is mounted within said housing on resilient couplings.
[0008] An advantage of such an arrangement is that the vibrations from the motor to the housing are significantly reduced and, therefore, the noise emission from the propulsion unit is reduced. Previously, such propulsion units were not fitted with resilient couplings because they entailed making the housing larger (and thus less hydrodynamically efficient), or access to the couplings could not be provided due to the restricted access within the propulsion unit and, therefore, the couplings could not be maintained.
[0009] Preferably, the resilient couplings include metallic cushion elements, which are preferably woven metallic cushion elements. Such cushion elements are advantageous because they do not require frequent maintenance. In the most preferred embodiment metallic cushion elements are arranged to stiffen as the deflection of the cushion element increases. Such metallic cushion elements are available from Stop-Choc, of Banbury Ave., Slough, Berks, England.
[0010] It will be appreciated that the resilient coupling will have a natural frequency. In the preferred embodiment, the natural frequency of the resilient coupling is roughly at least twice the maximum supply frequency of the electric motor. Such an arrangement is convenient because the electric motor will generate vibrations due to the fundamental component of flux within the motor, which occurs at twice the fundamental supply frequency of the motor. It is advantageous to arrange that the natural frequency of the resilient coupling be greater than twice the maximum supply frequency to ensure that the resilient coupling does not amplify these vibrations, which would occur if the resonant frequency were roughly equal to twice the maximum supply frequency.
[0011] Preferably, the resilient coupling has a natural frequency roughly selected to suit the motor. Generally, this will be in the range of between roughly 20 Hz, and roughly 50 Hz. Of course, the resilient coupling may have a natural frequency other than this and may be roughly any one or more of the following (or any value in between): 5 Hz, 10 Hz, 15 Hz, 25 Hz, 30 Hz, 40 Hz, 50 Hz, 75 Hz. It will be appreciated that it is advantageous to have a low natural frequency because the resilient coupling will not attenuate frequencies below the fundamental frequency, and therefore, the higher the fundamental frequency, the less frequencies will be attenuated. However, if the natural frequency of the coupling is too low, then it does not provide enough stiffness, and deflections of the motor on the couplings become too large.
[0012] In one embodiment, the motor is an induction motor, although other types of electric motor, such as a synchronous motor, are possible.
[0013] The propulsion unit may comprise a pulse width modulated drive unit arranged to supply the motor. Such a drive unit is advantageous because the noise components that it introduces onto the current and voltage it supplies will generally be at a high frequency relative to the resonant frequency of the resilient coupling and such an arrangement is convenient because it allows these noise components to be readily attenuated by the resilient couplings. In general, during normal operation, the largest generation of vibration in the propulsion unit will be due to the non-sinusoidal components in the supply to the motor.
[0014] Preferably, the motor is provided with a limiting mechanism, arranged to limit movement of the motor relative to the housing. Such an arrangement is convenient in conditions in which the routine operating conditions of the motor are exceeded, e.g., fault conditions, or an external impact, etc. In such conditions, the resilient coupling may not be able to offer sufficient resistance to the movement of the motor, and thus, the limiting mechanism is desirable to prevent excessive movement of the motor.
[0015] The limiting mechanism may comprise a gap of predetermined dimensions between an abutment portion of the motor and an abutment portion of the housing arranged to co-operate with the abutment portion of the motor. Such an arrangement is convenient because it is structurally simple.
[0016] In the preferred embodiment the gap is roughly 1.0 to 1.5 mm. However, the gap may be any other suitable dimension, and may be, for example, roughly any one of following, or any dimension between any of the following: 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm. It will be appreciated that as the size of the gap increases, the more the motor will be allowed to move before its movement is stopped, and further the housing becomes larger to accommodate the extra gap. If the gap is made too small, there is more of a likelihood of the motor touching the housing and, thus, the propulsion unit is likely to emit more noise.
[0017] Preferably, a space is defined between the motor and the casing which is arranged to allow for the passage of cooling fluid around the motor. Such an arrangement is convenient because it helps keep the motor cooled. Generally, the fluid will be a gas, and in particular air.
[0018] In one embodiment, a plurality of resilient couplings is provided along a side region of the motor. The plurality of resilient couplings may be provided substantially along a line roughly parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor. Preferably, in such an embodiment at least two lines of resilient couplings are provided, preferably roughly diametrically opposed to one another. Such an arrangement is convenient because it may be more compact than other possible arrangements.
[0019] The housing may have extended portions arranged to house the resilient couplings.
[0020] An intermediate member may be provided between the housing and the resilient couplings. The intermediate member may comprise a bar running substantially parallel to the axis of the motor. An intermediate member may be advantageous because it may allow for easier alignment of the resilient members with the housing.
[0021] In an alternative, and perhaps less preferred embodiment, the resilient couplings may be provided at end regions of said motor. Preferably, a plurality of resilient couplings is provided at each end region thereof. Such an arrangement is convenient because it may provide for easier construction of the propulsion unit, but may result in a larger unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] There now follows, by way of example only, a detailed description of embodiments of the present invention of which:
[0023] [0023]FIG. 1 a shows a longitudinal section through a first embodiment of a propulsion unit according to the present invention;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 1 b shows an end elevation of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 2 a shows an end elevation of a second embodiment of a propulsion unit according to the present invention;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 2 b shows an end elevation of the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 a;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 3 shows an enlarged detail of a portion of FIG. 1 a;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 4 shows an enlarged detail of a portion of FIG. 2 a;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 5 shows a graph showing the improvements achieved by utilizing the present invention; and
[0030] [0030]FIG. 6 shows a graph plotting the frequency response of a resilient coupling used in the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0031] Perhaps the preferred embodiment of this invention is shown in FIG. 2. This shows a section of a propulsion unit 1 (commonly referred to as a POD) having a housing 2 with a motor 4 contained therein. In this embodiment, the motor is an induction motor consisting of a rotor 6 , and a stator 8 within the housing 2 .
[0032] The motor 4 is mounted within the housing 2 on a plurality of resilient couplings 10 . A space 3 of substantially annular cross-section is defined between the housing 2 and the stator 8 which can be filled with cooling fluid that circulates round the motor to provide cooling for it. As can be seen from FIG. 2 a , six resilient couplings 10 are provided, equi-spaced, along the length of the motor 4 along a line parallel to a longitudinal axis of the motor 4 . Two lines 12 , 14 of resilient couplings 10 are provided diametrically opposite one another relative to the motor (as is best seen in FIG. 2 b ). An enlargement of the arrangement of the resilient couplings is seen in FIG. 4.
[0033] The motor 4 has a foot 16 , providing an abutment portion of the motor, extending therefrom substantially along diametrically opposed sides of the motor. The housing 2 has a seating 18 , providing an abutment portion of the housing, arranged to co-operate with the motor foot 5 . The seating 18 is connected to the housing 2 by a series of webs 20 along its length. An intermediate member 22 is provided between the motor foot 16 and the seating 18 , which facilitates assembly of the motor 4 to the housing 2 . The intermediate member 22 is securely bolted to the seating 18 by bolts 24 .
[0034] The resilient couplings 10 maintain the motor 4 in contact with the housing 2 , and will now be described with reference to FIG. 4. It will be appreciated that the motor foot 16 should not directly touch the seating 18 in normal operation since this would lead to a direct transmission path for vibrations/noise. Therefore, the resilient couplings 10 are arranged to maintain a gap 26 between the foot 16 and the seating 18 . In this embodiment, the gap 26 is arranged to be roughly 1.5 mm.
[0035] A bolt 28 engages the intermediate member 22 and locates the motor 4 . However, associated with each bolt there is associated a first 30 , and a second 32 , conical metallic cushion element which ensures that there is no direct contact between the motor 4 and the housing 2 . A cap element 34 contacts the first cushion element 30 to spread the torque applied by the tensioned bolt 28 evenly across the cushion element 30 . However, it should be noted that there is a gap 36 between the cap element 34 and the foot 16 .
[0036] The first 30 and second 32 cushion elements are seated upon a mount element 33 , 35 .
[0037] In normal operation of the motor 4 within the housing 2 , the metallic cushion elements 30 , 32 resist the torque of the motor and the gap 26 is maintained between the foot 16 and the seating 18 . Therefore, the vibrations generated by the motor 4 are attenuated as described below in relation to FIG. 6, and are not fully passed to the housing 2 .
[0038] Under fault conditions (e.g., an electrical fault), or shock loading (e.g., an impact of the vessel on which the propulsion unit is mounted) the torque resistance of the cushion members 30 , 32 may be exceeded. If the torque/force limit is exceeded, the motor 4 will move relative to the housing 2 such that the motor foot 16 comes into contact with the seating 18 . The foot 16 and seating 18 can oppose much greater torque/forces and further rotation/translation of the motor 4 relative to the housing 2 is prevented. Once the fault has been cleared, the resilient nature of the cushion members 30 , 32 ensures that the motor 4 returns to its original position, restoring the gap 26 .
[0039] A second embodiment of the invention is described in relation to FIGS. 1 a , 1 b and 3 , and like parts compared to the first embodiment have been described with the same reference numerals. In this embodiment the resilient couplings 10 are provided at end regions of the motor 4 , and are arranged at four radial positions at each end of the stator 8 . Clearly, the rotor 6 must be free to rotate and is not anchored relative to the housing.
[0040] An end plate 38 is securely attached to the stator 8 and has a pin 40 protruding therefrom. A sleeve 42 is provided around the pin 40 and has a region of increased radius 44 at its end region away from the motor 4 . An inner face of the region of increased radius 44 is used to abut a number of first metallic cushion elements 46 each being rectangular in cross-section and arranged roughly in a ring around the pin 40 . The first cushion element 46 contacts a bush 48 , which is bolted to the housing 2 . Therefore, the first cushion element 46 axially locates the motor 4 relative to the housing 2 . A number of second cushion elements 50 , also rectangular in cross-section and arranged roughly around a ring, are provided around the sleeve 42 and abuts an inner surface of the bush 48 . Therefore, the second cushion elements locates the motor 4 in a radial direction relative to the housing 2 .
[0041] The cushion elements used in the above description are of a woven metallic nature, and may be obtained from Stop-Choc, of Banbury Ave., Slough, Berks, England. The cushion elements are chosen to have a natural frequency to suit the motor and, in this embodiment, the natural frequency is roughly 50 Hz, which is shown in FIG. 6. It can be seen from the figure that for frequencies of less than 50 Hz, the cushion element passes vibration therethrough and there is no attenuation. Indeed, as the frequency approaches 50 Hz, the natural frequency, the cushion element in fact amplifies the vibration. Therefore, the motor 4 and resilient coupling combination are specified so that significant vibrations from the motor do not occur at the coupling natural frequency.
[0042] [0042]FIG. 5 shows a comparison of the noise emitted by prior art propulsion units (PODs), and also by propulsion units utilizing the present invention. The horizontal axis shows frequency, and it can be seen that measurements have been taken at eight octave band frequencies. The vertical axis shows the noise in dB. Four propulsion unit/motor combinations have been measured: a commercially available synchrodrive propulsion unit (or POD) rated at 20 MW; a 20 MW induction motor run from a PWM supply; a 28 MW quiet design motor run from a PWM supply; and the same 28 MW motor fitted into a pod and mounted on resilient couplings. It will be appreciated that the couplings fitted to the arrangement shown in the fourth line have significantly reduced the vibration transmitted to the housing, and thus, will have significantly reduced the noise of the propulsion unit.
[0043] Looking at FIG. 5 it will be appreciated that, at high frequencies (as represented by the plot at 2 kHz), the quiet design motor represented by the third line is in fact noisier than the commercially available 20 MW synchrodrive pod represented by the firstline. However, the resilient couplings can readily attenuate vibrations that occur significantly above the natural frequency. Therefore, it does not matter as much that the motor used produces more vibration at high frequency because these can be readily attenuated.
[0044] It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, also may find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.
[0045] While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a propulsion unit, 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.
[0046] 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 and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.
[0047] What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims. | A propulsion unit arranged to propel a waterborne vessel comprising an electric motor arranged to provide propulsion, and a housing arranged to contain the motor. The motor is mounted within the housing on resilient couplings. Such propulsion units are used to propel ships, and the like, and are suspended from beneath the vessel. The resilient couplings reduce the noise emitted by the housing. | 7 |
This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/028,482, filed on Feb. 24, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,835, issued Jan. 18, 2000, which is continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/622,606, filed on Mar. 26, 1996, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND ART
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is applicable in all fields of medicine, but more particularly, in the specialties of anesthesiology, neurology, neurosurgery, internalmedicine, pediatrics, oncology, obstetrics, neo-natology, cardiology, cardiac surgery, radiology, critical care medicine and transplantation in general. It relates to the use of exogenous taurine, homotaurine or methionine either alone or in various combinations but generally including taurine to induce analgesia or even anesthesia, or to protect organs in general and particularly the central nervous system (CNS) in patients (in-vivo conditions), or explanted donor organs (including but not limited to the liver, pancreas, small bowel, lungs, kidneys or the heart) (in vitro conditions) to be used for transplantation from the ravaging effects of hypoxia or ischemia (lack of or decreasedoxygenation or blood flow) caused by vascular severance, such as during organ harvesting for transplantation, primary or secondary intra-vascular obstructions (such as in stroke) or extra-vascular factors accompanying trauma to the tissue (head trauma or during neurosurgical procedures).
2. Conventional Art
CNS ischemia is characterized by a complex cascade of hemodynamic, electrophysiological and biochemical processes with many interwoven vicious circles. The decrease of CNS blood flow below a critical threshold results in energy failure, tissue acidosis, disturbed ion homeostasis characterized by enhanced cellular K + efflux and Na + and Ca ++ influx, membrane depolarization and cytotoxic edema (Choi, 1990; Rudolphi, 1992; Wieloch, 1982). These basic biochemical processes of ischemia might be quantitatively different in various organs but are qualitatively common to practically all tissues, and therefore general principles aimed to prevent or ameliorate them could be extended to organs other than the CNS.
In the CNS it has been reported that extracellular or interstitial levels of the excitatory aminoacids (EAAs) as well as inhibitory and potentially protective aminoacids such as taurine increase 4-20 fold during or shortly after ischemic injury (Benveniste, 1984; Hillered, 1989; Simpson, 1992) or head trauma (Nilsson, 1990; Persson, 1992); likewise there is a similar outpour of adenosine (Nilsson, 1990; Van Wylen, 1986). The flooding of the extracellular space with EAAs results in indiscriminate and continuous activation of postsynaptic EAAs receptors (phenomenon known as excitotoxicity) such as those for NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate, activated by glutamate and aspartate), AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid) and KA (kainate) which may result in ultimate cell death, an occurrence that may be delayed for 2 or 3 days or even longer. This elevation of (interstitial) extracellular EAAs levels is thought to be part of the periphenomena of most acute CNS injury events leading to cell damage (Choi, 1990; DeLeo, 1987; Rothman, 1986). Even though the exact physiopathologic role glycine plays is not fully known, for NMDA receptors to become fully activated seems to require the presence of glycine in addition to the EAAs (glutamate or aspartate) (Johnson, 1987).
The role and importance of adenosine receptors in general and particularly in the CNS have been recently reviewed by Fredholm (1995) and Jacobson (1995). The neuroprotective role of adenosine in cerebral ischemia have been summarized by Choi (1990), Rudolphi (1992) and Schubert (1993).
Purinergic compounds which may interact with these adenosine receptors include the naturally present adenosine and adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP) or the synthetic adenosine analogues, and are well known to exert multiple functions in almost every tissue of the body, but are particularly conspicuous and therefore have been extensively studied in the brain where general antinociceptive (analgesic or even anesthetic), antiepileptic and tissue protective effects are well documented. Even though all the mechanisms of action of adenosine are not completely elucidated, the general consensus, as has been reviewed and summarized by Fredholm (1995) is that the effects are mediated by receptors of mainly the A1 (considered to be sensitive to μmolar concentrations of adenosine and functionally to produce hyperpolarization of membranes and inhibition of the release of EAAs) and A2 types, (sensitive to mmolar concentrations, and functionally characterized to produce release rather than inhibition of EAAs on one hand but particularly dilatation of the vasculature) located in cell membranes on the cell surface. In the CNS, although there are areas rich in A2 type receptors, A1 are predominant (Fredholm, 1995; Jacobson, 1995), and consequently their activation induce mostly widespread inhibition of the release of EAAs.
Pharmacological manipulation of these adenosine effects has been described as adenosinergic approach, and may include the administration of adenosine itself or ATP, or metabolically stable synthetic adenosine analogues, or therapy directed to increasing tissular adenosine concentration either by inhibiting its reuptake by the cells, or by inhibiting the destruction of the endogenously formed adenosine, or by the administration of precursors or prodrugs of adenosine to enhance its endogenous production.
The exogenous administration of purinergic compounds (adenosine or its analogues and ATP) that act on the adenosine receptors or pharmacological agents that alter the tissue levels of endogenous adenosine have been proven to have important antinociceptive: sedative, analgesic (Fukunaga, 1995; Sollevi, 1992), antiepileptic and/or neuroprotective activities (Fredholm, 1995; Rudolphi, 1992, Schubert, 1993). Because the extent of protection obtained with adenosinergic approaches in experimentally induced ischemia conditions of the CNS and other tissues, seems to be dose-dependent (Goldberg, 1988), in seeking significant A1 receptors effects, the administration of sufficient adenosinergic agents will almost always result in A2 receptors activation (dangerous levels of hypotension) and these consequent cardiovascular effects have hindered the acceptance of the adenosinergic approach at any clinical level (anesthesia, neurology or transplantation field) (Rudolphi, 1992).
In spite of the extensive work and considerable knowledge gained on the physiology and pharmacology of the various adenosine receptors as well as the adenosine analogues which were developed with the idea of selectively activating A1 receptors at small adenosine concentrations, to avoid the cardiovascular (vasodilating) hypotensive effects, which are mainly the result of A2 receptors activation that occurs at greater concentrations, many of the adenosinergic approaches affect both types of the ubiquitous and widely distributed adeno-sine receptors (throughout the entire body). Consequently their use has been hampered mainly by the undesirable cardiovascular effects, i.e., severe and dangerous decrease of bloodpressure (hypotension) when dosages sufficient to attain adequate tissue levels at the target organ are used.
Until now, the beneficial CNS effects of adenosine and adenosinergic approaches in regards to antinociception and neuroprotection have been explained on the basis of the general effects of hyperpolarization of membranes and inhibition of the release of EAAS, effects that are thought to be mediated mainly by A1 type Adenosine receptors, but the inventors have further uncovered the heretofore non-described effect that adenosine releases in a dose-dependent manner various inhibitory aminoacids but mainly taurine, regardless of the area of the brain, whether rich in A1 or A2 receptors and therefore suggesting that such effects might not be mediated by the classic Adenosine receptors.
Although how taurine functions is not fully understood as yet, taurine is particularly abundant in the retina (where light promotes oxidation) and the brain (where oxidation might destroy the CNS function). Taurine is known to be a naturally present aminoacid with important anticalcic, antioxidant and protective features (Huxtable, 1980; Lehmann A, 1984; Wright CE 1986). Indeed, exogenously administered taurine in cats (van Gelder, 1972,a; 1976,b) as well as homotaurine in rats (Fariello, 1982) were reported previously to have antiepileptic effects but never found their way to be used as therapeutic agents. The common denominator of a number of protective pharmacological agents including barbiturates, benzodiazepines, isoflurane (all with anesthetic and anticonvulsant properties) and anticonvulsants (such as MK 801) is precisely the anticonvulsant action when used in therapeutically effective doses, and typically they induce marked EEG quiescence or functional depression (Kato, 1990; McDonald, 1990; Michenfelder [a], 1988). The inventors have further demonstrated that exogeneously administered taurine could mimic many if not all of the effects elicited by systemic administration of purinergic compounds, including those of anti-nociception with minimal or no cardiovascular effects.
The role of adenosine in pain perception as anti-nociceptive was summarized by Fredholm (1995). Of particular interest is the fact that the analgesic effects of morphine and morphine-like narcotics seem to be exerted via stimulation of adenosine release (Stone, 1981), and those of benzodiazepines via inhibition of adenosine uptake mechanisms. The administration of intravenous adenosine (Sollevi, 1992) or ATP (which is degraded to adenosine at the tissue level) proved to markedly decrease the requirements for anesthetic agents (Fukunaga, 1994) transoperatively, and notably the requirements for postoperative analgesics (Sollevi, 1992).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is therefore aimed at solving the above-mentioned shortcoming of adenosinergic approaches, while obtaining either analgesic (anesthetic) or protective effects, thus providing similar or even greater beneficial effects than adenosinergic approaches without the troublesome hypotension.
Exogenous purinergic compounds delivered directly in the brain tissue via microdyalisis probes (thus avoiding hypotension that plagues systemic administration) (a well known technique for those skilled in the art of drug delivery for pharmacological studies and analysis of interstitial fluid levels of various substances including aminoacids) induces the release of a number of inhibitory aminoacids but especially taurine into the CNS interstitial space. Therefore the logical conclusion is that some of the beneficial effects so far ascribed to adenosine could be actually due to this taurine, which is known to have important inhibitory, anticalcic and antioxidant activities, for which it has been described as the natural protective substance (Huxtable, 1980; Wright, 1986).
Ischemic injury involves Ca ++ overload of cells and subsequent oxidation of lipid membrane and cytoskeleton structures; this phenomenon is particularly conspicuous in the excitable CNS tissue (Wieloch, 1982). The anticalcic and antioxidant effects of taurine have been shown in the retina and various neural preparations (cultures, slices, synaptosomes) as well as in cardiac tissue, thus establishing the grounds for extending the protective effects to tissues other than the CNS as well, for the treatment or prevention of ischemic injury of a variety of organs.
For metabolic reasons (Lloyd, 1988; Schrader, 1991) the combined use of taurine with homotaurine or with methionine should result in mutually potentiating effects. The simultaneous use of small amounts of purinergic compounds (not enough to produce significant hypotension) and taurine alone or taurine+homotaurine and/or with methionine are likewise supplementary and are expected to further potentiate mutually their analgesic and/or anesthetic, and protective effects.
Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of inducing analgesia or anesthesia in a mammal including the human, the method comprising administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount for inducing the analgesia or anesthesia of at least one agent selected from the group consisting of taurine, homotaurine and methionine.
In the foregoing, the agent may be administered alone as an analgesic or anesthetic formulation, or in combination as an anesthetic coadjuvant supplementing another anesthetic agent.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of treating or preventing ischemic injury of tissues in general, but especially of the central nervous system, in a mammal including the human, the method comprising administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount for treating or preventing the ischemic injury of at least one agent selected from the group consisting of taurine, homotaurine and methionine. According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a pharmaceutical formulation for inducing analgesia or anesthesia in a mammal including the human, comprising a therapeutically effective amount for inducing the analgesia or anesthesia of at least one agent selected from the group consisting of taurine, homotaurine and methionine. This formulation may consist essentially of one agent alone as an analgesic or anesthetic formulation or may comprise another supplementing anesthetic coadjuvant.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a pharmaceutical formulation for treating or preventing ischemic injury of tissues in general in a mammal including the human, comprising a therapeutically effective amount for treating or preventing the ischemic injury of at least one agent selected from the group consisting of taurine, homotaurine and methionine, either alone or may comprise another supplementing agent (generally an anesthetic or anticovulsant).
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a graph showing brain cortical interstitial fluid levels of taurine which are related logarithmically to the dose of taurine given intravenously.
FIGS. 2 to 6 are illustrations of the power spectrum of the electroencephalogram (EEG) in a non-ischemic rabbit obtained during the administration of methionine or incremental amounts of taurine.
FIG. 7 is a graph showing the protective effect afforded by taurine in a spinal cord ischemia model in rabbits.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, a therapeutically effective amount of primarily exogenous taurine, and secondarily homotaurine and/or methionine are administered to a mammal including the human to mimic the keenly sought beneficial effects of adenosinergic approaches without the undesirable cardiovascular side-effects. In fact, in a number of pilot experiments in non-ischemic rabbits, the administration of the racemic mixture of exogenous taurine or methionine, either one separately or combined, resulted in profound electroencephalographic (EEG) changes, in a dose-dependent manner with practically no effects on blood pressure, indicative of deepening of the anesthetic level and functional quiescence of the brain. Anesthesia levels, from light to deep, have been well characterizedbyEEG changes (FaulconerA, 1960; Michenfelder JD, (b)1988) from stage I (rapid but regular activity), II and III (slow, regular or irregular activity), IV (short lasting burst suppression), V (burst suppression of longer duration), to VI (no activity or flat EEG). Furthermore the EEG changes (burst suppression and/or left and downward shift of the power spectrum of the EEG activity) indicative of deep levels of anesthesia and depressed CNS function had profound correlation with brain cortical interstitial fluid levels of taurine which were related logarithmically to the dose of taurine given intravenously thus providing a non-invasive tool for monitoring the desired effects and required dosages to obtain specific functional changes without having to resort to actual tissue or interstitial fluid concentration determinations during inhibitory-taurinergic therapy (therapy aimed at modifying the brain tissue levels of taurine by administration of exogenous taurine, homotaurine or methionine, or other types of therapy directed to changing the levels of endogenous taurine and/or other inhibitory aminoacids such as glycine, which seems to be influenced by taurine). Hence the practical applicability of using taurine, homotaurine or methionine alone or in various combination(s) as analgesic/anesthetic agent(s) or as anesthetic coadjuvant(s) when supplemented to other anesthetic agents, or as analgesics that could be used in lieu of the widely used narcotics for the management of pain, without having the disadvantages of narcotics, i.e., respiratory depression. The addition of small amounts of purines (not enough to produce hypotension) will logically have mutually potentiating effects.
Obviously, taurine, homotaurine and/or methionine should be administered in sufficient quantities, either in a repetitive intravenous (IV) boluses or a continuous infusion, for as long a period the analgesic (or anesthetic) effect is desired, which may vary from a few hours, such as in postoperative pain management, to more extended periods (days or weeks) in the management of intractable pain in oncological patients for example. A loading dose of 1.0 to 2.0 mmol/kg of body weight followed by either a continuous drip or a periodic maintenance boluses is recommended.
The issue of when and for how long taurine, homotaurine and/or methionine ought to be given for tissue protection, will depend on the severity of the ischemia producing cause and the feasibility of specifically eliminating the cause of ischemia itself, but it (they) must be made available to the target tissue as early as possible. Ideally it (they) should be started before or shortly after the initiation of the ischemia and continued preferably beyond the time normal or close to normal blood flow is restored, since many of the injurious events occur at the time blood flow is restored, i.e., reperfusion to the already Ca ++ loaded ischemic tissue. Taurine, homotaurine and/or methionine, by preventing further Ca ++ loading and oxidation of lipids should minimize not only events occurring during ischemia but also many of such reperfusion events. A loading IV dose of taurine (alone or combined with homotaurine and/or methionine) with 2.0-3.0mmol/kg of body weight (enough to obtain a functionally quiet CNS by EEG criteria) followed by a maintenance continuous IV drip or periodic IV boluses are recommended.
Since these beneficial effects are not limited to the CNS but are effects observable in other tissues as well, the indications for protective effects can be extended to many target organs, either in situ such as for resuscitation, or during cardiac, liver, renal or pancreatic surgery or in explanted organs such as for harvesting and preserving of donor organs for transplantation, for which perfusion solutions containing at least 1 or 2 mmol/l or more, are recommended.
When taurine is combined to methionine for protection, particularly of the CNS, the dosage for both agents may need adjustments since they are both supplementary and mutually potentiating, for which the EEG will be useful in guiding the therapy. Although the racemic mixture of methionine at the dose of 0.5 mmol/kg was used in our experiment, since it is believed that the L-isomer is the biologically active stereo-isomer, particularly in the CNS, when using L-methionine, its dose must be adjusted accordingly. The same may be applicable to taurine or homotaurine.
In regards to method of delivery, the parenteral intravenous route is the preferred route, given as an initial loading bolus and then either repeated periodically or preferably as a continuous drip using any of the commonly available delivery devices, but other routes are not excluded such as intra-arterial, peritoneal, subcutaneous, intrathecal or even enteral. Whatever the method, it is necessary to attain interstitial concentrations of taurine sufficient to obtain a quiescent EEG and to maintain these concentrations of taurine in the brain extracellular fluid for an extended period of time, preferably over 8 hours, and still more preferably greater than the length thought to be under the danger of excitotoxicity, which might be 48 to 72 hours.
The inventors have proven in preliminary experiments that exogenously administered taurine alone mimics many, if not all the effects sought with purinergic compounds in the CNS or elsewhere, and hence the potential use of taurine, either alone or in combination with methionine or small amounts of purinergic compounds as therapeutic agent(s) in a/or for a wide variety of conditions (anesthetic, neurologic and non-neurologic such as cardiac protection in patients suffering from myocardial ischemic episodes or infarction or during heart surgery, or for donor organ preservation in transplantation of various organs), oriented to protect the organ from the potentially devastating effects of ischemia.
Taurine, homotaurine and methionine are naturally present aminoacids in practically every tissue. The natural metabolic pathways include conversion of homotaurine to taurine, and use of methionine for the endogenous production of adenosine (consequently ATP) and homo-cysteine (a precursor of taurine) (Huxtable, 1980; Lloyd, 1988; Schrader, 1991). Taurine is especially well known to be used normally as a detoxifying substrate by the liver. Although toxicological studies have not been made, it is most likely that taurine, homotaurine and methionine are devoid of toxic effects when used at the therapeutically useful dosages or at least will have wide margins of safety which is a highly desirable feature for any substance to be used as a therapeutic agent.
Because, in various ischemic models, the required amounts of purinergic compounds to get only the desirable inhibition of the release of EAAs are reportedly to be small, on one hand, and the beneficial effects of taurine are dose dependent on the other, the combination of small amounts of the former and whatever is necessary of the latter is rational, and might avoid having to use large amounts of purinergic compounds that would have to be used if all the sought effects were to be obtained with purinergic compounds only with the consequent undesirable and unavoidable cardiovascular (hypotensive) effects. Furthermore the combined use with methionine, in inducing anesthesia and particularly for protection, is metabolically supplementary, not only to increase interstitial levels of adenosine and taurine by increasing their endogenous production (Huxtable, 1980; Lloyd, 1988; Schrader, 1991), but also to promote sparing of the endogenous ATP which is characteristically depleted during ischemic conditions, effect that would supplement the ultimately sought protective actions of the exogenous taurine or adenosinergic approaches.
Potential combinations of taurine, homotaurine or methionine may contain a number of other already available drugs including but not limited to adenine necleosides (adenosine or adenosine analogues) and nucleotides (ATP or ATP analogues), mannitol, vitamin C, glutathione, vitamin E and related compounds, magnesium, dantrolene, corticosteroids, promazine and related compounds, nicholin, 21-amino steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, other anti-inflammatory agents, calcium antagonists (nifedipine, diltiazim, nicardipine, etc), openers of K ATP channels in general with representatives such as pinacidil, nicorandil, chromakalim, among others, or other protective drugs that are in various phases of development or are to be developed in the future] or physical means such as hypothermia to mutually potentiate their protective effect.
Another aspect of the present invention is a method for improving blood circulation locally in a mammal. This method includes the steps of topically applying to a skin or mucosal area of the mammal a hypertonic solution of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of taurine and 1-methionine. The hypertonic solution preferably contains at least 5% by weight of taurine, and more preferably, the solution contains 7-10% by weight of taurine. The hypertonic solution may be a liquid or an ointment.
EXAMPLE 1
Dose-response of occipital cortical taurine concentration levels were measured by micro-dialysis technique, and EEG (frontal leads) were observed in a non-ischemic rabbit. The exogenously administered intravenous bolus of methionine (0.5 mmol/kg) induced tendency, though minimal, of elevation of the endogenous taurine levels, but produced typical and unequivocal EEG changes characterized by wide amplitude, relatively slow waves that are characteristic of stage II-III of EEG depth of anesthesia (Table 1, periods 4-6, FIG. 2 ), as compared to that of basal anesthesia condition (Table 1, periods 1-3, FIG. 2; EEG stage I, obtained with isoflurane 1.5% and mixture of N 2 O/O 2 at 65:30%) prior to the administration of taurine. Incremental doses (intravenous bolus) of taurine (0.5 mmol/kg every 3 cortical interstitial fluid-dialysate collection periods of 22 minutes each period) starting at 0.5 mmol/kg, without changing other anesthetic conditions, resulted in EEG evidence of further deepening of the anesthesia level (periods 7-18, FIGS. 1 and 3 - 6 ), which can be summarized by the left and downward shift of the EEG spectrum (FIGS. 3-6) expressed in terms of Fourier transform power spectrum (FFT of one minute epochs of EEG taken at the end of each collection period). These EEG changes paralleled the logarithmic increases of the interstitial taurine cortical concentrations reflected in the dialysate taurine contents (Table 1, FIG. 1 ), and for example after the dose of 2.0 mmol/kg of taurine (periods 16-21) the EEG reached stage IV-V (burst suppression) consistent and persistently.
TABLE 1
Dose-Response
Cortical
Concentration
(pmol/30 μL
EEG
Dialysate)
EEG Stage
FFT Power
Sample No.
pmol
Log
I-VI
Spectrum
Control
1
87.8
1.9435
I
FIG. 2
2
82
1.9138
I
3
87.8
1.9435
I
M: 0.5 mmol/kg
4
94.8
1.9768
II
FIG. 2
5
118
2.0719
III
6
96
1.9823
III
FIG. 2
T: 0.5 mmol/kg
7
453
2.6551
III
FIG. 3
8
976
2.9894
III
FIG. 3
9
798
2.9021
III-IV
FIG. 3
T: 1.0 mmol/kg
10
1151
3.0607
III-IV
FIG. 4
11
1164
3.0645
III-IV
FIG. 4
12
1105
3.0414
III-IV
FIG. 4
T: 1.5 mmol/kg
13
1982
3.2967
IV
FIG. 5
14
2347
3.3711
IV
FIG. 5
15
2074
3.3161
IV
FIG. 5
T: 2.0 mmol/kg
16
2848
3.4548
IV-V
FIG. 6
17
3430
3.5353
V
FIG. 6
18
3628
3.5599
V
FIG. 6
Methionine (M) or Taurine (T) was administered as an IV bolus over a 3 minute period at the beginning of the corresponding fraction period ().
EEG = Electroencephalogram; FFT = Fourier transform or EEG power spectrum of one minute EEG epoch; EEG anesthesia stage I-VI (see text).
EXAMPLE 2
The protection afforded by taurine was examined in the well known spinal cord ischemia model in the rabbit (reversible clamping of the absominal aorta below the renal artery) of one hour duration. The protective effects were compared against what is considered the golden standard of the protective methods: hypothermia, which is well characterized by the increasing protective efficacy, within a certain range, with the degree of hypothermia established at the time ischemia occurs. In one group of animals (◯) sufficient degree of hypothermia (mean esophageal temperature of 29.38° C.) to obtain adequate protection (the rabbit would recover normal spinal cord function within 6 hours of establishing spinal cord reperfusion following one hour of ischemia) was determined; in another group (×) the degree of hypothermia induced was slightly less (esophageal temperature being 29.9° C. or 0.52° C. higher than the former group) so that animals would not recover cord function, and in a third group () 10 mmols/kg of body weight of taurine prepared as a 10% solution (by weight) was administrated: one third of it at the time of induction of anesthesia, one third during the induction of hypothermia (which turned out to be 30.58° C. or 1.2° C. higher than the first (◯) group, and 0.68° C. higher than the second (×) group), and the remaining one third 5 minutes prior to establishing reperfusion of the spinal cord (declamping of the aorta). As depicted in the FIG. 7, animals receiving taurine were all adequately protected at temperatures that hypothermia alone failed to achieve, functional recovery being persistent 24 hours later, indicating that the spinal cord was indeed adequately protected during the one hour of blood perfusion deprivation, with no evidence of gross delayed untoward phenomena at least for 24 hours.
In addition, pilot experiments with isotonic taurine solution was found to be less effective than the 10% (hypertonic) solution of taurine. A hypertonic solution is a solution having an osmotic pressure greater than that of normal scrum or plasma (300 mosm/l). The protective effects of taurine could further be potentiated with a number of other medications aimed to reduce the production of free radicals such as mannitol, deferoxamine and vitamin C, or to prevent the increase of intracellular Na or Ca such as Mg and dantrolene, or inhibitors of phospholipase C such as chlorpromazine and nicholin leading to the conclusion that when taurine is used with one or more other medication(s) with protective properties on their own, even through the protective effects might not be an algebraic summation of the activity of each one of the components the net resulting effect would be a greater protective efficacy than the individual component given separately (potentiation).
The therapeutically effective taurine doses forclinical use is 6-10 mmol/kg of body weight, when administered as a hypertonic solution. The concentration of taurine in the hypertonic solution is preferably at least 5% by weight. The more concentrated the better (to be able to give the same dosage of taurine in the least volume), but considering the physical properties of solubility of taurine (13% at room temperature of 23° C.) a 7% to 10% solution would probably be the most workable concentration, taking into account also the volume tolerance when given within a short period of time.
EXAMPLE 3
Since many substances with protective effects exert the protection by promoting blood flow to the affected area in addition to the specific mechanism by which exert the protective action, the blood flow effects of topical taurine solution to the dorsal aspect of the toes were examined by measuring skin temperature with an infra-red camera in a patient with frostbite of the left foot (4th toe), without and with iced cold water immersion challenge for 5 seconds. The skin temperature reflects the blood flow to the area, the warmer the greater blood flow.
How fast the skin temperature returns to normal after a short period of immersion into iced-water is a commonly used clinical test to evaluate the blood flow to the area and its neurogenic control. The non-specific protective vasodilating effect exerted by the topically absorbed taurine will be manifested as increase of temperature, over the basal temperature or by accelerating the recovery of the basal temperature after iced-water immersion.
Accordingly as can be seen on the tables 2 and 3, topical taurine increases the temperature of the toes where it was applied, whether it is applied without or with prior challenge of exposure to cold. The maximal effects are seen between 15 to 20 minutes after its topical application in both situations. Previous studies of spinal cord ischemia have shown the most protective effects of hypertonic solutions as compared to isotonic or hypotonic solutions, and similar correlation is predicted for the vascular effects, though only a 10% solution was tested.
Although of slightly lesser magnitude and not tabulated, similar response is observed when applied to normal subjects, not only on feet, but also on hands and the forehead. The implication being that it should be especially effective when applied to patients who have various degrees of neurovascular disorders. Homotaurine or methionine can be used in place of taurine to obtain the same effect as that of taurine. However, taurine can offer the most remarkable effect.
TABLE 2
No Iced Water Challenge
Toe-Skin Temperature
Evaluation-Side
Contra-Lateral Side
Average 4* Toes
Average
Room Temp.
% of Max
4* Toes
:27.5° C.
(1,2,4,5)*
Change
3rd
(1,2,4,5)*
3rd
Baseline
32.25° C.
—
31.4° C.
31.85° C.
31.5° C.
0 min
Topical
—
Nothing
Topical
Nothing
Taurine
Water
5 mins
33.02° C.
81.05%
32° C.
31.67° C.
31.9° C.
10 mins
32.7° C.
47.37%
31.8° C.
31.2° C.
31.1° C.
15 mins
32.9° C.
68.4%
32.3° C.
31.37° C.
31.8° C.
20 mins
33.2° C.
100%
32.1° C.
31.85° C.
31.7° C.
25 mins
33.02° C.
81.05%
32.1° C.
31.37° C.
31.7° C.
30 mins
32.87° C.
65.26%
31.9° C.
31.6° C.
31.9° C.
TABLE 3
Iced Water Challenge
Toe Skin Temperature
Average 5 Toes
Room Temp.
Average 5 Toes
%
Contra-Lateral
%
:27.7° C.
Evaluation Side
Recovery
Side
Recovery
Baseline
32.62° C.
—
31.92° C.
—
Iced Water
24.2° C.
—
21.56° C.
—
(5 seconds)
0 min
Topical Taurine
—
Topical Water
—
5 mins
29.38° C.
61.52%
26.58° C.
48.65%
10 mins
31.42° C.
85.75%
28.16° C.
63.71%
15 mins
31.66° C.
88.6%
28.6° C.
67.95%
20 mins
30.92° C.
79.81%
28.06° C.
62.74%
25 mins
31.5° C.
86.7%
28.16° C.
63.71%
30 mins
31.04° C.
79.81%
27.46° C.
56.95%
EXAMPLE 4
The protection afforded by hypertonic (10% aqueous solution) taurine was examined with the well-known spinal cord ischemia model in the rabbit (reversible clamping of the abdominal aorta below the renal artery) of one-hour duration.
The standard of the protective methods, hypothermia (temperature lower than the normal temperature of 38° C. to 39° C. in mammals), was used to assess and compare the protective effects of hypertonic taurine. Hypothermia was induced by placing iced water bags on the abdomens as well as on the anterior aspect of the chests of anesthetized rabbits, while the esophageal temperature was continuously monitored with a thermistor temperature probe. The iced water bags were removed when a particular desired temperature was reached, allowing for the after-drop (1.5° C. to 1.8° C.) that occurs after removing the bags. When the esophageal temperature reached the target temperature, the infra-renal abdominal aorta was temporarily clamped (a well known spinal cord ischemia model in rabbits) for one hour.
To quantify the degree of protection, the neurologic spinal cord function recovery was assessed by a scoring method (from 0=anesthesia, to 6=full recovery; as explained later) with measurements taken every 15 minutes after anesthesia wash out, allowing a 90-minute period of re-warming after reperfusion or declamping of the infra-renal abdominal aorta. Although the first 90 minutes after anesthesia wash out reflects mostly the time required to recover from the effects of anesthesia, the repair of the damage inflicted by the ischemic (decreased blood flow) period starts as soon as the blood flow is re-established (re-perfusion).
First, the pure hypothermic temperature required to protect the ischemic spinal cord for one hour was determined. It was found necessary to cool the rabbit down to 29.4±0.07° C. to protect the animals from one hour of ischemia. Animals cooled to only 29.9±0.05° C. failed to recover, but when 10 mmols/kg of taurine as a 10% solution was administered during the cooling phase, all animals recovered fully even if the hypothermia was only down to 30.4±0.07° C. The same amount of taurine, but given as an iso-tonic (3.75%) solution, in animals cooled to 30.3±0.05° C. failed to protect them.
[Objective neurologic scoring (NS) system]
Rabbits are observed restrained by a stationary collar in a special temperature controlled cage, equipped with means to provide respiratory care (end expiratory oxygen and carbon dioxide monitoring, mechanical ventilation, positive end-expiratory pressure or oxygen enriched air as required, usually the first 60-90 minutes following anesthesia wash-out) as well as graded interchangeable hurdles (3.5 cm and 6.5 cm high) to be placed under the abdomen (hip portion). Each recovery stage is defined by the objectively measurable ability of the rabbit to clear the specific height hurdle and not by the observer's subjective evaluation as follows:
0: Still under the effects of anesthesia.
1: Assessed in a) supine position: responsive to stimuli; moves ears and/or head. Front limbs movements present, but unable to move hind limbs; might be able to flex pelvis and abdomen over the chest spontaneously or in response to any stimuli, by contraction of abdominal muscles, but not the hind limbs proper, or b) Prone position: able to sustain the head erect but hind limbs are either flaccid or spastic in extension and unable to arch the trunk. Tail movements might be present.
2: Vigorous extension of hind limbs (to the point of being able to arch the trunk) might be present but unable to retract (flex) them under the abdomen when placed prone with the hind limbs extended on flat surface in the cage.
3: Capable of retracting (flexing) hind limbs on both sides under the abdomen if hind Limbs are extended on a flat even surface, either spontaneously or in response to painful tail pinching. One half point credit for each hind limb.
4: Capable of retracting (flexing) both hind limbs extended over a hurdle 3.5 cm high, either spontaneously or in response to painful tail pinching. The back is still straightened and unable to take the normal (rounded back) posture. Falls to one side unless supported.
5: Vigorous retraction (flexion) of both hind limbs in, response to painful tail pinching over a 6.5 cm high hurdle. The back is still straight and unable to keep the normal (rounded back) posture, although may be capable of repositioning the body to walk. Lateral support no longer needed.
6: Vigorous retraction (flexion) of both hind limbs over a 6.5 cm high hurdle spontaneously. Able to maintain the normal (rounded back) posture, capable of repositioning the body to walk, capable of kicking, capable of hopping when neck restrain is removed.
TABLE 4
Degree of Spinal Cord Function Recovery
Elapsed Time
(NS 0-6)
(minutes)
Group 1: Hypothermia +
Group 2:
Anes-
Taurine (10 mmol/kg)
Hypothermia alone
thesia
A (10%;
B (3.75%;
b (30° C.;
a (29.5° C.;
Reper-
Wash-
n = 5)
n = 6)
n = 6)
n = 6)
fusion
out
Mean
SD
Mean
SD
Mean
SD
Mean
SD
90
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
150
60
3
1.41
0.8
0.4
1
0.58
2.2
0.98
210
120
4.4
0.8
1.3
0.5
2.5
1.6
5
0.6
270
180
5.8
0.4
1.17
0.37
2.83
1.67
5.8
0.4
330
240
6
0
1.17
0.37
2.83
1.67
6
0
360
270
6
0
1.667
1.491
2.83
1.67
6
0
Group 1: Hypothermia (not enough to be protective by itself = 30.5° C.) + Taurine (10 mmol/kg intravenously given before ischemia)
Group 1A: Taurine administrated as 10% hyperosmotic solution.
Group 1B: Taurine administrated as 3.75% isoosmotic solution
Group 2: Hypothermia alone
Group 2a: Cold enough for hypothermia to be protective by itself
Group 2b: 0.5° C. higher temperature than 2a but colder than Group 1.
NS (neurologic score): 0 (= Anesthesia) to 6 (= full recovery)
SD = Standard deviation
To further assess protective effects, the rate of recovery was used as an indicator of the efficacy of the protective strategy. The sooner a score of 6 is reached, the better the protection. As summarized in Table 4, animals receiving 10% taurine recover function faster (higher scores earlier) than equally protected (when judged 6 hours after reperfusion) by hypothermia alone, although the hypothermia alone group has a faster early recovery. This delay of the taurine receiving group, is delay in waking-up and reflects the anesthetic effects of taurine.
Animals that had recovered by 6 hours remained recovered the next day; those with a score of <5 did not improve any further, if any had worsening of the score the next day. Thus when the protection is adequate, full recovery can be anticipated within 6 hours of reestablishment of blood flow (re-perfusion) and delayed phenomena should not occur.
None of the animals receiving the same amount of taurine but in isotonic solution recovered function, thus emphasizing the importance of being a hypertonic solution.
Administration of iso-osmolar concentration of taurine would have been the logical application of prior art teachings based on the anti-calcic effects, and following the basic pharmacological principles of administering drugs in iso-osmolar concentrations. However it is obvious that for taurine to be protective in a predictable manner, it must be hyper-osmolar. Our contention is that the hypertonic solution prevents the cytotoxic intracellular edema from developing, which the iso-osmolar solution fails to do.
Since taurine solubility is reported to be 13% at 25° C., 10% was chosen for logistic reasons, but in theory the more concentrated a given amount of taurine solution, the greater the anti-edema effect should be. Although the amount chosen of 10 mmol/kg was effective to protect the ischemic period of one hour when combined to hypothermia of 30.5° C., the ideal timing and dosage might be different for different ischemic periods and for different temperatures.
The protective effects of taurine could further be enhanced inpilot studies with mannitol, deferoxamine, nicholin and vitamin C, and in theory with a number of other medications aimed to reduce the production of free radicals or to prevent the increase of intracellular Na or Ca (Mg and dantrolene), or inhibitors of phospholipase C (chlorpromazine) leading to the conclusion that when taurine is used with one or more other medication(s) with protective properties on their own, even though the protective effects might not be an algebraic summation of the activity of each one of the components, the net resulting effect would be a greater protective efficacy than the individual component given separately (enhancement or potentiation).
Based on these results, the following arguments can be derived:
I) The therapeutically effective taurine doses for clinical use is 6 to 10 mmol/kg of body weight when it is administered as a hypertonic solution.
II) The concentration of taurine in preferably at least 5% by weight. The more concentrated the better (to be able to give the same dosage of taurine in the least volume), but considering the physical properties of solubility of taurine (13% at room temperature of 25° C.), a 7% to 10% solution would probably be the most workable concentration, taking into account also the volume tolerance by the patient when given over a short period of time.
III) Potential combinations of taurine, homotaurine or methionine to varying amounts of a number of other already-available drugs or physical means such as hypothermia to mutually potentiate their protective effect. Other already-available drugs included but are not limited to, adenine necleosides (adenosine or adenosine analogues) and nucleotides (ATP or ATP analogues), mannitol, vitamin C, glutathione, vitamin E and related compounds, magnesium, dantrolene, corticosteroids, promazine and related compounds, nicholin, 21-amino steroids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents, other anti-inflammatory agents, calcium antagonists (nifedipine, diltiazim, nicardipine, etc), openers of K ATP channels in general with representatives such as pinacidil, nicorandil or chromakalim among others, or other protective drugs that are in various phases of development.
EXAMPLE 5
The therapeutic use of taurine, d or 1 or d-methionine, homo-taurine, either alone or in combination to induce vasodilatation in general, but particularly in the perioperative period (before, during and after an operative procedure) without producing excessive hypotension nor cardiac depression is further examined.
Vasodilatation effects can be assessed by measuring the blood pressure with a fluid-filled intraarterial catheter attached to a pressure transducer. The blood pressure is the resultant of the interaction of the resistance to the blood flow offered by the vascular tree (determined by the degree of vaso-dilatation) on one hand and the amount of blood ejected by each cardiac contraction (cardiac output). The ideal vaso dilator drug is one that selectively decreases the vascular resistance without affecting the cardiac output. i.e. without producing cardiac depression. As part of the normal reflex function, heart rate increases (tachycardia) as the blood pressure is decreased regardless of the etiology, whether caused by the effects of a vasodilator or blood loss. However in clinical practice, especially in the perioperative period, tachycardia is not a desirable effect, and other drug(s) to decrease the heart rate, which is(are) cardiac depressive in general, is(are) often concomitantly used.
Tables 5A-5C summarize the blood pressure response recorded every 30 seconds following a bolus of either 3.3 mmol/kg of taurine (10% or 3.75% concentration) or of 1 to 1.75 mmol/kg of 1-methionine given intravenously every 3 minutes for a total of 3 boluses. Because the depth of anesthesia and amount of fluid administered for the different experiments were not uniform since they had been enrolled to different studies, the results are not directly comparable, but the vaso-dilatory effect is evident; the magnitude of the vasodilating response, whether given as a hypertonic (10%) or isotonic (3.75%) solution of taurine is similar. The response is apparent as early as 30 seconds after the first dose but is persistent and consistent 3 minutes after the first bolus and following the second bolus. The heart rate decrease (bradychardia) is attained without depressing the cardiac function (cardiac output), being a characteristic and highly desirable effect. Though not tabulated, the cardiac function was estimated by the end-expiratory carbon dioxide concentrations which remained unaffected or if any increased in an animal ventilated at the same rate as that required to obtain an end-expiratory carbon dioxide of 5.0% at the basal condition, indicating unchanged or increased cardiac output.
TABLE 5A
Hyper-Osmotic Taurine (10%); Bolus (3.3 mmol/kg) every 3 minutes; n = 12
After First Bolus (seconds)
After Second Bolus (seconds)
After Third Bolus (seconds)
Pre
30
60
90
120
150
180
30
60
90
120
150
180
30
60
90
120
150
180
Systolic
Blood
Pressure
(mmHg)
Mean
125
119
118
117
117
116
118
115
116
114
112
111
109
110
109
107
105
103
101
SD
15.3
14.9
15.2
15.7
15.7
16.1
16.3
19.5
21.6
21.7
22.5
23.4
23.9
21.5
22.7
22.4
22.5
20.9
19.9
Diastolic
Blood
Pressure
(mmHg)
Mean
65.8
47.9
49.8
49.5
49.5
49.3
52.7
45.9
47.7
45.8
45
44.5
44.5
40.5
40.7
40.1
38.9
37.3
36.6
SD
23.9
17.3
16.7
17
19
19.1
20.4
22.7
24.4
23.9
23.8
24.6
26.8
25.1
23.8
23.5
22.3
21
20.5
Differential
(mmHg)
Mean
59.4
71.1
68.2
67.4
67.5
67
65
69.5
67.8
68.1
66.8
66.1
64.9
69.8
67.9
67.3
66
66.2
64.2
SD
21.6
22.1
22
22
21.7
21.8
20.6
21.9
21.3
21.5
21
21.6
21.9
23.3
22.7
22.6
22.7
20.6
20.4
Mean Blood
pressure
(mmHg)
Mean
86.8
71.6
72.4
71
72
71.5
74.4
69.3
70.3
68.4
67.3
66.4
66.2
63.8
64.1
62.5
60.8
59.2
58
SD
20.4
12.8
12.7
13.6
14.8
15
16.5
19
21.3
20.8
21.2
22
23.8
21.4
19.5
20.4
19.7
18.6
17.9
Heart Rate
Mean
288
283
270
264
SD
30.3
26.4
31
35.4
TABLE 5B
Iso-Osmotic Taurine (3.75%); Bolus (3.3 mmol/kg) every 3 minutes; n = 6
After First Bolus (seconds)
After Second Bolus (seconds)
After Third Bolus (seconds)
Pre
30
60
90
120
150
180
30
60
90
120
150
180
30
60
90
120
150
180
Systolic
Blood
Pressure
(mmHg)
Mean
153
137
134
129
124
121
118
98.3
96.3
95.3
94.8
94.5
95.2
101
101
103
104
105
106
SD
16.1
24.8
26.2
25.6
25.1
26
27
29.9
29.3
29.1
29.1
29.4
25.1
15.4
14.2
13.4
13.6
14.3
15.5
Diastolic
Blood
Pressure
(mmHg)
Mean
80.7
67.2
65.8
59.3
54
50.3
48.8
32.5
32.5
32.3
32.8
32
32.2
29.5
29.5
32.8
32.7
33.8
34.5
SD
21.8
22
19.9
15.4
12.6
10.4
10.3
9.8
10
10.1
11.1
12.5
12
9.7
9
10.6
11.3
12.2
11.9
Differential
(mmHg)
Mean
72.2
70.2
67.8
69.7
70.2
70.3
69.2
65.8
63.8
63
62
62.5
63
71.2
71.2
69.8
71.2
70.8
71.8
SD
14.6
17
16.2
17.6
18.6
20.5
20.2
25.8
27.2
27.1
26.7
26.9
22.9
16.4
15
14.5
15.2
15.1
15.1
Mean Blood
pressure
(mmHg)
Mean
105
90.7
88.2
82.5
77.2
73.7
71.8
54.5
53.8
53.5
53.5
53
53.2
53.2
53.3
56
57
57.5
58.5
SD
18.7
21.6
20.7
17.5
15.4
14.3
14.9
14.5
13.9
13.7
14.5
15.2
13.5
9
8.6
9.4
9.8
10.7
11.3
Heart Rate
(mmHg)
Mean
307
282
260
260
SD
15.9
12.9
24.5
23.2
TABLE 5C
Iso-Osmotic Methionine (4.5%); Bolus (1.0 or 1.75 mmol/kg) every 3 minutes; n = 3
After First Bolus (seconds)
After Second Bolus (seconds)
After Third Bolus (seconds)
Pre
30
60
90
120
150
180
30
60
90
120
150
180
30
60
90
120
150
180
Systolic
Blood
Pressure
(mmHg)
Mean
130
122
122
120
117
115
121
122
121
119
114
111
110
109
110
108
104
104
106
SD
21.9
22.8
26.4
29.7
32.4
37
30.9
24.7
30.4
30.8
30.2
25
23.6
19.7
19.9
20.5
23.9
22.1
23
Diastolic
Blood
Pressure
(mmHg)
Mean
82.7
75
76
73.3
71.7
69.7
72.3
75.3
76.3
72.3
66.3
65.3
64.7
66
66
64.7
59.7
59.7
62.3
SD
30.3
23.6
28.1
29.3
31.8
33.9
28.3
23.4
27.9
28.1
27.7
23.8
20.2
16.3
17.7
17.9
21.5
21.5
17.8
Differential
(mmHg)
Mean
47.3
47
45.7
46.7
45.7
47
48.3
47
45
46.3
47.3
46
45
43.3
44
45.7
44
44.3
43.7
SD
14.7
4.08
3.86
4.19
2.62
4.24
4.64
4.24
3.27
4.64
5.25
4.97
4.55
4.11
4.24
1.89
10.2
10.8
8.99
Mean
Blood
pressure
(mmHg)
Mean
101
90.7
92
89
87
85
88.7
91.3
91.3
87.7
82
80.3
79.7
80.7
81
79.3
74.3
74.7
76.7
SD
29
23.5
27.3
29.3
32.1
34.9
29.2
23.8
28.5
29
28.2
24.2
21.5
17.2
18.4
18.9
21.8
21.1
19.3
Heart Rate
1 (1.0
—
—
—
—
mmol/l)
2 (1.0
—
—
—
—
mmol/l)
3 (1.75
320
292
264
264
mmol/l)
(—: Recording was not available)
In spite of administering the taurine or 1-methionine as a bolus, the degree of vasodilatation, i.e. hypotension obtained with the used dosage was never excessive, and considered to be Just right for clinical purposes; it could be achieved with an isotonic solution as well. However the duration of such vaso-dilating and bradycardic effects needs further assessment to determine the best dosage and frequency of administration. Because of this moderate hypotensive effect, and the lack of cardio-toxic effects, monitoring is practically unnecessary. It can be given as a bolus as opposed to most other drugs used to induce hypotension acutely that need to be given as an intravenous drip therefore requiring close monitoring since the dose must be titrated to the response, which implies the need for personnel and equipment, that could be obviated with the present invention.
The hypotensive effects of 10 mmol/kg divided in 3 boluses were tabulated, because they were observations made concomitant to the underlying basic study of protection. The amount required for blood pressure control perioperatively, i.e. when used as a component of the anesthesia per se, only 1 to 3 mmol/kg are needed, and at this dosage it could be administered with impunity, without fearing untowards effects.
A similar vasodilating effect is obtained with even lesser amounts of 1-methionine (1 to 1.75 mmol/kg bolus, for a total of 3 mmol/kg given as a 4.5% or isotonic solution).
EXAMPLE 6
The blood flow effects of topical taurine solution to the dorsal aspect of the toes were examined by measuring skin temperature with an infra-red camera (thermography) in a patient (TAM) with frostbite of the left foot (4th toe being the worse, 1997), without and with iced cold water immersion challenge for 5 seconds. The skin temperature reflects the blood flow to the area, the warmer the greater blood flow (Tables 6A and 6B, data obtained in March, 1997).
TABLE 6A
Without iced-water challenge
TOE-SKIN TEMPERATURE
EVALUATION-SIDE
CONTRA-LATERAL SIDE
Room temp
Average 4* toes
Average 4* toes
27.5
(1,2,4,5)*
% of Max change
3rd
(1,2,4,5)*
3rd
Baseline
32.25
31.4
31.85
31.5
Topical-Taurine
Nothing
Topical-Water
Nothing
5 mins
33.02
81.05
32
31.67
31.9
10 mins
32.7
47.37
31.8
31.2
31.1
15 mins
32.9
68.4
32.3
31.37
31.8
20 mins
33.2
100
32.1
31.85
31.7
25 mins
33.02
81.05
32.1
31.37
31.7
30 mins
32.87
65.26
31.9
31.6
31.9
mins: minutes; secs: seconds; temp: temperature in Celsius.
TABLE 6B
Iced-water challenge
TOE-SKIN TEMPERATURE
Room temp
Average 5 toes
Temp
%
Average 5 toes
Temp
%
27.7
Evaluation side
change
Recovery
Contra-lateral side
change
Recovery
Baseline
32.62
31.92
Iced water
24.2
8.42
21.56
10.36
(5 secs)
Topical Taurine
Topical water
5 mins
29.38
61.52
26.58
48.65
10 mins
31.42
85.75
28.16
63.71
15 mins
31.66
88.6
28.6
67.95
20 mins
30.92
79.81
28.06
62.74
25 mins
31.5
86.7
28.16
63.71
30 mins
31.04
79.81
27.46
56.95
mins: minutes; secs: seconds; temp: temperature in Celsius.
How fast the skin temperature returns to normal after a short period of immersion into iced-water is a commonly used clinical test to evaluate the blood flow to the area and its neurogenic control. The non-specific protective vasodilating effect exerted by the topically absorbed taurine will be manifested as increase of temperature, over the basal temperature or by accelerating the recovery of the basal temperature after iced-water immersion.
Accordingly as can be seen in the Tables 6A and 6B, topical 10% taurine increases the temperature of the toes where it was applied whether it is applied without (Table 6A) or with (Table 6B) prior challenge of exposure to cold. The maximal effects are seen between 15 to 20 minutes after its topical application in both situations. Though not tabulated, similar responses were observed with topically applied methionine solution.
Although not tabulated similar response of slightly lesser magnitude is observed when applied to normal subjects, not only on feet, but also on hands and the forehead. The implication being that it should be especially effective when applied to patients who have various degrees of neurovascular disorders.
Whether such vasodilating effects would have therapeutic value was explored in the same patient with frostbite, one year later. In 1998, the frostbite became symptomatic in both feet. Tables 7A and 7B summarizes the therapeutic effect of 5% taurine solution topically applied once daily after frostbite became symptomatic as the weather became colder. During the first week it was only applied to the left foot, the pain disappearing after 3 applications as substantiated by the improved thermographic data obtained after 5 applications of the topical solution consisting of the marked improvement of the % recovery 30 minutes after the iced water challenge (55.58% before VS 79.14% after taurine application). The right foot pain persisted unchanged during this time.
During the following week 5% taurine was topically applied to both feet. As it could be anticipated the therapeutic effects were more pronounced on the right or less affected foot; continued improvement was noted on the left foot as substantiated by the faster recovery than the previous week, although the extent of recovery remained the same.
Because the above therapeutic effects of topical application must be secondary to the vasodilatory effects, iso-osmolar concentration should suffice.
TABLE 7A
RIGHT FOOT TEMPERATURE
LEFT FOOT TEMPERATURE
Aver-
%
Aver-
%
age
Temp.
Re-
age
Temp.
Re-
DATE
Toes
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
1-5
Diff.
covery
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
1-5
Diff.
covery
97-1028
BASELINE before symptoms. Weather MAX = 20; MIN = 10-12
Control
29.6
27
26.2
26.6
27.8
27.44
28.6
26.2
24.9
24.9
24.7
25.86
Iced-water immersion (10 secs)
Post 0 mins
22.9
19.6
17.1
16.4
18.3
18.86
8.58
21.6
16.9
16.2
15.6
17
17.46
8.4
5 mins
25.5
22.4
20.3
20.4
21
21.92
35.66
24.4
19.9
19.8
20.5
19.6
20.84
40.24
10 mins
25.1
22.6
20.9
20.8
21.1
22.1
37.76
23.8
19.9
19.9
19.8
19.4
20.56
36.95
15 mins
25.2
23.1
21.4
20.9
21.4
22.4
41.26
24
21.2
20.2
20.2
20.2
21.16
44.05
20 mins
24.5
23.4
21.8
21.3
21.7
22.54
42.9
24
21.4
20.2
20.3
20.4
21.26
45.24
25 mins
25.1
23.9
21.9
21.7
21.7
22.86
46.62
26
21.7
20.4
20.5
20.5
21.82
51.91
30 mins
24.3
23.2
21.6
21.3
21.2
22.32
40.33
26.4
21.6
20.2
20.1
20.3
22.075
55
98-0130
BEFORE RX: Symptomatic (pain and erythema of all toes) L = 25 days; R = 11 days. Weather MAX: 8; MIN: −1.0
Control
24.5
23.6
23.8
23.3
23.5
23.7
24.6
24.8
24.4
23.5
23.6
24.18
Iced-water immersion (10 secs)
Post 0 mins
15.8
14.9
16
13.9
14.1
14.94
8.76
16
15.4
14.9
14.9
14.9
15.22
8.96
5 mins
20.4
19.3
18.3
18
19.1
19.02
46.58
20.3
19.4
19.3
18.7
19.2
19.38
46.43
10 mins
20.6
19.9
18.7
18.7
19.4
19.46
51.6
20.9
19.8
18.7
19.4
19.7
19.7
50
15 mins
20.7
20.1
18.7
19.1
19.5
19.62
53.42
20.7
20.2
19.1
19.8
19.9
19.94
52.68
20 mins
20.2
20
18.4
18.8
19.1
19.3
49.77
20.4
20.4
18.8
19.5
19.4
19.7
50
25 mins
20.3
19.9
18.5
18.8
19
19.3
49.77
20.8
21.1
19.1
19.6
19.6
20.04
53.8
30 mins
19.9
19.7
18.3
18.6
18.7
19.04
46.8
20.9
21.6
19.4
19.6
19.5
20.2
55.58
Temp. Diff: Temperature difference in Celsius; L = left foot; R = right foot; secs: seconds; mins: minutes.
TABLE 7B
RIGHT FOOT TEMPERATURE
LEFT FOOT TEMPERATURE
Aver-
%
Aver-
%
age
Re-
age
Re-
DATE
Toes
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
1-5
covery
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
1-5
covery
AFTER TOPICAL-TAURINE (5% solution)
98-0206
L only (one week) (L pain subsided after 3 applications; with marked improvement of erythema; R unchanged); Weather: MAX: 12; MIN: 6
Control
26.8
26.7
26.3
26.4
26.7
26.58
28.4
28
29
28.5
28
28.38
Iced-water immersion (10 secs)
Post 0 mins
19.5
17.4
17
16.7
18.3
17.78
8.8
21.5
18.9
20.3
20
19.5
20.04
8.34
5 mins
22.1
21.2
20.3
20.6
20.8
21
36.59
25.5
23.7
23.3
23.5
22.8
23.76
44.6
10 mins
21.8
21.3
19.9
20.7
21.1
20.96
38.14
24.2
23.3
22.8
23.3
22.9
23.3
39.09
15 mins
22.6
22.3
20.3
21.1
21.4
21.54
42.73
25.4
23.8
23
23.5
23.3
23.8
45.08
20 mins
23.7
22.4
20.1
21
21.2
21.68
44.32
28.9
23.9
22.4
23.2
23
24.28
50.84
25 mins
26.3
24.1
20.8
21.2
21.6
22.8
57.05
30.9
26.4
24.3
23.8
23.4
25.76
68.59
30 mins
27.4
25.8
21.5
21.5
21.6
23.56
65.68
31.8
28.4
25.2
24.2
23.6
26.64
79.14
98-0213
L (2 weeks), R (one week; R pain subsided after 3 applications; with marked improvement of erythema); Weather: MAX: 13; MIN: 4
Control
32
30.9
31.3
30.4
30.1
30.94
29.4
27.7
27.7
27.8
27.7
28.06
Iced-water immersion (10 secs)
Post 0 mins
22.5
19.9
19
18.5
19.2
19.82
11.12
20.3
16.8
17.3
18.5
17.3
18.04
10.02
5 mins
27.4
25.8
25.8
25.5
25
25.9
54.68
25.9
21.7
21.8
22.4
22.8
22.92
48.7
10 mins
29.6
26.4
26.9
26.4
26
27.06
65.11
25.8
22.1
22
22.9
23.1
23.18
51.3
15 mins
31.9
30.3
29.2
27.5
28.5
29.48
86.87
28.9
23
22.7
23.3
23.9
24.36
63.07
20 mins
32.5
31.8
30.3
28.4
29.9
30.58
96.76
31.1
23.7
23
23.6
24.2
25.12
70.66
25 mins
32.7
32.1
30.8
29.3
30.6
31.1
101.44
31.5
24.5
23.2
23.8
24
25.4
73.45
30 mins
32.7
32.2
31
29.8
30.8
31.3
103.24
31.9
25.4
23.7
23.8
24.2
25.8
77.45
Temp. Diff: Temperature difference in Celsius; L = left foot; R = right foot; secs: seconds; mins: minutes.
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DeLeo J, Toth L, Schubert P, Rudolphi K, Kreutzberg G W (1987): Ischemia-induced neuronal cell death, Calcium accumulation, and glial response in the hippocampus of the mongolian gerbil and protection by Propentofylline (HWA 285). J Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism 7: 745-751.
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Wright C E (1986): Taurine: Biological update. Ann Rev Biochem 55: 427-53. | The invention relates to methods for inducing analgesia (or even anesthesia) and for prevention or amelioration of damage caused by ischemic or traumatic injury of tissues in general, but especially neural, for the central nervous system being the most vulnerable of all tissues, by the systemic administration of a therapeutically effective amount of primarily taurine, and secondarily homotaurine and/or methionine for a sufficient period of time (several hours to a few days, depending on the severity of the injury, and timing when therapy is initiated from the time of injury) to allow recovery from the original insult or from phenomena that follow the initial injury. | 0 |
[0001] The instant application should be granted the priority date of Sep. 6, 2013, the filing date of the corresponding German patent application DE 10 2013 109 796.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a drill, in particular to a rock drill with a drill head equipped with a hard metal insert.
[0003] A drill of this kind is known from DE 197 27 070 C2. This drill with a core reinforcement in practice has turned out to be particularly efficient and durable.
[0004] This type of drill is still used today as a so-called four-flute cutter and offers the possibility to combine a good stability and a relatively large drill dust removal groove. The core reinforcement makes it possible to work with a quite thin core resulting in a correspondingly large drill dust removal groove, but nevertheless on the other hand makes it possible to reduce the tendency to break due to the effected reinforcement of the core.
[0005] By core reinforcement a convexity in the direction of the drill longitudinal axis is understood, that is to say a convex structure of the drill core within each drill dust removal groove if viewed at a longitudinal section of the drill.
[0006] On the other hand, the invention is based on the object of providing a drill, whose long-term stability and resistance to breakage are still further enhanced.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] According to the invention a drill with a core reinforcement is provided whose spinal width of the fluted land at the drill head side end is smaller than at the shank side end of the fluted lands or the drill helix. Hereby, the tendency of the drills to break at the transition between the cylindrical part of the drill at the shank side end thereof and the drill helix, is eliminated by surprisingly simple means. Due to the increase of the spine thickness or width at this position or due the broadening of the spinal fluted lands the notch effect at this position is significantly reduced.
[0008] At the same time the drill at this position becomes more rigid and thus the transfer of the impact energy to the drill tip is improved.
[0009] The drill tip in a manner known per se is provided with a drill head comprising a hard metal insert. The inventive drill is thus especially suitable for rock, etc.
[0010] According to the invention, it is provided to configure the core reinforcement at the shank side end to be more slender, i.e. less convex. The rigidity and stability of the core hereby are not influenced at all or only to a very small extent because the absolute depth of the drill dust removal groove at the tip of the core reinforcement remains unchanged. However, more space for the drill dust removal is created due to the more slender configuration by still increasing the volume of the drill dust removal groove to the side of the center of the core reinforcement. This compensates by far the reduction of volume or free space per axial length section of the drill in the area of the shank side end of the helix that is available for the drill dust removal.
[0011] At the drill head side end of the helix, the spine width of the fluted lands is correspondingly smaller than at the shank side end. Hereby, the drill itself is less rigid at this position. Due to the more convex configuration of the core reinforcement, that is to say a configuration with larger radii of convexity if viewed in the longitudinal section of the drill, however, a higher mass helix section is available that correspondingly better transfers the impact energy introduced.
[0012] In this respect, the core reinforcement is inventively configured to be more rigid at the position at which the drill is weakened by a weaker helix, and less rigid at the position at which the drill is more rigid due to a more rigid helix comprising a broader spine.
[0013] Thus, it is possible in a surprisingly simple manner to compensate for the tendency of breakage of the drills used so far, in particular of the drills without a core reinforcement, at those positions at which the drill tends to break, namely in particular at the transition between the shank and the drill helix.
[0014] A further advantage arises from the reduction of the spine width in the front region of the drill. Due to the narrower spinal fluted lands there is a smaller contact surface between the drill hole and the drill. Less friction is produced resulting in an increase of the drilling progress, especially also during the production of a drill hole. The front part of the drill is in contact with the drill hole already at the beginning of the drilling process, and the friction thereof significantly determines the drilling performance.
[0015] Due to the groove space that has been enlarged in the rear area, a larger volume is available for the reception of drill dust. Hereby, the tendency for deflagrations at a nearly finished drill hole is reduced.
[0016] It is particularly advantageous that due to the steeper helix angles of the drill helix, the shock wave introduced into the drill from the shank end, can be better introduced into the drill helix, thus introducing more impact energy into the drill head which increases the drill performance.
[0017] In an advantageous embodiment, the change of shape of the core reinforcement is symmetrical, that is to say in mirror image relative to one another on both faces of the core reinforcement. In this manner the maximum possible volume enlargement is achieved that at the same time prevents a weakening of the core reinforcement.
[0018] In a further advantageous embodiment, the core thickness of the drill, measured against the tip or center of the core reinforcement, is constant along the contour of the helix. Hereby, a weakening of the drill and a reduction of the rigidity due to a possible reduction of the core diameter is avoided.
[0019] According to the invention a particularly advantageous combination of a variable core reinforcement is combined with a drill helix that is variable as to the form of the variable spine thickness or width of the fluted land.
[0020] According to the invention the shape of the core reinforcement changes along the contour of the drill. The area of the core reinforcement in a favorable configuration is reduced towards the shank side end of the helix.
[0021] Due to the change of the fluted land width along the contour of the drill helix, the fluted land has a different mass if viewed along the contour of the drill helix. This surprisingly results in the avoidance of vibrancy due to the introduced longitudinal pulses of the impact energy.
[0022] In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention it is provided to increase the width of the fluted lands at the drill head side end and to configure the core reinforcement at this position more slender and thus narrower than at the shank side end. This design has the particular advantage that at the position at which the wear of the fluted land is biggest, the largest fluted land mass is available. Said position, that is to say the drill head side end of the transport helix is most frequently in contact with the drill hole surrounding the drill and is thus subjected to the heaviest wear. In this respect, in this configuration a particularly favorable wear compensation is present.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Further advantages, details and features of the invention emerge from the subsequent description of two embodiments of the invention based on the drawing in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a side view of a substantial part of an embodiment of an inventive drill;
[0025] FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a detail of the drill according to FIG. 1 in the rear or shank side end region of the drill;
[0026] FIG. 3 illustrates a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 , however of a drill head side end region or front end region of the drill according to FIG. 1 ; and
[0027] FIG. 4 illustrates a view of a further embodiment of an inventive drill in a representation according to FIG. 1 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0028] The drill 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a drill helix 12 that extends from a shank end 14 , also referred to as a rear end, to a front end or drill head end 16 .
[0029] The drill 10 comprises in a manner known per se a drill dust removal groove 18 in the area of the helix, said drill dust removal groove 18 being configured in a helically circulating manner. In a manner known per se as well, a spine fluted land 20 is also configured in a helically circulating manner in the same direction, which spine fluted land 20 is inventively configured in a special manner as described in the following.
[0030] The drill dust removal groove 18 comprises a core reinforcement 22 . The core reinforcement 22 is designed more convex in the area of the drill head end 16 and more acute or slenderer in the sense of a reduced cross-section of the core reinforcement in the area of the shank end 14 . As far as the individual shape of the core reinforcement 22 is concerned, it is referred to FIGS. 2 and 3 .
[0031] According to the invention the width 24 of the fluted land 20 in the area of the drill head 16 is relatively narrow and the width 26 of the fluted land 20 in the area of the shank end 24 is large. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment that shows a drill with a nominal diameter of 14 mm, the width 24 at the drill head end 16 amounts to 2 mm and the width 26 at the shank end 14 amounts to 5 mm.
[0032] It is to be understood that the ratio of the spine widths 24 to 26 may be adapted to the requirements in many areas. For example the width ratio may amount to 1 to 1.2 or 1 to 6. It is preferred that the ratio of the spine fluted lands widths amounts to between 1 to 1.5 and 1 to 3.5, particularly preferred to between 1 to 2 and 1 to 3.
[0033] According to the invention it is further provided that the core reinforcement 22 in its design changes in the opposite direction compared to the change of the width 24 or 26 , respectively. The core reinforcement 22 is thus broader in the area of the drill head end 16 , i.e. at the position at which the width 24 of the fluted land 20 is narrower, and in the area of the shank end 14 , at which position the width 26 of the fluted land 20 is broader, it is narrower. The result is the desired compensation of the relatively narrower drill dust removal groove 18 in the area of the shank end 14 due to the larger width 24 , and thus a relative enlargement of the drill dust removal groove 18 despite an increased rigidity is provided.
[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates in which manner the drill dust removal groove 18 and the fluted land 20 are designed at this position, i.e. in the area 14 of the shank end, and how the groove changes along the contour thereof.
[0035] As it can be seen in FIG. 2 , two turns of the helix are illustrated. The shank end side fluted land width 26 a is larger than the fluted land width 26 b facing towards the drill head.
[0036] The drill dust removal groove 18 comprises symmetrical exit angles 30 and 32 . The term exit angle refers to the final angles of the drill dust removal groove 18 relative to the fluted land 20 , i.e. at the transition between the drill dust removal groove 18 and the fluted land 20 .
[0037] The exit angle 30 at the drill head side end of the fluted land 20 correspondingly is exactly as large as the exit angle 32 at the shank side end of the fluted land 20 .
[0038] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, said angle amounts to 72°, however, it can be adapted to the requirements in large areas. In order to limit the wear and in order to prevent the drill from getting stuck, the angle in any case should amount to significantly less than 85° if possible, preferably less than 80°.
[0039] The drill dust removal groove 18 is designed with the core reinforcement 22 in a particular manner. In the area 14 of the drill the core reinforcement 22 is quite slender. Its central radius 40 , i.e. the radius of convexity in the view according to FIG. 2 in the immediate neighborhood to the center of the core reinforcement 22 , is quite small. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment the radius amounts to significantly less than the nominal diameter of the drill, that is to say to approximately half the nominal diameter. Said radius is detected via the central 20° of the convex core reinforcement 22 .
[0040] On the other hand, the side radius 42 is significantly larger. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment it amounts to somewhat less than the nominal diameter of the drill that is somewhat larger than the diameter of the drill in the area of the fluted land 20 due to the hard metal tip that protrudes in a manner known per se. The radius, however, can also be somewhat larger than the nominal diameter and may be preferably detected as an angle of about 35° via the central convexity of the core reinforcement 22 .
[0041] Due to this design the side faces of the core reinforcement 22 , that is to say the front face 46 facing the drill head and the rear side face 48 , are straight sloping and flat. The tilt angle towards the drill axis amounts to between 5 and 18 degrees and in the illustrated exemplary embodiment approximately to 10 degrees.
[0042] Due to this design with flat side faces, the core reinforcement 22 becomes more acute and narrower.
[0043] This benefits the volume 50 of the drill dust removal groove 18 that is thus enlarged in the area of the lateral chamfers 52 and 54 of the drill dust removal groove 18 .
[0044] When viewed from the exit angle 30 or 32 , respectively, the drill dust removal groove 18 comprises an involute-like structure in the area of the chamfers 52 and 54 , in fact nearly to the point at which it merges into the center 60 of the core reinforcement.
[0045] Contrary thereto, a different drill dust removal groove 18 can be seen in FIG. 3 ; FIG. 3 illustrates the design of the drill dust removal groove 18 and of the core reinforcement 22 in the area of the drill head side end of the helix. In this view according to FIG. 3 , i.e. viewed in the longitudinal section through the drill, the core reinforcement 22 is significantly more convex. The result is that the central radius 40 and the side radius 42 coincide and in total are significantly larger than the respective radii according to FIG. 2 . In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, both radii are approximately as big as twice the nominal diameter of the drill 10 .
[0046] The contour of the chamfers 52 and 54 is such that they quite fast merge into the convexity of the core reinforcement 22 when viewed from the exit angles 30 or 32 , respectively. In this design, the concave area of the chamfers 52 and 54 is immediately followed by the convex area of the core reinforcement 22 . The area of convexity of the core reinforcement 22 in this design has a convexity width 70 that is significantly enlarged as compared to the the convexity width 70 according to FIG. 2 . The width amounts to significantly more than half the width 72 of the drill dust removal groove 18 . The width ratio at the drill head side end according to FIG. 3 amounts to approximately 0.8 to 1, whereas it amounts to approximately 0.2 to 1 at the shank side end.
[0047] It is to be understood that the ratio of the convexity width 70 to the drill dust removal groove width 72 may be adapted to the requirements in large areas and that in case of a relatively larger convexity width, a more convex design of the core reinforcement is contemplated.
[0048] Whereas with the drills illustrated here, a spiral having two flutes is provided which spiral is typically used with so-called two-flute cutters, it is to be understood that instead the same effects may be achieved with four-flute spirals or drill helices, as they are typical with four-flute cutters. A correspondingly designed drill helix 12 becomes apparent from FIG. 4 .
[0049] Here, as well as in the remaining figures, same reference numerals refer to the same parts and do not require further reference thereto. The width ratio of the widths 24 and 26 of the fluted lands 20 here amounts to 1 to 2, and the core reinforcement 22 changes as described before in the opposite direction as compared to the width change of the fluted lands 20 .
[0050] The same applies analogously to three-flute cutters and other multi-flute cutters.
[0051] As it becomes apparent from FIG. 4 , the rearward third 80 is equipped with a larger fluted land width 26 , and the two front thirds 82 of the drill 10 comprise a smaller fluted land width 24 . In between a continuous transition extends.
[0052] The result is that the change of shape of the core reinforcement 22 and the change of the fluted land widths 24 or 26 , respectively, has not to take place continuously and steadily along the contour of the drill 10 , but that a change section by section is also sufficient should the occasion arise.
[0053] The specification incorporates by reference the disclosure of German patent application DE 10 2013 109 796, filed Sep. 6, 2013.
[0054] The present invention is, of course, in no way restricted to the specific disclosure of the specification and drawings, but also encompasses any modifications within the scope of the appended claims. | A drill with a drill flute ( 12 ) includes symmetrical fluted lands ( 20 ) helically extend around a core, wherein grooves ( 18 ) remain between the fluted lands, said grooves having a width ( 72 ) that exceeds the spine thickness or width ( 24 ) of the fluted lands ( 20 ), and wherein the grooves ( 18 ) comprise a convex core reinforcement ( 22 ) at the groove bottom thereof. The width ( 24 ) of the fluted lands ( 20 ) at the drill head side end ( 16 ) is smaller than at the shank side end ( 14 ) of the drill helix ( 12 ), and at least increases in certain areas. The core reinforcement ( 22 ) at the drill head side end ( 16 ) is more convex than at the shank side end ( 14 ), thus has larger radii ( 40, 42 ). | 1 |
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/516,351, filed Aug. 18, 1995, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solar tracker used to direct solar energy.
2. Description of Related Art
Electrical power systems that operate on fossil fuels create environmentally harmful by-products. For this reason there has been developed alternate fuel systems to generate electricity. U.S. Pat. No. 4,536,847 issued to Erickson et al., discloses a concentrator solar conversion system that converts solar energy into electric power. The concentrator system has a plurality of trackers that each have reflective surfaces which reflect solar energy to a single focal point. Located at the focal point is a receiver unit which converts the solar energy into electrical power.
The reflective surfaces are rotated to track the movement of the sun so that the reflected solar energy is always focused on the receiver. The reflective surfaces are moved by motors that are controlled by a computer. The trackers are typically connected to the computer and a power supply by field wires.
The receiver typically has a heat exchanger which becomes heated by the reflected solar energy. The heat is transferred to a working fluid that drives a device such as a turbine or sterling engine. The turbine converts the thermal energy into mechanical energy, which is then converted into electrical energy by a generator. The working fluid also functions as a coolant that reduces the temperature of the receiver. If the flow of working fluid is terminated, the solar energy will quickly overheat and melt the receiver. In such a situation, it is desirable to move the trackers to a standby position so that solar energy is not directed toward the receiver. For example, lightning may strike and damage the power distribution system. Without power, the tracker is unable to move to the standby position. It would therefore be desirable to provide a self-sufficient tracker that can independently move the position of the reflective surfaces.
The reflective surfaces are typically rotated about a gimbal. The gimbal has an incremental encoder that provides feedback signals which are used to determine the relative position of the reflective surfaces. When power is terminated to the tracker, the reflective surfaces must be moved back to an initial reference position to reinitialize the system. Because of the relatively low slew rate of the tracker motor, this process can take up to 20-40 minutes. It would be desirable to reduce the time required to obtain a reference position of the trackers . It would also be desirable to improve the accuracy of a solar tracker to optimize the energy conversion efficiency of a solar energy system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a solar tracker which has a pneumatic motor that moves a reflective surface. The pneumatic motor is powered by pressurized air stored in a pedestal of the tracker. The pressurized air is replenished by a compressor that draws in air from the atmosphere. The pneumatic motor and compressor are controlled by a microcontroller. The controller, compressor and pneumatic motor are all powered by an energy system that converts solar energy into electric power, thereby providing a self-contained tracker. The output shaft of the pneumatic motor is coupled to a reflective surface support structure by a drive system which has intermediate gears and an incremental encoder. The incremental encoder provides a reference point for the position of the reflective surface. The gear is much smaller than the gimbal so that the reference point can be found with a relatively small incremental movement of the reflective surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tracker of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic of the control components of the tracker;
FIG. 3 is a side view of a gear train and encoder system;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a motor incremental encoder system;
FIG. 5 is a schematic showing the feedback signals of the encoder;
FIG. 6 is a logic diagram showing the control logic of the heliostat;
FIG. 7 is a schematic of a motor controller for a variable speed electric motor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference numbers, FIG. 1 shows a tracker 10 of the present invention. The tracker 10 has a plurality of reflective surfaces 12 attached to a mirror frame 14 that is supported by a pedestal 16. The reflective surfaces 12 may reflect solar energy to a receiver unit 18 that converts the solar energy to electrical power. The receiver unit 18 may have a central computer (not shown) that transmits information to the tracker 10 so that the mirrors track the movement of the sun.
As shown in FIG. 2, the tracker 10 contains a pneumatic motor 22 that moves the reflective surfaces 12 to track the sun. The motor 22 is connected to a reservoir 24 of pressurized air by air lines 26. The structure of the reservoir 24 is preferably the pedestal 16 of the tracker 10. The flow of air from the reservoir 24 to the motor 22 is controlled by valves 28-34. Valves 28 and 32 are opened to move the motor 22 and reflective surfaces 12 in one direction. Valves 30 and 34 are opened to move the mirrors 12 in an opposite direction. In a system that requires external electrical power to control the tracker 10, the motor 22 may be connected to the pressurized air by a safety valve 36 that is normally open. The safety valve 36 is maintained in a closed state by the presence of electrical power. In the event electrical power is discontinued, the valve 36 becomes open and the motor 22 is driven so that the mirrors 12 move to a stowed position. The system may have a mechanical stop valve 38 that terminates the flow of air to the motor 22 when the mirrors 12 reach the fully stowed position. To improve the life of the motor 22, oil is added to the air by an oiler 40. The oil is removed by a filter 42 and returned to the oiler 40 before the air is discharged to the atmosphere.
The air reservoir 24 is pressurized by a compressor 44. A filter 46 is connected to the compressor 44 to remove any impurities within the air drawn in from the atmosphere. The compressor 44 and valves 28-34 are controlled by a microcontroller 48. The controller 48 is connected to a pressure sensor 49 within the reservoir 24. The controller 48 starts the compressor 44 when the pressure within the reservoir 24 falls below a lower threshold value, and stops the compressor 44 when the reservoir pressure exceeds an upper threshold value.
The tracker 10 is powered by a solar cell array 52 that converts solar energy into electrical power. The solar cell array 52 is connected to a power distribution unit 50 which distributes power to the various components within the system. Excess power can be stored within a back-up battery 54 which provides power to the system when sunlight is not available. The controller 48 can be connected to an antenna 56 that receives commands from a remote controller unit.
In operation, the controller 48 receives commands through the antenna 56 to change the operating mode of the tracker 10. The controller 48 calculates the required position based upon the operating mode and turns on the motor 22 until the position is reached. The controller energizes a pair of valves 28/32 or 30/34 to allow air to enter the motor 22 and rotate the mirrors 12. If the air pressure within the reservoir 24 decreases below the lower threshold value the controller 48 energizes the compressor 44. The valves are energized until the motor 22 has reached the desired position. The process of receiving commands and moving the mirrors 12 is continuously repeated so that the heliostat tracks the movement of the sun.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the output shaft 58 of the motor 22 is coupled to the mirrors 12 by a gear train 60. The gear train 60 includes an output gear 62 coupled to a first intermediate gear 64. The first intermediate gear 64 is connected to a second intermediate gear 66 that is coupled to a gimbal gear 68 that is attached to the reflective surfaces.
Attached to the output shaft 58 of the motor 22 is a collar 70. The collar 70 has a magnetic element 72. The encoder element 72 can be detected by a pair of sensors 74 and 76 that are connected to the controller 48. The sensors 74 and 76 provide feedback signals when the magnetic encoder element 72 is adjacent to the sensors. The sensors 74 and 76 are attached to a mounting plate 77 located between the motor 22 and the collar 70. The encoder can be assembled without having to compensate for any spatial deviation between the collar 70 and the sensors along the longitudinal axis of the output shaft 58.
As shown in FIG. 5, each sensor 74 and 76 generates a feedback signal when the encoder element is adjacent to the sensor. A counter within the controller 48 increments one value when both sensor feedback signals are active. Each counter increment corresponds to a full revolution of the motor output shaft 58. The direction of rotation can be determined by detecting which sensor first provides a feed back signal. If the sensor 74 provides the first feedback signal the motor 22 is rotating in a first direction, if the sensor 76 provides the initial signal the motor 22 is rotating in the opposite direction. The tracker 10 has a known ratio between the rotation of the collar 70 and the movement of the mirrors 12. In this manner the controller 48 can determine the position of the reflective surfaces 12.
Referring to FIG. 3, the first intermediate gear 64 also has an encoder element 78 that is coupled to a sensor 80. The encoder element 78 and sensor 80 provide an intermediate reference point signal to the controller 48. There is a fixed number of collar 70 turns for each full revolution of the intermediate gear 64. The controller 48 counts the number of collar 70 turns between the occurrence of intermediate gear reference signals. If the counted number deviates from a known value the controller 48 adjust the count for any error. In the event that electrical power is terminated and the system must be re-initialized, the controller 48 can rotate the motor 22 until the reference point signal from the sensor 80 is sensed to find a new reference point for the counter of the system. The encoder elements 72 and 78 may be magnets. The sensors 74, 76 and 80 may be Hall-Effect sensors.
The tracker 10 moves the mirrors in accordance with a logic control system shown in FIG. 6. Gimbal angle commands are computed from time, date, and heliostat latitude and longitude input values in logic block 100, using ephemeris equations. The commands are adjusted for variations of the specific heliostat in logic block 102. The actual gimbal angles are provided by an increment encoder counter 104 that counts the turns of the increment encoder 106 coupled to the output shaft 58 of the motor 22. The actual angles are subtracted from the command angles by adder 108 to provide a gimbal error angle. The error signal is multiplied by a gain in logic block 110.
Logic block 112 computes the motor rate from the turns provided by the increment encoder 106. The rate is multiplied by a gain in logic block 114. The motor rate is added to the error signal by adder 116. Logic block 118 determines whether the motor should be turned on based on the output of adder 116. The logic block 118 provides an input to a motor controller 120 which drives the motor 22.
The system may have a sun sensor. A sun sensor error signal is generated in logic block 122 and multiplied by a weighting factor 1-W in logic block 124. The command angle is multiplied by weighting factor W in block 126. The resulting sun error signal is added to the angle error signal by adder 128. The motor 22 can move the reflective surfaces 12 in both a clockwise and counterclockwise direction to improve the accuracy of the system.
During gimbal calculation, both gimbal position, gimbal rate, and gimbal acceleration terms are calculated and summed. A continuous gimbal command is provided to the motor controller without calculating the empheris, gimbal, and alignment correction terms each interval. The gimbal position, gimbal rate and gimbal position acceleration terms are calculated such that the sum of the square of the position error at three time points in the future is minimized. The sum of the position error for three equal time points (0, PT, 2PT) is:
DS=(S(1)--SP).sup.2 +(S(2)--SP--SR*PT--SA*PT.sup.2).sup.2 +(S(3)--SP--SR*2*PT--SA*4*PT.sup.2).sup.2
where
S(i)=Actual position at time 0, PT, and 2PT (i=1,2,3).
SP=Commanded position.
SR=Commanded position rate.
SA=Commanded position acceleration term times 2 (note the 2 is included as part of this term to reduce computation).
DS=Sum of the squares of the position error.
By taking the partial derivative of this equation with respect to SP, SR, and SA and setting them equal to zero, the resulting equations can be solved for SP, SR, and SA. The results are: ##EQU1##
The position command (Pc) consists of three components. These components are the position (SP), gimbal angular rate (SR), and gimbal angular acceleration (SA). The position command (Pc) is:
Pc=SP+SR*DT+SA*DT.sup.2
where DT is the time since the command was received. SA is actually the acceleration divided by 2.
FIG. 7 shows a controller circuit 130 that controls an ac electric motor 132. The motor 132 is connected to power lines 134 of a three phase ac power source by solid state relays 136-140. The application of power to the motor 132 through the relays is controlled by controller 142. Two of the phases are connected to the solid state relays by latching relay 144. The direction of the motor 132 can be reversed by latching the relay 144 and switching the terminals of the two phases.
In operation, to reverse the direction of the motor 132, the controller 142 initially turns off the motor 132 through the relays 136-140. The controller 142 then latches the relay 144 to switch the B and C phases of power. After a predetermined time interval, to allow the contacts of the relay to settle, the controller 142 switches the relays 136-140 to apply power to the motor 132.
While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of and not restrictive on the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other modifications may occur to those ordinarily skilled in the art. | A solar tracker which has a pneumatic motor that moves a reflective surface. The pneumatic motor is power by pressurized air stored in a pedestal of the tracker. The pressurized air is replenished by a compressor that draws in air from the atmosphere. The pneumatic motor and compressor are controlled by a microcontroller. The controller, compressor and pneumatic motor are all powered by an energy system that converts solar energy into electric power, thereby providing a self-contained tracker. The output shaft of the pneumatic motor is coupled to a reflective surface support structure by a drive system which has intermediate gears and an incremental encoder. The incremental encoder provides a reference point for the position of the reflective surface. The gear is much smaller than the gimbal so that the reference point can be found with a relatively small incremental movement of the reflective surface. | 5 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a computer graphics method, and more particularly to a leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic applicable for generating a complicated object structure with a simple geometric object through iteration and generating the complicated graphic by use of leaping iteration of the object structure.
[0003] 2. Related Art
[0004] Scenes in the nature change a lot and seem to have an unpredictable change trend. For example, clouds in the sky, mountains rising and falling, meandering running water, and even flowers, grasses and trees in daily life are widely different in shape and structure. Currently, the drawing of these scenes and objects mostly relies on hands or is performed through drawing software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, AutoCAD, and Visio. The forming of a graphic both on a paper by hands and on a computer by the drawing software requires considerable operation time. It is impossible for ordinary people to draw these graphics in an easy, rapid and precise way.
[0005] “Fractal geometry” is a geometric concept developed by the mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot in 1970s. “Fractal” covers irregular line segments or graphics. When studying a line segment and graphic composed of fractals, it is easy to find that detail constructions of the fractals have a feature of “self-similarity” despite of complicated and minute structures and zigzag and meandering edges thereof The so-called “self-similarity” refers to a structure repeating feature with a scale-down in level. A quite complicated graphic structure can be composed of smaller and smaller structures reproduced by such iteration. This “fractal” feature exists in scenes such as snowflake crystals and lightening in the sky. Due to an evolution and popularization of computer technologies, currently, this “fractal” feature has been applied in the field of computer drawing for part of the artistic creation. The repeatedly computing capability of a computer is used to draw natural landscapes in a life-like way or to draw a creation image with a complicated structure and resplendent colors. The user can construct mathematical models and several program instructions realizing “fractal” by use of software such as Matlab, Mathematica, and GSP, and draw an “emulated picture” having a complicated but precise structure through a computer by executing these mathematical models or program instructions.
[0006] However, the threshold of operating such kind of software is high, and the composition rules of a graphic to be drawn must be analyzed before drawing the graphic. Moreover, when drawing the graphic, a relatively fine graphic can be obtained only after tens (even hundreds) of iterations of a basic geometric object, which is a considerable consumption of computing resources of the computer. When a general computer executes such kind of (fractal) drawing, the insufficient computing capability of the microprocessor often results in a prolonged time for drawing a picture and even causes system down due to overload of computer operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In view of the above problem that considerable computing resources of a computer must be consumed when constructing a complicated graphic, the present invention is directed to a leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic and a storage medium having a computer program executing the same. Multiple iteration objects are set on a structural object generated during iteration, and the generated structural object is converted into a graphic file and duplicated to these iteration objects. Then, the aforementioned actions of converting the structural object into the graphic file and iterating it to the iteration objects are repeated. Therefore, the times of iteration operation can be reduced, thereby saving the computing resources of the computer and speeding up the drawing.
[0008] As embodied and broadly described herein, the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic is executed by a computer to draw a complicated graphic with a large amount of similar structures. The method includes (a) setting an initiator and a plurality of generators, and setting a base object and a plurality of iteration objects of the generators; (b) selecting any of the generators and iterating the selected generator to the initiator to generate a transitional object; (c) selecting any of the generators and iterating the selected generator to the transitional object, and repeating the step for several times; (d) using the transitional object in the step (c) as a structural object and setting a plurality of iteration objects on the structural object; (e) converting the structural object in the step (d) into a graphic and adding the base object to form a new generator, and iterating the generator to the iteration objects in the structural object; and (f) repeatedly performing the step (e) and converting the structural object after the iteration into the complicated graphic.
[0009] In the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step (a) further includes setting an object size and an object color of the initiator and the generators.
[0010] In the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base object and the iteration objects can be one selected from among straight line segment, rectangle, circle, polygon, or irregular graphic.
[0011] In the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the structures of the initiator and the aforementioned generators can be structures selected from a group consisting of line segment, rectangle, circle, polygon, and irregular graphic.
[0012] In the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned step (b) further includes adjusting a dimension of the selected generator according to a dimensional relationship between the base object of the generator and the initiator, and iterating the generator to the initiator.
[0013] In the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the selected generators in the step (c) are iterated to positions of the iteration objects on the transitional object.
[0014] In the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the multiple iteration objects in the step (d) are set at the positions of the iteration objects of the transitional object in the aforementioned step (d).
[0015] In the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the step (e) further includes adjusting a dimension of the graphic according to dimensions of the iteration objects, and iterating the graphic to the iteration objects of the structural object.
[0016] In order to achieve another objective of the present invention, the present invention provides a storage medium having a computer program executing the aforementioned leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic. This computer program can be read from the storage medium and executed through an executable platform of a computer. The computer program stored by the storage medium can also be attached to other drawing programs, browser programs or any application programs that can open a graphic file, and can draw a complicated graphic by performing various steps of the aforementioned leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic.
[0017] The computer program includes a human-machine interface for a user to set an object size, a shape and a color of the initiator, the generator, or a plurality of iteration objects on the structural object. The user selects the group of line segment, rectangle, circle, polygon, or irregular graphic to compose the above initiator and the generators by the human-machine interface, and sets the base object line and a plurality of iteration objects on the generators. Both a relative angle and relative position for the iteration of the generator to the initiator and a relative angle and relative position for the iteration of the generator to a transitional object can be adjusted through this human-machine interface. In addition, the user can also set repeatedly performing times of the step (f) of the aforementioned leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic, set a stop of the performing of the step (f), or set a continue of the performing of the step (f) through the human-machine interface.
[0018] In view of the above, the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic and the storage medium having the computer program executing the same of the present invention uses the transitional object generated by the iteration as a new exponential generator and continues the iteration with this exponential generator, thereby reducing the iteration operation times, saving the computing resources of the computer, enhancing the drawing speed, and avoiding the phenomenon of system down resulted from an overload operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below for illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
[0020] FIG. 1 is a flow chart of a leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic according to the present invention;
[0021] FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic views of a human-machine interface of the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic; and
[0022] FIGS. 3A to 3H are schematic views of a drawing process of the complicated graphic according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The objectives and executing method thereof of the present invention are illustrated in detail in the following preferred embodiments, and the concept of the present invention is also applicable to other scopes. The embodiments described below are used for illustrating the objectives and executing method thereof of the present invention, instead of limiting the scope of the same.
[0024] FIG. 1 is a method flow chart of a leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic according to the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1 , the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic (the present composition method for short) is executed by a computer or an electronic device platform with computing capability to draw a complicated graphic with a large amount of similar structures. Articles such as flowers, grasses and trees, snowflake structures, and shell patterns in the nature can be rapidly drawn by the present composition method. In addition, artistic creations with a large amount of similar structures can also be rapidly drawn by the present composition method.
[0025] The present composition method includes the following steps. First, an initiator and a plurality of generators are set, and a base object and a plurality of iteration objects of the generators are set (step S 110 ).
[0026] Next, one of the generators is selected and the selected generator is iterated to the initiator to generate a transitional object (step S 120 ). One of the generators is selected and the selected generator is iterated to the transitional object, and the step is repeated for several times (step S 130 ). Then, the transitional object in the step S 130 is used as a structural object and a plurality of iteration objects on the structural object are set (step S 140 ). Afterward, the structural object in the step S 140 is converted into a graphic and the base object is add to form a new generator, and the generator is iterated to the iteration objects in the structural object (step S 150 ). Finally, the step S 150 is repeatedly performed and the structural object after the iteration is converted into the complicated graphic (step S 160 ).
[0027] The structure of the initiator and the generators is a structure composed of a group of line segment, rectangle, circle, polygon, and irregular graphic. The structure of the initiator and the generators are not limited herein. A user can set an initial structure of the initiator or the generators through a human-machine interface. For example, the initiator is set to be a straight line segment. During an initialization of the initiator and the generators, i.e., the step S 110 , the user can also set an object size and an object color of the initiator and the generators through the human-machine interface. Upon initializing the initiator, the generators, the base object on various generators and the iteration objects and setting the times of iterating the generator to the transitional object, a dimension of the generator is adjusted according to a dimensional and proportional relationship between the base object on the generator and the initiator. The base object and the iteration object referred to herein may be a straight line segment, a rectangle, a circle, a polygon, or an irregular graphic. Then, the adjusted generator is iterated to the initiator. In this embodiment, the adjusted generator is directly covered on the initiator. At this time, the image obtained is referred to as a transitional object.
[0028] In some embodiments, the user may rotate the initiator through the human-machine interface such that a relative angle is formed between the generator and the initiator, or move the generator through the human-machine interface in order to change a relative position of the generator to the initiator. In this way, subtle changes can be made to the transitional object in a visual manner.
[0029] Subsequently, after the generator is iterated to the initiator, the generated transitional object inherits the plurality of iteration objects on the original generator, i.e., uses the plurality iteration objects of the original generator as its own iteration objects. In a next round of the iteration, the generator is iterated to the positions of the iteration objects on the transitional object according to a dimensional proportion between the iteration objects and the selected generator. After iterating the generator to the iteration objects on the transitional object in this way for several times, a transitional object with a relatively complicated structure is obtained. When iterating the generator to the transitional object continuously, the total number of the iteration objects on the transitional object exponentially grows. For example, after a two rounds of the iteration of a generator containing 5 iteration objects, 25 iteration objects exist in the resulting transitional object, and after a three rounds of the iteration, 125 iteration objects exist. Drawing a complicated graphic with this method causes an exponential growth of the iteration objects on the tip of the transitional object and thus a waste of computing resources for the iteration operation.
[0030] Accordingly, in the present invention, after generating the transitional object (or iterating the generator to the transitional object for several times), the transitional object is further used as the structural object, and a plurality of iteration objects of the structural object are set with the positions of the iteration objects on the transitional object.
[0031] Then, the structural object is converted into a graphic and the base object is added to form a new generator. And then, the new generator is iterated to the iteration objects in the structural object. During the iteration, after adjusting the dimension of the aforementioned generator, i.e., the new generator formed by the graphic converted from the structural object added with the base object according to dimensions of the iteration objects, the generator is iterated back to the iteration objects on the structural object.
[0032] The user can also adjust a relative angle and relative position for the iteration of the new generator to the iteration objects of the structural object through a human-machine interface, i.e., after the iteration of the aforementioned new generators to the corresponding positions of the structural object, rotate or slightly move the new generators substituted into the structural object. Similarly, the user can also adjust a color, size and shape (such as a rectangle or trapezoid) of the iteration objects on the structural object through the human-machine interface. In addition, in some other embodiments, the human-machine interface is further provided for the user to set repeatedly performing times of the aforementioned step S 150 , set a stop of the performing of the step S 150 , or set a continue of the performing of the step S 150 .
[0033] It is to be noted that, since the number of the iteration objects on the structural object is constant, the operation amount of converting the structural object into a graphic and iterating it back to the iteration objects of the structural object is fixed each time. When a complicated graphic is drawn not using the composition method of a frame structure, the operation amount grows exponentially, while the operation amount is maintained at a constant when the frame structure is used to perform the iteration. It can be seen that the present invention does reduce the operation amount of the iteration.
[0034] To clarify the present composition method, a preferred embodiment is used to illustrate a process of drawing a complicated graphic by the present composition method. In this preferred embodiment, a storage medium (such as a hard disk, a soft disk or a magnetic disk drive) has a computer program stored therein which can execute the present composition method. After being read from the storage medium, this computer program is loaded to be attached to the well-known Power Point software to be executed. The computer program may also be loaded or installed in other drawing programs (such as Photoshop image editing software), browser programs (such as IE web browser), or any application programs which can open a graphic file (such as the little artist), so as to execute the present composition method to draw the complicated graphic. The presentation mode of the computer program is not limited herein.
[0035] FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic views of a human-machine interface of the leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic. Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B sequentially, the user sets a shape, color, and object dimension of the initiator and the generator by the human-machine interface in the FIG. 2A . The user may use the mouse to click the upper function menu to select a function to be executed to perform the drawing, or use the hot key to call a required drawing function. The tree with dense branches and leaves in FIG. 2B is the complicated graphic drawn by use of the aforementioned computer program. The tree which seems complicated in fact is composed of dots, line segments, rectangles, circles, polygons, and irregular graphics. The user only needs to select the basic shapes (such as the aforementioned dots, line segments, rectangles, circles, polygons, and irregular graphics) composing the initiator and the generator, and adjust bending angles of the branches and leaves visually to complete a life-like tree.
[0036] FIGS. 3A to 3H are schematic views of a drawing process of the complicated graphic according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. First referring to FIG. 3A , the user selects generators initialized as a generator 310 c to be substituted into an initiator 320 and sets a base object line 316 a and a plurality of iteration lines 311 a to 315 a on the generators with the aforementioned man-machine interface. Referring to FIG. 3B , first, the generator 310 c is iterated to the initiator 320 . The default iteration mode is to adjust the generator 310 c according to a dimensional relationship between the base object 316 a, for example, a dashed line segment in this embodiment in the generator 310 c and the initiator 320 , and to iterate the generator 310 c on the initiator 320 (as the schematic graphic in the solid circle of FIG. 3B ) to form a transitional object 330 (as shown in the lower half graphic of FIG. 3B ). The user may further set a relative angle and position of the generator 310 a to the initiator 320 during the iteration through the human-machine interface.
[0037] Then referring to FIG. 3C , the object structure after the iteration is referred to as the transitional object 330 . After generating this transitional object 330 , the generator 310 c is again iterated back to the iteration objects of the transitional object 330 , i.e., the thin straight line segments in the transitional object 330 in the upper half of FIG. 3B . The system, i.e., the computer program, automatically adjusts a dimension of the exponential generator 310 c according to a length of the iteration objects. In some embodiments, other generators, for example, the generators 310 a, 310 b, or 310 d may also be selected to be iterated to the transitional object 330 . In this embodiment, the generator 310 c is still selected to perform the iteration. It is found from this figure that a considerable amount of iteration objects (thin line segments) have already existed in the tip of the tree structure. At this time, a generator 340 a is formed, as shown in FIG. 3D . The system (or the compute program) uses the generator 340 a to set a plurality of iteration objects 342 on this structural object 340 as shown in FIG. 3D . The iteration objects 342 in FIG. 3D are set at the positions of the multiple iteration objects, for example, the thin line segments in the tree tip on the transitional object 330 as shown in FIG. 3D .
[0038] Referring to FIG. 3D again, the structural object 340 is converted into a graphic and a frame as a base object is added so as to form a new generator 350 . Then, the new generator 350 is iterated back to each of the iteration objects of the structural object 340 shown in FIG. 3D . The transitional object 340 as shown in FIG. 3E can be generated after the iteration. At this time, if the iteration is to be performed again, the transitional object 340 in FIG. 3E is converted into a graphic and the base object is added again to form the new generator 350 , which is then iterated to the structural object 340 shown in FIG. 3E to generate a new transitional object 340 as shown in FIG. 3F The transitional object 340 in FIG. 3F is then again converted into a graphic and the base object is added again to form the new generator 350 , which is then iterated to the structural object 340 shown in FIG. 3F to generate a new transitional object 340 as shown in FIG. 3G The same process is performed again to generate a complicated graphic 360 as shown in FIG. 3H . This process may require less memory and operate easily. Alternatively, the generator 350 in FIG. 3E may be iterated to the structural object 340 shown in FIG. 3D . Similarly, the generator 350 in FIG. 3F , may be iterated to the structural object 340 shown in FIG. 3D the generator 350 in FIG. 3G may be iterated to the structural object 340 shown in FIG. 3D , or 3 E. The iteration objects 342 of the aforementioned structural object 340 may be, for example, line segments, frames, rectangles, polygons, or circles. The outline of the iteration objects is not limited herein. In addition, some of the iteration objects 342 may be colored instead of the blank frame as in FIG. 3D . Some of the iteration objects 342 in FIG. 3E to FIG. 3G may also be colored as well. In FIG. 3E to FIG. 3G , it is noted that the transitional object 340 have the same structure as the transitional object 340 shown in FIG. 3D . Using different generators to perform iteration result in the different appearance in those figures.
[0039] Till now, the tree drawn by the system (the computer program) has been quite dense. During the drawing process, if the branches and leaves of the tree are not dense enough in the user's opinion, the user can further set a continue of the performing of the aforementioned iterating steps, i.e., after setting the resulting iterated result to be a graphic, iterate it back to each of the iteration objects of the structural object again. If the user thinks the interleaving degree of the branches and leaves of the tree is enough, he/she may stop the performing of the iterating steps by issuing a Stop command. The user may also set the iteration times so that the system (the computer program) automatically stops the iteration action after completing the set iteration times and outputs a completed complicated graphic (the complicated graphic described in this embodiment is a tree with dense branches and leaves).
[0040] In view of the above, during the drawing of a complicated graphic with a large amount of similar structures in the present invention, the system (the computer program) uses the result after several times of iterating as the structural object, uses the positions of the iteration objects as the iteration objects on the structural object, and iterates the structural object back to the iteration objects on the structural object by iteratively converting the structural object into a graphic to obtain a relatively fine and complicated picture. Since the number of the iteration objects on the structural object is fixed, the operation amount of each of the iterations is equal. Therefore, the present invention at least has the following advantages.
[0041] 1. The times of required iteration is greatly reduced and the computing resources of the computer for drawing the complicated graphic are saved.
[0042] 2. The speed of drawing the complicated graphic is enhanced.
[0043] 3. The former phenomenon of instability or down of the computer system resulted from overload operation when drawing the complicated graphic are alleviated. | A leaping iterative composition method of a complicated graphic and a storage medium having a computer program executing the same are described. First, an initiator and generators are set. After several times of iterating, a transitional object is formed. Then, a leaping recursion is performed based on this transitional object. When performing the leaping recursion, a generator of each of the iterations is designed by a single pattern converted from a structural result of a previous iteration added with a base object. Since the result of each of the iterations keeps the original structure, the structure is used as the input initiator. The initiator of the first iteration can be a feature of different iteration objects. Since the input structure of iterations are the same, the advantage of reducing computing resources and avoid system overload are reachable. | 6 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to the pharmaceutical field, and more particularly, the present invention relates to two novel crystal forms of ginsenoside C-K and the method for preparing the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Ginsenosides are primary active ingredients of ginseng, in which ginsenoside C-K belongs to a diol-type ginsenoside, and is not present in natural ginseng. Ginsenoside C-K is the major degradation product of other diol-type ginsenosides in human intestinal tract, which is indeed the entity that is absorbed and effects in the human body. Ginsenoside C-K not only has favorable activities in the aspects including anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, anti-allergy, liver protection and the like, but also plays a good role in regulation of both nervous system and immune system.
[0003] At present, reference 1 (Studies on the preparation, crystal structure and bioactivity of ginsenoside compound K, Journal of Asian Natural Products Research, 2006, 8(6), 519-527) has reported a crystal form of ginsenoside C-K, which is designated as crystal form G. It has been reported that the crystal form is a dihydrate of ginsenoside C-K, which belongs to the monoclinic system and has the following cell parameters: a=15.992(3) Å, b=11.960(19) Å, c=20.127(3) Å, α=90°, β=101.85°, γ=90°, V=3767.5(11)A 3 , and Z=4, in which the solvent system used consists of acetonitrile and water.
[0004] Generally, for an active pharmaceutical ingredient, the bioavailability may vary due to different crystal forms. Furthermore, physicochemical properties, including stability, flowability and compressibility may also be different, which will have certain influence on its applications. The crystal form D and crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K provided in the present invention have better stability than the existing crystal form G.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In the present invention, two novel crystal forms including crystal form D and crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K are provided, and the methods for preparing the two crystal forms are also provided, in which the crystal form D is the crystal of ginsenoside C-K monohydrate.
[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K is provided, which is characterized in that there are diffraction peaks at 2θ values (°) of about 6.39, 12.71, 13.30, 15.79, 16.14, 16.44, 20.03, 20.74 and 24.29 in the XRPD pattern, and preferably, these peaks are major peaks, in which the error range of 2θ value is ±0.2.
[0007] In further embodiments, the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K also has diffraction peaks at 2θ values (°) of about 10.66, 11.21, 16.85, 17.27, 19.05, 21.33, 21.65, 22.52, 23.48, 24.93, 25.46, 26.76, 27.99, 29.15, 30.39, and 34.14, and further preferably, these peaks are minor diffraction peaks, in which the error range of 2θ value is ±0.2.
[0008] In further embodiments, the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K has diffraction peaks of the XRPD pattern substantially as shown in FIG. 1 .
[0009] The specific data of the XRPD pattern are listed in the table below:
[0000]
TABLE 1
The XRPD diffraction angles of the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K
No.
2θ (°)
I %
1
6.39
100
2
10.66
1
3
11.21
3.8
4
12.71
12.7
5
13.30
39.3
6
15.79
23.7
7
16.14
27.3
8
16.44
35.4
9
16.85
3.8
10
17.27
6.8
11
19.05
2
12
20.03
10.9
13
20.74
9.3
14
21.33
2.4
15
21.65
1.3
16
22.52
2.5
17
23.48
2.7
18
24.29
8.6
19
24.93
3
20
25.46
6.3
21
26.76
2
22
27.99
3.8
23
29.15
2.6
24
30.39
2
25
34.14
2.9
[0010] In further embodiments, the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K has an endothermic peak at around 154±5° C. in the DSC pattern.
[0011] The crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K is characterized in that it is a ginsenoside C-K monohydrate, belongs to monoclinic system, and has the following cell parameters: a=15.856(3) Å, b=7.582(2) Å, c=16.567(3) Å, α=γ=90.00°, β=117.95 (3)°, cell volume V=1759.4(6) Å 3 , and the number of asymmetric unit in the cell Z=2.
[0012] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for preparing the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K is provided, which comprises: (1) dissolving ginsenoside C-K in an organic solvent or a mixed solvent of organic solvent and water, preferably in a mixed solvent of organic solvent and water in a volume ratio of 3:1; (2) adding dropwise water, preferably the water in a volume of 1-4 folds of the organic solvent or the mixed solvent of organic solvent and water in step (1); (3) stirring, filtering, and drying the filter cake under vacuum to obtain the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K. The organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of n-propanol and tetrahydrofuran.
[0013] In a further embodiment of the present invention, a method for preparing the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K is additionally provided, which comprises: (1) dissolving ginsenoside C-K in a mixed solvent of acetonitrile and water, or a mixed solvent of dimethyl sulfoxide and nitromethane, (2) removing the solvent slowly by evaporation, or removing a portion of the solvent slowly by evaporation, followed by filtration; (3) drying the resultant solid under vacuum to obtain the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K.
[0014] In the above embodiments of the method, the ginsenoside C-K used can be any form of ginsenoside C-K, including the crystal form G of ginsenoside C-K.
[0015] In another aspect of the present invention, a crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K is provided, which is characterized in that there are diffraction peaks at 2θ values (°) of about 5.53, 6.71, 11.11, 13.36, 14.64, 15.59, 15.97, 17.25, 18.18, 19.67, 20.76, 22.40, 23.80, 24.69, 26.60 and 28.22 in the XRPD pattern, and preferably, these peaks are major diffraction peaks, in which the error range of 2θ value is ±0.2.
[0016] In further embodiments, the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K of the present invention also has diffraction peaks at 2θ values (°) of 11.82, 12.77, 14.23, 19.12, 20.47, 32.29 and 42.29, and preferably, these peaks are minor diffraction peaks, in which the error range of 2θ value is ±0.2.
[0017] In further embodiments, the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K has the diffraction peaks of the XRPD pattern substantially as shown in FIG. 3 .
[0018] The specific data of the XRPD pattern are listed in the table below:
[0000]
TABLE 2
The XRPD diffraction angles of the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K
No.
2θ (°)
I %
1
5.53
69.1
2
6.71
100
3
11.11
34.2
4
11.82
7.5
5
12.77
19.1
6
13.36
45.9
7
14.23
6.6
8
14.64
67.7
9
15.59
76.8
10
15.97
63
11
17.25
23.5
12
18.18
13.8
13
19.12
5.1
14
19.67
13.3
15
20.47
11.3
16
20.76
30.8
17
22.40
15.5
18
23.80
18.9
19
24.69
10.5
20
26.60
10.6
21
28.22
13.1
22
32.29
6.4
23
42.29
5
[0019] In further embodiments, the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K has an endothermic peak at 181±5° C. in the DSC pattern.
[0020] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for preparing the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K is provided, which comprises: (1) dissolving ginsenoside C-K in a mixed solvent of 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone and butyl acetate, (2) removing a portion of the solvent slowly by evaporation at room temperature to obtain a suspension; (3) filtering, drying the resultant solid under vacuum to obtain the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K.
[0021] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for preparing the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K is additionally provided, which comprises: (1) placing ginsenoside C-K in acetone, heating and stirring the resultant suspension, and most preferably heating to around 50° C.; (2) filtering, and drying the resultant filter cake under vacuum to obtain the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K.
[0022] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for preparing the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K is additionally provided, which comprises: (1) dissolving ginsenoside C-K in an organic solvent at increased temperature; (2) cooling and standing to obtain a solid; (3) filtering, and drying the resultant solid to obtain the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K, wherein the organic solvent is selected from the group consisting of acetone, butanone, ethyl acetate, butyl acetate and a combination thereof.
[0023] In the above embodiments of method, the ginsenoside C-K used can be any form of ginsenoside C-K, including the crystal form G.
[0024] The thermostability data of the crystal form D and crystal form H, together with crystal form G are also provided in the present invention, suggesting that the two novel crystal forms have better stability than crystal form G.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] FIG. 1 is the X-ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K obtained in Example 1;
[0026] FIG. 2 is the DSC pattern of the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K obtained in Example 1;
[0027] FIG. 3 is the simulated X-ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K monocrystalline obtained in Example 1;
[0028] FIG. 4 is the X-ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystal form D product obtained in Example 2;
[0029] FIG. 5 is the X-ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K obtained in Example 4, and the X-ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystal form H obtained in Example 5 is consistent with FIG. 5 ;
[0030] FIG. 6 is the DSC pattern of the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K obtained in Example 4, and the DSC pattern of the crystal form H obtained in Example 5 is consistent with FIG. 6 ;
[0031] FIG. 7 is the X-ray powder diffraction pattern of the crystal form H obtained in Example 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0032] The crystal form of all of the materials used in the examples is crystal form G (obtained according to reference 1 mentioned above).
1. Preparation of the Crystal Form D of Ginsenoside C-K
Example 1
[0033] 1 g ginsenoside C-K was added into 60 ml mixed solvent of acetonitrile and water (in a volume ratio of 3:1), and dissolved by stirring. After filtration, the filtrate was placed at room temperature for 2 days, from which rod-like crystals were taken out and analyzed by SXRD. The results suggested that the crystal belonged to monoclinic system, and had the following cell parameters: a=15.856(3) Å, b=7.582(2) Å, c=16.567(3) Å, α=γ=90.00°, β=117.95 (3)°, cell volume V=1759.4(6) Å 3 , and the number of asymmetric unit in the cell Z=2. The simulated XRPD pattern was shown in FIG. 3 .
Example 2
[0034] 1 g ginsenoside C-K was placed in a container, into which 10 ml water and 30 ml n-propanol were added. After dissolution by stirring, 80 ml water was added dropwise. After filtration, the filter cake was washed twice using 40 ml water, dried at room temperature under vacuum to obtain the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K. Its XRPD pattern was shown in FIG. 4 .
Example 3
[0035] 3 g ginsenoside C-K was placed in a container, into which 90 ml nitromethane and 10 ml dimethyl sulfoxide were added. After dissolution by stirring, a portion of the solvent was removed by evaporation slowly. After filtration, the filter cake was washed twice using 40 ml water, dried at room temperature under vacuum to obtain the crystal form D of ginsenoside C-K.
2. Preparation of the Crystal Form H of Ginsenoside C-K
Example 4
[0036] 1 g ginsenoside C-K was placed in a container, into which 10 ml NMP was added followed by 60 ml butyl acetate. After dissolution, a portion of the solvent was removed by evaporation slowly to obtain the solid. After filtration, the solid was dried at room temperature under vacuum to obtain the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K.
Example 5
[0037] 2 g ginsenoside C-K was placed in a container, into which 20 ml acetone was added and warmed up to 50° C. to form a suspension. After stirring for 72 h, the suspension was filtered and the filter cake was dried under vacuum to obtain the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K.
Example 6
[0038] 2.3 g ginsenoside C-K was placed in a container, into which 100 ml acetone was added and warmed up to 55° C. After dissolution by stirring, the solution was cooled to room temperature and placed for 12 h to develop a solid. After filtration, the filter cake was dried under vacuum to obtain the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K. Its XRPD pattern was shown in FIG. 7 .
Example 7
[0039] 0.7 g ginsenoside C-K was placed in a container, into which 15 ml ethyl acetate and 45 ml acetone were added and warmed up to 45° C. After dissolution by stirring, the solution was cooled to 4° C. to develop a solid. After filtration, the filter cake was dried under vacuum to obtain the crystal form H of ginsenoside C-K.
3. Thermostability Test
[0040] The samples of crystal form D, crystal form H and crystal form G were each placed for 1 week at 80° C., and subsequently the changes of the crystal form were detected. The results showed that under such conditions, no change was observed for the crystal form D and crystal form H, whereas the crystal form G changed to crystal form D, which indicated that both crystal form H and crystal form D had better thermostability.
[0000]
TABLE 3
Results of the thermostability test
The crystal
Test
Test
The crystal form
form before test
temperature
duration
after test
D
80° C.
1 week
D
H
80° C.
1 week
H
G
80° C.
1 week
D | Provided are ginsenoside C-K polymorphic forms and a method for preparing same. The ginsenoside C-K polymorphic forms are crystal form D and crystal form H. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The controversy between the conventional boxing glove and the new thumbless boxing glove has become a burning issue in recent months. Consequently, there is obviously a need in the art to improve on the standard glove used by boxers for many decades. The thumbless glove as an answer remains to be seen.
The conventional boxing glove used in the past consists of a heavily padded leather mitten for confining the fingers of the hand and a separate thumb sheath, equally padded for the thumb. The boxer, during a match, clenches his fingers in the form of a fist in the glove to the center of the palm and closes the thumb sheath over the index finger. In this position, the thumb guard, which forms a rise in the glove nearest the knuckle of the index finger, the thumb sheath and the glove body combine to form a continuous, rounded fist. Punches are most often thrown with the glove clenched in this manner. However, between the thrown punches, the boxer can still relax his hand to some degree as a result of the flexible construction of the standard glove.
This flexible aspect of the conventional boxing glove has certain advantages as well as disadvantages. The advantages include the ability to open the fist at the boxer's discretion, a necessity for many boxing techniques. For example, clinching, a common boxing technique, occurs when two boxers grasp each other within a hold. The glove, in this situation is held slightly open to facilitate holding on to the other boxer. Open glove blocking also requires the glove to be held in an open manner in order to absorb an opponent's punch. Even something as simple as holding the ropes requires the glove to be slightly opened for added gripping power. As a result of the aforementioned flexibility, the standard boxing glove has been effective, a testimony to its design which remains in use today. This glove gives freedom of movement to the fingers and thumb of the hand, yet creates a tight fist for powerful punching.
The disadvantages, however, have become considerably more pronounced in the recent years. Boxers must train themselves to maintain their hands in a clenched fist for long periods of time, and specifically to train their thumbs to remain in a tucked position. This is difficult in certain situations. Specifically, situations where the boxer is punching or jabbing in the direction of his opponent's orbit and eye area. Often as the boxer aims for his opponent's eye and the glove establishes contact with the eye area, the portion of the glove making contact is the glove body, closest to the thumb sheath and the thumb sheath itself. The glove will either graze the eye and swing past, or due to the unrestrained thumb, gouge it. Gouging or thumbing causes serious injury. The thumb sheath, because it is separate and separable from the glove body, catches in the eye socket and pulls away from the glove body. This is unintentional on the puncher's part as no amount of training can discipline the boxer to hold the thumb and fingers together under increasing pressures. The impact and force of the punch causes the boxer to lose control and position of the thumb in the clenched fist shape of the glove. Detachment of the retina, as well as surface scratches, a result of gouging; may occur when a boxer inadvertently and improperly or intentionally uses his fist in this manner. Detachment of the retina causes the victim to experience flashes of light or impairment of vision and continued use of the eye could lead to further detachment and subsequent loss of vision. In other words, one punch could end a career and it is understandable why boxers have objected to the conventional glove.
One solution to this problem of the separating thumb has been the thumbless boxing glove. It appears, however, from several trial runs that the thumbless glove is a shortlived solution. The glove's disadvantages clearly outweigh its advantages and the boxers who have used the gloves are objecting more strenuously now than with the use of the conventional glove.
The thumbless glove is similar to the conventional glove as a padded mitten except that the thumb of the hand is completely confined in the glove body as a single integral unit. The thumb remains completely immobile during any part of the fight. The thumbless glove forces the entire hand to remain immobile and maintains the hand in a clenched rigid position at all times. Prior to use of the thumbless glove, the fingers and thumb are bandaged together rather than only the fingers bandaged as in the conventional glove. The glove is then laced on the hand in a similar fashion to the conventional glove.
Each state has its own athletic commission which sets the rules governing the various sports activities and competitions. The human body has become more machine like, due to increased improvements in training the athlete. Therefore, there is an increased need for safety which the Commissions oversee. At the beginning of 1982, the New York State Athletic Commission mandated the use of the new thumbless glove in all but World Championship fights in New York State starting January 15th, 1982 (now changed to May 15, 1982). This edict caused a great deal of commotion and resulted in the boxers flatly refusing to fight if they had to wear the thumbless glove. The Commission believes the thumbless glove to be safer and eliminate gouging and thumbing injuries. However, they have not taken into consideration the glove's strong drawbacks and disadvantages. It should also be recognized here that no other State Commission has mandated use of the thumbless glove to date.
The drawbacks of the thumbless glove are many. Considering the amount of time spent on training technique, the intricate footwork and mental discipline involved in becoming a boxer, the thumbless glove appears to be an extreme safety feature by eliminating the thumb sheath altogether. World Championship boxers have trained their entire lives and based their training and techniques on the conventional glove. The offensive and defensive tactics and balanced footwork were acquired in relation to the conventional glove. A boxer, early in his career, must learn to coordinate feet movements with the glove he is using and this talent stays with him throughout his career. To drastically change the glove structure as the thumbless glove has proposed would mean returning to basic training. In other words, boxers would have to restructure their boxing training from the beginning to accommodate the thumbless glove. This would be ludicrous for many world champions and one of the reasons for their strong opposition to the thumbless glove.
Before the boxer places a boxing glove on his hand, the hand must be bandaged according to specific regulations. A boxer's hands are wrapped by his trainer with gauze for protection. Before a fight, an official Glover will check their hands to make sure they are wrapped or bandaged according to the specifications for each tournament. Only a certain amount of gauze may be used and the hands must be wrapped in an approved fashion e.g. knuckles cannot be padded to give unfair advantage. Fighters are particular about how their hands are bandaged and who may do it . Bandaging a fighter's hand has become a superstitious ritual sustained by most boxers. Use of the thumbless glove requires a new proper way to bandage the hand to include the fingers and thumb unlike the conventional glove. Few people know or understand how to properly bandage the hand for use in the new glove. This could not only unnerve the fighter but shatter his training techniques which are accustomed to the previous bandaging. The boxer has been trained to fight in a certain way and throw punches with a hand bandaged in a certain manner. Again, the boxer will have to relearn the art of boxing, should the Commissions all mandate use of the thumbless glove.
In addition to the aforementioned disadvantages, boxers who have tested the glove, strongly oppose its use for many reasons. It is the contention of the fighters that the thumbless glove causes numbness in the hands and arms when used in more than a few rounds. Surely this is not an added safety feature. The fighters have also stated that use of the new glove, while preventing eye injuries, makes the confined thumb more susceptible to fracture. It is inconceivable that the Commission mandate use of the thumbless glove for safety reasons when the boxers experience numbness and damage to their own limbs. The Commission, eliminating one problem has created more serious ones.
A study on the thumbless glove conducted by Wayne State University exposed several interesting drawbacks in relation to the proclaimed safety of the new thumbless glove. It was discovered that use of the thumbless glove considerably decreases the effectiveness of the punching power. This can only mean that the fighter will deliver more blows to achieve a knockout than with the conventional glove. Could this be safer? Apparently the fighter must work harder and accumulate more damaging blows to his opponent than ever before.
Recapitulating, the thumbless glove may prevent thumbing and gouging injuries but creates added drawbacks from a safety standpoint. Moreover, the boxer using the glove must develop the special rhythm and body movement influenced by the specific glove the fighter trained with from the beginning of his career. The thumbless glove will drastically change the boxer's training, footwork, and hand movements. Even during clinching situations the boxer is unable to slightly open the thumbless glove for added leverage in a hold due to the rigid and restrained position of the hand in the glove. Furthermore, the boxer who learns to use the glove will be plagued with numbness of hands and arms not to mention possible broken thumb injuries.
The controversy remains between the conventional glove and the thumbless glove. The conventional glove causes frequent and serious eye injuries and the thumbless glove, as a solution, has gone too far to the extreme of the spectrum to be worthwhile. There is a need in the art for a combination of the advantages of the conventional glove and the advantages of the thumbless glove. Applicant proposes a glove which will not drastically change the fighter's training techniques and which will be safer and eliminate thumbing and gouging injuries.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Boxing gloves have been used and improved for many years prior to this invention. The conventional boxing glove used today has a serious flaw in that the thumb causes eye injuries due to its separate position from the glove body. The thumbless glove as an alternative has not proved successful for the many reasons stated above.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved and safer boxing glove with a thumb tie down which embodies the advantages of the conventional glove and the thumbless glove.
The glove of the present invention includes a heavily padded glove body for confining the fingers of the hand. The glove body contains an independent thumb sheath for the thumb of the hand. The glove body further includes a thumb guard, located between the knuckle and joint of the index finger which projects sideways from the glove body at the knuckle. Positioned between the upper edge of the thumb sheath and tucked under the thumb guard is a connecting bridge for holding the thumb in a closed position.
The connecting bridge is positioned such that the side surface of the thumb sheath, when the fist is clenched, rests beneath the projecting thumb guard. The tip of the thumb sheath rests on the inner surface of the glove body. In this position, only the padded portion of the thumb sheath is exposed and the glove becomes a continuous rounded fist. The thumb sheath is confined against the glove body where it will not catch and be pulled away from the glove body. The connecting bridge maintains the thumb sheath in this safe nestled position.
The improved boxing glove with thumb tie down of the present invention trains the boxer to hold his thumb in a nested but not rigid position. The thumb has limited mobility and is incapable of completely separating from the glove body. The connecting bridge spaces the glove body and the thumb sheath and attaches or ties the thumb to the glove body.
The connecting bridge is an improved safety feature of the boxing glove. The bridge disciplines the boxer to hold his thumb in a tight position. Use of the glove of the present invention reduces the danger of gouging or thumbing the eye by virtue of the bridge holding the thumb closer to the thumb body where it can do little damage.
The limited mobility provided by the glove will prevent holding with an open glove in clinch situations yet permits flexible movement of the hand for relaxing or pushing away. A further advantage includes the flexible and limited mobility of the hand unlike the rigid clenched fist conducive to the thumbless glove.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a boxing glove which will not change the training pattern or boxing techniques the fighters have already learned from using the conventional glove. The glove with the thumb tie down automatically compels the boxer to keep the thumb in the nested position without cramping and will not alter rhythm or footwork.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the boxing glove showing the connecting bridge;
FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the boxing glove showing the thumb nested against the glove body along lines 2--2 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 2A is a front elevational view of the prior art conventional boxing glove showing the free mobility of the thumb;
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plane view of the connecting bridge shown within the dot and dash circle of FIG. 1 and designated FIG. 3;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3 showing the connecting bridge and how it attaches to the glove body and the thumb sheath; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the boxing glove in an open position.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The conventional boxing glove illustrated in FIG. 2a includes a padded glove body 11a and a thumb sheath 12a. The thumb guard 13a is located on the inner surface of the glove body 23a. FIG. 2a demonstrates the free mobility of the thumb sheath 12a. The thumb sheath swings in an arcuate path and is, therefore, capable of intentionally or unintentionally gouging or scratching an opponent's eye. The thumb sheath 12a extends well beyond and outside the thumb guard 13a. The boxer must physically restrain the thumb to avoid such injury. The thumb sheath 12a nestles against and above the glove body 11a when the fist is clenched, however, a small amount of pressure exerted against the thumb sheath 12a easily pulls it out of this position. Consequently, the thumb becomes free to gouge or jab the face and eyes of the opponent.
As shown in FIG. 1, the boxing glove 10 of the present invention, structurally similar to the conventional glove, includes the glove body 11 for confining the four fingers of the hand. The thumb guard 13, an integral portion of the glove body 11, is located approximately between the second joint and the knuckle of the index finger and projects sideways from the knuckle. The thumb sheath 12 extends independently from the glove body 11. A connecting bridge 14, maintains the thumb sheath 12, in a closed or tucked position when the fist is clenched to form a rounded continuous fist as illustrated in FIG. 2. The boxing glove 10, further includes a slit 15 extending from the palm to the wrist secured by lacing 16 for easy adjustment when pulling the glove on or off.
The glove body 11 consists of an outer heavily padded shell 19 which extends and covers the back portion of the hand from the beginning of the wrist, over the tips of the fingers to approximately the first joint of the four fingers. This outer shell 19 meets an inner non-padded leather panel 20 which covers the inner remaining portion of the fingers and the palm of the hand. The outer edges of the padded shell and panel overlap and are turned inwardly to form a seam (21, 22) extending along the inner surface 23 of the glove body 11 below the thumb guard 13 to the outer surface of the glove body 24. The space between the shell 19 and panel 20 defines a pocket for the fingers of the hand (not shown in the drawings). The inner seam 21 and outer seam 22 meet approximately at a corresponding position to the first joint of the four fingers as shown in FIG. 5.
The thumb sheath is similarly constructed. The outer padded shell 19 extends over the back of the thumb to meet the non-padded panel 20 covering the palm and front of the thumb. The shell and panel of the thumb join at a seam (26, 27) which extends over the outside periphery of the thumb forming an inner seam 26 proximate the glove body 11 and an outer seam 27 running along the outer portion of the thumb 29 and thumb heel. The space between the outer shell 19 and inner panel 20 of the thumb defines a pocket for the thumb (not shown). With the glove body and thumb padded in this manner, the blows administered are softened to prevent serious injury. The back of the hand and thumb are completely padded as well as the tips of the fingers.
The connecting bridge 14, shown in FIGS. 1-4 secures the thumb sheath 12 to the glove body 11. The bridge 14 of generally rectangular shape, is inserted and sewn at one end 31 into the inner seam 26 of the thumb sheath 12 towards the upper end of the thumb 31 nearest the thumb nail and is sewn at its opposite end 32 into the inner seam 21 of the glove body 11 at the thumb guard location as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 shows the ends of the bridge 31 and 32 recessed in the seam 26 between the inner panel 20 and outer shell 19 of the thumb and in the seam 21 between the inner panel 20 and outer shell 19 of the glove body. The ends of the bridge rest interiorly of the gloves shell and panel. Further injuries are prevented by confining these ends rather than having protruding edges that may cause facial scratches or damage to the opponent.
The location of the bridge 14, near the tip of thumb 30, permits the boxer to effortlessly hold the thumb close to the glove body 11. Little training is needed to maintain the thumb sheath 12 in this tight position. The bridge prevents the thumb sheath 12 from swinging outwardly beyond the thumb guard 13 as the conventional glove of FIG. 2a demonstrates. The location of the bridge 14 easily trains the fighter to nestle the thumb against the glove body 11 and inside the thumb guard 13 as shown in FIG. 2. The bridge 14 is positioned and attached to prevent the bridge itself from damaging the opponent during a match.
When the fighter constricts his fingers to form a fist, the tips of the fingers lower over the inner panel of the glove body 20 towards the palm. The fingers close over a rib 33 embedded in the inner panel of the glove body 20 for added clenching power. In this clenched position the tip of the thumb sheath 30 rests on the inner surface of the glove body 23. The inner seam 26 of the thumb sheath 17 nestles against the thumb guard 13. The bridge 14 is completely hidden at this point. The thumb sheath 12 does not extend beyond the glove body 11 to cause undue damage to the opponent.
FIG. 5 shows the glove 10 in an open position. The bridge 14 permits free movement of the glove body 11 and limited mobility of the thumb sheath 12. The thumb sheath 12 remains confined against the inner panel of the glove body 20 in this open position.
Before a match and after the fighter's hand is properly bandaged, the boxer loosens the laces 16 of the boxing glove 10. The hand is inserted into the glove through the wrist portion 17 until the fingers are confined in the glove body 11 and the thumb has settled in the thumb sheath 12. The glove is then laced to an acceptable tightness in preparation for the boxing match.
Prior to throwing a punch, the fighter clinches his fist in the traditional manner. In this position as shown in FIG. 2, the thumb sheath 12 nestles against the thumb guard 13 and the glove body 11. Should the blow contact the eye area, the thumb sheath 12 will remain with the glove body 11 and continue past. Consequently, thumbing and gouging of the eye is prevented due to the connecting bridge 14 containing the thumb sheath 12. At no time during a blow will the thumb sheath 12 become so separated from the glove body 11 to do serious damage as caused by the free mobility of the conventional glove. The glove 10 of the present invention permits only limited mobility and trains the boxer to confine and hold his thumb in this inner and safe position.
In a holding or clinching situation, the webbed bridge 14, prevents holding with a completely open glove, a common foul in boxing. Thus, the connecting bridge 14 reduces injuries caused by the free movement of the thumb and also controls the opening and closing of the glove but gives the hand and thumb enough mobility to be highly effective without cramping or numbing.
It is preferred to construct the connecting bridge 14 in a generally rectangular shape, specifically one inch wide and one and one-fourth inches long. The length of the bridge exposed between the two seams 21 and 26 is approximately one half an inch. It has further been preferred to make the bridge 14 of poly-propylene webbing and insert and stitch the bridge 14 into the seam with two rows of nylon thread. Inserting the bridge into the seams strengthens the bridge and makes the glove easier and inexpensive to manufacture. | A boxing glove with thumb tie down has been provided which incorporates a connecting bridge which holds the thumb in essentially a closed or nested position at all times. The connecting bridge extends from the upper edge of the thumb sheath to the thumb guard location as a controlled thumb feature. The connecting bridge provides limited mobility of the thumb to prevent thumbing and eye injuries. The improved boxing glove maintains the thumb sheath in a tight position to prevent causing injuries such as gouging, yet permits the confined hand to relax at the boxer's discretion. | 0 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a process for forming polyester filaments having good qualities and in a uniform package by using only a direct spin draw process, namely, without the need for a separate drawing process.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A direct spin draw process is well known as one of the processes for obtaining polyester filaments similar to conventional filaments. Such a direct spin draw process is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1932/1970. This process consists of quenching and solidifying melt-spun polyester filaments to their glass transition temperature or below, advancing the filaments in a heated zone, such as a hot tube, drawing them therein, applying to them an oil and taking them up through godet rollers. However, a defect of this direct spin draw process is that if the spinning speed (take-up speed at the first godet roller) is raised to a level as high as 4,500 m/min or higher to improve the productivity, the spun filaments are taken up in such a way that the strain in the filaments generated on drawing is not sufficiently relaxed and internal strain is therefore released after winding. This internal strain of the filaments causes deformation of the package.
The deformation of the package means, in practice, that both phenomena known as "bulge" and "saddle" become larger. In extreme cases, it is impossible to remove the package because the deformation causes a tightening of the paper tube of the package against its supporting spindle. Bulge is generated by relaxation of the internal strain of the filaments after take-up and the force thereby produced pressing the edge faces of the package. Saddle is generated by tightening of the central part where the hardness is comparatively low caused by the force generated by relaxation of the internal strain. Tightening of the paper tube caused by filament winding occurs when the press-tightening force is extremely large. Further, faults in the package occur during transportation.
As a process for solving the problems associated with the direct spin draw process, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 85020/1987 proposes a process wherein separate rollers are provided on each godet roller and the filaments are wound once or more onto these separate rollers and onto the godet rollers so that internal strain in the filaments is thereby relaxed.
Such a process for relaxation serves to extend the take-up time of the filaments between drawing and winding and thereby to relax the internal strain of the filaments. If the take-up time is extended in this manner, improvement of package uniformity can be certainly achieved to some extent, but this process is not always applicable to a wide variety of yarn deniers and the package is easily deformed when the filaments are as thin as 50 denier or thinner or the spinning velocity is 5,000 m/min or higher.
Moreover, when multiple filament yarns are formed in the direct spin draw process, each filament yarn tends to oscillate transversely and the paths of filament yarns become unstable or moving filament yarns interface each other. Such disadvantages as non-uniformity of filament quality and occurrence of yarn breakage thereby occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a process for forming polyester filaments in a uniform package by means of an improved direct spin draw process using a hot tube.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a process for forming polyester filament only the uniform package of which is improved without changing the filament characteristics obtained by the conventional direct spin draw process using a hot tube.
Furthermore, another purpose of the present invention is to provide a process for forming polyester filaments having stable and good processability.
The present invention provides a process for preparing polyester filamentary material comprising
(a) extruding the polyester material while molten to form filaments,
(b) solidifying the molten filaments by cooling them to a temperature at least as low as their glass transition point,
(c) drawing the solidified filaments within a hot drawing zone,
(d) subjecting the drawn filaments to a finishing treatment,
(e) advancing the finished filaments around first and second godet rollers and, while the filaments are disposed between the first and second godet rollers, subjecting the filaments to a heat treatment by advancing the filaments through a heat treatment zone without contacting the filaments with a solid hot surface, the filaments being advanced through the heat treatment zone under a tension T defined by the following formula (I), and
(f) winding the filaments at a speed of at least 4,500 m/min under a tension t defined by the following formula (II), the formulas (I) and (II) being as follow:
0.5t≦T≦0.5-0.5t (I)
0.05≦t≦0.4 (II)
t: winding tension (g/d)
T: tension between godet rollers (g/d).
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Preferred processes embodying the present invention will now be explained in more detail firstly with reference to the accompanying drawing and thereafter with reference to Examples.
In the drawing,
FIG. 1 shows schematically a direct spin-draw system for carrying out a spinning process embodying the present invention, and
FIG. 2 illustrates in more detail heat treating apparatus present in the spin-draw system of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing a relationship between winding tension t and tension between godet rollers T.
In FIG. 1, 1 is a spinneret; 2 is a quenching chamber; 3 is a hot tube; 4 is a finishing device; 5 is an interlacing jet; 6 is a first godet roller; 7 is a second godet roller; 8 is a heat treating apparatus; 9 is a winding machine; filaments are shown by the letter Y.
While still in the form of individual separate filaments, polyester filaments Y extruded from the spinneret 1 are immediately cooled down to the glass transition point or below through the quenching chamber 2 and thereafter immediately introduced into a hot drawing zone provided by the hot tube 3, in which the filaments are drawn. After passing through the hot tube 3, the filaments Y are subjected to a finishing treatment in which they are treated with a lubricating agent such as an oil by means of the finishing device 4 and interlacing is carried out by means of the interlacing jet 5. The filaments Y are then passed through a heat treatment zone provided by the heat treating apparatus 8 between the godet rollers 6 and 7 and taken up on a take-up machine 9.
The polyester to which the process of the present invention is applied is usually a polyester having a main repeating unit of ethylene terephthalate, but polyesters having a repeating unit of butylene terephthalate can also be used. Moreover, polyesters wherein one or more other components are copolymerized in an amount of 20% or less and polyesters wherein a small amount of additive is incorporated can also be used.
In a process embodying the present invention, at first a melt-spun polyester is quenched and solidified in the quenching chamber 2 at the glass transition temperature or below so as to carry out a sufficient drawing in the hot tube 3 immediately below the quenching chamber 2.
Thereafter, the quenched and solidified polyester filaments are drawn in the hot tube 3. Temperature and heat treating time in the hot tube 3 eventually influence the rate of shrinkage of the polyester filaments in the same way as in the conventional direct spin draw process. Hence, the heating temperature and the heating time (the length of the hot tube) should be determined in accordance with the desired rate of shrinkage. Usually, a hot tube having a length of 1-2.5 m and a temperature between 120-250° C. is used.
Polyester filaments are drawn in this hot tube. The draw ratio of the direct spin draw process of the invention is represented by the ratio of the velocity of the polyester filaments taken from the hot drawing zone to that of the polyester filaments introduced into the hot drawing zone and the value is usually 1.5-3 times, preferably 1.5-2.5 times. This draw ratio is determined by the take-up velocity, the quenching length, and the length and the temperature of the hot tube. Therefore, the take-up velocity, the quenching length and the draw ratio should be determined in accordance with the desired physical characteristics, especially strength and elongation of the polyester filaments finally desired.
The drawn polyester filaments are thereafter treated with a lubricant such as an oil. The lubricant usually is any of those which are generally used for woven fabrics, knitted fabrics and textured yarns. The amount of lubricant applied is determined by taking into consideration the texturing process and spinnability of the fibers. The amount is usually 0.3-2.0% by weight based on the weight of the filaments.
Three important characteristics of the present invention are that (A) drawn filaments are heat-treated between godet rollers, (B) the tension T of the filaments Y is 0.5t-(0.5-0.5t) g/d when the filaments pass through the heat-treatment zone, and (C) the winding tension t is 0.05-0.4 g/d.
Namely, without the heat-treatment zone the internal strain of the filaments generated on drawing in the hot drawing zone is not sufficiently relaxed irrespective of the tension conditions and the saddle and bulge become large. On the other hand, when the tension of the filaments in the heat-treatment zone is not within the specified range, both saddle and bulge are still large or the yarn path between the godet rollers becomes unstable. Moreover, even if the strain is relaxed in the heat-treatment zone, when the winding tension exceeds a certain appropriate value, again both of the saddle and bulge become large.
Furthermore, internal strain of the filaments generally increases with winding velocity on take-up and when the winding velocity becomes 4,500 m/min or larger, especially 5,000 m/min or larger, both bulge and saddle of the package tend to become remarkably large.
In the process of the present invention, a first requirement of the invention is to provide a heat-treatment zone between godet rollers. When the filaments are taken up with a velocity of 4,500 m/min or larger, air flow brought into the heat-treatment zone and heat capacity taken out of the heat-treatment zone along with the filaments are remarkably large and the passage time through the heat-treatment zone is very short, namely 0.01 sec or less. An effective heat treatment is therefore required.
From this point of view, as the means of heat treatment, wet heat such as steam having high heat capacity should be most suitable.
One form of heat-treating apparatus 8 using steam is shown into FIG. 2. Steam is introduced in a heat-treating chamber 11 from an inlet 10 and filaments Y pass through the chamber 11 in a steam atmosphere. The upper part and bottom part of the apparatus 8 are sealed with ceramic guides 12. The front face of the apparatus is also sealed with a cover (not shown in the FIGURE). Drainage generated at starting-up time etc. is recovered from a recovery hole 13. In this case, a construction such that steam can fill the whole chamber is preferable. The position of the inlet is not restricted to that shown in FIG. 2.
When dry heat providing a temperature of 300° C. or higher is used as an alternative means of heat treatment, the same effect as that of wet heat (steam) can be obtained. However, when yarn breakage occurs, it is difficult to remove molten polymer which may then adhere to the surface of the chamber. Accordingly wet heat treatment is preferable to dry heat treatment.
On the other hand, if the filaments are brought into contact with a hot plate, the same effect as that of wet heat (steam) can be obtained at about 200° C. However, filaments taken up at 4,500 m/min or higher in contact with the hot plate are broken. So, a non-contact type of heating is therefore needed.
When steam is used, a sufficient effect can be obtained with a length of treatment of 200 mm or longer and a treating temperature of 80° C. or higher, preferably 80-120° C. If the temperature is lower than 80° C., relaxation of internal strain by heat treatment occurs, and both bulge and saddle are large. This is because the internal strain is not sufficiently relaxed as the temperature of the filaments reaches at most 80° C., which is only a little higher than the glass transition point.
On the other hand, if the temperature exceeds 120° C., the size of the apparatus needs to be larger in order to maintain the steam under seal and thus maintain it under pressure, and problems tend to occur from the point of view of maintenance. It is therefore preferable that the upper limit of the temperature is about 120° C.
Relaxation effect of strain is also influenced by the heat-treating time. A sufficient effect can be obtained if the heat-treating time is 0.001 sec or longer, preferably 0.002-0.01 sec. If the heat-treating time is shorter than 0.001 sec, the passage time through the heat-treating apparatus is too short and a higher temperature is therefore needed to obtain a sufficient heat-treating effect. Correspondingly such problems as sealing of the steam at a super-atmospheric pressure as described above occur and this is not desirable. On the other hand, to allow a longer heat-treating time of 0.01 sec or longer, a large heat-treating apparatus of 75 cm or longer is needed and therefore, the whole apparatus becomes large and the operability correspondingly becomes more difficult and these tendencies are not preferred. Moreover, the higher the take-up speed of the filaments, the greater the length of the heat-treating apparatus required to obtain the same level of heat-treating effect.
Next, a second requirement of the present invention concerns the tension of the filaments passing through the heat-treating apparatus. The tension T of the filaments passing through the heat-treating apparatus 8 should be 0.5t -(0.5-0.5t) g/d in relation to the winding tension t. If the tension T of the filaments passing through the heat-treating apparatus is lower than 0.5 times that of the winding tension t, yarns contact each other in the heat-treating apparatus and on the second godet roller, and this leads to yarn breakage. On the other hand, if the tension T of the filaments passing through the heat-treating apparatus is larger than (0.5-0.5t) g/d in relation to the winding tension t, relaxation of the internal strain is not sufficient and both saddle and bulge become large.
Therefore, it is necessary that the internal strain of the filaments is relaxed under a tension close to the winding tension. When the tension at heat treatment is remarkably higher than the winding tension, the filaments are taken up while strain remains and upon relaxation after winding saddle and bulge become large. From this point of view, the tension T of the filaments after passing through the heat treating apparatus is preferably 0.4 g/d or smaller.
A third requirement of the present invention concerns the level of the winding tension itself and it is required that the winding tension be 0.4 g/d or smaller. Namely, even if the heat treatment is carried out at a tension of the filaments close to the winding tension, when the winding tension is 0.4 g/d or larger, saddle and bulge are large as the strain itself is large. Preferably, the winding tension is 0.3 g/d or smaller in which case the effect of the present invention becomes even more remarkable.
On the other hand, it is necessary that the winding tension is 0.05 g/d or larger to perform stable winding.
Moreover, it is necessary that the winding velocity of the filaments is 4,500 m/min or higher, preferably 4,500 -6,000 m/min, more preferably 4,500-5,500 m/min.
A first advantage provided by the process of the present invention is the capability of obtaining a uniform package form. No faults in the package during transportation and no trouble on unwinding at the user side occur because the package form is uniform.
A second advantage of the process of the present invention is that the heat treatment between godet rollers improves the package uniformity without changing any characteristics of the filaments which may remain the same as those obtained by a conventional direct spin draw process. Namely, no change in the most important characteristics of the filaments such as dyeability occurs regardless of the use of this heat treatment. As a result, especially when establishing a multiple spinning machine, production management becomes extremely easy.
A third advantage of the process of the present invention is that filament oscillation on or between godet rollers is small for multiple yarns and operational capability is therefore good.
As in the conventional process shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 85020/1987 where filament yarns are wound on godet rollers a number of times by utilizing a separate roller, especially, where multiple yarns (e.g., eight yarns) are simultaneously wound moving filaments oscillate transversely and their paths become unstable and filament breakages often occur as a result. On the contrary, as it is not necessary in the process of the present invention to wind filaments around godet rollers using a separate roller, then even if multiple yarns are moved simultaneously, oscillation of each yarn is small, the stability of their paths is excellent and the operational capability is good.
Examples of processes embodying the invention are given below.
Here, judgment of the quality of the package form is based on the standard described below.
______________________________________ Bulge .THorizBrace. 10 mm or 10 mm- above below 15 mm 15 mm______________________________________ 1.5 mm or below ⊚ ∘ ΔSaddle 1.5 mm-2.5 mm ∘ Δ x above 2.5 mm Δ x x______________________________________ Notice: ⊚ represents excellent, ∘ represents good, Δ represents acceptable, and x represents bad.
Winding tension and tension between godet rollers are measured by means of the "Tension Checker Type CB" manufactured by Kanai Koki Co., Ltd.
EXAMPLES 1-6 AND COMPARATIVE EXAMPLES 1-6
Polyethylene terephthalate was melted at 290° C. and extruded at an output of 26.7 g/min from a spinneret having 24 holes.
The extruded filaments were cooled down below the glass transition point by passing them through a crossflow of quenching air flowing at a rate of 20 m/min at 20° C., and were introduced into a hot tube having a total length of 1.3 m placed at 1.6 m below the spinneret. A lubricant was then applied to the filaments, which were then subjected to an interlacing treatment before passing to a first godet roller running at a velocity of 5,000 m/min. The filaments were then fed through a heat treating apparatus to a second godet roller and thereafter wound up on a winding machine to obtain a filament yarn of 50 denier/24 filaments. A steam treating apparatus having a length of 300 mm was used as the heat treating apparatus between the godet rollers and steam was fed into the apparatus to keep the temperature at 98° C. The tension (T) of the filament yarn passing through the steam treating apparatus was variously changed as shown in Table 1 by changing the velocity of the second godet roller and the winding tension (t) was changed, again as shown in Table 1, by changing the winding velocity.
The package width was 114 mm, the wound weight was 5 kg and the quality of the package form was judged by measuring its saddle and bulge.
TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________ T (claimed range of Package formRun T t the present Bulge Saddle Judge-.sup.(3)No. (g/d) (g/d) invention) (mm) (mm) ment__________________________________________________________________________1 Comparative 0.08 0.2 0.1-0.4 filament breakage -- Example 1 occurred2 Example 1 0.10 0.2 0.1-0.4 6.0 1.0 ⊚3 Example 2.sup.(4) 0.20 0.2 0.1-0.4 7.0 1.5 ⊚4 Example 3 0.30 0.2 0.1-0.4 8.5 1.5 ⊚5 Example 4 0.40 0.2 0.1-0.4 11.0 1.5 ∘6 Comparative 0.45 0.2 0.1-0.4 13.0 2.0 x Example 27 Example 5 0.30 0.3 0.15-0.35 10.0 1.5 ∘8 Comparative 0.40 0.3 0.15-0.35 12.5 2.0 x Example 39 Example 6 0.25 0.4 0.2-0.3 11.0 2.5 Δ10 Comparative 0.25 0.45 0.23-0.28 12.5 3.0 x Example 411 Comparative 0.20 0.2 0.1-0.4 package was -- Example 5.sup.(1) not removable from wining machine12 Comparative 0.20 0.2 0.1-0.4 18.0 2.0 x Example 6.sup.(2)__________________________________________________________________________ Notes: .sup.(1) Comparative Example 5 (Run No. 11) Without heat treatment betwee godet rollers .sup.(2) Comparative Example 6 (Run No. 12) A separate roller was sent on each of the first and second godet rollers. Without heat treatment betwee godet rollers. .sup.(3) Judgement of package form ⊚ represents excellent, ∘ represents good, Δ represents acceptable, and x represents bad. .sup.(4) Best method.
Run Nos. 1, 6, 8, 10, 11 and 12 were Comparative Examples to illustrate the disadvantages of processes outside the present invention and thereby show even more clearly the advantageous effects of the processes embodying the present invention.
As clearly indicated in Table 1 and FIG. 3, in Run Nos. 1, 6 and 8 the tension T in the heat treating apparatus lay outside the range required for a process of the invention. In Run No. 1, T was too low and this resulted in large filament oscillation and an unstable filament path. In Runs Nos. 6 and 8, T was too high and both saddle and bulge were large.
Moreover, in Run No. 10 where the winding tension t was outside the range required for a process of the present invention both saddle and bulge were large, while in Run No. 11 where no heat treatment was performed between the godet rollers it was impossible to remove the package as a result of the tightening of the paper tube on which the package was wound against its supporting spindle.
On the other hand, in each of Runs Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 9 where the conditions were within the ranges required by the present invention, both saddle and bulge were small and no difficulties occurred during operation.
In Run No. 12, based on the process shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 85020/1987, a separate roller was set on each of the first godet roller and the second godet roller. The filament yarn was wound once onto the first godet roller and its separate roller and twice onto the second godet roller and its separate roller and no heat treatment was performed. In this Example, both bulge and saddle were remarkably larger than those encountered when using the processes embodying the present invention.
The results indicated that even if the yarn path was enlarged and the time before winding was correspondingly extended, strain generated during drawing was not sufficiently released.
EXAMPLES 7-12 AND COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE 7
The same spinning conditions as those described in Example 1 were employed for spinning and each package of a 5 kg winding was prepared for each of different heat treating conditions, namely, wet heat (steam), a non-contacting heater providing dry heat and a contacting type hot plate as the heat treating apparatus. Thus the winding speed was 5,000 m/min so as provide a winding tension t of 0.2 g/d, the tension T of the filament yarn introduced into the heat treating apparatus was set at 0.2 g/d, and both the non-contacting heater providing dry heat and the contacting type hot plate had a length of 500 mm.
TABLE 2__________________________________________________________________________ Heat Temper- Package form Broken Final.sup.(2)Run treating ature Saddle Bulge Judge- fila- Judge-No. apparatus.sup.(1) (°C.) (mm) (mm) ment ment ment__________________________________________________________________________13 Example 7 A 80 10.5 2.5 Δ ∘ Δ14 Example 8 A 89 9.5 2.0 ∘ ∘ ∘15 Example 9.sup.(3) A 98 7.0 1.5 ⊚ ∘ ∘16 Example 10 A 105 7.0 1.5 ⊚ ∘ ∘17 Example 11 A 116 7.0 1.0 ⊚ ∘ ∘18 Example 12 B 300 12.0 2.0 Δ ∘ Δ19 Comparative C 200 11.5 2.0 Δ x x Example 7__________________________________________________________________________ Notes: .sup.(1) Heat treating apparatus A, B anc C represent a wet heat (steam) heater, a noncontacting heater provided dry heat and a contacting type ho plate respectively. .sup.(2) Final judgement ∘ represents good, Δ represent acceptable, and x represents bad. .sup.(3) Best method.
Run No. 19 was a Comparative Example to illustrate the disadvantages of using a heater unsuitable for use in the process of the invention and thereby show even more clearly the advantageous effects of the process embodying the present invention.
As clearly indicated in Table 2, in Run No. 19 where a contacting type hot plate was used, the package form was moderate, but some filaments were broken on the end face of the package and as a result, the quality of the product was bad.
On the contrary, in Run Nos. 13-17 wherein the effects of the heat treatment were sufficient, then in each case the internal strain was sufficiently relaxed and the saddle and bulge were small. Moreover, in Run No. 18 wherein a dry heat type heating apparatus at 300° C. was used, an improved package form having about the same improved characteristics as produced by wet heat (steam) was obtained, but the wet heat process was preferable as the heat treating means when taking into consideration the fact that when using a dry heat, a cleaning operation of the heat treating apparatus may be required should any filament breakage occur. This is because such breakage tends to leave molten polymer on the inner surface of the heat treating apparatus. | A process for preparing polyester continuous filamentary material by (a) extruding the polyester material while molten to form filaments, (b) solidifying the molten filaments by cooling them to a temperature at or below their glass transition point, (c) drawing the solidified filaments within a hot drawing zone, (d) subjecting the drawn filaments to a finishing treatment, (e) advancing the finished filaments around first and second godet rollers and, while the filaments are disposed between the first and second godet rollers, subjecting the filaments to heat treatment by advancing the filaments through a heat treatment zone without contacting the filaments with a solid hot surface, the filaments being advanced through the heat treatment zone under a given tension T, and (f) winding the filaments at a speed of at least 4,500 m/min under a given tension t. the respective tensions T and t lie within the ranges
0.5 t≦T≦0.5-0.5 t (I)
0.05≦t≦0.4 (II),
where
t means winding tension (g/d) and
T means tension between godet rollers (g/d). | 3 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the control of missiles in flight, and, more particularly, to a device that quickly reverses the direction of flight of a missile without expenditure of propellant.
Air-to-air missiles are a primary weapon system for many military fighter and bomber aircraft. On fighter aircraft the missiles may play offensive or defensive roles, and on bomber aircraft usually play a defensive role. The missiles are often carried on external pylon supports so that they may be launched quickly, but sometimes are carried internally.
The missiles are normally carried in a forward-facing orientation. That is, the missile is aerodynamically shaped to move through the air with low drag. The missile is mounted on the aircraft so that the aerodynamic shape faces forwardly. With the missile facing forwardly, its addition to the drag of the aircraft prior to launch is smaller than if the missile were carried facing rearwardly. Moreover, when the missile is launched its forward-facing orientation aids in assuring a stable launch from the aircraft. If the missile were carried facing rearwardly, upon launch it might veer out of control and actually strike the launching aircraft before the missile engine is fired and the missile guidance system becomes operable.
Attacks on a defended aircraft by an opposing aircraft often occur with the opposing aircraft behind the defended aircraft. The defended aircraft can use its air-to-air missiles to defend itself, if the missiles can be brought to bear on the opposing aircraft. For a forwardly facing and launched missile, the missile must fly in a curved arc through 180 degrees to bear on the opposing aircraft. The turn requires both expenditure of fuel and time. In many situations it is not possible to bring the forwardly launched missile to bear on the opposing aircraft in time to be effective.
On the other hand, the missile may be carried in a rearwardly facing orientation, but, as noted, the aerodynamics of the carrying aircraft will be degraded prior to launch, and it may be very difficult to launch a missile in a stable manner. Moreover, fighter aircraft may carry only 2 or 4 air-to-air missiles. If one or more of these missiles is mounted in a rearwardly facing, defensive position, it essentially becomes unavailable for use in the aircraft's primary role of attacking (rather than defending against) opposing aircraft.
Various types of rearward defense of aircraft have been used. In the past, rearwardly facing guns have been employed, but such guns are not practical for fighter aircraft or for most high-speed bomber aircraft. Various masking devices can also be used, but are not effective for active defense against close-in attacks.
Thus, there is a need for an improved approach to defending against attacks by opposing aircraft from behind a defended aircraft using its air-to-air missiles, without reducing the effectiveness of the defended aircraft. The present invention fulfills this need, and further provides related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a modification to the structure of a conventional air-to-air missile that makes it effective for either attack against aircraft in front of the carrying aircraft (launch vehicle) or defense against attack by aircraft behind the carrying aircraft. The missile of the invention is carried in a forwardly facing orientation, so that its presence does not degrade performance of the carrying aircraft. It is launched in the forwardly facing orientation, so that a stable launch from the carrying aircraft can be achieved in the conventional manner. After launch, the missile can be converted from forward-facing attack to rearward-facing defense quickly and without the expenditure of fuel.
In accordance with the invention, a missile comprises a missile body having a nose, a tail, and a center of gravity therebetween, the missile body having a first stable orientation with the nose pointed into a flowing fluid stream. The missile includes a controllable means operable in a flowing fluid stream for forcing the missile to tumble from the first stable orientation to a second stable orientation with the tail facing toward the flowing stream, and means for operating the means for forcing.
The missile is carried on a launching vehicle with the missile in the first stable orientation and the means for forcing inoperable. After launch with the missile in the first stable orientation, the means for forcing is operated to tumble the missile to a second stable orientation, which faces rearwardly. The missile's engine, if any, is thereafter fired to drive the missile in the direction opposite to the direction of movement of the launch vehicle. The missile can be a missile that flies through the air and is launched from an aircraft, or a torpedo that is propelled through the water and is launched from a ship.
In one embodiment the controllable means for forcing the missile to tumble from the first stable orientation to the second stable orientation is a set of lifting surfaces that are extendable into the fluid stream. These lifting surfaces, preferably in the form of a plurality of blades disposed around the circumference of the missile at a location between the nose and the center of gravity of the missile, are initially not deployed into the fluid stream prior to launch when the missile is carried on the launch vehicle. The lifting surfaces are not deployed initially both because they would tend to cause the missile to apply tumbling forces before and during missile launch, and because they increase the effective diameter of the missile. Prior to deployment, the lifting surfaces can be wrapped circumferentially around the missile body, or folded flat back against the missile body.
After the missile is launched and drops free of the launch vehicle, the means for forcing the missile to tumble is deployed if the missile is to be directed to the rear (or not deployed if the missile is to be fired forwardly). In a preferred embodiment, the lifting surfaces are biased toward the deployed position but held in the folded position by a release mechanism. One form of release mechanism is a wire that extends circumferentially around the missile and engages the lifting surfaces in the folded position to maintain them in the folded position. When the lifting surfaces are to be deployed to cause the missile to tumble to the rearwardly facing orientation, the wire is parted by a pyrotechnic charge or other device that causes the wire to separate, permitting the lifting surfaces to spring outwardly under the biasing force to the deployed position. The deployed lifting surfaces cause the missile to tumble to the second stable orientation facing rearwardly. The missile is thereby reoriented from a forwardly facing, primary offensive orientation, to a rearwardly facing, primary defensive orientation, very quickly after launch and without any expenditure of fuel. A mechanism to release the blades to fall away from the missile after operation of the deployable aerotumbling device can also be provided.
Thus, in accordance with the invention, a missile comprises a missile body having a nose, a tail, and a center of gravity therebetween, and a first stable orientation with the nose pointed into a flowing fluid stream. A deployable means is operable in a flowing fluid stream for destabilizing the missile so that it is no longer stable with the nose pointed into the flowing fluid stream. There is also means for controllably deploying the deployable means.
The missile of the invention provides an important advance in the art of missile systems, and, particularly, to the art of missiles that may be used both offensively and defensively. Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an aircraft carrying several missiles;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a missile having a circumferentially folded aerotumbling device prior to deployment;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the missile of FIG. 2, with the aerotumbling device deployed;
FIGS. 4 and 4(a)-4(f) are a sequential view of the missile of FIGS. 2 and 3 tumbling from the first stable orientation to the second stable orientation;
FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a missile having a rearwardly folded aerotumbling device prior to deployment; and
FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the missile of FIG. 5, with the aerotumbling device deployed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the preferred embodiment, the approach of the invention is used in conjunction with an air-to-air missile 20, that is initially carried upon an aircraft 22 as shown in FIG. 1. The missile 20 may be mounted externally at a wingtip 24 of the aircraft 22, externally on a pylon 26 extending downwardly from a wing (as shown) or from the fuselage of the aircraft, or internally in a weapons bay 28 (shown in phantom lines). The term "forwardly facing orientation" means that, if the engine of the missile were fired immediately after launch, the missile would fly in the same direction as the aircraft 22 is moving. An existing mechanism is used to release the missile 20 from the aircraft 22 upon command of the aircraft crew 22.
FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the missile 20 in greater detail. The missile has a body 29, a nose 30, a tail 32, and a center of gravity 33 between the nose 30 and the tail 32. The missile also may (and usually does) have a propulsion engine 34 (shown in phantom lines) mounted internally with its exhaust directed rearwardly from the tail 32. In the particular type of missile 20 illustrated in FIG. 2, the missile has an elongated teardrop shape, without control surfaces. However, the missile may have control surfaces. If the missile has control surfaces, these surfaces may be moved to control the flight direction after launch. If the missile does not have control surfaces, small rocket thrusters are usually provided to control the direction of flight. The basic aerodynamic design of the depicted missile, with a pointed nose 30 and a larger diameter tail 32 provides a first stable orientation with the nose 30 pointed into a flowing fluid stream, whose direction is indicated by an arrow 36.
The missile 20 further includes a controllably deployable device 38 that destabilizes the missile 20 so that it is no longer aerodynamically stable with the nose 30 pointed into the flowing fluid stream 36. FIG. 2 illustrates the missile 20 with the deployable device 38 in a stowed position. FIG. 3 illustrates the missile 20 with the deployable device 38 in the deployed position. FIG. 4 illustrates the effect of deployment.
In the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4, the deployable device 28 is at least one, and preferably a plurality, of aerodynamic lifting surfaces such as blades 40 that are wrapped circumferentially around the body 29 of the missile 20 in the stowed position (FIG. 2). The blades 40 are supported on the body of the missile 20 at a location between the nose 30 and the center of gravity 33. The blades 40 are preferably made of a springy material such as spring steel, and are fixed to the body 29 such that they are biased toward the deployed position illustrated in FIG. 3. That is, when no restraining force is applied to the blades 40, they naturally move to the deployed position shown in FIG. 3.
The blades 40 are not permitted to reside in the deployed position of FIG. 3 prior to launch of the missile 20 from the aircraft 22, because in this position they destabilize the missile 20 from the first stable orientation with the nose pointed into the flowing fluid stream. If the missile were launched with the blades deployed, the missile would immediately tumble, preventing targeting and possibly even damaging the aircraft during launch.
Instead, the blades 40 are carried in the stowed position depicted in FIG. 2 prior to deployment after launch. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the blades 40 are restrained in their stowed position by a restraining wire 42 extending circumferentially around the body 29 of the missile 20 that captures the blades 40 thereunder and holds the blades 40 firmly but releasably against the body of the missile 20. (The term "wire" as used herein in relation to the restraining wire 42 includes conventional wires of generally round shape and also wide bands that may be necessary to capture all of the blades.)
A pyrotechnic device 44 such as a conventional explosive wire cutter is fixed to the restraining wire 42. Upon command the pyrotechnic device 44 operates to sever the restraining wire 42. The blades 40 are then freed to spring outwardly from the stowed position of FIG. 2 to the deployed position of FIG. 3. The pyrotechnic device 44 is normally sequenced to prevent operation until after the missile 20 has dropped free of the aircraft for some distance or period of time, so that the blades 40 are not deployed when the missile 20 is near the aircraft 22.
FIG. 4 depicts the various uses of the missile for forward and rearward operation and an aerotumbling maneuver. In FIG. 4(a), the nose 30 of the missile 20 is pointed into the flowing airstream 36 with the blades 40 stowed against the body 29 of the missile 20, depicted in FIG. 2 as it would be carried on an aircraft. The missile is aerodynamically stable in this configuration, and may be driven forward by its engine 34 and conventional control system. In this orientation, the missile would be used primary for an offensive role.
In other instances, the missile 20 is used against an attack from the rear by an opposing aircraft. FIGS. 4(b)-4(f) depict the sequencing of events following deployment of the blades 40 to rapidly reverse the pointed direction of the missile 20 so that it may be brought to bear against an aircraft attacking from the rear. In FIG. 4(b), the pyrotechnic device 44 has been fired, and the blades 40 are deployed in the manner discussed with respect to FIG. 3.
The outwardly extending blades 40 produce a destabilizing aerodynamic force. This destabilizing force is created because the deployed blades 40 act much like the feathers on an arrow to swing their point of support on the missile body to the rear relative to the flowing air stream 36. Consequently, the missile body 29 begins to pivot or tumble from the first stable orientation of FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b) toward a second stable orientation of FIG. 4(f), with the tail 32 of the missile 20 pointing into the flowing air stream 36. FIGS. 4(b)-4(f) illustrate the progression of movement of the missile 20 from the first stable orientation (FIG. 4(b)) to the second stable orientation (FIG. 4(f)).
As the missile 20 tumbles from the first stable orientation to the second stable orientation, the target acquisition system of the missile is activated to acquire and lock onto the attacking aircraft or a missile fired by that aircraft. The engine 34 is fired, and the missile 20 acts to defend its launch aircraft 22 against the threat.
After the tumbling maneuver of FIG. 4 is completed, the missile 20 may be operated in the second stable orientation of FIG. 4(f) with the engine 34 firing, as long as the net velocity of the missile 20 with respect to the flowing air stream 36 has a net component in the direction shown in FIG. 4. However, if the velocity of the missile becomes sufficiently great, the deployed blades 40 will tend to destabilize the missile once again, possibly causing the missile to tumble again and reverse its direction, an undesirable result.
The tendency to tumble back to the prior orientation may be controlled in one of two ways. In the first, the control system of the missile 20 (i.e., thrusters or control surfaces) may be operated to counteract the destabilizing effect of the deployed blades 40. Alternatively, the entire deployable device 38, including the blades 40, may be separated from the missile 20 to fall free. Separation can be effected by using a second pyrotechnic device 46 that operates on the support structure that holds the deployable device 38 in place against the body of the missile. For example, the deployable device 38 and the blades 40 may be held against the body 29 of the missile 20 with one or a few wires that complete a band around the circumference of the body of the missile 20, with the blades 40 supported on the band. Operation of the pyrotechnic device 46 severs the wires that hold the deployable device 38 in place, and the deployable device falls free of the missile 20 as the missile accelerates. The missile 20 remains stable with its nose pointed toward the target, with the aerotumbling deployable device 38 removed.
FIGS. 5 and 6 depict another embodiment of the missile 20, using blades 40 that fold flat against the body 29 toward the tail 32 of the missile 20. The side view of FIG. 5 illustrates the blades 40 in the stowed position with a restraining wire 42 in place. The wire 42 is controllably severed by a pyrotechnic device similar to that of the device 44 of FIG. 2, and the blades 40 deploy to the position illustrated in the front view of FIG. 6. As a result of the deployment of the blades, the missile 20 tumbles in the same manner as illustrated in FIG. 4.
The present invention provides a controllable aerotumbling device that may be activated to rapidly change the direction of flight of a missile, without the expenditure of fuel. It may be left inactivated, so that the missile operates in the normal manner, or activated at any point in flight to provide a rapid change in direction. The aerotumbling device is relatively simple in construction and operation, and does not add a large amount of weight to the missile. It may be applied to various types of missiles, such as air-launched missiles and torpedoes. Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. | A missile includes a missile body having a nose, a tail, and a center of gravity therebetween. A plurality of blades are arranged symmetrically around the missile body at a location between the nose and the center of gravity. The blades are deployable from a stowed position folded flat against the body of the missile to a deployed position extending outwardly from the body of the missile, and are mounted so as to be biased toward the deployed position. A retaining wire extends circumferentially around the body of the missile and captures the blades thereunder. The retaining wire may be controllably severed by a pyrotechnic device to release the blades to extend to the deployed position. The extended blades cause the missile to tumble from a first stable orientation to a second stable orientation, permitting it to be quickly pointed in the opposite direction without expenditure of fuel. | 5 |
This is a national phase of PCT/FR03/01467 filed May 14, 2003 and published in French.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for marking or identifying tools with female recess, enabling mobile elements (such as a nut) to be clamped. In non-exhaustive manner, it is question of the class of tools of sockets and tube wrenches.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In effect, it is appreciable to identify these tools in a case or box, in the desired dimension (for example metric), as rapidly as possible.
According to the prior art, such identification is made thanks to a figure inscribed on the very tool, generally on its part adapted to be gripped.
However, this figure is often difficult to read by the users due to its small dimensions and to the dirt which might be deposited on the tool when used.
In an attempt to solve this problem, U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,606 discloses devices for marking or identifying sockets constituted by a cylindrical ring which is inserted in a female recess in the socket arranged in the part opposite the female recess of the nut. Identification is then effected thanks to a specific colour of the ring or to a figure inscribed on its upper surface.
However, this device is not entirely satisfactory since it cannot be generalized to other types of tools such as tube wrenches, the figure inscribed on the ring is of small dimensions, being located on a very narrow surface, and identification by color means that a colors code has to be memorized.
These problems have been partly solved by U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,012 by the creation of a plug of shape and size complementary to that of the female recess of the nut.
However, this plug must be removed each time before the tool is used.
Moreover, this device adds difficulty since it is in that case necessary, in a first step, to find the plug corresponding to the desired shape, then, in a second step, to look for the desired tool.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In this context, the present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the prior art by proposing an easily legible device connected by insertion in any type of tools for clamping mobile elements and not preventing usual use of the tool.
Moreover, the device according to the invention is adapted to existing tools without modification thereto.
The device for marking and identifying a female recess tool for clamping a mobile element (such as a nut) is characterized in that it is adapted to be completely inserted in the recess and to be maintained therein by securing means.
In order to simplify the use of the tool and to ensure an inexpensive securing of the device, the securing means employ forces of friction which are generated by rubbings between the inner wall of the female recess and the lateral surface of the device due to the fact that the device has a shape which is either complementary to the shape of the recess of the tool, or circumscribed in the shape of said recess, or included in the shape of said recess.
In order to minimize the space occupied by the device in the recess of the tool and thus allow the tool to be used as usual, the device is made so that one of its dimensions is much smaller than its other two located in a plane perpendicular to the axis of clamping of the mobile element.
So as to create low production costs and simple processes of manufacture, the device is constituted by a semi-rigid pellet, for example made of plastics material (particularly polycarbonate) or of metallic material (for example aluminum) whose thickness is included between 0.1 and 1.5 mm (preferably between 0.3 and 0.5 mm) and is concave in shape.
In order to allow a rapid identification of the tool to be used, the pellet presents information relative to the dimension of the tool, namely a figure inscribed on at least one of its faces, preferably both in order thus to allow the pellet to be reversed.
Moreover, with a view to using the same pellet with different tools, the securing means are removable.
In this way, thanks to the invention, both a socket and a tube wrench in the desired dimension can therefore be rapidly identified.
Advantageously, the pellets are constituted by a multi-layer material which comprises a layer of plastics or metallic material, at least one layer of ink and a layer of protective material, such as a varnish.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be more readily understood in the light of the following description relating to an illustrative and in no way limiting form of embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of the device according to the invention, in the form of a pellet.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view in perspective of the pellet and of a socket in which it is to be inserted.
FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the socket with the pellet in the bottom of its female recess.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view in longitudinal cross section of a tube wrench with a pellet in the bottom of its female recess.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of different possible shapes of pellets.
FIG. 6 is a transverse section though the pellet.
FIG. 7 a plan view of a sheet of pre-cutout pellets.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a form of embodiment of the device according to the invention, shown here in non-exhaustive manner in the form of a pellet 1 .
The pellet 1 comprises two parallel faces, an upper face 2 a and a lower face 2 b.
The pellet 1 also presents an axis X-X transverse with respect to the pellet and which passes through the centre of said faces ( 2 a , 2 b ).
In accordance with the particular representation of the device according to the invention in FIG. 1 , the parallel faces 2 a and 2 b lie at a distance from each other which is called thickness 3 .
The face 2 a (respectively 2 b ) of the pellet 1 is of hexagonal shape, with apices 2 aa , 2 ab , 2 ac , 2 ad , 2 ae and 2 af (respectively 2 ba , 2 bb , 2 bc , 2 bd , 2 be and 2 bf ).
The faces 2 a and 2 b , as well as apices 2 aa , 2 ab , 2 ac , 2 ad , 2 ae and 2 af perform equivalent roles, i.e. said faces are identical to each other and said apices identical to one another.
The faces of the pellets may generally take very varied shapes. Other possible forms of embodiment of a pellet will be seen hereinbelow.
The thickness 3 is of very small dimensions with respect to the distance separating two opposite apices of the same face, i.e. the distance separating apices 2 aa and 2 ad for example.
The thickness 3 is of the order of some tenths of millimeters. It is included between 0.1 and 1.5 mm, preferably between 0.3 and 0.5 mm.
At least one of the faces ( 2 a , 2 b ) bears an inscription 4 which is either a figure, or a name or a logo, a reference, a designation, etc. . . .
Said inscription 4 is represented in FIG. 1 , in accordance with an illustrative and in no way limiting embodiment, in the form of the FIG. 19 . This illustrative embodiment will be retained in the following in the Figures using the pellet 1 .
FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the pellet and of the female recess tool for clamping a mobile element in which it is to be inserted.
The female recess tool, shown in FIG. 2 , is a socket 5 of known type and the mobile element associated with said tool is a nut (not shown).
Elements which are identical or similar to those of FIG. 1 bear the same references.
The socket 5 presents a female recess 6 adapted to cooperate with a nut (not shown).
The female recess 6 presents an axis Y-Y, called clamping axis and, seen in cross section, a substantially hexagonal section.
Axis Y-Y defines the axis of clamping of the nut about which a couple of forces must be exerted in order to clamp the nut in another element.
During the insertion of the pellet 1 in the female recess 6 , axes X-X and Y-Y are substantially colinear and merge when the pellet 1 is located in said female recess 6 .
The pellet 1 presents a shape which is either complementary to the shape of the female recess 6 , or circumscribed in the shape of the female recess 6 , or included in the shape of the female recess 6 .
The pellet 1 has been shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a shape complementary to the female recess 6 . In this way, depending on the particular form of embodiment of the device according to the invention in FIG. 2 , as the cross section of the orifice 7 is of hexagonal shape, the pellet 1 in that case presents a hexagonal shape.
The hexagon defined by the cross section of the orifice 7 presents six apices 7 a , 7 b , 7 c , 7 d , 7 e and 7 f.
The distance separating two opposite apices of the face 2 a (for example 2 aa and 2 ad ) of the pellet 1 is slightly greater than the distance separating two opposite apices of the cross section of the orifice 7 (for example 7 a and 7 d ).
In the calculation of said distances, the faces 2 a and 2 b of the pellet 1 , the apices 2 aa , 2 ab , 2 ac , 2 ad , 2 ae and 2 af , the apices 2 ba , 2 bb , 2 bc , 2 bd , 2 be and 2 bf and the apices 7 a , 7 b , 7 c , 7 d , 7 e and 7 f perform equivalent roles, i.e. one of the two faces as well as two opposite apices from among the six corresponding to the face of the pellet previously chosen, may equally well be chosen for this calculation. The same applies to the apices of the hexagon defined by the cross section of the orifice 7 which all present the same characteristics (for example their angle).
In privileged manner, the pellet 1 is made of plastics material. The pellet 1 is thus made of polycarbonate for example.
However, the pellet 1 may equally well be made of a metallic material, particularly aluminum.
The pellet 1 may be secured to the female recess 6 by any known means such as glue, double-face adhesive, etc. . . .
According to an advantageous embodiment, securing of the pellet 1 inside the female recess 6 is effected thanks to forces of friction.
The pellet 1 is made for example of a semi-rigid material, which allows it to be deformed and to be inserted in the female recess 6 despite the difference in magnitude between the distance separating two opposite apices (for example 2 aa and 2 ad ) of the face 2 a of the pellet 1 and the distance separating two opposite apices (for example 7 a and 7 d ) of the cross section of the orifice 7 .
The semi-rigid nature of the pellet 1 also allows it to be secured to the female recess 6 by forces of friction that the walls of said female recess 6 exert on the pellet 1 , and more particularly on its lateral surface, during insertion and deformation thereof in said recess 6 .
Depending on the particular form of embodiment of the pellet 1 , insertion of the pellet 1 in the female recess 6 is effected by exerting a thrust force in the direction of axis Y-Y on a face ( 2 a or 2 b ) of the pellet 1 in order to allow it to enter in the female recess 6 .
The user then continues to exert the thrust until the pellet 1 abuts against the bottom of the female recess 6 .
The insertion of the pellet 1 in the female recess 6 is also rendered possible either by the complementarity of the shape of the pellet 1 with the shape of the female recess 6 , or by the circumscription or the inclusion of the shape of the pellet 1 in the shape of the female recess 6 .
In order to occupy very little space inside the female recess 6 , and not to prevent use of the socket 5 as usual, the pellet 1 presents a thickness 3 of very small dimension with respect to the dimension of the depth of the female recess 6 .
The pellet 1 is, in privileged manner, located in the bottom of the female recess 6 in order to allow optimum use of the socket 5 . However, even if the pellet 1 is disposed at a certain distance from the bottom of the female recess 6 without touching the bottom of the female recess 6 , it does not prevent use of the socket 5 . In effect, during introduction of the nut in the female recess 6 , the nut pushes the pellet 1 towards the bottom of the female recess 6 .
FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the socket of FIG. 2 , with the pellet in the bottom of its female recess.
Elements identical or similar to those of FIGS. 1 and 2 bear the same references.
Once the pellet 1 is inserted in the female recess 6 , the user can read the inscription 4 (represented in the Figure in non-exhaustive manner by the FIG. 19 ) written on the upper face 2 a of the pellet 1 . The inscription 4 is preferably information on the dimension (for example metric) of the socket 5 .
The pellet 1 may present the same inscription 4 on its upper ( 2 a ) and lower ( 2 b ) faces. It is therefore reversible, the direction of insertion of the pellet 1 in that case being of no importance.
FIG. 4 schematically shows a cross section of a tube wrench with a pellet in the bottom of its female recess.
Like the socket 5 , the tube wrench 8 also belongs to the class of tools allowing mobile elements (such as a nut) to be clamped.
The tube wrench 8 comprises a female recess 9 into which a device according to the invention, represented here by the pellet 10 similar to pellet 1 of FIGS. 1 , 2 and 3 , may be inserted.
According to the representation of the device of the invention in FIG. 4 , the pellet 10 has a shape complementary to that of the orifice 11 of the tube wrench 8 in cross section.
According to the form of embodiment of the orifice 11 and the female recess 9 , the pellet 10 may present the same geometrical characteristics as the pellet 1 . Therefore the same pellet may be used equally well for a socket as for a tube wrench.
Different colors of pellets may be used in order to differentiate sets of tools. For example, if a pellet color is associated with a person, it is then possible to differentiate two tools which are identical but belong to two different users or then to find one's tool in the tool box of another person.
FIG. 5 is a representation in plan view of different possible shapes of pellets.
Pellets 12 , 13 , 14 and 15 are all of different shapes. Their shape is determined in order to render possible the insertion of the pellet in the female recess of the tool.
The faces of the pellet 12 present a TORX® profile, the faces of the pellet 13 a hexagonal profile, the faces of the pellet 14 a circular profile and the faces of the pellet 15 a square profile.
The pellets 12 , 13 , 14 and 15 present on at least one of their two faces an inscription (not shown in FIG. 5 ) which is either a figure, or a name or a logo, a reference, a designation, etc. . . .
Generally, the faces of the pellets may present circular, triangular, quadrangular (of square or rectangular type), pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octogonal, polygonal, etc. shapes.
Moreover, the pellet having the same shape as the inlet orifice of the female recess of the tool or having a shape circumscribed or included in the shape of the female recess in which it is to be inserted, the faces of the pellet always present at least one of their characteristic distances (the diagonal for a square . . . pellet) very slightly greater than the same characteristic distance of the shape of the inlet orifice or than the distance corresponding to the circumscription or to the inclusion of the pellet.
In this way, the diagonals of the faces of the pellet 15 of square profile are greater than the diagonals of the inlet orifice of square shape of the female recess in which it is to be inserted.
Moreover, due to the fact that the pellet may present a shape circumscribed or included in the shape of the female recess, a pellet of hexagonal shape may serve as device for marking and identifying a socket having a hexagonal or bihexagonal (so-called 6 sided or 12 sided) section. In the case of a bihexagonal female recess, a pellet of hexagonal shape may therefore be inserted; the shape of the pellet is included in the shape of the female recess.
A circular pellet may also be inserted in a female recess of hexagonal or bihexagonal shape. In this precise case, the diameter of the pellet is greater than the length of one of the sides of the hexagon or of the bihexagon defined by the recess of the tool.
FIG. 6 is a representation of a transverse section of the pellet in accordance with another form of embodiment.
The pellet 15 presents a convex upper face 16 a and a concave lower face 16 b.
The concavities of the faces 16 a and 16 b make it possible to facilitate the insertion of the pellet 15 in the female recess of the tool by inserting the pellet 15 in the female recess of the corresponding tool by pushing on the face 16 b of the pellet.
The concavity of the pellet 15 allows optimum securing thereof in the female recess due to the presence of stresses generated by the concavity.
In general, the pellets may, if necessary, be removed from their female recess by any known means (application of a thrust force on the lower face of the pellet with the aid of a metal rod, . . . ).
FIG. 7 is a plan view of a board of pre-cutout pellets.
The pellets are formed from a board 17 .
The board 17 is constituted by multi-layer material.
The process for manufacturing the multi-layer board 17 consists in the printing of a text on a layer of material which may either be plastic (of the polycarbonate type), or metallic (of the aluminum type), then in the passage of a protection material such as a varnish.
It is, for example possible to take a board 17 of plastics material (of the polycarbonate type) on which is printed a layer of ink corresponding to the text which it is desired to appear on the front face of the board 1 . There is then added thereon background ink corresponding to the colour which it is desired to give the pellet, then another layer of ink is added, corresponding to the text which it is desired to appear on the rear face of the board. Finally, a layer of finishing varnish is applied in order to protect everything. In a last step, the board is stamped in order to obtain a series of pre-cutout pellets each having an inscription on their rear face and on their front face, on condition that the layers of ink were well applied in correspondence with the stamping of the board. A vitrophane printing on polycarbonate has thus been produced if the board was based on that matter.
Vitrophane printing on metallic material is effected slightly differently. In effect, from a board, for example of aluminum, a layer of ink is applied on each face of said board, one face corresponding to the front-face inscription and another to the rear-face inscription. A finishing varnish is then applied on each face of the board. As for the last step of stamping, it remains the same as hereinabove.
It is also possible to effect this printing from a board of plastics material (for example polycarbonate) on which is added a layer of ink then another layer of ink corresponding to the nature of the background (for example calorimetric) which it is desired to appear on the pellet then a layer of finishing varnish.
This latter printing may be also be effected on a board of metallic material (for example of aluminum), but without carrying out the step of printing the layer of ink corresponding to the nature of the background.
In accordance with the particular mode of representation of the board, which is in no way limiting, in FIG. 7 , the pellets shown are of hexagonal shape and increasing in size, i.e. going from size 8 to size 32. Pellets of all sizes and all possible shapes may be formed by this process.
As the pellets are pre-cutout in the board 17 , a slight pressure on one of their faces enables them to be extracted from the board and thus to be used. | A device for marking or identifying a female recess tool for clamping a mobile element (such as a nut), characterized in that it is adapted to be completely inserted in the female recess and maintained therein by frictional forces. It is then easy to identify, for example, features peculiar to the tool. | 6 |
This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/030,959, filed Nov. 15, 1996, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to concrete wall forms and, more particularly, to a waler system for concrete wall forms.
The construction of walls with poured concrete normally involves the use of a form system which includes a pair of spaced generally parallel wall forms. Each wall form is constructed with a plurality of aligned panels and the wall forms define a space between them in which the concrete is poured and allowed to cure. The forces tending to separate the wall forms under the tremendous liquid pressure of newly deposited concrete is resisted by a series of tie rods extending between the wall forms and located at the juncture between the adjacent panels of each wall form.
Typically, each panel of each wall form includes a plywood, metal or similar material panel portion reinforced on a back face thereof by flanges extending along the side, top and bottom edges of the panel. The flanges along the side edges of each panel are arranged vertically and are commonly referred to as "studs". The studs or flanges include a plurality of holes which, when aligned with the holes in the flange of the adjacent panel, provide an aperture through which a pin is typically inserted to connect the adjacent panels together and construct the wall form. Commonly, the pin includes a slot through which a wedge is inserted to further secure the assembly.
The displacement of the wall forms as a result of the pressure and forces exerted by the poured concrete is resisted by horizontally extending walers which extend transversely across a plurality of panels on the back side of the wall form. Walers of this type are commonly used to reinforce the wall form against the forces exerted by the concrete and to maintain respective panels in proper alignment to avoid unwanted displacement or wavering in the wall form resulting from misalignment of the respective panels with each other.
The prior art includes numerous waler designs for securing and attaching the waler beams to the back surface of the wall form panels. However, known waler systems typically do not allow for convenient and effective installation of the waler beams to provide a sturdy and effective reinforcement and alignment of the wall form panels. Further, typically the waler systems do not provide for convenient and user friendly attachment and removal of those systems from the wall form panels. Very often each wall form utilizes at least two waler beams including an upper and a lower horizontally extending waler beam. Furthermore, each waler beam requires a plurality of clamps for attachment to the wall form panels. Therefore, the installation and removal of the waler system on a single wall panel can include dozens or more attachment devices. Therefore, the installation and removal of the waler system during the construction of a poured concrete wall can prove to be very time consuming and burdensome for the worker.
Therefore, a need exists in the industry for a waler system which is convenient and easy to install and remove from the wall form panels while still effectively reinforcing the wall forms and maintaining the alignment of the respective panels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objectives of the invention have been attained by a waler system according to a presently preferred embodiment of the invention which includes a number of clamps for supporting and securing each waler beam to the back surface of the wall form. Each clamp according to a presently preferred embodiment of the invention includes a lower horizontal leg projecting rearwardly from the wall form panels. A tab projects from the terminal end of the lower leg of each clamp to be positioned between the flanges on the adjacent wall form panels. A hole is provided in the tab for alignment with the holes in the respective adjacent flanges of the panels so that a standard pin or other attachment mechanism can be inserted through the hole in the tab and the holes in the flanges to anchor the clamp to the wall form panels.
An upper leg of the clamp extends generally parallel to the back face of the wall form panels and perpendicular to the lower leg. The upper leg is movable relative to the lower leg and the wall form to and between a loading/unloading position and a clamping position. The clamp is generally L-shaped in the loading/unloading position and the upper leg is spaced farther from the wall form panels than when the clamp is in the clamping position so that the waler beam can be loaded onto the clamp to rest on the lower leg of each clamp without interference from the upper leg. After the waler beam is loaded and is resting on the lower leg of each of the associated clamps, the upper leg is moved into the clamping position so that a gripping pad on the inner face of the upper leg contacts the waler beam which is then clamped between the upper leg and the flanges of the wall form panels. The upper leg of each clamp translates downwardly and inwardly toward the flanges from the loading/unloading position to the clamping position.
After the concrete is poured and the wall is cured, each of the clamps are unclamped to release the waler beam prior to disassembly of the wall forms.
The upper leg is biased by a spring captured within the upper leg toward the loading/unloading position. The lower leg includes an arm which is housed within the shell configuration of the upper leg. The arm includes a pair of slots which capture a pair of pins extending between opposed side walls of the shell to guide the upper leg from the loading/unloading position to the clamping position and vice versa.
The waler system and clamps according to a presently preferred embodiment of this invention can be easily installed and disassembled by merely securing each of the clamps with the pin used to join the adjacent panels of the wall form. Once the clamps are installed on the wall form, the waler beam is placed on the horizontal leg of the associated clamps and the upper leg of each clamp is then forced downwardly into the clamping position by a blow with a hammer, mallet or the like on an upper impact head portion of each upper leg. For removal of the waler beam, an impact base at the base of each upper leg is struck with a mallet, hammer or the like to disengage the leg from the waler beam and translate the clamp into the loading/unloading position. The force required to translate the clamp from clamping position to the loading/unloading position is less than the force required for the opposite operation because the upper leg is spring biased toward the loading/unloading position. Therefore, the installation of the waler system according to a presently preferred embodiment of the invention can be accomplished easily and effectively by the workers to provide a sturdy and effective alignment mechanism for the wall form panels.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The objectives and features of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a wall form and waler system according to a presently preferred embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a waler clamp in the loading/unloading position secured to the wall form; and
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the waler clamp in the clamping position securing the waler beam to the wall form.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIG. 1, a presently preferred embodiment of a waler system 10 according to this invention is shown. The waler system 10 includes a number of clamps 12 each of which is attached at the juncture between adjacent panels 14 forming a wall form 16. Each panel 14 includes a planar panel portion 18 and a flange 20 projecting rearwardly from the panel portion 18 along spaced side edges thereof. Each flange 20 includes a plurality of holes 22 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which are aligned with the respective holes 22 in the adjacent panel 14. It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the wall form 16 shown in FIG. 1 is used in conjunction with a similar configured wall form 16 to define a space therebetween into which concrete (not shown) is poured and allowed to cure to form a poured concrete wall (not shown). Additionally, although a particular configuration is shown and described for each of the panels of the wall form, it will be appreciated that the waler system 10 according to this invention can be used on a variety of configurations of panels and wall form designs.
The waler system 10 further includes a waler beam 24 extending generally horizontally across a plurality of adjacent panels 14 forming the wall form 16. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 1, the waler system 10 includes an upper and a lower waler beam 24 to reinforce and align the panels 14 of the wall form 16. The upper and lower waler beams 24 and the associated clamps 12 for each beam 24 are identical to like components according to this invention with the exception of the position of the respective components. Therefore, the following description is directed to an exemplary clamp 12 and waler beam 24 and it will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art to be applicable to the other associated components according to this invention.
The waler beam 24 according to the presently preferred embodiment of the invention is typically a 2×4 or 2×6 wooden or other material beam. The various sizes of the waler beam 24 can be accommodated with appropriately sized and configured clamps 12 according to this invention.
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, each of the clamps 12 includes an upper leg 26 which is generally parallel to and spaced from the flanges 20 on the wall form panels 14. Each clamp 12 also includes a lower leg 28 which is perpendicular to the upper leg 26 and the flanges 20. A tab 30 is formed on the terminal end of the lower leg 28 for insertion between the flanges 20 on the adjacent wall form panels 14. It will be appreciated that a notch or cut-out (not shown) may be provided in each of the flanges 20 to accommodate the tab 30 therebetween. A hole 32 is provided in the tab 30 which is sized and configured similar to the holes 22 in the flanges 20 so that the clamp 12 can be secured to the flanges 20 by aligning the hole 32 in the tab 30 with the holes 22 in the flanges 20 of the adjacent panels 14 a nd inserting a pin 34 therethrough. The pin 34 may include a slot (not shown) through which a wedge (not shown) can be inserted to securely anchor the pin 34 and join the adjacent flanges 20 and panels 14 together as is well known in the art.
The tab 30 , according to the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, is thinner than the lower leg 28 of the clamp 12 to which it is attached so that an inner portion of a peripheral rim 36 formed on the lower leg 28 is juxtaposed against an outer edge of the flange 20 in an abutting relationship. As a result, when the clamp 12 is secured to the flanges 20 as described herein and shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the clamp 12 is prevented from rotating about the pin 34 relative to the flanges 20 due to the interaction of the inner portion of the rim 36 and the flange 20.
The lower leg 28 preferably includes a plurality of ribs 38 forming an interconnected pattern of rectangles or squares on the lower leg 28 to add strength thereto without significantly increasing the weight of the clamps 12. The upper surface of the lower leg 28 is generally flat and extends perpendicularly to the flanges 20 so that a generally rectangular shaped cross-section of the waler beam 24 can rest on the upper surface of the lower leg 28 as shown in FIG. 3.
An arm 40 projects outwardly and upwardly from the lower leg 28 and is covered by a shell 42 to form the upper leg 26 of the clamp 12. Preferably, the arm 40, lower leg 28 and tab 30 are all integrally formed from steel, aluminum or another metal or molded as an integral unit from glass filled nylon or another material. The arm 40 includes an upper and lower slot 44, 46 respectively, which are each formed by generally oval shaped rims 48 in the body of the arm 40. An upper tapered edge 50 of the arm 40 is formed for sliding contact with a similarly tapered internal rib 52 formed in the shell 42 of the upper leg 26. The shell 42 further includes a pair of spaced sidewalls 54 between which the arm 40 is sandwiched. A peripheral border 56 separates the sidewalls 54 of the shell 42 and extends lengthwise along the shell 42 along an outer surface thereof and upwardly around the top of the shell 42 and then downwardly along the top half of an inner portion of the shell 42. The tapered internal rib 52 of the shell 42 in cooperation with the border 56 forms a cavity 58 in which a spring 60 is housed between the sidewalls of the shell 42. The spring 60 is captured between the upper end of the border 56 of the shell 42 and the upper end of the arm 40 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to bias the upper leg 26 upwardly into a loading/unloading position as shown in FIG. 2. The upper leg 26 translates relative to the lower leg 28 into a clamping position as shown in FIG. 3 and a pair of pins 62, each of which is captured in one of the slots 44 or 46 in the arm 40, in cooperation with the sliding upper tapered edge 50 of the arm 40 and the tapered internal rib 52, guides the upper leg 26 to and between the respective positions.
The base of the shell 42 includes an enlarged impact base 64 and likewise the upper end of the shell 42 can be reinforced to provide an impact head 66 for the purposes of which will be described herein below.
The inner surface of the upper leg 26 preferably includes a gripping pad 68 comprising a plurality of serrations or teeth to increase the gripping force with the waler beam 24 when the clamp 12 is in the clamping position of FIG. 3. Preferably, the shell 42 is molded from glass filled nylon, metal or another material and the pins 62 are advantageously enclosed in the shell 42 so that translation of the pins 62 within the slots 44, 46 cannot be fouled by concrete, dirt or other foreign matter.
Installation of the waler system 10 according to this invention is easily accomplished by securing a number of clamps 12 to the wall form 16. The clamps 12 are connected to the wall form 16 at the juncture between the adjacent panels 14 by inserting the pin 34 through the aligned holes 22 in the flanges 20 and through the hole 32 in the tab 30 on the lower leg 28 of the clamp 12. After the appropriate number of horizontally aligned clamps 12 is secured by pins 34 to the wall form 16, the waler beam 24 is placed on the upper surface of the lower leg 28 of each clamp 12 in the loading/unloading generally L-shaped configuration shown in FIG. 2. In the loading/unloading position the inner surface of the upper leg 26 is spaced from the waler beam 24 to provide for easy and efficient installation of the waler beam 24 on the clamps 12 without interference of the upper leg 26.
Each of the clamps 12 are then translated into the clamping position of FIG. 3 by forcing the shell 42 downwardly and inwardly as shown by arrows A and B of FIG. 2 so that the spring is compressed and that the griping pad 68 engages the outer surface of the waler beam 24 to thereby clamp the waler beam 24 against the flanges 20 of the wall form 16 and provide for reinforcement and alignment of the respective panels 14. Once each of the clamps 12 is translated into the clamping position of FIG. 3, the concrete is poured between the wall forms 16 and allowed to cure thereby forming the concrete wall.
Disassembly of the waler system 10 according to the present invention is easily accomplished by impacting the impact base 64 on the shell 42 of the upper leg 26 as shown by arrow C and thereby translating the shell 42 upwardly and outwardly in the direction of arrow D to disengage the gripping pad 68 from the waler beam 24. The force required to disengage the upper leg 26 of the clamp 12 from the waler beam 24 is assisted by the biasing force of the spring 60 urging the upper leg 26 upwardly and outwardly away from the beam 24. As the clamp 12 is transformed to and between the loading/unloading position of FIG. 2 and the clamping position of FIG. 3, the pins 62 translate within the slots 44, 46 and the tapered edge 50 of the arm 40 and the internal rib 52 of the shell 42 cooperate to guide and stabilize the movement of the upper leg 26.
It would be appreciated that the installation and disassembly of the waler system 10 can be easily accomplished by reconfiguring the clamps 12 to and between the loading/unloading position and the clamping position by a hammer, mallet or the like striking the impact base 64 or impact head 66 of the upper leg 26 as appropriate. Furthermore, the clamping force of the clamps 12 according to the presently preferred embodiment of the waler system 10 provides a sturdy and stable reinforcement and alignment of the panels 14 of the wall form 16 while still providing for convenient installation and disassembly.
From the above disclosure of the general principles of the present invention and the preceding detailed description of a preferred embodiment, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications to which this invention is susceptible. Therefore, we desire to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof. | A waler system includes a number of clamps each of which has a lower leg including a tab with a hole therein which is secured to the wall form of a poured concrete wall system by a standard pin connection. An upper leg of the clamp translates between a loading/unloading position so that a waler beam can be installed easily and conveniently on the clamp attached to the wall form. Each of the clamps is then simply translated into the clamping position by forcing the upper leg downwardly and inwardly toward the beam and the wall form. After the concrete has been poured and the wall cured, the waler system can be disassembled by simply translating the upper leg of each clamp upwardly and outwardly to disengage the waler beam. The transformation is assisted by a spring captured within the upper leg of each clamp. | 4 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to time delay fuses.
Time delay fuses often employ trigger mechanisms in which a spring-loaded plunger is retained by solder that slowly heats up at low overload conditions. If the low overload condition is sustained for a sufficiently long period of time, the solder melts, releasing the plunger and breaking the circuit. In one type of configuration employing a trigger mechanism, the plunger and spring are located in a metal shell that is soldered to an end cap terminal. In this type of configuration, during manufacture, when melting the solder that connects the shell to the end cap, care must be taken to avoid melting the solder that retains the plunger.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general the invention features a time delay fuse that includes a trigger mechanism and fusible element within a cylindrical fuse casing that is closed by end ferrules. The trigger mechanism includes a plunger, a spring, and a cylindrical shell that contains the spring and plunger in a loaded condition. The shell has an end that wraps around an end of the fuse casing and is frictionally contacted by the end ferrule thereover. Manufacture is simplified by the use of the wrap-around end of the shell, which holds the shell in place after it is inserted into the fuse casing. In addition, the shell automatically makes electrical contact with the end ferrule when the end ferrule is attached to the fuse casing. This eliminates the steps relating to inserting solder between the shell and the ferrule and then soldering the two together after crimping of the end ferrule. It also eliminates restrictions on choosing the melt point of the solder used to connect and retain the plunger.
In preferred embodiments, the end of the shell is cylindrical and continuous all of the way around the end of the fuse casing. The fuse casing has a recessed area on its outer surface for receiving the end of the shell. The shell has portions with two diameters inside the fuse casing, a smaller diameter portion that receives only the plunger therein, and a larger diameter portion that receives the plunger and the spring therein. The plunger includes a shaft that extends through the shell's smaller diameter portion and a head that engages the spring. The end ferrule defines a cavity outside of the fuse casing for receiving the head after the solder has melted, and the spring has displaced the plunger. A second solder mass mechanically and electrically connects the smaller diameter portion of the shell to the plunger and prevents arc-quenching fill from entering the shell and interfering with the action of the trigger mechanism.
Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof and from the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a time delay fuse according to the invention, the section being taken along the longitudinal axis of the fuse casing.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the FIG. 1 fuse taken at a section that is rotated from the FIG. 1 section by 90 degrees.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a trigger mechanism of the FIG. 1 fuse.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the FIGS. 1-3, fuse 10 includes fuse casing 12, end ferrules 14 and 16 at the ends of casing 12, and fusible element 18 and trigger mechanism 20 inside casing 12. Trigger mechanism 20 includes shell 22, plunger 24 and spring 26. Fusible element 18 has bent end 28 that passes through a slot in split washer 30, is compressed between split washer 30 and solid washer 32, and is held therein by solder (not shown on FIGS. 1 and 2). At the other end of fusible element 18 is tab 34, which is received in depression 36 of plunger 24 and is physically held therein and electrically connected thereto by solder mass 38. Fusible element 18 has a plurality of notch sections 40 along its length and has bends 42 to increase the length of element 18 that can fit within a length of fuse casing 12.
Shell 22 is generally cylindrical and has small diameter portion 44, larger diameter portion 46, and end 48 that wraps around the end of fuse casing 12 and is contacted by end ferrule 14 thereover. There is a frictional fit between the outer surface of end 48, which has an outer diameter of 0.376"+0.000"-0.001" and the inner surface of the mating portion of end ferrule 14, which has an inner diameter of 0.375"+0.001"-0.001". There is a loose fit between the inner surface of end 48, which has an inner diameter of 0.351"+0.000"-0.005", and the outer surface of fuse casing 12, which has an outer diameter of 0.335+0.003"-0.003".
Referring to FIG. 3, there is a loose fit between the inner surface of larger diameter portion 46 and the outer surface of head 50 of plunger 24 therein. There also is a loose fit between the inner surface of smaller diameter portion 44 and the outer surface of shaft 52 of plunger 24 therein. These loose fits permit free sliding of plunger 24 within shell 22. Solder mass 54 closes the opening to smaller diameter portion 44 around shaft 52, making mechanical and electrical connection and also providing a barrier preventing the introduction of arc quenching fill 56 (40/60 quartz) into trigger mechanism 20.
Both solder mass 38 and solder mass 54 are 95° C. eutectic solder.
In manufacture, a subassembly including trigger mechanism 20 and fusible element 18 is first made by inserting shaft 52 and spring 26 thereover into shell 22, adding solder mass 54 while spring 26 is compressed, and soldering tab 34 of fusible element 18 inside depression 36 using solder mass 38. The subassembly is then inserted into fuse casing 12. End 48 passes over the end of casing 12 and is received in annular recess 58. End 48 holds shell 22 and the rest of the subassembly in position. End ferrule 14 is then placed over end 48, making frictional contact therewith, and is then crimped onto casing 12. In so doing, shell 22 is automatically electrically connected to end ferrule 14 when end ferrule 14 is attached to fuse casing 12, without any need to insert solder between the shell and the ferrule and then melt the solder between the two after crimping. The manufacture at this end of fuse 10 is thus simplified by the use of wrap-around end 48 of shell 22 and its frictional contact with end ferrule 14. Eliminating the soldering step removes restrictions on choosing the melt point of solder masses 38 and 54.
Arc quenching fill 56 is then filled into the region around fusible element 18 from the other end of fuse casing 12. The end of fusible element is fed through the slit of washer 30, is bent, and is sandwiched between washer 30 and washer 32 with solder. End ferrule 16 is then crimped onto fuse casing 12, and the solder is melted.
In use, fusible element 18 quickly blows at high overload (e.g., short circuit) conditions, breaking the circuit. At low overload conditions, plunger 24 and shell 22 gradually increase in temperature. With sustained low overload conditions, solder masses 38 and 54 melt, releasing plunger 24, which moves away from fusible element 18, breaking the circuit.
Other embodiments of the invention are within the scope of the following claims. | A time delay fuse that includes a trigger mechanism and fusible element within a cylindrical fuse casing that is closed by end ferrules. The trigger mechanism includes a plunger, a spring, and a cylindrical shell that contains the spring and plunger in a loaded condition. The shell has an end that wraps around an end of the fuse casing and is frictionally contacted by the end ferrule thereover. | 7 |
[0001] This is a Continuation Application of Ser. No. 10/129,506 filed on May 6, 2002
CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS
[0002] Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following granted U.S. patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present application on Jul. 10, 1998:
6,227,652, 6,213,588, 6,213,589, 6,231,163, 6,247,795, 6,394,581, 6,244,691, 6,257,704, 6,416,778, 6,220,694, 6,257,705, 6,247,794, 6,234,610, 6,247,793, 6,264,306, 6,241,342, 6,247,792, 6,264,307, 6,254,220, 6,234,611, 6,302,528, 6,283,582, 6,239,821, 6,338,547, 6,247,796, 6,557,977, 6,390,603, 6,362,843, 6,293,653, 6,312,107, 6,227,653, 6,234,609, 6,238,040, 6,188,415, 6,227,654, 6,209,989, 6,247,791, 6,336,710, 6,217,153, 6,416,167, 6,243,113, 6,247,790, 6,260,953, 6,267,469, 6,224,780, 6,235,212, 6,280,643, 6,284,147, 6,214,244, 6,267,905, 6,251,298, 6,258,285, 6,225,238, 6,241,904, 6,299,786, 09/ 6,231,125, 6,190,931, 6,248,249, 6,290,862, 113,124, 6,241,906, 6,567,762, 6,241,905, 6,451,216, 6,231,772, 6,274,056, 6,290,861, 6,248,248, 6,306,671, 6,331,258, 6,294,101, 6,416,679, 6,264,849, 6,254,793, 6,245,246, 09/113,076, 6,235,211, 6,491,833, 6,264,850, 6,258,284, 6,312,615, 6,228,668, 6,180,427, 6,171,875, 6,297,904, 6,245,247
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by reference.
[0004] Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on May 24, 2000:
PCT/AU00/00518, PCT/AU00/00519, PCT/AU00/00520, PCT/AU00/00521, PCT/AU00/00522, PCT/AU00/00523, PCT/AU00/00524, PCT/AU00/00525, PCT/AU00/00526, PCT/AU00/00527, PCT/AU00/00528, PCT/AU00/00529, PCT/AU00/00530, PCT/AU00/00531, PCT/AU00/00532, PCT/AU00/00533, PCT/AU00/00534, PCT/AU00/00535, PCT/AU00/00536, PCT/AU00/00537, PCT/AU00/00538, PCT/AU00/00539, PCT/AU00/00540, PCT/AU00/00541, PCT/AU00/00542, PCT/AU00/00543, PCT/AU00/00544, PCT/AU00/00545, PCT/AU00/00547, PCT/AU00/00546, PCT/AU00/00554, PCT/AU00/00556, PCT/AU00/00557, PCT/AU00/00558, PCT/AU00/00559, PCT/AU00/00560, PCT/AU00/00561, PCT/AU00/00562, PCT/AU00/00563, PCT/AU00/00564, PCT/AU00/00565, PCT/AU00/00566, PCT/AU00/00567, PCT/AU00/00568, PCT/AU00/00569, PCT/AU00/00570, PCT/AU00/00571, PCT/AU00/00572, PCT/AU00/00573, PCT/AU00/00574, PCT/AU00/00575, PCT/AU00/00576, PCT/AU00/00577, PCT/AU00/00578, PCT/AU00/00579, PCT/AU00/00581, PCT/AU00/00580, PCT/AU00/00582, PCT/AU00/00587, PCT/AU00/00588, PCT/AU00/00589, PCT/AU00/00583, PCT/AU00/00593, PCT/AU00/00590, PCT/AU00/00591, PCT/AU00/00592, PCT/AU00/00584, PCT/AU00/00594, PCT/AU00/00595, PCT/AU00/00596, PCT/AU00/00597, PCT/AU00/00598, PCT/AU00/00516 PCT/AU00/00517, PCT/AU00/00511, PCT/AU00/00501, PCT/AU00/00503, PCT/AU00/00504, PCT/AU00/00505, PCT/AU00/00506, PCT/AU00/00507, PCT/AU00/00508, PCT/AU00/00509, PCT/AU00/00510, PCT/AU00/00512, PCT/AU00/00513, PCT/AU00/00514, PCT/AU00/00515
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by reference.
[0006] Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following applications filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on Jun. 30, 2000:
PCT/AU00/00754, PCT/AU00/00755, PCT/AU00/00756, PCT/AU00/00757, PCT/AU00/753
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The following invention relates to an array of abutting integrated chips or modules in a pagewidth printhead. More particularly, though not exclusively, the invention relates to an array of such abutting integrated chips for an A4 pagewidth ink jet drop on demand printhead capable of printing up to 160 dpi color photographic quality at up to 160 pages per minute.
[0008] The array of integrated chips in such a printhead would be approximately 8 inches (20 cm) long. An advantage of such a system is the ability to easily remove and replace any defective chips in the printhead array. This would eliminate having to scrap an entire printhead if only one chip is defective.
[0009] Our co-pending applications PCT/AU00/00594, PCT/AU00/00595, PCT/AU00/00596, PCT/AU00/00597, PCT/AU00/00598, show a printhead module comprised of a “Memjet” chip, being a chip having mounted thereon a vast number of thermo-actuators in micro-mechanics and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS). The present invention is a development of the arrangement of printhead modules as shown in the referenced applications.
[0010] The printhead, which includes the array of printhead modules of the present invention might typically have six ink chambers and be capable of printing four color process (CMYK) as well as infra-red ink and fixative. An air pump would supply filtered air to the printhead, which could be used to keep foreign particles away from its ink nozzles. The printhead module is typically to be connected to a replaceable cassette which contains the ink supply and an air filter.
[0011] Each printhead module receives ink via a distribution molding that transfers the ink. Typically, ten modules butt together to form a complete eight inch printhead assembly suitable for printing A4 paper without the need for scanning movement of the printhead across the paper width.
[0012] The printheads themselves are modular, so complete eight inch printhead arrays can be configured to form printheads of arbitrary width.
[0013] Additionally, a second printhead assembly can be mounted on the opposite side of a paper feed path to enable double-sided high speed printing.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0014] It is an object of the present invention to provide an array of abutting printhead modules in a pagewidth printer.
[0015] It is another object of the present invention to provide an array of abutting printhead modules suitable for the pagewidth printhead as broadly described herein.
[0016] It is another object of the present invention to provide an array of abutting printhead modules each comprising integrated chips having a plurality of MEMS printing devices thereon.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] There is disclosed herein a integrated chip for assembly into an array of abutting integrated chips in a printhead of an ink jet printer, the integrated chip including rows of unit cells, each unit cell having an ink ejection nozzle, said integrated chip having an end surface for abutting with another integrated chip of the array, said end surface including features of shape to cooperate with corresponding features of shape of an end surface of said another integrated chip to ensure that a desired positional relationship between the ink ejection nozzles of said integrated chip and said another integrated chip is maintained in use.
[0018] Preferably the unit cells of each row are positioned such that the ink ejection nozzles is equally spaced along the row.
[0019] Preferably the features of shape of the end surfaces include a zig-zag formation.
[0020] Preferably the integrated chip includes twelve rows of unit cells.
[0021] Preferably the twelve rows of unit cells are made up of six pairs of rows, each pair printing ink of one color.
[0022] There is further disclosed herein an array of abutting integrated chips in a printhead of an ink jet printer, each integrated chip being as disclosed above.
[0023] Preferably the pair of unit cells rows dedicated to one color in one integrated chip is longitudinally aligned with a pair of unit cell rows of an adjoining integrated chip printing a different color.
[0024] Preferably there is a dimension between end-most nozzles across the abutting end surfaces that is equivalent to double a dimension between the nozzles along any row of one of the integrated chips.
[0025] Preferably the zigzag formation includes a sequence of angled portions and a sequence of aligned longitudinal portions interspersed therewith.
[0026] As used herein, the term “ink” is intended to mean any fluid which flows through the printhead to be delivered to a sheet. The fluid may be one of many different colored inks, infrared ink, a fixative or the like.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
[0028] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a print engine assembly;
[0029] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the print engine assembly of FIG. 1 ;
[0030] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the print engine assembly of FIG. 1 ;
[0031] FIG. 4 is a schematic front perspective view of a printhead assembly;
[0032] FIG. 5 is a rear schematic perspective view of the printhead assembly of FIG. 4 ;
[0033] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective illustration of the printhead assembly;
[0034] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional end elevational view of the printhead assembly of FIGS. 4 to 6 with the section taken through the centre of the printhead;
[0035] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional end elevational view of the printhead assembly of FIGS. 4 to 6 taken near the left end of FIG. 4 ;
[0036] FIG. 9A is a schematic end elevational view of mounting of the integrated chip and nozzle guard in the laminated stack structure of the printhead;
[0037] FIG. 9B is an enlarged end elevational cross section of FIG. 9A ;
[0038] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective illustration of a printhead cover assembly;
[0039] FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective illustration of an ink distribution molding;
[0040] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective illustration showing the layers forming part of a laminated ink distribution structure according to the present invention;
[0041] FIG. 13 is a stepped sectional view from above of the structure depicted in FIGS. 9A and 9B ;
[0042] FIG. 14 is a stepped sectional view from below of the structure depicted in FIG. 13 ;
[0043] FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective illustration of a first laminate layer;
[0044] FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective illustration of a second laminate layer;
[0045] FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective illustration of a third laminate layer;
[0046] FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective illustration of a fourth laminate layer;
[0047] FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective illustration of a fifth laminate layer;
[0048] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the air valve molding;
[0049] FIG. 21 is a rear perspective view of the right hand end of the platen;
[0050] FIG. 22 is a rear perspective view of the left hand end of the platen;
[0051] FIG. 23 is an exploded view of the platen;
[0052] FIG. 24 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the platen;
[0053] FIG. 25 is a front perspective view of the optical paper sensor arrangement;
[0054] FIG. 26 is a schematic perspective illustration of a printhead assembly and ink lines attached to an ink reservoir cassette;
[0055] FIG. 27 is a partly exploded view of FIG. 26 ;
[0056] FIG. 28 is a schematic plan view of portions of a pair of integrated chips in an array of integrated chips that are abutting end-to-end in a printhead without gaps between the abutting surfaces of the integrated chips;
[0057] FIG. 29 is a schematic close-up plan view of portions of a pair of integrated chips about to be abutted together;
[0058] FIG. 30 is a schematic perspective view of what is shown in FIG. 29 ;
[0059] FIG. 31 is a schematic plan view of those portions of the integrated chips shown in FIG. 29 after having been abutted, but before a sliding motion between the end surfaces has been completed;
[0060] FIG. 32 is a schematic perspective view of what is shown in FIG. 31 ;
[0061] FIG. 33 is a schematic plan view of those portions of the abutting integrated chips shown in FIGS. 29 to 32 , but after the sliding motion has been completed; and
[0062] FIG. 34 is a schematic perspective view of what is shown in FIG. 33 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0063] In FIGS. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted the core components of a print engine assembly, showing the general environment in which the laminated ink distribution structure of the present invention can be located. The print engine assembly includes a chassis 10 fabricated from pressed steel, aluminum, plastics or other rigid material. Chassis 10 is intended to be mounted within the body of a printer and serves to mount a printhead assembly 11 , a paper feed mechanism and other related components within the external plastics casing of a printer.
[0064] In general terms, the chassis 10 supports the printhead assembly 11 such that ink is ejected therefrom and onto a sheet of paper or other print medium being transported below the printhead then through exit slot 19 by the feed mechanism. The paper feed mechanism includes a feed roller 12 , feed idler rollers 13 , a platen generally designated as 14 , exit rollers 15 and a pin wheel assembly 16 , all driven by a stepper motor 17 .
[0065] These paper feed components are mounted between a pair of bearing moldings 18 , which are in turn mounted to the chassis 10 at each respective end thereof.
[0066] A printhead assembly 11 is mounted to the chassis 10 by means of respective printhead spacers 20 mounted to the chassis 10 . The spacer moldings 20 increase the printhead assembly length to 220 mm allowing clearance on either side of 210 mm wide paper.
[0067] The printhead construction is shown generally in FIGS. 4 to 8 .
[0068] The printhead assembly 11 includes a printed circuit board (PCB) 21 having mounted thereon various electronic components including a 64 MB DRAM 22 , a PEC chip 23 , a QA chip connector 24 , a microcontroller 25 , and a dual motor driver chip 26 . The printhead is typically 203 mm long and has ten integrated chips 27 ( FIG. 13 ), each typically 21 mm long. These integrated chips 27 are each disposed at a slight angle to the longitudinal axis of the printhead (see FIG. 12 ), with a slight overlap between each integrated chip which enables continuous transmission of ink over the entire length of the array. Each integrated chip 27 is electronically connected to an end of one of the tape automated bond (TAB) films 28 , the other end of which is maintained in electrical contact with the undersurface of the printed circuit board 21 by means of a TAB film backing pad 29 .
[0069] The preferred integrated chip construction is as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,044,646 by the present applicant. Each such integrated chip 27 is approximately 21 mm long, less than 1 mm wide and about 0.3 mm high, and has on its lower surface thousands of MEMS inkjet nozzles 30 , shown schematically in FIGS. 9A and 9B , arranged generally in six lines—one for each ink type to be applied. Each line of nozzles may follow a staggered pattern to allow closer dot spacing. Six corresponding lines of ink passages 31 extend through from the rear of the integrated chip to transport ink to the rear of each nozzle. To protect the delicate nozzles on the surface of the integrated chip each integrated chip has a nozzle guard 43 , best seen in FIG. 9A , with microapertures 44 aligned with the nozzles 30 , so that the ink drops ejected at high speed from the nozzles pass through these microapertures to be deposited on the paper passing over the platen 14 .
[0070] Ink is delivered to the integrated chips via a distribution molding 35 and laminated stack 36 arrangement forming part of the printhead 11 . Ink from an ink cassette 37 ( FIGS. 26 and 27 ) is relayed via individual ink hoses 38 to individual ink inlet ports 34 integrally molded with a plastics duct cover 39 which forms a lid over the plastics distribution molding 35 . The distribution molding 35 includes six individual longitudinal ink ducts 40 and an air duct 41 which extend throughout the length of the array. Ink is transferred from the inlet ports 34 to respective ink ducts 40 via individual cross-flow ink channels 42 , as best seen with reference to FIG. 7 . It should be noted in this regard that although there are six ducts depicted, a different number of ducts might be provided. Six ducts are suitable for a printer capable of printing four-color process (CMYK) as well as infra-red ink and fixative.
[0071] Air is delivered to the air duct 41 via an air inlet port 61 , to supply air to each integrated chip 27 , as described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 , 20 and 21 .
[0072] Situated within a longitudinally extending stack recess 45 formed in the underside of distribution molding 35 are a number of laminated layers forming a laminated ink distribution stack 36 . The layers of the laminate are typically formed of micro-molded plastics material. The TAB film 28 extends from the undersurface of the printhead PCB 21 , around the rear of the distribution molding 35 to be received within a respective TAB film recess 46 ( FIG. 21 ), a number of which are situated along a chip housing layer 47 of the laminated stack 36 . The TAB film relays electrical signals from the printed circuit board 21 to individual integrated chips 27 supported by the laminated structure.
[0073] The distribution molding, laminated stack 36 and associated components are best described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 19 .
[0074] FIG. 10 depicts the distribution molding cover 39 formed as a plastics molding and including a number of positioning spigots 48 which serve to locate the upper printhead cover 49 thereon.
[0075] As shown in FIG. 7 , an ink transfer port 50 connects one of the ink ducts 39 (the fourth duct from the left) down to one of six lower ink ducts or transitional ducts 51 in the underside of the distribution molding. All of the ink ducts 40 have corresponding transfer ports 50 communicating with respective ones of the transitional ducts 51 . The transitional ducts 51 are parallel with each other but angled acutely with respect to the ink ducts 40 so as to line up with the rows of ink holes of the first layer 52 of the laminated stack 36 to be described below.
[0076] The first layer 52 incorporates twenty four individual ink holes 53 for each of ten integrated chips 27 . That is, where ten such integrated chips are provided, the first layer 52 includes two hundred and forty ink holes 53 . The first layer 52 also includes a row of air holes 54 alongside one longitudinal edge thereof.
[0077] The individual groups of twenty four ink holes 53 are formed generally in a rectangular array with aligned rows of ink holes. Each row of four ink holes is aligned with a transitional duct 51 and is parallel to a respective integrated chip.
[0078] The undersurface of the first layer 52 includes underside recesses 55 . Each recess 55 communicates with one of the ink holes of the two centre-most rows of four holes 53 (considered in the direction transversely across the layer 52 ). That is, holes 53 a ( FIG. 13 ) deliver ink to the right hand recess 55 a shown in FIG. 14 , whereas the holes 53 b deliver ink to the left most underside recesses 55 b shown in FIG. 14 .
[0079] The second layer 56 includes a pair of slots 57 , each receiving ink from one of the underside recesses 55 of the first layer.
[0080] The second layer 56 also includes ink holes 53 which are aligned with the outer two sets of ink holes 53 of the first layer 52 . That is, ink passing through the outer sixteen ink holes 53 of the first layer 52 for each integrated chip pass directly through corresponding holes 53 passing through the second layer 56 .
[0081] The underside of the second layer 56 has formed therein a number of transversely extending channels 58 to relay ink passing through ink holes 53 c and 53 d toward the centre. These channels extend to align with a pair of slots 59 formed through a third layer 60 of the laminate. It should be noted in this regard that the third layer 60 of the laminate includes four slots 59 corresponding with each integrated chip, with two inner slots being aligned with the pair of slots formed in the second layer 56 and outer slots between which the inner slots reside.
[0082] The third layer 60 also includes an array of air holes 54 aligned with the corresponding air hole arrays 54 provided in the first and second layers 52 and 56 .
[0083] The third layer 60 has only eight remaining ink holes 53 corresponding with each integrated chip. These outermost holes 53 are aligned with the outermost holes 53 provided in the first and second laminate layers. As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B , the third layer 60 includes in its underside surface a transversely extending channel 61 corresponding to each hole 53 . These channels 61 deliver ink from the corresponding hole 53 to a position just outside the alignment of slots 59 therethrough.
[0084] As best seen in FIGS. 9A and 9B , the top three layers of the laminated stack 36 thus serve to direct the ink (shown by broken hatched lines in FIG. 9B ) from the more widely spaced ink ducts 40 of the distribution molding to slots aligned with the ink passages 31 through the upper surface of each integrated chip 27 .
[0085] As shown in FIG. 13 , which is a view from above the laminated stack, the slots 57 and 59 can in fact be comprised of discrete co-linear spaced slot segments.
[0086] The fourth layer 62 of the laminated stack 36 includes an array of ten chip-slots 65 each receiving the upper portion of a respective integrated chip 27 .
[0087] The fifth and final layer 64 also includes an array of chip-slots 65 which receive the chip and nozzle guard assembly 43 .
[0088] The TAB film 28 is sandwiched between the fourth and fifth layers 62 and 64 , one or both of which can be provided with recesses to accommodate the thickness of the TAB film.
[0089] The laminated stack is formed as a precision micro-molding, injection molded in an Acetal type material. It accommodates the array of integrated chips 27 with the TAB film already attached and mates with the cover molding 39 described earlier.
[0090] Rib details in the underside of the micro-molding provides support for the TAB film when they are bonded together. The TAB film forms the underside wall of the printhead module, as there is sufficient structural integrity between the pitch of the ribs to support a flexible film. The edges of the TAB film seal on the underside wall of the cover molding 39 . The chip is bonded onto one hundred micron wide ribs that run the length of the micro-molding, providing a final ink feed to the print nozzles.
[0091] The design of the micro-molding allow for a physical overlap of the integrated chips when they are butted in a line. Because the printhead chips now form a continuous strip with a generous tolerance, they can be adjusted digitally to produce a near perfect print pattern rather than relying on very close toleranced moldings and exotic materials to perform the same function. The pitch of the modules is typically 20.33 mm.
[0092] The individual layers of the laminated stack as well as the cover molding 39 and distribution molding can be glued or otherwise bonded together to provide a sealed unit. The ink paths can be sealed by a bonded transparent plastic film serving to indicate when inks are in the ink paths, so they can be fully capped off when the upper part of the adhesive film is folded over. Ink charging is then complete.
[0093] The four upper layers 52 , 56 , 60 , 62 of the laminated stack 36 have aligned air holes 54 which communicate with air passages 63 formed as channels formed in the bottom surface of the fourth layer 62 , as shown in FIGS. 9 b and 13 . These passages provide pressurised air to the space between the integrated chip surface and the nozzle guard 43 whilst the printer is in operation. Air from this pressurised zone passes through the micro-apertures 44 in the nozzle guard, thus preventing the build-up of any dust or unwanted contaminants at those apertures. This supply of pressurised air can be turned off to prevent ink drying on the nozzle surfaces during periods of non-use of the printer, control of this air supply being by means of the air valve assembly shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , 20 and 21 .
[0094] With reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 , within the air duct 41 of the printhead there is located an air valve molding 66 formed as a channel with a series of apertures 67 in its base. The spacing of these apertures corresponds to air passages 68 formed in the base of the air duct 41 (see FIG. 6 ), the air valve molding being movable longitudinally within the air duct so that the apertures 67 can be brought into alignment with passages 68 to allow supply the pressurized air through the laminated stack to the cavity between the integrated chip and the nozzle guard, or moved out of alignment to close off the air supply. Compression springs 69 maintain a sealing inter-engagement of the bottom of the air valve molding 66 with the base of the air duct 41 to prevent leakage when the valve is closed.
[0095] The air valve molding 66 has a cam follower 70 extending from one end thereof, which engages an air valve cam surface 71 on an end cap 74 of the platen 14 so as to selectively move the air valve molding longitudinally within the air duct 41 according to the rotational positional of the multi-function platen 14 , which may be rotated between printing, capping and blotting positions depending on the operational status of the printer, as will be described below in more detail with reference to FIGS. 21 to 24 . When the platen 14 is in its rotational position for printing, the cam holds the air valve in its open position to supply air to the integrated chip surface, whereas when the platen is rotated to the non-printing position in which it caps off the micro-apertures of the nozzle guard, the cam moves the air valve molding to the valve closed position.
[0096] With reference to FIGS. 21 to 24 , the platen member 14 extends parallel to the printhead, supported by a rotary shaft 73 mounted in bearing molding 18 and rotatable by means of gear 79 (see FIG. 3 ). The shaft is provided with a right hand end cap 74 and left hand end cap 75 at respective ends, having cams 76 , 77 .
[0097] The platen member 14 has a platen surface 78 , a capping portion 80 and an exposed blotting portion 81 extending along its length, each separated by 120°. During printing, the platen member is rotated so that the platen surface 78 is positioned opposite the printhead so that the platen surface acts as a support for that portion of the paper being printed at the time. When the printer is not in use, the platen member is rotated so that the capping portion 80 contacts the bottom of the printhead, sealing in a locus surrounding the microapertures 44 . This, in combination with the closure of the air valve by means of the air valve arrangement when the platen 14 is in its capping position, maintains a closed atmosphere at the print nozzle surface. This serves to reduce evaporation of the ink solvent (usually water) and thus reduce drying of ink on the print nozzles while the printer is not in use.
[0098] The third function of the rotary platen member is as an ink blotter to receive ink from priming of the print nozzles at printer start up or maintenance operations of the printer. During this printer mode, the platen member 14 is rotated so that the exposed blotting portion 81 is located in the ink ejection path opposite the nozzle guard 43 . The exposed blotting portion 81 is an exposed part of a body of blotting material 82 inside the platen member 14 , so that the ink received on the exposed portion 81 is drawn into the body of the platen member.
[0099] Further details of the platen member construction may be seen from FIGS. 23 and 24 . The platen member consists generally of an extruded or molded hollow platen body 83 which forms the platen surface 78 and receives the shaped body of blotting material 82 of which a part projects through a longitudinal slot in the platen body to form the exposed blotting surface 81 . A flat portion 84 of the platen body 83 serves as a base for attachment of the capping member 80 , which consists of a capper housing 85 , a capper seal member 86 and a foam member 87 for contacting the nozzle guard 43 .
[0100] With reference again to FIG. 1 , each bearing molding 18 rides on a pair of vertical rails 101 . That is, the capping assembly is mounted to four vertical rails 101 enabling the assembly to move vertically. A spring 102 under either end of the capping assembly biases the assembly into a raised position, maintaining cams 76 , 77 in contact with the spacer projections 100 .
[0101] The printhead 11 is capped when not is use by the full-width capping member 80 using the elastomeric (or similar) seal 86 . In order to rotate the platen assembly 14 , the main roller drive motor is reversed. This brings a reversing gear into contact with the gear 79 on the end of the platen assembly and rotates it into one of its three functional positions, each separated by 120°.
[0102] The cams 76 , 77 on the platen end caps 74 , 75 co-operate with projections 100 on the respective printhead spacers 20 to control the spacing between the platen member and the printhead depending on the rotary position of the platen member. In this manner, the platen is moved away from the printhead during the transition between platen positions to provide sufficient clearance from the printhead and moved back to the appropriate distances for its respective paper support, capping and blotting functions.
[0103] In addition, the cam arrangement for the rotary platen provides a mechanism for fine adjustment of the distance between the platen surface and the printer nozzles by slight rotation of the platen 14 . This allows compensation of the nozzle-platen distance in response to the thickness of the paper or other material being printed, as detected by the optical paper thickness sensor arrangement illustrated in FIG. 25 .
[0104] The optical paper sensor includes an optical sensor 88 mounted on the lower surface of the PCB 21 and a sensor flag arrangement mounted on the arms 89 protruding from the distribution molding. The flag arrangement comprises a sensor flag member 90 mounted on a shaft 91 which is biased by torsion spring 92 . As paper enters the feed rollers, the lowermost portion of the flag member contacts the paper and rotates against the bias of the spring 92 by an amount dependent on the paper thickness. The optical sensor detects this movement of the flag member and the PCB responds to the detected paper thickness by causing compensatory rotation of the platen 14 to optimize the distance between the paper surface and the nozzles.
[0105] FIGS. 26 and 27 show attachment of the illustrated printhead assembly to a replaceable ink cassette 93 . Six different inks are supplied to the printhead through hoses 94 leading from an array of female ink valves 95 located inside the printer body. The replaceable cassette 93 containing a six compartment ink bladder and corresponding male valve array is inserted into the printer and mated to the valves 95 . The cassette also contains an air inlet 96 and air filter (not shown), and mates to the air intake connector 97 situated beside the ink valves, leading to the air pump 98 supplying filtered air to the printhead. A QA chip is included in the cassette. The QA chip meets with a contact 99 located between the ink valves 95 and air intake connector 96 in the printer as the cassette is inserted to provide communication to the QA chip connector 24 on the PCB.
[0106] In FIGS. 28 to 34 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted portions of abutting integrated chips 110 . Each integrated chip 110 includes a multitude of unit cells 114 , each including a nozzle 115 and an actuator 116 . Our co-pending granted U.S. patents
6,227,652, 6,213,588, 6,213,589, 6,231,163, 6,247,795, 6,394,581, 6,244,691, 6,257,704, 6,416,778, 6,220,694, 6,257,705, 6,247,794, 6,234,610, 6,247,793, 6,264,306, 6,241,342, 6,247,792, 6,264,307, 6,254,220, 6,234,611, 6,302,528, 6,283,582, 6,239,821, 6,338,547, 6,247,796, 6,557,977, 6,390,603, 6,362,843, 6,293,653, 6,312,107, 6,227,653, 6,234,609, 6,238,040, 6,188,415, 6,227,654, 6,209,989, 6,247,791, 6,336,710, 6,217,153, 6,416,167, 6,243,113, 6,247,790, 6,260,953, 6,267,469
incorporated herein by reference on page 1 disclose various nozzles and actuators suitable for use in unit cells 114 . Each actuator is actuatable upon demand to cause the ejection of ink from the nozzles 115 to be received upon a print medium that passes the integrated chips 110 in the direction indicated by arrow P.
[0108] Typically ten such integrated chips 110 would be received across the pagewidth of the printing apparatus. For example, with reference to FIG. 12 , ten integrated chips 27 are depicted and with slight modifications to the laminated structure depicted in FIG. 12 , the abutting array of integrated chips of FIGS. 28 to 32 could be employed.
[0109] With reference again to FIG. 28 , each integrated chip 110 has end surfaces 111 between which there extends a sequence of angled portions 112 and longitudinally aligned portions 113 . Portions 112 and 113 form a “zig-zag” configuration across the integrated chips between the end portions of end surfaces 111 . However, a different profile could be provided.
[0110] If one closely examines the adjoining portions of the integrated chips 110 in FIG. 28 , it can be seen that across each angled portion 112 , there is a gap G between the ordinary spacing of the nozzles 115 in which no nozzle is provided. However, examination of FIG. 33 which shows a close-up portion of the abutting integrated chips reveal that continuity of equal spacing d in the pagewidth direction between nozzles for the same colored ink is maintained across the transition from one chip 110 to the next. In this regard, it should be noted that the key shading provided for each of the nozzles 115 in FIGS. 29, 31 and 33 is intended to indicate that particular nozzles are intended to eject particular colored inks. For example, those rows indicated by the numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 in FIG. 33 all eject the same colored ink. Although there is a discontinuity in the page length direction at the transition between the abutting chips 110 , printer driver software can accommodate for this.
[0111] A pagewidth printhead including a number (say ten) of integrated chips 110 can be assembled by moving the chips toward one another as shown in FIGS. 29 and 30 . Once the angled portions 112 have abutted as shown in FIGS. 31 and 32 , a sliding motion of about 15 μm between those abutting surfaces will result in the longitudinally aligned portions 113 coming into mutual contact. At this point, the pagewidth-direction spacing d between nozzles 115 is maintained across the transition between the abutting chips 110 . The spacing between the nozzles of say row 2 and row 3, is also set to that for which the printer software is designed to operate.
[0112] A spring force as indicated schematically at S in FIG. 34 maintains a compression across all of the abutting integrated chips 110 . That is, where ten such chips are provided across the pagewidth of a printhead, a loading spring at one or both ends of the printhead will maintain the force S right through the array of integrated chips, thus ensuring that a constant force is maintained across the printhead. This is advantageous because it allows the whole row of chips to expand and contract together with fluctuations in ambient or operating temperatures. As the integrated chips include both plastics and silicone components, no particular complex design consideration need be given to accommodate for the variable rate of thermal expansion of these two materials. Instead, the whole row of integrated chips 110 can expand and contract slightly, making small and imperceptible variations in print quality. | A integrated chip in an array of integrated chips on a printhead for an ink jet printer having rows of unit cells, each unit cell having an ink ejection nozzle; and, at least one side surface with a non-linear profile for nesting against a complementary side surface of an adjacent integrated chip to maintain positional stability of the integrated chips within the array. | 1 |
RELATED APPLICATION INFORMATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to and the benefit of German patent application no. 10 2012 209 384.2, which was filed in Germany on Jun. 4, 2012, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to control methods for position transducers, in particular adaptive control methods for position control of a position transducer.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0003] The position of actuators in position transducer systems in an internal combustion engine is generally ascertained with the aid of a control method as a function of one or more internally or externally predefined setpoint variables. However, manufacturing tolerances as well as environmental influences and aging result in the response of the actuator and of the position transducer system deviating from the expected response or if there are changes in same. The position transducer system to be controlled thus changes as a function of its operating conditions.
[0004] In general, a control method should achieve a compromise between all possible states of the actuator, so that the control system achieves a good response with respect to bandwidth, stability, precision and robustness in all operating states. However, adapting the control method and its control parameters to a position transducer having certain properties results in an undesirable system response when the tolerances and the environmental effects on and aging of the actuator become too great and therefore the properties of the position transducer differ too much from those of a position transducer to which the control method and its control parameters are adapted. It is therefore necessary to adapt the control accordingly to achieve an optimal system response over the entire lifetime of the position transducer.
[0005] Publication WO 2007/096327 A1 discusses an adaptive control method for a throttle valve in which a pilot control is adapted as a function of measured operating conditions, for example, temperature, air mass flow and pressure drop across a throttle valve.
[0006] Publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,214 discusses an adaptive control method having online parameter identification. The identified parameters are used to compensate for dead time in the control loop and to adapt a sliding mode controller.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] According to the present invention, a method for operating a controller of a position transducer system, in particular a throttle valve position transducer in an engine system having an internal combustion engine according to the description herein is provided, and a control device and a computer program product according to the other descriptions herein are also provided.
[0008] Additional advantageous embodiments of the present invention are stated in the further descriptions herein.
[0009] According to a first aspect, a method for operating a controller for a position transducer system is provided, the control being carried out to obtain a manipulated variable for triggering an actuating drive of the position transducer system, the control being carried out by initially applying a transfer function to a system deviation to obtain an adapted system deviation and subsequently a transfer function is applied to the adapted system deviation to obtain the manipulated variable, the transfer function being a function which indicates a deviation of a model of a nominal position transducer system having predefined nominal parameters from the model of the position transducer system to be controlled, an adaptation of the control process being carried out by adapting the transfer function in that the parameters of the model of the position transducer system to be controlled are adapted.
[0010] One aspect of the above method is to configure the controller of the position transducer system in such a way that an adaptation is carried out in that a system deviation is adapted before a transfer function is applied. For this purpose, the transfer function is adapted to a transfer function for adaptation of the system deviation so that the adapted system deviation takes into account only the deviation of the response of the physical position transducer system from a reference position transducer system or a nominal position transducer system, while the transfer function is configured for the reference position transducer system or the nominal position transducer system in accordance with the control process. The control parameters used there may be disregarded in an adaptation of the control process. This has the advantage that an adaptation of the control process may be carried out rapidly and without intervention into the control process in that merely the transfer function using the model parameters of the position transducer system, which change due to the change in the physical response of the position transducer system, may be adapted.
[0011] In addition, the transfer function may be a control function having constant predefined control parameters, which have been ascertained with respect to a nominal position transducer system and are invariant for the adaptation of the control process.
[0012] In particular it may be provided that only linear components are taken into account as the model of the nominal position transducer system and as the model of the position transducer system to be controlled.
[0013] According to one specific embodiment, the transfer function may also take into account a pilot control variable which is ascertained as a function of an inverse model of the position transducer system to be controlled and of the model parameters which are ascertained and adapted online.
[0014] In addition, a nonlinear component of the model of the position transducer system to be controlled may be taken into account in the pilot control to compensate for nonlinearities in the position transducer system.
[0015] It may be provided that the transfer function is implemented as a discrete recursive equation with the aid of Tustin's method.
[0016] According to another aspect a control system for operating a controller for a position transducer system is provided, the control being carried out to obtain a manipulated variable for triggering an actuating drive of the position transducer system, including
an adaptive filter to apply a transfer function to a system deviation in order to obtain an adapted system deviation, the transfer function representing a function which indicates a deviation of a provided model for a nominal position transducer system using predefined nominal parameters from a provided model of the position transducer system to be controlled, a control block to apply a transfer function to the adapted system deviation to obtain the manipulated variable, the adaptive filter being configured to adapt the model of the position transducer system to be controlled in accordance with providable model parameters.
[0019] According to another aspect, a computer program having program code means is provided to carry out all steps of the above method when the computer program is executed on a computer or an appropriate arithmetic unit, in particular in the above control system.
[0020] According to another aspect, a computer program product is provided, containing program code which is stored on a computer-readable data medium and carries out the above method when executed on a data processing system.
[0021] Specific embodiments of the present invention are explained in greater detail below on the basis of the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a position transducer system using the example of a throttle valve position transducer.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows a function diagram to illustrate a position control for the position transducer of FIG. 1 .
[0024] FIG. 3 shows a function diagram to illustrate the creation of the manipulated variable for the position control of FIG. 2 .
[0025] FIG. 4 shows a function diagram to illustrate a prefilter and a pilot control for generating the manipulated variable of the position control of FIG. 2 .
[0026] FIG. 5 shows a function diagram to illustrate the control unit for generating the manipulated variable.
[0027] FIG. 6 shows a flow chart to illustrate a method for generating the prefilter signals and the pilot control signals.
[0028] FIG. 7 shows a flow chart to illustrate a method for generating the manipulated variable for controlling a position transducer system via a throttle valve position transducer according to FIG. 1 .
[0029] FIG. 8 shows a diagram to illustrate a spring characteristic line for a return spring of a position transducer system of FIG. 1 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a position transducer system 1 using the example of a throttle valve position transducer system. Position transducer system 1 has a throttle valve situated in a gas carrying line 3 as actuator 2 . The actuator is movable and may be adapted to provide an adaptable flow resistance in gas carrying line 3 . In other words, the quantity of a gas flowing through gas carrying line 3 may be determined by the position of actuator 2 .
[0031] Actuator 2 is connected to an actuating drive 6 , which may be configured as an electromechanical actuating drive, for example. Actuating drive 6 may be triggered by electrical triggering signals to exert an actuating torque or an actuating force on actuator 2 , so that the latter is moved. Actuating drive 6 may be configured as a dc motor, as an electrically commutated motor or as a stepping motor, for example, each of which may be triggered by suitable pulse width-modulated trigger signals. Actuating drive 6 is able to provide the actuating torque via the trigger signals, which may be generated by a driver circuit using one or more H bridge circuits.
[0032] The actual position of actuator 2 may be detected by a position sensor 4 connected to actuator 2 and may be provided as actual position indication y. Additional state variables of position transducer system 1 , such as a motor current, which is picked up for providing an actuating torque by actuating drive 6 and the like, may be detected with the aid of an additional sensor 12 connected to actuating drive 6 .
[0033] Position transducer system 1 is generally exposed to environmental influences and aging in the area of application. Furthermore, the individual components are subject to tolerances during their manufacture. This may result in the system response of position transducer system 1 possibly deviating from a desired nominal system response. Since a controller for position transducer system 1 must usually be adapted to the nominal system response of a position transducer, this may result in maladjustments, which has a negative effect on the quality of the control process.
[0034] FIG. 2 schematically shows essentially a control system 13 for controlling actuating drive 6 of position transducer system 1 . A control device 5 is provided, which receives actual position indication y from position sensor 4 and also includes a module 14 , which provides a setpoint position indication r and additional measured or modeled state variables z to control device 5 . For example, one of the provided state variables z may correspond to battery voltage U bat .
[0035] In addition, control device 5 receives measured variables x such as the motor current or the like from position transducer system 1 , for example. Control device 5 generates a manipulated variable u from the obtained information and uses it to trigger actuating drive 6 of position transducer system 1 . Manipulated variable u may be, for example, a pulse duty factor for a pulse width-modulated triggering of a driver circuit for actuating drive 6 , which corresponds to the effective level of the voltage applied to actuating drive 6 . The pulse duty factor is able to determine the ratio of a period of time during which a motor current flows through actuating drive 6 to a cycle duration, the cycle duration corresponding to a period of cyclic triggering of actuating drive 6 .
[0036] FIG. 3 shows the structure of control device 5 in detail. Control device 5 includes a prefilter and pilot control block 7 , a parameter identification block 9 and a control unit 8 . Parameter identification block 9 calculates regularly, cyclically or at a predefined point in time model parameters Θ of a computation model of position transducer system 1 , i.e., the model parameters of the computation model of position transducer system 1 may be determined during active control. Model parameters Θ of the computation model of position transducer system 1 are ascertained on the basis of manipulated variable u, actual position indication y of actuator 2 and optionally on the basis of states x and z, which are additionally measured and modeled, such as motor current and/or battery voltage U bat and the like, for example. Parameter identification block 9 is able to ascertain model parameters Θ, for example, by using a recursive method (a recursive least square method or a gradient method).
[0037] Filtering of setpoint position indication r into a filtered setpoint position indication r p and generating a pilot control variable u r for manipulated variable u are carried out in prefilter and pilot control block 7 . For this purpose, instantaneous determined parameters Θ of a computation model of position transducer system 1 as well as a few additional measured and modeled states x and z and instantaneous actual position indication y of actuator 2 are needed.
[0038] Manipulated variable u for actuating drive 6 is generated in control unit 8 with the aid of pilot control variable u r , filtered setpoint position r p , instantaneous actual position indication y of actuator 2 , repeatedly determined model parameters Θ of a computation model G of position transducer system 1 and optionally a few additional measured and modeled state variables z of the system as a whole and one or more state variables x of position transducer system 1 .
[0039] FIG. 4 shows in detail the structure of prefilter and pilot control block 7 . Prefilter and pilot control block 7 has a prefilter block 10 and a pilot control block 11 . Prefilter block 10 acts as a state-variable filter. The order of prefilter 10 corresponds to the order n of the system. A prefilter of the third order (n=3) is selected in this exemplary embodiment. The order of prefilter 10 may differ from this in other exemplary embodiments.
[0040] Prefilter block 10 is implemented in such a way that it low-pass filters the setpoint position indication r to provide filtered setpoint position indication r p and to provide a vector d k r p having k of 1 to n in the case of filtered setpoint position indication r p . Vector d k r p is a vector of the derivations from r p to the order n. For n=3, vector d k r p is composed of d 1 r p as the first derivation from r p over time, d 2 r p as the second derivation from r p over time and d 3 r p as the third derivation from r p over time. Prefilter block 10 uses pilot control variable u r and a few other measured and modeled state variables z of the system as a whole such as, for example, battery voltage U bat and other variables to calculate its output variable anew, when pilot control variable u r reaches its voltage limit, which is a function of the additionally measured and modeled state variables z. Prefilter block 10 implements primarily the low-pass function, which is necessary to permit usable derivations since setpoint position indication r p may contain noise.
[0041] Pilot control block 11 is configured as a flatness-based pilot control block. Pilot control block 11 carries out a calculation of an inverse function G −1 of computation model G of position transducer system 1 with the aid of instantaneously determined model parameters Θ and derivations d k r p of filtered setpoint position indication r p . Pilot control block 11 may also take into account the additionally measured and modeled state variables x and z to carry out an adaptation.
[0042] FIG. 5 shows the structure of control unit 8 . Control unit 8 includes a differential block 17 , an adaptive filter 15 and a control block 16 . Differential block 17 ascertains the system deviation as a difference E between filtered setpoint position indication r p and instantaneous actual position indication y of actuator 2 : ε=r p −y.
[0043] Adaptive filter 15 carries out an adaptation of system deviation E to adapted system deviation ε a in such a way that control block 16 always controls a similar system. Linear computation model G of actuator 2 may correspond to a transfer function H of the order n, which is characterized by instantaneously determined model parameters Θ.
[0044] Control block 16 corresponds to a transfer function C, which may be implemented as a discrete recursive equation with the aid of Tustin's method for discretization. Depending on the type of control, at least one of control parameters K p , K i , K d may be implemented for the proportional component, the integration component and the differential component, which are provided as constant nonadaptable control parameters. Fundamentally any type of control is conceivable here.
[0045] As an alternative, it may be provided that control block 16 is configured using variable control parameters instead of fixed control parameters K p , K i , K d , so that the adaptation of adaptive filter 15 may also be carried out in control block 16 .
[0046] Transfer function C is created for a computation model G nom of a nominal position transducer system 1 to obtain a desired response β nom =C·G nom of the open control loop. Computation model G nom of nominal position transducer system 1 is based on nominal parameters, so that computation model G nom maps nominal position transducer system 1 . Computation model G nom of nominal position transducer system 1 may take into account only linear components, so the computation model is generally in the following form for n=3:
[0000]
G
nom
(
s
)
=
1
a
nom
s
3
+
b
nom
s
2
+
c
nom
s
1
+
d
nom
[0000] where a nom , b nom , c nom , d nom correspond to model parameters Θ nom for the nominal position transducer system 1 .
[0047] In addition, computation model G of position transducer system 1 to be controlled may take only linear components into account, so the computation model is generally in the following form for n=3:
[0000]
G
(
s
)
=
1
as
3
+
bs
2
+
cs
1
+
d
[0000] where a, b, c, d correspond to model parameters Θ for position transducer system 1 to be controlled.
[0048] Adaptive filter 15 carries out the transfer function
[0000]
H
=
G
nom
G
=
as
3
+
bs
2
+
cs
1
+
d
a
nom
s
3
+
b
nom
s
2
+
c
nom
s
1
+
d
nom
[0000] using system deviation c in such a way that response β=H˜C·G of the open control loop always reverts to desired response β nom =C·G nom of the open control loop. Transfer function H of adaptive filter 15 is implemented as a discrete recursive equation with the aid of Tustin's method for discretization. An adapted system deviation ε a results from this discrete recursive equation.
[0049] Control block 16 calculates manipulated variable u as a function of the discrete recursive equation of the implemented transfer function C of the controller and as a function of pilot control variable u r . Control block 16 includes an anti-integration saturation mechanism to calculate its outputs and internal states anew when the absolute value of manipulated variable u exceeds the voltage limits which are a function of additionally measured and modeled state variables z such as battery voltage U bat and the like.
[0050] FIG. 6 shows a function diagram to illustrate the function carried out in prefilter and pilot control block 7 . Prefilter 10 carries out the following transfer function:
[0000]
P
(
s
)
=
1
(
1
+
τ
p
s
)
n
[0051] This transfer function may be discretized with the aid of the Tustin transformation. The resulting differential equation yields relationships among the instantaneous values of filtered setpoint position indication r p , its derivations according to vector d k r p and their preceding values:
[0000] { r p ( k ), d l r p ( k ), . . . , d n r p ( k )}= f ( r p ( k− 1), d l r p ( k− 1), . . . , d n r p ( k− 1))
[0052] Although the k−1 th values are used in Tustin's method proposed above, it is fundamentally possible to use the k−i th values with iε{1 . . . n}.
[0053] In FIG. 6 , the preceding values of filtered setpoint position indication r p and its derivations d k r p
[0000] { r p ( k− 1), d 1 r p ( k− 1), . . . , d n r p ( k− 1)}
[0000] are initialized in an initializing block 18 using predefined initialization values. The initialization values are provided with the aid of a vector of initialization variables p mem0 . The function of initialization block 18 is called up only once, namely at the start of the control process, to initialize a value vector of preceding values p mem . The preceding values {r p (k−1), d l r p (k−1), . . . , d n r p (k−1)} are subsequently copied into value vector p mem after their recalculation.
[0054] The variables required by the prefilter and pilot control block 7 for the calculation are input into read-in block 19 , in particular the measured and modeled state variables x (of the position transducer system) and z (of the overall system), the value vector p mem for the preceding values of r p and d k r p , the setpoint position indication r and the parameter vector of the instantaneously valid parameters Θ.
[0055] The differential equation
[0000] { r p ( k ), d l r p ( k ), . . . , d n r p ( k )}= f ( r p ( k− 1), d l r p ( k− 1), . . . , d n r p ( k− 1))
[0000] is calculated in calculation block 20 to calculate the filtered setpoint position indication r p and its derivations d k r p .
[0056] In a compensation block 21 , compensation of the nonlinearities of position transducer system 1 and the calculation of an unlimited pilot control variable u r — unlim are carried out prior to their limitation to pilot control variable u r . The nonlinearities to be compensated correspond to the emergency operation, for example, and/or the frictional behavior of actuator 2 . The compensation of compensation block 21 ensures through a pilot control that nonlinearities do not have a negative effect on the control process. For example, FIG. 8 shows a diagram representing the behavior and position y of actuator 2 at various trigger voltages U. In the diagram in FIG. 8 , U max corresponds to the highest possible voltage, U min corresponds to the lowest possible voltage, y max corresponds to the maximum position, U LHmin determines the voltage at a position y LHmin and U LHmax determines the voltage at a position y LHmax , the spring characteristic curve having an increased slope between U LHmin and U LHmax .
[0057] At a trigger voltage of 0 V, which may occur in the event of failure of the trigger system, for example, actuator 2 should assume a position y 0 which allows a certain gas mass flow rate through position transducer system 1 to ensure the emergency operation. In the area around position y 0 of actuator 2 , a return spring acts on actuator 2 with an increased spring constant. The increased spring constant in particular acts on actuator 2 in a range y LHmin <y 0 <y LHmax whereas a lower spring constant acts on actuator 2 in the outside areas.
[0058] Unlimited pilot control variable U r — unlim is compared with battery voltage U bat in limitation block 22 . If the absolute value of battery voltage U bat is not exceeded, then pilot control variable u r is set to the value of unlimited pilot control variable u r — unlim . If the absolute value of battery voltage U bat is exceeded, unlimited pilot control variable u r — unlim is limited to the value of battery voltage U bat and filtered setpoint position indication r p and its derivations d k r p {r p (k−1), d l r p (k−1), . . . , d n r p (k−1)} are calculated anew, taking into account the fact that pilot control variable u r is limited to the value of battery voltage U bat .
[0059] Pilot control variable u r and filtered setpoint position indication r p are transferred to control block 8 in a transfer block 23 .
[0060] The instantaneous values of vector p mem are stored in a memory block 24 to be available for the next calculation by prefilter and pilot control block 7 .
[0061] FIG. 7 shows a flow chart to illustrate a method for generating manipulated variable u in control block 16 . Control block 16 carries out a calculation according to a predefined transfer function C, which may correspond to that of a PIDT1 control, for example. In this case, the carried out transfer function corresponds to:
[0000]
C
(
s
)
=
K
p
+
K
i
s
+
K
d
s
1
+
τ
d
s
[0000] including constant control parameters K p , K i , K d for the proportional component, the integration component, the differential component of the control and time constant τ d . The control parameters remain unchanged even during adaptation of the control process and constitute the optimal control parameters, i.e., those ascertained previously with respect to a reference position transducer system.
[0062] This transfer function C may be discretized with the aid of Tustin's transformation. Tustin's discretization method has the advantage that the resulting differential equation includes only simple computation operations, which may be executed in real time even on a low-power control unit. The resulting differential equations define a relationship between the instantaneous values of adapted system deviation ε a and their preceding values. In addition, manipulated variable u corresponds to a function of the results of the differential equations and of pilot control variable u r :
[0000] u ( k )= g 1 ( u r ( k ),ε u ( k ),ε a ( k− 1))
[0063] In FIG. 7 , the preceding value of adapted system deviation ε a , ε a (k−1) is initialized in initialization block 25 using the predefined initialization value. The initialization value is provided with the aid of a value vector of initialization variables c mem0 . The function of initialization block 25 is called up only once, namely at the start of the control process, to initialize a value vector of preceding values c mem . Preceding value ε α (k−1) is subsequently copied into value vector c mem after its recalculation.
[0064] In a provision block 26 , the variables required for the calculation in control block 16 are input, i.e., measured and modeled state variables z, value vector c mem of the preceding values, adaptive system deviation ε a and pilot control variable u r .
[0065] The differential equation
[0000] u unlim ( k )= g 2 ( u r ( k ),ε a ( k ),ε a ( k− 1))
[0000] is calculated in a calculation block 27 to ascertain unlimited manipulated variable u unlim .
[0066] In limitation block 28 , the anti-integration saturation function is taken into account to carry out a new calculation when unlimited manipulated variable u unlim reaches a predefined voltage limit. The predefined voltage limit may be calculated according to a predefined function of the additionally measured and modeled state variables z such as battery voltage U bat and the like, for example. A traditional anti-integration saturation function involves freezing the integration part of the control, so that the integration part does not diverge. Unlimited manipulated variable u unlim may also be compared to battery voltage U bat . If battery voltage U bat is not exceeded, manipulated variable u is set at the value of unlimited manipulated variable u unlim . If battery voltage U bat is exceeded, manipulated variable u is limited to the value of battery voltage U bat and the integration part of the control is frozen.
[0067] In a transfer block 29 , manipulated variable u is transferred to actuating drive 6 of position transducer system 1 . As described above, the manipulated variable may correspond to a pulse duty factor T.
[0068] In a memory block 30 , the instantaneous values of value vectors c mem are stored for the next calculation by control block 16 . | A method for operating a controller for a position transducer system, of a throttle valve position transducer in an engine system having an internal combustion engine, the control being performed to obtain a manipulated variable for triggering an actuating drive of the position transducer system, the control being performed by initially applying a transfer function to a system deviation to obtain an adapted system deviation and subsequently applying a transfer function to the adapted system deviation to obtain the manipulated variable, the transfer function being a function which indicates a deviation of a model of a nominal position transducer system having predefined nominal parameters from the model of the position transducer system to be controlled, an adaptation of the control process being performed by adapting the transfer function, in that the parameters of the model of the position transducer system to be controlled are adapted, in particular in real time. | 5 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This Nonprovisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on patent application Ser. No(s). 10-2002-0078333 filed in KOREA on Dec. 10, 2002, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washing machine, and more particularly to a washing machine, which sucks in external air in a dehydration mode so as to dry laundry.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a drum-type washing machine is an apparatus for washing laundry, i.e., clothing, bedding, etc., in a drum so that contaminants such as dirt stuck to the laundry are eliminated through wash, rinse and dehydration modes using the action of a detergent and water.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional drum-type washing machine. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the conventional drum-type washing machine.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the conventional drum-type washing machine comprises a casing 2 , a tub 8 supported by a spring 6 and a damper 7 in the casing 2 , a motor 14 installed at the rear surface of the tub 8 , and a drum 20 rotatably installed in the tub 8 and connected to a rotary shaft 15 of the motor 14 .
Lifts 22 for lifting the laundry (m) and then dropping the laundry (m) are provided at an inner wall of the drum 20 , and a plurality of holes 24 for passing wash water therethrough are formed through the circumference of the drum 20 .
Openings 2 a , 8 a and 20 a , for putting the laundry into the washing machine therethrough, are respectively formed through front surfaces of the casing 2 , the tub 8 and the drum 20 , and a door 30 is attached to the front surface of the casing 2 so as to open and close the openings 2 a , 8 a and 20 a.
The door 30 includes a transparent window 32 for allowing a user to view the inside of the drum 20 therethrough, and a door frame 34 connected to the circumference of the transparent window 32 . One side of the door frame 34 is rotatably connected to the casing 2 adjacent to the opening 2 a.
A feed unit 42 , for feeding wash water or a detergent required to wash the laundry, is installed on the upper surface of the tub 8 . A drain pipe 44 , for connecting the inside of the tub 8 to the outside of the tub 8 , is connected to the lower surface of the tub 8 , and a drain pump 46 is installed in the middle of the drain pipe 44 .
Here, reference numeral 48 represents a gasket arranged between the opening 8 a of the tub 8 and the opening 2 a of the casing 2 .
Hereinafter, operation of the above-described conventional drum-type washing machine will be described in detail.
First, after the laundry (m) is put into the drum 20 , the door 30 is closed into the casing 2 , and the washing machine is operated. Then, wash water and a detergent are supplied to the inside of the tub 8 from the feed unit 42 connected to the lower surface of the tub 8 so that the lower portion of the drum 20 is immersed in the wash water and the laundry within the drum 20 is wet by the wash water.
Thereafter, the motor 14 is driven so that the drum 20 is rotated. Then, the laundry contained in the drum 20 is lifted and dropped by the lifts 22 , thereby being cleaned by the action of the wash water and the detergent.
After the above-described wash mode is terminated, wastewater in the tub 8 is discharged to the outside through the drain pump 46 and the drain pipe 44 .
Thereafter, the washing machine is operated in a rinse mode several times in order to rinse the laundry for removing the residue of the detergent from the laundry. Here, clean water is supplied to the tub 8 through the feed unit 42 , and the motor 14 is driven so that the drum 20 is rotated. Then, the laundry contained in the drum 20 is lifted and dropped by the lifts 22 , thereby being rinsed. Wastewater containing the residue of the detergent is discharged to the outside through the drain pump 46 and the drain pipe 44 .
After several repetitions of the above-described rinse mode, the washing machine is operated in a dehydration mode for dehydrating the laundry.
That is, when the motor 14 rotates the drum 20 at a high speed, the laundry (m) contained in the drum 20 is centrifugally dehydrated, and then moisture exhausted from the laundry (m) is collected in the tub 8 through the holes 24 of the drum 20 and discharged to the outside through the drain pump 46 and the drain pipe 44 .
The above-described drum-type washing machine requires a separate dry pipe or heater, and a dry mode, in case that the laundry (m) in the drum 20 is dried after the wash, rinse and dehydration modes, thus causing an increase in cost and time taken to dry the laundry (m).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a washing machine, into which external air is introduced in a dehydration mode so as to dry laundry therein, thereby simply drying a small quantity of the laundry without application of any additional drying pipe or heater.
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a washing machine comprising: a casing provided with an opening for putting laundry into the washing machine therethrough; a tub supportably installed in the casing; a drum rotatably located in the tub; driving means for rotating the drum; and a door installed at the casing for opening and closing the opening of the casing, and provided with air suction ports for sucking external air into the drum therethrough.
Preferably, the door may be provided with a plurality of the air suction ports.
Further, preferably, heating means for heating sucked air may be respectively provided in the air suction ports.
Moreover, preferably, the door may include means for opening and closing the air suction ports.
More preferably, the means for opening and closing the air suction ports may include shielding plugs for respectively shielding the air suction ports.
Preferably, the means for opening and closing the air suction ports may include a driving plate rotatably installed at the front surface of the door and provided with holes corresponding to the air suction ports.
More preferably, the driving plate may be provided with hooks latched on the door.
Preferably, the means for opening and closing the air suction ports may include a driving plate rotatably installed at the front surface of the door and provided with holes corresponding to the air suction ports, and rotary means for rotating the driving plate.
More preferably, the rotary means may include a driving gear, for rotating the driving plate, provided with teeth engaged with gear teeth formed along an outer circumference of the driving plate, and a motor for rotating the driving gear.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional drum-type washing machine;
FIG. 2 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the conventional drum-type washing machine;
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a drum-type washing machine in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine in a wash or rinse mode in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine in a dehydration mode in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a drum-type washing machine in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine in a wash or rinse mode in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine in a dehydration mode in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a drum-type washing machine in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the annexed drawings.
FIGS. 3 to 5 illustrate a drum-type washing machine in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the drum-type washing machine, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine in a wash or rinse mode, and FIG. 5 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine in a dehydration mode.
As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , the drum-type washing machine in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a casing 52 provided with an opening 51 for putting the laundry into the washing machine therethrough, a tub 60 supportably installed in the casing 52 , a drum 70 rotatably arranged in the tub 60 , a motor 80 for rotating the drum 70 , and a door 90 installed at the casing 52 so as to open and close the opening 51 of the casing 52 , and provided with air suction ports 92 for sucking in external air (A).
The tub 60 is suspensibly supported to the casing 52 by a spring 62 and a damper 63 , and provided with an opening 61 at a front surface thereof in the rear of the opening 51 of the casing 52 for putting the laundry into the tub 60 therethrough.
Further, feed hoses 65 , a feed valve 66 , a detergent box 67 and a connection hose 68 are installed above the upper surface of the tub 60 , thereby forming a route for feeding wash water or a detergent.
That is, one end of each of the feed hoses 65 is connected to a water service pipe, and the other end of each of the feed hoses 65 is connected to the detergent box 67 so that the wash water is supplied to the drum-type washing machine. The feed valve 66 is installed at the feed hoses 65 , thereby intermittently controlling the water supply. The detergent box 67 stores a detergent, and the wash water supplied from the feed hoses 65 . One end of the connection hose 68 is connected to the detergent box 67 , and the other end of the connection hose 68 is connected to the tub 60 so that the detergent or water discharged from the detergent box 67 is introduced into the tub 60 .
The drum 70 has a cylindrical shape, and is provided with an opening 71 at a front surface thereof in the rear of the opening 51 of the casing 52 , a plurality of holes 74 formed through the circumference of the drum 70 for passing wash water therethrough, and lifts 76 for lifting and dropping the laundry in the drum 70 .
The motor 80 is installed at the rear surface of the tub 60 , and a rotary shaft of the motor 80 passes through the rear surface of the tub 60 and is connected to a rotary axis of the drum 70 .
The door 90 includes a transparent window 94 for allowing a user to view the inside of the drum 70 therethrough, and a door frame 96 connected to the circumference of the transparent window 94 . One side of the door frame 96 is connected to a hinge 52 b fixed to a designated area of the casing 52 adjacent to the opening 51 .
Preferably, a plurality of the air suction ports 92 are formed through the door 90 . Although the air suction ports 92 may be formed through the transparent window 94 of the door 90 , it is preferable that the air suction ports 92 are formed through the door frame 96 of the door 90 .
The door 90 is provided with a means for opening and closing the air suction ports 92 . The above means for opening and closing the air suction ports 92 includes shielding plugs 100 for respectively shielding the air suction ports 92 .
Preferably, the shielding plugs 100 are made of an elastic material such as rubber, etc. Each of the shielding plugs 100 has a size larger than or the same as that of each of the air suction ports 92 , and is provided with hooks 102 extending upward and downward or toward right and left from both sides of the shielding plug 100 so that the hooks 102 are inserted into the air suction port 92 .
The above-described drum-type washing machine provided with the air suction ports 92 further comprises a heating means 110 for improving the drying efficiency by means of air (A) sucked into the drum 70 through the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 . Preferably, the heating means 110 are respectively located in the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 .
Preferably, each of the heating means 10 includes a heating unit for generating heat by power supplied thereto in a dehydration mode of the washing machine, and a waterproof housing surrounding the circumference of the heating unit, being heated by the heating unit, and serving to prevent the heating unit from being short-circuited by water.
A drain/exhaust means is connected to the lower portion of the tub 60 so that water or air (A) in the tub 60 is drained or exhausted to the outside through the drain/exhaust means.
The drain/exhaust means includes a drain/exhaust hose 122 connected to the lower surface of the tub 60 for discharging wastewater to the outside, and a drain/exhaust pump 126 connected to the drain/exhaust hose 122 .
Here, reference numeral 128 represents a gasket arranged between the opening 61 of the tub 60 and the opening 51 of the casing 52 .
Hereinafter, operation of the above-described drum-type washing machine in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.
First, after laundry (m) is put into the drum 70 , the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 are closed by the shielding plugs 100 , the door 90 is closed into the casing 52 , and the washing machine is operated. Then, wash water and a detergent are supplied to the inside of the tub 60 so that the lower portion of the drum 70 is immersed in the wash water containing the detergent and the laundry within the drum 70 is wetted by the wash water containing the detergent.
Thereafter, the motor 80 is driven so that the drum 70 is rotated. Then, the laundry (m) contained in the drum 70 is lifted and then dropped by the lifts 76 , thereby being cleaned by the action of the wash water and the detergent.
Here, the wash water containing the detergent is splashed to the inner circumference of the gasket 128 or the inner surface of the door 90 . However, since the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 are closed by the shielding plugs 100 , the outflow of the wash water containing the detergent is prevented.
After the above-described operation of the drum-type washing machine in a wash mode is terminated, wastewater in the tub 60 is discharged to the outside through the drain/exhaust hose 122 and the drain/exhaust pump 126 .
Thereafter, the drum-type washing machine is operated in a rinse mode several times in order to rinse the laundry (m) so that the residue of the detergent is eliminated from the laundry (m). That is, clean water is supplied to the tub 60 , and the motor 80 is driven so that the drum 70 is rotated. Then, the laundry (m) contained in the drum 70 is lifted and dropped by the lift 76 , thereby being rinsed. Wastewater containing the residue of the detergent is discharged to the outside through the drain/exhaust hose 122 and drain/exhaust pump 126 .
The same as the wash mode, the wastewater containing the detergent is splashed to the inner circumference of the gasket 128 or the inner surface of the door 90 in the rinse mode. However, since the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 are closed by the shielding plugs 100 , the outflow of the wastewater containing the detergent is prevented.
After several repetitions of the above-described rinse mode, the washing machine is operated in a dehydration mode for dehydrating the laundry (m).
That is, when the motor 80 rotates the drum 70 at a high speed, the laundry (m) contained in the drum 70 is centrifugally dehydrated, and then moisture exhausted from the laundry (m) is collected in the tub 60 through the holes 74 of the drum 70 and discharged to the outside through the drain/exhaust hose 122 and the drain/exhaust pump 126 .
In case that the shielding plugs 100 are respectively separated from the air suction ports 92 prior to or during the dehydration mode, external air (A) is sucked into the drum-type washing machine through the opened air suction ports 92 , and the sucked air contacts the laundry (m) through the inside of the gasket 128 and the openings 61 and 71 of the tub 60 and the drum 70 , thereby assisting the laundry (m) to be dried.
Further, the heating means 110 are operated in the dehydration mode, thereby heating and drying the air sucked into the drum-type washing machine through the air suction ports 92 . Then, the heated and dried air promotes the laundry (m) to be dried.
The air, which contacts the laundry (m) so as to assist the drying of the laundry (m), is exhausted toward the tub 60 through the holes 74 of the drum 70 , and then exhausted to the outside through the drain/exhaust hose 122 and the drain/exhaust pump 126 .
FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate a drum-type washing machine in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the drum-type washing machine, FIG. 7 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine in a wash or rinse mode, and FIG. 8 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the drum-type washing machine in a dehydration mode.
Since the drum-type washing machine, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , in accordance with the second embodiment comprises the same elements as those of the drum-type washing machine in accordance with the first embodiment except for the means for opening and closing the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 , the above same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted because they are considered to be unnecessary.
The drum-type washing machine in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention comprises a driving plate 150 rotatably installed at the front surface of the door 90 and serving as a means for opening and closing the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 . The driving plate 150 is provided with holes 152 corresponding to the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 .
Preferably, the driving plate 150 is designed such that each of the holes 152 has the same size of that of each of the air suction ports 92 , and rotatably fixed on the door frame 96 of the door 90 .
That is, the driving plate 150 is provided with a plurality of hooks 154 protruded from the rear surface of the driving plate 150 and latched on the circumference of the door frame 96 . Accordingly, since the driving plate 150 is located in front of the door frame 96 so that the hooks 154 of the driving plate 150 are latched on the circumference of the door frame 96 of the door 90 , the driving plate 150 can be rotatably installed at the front surface of the door frame 96 without separation.
Further, the driving plate 150 can be rotated by the manipulation of a user prior to or during a dehydration mode. Here, it is preferable that the driving plate 150 has a hand grip 158 in a concave or convex shape so that the user easily catches the hand grip 158 in order to rotate the driving plate 150 .
In the drum-type washing machine in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention, the driving plate 150 is rotated under the condition that the driving plate 150 is installed at the door 90 , thus opening or closing the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 .
Other operations of the drum-type washing machine of the second embodiment are the same as those of the drum-type washing machine of the first embodiment, and a detailed description thereof will thus be omitted.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a drum-type washing machine in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.
The drum-type washing machine in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention further comprises a rotary means 200 for automatically rotating the driving plate 150 in addition to the elements of the drum-type washing machine in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention.
The rotary means 200 includes a driving gear 202 provided with teeth engaged with gear teeth formed along the outer circumference of the driving plate 150 so that the driving plate 150 is rotated at a designated angle, and a motor 204 for rotating the driving gear 202 so that the holes 152 of the driving plate 150 correspond to the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 in a dehydration mode, but do not correspond to the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 in other modes rather than the dehydration mode.
In the drum-type washing machine in accordance with the third embodiment of the present invention, the driving plate 150 in the dehydration mode is automatically rotated so that the holes 152 of the driving plate 150 correspond to the air suction ports 92 of the door 90 , thereby allowing external air (A) to be sucked into the drum 70 and the sucked air to dry the laundry (m) in the drum 70 .
As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides a washing machine comprising air suction ports formed at a door, which sucks in external air in a dehydration mode, thereby assisting laundry to be dried and improving drying efficiency.
Since a large quantity of external air is sucked into the washing machine through a plurality of the air suction ports formed at the door, the washing machine of the present invention rapidly dries the laundry.
The washing machine of the present invention further comprises a means for opening and closing the air suction ports of the door, thus preventing wash water containing a detergent from flowing out in a wash or rinse mode.
The means for opening and closing the air suction ports includes shielding plugs for shielding the air suction ports made of an elastic material and provided with hooks inserted into the air suction ports, thereby rapidly and simply opening and closing the air suction ports of the door.
Otherwise, the means for opening and closing the air suction ports includes a driving plate rotatably installed at a front surface of the door and provided with holes corresponding to the air suction ports, and the driving plate is rotated, thereby rapidly and simply opening and closing the air suction ports of the door.
The driving plate is provided with a hand grip at one side thereof, thereby being conveniently manipulated by a user.
The washing machine of the present invention rotates the driving plate using a rotary force generated from a motor in order to open and close the air suction ports, thereby automatically opening and closing the air suction ports of the door.
The washing machine of the present invention comprises a drain/exhaust means connected to a tub so that water or air in the tub is drained or exhausted to the outside therethrough, thereby easily sucking in and exhausting air.
The washing machine of the present invention comprises a heating means respectively installed in the air suction ports, thereby improving laundry-drying efficiency.
Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. | A washing machine including a casing provided with an opening for introducing laundry into the washing machine; a tub supportably installed in the casing; a drum rotatably located in the tub; driving means for rotating the drum; and a door installed at the casing for opening and closing the opening of the casing, and provided with air suction ports for drawing external air into the drum. The washing machine dries a small quantity of the laundry without application of any additional drying pipe or heater. | 3 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to plant growing chambers and, in particular, to a modular assembly for maintaining an artificial growing environment to sustain the growth of a variety of plants, particularly tropical plants such as orchids.
A variety of plant growing chambers, hot houses and simple display cases are known. The complexity and sophistication varies from simple structures to prevent physical damage to the plants during transport or display to structures which provide artificial growing environments. The latter assemblies are typically constructed with unitary side walls, but which creates difficulties during construction and shipping. That is, it is difficult to provide chambers which hold a number of plants, but which disassemble to a compact size for transport.
The present "wardian case" was developed to provide a modular growing assembly, which disassembles to a relatively small package, and which is readily reassembled without resort to active fasteners. The case permits the establishment of a regulated humidity, temperature and air flow within the chamber. Shelves and sundry plant maintenance appliances are supported to a support system which is hung from a circulation, divider panel without interference at the side walls. The assembly is also adaptable to economical construction in a variety of sizes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a primary object of the invention to provide a sectional, artificial growing chamber which disassembles to a relatively few panels and the side panels of which passively interlock with one another and an adjoining cover and base.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a chamber particularly adapted for growing tropical plants under artificial lights with controlled air flow, temperature and humidity.
It is a further object of the invention to control air circulation through an illumination space and a growing space that are separated by a divider panel which supports a circulation fan aligned to at least one shuttered vent aperture at the divider panel.
It is a further object of the invention to control exhaust air flow with a shuttered vent in the cover.
It is a further object of the invention to provide low voltage fluorescent source lighting and which illumination is directed via a reflector panel to provide a uniform column of light of substantially constant cross sectional intensity to all areas within the case.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an opaque side wall having channeled edges which align to a mating transparent wall and which walls cooperatively interlock with recessed channels and flanges formed at the cover and base.
It is further of the invention to provide a divider panel having notched peripheral edges and hanger clips which support a screen shelf support.
Various of the foregoing objects, advantages and distinctions of the invention are obtained in a multi-section, molded plastic assembly. Peripheral channels at a domed cover and base tray interlock with a pair of opaque and transparent side walls. Vertical channels at the opaque side wall receive the vertical edges of the transparent side wall to interlock one to the other. The peripheral channels at the base and cover passively lock the side walls to the base and cover.
A number of low voltage, fluorescent lights are supported beneath a reflector panel mounted to the domed cover and above an air circulation divider panel that is supported from the side walls. A pair of slide shutters cooperate with vent apertures at the divider panel to control aperture exposure. A fan aligned to one of the divider panel apertures controls circulation of heated air between the illumination space and the growing space.
A door is slide mounted to the cover and base and cooperates with spacers fitted to the transparent side wall. The spacers facilitate door operation. An air space is also obtained with the spacers and ports beneath the door which provide make-up air to the case. A separate shutter and vent opening at the cover control exhaust air flow.
Notches at the peripheral edge of the divider panel support a number of clips and a suspended screen which, in turn, supports a number of tiered perforated shelves and other plant care appliances. An electronic humidity gauge and thermometer measure internal growing conditions. Shelf hangers may also be suspended from the divider panel.
Still other objects, advantages, and distinctions of the invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following description with respect to the appended drawings. To the extent various modifications and improvements have been considered, they are described as appropriate. The description should not be construed in limitation of the scope of the invention, which rather should be interpreted within the scope of the further appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing to the wardian case of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective drawing shown in exploded assembly and partial cut away to the case.
FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the case with the door closed.
FIG. 4 is a rear plan view of the case.
FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view of the case, the left side view being a mirror image.
FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the case.
FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of the case.
FIG. 8 is a cross section view taken along section lines 8--8 of FIG. 1 through the base.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With attention to FIGS. 1 and 2, perspective drawings are shown to the modularly constructed wardian case 2 of the invention. The case 2 provides a controlled environment for growing plants, such as orchids and other tropical plants, which require closely controlled temperature and humidity conditions to sustain plant life and facilitate plant bloom. FIGS. 3 through 7 depict further views to the external configuration of the case 2.
Growing conditions are monitored with an electronic thermometer and/or hygrometer 4 which is suspended within a growing space 6. Appropriate humidity is obtained with periodic waterings from a hand held mist sprayer (not shown) and liquid contained at a base reservoir. Internal temperatures are maintained with the circulation of heated air drawn from a cover space 8 between a divider panel 10 and a domed cover 12.
A number of low voltage fluorescent lamps 14 are mounted within the cover space 8 and provide artificial lighting which is diffused by a generally concave, SILVERLUX SILVER coated reflector 15. The lamps 14 and reflector 15 are suspended from fasteners 17 that are secured to the cover 12. Power is supplied from a cord 19.
Depending on the size of the growing space 6, an appropriate number and grouping of lamps 14 are fitted to the case 2. A number of computer generated flat surfaces at the reflector 15 cooperate to direct a uniform column of illumination through the growing space 6. The reflector 15 particularly provides a column having constant cross sectional illumination at each level throughout the entire growing space 6. Depending upon the various plants supported in the case 2, each plant can be supported to a shelf with an appropriate vertical spacing from the lamps 14 to provide a preferred foot candle condition.
As appropriate, heated air within the cover space 8 is circulated through the growing space 6 to maintain a uniform temperature and humidity within the growing space 6. An exhaust vent 16 and slide shutter 18 are provided at the cover 12. Make-up air is admitted from an air space provided at an access door.
Proper temperature and air circulation is particularly obtained with a pair of slide shutters 20, 22 at circulation vents 24, 26 at the divider panel 10. A fan 28 is suspended from the divider panel 10 in alignment with the vent 24 to circulate the air from the cover space 8, through the growing space 6 and back to the cover space 8 via the vent 26. Depending on the exposure established at the vents 24, 26, a desired volume of heated air is circulated through the growing space 6. Although the fan 28 presently operates continuously, a temperature sensitive controller, such as a simple thermostat, might be coupled to the fan 28.
The air temperature is controlled via the exposure of the exhaust vent 16 and the make-up air that is provided to the case 2. Make-up air is presently obtained from an air space 27 defined by a number of slide tracks 29 fitted between a door 30 and a transparent side wall 32, see also FIG. 8. The tracks 29 are constructed of leather strips which are adhesively bonded to the case 2. A resilient plastic material might also be formed to snap mount to the wall 32 and door opening 33. Other vent openings with controlled covers might also be fitted to the side walls and/or door 30.
The volume of the growing space 6 is determined upon the fitting of the transparent side wall 32 to an opaque side wall 34 and the retention of the interlocked side walls 32, 34 to flanges 38 and 40 at the peripheral edges of the cover 12 and a base tray 42. Open corners 39 and 41 are provided at the front of the cover and base 12 and 42 to accommodate a slide action of the door 30 relative to the wall 32, see also FIG. 5.
Once fitted together, the cover and base 12 and 42 passively restrain the side walls 32, 34 to the depicted rectangular shape. The shape is maintained even upon removal of the cover 12 via the separate mounting of the divider panel 10 to the top edges of the walls 32 and 34. Depending flanges (not shown) at the divider panel 10 contact the side walls 32, 34 to retain the proper shape and alignment to receive the cover 12.
The cover 12 and base 42 are molded from an opaque plastic using conventional molding techniques. Drain channels 43 are formed in the base 42 to collect condensation which drip from the plants or liquids periodically added to the base. The base 42 thus acts as a moisture reservoir.
The side wall section 32 is constructed of a transparent acrylic plastic that is bent at the corners to extend around the sides of the case 2. The wall 34 is constructed of a corrugated, polypropylene board material. The material is light weight, and is readily bent at the corners of the cover and base 12, 42 to fit the flanges 38, 40. A "U" shaped vertical channel 44, when viewed from above, at each vertical edge of the wall 34 receives and supports an edge of the formed side wall 32 to interlock one to the other. The coupling is maintained with the fitting of the walls 32, 34 to the flanges 38, 40, which are sized and shaped to prevent the walls 32, 34 from springing apart. Retention is presently enabled via the weight of the divider panel 10 and cover 12. An adhesive might be used at the channels 44. Clip fasteners or seals (not shown) might also be added at the joints 44 to facilitate retention. The use of unbound joints between the walls 32, 34 and cover 12 and base 42, otherwise, advantageously permits disassembly of the case 2 for storage and transport.
The wall 34 is presently provided in a white color to reflect light. A variety of other colors and reflective coatings may alternatively be applied to selected surfaces to control illumination and provide a suitable back drop for viewing the contained plants. In lieu also of the present pair of wall sections 32 and 34, a number of flat panel, interlocking wall sections might be used. Additional panels might also be fitted between the walls 32, 34 and/or replace the sections 32, 34 to vary the physical size of the case.
With attention to FIGS. 2 and 8, the flanges 38, 40 are more apparent and which provide a sufficient height to contain the walls 32, 34 to the cover and base 12, 42. Notches 46 and a tang 48 are also formed at the lower edge of the wall 32 to index the wall 32 to the base 42. A raised ledge 50 at the base 42, beneath the door opening 52, provides a slide surface for the door 30. Channels 47 adjacent the door 32 also provide make-up air to the growing space 6.
A particular advantage of the foregoing modular construction is that fasteners are avoided at the walls which increase assembly difficulty and can be susceptible to corrosion over protracted periods of use. Growing cases 2 of relatively larger sizes versus conventional cases are also obtainable at reasonable cost, due to the less costly fabrication technology. The modularity also enhances the ability to transport the case 2.
Supported to the cover 12 adjacent the side walls 32 and 34 is the divider 10. The divider 10, like the wall 32, is constructed of a transparent acrylic plastic which passes the illumination of the light source 14. A number of notches or cutouts 54 are provided at the peripheral edges of the divider 10. A number of clips 56 are suspended at the notches 50 and support a screen panel or shelf support 58. Secured to the support 58 are a number of perforated shelves 60. The shelves 60 are retained with a number of other clips of suitable shape (not shown). In a preferred construction, a single screen support 58 is bent to mount adjacent both sides and the back of the case 2. A wide variety of shelf mountings and/or other plant care appliances are thus obtainable.
Also shown at FIG. 2 are hangers 62 that can be mounted to the apertures 54 to directly support a shelf or tray 64. The hangers 62 can be constructed to a variety of forms compatible with the notches 54 and mating shelves 64. The hangers 62 can be constructed of a variety of materials, including clear or opaque plastics or other corrosion resistant metals. Necessary offset bends are provided at the hangers 62 to mate with the divider 10 and shelves 64. Also shown is a conventional shelf support rail 66 and a riser 68, only one each of which are shown, which might be bonded to the side walls and the base 42 to support the edges and mid-section of a shelf straddled between the rails 66.
The clips 56 and one or more screen supports 58 or hangers 62 are preferred to shelf support rails 66. The screen support 58 and hangers 62 facilitate the mounting of a greater variety of shelves 60 and 64 and spacings within the growing space 6.
While the invention has been described with respect to a presently preferred construction and considered modifications and improvements, still other variations might be suggested to those skilled in the art. The invention should therefore be interpreted to include all those equivalent embodiments within the spirit and scope of the following claims. | A multi-section enclosure adapted to support an artificial environment for growing plants. Vertical edges of opaque and transparent wall sections interlock with one another and horizontal edges mount to formed channels at a domed cover and support base. A sliding door cooperates with slide spacers fitted about an opening at the transparent wall. A plurality of hangers are suspended from a transparent divider panel which separates an internal illumination source and reflector from a growing space. Slide shutters mounted to vent apertures at the divider and cover cooperate with a fan at one of the divider apertures to control internal air circulation and temperature within the growing space. The spaced door and cover vent control make-up and exhaust air flow. | 0 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus for protecting residential and industrial electrical power installations from damage due to transients and surges that greatly exceed the maximum instantaneous line voltage. Such transients and surges can result from lightning, from switching occurring in the utility network, and from switching of inductive loads in the installations.
Low energy transients often have very fast rise times and peak voltages of 10,000 volts and higher. Even though the energy is low, the high voltages can damage common household equipment using low-level transistors, such as calculators, radios, and the like, and industrial equipment such as computers, instruments, and controls. Higher energy transients may involve energy as high as 100 joules and surge currents to 20,000 amperes. Inductive loads, such as motors and transformers, can experience buildup of high instantaneous voltages across the first few turns of their windings from such transients. Resultant arcing across the turns damages the insulation, resulting in shorting out of the turns. Even though failure may not be immediate, the decreased back emf causes increased power drain and overheating of the windings. Such effects are often progressive, resulting in the ultimate failure of the motor or transformer.
A major manufacturer of appliance motors has analyzed many failures and has determined that over 75% were directly or indirectly caused by transients or overvoltage surges. Motors can be designed to withstand surges; however, the extra cost is too great for the consumer appliance market.
Power and communications utilities fully recognize these problems and invest heavily in protection of their own equipment. However, most homeowners and many other power users are not aware of the transient and surge problem, and therefore accept a few years' life for motors and equipment, whereas these units should last indefinitely.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of devices, filters, and techniques have been developed for protection of power lines, communication lines, motors, transformers, and electronic equipments from the damaging effects of transients and surges. A common approach for protection from high energy lightning transients is the use of spark gap devices such as gas discharge arrestor devices, spark gaps, and carbon blocks. While effective in shunting high currents to ground, these units have a relatively slow reaction time. Thus, fast rise time transients can reach dangerously high voltages before breakdown of the device occurs.
Zener-type semiconductor devices are available for protection against fast rise time transients; however, only small amounts of energy can be handled and these devices are easily damaged. Recently, metallic oxide varistors have been developed that can handle larger amounts of energy than the zener-type device, but the normal delay in breakdown is still excessive for high rise time transients.
In the manufacture of high-quality electronic and computer equipments, surge and transient filters are commonly built in. In most cases, filters are in series with the load, and must carry the full load current. Failures of such filters, therefore, would interrupt operation of the equipment.
No known prior art has been found that is suitable for protecting a home or building from damage from all types of transients and surges present on power lines, and that will not interrupt the power service upon failure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with my invention, I have advantageously combined several prior art transient protection devices to operate cooperatively to absorb and dissipate the major portion of the energy contained in all types of transients and surges normally encountered on power lines. My new apparatus can be conveniently installed in parallel with the electrical service entrance for a building, and is easily removed for service without interrupting the power flow.
I have discovered useful differences in the physical and electrical characteristics of zener-type semiconductor devices, metallic oxide varistors, and gas discharge arrestors, that allow these units to operate cooperatively and thereby overcome the individual disadvantages of each. For example, a back-to-back zener unit will conduct in times as short as 10.sup. -12 seconds, and can handle 1,500 watts peak power for one microsecond at 25° C. or approximately 1.5 joules. The metallic oxide varistor consisting of back-to-back semiconductor junctions can dissipate 20 to 40 joules and will react in about 50 nanoseconds.
Advantageously, I utilize zener-type bilateral devices having a breakdown voltage higher than the peak voltage of the power line to be protected and a metallic oxide varistor device having a breakdown voltage slightly less than that of the zener-type device but greater than the peak power line voltage, and have connected these two units essentially in parallel. By then connecting these two components in parallel across a power line, a fast rise time transient will tend to be clamped at the zener-type device breakdown voltage within about 10.sup. -12 seconds. About 50 nanoseconds later, the metallic oxide varistor will break down and tend to clamp the voltage at a lower value, thereby limiting the energy dissipation required of the zener-type device.
When a transient shorter than about 1 μsec subsides below the metal oxide varistor clamping voltage, this device recovers returning the system to normal and in accordance with my invention thereby limiting the overvoltage to a safe value without shorting the line currents and with no interruption of the load.
In case of a longer-lasting high energy surge such as may occur from power network switch activity, line faults, and long lightning transients, I further provide a gas discharge-type arrestor across the line to work cooperatively with the zener and varistor devices. This device will fire when its ignition voltage is reached; however, the firing requires about 1 microsecond delay. When conducting, it presents a very low impedance, acting effectively as a direct short circuit of the power line and clamping the line voltage to about 30 volts. The ionized gas will continue to conduct even after the transient has dissipated due to the line voltage. As the line voltage drops below the gas keep-alive voltage, the gas will deionize, returning the device to its quiescent state. The zener and varistor devices will, of course, recover at the instant the arrestor fires.
As may be understood, my novel transient and surge suppressor may be connected across single phase lines to neutral or ground, or can be connected across the phases of multiphase power systems. To disconnect the apparatus from the line in case of a device failure, I provide both fusing and circuit breakers.
Therefore, it is a primary object of my invention to provide apparatus to protect an electrical power system from damages due to high rise time transients and momentary voltage surges.
It is another object of my invention to protect an electrical power system from damages due to either high-energy or low-energy transients on the power lines.
It is still another object of my invention to provide apparatus that will clamp line overvoltage conditions to a safe level that will not damage electrical equipment operating from the line.
It is yet another object of my invention to provide surge protection apparatus that will react within 1 × 10.sup. -12 seconds.
It is a further object of my invention to protect for voltage disturbances having energy up to 40 joules and peak currents of up to 20,000 amperes.
It is yet a further object of my invention to provide self-protection to automatically disconnect failed elements from the power line.
These and additional objects, features, and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the detailed description herein below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a preferred embodiment of my multiple-transient protective apparatus for application to a single-phase, 120-volt ac electrical power installation,
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the connection of the apparatus of FIG. 1 to a typical single-phase, 3-wire common neutral electrical power installation,
FIG. 3 is a schematic of my protective apparatus using a three-electrode arrestor,
FIG. 4 is a typical approximate-equivalent circuit diagram of an installation of the type shown in FIG. 2,
FIG. 5 is a waveform diagram, not-to-scale, illustrating the cooperative operation of the elements of my protective apparatus during the duration of an idealized high-level electrical transient,
FIG. 6 is a waveform diagram, not-to-scale, of one cycle of the power line voltage during the transient shown in FIG. 5,
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of my protective apparatus for a 240-volt ac electrical power installation,
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7 connected to protect a three-phase delta connected electrical power system, and
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment of my protective apparatus arranged to protect a so-called split-phase electrical power installation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 1, the basic elements of my invention are shown as protective apparatus 10 applied to an embodiment to protect a single-phase electrical power installation. For purposes of example, I assume a 120-volt, 60-cycle input between terminals 1 and 2. A two-electrode gas-filled surge arrestor 20 is connected across the 120-volt line as shown. This element may be a Type TII-18/101 surge arrestor manufactured by Telecommunications Industries, Inc. The striking or breakdown voltage of arrestor 20 must be greater than the peak ac line voltage which, for this example, is approximately 170 volts. A desirable value may therefore be 200 volts. As may be recognized, a transient voltage appearing across the 120-volt line will cause the instantaneous line voltage to exceed 200 volts and strike a gaseous discharge in arrestor 20. As will be described in more detail hereinafter, the discharge will result in an arc dropping the voltage across the line to about 30 volts, thereby absorbing a major portion of the energy in the transient disturbance.
It is pertinent at this point to describe certain characteristics of the arrestor 20. The selected unit will conduct 15 transient pulses at 3-minute intervals having currents of 20,000 amperes where the waveform is assumed to rise to its peak voltage in 8 μsec and decay to one-half peak voltage in 20 μsec. This waveform has been used as a standard reference in the art, and is known as an 8/20 waveform. The unit will conduct a power line current when fired of 20 amperes for one second, ten times at 3-minute intervals. A critical characteristic of any gas discharge arrestor is the inherent delay in its firing. For the selected unit, a voltage step of 800 volts with a rise time of less than 0.05 μsec will strike the gaseous discharge in a maximum delay time of 1 μsec.
For electrical distribution systems having voltage-sensitive devices installed, the delay in firing of arrestor 20 can allow dangerously high voltages to be reached before protection can be provided. To protect the system during this initial arrestor firing delay period, I have found that two nonlinear, bilateral semiconductor elements can be used in combination with arrestor 20. To this end, I have provided metallic oxide varistor 30 and zener-type silicon device 40.
For zener-type device 40, I prefer a TransZorb TM Type No. 1.5KE200CA, manufactured by General Semiconductor Industries, Inc., and will be referred to hereinafter by its registered trademark name as a TransZorb device. Devices with identical characteristics are also available from TRW Company. These units will appear as an open circuit at voltages below the breakdown voltage and as a very low impedance at voltages above the breakdown voltage. Device 40 for use with the exemplary 120-volt line application has a breakdown voltage of approximately 200 volts. Of key importance to my invention is its characteristic of conducting within 10.sup. -12 seconds of application of its breakdown voltage. Advantageously, this characteristic positively prevents physically-realizable transients on power lines protected in accordance with my invention from reaching potentially-damaging levels before being clamped by the TransZorb device 40. The unit is capable of 1,500 watts of peak pulse power dissipation at 25° C., a forward surge current of 200 amperes, and will dissipate 1.5 joules at 75° C.
It may be understood that, while TransZorb device 40 can clamp a fast-rise time, high-energy transient essentially instantaneously, the energy contained therein may well exceed the 1.5 joule dissipation capability of device 40 during the 1 μsec before arrestor 20 fires. For this reason, I provide metallic oxide varistor 30 connected in parallel with TransZorb device 40. For the example of FIG. 1, I prefer a metallic oxide varistor Model No. V130LA20B, manufactured by General Electric. Varistor 30 is a pair of voltage-dependent, symmetrical resistors that operate in a manner similar to a back-to-back zener diode, such as the TransZorb device 40. Varistor 30 impedance will change from very high to very low when its breakdown voltage is exceeded. The specified model varistor has a breakdown voltage of approximately 190 volts, and will dissipate up to 20 joules of energy at a peak current of 2,000 amperes.
The response time of varistor 30 is a maximum of 50 × 10.sup. -12 seconds. As may now be seen, after a fast rise time transient has caused TransZorb device 40 to break down at approximately 200 volts within one nanosecond, varistor 30 will be above its breakdown voltage and will advantageously conduct within 50 nanoseconds, thus absorbing sufficient energy to prevent damage to TransZorb device 30. Within 1 μsec, arrestor 20 will fire and dissipate the remainder of the energy in the transient, thus limiting the energy dissipated in varistor 30 to a safe value. Significantly, this unique combination of elements in my invention provide, progressively in time, means for absorbing the energy in both the fast rise time portions of a transient and the slower decay time with full protection to the elements against damage from the transient.
In addition to these main elements of my protective apparatus, I advantageously provide other protective elements for fail-safe operation thereof. As may be noted in FIG. 1, a "Slo-Blo" fuse 32 is disposed in the line between arrestor 20 and the devices 30 and 40. In case of a heavy line fault current, fuse 32 will protect the devices from damage. Similarly, failure of device 30 or 40 in a ahort-circuit mode will blow fuse 32, isolating the faulty device from the line. Indicator lamp 34, which may be a neon type across fuse 32, will light when its associated fuse is open. Neon lamp 34 can be monitored as desired to indicate that the apparatus has not failed. An alternative indicator lamp that will fail-safe may be utilized with my invention by connecting a 120-volt neon bulb in parallel with devices 30 and 40. Under normal conditions, this lamp will glow. If fuse 32 is blown for any reason, the lamp will be out, altering the user. For industrial installations, either connection of indicator lamp 34 can be used, with lamp 34 remotely located at a power panel or other convenient point.
Thermal circuit breaker 22 is placed in the 120-volt line ahead of arrestor 20. Breaker 22 may be of the automatic resetting type. In the event that the gas in arrestor 20 fails to deionize after disappearance of a transient for any reason, breaker 22 will open, ensuring deionization.
While I have described this embodiment of my apparatus for application to a 120-volt, 60-cycle line, it is to be understood that it may be used with any voltage or frequency with appropriate changes in the operating characteristics of the various elements thereof.
Turning now to FIG. 2, I have shown in block diagram form how the implementation of FIG. 1 can be connected to a 3-wire, single-phase common neutral power system. Line transformer 44 furnishes power to the service drop leading to watt hour meter 42 at the building. Protective apparatus 10 is connected on the load side of meter 42 in parallel with each building load 46, with terminal 1 of each apparatus 10 connected to high sides of lines L1 and L2 and terminal 2 to the neutral terminal N.
While FIG. 2 illustrates a practical use of my protective apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 applied to a 3-wire, common neutral single-phase electrical system, I prefer a modified implementation for this application. FIG. 3 shows my preferred embodiment for this case. As may be noted, I have substituted three-electrode arrestor 50 for the two two-electrode arrestors 20 shown in FIG. 2. The disadvantage of the two-arrestor arrangement is that a transient arriving on line L1 and line L2 simultaneously may result in the two separate arrestors firing at slightly different times, since the exact firing times are subject to statistical variations. For the period of time when one arrestor has fired and the other has not, a voltage known as a transverse voltage will appear across the unfired arrestor and full protection would not be achieved. Advantageously, an important feature of the three-electrode arrestor 50 is that striking one set of gaps causes the other two gaps to fire virtually simultaneously. I prefer a Type TII-316(A) surge arrestor, manufactured by Telecommunications Industries, Inc., for arrestor 50. The remainder of the elements in FIG. 3 are the same as indicated in FIG. 1.
Transients originating on the power lines may be due to lightning and to switching of equipment by the power company. In either event, the transient may be considered to enter the protected power system at the line transformer 44 of FIG. 2. In FIG. 4, I have shown a simplified equivalent circuit of a protected power system with the line transformer being represented by secondary circuit equivalent 49. For illustrative purposes, the secondary circuit is assumed to have a series resistance 52 of 0.02 ohms. The service drop is assumed to have a series resistance 53 of 0.062 ohms, an inductance 54 of 0.014 mh, and a shunt capacitance 51 of 885 pf, which is typical for household systems. My protective apparatus is represented by arrestor 56, varistor 57, and TransZorb device 58. As may be noted, the rise times of transients appearing across protective apparatus 55 will be limited due to the filtering effects of the R, L, and C of the systems. For the typical values shown, the series and shunt reactances will be approximately equal at 1.5 MHz, and most of the transient energy at frequencies above this value will be dissipated in the line and circuit resistances ahead of protective device 55. Therefore, the ability of TransZorb device 58 to clamp within 1 nanosecond ensures that minimal transient energy will appear in system load 59.
In FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, idealized waveform sketches showing the actions of the elements of my invention may be seen. Due to the wide excursions of the transient voltages and delay times, it is not feasible to show the waveforms to scale; however, pertinent actions are indicated by the lettered points. It is also to be understood that values shown are typical. Assume for illustrative purposes that a voltage wave A, A' for a 120-volt power line experiences a high-energy, fast rise time positive going transient B at the maximum value of its positive cycle of approximately 170 volts. Due to the extremely short time scale of FIG. 5, sinewave A appears as a constant value. Transient B added to voltage A reaches 200 volts at point C. One nanosecond later, TransZorb device 40 (FIG. 1) conducts, tending to clamp the transient at 200 volts. However, due to the finite impedance of TransZorb device 40 when conducting, the voltage across the device will tend to rise as the transient B voltage increases. This rise of voltage across device 40 will continue to point D 50 nanoseconds later. Varistor 30 is selected to conduct at 190 volts, and will break down approximately 50 nanoseconds after this voltage appears across its terminals as indicated at point D, dropping the voltage to about 190 volts at point F. In accordance with my invention, it is of importance to note that the voltage across TransZorb device 40 would increase as shown by dashed line E if varistor 30 were not present. In such case, the safe dissipation characteristic of device 40 would be exceeded, causing failure of the device. As may now be recognized, varistor 30 advantageously conducts at point D well before the level at which TransZorb device 40 would be damaged. As transient B continues to rise, the voltage across varistor 30 rises from point F to point G. As shown by dashed line H, this voltage, if allowed, would continue to rise to the point where the dissipation of varistor 30 would be exceeded and damage to varistor 30 would occur.
However, the voltage across arrestor 20 has been above its 200-volt firing point since the time represented by point C, and therefore fires at about 1 μsec at point G, in accordance with its characteristics. When arrestor 20 fires at G, a glow discharge occurs, dropping the voltage to about 110 volts at J. An arc then occurs at K, now dropping the voltage to about 30 volts at L. It is to be particularly pointed out that the dropping of the voltage across arrestor 20 to about 110 volts causes varistor 30 and TransZorb device 40 to both be below their breakdown voltages. Therefore, both devices recover and will, in accordance with my invention, not be required to dissipate any additional energy from the transient and are therefore fully-protected from damage. When the trailing edge M of the transient falls to zero, arrestor 20 will continue to conduct line current until the line voltage drops to the glow voltage at N (FIG. 6), allowing the gas to deionize and returning the circuit to normal. FIG. 6, while not to scale, shows the approximate relationships of the various parts of the waveform just described. It is to be noted that the dashed lines represent the waveforms in the absence of my protective apparatus. It is also to be understood that the nonlinear elements of my apparatus are bilateral and a negative-going transient will be similarly clamped.
Another embodiment of my transient protective apparatus 14 is shown in FIG. 7 and is applicable to 240-volt power systems. The parallel combination of arrestor 80, varistor 60, and zener-type devices 40 is connected across the 240-volt line. Arrestor 80 may be a Type TII-18/101C, varistor 60 may be a GE Type V250LA40A, and device 40 may be a General Semiconductor TransZorb Type 1.5KE200CA. As may be noted, two of the TransZorb devices 40 are connected in series to be operative with the higher voltage. Thermal circuit breaker 24 and "Slo-Blo" fuse 38 is in series with devices 60 and 40 for protection of the apparatus in the same manner as the embodiment of FIG. 1, described herein above.
FIG. 8 illustrates the use of my protective apparatus 14 as applied to a 240-volt, 3-phase delta connected power system. An apparatus 14 is connected across each phase of delta connected 3-phase transformer secondary 90 as shown.
An application of my invention to a 240-volt, 3-phase delta power system, with a split phase supplying single-phase, 3-wire, 120-volt common neutral, is shown in FIG. 9. As may be noted, phase L2-L3 is the split phase of transformer secondary 92, and the apparatus 12 shown in FIG. 3 is connected in parallel with lines L2, L3, and N. The remaining two phases L1-L2 and L1-L3 are protected with apparatus 14 arranged as described above in reference to FIG. 8. As may now be recognized by those skilled in the art, any type of electric power system, such as: 3-phase, 3-wire; 3-phase, 4-wire; and 2-phase can be protected by obvious arrangements of the basic elements of my invention.
My transient protective apparatus is applicable to any type of installation, from a small private residence to large industrial complexes. For large installations, the apparatus should be installed at the service entrance, and additional apparatus installed at strategic points in the system to protect against lightning-induced transients in the building wiring and against surges from inductive devices.
While I have specified certain specific elements to be used in my apparatus, many equivalent devices available from other vendors may be substituted, provided the voltage breakdown, dissipation, and operating time delays are appropriate. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, my protective device is also applicable to direct current power systems, and many variations are obvious without departing from the spirit of my invention. | Apparatus is disclosed for absorbing and dissipating the electrical energy present in voltage transients and surges occurring in a power distribution system for protecting the system and equipment connected thereto from damage due to such transients and surges. First bilateral nonlinear semiconductors having zener-type voltage breakdown characteristics and capability of essentially instantaneous breakdown for inputs exceeding a selected voltage breakdown are connected in parallel with the circuits to be protected. Such semiconductors have low energy-dissipating capability; therefore, second bilateral nonlinear semiconductors having much greater energy-dissipating capability, similar voltage breakdown characteristics, and slower response time are connected in parallel with the first semiconductors. The breakdown of the second semiconductors occurs in time to prevent the first semiconductors from being damaged from excessive dissipation. A gaseous discharge gap-type arrestor is connected essentially in parallel with the first and second semiconductors and has a selected striking voltage appropriate to the breakdown voltages of the semiconductors.Upon firing of the arrestor, the voltage is dropped to a very low value and the remaining surge energy is dissipated in the arrestor. Firing of the arrestor occurs after the breakdown of the second semiconductor in time to prevent the dissipation capability of the second semiconductor from being exceeded.
The cooperative and consecutive breakdown of the three elements serves to limit the peak voltage of a surge to a safe value and dissipate the surge energy without damage to the elements, thereby preventing damage to the power distribution system and associated equipments. | 7 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a U.S. national stage of International Patent Application No. PCT/CN2010/075695, filed Aug. 4, 2010, which claims priority of Chinese Patent Application No. 201010222506.9, filed on Jul. 6, 2010, the contents of which are each incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of electric irons of domestic appliance, and in particular relates to an oil-storage type electric iron.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
In the prior art, the soleplate of an domestic electric iron is generally designed as a die-casted aluminum soleplate integrated with the heating tube, and an adjustable temperature controller mounted on the upper surface of soleplate is used to control the operations of heating tube, so as to control and regulate the temperature on the bottom surface of the soleplate of electric iron. Such electric iron has the following disadvantages: the specific-heat capacity of aluminum product is relatively lower, the thermal capacity of the soleplate of electric iron is relatively smaller, so that the first-stroke temperature at the starting time is high, the temperature fluctuation in the operation of electric iron is high, and the stability of operating temperature is poor, so that the use safety and ironing quality of electric iron are affected; in order to increase the thermal capacity of soleplate, it is generally necessary to increase the weight of the aluminum material for soleplate, which causes higher cost and energy consumption in production. Furthermore, the operation of electric iron is not sufficiently flexible due to increased weight. Furthermore, the surface abrasion resistance of the cast-aluminum soleplate is poor, so that it is necessary to spray a wearing coat on the bottom surface of soleplate. Such wearing coat has poor wearing property and may be easily scraped and worn. If the soleplate is wrapped with a stainless steel plate or an additional thin layer of wear resistant soleplate, such problems as lower thermal efficiency and higher wear will occur. Furthermore, said electric iron also has such problems as uneven temperature distribution on the bottom surface of soleplate, higher temperature at the position corresponding to the heating tube and lower temperature at other positions. However, since domestic electric irons generally adopt dynamic ironing mode, so that the uneven surface temperature of soleplate causes less influence. Therefore, in the field of domestic iron irons, an electrothermal tube is habitually used to directly heat the metal plate. Furthermore, all the traditional electric irons are designed as electric irons with core (with power line). In the practical use, due to the dragging operation of power line and the limit in the distance from power supply, more convenient and comprehensive use of the traditional electric irons are affected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With the view of said problems, it is the technical object of the present invention to provide an oil-storage type electric iron, which is featured by high stability and evenness of working temperature, convenient, flexible and safe operation and long service life and can reduce material costs and energy consumption in production and thus save resources.
More specifically, the present invention provides an oil-storage type electric iron, comprising a flat ironing part and an adjustable temperature controller 6 , wherein the flat ironing part comprises a stainless steel soleplate 1 , an upper casing plate 2 , an electrothermal tube 3 and a heat conducting oil 4 ; the stainless steel soleplate 1 and the upper casing plate 2 form a closed shell; and the closed shell is internally provided with the electrothermal tube 3 and the heat conducting oil 4 .
In addition, the closed shell is also internally provided with an electrothermal tube bracket 5 and a temperature controller mounting seat 7 ; the adjustable temperature controller 6 is provided on the temperature controller mounting seat 7 , and the electrothermal tube bracket 5 is permanently connected with the electrothermal tube 3 and the temperature controller mounting seat 7 respectively.
Preferably, the adjustable temperature controller 6 is an adjustable temperature controller made of thermal bimetal strip and also comprises a temperature overheat protector.
Preferably, the temperature overheat protector comprises a pair of temperature control switch contacts 6 . 5 provided on the adjustable temperature controller 6 ; an arched spring piece 6 . 1 is connected in series with the temperature control switch contacts 6 . 5 , an eutectic tin alloy welding spot 6 . 2 is used to weld the free end of the arched spring piece 6 . 1 with the free end of a first wiring terminal 6 . 3 for the purpose of conducting, the fixed end of the first wiring terminal 6 . 3 is separated from the fixed end of the arched spring piece 6 . 1 by means of a mica washer 6 . 6 ; the first wiring terminal 6 . 3 and a second wiring terminal 6 . 4 are respectively connected with the electrothermal tube 3 and the power input end.
Preferably, the oil-storage type electric iron also comprises a pair of contact pins 11 , the contact pins 11 are provided under a terminal box 30 at the rear end of the oil-storage type electric iron, the ends of the contact pins 11 are respectively connected with the electrothermal tube 3 and the adjustable temperature controller 6 through a pair of wiring terminals 12 inside the terminal box 30 , and another end of the contact pins 11 is an extending end which extends from the terminal box 30 and is connected with a power supply device.
Preferably, The power supply device is a preheating power socket, which comprises a pair of contact spring pieces 13 , a pair of power wiring terminals 21 and a power line 22 ; the free end of the contact spring piece 13 is contiguously connected with the extending end of the contact pin 11 , the surface of the contact spring piece 13 and the surface of the extending end of the contact pin 11 are respectively provided with a silver coating or a compound silver coating.
The oil-storage type electric iron and the preheating power socket also comprise an electrical connection safety device, the electrical connection safety device comprises a pushing boss 14 , a movable pressing block 15 , a fixed plate 16 and a movable spring piece 17 ; the pushing boss 14 is provided on the terminal box 30 at the rear end of the electric iron, the movable pressing block 15 is provided on the preheating power socket; a resetting torsion spring 18 is provided on the pivot of the movable pressing block 15 ; one end of the fixed plate 16 is connected with the fixed end of a contact spring piece 13 , and a first electrical contact 19 is provided on the another end of the fixed plate 16 ; one end of the movable spring piece 17 is connected with the power wiring terminal 21 , and a second electrical contact 20 is provided on the another end of the movable spring piece 17 ; when the oil-storage type electric iron is placed in the preheating power socket, the extending end of the contact pin 11 is connected with the free end of the contact spring piece 13 , the pushing boss 14 pushes the movable pressing block 15 to move downwards and press down the movable spring piece 17 , so that the second electrical contact 20 of the movable spring piece 17 contacts with the first electrical contact 19 of fixed plate 16 ; The preheating power socket also comprises a bracket seat 23 and a thermal insulation cushion 24 ; the inclination angle of the table of the bracket seat 23 is 15°-45°, and the thermal insulation cushion 24 is made of soft silica gel.
A coating layer is provided in the whole/partial periphery on the side of the closed shell, and the coating layer is composed of one, two or three kinds of reversible thermopaints 25 which can change colors at specific temperature.
The oil-storage type electric iron also comprises a steam-generating device, and the steam-generating device comprises a second closed shell 26 , a steam conduit 27 , a second electrothermal tube 28 and a temperature-limiting type temperature controller 29 ; water and steam are provided in the second closed shell 26 .
The second closed shell 26 is provided above the flat ironing part and is permanently connected with the built-in mounting seat 10 in the closed shell; a water filling nozzle sealed tube 31 and a cock 32 are provided on the second closed shell 26 , the second electrothermal tube 28 is provided inside the second closed shell 26 , a steam inlet 27 . 1 is provided on the upper end of the steam conduit 27 , a lower port 27 . 2 of the steam conduit 27 extends out of the second closed shell 26 ; a steam-spray chamber 27 . 3 is provided between the upper casing plate 2 and the stainless steel soleplate 1 , a steam-spray hole 1 . 1 is provided on the stainless steel soleplate 1 , and the position of the steam-spray hole 1 . 1 corresponds to the position of the steam-spray chamber 27 . 3 .
The beneficial effects of the present invention as follows:
The present invention breaks through the traditional use mode of electric iron, and puts forward a solution to effectively solve such problems as low thermal capacity, poor temperature stability, temperature uniformity, durability and safety of the soleplate of electric iron. In addition, the cordless electric iron is adopted to provide more convenient and safe operations. The present invention can also be used in combination with the steam-generating device to further improve the functions of electric iron.
The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail in combination with the attached figures and the specific embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is the structural diagram of the embodiment 1 of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is the schematic diagram of the position of an electrothermal tube in the soleplate of the electric iron as disclosed in the embodiment 1 of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is the structural diagram of the adjustable temperature controller with the temperature overheat protector as shown in FIG. 1 ;
FIG. 4 is the structural diagram of the cordless electric iron with the contact pins and the preheating power socket as disclosed in the embodiment 2 of the present invention;
FIG. 5.1 is the schematic diagram of the side section of the preheating power socket as disclosed in the embodiment 2 of the present invention;
FIG. 5.2 is the schematic diagram of the upper section and local section of the preheating power socket as disclosed in the embodiment 2 of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is the structural diagram of the steam oil-storage type electric iron as disclosed in the embodiment 3 of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is the schematic diagram of the circuit structure as disclosed in the embodiment 2 of the present invention.
Symbols in the attached drawings:
1. Stainless steel soleplate
1.1. Steam-spray hole
2. Upper casing plate
3. Electrothermal tube
4. Heat conducting oil
5. Electrothermal tube bracket
6. Adjustable temperature controller
6.1. Arched spring piece
6.2. Eutectic tin alloy welding spot
6.3. First wiring terminal
6.4. Second wiring terminal
6.5. Temperature control switch contact
6.6. Mica washer
6.7. Bimetal strip
6.8. Temperature regulating shaft
6.9. Spring assembly
7. Temperature controller mounting seat
8. Reinforcing rib
9. Shell
10. Mounting seat
11. Contact pin
12. Wiring terminal
13. Contact spring piece
14. Pushing boss
15. Movable pressing block
16. Fixed plate
17. Movable spring piece
18. Resetting torsion spring
19. First electrical contact
20. Second electrical contact
21. Power wiring terminal
22. Power line
23. Bracket seat
24. Thermal insulation cushion
25. Reversible thermopaint
26. Second closed shell
27. Steam conduit
27.1. Steam inlet
27.2. Lower port
27.3. Steam-spray chamber
28. Second electrothermal tube
29. Temperature-limiting temperature controller
30. Terminal box
31. Water filling nozzle sealed tube
32. Cock
33. Steam indicating switch
34. Heating indication lamp
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Embodiment 1
FIG. 1 is the structural diagram of the embodiment 1 of the present invention; As shown in FIG. 1 , the flat ironing part of the electric iron comprises a stainless steel soleplate 1 , an upper casing plate 2 , an electrothermal tube 3 , a heat conducting oil 4 , an electrothermal tube bracket 5 , a temperature controller mounting seat 7 and a mounting seat 10 . The soleplate 1 and the upper casing plate 2 form a closed shell. The closed shell is internally provided with the electrothermal tube 3 and filled with high-temperature resistant heat conducting oil 4 . However, the closed shell is not completely filled with the heat conducting oil 4 , so as to reserve the space for expansion of heat conducting oil at high temperature.
Generally, the specific-heat capacity of heat conducting oil is 2-3 KJ/Kg° C., while the specific-heat capacity of aluminum is merely 0.88 KJ/Kg° C. With the same weight, the thermal capacity of heat conducting oil is 2.5-3.5 times as much as that of aluminum. Since the media of heat conducting oil is heated by means of heating tube and the thermal capacity is transferred to the whole surface of the soleplate, as compared with the case where the electrothermal tube is used to directly heat the soleplate, the temperature uniformity of the soleplate of electric iron is improved. Therefore, if the oil-storage type electric iron is adopted, it is feasible to increase the thermal capacity of the soleplate of electric iron by several times against the made metallic soleplate, so that such problems as poor temperature stability and temperature uniformity and high temperature fluctuation on the ironing bottom surface of electric iron can be solved. With smaller working temperature fluctuation, lower action frequency of temperature controller and lower thermal shock at the time of starting up, the service life of electric iron can be effectively extended.
The stainless steel soleplate 1 can be made of stainless steel plate in thickness of 1.2-2.5 mm, which is punched into a disk-shaped soleplate of iron. The upper casing plate 2 can be made of stainless steel plate in thickness of 0.5-1 mm, which is punched into a disk-shape matching with the periphery of the stainless steel soleplate 1 . Since the stainless steel plate has satisfactory corrosion resistance and wearability, the polished soleplate is durable in use and is uneasily damaged in collision. As compared with the cast aluminum plate sprayed with wear-resistant coating or wrapped with stainless steel surface, the polished soleplate can effectively improve the durability of electric iron and reduce the material costs and energy consumption in production. Since heat conducting oil is used to transfer heat, the surface temperature of the soleplate is even and stable without local high temperature, so that such problems as local colour change on the surface of the stainless steel soleplate and plastering of fabric will not occur, which often occur on the surface of the cast aluminum soleplate.
Several reinforcing ribs 8 , which emboss inwards, are provided on the upper casing plate 2 , so as to strengthen the rigidity of the upper casing plate 2 on the one hand and to play the function of wave elimination on the other hand, namely to eliminate the surge that may be generated by the heat conducting oil in the movement of electric iron.
FIG. 2 is the schematic diagram of the position of an electrothermal tube 3 in the soleplate of the electric iron. As shown in FIG. 1 in combination with FIG. 2 , the electrothermal tube 3 is horizontally placed and immersed in the heat conducting oil 4 in the closed shell formed by the stainless steel soleplate 1 and the upper casing plate 2 ; the adjustable temperature controller 6 is provided on the temperature controller mounting seat 7 ; the electrothermal tube bracket 5 is permanently connected with the electrothermal tube 3 and the temperature controller mounting seat 7 respectively; The electrothermal tube 3 is approximate to U-shaped tube; both ends of the electrothermal tube bracket 5 firmly hold the electrothermal tube 3 ; the middle section of the electrothermal tube bracket 5 sockets the temperature controller mounting seat 7 , and the temperature controller mounting seat 7 makes the electrothermal tube bracket 5 firmly attached the upper casing plate 2 . Since the electrothermal tube bracket 5 is connected with the electrothermal tube 3 and is firmly attached onto the upper end surface of the temperature controller mounting seat 7 , the reaction sensitivity of the adjustable temperature controller 6 to the temperature of the electrothermal tube 3 can be improved, and temperature control can be performed in time, so that the temperature of the heat conducting oil 4 in the closed shell becomes even stable.
FIG. 3 is the schematic diagram of the adjustable temperature controller 6 . The adjustable temperature controller 6 is an adjustable temperature controller made of thermal bimetal strip, which comprises a bimetal strip 6 . 7 and a temperature regulating shaft 6 . 8 ; a temperature overheat protector with temperature overheating protection function is also provided on the adjustable temperature controller 6 , and the temperature overheat protector is used to cut off the circuit of electrothermal tube 3 in case of abnormal temperature control of the adjustable temperature controller 6 , which plays the function of safety protection. As shown in FIG. 3 in combination with FIG. 7 , said temperature overheat protector is an arched spring piece 6 . 1 , which is provided on the adjustable temperature controller 6 and is connected in series with a pair of temperature control switch contacts 6 . 5 .
An eutectic tin alloy welding spot 6 . 2 is used to weld the free end of the arched spring piece 6 . 1 with the free end of a first wiring terminal 6 . 3 for the purpose of conducting, the fixed end of the first wiring terminal 6 . 3 is separated from the fixed end of the arched spring piece 6 . 1 by means of a mica washer 6 . 6 ; the first wiring terminal 6 . 3 and a second wiring terminal 6 . 4 are respectively connected with the electrothermal tube 3 and the power input end; through a spring assembly 6 . 9 in the adjustable temperature controller 6 , a pair of temperature control switch contacts 6 . 5 , the arched spring piece 6 . 1 and the first wiring terminal 6 . 3 , the second wiring terminal 6 . 4 forms electrical connection with the electrothermal tube 3 .
The preset dangerous temperature for the stainless steel soleplate 1 of the electric iron is 360° C. When the temperature of the soleplate rises to the melting point temperature 240° C. of the eutectic tin alloy welding spot, the eutectic tin alloy welding spot 6 . 2 melts, so that the arched spring piece 6 . 1 springs open and thus switches off the circuit connected from the power input end to the electrothermal tube 3 , playing the function of safety protection.
Embodiment 2
FIG. 4 is the structural diagram of the embodiment 2 where the cordless oil-storage type electric iron with contact pin is placed on a preheating power socket; FIG. 7 is the schematic diagram of the circuit structure as disclosed in the embodiment 2.
In general, an electric iron is provided with a power line and a plug. For the purpose of ironing operation, it is necessary to insert the power line on the power supply socket, so that the electric iron can generate heat and work. However, the dragging and shackling of the power line cause inconveniences in use and operation of the electric iron. Sometimes, the clothing may be contaminated by the pollutions on the power line. If a cordless electric iron is used, the temperature of electric iron drops very quickly due to small thermal capacity of the traditional metallic soleplate, so that it is necessary to preheat the electric iron frequently, which causes inconvenience. If an oil-storage type electric iron is used, since the soleplate of oil storage type iron has big thermal capacity, there will be longer effective operation time after a preheating. Therefore, it is especially advisable to adopt a cordless electric iron. When the power supply is relatively far from the clothing to be ironed, there is no need to drag the power line, the operation process becomes more flexible and clean, and the range of uses and functions of the electric iron can be greatly extended. Furthermore, being able to operate in uncharged state, the electric iron is safer and energy-saving.
As shown in FIG. 4 in combination with FIG. 7 , a pair of contact pins 11 in the cordless oil-storage type electric iron with contact pin are provided on a terminal box 30 at the rear end of the electric iron, one end of contact pins 11 in the shell is respectively connected with such elements as the electrothermal tube 3 and the adjustable temperature controller 6 through the wiring terminal 12 , namely one end of one of a pair of contact pins 11 is connected with the electrothermal tube 3 through the wiring terminal 12 , one end of another contact pin 11 is connected with the adjustable temperature controller 6 through the wiring terminal 12 , and another end of the contact pin is an extending end, which extends out of the terminal box 30 of the oil-storage type electric iron and is connected with the power supply device. A contact spring piece 13 is composed of a pair of thin bronze strips corresponding to the contact pins 11 , and its free end is connected with the extending end of the contact pin 11 through coordinated contact. To guarantee satisfactory electrical contact, it is feasible provide silvered or compound silvered contact surface on the end surface of the extending end of the contact pin 11 and on the surface of the contact spring piece 13 .
In order to prevent the safety problem from being caused by an electric iron, which contacts with an exposed contact spring piece 13 before it is placed on the preheating power socket, and an electrical connection safety device is adopted on the electrical connection position of the electric iron and the preheating power socket in this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4 , the electrical connection safety device comprises a pushing boss 14 , a movable pressing block 15 , a fixed plate 16 and a movable spring piece 17 . The pushing boss 14 is provided on the terminal box 30 under the back of electric iron, which is nearby a pair of contact pins 11 , the movable pressing block 15 is provided on the preheating power socket, a resetting torsion spring 18 is provided on the pivot of the movable pressing block 15 , the ends of a pair of fixed plates 16 are respectively connected with the fixed ends of a pair of contact spring pieces 13 , a first electrical contact 19 is provided on the another end of a pair of fixed plates 16 . The movable spring pieces 17 are a pair of thin bronze strips, the fixed ends of the movable spring pieces 17 are respectively connected with the power wiring terminals 21 at two poles of the power line 22 (zero line/live wire), its another end is a free end, on which a second electrical contact 20 is provided. The initial position of the free end of the movable spring piece 17 is set above the free end of the fixed plate 16 , so that the second electrical contact 20 is separated from the first electrical contact 19 .
As shown in FIG. 4 in combination with FIG. 7 , when the electric iron is placed on the preheating power socket, the extending end of the contact pin 11 firstly contacts with the free end of the contact spring piece 13 . At this moment, the movable pressing block 15 has not been pressed downwards in place, and the first electrical contact 19 does not contact with the second electrical contact 20 , namely, before the contact pin 11 contacts with contact spring piece 13 and at the moment when they contact, the contact spring piece 13 is uncharged. Therefore, it is feasible to prevent electric shock when a operator touches the exposed contact spring piece 13 , prevent arc discharge at the moment of contact and to avoid the arc erosion from generating adverse impact on the service life and electrical contact properties of contacted elements as well as the electromagnet interference caused by the electric arc to power network. After the contact pin 11 has contacted with the contact spring piece 13 , the pushing boss 14 continues to push the movable pressing block 15 to move downwards and push downwards the movable spring piece 17 , until the second electrical contact 20 contacts with the first electrical contact 19 , so that the heating tube 3 of the cordless electric iron is powered on.
Because the movable spring piece 17 has lost the pushing force of the movable pressing block 15 when the electric iron leaves from the preheating power socket, the movable spring piece 17 moves upwards under the effect of the elastic force generated by the resetting torsion spring 18 and the movable spring piece 17 , so that the second electrical contact 20 is disengaged from the first electrical contact 19 , the power supply is disconnected and the contact spring piece 13 is powered off. At this moment, under the effect of elastic force, the contact spring piece 13 pushes the contact pin 11 to move up simultaneously, so that the contact pin 11 has been under power off condition although the contact pin 11 has not been disengaged from the contact spring piece 13 . Therefore, when the contact pin 11 is disengaged from the contact spring piece 13 , arc phenomenon will unlikely occur, the resetting torsion spring 18 resets the movable pressing block 15 and the movable spring piece 17 returns to its initial position.
In order to guarantee that the contact spring piece 13 is uncharged whenever the contact pin 11 contacts with or separates from the contact spring piece 13 , it is necessary to make the extension height of the contact pin 11 and the contact stroke in coordination with the contact spring piece 13 exceed the height of the pushing boss 14 at the tail of electric iron as well as the stroke in coordination with the movable pushing 15 , so that when the movable pressing block 15 in coordination with the pressing boss 14 is pressing on the first electrical contact 19 and the second electrical contact 20 , the time point when electrical contact 19 is connected with the second electrical contact 20 , is posterior to the time point when the contact pin 11 is connected with the contact spring piece 13 , and the time point when electrical contact 19 is disconnected with the second electrical contact 20 , is ahead of the time point when the contact pin 11 is disconnected with the contact spring piece 13 . That is to say, when a cordless electric iron is placed, the contact pin 11 firstly contacts with the contact spring piece 13 , and subsequently the movable pressing block 15 presses down the movable spring piece 17 , so that the first electrical contact 19 contacts with the second electrical contact 20 , and the power supply is turned on. When the cordless electric iron is removed, the movable pressing block 15 firstly loosens the movable spring piece 17 , so that the first electrical contact 19 is separated from the second electrical contact 20 , the power supply is turned off, and in turn the contact pin 11 is separated from the contact spring piece 13 .
FIG. 5.1 is the schematic diagram of the side section of the preheating power socket as disclosed in the embodiment 2, FIG. 5.2 is the schematic diagram of the upper section and local section of the preheating power socket as disclosed in the embodiment 2. As shown in FIG. 5.1 , the preheating power socket also comprises a bracket seat 13 and a thermal insulation cushion 24 , which is used for skid-proof and heat-insulated when the electric iron is placed, the thermal insulation cushion 24 can be made of soft silica gel. The inclination angle of the table of the bracket seat 23 is 15˜45°, so that when an electric iron is placed on the bracket seat 23 , the contact pins 11 can reliably contact with the contact spring piece 13 .
The said electrical-connection safety device can be used to further improve the safety and service life of electric iron and to generate the effect of ensuring the safety of a power network.
FIG. 4 is the structural diagram of the reversible thermopaint sprayed in the periphery of the soleplate of electric iron. As shown in FIG. 4 , a reversible thermopaint 25 is sprayed on the exposed side around the stainless steel soleplate 1 of the electric iron; the reversible thermopaint 25 can be composed of one, two or three kinds of coatings which spray the whole cycle, part or pattern shape. For example, the reversible thermopaint 25 can be sprayed in the periphery of the soleplate 1 and is in black at temperature. In the process of preheating the soleplate, the color of the coating turns from black into red. When the temperature of the soleplate has reached the preset value, the temperature controller acts, and the heating indication lamp 34 of heating tube is off; in the operation and use of a cordless electric iron, the temperature of the soleplate gradually drops. When the temperature of the soleplate has dropped to the temperature at which the color of the coating changes, the color of the coating turns from red into black, prompting that it is necessary to replace the preheating power socket for heating. For example, it is feasible to spray reversible thermopaints in different colors in the periphery of the soleplate, so as to reflect diversified temperature specifications and form diversified temperature displaying functions. For example, three kinds of reversible thermopaints in three different colors can be provided, with their color-changing temperatures being 80° C., 130° C. and 180° C. respectively. If the coating with color-changing temperature of 80° C. changes color while the coating with color-changing of 130° C. does not change color, it is indicated that the temperature of the soleplate is within the range of 80-130° C.; If the coating with color-changing temperature of 130° C. changes color while the coating with color-changing of 180° C. does not change color, it is indicated that the temperature of the soleplate is within the range of 130-180° C.; If the coating with color-changing temperature of 180° C. changes color, it is indicated that the temperature of the soleplate is above 180° C.; if all the paints have not changed color, it is indicated that the temperature of the soleplate is below 80° C. It is also feasible to spray the reversible thermopaint into pictorial trademark or text or other kinds of patterns. In a word, it is feasible to adopt reversible color-changing thermopaints to display temperatures, generating such effects as a simple and visual, facilitate operation and decoration.
Embodiment 3
FIG. 6 is the structural diagram of the embodiment 3 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6 , the electric iron also comprises a steam-generating device, the steam generating device comprises a second closed shell 26 for accommodating water and steam, a steam conduit 27 , a second electrothermal tube 28 and a temperature-limiting temperature controller 29 ; the second closed shell 26 is permanently connected with a mounting seat 10 inside the flat ironing part; a water filling nozzle sealed tube 31 and a cock 32 are provided on the second closed shell 26 , the second electrothermal tube 28 is provided inside the second closed shell 26 , a steam inlet 27 . 1 is provided on the upper end of the steam conduit 27 , the lower port 27 . 2 of the steam conduit extends out of the second closed shell 26 ; a steam-spray chamber 27 . 3 is provided between the upper casing plate 2 and the soleplate 1 of the flat ironing part, a steam-spray hole 1 . 1 is provided on the stainless steel soleplate 1 , and the position of the steam-spray hole 1 . 1 corresponds to the position of the steam-spray chamber.
When the electric iron is required to use steam for working, the steam indicating switch 33 may be turned on, so that the second electrothermal tube 28 heats the water in the second closed shell 26 to boil and generate steam; after the steam has entered the steam inlet 27 . 1 above the steam conduit 27 , the steam enters the steam-spray chamber 27 . 3 from the lower port 27 . 2 and then is sprayed out from the steam-spray hole 1 . 1 above the soleplate of the iron.
An oil-storage type electric iron can be designed as a cordless or a core dry ironing type electric iron without steam generation part, also can be designed as a cordless or a core team type electric iron with steam generation part. In general cases, it is advisable to adopt cordless type for dry ironing electric iron and adopt electric iron with core for steam type electric iron.
In conclusion, the oil-storage type electric iron provided by the present invention has such advantages as temperature uniformity, convenient operation, energy saving, safety use and high economic value and use value and breaks through the mode of the traditional electric iron. | An oil-storing electric iron comprises: a flat ironing part including a stainless steel soleplate, a top casing plate, an electric heating tube and a heating conducting oil; and an adjustable temperature controller. The stainless steel soleplate and the top casing plate form an enclosed casing in which the electric heating tube and the heating conducting oil are provided. The thermal capacity of the electric iron soleplate can be effectively increased and the problem of instability and nonuniformity of the electrical iron soleplate temperature can be solved, so as to be uniform in temperature, easy to operate, safe in use and energy saving. | 3 |
This application claims priority under 35 USC §119(e)(1) of Provisional Application No. 60/114,268, filed Dec. 30, 1998.
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The technical field of this invention is that of integrated circuit input/output buffers and in particular such output buffers that are fail-safe.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) Input/output buffers which perform the interface between a packaged digital device chip and other such device chips must be able to withstand all anticipated conditions which might occur in normal usage as well as some conditions which could occur only under certain system power supply failure modes. One of the latter conditions, well known to designers, is the condition under which the system supply voltage fails and causes voltage stress, originating from an external load, to be impressed on the input, output, or input/output (I/O) buffer circuitry. This application problem has been made even more difficult in sub-micron CMOS circuitry operating on low voltage power supplies (3.3 volts, for example) but having the requirement that it must drive external circuitry biased with higher voltage supplies (5.0 volts or higher). A number of circuit configurations have been developed to address this problem.
One technique widely used to allow low voltage rating transistors to interface to higher voltage is to replace single transistors, which would otherwise have to withstand full voltage stress, with stacked or cascoded multiple transistors across which the stress may be distributed. The major difficulties of prior art solutions have been the effective sensing of the failed-supply condition and the proper biasing of the cascode protection transistors to allow both the required protection in the failed-supply state, and also the correct buffer operation in the normal state. Some chip suppliers have supplied buffers which have been designed using these and other supplementary circuit techniques, yet the buffers are normally not sufficiently robust that the supplier can claim fail-safe operation. Fail-safe operation means unconditional circuit reliability after extended supply voltage failure with high voltage signal levels applied to input/output pins.
Sub-micron chips having buffers without fail-safe protection will usually suffer catastrophic failure when the normal chip supply voltage fails for an extended period, if any input, output, or input/output buffer has a positive applied external voltage in the 5.0 volt range. This failure is usually the result of a gate oxide voltage breakdown but can also result from a drain-source impressed voltage beyond normal rated limits.
Providing fully fail-safe operation for CMOS input/output buffers is an extension to or generalization of the solution a more basic problem, namely, that of providing high voltage tolerant operation in low-voltage (3.3 volt supply) CMOS. Briefly stated, 5 volt tolerant operation means that a circuit, designed for a 3.3 volt power supply, is able to drive a load or be driven from a source consisting of a resistor connected to a 5 volt power supply. Specifications for 5 volt tolerant circuits define maximum output leakage current flow in the ‘high’ or ‘off’ state, or maximum input leakage in the input ‘high’ state. No appreciable input circuit or output circuit degradation is permitted. Note that a 5 volt tolerant circuit specification does not guarantee protection from the more stringent fail-safe condition, namely that the circuit must not sustain degradation when the normal V DD supply for the circuit fails, but applied voltage up to 5 volts or higher, at the bond pad from other chips external to the chip in question persists.
Circuits which are operated from a 3.3 volt supply often have this requirement so that they can be used in systems along with circuits which are operated from a 5 volt supply. Essentially, protection for the input circuit or output circuit is derived from the placement of a series transistor protection device between the circuit being protected and the bond pad. The biasing of the gate terminals of these series protection transistors has, in prior art, been ineffective to adequately protect all transistors at the input, output or input/output interface from voltage stress exceeding V OX — MAX (the maximum gate oxide voltage) in all failure modes conditions. Also, bias circuits operating in the highly irregular V DD failed state must be free from other conditions such as latch-up resulting from semiconductor-controlled-rectifier (SCR) action of parasitic transistors present in the device structures. These effects have also limited the application of prior art solutions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The fail-safe CMOS buffer configuration of this invention allows external applied voltages to be applied, which are higher than the maximum gate oxide voltage rating of the transistors provided by the process, even when the integrated circuit V DD supply has failed, or has been turned off, resulting in zero volts applied at the normal V DD supply node. This fail-safe protection has as its key element a unique bias circuit which provides two outputs. The first bias, labeled BIAS, drives the gate terminals of the series protection transistors. The second bias, labeled VDF, drives the gate of another protection transistor which acts to pull the gate of the lower output transistor to a low voltage level during the V DD failed condition.
A special connection of stacked transistors detects the V DD supply voltage collapse. A unique bias voltage supply, derived from the signal pin itself, is developed which is applied to series protection transistors in the input or output buffer circuitry. This bias supply acts to drive the protection transistors in a manner which optimally minimizes the voltage impressed on the input or output devices under all conditions which could persist in the event of V DD supply voltage failure. Protection circuitry holds all combinations of voltage stress: gate-to-source, gate-to-drain, drain-to-source, gate-to-substrate, and source/drain-to-substrate voltages, to acceptable levels. Parasitic transistor action has also been analyzed to assure that possible destructive latch-up conditions have been eliminated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other aspects of this invention are illustrated in the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a fail-safe input/output buffer configuration of this invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates the bias circuit of this invention for use in fail-safe buffer applications;
FIG. 3 illustrates the input buffer circuit which may be used in conjunction with the bias circuit of this invention in fail-safe buffer applications;
FIG. 4 illustrates the open-drain output circuit which may be used in conjunction with the bias circuit of this invention in fail-safe buffer applications; and
FIG. 5 illustrates the bias circuit of FIG. 2 with critical parasitic PNP transistors shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Providing fully fail-safe high voltage operation for low voltage CMOS input/output buffers is an extension to the solution to a more basic problem of providing high voltage tolerant operation. The term ‘high voltage’ is used here to describe a voltage higher than the allowable transistor gate to other terminal voltage for a given CMOS process. The term ‘low voltage’, by contrast, is used to refer to the usual supply voltage V DD applied to the integrated circuit power terminals. During the initial work on this invention, the predominant high voltage application was 5 volts for use with a CMOS low voltage V DD supply of 3.3 volts. Briefly stated, 5 volt tolerant operation means that a buffer can function with 5 volts applied to its bond pad terminal while the integrated circuit is powered with 3.3 volts. Specifications for 5 volt tolerant circuits define maximum current flow into the bond pad terminal of a buffer when driven with 5 volts. No appreciable degradation of this specification is allowed over the lifetime of the integrated circuit. A fail-safe input/output buffer must have no appreciable degradation of its specification over the lifetime of the device when 5 volts is applied to its output terminal (bond pad) whether V DD is active (3.3 volts) or failed (0 volts).
A block diagram of a ‘fail-safe’ buffer system is shown in FIG. 1. A single DC supply voltage of 3.3 volts is connected between positive terminal V DD , node 101 , and ground terminal node 107 . Components that are external to the integrated circuit are shown in the dashed box. An external voltage ranging from 0 to 5 volts is applied to the bond pad of the buffer from external high voltage supply, VHV, node 115 , through external resistor 102 . Note that component 102 is not necessarily a resistor but can be any device that limits the current from the 5 volt external supply to the maximum value allowed in the system specifications.
External component 104 is a capacitor representing the maximum capacitive system load that an output buffer must discharge to meet its specified timing requirements in the application. Internal signals are generated in the Other Internal Circuitry block 100 which sends logic signals to an output buffer block 176 via line 105 and/or receives logic signals from an input buffer block 156 via line 103 .
Consider here only the simple case of an open drain output, and a conventional input circuit without any power reduction functions in the input/output circuit. Addition of three-state output buffers with enable circuitry and power reduction circuitry would not affect the implementation of the fail-safe protection of this invention. The essential difference would be that push-pull output circuits would have not only the cascode N-channel transistor in the pull-down portion of the circuit, but would also have a series or cascode connected P-channel transistor in the pull-up portion of the circuit. Both cascode-connected transistors would be driven at their gate terminals by the bias supply circuit of this invention.
In the case of an input/output the bond pad 113 is driven by an output buffer block 176 , and the bond pad also supplies a signal to an input buffer block 156 , thereby functioning bidirectionally. Other buffers external to this integrated circuit may be present in the system. The voltage at the bond pad 113 will be at a level between 0 volts and 5 volts at any time, either due to the operation of output buffer block 176 or an output buffer external to the integrated circuit. The bias generator block 120 contains the circuitry that accomplishes the fail-safe operation.
This bias generator block contains a sensing circuit composed of a stacked set of transistors driven by the bond pad, and a switching circuit configuration which detects the failed condition providing proper voltages to BIAS node 111 and VDF node 109 of the internal input and/or output circuits both during normal operation and also when V DD is failed. The present invention differs from 5 volt tolerant circuits in that the bias generator block 120 is not present in 5 volt tolerant input and output buffers, which instead have the BIAS node at a voltage between V DD and ground, and the V DD failed signal VDF does not exist.
The Other Internal Circuitry block 100 represents the remainder of the integrated circuit components and is responsible for processing the signals to and from the input/output circuitry at this bonding pad.
FIG. 2 contains the schematic of the bias circuit associated with the input/output circuitry at this bonding pad and just sufficient other component details to describe the operation of the fail-safe system function. The function of the bias circuit is to provide proper voltage levels, BIAS 211 and VDF 209 , when the bond pad 213 is at 5 volts. These voltage levels are applied to selected components of the input and/or output buffer to allow them to withstand this voltage. When V DD has not failed, the correct operation of the input/output buffers must not be affected by the fail-safe bias circuitry.
Output node 283 provides the output signal from Other Internal Circuitry 100 (FIG. 1) to drive bond pad 213 . Output circuit transistors 290 , 294 , 296 , output circuit resistor 292 and input circuit transistors 260 , 262 , 264 , input circuit resistor 258 are enclosed in properly identified dashed boxes to define them as separate from the bias circuit. Resistors 258 and 292 are included here for ESD (electrostatic discharge) protection and may not be required in all applications of this invention. The output load, dashed box components resistor 202 , capacitor 204 and node 215 are external to the integrated circuit.
In the output circuit drive section transistor 294 must have its gate at BIAS node 211 maintained at a voltage level such that its drain 285 to gate voltage, and gate to source 287 voltage never exceeds V OX — MAX (the maximum gate oxide voltage) and the drain 287 to ground 207 voltage of transistor 296 is less than V OX — MAX whenever the bond pad 213 is at 5 volts and transistor 296 is ‘off’. Note that the gate to ground voltage, can exceed V OX — MAX because when the transistor is ‘on’ the drain/source channel is inverted and the gate oxide sees the maximum voltage potential from the gate to the source or drain. Additionally the gate of output transistor 294 must be maintained at a voltage level high enough to guarantee that the specified V OL (voltage output low) from the bond pad 213 to ground 207 can be met when the signal input to the gate of output transistor 296 is high, transistor 296 is ‘on’ and V DD is not ‘failed’. Additionally a V DD failed positive voltage is output to VDF node 209 to the gate of output circuit transistor 290 whenever V DD is failed and the voltage on the bond pad 213 is 5 volts to assure output leakage remains low. This V DD failed signal and output circuit transistor 290 could be replaced with a resistor from node 283 to ground 207 which would result in additional V DD current when the output buffer was driving the output to a ‘low’ level.
Input node 253 transmits the input signal sensed from bond pad 213 to Other Internal Circuitry 100 (FIG. 1 ). In the input circuit section transistor 260 must have its gate at BIAS node 211 maintained at a voltage level such that the drain 259 to gate voltage and its gate to source voltage never exceeds the maximum allowed gate oxide voltage (V OX — MAX ) and the gate 261 to ground 207 voltage on transistors 262 and 264 is less than V OX — MAX volts whenever the bond pad 213 is at 5 volts. Input transistor 260 performs in a similar manner as output transistor 294 . Additionally the gate of input transistor 260 must be maintained at a voltage level high enough to guarantee that when the bond pad 213 to ground 207 voltage is low (V OL ) and V DD is not failed, transistor 260 is ‘on’ and node 261 is essentially at V OL .
Refer now to the bias switching circuit which has as its function to provide proper BIAS and VDF levels in both the normal and the V DD failed states.
In the V DD ‘active’ mode (V DD =3.3 volts), transistor 246 is ‘on’ sourcing current through resistor 248 causing a sufficient voltage at the gate 237 of transistor 244 to turn it ‘on’ assuring that the voltage at VDF node 209 is essentially zero volts. In this case transistor 250 is ‘on’ and BIAS node 211 has a low impedance path to V DD (3.3 volts). Note that transistor 250 is a P-channel transistor with its source tied to BIAS node 211 . This forms an active parasitic substrate PNP transistor which adds to the DC leakage current from the V DD supply. This connection is required to satisfy circuit operation when V DD is ‘failed’. In this mode, the remainder of the components in the bias generator have no appreciable effect on VDF node 209 and BIAS node 211 voltages.
All P-channel devices have associated parasitic substrate PNP devices. When a P-channel device has its substrate connected to a node where the voltage can be less positive than a source/drain terminal the parasitic substrate PNP can become ‘active’ and thereby sustain current flow during circuit operation. Later in this document, with reference to FIG. 5, the bias generator with all possible ‘active’ parasitic substrate PNP devices will be described.
Transistors 234 , 238 and 240 are source followers and their sources (nodes 233 , 227 and 235 respectively) are required to have a voltage greater than V DD (3.3 volts) before they will conduct. In this mode, when the bond pad 213 is at 5 volts, current flow in the voltage divider components is through transistor 238 , limiting the voltage at node 227 to 3.3 volts plus one V THRESHOLD (approximately 0.8 volt) of transistor 238 . Transistor 234 is non-conducting, limiting the current flow in the divider chain from the bond pad 213 . Any current through the divider chain when 5 volts is applied to bond pad 213 appears to the external circuits as leakage current.
When V DD is in the ‘failed’ mode (0 volts) BIAS node 211 and VDF node 209 must derive their voltage from the bond pad 213 which is assumed biased at 5 volts. The gate 237 of transistor 244 is pulled to ground by resistor 248 , turning it ‘off’, which allows VDF node 209 to achieve a voltage level above ground. Transistor 234 is ‘on’ establishing a ground reference for the voltage divider chain attached to the bond pad 213 . Transistors 238 and 242 will conduct if their sources (nodes 227 and 235 ) have a voltage one V THRESHOLD (approximately 0.8 volt) higher than ground.
Note that all the P-channel transistors in the 5 volt divider chain ( 222 , 224 , 226 , 234 , 238 , 240 , 242 ) are in isolated N-wells and have specific source/drain to N-well short orientations. Transistors 222 , 224 and 226 must be P-channel transistors to limit the voltage across their gate oxides when the externally applied bond pad 213 voltage transitions from 5 volts to ground. Their orientation eliminates parasitic substrate PNP current flow when the bond pad 213 is at 5 volts and discharges node 227 to within 3 V BE (V BE =base-emitter ‘on’ voltage of bipolar transistor) of ground when the bond pad is at 0 volts. Transistor 234 has the orientation of a source follower with a threshold one V THRESHOLD (approximately 0.8 volt) above V DD . Transistor 240 guarantees that the voltage at BIAS node 211 is at least one V THRESHOLD (approximately 0.8 volt) lower than the voltage at VDF node 209 which guarantees that transistor 250 is ‘off’ presenting a high impedance path from BIAS node 211 to V DD . Transistor 240 is oriented to prevent substrate PNP action when BIAS node 211 has a positive voltage less than one V THRESHOLD (approximately 0.8 volt) above the voltage at VDF. Transistors 238 , 240 and 242 are oriented to make their associated parasitic substrate PNP transistors ‘inactive’ when the bond pad 213 is at 5 volts.
Operation of the bias generator in the V DD ‘failed’ mode is as follows. Assume the bond pad 213 is at 0 volts. Since there is no voltage stress applied to the integrated circuit transistors and no functionality is required, VDF node 209 and BIAS node 211 can be near zero volts. When the applied bond pad 213 voltage rises to 5 volts, current flows in the divider chain (including resister 236 and transistors 222 , 224 , 226 , 228 , 230 , 232 and 234 ) establishing a voltage less than V OX — MAX (maximum allowed gate oxide voltage) at node 227 . The voltage at VDF node 209 , the gate of transistor 250 , rises faster than the voltage at BIAS node 211 ensuring that transistor 250 remains ‘off’ and turning ‘on’ output transistor 294 and/or input transistor 260 . As transistors 294 and/or 260 turn ‘on’, capacitance is established from their drain/source nodes to their gate and the changing voltage across this capacitance causes BIAS node 211 voltage to increase to one V THRESHOLD (approximately 0.8 volt) above VDF node 209 at which point transistor 250 conducts to V DD , limiting the positive excursion of the voltage on BIAS node 211 . Parasitic substrate PNP action at this node also limits this voltage. The positive voltage at VDF node 209 is also applied to the gate of transistor 290 assuring that transistor 296 is held ‘off’.
The divider components are designed to conduct as little as possible and still assure proper circuit operation to minimize the current drawn from the external source when it is at 5 volts. They act as forward biased diode connected transistors with very high ‘on’ resistance. When the externally applied voltage at the bond pad 213 transitions to zero volts, the parasitic substrate PNP transistors associated with the divider chain transistors become ‘active’ and reduce the voltage on the internal nodes of the bias generator.
FIG. 3 illustrates the schematic of the 5 volt ‘fail-safe’ input buffer. Elements the same as those illustrated in FIG. 2 will have the same reference number and will not be described in detail. The 3.3 volt supply is applied between V DD 201 and ground 201 . The 5 volt supply is applied to VHV 215 external to the integrated circuit and ground 207 , which can cause 5 volts to appear on the bond pad 213 , and through resistor 358 on the drain terminal 359 of transistor 360 . In this design, resistor 358 is used for ESD (electro-static discharge) protection and might not be required in all possible configurations. The gate of transistor 360 has a voltage applied from the bias generator (discussed previously) that is approximately 3.3 volts when V DD is not ‘failed’ or sufficient when V DD is ‘failed’ (zero volts) and the bond pad 213 is 5 volts to guarantee the transistor is ‘on’ and its drain to gate voltage is less than V OX — MAX (the maximum allowed gate oxide voltage). Transistor 360 acts as a source follower whenever the voltage at the bond pad 213 is 5 volts, limiting the voltage at node 361 to a value less than the voltage on BIAS node 211 minus V THRESHOLD (approximately 0.8 volts), protecting transistors 362 and 364 from the external 5 volt signal levels. When V DD is ‘active’ and the bond pad 213 is zero volts, transistor 360 is ‘on’ and the voltage at node 361 is approximately zero volts. The action of transistor 360 driven by the bias circuit of FIG. 2 is the heart of the input circuit protection of this invention.
The conventional input circuit (not a part of the invention) is now described for clarity. Transistors 362 and 364 form an inverter circuit stage, transistors 366 , 368 and 370 provide hysteresis for noise reduction and transistors 372 and 374 form a second inverter stage. The full input circuit shown is a non-inverting input buffer with output at SIG_IN to Other Internal Circuitry 100 (FIG. 1 ).
FIG. 4 illustrates the schematic of the 5 volt ‘fail-safe’ output buffer. Elements the same as those illustrated in FIG. 2 will have the same reference number and will not be described in detail. The open drain output circuit comprises transistor 496 driven at its gate by internal logic and the fail-safe protection related transistor 490 . Transistor 496 is protected by the action of transistor 494 driven at its gate by the bias circuit of this invention.
The 3.3 volt V DD supply is applied between V DD 201 and ground 207 . The 5 volt supply is applied to VHV 215 external to the integrated circuit and ground 207 , which can cause 5 volts to appear on the bond pad 213 , and through resistor 492 on the drain terminal of transistor 494 . In this design resistor 492 is used for ESD protection and might not be required in all possible configurations. The gate of transistor 494 has a voltage applied from the bias generator (discussed previously) that is approximately 3.3 volts when V DD is not ‘failed’ or sufficient when V DD is ‘failed’ (zero volts) and the bond pad 213 is 5 volts to guarantee the transistor 260 is ‘on’ and its drain 259 to gate 211 voltage is less than V OX — MAX (the maximum allowed gate oxide voltage). When V DD is ‘failed’ (zero volts) and the bond pad 213 is at 5 volts transistor 496 ‘off’ and no current flows through transistor 494 , which is in the ‘on’ condition, to ground. When V DD is not ‘failed’ (V DD =3.3 volts) transistor 490 is ‘off’ and transistor 496 will be ‘on’ if the voltage at its gate is 3.3 volts, resulting in its drain voltage approaching zero volts and the bond pad 213 voltage being below V OL (the maximum specified voltage output low). The output signal is in phase with SIG_OUT 405 in polarity but varies from 0 volts to 5 volts, whereas SIG_OUT varies from 0 volts to 3.3 volts. The action of transistor 494 driven at its gate by the BIAS output of the bias circuit of FIG. 2 of this invention and the action of transistor 490 driven at its gate by the VDF output of the bias circuit of FIG. 2 of this invention is the heart of the output circuit protection of this invention.
The three stage inverter driver comprised by transistors 478 , 480 , 482 , 484 , 486 , and 488 with output at node 483 are conventional circuitry for driving an open drain output buffer and are shown for illustration only and are not part of the invention.
FIG. 5 illustrates the schematic of the bias generator of this invention showing all P-channel transistors and associated parasitic substrate PNP transistors that can become ‘active’ during circuit operation. The operation of the circuit was described above but now the parasitic substrate PNP transistor action will be further illustrated in the modes of circuit operation where it could occur. All P-channel devices have associated parasitic substrate PNP devices. When a P-channel device has its substrate connected to a node where the voltage can be less positive than a source/drain terminal the parasitic substrate PNP can become ‘active’ and thereby sustain current flow during circuit operation.
In the V DD ‘active’ mode (V DD =3.3 volts), transistor 546 is ‘on’ sourcing current through resistor 548 causing a sufficient voltage at the gate 537 of transistor 544 to turn it ‘on’ assuring that the voltage at VDF 509 is essentially zero volts. In this case transistor 550 is ‘on’ and BIAS 511 has a low impedance path to V DD (3.3 volts). Note that transistor 550 is a P-channel transistor with its source tied to BIAS 511 which forms an active parasitic substrate PNP transistor 560 which adds to the DC leakage current from the V DD supply. This connection is required to satisfy circuit operation when V DD is ‘failed’. In this mode, the remainder of the components in the bias generator have no appreciable effect on VDF 509 and BIAS 511 voltages.
Note that all the P-channel transistors in the 5 volt divider chain ( 522 , 524 , 526 , 534 , 538 , 540 , 542 ) are in isolated N-wells and have specific source/drain to N-well short orientations. Transistors 522 , 524 and 526 must be P-channel transistors to limit the voltage across their gate oxides when the externally applied bond pad 213 voltage transitions from 5 volts to ground. Their orientation eliminates parasitic substrate PNP current flow when the bond pad 213 is at 5 volts and discharges node 527 to within 3 V BE (V BE =base−emitter ‘on’ voltage of bipolar transistor) of ground when the bond pad is at 0 volts. Transistor 540 is oriented to prevent substrate PNP action when BIAS node 211 has a positive voltage less than one V THRESHOLD (approximately 0.8 volt) above the voltage at VDF node 209 . Transistors 538 , 540 and 542 are oriented to make their parasitic substrate PNP transistors ‘inactive’ when the bond pad 213 is at 5 volts.
Operation of the bias generator in the V DD ‘failed’ mode is as follows. Assume the bond pad 213 is at 0 volts. Since there is no voltage stress applied to the integrated circuit transistors and no functionality is required VDF node 209 and BIAS node 211 can be near zero volts. When the applied bond pad 213 voltage rises to 5 volts, current flows in the divider chain (including resistor 536 and transistors 522 , 524 , 526 , 528 , 530 , 532 and 534 ) establishing a voltage less than V OX — MAX (maximum allowed gate oxide voltage) at node 527 . The voltage at VDF node 209 , the gate of transistor 550 rises faster than the voltage at BIAS node 211 ensuring that transistor 550 remains ‘off’ and turning ‘on’ output transistor 294 (not illustrated in FIG. 5, see FIG. 2) and/or input transistor 260 (FIG. 2 ). As transistors 294 and/or 260 turn ‘on’, capacitance is established from their drain/source nodes to their gate and the changing voltage across this capacitance causes BIAS node 211 voltage to increase to one V THRESHOLD (approximately 0.8 volt) above VDF node 209 at which point transistor 550 conducts to V DD , limiting the positive excursion of the voltage on BIAS node 211 . Parasitic substrate PNP action at this node also limits this voltage. The positive voltage at VDF node 209 is also applied to the gate of transistor 290 assuring that transistor 296 is held ‘off’. The divider components (including resistor 536 and transistors 522 , 524 , 526 , 528 , 530 , 532 and 534 ) are designed to conduct as little as possible and still assure proper circuit operation to minimize the current drawn from the external source when it is at 5 volts. They act as forward biased diode connected transistors with very high ‘on’ resistance. When the externally applied voltage at the bond pad 212 transitions to zero volts, the parasitic substrate PNP transistors associated with the divider chain transistors become ‘active’ and reduce the voltage on the internal nodes of the bias generator.
Because of the irregular conditions which circuit nodes are exposed to under the onset of the V DD failed condition, analysis of the full fail-safe bias circuit operation with parasitic transistor action included in the simulation models was an essential part of the development of this invention. Special layout techniques including the practice of placing critical P-channel devices in isolated N-wells with special orientation were used. | A fail-safe Input/Output buffer bias circuit for digital CMOS chips provides protection for Input/Output buffers which have high voltages applied to the Input/output node and are subjected to power supply failure resulting in a collapsing supply voltage decaying to zero volts while said Input/output circuit has a high voltage remaining applied to its Input/output node. The Input/output buffer bias circuit is comprised of a sensing circuit and a bias generator circuit which acts to drive protection transistors in a manner which optimally minimizes the voltage impressed on input or output devices under all conditions which could persist in the event of V DD supply voltage failure. Protection circuitry holds all three combinations of voltage stress, gate-to-source, gate-to-drain, and drain-to-source voltages, to acceptable levels. | 7 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved version of a caltrop. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd ed., 81992, Houghton Mifflin Co., herein incorporated by reference, defines a caltrop as: a metal device with four projecting spikes so arranged that when three of the spikes are on the ground, the fourth points upward, used as a hazard to pneumatic tires or to the hooves of horses.
Although the basic form and function of a caltrop are well known, modern improvements in such areas as tire composition and puncture resistance along with increased vehicle weights and required penetration forces necessitate improvements to the known prior art. In addition, specific requirements by military or law enforcement may further compel improvements or specialization of tire puncture devices.
For example, one prior art caltrop having two cylindrical metal bars bent and welded together to form four cylindrical metal spikes may puncture a tire and remain in it thereafter so that the spike actually plugs the hole and prevents deflation. Or, the tire may actually reseal the puncture thereby preventing deflation.
Prior attempts have been made to try to improve caltrop design but are not as effective or versatile as the current invention. For example, although other prior art caltrops, such as one designed by a National Laboratory made of two planar pieces of sheet metal joined along a seam formed by the axis of two of the spikes, may be better than the round spike type at preventing resealing of the puncture, it may become wedged in the tire and prevent rapid deflation. Additionally, empirical data show that in certain orientations, the tips of this type of caltrop bend over or the entire caltrop tends to fold like a "taco" rather than puncturing the tire.
The present invention was designed in response to military need for an effective, versatile, dependable, and cost effective tire deflation device. The design of the present invention is a significant improvement over the prior art in several respects. It has proven to be more reliable, effective, and versatile. In addition, the present invention can be manufactured cost effectively.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a reliable device for disabling vehicles with pneumatic tires. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved caltrop that is stable while puncturing a pneumatic tire. Yet another object of the invention is to provide an easily manufactured improved caltrop that is capable of rapidly deflating a pneumatic tire.
In keeping with the objects of the invention the preferred embodiment of the invention has a rigid structure with four identical planar portions, each of a generally isosceles triangular configuration. Each of the short sides of each planar portion coincides with the short side of another planar portion. The apices of all the short sides of the planar portions are therefore joined in the center of the structure. The pairs of adjacent corners of the short sides form penetration points.
The structure thus defined is formed of two metallic members each of which comprises the entirety of a single triangular planar portion but only part of two other adjoining planar portions. The edges of the two metallic members abut each other and are welded together so that when any three of the penetration points rest on a horizontal surface and the fourth penetration point projects upward, a force applied normal to upward projecting point causes a shearing force along the weld.
The preferred embodiment may also have the long side of each planar portion of the structure cut away along an arcuate path that is recessed with respect to the long side of the triangle so that each penetration point upon penetrating a vehicle tire will readily cause air to flow out of the tire when the penetration is deep enough that the pair of arcuate surfaces enter the tire. Additionally, the preferred embodiment may provide barb shoulders defined by the arcuate cut always and formed substantially perpendicular to the axis of penetration to keep the embedded caltrop from exiting the tire.
SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the prior art.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is an isometric view showing how a rectangular plate is cut in preparation for forming one of two attachable members used to form the presently preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the plate of FIG. 3 after being cut.
FIG. 5 is an isometric view showing how the plate of FIG. 4 may be sharpened along the edges of the tips.
FIG. 6 is an isometric view showing how the plate of FIG. 4 is folded to form one of the two attachable members used to form the presently preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7 is an isometric view of one of the two attachable members after it has been folded.
FIG. 8 shows two attachable members being joined by welding to form the presently preferred embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 9 is a cross-section at 9--9 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 10 a depicts vehicle tires encountering a deployment of multiple caltrops strung together.
FIG. 11 is a cross-section at 11--11 of FIG. 10.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As described below, the present invention contains several improvements which distinguish it from the prior art. The present invention was designed after observation and analysis of empirical performance data for the prior art, as well as prototypes, to develop a more reliable, versatile, effective, and cost efficient caltrop.
The Prior Art
(FIG. 1)
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art caltrop. The caltrop of FIG. 1, although designed at great expense in a National Laboratory, was found to have several shortcomings and is not as effective as the present invention in several respects. Due to its design, the prior art is not as sturdy and not as effective at rapidly releasing air. Furthermore, when strung together with additional caltrops, its design is not as effective in ensuring secondary damage to the tire or vehicle.
The prior art caltrop 10 consists of two planar pieces of sheet metal 20 & 30 joined by welds spots 50 along a seam 40 formed by the axis of two of the spikes 60. The prior art also features a stringing hole 70 through the center of the caltrop dividing the seam 40 in half. This design was shown empirically to weaken the caltrop and allow the caltrop to fold like a "taco" rather than penetrate the tire when a downward or a partially lateral force is applied to it. Although this does not occur under all conditions, limits on deployment orientation, vehicle weight, or tire type, limit the effectiveness or reliability of the prior art. The design of the prior art also limits reliability because in addition to folding along the seam 40, the vertical spike 60 sometimes folds over at the narrow span between opposing barb cut-outs 67 rather than penetrating the tire.
The design of the prior art is also less effective at rapidly releasing air from tires. The prior art has empirically shown to become wedged tightly in the tire after penetration. As in the case of prior art caltrops made with round spikes, becoming tightly wedged in the tire tends to limit the amount of air that can escape through the puncture. Therefore, this is not an optimal design for rapid deflation.
Another drawback with the prior art is that its design limits the effectiveness of connected or attached caltrops to cause secondary damage to tires or vehicles. Caltrops are commonly strung together using, for example, wire. Attachment in this manner causes the caltrop that has penetrated and embedded itself in a tire to pull the remaining caltrops along thereby entangling the connected caltrops with the vehicle and causing further damage to the tire or vehicle. Such damage would necessitate more than a mere tire repair or replacement to continue down the road. The design of the prior art is not as effective in ensuring secondary damage by attached caltrops.
It is not as effective because, with the prior art, the spikes 60 have an ever increasing breadth or span. When the embedded caltrop is tugged by the attached caltrops, the ever increasing spike span causes the caltrop to be prone to simply be pulled out. Even with large barbs 65 defined by cut-outs 67, the design of the prior art 10 is not as effective at staying lodged in the tire when tugged by attached caltrops.
The Presently Preferred Embodiment
(FIG. 2)
FIG. 2 shows the presently preferred embodiment of the invention. The presently preferred embodiment 100 is comprised of two attachable rigid members 110 & 111. Each of the rigid members 110 & 111, can have two integrally formed penetration tips 122 & 124 and 126 & 128 respectively. In the presently preferred embodiment, the rigid members or metallic members 110 & 111 are attached along a seam 115 by weld 120. Seam 115 approximately bisects each of the radial angles formed by the now adjacent tips 122 & 128 and 124 & 126 with the center of the caltrop. Although it is not necessary for seam 115 to bisect the radial angle formed by the now adjacent tips, approximately bisecting the angle ensures that when any of the penetration tips or points 122, 124, 126, or 128 projects upward, a force applied normal to or downward upon the upward projecting point causes a shearing force along the weld. This feature helps prevent the caltrop 100 from folding like a "taco".
It is presently preferred to form the weld continuously through the center of the caltrop, rather than having a stringing hole through the center as does the prior art shown in FIG. 1 as 70. This feature significantly improves the strength of the caltrop as the stringing hole in the center empirically was shown to weaken the caltrop and allow the caltrop to fold when stressed.
In the presently preferred embodiment of FIG. 2, each of the rigid members 110 & 111 have three planar portions. Rigid member 110 is formed of planar portions 130, 132 & 134. The first portion 132 is of generally isosceles triangular shape. In the presently preferred embodiment, the apex angle of the first portion is approximately 110 degrees with approximately 35 degrees defining each of the other angles of the first portion. The second planar portion 130 and the third planar portion 134, are of generally right triangular shape so that the hypotenuse of each of the second and third portions 130 & 134 is equal in length to the equal sides of the first portion 132. The hypotenuse of each of the second and third portions 130 & 134, is attached to the first portion 132 so that each abuts one of the equal length sides of the first portion 132.
Rigid member 111 is similarly formed having a generally isosceles triangular planar portion 138 and two generally right triangular portions 136 & 139 so that when the members 110 & 111 are attached, the structure formed has four equivalent planar portions 132, 140, 138, & 142 of generally isosceles triangular shape. The corners opposite the equal sides of the four planar portions each combine with adjacent corners to form the penetration tips 122, 124, 126 & 128. The penetration tips are generally V-shaped along the axis formed by each of the abutting four isosceles planar portions. In the presently preferred embodiment, the angle formed inside the "V" is approximately 120 degrees.
In the presently preferred embodiment of FIG. 2, each of the penetration tips 122, 124, 126 & 128 has two barbs 152, 154, 156 & 158 respectively. The barbs are defined by arcuate partial-pie-section cut-outs 170 in each of the four planar portions 132, 140, 138 & 142. The arcuate cut-outs 170 have a radius positioned external to the caltrop structure so that the radius does not pass through the caltrop structure. In other words, the arcuate cut-outs 170 curve away from the center of the structure.
A pair of barb shoulders 162, 164, 166 & 168 are provided on each of the tips 122, 124, 126 & 128. To create the barb shoulders 162, 164, 166 & 168, the end points of each arc of the arcuate cut-outs 170 are recessed from the base of each of the four planar members 132, 140, 138 & 142 so that each arcuate cut-out defines two barbs, each one on a different tip. It is preferred to form the shoulders 162, 164, 166 & 168, substantially perpendicular to the axis of penetration of each of the tips 122, 124, 126 & 128.
The substantially perpendicular barb shoulders 162, 164, 166 & 168 provide a means for the caltrop 100 to remain embedded after penetrating the tire. Unlike the prior art of FIG. 1, the barbs of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention are more likely to grip the inner wall of the tire rather than pull back through it when tugged by additional caltrops which are attached or strung to it. As such, smaller barbs can provide better caltrop retention.
Additionally, the presently preferred embodiment of FIG. 2 provides improved resistance against tip folding. With the prior art of FIG. 1, under certain conditions the vertical spike 60 sometimes folds over at one of the narrow portions between opposing barb cut-outs 67 rather than penetrating the tire. The design of the presently preferred embodiment of FIG. 2 uses smaller length barbs which increases the minimum span between the barbs thereby increasing resistance against tip folding.
Furthermore, unlike the prior art of FIG. 1 in which the barb structures 65 form spikes 60 having an ever increasing span, the structure defined by the cut-outs 170 is substantially narrower adjacent the barbs 152, 154, 156 & 158 and gradually increases in breadth or span further away from the point. This provides air escape outlets adjacent the barbs 152, 154, 156 & 158. The air escape outlets are best shown as 172 in FIG. 9. Although the air escape outlets of the present invention could be provided by elongated cut-outs internal to the four planar portions 132, 140, 138 & 142, it is presently preferred to form them with the recessed cut-outs 170 adjacent the barbs shoulders 162, 164, 166 & 168. The recessed cut-outs 170 form a gradually increasing span which allows for further initial tip penetration and allows the caltrop to then partially dislodge while remaining in the tire, rather than wedging or plugging the penetration hole and preventing air from rapidly escaping the tire.
The penetration tips 122, 124, 126 & 128 have edges 182, 184, 186 & 188 respectively. It is presently preferred to have the caltrop 100 rest on the edges rather than the penetration tip points when the caltrop is deployed on the ground or any generally planar surface. It is presently preferred to constructed the invention of 1/8 inch steel as discussed below, and to sharpen the penetration tips 122, 124, 126 & 128 along edges 182, 184, 186 & 188 to provide for easier tire penetration.
The caltrop 100 can have holes through its structure to provide a means for stringing together multiple caltrops. It is preferred to place two holes 192 & 198 through the two planar portions 132 & 138. Wire can be passed through holes 192 or 198 and through other caltrops to provide a more effective disabling device. After one of the connected caltrops has embedded in a tire, continued motion of the vehicle causes the wire to tug the other connected caltrops which become further entangled with the vehicle. Providing two holes through the interior of the planar portions, rather than one hole through the middle of the caltrop, not only significantly improves the structural strength of the caltrop, it also allows two wires to be used when stringing the caltrops to increase the strength of the connection.
Presently Preferred Method for Constructing the Presently Preferred Embodiment
(FIGS. 3-8)
The present invention can be practiced using various construction methods. It is presently preferred to construct the improved caltrop from two 1/8 inch steel plates. It is presently preferred to select a rectangular plate and by cutting away portions and bending appropriately, form one half of the caltrop which can then be welded to an identical member to from the caltrop. FIGS. 3-8 show the presently preferred method of construction.
Turning to FIG. 3, it is presently preferred to select a rectangular plate 200. From one of the longer sides of the rectangular sheet 200, an arcuate partial-pie-section 210 is cut out as shown in FIG. 4. The radius of the arc is along the perpendicular bisector of that longer side and the end points of the arc are recessed from that longer side of the rectangular portion 200. The cut-out section form barbs 156A & 158A with barb shoulders 166A & 168A.
Next, two portions 212 & 216 are each cut from the shorter sides of the rectangular portion 200. The portions 212 & 216 are shaped so as to form penetration points 126 & 128, having internal angles 226 & 228 of approximately 70 degrees and barbs 156B & 158B having barb shoulders 166B & 168B. The barb shoulders 166A and 166B are substantially perpendicular to the bisector of internal angle 226 or axis of penetration of penetration tip 126. Likewise, barb shoulders 168A and 168B are substantially perpendicular to the bisector of internal angle 228 or axis of penetration of penetration tip 128. Additionally, the two portions 212 & 216 are shaped so that segments of arcuate cut-outs are formed symmetrical about the axis of penetration with the one formed by arcuate partial-pie-section cut-out 210.
An obtuse generally isosceles triangular shaped portion 218 is then cut from the side opposite the cut-out left by arcuate partial-pie-section 210. The apex of the cut-out formed by obtuse isosceles triangular portion 218 is located approximately at the intersection of the bisectors of internal angles 226 & 228 and defines an angle of approximately 140 degrees. A small radial section 219 is also removed from the remaining plate to to leave a radial cut-out 219A. Radial cut-out 219A facilitates bending of plate 201 and also facilitates joining the bent plate or member to an identical member to form the caltrop. In addition, radial cut-out 219A is formed so that it facilitates welding and allows the weld to pass through the center of the caltrop thereby significantly strengthening the caltrop. The radial cut-out 219A cannot be so large as to prevent an effective weld. In FIG. 4 the radial section 219 is shown as part of the generally isosceles triangular shaped portion 218.
A section 217 is removed to create hole 215 which is used for stringing together multiple caltrops.
FIG. 5 shows a grinding device 500 that can be used to sharpen penetration tip edges 186 & 188. As is obvious to one skilled in the art, the edges 186 & 188 could also be sharpened by chisel cutting or by coining. Although it is presently preferred that the sharpened be done by coining prior to folding and assembly of the members, sharpening could also be done after folding or assembly.
FIGS. 6 shows how the remaining plate 201 is folded along the bisectors 225 & 227 of the internal angles 226 & 228 to form the generally isosceles triangular shaped portion 138 and generally right triangular portions 136 & 139.
FIG. 7 depicts the folded member or attachable rigid member 111. It also shows how the generally isosceles triangular shaped portion 138 and generally right triangular portions 136 & 139 form rigid member 111. Right triangular portion 136 is shown bent approximately 60 degree to approximately form a 120 degree angle with the isosceles shaped portion 138. Right triangular portion 139 is bent approximately 60 degrees with respect to the opposite side of the isosceles shaped portion 138 to approximately form a 120 degree angle with it. As shown in FIG. 6, portion 136 is bent down while portion 139 is bent up.
FIG. 8 depicts attachable rigid members 110 and 111 being attached by welding along seam 115 formed at the junction of the rigid members 110 and 111. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 7, the two generally right triangular portions 130 & 139 are welded together to form the generally isosceles triangular shaped portion 142. Similarly, generally right triangular portions 130 & 139 form generally isosceles triangular shaped portion 140.
Additionally, it can be seen that penetration tips 122 & 124 are integrally formed to rigid member 110 as are 126 & 128 to rigid member 111. This can also be seen in FIG. 9. This design provides strength to the penetration tips and eliminates the seam along the folds thereby providing a caltrop with improved resistance to folding like a "taco" along the folds. Although it is not necessary to have the seam 115 and weld 120 bisect the radial angles formed by now adjacent penetration tips 122 & 128 and now adjacent penetration tips 124 & 126, it is preferred to have seam 115 and weld 120 approximately bisect them. This causes a force applied normal to the penetration tip, by a tire for example, to cause a shearing force to be distributed along the seam 115 thereby providing added strength to the caltrop. It also increases soundness when forces other than normal to the penetration tip are applied to the caltrop.
FIGS. 9-11
FIG. 9 is a cross-section at 9--9 of FIG. 2. It shows the weld 120 passing through the center of the structure but not passing along any fold. It also shows the air escape outlets 172 formed by the arcuate partial-pie-section cut-outs 170.
FIG. 10 depicts multiple caltrops deployed strung together with wire 600 puncturing a vehicle tire.
FIG. 11 is a cross-section at 11--11 of FIG. 10. It depicts a caltrop penetrating a tire. The arcuate cut-outs will 170 allow the caltrop to slide part way of the tire when tugged by wire 600. Barb shoulders 162 will catch on the inner wall of the tire to prevent the caltrop from pulling all the way out of the tire when tugged by wire 600.
Although the presently preferred embodiment of the invention is particularly suited for rapid pneumatic tire deflation, the improved caltrop of this invention is also suited for military anti-personnel use. The caltrop thus described and hereinafter claimed is not only effective at impeding pneumatic tired vehicles and horses but also foot soldiers and other ground traveling vehicles. Its features make it an effective device for these purposes as well.
In addition, although the presently preferred embodiment is suited for use by the military, it is in no way limited to this application and is envisioned as an effect tool for civil authorities as well.
While only the preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, other embodiments could be made without deviating from the invention thus described and in the following claims. | A rigid caltrop structure is formed of two metallic members abutting each other and welded together, each of the members including all of a single triangular planar portion and parts of two other adjoining triangular planar portions, the pairs of adjacent corners of sides of the triangular portions forming penetration points so that when three of the penetration points rest on a horizontal surface and the fourth penetration point projects upward, a force applied to that fourth penetration point will not directly tend to shear the weld. | 5 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a selective-calling radio receiver such as a pager and more particularly, to a selective-calling radio receiver equipped with a vibrator for vibration warning to a user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional selective-calling radio receivers of this sort were disclosed in the Japanese Non-Examined Patent Publication Nos. 4-281630 published in October 1992 and 5-191334 published in July 1993. In these conventional receivers, a dc power generated by a dc power supply (for example, a dry battery) is intermittently supplied to a vibrator under the operation of a switching transistor, thereby generating an intermittent vibration of the vibrator. The supplied power to the vibrator has a substantially square waveform and is caused by the switching operation of the transistor. The vibrator has a pulse motor and a vibration plate eccentrically fixed to the rotating shaft of the motor.
With the conventional selective-calling radio receivers described above, since a comparatively large current is necessary for the dc power supply to drive the vibrator, a dry battery, which can provide a large supply current, is often used as the power supply. However, the electromotive force of the dry battery tends to decrease with the discharge time and as a result, the following problem will occur:
Specifically, because of the electromotive force decrease of the dry battery, the driving power for the warning vibrator tends to decrease and accordingly, the vibration strength of the vibrator also decreases with the discharge time of the dry battery. For example, when the amplitude of the square-wave driving voltage supplied from the dry battery decreases from 1.5 V to 1.1 V due to the driving power lowering of the dry battery, the vibration strength of the vibrator may tend to decrease by 46% of the normal vibration strength. Such the decrease of the vibration strength will increase the danger that the receiver user does not notice the vibration warning.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a selective-calling radio receiver that enables restraint of the vibration strength change of a warning vibrator independent of the supply voltage change of a dc power supply.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a selective-calling radio receiver in which a user surely notices the vibration warning even if a supply voltage of a dc power supply for the receiver is reduced.
A selective-calling radio receiver according to the present invention includes a warning controller for controlling a specified warning operation including a warning vibration to give a warning to a user on receipt of a calling signal, a vibrator for producing the warning vibration by an electric power supplied from a dc power supply, and a switching transistor for switching the electric power supplied to the vibrator to thereby produce the warning vibration of the vibrator intermittently.
The switching transistor has a first state in which the electric power is supplied to the vibrator and a second state in which the electric power is not supplied to the vibrator. The first and second states are alternately effected by a control signal generated by the warning controller.
The receiver further includes a power compensator for compensating change of the electric power supplied to the vibrator to thereby restrain change of a vibration strength of the warning vibration. The power compensator adjusts the control signal so that a duration of the first state of the switching transistor is increased according to the decrease of the electric power supplied to the vibrator.
With the selective-calling radio receiver according to the present invention, there is the power compensator for compensating change of the electric power supplied to the vibrator to thereby restrain change of the vibration strength of the warning vibration, and the power compensator serves to increase the duration of the first state of the switching transistor in which the electric power is supplied to the vibrator according to the decrease of the electric power supplied to the vibrator.
Consequently, the change of the vibration strength of the warning vibration can be restrained independent of the supply voltage change of the dc power supply. This means that the user of the receiver surely notices the vibration warning even if the supply voltage of the dc power supply is reduced.
In a preferred embodiment, the power compensator includes a square-wave signal generator for generating a square-wave voltage signal having a substantially square waveform, a differentiating circuit for differentiating the square-wave voltage signal to thereby generate a differential voltage signal, and a comparator for comparing levels of the differential voltage signal and the supply voltage of the dc power supply to thereby adjust the control signal so that the duration of the first state of the switching transistor is increased according to the decrease of the electric power supplied to the vibrator.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a selective-calling radio receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a time chart showing the square-wave signal voltage used in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 2B is a time chart showing the relationship between the differential signal voltage and the supply voltage used in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, where the dc supply voltage is high.
FIG. 2C is a time chart showing the pulsed control signal voltage used in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, where the dc supply voltage is high.
FIG. 2D is a time chart showing the driving current for the warning vibrator in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, where the dc supply voltage is high.
FIG. 3A is a time chart showing the square-wave signal voltage used in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3B is a time chart showing the relationship between the differential signal voltage and the supply voltage used in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, where the dc supply voltage is low.
FIG. 3C is a time chart showing the pulsed control signal voltage used in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, where the dc supply voltage is low.
FIG. 3D is a time chart showing the driving current for the warning vibrator in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the embodiment of FIG. 1, where the dc supply voltage is low.
FIG. 4 is a graph showing the change of the dc electric power for driving the warning vibrator in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below while referring to the drawings attached.
A selective-calling radio receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention has a configuration as shown in FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1, this radio receiver has an antenna 1, a radio receiver circuit 2, a dc--dc converter 3 serving as a voltage booster, an exchangeable dc power supply 4, a decoder 5, a differential circuit 6, a comparator 7, a protection resistor 8, a switching transistor 9, and a warning vibrator 10.
The receiver circuit 2 receives a coded calling signal S 1 transmitted from a base station or stations of a paging system through the antenna 1. The receiver circuit 2 demodulates the coded calling signal S 1 to produce a digital signal S 2 which can be read by the decoder 5. The digital signal S 2 is then inputted into the decoder 5.
The dc power supply 4, which includes a set of several dry batteries, supplies a supply voltage V p to the dc--dc converter 3. The converter 4 serves to produce a raised and stabilized voltage V u , where V p <V u . For example, when V p =1.5 V, V u is set as 2.2 V. The raised and stabilized voltage V u is supplied to the decoder 5 and the comparator 7 for driving or operating them.
The decoder 5 comprises a square-wave generator 51, a microprocessor unit (MPU) 52, an electrically-erasable, programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) 53, a read-only memory (ROM) 54, and a random-access memory (RAM) 55.
The square-wave generator 51, which is composed of a digital circuit, generates a square-wave signal voltage V s as shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A and outputs the signal V s to the differential circuit 6. The square-wave signal voltage V s contains square pulses repeated at a constant period of T. Each of the repeated pulses has a constant amplitude of V h .
The EEPROM 53 stores the data corresponding to the identification number (ID No.) of this selective-calling radio receiver. The ROM 54 stores a control program for processing the digital signal S 2 and for controlling the respective elements or components of this selective-calling radio receiver. The RAM 55 is used for temporarily storing the data to be processed in the decoder 5. The MPU 52 controls the entire operation of this radio receiver according to the control program stored in the ROM 54.
Further, the MPU 52 compares the coded ID No. contained in the digital signal S 2 with the coded ID No. of this radio receiver stored in the EEPROM 53. If the ID No. contained in the signal S 2 accords with that stored in the EEPROM 53, the MPU 52 sends an activation signal S 3 to the square-wave generator 51 in order to start a specified warning operation to the user. The warning operation usually contains not only a warning vibration caused by the vibrator 10 but also a warning sound generated from a speaker (not shown) and/or a flash of a calling lamp. If the ID does not match, no activation signal S 3 is supplied to the square-wave generator 51.
The square-wave signal voltage V s , each pulse of which has the constant amplitude of V h , is supplied to the differential circuit 6 in order to generate a differential signal voltage V f . The amplitude value of V h is approximately equal to the value of the raised, stabilized voltage V u .
The differential signal voltage V f has a waveform as shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B, which contains repeated pulses at the same period T as that of the square-wave signal voltage V s . Each pulse of the signal voltage V f is approximately equal to V h at the rise and approximately equal to -V h at the fall thereof.
The duration where the level of the differential signal voltage V f is greater than that of the supply voltage V p varies with the value of the supply voltage V p . Specifically, this duration is T h for V p =V 1 , and it is T 1 longer than T h for V p =V 2 , where V 1 is higher than V 2 .
The differential circuit 6 has a capacitor 61 with a capacitance C and a resistor 62 with a resistance R. The capacitor 61 is connected between the input and output terminals or the circuit 6. One end of the resistor 62 is connected to the output-side end of the capacitor 61 and the input-side end thereof is grounded.
The differential circuit 6 receives the square-wave signal voltage V s from the square-wave generator 51 and produces the above differential voltage signal V f from the signal V s . The differential voltage signal V f is inputted into the comparator 7.
The comparator 7 receives the differential signal voltage V f from the differential circuit 6 and the supply voltage V p from the power supply 4 through its input terminals. The comparator 7 compares the signal voltage V f with the supply voltage V p and outputs a control signal voltage V c to the switching transistor 9 through its output terminal.
The control signal voltage V c has repeated pulses at the same period T as that of the square-wave signal voltage V s . When the level of the differential signal voltage V f is greater than that of the supply voltage V p , the control signal voltage V c is in the high (H) level. When the level of the differential signal V f is equal to or less than that of the supply voltage V p , the control signal voltage V c is in the low (L) level.
In this embodiment, the switching transistor 9 is an npn-type bipolar transistor having a base connected to the output terminal of the comparator 7 through the protection resistor 8. The resistor 8 has a function of restraining the base current of the transistor 9. A collector of the transistor 9 is connected to one end of the vibrator 10. The other end of the vibrator 10 is connected to the dc power supply 4. An emitter of the transistor 9 is grounded.
When the control signal voltage V c becomes in the H level, the switching transistor 9 turns on and then, a driving current I d start to flow through the transistor 9. The current I d continues to flow through the transistor 9 for the duration of the H level, as shown in FIGS. 2D and 3D. In this on-state, the vibrator 10 is applied with the driving voltage V d which is approximately equal to the supply voltage V p , thereby producing a warning vibration.
The vibrator 10 includes a conductive coil whose internal resistance is r and therefore, the driving current I d is expressed as I d =V p /r.
When the control signal voltage V c becomes in the L level, the switching transistor 9 turns off and then, a driving current I d stops flowing through the transistor 9. In this off-state, the vibrator 10 is not applied with the driving voltage V d and as a result, no warning vibration is produced.
Since the control signal voltage V c contains the repeated square pulses as shown in FIGS. 2C and 3C, the warning vibration of the vibrator 10 is repeated intermittently according to the pulsed voltage V c .
Next, the compensation of the warning operation of the selective-calling radio receiver shown in FIG. 1 against the reduction of the supply voltage V p is explained below referring to FIGS. 2A to 2D and FIGS. 3A to 3D.
When the supply voltage V p is at a high level of V 1 which corresponds to the case where a set of new dry batteries are used as the dc power supply 4, the duration T h in which the level of the differential signal voltage V f is greater than the level V 1 of the supply voltage V p is short, as shown in FIG. 2B. The warning vibration of the vibrator 10 continues for the short duration T h . The inter-terminal voltage V d of the vibrator 10 is approximately equal to V 1 and as a result, the electric power P d for driving the vibrator 10 is proportional to (V 1 2 ×T h ).
On the other hand, when the supply voltage V p is at a low level of V 2 lower than V 1 , which corresponds to the case where the set of dry batteries have been used for a comparatively long time, the duration T 1 in which the level of the differential signal voltage V f is greater than the level V 2 of the supply voltage V p is longer than T h , as shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B. The warning vibration of the vibrator 10 continues for the long duration T 1 . The inter-terminal voltage V d of the vibrator 10 is approximately equal to V 2 and as a result, the electric power P d for driving the vibrator 10 is proportional to (V 2 2 ×T 1 ).
If the duration of the control signal voltage V c is defined as T d , the electric power P d for driving the vibrator 10 can be approximately kept constant by adjusting the time constant (C•R) of the differential circuit 6 so as to satisfy the following relationship as
V.sub.p.sup.2 ×T.sub.d V.sub.1.sup.2 ×T.sub.h V.sub.2.sup.2 ×T.sub.1.
Even if the inter-terminal voltage V d of the vibrator 10 varies, the warning vibration strength of the vibrator 10 can be restrained within a satisfactorily narrow range by approximately keeping the electric power P d constant. As a result, it is preferred that the time constant (C•R) is designed to satisfy the above relationship.
However, it is needless to say that the satisfaction of the relationship is not always necessary for the present invention. The reason is that the change or fluctuation of the vibration strength can be more reduced than that of the supply voltage V p due to the compensation of the driving duration T d of the vibrator 10.
The above parameters such as the time constant (C•R) are readily determined in the following way:
For the sake of simplification of description, the on-voltage of the switching transistor 9 is ignored and consequently, the driving voltage V d for the vibrator 10 is supposed to be equal to the supply voltage V p . Also, the peak value V h of the square-wave signal voltage V s and the differential signal voltage V f is supposed to be equal to the raised voltage V u of the dc--dc converter 3, where V u 2.2 V.
It will be apparent from the following explanation that the errors caused by the supposition can be readily corrected or revised by an ordinary or popular design method.
The electric power P d for driving the vibrator 10 is expressed by the following equation (1) as
P.sub.d =I.sub.d •V.sub.p =(V.sub.p /r)•(T.sub.d /T)•V.sub.p =(V.sub.p.sup.2 •T.sub.d)/(r•T)(1)
From the equation (1), V p 2 •T d =P d •r•T is established. Therefore, the following equation (2) is obtained as
V.sub.p =(P.sub.d •r•T/T.sub.d).sup.1/2 =(A/T.sub.d).sup.1/2(2)
where A=P d •r•T.
It is difficult to realize a circuit satisfying completely the equation (2). Accordingly, a circuit approximately satisfying the equation (2) within the range (1.1 V to 1.5 V) of the supply voltage V p popularly used in the practical applications is tried to be realized.
Here, the peak voltage V h of the square-wave signal voltage V s and the differential signal voltage V f is set as 2.2 V. Then, the differential signal voltage Vf is expressed as the following equation (3) as
Vf=2.2 e.sup.-t/C•R (3)
Using the relationship of V f =V p and t=T d , the value of the time constant (C•R) is determined so that the equation (3) is approximated to the equation (2). Thus, the driving electric power P d for the vibrator 10 can be restrained from changing independent of the change of the supply voltage V p .
From the equation (3), the following equation (4) is obtained as
C•R=-T.sub.d / ln(i V.sub.p /2.2)! (4)
Subsequently, the value of the duration T d for driving the vibrator 10 corresponding to the value of the supply voltage V p within the range from 1.5 V to 1.1 V of V p is obtained by using the equation (2). The value of the duration T d thus obtained is then substituted into the equation (4), thereby obtaining the value of the time constant c which restrains the driving power P d from changing, as shown in Table
TABLE 1______________________________________V.sub.pT.sub.d C · R T.sub.d P.sub.d V! (P.sub.d = Const.) (P.sub.d = Const.) (CR = 1.15A) (CR = 1.15A)______________________________________1.5 0.44A 1.15A 0.440A P.sub.d01.4 0.51A 1.13A 0.520A 1.03 × P.sub.d01.3 0.59A 1.12A 0.605A 1.03 × P.sub.d01.2 0.69A 1.14A 0.697A 1.01 × P.sub.d01.1 0.87A 1.20A 0.797A 0.97 × P.sub.d0______________________________________ (A= P.sub.d · r · T)
It is seen from Table 1 that the time constant C•R fluctuates within a range from 1.12A to 1.20A, in which the average value of the time constant is 1.15A. Therefore, the value of the time constant is set as 1.15A in order to make the fluctuation as low as possible.
Substituting the values of V p and C•R into the equation (4), the value of T d at the corresponding value of V p is obtained as shown in TABLE 1 using the following equation (5) as
Td=-(C•R)•ln(V.sub.p /2.2) (5)
The internal resistance r of the vibrator 10 and the period T of the square-wave signal voltage V s are fixed. Therefore, substituting the values of V p and T d into the equation (1), the value of P d at the corresponding value of V p can be obtained as shown in the third column of Table 1.
Here, the value of P d is obtained and expressed as a reference of P d0 defined as the value of P d at V p =1.5 V, as shown in the fourth column of Table 1.
In FIG. 4, the plot P1 indicates the change of P d normalized by P d0 as a function of V p in the selective-calling radio receiver according to the invention. The plot P2 indicates the change of P d normalized by P d0 as a function of V p in the conventional selective-calling radio receiver.
It is seen from FIG. 4 that the maximum change of the driving power P d can be restrained to 6% of P d0 in the embodiment of the invention even if the supply voltage V p of the dc power supply 4 decreases from 1.5 V to 1.1 V. On the other hand, with the conventional receiver, the maximum change of the driving power P d is 46% of P d0 for the same reduction of V p .
Thus, the vibration strength of the vibrator 10 can be restrained independent of the decrease of the supply voltage V p .
While the preferred forms of the present invention have been described, it is to be understood that modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims. | A radio selective calling receiver that enables to restrain the vibration strength change of a warning vibrator independent of the supply voltage change of a dc power supply. This receiver contains a warning controller for controlling a specified warning operation including a warning vibration to give a warning to a user on receipt of a calling signal, a vibrator for producing the warning vibration by an electric power supplied from a dc power supply, and a switching transistor for switching the electric power supplied to the vibrator to thereby produce the warning vibration intermittently. The transistor has a first state in which the electric power is supplied to the vibrator and a second state in which the electric power is not supplied to the vibrator. The both states are alternately effected by a control signal generated by the warning controller. The receiver further includes a power compensator for compensating change of the electric power supplied to the vibrator to thereby restrain change of a vibration strength of the warning vibration. The compensator adjusts the control signal so that a duration of the first state of the transistor is increased according to the decrease of the electric power supplied to the vibrator. | 6 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is an improvement over the invention disclosed in U.S. Application Ser. No. 06/721,535 filed 04/10/85 entitled Thermal Mass Flowmeter and Controller, by Messrs. Renken, LeMay and Takahashi, which application is assigned to the same assignee as the present application, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of modulating (proportioning) electromagnetic control valves used to control gas or fluid flow rates in high-performance applications.
2. Material Information
Known electromagnetic modulating valves use a soft iron armature for the moving part of the valve. A magnetic field produced by an electromagnet (solenoid) coil provides a tractive force between the armature and an iron pole piece, usually in a direction that tends to open the valve. This force is always in the same direction when current of either polarity is passed through the coil. This force is nominally proportional to the square of coil current (until iron saturation phenomena occur). One or more springs produce forces that oppose the solenoid force. The net force applied to the armature is thus the difference between the solenoid and spring forces. The armature movement is proportional to the net force applied to it and inversely proportional to the spring rates of the mechanical springs between the armature and housing. For smooth operation the mechanical design requires low friction which consequently results in low damping. During fast dynamic transient operation the valve can overshoot and then oscillate at its natural spring-mass frequency without convenient means for achieving stability.
For example, in the related application (FIG. 9) an armature 84 having flow passages 84a therein is movable against end springs 84b, 85a to seat and unseat a valve seal on an orifice 97. An armature coil 95 surrounds armature 84 and flow of current dictated by a sensed flow in a flow channel moves the armature to regulate gas flow through the orifice. Upon cessation of current flow the valve seal returns to a fail-safe closed position against the orifice.
Many solenoid valves have been designed with permanent magnets in the armature for the purpose of achieving bistable or "latching" operation. These are not modulating valves because they do not operate over a continuously variable range of stable positions, and hence are not pertinent to the present invention.
Known modulating valves use a compliant elastomeric sealing disk attached to the armature by chemical bonding or mechanical retention. Chemically resistant elastomers are difficult to bond to the armature and, if bonded, suffer from reduced resistance to chemical attack in the bond area. Mechanical retention methods include insertion of a relatively thick and oversized sealing disk into a cavity with reentrant side walls or alternatively the sealing disk may be mechanically clamped around its perimeter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Gas flow is controlled in the electromagnetic control valve of this invention by varying the axial clearance between a compliant sealing disk (attached to a movable armature) and a stationary annular seat. The armature and sealing disk are supported on flexure guide springs that allow axial motion of the armature if axial forces are applied to that armature. These axial forces are provided by the interaction between the field of a permanent magnet situated in the armature and the control field of a stationary electromagnet (solenoid) coil and magnetic coil housing. The magnetic field gradient produced by the permanent magnet allows the solenoid coil to apply force to the armature in either the valve opening or closing direction, depending upon the coil current polarity. Motion of the armature provides a back emf (electromotive force opposing the current) which produces an additional voltage and/or current in the solenoid coil. This voltage/current constitutes an armature velocity signal that is used in a closed loop servo control of valve position to suppress valve oscillation and overshoot when a change in valve position is commanded. Attributes improved by the invention are reduced overshoot with improved speed of response and dynamic controllability.
The permanent magnet's position within the iron return path controls the axial force applied to the armature with power off, thereby providing normally-open or normally-closed designs without the need for substantial mechanical spring forces. The effective axial spring rate of the armature can be set at an arbitrarily low value by setting the positive spring rates of mechanical springs to cancel any desired fraction (or all) of the negative spring rate established by the armature magnet interacting with the coil's iron return paths. This gives design latitude in setting the natural frequency of the armature and the valve sensitivity in terms of stroke per amp-turn.
By the present invention the characteristics of electromagnetic modulating valves are improved by permitting bidirectional manipulation of the electromagnetic forces, and by providing a velocity-dependent signal useful for feedback control of the valve drive voltage.
A unique elastomeric seal is provided as part of the invention which provides a soft thin sealing surface with reduced dimensional sensitivity to material swelling. This maintains consistent valve performance and control range even when exposed to reactive chemicals or high temperatures.
Even chemically resistant elastomers swell considerably when exposed to many fluids, vapors, or gases and also have high coefficients of thermal expansion. Variation in elastomer thickness over time, due to temperature changes or chemical exposure, will cause variations in valve closing force preloads due to displacement of the armature and compression of the mechanical spring system. This alters the voltage/current which must be supplied to the coil to reach the required opening force and may limit armature stroke and the full flow capacity of the valve. Swelling or dimensional changes, are proportional to thickness, but thick sealing disks are easier to mechanically retain.
A purpose of this invention is thus to improve upon the form and mechanical retention method of the compliant sealing disk to permit the use of thin sealing materials directly above the annular seat area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional partial side view of the combined permanent magnet armature and electromagnetic valve of the invention.
FIG. 2a is a schematic view of the magnetic elements and magnetic circuit of a dual coil embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2b is a schematic view of a modified embodiment of the magnetic elements employing a single-coil.
FIG. 3a is a graphical representation of the magnetic force at various positions along the movement or stroke of the moving permanent magnet armature.
FIG. 3b is a graphical representation of the total (magnetic and spring) forces on the permanent magnet armature as it moves from a valve closed position to valve open positions.
FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit drawing showing a feedback control loop circuit employed for controlling coil current and for control of armature movement.
FIG. 5 is a Bode plot of solenoid current/voltage transfer function data with and without armature motion.
FIG. 6 is a graphical representation plotting armature position over time comparing typical responses of a prior art valve and embodiments of this invention to step changes of position command signal.
FIGS. 7-9 illustrate in partial elevational cross-sectional views of various valve seat and seal retention structures of the prior art.
FIG. 10 shows a partial elevational cross-sectional view of the valve seal, valve seat and seal retention structure of this invention.
FIGS. 11a and 11b illustrate in side cross-sectional and plan views the valve seal of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In FIG. 1 valve 10 includes a cylindrical ferromagnetic coil housing 11 which encompasses a pair of cylindrical annular solenoid coil sections 12, 13, and a centrally disposed permanent magnet armature assembly 15. Armature assembly 15 includes a cylindrical housing 16 and a permanent magnet 14 fixedly mounted therein. Magnet 14 is preferably a neodymium-boron or samarium-cobalt magnet of 25,000-35,000 gauss force at its periphery and housing its N pole oriented facing away from the flow control orifice and its S pole facing toward the flow control orifice.
Orientation of the coil housing 11 relative to the midpoint of magnet 14 determines whether the armature and valve seal will be positioned in a normally (power off) valve open or valve closed position. Coil housing 11 is shown in FIG. 1 displaced above the magnet midpoint toward its north pole resulting in an unbalanced magnetic force holding the armature in a downward normally closed position. Magnet pole orientation determines the direction of the current flow through the solenoid coils. The magnet pole orientation should be consistent with the N-S poles of the electromagnetic solenoid coils.
Cylindrical housing or encapsulation 16 may be of 316 SS (stainless steel) or of Teflon or KEL-F fluoroplastic material. Soft iron pole pieces 17 and 18 abut the poles of magnet 14. Housing 16 includes a cap 19 with an axial plug extension 19a. A centrally apertured circular spider spring 21, such as shown in FIG. 10 of the related application, is affixed to plug 19a. The housing or encapsulation 16 is thick axially at its bottom 20 and contains an axial extension 20a holding a second spring 22 and mounting valve seal 23. Valve seal 23 is positioned in the extension of the housing bottom 20 and is oriented to seal and unseat on a flow control orifice 24 leading to a working fluid outlet passageway 25. Housing 16, including magnetically inert end cap 19 and attached valve seal 23, with the interior magnet 14 and interior pole pieces 17, 18 fixedly mounted therein, are laser or thermally welded together to form the overall movable armature assembly 15. A thin insulator (not shown) may be utilized between the inner periphery of coils 12, 13 and the outer surface wall of housing 27b.
Inlet flow of gas or other working fluid to the valve is typically through an inlet 26 and an annular passageway 27 between a 316 SS inner cylindrical wall 27a and a 316 SS thin outer cylindrical wall 27b annularly disposed about the armature housing 16, then through apertures 28 in an upper cylindrical valve support plate 29. The outer peripheral edge of spring 21 abuts the lower flange edge of plate 29. Gas flow continues from apertures 28 to a flow sensing section (not shown) which as seen in the related application (particularly FIGS. 3, 7 and 9) comprises sensor channels having mass flow sensors contained therein. Gas flow exits the sensing section through central nozzle 30 and is directed down the annulus 16a between wall 27a and the armature housing 16 to orifice 24. which, when open, allows gas flow to gas outlet 25.
Pole pieces 33 and 35 and a ferromagnetic disk 34 are provided at the top and bottom of the coils and between the coils, respectively, in a two-coil embodiment of the invention, to optimize the magnetic flux developed by the action of the permanent magnet and solenoid coils. The two axially disposed coil sections 12 and 13 and disk 34 provide separate magnetic field paths through the opposite soft iron pole pieces 17, 18 within the armature housing, the two coils being connected in series such that a current passed through both coils will cause both fields to force the armature in the same direction.
All of the magnetic materials are remote from the gaps forming the flow passageways. In previous designs, such as in the related application, minimum gaps forming the gas passageways were necessary to give maximum magnetic efficiency.
The magnetic force generated in the magnetic circuit shown in FIG. 1 is similar to a negative spring rate. In combination with a mechanical spring the net rate can be made positive, but arbitrarily small. A low net spring rate results in a low mechanical natural frequency, which in turn prevents the occurrence of valve oscillations beyond the control capabilities of a feedback control system such as a flow control. A low net spring rate also provides greater stroke per unit change of coil power, and therefore greater efficiency while modulating in an open condition.
When the armature assembly 15 moves, its permanent magnetic field from permanent magnet 14 varies the flux intersecting the turns in the solenoid coil(s), thereby producing an opposing voltage or back emf in the coil. If the coil is driven by a voltage source (as opposed to a current source) then the back emf caused by armature motion will reduce the net coil voltage and current. The back emf thereby provides dynamic damping. The overall solenoid coil 12, 13 is wound in two sections and connected such that a current passing through the two sections in series will produce fields in opposite directions, thereby both attracting the armature and permanent magnet to one end of the assembly and repelling it away from the other end. The permanent magnet moving armature assembly 15 is combined with the fixed soft iron magnetic return path, formed by pole pieces 33, 34, 35 and pole pieces 17 and 18, which are positioned with respect to the armature assembly such that the valve is normally forced in one direction to a "valve closed" position by the permanent magnet in the absence of coil current.
The armature housing 16 shown in FIG. 1 may be made corrosion resistant from the gases being passed thereby by constructing it from a corrosion resistant impermeable nonmagnetic material such as 316 SS or Teflon or KEL-F fluoroplastic. It is to be noted that the coils and the ferromagnetic path(s) are located radially external of the valve annular inner housing wall 27a so that no magnetic or corrosion sensitive materials, other than the permanent magnet 14 and soft iron pole pieces 17 and 18 within encapsulation housing 16, are exposed to the gases or other working fluid being through-putted and controlled in the valve.
The mechanical springs 21, 22 or other stops are provided to axially center the movable armature assembly 15 and produce an axial force such that the net spring and magnetic force, acting on the armature in the absence of coil current, is always in a closing or opening direction for normally closed and normally open valve configurations, respectively.
FIG. 2a shows the magnetic elements of the valve in schematic plan view and the preferred polarity of each where N=magnetic north and S=magnetic south. The polarity of the electromagnetic field is shown so that the overall magnetic force F is in the axial direction. A soft iron ferromagnetic E-shaped pole piece 40 surrounds all but the interior facing surfaces 41, 42 of coils 43, 44.
Letters A, B, and C indicate the three positions where the axial force on the armature is zero. The armature is magnetically attracted to positions A and C because of the proximity of the iron path through the magnet center and one end of the armature housing. Position B has zero axial force by symmetry, but, with a small displacement, e.g. X, off center, the armature is attracted further off center to position A or C.
One of the magnetic return paths may be utilized by positioning therein a magnetic field sensor 60 of the Hall-type if coil 43 is deleted or remains unpowered, to provide a position and/or velocity signal on lead 61 resultant from the magnetic field of the permanent magnet armature. A control circuit can utilize the signal on lead 61 to provide feedback to reduce overshoot, enhance the speed of response and stability of the valve to dynamic changes. Alternatively, coil 43, if unpowered, may provide velocity sensing directly from such field which can be used by such feedback control loop to provide valve stabilization.
In FIGS. 2a and 2b the driving coils 43, 44 and 45 can be used for armature velocity sensing simultaneously while providing magnetic valve driving force. By sensing the back EMF generated by the moving flux lines of the moving armature assembly 15 intersecting the wire turns in coils 43, 44 and 45, a signal proportional to armature velocity can be created.
FIG. 2b shows the magnetic elements of a one-coil embodiment of the valve. A single coil 45 is utilized with the pole means 46, 47 and 48 providing a magnetic return path. The center of the permanent magnet armature is shown opposite the top soft iron end piece 46. However, other armature positions can provide magnetic force without current applied to the coil allowing for normally open or closed configurations.
FIG. 3a is a graph of the force due to the permanent magnet in the armature over a wide range of positions relative to the iron return path. The most useful range of axial positions, i.e. the preferred valve operating region, for a normally-closed valve is marked with a Z. It provides a positive magnetic force to hold the valve closed, but has a low force, and hence low power, required to hold the valve open. A normally-open valve can also be made merely by positioning the valve operating range on the opposite side of neutral point B, or by adjustment of the net spring force.
FIG. 3b is a detail graph, taken in the circled area of FIG. 3a, showing the various forces on the armature. Line 50 represents the design point for the valve closed position. Line 51 represents the force due to the permanent magnet and iron and line 52 represents the force on the armature from the mechanical springs. The total force on the armature is represented by line 53.
A further portion of the invention is shown in FIG. 4, in which the dynamic damping effect is enhanced by creating a signal indicative of armature velocity, and then utilizing that signal in an active feedback loop. This can be used alone or as an auxilary stabilization feedback control loop to augment a primary flow control loop, utilizing a flow sensor. The feedback signal is developed in the following manner:
The coil drive voltage is sensed by a high gain operational amplifier 50' circuit which simulates the current/voltage transfer function of the solenoid with the armature motionless. The output of this amplifier is thus proportional to coil current when the armature is not moving. A second summing amplifier 51' with internally fixed gain senses the actual coil current. A third summing amplifier 52' with internally fixed gain produces the difference between the outputs of the first two amplifiers, which is a signal proportional to the change in coil current resulting from armature motion. This is a signal approximately proportional to armature velocity. The feedback amplifier provides dynamic shaping for optimum response, and transmits the resulting signal to the coil driver amplifier where it subtracts from the command voltage to provide dynamic damping. Alternatively, the coil can be driven by an electrical supply with a capacitive-resistive output impedance designed to enhance the dynamic damping effect of the back emf produced by the motion of the armature.
The nature of the signal derived by the circuit of FIG. 4 approximately proportional to armature velocity is further shown in FIG. 5 which is a Bode plot (log amplitude ratio as dB and phase shift versus log frequency) taken from test data on a valve built using this invention. The valve coil was driven by an oscillating voltage source over the frequency range shown, with the armature free to move in one case (curve 2) and restrained from moving in the other case (curve 1). It can be seen that without armature motion the current/voltage transfer function is a simple first-order lag represented by the Laplace transform equation:
I/E=1/(1+LRs)
where I=coil current, E=coil voltage, L=coil inductance, R=coil resistance and s=Laplace operator.
When the magnetic armature is free to move, the motion at low frequencies follows the drive voltage, producing a back emf that gives a fairly constant reduction in coil current. At the valve resonant frequency the greater motion gives a greater back emf as shown by the dip in coil current. At high frequencies the inertia of the armature prevents significant motion and the current is the same as that measured with the armature still.
The signal created as described above can be utilized in a feedback control loop such as that shown in FIG. 4. The ability to electronically amplify and dynamically shape the velocity feedback signal permits the inherent damping effect of the back emf to be increased and tailored to yield the desired dynamic response from coil voltage input to valve position output.
The results of operation of the feedback control loop are shown in FIG. 6, which compares typical responses of valves to step changes of position command signal. Curve A' shows the response of a prior art design including a solenoid with only a soft iron armature; the natural frequency is high and the response is fast, but the damping is very poor and the valve continues to oscillate for a long period after the upset. Curve B' shows a solenoid valve with a permanent magnet armature as in this invention, similarly driven by a step change of coil voltage. The response is not as fast, but is better damped. Curve C' shows the response of the same valve as curve B' but with a feedback control loop in accord with FIG. 4 derived from the available armature velocity signal. It shows a response which is faster, because of control signal amplification during the initial transient, but better damped because of the stabilizing effect of the velocity feedback. Normal stroke of the armature to full open position is 0.25 of the orifice diameter. Orifice diameters range from 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm.
Control of closing forces are limited in conventional valves by the inability to reverse the electromagnetic force, i.e. to push as well as pull. In a normally-closed valve, for example, increasing coil current opens the valve against a spring force, and the most rapid closure is obtained with zero coil current. In contrast, the permanent-magnet armature of this invention can be forced closed with a reverse-polarity coil current, thereby giving controllable dynamic response capabilities in both directions.
FIG. 7 shows a prior art elastomeric sealing disk which is bonded by a suitable adhesive to a flat end of a conventional soft iron armature. Upon armature movement, the flat sealing disk seats on and seals the annular seat surrounding a flow orifice. FIG. 8 shows a prior art variant where the elastomeric disk is clamped in place by a perimeter clamp ring or bendable tabs extending from the armature flat end. FIG. 9 shows a further prior art seal in which re-entrant walls at the armature end retain a thick elastomeric sealing disk.
FIG. 10 shows in similar view the improvement of this invention where armature housing 60 has an extended central end projection 61 on the end 62 of which a central circular web 63 is stretched. The thin web 63 is peripherally supported and tensioned by a thick integral annular O-ring support or toroidal bead 64. Bead 64 is clamped by a perimeter clamp ring or a series of tabs 65 extending from the end of armature housing 60.
FIGS. 11a and 11b shows the seal disk per se in the form of web 63 and bead 64 in cross-sectional side view and plan view. In a typical installation, the thin central web has a thickness unstretched of about 0.2 to 0.4 mm and a stretched thickness of about 0.19 to 0.39 mm. The overall diameter of the sealing disk is about 2.5 mm and the thickness of the annular bead about 1 to 1.5 mm. It seals an orifice which normally has a diameter ranging from of about 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm.. The preferred elastomeric material of the sealing disk is Viton or KALREZ fluoroelastomer although other materials such as Buna-N elastomer may be employed. A durometer reading of about 60 to 90 is satisfactory. It is contemplated that more than one orifice may be sealed by the seal disk. Further, the annular bead surrounding the central web of the seal disk may be continuously supported or discontinuously supported around its periphery by a perimeter clamp or clamps which tension the central web or membrane over a support surface. The support surface on the armature housing extension, while shown as planar, may be nonplanar and be closable on a similar nonplanar orifice valve seat. An important case of nonplanar support is one wherein the surface under the web is curved in a manner approximating a portion of a large radius sphere, for example, having a radius of curvature of about 1 cm, or dome. This is shown by the dotted lines 66 and 67 in FIG. 10 on the web support and valve seat, respectively. The purpose of curvature is to provide the stretched web with a resulting force against the support at all locations on its surface, thereby preventing the web from lifting off the support in the presence of a pressure differential and without the need for bonding. It is preferred that the elastomer be maintained so as to have a uniform cross-sectional membrane thickness.
The above description of embodiments of this invention is intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Other embodiments of this invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art in view of the above disclosure. | A modulating valve is described for controlling the flow of a working fluid through a flow orifice. The valve includes a encapsulated armature having a permanent magnet and a pair of soft iron pole pieces within its interior. The armature is axially movable by the passage of current through one or a dual pair of solenoid coils surrounding the armature. A thin webbed sealing disk is stretched over the end of an armature housing extension and acts to close or modulate flow of working fluid by varying the axial clearance between the disk and a stationary annular seat of the flow orifice. The armature is supported on flexure guide springs that allow armature axial motion when axial magnetic forces are applied to the armature. These axial forces are provided by the interaction of the solenoid coil(s) and the field of the permanent magnet. A magnetic field gradient produced by the permanent magnet allows the coil to apply a force to the armature in either the valve opening or valve closing direction, depending on the coil current polarity. An armature velocity signal is used in a closed loop servo control of valve position to suppress valve oscillation and over shoot when a change in valve position is commanded. | 7 |
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/258,278, filed Jun. 10, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,709.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for production of canthaxanthin which is one of the carotenoid pigments. Canthaxanthin produced by the present process is useful as a natural red pigment in fodder additives, food additives, cosmetics and the like.
2. Related Art
It is known that canthaxanthin is present in a mushroom (Botanical Gazette 112, 228-232, 1950), fishes, and crustaceans (Carotenoids of Aquatic Organisms, Nippon Suisan Gakukai, 1978). In addition as microorganisms producing canthaxanthin, microorganisms belonging to the genus Brevibacterium (Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 55(10), 2505, 1989), and microorganisms belonging to the genus Rhodococcus (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2-138996) are known. Moreover, canthaxanthin can be chemically synthesized by oxidation of β-carotene (J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 78, 1427 (1956)) and synthesis from novel 3-oxo-C 15 phosphonium salt (Paure Appl. Chem. 51, 875 (1979)).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The conventional processes, however, have various drawbacks; for example, extraction from natural products is expensive, raw materials are not stably available, productivity by microorganisms is low, and products are accompanied with a lot of impurity. It is problematic to use chemically synthesized canthaxanthin due to safety problems.
The present invention provides a simple process for production of canthaxanthin having high purity and being safe.
The present inventors carried out various attempts to develop a process for production of canthaxanthin using microorganisms. As a result, the present inventors found that microorganisms belonging to the genus Corynebacterium accumulate a high concentration of canthaxanthin in their cells, and completed the present invention. The present invention relates to a process for production of canthaxanthin comprising culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce canthaxanthin and belonging to the genus Corynebacterium, and extracting and purifying canthaxanthin accumulated in the cells to obtain canthaxanthin.
BRIEF EXPLANATION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 represents an infrared absorption spectrum of canthaxanthin produced according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 represents a result of mass analysis of canthaxanthin produced according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 represents a 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance of canthaxanthin produced according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
According to the present invention, any microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium and producing canthaxanthin can be used. As an example, Corynebacterium sp. SQH 348 isolated by the present inventors can be mentioned. This strain was deposited to National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, 1--3 Higashi 1-chome, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 305 Japan, on Apr. 27, 1993 as FERM BP-4284.
This strain has the following taxonomical properties.
______________________________________(a) Morphology Bouillon liquid medium(1) Shape and size of cell Rod, 0.8 to 1.0 × 1.0 to 1.5 μm(2) Polymorphism Present(3) Motility None(4) Spore formation None(5) Gram stain Positive(b) Cultural properties on medium(1) Bouillon agar plate State of growth Abundant Color of colony Orange Shape of colony Circle (smooth) Gloss of colony Present Diffusible pigment None(c) Physiological properties(1) Reduction of nitrate -(2) Oxidase -(3) Catalase +(4) Range for growth Growth at pH 6.0 - Growth at pH 7.0 + Growth at pH 12.0 +(5) Behavior toward oxygen aerobic(6) Liquefaction of gelatin -(7) Decomposition of esculin -(8) Decomposition of hippuric acid -(9) Decomposition of casein -(10) Decomposition of urea +(11) Methyl red test -(12) Glycolate test - (acetyl type)(13) Diamino acid of cell wall meso-diaminopimelic acid(14) Sugar composition of cell wall Arabinose + Galactose +(15) Quinone type MK-8 (H.sub.2)(16) GC content 69 mol %(17) Formation of acid from carbohydrates (1) Arabinose - (2) Galactose - (3) Xylose - (4) Glucose - (5) Salicin - (6) Sucrose - (7) Starch - (8) Dextrin - (9) Trehalose - (10) Fructose - (11) Maltose - (12) Mannose - (13) Lactose - (14) Raffinose - (15) Rhamnose -______________________________________
As a result, the SQH 348 strain was identified as a microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium and designated as Corynebacterium sp. SQH 348.
According to the present invention, microorganisms other than the strain SQH 348 can be used. Microorganisms which can be used in the present invention can be selected from microorganisms belonging to the genus Corynebacterium. For example, microorganisms belonging to Corynebacterium are obtained from depository institutes such as ATCC, NRRL, FRI etc. Next they are cultured in a medium such as that described in Table 1, and inoculated into a production medium such as that described in Example 1, and the culture is assayed for canthaxanthin according to the procedure described in Example 1. Microorganisms which produce canthaxanthin are selected and used for the present invention.
Medium for production of canthaxanthin using the present microorganisms is, for example, as follows. Namely, it contains a carbon source, a nitrogen source and inorganic salts necessary for the growth of producer microorganisms, as well as if necessary specially required substances (for example, vitamins, amino acids, nucleic acids etc.). As the carbon sources, sugars such as glucose, fructose, trehalose, mannose, etc., organic acids such as acetic acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, propionic acid, malic acid, malonic acid; alcohols such as ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, isobutanol; hydrocarbons such as linear hydrocarbons having 11 to 20 carbon atoms; branched hydrocarbons such as squalene; oil or fat such as rape oil, soybean oil, olive oil, corn oil, linseed oil, and the like are mentioned. Amount of the carbon source added varies according to the kind of the carbon source, and usually 1 to 100 g, preferably 2 to 50 g per 1 l medium.
As the nitrogen sourses, for example, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, ammonia, urea, etc. are used alone or in combination. Amount of the nitrogen source added varies according to the kind of the nitrogen source, and usually 0.1 to 10 g, and preferably 1 to 3 g per 1 l medium.
As the inorganic salts, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, magnesium sulfate, magnesium chloride, ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, ferric chloride, ferrous chloride, calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, etc. may be used alone or in combination. Amount of inorganic acid varies according to the kind of the inorganic salt, and usually 0.001 to 10 g per 1 l medium.
As special required substances, vitamins, nucleic acids, yeast extract, peptone, meat extract, malt extract, corn steep liquor, dried yeast, etc. may be used alone or in combination.
Amount of the special required substance used varies according to the kind of the substance, and usually 0.2 g to 200 g, and preferably 3 to 100 g per 1 l medium. A pH value of a medium is adjusted to pH 2 to 12, preferably 6 to 10. Culturing is carried out a temperature of 15° to 80° C., and preferably 25° to 40° C., usually for 1 to 20 days, and preferably 2 to 8 days, under an aerobic condition provided by shaking or aeration/agitation.
Finally the present compound is isolated and purified from the culture. Namely, microbial cells are separated from the culture by a conventional means such as centrifugation or filtration, and the cells are subjected to an extraction with a solvent. As a solvent for the extraction, any substance in which the present compound is soluble can be used. For example, organic solvents such as acetone, chloroform, dichloromethane, hexane, cyclohexane, ethanol, benzene, carbon disulfide, diethyl ether are used, and preferably chloroform, dichloromethane, acetone or ethanol is used. The purification can be carried out by conventional procedures such as absorption, elution, dissolving and the like, alone or preferably in combination.
Canthaxanthin produced by a microorganism of the present invention is characterized by that it contains a high ratio of all-trans canthaxanthin; a ratio of all-trans:cis is 95:5 to 98:2. The all-trans canthaxanthin is natural type product, and the present microorganisms are advantageous in that they produce the natural type canthaxanthin. If necessary, the cis type canthaxanthin can be synthesized from the all-trans type canthaxanthin, while the all-trans type canthaxanthin cannot be prepared from the cis type canthaxanthin.
The present producer microorganisms are characterized in that they produce canthaxanthin in a wide range of pH value. Namely, they can produce canthaxanthin under an alkaline side pH condition (pH 7 to 10), and are therefore suitable for the production of canthaxanthin which is instable under an acidic condition.
An infrared absorption spectrum of canthaxanthin produced according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, a mass spectrum thereof is shown in FIG. 2, and 13 C nuclear resonance spectrum thereof is shown in FIG. 3.
EXAMPLES
Now, the present invention is explained in detail by Examples, but the scope of the present invention should not be restricted to the Examples.
Example 1
First, 10 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 1 was put into a test tube having a diameter of 18 mm, and was autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes.
TABLE 1______________________________________Glucose 10 g/LPolypepton 5 g/LYeast extract 5 g/LKH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 1 g/LMgSO.sub.4.7H.sub.2 O 0.2 g/LpH 8.0 (adjusted with Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3)______________________________________
Said medium was inoculated with a piece of cells of SQH 348 strain (FERM BP-4284), and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days with shaking to prepare an inoculum culture. The inoculum culture was inoculated into a production medium in an amount of 2% by weight inoculum per 100% by weight of the production medium, and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 8 days with shaking. 50 ml of the production medium was contained in a 500 ml volume Sakaguchi flask, and the production medium contained 2 g/l of a carbon source selected from the group consisting of glucuse, fructose, ethanol, propanol, butanol, and squalene, as well as the components shown in Table 2.
TABLE 2______________________________________Component Amount______________________________________Yeast extract 0.2 g/LNH.sub.4 NO.sub.3 2.5 g/LKH.sub.2 PO.sub.4 1.5 g/LNa.sub.2 HPO.sub.4 1.5 g/LMgSO.sub.4.7H.sub.2 O 0.5 g/LFeSO.sub.4.7H.sub.2 O 0.01 g/LCaCl.sub.2.2H.sub.2 O 0.01 g/LpH 8.0 (adjusted with Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3)______________________________________
The cultured medium was centrifuged to obtain microbial cells, and the cells obtained from 10 ml of the cultured medium was extracted with 10 ml of acetone, and 10 ml of hexane and 10 ml of 0.85% Sodium Chloride were added to the extract, and the mixture was stirred. The upper layer was separated and the solvent was distilled off at 35° C. under a reduced pressure. An amount of canthaxanthin in the pigment extract was analysed by high performance liquid chromatography. A result is shown in Table 3. The method for analysis by high performance liquid chromatography is described in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 55 (12), p 3065 (1989). Namely, a ZORBAX ODS (Du pont, 4.6 mm I.D.×250 mm column) was used, and elution was carried out with a mixed solvent of methanol/acetonitrile/dichloromethane (5:4:1). Canthaxanthin was detected by absorption at 470 nm, and quantitated from a ratio of the peak areas for a sample tested and a standard canthaxanthin in a high performance liquid chromatography. In addition, a ratio of canthaxanthin among the other pigments was calculated from a ratio of an area of a peak of canthaxanthin and a total area of peaks of other pigments. In addition, a ratio of all-trans:cis of the canthaxanthin isomers was calculated from a ratio of areas of peaks of the isomers.
TABLE 3______________________________________ Canthaxanthin Ratio of Ratio ofCarbon produced canthaxanthin all-trans:source (mg/L) in pigments (%) cis______________________________________Glucose 0.34 98.5 96:4Fructose 0.32 99.0 96:4Ethanol 0.57 98.9 96:4Propanol 0.64 99.0 96:4Butanol 0.48 98.9 96:4Squalene 0.21 99.0 96:4______________________________________
Example 2
First, 10 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 1 was put into a test tube having a diameter of 18 mm, and autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes. The medium was inoculated with a piece of cells of SQH 348 strain (FERM BP-4284), and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days with shaking to prepare a inoculum culture. The inoculum culture was inoculated into a production medium in an amount of 2% by weight inoculum culture per 100% by weight of the production medium, and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 5 days with shaking. 50 ml of the production medium was included in a 500 ml volume Sakaguchi flask, and the production medium contained 10 g/l of a carbon source selected from the group consisting of rape oil, olive oil, corn oil, linseed oil and soybean oil as well as the component shown in Table 1. An extraction and quantification of canthaxanthin were carried out as described in Example 1. A result is shown in Table 4.
TABLE 4______________________________________Plant Canthaxanthinoil produced (mg/L)______________________________________Rape oil 3.9Olive oil 4.5Corn oil 4.8Linseed oil 1.6Soybean oil 5.7______________________________________
Example 3
First, 10 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 1 was put into a test tube having a diameter of 18 mm, and autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes. The medium was inoculated with a piece of cells of SQH 348 strain (FERM BP-4284), and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days to prepare an inoculum culture. The inoculum culture was inoculated into a production medium in an amount of 2% by weight per 100% by weight of the production medium, and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 7 days with shaking. 50 ml of the production medium was included in a 500 ml valve Sakaguchi flask. The production medium had a composition shown in Table 2, except that it further contained 10 g/l glucose, 30 g/l yeast extract and 5 ml/l soybean oil, but did not contain NH 4 NO 3 . Extraction and quantification of canthaxanthin were carried out according to the same procedure as described in Example 1. Amount of canthaxanthin produced was 14.1 mg/l.
Example 4
First, 10 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 1 was put into a test tube having a diameter of 18 mm, and autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes. The pH value of the medium was adjusted to pH 10.0 with a sterilized 20% Na 2 CO 3 aqueous solution, inoculated with a piece of cells of SQH 348 strain (FERM BP-4284), and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days to prepare a inoculum culture. The inoculum culture was inoculated into a production medium in an amount of 2% by weight inoculum culture per 100% by weight of the production culture, and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 7 days with shaking. The production medium had a composition shown in Table 1, except that pH value was 10.0. Extraction and quantificaiton of canthaxanthin were carried out according to the same procedure as described in Example 1. Amount of canthaxanthin produced was 0.50 mg/l.
Example 5
First, 200 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 1 was put into a one liter Sakaguchi flask, and autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes. The medium was inoculated with SQH 348 strain (FERM BP-4284), and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days. 2.4 l of this culture was inoculated into 25 l of a production medium in a 50 liter fermenter, having a composition shown in Table 1 except that it further contained 0.3 ml/l of Nissan Disfoam BC-51Y (Nippon Yushi) as a antifoaming agent, and culturing was carried out at 30° C., 300 rpm, 1.0 vvm, for 188 hours.
Extraction and quantification of canthaxanthin were carried out according to the procedure as described in Example 1. Amount of canthaxanthin produced was 2.0 mg/l. 21.4 kg of the culture was centrifuged to obtain 298g of wet cells, which were then homogeneously mixed with 500 ml of chloroform. The mixture was centrifuged to separate and recover the aqueous lower layer. The aqueous layer was extracted twice with chloroform to obtain 1.5 l of an extract containing canthaxanthin. The extract was evaporated off under a reduced pressure, and the concentrated extract containing canthaxanthin was adsorbed on a silica gel column.
Canthaxanthin was eluted with a mixed solvent of hexane/ethyl acetate (9:1), and solvent was evaporated off from the elute. The extract was dissolved in a small amount of chloroform, and ethanol was dropwise added to the solution so as to crystallize canthaxanthin. 7.5 mg of crystallized canthaxanthin was obtained. Canthaxanthin thus obtained was identical with authentic canthaxanthin in an infrared absorption spectrum, mass spectrum, 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum and absorption spectrum.
Example 6
First, 100 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 1 was put into a 500 ml Sakaguchi flask, and autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes. The medium was inoculated with SQH 348 strain (FERM BP-4284), and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days to prepare an inoculum culture. 100 ml of the culture was inoculated into 1 l of a medium having a composition shown in Table 1 in a 2.5 l fermenter, and culturing was carried out at 30° C., 500 rpm and 1.0 vvm, for 67 hours. Extraction and quantification of canthaxanthin were carried out according to the same procedure as described in Example 1. Amount of canthaxanthin produced was 3.4 mg/l.
Example 7
First, 100 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 1 was put into a 500 ml Sakaguchi flask, and autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes. The medium was inoculated with SQH 348 strain (FERM BP-4284) and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days with shaking to prepare an inoculum culture. 100 ml of the culture was inoculated into 1 l of a production medium in a 2.5 l fermenter, and culturing was carried out at 30° C., 500 rpm and 1.0 vvm, for 44 hours in an aerobic condition. The production medium has a composition shown in Table 1, except that it contained 10 ml/l of ethanol in place of glucose. Extraction and quantificaiton of canthaxanthin were carried out according to a procedure as described in Example 1. Amount of canthaxanthin produced was 2.4 mg/l.
Example 8
First, 100 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 2, except that it contained 20 g/l glucose, 20 g/l yeast extract and 5 g/l of soybean oil but did not contain NH 4 NO 3 , was autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes. The medium was inoculated with SQH 348 strain (FERM BR-4284) and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days with shaking to prepare an inoculum culture. 100 ml of the culture was inoculated into 1.25 l of a production medium in a 2.5 l fermenter, and culturing was carried out at 30° C., 500 rpm mand 1.0 vvm, for 163 hours in an aerobic condition. The production medium had a composition shown in Table 2, except that it contained 10 g/l glucose, 30 g/l yeast extract, and 5 ml/l soybean oil and does not added NH 4 NO 3 . During the culturing at 50, 66, 74 and 90 hours from the inoculation, 12 g of glucose was added to maintain the presence of glucose. In addition at 42, 66 and 90 hours from the inoculation, 3 g/l of soybean oil was added. Extraction and quantification of canthaxanthin were carried out according to the same procedure as described in Example 1. Amount of canthaxanthin produced was 19.5 mg/l.
Example 9
First, 100 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 2 (except that it contained 20 g/l glucose, 20 g/l yeast extract and 5 g/l soybean oil, but does not contain added NH 4 NO 3 ) was put into a 500 ml Sakaguchi flask, and autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes. The medium was inoculated with SQH 348 strain (FERM BP-4284), and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days to prepare an inoculum culture. 100 ml of this culture was inoculated into 1.2 l of a production medium in a 2.5 liter fermenter, and culturing was carried out at 30° C., 800 rpm and 1.0 vvm, for 141 hours. The production medium had a composition shown in Table 2, except that it contained 10 ml/l ethanol, 30 g/l yeast extract and 5 ml/l soybean oil, but does not contain added NH 4 NO 3 . Total 19 ml of ethanol was periodically added so as to maintain the presence of ethanol. When foam was formed on the medium, soybean oil was fed with a pump cooperating with a foam detecting electrode. Total amount of soybean oil fed was 43 ml. Extraction and quantification of canthaxanthin were carried out according to the same procedure as described in Example 1. Amount of canthaxanthin produced was 13.6 mg/l.
Example 10
First, 100 ml of a medium having a composition shown in Table 1 was put into a 500 ml Sakaguchi flask, and autoclaved at 121° C. for 15 minutes. The medium was inoculated with SQH 348 strain (FERM BP-4284) and culturing was carried out at 30° C. for 3 days to prepare an inoculum culture. 100 ml of the culture was inoculated into 1.2 l of a production medium in a 2.5 liter fermenter, and culturing was carried out at 30° C., 500 rpm and 1.0 vvm for 158 hours. The production culture had a composition shown in Table 1 except that it contained 10 ml/l proponol, 40 g/l yeast extract, and 0.01 ml/l Nissan Disfoam BC-51Y, but did not contain added NH 4 NO 3 . Extraction and quantification of canthaxanthin were carried out according to the same procedure as described in Example 1. Amount of canthaxanthin produced was 7.2 mg/l.
This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application Serial No. 5-140874, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. | A process for production of canthaxanthin comprising the steps of culturing a microorganism capable of producing canthaxanthin and belonging to the genus Corynebacterium, such as Corynebacterium sp. SQH 348 (FERM BP-4284), and recovering canthaxanthin from the culture. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to detecting computer system security breaches and, more specifically, to detecting such breaches in computer systems having data storage arrays.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer systems, particularly those having access to external networks such as the Internet, are vulnerable to intrusion or attack by unauthorized individuals. Such persons may be involved in industrial espionage, seeking trade secrets and other information stored on the system, or may simply be seeking to vandalize the system. Businesses, governments and other organizations spend considerable sums to protect the data stored on their computer systems and prevent disruption of system operations. Sophisticated firewalls and other mechanisms for thwarting intruders or attackers outside an organization have been developed. Security mechanisms have also been developed for protecting data against unauthorized access by individuals inside an organization. Although such mechanisms provide the first line of defense against intrusions and attacks, there is also a need for mechanisms that detect such security breaches in the event an intruder is at least partially successful so that corrective actions can be taken as soon as possible.
Although computer systems typically have many elements, including mass data storage devices, host computers, back-end servers, administrative workstations, and various peripheral devices, intrusion detection solutions have focused upon host computers or servers. Conventional intrusion detection software operates on host computers and monitors file changes, evaluates whether changes in file structures indicate an attack based upon attack signatures and rule sets, and notifies system administrators or other personnel if data stored on network servers have been compromised. Various attack signatures and rule sets are known that are used to differentiate between expected types of changes and those that are likely to indicate an intrusion. For example, a password file can normally be expected to change from time to time, but a large number of changes occurring within a short time span may indicate an intruder has accessed the system. Similar intrusion detection software for network routers and switches has also been developed.
Host-based intrusion detection solutions are themselves potentially vulnerable to attack. Once an intruder gains access to a host, the intruder may be able to render them ineffective and thus escape detection. It would be desirable to provide an intrusion detection solution that is resistant to access by an intruder. The present invention addresses this problem and others in the manner described below.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to intrusion detection in a computer system having one or more host computers in direct communication with a data storage array. An attribute retrieval engine in direct communication with the data storage array and not directly connected to any of the host computers monitors disk structures of the data storage array and produces a change event indication if a disk structure changes. An analysis engine in communication with the attribute retrieval engine and having access to a rule set produces an intrusion indication in response to a change event indication if information received from the attribute retrieval engine describing changes in disk structure match a rule in the rule set. Rules for evaluating and distinguishing whether a change is to be expected or signifies potential intrusion are well-known, and the rule set can include any such rule known in the art. An example of such as rule is that if some predetermined threshold number of files changed within some predetermined threshold number of minutes, an alert should be issued to signal possible intrusion. The files to monitor can be specified by an operator in an input file.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2A is a flow diagram illustrating a method in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2B is a continuation of the flow diagram of FIG. 2A ;
FIG. 3 illustrates in further detail a method step of checking rule sets; and
FIG. 4 illustrates data files usable in the method illustrated in FIGS. 2-3 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As illustrated in FIG. 1 , a computer system includes a data storage system 10 that is in direct communication via a small computer systems interface (SCSI) bus or any other suitable data communication link or network, such as Fibre Channel, with one or more user workstations 12 . Data storage system 10 can be any suitable mass storage platform known in the art, such as the SYMMETRIX line of products produced by EMC Corporation of Hopkinton, Mass. The SYMMETRIX is an enterprise data storage platform that includes the hardware and software necessary to serve the data storage needs of a business enterprise having one or more such hosts 12 . The hardware includes an array of disk drives (not separately shown) that typically have a collective storage capacity on the order of a terabyte or more. Nevertheless, the invention can be used in an environment having any suitable type of mass data storage system of any capacity. The SYMMETRIX hardware further includes processors and memory. The memory includes cache memory, which is used for buffering all input and output data between the SYMMETRIX and workstations 12 , program or control store memory for storing the software under which the processors operate, and other memory. The processors can perform sophisticated data storage management tasks under the control of suitable software stored within the SYMMETRIX program memory. Persons skilled in the art are familiar with the myriad software tools or facilities that are commercially available for such data storage systems 10 and creating new tools and facilities using an appropriate application program interface (API) suite, such as EMC's DELTAMARK for the SYMMETRIX.
To be less vulnerable to attack from intruders who could perhaps gain access to workstations 12 , the intrusion detection system to which the present invention relates is not associated with workstations 12 . Rather, it is embodied in one or more platforms separate from and distinct from workstations 12 . For example, it can include an attribute retrieval engine 14 and an analysis engine 16 embodied in appropriate software and hardware of one or more other computing platforms. Although illustrated in FIG. 1 as embodied in two distinct platforms, engines 14 and 16 can alternatively be separate processes operating on a single platform or can even be further integrated with each other. The number, type and organization of such other platforms or processes is not material to the invention; the important aspect is that they are separate and distinct from all user workstations 12 as well as storage array 10 to insulate them against attack from an intruder who gains access to workstations 12 .
The method by which the present invention operates in the illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 2A-B . Persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will readily be capable of programming or otherwise providing platforms with hardware and software embodying attribute retrieval engine 14 and analysis engine 16 ( FIG. 1 ). At step 18 attribute retrieval engine 14 is started in some suitable manner, such as by the launching of one or more software process. One such process can process a configuration file at step 20 that contains information identifying the files and volumes in data storage system 10 to be monitored. Another process can begin querying data storage system 10 at step 22 as described in further detail below.
The information described below can be input to attribute retrieval engine 14 and analysis engine 16 in any suitable manner, such as via data files, examples of which are illustrated FIG. 4 . For example, the configuration file can include a number of lines, each having five fields: storage array device name; physical device name; file system type, system type, and a comma-separated list of rule sets. The configuration file provides information that will be needed to query data storage system 10 . The rule sets identify the files that are to be queried. For example, a rule denoted “1” may indicate a password file; a rule denoted “2” may indicate a log file; and rules “4”-“10” may indicate other types of files. As understood by persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates, it is these types of operating system files, e.g., password files, log files, etc., that are likely to be changed in some abnormal fashion by an intruder. For example, an intruder attempting to gain a password may access the password file an unusually large number of times within a short timespan. It is activities such as these that can be monitored and used as indicators of a possible intrusion.
The configuration file is opened at step 24 , and at step 26 the first entry or line is read. A baseline file, an example of which is shown in FIG. 4 , provides a reference point for comparison. That is, the baseline file reflects the most recent state of the disk structure at which time it was believed to have remained unchanged by the actions of any intruder. If at step 28 it is determined that the configuration file entry is not yet in the baseline file, then at step 30 a function “upDateBaseFile( )” is called, which adds the entry to the baseline file. If there are more entries in the baseline file, processing returns to step 26 at which the next entry is read. If at step 28 it is determined that the entry is already in the baseline file, then at step 32 it is determined whether the contents of that entry have changed. If the contents have changed, then at step 30 “upDateBaseFile( )” is called to replace the contents with that indicated in the configuration file. If the contents have not changed, processing returns to step 26 at which the next entry in the configuration file is read.
The baseline file identifies the files to query by their inodes. As well-understood by persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates, an inode is a data structure describing files in Unix and similar file systems. There is an inode for each file, and a file is uniquely identified by the file system on which it resides and its inode number on that system. Each inode typically contains at least the following information: the device where the inode resides, locking information, mode and type of file, the number of links to the file, the owner's user and group ids, the number of bytes in the file, access and modification times, the time the inode itself was last modified, and the addresses of the file's blocks on disk. The function “upDateBaseFile( )” calls two SYMMETRIX DELTAMARK API functions, as indicated by step 34 : “SymFileShow( )” and “SymInodeShow( )” Data storage systems 10 other than the SYMMETRIX will have similar API calls or other means for obtaining such inode information. The “upDateBaseFile( )” function includes a loop in which it steps through the files listed in a rule set file, an example of which is illustrated in FIG. 4 . For each file to monitor that is listed in the rule set file, “upDateBaseFile( )” calls “SymFileShow( ),” which retrieves a pointer to the corresponding inode. The inode returned by “SymFileShow( )” is passed to “SymInodeShow( )” which retrieves the file map for that inode. The information from the file map, such as the pathname of the file and its inode, is then inserted into the baseline file.
As soon as the configuration file has been processed as described above, at step 36 attribute retrieval engine 14 loads the baseline file and starts to process requests for information by reading the baseline file entries at step 38 and putting each entry for a file to be queried into a queue at some suitable predetermined time interval, such as every few seconds. Each entry is processed at step 40 by calling a function “getFileStatus(inode,fileMap).” This function compares the file map in the baseline file with the file map as it exists at the time of the query. The function takes the inode as input and then calls “SymInodeShow( )” to retrieve the most recent file map. After comparison it returns an integer that indicates whether the file has changed. If it is determined at step 42 that it has not changed, processing returns to step 38 at which the next entry in the baseline file is processed. If the file has changed, then at step 44 the function “checkRuleSets( )” is called.
The function “checkRuleSets( )” is illustrated in further detail in FIG. 3 . Its purpose is to determine if any rule sets in a rule sets file or database have been either partially or fully satisfied and, if so, to issue an alert to a system administrator. At step 46 a rule set status file is opened. The rule set status file is a file that keeps track of which rule sets are currently being matched and for which volumes and associated systems. It lists the volumes in data storage system 10 that have had file changes detected by attribute retrieval engine 14 ( FIG. 1 ). At step 48 the rule set status file is searched for any existing entries for the volume that had the file change. If an entry is found, at step 50 an additional entry is placed in the rule set status file at step 52 that reflects the recent file change as detected by attribute retrieval engine 14 . If no entry is found at step 50 , an initial entry is placed in the rule set status file at step 54 reflecting the file changes as detected by attribute retrieval engine 14 .
At step 56 it is determined if a rule set has been satisfied. The “Threshold” variable from the rule sets file forms the basis for this determination. The first number in the rule sets file is an integer that indicates how many files need to have changed. The second number is the time interval within which these changes need to have occurred. For example, if the first number is “4” and the second is “3600,” then the rule will be satisfied if at least four files listed in the rule sets file have changed within an interval of 3600 seconds (i.e., one hour). The function “checkRuleSets( )” then returns an integer indicating whether a rule has been satisfied. Referring again to FIG. 2 , if it is determined at step 58 that a rule has been satisfied, an alert is issued at step 60 . The alert appears on a system administrator's terminal or is recorded in a file or otherwise recorded so that the administrator or other personnel can investigate further to determine if an intrusion has in fact occurred and how any damage can be repaired.
As illustrated by the embodiment described above, the invention provides a storage-based solution to the problem of host-based intrusion detection solutions themselves being vulnerable to attack by an intruder. Unlike prior host-based solutions in which an intruder could potentially disable information collection, the storage-based solution of the present invention remains effective even if an intruder gains access to aspects of a host workstation.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims. | In a computer system having one or more host computers in direct communication with a data storage array, an attribute retrieval engine in direct communication with the data storage array monitors disk structures of the data storage array and produces a change event indication if a disk structure changes. An analysis engine in communication with the attribute retrieval engine and a rule set database produces an intrusion indication in response to a change event indication if information received from the attribute retrieval engine describing changes in disk structure match a rule in the rule set database. | 7 |
This work has been supported in part by the National Institutes of Health.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to new reagents useful in organic synthesis, and more specifically, useful in peptide synthesis.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In spite of the recent surge in genetic engineering research, there is still a widespread use of traditional chemical methods of peptide synthesis. Although genetic methods may be far more efficient for the production of certain large peptides such as insulin or growth hormone, chemical synthesis is still more valuable in the manufacture of smaller peptides (less than 50 amino acids) and their analogues, which may contain D-amino acids or other substituents which do not occur naturally.
One popular method of chemical synthesis is the Merrifield method of solid phase peptide synthesis (J. Am. Chem. Soc., 85:2149, 1963; Biochemistry, 3:1385, 1965) which involves the reaction of a protected amino acid in the presence of triethylamine with a polymeric support or substrate. U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,267 teaches a styrene-derived polymer useful as a substrate in the controlled synthesis of polypeptides. Specifically, this invention requires the chloromethylation of the aromatic rings to activate the polymer used as a carrier. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,079,021 and 4,133,942 are also directed to styrene-derived polymers which must be chloromethylated in order to react with the first amino acid. U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,821 also describes a chloromethylation procedure for polymer activation, in which the major modification is the addition of non-reactive polar solvents to eliminate the competing reaction between the chloromethylated resin and the solvent ethanol, which slows down the initial rate of esterification. It is also known to modify polystyrene to produce various polymeric reagents (Pepper, et al., J. Chem. Soc., 4097, 1953); displacement of the chlorine atom by a nucleophile may give rise to a variety of different reagents. Carboxylic acids have been linked to chloromethylated polystyrene through an ester bond to produce peptides (Merrifield, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 85, 2149). The disadvantage associated with this type of reaction, however, is that the weak carbon-oxygen bond of the ester linkage requires avoiding the use of strong bases and nucleophiles.
Many of the inherent disadvantages involved in the solid phase method of synthesis, such as difficulty in isolation of the peptide and possible contaminating side reactions, are avoided by the use of polymeric reagents rather than polymeric supports. Israeli Patent Application No. 59689 discloses a polymeric reagent prepared by Friedel Crafts acylation of polystyrene with substituted benzoic acids. The present invention relates to a polymeric reagent prepared by the sulfonylation of polystyrene by the addition of a substituted benzene sulfonyl group to the phenyl group of the polymer backbone. The polymeric reagent so produced shows a surprising reactivity and is particularly useful in the process of peptide synthesis.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to polymeric reagents of the formula ##STR2## wherein Z is the polymeric backbone of a compound which is polystyrene, or a copolymer comprising styrene and a comonomer or comonomers.
Y is selected from the group comprising nitro, acyl, carboxyl, formyl, cyano, carbalkoxy, sulfone, carboxyamide, or halogen; and
R is hydroxy, aryloxy, alkoxy, halogen, formyloxy, acyloxy, cyano, amino, substituted amino, carboxyamine, thiol, alkylthio, arylthio, aralkylthio or acylthio.
It further relates to a process for their preparation and to their use in organic synthesis, particularly in peptide synthesis.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The novel reagents of the present invention may be prepared by the reaction of compounds of the formulas ##STR3## wherein X is halogen or OH, and Y and R are as hereinbefore described, with a polystyrene polymer or a copolymer comprising styrene, in a Friedel Crafts reaction.
The preferred compounds of the present invention are those in which Y is either nitro, acyl, sulfone, cyano or carboxyl, and the polymer is either polystyrene or a polymer comprising polystyrene and divinyl benzene. A particularly preferred compound is 3-nitro-4-hydroxy benzosulfonated polystyrene.
The following schematic illustration represents a general method of synthesis. ##STR4##
The polymers so produced have the advantage of being prepared in a minimum number of steps, with a reaction which does not alter the polymeric backbone, but further activates the resulting polymer. Any unreacted starting material and soluble by-products are easily washed off the polymer product. Further, the mechanical and swelling properties of these novel polymers are excellent: The polymers are relatively unbrittle and do not crumble easily. They also swell readily with a variety of different solvents or solvent mixtures, such as chloroform, methylene chloride, toluene and dioxane, and may be used under a variety of different temperatures, with no resulting change to the polymer. When a reaction is complete, the polymer can be quickly filtered and washed.
An advantage of the present preparation is that the sulfonyl function is added to the substituents of the benzene ring, thereby favorably affecting the reactivity of the substituents para to the sulfonyl. Thus, the hydrolysis of the resulting polymers cannot be carried out with the usual ether cleaving acidic substances such as HBr, HI or ISi(CH) 3 . However, hydrolysis may be effected under basic conditions, including KOH in dioxane-water mixtures or tetraalkylammonium hydroxides in dioxane-water solutions. The following is a schematic representation of such a reaction: ##STR5##
The derivatized polymers react with various acids to yield the corresponding active esters in a variety of conditions, for example, as below, with carboxylic acids: ##STR6##
Esters of the following acids may be prepared: carboxylic acids, N-blocked amino acids, phosphoric acids, sulfonic acids, carbonic acids. The active esters may be used for effecting acylations such as N-acylations, C-acylations O-acylations and S-acylations, when reacted with amines (including amino acids and peptides), carbanions and enolates, alcohols or thiols, respectively.
Active esters of the polymers of the present invention show increased reactivity toward nucleophilic reagents as a result of the presence of the sulfonyl function. Thus, esters of the subject polymers are at least 200-250 times more active than the corresponding esters of 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzylated polystyrene (Kalir, et al., Europ. J. Biochem., 42, 151), which has a methylene linkage to the polystyrene backbone. This linkage has no activating effect on the substituents at the position para to the linking group. Thus, peptide bond formation between amino acids or peptides having a free amino function and another amino acid in the form of a polymeric active ester of a polymer of the present invention, may be accomplished in minutes rather than hours with the appropriate active esters of 4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzylated polystyrene.
The active esters of the subject polymers are also superior to active esters of another polymeric alcohol, polymeric 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (Kalir, et al., Europ. J. Biochem., 59, 55), whose reaction rates with assorted nucleophiles are not unlike those of the subject polymers. Hydroxybenzotriazole esters are extremely sensitive toward moisture and alcohols, and must be used with dried and alcohol-free solvents. On the other hand, active esters of the subject polymers are insensitive to moisture and alcohols in neutral solution. Thus, during the coupling of an N-blocked amino acid to the polymer to form the active ester by the aid of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), the nearly insoluble dicyclohexylurea formed is easily removable with isopropanol-methylene chloride solution, without any alcoholysis of the polymeric ester.
The subject polymers are also superior to those disclosed in Israeli Patent Application No. 59689 and Cohen, et al., J. Org. Chem., 49:922 (1984), which have a carbonyl linkage to the polymer backbone. The latter polymers are quite reactive due to the activating effect of the carbonyl group or the substituents para to it. However, the hydroxyl groups of the derivatized benzosulfone polymers of the present invention are more acidic than those of the benzophenone polymers of the Israeli application. This is in large part due to the greater electron withdrawing effect of the sulfonyl group relative to a carbonyl. This exerts a stabilizing resonance effect on the corresponding polymeric phenolate ion, and thus renders the polymers of the present invention 5 to 10 times more reactive in a typical coupling procedure (see Example 4).
The polymer may be in any form suitable for the intended purpose: gel-type, macroreticular, isoporous, popcorn, bead-form or sheet. The exceptional physical stability of these new polymeric reagents allows them to be used repeatedly without undergoing any substantial changes in form. In contrast, many of the previously known polymeric reagents have a tendency to disintegrate and crumble to a powder. The novel reagents also constitute an effective and versatile means for effecting a wide range of organic reactions. The reagent may be filtered off at the end of the reaction, and the product may be easily separated. The reagents are also regenerated without difficulty and can be repeatedly used.
The present invention may be better understood with reference to the following non-limiting examples:
EXAMPLE 1
The following example illustrates the preparation of 4-methoxy-benzenesulfonylchloride:
108 grams of anisole (1.0 mol) was added to 700 ml of CH 2 Cl 2 in a one-liter round bottom flask and cooled to 0°-5° C. While using ice-bath cooling to maintain the temperature below 10° C., 280 grams of chlorosulfonic acid (1.5 mol) was added dropwise with magnetic stirring over a 4 hour period. The solution was then carefully poured over ice (1500 grams) and the organic layer collected. The solution was washed in the cold 10% NaHCO 3 , and the organic layer collected, then dried over MgSO 4 and filtered. The solvent was removed in a rotary evaporator under aspirator vacuum and crude 4-methoxy- benzenesulfonylchloride (72% yield) was obtained as a red oil in a sufficient state of purity to permit its use without further purification.
EXAMPLE 2
Thi s example illustrates the preparation of 3-nitro-4-methoxy-benzenesulfonylchloride:
350 ml of fuming nitric acid (8.3 mol) was added very carefully in 25 ml aliquots to the crude product of Example 1 in a one-liter flask. To maintain control over the very vigorous reaction which immediately commenced, each portion of the nitric acid was allowed to react completely (i.e., until no fumes were evolved) before the next portion was added. When addition was complete, the solution was allowed to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes and then carefully poured over ice (1000 g). The resulting slurry was extracted with CH 2 Cl (3×250 ml) and the organic extracts were combined, dried over MgSO 4 and filtered. The solvent was removed in a rotary evaporator and the yellow crystals thus obtained were recrystallized from 50% Et 2 O/hexane to yield pure 3-nitro-4-methoxy-benzenesulfonyl-chloride (161.3 g, 89% yield) as faintly yellow crystals.
EXAMPLE 3
This example illustrates the preparation of the benzosulfone polymer:
40 Grams of polystyrene beads (XE-305, Rohm and Haas) was washed with warm dioxane (5×300 ml) and filtered until a drop of filtrate spotted on a TLC plate no longer absorbed UV light. The beads were then washed with MeOH (2×300 ml), filtered and dried thoroughly under vacuum in a rotary evaporator using vigorous steam heating. The dried beads were finely mixed with 120 grams of 3-nitro-4-methoxy-benzenesulfonylchloride (0.48 mol) in a one-liter round bottom flask. To this, a mixture of 68 grams of AlCl 3 (0.51 mol) in 240 ml of pure nitrobenzene was added. The flask was affixed with wire to a rotary evaporator to effect even mixing, and the mixture was rotated for 5 hours in an oil bath heated to 85° C. The mixture was then removed from the evaporator, filtered and the beads were poured into a solution of 150 ml of DMF, 100 ml of concentrated HCl and 150 grams of ice. The beads gradually lightened in color and after 45 minutes they were filtered and washed with a solution of 50% DMF/H 2 O until the washings were nearly colorless (about 5×300 ml). The beads were then washed with hot (110° C.) DMF (4×300 ml), then 70% CH 2 Cl 2 /MeOH (4×300 ml) and dried in the rotary evaporator.
To accomplish hydrolysis of the methoxy group, a solution of 130 ml of 40% benzyltrimethyl-ammoniumhydroxide in H 2 O ("Triton B"), 260 ml of DMSO and 130 ml of water was added to the flask and the mixture was rotated on the rotary evaporator, as described above, for 8 hours at 100° C. The polymer was then filtered and the process repeated for 8 more hours using fresh Triton B/DMSO/H 2 O. The beads were then filtered and washed with copious amounts of warm water in 300 ml portions (about 40). The polymer was washed in warm dioxane (3×300 ml), filtered and then stirred in a solution of 40 ml of HOAc and 260 ml of dioxane for 15 minutes. Washings with dioxane were then performed until the washings were neutral and the polymer was then washed in 70% CH 2 C 2 /MeOH (6×300 ml). The beads were filtered and dried thoroughly under vacuum using steam heat. The derivatized polymer now weighed 61.5 grams, indicating the addition of 21.5 grams (106.4 mmol) 3-nitro-4-hydroxybenzosulfone function.
EXAMPLE 4
This example illustrates the formation of an active ester of 3-nitro-4-hydroxybenzosulfonylated polystyrene and its use in peptide synthesis.
Phenylalanine, protected with the amino protecting group chloroindenylmethoxycarbonyl (Climoc; see U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,519, incorporated herein by reference), in the amount of 3.7 grams (10 mmol) was dissolved in 35 ml of dry THF and 5 grams of 3-nitro-4-hydroxybenzosulfonylated polystyrene was added. The mixture was cooled to 0° C., 2 grams of N-benzyl-N-butylcarbodiimide (10 mmol) was added, and the mixture was stirred for 3 hours at 0° C. The polymer was washed with chilled (0° C.) THF (4×50 ml), CH 2 Cl 2 (3×50 ml) and then with 50 ml of Et 2 O. Thus obtained was the polymeric "active" ester of ClimocPhe, containing 0.88 mmol ClimocPhe residues per gram of polymer. 4.45 grams of the polymeric ClimocPhe ester (3.92 mmol) was placed in a flask with 30 ml of CH 2 Cl 2 and 0.26 grams of L-LeuOMe (1.77 mmol) was added. The mixture was stirred for 30 minutes, filtered and then washed with portions of CH 2 Cl 2 (5×25 ml). The combined washings were evaporated to yield 0.99 g of ClimocPheLeuOMe. The identity of the compound was verified by TLC comparison with an authentic sample.
EXAMPLE 5
A general procedure for the preparation of a peptide by the use of active esters of the polymers of the present invention is as follows:
1 equivalent of a peptide or amino acid having a C-terminal blocking group is introduced as the amine hydrochloride or trifluoroacetate to a suspension of 40% molar excess of the polymeric active ester of an N-BOC amino acid to be coupled with the polymer in chloroform. 2 equivalents of triethylamine are added and the mixture shaken for 15-60 minutes, depending on the length of the peptide. The polymer is washed with chloroform; the chloroform solution is then washed with water and with a cold solution of 10% NaHSO 4 , and evaporated to yield the pure N-BOC peptide. The N-BOC protecting group is removed by TFA in the usual manner and then the peptide is subjected to a new coupling cycle. Following this procedure, the blocked enkephaline BOC-Tyr(OBzl)-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu-OBzl may be prepared in an overall 90% or better yield: ##STR7##
By substitution of Climoc-protection for BOC-protection in the above scheme, with a silica based deblocking agent in place of TFA, acid deblocking conditions can be avoided. A similar reaction has already been described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,519.
The procedure may be repeated up to 3 to 5 times utilizing the same polymer, with only a filtering and a washing of the polymer between successive procedures. The resulting polymer is substantially without change in its form or reactivity after repeated usage. | This invention relates to polymers of the formula ##STR1## wherein Z is polystyrene, or a copolymer comprising styrene and a comonomer or comonomers.
Y is selected from the group comprising nitro, acyl, carboxyl, formyl, cyano, carbalkoxy, sulfone, carboxyamide, or halogen; and
R is hydroxy, aryloxy, alkoxy, halogen, formyloxy, acyloxy, cyano, amino, substituted amino, carboxyamine, thiol, alkylthio, arylthio, aralkylthio or acylthio, useful in peptide synthesis. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the manufacture of fine particles of phosphor for electroluminescent (EL) lamps and, in particular, to a process for treating previously coated phosphor particles to improve electrical stability without impairing brightness.
An EL panel is essentially a capacitor having a dielectric layer between two conductive electrodes, one of which is a transparent metal layer, such as indium tin oxide (ITO). The dielectric layer includes a copper doped ZnS phosphor powder or there is a separate layer of phosphor powder adjacent the dielectric layer. The phosphor powder radiates light in the presence of a strong electric field, using very little current.
EL phosphor particles are zinc sulfide-based materials, commonly including one or more compounds such as copper sulfide (Cu 2 S), zinc selenide (ZnSe), and cadmium sulfide (CdS) in solid solution within the zinc sulfide crystal structure or as second phases or domains within the particle structure. EL phosphors commonly contain moderate amounts of other materials such as dopants, e.g., bromine, chlorine, manganese, silver, etc., as color centers, as activators, or to modify defects in the particle lattice to modify properties of the phosphor as desired. A copper-activated zinc sulfide phosphor produces blue and green light under an applied electric field and a copper/manganese-activated zinc sulfide produces orange light under an applied electric field. Together, the phosphors produce white light under an applied electric field.
Phosphor particles can be of many sizes, depending on the process and post-process treatment, e.g. milling. EL phosphor particles having an average particle diameter of 1-50μ, preferably 10-40μ, are typically used for screen printed and roll coated EL panels. Phosphor particles that are too large may interfere with formation of very thin phosphor layers, may result in grainy or nonuniform light output, and typically tend to settle too quickly from suspensions during manufacture. Phosphor particles that are too small may degrade more rapidly during use due to increased relative surface area, may agglomerate and not flow freely, and may be difficult to mix with binders in high loadings. The luminance of phosphor degrades with time and usage, more so if the phosphor is exposed to moisture.
It is known in the art to encapsulate phosphors with a moisture resistant coating to improve the performance of the phosphor. Encapsulated phosphor particles are coated with a substantially continuous coating of one or more metal oxides using a fluidized bed reactor. In particular, metal oxide coatings are produced by introducing appropriate precursors in one zone and hydrolysis with water vapor in another zone of the reactor. The fluidized bed maintains agitation and particle separation so coatings can grow on the surface of each particle and not join particles together. The metal oxide coating is substantially transparent and is typically between about 0.1-3.0μ thick, preferably between about 0.1-0.5μ thick. Coatings that are too thin may be permeable to moisture. Coatings that are too thick may be less transparent. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,418,062 (Budd), U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,705 (Budd), U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,782 (Budd), U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,928 (Klinedinst), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,243 (Klinedinst).
An alumina coating formed as described in the Klinedinst patents tends to react with water to produce aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH) 3 ), which deteriorates lamp materials. Eliminating the alumina coating is not desirable because of the benefits of the coating. U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,215 (Sigai) describes the problem of hydration/solubilization of the alumina coating on fluorescent phosphor particles and proposes heating the particles to a temperature of 700-850° C. to cure the problem. EL phosphors cannot withstand such temperatures unaffected. Thus, the problem remains of overcoming a problem with a coating without giving up the benefits of the coating.
It is known in the art to coat the phosphor particles with polyureasilazane to improve adhesion and hydrolytic stability; e.g. see PCT published application WO 99/35889 (Kosa et al.). Although the process is quite effective, there are problems with disposal of waste solvent and with drying the wet phosphor particles.
It is known that chlorosilane compounds react with water or alcohol to form reactive silanols. Reaction of silanols to bond with an oxide-like surface (containing hydroxyl groups) is normally carried out in inert organic solvent or in the reactive alcohol serving as solvent; see A Guide to Dow Corning Silane Coupling Agents , 1985, Dow Corning Corp.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the invention to improve the moisture resistance of an EL lamp.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved process for coating coated phosphor.
A further object of the invention is to provide a new group of materials for coating phosphor particles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing objects are achieved in this invention in which it has been found that providing a second coating on the phosphor particles improves the life, brightness, and moisture resistance of the particles. Specifically, the particles are treated in a fluidized bed reactor with alkyl or arylchlorosilane compounds, which substantially coat the particles and greatly improves the resistance of the phosphor to high temperature, high humidity environments. Volatile chlorosilanes, vapor transported in an inert carrier gas as a water-reactive species, produce siloxane directly on the surface of phosphor particles in a fluidized bed. A new group of surface-active siloxanes for use on coated EL phosphors has been discovered.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A more complete understanding of the invention can be obtained by considering the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a diagram of apparatus suitable for treating phosphor particles in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is the structural formula for phenyltrichlorosilane;
FIG. 3 is the structural formula for n-propyltrichlorosilane;
FIG. 4 is the structural formula for tert-butyltrichlorosilane;
FIG. 5 is the structural formula for hexamethyldisilazane;
FIG. 6 is the structural formula for diethylaminotrimethylsilane;
FIG. 7 is a chart of data from a first vapor soak test;
FIG. 8 is a chart of data from a first power supply test;
FIG. 9 is a chart of data from a second power supply test;
FIG. 10 is a chart of data from a second vapor soak test;
FIG. 11 is a chart of data from a third power supply test; and
FIG. 12 is a cross-section of an EL lamp made with in accordance with the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In FIG. 1, fluidized bed reactor 11 is partially filled with a measured quantity of coated phosphor 12 . Reactor 11 is covered with glass wool (not shown), if located in a hood, or exhausted to a suitable vent through fitting 13 . Water and reagent are separately vaporized in nitrogen carrier gas in chambers 15 and 17 . A single nitrogen source (not shown) can be used or separate sources can be used. Valves 18 and 19 are located downstream from chambers 15 and 17 . Additional valves or flow meters can be added. Valve 18 controls the flow of water vapor to the bottom of reactor 11 and valve 19 controls the flow of reactant. Heater 21 is preferably not used and the reaction takes place at ambient temperature; e.g. 20°-30° C. Coatings have been applied successfully as high as 150° C. but there is no reason to increase the cost of the process by running at higher than ambient temperature. Valve 18 is opened first and closed last. Valve 19 is opened second and remains open for approximately 30 minutes. After the valves are closed, the doubly coated phosphor is then poured into one or more storage containers. It is not necessary to sieve the phosphor. The reactor can be purged with nitrogen after use. The mechanical aspects of the process are not critical.
The metal oxide coating on the phosphor is believed to have hydroxyl (OH) groups attached to certain elements, principally, silicon, titanium, or aluminum. The silane compound is converted into silanol by hydrolysis in the fluidized bed. The silanol reacts with the hydroxyl groups on the surface of the first coating to bond the silicon to the surface by way of an oxygen atom, thereby forming a second coating that encapsulates the phosphor particle.
EXAMPLE
3700 grams of phosphor powder were placed in a reactor having a diameter of 150 mm. Water vapor flowed at a rate of 6.13 liters per minute and reagent flowed at 1.82 liters per minute for thirty minutes. Phenyltrichlorosilane (PTCS—FIG. 2 ), n-propyl-trichlorosilane (FIG. 3 ), and tert-butyltrichlorosilane (FIG. 4) worked successfully. Hexa-methyldisilazane (FIG. 5) and diethylaminotrimethylsilane (FIG. 6) did not work.
Use of other organotrichlorosilanes (alkyl and aryl trichlorosilanes) are expected to work. Usefulness may be limited by the volatility of the chlorosilane, i.e. slightly volatile compounds with high molecular weights will not be useful. It is believed that alkoxysilanes and dichloro- and monochlorosilanes will also work. However, the trichloro compounds are most useful because of greater commercial availability, greater reactivity, and better volatility than the alkoxy compounds.
The flows and times are not critical. In another experiment, on 400 gram of phosphor, the flow of water vapor was 3.5 liters per minute and the flow of precursor (PTCS) was 0.6 liters per minute. Because the treatment involve hydrolysis, a predominance of water is preferred. The ratio of water vapor to precursor can be from 2:1 to 8:1 or more. On 4,000 gram samples, times of five minutes and sixty minutes were equally effective.
There are many ways to test EL lamps and it is commercially unrealistic to attempt to test EL lamps exhaustively, that is, for all possible variables. It has been found, for example, that EL lamps powered from an AC supply behave differently from EL lamps powered from an inverter.
Two tests have been found to be reasonable indicators of expected lamp performance. A first test is referred to as the “inverter soak” test in which the lamps are exposed to a relative humidity of 95% at 65° C. The lamps are not powered during exposure but are removed, powered up from an inverter, data taken, and then returned to the humidity chamber. The inverter soak test indicates the relative stability of the lamps in storage. A second test is referred to as the “power supply test” in which the lamps are powered from an AC driven power supply in a chamber having a relative humidity of 95% and a temperature of 65° C. The second test indicates the resistance of the lamps to corrosion and deterioration due to electrochemical effects.
Inverter Soak Test No. 1
A plurality of EL lamps treated as described above with phenyltrichlorosilane were stored at 65° C. and 95 percent humidity, then briefly powered from an inverter while brightness (ft-L) was measured. The lamps were powered at approximately 50 VRMS, 250 Hz.
Phosphor
225
225
604
604
615
615
Hours
DM
RM
DM
RM
DM
RM
0
4.13
4.28
1.92
1.85
2.31
2.28
44
3.17
3.40
1.64
1.68
1.41
1.92
96
3.15
3.47
1.56
1.68
1.62
2.04
163
3.38
3.49
1.70
1.72
1.90
2.02
215
3.48
3.62
1.76
1.76
1.92
2.03
258
3.57
3.58
1.74
1.72
1.89
2.00
356
3.53
3.60
1.82
1.71
1.88
2.05
427
3.49
3.57
1.84
1.72
2.02
2.02
524
3.42
3.56
1.68
1.71
1.87
2.13
545
3.94
4.06
1.72
1.52
1.96
1.94
The three phosphors listed are available from Durel Corporation, Chandler, Ariz. [and are coated with] Type 225 phosphor is a green phosphor, type 604 phosphor is a blue phosphor, and type 615 is a blue-green phosphor. All three phosphors are coated with silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide. “DM” refers to a second coating as described in connection with FIG. 1 using phenyltrichlorosilane. “RM” refers to a second coating as described in the above-identified published PCT application using polyurea-silazane.
The data is plotted in FIG. 7 . In all the following charts, data for lamps coated in accordance with the invention is plotted in solid line and data for lamps coated in accordance with the prior art is plotted in dashed line. The pronounced drop in brightness in the 615DM phosphor at 44 hours (curve 31 ) is not understood. It may be that the lamps made with 615DM phosphor were tested first and the other samples dried slightly prior to testing.
The last data point for each curve (the row of data at 545 hours in the above table) was taken after the lamps had been removed from the soak chamber and permitted to dry before testing. Except for the 225RM phosphor (curve 32 ), lamps coated in accordance with the invention recovered better than the other lamps. With all the phosphors and coatings tested, the results are averages of variations in chemistry at a very local level and the averages may shift significantly with small differences in chemistry.
Power Supply Test 1
A plurality of EL lamps treated as described above with phenyltrichlorosilane were stored at 65° C. and 95% humidity while continuously powered from a power supply at 80 VRMS, 200 Hz. Brightness (ft-L) was measured without interrupting power.
Phosphor
225
225
604
604
615
615
Hours
DM
RM
DM
RM
DM
RM
0
8.40
8.21
4.42
4.15
6.74
6.47
23
8.14
7.85
4.00
3.73
6.61
6.32
74
6.98
6.56
3.18
2.98
5.90
5.66
96
6.49
6.06
2.92
2.74
5.67
5.38
119
6.17
5.89
2.78
2.66
5.54
5.29
144
5.80
5.45
2.55
2.39
5.25
4.95
197
5.14
4.74
2.17
2.02
4.77
4.41
265
4.57
4.25
1.82
1.68
4.27
3.89
315
4.23
3.97
1.68
1.57
4.09
3.70
358
4.08
3.79
1.53
1.40
3.85
3.43
459
3.57
3.35
1.29
1.16
3.41
3.02
529
3.35
3.15
1.16
1.05
3.21
2.81
627
3.03
2.87
1.01
0.90
2.85
2.52
The data from this test is plotted in FIG. 8 . As can be seen, the performance of the lamps coated in accordance with the invention had improved brightness throughout the test.
Power Supply Test 2
A plurality of EL lamps treated as described above with phenyltrichlorosilane were stored at 85° C. (20° higher than Test 1) and 95% humidity while continuously powered from a power supply at 80 VRMS, 200 Hz. Brightness (ft-L) was measured without interrupting power.
Phosphor
225
225
604
604
615
615
Hours
DM
RM
DM
RM
DM
RM
0
8.45
8.25
4.43
4.18
6.73
6.44
24
7.15
6.98
3.18
3.01
6.13
5.84
46
5.92
5.84
2.47
2.39
5.33
5.08
67
5.12
5.07
2.04
2.01
4.79
4.59
118
3.83
3.74
1.39
1.36
3.71
3.60
140
3.45
3.46
1.24
1.23
3.39
3.30
163
3.19
3.24
1.12
1.10
3.14
3.06
189
2.88
2.90
0.99
0.98
2.85
2.80
239
2.44
2.48
0.82
0.81
2.45
2.41
309
1.98
2.02
0.64
0.64
1.99
1.97
382
1.64
1.72
0.51
0.52
1.61
1.62
503
1.20
1.30
0.37
0.39
1.15
1.20
The data for this test is plotted in FIG. 9 . Again, phosphor coated in accordance with the invention fared better than particles coated in accordance with the prior art. The data appears to converge after approximately 118 hours. However, at this time, the lamps are below one half of initial brightness, which is the definition of lamp life. Lamp life is normally far longer in normal use. A power supply test at 85° C. is a severe test designed to accelerate wear on a lamp.
Inverter Soak Test No. 2
A plurality of EL lamps made from a different phosphor were treated as described above with phenyltrichlorosilane were stored at 65° C. and 95% humidity, then briefly powered from an inverter while brightness (ft-L) was measured. The lamps were powered at approximately 50 VRMS, 250 Hz. EL40 is a green, alumina coated phosphor sold by Osram Sylvania. TNE400 is also a green, alumina coated phosphor sold by Osram Sylvania. As before, the last line of data was taken after the lamps had been removed from the soak chamber and permitted to dry before testing.
uncoated
coated
uncoated
coated
Hours
EL40
EL40
TNE400
TNE400
0
2.19
1.84
2.83
1.95
46
1.76
1.89
2.15
2.01
123
1.79
1.74
2.15
1.95
167
1.89
1.81
2.23
2.02
215
2.01
1.85
2.41
2.10
287
2.02
1.89
2.41
2.12
335
1.97
1.88
2.57
2.27
458
1.86
1.78
2.16
2.02
526
1.90
1.80
2.30
2.06
551
1.98
1.91
2.55
2.12
The data for this test is plotted in FIG. 10, wherein curve 33 represents uncoated TNE400, curve 34 represents coated TNE400. The second coating reduced brightness, particularly initial brightness but provided slightly more consistent operation. The power supply tests were more favorable.
Power Supply Test 3
A plurality of EL lamps treated as described above with phenyltrichlorosilane were stored at 65° C. and 95% humidity while continuously powered from a power supply at 80 VRMS, 200 Hz. Brightness (ft-L) was measured without interrupting power.
uncoated
coated
uncoated
coated
Hours
EL40
EL40
TNE400
TNE400
0
5.41
5.53
6.03
5.93
19
5.21
5.38
5.98
5.95
41
4.77
4.88
5.41
5.42
66
4.21
4.44
4.86
4.95
142
3.38
3.63
3.83
4.12
186
2.94
3.28
3.31
3.69
235
2.57
2.96
2.91
3.36
306
2.17
2.53
2.41
2.90
354
1.90
2.26
2.17
2.61
403
1.76
2.12
2.01
2.46
This data is plotted in FIG. 11, wherein curve 41 represents coated TNE400 and curve 44 represents uncoated TNE400. The curve for coated EL40 starts slightly below the curve for uncoated TNE400 but is slightly higher (brighter) at the end of the test. The lamps coated in accordance with the invention withstood the test better than uncoated lamps.
FIG. 12 is a cross-section of an EL lamp constructed in accordance with the invention. The various layers are not shown in proportion. The lamp includes transparent substrate 61 , a sheet of bi-axially oriented plastic such as polyester or polycarbonate. Transparent front electrode 62 overlies substrate 61 and is a thin layer of indium tin oxide, indium oxide, or other transparent conductor. Phosphor layer 65 overlies the front electrode and dielectric layer 66 overlies the phosphor layer. Layers 65 and 66 are combined in some applications. Overlying dielectric layer 66 is opaque rear electrode 68 . An optional backing layer 69 may also be provided, e.g. for sealing lamp 60 . When doubly coated phosphor particles are used, there is no need for a sealing layer.
The invention thus improves the moisture resistance of an EL lamp by coating the lamp with one of a new group of materials. The coating process is improved in that the materials used do not present disposal problems as with solvent systems of the prior art.
Having thus described the invention, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention. For example, although nitrogen is a low cost, abundant, and convenient carrier gas, other carrier gases such as argon could be used instead. The data given is by way of example only. Data taken in a more humid (relative humidity>15%) or cooler (room temperature<23° C.) environment might be different. | Particles of electroluminescent phosphor having a moisture proof coating are re-coated by treating the phosphor in a fluidized bed with a mixture of water vapor and an organotrichlorosilane compound for approximately thirty minutes. The resultant siloxane coating further improves the moisture resistance of the phosphor. | 2 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a communication control apparatus employing an xDSL technology that enables a high-speed communication of several M bits/second even when a copper wire cable is used for the subscriber line. This invention especially relates to an ADSL communication control method, communication control apparatus, and ADSL communication apparatus that performs an initialization procedure after performing a handshake procedure.
2. Description of Related Art
With the widespread use of the Internet, there is an increasing demand for a high-speed access line that can be used for a fixed connection. Optical fiber is becoming more popular in the backbone of communication industries, and gigabit class super high-speed lines are starting to be employed in the key components of the backbone. However, most of the subscriber lines that connect user's home and storage centers of the communication industries are copper wire cables that are constructed for telephones. Therefore, an introduction of the xDSL technology that enables a high-speed communication of several M bits/second with a copper wire cable has been considered.
An ADSL method is one aspect of the xDSL technology. The ADSL method uses a much higher carrier frequency range of more than 35 kHz compared to the range used for telephones (less than 4 kHz). Therefore, high-speed data communication can be performed using a telephone line, without hindering telephone functions.
FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a system configuration of a subscriber side. The storage center of a communication industry (center side) transmits signals to line 1 . User's home (remote side) splits received signals from line 1 at splitter 2 , inputting voice range signals (less than 4 kHz) into a telephone (POTS: Plain Old Telephone Service) 3 , and high range signals (more than 35 kHz) into ADSL communication apparatus 4 . ADSL communication apparatus 4 includes ADSL modem 5 and controller 6 . Controller 6 controls data transmission/reception with data communication apparatus 7 (e.g., personal computer) and performs an initialization control for ADSL modem 5 .
FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate initialization sequence that is performed at ADSL modem 5 based on the ITU-T recommended G.992.1. In the example of FIG. 8 , the control is arranged to perform a handshake procedure based on the ITU-T recommended G.994.1, prior to performing an initialization sequence.
In an initialization sequence based on the ITU-T recommended G.992.1, the center side transmits C-RATES 1 and C-MSG 1 to the remote side as the first negotiation, informing a general transmission speed for the downlink and uplink and additive information. In response, the remote side transmits R-RATES 1 and R-MSG 1 to the center side, informing the remote side's transmission speed and additive information.
After the first negotiation, both center and remote sides transmit training signals, C-MEDLEY and R-MEDLEY, so that both center and remote sides check the reception conditions and determine carriers for carrier-off and bit number used for each carrier. As a second negotiation, the remote side transmits R-RATES and R-MSG to the center side, informing the center side of the remote side's capacity information and information regarding the reception conditions (e.g., S/N). The center side determines detail information (transmission speeds for uplink and downlink) and capacity information based on the reception result of R-MEDLEY, and transmits C-RATES and C-MSG to the remote side to inform the center side's capacity information and detail information regarding the reception conditions.
After the second negotiation, the remote side determines the remote side's capacity information and transmission speeds for uplink and downlink, based on the capacity information and transmission speeds for uplink and downlink received from the center side at the second negotiation. As a third negotiation, the remote side transmits R-RATES 2 and R-MSG 2 to the center side, informing the capacity information and transmission speeds for uplink and downlink decided at the remote side. Upon receiving R-RATES 2 and R-MSG 2 from the remote side, the center side transmits the information with the same content as C-RATES 2 and C-MSG 2 to the remote side, if there is no change in the capacity information and transmission speeds for uplink and downlink decided at the second negotiation. And the center side declares that the communication will be performed with the capacity information, transmission speeds for uplink and downlink, and additive information determined by the center side.
Lastly, the center side transmits the capacity information, transmission speeds for uplink and downlink, and additive information declared at the third negotiation as C-B&G to the remote side. The remote side transmits the capacity information, transmission speeds for uplink and downlink, and additive information instructed by the center side as R-B&G to the center side.
As described above, the center and remote sides perform three negotiations, in which carrier number for carrier, bit allocation for each carrier, and B&G that sets gain information for the carrier are finally exchanged to be used, to complete the initialization sequence. Upon normally completing the initialization sequence, the data communication begins (SHOWTIME).
It takes about 10 to several tens of seconds for the above-described ADSL communication apparatus to start a data transmission (SHOWTIME) after the power is turned on. However, in a situation where the ADSL communication apparatus is connected to a personal computer via the USB, the power for the ADSL communication apparatus is cut off when the power to the personal computer is shut down. Therefore, every time a user turns on the power for the personal computer, an initialization sequence of the ADSL communication apparatus is performed, thus the user feels that the initialization sequence is taking a long time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is to provide a communication control apparatus, communication control method, and ADSL communication apparatus that can shorten the initialization sequence performed when the power is turned on with the ADSL method, and decrease the stress of the user.
Upon detecting that the opposing model is able to perform an abbreviated procedure during a handshake procedure, the apparatus according to the present invention declares to perform the abbreviated procedure, omits the negotiation prior to a MEDLEY signal transmission, further allows the remote side to transmit capacity information and line conditions once to the center side after exchanging MEDLEY signals, allows the center side to transmit the final capacity and transmission speed information to the remote side, and completes the initialization sequence.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is further described in the detailed description which follows, with reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way of non-limiting examples of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a sequence chart illustrating an initialization sequence of abbreviated procedure performed according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a handshake procedure performed by a remote side according to the embodiment;
FIG. 3 illustrates a field configuration of a mode select signal used according to the embodiment;
FIG. 4 illustrates a list of function display of the remote side according to the embodiment;
FIG. 5 illustrates a content of function request from the center side according to the embodiment;
FIG. 6 is a partial functional block diagram of an ADSL communication apparatus according to the embodiment;
FIG. 7 is a schematic system configuration of the remote side;
FIG. 8 is a first half of the initialization sequence based on ITU-T recommended G.992.1; and
FIG. 9 is a second half of the initialization sequence based on ITU-T recommended G.992.1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The embodiment of the present invention applied to an ADSL communication apparatus is explained in the following, in reference to the above-described drawings.
FIG. 1 illustrates a handshake procedure and initialization sequence performed between the center and remote sides. The center and remote sides separately have ADSL communication apparatuses that are able to perform the sequence of FIG. 1 . FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an original abbreviated procedure as an initialization sequence.
When the ADSL communication apparatus at the remote side is turned on, the ADSL communication apparatus sends a connection request to the ADSL communication apparatus at the center side, so that the line between the remote and center sides is connected. In this embodiment, the ADSL communication apparatus at the center side is always ready to reply to the remote side's connection request.
When the line is established between the remote and center sides, a handshake procedure is performed. FIG. 1 illustrates a handshake procedure based on the ITU-T recommended G.994.1. In the present embodiment, the handshake procedure checks whether the opposing apparatus is capable of performing an abbreviated procedure. If the opposing apparatus is capable of performing the abbreviated procedure, the original abbreviated procedure is performed.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for the remote side to determine whether the abbreviated procedure is possible during the handshake procedure. The remote side transmits a mode select signal (MS) with NS (Non-Standard Information) field to the center side (Step 10 ).
FIG. 3 illustrates a field configuration of the mode select signal (MS). As shown in figure, the mode select signal (MS) is provided with identification field 31 , standard information field 32 , and non-standard information field 33 . In identification field 31 , a command regulating the overall features of the handshake procedure is set. The example in FIG. 3 shows that the command “MS” is set stating that it is a mode select signal. In standard information field 32 , standard information such as the initialization sequence and communication method used for the data communication is set. For example, when identification information field 31 sets “MS”, standard information field 32 sets “G.dmt”. When non-standard information 33 is not included, the initialization sequence and data communication is arranged to perform based on the ITU-T recommended G.dmt. Non-standard information field 33 is a field that a maker can set their original information. In this embodiment, vender ID, modem model, and information whether the abbreviated procedure is available are set to inform that the remote side is capable of performing the abbreviated procedure. The invention is not limited to the above information as long as the information set in non-standard information field 33 is capable of informing the opposing side that the apparatus can perform the abbreviated procedure.
There are situations in which the center side model can or cannot analyze and recognize non-standard information field 33 of the mode select signal transmitted by the remote side. In this embodiment, if the center side model is capable of analyzing non-standard information field 33 and recognizing the information, it is considered that the abbreviated procedure shown in FIG. 1 can be performed.
When the center side model is capable of analyzing non-standard information field 33 and recognizing the information, the center side transmits an original ACK to the remote side to inform that the abbreviated procedure can be performed. If non-standard information field 33 cannot be recognized, a normal ACK (ACK according to the ITU-T recommendation) corresponding to identification field 31 and standard information field 32 is transmitted to the remote side.
The remote side analyzes the ACK received from the center side and checks whether it is a normal ACK (Step 11 ). If it is not a normal ACK, the remote side checks whether it is an original ACK (Step 12 ). If it is an original ACK sent from the center side, the initialization according to the abbreviated procedure shown in FIG. 1 is performed (Step 13 ).
When it is a normal ACK sent from the center side, the remote side remains silent for a predetermined time period without performing the abbreviated procedure (Step 14 ), and performs the initialization sequence according to the ITU-T recommendation as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 for example (Step 15 ).
Accordingly, during the handshake procedure performed prior to the initialization sequence, whether the opposing model is capable of performing the abbreviated procedure is checked. Therefore, it is possible to make a transition to the standard initialization sequence when the opposing model cannot perform the abbreviated procedure, thereby preventing to perform unnecessary procedures.
Next, an initializing sequence for performing an original non-standard communication (original procedure) at Step 13 is illustrated using FIG. 1 . Upon confirming that both center and remote sides will perform the above-described abbreviated procedure at the handshake procedure, the center side transmits PILOT, and the remote side transmits QUIET. Then, the center side transmits a REVERB signal (e.g., C-REVERB) and the remote side transmits a REVERB signal (e.g., R-REVERB) to match symbols (synchronization).
When the center side informs the remote side that the signal is switched by transmitting a SEGUE signal (C-SEGUE 1 ), the center side starts the transmission of C-MEDLEY without performing a RATES sequence. The remote side, on the other hand, after transmitting R-REVERB 2 , informs the center side that the signal is switched by transmitting a SEGUE signal (R-SEGUE 1 ). Then, the remote side starts the transmission of R-MEDLEY without performing the RATES sequence.
Accordingly, the sequence for exchanging RATES 1 conventionally performed prior to exchanging of MEDLEY is omitted, thereby abbreviating the initialization sequence. It is preferable to omit C-REVERB 1 , C-ECT, R-ACK 1 , and R-ACK 2 at the center side, and R-REVERB 1 and R-ECT at the remote side. In this situation, C-REBERB 2 and C-REBERB 3 of the center side become one signal, and R-QUIET 2 and R-QUIET 3 of the remote side become one signal as shown in FIG. 1 .
After receiving C-MEDLEY, the remote side transmits S/N information containing the reception result and function display list of the remote side to the center side. FIG. 4 illustrates the function display list of the remote side. The function display list shown in FIG. 4 includes a parameter “R” indicating what byte Reed-Solomon code can be added, a parameter “S” indicating per what byte Reed-Solomon code can be added, and a parameter “D” indicating how deep an interleave can be performed. In FIG. 4 , there are fast buffer, which is a path not performing an interleave, and interleaved buffer, which is a path performing the interleave.
The center side selects a parameter from the function display list received from the remote side. In particular, the center side compares the abilities of the remote and center sides to select the function that can achieve the highest performance (parameters “R”, “S”, and “D”). Then, the center side transmits a “function request” requesting the remote side to perform the communication with the function selected by the center side. FIG. 5 is an example of the function request from the center side.
Also, based on the S/N information received from the reception side and the reception result of R-MEDLEY (S/N information) received from the remote side, the center side calculates an optimal B&G (incoming B&G), a setting for the center side to receive, and an optimal B&G (outgoing B&G), a setting for the remote side to receive. Then, the center side informs the remote side regarding an outgoing B&G, while requesting for an incoming C-B&G. Additionally, a B&G includes a carrier number for the carrier to be used, bit number for every carrier used, and gain for every carrier used.
Accordingly, after exchanging the MEDLEY signal, the center side is required to receive the reception result of the MEDLEY signal from the remote side and function display list of the remote side only once, in order to decide the incoming and outgoing B&G, inform the remote side, and perform a data transmission. Therefore, a capacity information exchange and speed information setting is completed with an extremely simplified procedure, thereby simplifying the content of the process and abbreviating the initialization procedure.
FIG. 6 illustrates a configuration of a modem section of the ADSL communication apparatus of the center and remote sides. The modem section of the ADSL communication apparatus is connected to line 1 via analog front end (AFE) 70 . Analog front end (AFE) 70 has a DA conversion function that converts digital signals transmitted to a line into analog signals, and AD conversion function that converts analog signals input from a line into digital signals. The sender side has super frame CRC adder 71 that adds a check bit in front of a super frame, scrambler/FEC/interleave 72 that performs a scramble process spreading the transmission frequencies, forward/error/correction process adding symbols for correcting errors, and interleave process, tone ordering unit 73 that performs tone ordering process controlling the carrier ordering for bit allocation, constellation encoder 74 that converts symbols into topology information on an I-Q plane with a predetermined bit unit, and inverse fast Fourier transformer 75 . The receiver side has fast Fourier transformer 76 that performs a fast Fourier conversion on the reception signals output from analog front end 70 , constellation decoder 77 that converts the topology information on the I-Q plane output for every carrier from fast Fourier transformer 76 into bit information, tone de-ordering unit 78 that rearranges the signals in the original positions after the tone ordering process at the sender side, de-scrambler/de-FEC/de-interleave unit 79 that rearranges the scramble process, forward/error/correction process, and interleave process performed at the sender side, and super frame CRC check unit 80 that checks the reliability of the data after examining the check bit added in front of the super frame.
The sequence illustrated in FIG. 1 is performed by a controller (not shown) that controls the various functions as described above at both sender and receiver side.
Further, in the above-explanation, illustration is given when the present invention is applied to an ADSL communication apparatus, however, this invention can be applied to any xDSL apparatuses provided that they use the communication method performing an initialization sequence after performing a handshake procedure.
It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present invention. While the present invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention in its aspects. Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to particular structures, materials and embodiments, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particulars disclosed herein; rather, the present invention extends to all functionally equivalent structures, methods and uses, such as are within the scope of the appended claims.
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various variations and modifications may be possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.
This application is based on the Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-279556 filed on Sep. 14, 2001, entire content of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein. | A communication control method detects whether an opposing apparatus is capable of performing an abbreviated procedure during a handshake step, declares an initiation of the abbreviated procedure if the opposing apparatus is capable of performing the abbreviated procedure, omits a negotiation prior to transmitting a MEDLEY signal, allows a remote side to transmit capacity information and reception result once to a center side after exchanging the MEDLEY signal, and further allows the center side to transmit the final capacity and transmission speed information to the remote side, in order to complete the initialization sequence. | 7 |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority of Federal Republic of Germany Application No. P 40 01 816.4 filed Jan. 23, 1990, which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for opening and cleaning fiber material, particularly cotton. The apparatus is of the type which has at least three clothed rolls arranged downstream of a fiber feeder. At least two of the clothed rolls are each associated with at least one mote knife and a waste discharge opening bounded by the mote knife. The centrifugal force at the circumference of any one of the clothed rolls is greater than the clothed roll or clothed rolls upstream thereof. The clothed rolls are arranged in a series and each clothed roll cooperates with the immediately preceding clothed roll as a doffer and opening roll.
In a known apparatus of the above-outlined type there are provided three serially arranged clothed rolls in which the diameter of the first clothed roll and the adjoining clothed roll are different. The second clothed roll is surrounded by a housing which is void of waste discharge openings or mote knives. It is a disadvantage of this arrangement that the unlike roll diameters result in certain additional manufacturing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved apparatus of the above-outlined type from which the discussed disadvantage is eliminated and which, in particular, allows a simpler manufacture and an improved cleaning effect.
This object and others to become apparent as the specification progresses, are accomplished by the invention, according to which, briefly stated, the diameter of each clothed roll is at least approximately the same and each clothed roll is associated with at least one mote knife and one waste discharge opening.
By providing that each clothed roll has substantially the same diameter, the manufacture thereof is simplified and by associating each clothed roll with a mote knife and a waste discharge opening, the cleaning effect of the apparatus is improved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIGS. 1 and 2 are schematic side elevational views of two preferred embodiments of the invention.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic side elevational views of two variants of fiber feeding devices.
FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are schematic side elevational views of three further preferred embodiments of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates a cleaning apparatus accommodated in a closed housing 1. The fiber material to be cleaned (particularly cotton) is supplied in fiber tuft form by, for example, a non-illustrated feed chute. The fiber lap is, by means of two feed rolls 3a and 3b which rotate in opposite directions as indicated by arrows E, F, clamped and advanced by their nip to a first clothed roll 4 which is supported in the housing 1 and which rotates counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow A. Downstream of the clothed roll 4 there is arranged a second clothed roll 5 (rotating in direction B) and a third clothed roll 6 (rotating in direction C). The clothed rolls 4, 5 and 6 have a sawtooth clothing and have essentially the same diameter between approximately 135 mm to 215 mm, for example, 175 mm. The clothed roll 4 has a circumferential speed between approximately 15-21 m/sec, for example, 18 m/sec, the clothed roll 5 has a circumferential speed between approximately 19-25 m/sec, for example, 22 m/sec and the clothed roll 6 has a circumferential speed between approximately 23-30 m/sec, for example, 26.5 m/sec.
The clothed rolls 4, 5 and 6 are closely surrounded by covers (housing portions). With the clothed roll 4 there is associated a waste discharge opening 7 for the exit of fiber impurities whose size is adapted or is adaptable to the actual separating stage. The waste discharge opening 7 is bounded by a mote knife 8 having a knife edge 8' oriented in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of the clothed roll 4. With the waste discharge opening 7 there is associated a suction chamber 9 through which the waste is removed by an air stream. Further, two fixed carding elements 10 and 11 cooperate with the clothing of the roll 4. In a similar arrangement, the clothed roll 5 cooperated with a waste discharge opening 12 bounded by a mote knife 13, a suction chamber 14, as well as fixed carding elements 15, 16 and also, the clothed roll 6 cooperates with a waste discharge opening 17 bounded by a mote knife 18, a suction chamber 19, as well as fixed carding elements 20, 21.
The third clothed roll 6 rotates with a higher rpm than the clothed rolls 4 and 5. The clothing points 6a of the roll 6 are oriented in a doffing position relative to the clothing points 5a of the second clothed roll 5. Accordingly, the clothed roll 6 may be designated as a doffer and opening roll. The clothing points 5a of the roll 5 are oriented in a doffing position to the clothing points 4a of the first roll 4. The number of clothing points 5a is greater than the number of clothing points 4a, whereas the number of clothing points 6a is greater than the number of clothing points 5a. Since the clothing rolls 4, 5, 6 have essentially the same diameter and since the rpm increases from roll to roll as viewed in the direction of fiber advance, the centrifugal force imparted on the fiber material thus also increases from roll to roll in the direction of fiber advance. A fiber conveying duct 23 extends tangentially to the clothed roll 6 toward a non-illustrated screen drum. The fiber material is removed from the clothed roll 6 and transported pneumatically by an air stream 25 in the duct 23. The screen drum is, for generating a vacuum in its inside, connected to a suction device (not shown). The vacuum extends in the fiber conveying duct 14 up to the last clothed roll 6.
In the description which follows, the operation of the above-described cleaning apparatus will be set forth.
The fiber lap consisting of fiber tufts is advanced through the nip of the feed rolls 3a and 3b under a clamping effect to the first clothed roll 4 which combs the fiber material and entrains bunches of fiber on its clothing. As the circumferential portions of the clothed roll 4 pass in front of the waste discharge opening 7 bounded by the mote knife 8, short fibers and coarse impurities are thrown from the fiber material by centrifugal forces through the waste discharge opening 7, dependent upon the circumferential speed and the curvature of the roll 4 as well as the magnitude of the waste discharge opening 7, adapted to the first waste separating phase. The separated waste material is, after passing through the waste discharge opening 7, admitted to a waste chamber in the housing 1. The fiber material pre-cleaned in this manner is taken off by the clothing points 5a of the second clothed roll 5 from the first clothed roll 4, while a additional opening of the fiber material takes place. As the circumferential surface of the clothed roll 5 passes in front of a waste discharge opening 12, bounded by a mote knife 13, further impurities are removed from the fiber material by centrifugal forces.
Thereafter, the fiber material is taken off the second clothed roll 5 by the clothing points 6a of the third clothed roll 6, with simultaneous further opening and the fiber material is entrained by the clothed roll 6 to pass in front of a waste discharge opening 17 bounded by a mote knife 18. Since the centrifugal forces generated on the surface of the third clothed roll 6 are greater than on the first clothed roll 4, it is the finer dirt and dust particles which are thrown out by centrifugal forces from the surface of the clothed roll 6 through the waste discharge opening 17. By opening the fiber material into individual fibers or at least into very fine fiber tufts by the clothed roll 6, a separation of the fine impurities from the fiber material is enhanced. The impurities and fiber fragments separated through the waste discharge openings 7, 12 and 17 are removed through vacuum ducts in a continuous or intermittent manner. After passing the waste discharge opening 17, the fiber material is separated from the third clothed roll 6 by means of the air flow 25 entering the intake slot 22 as well as by means of centrifugal forces and is admitted through the fiber conveying conduit 23 to a screen drum or a dust removal machine which may be, for example, a DUSTEX DX model, manufactured by Trutzschler GmbH & Co. KG, Monchengladbach, Germany. The fine and finest impurities such as dust and fiber fragments enter through the perforated jacket of the rotating screen drum and are removed by a vacuum stream while the larger fibers adhere to the outer surface of the screen drum and form thereon a fiber lap which is removed from the screen drum and advanced for further processing.
Turning to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, downstream of the third clothed roll 6 there is arranged a fourth clothed roll 26 which rotates in the direction D and with which cooperate a waste discharge opening 27, a mote knife 28, a suction chamber 29 and two fixed carding elements 30, 31. Above the clothed roll 4 there is arranged a tuft feeder 32 which may be, for example, an EXACTAFEED FBK model, manufactured by Trutzschler GmbH & Co. KG. The tuft feeder 32 has an upper or reserve chute 33, a lower or feed chute 34 adjoining the reserve chute 33. Between the chutes 33 and 34 there is arranged a slowly rotating feed roll 35 and a rapidly rotating opening roll 36. At the lower end of the feed chute 34 there are arranged two delivery rolls 37 which advance the fiber material 38 directly to the clothed roll 4.
Turning to FIG. 3, the clothed roll 4 is immediately preceded by a feeding device formed of a feed roll 3 slowly rotating in the direction G and a feed table 2. Thus, the feed roll 3 and the clothed roll 4 both rotate counterclockwise.
FIG. 4 shows a variant of the FIG. 3 feed arrangement. In FIG. 4 the feed roll 3 rotates clockwise in the direction H. Thus, in the zone where the fiber material is transferred from the feed roll 3 to the clothed roll 4,
5 the surface portions of the two rolls--as opposed to the FIG. 2 arrangement--move in the same direction, effecting a "codirectional" fiber feed.
Turning to FIG. 5, between the feed rolls 3a and 3b and the first clothed roll 4 there is provided a roll 39 which has pins 40 on its surface and which rotates as indicated by the arrow I. Underneath the roll 39 a grate 41 is disposed which has openings 41a through which the impurities separated from the fiber material may pass.
The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 differs from the FIG. 1 structure essentially in that the first clothed roll 39 is a needle-surfaced roll and the two consecutive clothed rolls 5 and 6 have sawtooth clothings.
In the embodiment according to FIG. 7, the clothed roll 39 provided with needles is adjoined in series by three rolls 4, 5 and 6 having a sawtooth clothing.
By providing a pin- or needle-surfaced roll 39 as the first clothed roll as shown in the embodiments of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the apparatus integrally incorporates a pre-cleaner for the fiber material.
It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims. | An apparatus for opening and cleaning fiber material includes consecutively arranged first, second and third clothed rolls each having a clothing thereon. The second clothed roll cooperates with the first clothed roll as a doffer and opening roll and the third clothed roll cooperates with the second clothed roll as a doffer and opening roll. The centrifugal forces generated at peripheries of the clothed rolls increase from roll to roll from the first clothed roll. There is further provided a fiber feeder for advancing the fiber material towards the first clothed roll. Covers closely surround the respective first, second and third clothed rolls which have at least approximately identical diameters. Waste discharge openings are provided in the cover of each clothed roll, and a mote knife bounds each waste discharge opening. | 3 |
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a file conversion method, a data converter, and a file display system for extracting data, which can be handled by a device having a limited display capability, from a file composed of a plurality of pieces of data displayable on a display unit with a start and an end of each piece of data indicated by respective identifiers and for outputting the extracted data to the limited-capability device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The network called the Internet is now in widespread use, and users have an easy access to a diversity of information through personal computers over the Internet. Information the user monitors using a software program called Web browser is described in the HTML (HyperText Markup Language).
The HTML document is associated with an identifier called tag. The tag determines the structure of each document. Specifically, when the user monitors a HTML document using the Web browser, the font, the size, and the color of a text, and the location of an image file are described by the tag. The tag determines the structure of the text information and image information on a Web page monitored by the user.
The use of mobile terminals becomes widespread, and the user has an immediate access to various pieces of information in transit or at a destination of a travel. To gain access to desired information on a mobile terminal, the user needs to input information on the mobile terminal. As a means for collecting information to the mobile terminal, the user may use a personal computer. The user connects the mobile terminal to the personal computer to download the desired information to the mobile terminal.
When a user transmits, to a mobile terminal, Web page information which has been obtained to a personal computer from a particular server, it is necessary to reorganize the information into data displayable on the mobile terminal and then transmit the data to the mobile terminal. The user must select required data from unnecessary data, and transmit the required data only. Further, the user must reorganize the extracted data in a size and format displayable or easy to see on the mobile terminal. The user is therefore forced to perform a variety of jobs from acquiring home page data to transmitting the reorganized data to the mobile terminal.
Although the Web pages provided over the Internet are written in the HTML, their formats are diversified. Specifically, the contents provided by the servers are varied in HTML document structure from server to server. The user is forced to use different extraction methods and different shaping methods from content to content to reorganize the data for the mobile terminal.
When the user uses a browser, a home page service on the network may be preregistered as a bookmark on the computer. Since the bookmark is stored in the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or character strings, the user has difficulty identifying the content provided by the service at a glance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a file conversion method, a data converter, and a file display system for extracting data handled by a device having a limited display capability from a plurality of pieces of data displayable on a display unit with a start and an end of each piece of data indicated by respective identifiers and for outputting the extracted data to the limited-capability device.
The present invention in one aspect relates to a file conversion method for extracting, from a file composed of a plurality of pieces of data displayable on a display unit and with a start and an end of each piece of data indicated by respective identifiers, data displayable on a limited-capability device, in accordance with the identifiers, and for outputting the extracted data to the limited-capability device. The file conversion method includes a step of detecting the identifier by reading the file, a step of determining whether the limited-capability device can display the data indicated by the extracted identifier, a step of extracting the data, the start and the end of which are indicated by the determined identifier and which is determined to be displayable on the limited-capability device, and a step of outputting an output file which is newly created from the extracted data, as a different file from the first file.
The present invention in another aspect relates to a file converter for extracting, from a file composed of a plurality of pieces of data displayable on a display unit and with a start and an end of each piece of data indicated by respective identifiers, data displayable on a connected limited-capability device, and for outputting the extracted data to the limited-capability device. The file converter includes a file storage unit for storing the file, a detector unit for detecting the identifier which indicates the data displayable on a limited-capability device from the file stored in the file storage unit, a extractor unit for extracting, from the file, the data with the start and the end thereof indicated, in accordance with the identifier detected by the detector unit, an output unit for outputting the extracted data to the limited-capability device, and a control unit for controlling the detector unit to detect the identifier indicating the start and the end of the displayable data for the purpose of extracting the data displayable on the limited-capability device from the file stored in the file storage unit, for controlling the extractor unit to extract, as a new output file, data including the start and the end indicated by the identifier from the file, and for controlling the output unit to output the new output file to the limited-capability device.
The present invention in yet another aspect relates to a file conversion method for converting a file composed of a plurality of pieces of data displayable on a display unit with a start and an end of each piece of indicated by respective identifiers into data displayable on a connected limited-capability device, and outputting the data as a new output file to the limited-capability device. The file conversion method includes a step of initializing a first data buffer for buffering data when a plurality of pieces of data is read from the file, a step of detecting the identifier indicating the start of the data in the file, based on a rule for processing the data in the file into a data format displayable on the limited-capability device, when the data is from the file and is stored in the first data buffer, a step of moving the data stored in the first data buffer to a second data buffer for evacuation, a step of holding the data in the file, from the start thereof, into the first data buffer, based on the identifier indicating the start of the detected data, a step of detecting the identifier indicating the end of the data having the identifier indicating the end of the detected data, and a step of moving the data evacuated into the second data buffer to the first data buffer for restoration.
The present invention in still another aspect relates to a file display system including a first apparatus for receiving a file including a plurality of pieces of data, displayable on a display unit, with the start and the end of each piece of data indicated by respective identifiers, and a second apparatus having a throughput lower than that of the first apparatus and receiving and displaying data into which the first apparatus converts the file. The first apparatus includes a storage unit for storing the file input thereto, a detector unit for detecting an identifier which indicates the data, which is processable by the second apparatus, from the file stored in the storage unit, an extractor unit for extracting, from the input file, the data which is detected by the detector unit and is processed into data processable by the second apparatus, a processing unit for processing the extracted data into the data that is processable by the second apparatus, an output unit for outputting the data, which has been processed to be processable by the second apparatus, to the second apparatus, and a control unit for controlling the storage unit to store the file input thereto in the storage unit, for controlling the detector unit to detect the identifier that indicates, from the file stored in the storage unit, data that can be processed to be processable by the second apparatus, for controlling the extractor unit to extract the data that is processed by the processing unit in accordance with the identifier detected by the detector unit, and for controlling the output unit to output the data that has been processed by the processing unit. The second apparatus includes a receiver unit for receiving the data output by the first apparatus, and a display unit for displaying the data received by the receiver unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a network diagram showing a preferred embodiment of an information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware structure of a preferred embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a mobile terminal which receives data from the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 3B is a partial perspective view of the mobile terminal on a larger scale which receives data transmitted from the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the mobile terminal which receives data transmitted from the information processing terminal of the present invention;
FIG. 5A shows a first display state of a display screen of the mobile terminal which receives data from the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 5B shows a second display state of the display screen of the mobile terminal which receives data from the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 7 shows the data structure of processing condition data in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 8A shows an initial state of in a shaping process in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 8B shows source data out of page data representing the shaping process in the information processing apparatus;
FIG. 8C shows a state subsequent to the shaping process in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 9 shows the data structure of a processing condition data area in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 10 shows one example of page data associated with a designated identifier in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 11A shows another example of page data associated with a designated identifier in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 11B shows the result of shaping process performed on the page data associated with a designated identifier in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 12A shows another example of page data associated with a designated identifier in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 12B shows first text data that has been shaped from the example of page data associated with the designated identifier in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 12C shows second text data that has been shaped from the example of page data associated with the designated identifier in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 13 shows one example of page data associated with a designated identifier in the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 14 shows a screen window in a preferred embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 15 is a flow diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 16 shows a screen window in a preferred embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention;
FIG. 17 is a flow diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 18 is a flow diagram showing the processing of a designated identifier in the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 19 is a flow diagram showing the processing of a designated identifier in the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 20 is a flow diagram showing the processing of a designated identifier in the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 21 is a flow diagram showing the processing of a designated identifier in the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 22 is a flow diagram showing the processing of a designated identifier in the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 23 shows a screen window in the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 24A shows one example of a bitmap file generated in the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 24B shows one example of a first text file generated in the information processing method of the present invention;
FIG. 24C shows one example of a second text file generated in the information processing method of the present invention; and
FIG. 25 shows a screen window in the information processing method of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The embodiments of the present invention are now discussed, referring to the drawings. The following embodiments are illustrative only, and unless otherwise particularly described, the scope of the invention is not limited to these embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a network diagram showing a preferred embodiment of an information processing apparatus 20 of the present invention. The information processing apparatus 20 is now discussed, referring to FIG. 1 . An information network 10 is connected to a plurality of servers 40 , a client 50 , and the information processing apparatus 20 to exchange data in a communication protocol such as the TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). The server 40 stores a diversity of information to be provided to the client 50 and the information processing apparatus 20 . The client 50 and the information processing apparatus 20 gain access to the server 40 to acquire information (data). The information network 10 is a wide-area network such the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). The information network 10 is constructed to provide the client with HTML documents of the WWW (World Wide Web).
The information processing apparatus 20 is a client computer on the network, and is provided with a file monitor 200 called Web browser as shown in FIG. 6 as will be discussed later. Using the file monitor 200 , the client accesses a WWW server to acquire and monitor the data thereof. The information processing apparatus 20 has an external terminal to be connected to a mobile terminal 30 , and can exchange data with the mobile terminal 30 . The information processing apparatus 20 thus sends data stored therewithin to the mobile terminal 30 , and further acquires the data stored in the mobile terminal 30 .
FIG. 2 shows the hardware structure of a preferred embodiment of the information processing apparatus 20 of the present invention. The information processing apparatus 20 is now discussed, referring to FIG. 2 . As shown, the information processing apparatus 20 is constructed of hardware resources of a personal computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21 , a memory 22 , an auxiliary storage device 23 , an input device 24 , a display device 25 , a network interface 26 , and an external interface 27 .
The CPU 21 reads software programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 23 or the memory 22 via a bus 28 , and generally controls the operation of the information processing apparatus 20 . The CPU 21 executes a variety of software programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 23 to be discussed later. The memory 22 forms a work area for the CPU 21 , and temporarily stores software programs and data.
The auxiliary storage device 23 is a storage medium in a hard disk drive, a floppy disk drive, or an optical disk drive, and stores an OS (Operating System), application software programs, and a variety of data including page data PD, transmission data TD, and processing condition data PCD. The input device 24 is a keyboard or a mouse, for example. The user operates the input device 24 , controlling the information processing apparatus 20 to execute a variety of software programs.
The display device 25 is a liquid-crystal display or a CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube) display, and has a display screen. A screen window is presented on the display screen when software programs to be discussed later are executed. The network interface 26 has a function of exchanging data between the information network 10 and the information processing apparatus 20 . The network interface 26 may include a modem to be connected to the information network 10 through a telephone line or an Ethernet adaptor to be connected to the information network 10 through a proxy server.
The external interface 27 exchanges data with an external device, and may be an USB interface, an IEEE1394 interface, an infrared communication interface, or a Bluetooth interface, for example. The external interface 27 has an external connection terminal, to which the mobile terminal 30 is connected in a wired or wireless fashion. The transmission data TD may be exchanged between the information processing apparatus 20 and the mobile terminal 30 . The bus 28 is a signal line that permits information to be conveyed between devices constituting the information processing apparatus 20 . Through the bus 28 , data is internally exchanged in the information processing apparatus 20 .
FIG. 3A is a perspective view of the mobile terminal 30 . Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B , the mobile terminal 30 is now discussed. As shown, the mobile terminal 30 has a flat configuration, and has, on the front thereof, a display unit 31 formed of a liquid-crystal display panel. The display unit 31 has elongated projections 37 a and 37 b along the longitudinal edges thereof so that the display unit 31 is protected from a damage in the event of a fall, for example. Referring to FIG. 3A , a knob 32 and a power switch 33 are arranged on a left side panel 38 a of a body 37 . With the knob 32 and the power switch 33 mounted on the left side panel 38 a , the left hand is used to operate the knob 32 and the power switch 33 with the mobile terminal 30 held in the left hand with the display unit 31 facing toward the user.
The knob 32 controls the operation of the mobile terminal 30 . Operating the knob 32 , the user displays predetermined information on the display unit 31 . Specifically, the knob 32 is rotatable in the direction represented by an arrow R, and is pressed in the direction represented by an arrow P. The user rotates the knob 32 in the direction R to select transmission data TD to be displayed, and presses the knob 32 in the direction of the arrow P to cause the display unit 31 to display the transmission data TD. The power switch 33 , a slide switch, controls the power for ON/OFF operation.
An external terminal 93 , not shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B , is arranged on a right side panel 38 b , diametrically opposite to the side of the knob 32 . The external terminal 93 constitutes an interface for exchanging data with the information processing apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 1 . The external terminal 93 performs communication via a wired link, a wireless link, or a infrared link, for example, and is formed of a USB terminal, an IEEE1394 terminal, or a radio communication interface antenna of Bluetooth. Referring to FIG. 3B , controls 34 , 35 and 36 are arranged on the top end face 39 of the body 37 . The controls 34 , 35 , and 36 control the back light for the display unit 31 for an ON/OFF operation, and control the operation mode of the mobile terminal 30 .
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the construction of the mobile terminal 30 . The mobile terminal 30 is discussed, referring to FIG. 4 . As shown, an external terminal controller 91 exchanges data with an external device connected to the external terminal 93 under the control of a CPU (Central Processing unit) 92 . A display controller 94 contains a VRAM (Video Random Access Memory) 94 a , and displays a desired image by driving the display unit 31 in accordance with the content in the VRAM 94 a . Under the control of the CPU 92 , a driver circuit 95 drives a back light 95 a . The back light 95 a illuminates the display unit 31 . The user operates the control 36 , thereby controlling the operation of the driver circuit 95 .
A storage unit 96 is fabricated of a flash memory, and stores a variety of software programs required by the CPU 92 for the operation thereof while storing the transmission data TD sent from the information processing apparatus 20 . The transmission data TD in the storage unit 96 has a directory structure, and each directory stores files with the content thereof falling within the category of the directory.
The programs stored in the storage unit 96 include a transmission data processing program that processes the transmission data TD sent from the information processing apparatus 20 and displays the processed transmission data TD on the display unit 31 . The transmission data processing program processes a predetermined data format only. By restricting processable data formats, hardware resources are simplified and the mobile terminal 30 is thus miniaturized with a flat design implemented.
The predetermined data formats may be text data for text information and bitmap data for image information. The transmission data TD is organized in files of text data or bitmap data. The text data refers to a file containing character data and limited control codes such as the one for line feed. The bitmap data refers to image data that is expressed by a set of points.
FIGS. 5A and 5B are plan views showing examples of the display screen of the mobile terminal 30 . The screen of the display unit 31 displays the content of the storage unit 96 which is provided by the CPU 92 when the CPU 92 executes a processing program. FIG. 5A shows a main screen when the mobile terminal 30 is switched on. As shown, the top portion of the display unit 31 , serving as an index display area ARA, displays the name of this mobile terminal 30 and a file name of text data or bitmap data. A battery mark M 361 is presented on the right hand side portion of the index display area ARA. The battery mark M 361 indicates a remaining battery power with the black area thereof varying depending on a battery status. The user thus monitors the remaining battery power.
An operation mark M 362 is presented on the right of the battery mark M 361 . The operation mark M 362 indicates the direction in which the knob 32 is rotatable. The user recognizes the operational state of the knob 32 at a glance. This provides a good user interface in operation.
A data display area ARM is presented below the index display area ARA. The data display area ARM displays the transmission data TD stored in the storage unit 96 of the mobile terminal 30 in a tree structure. The data display area ARM also displays the text data and the bitmap data in the storage unit 96 , as shown in FIG. 5B . Viewing the data display area ARM, the user monitors the content of the transmission data TD.
The data display area ARM in FIG. 5A presents a variety of setting items for the mobile terminal 30 , which is treated as a virtual folder, in a tree structure. For example, the setting items include system for this mobile terminal 30 user's personal information, History holding a record of displayed file names, Star mark being a virtual folder containing files marked by the user, Heart mark, Checkmark, and Set/information in which various settings are performed.
A select item display area ARB is provided on the bottom portion of the display unit 31 . The select item display area ARB displays an item selected by a cursor K in the data display area ARM. Referring to FIG. 5B , the select item display area ARB is not displayed when the data display area ARM presents the content of a file on the screen.
The operation of the mobile terminal 30 is now discussed, referring to FIG. 3A through FIG. 5B . As shown in FIG. 3A , the power switch 33 is operated to switch on the mobile terminal 30 . The screen appears on the display unit 31 as shown in FIG. 5A . Manipulating the knob 32 , the user moves the cursor K within the display unit 31 to select a directory that stores the transmission data TD to be displayed.
When the user presses the knob 32 in the direction of the arrow P, the information of the selected directory appears in a tree structure. The user moves the cursor K within the directory using the knob 32 , places the cursor K on a file to be displayed, and presses the knob 32 . Referring to FIG. 5B , the transmission data TD is displayed on the data display area ARM.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention. The information processing apparatus 20 is discussed, referring to FIG. 6 . As shown, the information processing apparatus 20 is generally controlled by the CPU 21 which works in accordance with information processing programs stored in the hard disk. Available as media for storing programs to be installed in a computer for execution are not only removable package media such as a floppy disk, a CD-ROM, and a DVD, but also a semiconductor memory and a magnetic disk into which programs are temporarily or permanently stored. Means for storing programs in a program storing medium may be a wired communication system or a wireless communication system such as a local area network, the Internet, or a digital broadcasting satellite. A variety of communication interfaces such as a router and a modem may be used between the communication system and the information processing apparatus 20 .
Referring to FIG. 6 , the information processing apparatus 20 includes a data converter 101 , a transmission unit 102 , a processing controller 111 , a page data acquisition unit 112 , and a page data shaping unit 113 . The data converter 101 converts data in a variety of formats stored in a data area 23 a of the auxiliary storage device 23 into the transmission data TD in a format displayable on the mobile terminal 30 . For example, the data of a HTML document resulting from an electronic mail, an address book, schedule, maps, and an automatic Web page download program is converted into text data or bitmap data by the data converter 101 .
The transmission unit 102 has the function of transmitting the transmission data TD stored in a transmission data area 103 to the mobile terminal 30 . The transmission unit 102 has also the function of receiving and the transmission data TD from the mobile terminal 30 through the external interface 27 shown in FIG. 2 and the external terminal 93 shown in FIG. 4 and storing the received transmission data TD in the transmission data area 103 . The transmission data TD transmitted from the transmission unit 102 can be monitored on the mobile terminal 30 , while the transmission data TD transmitted from the mobile terminal 30 can be monitored on the information processing apparatus 20 .
The transmission data area 103 , storing the transmission data TD, is formed in the auxiliary storage device 23 . In the transmission data area 103 , the transmission data TD is arranged in a tree structure with the text files or the bitmap files in a directory. The data converter 101 and the page data shaping unit 113 to be discussed later are used to create a directory in the transmission data area 103 and store the text data or the bitmap data in the created directory. The transmission data TD is stored in a manner such that each file is held in a respective directory which is created corresponding to the category of the file. Viewing the directory, the user immediately learns which category the transmission data TD belongs to. In this way, the user interface of the information processing apparatus 20 is enhanced.
The processing controller 111 has the function of calling the processing condition data PCD stored in a processing condition data area 114 , and sending the processing condition data PCD to the page data shaping unit 113 to be discussed later. Specifically, when the user clicks a service icon SA, the processing controller 111 recognizes a clicked service identifier 403 . The processing controller 111 acquires the processing condition data PCD from the processing condition data area 114 according to the service identifier 403 . The processing controller 111 sends address information 407 in the processing condition data PCD to the file monitor 200 while sending the address information 407 to the page data shaping unit 113 at the same time. The processing condition data area 114 is formed in the hard disk drive in the auxiliary storage device 23 shown in FIG. 2 .
As will be discussed later, the processing controller 111 , connected to a processing condition data server 11 , updates the processing condition data PCD or adds new processing condition data PCD in the processing condition data area 114 . The processing controller 111 starts up the file monitor 200 and displays an acquired icon AA to be discussed later.
Referring to FIG. 7 , the processing condition data PCD includes file information 401 , category information 402 , the service identifier 403 , a service name 404 , icon information 405 , directory information 406 , the address information 407 , shaping conditions 408 , etc. The file information 401 includes information about the date of creation of the processing condition data PCD, the date of update of the processing condition data PCD, a file version number, etc. The category information 402 indicates the service content provided by the processing condition data PCD. Based on the category information 402 , the processing condition data PCD is stored in a predetermined location in the processing condition data area 114 . Network servers on the information network 10 are respectively tagged with their own service identifiers 403 . The service name 404 is derived from the service provided by that network server.
The icon information 405 is image information for use in the service icon SA and the acquired icon AA, as will be discussed later. The directory information 406 is local address information according to which the page data shaping unit 113 creates a directory in the transmission data area 103 . The address information 407 is an address of a network server providing service, for example, a URL. The shaping conditions 408 are conditions under which the page data shaping unit 113 shapes the page data PD. Based on these pieces of information, the processing controller 111 and the page data shaping unit 113 shape the page data PD.
As shown in FIG. 7 , the shaping conditions 408 include format conditions 408 a , tag analysis conditions 408 b , and imaging conditions 408 c . The format conditions 408 a include a character count per line condition defining a character count per line in shaped text data, and a line boundary character condition setting a character that is prohibited from being positioned at the start of a line or the end of the line. The format conditions 408 a also include file conditions that set the type of image data of an image contained in the page data PD, for example, JPEG, GTE, etc.
The tag analysis conditions 408 b are used to analyze the tag structure of the page data PD in the shaping of the page data PD. When a table shown in FIG. 8A is inserted into the page data PD, the source of the page data PD is something like the one shown in FIG. 8B . The tag analysis conditions 408 b are so set that a new line begins at a <TR>. . .<TR> tag and that another new line begins at a <TD> tag. In the shaped text data shown in FIG. 8C , a line begins at each cell. In this way, page data PD that is displayed in a particular format under the control of tag is automatically laid out and shaped in text data.
The imaging conditions 408 c include, in the shaped bitmap data, an image size condition for setting the maximum file size of bitmap data, an image width condition for setting the minimum image width, and an image height condition for setting the minimum image height. The imaging conditions 408 c set the size of the bitmap data displayable on the display unit 31 of the mobile terminal 30 .
Referring to FIG. 9 , the processing condition data area 114 has a data structure containing a plurality of categories CY, each storing a plurality of pieces of processing condition data PCD. Specifically, the processing condition data server 11 creates categories CY 1 –CY 4 having contents for restaurants, automobiles, computers, travels, for example. The category CY can be a directory, for example. The categories CY 1 –CY 4 store the processing condition data PCD corresponding to the network servers assigned thereto. For example, if the category CY 1 is for the computer field, the category CY 1 corresponds to network servers of computer software firms and computer hardware firms, for example, and stores processing condition data PCDa 1 –PCDa 4 . The determination of the category CY is performed by the processing controller 111 according to the category information 402 in the processing condition data PCD.
The processing condition data PCD is stored according to the category CY. As will be discussed later, to select the processing condition data PCD to be used, the user selects the category first, and selects the processing condition data PCD. The user can register desired service with ease, and user interface is improved.
The page data acquisition unit 112 acquires the page data PD displayed on the file monitor 200 , and sends the page data PD to the page data shaping unit 113 . The file monitor 200 , a so-called browser, is a computer application software for browsing the page data PD that can be accessed over a global network such as the Internet or a local network. The page data PD is compatible with a format such as HTML, SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language), or XML (extensible Markup Language), and includes a control character called a tag. The file monitor 200 includes a cache area 201 for temporarily storing the browsed page data PD. The cache area 201 is formed in the hard disk in the auxiliary storage device 23 .
The page data acquisition unit 112 searches for the page data PD currently displayed on the file monitor 200 referring to the page data PD stored in the cache area 201 of the file monitor 200 . This searching operation is performed based on the address AS of the page data PD displayed on the file monitor 200 . The address AS indicates the location of the page data PD over the network, and can be a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), for example. The page data acquisition unit 112 sends the page data PD in the cache area 201 to the page data shaping unit 113 .
Specifically, the page data acquisition unit 112 acquires, from the cache area 201 of the auxiliary storage device 23 , the page data PD already monitored with the information processing apparatus 20 connected to the network. Even in its unconnected state with the network, the page data PD currently viewed is monitored again. As will be discussed later, the user shapes the page data PD after viewing the page data PD, and determining whether to shape the page data PD.
The page data shaping unit 113 shapes the page data PD sent from the page data acquisition unit 112 based on the processing condition data PCD to display the page data PD on the mobile terminal 30 . When the page data PD is a HTML document, for example, the page data PD may include text data, image data, banner advertisements, scripts, backgrounds, etc. The form of the text data and the size of the image data are different from page data to page data.
Analyzing the page data PD, the page data shaping unit 113 extracts data to be transmitted to the mobile terminal 30 , such as text data and image data, in accordance with the processing condition data PCD. Specifically, the page data shaping unit 113 removes unnecessary data such as the banner advertisements. The page data shaping unit 113 organizes the text data portion of the extracted page data PD into a text file. In the extraction of the data, the page data shaping unit 113 recognizes a designated identifier STG attached to the page data PD, and determines the type of the data delimited by the designated identifiers STG.
The designated identifiers STG include a <GETINFO> tag and a </GETINFO> tag for delimiting a data shaping area, a <DUMPINFO> tag and a </DUMPINFO> tag for delimiting an unnecessary data area, a <IC_INDEX> tag and a </IC_INDEX> tag for indicating data index information, and a <COUPON> tag and a </COUPON> tag for indicating coupon information.
The <GETINFO> tag and the </GETINFO> tag are located at the ends of the transmission data TD to be acquired. For example, in the page data PD shown in FIG. 10 , the page data shaping unit 113 analyzes the data between the <GETINFO> tag and the </GETINFO> tag, and recognizes the data as the data to be shaped. The <GETINFO> tag permits a “name” parameter and a “link” parameter to be designated. The “name” parameter designates a name when the range delimited by the <GETINFO> tag and the </GETINFO> tag is shaped. The “link” parameter designates a link to another file in the shaped file.
The <DUMPINFO> tag and the </DUMPINFO> tag designate an unnecessary data area in need of no shaping process in the page data PD. In the page data PD shown in FIG. 11A , for example, the page data shaping unit 113 recognizes the data delimited by the <DUMPINFO> tag and the </DUMPINFO> tag as a range in need of no shaping, and performs no tag analysis for HTML. If the <GETINFO> tag and the </GETINFO> tag are set up, there is no need for designating an unnecessary data range. However, when the unnecessary data range is extremely large, the use of the <DUMPINFO> tag and the </DUMPINFO> tag shortens the process involved. FIG. 11B shows an actual shaping result of the description shown in FIG. 11A . The file name actually shaped is “Samplefile.txt”, and the data delimited by the <DUMPINFO> tag and the </DUMPINFO> tag, namely, the message “This range is not acquired” is not present after the shaping process as shown in FIG. 11B .
The <IC_INDEX> tag and the </IC_INDEX> tag indicate the type of data and individual information expressed in the page data PD. When the <IC_INDEX> tag and the </IC_INDEX> tag are included within the range delimited by the <GETINFO> tag and the </GETINFO> tag, the data between the <IC_INDEX> tag and the </IC_INDEX> tag is extracted to form a single file. In this case, a file formed by the <GETINFO> tag and the </GETINFO> tag excludes the data delimited between the <IC_INDEX> tag and the </IC_INDEX> tag. Like the <GETINFO> tag, the </IC_INDEX> tag permits a “name” parameter and a “link” parameter to be designated.
In the page data PD shown in FIG. 12A , the page data shaping unit 113 creates the file name “exptag.txt” by the <GETINFO> tag shown in FIG. 12B and the file name “contents.txt” by the <IC_INDEX> tag shown in FIG. 12C .
The <COUPON> tag and the </COUPON> tag indicate the coupon information in the page data PD. Coupon information for providing price discount or service in restaurants, tailor's, mass merchandise outlets, for example, has been conventionally distributed by a paper sheet ticket as a medium. When coupon information is distributed using a network such as the Internet, the coupon information is transmitted to the mobile terminal 30 , and the coupon information may be verified at a restaurant, for example. The <COUPON> tag and the </COUPON> tag provide the coupon information in the page data PD.
In the page data PD shown in FIG. 13 , the page data shaping unit 113 recognizes the range delimited by the <COUPON> tag and the </COUPON> tag as the coupon information. Like the <GETINFO> tag, the <COUPON> tag permits a “name” parameter and a “link” parameter to be designated. Further, the <COUPON> tag designates a “limit” parameter. The “limit” parameter indicates the expiration date of the content of the coupon information.
In accordance with the designated identifier STG, the page data shaping unit 113 analyzes the page data PD for the acquired area, the unnecessary area, the file name, and the coupon information, and then shapes the transmission data TD. Using the designated identifier STG, the page data shaping unit 113 efficiently and quickly shapes the page data PD. Based on the designated identifier STG, the page data shaping unit 113 imparts new additional information, such as an expiration date and a file name of the shaped data file to the shaped data. For example, when the file shaped by the user is the coupon information, the data may be organized so that the user easily recognizes when it comes the expiration date.
It is possible to dynamically impart information to the page data PD, for example, of how many days the information remains effective from when the user acquired the page data PD. The information provider has more freedom of information added to the page data PD. Now, described in the page data PD is a designated identifier for imparting additional information using information prestored and set in the information processing apparatus 20 , namely, the user computer. The additional information is imparted according to the information prestored and set in the user computer. Information is thus dynamically imparted.
For example, map information is now stored. By simply designating latitude and longitude by the designated identifier STG or the parameters thereof, the geographic position on the map is determined. The page data PD may include a designated identifier STG for creating a map file detailing a geographical area in and around the designated latitude and longitude for the user. The page data PD may include a designated identifier STG for adding to the shaped data, the data of the user name, user information, the age and sex of the user already registered in the user computer. By using the designated identifier STG in this way, not only the information provided by the service but also the user's individual additional information are added to the shaped data.
The page data PD may provide particular information such as the coupon information. As for the coupon information, the tags of the page data PD may not be sufficient enough to convey the expiration date. By allowing the page data shaping unit 113 to analyze the designated identifier STG and the parameters thereof, the user may use the coupon information provided by the page data PD in substantially the same intervals as the coupon information provided by an actual paper sheet coupon ticket.
The page data shaping unit 113 converts image data of various formats for instance, JPEG (Joint Photographic Coding Experts Group) or GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) into black and white binary bitmap data. The data converter 101 may convert the image data into the black and white binary bitmap data using a pattern method, a cluster method, or a dithering method. The page data acquisition unit 112 aligns the text document while adjusting the size of the image data.
In this way, the page data shaping unit 113 has the function of shaping the page data PD, such as analyzing, extracting, converting, and aligning the page data PD. The data converter 101 creates a directory (a folder) in the transmission data area 103 , and stores the converted transmission data TD in that directory.
FIG. 14 shows a main window 130 of the information processing apparatus 20 of the present invention. The user operates the information processing apparatus 20 observing the main window 130 . The main window 130 is presented on the display device 25 at the startup of an information processing program. The main window 130 of the information processing apparatus 20 shown in FIG. 14 includes a title bar 131 , a menu bar 132 , a tool bar 133 , a transmission data window AR 8 , a preview window AR 9 , a mobile terminal window AR 10 , etc.
The title bar 131 displays a window name K 251 and an icon S 251 . The menu bar 132 is used to execute commands for shaping and transmitting the page data PD, and settings for the information processing apparatus 20 . The tool bar 133 presents icons of frequently used commands registered in the menu bar 132 . By clicking an icon, the respective process is executed.
The tool bar 133 presents a conversion icon CA and a service icon SA. When the conversion icon CA is clicked, the data converter 101 shown in FIG. 6 starts up, performing a conversion operation. The service icon SA is formed for each server, and each service icon SA is assigned with a service identifier 403 shown in FIG. 7A . In response to the clicking of the service icon SA, the service identifier 403 is sent to the processing controller 111 shown in FIG. 6 . The processing controller 111 starts up, thereby extracting the processing condition data PCD in accordance with the service identifier 403 .
The transmission data window AR 8 displays the content of the transmission data area 103 , namely, the transmission data TD in a tree structure. By selecting a predetermined file in the transmission data window AR 8 with a cursor, the selected file is transmitted and displayed on the preview screen. The transmission data window AR 8 includes, on the upper portion thereof, a memory window AR 8 a for displaying the capacity of the storage unit 96 in the mobile terminal 30 and the size of the transmission data TD stored in the transmission data area 103 . Monitoring the memory window AR 8 a , the user transmits data to the mobile terminal 30 . The user can thus adjust the number and file size of the transmission data TD transmitted to the mobile terminal 30 .
The preview window AR 9 , formed below the transmission data window AR 8 , displays the transmission data TD selected in the transmission data window AR 8 . When a text file is selected in the transmission data window AR 8 , the preview window AR 9 displays a text document. When a bitmap file is selected, the preview window AR 9 displays a black and white binary image. The mobile terminal window AR 10 displays the front view of the mobile terminal 30 with the data shown in a tree structure on the screen of the mobile terminal 30 .
The mobile terminal window AR 10 displays a transmission icon Y 0 . The transmission icon Y 0 includes an arrow Y 1 pointing from the transmission data window AR 8 to the mobile terminal window AR 10 and an arrow Y 2 pointing from the mobile terminal window AR 10 to the transmission data window AR 8 . When the transmission icon Y 0 is clicked, the transmission unit 102 shown in FIG. 6 starts up, sending the transmission data TD to the mobile terminal 30 . Specifically, when the arrow Y 1 is clicked, the transmission data TD is sent from the transmission data area 103 to the mobile terminal 30 . When the arrow Y 2 is clicked, the transmission data TD is sent from the mobile terminal 30 to the transmission data area 103 .
FIG. 15 is a flow diagram showing a preferred embodiment of the information processing method of the present invention. The information processing method is now discussed, referring to FIG. 15 . In step ST 1 , the user manipulates the mouse to click the service icon SA shown in FIG. 14 . Instep ST 2 , the processing controller 111 shown in FIG. 6 receives the service identifier 403 assigned to each service icon SA.
In step ST 3 , the processing controller 111 reads the processing condition data PCD of the service identifier 403 received from the processing condition data area 114 . In step ST 4 , the processing controller 111 displays the acquired icon AA on the display device 25 using the image of the service identifier 403 in the processing condition data PCD. The processing controller 111 starts up the file monitor 200 , sending the address information 407 of the processing condition data PCD to the file monitor 200 .
Referring to FIG. 16 , the display device 25 displays, on the screen thereof, the file monitor 200 with the page data PD of the address information 407 of the processing condition data PCD presented thereon, and the acquired icon AA. The page data PD presented on the file monitor 200 can be an index page, i.e., the top page of the database accessible on the network server.
Referring to FIG. 17 , a procedure from the acquisition of the page data PD to the shaping of the page data PD is now discussed. In step ST 10 , monitoring the page data PD, the user operates the file monitor 200 so that the file monitor 200 presents the desired page data PD to be displayed, namely, the page data PD to be transmitted to the mobile terminal 30 . In step ST 11 , the user clicks the acquired icon AA when the target page data PD is displayed on the file monitor 200 . In response to the clicking of the acquired icon AA, the page data acquisition unit 112 starts up.
In step S 12 , the page data acquisition unit 112 shown in FIG. 6 acquires the address AS such as the URL from the file monitor 200 . In step S 13 , the page data acquisition unit 112 searches for the data file of the page data PD currently being observed, based on the address AS. The page data acquisition unit 112 searches for the corresponding page data PD from among the page data PD stored in the cache area 201 in the file monitor 200 . The page data acquisition unit 112 sends the acquired page data PD to the page data shaping unit 113 .
In this way, the acquisition of the page data PD is performed in a off-line state without connecting to a network. This method eliminates a step for connecting to the network, and results in costs lower than those when a telephone line is used.
In step ST 14 , the page data shaping unit 113 creates a directory in the transmission data area 103 , based on the directory information of the processing condition data PCD. Used as the name of the direction is the service name shown in FIG. 7A . A file corresponding to each service is stored in the directory created according to the type of service in the transmission data area 103 . A file searching in the transmission data TD having a tree structure becomes easy, and user interface is improved.
The page data shaping unit 113 recognizes the designated identifier STG of the acquired page data PD, extracts the data from the page data PD, and analyzes the tag in the extracted data according to the tag analysis conditions 408 b shown in FIG. 7B . The page data shaping unit 113 thus produces a text file and a bitmap file. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 18 , a current buffer to be used for character string processing is initialized in step ST 101 . In step ST 102 , a check is made to determine whether the character string forming the page data PD includes a designated identifier STG. When it is determined that the character string forming the page data PD includes a designated identifier STG, steps in ST 103 , ST 104 , ST 105 , and ST 106 are respectively performed in accordance with the type of the designated identifier STG. When no designated identifier STG is included, the character string of the page data PD is stored in the current buffer. The character string of the page data PD within the range delimited by the designated identifiers STG is also stored in the current buffer. Steps ST 102 –ST 108 are performed on all character strings of the page data PD.
FIG. 19 is a flow diagram showing the processing method of the <DUMPINFO> tag and the </DUMPINFO> tag as the designated identifiers STG. In step ST 111 in FIG. 19 , it is determined whether a tag recognized by the page data shaping unit 113 is a <DUMPINFO> tag. When it is determined that the <DUMPINFO> tag is recognized, the content of the current buffer is stored in a second buffer for character string processing in step ST 112 . The data stored in the current buffer is thus protected during the processing of character strings. In steps ST 102 –ST 108 in FIG. 18 , the character data following the <DUMPINFO> tag is stored in the current buffer.
If a </DUMPINFO> tag is recognized in the page data PD in step ST 113 , all data stored in the current buffer is erased in step ST 114 . The data within the range delimited by the <DUMPINFO> tag and the </DUMPINFO> tag is deleted. In step ST 115 , the data evacuated in the second buffer is moved to the current buffer.
FIG. 20 is a flow diagram showing the processing method of the <IC_INDEX> tag and the </IC_INDEX> tag as the designated identifiers STG. In step ST 121 in FIG. 20 , it is determined whether a tag recognized by the page data shaping unit 113 is a <IC_INDEX> tag. When it determined that the <IC_INDEX> tag is recognized, the content of the current buffer is stored in a second buffer for character string processing in step ST 122 . The data stored in the current buffer is thus protected during the processing of character strings. In step S 123 , a “name” parameter and a “link” parameter designated in the <IC_INDEX> tag are recognized. In steps ST 102 –ST 108 in FIG. 18 , the character data following the <IC_INDEX> tag is stored in the current buffer.
If a </IC_INDEX> tag is recognized in the page data PD in step ST 124 , the page data shaping unit 113 regards the content of the current buffer and the parameter as the data to be shaped, and reads the data stored in the current buffer in step ST 125 . In step ST 126 , the data stored in the second buffer is moved to the current buffer.
FIG. 21 is a flow diagram showing the processing method of the <COUPON> tag and the </COUPON> tag as the designated identifiers STG. In step ST 131 in FIG. 21 , it is determined whether a tag recognized by the page data shaping unit 113 is a <COUPON> tag. When it determined that the <COUPON> tag is recognized, the content of the current buffer is stored in a second buffer for character string processing in step ST 132 . The data stored in the current buffer is thus protected during the processing of character strings. In step S 133 , a “limit” parameter designated in the <COUPON> tag are recognized. In steps ST 102 –ST 108 in FIG. 18 , the character data following the <COUPON> tag is stored in the current buffer.
If a </COUPON> tag is recognized in the page data PD in step ST 134 , the page data shaping unit 113 regards the content of the current buffer and the parameter as the data to be shaped, and reads the data stored in the current buffer in step ST 135 . In step ST 136 , the current buffer restores the data thereof, with the data stored in the second buffer moved thereto.
FIG. 22 is a flow diagram showing the processing method of the <GETINFO> tag and the </GETINFO> tag as the designated identifiers STG. In step ST 141 in FIG. 22 , it is determined whether a tag recognized by the page data shaping unit 113 is a <GETINFO> tag. When it determined that the <GETINFO> tag is recognized, the content of the current buffer is stored in a second buffer for character string processing in step ST 142 for evacuation. The data stored in the current buffer is thus protected during the processing of character strings. In step S 143 , a “name” parameter and a “link” parameter designated in the <GETINFO> tag are recognized. In steps ST 102 –ST 108 in FIG. 18 , the character data following the <GETINFO> tag is newly stored in the current buffer.
If a </GETINFO> tag is recognized in the page data PD in step ST 144 , the page data shaping unit 113 regards the content of the current buffer and the parameter as the data to be shaped, and retrieves the data stored in the current buffer in step ST 145 . In step ST 146 , the current buffer restores the data thereof, with the data stored in the second buffer moved thereto.
In this way, the page data shaping unit 113 recognizes the designated identifiers STG and extracts, from the page data PD, the data to be shaped. The page data shaping unit 113 shapes the page data PD to be displayable on the mobile terminal 30 based on the processing condition data PCD. Specifically, the processing condition data PCD shown in FIG. 23 is now acquired and shaped. For example, first page data PD 1 of the page data PD is associated with the <COUPON> tag and the </COUPON> tag, and second page data PD 3 is associated with the <IC_INDEX> tag and the </IC_INDEX> tag. The page data shaping unit 113 extracts the first acquired page data PD 1 and the second acquired page data PD 3 .
The page data shaping unit 113 analyzes the first acquired page data PD 1 and the second acquired page data PD 3 according to the tag analysis conditions 408 b . The page data shaping unit 113 converts the first acquired page data PD 1 and the second acquired page data PD 3 into text files TEXT 1 and TEXT 2 according to the tag analysis conditions 408 b . Further, the page data shaping unit 113 performs a character count per line process and a line boundary character process on the text files TEXT 1 and TEXT 2 according to the format conditions 408 a.
On the other hand, the page data shaping unit 113 extracts acquired image data PD 2 as an image file within the page data PD to be converted, according to the file condition in the shaping conditions 408 a . The page data shaping unit 113 converts the data format of the acquired image data PD 2 compatible with GIF, JPEG, or the like into a bitmap file BMP 1 . The page data shaping unit 113 adjusts the converted bitmap file BMP 1 in file size, file height, width according to the imaging conditions 408 c.
Referring to FIGS. 24A , 24 B, and 24 C, the mobile terminal 30 presents the text files TEXT 1 ( FIG. 24B ), and TEXT 2 ( FIG. 24C ), and the image file BMP 1 ( FIG. 24A ) in their proper state. Since the page data shaping unit 113 shapes the data according to the shaping conditions 408 , the user performs the acquisition and shaping process by simply clicking the acquired icon AA. The acquisition and shaping process is thus efficiently performed.
In step ST 15 shown in FIG. 17 , the page data shaping unit 113 stores the created transmission data TD in the transmission data area 103 . In this case, the page data shaping unit 113 holds the transmission data TD in directories (folders) created in the transmission data area 103 . Referring to FIG. 25 , the transmission data window AR 8 displays the text file and the bitmap file, created by the page data shaping unit 113 , in their state held in the directories. The user selects a file in the transmission data window AR 8 , or transmits the transmission data TD to the mobile terminal 30 in a bulk.
In each of the above embodiments, the page data shaping unit 113 extracts the necessary data from the page data PD in accordance with the designated identifier attached to the page data PD, and shapes the extracted data according the processing condition data PCD. The shaping operation of the data is efficiently and quickly performed. With the designated identifier attached, the data within the page data has a particular meaning. Specifically, by attaching the coupon identifier indicating the coupon information, for example, the coupon service may be provided over the Internet.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In the above discussion, the page data PD is located on the network. The present invention is applicable to a HTML document in the form of a manual distributed on a CD-ROM or a floppy disk. In this case, the address AS presented on the file monitor 200 is the location of the corresponding file in the auxiliary storage device 23 . The page data PD may be stored in the hard disk when the information processing apparatus 20 is shipped. In this case, the address AS presented in the file monitor 200 is the location of the corresponding file in the auxiliary storage device 23 . The page data acquisition unit 112 shown in FIG. 6 may have an acquisition area for separately storing another page data PD. The page data acquisition unit 112 may directly access the page data PD on the network in accordance with the address AS and store the page data PD on the acquisition area.
In the above discussion, the mobile terminal 30 handles the text data and the bitmap data as the data format of the transmission data TD. Another data format is acceptable as long as the mobile terminal 30 can handle.
In accordance with the present invention, the page data is processed to be displayable on the mobile terminal according to the designated identifier and processing information data. The present invention thus provides the information processing apparatus, and the information processing method having good user interface capability, and a program storage medium for storing the information processing program. | A file conversion method, a data converter, and a file display system for extracting data handled by a limited capability display device from a plurality of pieces of data displayable on a standard display unit with a start and an end of each piece of data indicated by respective identifiers and for outputting the extracted data to the device in which the identifier is detected by reading the file and it is then determined whether identified data can be displayed on the limited capability display device. The data identified by the identifier is extracted and an output file, different than the file that was read, is created from the extracted data. | 8 |
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