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This application takes priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/320,215 filed May 23, 2003, entitled, “Thermal Compressive Aerating Bandage and Methods of Use Relating to Same” which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of medical devices and more particularly to solid elastomers applied to an area of discomfort for purposes of heating or cooling that area.
It is commonplace for people to utilize devices with thermal capacitance to treat an injury or area of discomfort. A hot-cold pack is an example of one such widely utilized device. Cold packs are generally used in order to numb an area and relieve swelling, while hot packs are used to loosen up tight muscles or tendon strains. Many hot-cold packs utilize a gelatinous substance that can undergo state changes in order to provide a higher capacity of heat absorption, i.e., cooling. Such gels may provide similar functionality using water or chemical compounds that initiate changes in state (i.e., liquid to solid). A majority of hot-cold packs and other similar devices store the gel or liquid based substance that provides thermal capacitance in a sealed bag. A problem with this approach is that over time, these bags often leak or otherwise degrade to a point where use is impractical
Another issue with using current hot-cold packs is that problems can arise when the treatment area receives little air, as the underlying area can become sweaty and the hot-cold pack can laterally or vertically slide around on the treatment area during movement of the recipient. Thus, in some instances application of the hot-cold pack can further aggravate the injury, or frustrate the wearer to the point of not using the hot-cold pack.
Existing hot-cold packs are designed for use on immobile subjects and generally lack an effective securing mechanism. When the subject of the hot-cold pack treatment is an athlete, animal or a young child or any other entity requiring continued mobility, it is important to adequately secure the pack to the subject. Securing the hot-cold packs is typically achieved by a secondary means. Generally, the packs are held in place with an elastic bandage which limits the mobility of movement of recipient of the pack since the pack may easily become displaced and fall off. In other instances, the packs are held in place within a pouch that acts as a means for immobilizing and securing the pouch to a subject, however the packs are still heavy and even if secured tightly still inhibit mobility due to their weight and thickness.
In certain instances it is desirable to compress the hot-cold pack against the region of treatment. Current hot-cold packs lack the elasticity required to perform such compression. It is, however, possible to use a secondary means, namely by an elastic bandage wound around the hot-cold pack, to compress the hot-cold pack against the region to be treated. Thus, some compression type inventions require a secondary device in order to use the hot-cold pack. This is inconvenient in that a person wishing to apply the hot-cold pack to an area for treatment is required to utilize two items before application of the hot-cold pack can occur. In addition, the elastic properties of straps are known to degrade over time, resulting in a poor compression as the age of the strap increases.
The bandage described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,328, filed Nov. 3, 1992 to Cartmell, et al., entitled “Hydrogel bandage” consists of a self-adhesive bandage including a substrate having a two sides and multiple layers including a backing layer which forms the first side of the substrate, and an adhesive layer which forms the second side of the substrate. A hydrogel layer is disposed over the second side of the substrate and is made from a polyurethane hydrogel material for absorbing bodily fluids, including wound exudate. Multiple support layers may be interposed between the substrate and the hydrogel layer to provide the bandage with additional support. Although lightweight, and providing a means for aerating a wound, the bandage is incapable of providing compressive means to bear on the wound since the adhesive layer locks the bandage in place over a treatment area.
The bandage described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,670, filed Jul. 2, 1996 to Westby, et al., entitled “Heat Conserving Bandage” consists of a heat conserving bandage to cover human or animal tissue, comprising heat reflecting means, positioned next to the tissue for reflecting heat from the tissue, insulation material means covering said heat reflecting means, and cloth covering the insulation material. The heat reflecting means includes a sandwiched structure of a foil of plastic material adjacent to the tissue, and a second foil bonded thereto. Further cloth means can be inserted between the heat reflecting means the tissue. Suitably, the cloth means and the heat reflecting means are bonded together by sewing or an adhesive to create a pocket for receiving the insulation material. Although lightweight and flexible, the invention described provides no means for aerating the treatment area, and indeed attempts not to aerate a treatment area since it is providing a means to insulate only, and not add or remove heat.
The compress described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,055, filed Dec. 3, 1985 to Bonner, entitled “Cold Compress”, consists of a bandage defined by a layer of closed cell foam polymeric material sandwiched between and bonded to adjacent layers of fabric. One of the layers of fabric is absorbent with respect to aqueous liquids, such as wound exudate, and is adapted to be in contact with an area of the body. Multiple straps are releasably attached to the bandage to form a compress. The straps facilitate adjustment of the compress, the compress also may possess elongated pockets may be sewn to the fabric layer opposite the absorbent layer for insertion of straps to form a brace or provide for additional cooling. Electrodes are contemplated for providing electrical stimulation. Although allowing for application of a cold pad on a treatment area with a compress, the invention is heavy, thus compromising mobility, and is cloth wrapped in order to absorb aqueous fluids. The bandage also allows for electrical stimulation.
The pad described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,588,400, filed May 13, 1986 to Ring, et al., entitled “Liquid loaded pad for medical applications”, consists of wound and burn dressings which are prepared from pellicles, which are a thin film of microbially-produced cellulose obtained, for example, by culturing Acetobacter xylinum. A pellicle having a thickness from about 0.1 to 15 millimeters or greater is processed to replace the culture medium with water or other physiologically compatible liquid. The liquid-loaded pellicle is sterilized prior to its use as a dressing or in other medical applications. The pad is liquid based, is heavy, and therefore does not allow for complete mobility or direct aeration. It also appears to be directed towards immobile burn victims, hence it is not designed to provide a compressive means.
The therapeutic cooling device described in U.S. Patent Application 20020103520, filed Aug. 1, 2002 to Latham, entitled “Therapeutic cooling devices”, consists of a thermal regulatory system to reduce swelling caused by trauma to a variety of tissues and limbs. One or more substantially flexible, at least partially thermally conductive housings containing an activatable thermal regulatory medium may be coupled with one or more applicator, such as a splint, that is adapted to apply the thermal source to the tissue. The invention also discloses methods of therapeutically regulating tissue temperature. The invention relates to thermal regulatory systems that are generally heavy gel filled devices that are form fitted for a particular body part not allowing mobility, and providing no means for compressing a treatment area.
The therapeutic pack described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,190,033, filed May 2, 1993 to Johnson, entitled “Ice peas cold/hot therapeutic pack”, consists of an improved cold/hot pack for physiotherapy having a completely sealed flexible pouch. The cavity of the pouch is filled with a plurality of approximately pea sized or larger hollow capsules. The cavities of the hollow capsules are filled with cold/hot storing fluid or gel and are essentially used as a replacement for frozen peas. Partitions prevent migration of the capsules within the pouch and a screened plug permits air to be expelled from the pouch while the capsules are retained in order to conform the pouch to a given body part. The invention appears to be flexible but contains capsules in a pouch that would inhibit mobility when the pouch was strapped on. In addition, the invention would not allow the underlying treatment area to be aerated. The invention appears have no means for applying a compressive force and is directed mainly to cooling of the treatment area solely in a manner mirroring the use of frozen vegetable bags.
The therapeutic device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,358, filed Jun. 3, 1986 to Westplate, entitled “Therapeutic device”, consists of a therapeutic device featuring a plurality of compartments enclosing a therapeutic substance such as a refrigerant material which remains a liquid or forms a slush at temperatures below about 0.degree Celcius, or a heat releasing substance, or a high density material which may be firmly positioned on various body portions using one or more strap means. The invention does not allow for aeration of an underlying treatment area, and uses liquid in order to cool, or a high density material to heat. Each mode of use would not allow for mobility or compression since the device provides non-elastic straps for fastening the device. The device can not be cut for formed into a shape other than that supplied.
The compress described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,961, filed Dec. 16, 1997 to Kiamil, entitled “Compress for use in cold and/or hot treatment of an injury”, consists of a compress suitable for use in hot and cold treatments of an animal or human body part, comprising a flexible container containing a formulation comprising an aqueous solution and discrete particles of a crosslinked, water-absorbing polymer. In one embodiment, the compress is contained in a sealed plastic bag. The formulation used in the compress can be an anti-freeze agent, a salt compound, a glycol compound or mixtures thereof. The crosslinked, water-absorbing polymer in one embodiment is polyacrylamide or sodium polyacrylate. The invention applies a compressive force to a treatment area, but does not allow for aeration, is heavy, can require an external heat storage unit attached to the compress and is therefore unable to provide mobility. In addition the device cannot be cut to fit a treatment area.
The bandage described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,622, filed Jul. 11, 1995 to Pyrozyk et al., entitled “Thermal bandage”, consists of a thermal bandage apparatus for simultaneously dressing and thermally treating a wounded area. The device includes a fluid absorbent member having a wound contacting surface for absorbing bodily fluids produced by an open wound and a holding means adjacent and connected to the fluid absorbent member for holding a thermal medium against the fluid absorbent member such that heat is transferred between the thermal medium and the open wound by thermal conduction through the fluid absorbent member. There is also disclosure of an arrangement for providing a continuous supply of heat or cold to a wound. The invention is a non-aerating, and fluid absorbing bandage with associated thermal source pump attached or pouches for the insertion of gel bags. The invention, therefore, does not allow for mobilility, aeration or compression.
The bandage described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,437, filed Mar. 30, 1999 to Maxim, entitled “Self-adhering cold pack”, consists of a self-adhering cold pack having an envelope defining a sealed cold pack volume. A cooling agent is positioned in the cold pack volume. A bandage sheet is fixed to the envelope by a bandage adhesive. The bandage sheet defines mounting tabs linearly extending from the envelope outer perimeter in order to support a bandage adhesive for temporary adhesion of the cold pack to the skin surface of a patient. The invention does not allow for aeration, is heavy and would not allow for compression of the treatment area.
The bandage described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,696 filed Mar. 4, 2003, to Ireland, entitled “Pliable contact bandage”, consists of a pliable contact bandage for placement over a wound site located on any skin surface. The apparatus includes a re-openable, flexible enclosure adapted to receive a source of heat or cold, and an adhesive for mounting the pliable contact bandage on a skin surface. The source of heat or cold is temporarily placed within the flexible enclosure and the pliable contact bandage is placed over the wound site in a heat conducting relationship. Typically, a hypo-allergenic adhesive is located along at least a portion of the periphery of the flexible enclosure. The periphery of the flexible enclosure surrounds the wound site. There is no attempt made at enabling mobility or aeration, or compression of the treatment area.
The elastomer described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,646, filed Aug. 2, 1994, to Chen, entitled “Thermoplastic elastomer gelatinous articles”, consists of novel gelatinous compositions and articles formed from an intimate melt blend admixture of poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) triblock copolymer and high levels of a plasticizing oil. The gelatinous composition is transparent and has properties including unexpectedly high elongation and tensile strength and excellent shape retention after extreme deformation under high-velocity impact and stress conditions. The gelatinous products of this invention are soft, flexible, and have elastic memory, characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 gram to about 700 gram Bloom. The invention is an elastomer and articles of manufacture based on the gelatinous elastomer. The patent however does not enable the creation of an aerating, mobile embodiment, or enable the manufacture of an embodiment with additives allowing for higher heat capacity.
The elastomer described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,994,450, filed Nov. 11, 1999, to Pearce, entitled “Gelatinous elastomer and methods of making and using the same and articles made therefrom” consists of gelatinous elastomers, methods for making gelatinous elastomers, methods for using gelatinous elastomers, products made from gelatinous elastomers, and products which include gelatinous elastomers as a component or ingredient. More particularly, the invention includes a gelatinous elastomer formed from a combination of a block copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A and a plasticizer. The preferred A-B-A copolymer of the invention is polystyrene-hydrogenated poly(isoprene+butadiene)-polystyrene and the preferred plasticizer is either mineral oil or a combination of mineral oil and resin. Various other components may be included in the preferred recipes according to the invention. This invention includes improvements to Chen's '646 invention, but does not enable the construction of a lightweight,
Because of the problems associated with current systems, there is a need for an improved bandage that adequately overcomes the limitations existent in the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a flexible thermal capacitive elastomer configured for use as a bandage. The bandage is designed to retain alterations in temperature so that when applied to an area in need of treatment the bandage changes the temperature of that area while simultaneously aerating and allowing for compression to be applied to the area under treatment. Such abilities are achieved in accordance with one or more embodiments of the invention by molding the bandage into a planar or other form that comprises a set of interspersed perforations that increase the bandage's elasticity and “grip”, (i.e., the traction of the bandage perforations that increase the bandage's elasticity and “grip”, (i.e., the traction of the bandage however not limited to a particular shape and is intended for use in any dimension that has a suitable purpose. In some instances it is beneficial to vary the total surface area of the bandage so that the bandage effectively covers the treatment area.
Users of the bandage can rapidly adjust the circumference of the bandage by cutting the bandage into any desired shape. Since the bandage is made from a solid material, and is not a liquid based compound held within a pouch the invention eliminates any leakage problems. It is possible to increase or decrease the bandage's heat capacitance by adjusting the thickness to suit possible to increase or decrease the bandage's heat capacitance by adjusting the thickness to suit bandage. Since the bandage comprises a flexible material, the problems existent in the prior art, namely rupturing and other forms of degradation, are overcome.
To provide more or less air flow to the area subject to treatment, the set of interspersed perforations may vary in size and quantity. The perforations may take any shape that allows air to flow to the treatment area. The perforations may, for instance, be geometric or customized to take advantage of a particular niche market. In instances where the target market is identifiable, the perforations may take a form suitable for that market. If, for example, the bandage was intended for use in a children's hospital the perforations (and/or shape of the bandage itself) may intended for use in a children's hospital the perforations (and/or shape of the bandage itself) may
One or more embodiments of the invention allow for improved mobility throughout the application of treatment. The bandage may, for instance, contain an adhesive end, VELCRO® attach areas or male extrusions that fit or snap into the perforations in order to secure the bandage to the treatment area while maintaining a compressive force. Readers should note, however, that the invention is not limited to these specific attachment means and contemplates the use of any mechanism able to limit movement of the bandage when applied to the treatment area.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top view of a bandage configured to aerate a treatment area in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the invention with non-uniform placement of perforations.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment with male extrusions that fit into the perforations for securing purposes.
FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of the invention for use as a wrist pad.
FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the invention for use as an equestrian saddle pad.
FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of the invention for use as an equestrian leg wrap.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a crosslinked high-polymer materials with elastic behavior (eg., an elastomer) formed for use as a bandage or compression wrap. The bandage is designed to retain alterations in temperature so that when applied to an area in need of treatment the bandage effectuates a change in temperature to that area while simultaneously aerating and allowing for compression to be applied. Thus, the bandage implementing one or more aspects of the invention can, for instance, provide a mechanism for cooling or heating an area of a person or animal that has been injured or is in discomfort. In the case where a user wishes to cold treat an area, the user can cool the bandage by exposing the bandage to a refrigerated environment for a duration of time adequate enough to bring the bandage's refrigerated environment for a duration of time adequate enough to bring the bandage's temperature, the user may apply the bandage to the desired area for purposes of cooling that area. Conversely, by placing the bandage in warm or hot water, the user may apply the bandage to the desired area for purposes of warming that area. Because of the elastic properties of the bandage, users can optionally utilize the bandage to tightly wrap the area being treated and thereby simultaneously apply compression and cold or hot treatment to that area. The solid material retains its elasticity in hot or cold applications and can provide compression in either situation. The bandage may also act as a compressive aerating bandage without the need to effectuate changes in the bandage's surface temperature.
FIG. 1 depicts a bandage configured in accordance with an embodiment of the invention for use as a compressive wrap. In the example illustrated, the bandage is molded into a planar form 100 that comprises a set of interspersed perforations 101 , 102 , 103 designed to increase or maintain elasticity while allowing for aeration of the area subject to treatment and compression. In one embodiment of the invention the planar form is achieved via an injection mold process that utilizes an elastomer (e.g., a polyurathane with the addition of silicon and vegetable oil) having properties of thermal capacitance and adequate elasticity. It is important, however, that readers be cognizant of the fact that it is feasible to implement embodiments of the invention using many different types of elastomers or other compounds. Thus, embodiments of the invention include, but are not limited solely to polyurethane elastomers.
It is advantageous to utilize the planar form because such an orientation maximizes the surface area able to contact the treatment area. However, the invention also contemplates the use of other dimensions and can take any shape, thickness, and size suitable to meet a particular need. For instance, using a cutting implement (e.g., scissors, a box cutter, knife, etc . . . ) users may cut the planar form into any shape. Perforations in the material may act as a guide for cutting and users may save material cut away from the planar form for later use as a smaller bandage. The thickness of the bandage can vary from thinner than 1 mm, to thicker than 25 mm, in order to provide solutions for different treatment types. For example a wrap for a wrist could be less than 5 mm thick, while the thickness for an animal leg could be over 25 mm thick. The invention also contemplates the implementation of three-dimensional configurations molded to fit comfortably against a body part.
In one embodiment of the invention, the planar form is composed of a biodegradable compound having a minimal or no toxic effect. Reuse is possible simply by rewashing the bandage thereby making the bandage environmentally friendly. Storage is simplified because it is possible to keep the bandage in the refrigerator or freezer, or stored at room temperature and placed in ice water for quick preparation for cold pack treatment. To use the bandage as a heat pack, a user may fill a hot bucket with water and submerse the bandage into the water.
The planar form contains a set of interspersed perforations 101 - 103 that can vary in size and quantity while still providing some level of airflow to the area of treatment. For instance, embodiments of the invention contemplate the use of perforations placed closely or as far away from one another as the particular application requires. Thus, the bandage may contain a set of uniformly or non-uniformly spaced perforations that have consistent or inconsistent diameters and proximity to one another. FIG. 1 illustrates a set of uniformly spaced perforations having consistent diameters whereas FIG. 2 illustrates a set of non-uniformly spaced perforations 201 , 202 , 203 and 204 having inconsistent shapes, sizes and locations. In instances where aeration of the treatment area is paramount, the bandage may contain bigger perforations than in instances where aeration is less important. The perforations can also have varying shapes and may, for instance, be geometric or customized to take advantage of a particular niche market. In instances where the target market is identifiable, the perforations may take any shape suitable for that market. If, for example, the bandage was intended for use in a children's hospital the perforations (and/or shape of the bandage itself) may take the form of a popular cartoon or other such character.
FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of invention configured to secure the bandage into a fixed position over the treatment area or extend the bandage to cover a larger surface area. For instance, it is possible to fasten or hook the bandage into longer chains by using snaps 502 that fit into perforations 501 . The invention is however not limited explicitly to the use of snaps and contemplates the use of any other type of fastening device able to provide a way to couple bandages together or secure the bandages in place over the treatment area. In other instance, the securing mechanism provides a way to consistently apply a certain amount of compression to the treatment area.
Exemplary Methods of Use:
Embodiments of the invention are applicable for a wide number of uses. Some, but not all of these uses are discussed below for purposes of example. Since it is possible to manufacture the invention in virtually any shape or size the bandage has applicability in any instance where cooling or heating of a surface area is desired. A sunburned person, for instance, might use the bandage as a blanket. By placing the blanket-sized embodiment in a freezer or refrigerator, users can cool the bandage and then wrap it around the patient, thereby providing a soothing relief to the painful effects of the burn.
An embodiment of the invention also has uses as a heat source for someone suffering from cold exposure. For instance, placing a blanket size embodiment in a tub of hot water can act as a means for preheating the blanket prior to arrival of an exposure victim. Once the victim arrives, users can remove the blanket sized embodiment from the water, roll the blanket in a towel to dry it, and wrap the blanket around the victim. Such an implementation enables the victim's skin to breath while maintaining warmth. Wrapping the victim inside a sleeping bag or victim's skin to breath while maintaining warmth. Wrapping the victim inside a sleeping bag or towel provides further insulation from any environmental temperature effects. It is also possible to use the bandage to compression wrap injured limbs with elements cut from the main blanket, or with independently heated or cooled sections. By compressing the bandage over portions of the body, direct contact of the heated bandage can quickly warm the body and bring the victim out of shock.
FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention which has use as a saddle pad for horses and other animals. By cooling the pad before placement under a horse saddle for instance, the pad can provide a refreshing sensation to the animal. It is also possible to wrap smaller pieces around an animal's leg, either after a race, or after injury. FIG. 6 depicts an embodiment of the invention configured as an equestrian leg wrap. The bandage is wrapped around the treatment area after being cooled to a desired treatment temperature. The bandage cools the treatment area while allowing the animal to freely move. The area under the bandage is highly aerated and this allows the animal to further cool itself via evaporative cooling effects due to sweating. Also, the perforations keep the bandage from sliding around by increasing the grip of the bandage on the treatment area. The perforations further maintain the grip by not allowing excess sweat to build up. The bandage allows the horse to recover faster and this allows the animal to undergo more frequent training sessions for longer periods of time. In addition, the bandage absorbs impact and provides support for tendons and joints in addition to acting as a cold compress.
FIG. 4 depicts an embodiment of the invention either cut from a larger piece to fit the treatment area, or previously manufactured in a smaller format and wrapped around a human wrist. This embodiment provides a padding effect and is suitable for someone with Carpal Tunnel syndrome or other forms of wrist discomfort. When used in the manner depicted, the bandage cools the wrist while simultaneously aerating and padding the wrist thereby easing any discomfort suffered by the wearer.
The bandage also has applications in other medical arenas and can, for instance, provide a soothing compressive, yet aerating wrap for limiting the amount of swelling and bruising caused after surgery or other forms of injury.
Thus a thermal compressive aerating bandage and methods of use relating to same is described. The claims, however, and the full scope of any equivalents are what define the metes and bounds of the invention.
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A lightweight, flexible, aerating, compressive, thermal bandage. Perforations allow the treatment area to aerate. Thermal capacity of the invention allows for hot or cold treatment in a manner that compressively supports the object undergoing thermal treatment while maintaining maximum mobility. The bandage is made from an elastomer such as polyeurathane with the addition of silicon and vegetable oil. Resin is used to color the product.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDS) and to a particular SQUID type called a HYBRID SQUID™. The present invention particularly relates to the geometry of the construction of conical coupling cavities within a superconducting canister holding a circular, toroidally wound, input coil, which coil is inductively coupled to a SQUID which consists of Josephson junctions upon a substrate.
The prior art to the toroidal canister with a conical cavity of the present invention is a toroidal canister with a non-conical cavity utilized in the HYBRID SQUID™ (direct current and radio frequency types), which is the trademark and commercial offering of S.H.E. Corporation, 4174 Sorrento Valley Boulevard, San Diego, Calif. 92121. Specifically, the prior art structure teaches the inductive coupling of large volume (large radius) circular toroidally wound input coils to a small SQUID upon a chip substrate via an inductive coupling cavity which is not direct and straight, but which cavity within the toroidal superconducting canister actually undergoes a right angle bend.
Although possibly easier of being machined in superconducting materials such as niobium and niobium titanium (which materials present difficulties to precision machining), the prior art canister is not possessed of the optimum coupling cavity geometry for keeping those stray inductances arising from the coupling of a small radius SQUID to a large radius coil (the toroidally wound input coil) optimally small. It is desired that the stray inductance coupled to the SQUID should be minimized in order to improve the noise performance of the SQUID.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Early practical SQUID sensors have used point contact junctions. Ultimately, all thin film SQUIDS are desirable to permit integration of superconductive electronic ciruitry. The word "HYBRID" applied to a SQUID is the trademark of S.H.E. Corporation, San Diego, Calif. in reference to a transition technology between SQUIDS using point contact junctions and all thin film devices. Within a HYBRID SQUID™, a small SQUID containing Josephson junctions is created upon a chip substrate. When created in thin flim technology, this SQUID has, in the Josephson junctions, controlled and stable properties as compared to point contacts. When the input and output coils to such SQUID are not created, as by deposition in thin film technology, upon the same substrate, then such input and output coils are physically large compared to the SQUID and are toroidally wound of wire. The HYBRID SQUID™ holds such toroidally wound wire coils in toroidal cavities of a superconducting canister. The larger input and output coils are inductively coupled to the small SQUID by a coupling cavity containing a dielectric within such superconducting canister, which cavity has a three dimensional shape.
The primary first aspect of the present invention is that that cavity within a superconducting canister which couples the toroidally wound input and output coils (also contained in cavities within the superconducting canister) to a SQUID upon a chip substrate (as contained in a cavity within the superconducting canister) should be a conical in shape. A conical cavity has three dimensional shape of a dunce's cap. The inner shell of such conical cavity, (the lining of the dunce's cap) at the truncation of such conical cavity at a circular section just below the vertex, essentially subtends the very very small inner circumference of the SQUID, which SQUID is deposited in thin film upon a substrate in the shape of an annulus ring (containing two Josephson junctions). The outer shell of such conical cavity (the outside of te dunce's cap), at the truncation of such conical cavity at a circular conical section just below the vertex, essentially subtends the very small outer circumference of the thin film SQUID in the shape of an annulus ring. Meanwhile the circumference of the base of the conical cavity essentially subtends the large circular, toroidally wound, input coil. Such a conically shaped cavity minimizes the stray inductance which is coupled to the SQUID loop, and thereby improves the noise figure of merit in the operation of the SQUID.
It is a further, subordinate, second aspect of the present invention that a conically shaped coupling cavity within the superconducting canister of a HYBRID SQUID™ should be employed to inductively couple a SQUID loop upon a substrate to a toroidally wound input and output coils regardless of whether (1) a toroidally wound input coil should occupy one cavity and a toroidally wound output coil should occupy another separate cavity isolated by superconductor from coupling magnetic flux to said one cavity, or (2) a toroidally wound output coil should occupy the same cavity within the superconducting canister as the toroidally wound input coil (thusly being coupled in magnetic flux) or, (3) a toroidally wound output coil should be within a separate cavity within the superconducting canister to that separate cavity within which is located the toroidally wound input coil wherein both cavities are coupled by magnetic flux in either. In other words, it is the subordinate second aspect of the present invention that the utility of a conically shaped coupling cavity should not be limited by the cross-sections (e.g., circular or square), or the separate numbers of toroidally shaped cavities holding toroidally wound coils (e.g., input or output coils), or by the magnetic flux coupling or isolation of such cavities, to which such conically shaped coupling cavity will provide optimal inductive coupling.
It is the general third aspect of the present invention that the three dimensional cavity within a superconducting solid which optimally (with the least stray inductance) provides inductive coupling between inductive elements (such as SQUID loops and toroidal coils) within other cavities of such superconducting solid is a three dimensional cavity of conical shape, or of truncated conical shape. This third aspect is not limited to HYBRID SQUIDS™, but rather presents a generalized structure for a dielectric filled cavity by which anything round should be inductively coupled to anything else round within respective separate cavities of a superconducting solid. This generalized structure for a dielectric filled cavity is the conical, or truncated conical, structure with the smaller round object subtending a circular cross section of the conical cavity closer to the apex of the cone while the larger round object subtends the circular circumference of the base of the conical cavity. If both round objects inductively connected by the cavity are of equal diameter, then the cavity assumes the shape of a cone with a vertex at infinity, or the cavity is cylindrical. A cylindrical cavity has the three dimensional shape of a hollow pipe, or tube.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1a shows the diagrammatic representation of a prior art d.c. SQUID.
FIG. 1b shows the periodic output voltage as a function of input magnetic flux exhibited by the prior art D.C. SQUID of FIG. 1a.
FIG. 2 shows a pictorial representation of the prior art physical structure of a HYBRID SQUID™ manufactured by S.H.E. Corporation, San Diego, Calif.
FIG. 3 shows a cross sectional view of a prior art HYBRID SQUID™, including a prior art COUPLING CAVITY.
FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of an alternative prior art HYBRID SQUID™ to that shown in FIG. 3, including a prior art COUPLING CAVITY.
FIG. 5 shows a cross section view of the present invention of a conical coupling cavity within a superconducting cylinder.
FIG. 6 shows a cross sectional view, with selective dimensions in inches, of a superconducting cylinder with plural cavities including the conical shaped coupling cavity of the present invention.
FIG. 7 shows a prior art schematic of a typical system for operation of a D.C. SQUID in a flux locked loop.
FIG. 8 shows the noise spectrum of a D.C. HYBRID SQUID incorporating the conical coupling cavity of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
A simple prior art D.C. SQUID is shown in FIG. 1. It consists of two Josephson junctions in a superconducting loop. A bias current is applied to the SQUID and the voltage across the SQUID is then a periodic function of the flux through the SQUID loop. This periodic voltage, shown in prior art FIG. 1b, results from the interference of the wave functions representing the superconducting order parameter. The flux period is small and can be electronically subdivided, making SQUIDS very sensitive to fields or currents in the input coil. In fact, the flux period Φ o equals 2 ×10 -15 Wb, equals 2 amp nano-Henry, equals 2×10 -7 gauss/cm 2 .
The expression HYBRID SQUID™ is the trademark of S.H.E. Corporation, 4174 Sorrento Boulevard, San Diego, Calif. 92121. The HYBRID SQUID™, offered in both d.c. and rf biased versions, is a transition technology between SQUIDS using point contact junctions and all thin film SQUID devices. Thin film Josephson junctions in a SQUID upon a substrate are combined with toroidally wound input and output coils within a superconducting canister. A large toroidally wound coil within the canister provides effective coupling of the input, while the thin film Josephson junctions have controlled and stable properties compared to point contacts.
The pictorial representation of the physical structure of a HYBRID SQUID™, derived from the published drawing of the S.H.E. Corporation, San Diego, is shown as prior art in FIG. 2. The SQUID is created by thin film deposition on the SUBSTRATE WITH JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS, which is located within a first cavity within the SUPERCONDUCTING CANISTER. The SQUID within this first cavity is inductively coupled to an input SECOND TOROIDAL COIL within a second cavity, which is also inductively coupled to an output FIRST TOROIDAL COIL within a third cavity by a COUPLING CAVITY such is of paramount interest to the present invention. Note that this COUPLING CAVITY undergoes a right angle bend, and is not the shortest path between the SQUID loop upon the SUBSTRATE WITH JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS and either the SECOND TOROIDAL COIL or the FIRST TOROIDAL COIL.
The cross sectional view of the COUPLING CAVITY, the SUBSTRATE WITH JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS, the FIRST TOROIDAL COIL, and the SECOND TOROIDAL COIL diagrammatically seen in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 3. The FIRST TOROIDAL COIL is inductively communicative with said SECOND TOROIDAL COIL through a line-of-sight SECOND COUPLING CAVITY. An alternative prior art embodiment wherein both the FIRST TOROIDAL COIL and the SECOND TOROIDAL COIL occupy the same cavity is shown in FIG. 4. Alternative arrangements of the coils such as the coaxial toroidal coils (shown in conjunction with the present invention in FIG. 5) and coils located in separate cavities wherein the magnetic flux of each is shielded by a superconducting barrier from the other (as is shown in conjunction with the present invention in FIG. 6) are possible. The pertinent showing of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is that the prior art coupling cavity is not conically shaped.
In order to understand the superior function of the present invention of a conically shaped coupling cavity it is fundamentally necessary to understand the electrical characterization of a SQUID. A principal electrical model for a SQUID is called the RSJ model and is discussed by W. C. Steward in Appl. Phys. Lett. 12, 277 (1968) and by D. E. McCumber in J. Appl. Phys. 39, 3113 (1968). A number of parameters are used to characterize SQUID behavior. The RSJ model treats each junction as an ideal Josephson element, I o , in parallel with a resistive shunt, R, and a capacitance, C. The SQUID has an inductance, L. The following expressions list a number of criteria these parameters must satisfy for the SQUID to function properly. Beyond these criteria, the primary figure of merit is SQUID noise, as it determines the detection limit of the SQUID.
______________________________________ Eq. (1) ##STR1## In order to form Non- Hysteretic Junctions Eq. (2) ##STR2## In order that the Josephson Junction stay locked Eq. (3) ##STR3## In order that the SQUID stay locked Eq. (4) ##STR4## So that coupled energy is evenly distributed between loop and junction______________________________________
The present invention concerns the reduction of SQUID noise. SQUID noise is, at this time, incompletely understood. A white noise region above 1 Hz. and a 1/f noise region below 1 Hz. are observed. See FIG. 8. The white noise is well explained by Nyquist noise in the junction resistance in the article by C. D. Teche and J. Clark in J. Low Temp. Phys. 29, 301 (1977). The 1/f noise mechanism is still unclear but may be due to fluctuations in the juction conductance. A pertinent article is by C. T. Rogers and R. A. Buhrman in IEEE Trans. on Mag., 1982 Appl. Superconductivity Conf. Issue. The optimization of SQUID design for minimum noise depends not only upon the frequency range of interest but also upon input circuit characteristics; tuned or untuned, resistive or superconductive, etc.
The expression of noise energy per hertz ##EQU1## has been found to be a useful criteria for proscribing improved noise performance. The expression dictates the build of a low inductance SQUID with low capacitance. However the inductance of a SQUID must be large enough to couple a signal to the SQUID. Additionally, the inductance and capacitance are not independent. Equation (4) constrains the inductance and critical current. Critical currents are a stronger function of thickness than capacitance, so the optimum SQUID design involves making as small a junction as possible with the technology used (reduced C), then making the junction thin enough to obtain I o as large as is required for an L as small as can be reasonably coupled to. Stray inductances on the junction chip limit reasonable SQUID inductances to the range of 100 pH to 500 pH.
The present invention of a conical coupling cavity within a superconducting cylinder is shown in cross sectional view in FIG. 5. The toroidal structure of the FIRST TOROIDAL COIL and the SECOND TOROIDAL COIL are preserved, and these coils are made coaxial within the same cavity. The SQUID consists of a structure in the shape of an annulus ring incorporating Josephson junctions which are deposited as thin film structures on the SUBSTRATE WITH JOSEPHSON JUNCTIONS held within a first cavity. The SQUID is inductively coupled by the CONICAL COUPLING CAVITY containing a dielectric to the input SECOND TOROIDAL COIL and to the output FIRST TOROIDAL COIL held in a toroidal second cavity. All cavities are completely contained within a SUPERCONDUCTING CANISTER.
The reason for the conical structure of the coupling cavity of the present invention is as follows. The inductance of a toroidal structure is given by ##EQU2## where dA is an area element at a radius r. For effective coupling, the input coil should fill the cavity, other areas being minimized--particularly those at small radii. The cavity needs to reach a small cross sectional radius to subtend and inductively couple to the SQUID on the wafer, and needs to have a large cross sectional radius to subtend and inductively couple to the input coil. The conical coupling cavity optimally meets these requirements in a form that can be machined and fit within close tolerances. Parasitic inductance, especially at short distance (r in Eq. 6) to the SQUID is minimized. The preferred embodiment canister is machined from either niobium or niobium titanium.
The electrical path of a HYBRID SQUID™ is as follows. One Josephson junction is electromagnetically coupled (predominantly) through the outside circumference of that annulus ring which, along with the two Josephson junctions, is the SQUID to the outer shell of the conical cavity (the outside of the dunce's cap). This outside of the conical cavity is superconducting along with the canister, and connectedly proceeds around the carvity(ies) of the toroidally wound coil(s) and along the superconducting inner shell of the conical cavity (the lining of the dunce's cap). This inner shell is electromagnetically coupled (predominantly) through the small inside circumference of that same annulus ring which, along with the two Josephson junctions, is the SQUID to the other Josephson jucntion. The electromagnetic coupling to the annulus ring SQUID may be analogized to a coaxial connector (e.g., a BNC connector) with coupling being made to both the center conductor and the circumferential outer shield. Continuing with the analogy of the coaxial connector, the coupling cavity can thusly be analogized to be the "leads" by which the input coil is inductively coupled to the coaxial connector. By analogy, it is discernable that the conical coupling cavity represents the shortest and most direct form of such "leads".
An alternative embodiment of the present invention of a conical coupling cavity is shown, along with certain relevant dimensions expressed in inches, in FIG. 6. The round circumference of the base of the conical coupling cavity may be observed to contact the cavity in which the SECOND TOROIDAL COIL is located at a slightly different location upon the wall of such cavity. The FIRST TOROIDAL COIL is within a separate cavity from the SECOND TOROIDAL COIL, and is inductively communicative with said SECOND TOROIDAL COIL only through a SECOND COUPLING CAVITY which is not line-of-sight between the coils, and which thusly establishes a superconducting barrier (the solid superconducting canister) to most of the inductive communication (via magnetic flux) between the two coils. The purposes of alternative arrangements of toroidal coils within one or more cavities as shown in FIG. 4 through FIG. 6 are not pertinent to the present invention, the main point simply being that a conical shaped coupling cavity is optimal for inductive communication with (and between although such is not the variant illustrated in FIG. 6) all toroidal coils.
Noise measurements of hybrid D. C. SQUIDS have been made with the SQUIDS operated in a flux locked loop. A schematic of the prior art system used is shown in FIG. 7. The use of a flux locked feedback system gives a linear flux to voltage response. The application of a ±Φ o / 4 flux modulation at 110 kHz and a ±I B bias current modulation at 500 kHz has two benefits. First, it allows the use of transformer coupling to impedance match the SQUID (˜1Ω) to the room temperature amplifier. Second, phase sensitive detection eliminates some sources of noise.
FIG. 8 shows a typical noise spectrum of D. C. HYBRID SQUID™ incorporating a conical coupling cavity when operated as described. Plotted is the flux noise power relative to a Φ o 2 /Hz versus frequency. The white noise above 1 Hz., and 1/f noise below 1 Hz., regions are clearly evident. The high frequency roll off is from the measurement system. The data was taken using a Hewlett Packard 5420 Digital Signal Analyzer. The -100 dB white noise level translates to 10 -5 Φ o /√ Hz flux noise, or 10 -30 joules/Hz noise energy, in the 200 pH estimated inductance for the SQUID.
Since the noise spectrum of a SQUID is a funcion of the thin film junction technology as well as of the coupling coils and the superconducting canister including the conical coupling cavity, this specification cannot be considered a complete disclosure on how to make a D. C. HYBRID SQUID of the performance range described in the previous paragraph. What is taught is, however, that the white noise (above 1 Hz) part of that noise spectrum shown in FIG. 8 will be undesirably higher if the coupling activity within the superconducting canister is not of the optimal conical shape.
Alternative embodiments and variations of the conical coupling cavity taught in the present specification may suggest themselves to those of skill in the art upon reading of the above description. The present invention of a conical coupling cavity is not limited to the inductive coupling of parts of a HYBRID SQUID™, but is generally useful for inductively coupling substantially circular structures, or items, of different sizes within a superconducting solid. Therefore the following claims should be interpreted to include those equivalents which are apparent from the above description.
|
A type of Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) requires that relatively large, circular, toroidally wound wire coils within a first cavity of a superconducting canister should be inductively coupled to a relatively small SQUID created as an annular ring plus Josephson junctions upon a substrate within a second cavity of the superconducting canister. The required inductive coupling is through a dielectric filled cavity called a coupling cavity which is conical in the shape of a dunce's cap. The conically shaped coupling cavity within the superconducting canister minimizes the parasitic stray inductance which is coupled to the SQUID, and thusly improves the noise performance of the SQUID.
| 8
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CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/736,569, entitled RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND SCHEDULING AMONG BASE STATIONS filed Jan. 8, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/607,859, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,374,137, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD OF RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND SCHEDULING AMONG BASE STATIONS filed Oct. 28, 2009, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/109,407, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD OF RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND SCHEDULING AMONG BASE STATIONS filed Oct. 29, 2008, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present disclosure pertains to wireless communications, specifically, methodology and algorithm to management resources and schedule users.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION AND RELATED ART
[0003] There has been a great deal of work on scheduler and resource management. The general approach is to maximize a cost function subject to the capacity limit and other constraints such that certain performance measures are achieved. A great deal of work has been done in the areas of funding effective cost functions, theoretical proves of the property of those functions, solving optimization problems with those cost functions with respect to different physical layer characteristics, and the correspondent algorithms based those theoretical results. For example, a widely used cost function is a utility based function. The main advantage of a utility based resource management compared to more traditional system centric criteria, such as power, outage probability and throughput, is that it can be used to evaluate to what degree a system satisfies service requirements of an user's application. [1] and the references therein give a good overview on state-of-the-art theories and algorithms of scheduler and resources management, especially for OFDM based systems.
[0004] However, all of the prior arts have mathematically formulated the problem on the assumptions that a system is one Basestation and all the user terminals (UEs) being considered are associated with the Basestation under study. As a result, the cost function as well as its optimization targets how to maximize a cost function with respect to some or all users in one BTS subject to the capacity limit and other constraints such that certain performance measures are achieved. Hence, the scheduler and resource management algorithms derived from above assumption and theory are for scheduling UEs in individual BTS without considering other BTSs, their corresponding schedulers, and their UEs. Mathematically, the above optimization problem is to assign radio resources in order to maximize the following cost function:
[0000]
1
M
∑
i
=
1
M
U
i
(
r
i
[
n
]
)
[0005] Where r i [n] is the instantaneous dates of user i at time n, U i (·) is the corresponding utility function of user i. Again, all the users are in the same cell or being served by one BTS, and the optimization is done w.r.t. one cell or BTS.
[0006] On implementation side, traditionally, the scheduler resides in the BTS, or NodeB in 3GPP term. The scheduler is responsible for assigning radio resources to the UEs in the cell based on the available radio resources, user channel quality, user request, QoS requirements.
[0007] Additional radio resource management residing further above BTSs is responsible for handoff related resource management, such as orthogonal code assignment between the cells, application data buffer management, and so on.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present embodiments provide methods for wireless communications, specifically, methodology and algorithm to management resources and schedule users in a coordinated way among a group of base stations, such as Femtocells, Picocells, self-organized Basestations, Access Points (APs) or mesh network nodes, or among the basestations in a two tiered networks, such as Femtocells within a Macrocell, to improve the performance for individual user, individual Basestation (BTS), the overall systems or all of above.
[0009] Certain embodiments as disclosed herein provide for mathematical formulation of the problem, methodology of deriving the solutions, and the corresponding algorithms to manage resources and schedule users among a group of base stations, such as Femtocells, Picocells or Access Points (AP), or among the basestations in a two tiered networks, such as Femtocells within a Macrocell, to improve the performance for individual user, individual Basestation (BTS), the overall systems or all of above.
[0010] According there is provided a first method of managing wireless resources comprising the steps of a) identifying a group of cells with at least two cells as neighboring cells, b) identifying a group of users from the group of the cells, c) providing a utility function for each user, d) providing a radio resource allocation objective based upon one cost function for the group of users from the group of cells identified in step a) and d) allocating a portion of a resource to each user in dependence upon a cost function for the group of users.
[0011] Accordingly there is provided a second method of managing wireless resources comprising the steps of a) identifying a group of cells, b) providing a utility function for each cell, c) providing a radio resource allocation objective based on one cost function for the group of cells identified in step a) and d) allocating a portion of radio resource to each cell such that the objective is met.
[0012] Accordingly there is provided a third method of managing wireless resources comprising the steps of a) identifying a group of cells. b) identifying a group of users from the group of cells, c) providing a utility function for a cell or a user or both in the selected group, d) providing a first radio resource allocation objective based on one cost function for the group of users from the group of cells identified in step b), e) providing a second radio resource allocation objective based on one cost function for the group of cells identified in step a), f) determining an overall objective is a summation of the first and second objectives, and g) allocating a portion of radio resource to each cell or each user such that the overall objective is met.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 illustrates radio resource optimization performed in each of the three individual cells with respect to the metrics of the terminals in each cells.
[0014] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of radio resource optimization is performed for all neighboring cells with respect to each individual cell level metrics.
[0015] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of radio resource optimization is performed for all neighboring cells with respect to the combination of metrics of all terminals in some cells and each individual cell level metrics for other cells.
[0016] FIG. 4 illustrates an example of radio resource optimization is performed for all neighboring cells with respect to the combination of metrics of groups of terminals in some cells and each individual cell level metrics for other cells.
[0017] FIG. 5 shows a flow chart of resource allocation and scheduling algorithm optimized for the case of a group of users in more than one cell using rate based utility function according to the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of resource allocation and scheduling algorithm optimized for the case of a group of cells using rate based utility function according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0019] After reading this description, it will become apparent to one skilled in the art how to implement the invention in various alternative embodiments and alternative applications. Although various embodiments of the present invention are described herein, it is understood that these embodiments are presented by way of example only, and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of various alternative embodiments should not be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present invention.
[0020] In a wireless system, a group of base stations (BTSs) can be managed by a centralized network management identity or can be self-organized by communicating with each other via wireless air-interfaces or wired interfaces. One such example is Femtocell system. In Femtocell system where Femtocell BTSs are connected to the core networks through wired or wireless broadband connections. The Femtocells are networked via either a wired backhaul or over-the-air. The provisioning of the Femtocell BTSs can be done either by the core network on a per device basis or in a coordinated fashion either under the complete supervision of the core networks, partial supervision of the core networks or without supervision at all.
[0021] The Femtocell incorporates the functionality of a typical base station but extends it to allow a simpler, self-contained deployment; for example, a UMTS Femtocell containing a Node B, RNC and GSN with Ethernet for backhaul. Although much attention is focused on UMTS, the concept is applicable to all standards, including GSM, CDMA2000, TD-SCDMA and WiMAX solutions.
[0022] When the BTSs are using the same frequency for transmitting and receiving with relatively large transmitting power and when they are closer to each other, such as Femtocells, performance such as system and user throughput or QoS get degraded due to a number factors, such as the interference between the BTSs and among the users in the same BTS or in different BTSs, or in a two-tier networks where Femtocell BTSs are within a Macrocell BTS. One contributing factor is that the resource management and scheduler algorithms today are trying to maximize certain cost functions over some or all UEs in each individual BTS in order to achieve better performance such as user and system throughput.
[0023] When a Femtocell system has the capability to network and coordinate via either a wired backhaul or over-the-air, resource management and scheduling UEs can be done either by a coordinated fashion either under the complete supervision of the core networks (completely centralized), partial supervision of the core networks (partially centralized) or without supervision at all (distributed).
[0024] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a neighbor list will be formed based on the measurement from users in each BTSs or by each BTS itself in order to enable scheduling and resource management among the BTSs. When the measurements of its neighbor BTSs, such as reference signal strength across all frequency or in certain frequency group, the interference level across all frequency or in certain frequency group, distance in RF signal strength sense, are above pre-determined thresholds, the BTS(s) will be added to the neighbor list of the said BTS. Optionally, the relative position of the BTSs based the measurement, such as DOA, is known, the neighbor can also be described by their topology. The neighbor list changes dynamically based on the real-time measurements. The server on the network maintains the neighbor list for all the BTSs, and each BTS maintains a copy of its own neighbor list.
[0025] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a resource allocation and scheduling optimization method is proposed where the objective is to maximize cost function with respect to one or more cells or BTSs. Constraints other than cost function can be added in the optimization process.
[0026] When the utility function is date rate based, the above optimization problem is to allocation radio resources to maximize:
[0000]
∑
i
∈
G
U
i
(
r
i
)
[0027] where U i (·) is the utility functions for an individual user, a group of users, a cell, or multiple cells, r i is instantaneous data rate or averaged data rate, depending on the definition of the utility function, of an individual user, a group of users, a cell, or multiple cells. G is a set that consists of
[0028] 1. A group of users in one cell or BTS
[0029] 2. A group of users in more than one cells or BTSs
[0030] 3. A group of cells or BTSs each having one or more users
[0031] 4. Combination of a group of users in one or more cells and one or a group of cells.
[0032] When G represents a group of users in one cell or BTS, i.e. the 1 st case above, it reduces to the model that all prior arts use. Referring to FIG. 1 there is illustrated radio resource optimization is performed in each of the three individual cells with respect to the metrics of the terminals in each cells. In this example, Cell 1 radio resource is optimized w.r.t. Mobile 1 — 1 and Mobile 1 — 2; Cell 2 radio resource is optimized w.r.t. Mobile 2 — 1, Mobile 2 — 2 and Mobile 2 — 3; Cell 3 radio resource is optimized w.r.t. Mobile 3 — 1, Mobile 3 — 2 and Mobile 3 — 3.
[0033] The 2 nd through 4 th cases are the new model this embodiment describes, and are used in deriving the following embodiments.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 2 there is illustrated an example of radio resource optimization is performed for all neighboring cells with respect to each individual cell level metrics. In this example, overall radio resource is optimized w.r.t. Cell — 1, Cell — 2 and Cell — 3.
[0035] Referring to FIG. 3 there is illustrated an example of radio resource optimization is performed for all neighboring cells with respect to the combination of metrics of all terminals in some cells and each individual cell level metrics for other cells. In this example, overall radio resource is optimized w.r.t. Cell 1, Mobile 2 — 1, Mobile 2 — 2 and Mobile 2 — 3, and Cell 3.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 4 there is illustrated an example of radio resource optimization is performed for all neighboring cells with respect to the combination of metrics of groups of terminals in some cells and each individual cell level metrics for other cells. In this example, overall radio resource is optimized w.r.t. Cell 1, Cell — 2, Mobile 2 — 3, Cell 3, and Mobile 3 — 3.
[0037] It should be noted that even though data rate based utility function is used herein to illustrate the methodology; the embodiment can be applied to other types of utility functions. One such example if a delay-based utility function that is a function of an average waiting time of a user.
[0038] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the optimization problem is to allocation radio resources to maximize the cost function, which is a sum of the users' utility functions where a group of users may belong to more than one cells or BTSs and they can be assigned to different utility function. The users in each cell can entirely or partially be used in the optimization process depending on the criteria used in defining the relationship between the users. Other constraints than cost function can be added in the optimization process.
[0039] Assume the optimization is done for the users across N cells with each having M j users. With rate based utility function, the optimization problem is to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
(
1
M
∑
i
=
1
M
j
U
ij
(
r
ij
[
n
]
)
)
.
[0040] Where r ij [n] is the instantaneous data rate of user i in cell j at time n, U ij (·) is the corresponding utility function of user i, M j is number of users used in the optimization in cell j, and N is number of neighboring cells used in the optimization. Note that M j can represent total number of users or portion of the total users, depending on the optimization criteria or system requirements.
[0041] Using an OFDM system and subcarrier assignment as an example, the achievable data rate for user i at subcarrier frequency k for a given downlink transmission power density p j [k,n] and signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) q ij [k,n] is
[0000] c ij ( k,n )=ƒ(ln(1 +gp j [k,n]q ij [k,n ])) bits/sec/Hz
[0042] where g is SINR gap. To simplify the derivation, assume continuous rate adaptation is used, we have
[0000] c ij ( k,n )=ln(1 +gp j [k,n]q ij [k,n ]) bits/sec/Hz
[0043] when user i is assigned to subcarrier group K with subcarrier spacing of Δƒ, the data rate for user i is
[0000]
r
ij
[
K
i
,
n
]
=
∑
k
∈
K
i
c
ij
[
k
,
n
]
Δ
f
.
[0044] Let r ij [K i ,n] be the data rate for user i at time n and r ij [K i ,n] be the average data rate for user i at time n, w is the ratio of the slot length to the average window. r ij [K i , n] can be represented by
[0000] r ij [( K i ,n ]=(1 −w ) r ij [K i ,n −1 ]+wr ij [K i ,n].
[0045] Define x ijnk i as
[0000]
x
ijnK
i
=
{
1
,
if
subcarrier
group
K
i
is
assigned
to
user
i
in
cell
j
0
,
otherwise
,
[0000] the optimization problem as be formulated as
[0000]
max
x
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
(
1
M
∑
i
=
1
M
j
U
ij
(
Δ
f
∑
k
∈
K
i
c
ij
[
k
,
n
]
x
ijnK
i
)
)
,
[0000] subject to
[0000]
∑
j
=
1
N
(
∑
i
=
1
M
j
x
ijnK
i
)
=
1
,
x
ijnK
i
∈
{
0
,
1
}
[0046] Hence the gradient scheduling algorithm is
[0000]
{
i
,
j
}
[
K
i
,
n
]
=
arg
max
(
i
,
j
)
{
wU
ij
′
(
r
_
ij
[
K
i
n
]
)
c
ij
[
k
,
n
]
}
[0047] where user i can belong to any of the N cells.
[0048] Clearly, when the average window length equals to the slot length, r ij [K i ,n]=r ij [K i ,n], one could drop the variable n in all of the above equations and the gradient scheduling algorithm becomes
[0000]
{
i
,
j
}
[
K
i
]
=
arg
max
(
i
,
j
)
{
U
ij
′
(
r
ij
[
K
i
]
)
c
ij
[
k
]
}
[0049] where user i can belong to any of the N cells.
[0050] Even though we refer k as subcarrier frequency, Δƒ as subcarrier spacing, and K as subcarrier frequency group, one can replace subcarrier frequency by subcarrier frequency group, subcarrier spacing by total spacing of subcarrier group, and subcarrier frequency group by subcarrier frequency group set. The above derivation is then applied to any grouping methods of subcarrier frequency of an OFDM system. The same argument is also applied to all of the following embodiments.
[0051] An example of algorithm flow chart for the above embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 5 .
[0052] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the optimization problem is to allocation radio resources to maximize the cell level utility function, which is a sum of each cell or BTSs' utility functions. Each cell or BTSs can be assigned to different utility function.
[0053] Assume the optimization is done across N cell with one utility function assigned to each cell. With rate based utility function, the optimization problem is to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
U
j
(
r
j
[
n
]
)
.
[0054] Where r j [n] is the total or average instantaneous data rate of M j users in cell j at time n, U j (·) is the utility function of cell j, and N is number of neighboring cells used in the optimization. The definition of U j (·) depends on how r j [n] is defined. A straightforward way to define r j [n] is as the data rate of all the users, or part of the users in cell j, i.e.
[0000]
r
j
[
n
]
=
∑
i
=
1
M
j
r
i
[
n
]
[0000] . When M j is less than the total users in the cell, it represents only a group of the users.
[0055] There are other ways to define r j [n]. For example, it can be defined as average instantaneous data rate of M j users in cell j at time n,
[0000]
r
j
[
n
]
=
1
M
j
∑
i
=
1
M
j
r
i
[
n
]
.
[0000] When M j is less than the total users in the cell, it represents only a group of the users. Or it can be defined as maximum instantaneous data rate among M j users in cell j at time n,
[0000]
r
j
[
n
]
=
max
i
∈
M
r
i
[
n
]
.
[0056] Using OFDM system and subcarrier assignment as an example and assume continuous rate adaptation, the achievable data rate for user i at subcarrier frequency k for a given downlink transmission power density p[k, n] and signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) q i [k,n] is
[0000] c i ( k,n )=ln(1 +gp[k,n]q i [k,n ]) bits/sec/Hz
[0057] When cell j is assigned to subcarrier group K i with subcarrier spacing of Δƒ, the data rate for user or user in cell j that are actually assigned to the resources is
[0000]
r
j
[
K
j
,
n
]
=
∑
i
r
i
[
K
i
,
n
]
=
∑
i
∑
k
∈
K
c
j
[
k
,
n
]
Δ
f
[0058] Let r j [K j , n] be the data rate for cell j at time n and r j [K j ,n] be the average data rate for cell j at time n, w is the ratio of the slot length to the average window. r j [K j ,n] can be represented by
[0000] r j [K j ,n]= 1 −w ) r j [K j ,n− 1]+ wr j [K j ,n].
[0059] Define x jnK j as
[0000]
x
jnK
j
=
{
1
,
if
subcarrier
group
K
j
,
is
assigned
to
cell
j
0
,
otherwise
,
[0000] the optimization problem as be formulated as
[0000]
max
x
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
(
U
j
(
Δ
f
∑
k
∈
K
i
c
j
[
k
,
n
]
x
jnK
i
,
)
)
,
[0000] subject to
[0000]
∑
j
=
1
N
(
x
jnK
i
,
)
=
1
,
x
jnK
i
,
∈
{
0
,
1
}
[0060] Hence the gradient scheduling algorithm is
[0000]
{
i
,
j
}
[
K
i
,
n
]
=
arg
max
j
,
i
∈
M
k
{
wU
j
′
(
r
_
j
[
K
j
,
n
]
)
c
j
[
k
,
n
]
}
[0061] Even though the optimization is done with respect to the cells, the resource assignment and scheduling can be done on each user or a group of users in individual cell level. In other words, for each set of available resource, the user in each cell that maximizes the cell level utility functions is assigned.
[0062] Since
[0000]
r
j
[
K
j
,
n
]
=
∑
j
r
i
[
K
i
,
n
]
,
[0000] the resource assigned to j can then be directly assigned to user or users that are used to calculate the data rate.
[0063] Clearly, when the average window length equals to the slot length, r j [K i ,n]=r j [K i ,n], so we could drop the variable n in all of the above equations and the gradient scheduling algorithm becomes
[0000]
{
i
,
j
}
[
K
i
]
=
arg
max
j
,
i
∈
M
k
{
U
j
′
(
r
j
[
K
j
]
)
c
j
[
k
]
}
[0064] An example of algorithm flow chart for the first case of the above embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 6 .
[0065] A more complicated way is to have another level of optimization for resource and scheduling in each individual cell and the results of the resource assignments from each cell is used to select user groups in order to calculate
[0000]
r
j
[
n
]
=
∑
j
r
i
[
n
]
.
[0000] Applying r j [K j ,n] to the above process, one can obtain {j} [K i, ,n] , the resource assigned to j can then be assigned to user or users based on the priority order from the scheduler in each individual cell. In case there are conflict in the assignment in the two scheduler, one or more iteration of the above process can be perform till either certain criteria are met or a pre-determined number of iterations is reached.
[0066] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the optimization problem is to allocation radio resources to maximize the cell level utility function, which is a sum of cell or BTSs' utility functions. The utility function can be individual cell based or a group of cell based. Each cell or BTS or a group of cells can be assigned to different utility function.
[0067] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the optimization problem is to allocation radio resources to maximize the cost function, which is a sum of combination of individual users' utility functions in some cells and cell level utility function for other cells.
[0068] Assume the optimization is done for the users across N 1 cells with each having M j users and across N 2 cell with one utility function assigned to each cell. With rate based utility function, the optimization problem is to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
N
1
∑
j
=
1
N
1
(
1
M
∑
i
=
1
M
j
U
ij
(
r
ij
[
n
]
)
)
+
1
N
2
∑
j
=
1
N
2
U
j
(
r
j
[
n
]
)
.
[0069] Using an OFDM system and subcarrier assignment as an example, and with the same derivation as before, we define as
[0000]
x
ijnK
i
,
=
{
1
,
if
subcarriergroup
K
i
,
is
assigned
to
user
i
in
cell
j
0
,
otherwise
,
[0000] define X jnK i , as
[0000]
x
jnK
i
,
=
{
1
,
if
subcarriergroup
K
i
,
is
assigned
to
cell
j
0
,
otherwise
,
[0000] the optimization problem as be formulated as
[0000]
max
x
(
1
N
1
∑
j
=
1
N
1
(
1
M
∑
i
=
1
M
j
U
ij
(
Δ
f
∑
k
∈
K
i
c
ij
[
k
,
n
]
x
ijnK
i
,
)
)
+
1
N
2
∑
j
=
1
N
2
(
U
j
(
Δ
f
∑
k
∈
K
i
c
j
[
k
,
n
]
x
jnK
i
,
)
)
)
,
[0000] subject to
[0000]
∑
j
=
1
N
1
(
∑
i
=
1
M
j
x
ijnK
i
,
)
+
∑
j
=
1
N
2
x
jnK
i
,
=
1
,
x
ijnK
i
,
∈
{
0
,
1
}
,
x
jnK
i
,
∈
{
0
,
1
}
[0070] Hence the gradient scheduling algorithm is
[0000]
{
i
,
j
}
[
K
i
,
n
]
=
argmax
(
i
,
j
)
{
wU
ij
′
(
r
_
ij
[
K
i
,
n
]
)
c
ij
[
k
,
n
]
}
[0071] Clearly, when the average window length equals to the slot length, r [ ij [K i ,n]=K i ,n], one could drop the variable n in all of the above equations and the gradient scheduling algorithm becomes
[0000]
{
i
,
j
}
[
K
i
]
=
argmax
(
i
,
j
)
{
U
ij
′
(
r
ij
[
K
i
]
)
c
ij
[
k
]
}
[0072] According to one embodiment of the present invention, as special case of the above case with N 1 =1 and N 2 >=1, a macrocell BTS has multiple users and one or more Femtocell BTSs. The resource management and scheduling can be done among the macrocell BTS with respect to the utility functions of the individual users and the utility functions of one or more Femtocell BTSs.
[0073] According to one embodiment of the present invention, different antenna weighting in a multiply antenna systems based on beamforming or pre-coding can be used as part of the resource allocation and scheduling optimization.
[0074] Using an OFDM system as an example, the antenna weighting enters the optimization process via the power density downlink transmission power density p j [k,n] in the calculation of
[0000] c ij ( k,n )=ƒ(ln(1 +gp j [k,n]q ij [k,n ])) bits/sec/Hz
[0075] The optimization process based on the first embodiment can be derived for power allocation using the similar method as in [1] and the references therein.
[0076] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a resource allocation and scheduling optimization uses the objective which involves two levels of optimization. The first level is to maximize cost function with respect to users in individual cell or BTS, i.e. to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
M
∑
i
=
1
M
j
U
i
(
r
i
[
n
]
)
.
[0000] The second level is to maximize cost function with respect to users in multiple cells or BTSs, i.e. to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
(
1
M
∑
i
=
1
M
j
U
ij
(
r
ij
[
n
]
)
)
.
[0000] After that, the 1 st level resource allocation and scheduling will take the outcome, including overall assigned resources and individual resource assignment, from 2 nd level scheduler as input and re-allocate and re-schedule the UEs in each cell and BTs. This process is iterated till either certain criteria is met or a pre-determined number of iterations is reached.
[0077] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a resource allocation and scheduling optimization uses the objective which involves two levels of optimization. The first level is to maximize cost function with respect to users in individual cell or BTS, i.e. to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
M
∑
i
=
1
M
j
U
i
(
r
i
[
n
]
)
.
[0000] The second level is to maximize cell level cost function with respect to multiple cells or BTSs, i.e. to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
U
j
(
r
j
[
n
]
)
.
[0000] After that, the 1st level resource allocation and scheduling will take the outcome from 2nd level scheduler as input and re-allocate and re-schedule the UEs in each cell and BTs. This process is iterated till either certain criteria is met or a pre-determined number of iterations is reached again.
[0078] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the two level resource allocation and scheduling can be done using different time granularity with cell level resource allocation using longer time interval while individual user level scheduling using shorter time interval. More specifically, at each time interval T 2 , radio resources is done by coordinated scheduler to maximize cell level cost function
[0000]
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
U
j
(
r
j
[
n
]
)
.
[0000] After the allocation of the resources to all the cells, the individual cell uses the assigned resource to schedule users by maximizing individual user based cost function
[0000]
1
M
∑
i
=
1
M
j
U
i
(
r
i
[
n
]
)
.
[0000] at each time interval of T 1 , where T 1 <<T 2 , or T 1 <T 2 . The scheduling is repeated until reaching the T 2 interval, where the cell level resource assignment is performed.
[0079] As special case of the above case, a macrocell BTS has multiple users and one or more Femtocell BTSs. The resource allocation at time interval T 2 will be done among the macrocell BTS and Femtocell BTS or BTSs with respect to the utility functions of the cells. After that, at each time interval T 1 macrocell and each Femtocells schedules individual user and with respect to users' utility functions.
[0080] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the users in a cell can be grouped into user group that is being interfered by other cells or interfering other cells (we call it interfered user group); and user group that is not (non-interfered user group). The criteria that is used to define the group can be based on interference level for the entire frequency band or in certain code channels in CDMA case or frequency tones in OFDM case. It can also be based on certain quality indicators such as bit error rate, packet error rate, and so on. It can also be based on channel quality indicators. The above method can be applied to a group of Femtocells or Picocells or between one Macrocell and one or more Femtocell and Picocell.
[0081] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the 1 st level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to maximize cost function with respect to individual users in each individual cell or BTS, i.e. to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
M
∑
i
∈
M
j
U
i
(
r
i
[
n
]
)
,
[0000] where M j represents the users in each individual cell. The 2 nd level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to maximize cost function in the cell level based on the users in the interfered user group, and the scheduling is done with respective to multiple cells or BTSs, i.e. to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
U
j
(
r
j
[
n
]
)
[0000] where U j (r j [n]) is the cell level cost function with respect to the interfered user group in each of the N cells. After that, the 1 st level resource allocation and scheduling will take the outcome from 2 nd level scheduler as input and re-allocate and re-schedule either all the users in a cell or only the interfered users in each cell and BT. This process is iterated till either certain criteria is met or a pre-determined number of iterations is reached.
[0082] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the total radio resources are divided into multiple levels with some are served strictly for each cell's private use, some for common use so they can be allocated by the coordinated scheduler. It is possible to have another portion of resources that can be used in either of the above two cases in an ad hoc basis.
[0083] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the allocation of the private and common resources can also be adaptive over time, and it should have longer time adaptation rate compared to the user scheduler. The allocation of the common and private resources across cells can use similar principle outlined in the previous embodiment, i.e. the allocation of the private and common resources is done by coordinated resource management to maximize cell level cost function
[0000]
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
U
j
(
r
j
[
n
]
)
.
[0000] After the allocation of the resources to all the cells, the individual cell can use the assigned resource to schedule users based on the following embodiments.
[0084] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the 1 st level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to allocate private resources to non-interfered users by maximizing cost function with respect to individual user in each individual cell or BTS, i.e. to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
M
G
∑
i
∈
(
M
j
-
G
j
)
U
i
(
r
i
[
n
]
)
,
[0000] where M j represents all the users in each individual cell and G j represents interfered users. The 2 nd level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to allocate common resources to interfered users by maximizing cost function in the cell level based on the users in the interfered user group. The scheduling can be done with respective to multiple cells or BTSs, i.e. to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
U
j
(
r
j
[
n
]
)
[0000] where U j (r j [n]) is the cell level cost function with respect to the interfered user group in each of the N cells; or the scheduling can be done with respective to interfered users in multiple cells or BTSs, i.e. to allocation radio resources to maximize
[0000]
1
N
∑
j
=
1
N
(
1
M
G
∑
i
∈
G
j
U
ij
(
r
ij
[
n
]
)
)
.
[0085] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the 1 st level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to maximize cost function with respect to all of the users in each individual cell or BTS by using the private resources. The 2 nd level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to maximize cost function with respect to those users who have not been assigned private resources or have not been assigned private resources sufficiently. This is done with respect to multiple cells or BTSs by using common resources. This process can also be iterated till either certain criteria is met or a pre-determined number of iterations is reached.
[0086] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the 1 st level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to maximize cost function with respect to the users across multiply cells by using the common resources. The 2 nd level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to maximize cost function with respect to those users who have not been assigned common resources or have not been assigned common resources sufficiently. This is done in each individual cell or BTS by using private resources. This process can also be iterated till either certain criteria is met or a pre-determined number of iterations is reached.
[0087] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the 1 st level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to maximize cell level cost function with respect to multiple cells or BTSs by using the common resources. The 2 nd level in a resource allocation and scheduling is to maximize cost function with respect to all the users in each individual cell or BTS by using common sources being assigned to each cell or BTS as well as its own private resources. This process can also be iterated till either certain criteria is met or a pre-determined number of iterations is reached.
[0088] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the BTSs that perform the resources allocations and scheduling can be in different tiers. One example is that one BTS is macrocell BTSs and another BTS is Femtocell BTS. Two of them can coordinate the resource assignment and scheduling based on all of the previous embodiments.
[0089] Even though data rate based utility function is used in the above derivation and examples, other utility function can be used and the approach can be applied.
[0090] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the coordination between the BTSs can be in a completely centralized way, partially distributed way, or completely distributed way.
[0091] According to another embodiment of the present invention, when the coordination is completely centralized, the BTSs send the measurements and information required for resource allocations to the network via in-band signaling or out-of-band signaling or a combination of both. The network uses this information to perform resource allocation and scheduling. This corresponding allocation and coordination information are sent back to each BTSs.
[0092] According to another embodiment of the present invention, when the coordination is partially centralized, the BTSs send the measurements and information required for resource allocations to the network via in-band signaling or out-of-band signaling or a combination of both. The network uses this information to perform resource allocation and scheduling. This corresponding allocation and coordination information are sent back to each BTSs. The scheduler in each BTS uses the information sent back by the centralized network resource manager as input to its scheduler in a way that they would have the same priority as other resources and UEs. Different scheduling and resource management algorithms can be applied here.
[0093] According to another embodiment of the present invention, when the coordination is completely distributed, the BTSs send the measurements and information required for resource allocations to its neighbor BTSs determined by its neighbor list via in-band signaling or out-of-band signaling or a combination of both. The information sent to specific neighbor only includes those related to that BTS.
[0094] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the receiving neighbor BTSs will accept the request, deny the request or send back a modified version of the request based on predetermined algorithms. One example of the modified version of the request can be granting with less resources than requested or granting the resources but with a shorter time period or a time delay.
[0095] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the neighbor BTS that received the information and requests from other neighbor BTSs shall use the information either as a constraint to its scheduler or as part of the overall input to its scheduler. Depending on outcome from the scheduling results, the 2nd BTS decides whether to accept, deny or propose a new resource allocation. The 1st and the 2nd BTSs shall use the following procedure depending on whether the request from the 1st BTS is accepted, denied or modified.
[0096] When the request is denied, the 1st BTS can either renegotiate e.g. send a modified request with less resource requirements, or accept the results as it and run the scheduling and resource allocation algorithm without any constraints. The 2nd BTS will do the same.
[0097] When the request is granted, the 1st BTS treats the granted resources together from other neighbor BTSs as an input to its scheduler while the 2nd BTS should take into account of the resource already granted to the 1st BTS as a constraint to its scheduler.
[0098] When the request is neither accepted nor denied by a neighbor BTS, the 2nd BTS will send back a proposed resource grant plan that is based on the available resources determined by its scheduler or resource management entity to the 1st BTS. The 1st BTS can either decide to accept the new proposal or to re-negotiate, i.e. send a modified request with less resource requirements. In the case that the 1st BTS accepts the new proposal, the 1st BTS will acknowledge to the 2nd BTS. The 1st BTS then treats the granted resources together from other neighbor BTSs as an input to its scheduler while the 2nd BTS should take into account of the resource already granted to the 1st BTS as a constraint to its scheduler.
[0099] Those of skill will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can often be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular system and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled persons can implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular system, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the invention. In addition, the grouping of functions within a module, block or step is for ease of description. Specific functions or steps can be moved from one module or block without departing from the invention.
[0100] The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a text messaging system specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
[0101] The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium. An exemplary storage medium can be coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium can reside in an ASIC.
[0102] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment of the invention and are therefore representative of the subject matter, which is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is further understood that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art.
|
Various techniques are disclosed for wireless communications for providing a methodology and algorithm(s) to manage resources and schedule users in a coordinated way among a group of base stations, such as Femtocells, Picocells, self-organized Basestations, Access Points (APs) or mesh network nodes, or among the basestations in a two tiered networks, to improve the performance for individual user, individual Basestation (BTS), the overall systems or all of above.
| 7
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the invention
The invention relates to novel antibodies and their use for detecting, imaging, staging, treating and monitoring of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof. Furthermore, the invention also relates to novel pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of prostate cancer.
(b) Description of Prior Art
The prostate gland is affected by various significant pathological conditions as benign growth (BPH), infection (prostatitis), and neoplasia (prostate cancer).
Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in Canadian and American men, after non-melanoma skin cancer, which is rarely fatal. More importantly, after lung cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death. The risk of developing prostate cancer increases significantly with age, particularly for men over 50. For men under 50 years of age the disease is uncommon and death from it is rare.
Prostate cancer accounts for an estimated 28% of newly diagnosed cancer in Canadian men and more than 12% of cancer-related deaths. The current lifetime risk of a Canadian man being diagnosed with prostate cancer is about 1 in 8. In the United States, prostate cancer accounts for approximately 32% of male cancer diagnoses and 14% of cancer deaths. Studies in the United States suggest that the incidence rate may be approaching 1 in 6 men.
Because the incidence of prostate cancer increases with age, it is clear that the burden of this illness will increase dramatically in the coming decades. The aging of the population, particularly the baby boomers, will have important long-term implications for the number of new cases diagnosed. Demographic trends in the next two decades will increase the population at risk for prostate cancer. Statistics Canada projections indicate that the population of men over age 50 will increase from 3.9 million in 1999 to 5.6 million in 2011 (44% increase) and 6.3 million in 2016 (62% increase). The United States Census Bureau projections indicate that the population of men over age 50 will increase from 33.8 million in 1999 to 45.8 million in 2011 (36% increase) and 50.7 million in 2016 (50% increase). The American Cancer Society predicts that there will be about 180,400 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States in the year 2000, and about 31,900 American men will die of the disease.
As a consequence of the expected increases in the number of cases of prostate cancer in the coming years due to rising incidence rates and the aging North American population, more resources will likely be allocated to screening men over 50 for this condition, therefore yielding an increase in the number of cases of identified prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer often exhibits a long latency period. However, it is believed that prostate cancer often remains undetected. Also, because it possesses a high metastatic potential to bone and the lymph nodes, with <10% of individuals diagnosed with prostate cancer also demonstrated, by radionuclide scans, to have bone metastasis, prompt detection and treatment is needed to limit mortality caused by this disease. A recent review of treatment of prostate cancer is by Pirtskhalaishvilig et al. (2001, Cancer Practice 9(6):295).
Increased detection of prostate cancer is due in part to increased awareness and the widespread use of clinical markers such as prostate specific antigen (PSA). Prostate specific antigen is a protein that is produced in very high concentrations in prostate cancer cells. Cancer development results in an altered and subsequent loss of normal gland architecture. This in turn leads to an inability to remove secretions and thus the secretions reach the serum. Serum PSA measurement is one method for screening for prostate cancer.
The current diagnostic and treatment paradigm for prostate cancer is reflected in Clinical Practice Guidelines that are widely available to practicing physicians. The guidelines presented below outline the common approach to the detection and management of prostate cancer.
The Prostate Specific Antigen test is a blood test used to detect prostate cancer in the earliest stages and should be offered annually to men 50 and older with a life expectancy of 10 years or more, and to younger men at high risk for prostate cancer. The Digital Rectal Exam (DRE) is a test that helps to identify cancer of the prostate, and should be performed on men who are 50 and older and to younger men at high risk for prostate cancer. A biopsy is recommended for all men who have an abnormal PSA or DRE. The options for primary management of prostate cancer are surgery, radiation therapy or close observation. Treatment decisions are based on the aggressiveness of the cancer, the stage of the cancer and the life expectancy of the individual. Advanced prostate cancer is best managed with hormone therapy. Radiation therapy can include external and implanted seeds, a procedure known as brachytherapy.
The PSA test, which facilitates early detection of prostate cancer, has been available in Canada since 1986, although its use did not become widespread until the early 1990's. In 1994 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of the PSA test in conjunction with DRE as an aid in detecting prostate cancer. The free PSA test (PSA), a more sensitive test for prostate cancer risk than the standard PSA test, received FDA approval in 1998.
Prostate Specific Antigen is an enzyme made by all prostate cells and normally secreted into semen. Both cancer and a number of benign conditions can change the architecture of the prostate gland so the enzyme escapes into the bloodstream. Once there, PSA can exist in two forms, one that is free-floating and another that is bound to proteins. The standard PSA test measures both forms. There are a number of specialized PSA tests which are used to help differentiate between elevated PSA due to benign conditions and those elevations due to prostate cancer. The free PSA test evaluates the ratio between the PSA that is free in the blood and the total PSA (free and protein bound PSA) in the blood. When the result of the free PSA test is low (i.e. <15%), there is a higher potential that the individual has prostate cancer. The PSA velocity is used to describe the speed at which the PSA value increases over a series of blood tests. The PSA density is used to evaluate the level of PSA in relation to overall size of the prostate gland.
The various PSA tests share some common limitations:
The principal concern is that although diagnostic accuracy has improved with each of the modifications to total serum PSA measurement, none of the forms is specific for prostate cancer. Each requires a trade-off in specificity for increased sensitivity and vice versa. This trade-off appears to be most advantageous with the proportion of free PSA. Elevation of PSA may indicate prostate cancer. However, several other common benign conditions, including Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), are known to be associated with an elevated PSA.
Because of the limitations of the PSA test (lack of specificity for prostate cancer and a significant number of “false positive” and “false negative” test results) it remains an investigational tool as opposed to an absolute diagnostic test. Abnormal findings following the administration of the PSA test lead the investigator to perform a biopsy. Physicians are advised to consider a biopsy to confirm a prostate cancer diagnosis when a PSA test reading is at least 4.0 ng/mL, when the PSA level of an individual significantly increases from one test to the next, or when a DRE is abnormal. A biopsy is recommended for all men who have a PSA test result above 10 ng/mL.
The limitations of the PSA test are obvious considering the fact that only one of four individuals biopsied receives results that are positive for the presence of cancerous cells. A Canadian study has estimated the positive predictive value of the PSA test to be as low as 14.4%. This is significant considering the costs associated with a follow-up biopsy as well as the unnecessary pain and anxiety caused for individuals.
Since FDA approval in the U.S., the fPSA test is becoming a follow-up test for men whose PSA falls in a “diagnostic gray zone” of moderately elevated levels (4 to 10 ng/mL).
The digital rectal examination is a simple, inexpensive and direct method of assessing the prostate, but it is unreliable as a sole indicator of prostate cancer. The cancer detection rate is higher with PSA screening than with digital rectal examination (DRE), and the rate increases when the DRE modality is combined with PSA analysis and/or transrectal ultrasound examination (TRUS). DRE has never been shown to be reliable for staging of prostate cancer. TRUS guided biopsy is required to follow-up on a positive PSA test in order to help confirm the presence or absence of disease in the individual's prostate.
Prostate biopsies are performed to confirm the presence of cancer cells following suspicion raised by the DRE or a positive PSA test. The most commonly reported complications of biopsy consist of traces of blood in the urine, semen or feces. These complications are limited and subside with 2-3 weeks after the procedure. Pain at the time of biopsy is universally reported. Only in exceptional cases is analgesia or sedation required. Most men (>90%) have no significant pain after 24 hours of the biopsy. Prostate biopsies are costly in the U.S. and may be painful or psychologically traumatic. Prostatic biopsy represents the cornerstone of prostate cancer diagnosis.
For prostate cancers in general, biopsies miss cancers at a rate estimated as high as 50 percent. Furthermore, even if a cancer is detected, the location and staging of cancerous cells are not adequately identified.
Thus, there is a need for an improved method for diagnosis and/or detection of cancerous prostate cells.
An important prognostic factor is prostate cancer stage. Cancer staging is performed to determine the extent and spread of cancer in the prostate. Prostate cancer metastasizes by local spread to the pelvic lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, urinary bladder, or pelvic side walls and to distant sites such as bone, lung, liver, or adrenals. The tumor-nodes-metastasis (TMN) staging system is the one most widely used in North America.
The limitations of the biopsy in detecting disease and staging a malignancy is compounded by the fact that prostate cancer is a heterogeneous disease with apparently independent foci of cancer scatter throughout the gland. The cancer foci have different malignant potentials and do not pose equal risks for the individual. Heterogeneity confounds the interpretation of positive prostate biopsies since it is not possible to be certain that the most clinically relevant foci of cancer have been detected.
Approximately only 30% of early stage disease will progress to clinically relevant disease within the lifetime of the individual. It is therefore critical to be able to identify those individuals at risk of progression who would benefit from aggressive therapy while sparing low-risk individuals the morbidity resulting from aggressive treatment of indolent disease. Neither rising PSA nor the presence of cancer cells on biopsy may indicate definitively the presence of lethal disease.
Serum PSA is a valuable cancer marker but cannot be used alone to determine the clinical or pathological stage of prostate cancer or to identify individuals with potentially curable disease. The combination of serum PSA with Gleason Score (a grading system for the classification of adrenocarcinoma of the prostate by observation of the pattern of glandular differentiation) and clinical stage provides a better prediction of the final pathologic stage than do any of these variables separately. Nomograms have been developed and revised to predict the final pathologic stage based on a combination of serum PSA level, Gleason Score, and clinical stage. Because these nomograms only offer a statistical probability of disease organ confinement, further radiographic evaluation has often been used for the individual. However, definitive detection of lymph node metastases with standard anatomical modalities of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has generally proved ineffective, except for the increasingly more uncommon cases with large volume soft-tissue involvement (greater than 1 cm) at presentation.
There is a great need for a new prostate imaging technology that provides for accurate visualization of extraprostatic growth indicative of metastasis. Such a technology would provide physicians with a tool to determine the progression of the cancer and would be extremely valuable in directing treatment options. Spectroscopy significantly improves the diagnosis of extracapsular extension by MRI. However, studies demonstrate that there is high variability in how clinicians interpret the significance of extracapsular extension. Both CT and MRI can be helpful in staging prostate cancer, because they can indicate periprostatic cancer spread, lymph node abnormality and bone involvement, but their sensitivity for revealing cancer extension has limitations.
Imaging techniques such as CT or MRI are unable to distinguish metastatic prostate cancer involvement of lymph nodes by criteria other than size (i.e. >1 cm). Thus, these imaging techniques, being inherently insensitive and non-specific, are insufficient for detection of disease.
The presence of pelvic lymph node metastasis influences both the treatment and the prognosis of individuals with prostate cancer. Lymph node involvement can be assessed surgically. However, incomplete sampling at the time of radical prostatectomy leads to false-negative interpretations in at least 12%, and possibly as many as 33% of individuals with lymph node metastases, because isolated metastases in the external iliac, presciatic, or presacral lymph nodes are outside the boundaries of the standard Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection.
Thus, there is a need for a non-invasive test that is able to identify lymph node metastases in individuals at risk for extraprostatic disease following the detection of elevated PSA and/or abnormal DRE and a positive biopsy. This will allow clinicians to reliably differentiate individuals with organ-confined disease from those with metastatic spread to lymph nodes. This will provide the opportunity for the individual and physician to make an informed decision on how to treat the disease and will significantly improve individual health outcome.
Despite considerable research into methods for therapy and disease treatment, prostate cancer remains difficult to treat. Current methods, commonly based on surgery and/or radiation therapy, are ineffective in a significant number of cases. Prostate surgery, for example, holds the potential for damaging nerve tissue and compromising an individual's chances of recovering sexual function. There is a need for an imaging technology that can help to minimize the risks involved in surgery by determining the location of both the cancer and the individual's normal structures.
Furthermore, a new technology that is able to localize cancerous prostate cells that remain following radical prostatectomy would assist physicians in removing all of the cancerous cells from an individual's body with focused treatment such as radiation therapy. A labeled technology that selectively binds prostate cancer cells will allow clinicians to localize any remaining cancer cells following surgery. An additional new technology would provide direct delivery of therapeutic agents, perhaps preventing the need for surgery.
Thus, there is a need for an improved method to detect and/or diagnose lymph node metastases in individuals at risk for extraprostatic disease following the detection of elevated PSA and/or abnormal DRE and a positive biopsy.
A substantial amount of work has been put into identifying enzyme or antigen markers, which could be used as sites for detection and/or diagnosis for various types of cancers. These markers could also be used to target cancer cells for treatment with therapeutic and/or cancer cell killing agents. The ideal cancer marker would exhibit, among other characteristics, tissue or cell-type specificity.
A 750 amino acid protein ( FIG. 2 ; SEQ ID NO:22), prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA), localized to the prostatic membrane has been identified. The complete coding sequence of the gene ( FIG. 1 ; nucleotides 262 to 2514 of GenBank™ accession number NM — 004476) is presented as SEQ ID NO:22. PSMA is an integral Type II membrane glycoprotein with a short intracellular tail and a long extracellular domain. This antigen was identified as the result of generating monoclonal antibodies to a prostatic cancer cell, LNCaP (Horoszewicz et al. (1983) Cancer Res. 43:1809-1818). Israeli et al. (Israeli et al. (1993) Cancer Res. 53:227-230) describes the cloning and sequencing of PSMA and reports that PSMA is prostate-specific and shows increased expression levels in metastatic sites and in hormone-refractory states. Other studies have indicated that PSMA is more strongly expressed in prostate cancer cells relative to cells from the normal prostate or from a prostate with benign hyperplasia. Current methods of targeting prostate specific membrane antigen use antibodies with binding specificity to PSMA. One of the first antibodies described with binding specificity to PSMA was 7E11 (Horoszewicz et al. (1987) Anticancer Res. 7:927-936 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,504). Indium-labeled 7E11 localizes to both prostate and sites of metastasis, and is more sensitive for detecting cancer sites than either CT or MR imaging, or bone scan (Bander (1994) Sem. In Oncology 21:607-612).
One of the major disadvantages of the 7E11 antibody is that it is specific to the portion of the PSMA molecule which is present on the inside of the cell (intracellular). Antibody molecules do not normally cross the cell membrane, unless they bind to an extracellular antigen, which subsequently becomes internalized. As such, 7E11 can not be used to target a living prostate cell, cancerous or otherwise. The use of 7E11 for detection or imaging is therefore limited to pockets of dead cells within cancers or tissues with large amounts of dead cells, which cells render available their intracellular portion of PSMA for binding with this antibody.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,090, in the name of Neii Bander, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,508, in the name of Gerald Murphy et al. describe numerous monoclonal antibodies which recognize the extracellular domain of PSMA, thereby overcoming one of the major drawbacks of the 7E11 antibody. These antibodies, being able to bind to the extracellular domain of PSMA are capable of binding to living prostate cells, thereby allowing a more effective method of diagnosis than 7E11.
As described above, antibodies to PSMA are already in use for diagnostic purposes. For example, PSMA is the antigen recognized by the targeting monoclonal antibody used in ProstaScint™, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,162,504 and 5,763,202, Cytogen's imaging agent for prostate cancer.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with an improved antibody specific for PSMA and a method for diagnosis and/or detection of cancerous prostate cells.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with a new prostate imaging technology offering accurate visualization of extraprostatic growth indicative of metastasis which would provide physicians with a tool to determine the progression of the cancer and be extremely valuable in directing treatment options.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with a non-invasive test that is able to identify lymph node metastases in individuals at risk for extraprostatic disease following the detection of elevated PSA and/or abnormal DRE and a positive biopsy.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with an imaging technology that decreases morbidity by identifying individuals in which surgery is not indicated.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with a new technology that is able to localize cancerous prostate cells that remain following radical prostatectomy which would assist physicians in removing all of the cancerous cells from an individual's body. In addition, it would be highly desirable to be provided with a new technology which would provide direct delivery of therapeutic agents, perhaps preventing the need for surgery.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with an improved method to detect and/or diagnose lymph node metastases in individuals at risk for extraprostatic disease following the detection of elevated PSA.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with a new prostate imaging technology that provides for accurate visualization of extraprostatic growth indicative of metastasis which would provide physicians with a tool to determine the progression of the cancer and be extremely valuable in directing treatment options.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with novel antibodies and their use for detecting, imaging, staging, treating and monitoring of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof. It would also be highly desirable to be provided with novel pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of prostate cancer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aim of the present invention is to provide novel antibodies and their use for detecting, imaging, staging, treating and monitoring of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof.
Another aim of the present invention is to provide novel pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of prostate cancer.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention there is provided an antigen comprising an epitope of the extracellular region of prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), ranging between amino acid 51 to amino acid 67, amino acid 85 to amino acid 102, amino acid 104 to amino acid 118, amino acid 161 to amino acid 173, amino acid 236 to amino acid 245, amino acid 278 to amino acid 288, amino acid 345 to amino acid 354, amino acid 490 to amino acid 500, amino acid 531 to amino acid 545, amino acid 551 to amino acid 567, amino acid 608 to amino acid 619, amino acid 649 to amino acid 660, amino acid 716 to amino acid 724, or amino acid 738 to amino acid 750 which comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14, respectively.
Preferably the antigen of the extracellular region of PSMA of the present invention is from a mammal, more preferably a human.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a peptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising a sequence which encodes a peptide of SEQ ID NOs:1-14, a variant or a fragment thereof.
A preferred recombinant nucleic acid molecule of the present invention is DNA.
A preferred recombinant DNA molecule of the present invention is operatively linked to an expression control sequence.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided an expression vector containing the recombinant DNA molecule.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of expressing a recombinant DNA molecule in a cell containing the expression vector, comprising culturing the cell in an appropriate cell culture medium under conditions that provide for expression of the recombinant DNA molecule by the cell.
A preferred method of expressing a recombinant DNA molecule in a cell containing the expression vector further comprises the step of purifying a recombinant product of the expression of the recombinant DNA molecule.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a unicellular host transformed with a recombinant DNA molecule for expression of a peptide of SEQ ID NOs:1-14, a variant or a fragment thereof.
In accordance another embodiment of with the present invention there is provided an immunogenic composition for raising antibodies specific to PSMA in a subject, which comprises a peptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14 modified with an immunogenic moiety or carrier and/or an antigen of the present invention in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.
In a preferred immunogenic composition of the present invention the subject is an animal selected from the group consisting of mammals and birds, more preferably a human or a mouse, such as a BALB/c mouse, or a rabbit.
In a preferred immunogenic composition the immunogenic moiety or carrier is selected from the group consisting of keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and bovine serum albumin (BSA).
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of raising antibodies which bind to PSMA, which comprises administering an immunogenic amount of an immunogenic composition of the present invention, such as PSMA, an epitope of PSMA, or intact cell and/or fragment thereof exhibiting the extracellular region of PSMA, to an animal.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of producing antibodies which bind to PSMA, comprising treating an animal with an immunogenic amount of an immunogenic composition of the present invention, such as PSMA, an epitope of PSMA, or intact cell and/or fragment thereof exhibiting the extracellular region of PSMA, to produce antibodies; and isolating the antibodies from serum of the animal.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided an isolated antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof, which binds to an antigen of the present invention.
A preferred isolated antibody or antigen binding fragment thereof of the present invention is a monoclonal antibody, such as a monoclonal antibody selected from the group consisting of F34-8H12, F42-3E11, F42-17G1, F42-29B4, F42-30C1 AND F47-20F2, or a polyclonal antibody.
The binding fragment may be selected from the group consisting of a Fab fragment, a F(ab′)2 fragment, and a Fv fragment.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a pharmaceutical composition for targeted treatment of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis with PSMA thereon, which comprises an antibody or binding fragment thereof according to the present invention bound to a cytotoxic drug in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the PSMA binding site of the antibody is available for targeted binding to PSMA and the bound cytotoxic drug remains biologically active.
In a preferred pharmaceutical composition of the present invention the cytotoxic drug is selected from the group consisting of iodine-125, iodine-131, cyclophosphamide, Taxol™ (paclitaxel; for example and without limitation, paclitaxel dissolved in polyethoxylated castor oil and ethanol), IFN-alpha, IL-2 and mixtures thereof.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method for treating prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof comprising administering to an individual a pharmaceutically effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention.
In a preferred method of the present invention the administering is carried out orally, rectally, parenterally, subcutaneously, intravenously, intramuscularly, intraperitoneally, intraarterially, transdermally or by application to a mucus membrane.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a composition for detection of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof with PSMA thereon in an individual and/or in a sample obtained therefrom, which comprises an antibody or binding fragment thereof according to the present invention adapted to be linked to a detectable label and/or linked (bound) to a detectable label in association with a physiologically acceptable carrier or an in vitro acceptable carrier, wherein the PSMA binding site of the antibody is available for binding to PSMA and the detectable label remains detectable.
In a preferred composition of the present invention the detectable label is selected from the group consisting of a radioactive label, a fluorescent label, a nuclear magnetic resonance active label, a luminescent label, a chromophore label, a positron emitting isotope for PET scanner, chemiluminescence label, or an enzymatic label.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of detecting prostate cancer cell, and/or metastasis thereof in an individual comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of a composition according to the present invention or subjecting a biological sample obtained from the individual to an effective amount of the composition according to the present invention and detecting the signal produced by the detectable label, wherein detection of the label above a certain level is indicative of the presence of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof. A preferred method of the embodiment of present invention further comprises localizing a detectable label within the individual or a sample obtained therefrom.
In a preferred method of the present invention a 2-dimensional and/or 3-dimensional image of the individual or a sample obtained therefrom is generated.
In a preferred method of the present invention the method is used to indicate the location of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof within the individual and/or sample obtained therefrom.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided an assay system for detecting prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof comprising a labeled antibody and/or antigen binding fragment thereof according to the present invention.
A preferred assay of the present invention further comprises means for semi-quantifying or quantifying an amount of antigen bound to the antibody and/or antigen binding fragment thereof, wherein an amount of antigen bound to the antibody and/or antigen binding fragment thereof above a predetermined level is indicative of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof.
In a preferred assay of the present invention the assay is selected from the group consisting of immunoassay, enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), array-based immunoassay, array-based ELISA.
A preferred assay of the present invention further comprises means for receiving the biological sample.
A preferred assay of the present invention further comprises a multi-well microplate including the antibody and/or antigen binding fragment thereof in at least one well.
In a preferred assay of the present invention the antibody and/or antigen binding fragment thereof binds to a peptide selected from the group consisting of PSMA, an extracellular region of PSMA, a peptide corresponding to an extracellular region of PSMA, an epitope of PSMA, and SEQ ID NOs:1-14.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of determining relative efficacy of a therapeutic regimen to be performed on an individual suffering from and/or being treated for prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof, the method comprising: (a) initially analyzing the individual or a biological sample obtained therefrom to determine presence of cancer-associated antigen able to bind with the antibody and/or antigen binding fragment thereof according to the present invention; and (b) periodically repeating step (a) during treatment of the individual to determine an increase or decrease in quantity of cancer-associated antigen present in the sample.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of determining the recurrence of a prostate cancer disease state in an individual clinically diagnosed as stabilized or in a remissive state, the method comprising analyzing the individual or a biological sample obtained therefrom to quantitate cancer-associated antigen immunoreactive with an antibody and/or antigen binding fragment thereof according to the present invention.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a kit for detecting prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof comprising a composition according to the present invention.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a hybridoma cell line that produces a monoclonal antibody which binds to an antigen of the extracellular region of PSMA, ranging between amino acid 51 to amino acid 67, amino acid 85 to amino acid 102, amino acid 104 to amino acid 118, amino acid 161 to amino acid 173, amino acid 236 to amino acid 245, amino acid 278 to amino acid 288, amino acid 345 to amino acid 354, amino acid 490 to amino acid 500, amino acid 531 to amino acid 545, amino acid 551 to amino acid 567, amino acid 608 to amino acid 619, amino acid 649 to amino acid 660, amino acid 716 to amino acid 724, or amino acid 738 to amino acid 750 which comprises an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14, respectively.
For the purpose of the present invention the following terms are defined below.
The term “cancer” is intended to mean any cellular malignancy whose unique trait is the loss of normal controls which results in unregulated growth, lack of differentiation and ability to invade local tissues and metastasize. Cancer can develop in any tissue of any organ. More specifically, cancer is intended to include, without limitation, prostate cancer, leukemia, hormone dependent cancers, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, epidermal cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, stomach cancer.
The term “prostate cancer” is intended to mean an uncontrolled (malignant) growth of cells in the prostate gland, which is located at the base of the urinary bladder and is responsible for helping control urination as well as forming part of the semen.
The term “metastasis” is intended to mean cancer that has spread beyond the prostate. “Metastasis” is also intended to mean the process by which cancer spreads from one part of the body to another, the way it travels from the place at which it first arose as a primary tumor to distant locations in the body.
The term “antibody” (Ab) is intended to mean intact antibody molecules as well as fragments, or binding regions or domains thereof (such as, for example, Fab, F(ab′)2 and Fv fragments) which are capable of binding an antigen. Such fragments are typically produced by proteolytic cleavage, with enzymes such as papain or pepsin. Alternatively, antigen-binding fragments can be produced through recombinant DNA technology or through synthetic procedures.
The term “monoclonal antibody” (mAb) is intended to mean an antibody produced by a single clone of cells or a cell line derived from a single cell that has unique antigen binding characteristics or recognizes an individual molecular target. Such antibodies are all identical and have unique amino acid sequences.
The term “epitope” is intended to mean a molecular region on the surface of an antigen capable of eliciting an immune response and of combining with the specific antibody produced by such a response.
The term “cytotoxic compound” is intended to mean a compound, or molecule which is capable of killing a cell.
The term “detectable label” is intended to mean a label effective at permitting detection of a cell or portion thereof upon binding of a molecule to which the detectable label is attached to said cell or portion thereof. Alternatively, the detectable label permits detection of a cell upon internalization of the detectable label by the cell. A detectable label includes but is not limited to a radioactive label, a fluorescent label, a nuclear magnetic resonance active label, a luminescent label, a chromophore label, a positron emitting isotope for PET scanner, chemiluminescence label, or an enzymatic label.
The term “biological sample” is intended to mean a sample obtained from an individual and includes, but is not to be limited to, any one of the following: tissue, cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, serum, saliva, blood, nasal mucosa, urine, synovial fluid, microcapillary microdialysis.
The terms “treatment”, “treating” and the like are intended to mean obtaining a desired pharmacologic and/or physiologic effect, such as inhibition of cancer cell growth or induction of apoptosis of a cancer cell. The effect may be prophylactic in terms of completely or partially preventing a disease or symptom thereof and/or may be therapeutic in terms of a partial or complete cure for a disease and/or adverse effect attributable to the disease. “Treatment” as used herein covers any treatment of a disease in a mammal, particularly a human, and includes: (a) preventing a disease or condition (e.g., preventing cancer) from occurring in an individual who may be predisposed to the disease but has not yet been diagnosed as having it; (b) inhibiting the disease, (e.g., arresting its development); or (c) relieving the disease (e.g., reducing symptoms associated with the disease).
The terms “administering” and “administration” are intended to mean a mode of delivery including, without limitation, oral, rectal, parenteral, subcutaneous, intravenous, intramuscular, intraperitoneal, intraarterial, transdermally or via a mucus membrane. The preferred one being orally. One skilled in the art recognizes that suitable forms of oral formulation include, but are not limited to, a tablet, a pill, a capsule, a lozenge, a powder, a sustained release tablet, a liquid, a liquid suspension, a gel, a syrup, a slurry, a suspension, and the like. For example, a daily dosage can be divided into one, two or more doses in a suitable form to be administered at one, two or more times throughout a time period.
The term “therapeutically effective” is intended to mean an amount of a compound sufficient to substantially improve some symptom associated with a disease or a medical condition. For example, in the treatment of cancer, a compound which decreases, prevents, delays, suppresses, or arrests any symptom of the disease would be therapeutically effective. A therapeutically effective amount of a compound is not required to cure a disease but will provide a treatment for a disease such that the onset of the disease is delayed, hindered, or prevented, or the disease symptoms are ameliorated, or the term of the disease is changed or, for example, is less severe or recovery is accelerated in an individual.
The compounds of the present invention may be used in combination with either conventional methods of treatment and/or therapy or may be used separately from conventional methods of treatment and/or therapy.
When the compounds of this invention are administered in combination therapies with other agents, they may be administered sequentially or concurrently to an individual. Alternatively, pharmaceutical compositions according to the present invention may be comprised of a combination of a compound of the present invention, as described herein, and another therapeutic or prophylactic agent known in the art.
It will be understood that a specific “effective amount” for any particular individual will depend upon a variety of factors including the activity of the specific compound employed, the age, body weight, general health, sex, and/or diet of the individual, time of administration, route of administration, rate of excretion, drug combination and the severity of the particular disease undergoing prevention or therapy.
As used herein, “pharmaceutically acceptable carrier” includes any and all solvents (such as phosphate buffered saline buffers, water, saline), dispersion media, coatings, antibacterial and antifungal agents, isotonic and absorption delaying agents and the like. The use of such media and agents for pharmaceutically active substances is well known in the art. Except insofar as any conventional media or agent is incompatible with the active ingredient, its use in therapeutic compositions is contemplated. Supplementary active ingredients can also be incorporated into the compositions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 illustrates the complete nucleotide coding sequence for human PSMA (nucleotides 262 to 2514 of GenBank™ accession number: NM — 004476) (SEQ ID NO:21).
FIG. 2 illustrates the complete amino acid sequence (amino acid 1 to 750) of human PSMA (GenBank™ accession number: NP — 004467) (SEQ ID NO:22).
FIG. 3 illustrates reactivity of monoclonal antibodies of the present invention to LNCaP and various cells by ELISA.
FIG. 4 illustrates the specificity of monoclonal antibodies of the present invention to PSMA derived antigen peptides.
FIG. 5 illustrates Western blot detection of PSMA by monoclonal antibodies of the present invention.
FIGS. 6A to 6D illustrate immunohistochemical staining of prostate tissue (cancer or normal) in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 7 illustrates Bio-distribution of monoclonal antibody of the present invention (8H12) in nude mice bearing LNCaP tumor.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided epitopes of the extracellular region of prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), ranging between amino acid 51 to amino acid 67, amino acid 85 to amino acid 102, amino acid 104 to amino acid 118, amino acid 161 to amino acid 173, amino acid 236 to amino acid 245, amino acid 278 to amino acid 288, amino acid 345 to amino acid 354, amino acid 490 to amino acid 500, amino acid 531 to amino acid 545, amino acid 551 to amino acid 567, amino acid 608 to amino acid 619, amino acid 649 to amino acid 660, amino acid 716 to amino acid 724, or amino acid 738 to amino acid 750 which regions comprise an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14, respectively.
Some epitopes were chosen based on hydrophilic character of the amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO:22) and the lack of glycosylation consensus sites. Other sequences were selected from a rigorous analysis of PSMA secondary structure prediction and homology modeling with the most similar protein crystal structure (human transferring receptor type 1). Regions were selected according to their apparent high solvent accessibility, flexibility, and coiled coil structure. In all cases the aim was to optimize antigenicity and sequence uniqueness such that antibodies raised against these peptides do not likely cross-react with other proteins.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a peptide corresponding to an epitope of the extracellular region of PSMA selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14.
Small molecules such as the peptides of the present invention are incomplete immunogens. Although they are able to react specifically with antibodies, they are unlikely to induce an immune response when they are injected into an animal. In order to make them immunogenic in animals, small peptide sequences are covalently coupled to a carrier molecule, such as keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) or bovine serum albumin (BSA). KLH and BSA are coupled to the peptides via a cysteine amino acid residue added to the N-terminus of the sequence of each peptide. The resulting peptide-conjugates are used to raise polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an immunogenic peptide or recombinant peptide or protein for raising antibodies specific to PSMA, which comprises a peptide corresponding to an epitope of the extracellular region of PSMA modified with an immunogenic moiety or carrier.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for raising antibodies which bind to the epitopes and peptides of the present invention, which also have binding specificity to PSMA, such as PSMA in its native environment in LNCaP cells, or recombinant PSMA. The antibodies, or binding portions thereof, recognize and bind to PSMA in normal, benign, hyperplastic and cancerous prostate cells. Moreover, the antibodies, or binding portions thereof recognize and bind to PSMA in living normal, benign, hyperplastic and cancerous prostate cells. As a result of this binding, the antibodies or binding portions thereof are concentrated in areas with large numbers of prostate cells or portions thereof.
Antibodies in accordance with the present invention may be produced by procedures generally known in the art. For example, polyclonal antibodies may be produced by injecting the peptide or protein, such as PSMA or purified recombinant PSMA, alone or coupled to a suitable immunogenic moiety or carrier into a non-human animal. After an appropriate period, the animal is bled, sera recovered and purified by techniques known in the art. Monoclonal antibodies may be prepared, for example, by the Kohler-Milstein technique (1975, Nature 256(5517):497-497) involving fusion of an immune B-lymphocyte to myeloma cells. For example, antigen as described above can be injected into mice as described above until a polyclonal antibody response is detected in the mouse's sera. The mouse can be boosted again, its spleen removed and fusion with myeloma conducted according to a variety of methods. The individual surviving hybridoma cells are tested for the secretion of antibodies which bind the extracellular region of PSMA first by their ability to bind the immunizing antigen (peptide/protein). Monoclonal antibodies are produced in large quantities by growing the hybridoma clones in vitro or in vivo.
Serum from immunized and nonimmunized (control) animals are tested for the presence of specific antibodies in an Enzyme Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA). For the ELISA assay each peptide is covalently coupled to a carrier molecule different than that used in the immunization phase of the procedure, or used uncoupled. Such a carrier molecule is, for example, bovine serum albumin (BSA). The same N-terminal cysteine of each peptide used to couple to the carrier molecule used for raising antibodies, for example KLH, is used to couple to the carrier molecule used for the ELISA, for example BSA. There are two reasons for this. First, immunization of animals with peptide-KLH induces the production of antibodies to both the peptide and KLH. Therefore, when screening for antibodies to the peptide it is important to eliminate the possibility of detecting binding to the KLH carrier by using peptide linked to a carrier the immunized mice have never seen. This eliminates background reactivity in the assay that may mask reactivity to the peptide of interest. Second, linking peptide to BSA in a similar manner as it was linked to KLH should permit antibodies induced to the peptide by immunization with peptide-KLH to recognize that peptide linked to the BSA carrier because its orientation is the same on each carrier surface.
The processes of the present invention encompass both whole antibodies and the binding portions thereof. Such binding portions thereof include Fab fragments, F(ab′)2 fragments, and Fv fragments. These antibody fragments can be prepared by conventional procedures, such as proteolytic fragmentation as described in J. Goding, Monoclonal Antibodies: Principles and Practice, pp. 98-118, N.Y. Academic Press 1983.
Preferred monoclonal antibodies in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention are identified in Table 1 below. These antibodies were raised using peptide PSO215 (SEQ ID NO:8).
TABLE 1
Anti-PSMA Monoclonal Antibodies
Monoclonal Antibody
isotype
F34-8H12
IgG 3 K
F42-3E11
IgG 1 K
F42-17G1
IgG 1 K
F42-29B4
IgG 1 K
F42-30C1
IgG 1 K
F47-20F2
IgG 1 K
The antibody or binding portion thereof of the present invention can be used alone or in combination as a mixture with at least one other antibody or binding portion thereof with binding specificity for prostate antigen not herein described.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a monoclonal antibody or binding fragment thereof which binds to an epitope of the extracellular region of PSMA ranging between amino acid 51 to amino acid 67, amino acid 85 to amino acid 102, amino acid 104 to amino acid 118, amino acid 161 to amino acid 173, amino acid 236 to amino acid 245, amino acid 278 to amino acid 288, amino acid 345 to amino acid 354, amino acid 490 to amino acid 500, amino acid 531 to amino acid 545, amino acid 551 to amino acid 567, amino acid 608 to amino acid 619, amino acid 649 to amino acid 660, amino acid 716 to amino acid 724, or amino acid 738 to amino acid 750 which regions comprise an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14, respectively. Fourteen examples of peptides used to raise monoclonal antibodies developed using procedures described in detail below are presented in Table 2.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a monoclonal antibody or binding fragment thereof which binds to a peptide corresponding to an epitope of the extracellular region of PSMA selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a hybridoma cell line that produces a monoclonal antibody which binds to an epitope of the extracellular region of PSMA, ranging between amino acid 51 to amino acid 67, amino acid 85 to amino acid 102, amino acid 104 to amino acid 118, amino acid 161 to amino acid 173, amino acid 236 to amino acid 245, amino acid 278 to amino acid 288, amino acid 345 to amino acid 354, amino acid 490 to amino acid 500, amino acid 531 to amino acid 545, amino acid 551 to amino acid 567, amino acid 608 to amino acid 619, amino acid 649 to amino acid 660, amino acid 716 to amino acid 724, or amino acid 738 to amino acid 750 which regions comprise an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14, respectively.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a hybridoma cell line that produces a monoclonal antibody which binds to a peptide corresponding to an epitope of the extracellular region of PSMA selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs:1-14.
The antibody or binding fragment thereof, or mixtures thereof may be unmodified or may be linked to 1) a radioimaging agent, such as those emitting radiation, for detection of the prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof upon binding of the antibody or binding fragment thereof, or mixtures thereof to the antigen, or 2) a cytotoxic agent, which kills the prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof upon binding of the antibody or binding fragment thereof, or mixtures thereof to the antigen. Alternatively, the cytotoxic agent is not toxic until internalized by the cell. Alternatively, the cytotoxic agent is toxic whether internalized or not internalized. Treatment is effected by administering the antibody or binding fragment thereof, or mixtures thereof to the individual under conditions which allow binding of the antibody or binding fragment thereof, or mixtures thereof to the antigen, and which binding results in the death of the cell of the prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof. In a preferred embodiment, administration is carried out on a living mammal. Such administration can be carried out orally or parenterally. In another embodiment the method is used to prevent or delay development or progression of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof.
A cytotoxic agent of the present invention can be an agent emitting radiation, a cellular toxin (chemotherapeutic agent) and/or biologically active fragment thereof, and/or mixtures thereof to allow cell killing. A cytotoxic agent such as a cellular toxin and/or biologically active fragment thereof can be a synthetic product or a product of fungal bacterial or other microorganism, such as mycoplasma, viral etc., animal, such as reptile, or plant origin. A cellular toxin and/or biologically active fragment thereof can be an enzymatically active toxin and/or fragment thereof, or can act by inhibiting or blocking an important and/or essential cellular pathway or by competing with an important and/or essential naturally occurring cellular component.
Cytotoxic agents emitting radiation for use in the present invention are exemplified by Yttrium-90 (Y 90 ), iodine-125 (I 125 ), iodine-131 (I 131 ) and gamma-emitting isotopes used, for example, to destroy thyroid tissue in some individuals suffering from hyperthyroidism.
Radioimaging agents emitting radiation (detectable radio-labels) for use in the present invention are exemplified by indium-111 (In 111 ), technitium-99 (Tc 99 ), or iodine-131 (I 131 ).
Detectable labels (non-radioactive labels) for use in the present invention can be a radioactive label, a fluorescent label, a nuclear magnetic resonance active label, a luminescent label, a chromophore label, a positron emitting isotope for PET scanner, chemiluminescence label, or an enzymatic label. Fluorescent labels are exemplified by fluorescein, and rhodamine. Chemiluminescence labels are exemplified by luciferase. Enzymatic labels are exemplified by peroxidase and phosphatase.
Cellular toxins and/or biologically active fragments thereof are exemplified by chemotherapeutic agents (anti-cancer cytotoxic compounds) known in the art, for example, cyclophosphamide and Taxol™ (paclitaxel; for example and without limitation, paclitaxel dissolved in polyethoxylated castor oil and ethanol), Biological compounds with cellular toxic effects are exemplified by sapporin, Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE40), interferons (e.g. IFN-alpha) and certain interleukins (e.g. IL-2).
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a pharmaceutical composition for targeted treatment of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis with PSMA thereon, which comprises an antibody or binding fragment thereof, or mixtures thereof bound to a cytotoxic agent in association with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the PSMA binding site of the antibody is available for targeted binding of PSMA and the cytotoxic agent remains biologically active.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of detecting normal, benign, hyperplastic and cancerous prostate epithelial cells, and/or metastases thereof in an individual or a biological sample obtained therefrom, i.e., the detection may be in vivo or in vitro. The method involves providing an antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof with binding specificity to an antigen of prostate cancer, or metastasis thereof. The antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof is adapted to be linked to a detectable label and/or linked (bound) to a detectable label which upon binding of the antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof allows detection of the prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof. Detection is effected by administering the antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof to the individual or by contacting a biological sample obtained therefrom under conditions which allow binding of the antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof to the antigen. Prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof is detected by monitoring of the signal produced by the detectable label above a predetermined base level, which indicates the presence of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof. In a preferred embodiment, administration is carried out on a living mammal.
Detection of PSMA in, for example, a fluid sample obtained from an individual is an indication that prostate cells are being lyzed. Since PSMA is not present in the extracellular fluid of healthy individuals, the detection of PSMA in a biological sample from an individual is an indication of prostate cell lysis.
In a preferred embodiment detection of the signal produced by the detectable label is used in the generation of a 2-dimensional and/or 3-dimensional image of the individual or a biological sample obtained therefrom. In another preferred embodiment the 2-dimensional and/or 3-dimensional image is used to indicate the location of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof within the individual or a biological sample obtained therefrom.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a composition for targeted detection of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof with PSMA thereon, which comprises an antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof adapted to be linked to a detectable label and/or linked (bound) to a detectable label in association with a physiologically acceptable carrier, wherein said PSMA binding site of said antibody is available for targeted binding of PSMA and said detectable label remains detectable from inside or outside a cell.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method of detecting prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof in an individual or a biological sample obtained therefrom comprising: administering to the individual or a biological sample obtained therefrom an effective amount of a composition which comprises an antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof adapted to be linked to a detectable label and/or linked (bound) to a detectable label in association with a physiologically acceptable carrier, wherein the PSMA binding site of the antibody is available for targeted binding of PSMA and the detectable label remains detectable from inside or outside a cell; and detecting the signal produced by the detectable label, wherein detection of the label above a certain level indicates the presence of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof.
The antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof with binding specificity to an antigen of prostate cancer, and/or metastases thereof of the present invention can be used and sold together with equipment, as a kit, to detect the particular label.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided an assay system for detecting prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof comprising: means for receiving a biological sample; means for detecting presence of antigen bound to at least one antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof; and means for quantifying an amount of antigen bound to said at least one antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof, wherein an amount of antigen bound to said at least one antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof above a predetermined level indicates prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method of determining the relative efficacy of a therapeutic regimen performed on an individual treated for prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof, the method comprising: initially analyzing an individual or a biological sample obtained therefrom to quantitate cancer-associated antigen able to bind with at least one antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof; and periodically repeating the previous step during the course of application of the therapeutic regimen to determine increase or decrease in quantity of cancer-associated antigen present in the sample.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided a method of determining the recurrence of a prostate cancer disease state in an individual clinically diagnosed as stabilized or in a remissive state, the method comprising: initially analyzing an individual or a biological sample obtained therefrom to quantitate cancer-associated antigen immunoreactive with at least one antibody or binding fragment thereof or mixtures thereof; and periodically repeating the previous step during the course of application of the therapeutic regimen to determine increase or decrease in quantity of cancer-associated antigen present in the sample.
Regardless of whether the antibody or binding fragment thereof, or mixtures thereof of the present invention is used for treatment, detection, or imaging, it can be administered orally, parenterally, subcutaneously, intravenously, intramuscularly, intraperitoneally, by intranasal instillation, by intracavitary or intravesical instillation, intraocularly, intraarterially, intralesionally, as an aerosol, or by application to mucous membranes, such as, that of the nose, throat, and bronchial tubes. It may be administered alone or with a pharmaceutically or physiologically acceptable carrier, excipient, or stabilizer, and can be in solid or liquid form such as, tablet, capsule, powder, solution, suspension or emulsion.
The treatment and/or therapeutic use of the antibody of the present invention can be used in conjunction with other treatment and/or therapeutic methods. Such other treatment and/or therapeutic methods include surgery, radiation, cryosurgery, thermotherapy, hormone treatment, chemotherapy, vaccines, other immunotherapies, and other treatment and/or therapeutic methods which are regularly described.
In addition to methods of treatment and/or therapeutic use, the antibodies of the present invention, by their binding positions on the PSMA protein, can be used for epitope mapping of the architecture of the PSMA protein in epitope mapping studies. The antibodies of the present invention can also be used as probes for screening a library of molecules, agents, proteins, peptides and/or chemicals to identify a molecule, agent, protein, peptide and/or chemical. Such a library could be a chemical library, antibody library, phage display library, peptide library or library of natural compounds. The identified molecule, agent, protein, peptide and/or chemical could be an antagonist or agonist of PSMA.
The present invention will be more readily understood by referring to the following examples which are given to illustrate the invention rather than to limit its scope.
Example 1
Peptide Synthesis
Example 1 relates to the procedures whereby peptides corresponding to epitopes of the extracellular domain of PSMA are synthesized.
Table 2 shows the sequence and their location within the PSMA amino acid sequence of the 14 peptides that were synthesized by solid phase F-MOC chemistry to greater than 85% purity. Each peptide was synthesized with a single amino terminal unblocked cysteine residue. This amino acid was used to conjugate each peptide to lysine residues in KLH and bovine serum albumin (BSA) carrier proteins using N-maleimide chemistry.
TABLE 2
Sequence of synthesized peptides
SEQ
Reference
ID
No.
Peptide Sequence a
Location
NO
4243
NH 2 -CNITPKHNMKAFLDELKA
51-67
1
4244
NH 2 -CGTEQNFQLAKQIQSQWKE
85-102
2
PS0210
NH 2 -CGLDSVELAHYDVLLS
104-118
3
PS0211
NH 2 -CFSAFSPQGMPEGD
161-173
4
PS0212
NH 2 -CAPGVKSYPDG
236-245
5
PS0213
NH 2 -CAYRRGIAEAVG
278-288
6
PS0214
NH 2 -CHIHSTNEVTR
345-354
7
PS0215
NH 2 -CGKSLYESWTKK
490-500
8
4245
NH 2 -CASGRARYTKNWETNK
531-545
9
4246
NH 2 -CLYHSVYETYELVEKFYD
551-567
10
PS0216
NH 2 -CADKIYSISMKHP
608-619
11
PS0217
NH 2 -C-CSERLQDFDKSNPIVLR-C
649-660
12
PS0218
NH 2 -CESKVDPSKA
716-724
13
PS0219
NH 2 -CTVQAAAETLSEVA
738-750
14
a N-terminal C residues on each peptide are optionally added for manipulation and/or coupling; they are not part of the PSMA sequence. The C residues at the N-terminal and C-terminal of PS0217 also allow for the potential for cyclization.
Example 2
Preparation of Monoclonal Antibodies
Example 2 relates to preparation of mouse monoclonal antibodies with specificity to the peptides of Example 1.
Several strategies were used to immunize BALB/c mice for production of PSMA-specific antibodies.
One strategy consisted of priming and boosting at 2 to 3 week intervals with peptide conjugated to KLH by one of 2 methods that link the amino terminal cysteine of the peptide immunogen to lysine residues on KLH. Peptides were conjugated to KLH using either sulfo-GMBS or SMCC conjugation systems. This strategy was designed to induce and amplify peptide specific antibodies.
A second strategy employed 2 immunizations at 2 to 3 week intervals with LNCaP membrane followed by 3 immunizations with purified PSMA or peptide conjugated KLH. Priming with LNCaP membrane should induce the production of an antibody response directed to membrane antigens including PSMA presented in a native conformation within a cellular membrane. Boosting with purified PSMA antigen should further activate and expand the B lymphocyte clones secreting antibody that recognizes epitopes present on whole native PSMA whereas boosting with peptide conjugated KLH should further activate and expand the B lymphocyte clones recognizing the epitopes corresponding to the peptide used in the boost immunizations.
All immunizations were intraperitoneal injections of 100 μl volumes containing 25 to 50 μg of peptide antigen or 50 μl of LNCaP membrane preparation. The antigen for the first immunization was emulsified in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Antigen used for subsequent immunizations was emulsified in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA). The final boost before fusing donor spleen with the NS0 myeloma parental cell line was done 3 to 5 days before fusion. For this immunization antigen was diluted in phosphate buffered saline (PBS).
The fusion was performed according to the technique known in the art (Kohler G. and Milstein C. (1975) Nature 256 (5517):495-97).
Supernatants of the resulting wells exhibiting growth were screened by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for the presence of antibodies binding to peptide (conjugated or not to BSA) and either LNCaP cell membranes or recombinant PSMA. Negative controls for the screening step were BSA alone (control for peptide or PSMA binding) or PC-3 cell membrane (control for LNCaP binding). Wells containing antibodies with desirable binding characteristics were subjected to at least 2 cycles of cloning by limiting dilution. Hybridomas secreting either one of the 6 monoclonal antibodies against peptide PSO215 (SEQ ID NO:8) were generated according to this screening strategy. The isotype of the immunoglobulin secreted into cultured supernatants by cloned antibody secreting hybridomas was determined using Isostrips (Roche Diagnostics Corp., Indianapolis Ind.).
Example 3
Preparation of Cell Membrane and Purified PSMA
Cell Membrane Preparation
Example 3 relates to the purification of recombinant PSMA and cell membrane for immunization and characterization of mAb.
LNCaP cells (ATCC No. ERL-1740), PC3 (ATCC No. CRL 1435 KS62 (ATCC No. CCL 243), NMB7 (Gift from Dr. U. Saragovi) were grown at 37° C. in RPMI-1640 supplemented with 10 mM HEPES, 10% FCS, 30 μg/ml kanamycin, 200 μg/ml streptomycin, and 20 μg/ml neomycin, and 2 mM L-glutamine, under a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO 2 . When confluent, cells were washed with PBS and detached using 1 mM EDTA in PBS. Cells were spun down and the pellet frozen. Packed cells were resuspended in 10 volumes of ice cold hypotonic buffer (5 mM Tris pH 7.6; 2 mM EDTA) containing protease inhibitors (20 μg/ml of TLCK (Nα-p-tosyl-l-lysine chloromethyl ketone) 20 μg/ml TPCK (N-tosyl-l-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone) and 20 μg/ml PMSF (phenylmethyl sulfonyl fluoride). Cells were sonicated using a probe sonicator at medium setting with three 30-second bursts on ice. Sonicated cells were centrifuged at 1500×g for 10 min at 4° C. Supernatant was collected and centrifuged at 12,000×g for 60 min at 4° C. The membrane pellet was resuspended in 10 volumes of the following buffer (250 mM sucrose, 50 mM Tris-HCl pH7.4, 5 mM EDTA, 100 mM NaCl) and frozen until use.
Cloning of PSMA from LNCaP Cells
Total RNA from LNCaP was isolated using the Trizol method according to manufacturer's directions (GIBCO Life Technologies Inc.) and treated with DNase I (RNase free). LNCaP RNA was reverse transcribed by Thermoscript reverse transcriptase and oligo dT primers (GIBCO Life Technologies Inc.). DNA corresponding to the gene encoding PSMA was then amplified by PCR using the oligonucleotides (5′3′) ATGTGGAATCTCCTTCACGAAACC (SEQ ID NO:15) and TTAGGCTACTTCACTCAAAGTCTC (SEQ ID NO:16). The resulting PCR product was cloned into plasmid pCRT7-NT. Clones were sequenced to verify the identity of the insert DNA as originating from PSMA.
Baculovirus Expression of PSMA
PSMA was PCR-amplified from a sequence-confirmed recombinant plasmid of pCRT7-NT using primers GGGGATCCATGTGGMTCTCCTTCACG (SEQ ID NO:17) and GGGCTCGAGGGCTACTTCACTCAAAGTCT (SEQ ID NO:18) (full length PSMA, flPSMA) or the oligonucleotides GGGGATCCGAAATCCTCCAATGMGCTACTAAC (SEQ ID NO:19) and GGGCTCGAGTTAGGCTACTTCACTCAAAGTCTC (SEQ ID NO: 20) (soluble PSMA, sPSMA). The PCR fragment was digested overnight with the restriction enzymes BamHI and XhoI and cloned into Novagen transfer vector pBAC-1 (flPSMA) or pBAC-3 (sPSMA). The recombinant virus encoded either a full length PSMA containing a C-terminal poly-histidine tag or a truncated PSMA containing a poly-histidine tag at the N-terminus. Sf9 cells were co-transfected with the transfer vector DNA and the linearized viral DNA according to the manufacturer's directions. The viruses were plaque purified prior amplification to obtain a high titer viral stock.
Sf9 cells were propagated in TNM-FH medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum, 0.1% Pluronic F-68 (InVitrogen), and the antibiotics kanamycin (30 ug/ml), neomycin (20 ug/ml) and streptomycin (200 ug/ml). Infection of Sf9 cells with recombinant baculovirus was done at a multiplicity of infection of about 10. After 3 days post-infection. flPSMA was solubilized from a cell lysate (PBS containing 1% Triton X-100) and secreted sPSMA was recovered directly from the medium. Both proteins were purified by affinity chromatography using a Ni-NTA resin, according to the manufacturer's instruction (Qiagen). The eluate was dialysed extensively against PBS before use as an immunogen or for hybridoma screening.
Example 4
Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies
Monoclonal Antibodies Reactivity to PSMA by ELISA
Example 4 relates to the characterization of the mAbs by ELISA, western blot IHC, and in vivo biodistribution.
mAb reactivity to PSMA was assayed by ELISA. The LNCaP cell line was used as a source of natural PSMA and various PSMA non-expressing cell line as negative control. 5 ug of cell membrane preparation in 100 ul PBS were adsorbed onto 96 well plates (Immulon 2HB, Thermo Labs System) overnight at 4° C., or 2 hours at room temperature. The plates were washed with TBST (10 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, 0.05% Tween-20) then incubated with TBST containing 3% casein for 1 hours to block non-specific sites. The wells were loaded with 100 ul of the hybridoma cell supernatants or a dilution in TBST, and incubated for 1 hour at room temperature under gentle agitation. In some cases, the mAb was pre-mixed with dilutions of the antigenic peptide or an irrelevant peptide and then the solution applied to coated cell lysate. The plates were washed with TBST then incubated for 1 hour with a horse-radish peroxidase conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG (Jackson #115-035-164) secondary antibody at a dilution 1/1000 in TBST. After extensive washing, the plates were incubated with 100 ul of the peroxidase substrate TMB (BioFX). The reaction was stopped with an equivalent volume of 0.5N sulfuric acid and the reactivity evaluated by reading at OD 450 nm.
FIG. 3 shows a representative reactivity of the six monoclonal antibodies for the LNCaP cells (-□-) compared to the PSMA negative human cancer cell lines PC-3 (prostate, -Δ-), K562 (myeloid leukemia, -x-) and NMB-7- (neuroblastoma, -Δ-). The graph illustrates that only a very weak signal was detected from the negative control cell lines as compared to the strongly reactive LNCaP cells. Indeed, the average reactivity (±SEM) of the antibodies to LNCaP over PC-3 background was found to be 9.0±3.6 for the 8H12 (n=8), 25.7±6.3 for the 3E11 (n=7), 26.1±6.32 for the 29B4 (n=8), 10.9±3.0 for the 30C1 (n=5), 16.9±4.4 for the 17G1 (n=5), and 58.9±15.6 for the 20F2 (n=4). These results suggest that the reactivity of the mAbs is specific for a protein expressed by the LNCaP cells only.
In order to confirm the specificity of the mAbs, the reactivity of the mAbs to LNCaP cells were challenged by the original antigen from which they were generated (PS0215) (SEQ ID NO:8). FIG. 4 shows that nanomolar concentrations of the antigenic peptide PS0215 (-□-) can completely inhibits the binding of the antibodies to LNCaP cells. In contrast, no change in the reactivity of the antibodies were observed when challenged with up to micromolar concentration of another peptide derived from the PSMA amino acid sequence (PS0210, -O-). The results suggests that the antibodies recognize a unique linear amino acid sequence of PSMA (PS0215) i.e. corresponding to PS0215 or SEQ ID NO:8.
Western Blot Detection of PSMA
Western Blot analysis were performed on LNCaP and PC-3 cell membrane in order to confirm that the mAbs detect the PSMA protein. Proteins from 2.5 ug of a cell membrane preparation were separated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoreisis on a 7.5% gel. The proteins were then transferred to a PVDF membrane and the membrane was blocked with 3% casein in TBST (10 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.5, 150 mM NaCl, 0.05% Tween-20) for 1 hour at room temperature. After washing, the membrane was incubated with the hybridoma supernatant diluted 1/1000 in TBST, and incubated 1 hour under gentle agitation. After extensive washing with TBST, the membrane was incubated with a 1/5000 dilution of horse-radish peroxidase conjugated goat anti-mouse IgG (Jackson #115-035-164) secondary antibody for 1 hour. After washing, the membrane was developed with a chemiluminescent substrate according to the manufacturer's recommendations (Pierce #34080).
FIG. 5 shows that all mAbs detected a single band of a molecular weight of about 100 KDa in LNCaP cell membrane (lane 1) and not in the PC-3 cell membrane (lane 2). The fact that the antibodies detected a band from a reducing and denaturing gel also confirm that they recognise a linear amino acid sequence of PSMA as opposed to a conformational epitope.
Immunohistochemical Staining of Prostate Cancer Tissue
Immunohistochemical staining was performed on paraffin embedded section from prostate cancer. After deparafinization and rehydration through graded alcohol, endogenous peroxidase was inactivated by treating sections with 3% H 2 O 2 for 20 min at RT. Non specific binding was blocked with 5% normal goat serum (NGS) in 0.01 M phosphate buffered saline pH 7.4; 0.05% Triton (PBS-T) for 30 min at RT before adding primary antibodies diluted in PBS-T; 2% NGS overnight at RT. 8H12 was used as a tissue culture supernatant diluted 1:5. Mouse IgG with an irrelevant specificity was used as a negative control at a concentration of 2 μg/ml. After washing, binding of primary antibody to tissue sections was detected by sequential addition followed by washing of goat anti-mouse Ig heavy+light chain polyclonal antibody (ICN) at 1:100, a complex of horse radish peroxidase (HRP, 5 μg/ml) and a mouse monoclonal antibody engineered to have dual specificity for goat antibody and HRP (1/30), and DAB (0.06%); 0.01% H 2 O 2 all diluted in PBS-T; 2% NGS. Sections were washed in tap water, counterstained with hematoxylin and rinsed in tap water. Sections were then dehydrated and mounted in Permount™ (Sigma). A pathologist evaluated all immunohistochemical sections in a blinded fashion.
FIGS. 6A to D show paraffin embedded sections of prostate tissue from patients diagnosed with prostate cancer, stained immunohistochemically with the mAb 8H12. Shown are results for non antigen retrieved material. While 8H12 bound PSMA focally in prostate epithelial cells of both benign and malignant prostate tissue, normal structures in the prostatric stroma, nerve tissue, smooth muscles of blood vessel walls and collagen, were negatively stained for PSMA ( FIG. 6A ). As well, inflammatory cells (not shown) and endothelial cells stain negatively.
Staining of the benign prostatic glands, composed of prostatic acinar cells and underlying basal cells, show that the basal cells are PSMA negative, whereas the acinar cells are PSMA positive, mainly at the luminal aspect of the plasma membrane ( FIGS. 6B , C and D). 8H12 shows moderate staining of PSMA in well differentiated prostate cancer, i.e. Gleason 3+3=6. Weaker cytoplasmic staining is also seen.
In Vivo Biodistribution of Labeled Anti-PSMA mAbs
Purification of mAb: Cells were grown in Iscove's medium, 20% FCS, IL-6 (1 mg/ml), and antibiotics using T175 flasks. After reaching confluence, cells were removed by centrifugation. The medium was precipitated with saturated ammonium sulfate (final concentration=45%) overnight at 4° C. The solution was centrifuged and the supernatant discarded. The precipitate was resuspended in PBS pH 7.4 and further dialyzed against PBS at 4° C. A 5 ml protein G column (Amersham) was equilibrated with 20 mM NaH 2 PO 4 pH 7.0 and the Ab solution was then passed through using a syringe barrel. The column was washed with 20 mM NaH 2 PO 4 pH 7.0 and finally elution was done using Pierce's ImmunoPure Gentle Ag/Ab Buffer. Fractions containing the Ab were combined and buffer exchanged into PBS using Amicon Centriplus filtration devices.
Labelling of mAbs: 100 ug mAb were labelled by the method of chloramine T (Bioconjugate Techniques (1996) Elsevier Science (USA)) by mixing about 10 mCi NaI 125 and five fold antibody molar equivalent of chloramine T in a total volume of 135 ul. After 30 seconds, the reaction was quenched with 100 ul sodium meta-bisulfite at a concentration of 2.6 mg/ml. Free I 125 was removed by gel filtration of the antibody solution in a sodium phosphate buffer containing 0.1% BSA. 85% to 92% of the radioactive iodine was associated with the antibody, as assessed by HPTLC.
In Vivo Biodistribution of Labelled Anti-PSMA mAbs
In vivo targeting potential of the I 125 -8H12 and I 125 -29B4 was assessed in nude mice bearing LNCaP and/or PC3 tumors. Nude mice were injected subcutaneously in the flank with 0.5×10 6 trypsinized LNCaP cells and/or in the other flank with PC-3 cells in a volume of 200 ul PBS containing 50% Matrigel (Becton Dickinson). 1 month after the cell injection, the mice were administered, by tail vein injection, 2 or 20 ug of the mentioned labelled mAb at a specific activity of ˜2 uCi/ug. After 24 or 48 hours post-injection, the mice were sacrificed and the tumors and major organs were recovered and cleaned from blood. A blood sample was also obtained at the time of sacrifice. The blood and tissue samples were weighted and counted for radioactivity incorporation in a gamma counter.
The relative activity of the tissue (cpm) was expressed per mg of tissue. For mice bearing both LNCaP and PC-3 tumors, the ratio of the relative activity of LNCaP/PC-3 tumor was calculated. For comparison of mAb uptake between mice, relative tissue activity was first normalized to blood to account for difference in the efficiency of injection, and then the ratio of the relative activity of LNCaP tumor over non tumor tissue was calculated.
FIG. 7 shows the LNCaP retention potential of the labeled Ab over normal tissue 48 hrs after an injection. The LNCaP tumor retained the labelled 8H12 antibody between 2.7 and 6.5 times better than the various tissues tested. The tissue retention was comparable at 24 h post-injection, indicating a complete bio-distribution of the mAb in a minimum of 24 h. These results indicate a significant concentration of 8H12 in LNCaP tumor compared to major organs.
The selectivity of the 8H12 and 29B4 for LNCaP tumor compared to PC-3 tumor was also measured in mice bearing both type of cells. Table 3 shows that 2 ug of the labelled 8H12 resulted in the concentration of the mAb 4.3 times higher than in the PC-3 tumor.
TABLE 3
In vivo tumor selectivity of anti-PSMA mAb
LNCaP/PC-3 tumor ratio, 48 hrs post injection
mAb
Ratio
2 μg
8H12
4.3
20 μg
29B4
2.7
20 ug of the mAb 29B4, also revealed a significant concentration (2.7 times) in LNCaP tumor compared to PC-3.
While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modifications and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as follows in the scope of the appended claims.
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The present invention relates to novel antibodies and their use for detecting, imaging, staging, treating and monitoring of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof. The present invention also relates to novel pharmaceutical compositions for the treatment of prostate cancer. Furthermore the present invention relates to assay systems and kits for detecting, imaging, staging, treating and monitoring of prostate cancer, and/or metastasis thereof.
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BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates generally to a user accessible destaticizing and cleaning workstation, having auto-start capabilities.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Non-conductive materials or objects, such as plastic lenses, can carry electric charges creating unwanted static on the surface thereof and thus can attract dust particles or other contaminants. Air ionization is a common and effective method of reducing and removing static charges on such materials. In typical air ionizers, high voltages are applied to pointed electrodes, thus charging air particles around the electrodes. Positive and negative ions are produced through this process of corona discharge and serve as mobile carriers of charge in the air. With the use of air current caused by blowers or compressed air, the positive and negative ions are projected to a designated location. Neutralization occurs when these positive and negative ions attract to oppositely charged particles on the surfaces of these non-conductive objects in which are placed at the designated location.
[0005] Numerous methods and apparatuses have been fashioned to eliminate such static charges in conjunction with ionization blowers and/or nozzles as well as compressed air and/or air from the surrounding area or environment.
[0006] Such technology is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,740. The patent discloses a conveyor line to transmit injection molded plastic lenses through a deionizing station to a coating station. The ionization source is a standard ionizing blower. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 4,740,248 exemplifies an ionization device that utilizes gas flow stations and a vacuum to remove any contaminants on the surface of lenses between the two disclosed stations.
[0007] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0176642 describes an ionizer that primarily intakes ambient air and deionizes the same with the ionization blowers. The device's principal use is to reduce the amount of statically charged air around fuel dispensers, for example, gas stations.
[0008] In addition to work stations, ionization “guns” have been fashioned to complete similar tasks as those of the work station while maintain the ability to be a portable device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,769, to Rodrigo, describes a “Self Cleaning Ionizing Air Gun”, where multiple compressed air ports direct high velocity air into the barrel of an ionizer, drawing additional atmospheric air into the barrel from the open back end of the ionizer barrel.
[0009] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0157402 to Caffarella, illustrates a method for a portable nuclear and/or electric ionizer. The device is devised with a compressible air chamber which acts like a hand pump. When squeezed, the ionized air blower expels a high stream of air over the ionizer and out of the device through a nozzle. Of particular note, the device is noted to be self-contained and does not require a connection to an external air source.
[0010] Other ionization devices have been specifically designed in order to provide a means for clean compressible air. For the reason that ambient air can contain statically charged particles, these devices allow the flow of clean pressurized air to flow within the ionization device. Several examples of such ionization devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,179,849 and 5,351,354.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 3,179,849 is a “Shockless Ionizing Air Nozzle” illustrating an ionizing air gun. The device features an electrode enclosed in the gun's barrel powered by an A.C. high voltage power supply. Compressed air is supplied to the gun through a cable which is then piloted to the electrode needle,
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,354 represents an electrical ionizer used in conjunction with a conveyer belt. When the object enters the device a “start” sensor activates the compressed air in order to remove contaminants from the surfaces of the objects by an array of ionization nozzles displayed on the same side as the object support means.
[0013] Several apparatuses have been produced in order to maintain a statically neutral environment for a specific object during the neutralization process. Chambers have been created in order to partially isolate the object while being sprayed with the ionized air so that particles from ambient air do not contaminate the surface of the object. Materials such a plexiglass, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,740, and netting, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,354, have been disclosed.
[0014] U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,567 illustrates a pipe that carries pressurized nitrogen gas to an ionization nozzle. The electrical line and ground wire are spaced from the pipe within a hollow cover. The material forming cover is not specified.
[0015] In accordance with neutralizing, the production and flow of ion content of both the positive and negative ions needs to be equivalent to one another. As stated, neutralization is the process in which positive and negative ions bond to one another to create a neutral charge. If an unequal amount of either ion is produced, there will still be an unwanted charge at the desired location. For example, if more ions with a negative charge are produced at the ionization nozzle, there will be an insufficient amount of positive ions to bond to those negative ions, thus leaving negative charge in the respective area. Neutralization would not occur. Therefore, it is of major importance that air ionizers produce a balanced number of positive and negative ions.
[0016] One method to balancing the ion content so that “unbalancing” of the ions does not occur is to minimize the exposed surface area of the grounded components of the ionizer It is known that particles, such as dust itself, can be attracted to the metal electrodes of the ionizer and therefore can cause the ionizer to “burn out”. Additionally, the ion content in that particular region can become unbalanced, thus creating a more prominent ion (whether positive or negative) at the targeted area, therefore restricting the completion of the neutralization process to the non-conductive object.
[0017] Various methods have been developed in an attempt to prevent static electricity or contamination of electrodes from affecting the ion production. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,573 discloses disposing ionizing electrodes in an insulating housing so that the housing shields during the production of ions. The electrodes electrostatically charge the housing to repel the ionized air out of the housing toward a target.
[0018] Several methods and devices have been fashioned to constrain the ion content of the target region more balanced which are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,055,963 and 6,252,233. U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,963 discloses a self-balancing air ionizer contained in an insulating housing with an ambient air inlet and outlet. A fan is devised to intake ambient air into the housing unit, through an array of electrodes, and then projects the newly ionized air to a designated area. The device self-balances the ion content by isolating the high voltage side of the power supply, including the electrodes, from the ground and does not allow any D.C. charge to flow to the ground. The accumulation of one charge causes a bias charge on the production of the opposite charge; thus creating a balance of ion output and eliminating the need for ion sensors.
[0019] U.S. Pat. No. 6,252,233 to Good portrays a system for detecting and balancing the positive and negative ion outputs of an ionizing gun. Separate power supplies are used for the positive and negative ion generating electrodes, with a sensor disposed to detect the ion levels and adjust the power output of the power supplies, which in turn balances the ion output. Balancing the ion content using the above described methods have been fundamentally successful, however, some imbalances may still occur in the target location.
[0020] Finally, sensor detection allows for the detection of motion. Several ionization devices have been fashioned to allow for the input of a sensor detector structure. These additions detect motion in a designed located and therefore activate a particular action. In referenced U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,946, a proximity detector is disclosed in which activates the heater-blower motor and ionizer. U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,946 does not disclose an ionization nozzle, but rather an ionizer that is separate from a filtered air circulation system. The patent does include a source of clean dry air. Other relevant features are an enclosure which could be made from, inter alia, “electrostatic-discharge dissipative polymers”. Several additional discovered patents refer to ionized air devices. However, the bulk of these teach systems for providing improved air flow, ion creation systems and power management systems.
[0021] U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,147, to Biedermann, describes an apparatus for blowing ionized air through a single air outlet. Biedermann particularly teaches the ability to transition from a laminar air flow output stream to a pulsed airflow output stream. Furthermore, the invention teaches the addition of ultrasonic radiation to the cleaning process. One embodiment of the Biedermann disclosure teaches pulsating the airflow and/or ultrasonic radiation in relation to a characteristic frequency of the material object of the object to be cleaned. In another embodiment of the Biedermann invention, the airflow is directed parallel to the object to be cleaned, while the ultrasonic radiation is directed normal to the airflow.
[0022] Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,759, to Zoell, describes a cleaning apparatus having a single laminar airflow outlet and an adjoining suction nozzle. The airflow outlet may also have an ionizing element disposed within. Of particular note is the inclusion of a handle, which is assumed to be insulated, to make the cleaning apparatus portable.
[0023] And finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,665,462 demonstrates an ionizing gas gun comprised of a plastic nozzle, filtration device for the same, a flow sensor, alarm signals and a trigger. Upon activation of the trigger, high voltage is supplied to the electrode and compressed air is supplied to the barrel of the gun. A filtration cartridge is used within the nozzle to maintain cleanliness of the electrode. Flow sensors and alarm signals are installed in order to monitor flow rates and ion output contents of the device.
[0024] None of the patents discovered during our search seem to illustrate a shell for insulting and supporting an existing destat device. Additionally, none of the patents discovered seem to contemplate the use of a bracket configuration or stand-off bracket in order to stabilize further an existing destat device. Finally, none of the patents discovered seem to contemplate the use of the combination of a sensor to trigger the flow of compressible air and associated ionization when an article is placed between the air outlets, two ionization nozzles, or plurality of the like, directed at each other, and additionally a frame with panels, enclosures and supports to both protect the existing destat device and the operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0025] The major deficiencies the present invention addresses are (a) avoiding a high voltage shock for the handler, (b) building a more robust structure capable of use in an industrial environment and (c) building an enhanced equipment design to maximize efficiency, stability and reduce product “burnout”.
[0026] These and other related objects are achieved by providing a walk-up, user accessible cleaning workstation having a sensor in combination with an ionization nozzle. The ionization nozzle is coupled via a valve to a remote source of compressed gas. The nozzle has an electrode and a hot lead connected to a power supply. A ground lead is also provided. A sensor simultaneously controls operation of the valve and the power supply.
[0027] A frame has a mounting panel for maintaining the sensor in a fixed position with respect to said nozzle. The frame includes a partial enclosure surrounding the nozzle to restrict user contact with said electrode. The frame has a support to collectively hold the sensor and nozzle in operative proximity to a cleaning area. Sensor detection of a workpiece in the cleaning area generates an activation signal for the valve and power supply so that a manually held work piece can be cleaned and destaticized while safeguarding the user from accidental contact with said electrode.
[0028] The support suspends the mounting panel above the cleaning area. During use the mounting panel deflects particles from the cleaning area. The mounting panel deflects dust that is blown off concavely shaped ophthalmic lenses. The remote source of compressed gas is clean dry air delivered to the nozzle below about 100 psi. The power supply provides a voltage on the order of 7 kV to the electrode along the hot lead. The sensor comprises an optical eye and reflector, and wherein the frame supports said reflector in operative alignment to said optical eye. There may be provided a second ionization nozzle. The support holds the second nozzle in a facing relationship to said nozzle. The cleaning area is located in between said nozzles and in between the optical eye and the reflector.
[0029] Rigid metal piping may be used for coupling the nozzle to the remote source of compressed gas. The frame includes an insulating section for separating the hot lead from the metal piping along at least a portion of their lengths. The insulating section may include a stand-off bracket which holds the hot lead at a preset distance from said rigid piping, so that the air gap therebetween exceeds an arcing distance. The frame encloses the rigid metal piping within the workstation.
[0030] Flexible hosing may be used for coupling the nozzle to the remote source of compressed gas. The frame supports said flexible hosing along at least a portion of its length. The hose is non-metallic, and is connected to the nozzle via a metal connector. A ground lead is connected between the metal connector and the power supply. The frame includes an insulating section that separates the ground lead from a hot lead of the power supply.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0031] The advantages, nature and various additional features of the invention will appear more fully upon consideration of the illustrative embodiments now to be described in detail in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote similar components throughout the views:
[0032] FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a prior art individually mounted ionizing air nozzle.
[0033] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention illustrating an insulating panel having a nozzle and sensor mounted therein.
[0034] FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of an insulative panel housing to enclose the nozzle.
[0035] FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of an alternate embodiment of the invention illustrating a housed rigid conduit with brackets.
[0036] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a stand-off bracket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0037] Referring now in detail to the figures and in particular, FIG. 1 , which illustrates an example of a prior art destaticizing station 10 . An ionizing air nozzle 12 is shown, which are commercially available from SIMCO of Hatfield, Pa. These nozzles are intended to be mounted onto a threaded metal nipple 14 . Nipple 14 is connected to rigid metal piping 16 which serves to deliver high pressure clean, dry air or gas to the nozzle. Piping 14 also constitutes an open, accessible ground that is connected to the ionization power supply. The 7 kV hot lead 18 of the power supply is strapped along piping 16 and connects to the nozzle 12 where it is electrically coupled to the ionizing electrode 20 .
[0038] In order to reduce contamination and dust, some cleaning stations have been equipped with an optical sensor 30 . For example, sensor 30 may include a light source which emits a beam of light which is directed at a reflector, not shown for the sale of clarity. Light is reflected back to the sensor, creating a “closed” circuit signal. When a workpiece or user's hand crosses the light path, the sensor detects the loss of reflected light and transmits an “open” circuit signal. The “open” circuit signal is used to control operation of the gas valve and power supply.
[0039] A bracket 32 , made of metal, is mounted on nipple 14 with a first nut 36 . A sensor aperture is formed on the opposite end to support sensor 31 with sensor nuts 34 . Since nipple 14 is not designed as a support point, bracket 32 is precariously extending out in a cantilevered manner where it is subject to contact with personnel and equipment. Aside from the potential for damaging the sensor, the bracket serves as an excellent lever to overcome the moderate clamping force afforded by the hand tight nuts. Even grazing contact can cause the bracket to rotate out of alignment with its reflector, causing an erroneous “open” circuit condition, and initiating unwanted operation of the ionization nozzle.
[0040] Other incidental contact occurs between the operator and electrode 20 or piping 16 resulting in the user being shocked. Another electrical hazard results from the high voltage lead 18 being strapped to metallic pipe 16 . Since the high voltage lead is parallel to the pipe in the vicinity of the strap, it creates a capacitive coupling. Invariably over time, high voltage leaks through the insulative sleeve of lead 18 , and returns to the ground connection on the power supply, causing the power supply to burn out prematurely.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 2 , in one embodiment of the invention, we have provided a rigid panel of insulating material. A horizontal panel 50 may be securely mounted at its back end to a support structure. A flexible tube 52 may know be provided to deliver the high pressure air or gas to nozzle 12 . For example, a rubber hose 52 may be supported on top of panel 50 and be connected via a 90 degree elbow 54 to a nipple, on which the nozzle is mounted. There is provided a nozzle aperture 50 a and a sensor aperture 50 b. The elbow may pass through aperture 50 a with sensor mounted in aperture 50 b an operative distance away.
[0042] This arrangement eliminates a metal pipe support, and the related safety issues of having the metal pipe support serve as part of the ground loop. A ground lead 56 can be directly connected to the nipple or elbow 54 . The hot lead 18 may be located below panel 50 , separated from ground lead 56 . Optionally, a vertical panel 58 , also made from an insulating material, may be provided.
[0043] The panels may be an inert, rigid panel such as plastic, ABS, or SEABOARD. The properties of SEABOARD have been found to be suitable. For example, grade 1 ABS has a density of between 1.02 and 1.22 g/cc; hardness of between 87 and 118 according to Rockwell R; tensile strength @ yield of between 36 and 52; an electrical resistivity of 1×10 16 ohms; a dielectric constant of 2.9; a dielectric strength of between 15 and 35 kV/mm; and an arc resistance of 60 seconds. Materials having properties similar to ABS and SEABOARD will be suitable for use as mounting panels, enclosures and supports according to the invention.
[0044] For example, SEABOARD has physical properties of density at 0.960 g/cm 3 according to ASTM D 1505; hardness of 69 Shore D according to D 2240; environmental stress crack of 25 hrs. according to D 1693; and F50 resistance of greater than 55 hrs. according to D2561. Mechanical properties include tensile strength @ yield of 4,500 psi according to D 638; flexural modulus of 260,000 psi according to D 790; and flexural strength of 5,070 psi according to D 790. Thermal properties include F50 low temperature brittleness of −76 degrees C. according to D 746; heat deflection temperature @ 66 psi of 82 degrees C. according to D 648; and a Vicat softening point of 130 degrees C. according to D 1525.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 3 , the entire assembly of FIG. 2 may be enclosed within a housing 80 . Portions of housing 80 are also shown in FIG. 2 in dashed line. Advantageously, housing provides a rigid support structure for the sensor, reflector and a second, lower ionization nozzle.
[0046] FIG. 4 shows an alternated embodiment of housing or frame 80 with one side panel removed. The frame includes a mounting panel 80 a, a partial enclosure 80 b, and a support 80 c. For safety, or to meet regulatory requirements, certain cleaning stations will use rigid pipe. The electrical leads can be enclosed with the rigid pipe, and separated therefrom via stand off brackets. A more detailed view of the stand-off bracket is shown in FIG. 5 . An upper section 90 a is split from lower section 90 b to accommodate the rigid piping. The leads can then be wired through the various bore holes 90 c and 90 d. The electrical leads can then be strung from bracket to bracket and held under slight tension away from each other and any metal conduit. The brackets allow the electrical leads and metal pipes to be routed in the same bays, while avoiding the contact illustrated in FIG. 1 . Previous attempts to prevent arcing from the prior art arrangement, included routing the electrical leads in additional plastic tubing. The tubing has a high dielectric constant, characterized by 7.1 at 50 Hz, 6.6 at 1 kHz, and 5.5 at 10 MHz. Accordingly, the stand-off brackets need to create an air gap with an insulating property that exceeds that of the hose, as represented by its dielectric constant values.
[0047] As described earlier, FIG. 4 shows the sensor circuit 100 . Preferably sensor 31 is an optical sensor that is aligned with a reflector 31 a. When the cleaning station is idle, sensor 31 is receiving an optical signal that is reflected back from reflector 31 a, which maintains the sensor circuit 100 in the closed state. When a workpiece is placed into the cleaning area 10 , the optical signal path is interrupted and the sensor circuit 100 switches in to the “open” circuit state. In the “open” circuit state, a control signal 102 is communicated to the 7 kV power supply 104 and to the gas valve 106 . Clean, dry air from a remote source at less than 100 psi is communicated through the valve and delivered to the one or two nozzles which may be present in the workstation.
[0048] At the same time, the power supply 104 is switched on, and 7 kV high voltage is provided to the nozzle electrodes. Clean, dry ionized air is therefore directed at the cleaning area 110 from either one or opposed sides. When cleaning ophthalmic lenses in cleaning area 110 , the lens may have its concave side facing up. As can be seen in FIG. 3 , the high pressure air stream 112 from the ionization nozzle can be deflected off the concave lens surface. As the user tilts the lens to see if all dust has been removed, the concave surface can deflect the dust-ridden air in a variety of angles, including angles directed at the user's face. Mounting panel 80 a can partially block certain of these airstreams. It was also determined that mounting panel 80 a acts as a baffle to disrupt the air stream, and protect the user, even if they were not directly in the path of the panel. It was also discovered that compared to the typical cylindrical chrome pipes, the matte surface of the housing or frame helped lens inspectors in another way. When workstations are located on or near the inspection stations, light can reflect off the chrome pipes and interfere with lens inspection. By enclosing portions of the workstation, the users are safely protected from electrical shock, dust-ridden airstreams. The rigidity between the mounting panels that hold the sensor and reflector eliminates accidental activation of the sensor circuit when the workstation is knocked and the optical beam loses sight of the reflector.
[0049] Having described preferred embodiments for cleaning workstations for ophthalmic lenses (which are intended to be illustrative and not limiting), it is noted that modifications and variations can be made by persons skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiments of the invention disclosed which are within the scope and spirit of the invention as outlined by the appended claims. Having thus described the invention with the details and particularity required by the patent laws, what is claimed and desired protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.
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A walk-up, user accessible cleaning workstation having a sensor and ionization nozzle arranged on a frame. The frame mounts the sensor in a fixed position to the nozzle in operative proximity to a cleaning area. The frame partially encloses the nozzle's electrode. The sensor detects manual workpiece placement into the cleaning area to open the gas valve and activate the power supply. The panel deflects dust flying off the workpiece from reaching the user's face. The workstation improves safety in the cleaning and destaticizing of ophthalmic lenses.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a divisional application of application Ser. No. 12/376,018, filed Apr. 22, 2009; which was a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. §120, of International application PCT/EP2007/006676, filed Jul. 27, 2007; the application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. §119, of German patent application Nos. DE 10 2006 036 353.1, filed Aug. 2, 2006 and DE 10 2007 034 628.1, filed Jul. 23, 2007; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an escalator with a plurality of steps or pallets; at least one chain for driving the steps or pallets; at least one chain wheel around which the chain is partially wrapped, wherein the chain forms an upper strand and a lower strand extending from the chain wheel; and means for polygonal compensation for the movement of the at least one chain wheel.
DEFINITIONS
The term escalator should comprise both escalators with steps, as they are used in department stores, for example, and moving sidewalks with pallets, as they are used in airports, for example.
FIG. 1 schematically shows a pintle chain G and a chain wheel R partially wrapped round the latter, to initially define a few terms. The pintle chain G comprises chain links K linked to each other via a pivot point P. The chain wheel K shown in an exemplary manner, has eight teeth Z, between which tooth spaces are arranged, into which pivot points P can engage. The angular pitch τ between two teeth or two tooth spaces is 45° in the example shown.
Furthermore, an entry angle φ is shown at the bottom side of the chain wheel in FIG. 1 , which can arise, for example, due to a guide for deflecting pintle chain G. The entry angle φ is measured between the actual exit direction of the pintle chain G and the normal S on the line connecting detachment point A of the pintle chain G from the chain wheel R and the axis of rotation D of the chain wheel R. The entry angle φ is about 11° in the example shown.
A momentary angle of wrap υ is indicated in FIG. 1 , which corresponds to the circumferential angle between two detachment points A of the pintle chain G from the chain wheel R, and is 180° in the case shown. When a chain link K detaches from the chain wheel R, the momentary angle of wrap υ will be abruptly reduced, because with different entry angles φ at the top and bottom, a chain link K detaches at the top, for example, while at the same time the next chain link K has not contacted the bottom yet, however. This is why an average angle of wrap υ will be assumed in the following, which is equal to or greater than the minimum angle of wrap and equal to or smaller than the maximum angle of wrap.
Furthermore, at the top of the chain wheel R, an effective lever arm H eff is indicated, which corresponds to the vertical distance between the effective line W of force, in particular tensile force of the pintle chain G and the rotary axis D of the chain wheel R. Like the momentary angle of wrap υ, the effective lever arm H eff also varies during the movement of the pintle chain due to the detachment of the pintle chain one link at a time, in particular due to the polygonal contact of the chain on the chain wheel. At the bottom side of the chain wheel R, the effective lever arm H eff ′ is a bit shorter, while due to the slightly inclined effective line W of force of the pintle chain G, the effective lever arm H eff ′ does no longer extend through the detachment point A.
State Of The Art
In escalators or moving sidewalks, their steps or pallets, are usually driven by drive chains, in particular on both sides, formed as so-called step chains or pallet chains, and are also attached to the latter. Usually the drive chains have 3 or 4 subdivisions, i.e. 3 or 4 links per step. The chain wheels used have about 16 to 25 teeth. This relatively high number is chosen to minimize the so-called polygonal effect.
The polygonal effect comes about by the variations in the effective lever arm H eff (see FIG. 1 ). Chain wheels are usually driven with constant angular velocity. Due to the variations in the effective lever arms, the velocity of the step chains also varies, the incessant acceleration and deceleration of the moved masses (chains, axles, steps) results in the generation of mass forces, which are transmitted as disturbing forces or torques into the step or pallet chains or into their drives, and lead to a shortened service life, or are a quantity which must be taken into account when designing the drive components, in particular. Moreover, the moving parts in an escalator combined with the surrounding steel structure, form a spring-mass system capable of vibration. In particular, the chains can be seen as springs, and steps, axles (if any), wheels, the people transported (on the steps or pallets) and again the chains, are to be seen as masses. This spring-mass system can have very unfavorable operating points depending on the parameters, as a function of the number of teeth of the chain wheels, the traversing velocity and the load.
In practice, this problem is usually solved by reducing the chain pitch and increasing the number of teeth. As the pitch is reduced and the number of teeth is increased, the polygonal effect is reduced, until a degree is reached, where the polygonal effect is so low in practice, i.e. the movement of the chains/steps/pallets is so uniform, that the polygonal effect causes practically no problem, but is still present.
Also, guides have been installed in the area of the chain wheels, which effect tangential entry of the chain onto the chain wheels. The primary aim of this measure is to reduce the entry noise of the chain on the chain wheels. Also, the polygonal effect is reduced hereby, but not compensated.
The conventional structure with relatively small chain pitch and a relatively high number of teeth of the chain wheels has substantial drawbacks, however.
First of all, the high cost of the chain for the steps or pallets is to be mentioned. The more subdivisions (the smaller the pitch) for the latter, the more links per step or per meter, and the higher its cost. Moreover, there is a higher number of positions per step/pallet, subject to wear. Over the period of operation of the escalator, adherence to the maximum admissible spacing between steps/pallets for as long as possible, is a very important criterion.
Due to the high number of teeth, the chain wheels have a relatively great diameter and need a large structural space, in particular for the drive station. This is how valuable space is lost in buildings. Due to great diameters, high driving moments are necessary, which entails higher cost for the drives.
An escalator of the initially mentioned type is known from European Patent Application EP 1 344 740 A1. The escalator described there has a chain wheel driven in a manner polygonally compensated by the upper strand, wherein a pintle chain partially wraps around the chain wheel. The chain wheel has an odd number of teeth. Due to the odd number of teeth, the lower strand does not run in a polygonally-compensated manner, but rather irregularly. Since the lower strand has also masses applied to it, such as the masses of chains, wheels, axles and steps or pallets, forces result from this irregularity, which are transmitted to the steps or pallets in the upper strand. Such an escalator may run comparatively smoothly in a heavily loaded state, due to the large quotient between the mass in the upper strand and the mass in the lower strand. In the unloaded state, or loaded with only few people, however, the upper strand will also run in a very uneven manner.
The problem on which the present invention is based, is the creation of an apparatus of the initially mentioned type, which runs comparatively smoothly even with a relatively low number of teeth on the at least one chain wheel.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The effective lever arm of the chain at the at least one chain wheel in the upper strand is essentially equal to the effective lever arm of the chain at the at least one chain wheel in the lower strand. In the polygonal compensation configured for the upper strand, for example, this results not only in a constant velocity of the running of the upper strand, but also of the lower strand. The solution according to the present invention allows step or pallet chains with substantially increased pitch, such as chain pitch equal to half of the step pitch or a chain pitch equal to the step pitch, to be used and/or to reduce the structural space required.
I.1. The link chain drive which forms the basis of a first aspect of the invention comprises a drive chain sprocket for a link chain and comprises a drive system which can drive the drive chain sprocket with a non-uniform rotational speed for the purpose of compensating speed fluctuations of the link chain. Here and below, a “drive system” should be understood in a broad sense to mean any system which can output forces or torques to the drive chain sprocket. This encompasses in particular drive systems in the narrower sense, in which said forces or torques are actively generated, for example by means of an electric motor. Also encompassed, however, are “passive” drive systems in which said forces or torques are extracted from inertial systems such as for example a rotating flywheel mass. In a first embodiment, the link chain drive is characterized in that the drive system comprises the following elements:
two wheels which are coupled by means of an endlessly encircling flexible traction mechanism, such that the rotation of one wheel can be transmitted to the other wheel via the traction mechanism; a movable tensioning element such as for example a tensioning roller which, by acting on the load-bearing strand of the traction mechanism, changes the effective length of the load-bearing strand; the load-bearing strand of the traction mechanism is by definition that portion of the flexible traction mechanism via which the force is transmitted from the driving wheel to the driven wheel. The stated change in length is preferably periodic and synchronous with the rotation of the drive chain sprocket from tooth to tooth.
I.2. The invention furthermore relates to a second embodiment of a link chain drive comprising a drive chain sprocket for a link chain and comprising a drive system (in the broad sense explained above) which can drive the drive chain sprocket with a non-uniform rotational speed for the purpose of compensating speed fluctuations of the link chain. Here, the drive system comprises two wheels which are coupled by means of an endlessly encircling flexible traction mechanism. According to a first variant, the link chain drive is characterized in that the axle of one of the two wheels is mounted eccentrically. According to a second variant, the link chain drive is characterized in that the axle of one of the two wheels is mounted so as to be movable and is connected to a diverting mechanism. The eccentric mounting of the wheel causes a periodic change in length of the load-bearing strand, and as a result a non-uniform rotational speed of the drive chain sprocket, which reduces the polygon effect if the relationships are configured such that a rotation of the eccentric wheel rotates the drive chain sprocket precisely one tooth further.
I.3. According to a third embodiment of the underlying link chain drive having a drive chain sprocket for a link chain and having a drive system of non-uniform rotational speed, the drive system comprises the following elements:
a motor, in particular an electric motor (geared motor), the rotor (component which is set in rotation) of which is coupled to the drive chain sprocket and the stator (component which does not rotate) of which is movable; a mechanism for moving the stator synchronously with the rotation of the drive chain sprocket.
Here, the stated mechanism preferably comprises a cam element which is coupled to and interacts with the drive chain sprocket and which is followed by a follower element, wherein the relative movement generated between the cam element and the follower element is transmitted to the stator of the motor.
II.1. According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a link chain drive which may be in particular an intermediate drive for an extended link chain, comprising a drive wheel with a shaft and with radially projecting teeth which engage in a force-transmitting manner into the link chain, and comprising a drive system which is coupled to the shaft in order to be able to actively set the drive wheel in rotation. The link chain drive is characterized in that the shaft—and therefore also the drive wheel—is mounted such that it can be displaced spatially in parallel. Here, the translation of the shaft preferably takes place only radially (without an axial component) with respect to its original position.
III.1. According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a link chain guide comprising a diverting wheel around which a link chain is guided. In the present case, “diverting wheel” is intended to denote both an actively driven wheel (“drive wheel”) and also a non-driven wheel. Furthermore, the link chain guide comprises a support element which makes contact with the chain links of the link chain directly before they arrive at the diverting wheel. The link chain guide is characterized in that the support element is movably mounted in such a way that it can be moved synchronously with the rotation of the diverting wheel, in order to reduce the speed difference between the chain links and the diverting wheel at the time at which the chain links arrive at the diverting wheel.
III.2 According to the third aspect, the invention furthermore relates to a link chain guide having a diverting wheel around which a link chain is guided, and having a support element which makes contact with the chain links before they arrive at the diverting wheel, wherein the link chain has a bent profile between its primary running direction and the diverting wheel. The link chain guide is characterized in that the support element is arranged in the region of the bent profile of the link chain and is designed such that the movement of the chain links is adapted, before they arrive at the diverting wheel, to the movement of the associated tooth spaces.
IV.1. According to a fourth aspect, the invention relates to a link chain guide having a diverting wheel around which a link chain is guided. The link chain guide is characterized in that the diverting wheel is coupled to inertia compensation means, by which forces synchronous with the rotational movement of the diverting wheel are exerted on the diverting wheel such that speed fluctuations of the link chain owing to inertial influences of the diverting wheel are reduced.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, it is provided that the first chain wheel and the second chain wheel are operated in a manner offset with respect to each other in such a way that, with a minimal effective lever arm at the first chain wheel in the same strand, the effective lever arm on the second chain wheel is not minimal, preferably deviates by ±20% or less of the difference between the maximum and minimum values from the maximum value, and is maximal, in particular. For this purpose, for example, the angular position of the first chain wheel can differ from that of the second chain wheel by at least ±30%, preferably by at least ±40% of the angular pitch, in particular by half of the angular pitch. This opposition in phase of the two chain wheels results in a reciprocating movement of the second chain wheel, configured as an idler wheel, for example, being reduced.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, it is provided that the escalator has at least one guide, which can influence the entry angle of the chain on the first and/or the second chain wheel, wherein the at least one guide is arranged in such a way that the entry angle with the minimum effective lever arm is smaller than with the maximum effective lever arm. Such an arrangement of the guide has the result that the oscillating movement of the redirecting station approaches zero when the machine is running, which has a positive effect on running smoothness. Moreover, this arrangement of the at least one guide has the effect that the wheels are only minimally loaded. This means that it is possible to use relatively cheap wheels.
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 an escalator, 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.
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
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a chain wheel and a pintle chain to illustrate the terms used;
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic side view of an escalator according to the present invention with an idler chain wheel;
FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of an escalator according to the present invention with a redirecting arc instead of an idler chain wheel; and
FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic enlarged view of several components essential for the function of the escalator according to FIG. 2 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The escalator as shown in FIG. 2 comprises a chain 1 configured as a pintle chain, wrapped around a first, driven chain wheel 2 and a second chain wheel 3 acting as an idler wheel. Each of the chain wheels 2 , 3 has six teeth, only diagrammatically indicated. The steps or pallets (not shown) of the escalator are attached to the chain 1 . A circulating hand rail 4 is only schematically shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , which can be held by a user during the movement of the escalator. Between the chain wheels 2 , 3 , the chain 1 forms an upper strand 5 , shown at the top in each of FIGS. 2 to 4 , and a lower strand 6 , shown at the bottom in each of FIGS. 2 to 4 .
The first chain wheel 2 is driven in a manner free of the polygonal effect, or polygonally compensated, by a drive motor 7 via a drive chain 8 . This can be achieved, for example, in the exemplary embodiment shown, by a non-circular wheel 9 engaging the drive chain 8 . Further possibilities of a polygonally-compensated drive are known from the WO 03/036129 A1, which is explicitly incorporated herein by reference. The polygonally-compensated drive allows the first chain wheel 2 to be driven with a non-constant angular velocity in such a way that the driven chain 1 is running at a constant, or near-constant, velocity.
The hand rail 4 is driven by the drive motor 7 , wherein the hand rail 4 is driven at a constant angular velocity. The second chain wheel 3 is supported by means of a moveable support 10 in a displaceable manner.
In the view according to FIG. 4 , the chain 1 is shown shortened. FIG. 4 shows that the second chain wheel 3 is offset from the first chain wheel 2 with respect to its angular position. For example, a radial line 12 extending through one of the contact points 11 of the chain 1 forms an angle α with the horizontal 13 on the first chain wheel 2 in FIG. 4 , which is about 60°. In contrast, a radial line 15 extending through the corresponding contact point 14 of the chain 1 forms an angle β with the horizontal 13 on the second chain wheel 3 in FIG. 4 , which is about 30°. The angular positions of the chain wheels 2 , 3 therefore differ by 30°, which corresponds to half the angular pitch of the chain wheels 2 , 3 each having six teeth, because the angular pitch is 360° divided by the number of teeth.
This difference in the angular positions of chain wheels 2 , 3 has the result that precisely at the point, where the chain 1 applies a minimum effective lever arm 16 , 16 ′ on the first chain wheel 2 , the chain 1 applies a maximum effective lever arm 17 , 17 ′ on the second chain wheel 3 (see FIG. 4 ). In the reverse case, the chain 1 applies a maximum effective lever arm to the first chain wheel 2 whenever the chain 1 applies a minimum effective lever arm on the second chain wheel 3 (not shown).
Further, it can be seen from FIG. 4 that the effective lever arm 16 in the upper strand 5 on the first chain wheel 2 is equal to the effective lever arm 16 ′ in the lower strand 6 . Further, it can be seen from FIG. 4 that the effective lever arm 17 in the upper strand 5 is also equal to the effective lever arm 17 ′ in the lower strand 6 on the second chain wheel 3 .
Guides 18 , 19 as seen from FIG. 4 can define the entry angles φ 1 , φ 2 of the chain 1 on the chain wheels. Herein, in particular, the guide 18 is arranged toward the bottom in FIG. 4 to such an extent, or the guide 19 is arranged toward the top in FIG. 4 to such an extent that the entry angle φ 1 with minimum effective lever arm 16 , 16 ′ (c.f. first chain wheel 2 in FIG. 4 ) is substantially smaller than the entry angle φ 2 with maximum effective lever arm 17 , 17 ′ (c.f. second chain wheel 3 in FIG. 4 ).
In the embodiment according to FIG. 3 , a redirecting arc 20 is provided instead of the second chain wheel 3 . The radius for this redirecting arc 20 is chosen such that the effective lever arm (not shown) in the upper strand 5 is equal to the effective lever arm in the lower strand 6 also on the redirecting arc 20 . Furthermore, in the embodiment according to FIG. 3 , the guides 18 , 19 are also able to guide the chain 1 into the redirecting arc in such a way that the entry angle with minimum effective lever arm is substantially smaller than the entry angle with maximum effective lever arm. Furthermore, the redirecting arc 20 , the first chain wheel 2 and the chain 1 can be configured and arranged in such a way that whenever the chain 1 applies a minimum effective lever arm 16 , 16 ′ to the first chain wheel 2 , the chain 1 applies a maximum effective lever arm to the redirecting arc 20 , and vice-versa.
A further partially functional description of the exemplary embodiments can be derived from the following.
The chain wheels 2 , 3 used have an even number of teeth. This applies in the case that the angle of wrap of the chain 1 is about 180°, which is the normal case for escalators/moving sidewalks. What is crucial is that the effective lever arm on the side of the upper strand is always essentially identical to the effective lever arm on the side of the lower strand. This has the effect, in a polygonal compensation configured for the upper strand, that not only the upper strand runs at a constant velocity, but also the lower strand (in the case of an odd number of teeth and with a angle of wrap of 180° the lower strand would run with about double the irregularity as a conventional, i.e. not polygonally-compensated drive).
The angle of wrap can also deviate from 180° under the condition that the effective lever arms are identical for the upper and lower strands. This means that the number of teeth and the angle of wrap must be adapted for this case. When this condition is fulfilled, uniform chain velocities will result in the upper and the lower strand, which are requisite for smooth running of the escalator/the moving sidewalk.
The same rule also applies to the non-driven redirecting or idler station (with escalators it is usually the lower landing station) as to the driven chain wheel 2 . Again, it is crucial to provide for identical effective lever arms. This also applies in the case where a chain wheel 3 is not used for redirecting, but a non-toothed, stationary-mounted or spring-loaded/elastically-mounted redirecting arc 20 is used. This means that the radii or diameters of the redirecting arc must be configured in such a way while also taking the diameter of the chain wheels into account, that the link center points of the chain 1 run on a corresponding pitch circle corresponding to that of a chain wheel having the corresponding number of teeth.
Since the chain wheels 2 , 3 do not run at a constant angular velocity and this effect becomes greater the smaller the number of teeth, care must be taken that they are configured to be as light as possible, i.e. having only a small moment of inertia, so that the disturbing forces exerted by them on the chains/steps/pallets, are as small as possible. In particular, weight optimization must be observed for the points further removed from the pivot point, and weight reduction recesses or the like must be provided, if necessary.
Due to the polygonal contact of chain 1 , in particular with large links, on the chain wheels 2 , 3 , usually the axle distance between the chain wheels 2 , 3 changes from tooth engagement to tooth engagement. The chain 1 always has a constant length, apart from elastic expansion. The drive chain wheels are usually mounted in a stationary manner, and the idler chain wheels are resilient and linearly moveable on the fixture 10 . The idler chain wheels therefore make a linear movement from pitch to pitch. This is the larger the greater the chain pitch and the smaller the number of teeth on the chain wheel.
In conventional escalators having a relatively small chain pitch and a relatively large number of teeth, as the case may be, this problem does not need to be addressed.
Since the pitch may be very large in an escalator (or moving sidewalk) according to the present invention, namely 1/1 or 1/2 of the step/pallet pitch, and the number of teeth may be very small, namely up to 6 or 4, the linear movement of the second chain wheel 3 acting as the idler wheel or the redirecting arc 20 can be so large that it will develop into a component disruptive for the smooth running of the escalator/the moving sidewalk. Disturbing mass forces result from this large linear movement of the redirecting station, and disturbing noises may also arise. The constellation is particularly disadvantageous if the drive and idler chain wheels have the same angular position (measured, for example, by angle α or β of a chain wheel corner relative to the horizontal).
This is why the relative angular position α, β of the chain wheels 2 , 3 must be observed, i.e., it should be opposed in phase: about half of a pitch angle (±20%) must be between the angular position of the first chain wheel 2 and that of the second chain wheel 3 (pitch angle=360° divided by the number of teeth). This means that the axle distance, the lifting height and the length of the chains must be adapted to each other.
Further, the first and second chain wheels 2 , 3 should have the same number of teeth, if possible. Deviations from the same number of teeth within a range of ±30% are tolerable.
Furthermore, guiding of the chains is important. The guides 18 , 19 used in an exemplary embodiment of the escalator according to the present invention have the effect that the chain 1 runs onto the chain wheels 2 , 3 a little above the minimum effective lever arm. Furthermore, they are optionally curved at their ends, which has the effect that a velocity component in a radial direction is applied to the chain 1 shortly before contacting the chain wheels 2 , 3 , or after running off the chain wheels 2 , 3 . The impact component of the chain link points into the tooth spaces of the chain wheels, or onto the guides 18 , 19 is therefore substantially reduced, which leads to considerably lower noise and more advantageous running properties.
Chain guides which cause the chains to run tangentially onto the chain wheels and therefore reduce entry noise (chain on chain wheel) cannot be used in an escalator according to the present invention, because due to the low number of teeth of the chain wheels and the resulting ratios of angles the stresses for the wheels become too great, or the wheels would have to be dimensioned for these stresses, which would make them very expensive. Moreover, a large oscillating movement of the redirecting station would result from this arrangement of the guides, which would lead to the above mentioned drawbacks.
In an escalator according to the present invention, the correct height of the guides 18 , 19 between the minimum and maximum effective lever arm is near the minimum lever arm. If they are set at the correct height, the result is that the oscillating movement of the redirecting station approaches zero when the machine is running, which greatly improves smooth running. Moreover, the wheels are only slightly stressed with this arrangement of the guides. This means that relatively cheap wheels can be used.
The optimum height of the chain guides is determined as follows: The chain links are pivoted about a predetermined angle, when they leave the guides 18 , 19 . It is possible to draw or conceive small rectangular triangles there, the hypotenuse of which is the chain link in question, wherein one of the small sides is formed by the horizontal. All quantities may also be calculated with the aid of the angular functions. The sum of the horizontal small sides is now formed and various angular positions of the chain wheels are determined within a pitch angle. It is now imagined that the chains continue running another little bit and the chain wheels rotate further until they have rotated about a pitch angle. A pitch angle of about 60°, for example, is thus subdivided into 20 steps of 3° each, for example. The height of the guides is now changed until the sum of the horizontal small sides results in a value which is as constant as possible over the various angular positions. Where these deviations have reached their minimum, the linear movement of the idler chain wheels/the redirecting station is also at its minimum.
In real escalators, polygonal effects would also have to be taken into account, if any, which result in the transitions from horizontal to inclined portions (redirecting radii) when the chains run through the chain guides.
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An escalator includes a plurality of steps or panels, a chain for driving the steps or panels, at least one chain wheel around which the chain is deflected and wherein the chain, starting from the chain wheel, forms an upper strand and a lower strand. There is also provided a device for the polygonal compensation of the movement of the at least one chain wheel. The effective lever arm of the chain on the at least one chain wheel in the upper strand is substantially equal to the effective lever arm of the chain on the at least one chain wheel in the lower strand.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to the following co-pending applications, with some common inventors, and the same assignee. The teaching of the following applications listed below are herein incorporated by reference:
[0002] U.S. application Ser. No.: not yet assigned, filed Sep. 22, 2008, entitled “Suitcase with Integrated Pull-Out Backpack.”
[0003] U.S. application Ser. No.: not yet assigned, filed Sep. 22, 2008, entitled “Suspension Divider Insert.”
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] 1. Field of the Invention
[0005] The invention relates generally to mounts, stands and support attachments for cameras and similar devices.
[0006] 2. Background of the Invention
[0007] The following list provides examples of devices capable of utilizing a tripod or stabilizing mount: camera, flashes, video recorders, civil engineering equipment for leveling and surveying, laser equipment for tracking, optical equipment, astronomical equipment, telescopes, binocular, lab equipment, calibration equipment, lighting equipment, reflective devices, shading devices, and monitoring equipment. It should be noted that the list of devices above is not an exhaustive list of devices that can be utilized with the invention. The invention described herein can apply to usage with each of the above, and the teaching is the same for each application, but for the sake of simplicity, the invention is further described in detail for usage with cameras, camera equipment and accessories.
[0008] Many professional photographers find that a tripod is a useful accessory in their daily work. With sports photographers, a tripod or monopod is necessary to support the weight of large lenses, for example, 500 and 600 mm lenses. With night photography, for example, well lit night-time shots are extremely difficult to achieve without the use of a tripod or other stabilizing mount. In other instances, it provides a photographer with hands-free or remote usage of the mounted equipment, for example with flashes, lighting, or calibration equipment. The tripod or mount is a useful, if not essential piece of equipment for the professional and serious amateur photographers.
[0009] The camera bag or camera suitcase is also a useful piece of equipment for photographers. A suitcase, for example, is used to store, protect, and organize a photographer's camera equipment and accessories, and as such, is also an essential component to the professional or avid amateur photographer. Therefore, a combination of the two, a suitcase with an integrated camera mount provides two pieces of useful equipment in a single unit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a suitcase optimized for cameras and camera accessories is integrated with a handle adapted for use as a camera mount.
[0011] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a suitcase is integrated with a retractable handle adapted for use as a camera mount in combination with a set of wheels to facilitate mobility.
[0012] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a suitcase is integrated with a handle adapted for use as a camera mount in combination with an attached telescoping foot to provide additional stability for the mounted camera.
[0013] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, a suitcase handle is integrated with a photographer's tripod. In this embodiment, the handle is fixed to a tripod, with the tripod positioned as to replace the suitcase trolley system. The tripod is therefore removable from the main suitcase, enabling its independent usage. In this way, the user is able to utilize a weight and space savings by eliminating the excess trolley system.
[0014] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the invention, the handle mount mechanism detaches and contains the mechanical members of a small fold-out travel tripod.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The drawings illustrate the design and utility of embodiments of the invention, in which similar elements are referred to by common reference numerals and in which:
[0016] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrates a suitcase handle with threaded mounting hole and a camera mounting accessory in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 illustrates a suitcase handle mount with a mounted camera in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 illustrates a suitcase with retractable handle mount with a mounted camera in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
[0019] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrates a suitcase with pivoting and telescoping prop foot in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 5A-D provides examples of different embodiments of the suitcase handle mount within the scope of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] Various embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to the figures. It should be noted that the figures are not drawn to scale and elements of similar structures or functions are represented by like reference numerals throughout the figures. It should also be noted that the figures are only intended to facilitate the description of specific embodiments of the invention. The embodiments are not intended as an exhaustive description of the invention or as a limitation on the scope of the invention. In addition, an aspect described in conjunction with a particular embodiment of the invention is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced in any other embodiment of the invention.
[0022] Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1A illustrates a suitcase handle 100 with a mount hole 105 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The mount hole 105 is built into the handle in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. The mount hole 105 utilizes universal threading in a one-quarter inch screw (¼-20 mount screw), common in the industry for use with cameras, camera accessories, and other devices featuring universal mounting members. Alternatively, the mount hole 105 may feature engaging means other than a threaded hole, including but not limited to the following: magnetic mechanism, buckles, clips, snaps, latches, hooks, vacuum mechanism, adhesive mechanisms, locks, and cable ties.
[0023] The suitcase handle 100 is typical of suitcase handles well known in the travel bag industry, and can be molded or manufactured from a variety of materials to any desired shape and size. Although a suitcase handle 100 is shown, the handle can be adapted for use with any bag or case with a handle, including but not limited to the following: bags, satchels, purses, suitcases, hard cases, soft cases, backpacks, side packs, messenger bags, rolling duffle bags, and rolling backpacks. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the mount hole 105 can be optionally covered with a mount hole port cover to conceal the hole as desired for design and aesthetic purposes.
[0024] FIG. 1B illustrates a suitcase handle 100 with threaded mount hole 105 and a mounting adapter 110 in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown, mounting adapter 110 features universal one-quarter inch screw and threading at both ends for attachment to mount hole 105 , as well as to camera mounts and other devices featuring universal mounting members. As is the case with mount hole 105 , although universal one-quarter inch screw and threading is illustrated for mounting adapter 110 , mounting adapter 110 can be adapted to feature other engaging means, including but not limited to the following: magnetic mechanism, buckles, clips, snaps, latches, hooks, vacuum mechanism, adhesive mechanisms, locks, cable ties, and different sized and threaded screws.
[0025] It should be noted that while mount hole 105 and mount adapter 110 are shown as two separate components, it is contemplated the two elements can be combined into a single unit, adapted to be directly attached to camera mounts and other device mounts. This variation and others is described below as additional embodiments of the invention, and is within the scope of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 2 illustrates a suitcase handle mount 100 with a mounted camera in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. One embodiment of the present invention is shown in use with a mounted single lens reflex (SLR) camera. Mounting adapter 110 is screwed into mount hole 105 . The mounting adapter 110 is also screwed into the SLR camera mount hole. The in-use example of the present invention in FIG. 2 demonstrates various uses for the mount, including but not limited to, remote shooting, hands-free shooting, and long exposure shooting. While the mounting adapter 110 shown provides a single position for the mounted device, mounting adapter 110 can be adapted for use with a variety of mount heads, including but not limited to the following: pan and tilt heads with one or more levers, ball and socket heads, grip action ball and socket heads, panoramic heads, and gimbal heads.
[0027] FIG. 3 illustrates a suitcase with retractable handle mount with a mounted camera in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. One embodiment of the present invention is shown in use with a mounted SLR camera. As shown, the suitcase 115 features suitcase handle 100 affixed to retracting mechanism 120 capable of being quickly and easily stored within a concealed compartment in suitcase 115 . Additionally, FIG. 3 illustrates one end of mounting adapter 110 screwed into mount hole 105 , and the opposite end of mounting adapter 110 screwed into the SLR camera mount hole. One advantage of the present invention is that it eliminates the need for a photographer to carry a tripod with his camera gear. The present invention stores and protects the photographer's gear in a mobile case while also serving as a universal mount.
[0028] It should be noted that while retracting mechanism 120 is shown as a single unit at a fixed height, it is contemplated retracting mechanism 120 can be moved to different levels or may be modified as a telescoping mechanism, capable of achieving heights at levels greater than twice the height of the suitcase or bag.
[0029] FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrates a suitcase with pivoting and telescoping prop foot in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As illustrated in FIG. 4A , suitcase 115 features prop foot 125 affixed the backside. Prop foot 125 rests in a first position flush against suitcase 115 for storage when not in use. For use, prop foot 125 pivots and rotates away from suitcase 115 , and telescoping foot member 130 pulls out and elongates to provide additional stability when oversized and/or heavy equipment is mounted on the suitcase handle. Although a single prop foot 125 is shown affixed to suitcase 115 , multiple prop feet may be attached to provide the desired aesthetics or functionality.
[0030] FIG. 4B illustrates a suitcase with prop foot 125 in an open position with a mounted camera in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown, one embodiment of the present invention is shown in use with a mounted SLR camera. The suitcase 115 features suitcase handle 100 affixed to retracting mechanism 120 . Additionally, one end of mounting adapter 110 is screwed into mount hole 105 , and the opposite end of mounting adapter 110 is screwed into a camera mount hole of a SLR camera with a large telephoto lens. Suitcase 115 also features prop foot 120 . When in use, as shown, prop foot 120 is pivoted away from suitcase 115 and telescoping foot member 130 is fully extended to provide further stability for the mounted SLR camera.
[0031] FIG. 5A-D provides examples of different embodiments of the suitcase handle mount within the scope of the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 5A illustrates a suitcase handle with a built-in mounting adapter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 5A , mounting adapter 155 is built into suitcase handle 150 . Mounting adapter 155 features an integrated threaded mount screw 156 and integrated dial 157 for rotating the threaded mount screw. Additionally, mounting adapter 165 can be swiveled around to conceal the threaded mount screw when not in use.
[0033] FIG. 5B illustrates a suitcase handle with a built-in mounting adapter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 5B , mounting adapter 165 is built into suitcase handle 160 . Mounting adapter 165 is molded specifically to fit and lock into an oppositely molded suitcase handle 160 . Mounting adapter 165 also features an integrated threaded mount screw 166 . The design allows mounting adapter 166 to be fixedly mounted to a camera or camera accessory, and yet, quickly and easily attached or detached from suitcase handle 160 .
[0034] FIG. 5C illustrates a suitcase handle with a built-in mounting adapter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 5C , mounting adapter 175 is built into suitcase handle 170 . Mounting adapter 175 features an integrated threaded mount screw 166 . Additionally, mounting adapter 175 can be swiveled around to conceal the threaded mount screw when not in use. Mounting adapter 175 includes swivel button 177 that, when depressed, releases a lock that allows mounting adapter 175 to swivel.
[0035] FIG. 5D illustrates a suitcase handle with a built-in mounting adapter in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. As shown in FIG. 5D , mounting adapter 185 is built into suitcase handle 180 . Mounting adapter 185 is a flip-out member that sits flush with suitcase handle 180 in a substantially vertical position when stored, and also, rotates away from the side of suitcase handle 180 to a substantially horizontal position when in use. Mounting adapter 185 features an integrated threaded mount screw 186 .
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The invention relates generally to mounts, stands and support attachments for cameras and similar devices. More specifically, a suitcase optimized for cameras and camera accessories is integrated with a handle adapted for use as a camera mount.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/946,660, filed Jun. 27, 2007.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to bathroom vanities and in particular to an adjustable width vanity and method for securing same.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Bathroom vanities are the countertops used typically with bathroom sinks and mirrors. Bathroom vanities, particularly those in hotels, are placed in a stall that has a left wall, a right wall, and rear wall.
[0006] In hotels, there can be a need to install thousands of similar vanities into the many rooms. When the size of the stall is universal, one sized vanity can be manufactured in quantity for discount and installed in all of the stalls.
[0007] Unfortunately, in many hotels the size of the stalls is not universal. That is, the stalls may come in a range of widths. Despite the different sizes, hoteliers are still seeking a vanity that can be provided at the low cost afforded by bulk manufacturing. Accordingly, there is a need for a vanity that can be in stalls having a range of widths.
[0008] U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,381 to Fitzgerald, Sr. teaches a, “Universal Fixture Support.” The support provides a means for support the weight of a fixture (i.e. a sink) with the floor rather than the wall. The fixture support is unable to telescope to accommodate different heights of roofs.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 5,050,253 to Wasek teaches an, “Adjustable Vanity.” The device provides a means for adjusting the height of a sink. The adjustable vanity is unable to telescope to accommodate different heights of roofs.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,109 teaches a, “Vertically Adjustable Lavatory Assembly.” The device describes a motorized assembly for moving a lavatory along a track. The vertically adjustable lavatory assembly is unable to telescope to accommodate different heights of roofs.
[0011] U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,290 to Mullick et al. teaches “Movable Bathroom Fixtures.” Rails are provided within a room to allow fixtures to be changed as desired. The movable fixtures unable to telescope to fit into stalls with different widths.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,549 to McMurtrie et al. teaches a, “Modular Frame Construction and Installation of Bathroom Fixtures.” The system provides a system for interlocking fixtures. The system does not provide a system of telescoping widths to accommodate different sized stalls.
[0013] U.S. Patent Application Publication 2004/0222179 to Garcia teaches a, “Modular Rack System.” The rack has two legs. Items (i.e. boards) are placed on and span the legs for drying after being painted or stained. The legs rest on the floor. No vanity is taught. Likewise, the system suggests no solution for installation into bathroom stalls having a range of widths.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an adjustable width vanity and a method for installing an adjustable width vanity that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type.
[0015] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, an adjustable width vanity that can have its width adjusted to be installable in stalls having different widths.
[0016] The vanity includes a main body and at least one side unit. The main body has a countertop. Typical cutouts can be made in the countertop for addition of a washbasin and faucets. The side unit telescopes laterally relative to the main body so that the overall width of the main body and side unit(s) span the width of the stall.
[0017] In accordance with a further object of the invention, an adjustable width vanity with a main body and two laterally opposed (i.e. a left and a right) side units is particularly useful for installation. First, each side unit is installed on a respective side wall of the stall. Then, the main body is rested on the side units, moved into place, and then fastened together. By installing the side units first, the weight of the main body can be born by the side units, rather than the installer.
[0018] In accordance with a further object of the invention, the side units are connected to the side walls of the stall. In cases where the rear wall of the stall is tiled or made of stone, the installer may not want to fasten the vanity to the rear wall. The adjustable width vanity is installed on the side walls of the stall. While it may be additionally connected to the rear wall of the stall, the adjustable width vanity does not necessarily need to be so attached.
[0019] In accordance with a further object of the invention, a socket and closing bracket can be used to connect a main body of to side units of the adjustable width vanity. A socket is placed on one of the main body and the side unit; a support is placed on the other of the main body and the side unit; then the support and the socket are connected. The socket includes a c-channel. The support seats in the c-channel. A closing bracket is then added to lock the support in the c-channel.
[0020] In accordance with a further object of the invention, the support has a flange for limiting travel of the support relative to the bracket. The flange abuts the bracket when the side unit is moved to a maximum width relative to the main body. The flange prevents the support from being overtelescoped in which case the main body could become unsupported by the side unit and fall to the ground.
[0021] In accordance with a further object of the invention, the bracket can have a c-channel opening rearward. When a rearward-opening c-channel is connected to the main body, the main body can be placed on the side units and pushed rearward. As the main body moves rearward, the rearward opening c-channels will receive the supports that are connected to the side units.
[0022] If the bracket is connected to the side units and the supports are connected to the main body, then forward opening c-channels are preferred. In this configuration, the supports move into the c-channels as the main body is pushed rearward during installation.
[0023] In accordance with a further object of the invention, a method for installing an adjustable width vanity in a stall having two opposing sidewalls and a rear wall is encompassed. The first step includes fastening the side unit to a first of the opposing sidewalls of the stall. The next step involves fastening a second side unit to the other wall of the stall. In the next step, the main body is connected to the two side sections by placing the main body on the side units and then pushing it rearward. Typically, the main body is pushed rearward to abut the rear wall of the stall.
[0024] The method can further include engaging supports on one of the side unit and the main body into sockets located on the other of the side unit and the main body.
[0025] In accordance with a further object of the invention, the method of installation can include connecting a closing bracket to the main body or side unit after sliding the support into the bracket in order to secure the support in the bracket.
[0026] Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0027] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in an adjustable width vanity and a method for securing an adjustable width vanity, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, because 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.
[0028] 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
[0029] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front perspective view of a variable width vanity according to the invention.
[0030] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the variable width vanity shown in FIG. 1 .
[0031] FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of the vanity shown in FIG. 1 .
[0032] FIG. 4 is a rear exploded view of the vanity shown in FIG. 3 .
[0033] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a socket according to the invention.
[0034] FIG. 6 is perspective view of the socket shown in FIG. 5 with a closing bracket.
[0035] FIG. 7 is a right side view of a side section seated in a socket and closing bracket.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0036] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIGS. 1-3 thereof, there is seen an adjustable width vanity. The adjustable width vanity includes a main body 200 and two laterally opposed (i.e. a left and a right) side units 100 . A shelf assembly 300 can be included as well.
[0037] The main body 200 includes a countertop 203 . The countertop 203 has a washbasin cutout 208 formed therein. A washbasin 205 is attached beneath the countertop 203 . Alternatively, a drop-in sink or a vessel that rests on the countertop 203 could be used. Fixture cutouts 206 are formed in the countertop 203 . Preferably, there are three fixture cutouts 206 : one for a faucet, one for a hot-water knob, and one for a cold-water knob. A counter face 204 (also known as a valance) is connected to a front edge of the countertop 203 . The counter face 204 hides plumbing and the side units 100 from sight. A lip 207 is disposed along a rear edge of the main body 200 . The lip 207 abuts the rear wall of the stall.
[0038] The width of the main body 200 is approximately the same width or slightly narrower than the narrowest possible stall in which the adjustable width vanity is to be installed. By sizing the width of the main body 200 in this way, the adjustable width vanity can be guaranteed to fit in any stall. Furthermore, by matching the width of the stall, the amount of the side units 100 that is visible is minimized.
[0039] The shelf assembly 300 is an optional addition to the adjustable width vanity. The shelf assembly 300 includes a plurality of shelves 301 . The shelves rest on respective shelf frames 302 . The shelf assembly 300 has shelf upper legs 303 and shelf lower legs 304 . Telescoping feet 305 telescope into the shelf lower legs 304 and allow the height of the legs to be adjustable.
[0040] FIG. 7 shows the side unit 100 in detail. The side unit includes a support top 104 , a support rear 108 , a support face 105 , and a lateral face 102 . A side-unit frame 107 reinforces the support top 104 , the support rear 108 , the support face 105 , and the lateral face 102 . The lateral face 102 has predrilled holes 103 . The lateral face 102 is attached to the lateral wall of a stall by drilling screws into the lateral walls of the stall using the predrilled holes 103 . Preferably, the support rear 108 is also attached to the rear wall of the stall. The support face 105 hides the underlying mechanism and piping from sight.
[0041] Supports 101 extend medially (i.e. orthogonally) from the lateral face 102 . Preferably, at least two supports 101 are included. The two supports 101 are parallel to each other and level with each other. Braces 109 reinforce the supports 101 and connect at a diagonal to both the supports 101 and the side-unit frame 107 . A flange 106 is located at the end of each support 101 . The flange 106 acts as a stop to prevent the support 101 from being overextended.
[0042] FIG. 5 shows a socket 201 . The socket 201 is connected to an underside of the countertop 203 . The socket 201 includes a c-channel 2011 . The c-channel 2011 is shaped to receive a support 101 . A spine 2012 reinforces the c-channel 2011 . A base 2013 is included to fasten the socket 201 to the underside of the countertop 203 . The c-channel 2011 preferably opens facing the rear wall of the stall.
[0043] FIG. 6 shows a closing bracket 202 and how it works in conjunction with the socket 201 . The closing bracket 202 is formed by a mounting plate 2023 connected to a cantilever 2021 . The mounting plate 2023 has holes 2022 preformed therein. Screws, which are not shown, are inserted through the holes 2022 to fasten the closing bracket 202 to the underside of the countertop 203 . The cantilever 2021 is used to close the opening of the c-channel 2011 after the support 101 is installed in the c-channel 2011 . So, the closing bracket 202 is installed after the support 101 has been installed in the c-channel 2011 . A bolt 2024 with a tip 2026 is threaded through the cantilever 2021 . The bolt 2024 has a socket 2025 , which is preferably hexagonal for receiving an Allen wrench. The bolt 2024 is tightened so that the tip 2026 forms a firm abutment with the support 101 . The bolt 2024 prevents the support 101 from wiggling within the c-channel 2011 . FIG. 7 shows the supports 101 installed in brackets 101 with a closing bracket 202 installed.
[0044] FIGS. 2 and 4 illustrate an initial step in the installation of the adjustable width vanity. In the first step, each side unit 100 is connected to a respective lateral wall in a stall. The stall is not shown. When installing the side units 100 , normal carpentry techniques are used to align and level the side units to each other at the same height and distance (preferably abutting) from the rear wall of the stall.
[0045] In the next step, the main body 200 , and in particular the countertop 203 , is rested on the supports 101 . The main body 200 is then pushed towards the rear of the stall. The c-channels 2011 of the sockets 201 become engaged with supports 101 as the main body 203 is moved rearward. The closing bracket 202 is then installed at least on the front supports 101 to secure the main body 200 to the side units 100 . The final installed position can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 .
[0046] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.
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An adjustable width vanity has a main body that can be positioned relative to a side unit so that the overall width of the vanity can be adjusted to fit within a variety of stalls having different widths.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to winches having a powered rotatable drum for winding in and releasing a cable or the like and more particularly to a winch system of the type in which the drum is driven and controlled by means of fluid pressure-operated clutches and brakes.
2. Prior Art
Prior application Ser. No. 334,354 of L. F. Yates et al., filed Feb. 21, 1973 for "WINCH WITH FREE-WHEELING DRUM" now abandoned and co-pending application Ser. No. 662,320 of L. F. Yates et al., filed Mar. 1, 1976 for "WINCH WITH FREE-WHEELING DRUM" as a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 334,354, both assigned to the assignee of the preent application, disclose a winch assembly which is driven by an engine through a drive train having a normally disengaged input clutch which engages in response to fluid pressure to enter a Reel-In mode where it reels in cable. The driven train also includes a normally engaged brake for immobilizing the winch drum and providing a Brake-On mode but which releases in response to fluid pressure in other modes of operation. In addition to the Brake-On and Reel-In modes of operation, the brake alone may be pressurized to effect a Brake-Off mode in which load forces pulling on the line may unwind cable against the limited resistance created by the drag of the drive train components. This limited resistance prevents excess unwinding of cable caused by a load, by drum momentum, or motivated by other causes, but is sufficiently strong that it is difficult or impossible to withdraw cable manually while such resistance is present. Accordingly, the drive train connects to the winch itself through a disconnect clutch which is normally engaged but which may be disengaged by fluid pressure to allow manual unreeling of cable from the drum without working against a substantial resistance thus providing a Free-Spool (or Disconnect) mode. This form of winch assembly is highly useful on a log skidder vehicle, for example, which is used to drag logs from the site of a lumbering operation and also has substantial advantages in other contexts.
Prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,608 discloses a hydraulic control system for a winch assembly of this kind in which a manually operated control valve may be shifted between a series of positions to pressurize and depressurize appropriate ones of the clutches and brake of the drive train in order to accomplish the several operational modes described above. The valve settings include Reel-In, Brake-On, Brake-Off and Free-Spool and are realized by movement of a control lever or the like. For safety reasons as well as for convenience of operation, centering springs urge the control valve towards the Brake-On position so that if the operator releases his control lever or the like, the winch is automatically immobilized.
The operator of these winch systems must pay careful attention to the position of his control lever or the like in order to control movement of a load in a safe and efficient manner. It is particularly important to avoid movement of the lever into the Disconnect position through misjudgment while a load is pulling on the cable to be released, creating unwanted slack, when dropping of the load stops or slows. Diversion of the operator's visual attention in order to guard against this occurrence is undesirable in many cses, particularly in such usages as on a log skidder where the operator must pay attention to controlling the vehicle itself in addition to operating the winch.
U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 574,807 of Edward E. Flesburg, filed May 5, 1975 for "WINCH AND FLUID CONTROL SYSTEM THEREFOR", commonly assigned herewith, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,004,779 issued Jan. 25, 1977, discloses means which enable the operator of such winch systems to determine when the control lever is approaching the Free-Spool position without necessarily relying on visual observation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It has been discovered by us that in a winch system including at least some of the features as discussed above, and which includes a one way clutch between the normally engaged brake and a stationary support therefor which disengages the brake from the support when the winch is in the Reel-In mode thus allowing the plates of the brake to rotate freely in the Reel-In mode, a particular problem arises when the system is shifted from the Reel-In mode into the Brake-On mode, namely the viscous drag of hydraulic fluid, specifically of lubricating oil, on rotating members of the drive train causes the winch drum to continue to rotate in a Reel-In direction even in said Brake-On mode due to the designed slippage in said one way clutch. This is of course a serious problem since when an operator shifts a winch system into a Brake-On mode it is highly desirable that he be able to then directly and immediately brake the winch drum. We have thus concluded that it would be highly desirable to provide a winch system which had the advantage of being operable in a Reel-In mode even when the brake was engaged but would assure that the winch would not rotate in a reel-in direction in the Brake-On mode.
The present invention provides auxiliary brake means for stopping rotation of a winch drum caused by viscous drag of the hydraulic lubricating fluid on drive members of a winch system along with fluid flow directing means which serves to control actuation and de-actuation of the auxiliary brake means in proper correlated sequence with the shifting of the winch system into any of a Brake-On, Reel-In, Brake-Off and, in a preferred embodiment Free-Spool, mode of operation.
More particularly, the invention is concerned with an important in a winch and fluid control system which comprises (1) a rotatable drum for receiving and releasing a cable, (2) drive means for supporting said drum and for selectively transmitting rotatry drive thereto, said drive means including a brake, (3) a source of presurized fluid, (4) control valve means having inlet means communicating with said source of pressurized fluid and having outlet means, said control valve means having valving element means shiftable between at least three positions including a Brake-On position, a Reel-In position, and a Brake-Off position and (5) winch lubricating means communicating said source of pressurized fluid with said winch. Preferably the valve means is also shiftable to a Free-Spool position. The improvement of the present invention comprises a one-way clutch associated with said brake allowing said drum to rotate in a reel-in direction when said brake is engaged; auxiliary drag brake means for stopping reel-in rotation of said drum caused by viscous drag of hydraulic fluid on said drive means when said valving element means is in said Brake-On position; and fluid flow directing means intermediate said winch lubricating means and said auxiliary drag brake means which directs a flow of pressurized fluid from said winch lubricating means to engage said auxiliary drag brake means responsive to shifting of said valving element means to said Brake-ON position and directs said flow of pressurized fluid from said winch lubricating means to said auxiliary drag brake means to disengage said auxiliary drag brake means responsive to shifting of said valving means to any of said Brake-Off, Reel-In and, when provided, Free-Spool positions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will be better understood by reference to the figures of the drawings wherein like numbers denote like parts throughout and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates in a side elevation view a log skidder vehicle equipped with a winch system including an auxiliary brake in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates in a schematic diagram the winch system of FIG. 1 showing the interconnection of drive train and control mechanism elements between the winch drum and the driving engine;
FIG. 3 illustrates in a sectional view a control valve for supplying appropriate fluid pressure to control mechanisms of FIG. 2 in response to movement of an operator's control lever and shows the valve in the Brake-On position at which the winch drum is immobilized. FIG. 3 may be juxtaposed end-to-end with FIG. 2 to form a single figure in which fluid conduit interconnections between the control valve and winch system are readily apparent;
FIG. 4 illustrates in a sectional view the control valve of FIG. 3 after shifting to a Free-Spool position at which there is no significant resistance to turning of the winch drum and at which cable may readily be withdrawn from the winch drum;
FIG. 5 illustrates in an end view the structural configuration of fluid flow directing means in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 6 illustrates details in structure of the preferred fluid flow directing means in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The winch system of the present invention was initially developed for use on a log skidder vehicle and will therefore be described in that particular context for purposes of example, it being apparent that the apparatus may also be employed on diverse other forms of load-manipulating equipment. Referring initially to FIG. 1, a log skidder vehicle 11 is normally used in lumbering operations primarily for dragging heavy logs away from the site of tree-felling operations. For this purpose, the vehicle is provided with a rotatable winch drum 12 having a length of cable 13 wound thereon.
As is understood by those skilled in the art, it is necessary at times to immobilize the winch drum 12 so that the vehicle may be used to drag a log while at other times cable 13 must be reeled in by driving the drum from a suitable engine such as the vehicle engine 14. At other times it is necessary to release cable from the winch drum 12. If the cable is to be withdrawn from the drum by the weight of the load pulling on the cable, it is desirable that there be some limited resistance to drum rotation. Such resistance prevents overly fast or erratic release of cable and prevents momentum from causing an excess amount of cable to be released when load movement slows or stops. However, there is another cable release mode of operation in which any sizable resistance to rotation of the winch drum 12 is undesirable. This occurs when there is no load fastened to the cable 13 and it is necessary to manually withdraw cable from the drum 12. Under those circumstances, it is desirable that the operator not have to pull against any significant resistance.
The above-identified prior applications Ser. Nos. 334,354 and 662,320 and prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,608 disclose a winch mechanism construction and a hydraulic control system therefor and the present system may be essentially similar and may if desired include the control valve modifications of the above-identified copending application Ser. No. 574,807. In this form of winch system, an operator may manipulate a single control lever 16 to establish any of the above-described modes of winch operation. The control lever 16 is pivotable along an arc 16' and has a centered position which is the Brake-On position at which the winch drum is immobilized. The lever 16 may be pivoted to a Reel-In position and may be pivoted to a Brake-Off position at which cable may be withdrawn by load forces pulling on the cable although substantial resistance to such withdrawal must be overcome for reasons to be hereinafter described. In order to free the winch drum from any significant resistance so that cable may readily be withdrawn manually, the control lever may be shifted through the Brake-Off position to an extreme forward setting which is the Free-Spool position. As will hereinafter be described this provides means which substantially increases the resistance to forward lever movement just prior to entering the Free-Spool position to assure that the operator is aware that the lever is about to go to that position.
Referring now to FIG. 2, the winch drum 12 may be supported on a rotatable drive shaft 21 by bearings 22. Except in the Free-Spool mode of operation, the drum 12 is caused to rotate with the drive shaft by a normally engaged jaw clutch 23. Clutch 23 may be of the known form in which an annular member 24 carrying teeth 26 is coupled to the drum while another member 27 is coupled to drive shaft 21 through splines 28 which enable axial movement relative to the drive shaft. Member 27 carries teeth 29 and is spring-biased to a position at which the teeth 29 engage teeth 26. The jaw clutch 23 may be selectively disengaged by pressurization of a fluid actuator 31 which then forces the member 27 out of engagement with member 24 to disconnect the drum from the drive shaft.
To transmit drive from engine 14 to drum 12 when it is desired to reel in cable, the engine turns a winch system input member 32 which is secured on an input shaft 33 that is in turn supported by bearings 34. Shaft 33 also carries a transfer gear 36 which engages another transfer gear 37 to transmit drive to an input member 38 of a normally disengaged input clutch 39 of the friction disc type. Clutch 39 has one or more output discs 41 which are spline-connected to an output shaft 42 for axial movement thereon and which are spring-biased towards a position at which the disc or discs are free of engagement with input member 38. Input clutch 39 may be selectively engaged by pressurizing a fluid actuator 43 which then urges output disc 41 towards input member 38 to effect engagement.
Shaft 42, supported by another bearing 44, carries a transfer gear 46 which engages another transfer gear 47 secured to a shaft 48 which is supported by still another bearing 49. Drive is transmitted from shaft 48 to the winch drum drive shaft 21 through a bevel gear 51 on shaft 48 which engages another bevel gear 52 on shaft 21.
To provide for immobilizing the winch drum when necessary, a normally engaged brake mechanism 53 is coupled to shaft 42 through a pair of gears 57 and 58. A stationary shaft 54 carries the gear 57 supported on a bearing 56 which engages the gear 58 carried on the shaft 42. The brake mechanism 53 may be of the friction disc type which includes one or more brake discs 59 spline-coupled to brake shaft 54 for axial movement thereon and spring-biased towards a position at which each disc 59 is urged against a brake disc 61. Brake mechanism 53 may be selectively disengaged by pressurization of a fluid actuator 62 which then urges discs 59 away from discs 61.
With all actuators 31, 43 and 62 unpressurized, the system is in the Brake-On mode of operation at which winch drum 12 is immobilized by brake 53 except for reel-in operation as will be explained below. By pressurizing actuator 43, the Reel-In mode is established at which drive is transmitted to drum 12 to reel in cable. Pressurization of actuator 62 is unnecessary as will be explained below. When a load is pulling on the cable 13, cable may be released by pressurizing only actuator 62 to disengage brake 53 and establish the Brake-Off mode. In this mode of operation, there is a limited degree of resistance to release of the cable due to the drag created by the frictional resistance and inertia of the gearing system coupled to the drum through disconnect clutch 23. That resistance is typically sufficiently high that it is very difficult or impossible to manually withdraw cable from the drum when there is no load pulling on the cable. To facilitate such manual withdrawal of cable, actuator 31 may be pressurized to establish the Free-Spool mode at which the drum is uncoupled from drum drive shaft 21 and the other elements of the drive train.
Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown a control valve 63 through which the clutch and brake actuators 31, 43 and 62 may be selectively pressurized by movement of the operator's control lever 16 to effect any of the above modes of winch operation, the control valve being shown at the Brake-On position at which all actuators are unpressurized. Control valve 63 has a valve body 64 with a bore 66 in which a valving element formed by a spool 67 is disposed. Spool 67 is shiftable along the axis of bore 66 by pivoting of control lever 16.
Valve body 64 has a fluid inlet chamber 68 and an additional bore 69 in which a pressure-modulating relief valve assembly 71 is disposed. A groove 72 in bore 66 is communicated with inlet chamber 68 and receives pressurized fluid from a pump 73 through a conduit 74. Pump 73, which may be driven by the previously described vehicle engine or other means, draws fluid from a sump 76 through a filter 77.
Modulating relief valve assembly 71 functions to establish a fluid pressure in inlet chamber 68 which is normally at a predetermined level sufficient to fully actuate the previously described clutches and brake through the associated actuators but also functions to drop the pressure in inlet chamber 68 to a lower level when the spool 67 is shifted to the Brake-On position and thereafter to produce a controlled rise of the pressure back up to the maximum level following movement of the spool away from the Brake-On position in either direction.
The modulating relief valve assembly may include a spool 78 having a pair of lands 79 and 79' separated by a groove 81, the spool being disposed for axial movement in a reduced-diameter extension 82 of bore 69. Bore extension 82 is communicated with inlet chamber 68 and, in conjunction with an edge of spool land 79', forms a flow metering passage through which fluid from the inlet chamber may be released to a discharge conduit 83 to provide lubricating oil at relatively low pressure, e.g., about 40 psig and regulate system pressure. A pair of coaxial springs 84 and 86 extend within bore 69 between the end of the spool 78 and a load piston 87 at the opposite of the bore 69 to urge the spool to a position at which land 79' blocks the release of fluid from bore extension 82. The force of springs 84 and 86 on spool 78 is opposed by fluid pressure in another chamber 88 which receives fluid from inlet chamber 68 through a check valve 89. Fluid may be gradually released from chamber 88 back into the inlet chamber 68 through a restricted flow orifice 91.
Thus the position of valve spool 78 is determined by the extent to which fluid pressure in chamber 88 acting on the spool is able to overcome the opposed force of springs 84 and 86 on the spool and thereby permit a controlled release of fluid from inlet chamber 68. The springs are selected to establish a predetermined base pressure within the inlet chamber 68 which is low in relation to the pressure required to fully actuate the previously described clutches and brake. Thus, with the load piston 87 fully to the left as viewed in FIG. 3, the fluid pressure within chamber 88 is able to shift spool 78 sufficiently to discharge fluid from inlet chamber 68 at a rate which keeps the inlet chamber pressure at a low value. If load piston 87 is then shifted rightwardly to increase the spring force on valve spool 78, the pressure within the inlet chamber 68 and in chamber 88 must rise to a higher value in order to force the spool 78 to the position at which fluid can continue to be released. Thus system pressure may be raised in a modulated manner by shifting load piston 87 progressively to the right as viewed in FIG. 3.
To control the load piston 87 so that system pressure is minimal at the Brake-On setting of lever 16 and rises in a modulated manner when the lever is moved away from that position in either direction, a chamber 92 behind the load piston at the end of bore 69 is communicated with the tank 76 through a passage 93 which extends across valve spool bore 66. Valve spool 67 has a land 94 which blocks flow through passage 93 at any position of spool 67 other than the Brake-On position. At the Brake-On position, a groove 96 on land 94 enables fluid to discharge from load piston chamber 92 through passage 93.
Load piston chamber 92 receives fluid from inlet chamber 68 through a flow orifice 97. This flow of pressurized fluid into the load piston chamber 92 does not move the load piston 87 when control spool 67 is in the Brake-On position since the load piston chamber is vented at that time through drain passage 93 and spool groove 96. However, if the control spool 67 is shifted away, in either direction, from the Brake-On position, drain passage 93 is blocked. The flow of pressurized fluid through orifice 97 then raises the pressure in chamber 92 causing the load piston 87 to move to the right as seen in FIG. 3 thereby raising the system pressure within inlet chamber 68 as described above. Accordingly, a shift of the control lever 16 in either direction away from the Brake-On position is followed by a rise of system pressure within inlet chamber 68. The pressure then remains at a high level until control spool 67 is again shifted to the Brake-On position at which the pressure behind the load piston 87 is relieved.
Considering now the action of the valving element spool 67 in distributing pressurized fluid to appropriate ones of the clutches and brake at the various positions of the spool, bore 66 has a groove 98 which is communicated with the brake actuator 62 of FIG. 2 through a brake line 99. Referring again to FIG. 3, bore 66 has an additional groove 101 which receives pressurized fluid from inlet chamber 68 through a check valve 102. Spool 67 has a series of flow-metering grooves 103 located to increasingly release pressurized fluid from groove 101 into groove 98 when the control spool is shifted toward the Brake-Off position to pressurize the brake actuator and thereby release the brake. An adjacent set of metering slots 104 on spool 67 communicate groove 98 with an adjacent drain groove 106 when the spool is at the Brake-On position thereby de-pressurizing the brake actuator and engaging the brake.
To pressurize a line 107 communicated with input clutch actuator 43 at the Reel-In position of lever 16 while venting that actuator to tank at all other positions of the lever, bore 66 has still another groove 108 communicated with line 107 and situated between the previously described fluid supply groove 72 and drain groove 106. Spool 67 has an additional land 109 positioned to block groove 108 from the supply groove 72 while communicating groove 108 with drain groove 106 at the Brake-On position of spool 67 and also at the Brake-Off and Free-Spool positions which are realized by rightward movement of spool 67 from the Brake-On position as viewed in FIG. 3. When the control spool 67 is shifted leftwardly to the Reel-In position, land 109 blocks groove 108 from the drain groove 106 and then communicates groove 108 with inlet groove 72 to pressurize the input clutch line 107.
The disconnect clutch pressurization line 111 is communicated with still another groove 112 of bore 66. Another land 113 of control spool 67 is positioned to block groove 112 from suply groove 72 while communicating groove 112 with an adjacent drain groove 114 at all positions of spool 67 other than the Free-Spool position which is realized by moving the spool to the extreme rightward position as viewed in FIG. 3. Accordingly, the disconnect clutch actuator is pressurized to release the winch drum for unresisted rotation only at the Free-Spool position of the control valve.
If the pump 73 which supplies pressurized fluid to the system should stop operating because of malfunction of the driving engine or for some other reason, the loss of pressure in the several actuator lines 99, 107 and 111 will automatically bring about the Brake-On condition at which the winch drum is immobilized. However, under this condition there may be circumstances at which the operator desires to controllably release cable from the winch to relieve the force of the load on the cable. To enable release of the brake for this purpose, another check valve 116 transmits fluid from pump 73 to an accumulator 117 which is communicated with still another groove 118 of bore 66. Two slots 119 are positioned 180° apart on spool land 94 so as not to communicate with passage 93 in reel-in position, but to transmit pressurized fluid from the accumulator to groove 101 via slots 103 to groove 98 only when the spool 67 is shifted fully to the right, as seen in FIG. 3, to the Free-Spool position. This does not interfere with operation of the system when pump 73 is delivering pressurized fluid since groove 101 is already pressurized at the Free-Spool position by other means as described above. Although the control valve is shifted to the Free-Spool position for the above-described special purpose, it should be observed that a true Free-Spool mode of operation does not result in the absence of system pressure since the disconnect clutch line 111 cannot be pressurized under that circumstance.
From the foregoing it may be seen that the clutch and brake pressurizations and de-pressurizations needed to effect the several decribed modes of which operation may be realized by simply shifting the operator's control lever 16 between the appropriate one of the four positions of the lever. In order to restore the valving element spool 67 and lever 16 to the Brake-On position automatically when the lever is released a centering spring assembly 121 is situated in a chamber 122 adjacent to the end of bore 66. Chamber 122 is of a larger diameter than the adjacent end of bore 66 and contains a sleeve 123 having a flange 123' at the end adjacent bore 66, the end of the spool 67 being extended through the sleeve in coaxial relationship therewith. Chamber 122 also contains an annular element 124 through which the end of spool 67 extends and a centering spring 126 which extends between the flange of sleeve 123 and the annular element 124 in coaxial relationship with the spool end. A sub-chamber 122' forms a lesser-diameter extension of chamber 122 and a bolt 127 extends axially from the end of spool 67 within sub-chamber 122' and has a washer 128 disposed coaxially thereon adjacent the end of the spool. Spring 126 urges a sleeve 123 and annular member 124 in opposite directions. Movement of sleeve 123 is limited by abutment of the flange 123' against one end of chamber 122 while movement of annular member 124 is limited by abutment against the other end of the same chamber. As annular 124 bears against washer 128 while sleeve flange 123' may exert a force against an adjacent land 129 of spool 67 the effect of the centering spring assembly is to continually urge the spool 67 towards the Brake-On position. If the spool 67 is shifted rightwardly as viewed in FIG. 3, land 129 acting through sleeve 123 tends to compress spring 126 while if the spool is shifted in the opposite direction, washer 128 acting through annular member 124 again tends to compress the spring. Spool travel is limited in either direction by abutment of sleeve 123 against annular member 124 as shown in FIG. 4.
Considering now the means which acts to produce an abrupt, kinesthetically detectable increase in the resistance to movement of spool 67 and control lever 16 as the Free-Spool position is approached, with reference again to FIG. 3, a sleeve 131 is disposed coaxially around bolt 127 and extends from washer 128 to another washer 132 which in turn abuts an enlarged head 133 on the end of the bolt. An annular element 134 is disposed coaxially on sleeve 131 adjacent washer 132 and a plurality of annular belleville springs 136 of conical section shape are disposed coaxially on sleeve 131 between washers 128 and 134 to resist movement of one washer towards the other with a resilient force. It will be apparent that other forms of spring may extend between the two washers 128 and 134 if desired.
Chamber extension 122' has an internal step 137 positioned to be contacted by annular element 134 upon movement of the valve spool 67 toward the Free-Spool position just prior to the time that position is reached. Accordingly, further movement of the valve spool 67 and control lever 16 into the Free-Spool position can only be accomplished by compressing the belleville springs 136 as illustrated in FIG. 4. This additional resistance to spool movement enables the operator to sense when the winch drum is about to be freed from any significant resistance against rotation so that he may terminate further control lever movement if he does not in fact desire to establish that condition.
Referring now once again to FIG. 2 there is illustrated therein in accordance with the present invention normally disengaged auxiliary brake means 140 for stopping rotation of the winch drum 12 caused by viscous drag of hydraulic fluid on drive means 142, which drive means include the normally disengaged input clutch 39, the normally engaged brake 53 and the normally engaged disconnect clutch 23 along with the various drive train gearing components previously discussed. Hydraulic lubricating fluid in which these components are usually at least partially immersed can cause a viscous drag on the drive means when the valving element formed by the spool 67 illustrated in FIG. 3 is in the Brake-On position due to limited slippage occuring in a one-way roller clutch 143 which is shown schematically in FIG. 2. A more detailed description of a particular clutch 143 which is useful in an apparatus in accordance with the present invention and in which some limited slippage can occur in a Brake-On mode is found in co-pending application Ser. No. 751,562 entitled "BRAKE ONE WAY WINCH" filed concurrently herewith of Ronald E. Wineburner and Norman R. Allen, commonly assigned herewith. The description of said clutch 143 and its mode of operation as described in said co-pending application are hereby incorporated herein by reference thereto. Briefly, the clutch 143 is desirable in that it allows free rotation of the brake 53 in the Reel-In mode of operation thus eliminating, or at least making much less critical, the necessity or simultaneously activating the clutches 23 and 39 and the brake 53. As a result, however, when the system is shifted from the Reel-In mode to the Brake-On mode, reeling in can continue to occur via the designed slippage in the clutch 143 due to viscous drag exerted by hydraulic fluid on components of drive means 142. When hydraulic fluid is supplied to activate the auxiliary brake means 140 as via a conduit 144 which directs hydraulic fluid to a chamber 146, a ring piston 148 is forced into contact with a ring plate 150 attached to the gear 57. The contact between the ring piston 148 and the ring plate 150 causes a braking force to be applied to the gear 57 thus braking the gear 52, the gear 46, the gear 47, the gear 51, the gear 52 and the winch drum 12 against viscous drag exerted by the hydraulic fluid. It is clear that the auxiliary brake means 140 thus acts against the drive means intermediate the brake 53 and the disconnect clutch 23.
Fluid flow directing means 152 illustrated most clearly in FIGS. 5 and 6 and shown schematically in FIG. 2 is provided intermediate the winch lubricating means which include a discharge conduit 83 and lubricating line means, in the embodiment illustrated a pair of lubricating lines 154 and the auxiliary brake means 140. The fluid flow directing means 152 directs a flow of pressurized fluid from the winch lubricating means to the auxiliary brake means 140 responsive to shifting of the valving element means to the Brake-On position. The fluid flow directing means 152 also blocks said flow of pressurized fluid from the winch lubricating means to the auxiliary brake means 140 responsive to shifting of the spool 67 to each of Brake-Off, Reel-In and Free-Spool positions. Thus, the auxiliary brake means 140 is applied only in the Brake-On position and operates off of lubricating oil pressure from the discharge conduit 83.
Turning now primarily to FIGS. 5 and 6 it will be noted that pressure from the discharge conduit 83 enters a first passage 156 in the fluid flow directing means 152. Thence, the lubricating fluid flows via a second passage 158 in the fluid flow directing means 152 to a bore 160. Within the bore 160 there is a spool 162 and a slug 164. The spool 162 is biased by a spring 166 acting to force the spool 162 and the slug 164 towards a first end 168 of the bore 160. The slug 164 sits between the spool 162 and the first end 168 of the bore 160. Stop means, in the embodiment illustrated a post 170 prevents the slug 164 from travelling to the first end 168 of the bore 160. The spring 166 is generally in a second end 172 of the bore 160. In the mode illustrated in FIG. 6, the control valve 63 is in the Brake-On position. In this position, the spring 166 has foced the spool 162 and the slug 164 upwardly against the post 170. Fluid is introduced to the bore 160 via the second passage 158. The spool 162 includes an undercut 173 thereon which in the Brake-On mode communicates the second passage 158 in the fluid flow directing means 152 with a third passage 174 of the fluid flow directing means 152, which third passage 174 communicates via the conduit 144 with the auxiliary brake means 140 and operates in a manner previously explained. The fluid flow directing means 152 further includes a fourth passage 176 through which fluid from the first passage 156 is led off to lubricate the winch 12 via the pair of lubricating lines 154. It will be noted that communication is thus always retained between the first passage 156 and the fourth passage 176 and thus between the discharge conduit 83 and the pair of lubricating lines 154.
When the control valve 63 is shifted to the Reel-In position hydraulic pressure is directed via the line 107 to the input clutch 39 and via the line 99 to the brake 53. Thus, the input clutch 39 is thereby engaged and the brake 53 is thereby disengaged. Because of the presence of the one-way clutch 143 it is not necessary to precisely sequence this operation and indeed it is not absolutely necessary to pressurize the brake 53. The pressure being applied to the input clutch 39 is likewise appled via a fifth passage 178 in the fluid flow directing means 152 to an annulus 180 about the post 170. The fluid pressure in the annulus 180 then acts against the slug 164 forcing it against the spool 162 thus forcing the biasing of the spring 166 to be overcome whereby the spool 162 is propelled towards the second end 172 of the bore 160 sufficiently to cut off communication of the second passage 158 with the third passage 174 whereby lubricating fluid pressure is not applied to the auxiliary brake means 140. In particular operation, the land 182 upon the spool 162 cuts off the second passage 158 at the bore 160. Meanwhile, the third passage 174 communicates via the undercut 173 in the spool 162 and the bore 160 with a drain passage 184 in the fluid flow directing means 152 whereby pressure in the chamber 146 of the auxiliary brake means 140 is connected to drain via the conduit 144, the third passage 174, the undercut 173 and the drain passage 184. It should be noted that in the Reel-In position fluid pressure is not supplied via the brake line 99 but is instead drained in control valve 63.
When the control valve 63 is placed in the Brake-Off position or in the Free-Spool position, pressure is applied to the brake 53 via the brake line 99 and thence to about the second undercut 188 in the spool 162. This leads to the spool 162 being forced against the biasing of the spring 166 sufficiently to cut off incoming flow from the second passage 158 and to connect the chamber 146 of the auxiliary brake means 140 to drain via the drain passage 184. The pressure about the second undercut 188 in the spool 162 is also applied to the slug 164 to hold it upwards against post 170 and prevent communication of pressurized fluid from the undercut 188 to the annulus 180. Whenever the control valve 63 is returned to the Brake-On position from any of the Reel-In, Brake-Off, or Free-Spool positions, the auxiliary brake means 140 is reapplied. Whenever there is no pressure in the annulus 180 or about the second undercut 188 in the spool 162, the spring 166 moves the spool 162 and the slug 164 upward against the post 170. Lubrication oil pressure is then again routed around the spool 162 as previously via the first passage 156, the second passage 158 and the third passage 174 to the conduit 144 and thence to the auxiliary brake means 140.
While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of further modification, and this application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention and including such departures from the preent disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essential features hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of the invention and the limits of the appended claims.
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The invention is concerned with an improvement in a winch and fluid control system. The preferred system which is improved comprises (1) a rotatable drum for receiving and releasing a cable, (2) a drive train for supporting said drum and for selectively transmitting rotary drive thereto, said drive train including a brake, (3) a source of pressurized fluid, (4) a control valve having an inlet communicating with the source of pressurized fluid and having an outlet system and a valving element which is shiftable between at least three positions including a Brake-On position, a Reel-In position and a Brake-Off position, and (5) a winch lubricating system which communicate said source of pressurized fluid with said winch. Preferably the valving element is also shiftable to a Free-Spool position. The improvement of the present invention comprises a one-way clutch associated with said brake which allows said drum to rotate in a reel-in direction when said brake is engaged; an auxiliary drag brake for stopping reel-in rotation of said drum caused by viscous drag of hydraulic fluid on said drive means when said valving element is in said Brake-On position; and a fluid flow directing system intermediate said winch lubricating system and said auxiliary drag brake which directs a flow of pressurized fluid from said winch lubricating system to said auxiliary drag brake responsive to shifting of said valving element to said Brake-On position and blocks said flow of pressurized fluid from said winch lubricating system to said auxiliary drag brake responsive to shifting of said valving element to any of said Brake-Off and Reel-In positions and, when applicable, said Free-Spool position.
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BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
RELATED APPLICATIONS
There are no applications related hereto now filed in this or any foreign country.
FIELD OF INVENTION
My invention relates generally to small arms ammunition and more particularly to an explosive bullet that increases shocking power.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
The stopping-power of small arms bullets has been recognized as a problem substantially from the inception of small firearms; in modern small arms ammunition, especially with its increased bullet velocity, the stopping-power of the bullet has been of increasing concern and importance. This so called `stopping-power` may be roughly defined as the ability of the bullet to kill or disable an animal within a relatively short period after impact, principally by shocking or maiming. Normally in practical applications a bullet's stopping-power should be such as to prevent evasive or defensive action by the impacted subject. The problem has been well considered and many solutions of it have been proposed.
For a small arms bullet to achieve maximum potential stopping-power the total bullet energy, or so much of it as possible, should be displaced within the impacted subject. With the high velocities of modern small arms bullets, the bullet must generally be modified in some fashion during its course through animal tissue to cause it to expend its full energy therein. This requirement has presented some practical problems in the bullet art as the bulk of animal tissue is generally quite soft but it also is of a non-homogeneous nature. Oftentimes quite sophisticated arrangements must be made to cause the bullet to maintain its trajectory and yet modify its form during passage through animal tissue. Most commonly this problem has been solved either by causing a mushrooming of the bullet so that it presents a surface of substantial area perpendicular to its course of travel or by causing fragmentation of the bullet so that its total energy is lessened in the fragmentation process and then distributed amongst many smaller fragments which have proportionately less inertia and move in many directions away from the original bullet course. Bullets embodying either or both of these principles have become known in many and various types but all generally have relied upon accomplishing their function by way of some physical construction or modification of the bullet, it's jacket or both and in general have not used explosives contained in the bullet to accomplish the purpose.
In the use of larger artillery projectiles it generally has been desired to do as much damage as possible upon projectile impact. A primary method of accomplishing this purpose has been to provide the projectile with some explosive charge that detonates upon impact to provide enhanced initial shock upon explosion and in many cases the secondary benefit of projectile fragmentation. Various larger artillery shells having explosive projectiles have heretofore become known. These projectiles in general, however, have had either some complex construction and explosive arrangement or a complex fusing mechanism, either or both of which have not made them applicable to use in small arms ammunition. The economics also have not favored the use of this type of explosive structure in small arms bullets as a proportionately greater amount of money may be expended in the production of artillery projectiles than may be expended for small arms bullets.
With this background in mind my invention seeks to combine the advantages of using an explosive charge to provide additional shock and to fragment or mushroom small arms bullets to provide a substantially greater stopping-power than the same bullet with the same velocity would have without the features and generally a greater stopping-power than would be had by any of the non-exploding mushrooming and fragmenting bullets of present day commerce. In so doing I use existing jacketed small arms bullets of present day commerce and modify them to embody my invention therein. I provide a simple impact detonating system for my explosive charge that is created from existing munition elements but yet provides for appropriate handling safety, positive detonation upon impact and no predetonation in a gun barrel. The explosive force of my bullet may be used with appropriately designed bullets to either enhance mushrooming, fragmentation or both as desired depending upon bullet construction. My invention may be embodied in a bullet at a cost not substantially greater than that of the present day jacketed bullet of similar type and yet is extremely reliable and relatively safe.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
My invention in general provides a jacketed bullet defining a medial chamber carrying an explosive charge and preferably an anvil that contacts an associated detonator to initiate an explosion upon impact of the bullet with a target.
I modify an ordinary metal jacketed lead alloy bullet of commerce to embody my invention by boring an axially aligned cylindrical hole from the apex through the core and into the base of the bullet jacket. I preferably place in this chamber a metallic anvil of either spherical or rod shape that is relatively free to move in a direction parallel to the bullet axis. A charge of explosive, commonly of the black powder type, is placed in the chamber and the front end is closed with an ordinary cup type small arms primer of present day commerce. The primer is seated with its open portion facing the explosive charge and its base slightly below the level of the tip of the bullet so that the primer may not be accidentally detonated during handling or loading operations. The primer is positionally maintained by adhesion to the bullet core walls defining the explosive chamber. The completed bullet is loaded into an appropriate cartridge case in the normal fashion and fired as any other bullet. Upon impact the detonator will ignite the explosive charge to cause an explosion which will either accentuate the bullet mushrooming or fragmentation and create additional schocking-power to fulfill the objectives of my invention.
In creating such a bullet it is:
A principal object to provide a small arms bullet with an explosive charge that detonates upon impact to enhance bullet stopping-power.
A further object to create such an explosive bullet that may be formed by modifying existing small arms bullets of commerce.
A further object to provide such a bullet that may use the force of its explosion to enhance the mushrooming, fragmentation or both depending upon bullet design.
A still further object to provide such an explosive bullet that is most sure of detonation upon impact but yet is relatively safe during handling and loading processes and may be otherwise used as ordinary bullets of similar nature.
A still further object of my invention to provide such an explosive bullet that may be formed by relatively simple operations and by the use of standard ordinance parts of commerce to provide a product of relatively low cost.
A still further object of my invention to provide such an explosive bullet that is of new and novel design, of rugged and durable nature and simple and economic manufacture and one otherwise well suited to the uses and purposes for which it is intended.
Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. In carrying out the objects of my invention, however, it is to be understood that its essential features are susceptible of change in design and structural arrangement with only one preferred and practical embodiment being illustrated in the accompanying drawings as is required.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein like numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout:
FIG. 1 is a surface view of an ordinary pistol cartridge (0.45 ACP) embodying a bullet of my invention.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the bullet of the cartridge of FIG. 1 showing its various parts, their configuration and relationship.
FIG. 3 is a horizontal cross-sectional or plan view of the bullet of FIG. 2 taken on the line 3--3 thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.
FIG. 4 is a vertical, medial cross-sectional view of the cartridge of FIG. 1 taken on the line 4-4 thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 4 but showing a species of my invention using a spherical type anvil rather than the rod type anvil shown in the principal form of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is an isometric view of the rod type detonator anvil of my invention.
FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the spherical type detonator anvil of my invention.
FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a typical cartridge primer used as a detonator in my invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
My invention provides generally jacketed bullet 11 defining a medial axially aligned explosive chamber carrying explosive 14 and detonator anvil 12 with cup type primer 13 sealing the forward end of the chamber.
A typical hand gun cartridge 10, in this case a 0.45 caliber ACP, is shown in the illustration of FIG. 1, where it is seen to provide cylindrical cartridge case 15 terminating in forward bullet holding mouth 16 and defining in its rearward part ejector groove 17 and rim 18. Bullet 11 is seated in mouth 16 and normally positionally maintained by frictional engagement though in some instances it may be sealed or adhered therein. Though designs vary widely, all small arms ammunition insofar as my invention is concerned have essentially the same parts, although commonly in rifle shells mouth 16 will be necked down to a smaller diameter than case 15 and oftentimes in some shells there will be no ejection groove 17 in which case rim 18 is of larger diameter than case 15. The explosive bullet of my invention, however, may generally be used with all such small arms cartridges.
My bullet 11 is seen bestly in FIG. 2 and in detail in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. It provides a harder, relatively thin metal jacket defining base 19, cylindrical side walls 20 and open ended tip 21 all enclosing similarly shaped softer core 22. Commonly, though not necessarily, the tip of the bullet will be formed by the projection of the forward part of the case forwardly beyond the forward part of the jacket. The bullet apex may be pointed or truncated as desired. Commonly the core will be formed of some lead alloy of relatively high density to provide a bullet of appropriate cross-sectional coefficient and the jacket will be formed of some harder material that will not adhere to a gun barrel. This type of bullet, though it comes in many sizes, shapes and configurations, in its essence at least, is common in the small arms ammunition arts of the present day and it is this type of bullet in which my invention is defined.
Starting with a solid core bullet of this type, I modify it as illustrated particularly in the cross-sectional view of FIGS. 3 and 4 by creating explosive chamber 23 therein. The forward portion of this chamber is of a size appropriate to seat primer 13 as hereinafter provided and the shape should be circularly symmetrical to provide bullet stability, but otherwise the shape and size of the chamber may vary widely within the ambit of my invention. In the form illustrated, the particular explosive chamber is of uniform circularly cylindrical shape formed by drilling. Normally this configuration of chamber is adequate for the purposes of my invention. The particular shape of the chamber will determine largely whether the bullet mushrooms or fragments and its size to some degree will regulate the degree of such mushrooming or fragmentation.
It has been found most desirable to define some indentation or small hole in the inner surface of the medial portion of base 19 of the bullet jacket to create the utmost stopping-power for the bullet. If explosive chamber 23 be formed by drilling, this indentation 24 may be conveniently formed by the point of the drill that forms the chamber. The exact nature or size of the indentation has not been found to be too critical but mushrooming and fragmentation effects both seem to be enhanced if the medial portion of the base be weakened to some degree. Obviously this indentation should be such as to prevent passage of explosive in the explosive chamber therethrough and prevent ignition of such explosive during the firing of the bullet.
A detonator anvil preferably is carried in explosive chamber 23 to aid the detonation of the primer 13. The purpose of this anvil is to provide impact on the inner side of primer 13 and the anvil may therefore take several shapes and yet accomplish its purpose. The particular anvil 25 shown in the illustration of FIG. 4 takes the shape of a cylindrical rod having both a diameter and length somewhat less than that of explosive chamber 23. The form of anvil 26 shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 and in FIG. 7 takes the form of a sphere of a diameter slightly less than that of the explosive chamber. Either form of anvil seems to function well though obviously the details of the functioning must be somewhat different in the two cases. The anvil is not an absolute necessity in my invention as the detonator will generally institute explosion upon impact without the anvil, but it was found that when no anvil was used there would be some misfires ranging in about the five percent range. With the use of either of the anvils illustrated there are substantially no misfires upon bullet impact even in extremely soft matter such as congealed gelatin or fruit.
Explosive 14 is some type of explosive material that may be detonated by primer 13. I prefer to use ordinary fine grained black power of commerce though the modern day black powder substitutes such as Pyrodex of the Hodgen Powder Company and many of the trinitrotolune, nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine based smokeless powders of present day commerce will serve the purposes of my invention though the nature and effect of their explosion may be somewhat different. The only particular requirements of this explosive are that it be detonated by primer 13 upon the explosion of that primer and that the explosive material not be detonated by the impact, inertia, heat or other conditions of bullet firing at any time before impact. Most commercial gun powders of present day commerce that have been tried have been found to function in my invention whether of the black powder or smokeless variety. Depending upon particular powder characteristics, energies and results desired, some are more efficient than others.
Primer 13 is an ordinary cartridge primer of present day commerce. It is of the cup-like shape illustrated particularly in FIG. 8 with flat circular base 27 communicating with perpendicularly related circularly cylindrical side walls 28. The forward portion of explosive chamber 23 should be so sized as to accept this cylindrical primer in a nice fit so that it may be maintained in the forward portion of that chamber as illustrated especially in FIGS. 4 and 5. Preferably the primer is seated slightly below the forwardmost part of the bullet nose so that the primer surface will not be accidentally contacted during handling or loading by any object that might cause its premature detonation. Normally a recess of approximately one-thirtysecond of an inch is sufficient. The primer is held in place, maintained and sealed by one of the metal to metal adhesives of present day commerce such as the cryoacryllic glues. It is not necessary that this primer be adhered to the walls defining the explosive chamber but it has been found that friction alone will not well positionally maintain it and if there be no seal in the forward portion of the explosive chamber water or some other deleterious substance might enter the explosive chamber to damage or modify the explosive.
The common primers of commerce are provided in two sizes for each of rifle and pistol cartridges. I prefer to use the larger pistol primer in my invention as it has been found to be most effective. Generally the pistol primers have a thinner material forming the primer cup and therefore are more sensitive to impact. This is an advantage to my invention as if the bullet pass into a very soft substance its impact therewith may not be too great. The rifle type primers have a thicker case and require a greater impact to cause their detonation. I have found that the rifle primers are not particularly efficient in use with my invention and may cause misfires. The small pistol primer is substantially of the same structure as the large pistol primer but has a somewhat less detonating explosition and for this reason generally is less desirable.
A sealant such as red sealing wax may be used to seal the explosive chamber forwardly of the seated primer cup but this has been found not to be particularly desirable because the solid contact of the sealant with the primer may transmit impact to cause accidental detonation of the primer during handling or loading operations. The slight hollow specified has been found not to cause any particular problems and it is preferable to leave it unfilled.
Having thus described my invention, its operation is fairly obvious.
An explosive bullet is created according to the foregoing specification and thereafter seated in the appropriate cartridge case 15 according to the practice in the present day arts to form a completed cartridge 10. The cartridge is then loaded and fired through any appropriate gun in the ordinary fashion. Upon impact of the fired bullet with some object, primer 13 will be detonated and it in turn will detonate explosive 14 to cause a explosion in explosive chamber 23. This explosion will tend to accelerate either the mushrooming or fragmentation of bullet 11, depending upon its particular design and configuration. In the bullet illustrated, the design is conceived for mushrooming and that mushrooming will be greater than would be accomplished with the same bullet under the same conditions without my invention. The explosion of the bullet will also create additional shock per se above that derived from the bullets kinetic energy.
The exact functioning of the detonator anvil is not clearly understood, but as indicated some misfires were commonly experienced in explosive bullets that did not have the anvil. Apparently the rod type anvil illustrated in FIG. 4 moves forwardly by reason of inertia, upon impact of the bullet with some object, so that the anvil comes into contact with the backside of primer 13 to aid its detonation. Most probably, however, the spherical anvil illustrated in FIG. 5 cannot come into direct contact with the primer because commonly there will be some explosive therebetween. Apparently in the case of the spherical anvil it either compresses or impacts the powder against the inner surface of primer 13 to aid its detonation. Either form of anvil, however, seems to be about as effective as the other.
My invention is operative without indentation 24 in the medial portion of the base of the bullet jacket, though it has been found that both mushrooming and fragmentation are somewhat enhanced by a weakening of the medial portion of that jacket base. Again it is not entirely clear what function this weakening serves, but it is thought that it provides an initial rupture of fracture point which either aids the rupture or fracturing of the case or causes it to proceed in a more uniform fashion.
It should be noted that although my invention has been described as embodied in a pistol bullet, it is equally well adapted for use in rifle bullets and is applied in identically the same fashion. Because of the generally higher velocity of rifle bullets a rifle primer may be used as primer 13 in my invention since the bullet's impact is so great that it will explode as well as a pistol type primer. In applying my invention to rifle bullets care should be exercised in seating primer 13 below the forward lip of explosive chamber 23 as commonly rifles have steeply angled ramps over which the bullet enters the barrel chamber and this situation could possibly cause the detonator to be detonated upon entry of the bullet into the chamber.
The foregoing description of my invention is necessarily of a detailed nature so that a specific embodiment of it might be set forth as required, but it is to be understood that various modifications of detail, rearrangement and multiplication of parts might be resorted to without departing from its spirit, essence or scope.
Having thusly described my invention, what I desire to protect by Letters Patent, and
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A small arms bullet containing an explosive charge that detonates on bullet impact to increase stopping-power. The bullet defines a medial cylindrical channel charrying explosive and a movable anvil. A cartridge primer in the forward part of the channel provides an impact detonation. My exploding bullet may be formed by modifying existing jacketed small arms bullets.
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This is a division of application Ser. No. 491,463, filed July 24, 1974.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention herein pertains to a steam iron soleplate, generator, and steam distributor subassembly using inexpensive parts in an arrangement for easy cleaning and efficient conversion of all water to steam in a simplified arrangement that permits use of any number of soleplate surfaces.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent designs in irons disclose simpler irons that may use plastic parts, may be used as clothes steamers as well as for ironing, are lighter weight, and that are intended to sell at a lower price. These irons use different constructions from the normal rather complex well known constructions. Typically, such irons may employ the construction shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,260,005 and 3,811,208 showing a soleplate subassembly and semi-plastic construction, respectively.
One of the difficulties in using relatively thin soleplates is applying the heating element to the soleplate without causing the soleplate to warp. Typically, this is not a problem in the normal heavy cast soleplate where the heating element is cast in the soleplate or is welded to it and the heavy soleplate provides a large heat sink and is sufficiently massive for machining of the surface afterward. Additionally, in steam irons it is necessary that the parts be effectively sealed because of the presence of water and the sealing compound applied between separable parts is itself often the source of trouble in creating dri-filming problems where the water tends to boil and bounce on the heated surface rather than wet it and boil off as steam.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Briefly described, the present invention is directed to a steam iron soleplate, steam generator and steam distributor subassembly that uses a relatively thin soleplate in combination with a coverplate that is spaced from and supported on the soleplate by a peripheral spaced rib to define a steam distributing passage means therebetween. The coverplate is integrally attached to the soleplate by a continuous weld between the rib and soleplate and the steam generating means is provided directly in the coverplate rather than the soleplate and is connected or ducted to the steam passage means below. The heat generating means is directly in the coverplate and the subassembly is put together by stamping out the soleplate, welding the spaced coverplate completely around its periphery to the soleplate to permanently secure the two together and then the rest of the iron is assembled on this base subassembly. Additional ribs may be used to weld the parts together so that the suspended heating means heats the soleplate primarily by conduction through the ribs to the soleplate and a very large steam conversion and distributing area is provided for maximum steam capacity. Thus, the main object of the invention is to provide a simple steam iron subassembly that is easily put together permanently by welding and comprises very few parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a plan view of the soleplate subassembly;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 showing the spacing arrangement; and
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the completed subassembly.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The soleplate subassembly described is primarily for use with a steam iron of a typically general type as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,188,757 of common assignment in that it may be operated dry or, by operating a well-known water valve to drip water into a generator where it flashes into steam and then is distributed under a coverplate to steam ports in the soleplate in the conventional manner. Closing the water valve provides dry operation and such structure is well-known in the prior art and is not repeated here. Usually the irons employ a rather massive aluminum soleplate to provide a large heat sink and this may be die cast or gravity cast with the soleplate having the heating rod or element cast integrally therein for best even heat distribution on the soleplate. The soleplate of such conventional irons generally runs about a half an inch thick thinning down in the area of the steam distribution passages to less than a half inch. The steam generator and the soleplate around the heater is the thickest portion, generally resulting in about a half inch casting.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a wrought soleplate 10 to which the present invention is especially applicable. The advantage of wrought material is that it is possible to get alloys of better corrosion resistance than available in the cast soleplates, the wrought material requires essentially no machining, it has no porosity which is a problem in cast soleplates and it is lighter in weight. Additionally, it provides a highly flexible material choice, can be more easily polished, and provides a smoother ironing surface. It can be stamped directly from rolls and can be purchased clad with a variety of materials such as stainless steel, titanium, and polytetrafluoroethylene (better known as Teflon) to provide smoother and more durable ironing surfaces. Thus, the wrought material, whether clad or not, may be bought in large rolls and complete soleplates stamped out of the rolls. The material is ribbon-like in the sense that it is flat material of approximately 1/8 inch or less throughout. This is what is meant by the term "relatively thin" as used in the claims as being different from the normal massive thick cast soleplates.
The soleplate may be formed with suitable steam ports 12 that can be stamped in any suitable number and orientation in the same assembly line in which the soleplates 10 are stamped. Thus, no drilling is required. The ports and edge of the soleplate may also then be coined to provide a finished, relatively thin soleplate with or without either stainless steel clad or other suitable coatings.
In order to provide a simple steam distribution system and provide even heat to the soleplate, a simple formed coverplate 14 is provided. This may be a formed casting that has a continuous depending peripheral rib 16 around the coverplate. Heat is provided by the customary heat generating element or rod 18 that is cast in position directly on the coverplate to form part of the coverplate as shown in FIG. 2. The heating element is generally of the sheath type and normally extends around the soleplate in a loop beginning at the rear of the iron along one side to the forward end and then rearwardly along the other side to enclose the iron except at the rear of the soleplate as shown in FIG. 1. The sheathed heating element has an electrical resistance wire extending through an outer tubular protective sheath with the heating element separated from the outer sheath by an electrical insulating compound resistant to heat, such as a mass of granulated and compressed magnesium oxide well-known in the art.
In order to transfer heat from element 18 to the soleplate 10, the peripheral rib 16 is integrally attached to the soleplate, after the desired ports are punched, by a continuous weld 20 completely around the coverplate as shown in FIG. 1. The welding is made by any suitable welding process such as Electron Beam, TIG, MIG, or Laser and the entire periphery is welded to the soleplate to seal the edges of the coverplate to the soleplate. This complete welding eliminates any need for a sealing compound with its tendency to create dri-filming problems since the welding provides an unbroken integral connection between the soleplate and coverplate. Thus, heat transfer to the soleplate from element 18 is primarily by heat conduction through the ribs that space and support the coverplate from the soleplate. In order to stiffen the subassembly, avoid warping, and provide improved support and heat transfer, a central longitudinal rib 22 may be provided and it is also continuously welded to the soleplate in the same manner as shown in FIG. 2. Again, heat transfer through rib 22 is primarily by conduction through the weld to the soleplate so that the combination of the peripheral welded rib 16 and central rib 22 provides for even heating of the relatively thin soleplate. The high heat intensity welding allows the coverplate and soleplate to be joined with no warping or buckling and no local hot spots to separate any cladding material.
For steam distribution in the large distribution chamber 24, additional guide ribs 26 on the bottom of the coverplate can be provided for any suitable labyrinth to distribute steam uniformly to steam ports 12. With the coverplate spaced from the soleplate as shown, a copious steam distribution chamber 24 is provided which, with the suitable guide ribs 26, may direct the steam in any desired path through the soleplate. The arrangement described permits economic application of any number of soleplate surfaces including stainless steel.
Because of the relatively thin light soleplate, it is necessary to generate steam off of the soleplate and this is done by providing a steam generating means in the form of a boiler 28 wholly disposed directly in the upper surface of the coverplate separate and distinct from the usual steam generator in the soleplate. With the construction shown this may be relatively large and in the generally forward portion of the iron as shown in FIg. 1, although its specific location may be other than as shown. Preferably, it is located forward of the longitudinal rib 22 at one end thereof and disposed along the longitudinal center line of the soleplate as is rib 22. Thus, it is symmetrical about the longitudinal center line at the forward end of longitudinal rib 22. Steam generated in the upper surface of the coverplate is disposed to enter distribution chamber 24 by any suitable connection such as directing rib 29 and ducting means 30 to direct the steam down below the coverplate and into large chamber 24 or distributing passage from whence it exits port 12.
It will be seen that the subassembly is formed by stamping out the soleplate and then punching or coining the steam ports and the edge of the soleplate to round them and smooth them and then placing the cast coverplate in place and welding it continuously around its depending rib to the soleplate to permanently attach it thereto. Thus, a steam distributing chamber 24 is formed and this completed two-part subassembly may then form the base for the rest of the iron components such as attaching at 32. The spaced coverplate provides an ideal shelf or pad 34 on which a thermostat may be mounted in close proximity to the hot portion for sensing the iron temperature.
The present soleplate assembly provides a simple two-part construction where the heat element is embedded, for a maximum heat conduction and maximum heater life, directly in the chamber cover about the relatively thin soleplate. The two parts are welded together at their edges to create heat conduits to the soleplate surface so that heat transfer is primarily by conduction evenly throughout the soleplate. The distribution chamber formed between the parts permits copious steam distribution through any number or orientation of spaced ports punched through the thin soleplate which may be punched directly from rolled alloys and thus permits economic application of any number of surfaces such as stainless steel and a light weight soleplate. The boiler or generator is located directly in the cast coverplate and is of relatively large size to permit complete conversion of water to steam and ample area for mineral deposit storage which means longer iron life. By locating the steam generator in the coverplate rather than the soleplate the invention does not generate a cold spot in the soleplate surface and the large boiler will not flood within standard temperature ranges because of its massiveness and its spacing from the soleplate. Thus, the simple two-piece construction of the subassembly permits all the advantages previously noted.
While there has been described a preferred form of the invention, obvious equivalent variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practised otherwise than as specifically described, and the claims are intended to cover such equivalent variations.
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A steam iron soleplate, generator, and distributor subassembly of a thin soleplate with a coverplate spaced from and supported on the soleplate by spaced peripheral rib means to define a steam distributing passage therebetween. The coverplate is integrally attached to the soleplate by a continuous weld between the ribs and soleplate and steam generating means are provided in the upper surface of the coverplate separate and spaced from the soleplate and ducted below to the steam passage means. A heat generating element forms an integral part of the coverplate for heat transfer to the soleplate through the ribs primarily by conduction. Both the method of assembly and the subassembly itself are disclosed.
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CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/084,434 (Attorney Docket No. 022352-001110US) filed on Mar. 18, 2005, which is a continuation of PCT Patent Application No. PCT/US03/299995 (Attorney Docket No. 022352-001100PC), filed Sep. 22, 2003, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 60/412,343 (Attorney Docket No. 022352-000700US), filed on Sep. 20, 2002; 60/412,476 (Attorney Docket No. 022352-000800US), filed on Sep. 20, 2002; 60/479,329 (Attorney Docket No. 022352-000900US), filed on Jun. 17, 2003; and 60/502,389 (Attorney Docket No. 022352-001100US), filed on Sep. 13, 2003. The full disclosure of each of the foregoing applications is hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] This invention pertains generally to medical device systems and methods for intra aortic fluid delivery into regions of the body. More specifically, it is related to intra aortic renal fluid delivery systems and methods.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Many different medical device systems and methods have been previously disclosed for locally delivering fluids or other agents into various body regions, including body lumens such as vessels, or other body spaces such as organs or heart chambers. Local “fluid” delivery systems may include drugs or other agents, or may even include locally delivering the body's own fluids, such as artificially enhanced blood transport (e.g. either entirely within the body such as directing or shunting blood from one place to another, or in extracorporeal modes such as via external blood pumps etc.). Local “agent” delivery systems are herein generally intended to relate to introduction of a foreign composition as an agent into the body, which may include drug or other useful or active agent, and may be in a fluid form or other form such as gels, solids, powders, gases, etc. It is to be understood that reference to only one of the terms fluid, drug, or agent with respect to local delivery descriptions may be made variously in this disclosure for illustrative purposes, but is not generally intended to be exclusive or omissive of the others; they are to be considered interchangeable where appropriate according to one of ordinary skill unless specifically described to be otherwise.
[0006] In general, local agent delivery systems and methods are often used for the benefit of achieving relatively high, localized concentrations of agent where injected within the body in order to maximize the intended effects there and while minimizing unintended peripheral effects of the agent elsewhere in the body. Where a particular dose of a locally delivered agent may be efficacious for an intended local effect, the same dose systemically delivered would be substantially diluted throughout the body before reaching the same location. The agent's intended local effect is equally diluted and efficacy is compromised. Thus systemic agent delivery requires higher dosing to achieve the required localized dose for efficacy, often resulting in compromised safety due to for example systemic reactions or side effects of the agent as it is delivered and processed elsewhere throughout the body other than at the intended target.
[0007] Various diagnostic systems and procedures have been developed using local delivery of dye (e.g. radiopaque “contrast” agent) or other diagnostic agents, wherein an external monitoring system is able to gather important physiological information based upon the diagnostic agent's movement or assimilation in the body at the location of delivery and/or at other locations affected by the delivery site. Angiography is one such practice using a hollow, tubular angiography catheter for locally injecting radiopaque dye into a blood chamber or vessel, such as for example coronary arteries in the case of coronary angiography, or in a ventricle in the case of cardiac ventriculography.
[0008] Other systems and methods have been disclosed for locally delivering therapeutic agent into a particular body tissue within a patient via a body lumen. For example, angiographic catheters of the type just described above, and other similar tubular delivery catheters, have also been disclosed for use in locally injecting treatment agents through their delivery lumens into such body spaces within the body. More detailed examples of this type include local delivery of thrombolytic drugs such as TPA™, heparin, cumadin, or urokinase into areas of existing clot or thrombogenic implants or vascular injury. In addition, various balloon catheter systems have also been disclosed for local administration of therapeutic agents into target body lumens or spaces, and in particular associated with blood vessels. More specific previously disclosed of this type include balloons with porous or perforated walls that elute drug agents through the balloon wall and into surrounding tissue such as blood vessel walls. Yet further examples for localized delivery of therapeutic agents include various multiple balloon catheters that have spaced balloons that are inflated to engage a lumen or vessel wall in order to isolate the intermediate catheter region from in-flow or out-flow across the balloons. According to these examples, a fluid agent delivery system is often coupled to this intermediate region in order to fill the region with agent such as drug that provides an intended effect at the isolated region between the balloons.
[0009] The diagnosis or treatment of many different types of medical conditions associated with various different systems, organs, and tissues, may also benefit from the ability to locally deliver fluids or agents in a controlled manner. In particular, various conditions related to the renal system would benefit a great deal from an ability to locally deliver of therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic agents into the renal arteries.
[0010] Acute renal failure (“ARF”) is an abrupt decrease in the kidney's ability to excrete waste from a patient's blood. This change in kidney function may be attributable to many causes. A traumatic event, such as hemorrhage, gastrointestinal fluid loss, or renal fluid loss without proper fluid replacement may cause the patient to go into ARF. Patients may also become vulnerable to ARF after receiving anesthesia, surgery, or a-adrenergic agonists because of related systemic or renal vasoconstriction. Additionally, systemic vasodilation caused by anaphylaxis, and anti-hypertensive drugs, sepsis or drug overdose may also cause ARF because the body's natural defense is to shut down, i.e., vasoconstrict, non-essential organs such as the kidneys. Reduced cardiac output caused by cardiogenic shock, congestive heart failure, pericardial tamponade or massive pulmonary embolism creates an excess of fluid in the body, which can exacerbate congestive heart failure. For example, a reduction in blood flow and blood pressure in the kidneys due to reduced cardiac output can in turn result in the retention of excess fluid in the patient's body, leading, for example, to pulmonary and systemic edema.
[0011] Previously known methods of treating ARF, or of treating acute renal insufficiency associated with congestive heart failure (“CHF”), involve administering drugs. Examples of such drugs that have been used for this purpose include, without limitation: vasodilators, including for example papavarine, fenoldopam mesylate, calcium-channel blockers, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), acetylcholine, nifedipine, nitroglycerine, nitroprusside, adenosine, dopamine, and theophylline; antioxidants, such as for example acetylcysteine; and diuretics, such as for example mannitol, or furosemide. However, many of these drugs, when administered in systemic doses, have undesirable side effects. Additionally, many of these drugs would not be helpful in treating other causes of ARF. While a septic shock patient with profound systemic vasodilation often has concomitant severe renal vasoconstriction, administering vasodilators to dilate the renal artery to a patient suffering from systemic vasodilation would compound the vasodilation system wide. In addition, for patients with severe CHF (e.g., those awaiting heart transplant), mechanical methods, such as hemodialysis or left ventricular assist devices, may be implemented. Surgical device interventions, such as hemodialysis, however, generally have not been observed to be highly efficacious for long-term management of CHF. Such interventions would also not be appropriate for many patients with strong hearts suffering from ARF.
[0012] The renal system in many patients may also suffer from a particular fragility, or otherwise general exposure, to potentially harmful effects of other medical device interventions. For example, the kidneys as one of the body's main blood filtering tools may suffer damage from exposed to high density radiopaque contrast dye, such as during coronary, cardiac, or neuro angiography procedures. One particularly harmful condition known as “radiocontrast nephropathy” or “RCN” is often observed during such procedures, wherein an acute impairment of renal function follows exposure to such radiographic contrast materials, typically resulting in a rise in serum creatinine levels of more than 25% above baseline, or an absolute rise of 0.5 mg/dl within 48 hours. Therefore, in addition to CHF, renal damage associated with RCN is also a frequently observed cause of ARF. In addition, the kidneys' function is directly related to cardiac output and related blood pressure into the renal system. These physiological parameters, as in the case of CHF, may also be significantly compromised during a surgical intervention such as an angioplasty, coronary artery bypass, valve repair or replacement, or other cardiac interventional procedure. Therefore, the various drugs used to treat patients experiencing ARF associated with other conditions such as CHF have also been used to treat patients afflicted with ARF as a result of RCN. Such drugs would also provide substantial benefit for treating or preventing ARF associated with acutely compromised hemodynamics to the renal system, such as during surgical interventions.
[0013] There would be great advantage therefore from an ability to locally deliver such drugs into the renal arteries, in particular when delivered contemporaneous with surgical interventions, and in particular contemporaneous with radiocontrast dye delivery. However, many such procedures are done with medical device systems, such as using guiding catheters or angiography catheters having outer dimensions typically ranging between about 4 French to about 12 French, and ranging generally between about 6 French to about 8 French in the case of guide catheter systems for delivering angioplasty or stent devices into the coronary or neurovascular arteries (e.g. carotid arteries). These devices also are most typically delivered to their respective locations for use (e.g. coronary ostia) via a percutaneous, translumenal access in the femoral arteries and retrograde delivery upstream along the aorta past the region of the renal artery ostia. A Seldinger access technique to the femoral artery involves relatively controlled dilation of a puncture hole to minimize the size of the intruding window through the artery wall, and is a preferred method where the profiles of such delivery systems are sufficiently small. Otherwise, for larger systems a “cut-down” technique is used involving a larger, surgically made access window through the artery wall.
[0014] Accordingly, an intra aortic renal agent delivery system for contemporaneous use with other retrogradedly delivered medical device systems, such as of the types just described above, would preferably be adapted to allow for such interventional device systems, in particular of the types and dimensions just described, to pass upstream across the renal artery ostia (a) while the agent is being delivered into the renal arteries, and (b) while allowing blood to flow downstream across the renal artery ostia, and (c) in an overall cooperating system that allows for Seldinger femoral artery access. Each one of these features (a), (b), or (c), or any sub-combination thereof, would provide significant value to patient treatment; an intra aortic renal delivery system providing for the combination of all three features is so much the more valuable.
[0015] Notwithstanding the clear needs for and benefits that would be gained from such intra aortic drug delivery into the renal system, the ability to do so presents unique challenges as follows.
[0016] In one regard, the renal arteries extend from respective ostia along the abdominal aorta that are significantly spaced apart from each other circumferentially around the relatively very large aorta. Often, these renal artery ostia are also spaced from each other longitudinally along the aorta with relative superior and inferior locations. This presents a unique challenge to deliver drugs or other agents into the renal system on the whole, which requires both kidneys to be fed through these separate respective arteries via their uniquely positioned and substantially spaced apart ostia. This becomes particularly important where both kidneys may be equally at risk, or are equally compromised, during an invasive upstream procedure—or, of course, for any other indication where both kidneys require renal drug delivery. Thus, an appropriate intra aortic delivery system for such indications would preferably be adapted to feed multiple renal arteries perfusing both kidneys.
[0017] In another regard, mere delivery of an agent into the natural, physiologic blood flow path of the aorta upstream of the kidneys may provide some beneficial, localized renal delivery versus other systemic delivery methods, but various undesirable results still arise. In particular, the high flow aorta immediately washes much of the delivered agent beyond the intended renal artery ostia. This reduces the amount of agent actually perfusing the renal arteries with reduced efficacy, and thus also produces unwanted loss of the agent into other organs and tissues in the systemic circulation (with highest concentrations directly flowing into downstream circulation).
[0018] In still a further regard, various known types of tubular local delivery catheters, such as angiographic catheters, other “end-hole” catheters, or otherwise, may be positioned with their distal agent perfusion ports located within the renal arteries themselves for delivering agents there, such as via a percutaneous translumenal procedure via the femoral arteries (or from other access points such as brachial arteries, etc.). However, such a technique may also provide less than completely desirable results.
[0019] For example, such seating of the delivery catheter distal tip within a renal artery may be difficult to achieve from within the large diameter/high flow aorta, and may produce harmful intimal injury within the artery. Also, where multiple kidneys must be infused with agent, multiple renal arteries must be cannulated, either sequentially with a single delivery device, or simultaneously with multiple devices. This can become unnecessarily complicated and time consuming and further compound the risk of unwanted injury from the required catheter manipulation. Moreover, multiple dye injections may be required in order to locate the renal ostia for such catheter positioning, increasing the risks associated with contrast agents on kidney function (e.g. RCN)—the very organ system to be protected by the agent delivery system in the first place. Still further, the renal arteries themselves, possibly including their ostia, may have pre-existing conditions that either prevent the ability to provide the required catheter seating, or that increase the risks associated with such mechanical intrusion. For example, the artery wall may be diseased or stenotic, such as due to atherosclerotic plaque, clot, dissection, or other injury or condition. Finally, among other additional considerations, previous disclosures have yet to describe an efficacious and safe system and method for positioning these types of local agent delivery devices at the renal arteries through a common introducer or guide sheath shared with additional medical devices used for upstream interventions, such as angiography or guide catheters. In particular, to do so concurrently with multiple delivery catheters for simultaneous infusion of multiple renal arteries would further require a guide sheath of such significant dimensions that the preferred Seldinger vascular access technique would likely not be available, instead requiring the less desirable “cut-down” technique.
[0020] In addition to the various needs for delivering agents into branch arteries described above, much benefit may also be gained from simply enhancing blood perfusion into such branches, such as by increasing the blood pressure at their ostia. In particular, such enhancement would improve a number of medical conditions related to insufficient physiological perfusion into branch vessels, and in particular from an aorta and into its branch vessels such as the renal arteries.
[0021] Certain prior disclosures have provided surgical device assemblies and methods intended to enhance blood delivery into branch arteries extending from an aorta. For example, intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABPs) have been disclosed for use in diverting blood flow into certain branch arteries. One such technique involves placing an IABP in the abdominal aorta so that the balloon is situated slightly below (proximal to) the branch arteries. The balloon is selectively inflated and deflated in a counterpulsation mode (by reference to the physiologic pressure cycle) so that increased pressure distal to the balloon directs a greater portion of blood flow into principally the branch arteries in the region of their ostia. However, the flow to lower extremities downstream from such balloon system can be severely occluded during portions of this counterpulsing cycle. Moreover, such previously disclosed systems generally lack the ability to deliver drug or agent to the branch arteries while allowing continuous and substantial downstream perfusion sufficient to prevent unwanted ischemia.
[0022] It is further noted that, despite the renal risks described in relation to radiocontrast dye delivery, and in particular RCN, in certain circumstances delivery of such dye or other diagnostic agents is indicated specifically for diagnosing the renal arteries themselves. For example, diagnosis and treatment of renal stenosis, such as due to atherosclerosis or dissection, may require dye injection into a subject renal artery. In such circumstances, enhancing the localization of the dye into the renal arteries may also be desirable. In one regard, without such localization larger volumes of dye may be required, and the dye lost into the downstream aortic flow may still be additive to impacting the kidney(s) as it circulates back there through the system. In another regard, an ability to locally deliver such dye into the renal artery from within the artery itself, such as by seating an angiography catheter there, may also be hindered by the same stenotic condition requiring the dye injection in the first place (as introduced above). Still further, patients may have stent-grafts that may prevent delivery catheter seating.
[0023] Notwithstanding the interest and advances toward delivering agents for treatment or diagnosis of organs or tissues, the previously disclosed systems and methods summarized immediately above generally lack the ability to effectively deliver agents from within a main artery and locally into substantially only branch arteries extending therefrom while allowing the passage of substantial blood flow and/or other medical devices through the main artery past the branches. This is in particular the case with previously disclosed renal treatment and diagnostic devices and methods, which do not adequately provide for local delivery of agents into the renal system from a location within the aorta while allowing substantial blood flow continuously downstream past the renal ostia and/or while allowing distal medical device assemblies to be passed retrogradedly across the renal ostia for upstream use. Much benefit would be gained if agents, such as protective or therapeutic drugs or radiopaque contrast dye, could be delivered to one or both of the renal arteries in such a manner.
[0024] Several more recently disclosed advances have included local flow assemblies using tubular members of varied diameters that divide flow within an aorta adjacent to renal artery ostia into outer and inner flow paths substantially perfusing the renal artery ostia and downstream circulation, respectively. Such disclosures further include delivering fluid agent primarily into the outer flow path for substantially localized delivery into the renal artery ostia. These disclosed systems and methods represent exciting new developments toward localized diagnosis and treatment of pre-existing conditions associated with branch vessels from main vessels in general, and with respect to renal arteries extending from abdominal aortas in particular.
[0025] However, such previously disclosed designs would still benefit from further modifications and improvements in order to: maximize mixing of a fluid agent within the entire circumference of the exterior flow path surrounding the tubular flow divider and perfusing multiple renal artery ostia; use the systems and methods for prophylaxis and protection of the renal system from harm, in particular during upstream interventional procedures; maximize the range of useful sizing for specific devices to accommodate a wide range of anatomic dimensions between patients; and optimize the construction, design, and inter-cooperation between system components for efficient, atraumatic use.
[0026] A need still exists for improved devices and methods for delivering agents principally into the renal arteries of a patient from a location within the patient's aorta adjacent the renal artery ostia along the aorta wall while at least a portion of aortic blood flow is allowed to perfuse downstream across the location of the renal artery ostia and into the patient's lower extremities.
[0027] A need still exists for improved devices and methods for substantially isolating first and second portions of aortic blood flow at a location within the aorta of a patient adjacent the renal artery ostia along the aorta wall, and directing the first portion into the renal arteries from the location within the aorta while allowing the second portion to flow across the location and downstream of the renal artery ostia into the patient's lower extremities. There is a further benefit and need for providing passive blood flow along the isolated paths and without providing active in-situ mechanical flow support to either or both of the first or second portions of aortic blood flow.
[0028] A need still exists for improved devices and methods for locally delivering agents such as radiopaque dye or drugs into a renal artery from a location within the aorta of a patient adjacent the renal artery's ostium along the aorta wall, and without requiring translumenal positioning of an agent delivery device within the renal artery itself or its ostium.
[0029] A need still exists for improved devices and methods for bilateral delivery of fluids or agents such as radiopaque dye or drugs simultaneously into multiple renal arteries feeding both kidneys of a patient using a single delivery device and without requiring translumenal positioning of multiple agent delivery devices respectively within the multiple renal arteries themselves.
[0030] A need still exists for improved devices and methods for delivery of fluids or agents into the renal arteries of a patient from a location within the patient's aorta adjacent the renal artery ostia along the aorta wall, and while allowing other treatment or diagnostic devices and systems, such as angiographic or guiding catheter devices and related systems, to be delivered across the location.
[0031] A need still exists for improved devices and methods for delivering fluids or agents into the renal arteries from a location within the aorta of a patient adjacent to the renal artery ostia along the aorta wall, and other than as a remedial measure to treat pre-existing renal conditions, and in particular for prophylaxis or diagnostic procedures related to the kidneys.
[0032] A need still exists for improved devices and methods for delivery of fluids or agents into the renal arteries of a patient in order to treat, protect, or diagnose the renal system adjunctive to performing other contemporaneous medical procedures such as angiograms other translumenal procedures upstream of the renal artery ostia.
[0033] A need still exists for improved devices and methods for delivering both an intra aortic drug delivery system and at least one adjunctive distal interventional device, such as an angiographic or guiding catheter, through a common delivery sheath.
[0034] A need also still exists for improved devices and methods for delivering both an intra aortic drug delivery system and at least one adjunctive distal interventional device, such as an angiographic or guiding catheter, through a single access site, such as a single femoral arterial puncture.
[0035] A need also still exists for improved devices and methods for treating, and in particular preventing, ARF, and in particular relation to RCN or CHF, by locally delivering renal protective or ameliorative drugs into the renal arteries, such as contemporaneous with radiocontrast injections such as during angiography procedures.
[0036] A need still exists for improved devices to deliver fluid agents bilaterally to both sides of the renal system from within the aorta system.
[0037] A need still exists for improved devices to deliver fluid agents bilaterally to both sides of the renal system without requiring cannulation of the renal arteries themselves.
[0038] A need also exists for improved devices to deliver fluid agents bilaterally to both sides of the renal system without substantially occluding, isolating, or diverting blood flow within the abdominal aorta.
[0039] In addition to these particular needs for selective fluid delivery into a patient's renal arteries via their ostia along the aorta, other similar needs also exist for fluid delivery into other branch vessels or lumens extending from other main vessels or lumens, respectively, in a patient.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0040] These present embodiments therefore generally relate to intra aortic renal drug delivery systems generally from a position proximal to the renal arteries themselves; however, it is contemplated that these systems and methods may be suitably modified for use in other anatomical regions and for other medical conditions without departing from the broad scope of various of the aspects illustrated by the embodiments. For example, intra aortic fluid delivery according to various of these embodiments benefits from particular dimensions, shapes, and constructions for the subject devices herein described. However, suitable modifications may be made to deliver fluids to other multi-lateral branch structures from main body spaces or lumens, such as for example in other locations within the vasculature (e.g. right and left coronary artery ostia, fallopian tubes stemming from a uterus, or gastrointestinal tract.
[0041] One aspect of the invention is a local renal infusion system for treating a renal system in a patient from a location within the abdominal aorta associated with first and second flow paths within an outer region of abdominal aortic blood flow generally along the abdominal aorta wall and into first and second renal arteries, respectively, via their corresponding first and second renal ostia along an abdominal aorta wall in the patient. This system includes a local injection assembly with first and second injection ports. The local injection assembly is adapted to be positioned at the location with the first and second injection ports at first and second respective positions, respectively, corresponding with the first and second flow paths. The local injection assembly is also adapted to be fluidly coupled to a source of fluid agent externally of the patient when the local injection assembly is positioned at the location. Accordingly, the local injection assembly is adapted to inject a volume of fluid agent from the source, through the first and second injection ports at the first and second positions, respectively, and bi-laterally into the first and second renal arteries, also respectively. This assembly is in particular adapted to accomplish such localized bilateral renal delivery via the respective corresponding first and second renal ostia and without substantially altering abdominal aorta flow along the location.
[0042] According to certain further modes of this aspect, the local injection assembly is adapted to inject the volume of fluid agent into the first and second flow paths such that the injected volume flows substantially only into the first and second renal arteries without substantially diverting, occluding, or isolating one region of aortic blood flow with respect to the first or second regions of aortic blood flow.
[0043] Another further mode also includes a delivery member with a proximal end portion and a distal end portion with a longitudinal axis. The local injection assembly comprises first and second injection members with first and second injection ports, respectively, and is adapted to extend from the distal end portion of the delivery member and is adjustable between a first configuration and a second configuration as follows. The local injection assembly in the first configuration is adapted to be delivered by the delivery member to the location. The local injection assembly at the location is adjustable from the first configuration to the second configuration such that the first and second first injection members are radially extended from the longitudinal axis with the first and second injection ports located at the first and second positions, respectively, at the first and second flow paths.
[0044] According to another mode, the local injection assembly includes an elongate body that is adapted to be positioned within the outer region. The first and second injection ports are spaced at different locations around the circumference of the elongate body such that the first and second injection ports are adapted to inject the volume of fluid agent in first and second different respective directions laterally from the elongate body and generally into the first and second flow paths, respectively.
[0000] According to one embodiment of this mode, a positioner cooperates with the elongate body and is adapted to position the elongate body within the outer region at the location. In one variation of this embodiment, the positioner is coupled to the elongate body and is adjustable from a first configuration to a second configuration. The positioner in the first configuration is adapted to be delivered to the location with the elongate body. The positioner at the location is adapted to be adjusted from the first configuration to the second configuration that is biased to radially extend from the elongate body relative to the first configuration and against the abdominal aorta wall with sufficient force so as to deflect the orientation of the elongate body into the outer region. Further to this variation the positioner may also beneficially be a partial loop-shaped member that extends with first and second legs from the elongate body. In the first configuration at the location the partial loop-shaped member has a first orientation with respect to the elongate body and is adapted to be delivered to the location. In the second configuration at the location the partial loop-shaped member has a second orientation that is radially extended from the elongate body relative to the first orientation. In still further features according to this variation, the partial loop-shaped member is adjusted to the first configuration when subject to deformation force away from a memory shape, and is self-adjustable from the first configuration to the second configuration by material recovery of the partial loop-shaped member from the first configuration toward the memory shape. The first and second legs may be extendable from the elongate body through first and second extension ports, such that in the first configuration the first and second legs are withdrawn into the elongate body, and in the second configuration the first and second legs are extended from the elongate body through the first and second extension ports, respectively.
[0045] In another embodiment, a control member is coupled to the partial loop-shaped member and also to the elongate body, and is adapted to adjust the looped-shape member between the first and second configurations by manipulating the position of the control member.
[0046] In still a further embodiment, the positioner comprises a plurality of partial loop-shaped members such as described above.
[0047] In another mode of this aspect of the invention, the local injection assembly further includes an elongate body with a longitudinal axis and that is adapted to be positioned at the location. The first and second injection members in the first configuration have first radial positions relative to the longitudinal axis, and in the second configuration have second radial positions. The second radial positions are radially extended from the longitudinal axis relative to the first radial position.
[0048] In one embodiment of this mode, the first and second injection members are located on opposite respective sides of the elongate body around a circumference of the elongate body. In one variation of this embodiment, each of the first and second injection members extends between proximal and distal respective locations on each of the opposite respective sides of the elongate body, and in the second configuration the first and second injection members are biased outward from the elongate body between the respective proximal and distal respective locations.
[0049] In another embodiment, the local injection assembly is in the form of a generally loop-shaped member, such that the first and second injection members comprise first and second regions along the loop-shaped member, and whereas the first and second injection ports are located on each of the first and second regions. The loop-shaped member in the first configuration has a first diameter between the first and second injection ports such that the loop-shaped member is adapted to be delivered to the location. The loop-shaped member in the second configuration has a second diameter between the first and second injection ports that is greater than the first diameter and is sufficient such that the first and second positions generally correspond with first and second flow paths within the outer region, respectively. According to one variation of this embodiment, the local injection assembly in the second configuration for the loop-shaped member includes a memory shape. The loop-shaped member is adjustable from the second configuration to the first configuration within a radially confining outer delivery sheath. The loop-shaped member is adjustable from the first configuration to the second configuration by removing it from radial confinement outside of the outer delivery sheath.
[0050] In another mode, the local injection assembly comprises a plurality of n injection members, wherein n is an integer that is greater than two. Further to this mode, n injection ports are located on the n injection members, respectively. Each of the n injection members is adapted to be positioned at the location such that the n injection ports are located at n unique respective positions within the outer region. The local injection assembly is adapted to be oriented at the location such that n minus two of the plurality of injection members are oriented with the corresponding n minus two injection ports against the abdominal aorta wall, and such that the remaining two injection members of the plurality are oriented such that the two corresponding injection ports are at the first and second positions. Accordingly, the remaining two injection members are the first and second injection members, and the remaining two injection ports on the two remaining injection members are the first and second injection ports.
[0051] In one embodiment of this mode, each of the plurality of injection ports at its respectively unique position within the outer region is adapted to be fluidly coupled simultaneously with the source of fluid agent externally of the body. The n minus two injection ports are adapted to be substantially prevented by the abdominal wall from injecting a substantial volume of fluid agent from the source and into the outer region. The remaining two injection ports are adapted to inject a substantial volume of fluid agent from the source and into the first and second renal ostia, respectively, such that local injection of fluid agent from the source is substantially isolated to the two injection ports.
[0052] In another embodiment, in the first configuration at the location the n injection members are positioned at n generally unique radially collapsed positions around a circumference having a first diameter around a longitudinal axis of the abdominal aorta at the location. In the second configuration at the location the n injection members are positioned at n generally unique radially expanded positions around a circumference having a second diameter around the longitudinal axis that is greater than the first outer diameter and that is sufficient to position the respective n injection ports at the n respective positions, respectively.
[0053] According to another mode, each of the first and second injection members includes an infusion passageway with an array of n injection regions, wherein n is an integer. Each array of n injection regions is adapted to be coupled to the source of fluid agent outside the body. The first and second injection members are adapted to be oriented at the location such that x of the n respective injection regions of each array are positioned within the outer region and in fluid communication with the respective renal ostium, and such that y of the respective injection regions of each array are against the abdominal aorta wall such that they are substantially prevented by the abdominal aorta wall from injecting a volume of fluid agent into the outer region. Accordingly, the first injection port includes at least one of the x injection regions along the first injection member. The second injection port includes at least one of the x injection regions along the second injection member. Further to this description, in general x is a positive number that is not greater than n, and n is equal to x plus y.
[0054] In a further mode of the present aspect, first and second markers located along first and second injection members, respectively, at locations generally corresponding with the first and second injection ports. Each of the first and second markers is adapted to indicate to an operator externally of the patient the locations of the first and second injection ports to assist their delivery to the first and second positions, respectively. In particular beneficial embodiments, the first and second markers are radiopaque and provide guidance under fluoroscopy. In a further embodiment, the first and second injection members extend distally from the delivery member from a bifurcation location, and a proximal marker is located at the bifurcation location.
[0055] In another mode, a the delivery member is provided that is an introducer sheath with a proximal end portion and a distal end portion that is adapted to be positioned at the location with the proximal end portion of the introducer sheath extending externally from the patient. The delivery member includes a delivery passageway extending between a proximal port assembly along the proximal end portion of the introducer sheath and a distal port assembly along the distal end portion of the introducer sheath. The injection assembly is adapted to be slideably engaged within the introducer sheath, and is adjustable between first and second longitudinal positions. The first and second injection members are located within the delivery passageway in the first longitudinal position and are extended distally through the distal port and from the distal end portion in the second longitudinal position. In a further embodiment of this mode, the distal end portion of the introducer sheath includes a distal tip and a delivery marker at a location corresponding with the distal tip such that the delivery marker is adapted to indicate the relative position of the distal tip within the abdominal aorta at the location. In one further embodiment, the distal port assembly has first and second ports through which the first and second delivery members are extended during adjustment to the second configuration.
[0056] In another further embodiment, a catheter body is provided with a proximal end portion and a distal end portion that is adapted to be positioned at the location when the proximal end portion of the catheter body extends externally from the patient. The first and second injection members are coupled to and extend distally from the distal end portion of the catheter body. The proximal port assembly of the introducer sheath comprises a single proximal port, and the first and second injection members and distal end portion of the catheter body are adapted to be inserted into the delivery passageway through the single proximal port.
[0057] According to another mode, the system further includes a proximal coupler assembly that is adapted to be fluidly coupled to a source of fluid agent externally of the patient, and also to the first and second injection ports at the first and second positions, respectively.
[0058] In one embodiment, the proximal coupler assembly comprises first and second proximal couplers. The first proximal coupler is fluidly coupled to the first injection port, and the second proximal coupler is fluidly coupled to the second injection port. In one variation of this embodiment, a first elongate body extends between the first proximal coupler and the first injection member, and with a first fluid passageway coupled to the first proximal coupler and the first injection port; a second elongate body extends between the second proximal coupler and the second injection member, and with a second fluid passageway coupled to the second coupler and the second injection port. In another variation, the proximal coupler assembly includes a single common coupler that is fluidly coupled to each of the first and second injection ports via a common fluid passageway. According to one feature that may be employed per this variation, an elongate body extends between the single common coupler and the first and second injection members. The elongate body has at least one delivery passageway fluidly coupled to the single common coupler and also to the first and second injection ports.
[0059] According to still a further mode of this aspect of the invention, the system further includes a source of fluid agent that is adapted to be coupled to the local injection assembly. The fluid agent may comprises one, or combinations of, the following: saline; a diuretic, such as Furosemide or Thiazide; a vasopressor, such as Dopamine; a vasodilator; another vasoactive agent; Papaverine; a Calcium-channel blocker; Nifedipine; Verapamil; fenoldapam mesylate; a dopamine DA1 agonist; or analogs or derivatives, or combinations or blends, thereof.
[0060] Another mode includes a vascular access system with an elongate tubular body with at least one lumen extending between a proximal port assembly and a distal port that is adapted to be positioned within a vessel having translumenal access to the location. The system per this mode also includes a percutaneous translumenal interventional device that is adapted to be delivered to an intervention location across the location while the local injection assembly is at the location. The local injection assembly and percutaneous translumenal interventional device are adapted to be delivered percutaneously to the location and intervention location, respectively, through the vascular access device, and are also adapted to be simultaneously engaged within the vascular access device.
[0061] In one embodiment, the percutaneous translumenal interventional device comprises an angiographic catheter. In another, the percutaneous translumenal interventional device is a guiding catheter. In another regard, the interventional device may be between about 4 French and about 8 French.
[0062] In another embodiment, the proximal port assembly includes first and second proximal ports. The percutaneous translumenal interventional device is adapted to be inserted into the elongate body through the first proximal port. The first and second ports of the injection assembly are adapted to be inserted into the elongate body through the second proximal port.
[0063] According to another mode, the local injection assembly includes a fluid reservoir and the first injection port is fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir. The fluid reservoir is adjustable between a first condition, a second condition, and a third condition. In the first condition the fluid reservoir is adapted to be delivered to the location with the first injection port at the first position at the location. The fluid reservoir at the location is adapted to be fluidly coupled to a source of fluid agent located externally of the patient. The fluid reservoir at the location is adjustable from the first condition to the second condition such that the first volume from the source is delivered into the fluid reservoir. The local injection assembly at the location is further adjustable from the second condition to the third condition wherein the fluid reservoir discharges the first volume of fluid agent through the injection port at the position. The injected first volume of fluid agent is adapted to flow principally into the first flow path.
[0064] Another aspect is a local infusion system for locally delivering a volume of fluid agent from a source located externally of a patient and into a location within a body space of a patient. This system includes a delivery member with a proximal end portion and a distal end portion with a longitudinal axis, and a local injection assembly comprising first and second injection members with first and second injection ports, respectively. The local injection assembly extends from the distal end portion of the delivery member and is adjustable between a first configuration and a second configuration as follows. The local injection assembly in the first configuration is adapted to be delivered by the delivery member to the location. The local injection assembly at the location is adjustable from the first configuration to the second configuration such that the first and second first injection members are radially extended from the longitudinal axis with the first and second injection ports located at first and second relatively unique positions, respectively, at the location. The first and second injection ports at the first and second respective positions are adapted to be fluidly coupled to a source of fluid agent externally of the patient and to inject a volume of fluid agent into the patient at the first and second positions, also respectively, at the location.
[0065] Another aspect of the invention is a local infusion system with a local injection assembly comprising an injection member with an injection port and a fluid reservoir fluidly coupled to the injection port. The local injection assembly is adjustable between a first condition, a second condition, and a third condition as follows. In the first condition the local injection assembly is adapted to be delivered to a location within a body space of a patient with the injection port and fluid reservoir at a position within the location. The injection port at the position is adapted to be fluidly coupled to a source of fluid agent located externally of the patient. The local injection assembly at the location is adjustable from the first condition to the second condition such that a volume of fluid agent from the source is delivered via the injection port into the fluid reservoir. The local injection assembly at the location is further adjustable from the second condition to the third condition wherein the fluid reservoir discharges the volume of fluid agent into the location at the position.
[0066] Another aspect of the invention is a local infusion system for delivering a volume of fluid agent from a source located externally of a patient and into a portion of an outer region within and generally along a wall of a body space at a location along the body space in the patient. The system includes a local injection assembly with an injection port, and a flow isolation assembly that cooperates with the local injection assembly as follows. The local injection assembly is adapted to be delivered to the location with the injection port at a position within the portion of the outer region. The injection port at the position is adapted to be fluidly coupled to a source of fluid agent located externally of the patient and to inject a volume of fluid agent from the source into the portion of the outer region of the body space. The flow isolation assembly is adjustable between a first condition and a second condition as follows. The flow isolation assembly in the first condition is adapted to be delivered to the location. The flow isolation assembly at the location is adjustable from the first condition to a second condition that is adapted to isolate the injected volume of fluid agent to flow substantially within the portion of the outer region along the location. The portion is located along only a part of the circumference of the outer region that is less than all of the circumference.
[0067] Another aspect of the invention is a local renal infusion system for treating a renal system in a patient from a location within the abdominal aorta associated with abdominal aortic blood flow into first and second renal arteries via respective first and second renal ostia having unique relative locations along the abdominal aorta wall. This system includes in one regard a delivery catheter with an elongate body having a proximal end portion, a distal end portion with a distal tip that is adapted to be delivered across the location and to a delivery location that is upstream of the location while the proximal end portion is located externally of the patient, and a delivery lumen extending between a proximal port along the proximal end portion and a distal port along the distal end portion. A local injection assembly is also provided with an injection port. The local injection assembly is adapted to be delivered at least in part by the elongate body to the location such that the injection port is at a position within the location while the distal tip of the delivery catheter is at the delivery position. The injection port at the location is adapted to be fluidly coupled to a source of fluid agent located externally of the patient and to inject a volume of fluid agent from the source into abdominal aorta at the location such that the injected volume flows substantially into the first and second arteries via the first and second renal ostia, respectively.
[0068] Another aspect of the invention is a method for treating a renal system in a patient from a location within the abdominal aorta associated with abdominal aortic blood flow into first and second renal arteries via respective first and second renal ostia having unique relative locations along the abdominal aorta wall. This method includes in one regard delivering a delivery catheter with an elongate body having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion with a distal tip across the location and to a delivery location that is upstream of the location while the proximal end portion is located externally of the patient. The method further includes delivering a local injection assembly that includes an injection port at least in part by the elongate body to the location such that the injection port is at a position within the location while the distal tip of the delivery catheter is at the delivery position. The injection port at the location is fluidly coupled to a source of fluid agent located externally of the patient. A volume of fluid agent from the source is injected through the injection port and into abdominal aorta at the location such that the injected volume flows substantially into the first and second arteries via the first and second renal ostia, respectively.
[0069] Another aspect of the invention is a method for treating a renal system in a patient from a location within the abdominal aorta associated with abdominal aortic blood flow into first and second renal arteries via their respective first and second renal ostia, respectively, at unique respective locations along the abdominal aorta wall. This method includes: positioning a local injection assembly at the location with first and second injection ports at first and second unique respective positions at the location. Also includes is fluidly coupling the local injection assembly at the location to a source of fluid agent externally of the patient. A further step includes simultaneously injecting a volume of fluid agent from the source through the first and second injection ports at the first and second positions and principally into the first and second renal arteries, respectively.
[0070] Another aspect of the invention is a method for treating a renal system in a patient from a location within the abdominal aorta associated with abdominal aortic blood flow into each of first and second renal arteries via first and second renal ostia, respectively, at unique respective locations along the abdominal aorta wall. This method includes positioning a local injection assembly at the location, and fluidly coupling to the local injection assembly at the location to a source of fluid agent externally of the patient. Also included is injecting a volume of fluid agent from the source and into the abdominal aorta at the location in a manner such that the injected fluid flows principally into the first and second renal arteries via the first and second renal ostia, respectively, and without substantially occluding or isolating a substantial portion of an outer region of aortic blood flow along a circumference of the abdominal aorta wall and across the location.
[0071] Another aspect of the invention is a method for treating a renal system in a patient from a location within the abdominal aorta associated with abdominal aortic blood flow into each of first and second renal arteries via first and second renal ostia, respectively, at unique respective locations along the abdominal aorta wall. This method aspect includes positioning a delivery member within an abdominal aorta of a patient, and delivering with the delivery member a local injection assembly having first and second injection members with first and second injection ports, respectively, in a first configuration to the location. Also included is adjusting the local injection assembly between the first configuration and a second configuration at the location. Further to this method, in the second configuration the local injection assembly extends from the distal end portion of the delivery member with the first and second first injection members radially extended relative to each other across a portion of the abdominal aorta at the location and with the first and second injection ports located at first and second relatively unique positions, respectively, at the location. A further mode of this aspect is fluidly coupling the first and second injection ports at the first and second respective positions to a source of fluid agent externally of the patient, and injecting a volume of fluid agent into the first and second renal arteries via their respective first and second renal ostia from the first and second positions, respectively.
[0072] Another aspect of the invention is a method for treating a renal system in a patient from a location within the abdominal aorta associated with abdominal aortic blood flow into a renal artery via a renal ostium located along the abdominal aorta wall. This method includes delivering a local injection assembly comprising an injection member with a fluid reservoir and an injection port in a first condition to the location with the injection port at a position at the location. Also included is fluidly coupling the fluid reservoir at the location to a source of fluid agent located externally of the patient. Further steps include adjusting the local injection assembly at the location from the first condition to a second condition such that a volume of fluid agent from the source is delivered into the fluid reservoir, and adjusting the local injection assembly at the location from the second condition to a third condition wherein the fluid reservoir discharges the volume of fluid agent through the injection port at the position. Accordingly, the injected volume of fluid agent is adapted to flow principally into the renal artery via the renal ostium.
[0073] Another method aspect of the invention is a method for treating a renal system in a patient from a location within the abdominal aorta associated with abdominal aortic blood flow into a renal artery via a renal ostium located along the abdominal aorta wall. This method includes delivering a local injection assembly with an injection port to the location with the injection port at a position within a portion of an outer region of the abdominal aortic blood flow generally along the abdominal aorta wall at the location. Further included is fluidly coupling the injection port at the position to a source of fluid agent located externally of the patient and to inject a volume of fluid agent from the source into the portion of the outer region. Further steps are delivering a flow isolation assembly in a first condition to the location, adjusting the flow isolation assembly at the location from the first condition to a second condition, and isolating the injected volume of fluid agent to flow substantially within the portion of the outer region along the location with the flow isolation assembly in the second condition. According to this method, the portion is located along only a part of the circumference of the outer region that is less than all of the circumference.
[0074] Another aspect of the invention is a method for providing local therapy to a renal system in a patient from a location within the abdominal aorta associated with first and second flow paths within an outer region of abdominal aortic blood flow generally along the abdominal aorta wall and into first and second renal arteries, respectively, via their corresponding first and second renal ostia along an abdominal aorta wall in the patient. This method includes positioning a local injection assembly at the location with first and second injection ports at first and second respective positions, respectively, corresponding with the first and second flow paths. Also included is fluidly coupling the local injection assembly to a source of fluid agent externally of the patient when the local injection assembly is positioned at the location, and injecting a volume of fluid agent from the source, through the first and second injection ports at the first and second positions, respectively, and bi-laterally into the first and second renal arteries, also respectively, via the respective corresponding first and second renal ostia without substantially altering abdominal aorta flow along the location.
[0075] Further modes of these various method aspects include beneficially enhancing renal function with the injected volume of fluid agent. This may include in particular injecting the volume of fluid agent into the location while performing an interventional procedure at an intervention location within a vasculature of the patient. In one embodiment, this further includes injecting the volume of fluid agent during a period when a volume of radiocontrast dye injection is within the patient's vasculature, and such that the fluid agent is adapted to substantially prevent RCN in response to the radiocontrast dye injection. According to a further beneficial variation, the method includes treating acute renal failure with the injected volume of fluid agent.
[0076] Whereas each of these aspects, modes, embodiments, variations, and features is considered independently beneficial and are not to be required in combination with the others, nevertheless the various combinations and sub-combinations thereof as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill are further considered within the intended scope as further independently beneficial aspects of the invention.
[0077] Further aspects of the invention will be brought out in the following portions of the specification, wherein the detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing preferred embodiments of the invention without placing limitations thereon.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0078] The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the following drawings which are for illustrative purposes only:
[0079] FIG. 1 is an anterior perspective view of an abdominal aorta in the generally vicinity of the renal arteries.
[0080] FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of an abdominal aorta taken in the vicinity of the renal arteries showing the general blood flow patterns through the abdominal aorta and the renal arteries.
[0081] FIG. 3 is an anterior view of an embodiment of a bifurcated fluid infusion catheter disposed within an abdominal aorta in the vicinity of the renal arteries.
[0082] FIG. 4 is a detailed view of one portion of the fluid infusion assembly shown in FIG. 3 in a diastole configuration.
[0083] FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the portion of the fluid infusion assembly shown in FIG. 4 , except shows it in a systole configuration.
[0084] FIG. 6 is a detailed view of another fluid infusion assembly in a diastole configuration.
[0085] FIG. 7 is a detailed view of the fluid infusion assembly shown in FIG. 6 , except shows it in a systole configuration.
[0086] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another form of bifurcated drug infusion catheter in an expanded configuration.
[0087] FIG. 9 is a side plan view of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter shown in FIG. 8 , except shows the catheter in a collapsed configuration.
[0088] FIG. 10 is an anterior view of another bifurcated drug infusion catheter embodiment with an infusion ring shown in an expanded configuration.
[0089] FIG. 11 is an anterior view of the bifurcated fluid infusion catheter embodiment shown in FIG. 10 , shown in one mode of operation discharging medication.
[0090] FIG. 12 is an anterior view of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter of FIGS. 10 and 11 , and shows it disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0091] FIG. 13 is a left side plan view of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter shown in FIGS. 10-12 , and shows one mode of use disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0092] FIG. 14 is an anterior view of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter shown in FIGS. 10-12 , and shows another mode of use disposed within an abdominal aorta immediately above the renal arteries.
[0093] FIG. 15 is a plan view of a fluid infusion catheter with positioning struts according to a further embodiment, and shows the struts in a collapsed configuration.
[0094] FIG. 16 is an anterior view of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIG. 15 , shown with the struts disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries in an expanded configuration.
[0095] FIG. 17 is a plan view of another fluid infusion catheter with struts shown in a collapsed configuration.
[0096] FIG. 18 is an anterior view of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIG. 17 , and shows the positioning struts disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries in an expanded configuration.
[0097] FIG. 19 is a plan view of another fluid infusion catheter with positioning struts shown in a collapsed configuration.
[0098] FIG. 20 is an anterior view of the fluid infusion catheter of FIG. 19 , and shows the struts disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries in an expanded configuration.
[0099] FIG. 21 is an anterior view of another fluid infusion catheter with an anchor disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries in an expanded configuration.
[0100] FIG. 22 is a detailed view of certain aspects of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIG. 21 .
[0101] FIG. 23 is a detailed view of the fluid infusion catheter taken at circle 23 in FIG. 21 .
[0102] FIG. 24 is an anterior view of another fluid infusion catheter with a positioning loop disposed within an abdominal aorta immediately above the renal arteries in an extended configuration.
[0103] FIG. 25 is a top plan view of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIG. 24 , and shows the positioning loop is disposed within an abdominal aorta immediately above the renal arteries in an extended configuration.
[0104] FIG. 26 is a side plan view of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIGS. 24-25 , and shows the positioning loop disposed within an abdominal aorta immediately above the renal arteries in an extended configuration.
[0105] FIG. 27 is a second side plan view of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIGS. 24-25 , and shows the positioning loop disposed within an abdominal aorta immediately above the renal arteries in an extended configuration.
[0106] FIG. 28 is an anterior view of another fluid infusion catheter with an adjustable positioning loop in a retracted configuration.
[0107] FIG. 29 is an anterior view of another fluid infusion catheter with a positioning loop in a partially extended configuration.
[0108] FIG. 30 is a anterior view of another fluid infusion catheter with positioning loops in an extended configuration
[0109] FIG. 31 is a top plan view of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIG. 30 , and shows the positioning loops in an extended configuration.
[0110] FIG. 32 is a perspective view of another embodiment according to the invention with a fluid infusion catheter cooperating with a flow diverter.
[0111] FIG. 33 is an anterior view of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIG. 32 , and shows the flow diverter disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0112] FIG. 34 is a perspective view of another drug infusion catheter with a flow diverter according to a further embodiment.
[0113] FIG. 35 is an anterior view of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIG. 34 , and shows the flow diverter disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0114] FIG. 36 is a perspective view of another fluid infusion catheter with a flow diverter according to still a further embodiment.
[0115] FIG. 37 is a side plan view of another embodiment of the fluid infusion catheter with flow diverter shown in FIG. 36 .
[0116] FIG. 38 is an anterior view of the fluid infusion catheter shown in FIGS. 36-37 , and shows the flow diverter disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0117] FIG. 39 is an anterior view of a fluid infusion guide catheter disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0118] FIG. 40 is an anterior view of another fluid infusion guide catheter disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0119] FIG. 41 is an anterior view of another fluid infusion guide catheter disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0120] FIG. 42 is a plan view of the fluid infusion guide catheter shown in FIG. 41 , except showing in another collapsed mode of use.
[0121] FIG. 43 is an anterior view of a guide catheter with a coaxial drug infuser disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries according to another embodiment.
[0122] FIG. 44 is a top plan view of the system shown in FIG. 43 .
[0123] FIG. 45 is an anterior view of another guide catheter with a coaxial drug infuser disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0124] FIG. 46 is a perspective view of another catheter assembly with a drug infusion introducer sheath disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0125] FIG. 47 is a perspective view of another catheter assembly with an infusion balloon disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0126] FIG. 48 is a rear perspective view of a self-shaping drug infusion catheter in a first configuration.
[0127] FIG. 49 is an anterior view of a self-shaping drug infusion catheter in a second shaped configuration and disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries.
[0128] FIG. 50 is a top plan view of a self-shaping drug infusion catheter in a shaped configuration and disposed within an abdominal aorta adjacent to the renal arteries
[0129] FIG. 51 is a side plan view of a self-shaping drug infusion catheter assembly.
[0130] FIG. 52 is a side view of another embodiment of a catheter fluid delivery system with a multilumen sheath.
[0131] FIG. 53 is a top section view of the catheter fluid delivery system in FIG. 52 .
[0132] FIG. 54 illustrates a proximal coupler system for positioning aortic fluid delivery systems adjunctively with other medical devices.
[0133] FIG. 55 illustrates a section view of the proximal coupler system as shown in FIG. 54 .
[0134] FIG. 56A illustrates a proximal coupler system as shown in FIG. 54 coupled to a local fluid delivery system.
[0135] FIG. 56B illustrates a proximal coupler system as shown in FIG. 56A with a fluid delivery system advanced into an introducer sheath.
[0136] FIG. 57 illustrates a proximal coupler system as shown in FIG. 54 through 56B with a fluid infusion device positioned near the renal arteries and a catheter deployed adjunctively in the aorta.
[0137] FIG. 58 illustrates a renal therapy system with an introducer sheath system, a vessel dilator, a fluid delivery system and an aortic infusion assembly.
[0138] FIG. 59 is a stylized illustration of a double Y assembly with two local fluid delivery systems and an intervention catheter in an aorta system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0139] Referring more specifically to the drawings, for illustrative purposes the present invention is embodied in the apparatus generally shown in FIG. 3 through FIG. 59 . It will be appreciated that the apparatus may vary as to configuration and as to details of the parts, and that the method may vary as to the specific steps and sequence, without departing from the basic concepts as disclosed herein.
[0140] The description herein provided relates to medical material delivery systems and methods in the context of their relationship in use within a patient's anatomy. Accordingly, for the purpose of providing a clear understanding, the term proximal should be understood to mean locations on a system or device relatively closer to the operator during use, and the term distal should be understood to mean locations relatively further away from the operator during use of a system or device. These present embodiments below therefore generally relate to local renal drug delivery generally from the aorta; however, it is contemplated that these systems and methods may be suitably modified for use in other anatomical regions and for other medical conditions without departing from the broad scope of various of the aspects illustrated by the embodiments.
[0141] In general, the disclosed material delivery systems will include a fluid delivery assembly, a proximal coupler assembly and one or more elongated bodies, such as tubes or catheters. These elongated bodies may contain one or more lumens and generally consist of a proximal region, a mid-distal region, and a distal tip region. The distal tip region will typically have means for delivering a material such as a fluid agent. Radiopaque markers or other devices may be coupled to the specific regions of the elongated body to assist introduction and positioning.
[0142] The material delivery system is intended to be placed into position by a physician, typically either an interventionalist (cardiologist or radiologist) or an intensivist, a physician who specializes in the treatment of intensive-care patients. The physician will gain access to a femoral artery in the patient's groin, typically using a Seldinger technique of percutaneous vessel access or other conventional method.
[0143] For additional understanding, further more detailed examples of other systems and methods for providing local renal drug delivery are variously disclosed in the following published references: WO 00/41612 to Keren et al.; and WO 01/083016 to Keren et al. The disclosures of these references are herein incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto. Moreover, various combinations with, or modifications according to, various aspects of the present embodiments as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill upon review of this disclosure together with these references are also considered within the scope of invention as described by the various independently beneficial embodiments described below.
[0144] The invention is also related to subject matter disclosed in other Published International Patent Applications as follows: WO 00/41612 to Libra Medical Systems, published Jul. 20, 2000; and WO 01/83016 to Libra Medical Systems, published Nov. 8, 2001. The disclosures of these Published International Patent Applications are also herein incorporated in their entirety by reference thereto.
[0145] Referring initially to FIG. 1 , an abdominal aorta is shown and is generally designated 10 . As shown, a right renal artery 12 and a left renal artery 14 extend from the abdominal aorta 10 . A superior mesenteric artery 16 extends from the abdominal aorta 10 above the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Moreover, a celiac artery 18 extends from the abdominal aorta 10 above the superior mesenteric artery 16 . FIG. 1 also shows that an inferior mesenteric artery 20 extends from the abdominal aorta 10 below the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Further, as shown in FIG. 1 , the abdominal aorta 10 branches into a right iliac artery 22 and a left iliac artery 24 . It is to be understood that each embodiments of the present invention described in detail below can be used to deliver a drug or other fluid solution locally into the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Each of the below-described embodiments can be advanced through one of the iliac arteries 22 , 24 and into the abdominal aorta 10 until the general vicinity of the renal arteries 12 , 14 is reached.
[0146] FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-section of the abdominal aorta 10 taken in the immediate vicinity of the renal arteries 12 , 14 . FIG. 2 shows the natural flow patterns through the abdominal aorta 10 and the natural flow patterns from the abdominal aorta 10 into the renal arteries 12 , 14 . As shown, the flow down the abdominal aorta 10 maintains a laminar flow pattern. Moreover, the flow stream near the middle of the abdominal aorta 10 , as indicated by dashed box 30 , continues down the abdominal aorta 10 , as indicated by arrows 32 , and does not feed into any of the side branches, e.g., the renal arteries 12 , 14 . As such, a drug solution infusion down the middle of the abdominal aorta flow stream can be ineffective in obtaining isolated drug flow into the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0147] Conversely, the flow stream along an inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 , as indicated by dashed box 36 and dashed box 38 , contains a natural laminar flow stream into the branching arteries, e.g., the renal arteries 12 , 14 , as indicated by arrows 40 , 42 . In general, the flow stream 32 is of a higher velocity than flow stream 40 along wall 34 of aorta 10 . It is to be understood that near the boundaries of dashed box 36 , 38 with dashed box 30 the flow stream can contain flow streams into the branching arteries 12 , 14 —as well as down the abdominal aorta 10 .
[0148] Further, the ostia of renal arteries 12 , 14 are positioned to receive substantial blood flow from the blood flow near the posterior wall 34 of aorta 10 as well as the side walls. In other words, blood flow 40 in dashed boxes 36 , 38 together is greater than blood flow 32 in dashed box 30 when along the posterior wall of aorta 10 relative to blood flow in the center of aorta 10 as shown in FIG. 2 . Thus, drug infusion above renal arteries 12 , 14 and along the posterior wall of aorta 10 will be effective in reaching renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0149] Accordingly, in order to maximize the flow of a drug solution into the renal arteries using the natural flow patterns shown in FIG. 2 , it is beneficial to provide a device, as described in detail below, that is adapted to selectively infuse a drug solution along the side wall or posterior wall of the abdominal aorta 10 instead of within the middle of the abdominal aorta 10 or along the anterior wall.
[0150] As described in much greater detail below, it is beneficial to infuse a drug solution above the renal arteries 12 , 14 at two locations along the wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 spaced approximately one-hundred and eighty degrees (180) apart from each other.
[0151] Referring now to FIG. 3 , a first embodiment of a bifurcated drug infusion catheter is shown and is generally designated 50 . As shown, the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 includes a central catheter body 51 that splits into a first bifurcated portion 52 and a second bifurcated portion 54 . Each bifurcated portion 52 , 54 includes a free end 56 in which an infusion port 58 is formed. Each free end 56 further includes a radio-opaque marker band 59 . Also, an infusion assembly 60 is attached to the free end 56 of each bifurcated portion 52 , 54 around the infusion port 58 . Details concerning the construction of each infusion assembly 60 are described below.
[0152] It can be appreciated that the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 shown in FIG. 3 , places a bifurcated portion 52 , 54 on the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 generally immediately upstream from the level of the renal arteries 12 , 14 . The infusion ports 58 are positioned inside an infusion assembly 60 , described below, that releases a drug solution during the systolic phase of blood flow in which the blood flow within the abdominal aorta 10 is more predictable and more closely tracks the wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 into the renal arteries 12 , 14 , as indicated by arrows 62 .
[0153] It can be further appreciated that the infusion of a drug solution from the bifurcated portions 52 , 54 of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 , when positioned adjacent to the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 , results in a greater percentage of the drug solution entering the renal arteries 12 , 14 than systemic injection. However, “mixing” into the center of the abdominal aorta 10 can still take place, e.g., during the diastolic phase of blood flow through the abdominal aorta 10 . Thus, releasing a drug solution from a properly positioned bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 during the systolic phase, when a more uniform flow pattern is present, can result in a majority of the drug solution flowing into the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Further, a “passive” infusion assembly, as described below, allows the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 to work in a beneficial manner with improved efficiency and reduced complexity. While it is technically feasible to pulse the injection of a drug with an electro mechanical device driven by an ECG signal it is beyond the scope of the desired level of complexity desired.
[0154] Referring now to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , details concerning the construction of one embodiment of the infusion assembly 60 attached to each bifurcated portion 52 , 54 of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 are shown. As shown, the infusion assembly 60 includes a collapsible tube 64 having a proximal end 66 and a distal end 68 . Further, a one way check valve 70 is installed in the distal end 68 of the collapsible tube 64 .
[0155] FIG. 4 shows the infusion assembly 60 in the diastole configuration in which the one way check valve 70 is closed. It can be appreciated that during diastole, as indicated by arrow 72 , a drug solution 74 trickling from the infusion port 58 can collect in the tube 64 where it is prevented from mixing into the middle of the abdominal aorta 10 . However, during systole, as indicated by arrow 76 in FIG. 5 , the infusion assembly 60 moves to the systole configuration, wherein blood flow opens the one way check valve 70 and the drug solution 74 flows out of the infusion assembly 60 , along the wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 , and into the renal artery 14 .
[0156] FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 show another embodiment of an infusion assembly, designated 80 , that can be used in conjunction with the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 shown in FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , the infusion assembly 80 includes a collapsible sock 82 having a distal end 84 and a proximal end 86 .
[0157] During diastole, as indicated by arrow 88 in FIG. 6 , the infusion assembly 80 is the diastole configuration wherein the drug solution 74 from the infusion port 58 can collect in the collapsible sock 82 . Within the collapsible sock 82 , during diastole, the drug solution 74 is prevented from mixing into the middle of the abdominal aorta 10 . However, during systole, as indicated by arrow 90 in FIG. 7 , the infusion assembly 80 moves to the systole configuration, wherein the blood flow causes the collapsible sock 82 to collapse and the drug solution 74 flows out of the infusion assembly 80 , along the wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 , and into the renal artery 14 .
[0158] It can be appreciated that the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 , shown in FIG. 3 , can be used with either of the above-described infusion assemblies 60 , 80 . Further, during use, the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 can be introduced through a long 8 or 9 French (Fr) diameter introducer sheath positioned near the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Thereafter, partially withdrawing the introducer sheath can expose the free ends 56 of the bifurcated portions 52 , 54 of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 until separation can be detected, e.g., at approximately one-half (½) of the diameter of the abdominal aorta 10 . Viewing in an A-P plane the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 can be rotated back and forth until the marker bands 59 are in the most lateral position, i.e., when the distance between the marker bands 59 appears to be the greatest. Then, the longitudinal position of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 can be fine tuned. A user, e.g., a physician, can continue to withdraw the introducer sheath until the free ends 56 of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 are in contact with the inner wall 34 of the aorta 10 . It can be appreciated that the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 can be held in place within the abdominal aorta 10 by a spring force separating the bifurcated portions 52 , 54 of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 50 . It can be further appreciated that each of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 3-7 are relatively easy to position, present limited surface area, and minimize flow stagnation. Moreover, upstream interventions may be performed, e.g. PCA.
[0159] Referring now to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 , another embodiment of a bifurcated drug infusion catheter is shown and is designated 100 . As shown, the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 100 includes a central catheter tube 102 . In one beneficial embodiment, catheter tube 102 is multilumen. A first infusion tube 104 and a second infusion tube 106 , made of a flexible material such as nickel-titanium tubing, are coupled to and extend from the central catheter tube 102 at approximately one-hundred and eighty degrees (180°) from each other. Each infusion tube 104 , 106 includes a proximal end 108 and a distal end 110 . In one beneficial embodiment, the distal ends 110 of each infusion tube 104 , 106 are coupled to the central catheter tube 102 and the proximal ends 108 enter catheter tube 102 and continue proximally to a proximal coupler assembly (not shown). It is to be understood that during drug infusion, a drug solution can flow from the central catheter tube 102 and through each infusion tube 104 , 106 , e.g., from the proximal end 108 to the distal end 110 , or from the distal end 110 to the proximal end 108 , but drug solution principally exits through ports 112 .
[0160] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show the infusion tubes 104 , 106 in an expanded configuration and a retracted configuration respectively. In one embodiment, the infusion tubes 104 , 106 are advanced distally from a proximal coupler assembly (not shown) causing each infusion tube 104 , 106 to bow outward in the expanded configuration shown in FIG. 8 . When infusion tubes 104 , 106 are retracted proximally from a proximal coupler assembly (not shown), they straighten in the retracted configuration shown in FIG. 9 .
[0161] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 further show that each infusion tube 104 , 106 is formed with an infusion port 112 from which a drug solution can flow during drug infusion. Moreover, each infusion tube 104 , 106 includes a marker band 114 to assist in properly positioning the bifurcated catheter tube 100 within the abdominal aorta 10 ( FIG. 1 ).
[0162] FIG. 8 shows the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 100 in the expanded configuration. When expanded, the infusion tubes 104 , 106 can bow away from the central catheter tube 102 in order to provide drug infusion nearer to the inner wall 34 ( FIG. 1 ) of the abdominal aorta 10 ( FIG. 1 ) and maintain positioning within aorta 10 . When there is no longer a need for drug infusion, the infusion tubes 104 , 106 , are retracted against the central catheter tube 102 . In the retracted configuration, shown in FIG. 9 , the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 100 can be inserted into the abdominal aorta 10 , e.g., from the right iliac artery 22 or the left iliac artery 24 . Additionally, following drug infusion, the infusion tubes 104 , 106 can retract and aid in removal of the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 100 from the abdominal aorta 10 ( FIG. 1 ).
[0163] It is to be understood that one or more additional struts or tubes (not shown) may be added to catheter 100 to position or stabilize the infusion tubes 104 , 106 near the renal arteries. It is further understood that the additional struts may be made of different materials than the infusion tubes 104 , 106 .
[0164] FIG. 10 through FIG. 14 show various modes according to a further embodiment of a bifurcated fluid infusion catheter, generally configured as an infusion ring, and designated 120 . FIGS. 10 through 14 show that the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 120 includes a central catheter tube 122 that defines a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 124 . An infusion ring 126 is attached to the distal end 124 of the central catheter tube 122 . More specifically, the infusion ring 126 includes a first end 128 and a second end 130 that are attached to the distal end 124 of the central catheter tube 122 . During infusion, a drug solution can flow from the central catheter tube 122 into the infusion ring 126 via the first end 128 and second end 130 thereof.
[0165] Still referring to FIG. 10 through FIG. 14 , the infusion ring 126 is preferably formed with a first infusion port 132 and a second infusion port 134 . In a beneficial embodiment, the infusion ports 132 , 134 are located along the infusion ring 126 at approximately one-hundred and eighty degrees (180°) from each other. FIG. 10 through FIG. 14 further show that the infusion ring 126 includes plural radio-opaque marker bands 136 . As shown in FIG. 11 , during infusion, a drug solution 138 can flow from the infusion ports 132 , 134 , e.g., at or above the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0166] It can be appreciated that the infusion ring 126 can be made of a material having a radial strength sufficient enough to maintain the infusion ring 126 against the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 , as shown in FIG. 12 . However, the infusion ring 126 is sufficiently flexible to allow it to become slightly squashed, i.e., elliptical, during insertion. Further, it can be appreciated that the infusion ring 126 can be radio-opaque in order to aid in locating and positioning the infusion ring 126 within the abdominal aorta 10 . The marker bands 138 can aid in positioning the infusion ports 132 , 134 .
[0167] As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13 , the location of the infusion ring 126 can be exactly at the renal arteries 12 , 14 , i.e., with the infusion ports 132 , 134 aligned with the renal arteries 12 , 14 , in order to maximize drug infusion into the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0168] One benefit of the infuser ring configuration is it is easy to position, visualize, advance and retract in the aorta. Another benefit is it is low profile. This allows guide catheters and guide wires to pass and reduces thrombus formation due to flow disruption. The low profile low bulk of the infusion ring allows insertion using smaller diameter sheaths. In one beneficial embodiment, the infusion ring is made of a memory shape material such as Nitinol tubing, vertically oriented, and fed through an introducer sheath in a collapsed state to its position near the renal arteries. In another embodiment, the infusion ring is a flexible free form material and a pull wire is extended through the infusion ring to control expansion of the ring and does not require placement by an introducer sheath. This configuration also allows rotational positioning in a contracted state without the risk of vessel trauma. In a further embodiment, additional homodynamic aids (wings, spoilers, flow directors, etc.) can be coupled on the Nitinol loop in areas which cause limited flow disruption (i.e. simply against the aortas' posterior wall).
[0169] FIG. 13 shows a configuration where the bifurcated drug infusion catheter 120 is installed within the abdominal aorta 10 and the central catheter tube 122 rests against the back of the abdominal aorta 10 while the infusion ring 126 is at an angle with respect to the abdominal aorta 10 . This configuration is beneficial to allow guide catheters and guide wires to pass through the infusion ring 126 .
[0170] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14 , the infusion ring 126 can be placed above the renal arteries 12 , 14 with the infusion ports 132 , 134 slightly distanced from the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Due to the flow pattern discussed above in conjunction with FIG. 2 , no vessel or side branch can disturb the flow stream above the renal arteries 12 , 14 . With drug infusion along the wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 , other branches extending from the abdominal aorta 10 cannot disturb the flow streams into the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0171] Referring now to FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 , a further embodiment is a drug infusion catheter with positioning struts for positioning the catheter within an abdominal aorta is shown and is generally designated 150 . FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 shows that the drug infusion catheter 150 includes an outer tube 152 that defines a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 154 . A central support tube 156 extends from within the outer tube 152 beyond the distal end 154 thereof. A tip 158 is provided at the end of the central support tube 156 .
[0172] FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 show that the drug infusion catheter 150 includes a first collapsible strut 160 and a second collapsible strut 162 slidably disposed within the outer tube 152 . Each collapsible strut 162 includes a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 164 and the distal end 164 of each collapsible strut 162 is attached to the tip 158 . As intended by the present embodiment, when each collapsible strut 160 , 162 is extended out of the outer tube 152 , they bow outward relative to the central support tube 156 —since the distal end 164 of the strut 160 , 162 is affixed to the tip 158 .
[0173] As shown, each collapsible strut 160 , 162 includes an infusion port 166 . Further, each collapsible strut 160 , 162 includes a first marker band 168 above the infusion port 166 and a second marker band 170 below the infusion port 166 . Preferably, each marker band is radio-opaque to assist in positioning the drug infusion catheter 150 within the abdominal aorta 10 .
[0174] FIG. 15 shows the drug infusion catheter 150 in the collapsed configuration, i.e., with the collapsible struts 160 , 162 that form positioning struts in the collapsed configuration. In the collapsed configuration, the drug infusion catheter 150 can be inserted into to the right or left iliac artery 22 , 24 ( FIG. 1 ) and fed into the abdominal artery 10 until it is in proper position near the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Once in position near the renal arteries 12 , 14 , the collapsible struts 160 , 162 can be advanced forward relative to the outer tube 152 causing them to release from the central support tube 156 . The collapsible struts 160 , 162 can be advanced forward until they establish the expanded configuration shown in FIG. 16 . In the expanded configuration, the infusion ports 166 are positioned immediately adjacent to the renal arteries 12 , 14 and can release a drug solution directly into the renal arteries 12 , 14 . It can be appreciated that the drug infusion catheter 150 can be placed so that the drug solution is infused immediately above the renal arteries 12 , 14 along the wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 . After a specified dwell time within the abdominal aorta 10 , the drug infusion catheter 150 can be returned to the collapsed configuration and withdrawn from the abdominal aorta 10 .
[0175] Referring briefly to FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 , another embodiment of a drug infusion catheter with positioning struts is shown. FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 shows that the drug infusion catheter 150 can include a third collapsible strut 172 and a fourth collapsible strut 174 . Accordingly, when expanded as described above, the drug infusion catheter 150 with the four collapsible struts 160 , 162 , 172 , 174 resembles a cage.
[0176] FIG. 19 and FIG. 20 show another embodiment of a drug infusion catheter with positioning struts for positioning the catheter within an abdominal aorta, generally designated 200 . As shown, the drug infusion catheter 200 includes an outer tube 202 having a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 204 . A first collapsible strut 206 , a second collapsible strut 208 , a third collapsible strut 210 , and a fourth collapsible strut 212 are established by the outer tube 202 immediately adjacent to the distal end 204 of the outer tube 202 . Moreover, a central support hypotube 214 is slidably disposed within the outer tube 202 . A distal end (not shown) of the central support hypotube 214 is affixed within the distal end 204 of the outer tube 202 . Accordingly, as intended by the present embodiment, when the central support hypotube 214 is retracted proximally in the outer tube 202 , the struts 206 , 208 , 210 , 212 expand and create a cage configuration that can secure the drug infusion catheter 200 , e.g., within the abdominal aorta 10 near the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0177] FIG. 19 and FIG. 20 show that the first strut 206 and the second strut 208 are each formed with an infusion port 216 . Additionally, a first marker band 218 is disposed above the infusion ports 216 along each strut. And, a second marker band 220 is disposed below the infusion ports 216 along each strut. During use, a drug solution can be released from the infusion ports 216 formed in the first and second struts 206 , 208 . It can be appreciated that the third and fourth struts 210 , 212 can also establish infusion ports and can further include marker bands, as described above. It can also be appreciated that drug infusion catheter 200 may be practiced with only a first and a second struts 206 , 208 to present a lower profile.
[0178] FIG. 19 shows the drug infusion catheter 200 in the collapsed configuration. In the collapsed configuration, the drug infusion catheter 200 can be inserted into to the right or left iliac artery 22 , 24 ( FIG. 1 ) and fed into the abdominal artery 10 until it is in proper position near the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Once in position near the renal arteries 12 , 14 , the central support hypotube 214 is retracted proximally in outer tube 202 causing the struts 206 , 208 , 210 , 212 to release from the central support tube 202 and bow outward. The central support hypotube 214 can be retracted proximally, as described above, until the struts 206 , 208 , 210 , 212 establish the expanded configuration shown in FIG. 20 .
[0179] In the expanded configuration, the infusion ports 216 are positioned immediately adjacent to the renal arteries 12 , 14 and can release a drug solution directly into the renal arteries 12 , 14 . It can be appreciated that the drug infusion catheter 200 can be placed so that the drug solution is infused immediately above the renal arteries 12 , 14 along the wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 . After a specified dwell time within the abdominal aorta 10 , the drug infusion catheter 200 can be returned to the collapsed configuration and withdrawn from the abdominal aorta 10 .
[0180] Referring to FIG. 21 , another embodiment of a drug infusion catheter with an anchor for positioning the catheter within an abdominal aorta is shown and is generally designated 250 , FIG. 21 shows the drug infusion catheter 250 installed within an abdominal aorta 10 in the vicinity of the renal arteries 12 , 14 . As shown in FIG. 21 , the drug infusion catheter 250 includes a central catheter tube 252 having a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 254 . A hollow stent 256 is attached to the distal end 254 of the central catheter tube 252 and a drug solution can flow from the central catheter tube 252 into the hollow stent 256 . In this aspect of the present embodiment, the hollow stent 256 is formed partially or entirely of hollow hypo tubing, though other variations of elastomeric tubing may be used.
[0181] As shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 , the stent 256 can be punctured or otherwise formed with plural infusion ports 258 along the outer surface of the stent 256 . The drug infusion catheter 250 can be positioned, and expanded, within the abdominal aorta 10 , as shown in FIG. 21 , such that the stent 256 is anchored in the vicinity of the renal arteries 12 , 14 . As such, a drug solution can be released from the hollow stent 256 via the infusion ports 258 directly into the renal arteries 12 , 14 . By expanding the stent 256 against the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 in the area of the renal arteries 12 , 14 all the infusion ports can be blocked (since they are established on the outside surface of the stent 256 ) except those that are directly over the renal ostia. Thus, when a drug solution is infused, its flow into the renal arteries 12 , 14 is maximized.
[0182] It can be appreciated that the stent 256 can form an expandable open-mesh structure that can have an element, or a few elements, that cross the renal ostia without disrupting the blood flow to the renal arteries 12 , 14 . It is to be understood that the ability to deploy and recapture the stent 256 can be accomplished using a number of methods apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art based on review of this disclosure, e.g., by suitably modifying the methods typically employed for deploying and recapturing temporary vena cava filters or retractable stents.
[0183] Referring now to FIG. 24 through FIG. 28 , another embodiment of a drug infusion catheter with positioning loops for positioning the catheter within an abdominal aorta is shown and is generally designated 300 . FIG. 24 through FIG. 28 show that the drug infusion catheter 300 includes a central catheter tube 302 that defines a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 304 . As shown, a generally vertically oriented positioning loop 306 extends from the distal end 304 of the central catheter tube 302 . Preferably, the positioning loop 306 is made from a memory metal, e.g., nickel-titanium (NiTi). It is to be understood that the positioning loop 306 can be held in a pre-determined position via shape setting or it can be in a free-form shape and held in a final diameter via the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 . As specifically shown in FIG. 26 and FIG. 27 , the positioning loop 306 can sufficiently hold the drug infusion catheter 300 in place regardless of the diameter of the abdominal aorta 10 e.g. as shown in the smaller and larger diameter aortas of FIG. 26 and FIG. 27 , respectively.
[0184] As shown in FIG. 24 through 28 , the drug infusion catheter 300 can include a pull wire 308 that extends from a port 310 fowled in the central catheter tube 302 . The pull wire 308 is attached to the positioning loop 306 and can be used to control the expansion and contraction of the positioning loop 306 without the need for an external sheath. FIG. 28 specifically shows the positioning loop 306 in a fully retracted configuration that can be used when inserting or withdrawing the drug infusion catheter 300 .
[0185] FIG. 24 . through 28 further show that the central catheter tube 302 is formed with a first infusion port 312 and a second infusion port 314 . A drug solution can exit the central catheter tube 302 and flow into the renal arteries 12 , 14 as indicated by arrow 316 and 318 .
[0186] It can be appreciated that the drug infusion catheter 300 shown in FIG. 24 through 28 can allow rotational position adjustment and vertical position adjustment without the risk of trauma to the abdominal aorta 10 . Further, the positioning loop 306 can be retracted numerous ways to allow atraumatic rotation. And, since there are not any protruding or traumatic edges to catch aortic tissue on, the drug infusion catheter 300 can be moved up and down without retracting the positioning loop 306 . In another beneficial embodiment, positioning loop 306 is free form without pull wire 310 . It can be appreciated that positioning loop 306 can be made of a shape-memory alloy, such as Nitinol™, and advanced through the distal end 304 of catheter 300 for positioning and retracted for insertion and removal.
[0187] The present embodiment recognizes that experimental observations have shown that a drug solution can flow into the renal arteries 12 , 14 naturally, provided the drug infusion is undertaken above the renal arteries 12 , 14 and above or closely adjacent to the posterior aspect of the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 . As shown in FIG. 25 through FIG. 28 , the positioning loop 306 can easily position the central catheter tube 302 against the posterior of the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 and does not require a flow diverter, e.g., a balloon or membrane, to maximize drug infusion to the renal arteries 12 , 14 . As such, the possibility of thrombus formation due to the disruption of blood flow is minimized.
[0188] It can be appreciated that the drug infusion catheter 300 can easily allow various guide catheters and guide wires to pass therethrough and that passage can have minimal effect on the tactile feedback or other performance aspects of the adjunctive catheters that are typically used in a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
[0189] FIG. 29 shows another embodiment of a drug infusion catheter with a positioning loop for positioning the catheter within an abdominal aorta, generally designated 330 . As shown, the drug infusion catheter 330 includes a central catheter tube 332 having a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 334 . As shown, a positioning loop 336 extends from the distal end 334 of the central catheter tube 332 . Further, the drug infusion catheter 330 can include a pull wire 338 that extends from a port 340 formed in the central catheter tube 332 . The pull wire 338 is attached to the positioning loop 306 and can be used to retract the positioning loop 336 during insertion or withdrawal of the drug infusion catheter 330 .
[0190] As shown in FIG. 29 , a flow director 342 is affixed to the distal end 334 of the central catheter tube 332 . The flow director 342 is formed with a bifurcated (e.g. a T-shaped) infusion passage 344 that directs the flow of a drug solution from an infusion port (not shown) formed in the distal end 334 of the central catheter tube 332 in two opposing directions—as indicated by arrow 346 and arrow 348 .
[0191] Referring to FIG. 30 and FIG. 31 , another embodiment of a drug infusion catheter with positioning loops for positioning the catheter within an abdominal aorta is shown and is generally designated 360 . As shown, the drug infusion catheter 360 includes a central catheter tube 362 that defines a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 364 . As shown, a first positioning wire 366 and a second positioning wire 368 extend from a port 370 formed in the central catheter tube 362 . Each positioning wire 366 , 368 defines a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 372 . The distal end 372 of each positioning wire 366 , 368 is attached to the distal end 364 of the central catheter tube 362 . It is to be understood that the positioning wires 366 , 368 extend through the entire length of the central catheter tube 370 and can be used to establish an adjustable positioning loop. It can be appreciated that the adjustable positioning loop can be adjusted by extending or retracting the positioning wires 366 , 368 through the port 370 in the central catheter tube 363 .
[0192] Referring now to FIG. 32 and FIG. 33 , one embodiment of a drug infusion catheter with a renal flow isolator is shown and is generally designated 400 . As shown, the drug infusion catheter 400 includes a central catheter tube 402 that defines a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 404 . A ring 406 is attached to the distal end 404 of the central catheter tube 402 . Moreover, a generally cylindrical curtain 408 extends from the ring 406 . Preferably, in this aspect of the present invention, the curtain 408 is made from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) or any material with similar characteristics well known in the art. In one beneficial embodiment, the overall length of renal flow isolator 400 is about 1.5 cm.
[0193] FIG. 32 and FIG. 33 further show an infusion tube 410 that extends bi-directionally from the central catheter tube 402 . A first infusion port 412 and a second infusion port 414 are established on the outside of curtain 408 by the infusion tube 410 . In the exemplary, non-limiting embodiment shown in FIG. 32 and FIG. 33 , the single ring 406 allows for sizing to the abdominal aorta 10 to maintain the infusion ports 412 , 414 along the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 . It can be appreciated that the configuration of the drug infusion catheter 400 shown in FIG. 32 and FIG. 33 reduces the amount of stagnant blood around the drug infusion catheter 400 and thereby, minimizes the blood clotting thereon. This configuration also puts the drug along the aortic wall. In one embodiment, central catheter tube 402 has an offset that is a slight S shape (not shown) and positions renal flow diverter 400 off the aorta wall.
[0194] FIG. 34 and FIG. 35 show a further embodiment of a drug infusion catheter with a flow isolator, generally designated 430 . As shown, the drug infusion catheter 430 includes a central catheter tube 432 with a mid distal position 433 and a distal end 434 . An upper ring 436 is attached to the distal end 434 of the central catheter tube 432 . Moreover, a lower ring 438 is attached to the catheter tube 432 at mid distal position 433 and at a distance slightly spaced from the upper ring 436 . FIG. 34 and FIG. 35 further show catheter tube 432 connecting the upper ring 436 to the lower ring 438 . In this aspect of the present invention, the catheter tube 432 between mid distal position 433 and distal end 434 is covered with a layer of fabric 440 , such as ePTFE, extending from upper ring 436 to lower ring 438 . It can be appreciated that the orientation of fabric 440 reduces the amount of stagnant blood collecting around the drug infusion catheter 430 and thereby, minimizes the blood clotting thereon. In one beneficial embodiment, the overall length of drug infusion catheter is about 2 cm.
[0195] As shown in FIG. 34 and FIG. 35 , a first infusion port 442 and a second infusion port 444 are established in a mid section of fabric 440 of the drug infusion catheter 430 . It is to be understood that the upper ring 436 and the lower ring 438 ensure that the infusion ports 442 , 444 arc placed along side of the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 . The preferred position of the drug infusion catheter 430 within the abdominal aorta 10 is such that the infusion ports 442 , 444 are closest to the posterior of the abdominal aorta 10 . Moreover, the rings 436 and 438 do not significantly alter blood flow through the abdominal aorta 10 and since they are open, a guiding catheter (not shown), or any other working catheter, can be advanced through the drug infusion catheter 430 . In one embodiment, central catheter tube 432 has an offset that is a slight S shape (not shown) and positions drug infusion catheter 430 off the aorta wall.
[0196] Referring to FIG. 36 through FIG. 38 , another embodiment of a drug infusion catheter is shown and is generally designated 460 . As shown, the drug infusion catheter 460 includes a central catheter tube 462 that defines a proximal end (not shown) and a mid distal position 464 . A ring 466 is attached near the mid distal position 464 of the catheter tube 462 .
[0197] FIG. 36 through FIG. 38 further show central catheter tube 462 with an offset near mid distal position 464 and a sail 470 attached to the distal end 468 that extends partially around the perimeter of the ring 466 . It can be appreciated that the sail 470 forms a semi-conical shape between the mast 468 and the ring 466 . In this aspect, the sail 470 is made from ePTFE, though other suitable materials may be used or applied. It can be appreciated that the semi-conical shape of the sail 470 and the material from which it is constructed reduces the amount of stagnate blood around the drug infusion catheter 460 and as such, the chance of blood clots forming around the drug infusion catheter 460 is minimized. FIG. 36 and FIG. 38 show a first infusion port 472 and a second infusion port 474 established along the catheter tube 462 between distal end 468 and ring 466 .
[0198] As intended by the present embodiment, the ring 466 maintains the position of the drug infusion catheter 460 against the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 . Also, the sail 470 is designed to divert blood flow, and thus, the flow of a drug solution trickling from the infusion ports 472 , 474 , into the renal arteries 12 , 14 . The preferred position of the drug infusion catheter 460 within the abdominal aorta 10 is such that the infusion ports 472 , 474 are closest to the posterior of the abdominal aorta 10 .
[0199] FIG. 39 shows one embodiment a drug infusion guide catheter, designated 500 , that can be placed within an abdominal aorta 10 in the general vicinity just above the renal arteries 12 , 14 . As shown, the drug infusion guide catheter 500 includes an infusion port 502 formed in the outer wall of the drug infusion guide catheter 500 . It can be appreciated that a drug solution can be released from the drug infusion guide catheter 500 via the infusion port 502 . The renal blood flow (see FIG. 2 ) to each renal artery 12 , 14 is about 15 percent of total aortic blood flow for a total of about 30 percent. With no change in blood flow, about 30 percent of drug solution released from infusion port 502 will reach renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0200] It is to be understood that it is most advantageous to release the drug solution from the drug infusion guide catheter 500 during systole, as indicated by arrow 504 and arrow 506 . As shown in FIG. 39 , during systole, the drug solution can flow in a generally downward direction from the infusion port 502 , as indicated by arrow 508 and arrow 510 , and into the right renal artery 12 and the left renal artery 14 , as indicated by arrow 512 and arrow 514 . It is to be further understood that the drug infusion guide catheter 500 is at least formed with two lumens therein, i.e., a first relatively larger lumen for the exchange of devices and a second relatively smaller lumen for drug infusion. Accordingly, as intended by the present embodiment, the requirement for a secondary device, in addition to the drug infusion guide catheter 500 , to infuse drugs and medication to the renal arteries 12 , 14 during a PCI is obviated.
[0201] FIG. 40 shows another embodiment of a drug infusion guide catheter, generally designated 520 . As shown, the drug infusion guide catheter 520 can be inserted into the abdominal aorta 10 , e.g., via the left or right iliac artery 22 , 24 ( FIG. 1 ), until it is in the vicinity of the renal arteries 12 , 14 . FIG. 40 shows that the drug infusion guide catheter 520 includes an infusion port 522 that is formed in the outer wall of the drug infusion guide catheter 520 . It can be appreciated that a drug solution can be released from the drug infusion guide catheter 520 via the infusion port 522 . As shown in FIG. 40 , the drug infusion guide catheter 520 further includes a balloon 524 that can be inflated to divert blood flow into the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0202] In this aspect of the present invention, the balloon 524 can be made from silicon, nylon, PEBAX, polyurethane, or any other similar compliant or semi-compliant material well known in the art. Moreover, the balloon 524 can be inflated such that it engages the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 or it can be inflated such that it is smaller than the diameter of the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 so that it will not entirely block the flow of blood through the abdominal aorta 10 . Basically, the size of the balloon 524 can be easily varied by varying the inflation pressure of the balloon 524 thereby affecting the blood flow past renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0203] It is to be understood that the drug infusion guide catheter 520 shown in FIG. 40 is preferably formed with three lumens therein. For example, the drug infusion guide catheter 520 can include a first relatively large lumen for the exchange of devices, a second relatively small lumen for drug infusion, and a third relatively small lumen for balloon inflation.
[0204] As previously stated above, it is beneficial to release a drug solution in the abdominal aorta 10 , e.g., from the drug infusion guide catheter 520 , during systole, as indicated by arrow 526 and arrow 528 . During systole, the drug solution can flow in a generally downward direction from the infusion port 522 , as indicated by arrow 530 and arrow 532 , and into the right renal artery 12 and the left renal artery 14 , as indicated by arrow 534 and arrow 536 . It can be appreciated that the balloon 524 maximizes the flow of the drug solution into the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Per this embodiment, a counter pulsation of the balloon relative to the systolic/diastolic cycle may be used to enhance performance.
[0205] Referring now to FIG. 41 and FIG. 42 , another embodiment of a drug infusion guide catheter is shown and is generally designated 550 . As shown, the drug infusion guide catheter 550 can be advanced into the abdominal aorta 10 , e.g., via the left or right iliac artery 22 , 24 ( FIG. 1 ), until it is in the vicinity of the renal arteries 12 , 14 . FIG. 41 shows that the drug infusion guide catheter 550 includes an infusion port 552 that is formed in the outer wall of the drug infusion guide catheter 550 . It can be appreciated that a drug solution can be released from the drug infusion guide catheter 550 via the infusion port 552 . As shown in FIG. 41 , the drug infusion guide catheter 550 further includes a flow diverter 554 that can be expanded to divert blood flow into the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0206] FIG. 41 shows that the flow diverter 554 includes a membrane 556 that can be expanded by a frame 558 —much like a basket or an umbrella. In this aspect of the present invention, the membrane 556 can be made from nylon, PEBAX, polyurethane, low density PTFE or any other similar material with low porosity to allow for blood diffusion through the membrane 556 . Moreover, the membrane 556 can be lazed or otherwise formed with plural holes 560 of varying diameter, e.g., from twenty-five micrometers to five-hundred micrometers (25 μm-500 μm) to allow blood flow through the material film. In another embodiment, membrane 556 can be a wire mesh or stent-like devices. Further, the frame 558 is preferably made from a memory metal, e.g., NiTi, to allow for conformability to the aorta and pre-shaped capabilities. It can be appreciated that the flow diverter 554 can be expanded such that it engages the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 .
[0207] Referring briefly to FIG. 42 , it is shown that the flow diverter 554 can be collapsed within an outer sheath 562 disposed around the drug infusion guide catheter 550 . Once the drug infusion guide catheter 550 is in place within the abdominal aorta 10 , the sheath 562 can be withdrawn causing the flow diverter 554 to be deployed near the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0208] It is to be understood that the drug infusion guide catheter 550 shown in FIG. 41 is preferably formed with at least two lumens therein. For example, the drug infusion guide catheter 550 can include a first relatively large lumen for the exchange of devices, and a second relatively small lumen for drug infusion.
[0209] As previously stated above, it is most beneficial to release a drug solution in the abdominal aorta 10 , e.g., from the drug infusion guide catheter 550 , during systole, as indicated by arrow 564 and arrow 566 shown in FIG. 41 . During systole, the drug solution can flow in a generally downward direction from the infusion port 552 , as indicated by arrow 568 and arrow 570 , and into the right renal artery 12 and the left renal artery 14 , as indicated by arrow 572 and arrow 574 . It can be appreciated that the flow diverter 554 , when deployed, maximizes the flow of the drug solution into the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0210] Referring to FIG. 43 and FIG. 44 , an embodiment of a guide catheter with a coaxial drug infuser is shown and is generally designated 600 . FIG. 43 shows that the guide catheter with a coaxial drug infuser 600 includes a central catheter tube 602 around which a generally ring shaped, drug infuser 604 is slidably disposed. A drug infusion catheter 606 extends from the drug infuser 604 and can be used to supply a drug solution to the drug infuser 604 . FIG. 44 shows that an annular space can be established between the drug infuser 604 and the central guide catheter 602 . An infusion port (not shown) can be established in drug infuser 604 , and is fluidly connected to drug infusion catheter 606 .
[0211] FIG. 43 shows that a drug solution can exit the drug infuser 604 via the top of the drug infuser 604 , as indicated by arrow 610 and arrow 612 . The drug solution can also exit the drug infuser 604 at the bottom of the drug infuser 604 , as indicated by arrow 614 and arrow 616 . In one embodiment, the bottom of drug infuser 604 fits closely around central catheter tube 602 and drug solution flows preferably out the top as shown by arrow 610 , 612 . In another embodiment, the top of drug infuser 604 fits closely around central catheter tube 602 and drug solution flows preferably out the bottom as shown by arrow 614 , 616 During systole, indicated by arrow 618 and arrow 620 , the drug solution can flow into the right and left renal arteries 12 , 14 , as indicated by arrow 622 and arrow 624 . When positioned below renal arteries 12 , 14 (not shown) drug infuser 604 provides drug solution preferentially to the lower extremities. While a ring shape is shown, other embodiments, e.g. a partial ring, are contemplated for slideable coupling for independent positioning.
[0212] Referring now to FIG. 45 , another embodiment of a guide catheter with a coaxial drug infuser is shown. As shown, the guide catheter with a coaxial drug infuser is identical to the embodiment shown in FIG. 43 and FIG. 44 . However, the guide catheter with a coaxial drug infuser shown in FIG. 45 further includes a balloon 626 fluidly connected to the drug infusion catheter 606 . The balloon 626 can be inflated to divert the flow of blood therearound and further increase the flow of the drug solution into the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0213] FIG. 46 shows a catheter assembly with a drug infusion introducer sheath, generally designated 640 . As shown, the catheter assembly 640 includes a central guide catheter 642 that is inserted through the right iliac artery 22 and advanced until it is within the abdominal aorta 10 . FIG. 46 further shows a drug infusion introducer sheath 644 around the central guide catheter 642 . The drug infusion introducer sheath 644 defines a proximal end 646 and a distal end 648 . As shown, the proximal end 646 of the introducer sheath 644 is attached to a catheter introducer hub 650 that can be used to advance the introducer sheath 644 into aorta 10 . Preferably, the drug infusion introducer sheath 644 can be advanced until the distal end 648 of the introducer sheath 644 is at or above the renal arteries 12 , 14 .
[0214] Further, as shown in FIG. 46 , an annular infusion port 652 is established between the central guide catheter 642 and the drug infusion introducer sheath 644 . A drug solution can flow in the space between the central guide catheter 642 and the drug infusion introducer sheath 644 and exit through the annular infusion port 652 at or above the renal arteries 12 , 14 . The drug solution can then flow into the right renal artery 12 , as indicated by arrow 654 and arrow 656 . Moreover, the drug solution can flow into the left renal artery 14 as indicated by arrow 658 and arrow 660 . It can be appreciated that the drug solution can be supplied to the drug infusion introducer sheath 644 via a drug infusion tube 662 connected to the catheter introducer hub 650 . While an annular infusion port 652 is shown, other shapes for an infusion port may be contemplated.
[0215] In a beneficial embodiment, a standard catheter introducer sheath, usually 8-23 cm in length (not shown), is replaced with a longer catheter introducer sheath 644 that can reach the renal arteries. A longer sheath, 40-60 cm in length, depending on patient height and vascular tortuousity, is used in lieu of the standard catheter introducer sheath, and its distal tip is placed at a level slightly above the renals, preferably at or below the level of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). The drug desired to be infused selectively into the renal arteries is infused through the catheter introducer sheath while the coronary procedure is performed. This is a marked improvement over systemic infusion of a drug solution since the flow to the renal arteries 12 , 14 is about 30 percent of total aortic blood flow.
[0216] Referring to FIG. 47 a catheter assembly with an infusion or “weeping” balloon is shown and is generally designated 700 . As shown, the catheter assembly 700 includes a central catheter tube 702 that is inserted through the right iliac artery 22 and advanced until it is within the abdominal aorta 10 . FIG. 47 shows a drug infusion balloon 704 mounted mid-shaft on the central catheter tube 702 . As shown, a catheter introducer hub 706 can be used to advance the central catheter tube 702 into the abdominal aorta 10 . Preferably, the central catheter tube 702 can be advanced until the drug infusion balloon 704 is in the vicinity of the renal arteries 12 , 14 . In another beneficial embodiment, central catheter tube is advanced into the aorta system through an introducer sheath system (not shown). It is understood that central catheter tube 702 may have one or more lumens for drug solution delivery.
[0217] FIG. 47 shows that the drug infusion balloon 704 is formed with plural infusion ports 708 . The infusion ports 708 are small enough to allow for pressure to be built up inside the drug infusion balloon 704 . Additionally, the infusion ports 708 allow for a slow infusion of the inflating fluid, e.g., a drug solution, into the vascular system in which the drug infusion balloon 704 is placed, e.g., within the abdominal aorta 10 .
[0218] In a beneficial embodiment, the central catheter tube 702 is advanced into the abdominal aorta 10 until the drug infusion balloon 704 is in the peri-renal aorta. The drug infusion balloon 704 is then inflated such that the drug infusion balloon 704 partially covers the renal arteries 12 , 14 . Some of the infusion ports 708 formed in the drug infusion balloon 704 can be pressed against the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 and accordingly, be blocked thereby. Other infusion ports 706 in proximity to the renal arteries 12 , 14 can be unblocked. A drug solution can be supplied to the drug infusion balloon 704 via the central catheter tube 702 . A drug infusion tube 710 is connected to the catheter introducer hub 706 and supplies the drug solution to the central catheter tube 702 . Since the drug solution can flow through the unblocked infusion ports 708 , as indicated by arrow 712 and arrow 714 , the delivery of the drug solution to the renal arteries 12 , 14 is maximized.
[0219] It is to be understood that the catheter system 700 described in detail above can further include an intake (not shown) above the drug infusion balloon 704 . Thus, blood can flow into the drug infusion balloon 704 and pre-mix with the drug solution within the drug infusion balloon 704 prior to delivery to the renal arteries. Additionally, it can be appreciated that the catheter system 700 described above can be an individual system or it can be incorporated with another interventional device, i.e., mounted on a guiding catheter.
[0220] Referring now to FIG. 48 through FIG. 50 a self-shaping drug infusion catheter is shown and is generally designated 720 . The self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 includes a proximal end (not shown) and a distal end 722 . FIG. 48 shows the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 installed over a guide wire 724 . In one embodiment, the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 is made from a memory metal, e.g., NiTi, and a standard polymer. It is to be understood that the memory metal can be braided or coiled around a polymer tube. In another mode, the memory metal can be present in the polymer tube via a mandrel or a spine which runs the length of the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 . The memory metal can be shape set to create the preferred free state shape of the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 , described below.
[0221] Accordingly, as intended by the present embodiment, the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 can remain straight and highly flexible with the guide wire 724 installed therein. However, when the guide wire 724 is withdrawn, or otherwise retracted, from within the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 , the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 returns to its free state shape. It can be appreciated that the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 can also return to its free state shape via a thermal response—if necessary.
[0222] In a beneficial embodiment, shown in FIG. 49 and FIG. 50 , the free state shape of the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 is a generally spiral shape. Moreover, the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 is preferably formed with plural infusion ports 726 . When the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 is in its free state shape, i.e., the spiral shape, the infusion ports 726 are located on the outside of the spiral. In another beneficial embodiment, the spiral shape can extend about 1 inch to about 2 inches in length.
[0223] FIG. 49 and FIG. 50 show the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 installed in an abdominal aorta 10 . It can be appreciated that the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 can be inserted in the left iliac artery 24 and advanced therethrough until the distal end 722 of the drug infusion catheter 720 is in the general vicinity of the renal arteries 12 , 14 . As described above, when the guide wire 724 ( FIG. 48 ) is withdrawn, the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 returns to its free shape, i.e., the spiral shape, such that the outer periphery of the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 is placed and somewhat pressed against the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 .
[0224] In the juxta-renal position, shown in FIG. 49 and FIG. 50 , a majority of the infusion ports 726 established around the outer periphery are blocked by the inner wall 34 of the abdominal aorta 10 . Several of the infusion ports 726 , located at the renal ostia, are not blocked and can allow the flow of a drug solution into the right renal artery 12 and the left renal artery 14 , as indicated by arrow 728 and arrow 730 . By way of example and not of limitation, the infusion ring pressed against the aortic wall will not flow drugs under the very low infusion rates and pressures expected, i.e. approaching 1 ml per minute from an IV pole. However the infusion ring will flow drugs where they are free and not in contact with the aorta wall at the renal ostia. FIG. 49 shows that a second working catheter 732 can be introduced through the middle of the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 when it is in the free state spiral shape.
[0225] FIG. 51 shows a self-shaping drug infusion catheter assembly generally designated 750 in which the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 and the working catheter 732 can be incorporated. As shown in FIG. 51 , the self-shaping drug infusion catheter assembly 750 includes a Y hub assembly 752 through which the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 and the working catheter 732 can be introduced, and introducer sheath 754 . It is to be understood that the overall length of the introducer sheath 754 shown in FIG. 51 can be relatively shorter than typical introducers used for tubular member flow diverters. This is largely due to the fact that the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 732 can be used to access the area of the renal arteries 12 , 14 , whereas other introducers may use an additional delivery sheath for this purpose. Further, the Y-hub assembly 752 shown in FIG. 51 can allow two catheters, e.g., the self-shaping drug infusion catheter 720 and the working catheter 732 , to be placed, e.g., in the femoral artery through a single percutaneous cut-down. Also, the Y-hub assembly 752 provides adequate hemostasis and overall tactile feedback and control of the catheters used in conjunction therewith.
[0226] FIG. 52 is a side view, and FIG. 53 a section view of another embodiment of a catheter system 760 with a multilumen sheath 762 having a distal end 764 and a proximal end 766 . In FIG. 53 , sheath 762 has center lumen 768 , left lumen 770 and right lumen 772 . A guide catheter 774 , having a distal portion 776 and a proximal end 778 is inserted in center lumen 768 . In one exemplary mode, guide catheter 774 is about 6 French in diameter.
[0227] In FIG. 52 , proximal end 766 of sheath 762 is attached to a Y hub assembly 780 . The illustration of Y hub assembly 780 is stylized for clarity. Y hub assembly 780 has left branch port 782 right branch port 784 and main port 786 . Left fluid delivery tube 788 has proximal portion 790 and distal portion 792 with proximal portion 790 inserted in left branch port 782 and fluidly connected with distal portion 792 through left lumen 770 . Right fluid delivery tube 794 has proximal portion 796 and distal portion 798 with proximal portion 790 inserted in right branch port 784 and fluidly connected with distal portion 798 through right lumen 772 . Proximal end 778 of guide catheter 774 is inserted in main port 786 of Y hub assembly 780 and is connected to distal portion 776 through center lumen 768 . Distal end of sheath 762 has left port 800 in left lumen 770 and right port 802 in right lumen 772 . In one embodiment, left port 800 and right port 802 are 180 degrees apart. Distal portion 792 of left fluid delivery tube 788 has a memory shape to extend out of left port 800 when advanced in sheath 762 and has mid port 804 and end port 806 . Distal portion 798 of right delivery tube 794 has a memory shape to extend out of right port 802 when advanced in sheath 762 and mid port 808 and end port 810 .
[0228] In FIG. 52 , sheath 762 has been inserted in aorta 10 , shown in FIG. 1 , and distal end 764 of sheath 762 is positioned upstream of renal arteries 12 , 14 . Left and right fluid delivery tubes 788 , 794 are advanced through left port 782 and right port 784 so distal ends 792 , 798 extend towards left and right walls of aorta 10 respectively. Fluid agent, denoted by arrows 812 , is released from mid ports 804 , 808 and from end ports 806 , 810 to preferentially flow into renal arteries 12 , 14 . Guide catheter 774 is advanced through main port 786 of Y hub assembly 780 with distal portion 776 extending beyond distal end 764 of sheath 762 for further medical procedures.
[0229] FIG. 54 through FIG. 57 illustrates an embodiment of a proximal coupler system 850 used to deploy and position renal fluid delivery devices adjunctive with interventional catheters. FIG. 54 and FIG. 55 illustrate a proximal coupler system 850 in side view, and cut away section view. Y Hub body 852 is configured with an introducer sheath fitting 854 at the distal end 856 of hub body 852 and a main adapter fitting 858 at the proximal end 860 of Y hub body 852 . Main branch 862 has tubular main channel 864 aligned on axis 866 . Main channel 862 fluidly connects introducer sheath fitting 854 and main adapter fitting 858 . By way of example and not of limitation, one embodiment of main channel 864 is adapted to accommodate a 6Fr guide catheter. Side port fitting 868 is positioned on main branch 862 and is fluidly connected to main channel 864 . Secondary branch 870 has tubular branch channel 872 that intersects main channel 864 at predetermined transition angle β. In one beneficial embodiment, transition angle β is approximately 20 degrees. Proximal end 874 of secondary branch 870 has secondary fitting 876 . In one beneficial embodiment, a channel restriction 878 is molded into introducer sheath fitting 854 . Y hub body 852 may be molded in one piece or assembled from a plurality of pieces.
[0230] FIG. 56A and FIG. 56B illustrate a proximal coupler system 850 with a hemostasis valve 880 attached at main port 858 and Touhy Borst valve 882 attached at branch port 876 . Fluid tube 884 is coupled to side port 868 and fluidly connects stop valve 886 and fluid port 888 . Introducer sheath 890 with proximal end 892 and distal end 894 is coupled to Y hub body 852 at Sheath fitting 854 . Proximal coupler system 850 is coupled to a local fluid delivery system 900 . A stiff tube 902 , has a distal end 904 (shown in FIG. 56B ), a mid proximal section 906 , and a proximal end 908 . In one embodiment, stiff tube 902 is made of a Nickel-Titanium alloy. Stiff tube 902 is encased in delivery sheath 910 distal of mid proximal section 906 . By way of example and not of limitation, delivery sheath 910 may be about 6 Fr to about 8 Fr in diameter. A torque handle 912 is coupled to stiff tube 902 at a mid proximal position 906 . A material injection port 916 is positioned at the proximal end 908 of stiff tube 902 . Material injection port 916 is coupled to an adapter valve 920 for introducing materials such as fluids. Side port fitting 922 is coupled to tube 924 and further coupled to stopcock 926 and fluid fitting 928 . In an exemplary embodiment, adaptor 920 is a Luer valve. In another exemplary embodiment, side port fitting 922 is used for injecting a saline solution. Delivery sheath handle 930 is positioned and attached firmly at the proximal end 932 of delivery sheath 910 . Delivery sheath handle 930 has two delivery handle tabs 934 . In an exemplary embodiment, delivery sheath handle 930 is configured to break symmetrically in two parts when delivery handle tabs 934 are forced apart.
[0231] In FIG. 56B , Delivery sheath 910 is inserted through Touhy Borst adapter 882 through secondary branch channel 872 until distal end (not shown) of delivery sheath 910 is against channel restriction 878 (see FIG. 55 ). At that point, force 940 is applied in a distal direction at torque handle 912 to push stiff tube 902 through delivery tube 910 . A fluid agent infusion device 936 on distal end 904 of stiff tube 902 is adapted to advance distally through introduction sheath 890 . In FIG. 56B , stiff tube 602 has been advanced through introduction sheath 890 and past the distal end 894 of introduction sheath 890 . Optionally, delivery sheath handle 930 is split in two by pressing inwardly on delivery handle tabs 934 . Delivery sheath 910 may be split by pulling delivery tabs 934 apart and retracted from Y hub assembly 852 through Touhy Borst adapter 882 to allow a medical intervention device (shown in FIG. 57 ) to enter hemostasis valve 880 for further advancement through main channel 864 (see FIG. 55 ) and adjacent to stiff tube 902 .
[0232] FIG. 57 is an illustration of the proximal coupler system 850 of FIG. 56B with introducer sheath 890 is inserted in aorta system 10 . Delivery sheath 910 has been retracted proximally and one or more fluid agent infusion devices 936 have been advanced and positioned at renal arteries 12 , 14 . Intervention catheter 940 enters hemostasis valve 880 and is advanced through introducer sheath 890 and past fluid agent infusion device 936 for further medical intervention while fluid agent infusion device 936 remains in place at renal arteries 12 , 14 . It is to be understood that proximal coupler systems can be further modified with additional branch ports to advance and position more than two devices through a single introducer sheath.
[0233] FIG. 58 illustrates a further embodiment of the proximal coupler assembly and fluid delivery assembly shown in FIG. 57 . Renal therapy system 950 includes an introducer sheath system 952 , a vessel dilator 954 and a fluid delivery system 956 with a aortic infusion assembly 958 . Details of channels, saline systems and fittings as shown previously in FIG. 54 through FIG. 57 are omitted for clarity. Introducer sheath system 952 has Y hub body 960 as shown previously in FIG. 54 and FIG. 55 configured various inner structures as shown previously in FIG. 55 . Y hub body 960 has hemostasis valve 962 on proximal end 966 and Touhy Borst valve 968 on secondary end 970 . Distal end 972 of Y hub body 960 is coupled to proximal end 974 of introducer sheath 976 . Introducer sheath 976 has distal tip 978 that has a truncated cone shape and radiopaque marker band 980 . In one embodiment, introducer sheath 976 is constructed with an inner liner of PTFE material, an inner coiled wire reinforcement and an outer polymer jacket. Introducer sheath 976 has predetermined length L measured from proximal end 974 to distal tip 978 .
[0234] Vessel dilator 954 , with distal end 980 and proximal end 982 is a polymer, (e.g. extrusion) tubing with a center lumen for a guide wire (not shown). Distal end 980 is adapted with a taper cone shape. Proximal end 982 is coupled to a Luer fitting 984 .
[0235] Fluid delivery system 956 has stiff tube 986 , torque handle 988 , and proximal hub 990 as previously described in FIG. 56A and FIG. 56B with aortic infusion assembly 958 coupled at distal end 992 . The proximal hub 990 of fluid delivery system 956 has a Luer fitting 1002 for infusing a fluid agent, and is fluidly coupled with the stiff tube 986 .
[0236] A single lumen, tear-away delivery sheath 1004 has a distal end 1006 , a proximal end 1008 , and slidingly encases stiff tube 986 . Delivery sheath 1004 is positioned between the torque handle 988 and the bifurcated catheter 956 . The distal end 1006 has a shape and outer diameter adapted to mate with the channel restriction in the distal end of the main channel of the Y hub body as shown previously in FIG. 55 . The proximal end 1008 of the delivery sheath 1004 is coupled to a handle assembly 1010 with two handles 1012 and a tear away cap 1014 .
[0237] Dilator 954 is inserted through Touhy Borst valve 968 on secondary port 970 until distal end 980 protrudes from distal tip 978 of introducer sheath 976 to form a smooth outer conical shape. Distal tip 978 of introducer sheath 976 is positioned in the aorta system near the renal arteries (not shown). Dilator 954 is removed and fluid delivery device 956 is prepared by sliding delivery sheath 1004 distally until aortic infusion assembly 958 is enclosed in delivery sheath 1004 . Distal end 1006 of delivery sheath 1004 is inserted in Touhy Borst valve 968 and advanced to the restriction in the main channel of the Y hub body shown in FIG. 55 . Aortic infusion assembly 958 is advanced distally into introducer sheath 976 . Tear away delivery sheath 1004 is retracted and removed through Touhy Borst valve 968 as shown previously in FIG. 56B . Aortic infusion assembly 958 is advanced distally out of the distal tip 978 of introducer sheath 976 and positioned to infuse fluid agent in the renal arteries as shown in FIG. 57 .
[0238] FIG. 59 is a stylized illustration of a double Y proximal coupler 1150 with two local fluid delivery systems 1152 , 1154 and an intervention catheter 1156 in an aorta system 10 . Details of local fluid delivery systems 1152 , 1154 are shown in FIGS. 56A and 56B and are omitted here for clarity. The double Y proximal coupler 1150 is constructed similar to a proximal coupler assembly as shown in FIG. 54 and FIG. 55 but with another branch port added. Secondary branch 1160 accommodates local fluid delivery system 1152 for drug infusion in right renal artery 12 . Tertiary branch 1164 accommodates local fluid delivery system 1154 for drug infusion in left renal artery 14 . intervention catheter 1156 enters double Y proximal coupler 1150 through hemostasis valve 1168 . Introduction sheath 1170 is sized to accommodate local fluid delivery systems 1152 , 1154 and catheter 1156 simultaneously. FIG. 59 illustrates secondary branch 1160 and tertiary branch 1164 on the same side of the double proximal coupler, however they may be positioned on opposite sides or in another beneficial configuration. By way of example and not of limitation, the cross section of local fluid delivery system 1152 , 1154 may be oval shaped. By way of example and not of limitation, double Y proximal coupler 1150 may be adapted to advance a wide mix of medical devices such as guide wires, diagnostic catheters, flow diverters and infusion assemblies through introducer sheath 1170 and into a vascular system such as aorta system 10 .
[0239] It is to be understood that each of the embodiments described in detail above provide a device that can be used for selective therapeutic drug infusion as sites remote to a primary treatment site. These devices can be applicable to interventional radiology procedures, including interventional diagnostic and therapeutic procedures involving the coronary arteries. Further, each of the devices described above, can be beneficial for delivering certain drugs, e.g., papaverine; Nifedipine; Verapamil; fenoldopam mesylate; Furosamide; Thiazide; and Dopamine; or analogs, derivatives, combinations, or blends thereof, to the renal arteries of a patient who is simultaneously undergoing a coronary intervention with the intent of increasing the kidney's ability to process of organically-bound iodine, i.e., radiographic contrast, as measured by serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
[0240] The various embodiments herein described for the present invention can be useful in treatments and therapies directed at the kidneys such as the prevention of radiocontrast nephropathy (RCN) from diagnostic treatments using iodinated contrast materials. As a prophylactic treatment method for patients undergoing interventional procedures that have been identified as being at elevated risk for developing RCN, a series of treatment schemes have been developed based upon local therapeutic agent delivery to the kidneys. Among the agents identified for such treatment are normal saline (NS) and the vasodilators papaverine (PAP) and fenoldopam mesylate (FM).
[0241] The approved use for fenoldopam is for the in-hospital intravenous treatment of hypertension when rapid, but quickly reversible, blood pressure lowering is needed. Fenoldopam causes dose-dependent renal vasodilation at systemic doses as low as approximately 0.01 mcg/kg/min through approximately 0.5 mcg/kg/min IV and it increases blood flow both to the renal cortex and to the renal medulla. Due to this physiology, fenoldopam may be utilized for protection of the kidneys from ischemic insults such as high-risk surgical procedures and contrast nephropathy. Dosing from approximately 0.01 to approximately 3.2 mcg/kg/min is considered suitable for most applications of the present embodiments, or about 0.005 to about 1.6 mcg/kg/min per renal artery (or per kidney). As before, it is likely beneficial in many instances to pick a starting dose and titrate up or down as required to determine a patient's maximum tolerated systemic dose. Recent data, however, suggest that about 0.2 mcg/kg/min of fenoldopam has greater efficacy than about 0.1 mcg/kg/min in preventing contrast nephropathy and this dose is preferred.
[0242] The dose level of normal saline delivered bilaterally to the renal arteries may be set empirically, or beneficially customized such that it is determined by titration. The catheter or infusion pump design may provide practical limitations to the amount of fluid that can be delivered; however, it would be desired to give as much as possible, and is contemplated that levels up to about 2 liters per hour (about 25 cc/kg/hr in an average about 180 lb patient) or about one liter or 12.5 cc/kg per hour per kidney may be beneficial.
[0243] Local dosing of papaverine of up to about 4 mg/min through the bilateral catheter, or up to about 2 mg/min has been demonstrated safety in animal studies, and local renal doses to the catheter of about 2 mg/min and about 3 mg/min have been shown to increase renal blood flow rates in human subjects, or about 1 mg/min to about 1.5 mg/min per artery or kidney. It is thus believed that local bilateral renal delivery of papaverine will help to reduce the risk of RCN in patients with pre-existing risk factors such as high baseline serum creatinine, diabetes mellitus, or other demonstration of compromised kidney function.
[0244] It is also contemplated according to further embodiments that a very low, systemic dose of papaverine may be given, either alone or in conjunction with other medical management such as for example saline loading, prior to the anticipated contrast insult. Such a dose may be on the order for example of between about 3 to about 14 mg/hr (based on bolus indications of approximately 10-40 mg about every 3 hours—papaverine is not generally dosed by weight). In an alternative embodiment, a dosing of 2-3 mg/min or 120-180 mg/hr. Again, in the context of local bilateral delivery, these are considered halved regarding the dose rates for each artery itself.
[0245] Notwithstanding the particular benefit of this dosing range for each of the aforementioned compounds, it is also believed that higher doses delivered locally would be safe. Titration is a further mechanism believed to provide the ability to test for tolerance to higher doses. In addition, it is contemplated that the described therapeutic doses can be delivered alone or in conjunction with systemic treatments such as intraveneous saline.
[0246] From the foregoing discussion, it will be appreciated that the various embodiments described herein generally provide for infusion of renal protective drugs into each of two renal arteries perfusing both kidneys in a patient. The devices and methods of these embodiments arc useful in prophylaxis or treatment of kidney malfunction or conditions, such as for example ARF. Various drugs may be delivered via the systems and methods described, including for example: vasodilators; vasopressors; diuretics; Calcium-channel blockers; or dopamine DA1 agonists; or combinations or blends thereof. Further, more specific, examples of drugs that are contemplated in the overall systems and methods described include but are not limited to: Papaverine; Nifedipine; Verapamil; Fenoldapam; Furosamide; Thiazide; and Dopamine; or analogs, derivatives, combinations, or blends thereof.
[0247] It is to be understood that the invention can be practiced in other embodiments that may be highly beneficial and provide certain advantages. For example radiopaque markers are shown and described above for use with fluoroscopy to manipulate and position the introducer sheath and the intra aortic catheters. The required fluoroscopy equipment and auxiliary equipment devices are typically located in a specialized location limiting the in vivo use of the invention to that location. Other modalities for positioning intra aortic catheters are highly beneficial to overcome limitations of fluoroscopy. For example, non fluoroscopy guided technology is highly beneficial for use in operating rooms, intensive care units, and emergency rooms, where fluoroscopy may not be readily available or its use may cause undue radiation exposure to users and others due to a lack of specific radiation safeguards normally present in angiography suites and the like. The use of non-fluoroscopy positioning allows intra aortic catheter systems and methods to be used to treat other diseases such as ATN and CHF in clinical settings outside of the angiography suite or catheter lab.
[0248] In one embodiment, the intra aortic catheter is modified to incorporate marker bands with metals that are visible with ultrasound technology. The ultrasonic sensors are placed outside the body surface to obtain a view. In one variation, a portable, noninvasive ultrasound instrument is placed on the surface of the body and moved around to locate the device and location of both renal ostia. This technology is used to view the aorta, both renal ostia and the intra aortic catheter.
[0249] In another beneficial embodiment, ultrasound sensors are placed on the introducer sheath and the intra aortic catheter itself; specifically the tip of the aortic catheter or at a proximal section of the catheter. The intra aorta catheter with the ultrasonic sensors implemented allows the physician to move the sensors up and down the aorta to locate both renal ostia.
[0250] A further embodiment incorporates Doppler ultrasonography with the intra aortic catheters. Doppler ultrasonography detects the direction, velocity, and turbulence of blood flow. Since the renal arteries are isolated along the aorta, the resulting velocity and turbulence is used to locate both renal ostia. A further advantage of Doppler ultrasonography is it is non invasive and uses no x rays.
[0251] A still further embodiment incorporates optical technology with the intra aorta catheter. An optical sensor is placed at the tip of the introducer sheath. The introducer sheath's optical sensor allows visualization of the area around the tip of the introducer sheath to locate the renal ostia. In a further mode of this embodiment, a transparent balloon is positioned around the distal tip of the introducer sheath. The balloon is inflated to allow optical visual confirmation of renal ostium. The balloon allows for distance between the tip of the introducer sheath and optic sensor while separating aorta blood flow. That distance enhances the ability to visualize the image within the aorta. In a further mode, the balloon is adapted to allow profusion through the balloon wall while maintaining contact with the aorta wall. An advantage of allowing wall contact is the balloon can be inflated near the renal ostium to be visually seen with the optic sensor. In another mode, the optic sensor is placed at the distal tips of the intra aortic catheter. Once the intra aortic catheter is deployed within the aorta, the optic sensor allows visual confirmation of the walls of the aorta. The intra aortic catheter is tracked up and down the aorta until visual confirmation of the renal ostia is found. With the optic image provided by this mode, the physician can then track the positioning of the intra aortic catheter to the renal arteries.
[0252] Another embodiment uses sensors that measure pressure, velocity, and/or flow rate to locate renal ostia without the requirement of fluoroscopy equipment. The sensors are positioned at the distal end of the intra aortic catheter. The sensors display real time data about the pressure, velocity, and/or flow rate. With the real-time data provided, the physician locates both renal ostia by observing the sensor data when the intra aortic catheter is around the approximate location of the renal ostia. In a further mode of this embodiment, the intra aortic catheter has multiple sensors positioned at a mid distal and a mid proximal position on the catheter to obtain mid proximal and mid distal sensor data. From this real time data, the physician can observe a significant flow rate differential above and below the renal arteries and locate the approximate location. With the renal arteries being the only significant sized vessels within the region, the sensors would detect significant changes in any of the sensor parameters.
[0253] In a still further embodiment, chemical sensors are positioned on the intra aortic catheter to detect any change in blood chemistry that indicates to the physician the location of the renal ostia. Chemical sensors are positioned at multiple locations on the intra aortic catheter to detect chemical change from one sensor location to another.
[0254] Although the description above contains many details, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments of this invention. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other embodiments which may become obvious to those skilled in the art, and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly to be limited by nothing other than the appended claims, in which reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless explicitly so stated, but rather “one or more.” All structural, chemical, and functional equivalents to the elements of the above-described preferred embodiment that are known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be encompassed by the present claims. Moreover, it is not necessary for a device or method to address each and every problem sought to be solved by the present invention, for it to be encompassed by the present claims. Furthermore, no element, component, or method step in the present disclosure is intended to be dedicated to the public regardless of whether the element, component, or method step is explicitly recited in the claims. No claim element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using the phrase “means for.”
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A renal flow system injects a volume of fluid agent into a location within an abdominal aorta in a manner that flows bi-laterally into each of two renal arteries via their respectively spaced ostia along the abdominal aorta wall. A local injection assembly includes two injection members, each having an injection port that couples to a source of fluid agent externally of the patient. The injection ports may be positioned with an outer region of blood flow along the abdominal aorta wall perfusing the two renal arteries. A flow isolation assembly may isolate flow of the injected agent within the outer region and into the renals. The injection members are delivered to the location in a first radially collapsed condition, and bifurcate across the aorta to inject into the spaced renal ostia. A delivery catheter for upstream interventions is used as a chassis to deliver a bilateral local renal injection assembly to the location within the abdominal aorta.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an industrial cleaning facility for the surface treatment of objects, especially of processed workpieces, with a treating medium, such as a cleaning liquid, steam, compressed air, heat, vacuum or the like, at least one processing chamber, which for loading and unloading is brought into an opened position and, as working position, is brought into a closed position, being provided for the treatment.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,317, a facility for washing and rinsing food containers for equipment on board of aircraft or other means of transportation is described. The facility, constructed for continuous operation, contains a washing chamber and a rinsing chamber, which are disposed in a straight row and each of which can be closed off by swinging doors. For transporting the food containers, moveable trailers are provided, which run on rails and, with the help of an endless revolving chain, are pulled in a row consecutively in a certain time cycle, step for step, through the facility. Each trailer of this facility has a hook and the chain has several catches, which are disposed at a distance from another and to which the trailers are hooked. The distance of the catches from one another corresponds precisely to the magnitude of a transporting step of the revolving chain, by means of which a first trailer is transported from the washing chamber into the rinsing chamber and a second trailer is transported into the washing chamber. Each trailer is placed in the center of the respective chamber, so that the doors can be opened or closed. By means of this construction of the facility, the trailers are guided at the chain, so that the required distance can be maintained. The exact positioning of the trailers in the chambers depends on the control of the movement of the chain. In order to be able to operate this facility, an operator must always move back and forth from the loading side to the unloading side, which can still be justified economically in the case of a partial load operation or for a small facility, such as this one without a drying step. For a full load operation or for a large industrial facility, however, the distances, which must be covered from loading to unloading, are so large in the case of such an in-line facility, that the use is not economically feasible.
DE 42 20 927 A1 discloses a continuous cleaning facility, with which washing boxes, which are permeable to the treating medium and disposed consecutively in a row, are taken up. The known cleaning facility has three processing chambers, which are disposed consecutively, namely, a cleaning chamber, a rinsing chamber and a drying chamber. The facility is operated by transporting the container in the cleaning chamber and the container in the rinsing chamber as well as the container in the drying chamber jointly into the next station.
At the inlet and outlet openings of the processing chambers, lids or doors are mounted, with which the chambers can be closed off during the treatment phase.
In order to facilitate the transport of washing boxes from chamber to chamber, rollers and slide rails are mounted in the processing chambers and form a transporting segment. In each processing chamber, a rotation device is installed, which takes up the washing box and can be caused to rotate by a motor in the longitudinal direction of the processing chamber, so that the washing box in the chamber is rotated during the processing phase. For this purpose, the washing box is closed off with a lid, so that the material, being washed, cannot fall out.
The motor for driving the rotation device is mounted at the outer wall of the processing chamber and drives the rotation device over a transmission. Moreover, the operating facilities for the individual processing chambers, such as pumps, valves, dampers, control and regulating equipment are installed at or in the chambers and connected over pipeline networks to the stationary devices of the facilities, such as containers holding cleaning or rinsing agents, distillation equipment and blowers for drying the processed materials.
During the processing phase, the material being processed, through nozzles installed in the cleaning chamber, is exposed to a stream of detergent, with which the materials to be washed are freed from adhering oil-containing or fat-containing processing residues. Rotating the washing basket results in good mixing, so that the detergent can wet all parts of the material to be washed. The processing phase in the rinsing chamber, in which the rinsing nozzles are installed, proceeds similarly. The material to be washed, which is wetted with the detergent solution, is exposed to a flow of rinsing material, which rinses off the detergent residues adhering to the material to be processed. Here also, the rinsing effect is improved by the rotation. Likewise, the rotation of the material to be washed improves the drying process.
The facility is completed with a continuous method for working up the rinsing liquid by distillation, multiple use of the energy given off by the distillation process, for example, for heating the cleaning and/or rinsing liquid or for heating the drying air. In addition, the material being processed can be rinsed by immersion or spraying, blown off with compressed air and dried by vacuum and/or infrared radiation and aqueous or hydrocarbon-containing washing liquids can be used.
The known facility has proven its value in practice. However, the facility can be used effectively only if the material to be processed is filled into special containers, which are permeable to the treating medium. These special containers are, for example, transporting boxes of perforated sheet metal or lattice rods, because normal transporting boxes of sheet metal shield the material from the processing medium, so that there is no intensive contact. Therefore, in the case of the known cleaning facility, the material to be processed, which is brought along in normal transporting boxes, is transferred into appropriate special containers. This is cumbersome and time consuming, because it prevents continuous processing and further processing of the materials.
DE 195 09 645 A1 discloses a washing facility, for which a washing zone and a rinsing zone and a drying zone are disposed in an arc and preferably in a circle and are connected with one another by means of a transporting segment. Furthermore, between the washing zone and the drying zone, a loading and unloading zone are provided, with which a connection is established between the drying zone and the washing zone. Accordingly, objects can be brought to the loading zone onto the transporting segment and are transported in a circle and pass consecutively through the washing, rinsing and drying zones of the facility. Finally, the objects leave the facility once again at the place where they were brought into the facility in a dirty state.
A roller conveyor, disposed in the circle, or a turntable constructed as a screen or grid, on which the objects are transported, serves as transporting segment. Owing to the fact that the objects are brought into the facility at approximately the same place, where they are taken from the facility, one operator is sufficient for loading and unloading. In any case, the work of the operator is made easier, since long distances no longer have to be covered in order to get from the loading area to the unloading area. What applies for the manual operation of the plant, applies of course also for automatic loading and unloading, integration into a manufacturing line being possible. In this case, the manufacturing line itself does not increase in length, because the cleaning facility is set up next to and not spatially within the manufacturing line. Overall, the facility requires little space, so that it can be used even when space conditions are tight, inside or outside, for example, in a corner.
The facility is intended to be operated continuously and not cyclically. Furthermore, the objects cannot be moved while being processed; for example, they cannot be rotated or brought into an oscillating motion in order to experience processing all around with the processing medium. In addition, no support is provided for the objects on the transporting segment, so that the objects, brought onto the conveying segment by means of the conveying and handling equipment, can change their position during the processing, so that the unloading is more difficult than the loading. With the known facility, it is also not possible to flood the chambers with the processing medium in order to be able to immerse the object.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a cleaning facility, which is an improvement with respect to the processing chamber and, in particular, works without closing caps or doors and can be loaded and unloaded easily.
It is an object of the invention to provide an industrial cleaning facility for the surface treatment of objects, especially of processed workpieces, with a treating medium, such as a cleaning liquid, steam, compressed air, heat or the like, at least one processing chamber being provided for the treatment, which is brought into an open position for loading and unloading and into a closed position as a working position, which makes a precisely fixed mode of operation and a reliable functioning of the processing chamber possible, simplifies the handling as well as the transport of the workpieces and improves the loading of the facility.
Pursuant to the invention, this objective is accomplished by means of two alternate cleaning facility embodiments.
The two embodiments relate to the use of the invention for different structural shapes and sizes of cleaning facilities. One embodiments is directed more towards smaller facilities with one or two processing steps, while the other embodiments is directed more to larger facilities, which provide multi-step surface processing, such as, a washing step, a rinsing step and a drying step. Furthermore, additional steps, such as a pre-washing step, a pre-rinsing step or a clean rinsing step can be provided. A separate processing chamber can be provided for each processing step. Such a cleaning facility with many processing steps is advantageously provided for the final cleaning of objects in order, for example, to be able to supply a workpiece to a final installation, while the smaller facility advantageously is used for the intermediate cleaning of workpieces, in order, for example, to free workpieces between two processing steps from coarse processing residues, such as oil, fat, shavings or chips. For this purpose, a small, compact, simply constructed and easily handled facility is created. Pursuant to the invention, such a facility shall contain a stationary sub-assembly, which consists essentially of a stand or a gallows-like mast, at the upper end of which the one part of the processing chamber is rigidly, that is, immovably, attached and can be equipped with facilities, with which the processing medium is distributed over the workpiece. These facilities can be spraying nozzles for a cleaning liquid, or air showers, with which compressed air, with which the workpiece is blasted, is ejected. It is also within the scope of the invention that this facility is formed from steam jet nozzles or heating facilities for drying. This stationary sub-assembly can interact with a mobile sub-assembly, which has a device for transporting the second part of the processing chamber and at least one seat for at least one workpiece. Advantageously, the seat is constructed so that it can be rotated or swivelled or provided with a driving mechanism. The part of the processing chamber, which can be moved with the transporting device, is a lower part; it can be constructed in the form of a tub or a container and is supplemented by the first part of the processing chamber, which is an upper part and can be constructed in the form of a hood. The lower part of the processing chamber can be shifted into a loading and unloading position with the transporting device. In the loading and unloading position, the object, a workpiece to be treated, is inserted into the seat and the two parts (upper part and lower part) are brought into a mutually aligned position and assembled with the transporting device and brought into the working position, in which the processing of the object takes place. When the processing is ended, the lower part and the upper part are separated from one another with the transporting device and the lower part is brought into the loading and unloading position, in which the object can be removed from the lower part. This can be done manually or automatically. The facility can be equipped advantageously with a processing chamber for a processing step. In this case, several such facilities with different processing steps, one of which cleans (wet or dry), another of which rinses and yet another dries, can interact.
In a reverse arrangement, the height of the upper part, which is mounted on the stand or the gallows-like mast, can be adjusted with respect to the lower part, in which case, the lower part can be immobile. Preferably, both parts are mounted movably, namely the upper part can be shifted or swivelled vertically with a lifting device and the lower part horizontally with the transporting device. This has the advantage that the upper part can be separated easily from the lower part even if the processing chamber is constructed pressure-tight or vacuum-tight. For loading and unloading the objects, the upper and lower parts can be shifted laterally to one another, so that the lower part can be loaded and unloaded conveniently. Objects, which protrude beyond the edge of the lower part, also do not hinder the assembly of the processing chamber.
Due to the further development of the invention a cyclic mode of operation of the facility becomes possible. While the processing chamber is being assembled from the upper part and the lower part, the second lower part, in the loading and unloading station, can be loaded or unloaded with an object. By these means, the stoppage time of the facility can be shortened. The transporting device can consist of a two-arm rotatable column, to the arms of which the lower parts are fastened.
The stoppage time can be shortened even more in accordance with an advantageous embodiment of the invention. While one object is being processed in the processing chamber, for example, with a blast of compressed air, a different object can be loaded in a loading station, and a cleaned object removed from the unloading station.
Pursuant to the invention, the transporting device is formed from a column, to the three or six arms of which the lower parts are attached. For a facility with two processing chambers, a column with three arms and lower parts can also be used. The extra lower part can be loaded and unloaded by a loading and unloading station. A four-arm column advantageously can be equipped with two processing chambers and separate loading and unloading stations or with three processing chambers and a common loading and unloading station.
In the case of an advantageous development of the invention, the two parts of the processing chamber can initially be moved independently of one another. While the one part carries out a movement with the transporting device in one movement position, the other part can carry out a movement relative to the movement plane of the part, which extends, for example, transversely to the first plane. These movements end in the stationary station in the working position of the processing chamber. By these means, a considerable shortening of the subsidiary times is achieved. Furthermore, in the case of the invention, the workpiece need be moved only in one movement position, for example, in a horizontal plane. It does not have to be raised or lowered. With that, even heavy workpieces can be handled easily. This leads to a simple construction of the transporting device and to a further shortening of the subsidiary times. Owing to the fact that the part for the seat for the workpiece is present in duplicate, the operating position of the processing chamber can be brought about with the one part in the stationary station and the loading and unloading with a workpiece can take place with the other part in the loading and unloading station, so that a further shortening of the subsidiary times is achieved by these means.
A further type of embodiment advantageously incorporates larger facilities in the invention, which provide for a multi-step surface processing, such as a washing step, a rinsing step and a drying step. In addition, there can be even other steps, such as a pre-washing step, a pre-rinsing step or a clean rinsing step. A separate processing chamber can be used for each processing step. Such a cleaning facility with many processing steps advantageously is provided for a final cleaning of objects in order, for example, to be able to supply a workpiece to a final installation. Due to the inventive, advantageous construction, the subsidiary times and, with that, the cycling times of a multi-chamber facility, can be shortened further because the workpieces, as they pass through the cleaning facility, do not have to be shifted in the sense that they are taken out of one processing chamber and placed in a different one. As a result, the transport through the cleaning facility is simplified even for heavy workpieces and, finally, the workpiece experiences the best possible care during transport through the cleaning facility.
A further type of embodiment of the invention is designed for larger facilities with three, four, five or even more processing chambers. In particular, the invention provides a transporting system for the workpieces, which works in a cycled mode. Moreover, stationary stopping stations are provided at the transporting segment of the transporting system. Advantageously, within the sense of the invention, divided processing chambers are used. Preferably, they consist of two separate parts, a tub-like lower part and a hood-shaped upper part. At the dividing edges, the two parts of the processing chambers have seals or are constructed with sealing surfaces, which interact with the seals and are constructed so that all upper parts of processing chambers fit together with all lower parts of processing chambers and can be exchanged for one another.
The upper parts of processing chambers are mounted at the stationary stopping stations of the transporting segment of the transporting system, preferably vertically above the transporting segment, and can be adjusted vertically. For this purpose, suspensions, at which the upper parts are suspended with lifting devices, are provided at the stationary stopping stations. As lifting devices, pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders can be used, the housings of which are permanently connected with the suspensions and the piston rods of which are connected to the fastening lugs of the upper sides of the upper parts.
The lower parts of processing chambers are connected with a transporting device, which can move the lower parts cyclically on the transporting segment. Advantageously, the lower parts are connected rigidly with the transporting system and are moved along a transporting segment specified by the transporting system. The transporting segment can be circular or straight.
At least one seat or one holding device for at least one object is built into the lower parts of processing chambers. The seat can be constructed so that it be can rotated or swivelled, so that the object can be moved during the processing with a processing medium, such as a cleaning liquid.
The lower parts and the upper parts of the processing chamber face one another with their open sides, so that upper parts and lower parts can be assembled in the stopping stations and transferred into the working stations. This is accomplished by actuating the lifting devices, which press the upper parts firmly onto the lower parts and bring about or assemble a hermetic connection in such a manner, that there is shielding from the environment.
In the working position of the processing chambers, the workpieces are processed with the processing medium. During the processing, the workpieces are moved, so that a good effectiveness of the processing medium is achieved all around.
Advantageously, a different surface treatment takes place in each processing chamber. For example, in a first processing chamber, the preliminary washing of the workpiece can be carried out. For this purpose, facilities are built into the upper part, the lower part or the upper part and the lower part. With these facilities, the processing chambers can be flooded with cleaning liquid. Coarse processing residues are removed in this liquid bath by the movement of the workpiece. Alternatively, spray nozzles can also be used, with which the cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the workpiece. A dry cleaning process, for which the workpiece is blasted with compressed air, can also be provided as a preliminary cleaning process.
In a further processing chamber, a final cleaning takes place. With this final cleaning, the workpiece is processed, for example, with a cleaning liquid under high pressure. At the same time, deburring of the workpiece may also take place. If it is formulated on an aqueous basis with surface active substances, the cleaning liquid may contain detergents and, if it is formulated on a hydrocarbon basis, it may contain solvents.
Preliminary rinsing can take place in a further processing chamber and the main rinsing by an immersion method as well as by a spraying method can take place in a subsequent processing chamber. Still-adhering residues of cleaning liquids can be freed from the workpieces here. Finally, in a further processing chamber, the workpieces can be dried. This can be accomplished by introducing a current of air, advantageously a current of warm air, of an installed radiant heating system, for example, infrared heating, or by vacuum drying. All of these types of processing are known and can be employed for the inventive construction of the cleaning facility. Of course, other methods of processing, such as steam cleaning or steam drying or super-clean rinsing, can also be provided. The number of processing chambers depends on the nature and extent of the processing steps. For each processing step desired, the invention permits stationary stations to be provided with processing chambers, for example, cleaning facilities with up to eight to ten stationary stations.
Workpieces are transferred from one station to the next cyclically and simultaneously. When the processing phases in the individual processing chambers are concluded, all units for operating the processing chambers are stopped, the processing medium is discharged from the processing chambers and, if necessary, pressure is equilibrated. The lifting devices can then be actuated and the upper parts separated from the lower parts, that is, lifted from the lower parts, so that the connection is severed. After that, the transporting system can be activated, so that all lower parts are transported with the workpieces to the next stationary station.
In this secured position, the upper parts at the stationary stations are then actuated and brought into the working position. This process is repeated until the workpieces have passed from the first station of the cleaning facility to the last station.
The loading and unloading of the lower parts with workpieces can take place at stopping stations. These are stopping stations for the lower parts, at which there are no upper parts at the transporting segment. This construction is particularly suitable for a circular or U-shaped transporting segment, the empty stations for loading and unloading being placed at the free ends of the legs of the U.
In the case of a transporting system, which is constructed as a circulating system, that is, which has a circular transporting segment, the loading and unloading stations can be inserted between two stationary stations with upper parts. For this purpose, the above-described empty stations are provided. In this case, the number of lower parts of the transporting system exceeds the number of upper parts at the stationary stopping stations by two, namely an empty station for loading and an empty station for unloading the workpieces. Advantageously, the two empty stations are directly next to one another.
Advantageously, the loading station and the unloading station can be connected to a manufacturing line for the workpieces, which is controlled in a fixed cycle operation. The workpieces can also be larger machine parts, such as engine blocks, which must be subjected to a cleaning operation, possibly with subsequent drying, after or between individual manufacturing steps, in order to remove adhering processing residues of an oil-containing or fat-containing nature, or solid metallic or non-metallic particles, such as shavings or chips. A circulating transporting device has the additional advantage that its integration into the manufacturing line does not result in a significant spatial elongation of the manufacturing line. Instead, it can be placed laterally offset next to the manufacturing line, in which case the manufacturing line is interrupted and the corresponding end section of the manufacturing line is connected functionally with the loading station and the corresponding starting section of the manufacturing line is connected with the unloading station. Removal from the manufacturing line and transfer to the cleaning facility and removal from the cleaning facility and transfer to the manufacturing line can be accomplished with suitable handling equipment or robots.
Advantageously, the transporting system is constructed as a one-column facility, which has arms or brackets, corresponding to the number of lower parts present. The arms or brackets protrude by the same length from the column and are disposed at equal distances from one another. The lower parts of processing chambers are connected to the free ends of the arms or brackets. Advantageously, at least one rail, on which the lower parts are supported by rollers, is laid concentrically around the column. With that, the forces, transferred by the upper parts, can be absorbed at least partially by the rails. The transporting system can be driven centrally over the column or by individual driving mechanisms of the rollers. Alternatively, the arms or brackets can be mounted movably at the column and swivelled up and down with lifting devices, in order to assemble the complete processing chamber.
In order to be able to move the workpieces during the individual processing phases, the seats for the workpieces in the lower parts can in each case be coupled with an external driving mechanism. For this purpose, driving mechanisms with coupling elements are mounted on each stationary stopping station with upper parts and connected in the inactive position of the lower parts with external coupling elements of the seats. This can be done automatically.
For disposing of processing medium or for blowing the processing medium out of the processing chambers, collecting containers can be mounted at the stationary stations with upper parts and the lower part has drain connections, which can be closed off and empties into the Collection container.
From the collecting containers, the processing medium such as the cleaning liquid, can be removed with a pipeline and fed once again to the processing chamber for processing the workpieces. Advantageously, this is done with interposing a purifying device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention is described in greater detail by means of examples illustrated in the drawings, in which
FIG. 1 shows a diagrammatic representation of a cleaning facility;
FIG. 2 shows a plan view of a different embodiment of the cleaning facility; and
FIG. 3 shows a section through the cleaning facility along the line A-B of FIG. 2 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The cleaning facilities, shown diagrammatically in the Figures of the drawings, are intended for surface treatments, such as cleaning, flushing and drying industrial workpieces 1 , for example, engine parts, such as engine blocks, transmission housings, cylinder heads, etc.
In the Figures of the drawings, only those components of the cleaning facility are shown, which are absolutely essential for an understanding of the invention. All other components may have a known structure and are therefore not described in greater detail. Identical functional parts have been provided with the same reference numbers in the Figures of the drawings.
FIG. 1 of the drawings shows the diagrammatic representation of a compact cleaning facility with a processing chamber 8 for processing the workpieces 1 , which can be assembled from parts 13 ; 26 , which are shown in the opened position in FIG. 1 . Of the parts 13 ; 26 , part 26 is constructed as the upper part and part 13 as the lower part. The upper part 26 is fastened to a projecting arm 37 of a lifting device 38 and has built-in facilities 30 for supplying the processing medium. These facilities 30 can be spraying nozzles for spraying cleaning liquid or one or more air showers, with which the workpiece 1 is blasted with compressed air in the working position of the processing chamber 8 .
The upper part 26 is rigidly fastened to the arm 37 and can be shifted with the lifting device 38 in the direction of the double arrow. The lifting device 38 is constructed as a gallows-like mast, which can be lengthened or shortened. The gallows-like mast can be a column, which can be adjusted hydraulically or pneumatically.
The lower part 13 of the processing chamber 8 is shown in FIG. 1 in a position, in which it is aligned with the upper part 26 . When the lifting device 38 is actuated, the upper part 26 is lowered onto the lower part 13 and both parts are assembled into a complete processing chamber 8 . The edges of upper part 26 and lower part 13 may have complementary sealing surfaces, which bring about a hermetic sealing of the processing chamber 8 . A seat 18 for a workpiece 1 is built into the lower part 13 . It is constructed so that it can be rotated or swivelled and is coupled with a driving mechanism 39 disposed at the transporting device 9 ; 10 .
The transporting device 9 ; 10 consists of a column 9 with two diametrically projecting arms 10 . The transporting device 9 ; 10 is coupled with a driving mechanism 11 and can be rotated. At each of the arms 10 , a lower part 13 , each with a seat 18 , is fastened. Each seat 18 is coupled with a driving mechanism 39 , which is located at the transporting device 9 ; 10 . In FIG. 1, a position of the transporting device 9 ; 10 is shown, in which the lower part 13 , as already mentioned, is in a position aligned with the upper part 26 and a further lower part 13 is brought into a loading and unloading position. In the region of the loading and unloading position, a loading and unloading station 7 a; 7 b is formed, where a workpiece 1 is inserted by a belt, which is not described further, such as a conveyor or a transporting belt of a manufacturing line, into the seat 18 . When the processing of the workpiece 1 in the processing chamber 8 is concluded and the processing chamber is in the open position shown in FIG. 1, the workpiece can be inserted by the belt in the seat 18 and, subsequently, the transporting device 9 ; 10 turned through 180°. In the turned position, the untreated workpiece 1 from the belt is then in the closed position of the processing chamber 8 and the treated workpiece 1 from the processing chamber 8 is in the loading and unloading position and can be placed down on a further belt for removal. By actuating the lifting device 38 , the processing chamber 8 can be closed and brought into the working position. In the bottom of the two lower parts 13 of the processing chamber 8 , there is a drain connection 17 with a sealing cap, which is not shown. The used processing medium, such as the cleaning liquid, is discharged through the connection 17 into a collection tank 33 , which is below the processing chamber 8 at the lifting device 38 . The cleaning liquid can be supplied over pipeline 32 once again to the upper part 26 , advantageously with interposing facilities for reprocessing the used cleaning liquid. The lower parts 13 of the processing chamber 8 can have the same construction.
For the cleaning facility of FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the workpieces 1 from a finishing line, belt 2 , are deposited with the help of handling equipment or robots, which are not shown, and inserted in the cleaning facility and, at the outlet of the cleaning facility, removed with the aforementioned handling equipment and returned to the production line, belt 3 .
The individual components of the cleaning facility are attached or built onto a load-bearing rack construction 4 . In particular, the cleaning facility consists a horizontal system 5 for the workpieces 1 , which can be controlled in a cycled operating mode, and has stationary stopping stations 7 at the transporting segment 6 of the transporting system 5 . Furthermore, there are four divided processing chambers 8 , in which the individual processing steps are carried out.
As shown in FIG. 2, the transporting system 5 is intended for a circular transporting segment 6 and is constructed as a single column system. Six radially protruding arms 10 of equal length are disposed at an angle of 60° to one another at a rotatably mounted column 9 . The latter is driven by a geared motor or a stepping motor 11 . In the first case, the transporting steps or cycles are controlled by switching the motor on and off, for example, over limit switches. The transporting segment 6 consists of two rails 12 , which are laid concentrically about the column 9 with a certain track width. The arms 10 are mounted at the column 9 at a functional particular height above the rails 12 and their free ends extend approximately up the inner rail 12 .
Viewed from the center of the column 9 , the stationary stopping stations 7 are disposed around the transporting segment 6 . There is a total of six stopping stations 7 , which lie in a plane of division that coincides with the six arms 10 , so that all the arms 10 can be controlled precisely with each working cycle in a stopping station 7 . There are four stationary stopping stations 7 for the surface processing of the workpiece 1 and two stations 7 a for the loading and 7 b for the unloading. Fewer or more stopping stations can be provided. The number of stopping stations 7 depends on the nature and extent of the processing steps.
At the front ends of the arms 10 , the lower parts 13 of the processing chambers 8 are rigidly attached and reinforced by struts. All lower parts 13 can have the same structure. The lower parts 13 are constructed as open containers or tubs and each equipped with a bottom 14 and an open side 15 , which is opposite to the bottom and has a straight edge, which forms a sealing surface 16 . A drain connection 17 with a sealing cap, the details of which are not given, is disposed in the bottom 14 . The processing medium can be discharged through the drain connection 17 in a manner, which will be described in greater detail below.
A seat 18 for the workpiece 1 is built into the lower part 13 . The seat 18 has holding devices for the workpiece, the details of which are not given. The holding devices hold the workpiece 1 during the transport or during the processing.
As shown in FIG. 2, the seats 18 are built into the lower parts 13 in the extension direction of the arms 10 and have supporting legs, the details of which are not given and which extend parallel to and at a distance from the opposite side walls of the lower part 13 and are mounted rotatably in the lower parts 13 with two trunnions 19 . For this purpose, there may be trunnion seats at the side walls of the lower parts 13 , or the trunnions 19 may be taken through the side walls to the outside, forming a seal, and inserted and supported on the one hand, in a bearing at the end face of the arms 10 and, on the other, in a bearing seat 20 mounted outside at the side wall. The end of the trunnion 19 protrudes out of the trunnion seat 20 and has a coupling element 21 . At each of the stopping stations 7 , a stationary driving mechanism 22 with a coupling element, which fits the coupling element 21 , is set up. The driving mechanism 22 can be coupled with the seats 18 in the stopping station 7 and can be caused to rotate or oscillate.
As shown in FIG. 3, the lower parts 13 at two opposite sides are supported by rollers 24 on rails 12 . The track width of the rails 12 corresponds to the radial distance between the rollers 24 . A roller 24 is supported at each end of the arms 10 and at the trunnion seats 20 . For this purpose, roller suspensions are provided, the details of which are not described. The transporting system 5 also has a driving mechanism 11 for the lower parts 13 and, in the stopping stations 7 , a driving mechanism 22 for each of the seats 18 . The lower parts 13 can be transported step by step from station to station with the driving mechanism 11 and coupled, rotated or swivelled with the driving mechanism 11 for the seats 18 .
Suspensions 25 , to which the upper parts 26 of the processing chambers 8 are fastened, are present at the stopping stations 7 at the rack construction 4 . The upper parts 26 are constructed as hoods and can be lowered and raised by the lifting devices 27 . Pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, which are fastened to the suspensions 25 , function as lifting devices 27 . As shown by FIG. 3, the upper parts 26 are connected with the hood roof to the lifting device 27 and, with their open sides 28 , face the open sides 15 of the lower parts 13 . Like the lower parts 13 , the open sides 28 have straight edges, which have seals 29 , which fit together with the sealing surfaces 16 of the lower parts 13 . The parts 13 ; 26 fit together so well, that a watertight, spray watertight, droplet watertight, splashproof, airtight, dust-tight, pressure-tight or thermally insulating connection is brought about, depending on the requirements of the type of process, to which the workpieces 1 are subjected. The connection need fulfill only one but can fulfill all types of necessary tightnesses.
It is important that the parts 13 ; 26 fit together and supplement one another to form a complete cleaning chamber. In the stopping stations 7 , the open sides 15 ; 28 of the lower parts 13 lie aligned with and opposite to the upper parts 26 . Initially, the upper parts 26 are in a waiting position, which consists therein that, the distance between the lower parts 13 and the upper parts 26 is sufficiently large, so that a workpiece 1 can be inserted conveniently into the lower part 13 or that the workpiece 1 , protruding over the edge of the lower part 13 , does not collide with an upper part 26 .
From the waiting position, the upper parts 26 can be lowered simultaneously by actuating the lifting devices 27 and assembled with the lower parts 13 and the working position of the processing chambers 8 can be brought about. Facilities 30 for supplying the processing medium are built into the upper parts 26 . These facilities can be fittings, spraying nozzles for introducing a washing or rinsing liquid or for introducing a compressed air jet for dry cleaning or for introducing a current of air for drying, or electrical heaters, steam jets or vacuum suction valves and the like. As shown in FIG. 3, fittings for spraying a cleaning liquid are built into the upper part 26 of the left chamber 8 . These fittings are connected over a pipeline 31 and a pumping station 32 to a collection tank 33 for the cleaning or rinsing liquid, which is stationed at the stopping station 7 . According to FIG. 2, pumping stations 32 for other stopping stations 7 are also provided and connected over pipelines 31 a; 31 b with collection tanks 33 . A variation, according to which the collecting tank 33 is connected over pipelines to recovery facilities for used cleaning or rinsing liquid, is not shown. The purpose of this variation is to refresh the cleaning or rinsing liquid in the collecting tanks 33 or to supply the recovered cleaning or rinsing liquid, coming from the recovery facility, directly once again to the processing chambers 8 . As furthermore shown in FIG. 3, at least one device, constructed as an air shower 30 for drying the workpiece 1 , is built into the right upper part 26 of the processing chamber 8 . Over the air duct 34 , the air shower 30 is connected over a heater 35 to a blower 36 , which produces a current of air, with which the workpiece 1 is dried. The guiding channel 34 , as well as the pipelines 31 ; 31 a; 31 b advantageously are flexible, in order to be able to compensate for the lifting motion of the upper part 26 .
According to FIG. 2, the cleaning facility has a six-arm column 9 with a divisional scale of 60° with six lower parts 13 and four stationary stopping stations 7 with upper parts 26 , which can be assembled with four lower parts 13 into complete processing chambers 8 . Two empty stations 7 a; 7 b are provided, which do not have upper parts 26 . The largest distance between two adjacent upper parts 26 here is three times the divisional scale (180°) of the six-arm column 9 . The station 7 a serves for loading the lower parts 13 with workpieces from the belt 2 and the station 7 b serves for unloading the lower parts 13 onto the belt 3 of a manufacturing line. The loading and unloading stations 7 a; 7 b, adjacent to one another in one (60°) divisional scale of the six-arm column 9 , are disposed separated from one another and in each case removed by one divisional scale (60°) from the next stationary stopping station 7 .
The mode of operation of the cleaning facility is as follows. FIG. 2 shows a momentary state in the course of a processing cycle. A workpiece 1 has just been inserted from belt 2 into the lower part 13 at the loading station 7 a and a workpiece 1 has just been placed at the unloading station 7 b from the lower part 13 onto the belt 3 . In the stopping stations 7 , the processing of the workpieces 1 is concluded and the upper parts 26 are brought into the outlet positions. Any cleaning liquids, still present in the lower parts 13 , are stored in the collection tanks 33 . The driving mechanisms 22 are uncoupled. The column 9 is turned further in the direction of the arrow by one working cycle. The empty lower part of the unloading station 7 b is then in the loading station 7 a, the workpiece 1 from the loading station 7 a is in the first stationary stopping station 7 , in which a preliminary washing step takes place, the workpiece 1 , previously in the first station 7 , is now in the second stopping station 7 , in which the main washing step takes place, the workpiece 1 , previously in the second station 7 , is now in the third stopping station 7 , in which a rinsing step takes place, the workpiece 1 , previously in third station, is now in the fourth stopping station 7 , in which drying is carried out and the workpiece 1 , previously in the fourth station, has now arrived in the unloading station 7 b. This working cycle is completed and the lower part 13 , now empty, can be loaded once again from belt 2 and a workpiece 1 from the unloading station 7 b can be placed on belt 3 .
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The invention relates to an industrial cleaning facility comprising at least one treatment chamber ( 8 ) which can be put in an open position or a closed position (operating position). To ensure that the treatment chamber ( 8 ) can be loaded and unloaded without difficulty and to permit easy adaptation to a discontinuous production line ( 2; 3 ), the treatment chamber is divided up and consists of at least one lower part ( 13 ) and at least one upper part ( 26 ). The lower parts ( 13 ) can be fixed to a rotating column ( 9 ) having several arms and the upper parts ( 26 ) can be fixed to immovable holding posts ( 7 ) and be height-adjustable. In holding stations ( 7 ) the upper parts ( 26 ) and the lower parts ( 13 ) can be connected by means of lifting devices ( 38 ) and moved into the operating position.
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BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Some mining machines, such as those presently used in coal mines, have rotating wheels or drums provided with numerous bits. These wheels or drums are equipped with bits which are driven against the seam of coal or other mineral to be extracted, and the bits penetrate the coal, mineral or other rock, breaking it up so that it can be removed. Although the bits are usually provided with a point made from hard metal alloy such as tungsten carbide, the bits wear quickly because these bits continually impact minerals and the surrounding substrate. Frequently, the softer steel in which the hard point is inset wears away and the exposed point simply pushes out or breaks off. Thus, the bits have been designed to be replaceable. During typical operations in a coal mine for instance, the bits on the miner have to be replaced twice in an eight hour shift. And, if harder rock is encountered, replacement must occur even sooner. The mining machines typically have as many as 180 bits, and it presently takes nearly an hour and a half to replace them.
The bits are of two types: the first type, often referred to as a tri-type bit has a conical head on the cylindrical shank. The second type of bit, often referred to as a pencil bit, is generally cylindrical with a front tapering to a point.
The bits are inserted into the blocks at the optimum cutting angle, and the blocks are mounted to rotating drums or wheels on the miner. The most common type of block is the tri-type block, such as that manufactured by the Joy Manufacturing Company. These blocks have a generally cylindrical bore with an open breach end. The shank of the bit is received in the bore with the back end of the bit protruding through the open breach end.
In the tri-type bit axial loads from impacting the rock are borne by the shoulder on the bit at the abutment of the head and shank, which engages the block. In the pencil type bit, axial loads are supported by an abutting surface provided at the back of the block in alignment with the bore.
It is important that the bits be securely mounted in the blocks. Each bit weighs approximately a pound and is a very dangerous projectile if it flies off the rotating wheel or drum. However, as just discussed, the bits must be removable for replacement. In addition, the bit must be allowed to rotate in the bore so that the bit wears evenly and dust is prevented from caking in the bore and wedging the bit permanently in the block.
Before this invention there was no fast and secure way to rotably mount a bit in a block. A number of methods of engaging the bits are disclosed in Krekeler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,012 and Krekeler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,397,013 both issued Aug. 13, 1968. The most common way to mount the bit was to provide a circumferential groove around the shank of the bit near the end, so that the groove would be exposed at the open breach end of the block. A heavy gage wire hose clamp was then expanded with a pair of pliers and the clamp slid over the end of the shank into the groove, wherein it was allowed to close. The clamp in the groove prevented the bit from sliding out of the block.
The hose clamp mounting, although heretofore the best available and most widely used method, presented numerous problems. The clamp was hard to manipulate, especially in the confined breach opening in the block. Each worker had to carry special pliers to operate the clamps, as well as a supply of spare clamps which were easily lost. The dark, dusty underground environment compounded the problems of using the clamps, since the only light to work by was from the workers helmet. The result was that it would take nearly one and one half hours to change the over 180 bits on a typical mining machine. Because causing delay, the difficulties with installing the clamps often resulted in a bit being improperly secured, so that during use it could fly out of the block.
Emmerich U.S. Pat. No. 4,026,605 discloses a double ball retainer on the shank of the bit that is received in an annular groove in the back of the block. This was not the tri-type of block now most commonly used, and to which the present invention herein relates. As that patent states, prior to the double ball retainer most retainers were mounted in the bore of the block, for example sometimes a circular retainer, known in the art as a "wedding band" was carried in an annular groove in the rear of the block.
In Emmerich, the balls had to be retained in the bit above their equator, and this left little surface to engage the block and resist outward motion of the bit. This was at least partially intentional because there was no access to the interior of the block, meaning that the bit had to be removable by pulling on the bit. It was not uncommon for the head of the bit to shear off during service and the shank become stuck in the bore. To prevent failure in removal, there had to be minimal resistance to outward motion. This was totally inconsistent with safety because a mounting method which allowed bits to be easily removed would also let a bit fly off during use. Another problem was that special tools were needed so that a worker could engage the head of the bit and drive it free from the block.
After a while in service, the annular groove in the block would wear, making it even easier for the bit to escape. Furthermore, dust working its way down the bore between the bit and bore would collect in the annular groove and facilitate a camming action urging the balls out of engagement with the block. Thus, the Emmerich device was wholly unsatisfactory for use in the tri-type blocks. For safety's sake, the bits must be securely mounted in the block. The rounded ball retainer simply did not achieve this, for so long as they could be jerked free it was not sufficiently secure. What was needed was a way to releasably secure the bit cooperating with the open breach end, and easily assessible therefrom. This brings up another failing of the double ball retainer, in that if one ball was accessible, the other wasn't and the bit could not be released if the balls achieved a truely secure engagement. Thus, until this invention, the only way to mount bits to the tri-type blocks was the cumbersome hose clamp method.
Still another disadvantage with the Emmerich device was the close fit machined surfaces required to mount the retaining device in the shank of the bit. As can be appreciated, there can be quite a number of bits in a mining machine, and their useful life may be less than a shift in the mine. Thus, the expense involved in manufacturing a bit is critical in determining its applicability. These machined surfaces to close tolerance can be achieved only at a significant expense which increases the cost of each bit.
The present invention provides a bit that is easier to install and remove from the blocks, and thus makes replacement faster and more reliable. The bit is provided with an insert having a spring-loaded cylindrical button extending radially from the shank near the rear of the bit. A rough drilled hole can be made in the shank, and the insert secured in the hole with an epoxy or other adhesive, thereby eliminating the machining expense of prior art devices. The button is compressible so that the bit can be inserted through the bore in the block. When the button passes beyond the breach opening in the block it extends outwardly, and the sidewall of the button engages the end of the bore in the block preventing the bit from sliding out of the bore. The button may, with some effort, be depressed by the worker so that the bit can be slid from the bore. However, since it is a flat side which is engaging the block, there is no camming action or other force tending to depress the button during operation. The worker needs no special tool or extra parts to mount or remove the bits. Removal and installation of the bits is greatly simplified so that despite the difficult environment, the bits are securely mounted and fly off incidents are virtually eliminated. The result is that a job that used to take nearly one and one half hours can be accomplished in less than half the time.
The present invention, therefore, makes the mine environment safer by more reliably engaging bits in the blocks. Furthermore, it causes a substantial savings because it reduces the down time of the mining machine and the other equipment waiting on the miner to mine coal. Since the mining machine can mine as much as ten tons of coal in 30 seconds, every minute saved is important. With the present invention the increased safety and efficiency are achieved at reduced cost over prior art devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side view of a mining bit provided with an insert and retaining button according to this invention, mounted in a block shown in cross section;
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the bit along line 2--2 in FIG. 1 showing the insert and retaining button in cross section;
FIG. 3 is a side view of a second type of mining bit provided with an insert and retaining button according to this invention, mounted in block shown in cross section;
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, mining bits 20 and 22, respectively, are shown mounted in a block 24. Block 24 might be mounted, for instance, on the rotating drum or wheel of a continuous miner like those presently used in coal mines. Block 24 has a flat front face 26. A cylindrical bore 28 in the front face extends through block 24 to access opening or breach 30. Aligned with bore 28, across opening 30, is an anvil surface 32.
Bits 20 and 22 are typically made of high alloy steel, and are provided with an insert 34 at the tip. Insert 34 is typically made of tungsten carbide. Bits 20 and 22 each have a cylindrical shank 36 which is rotably received in bore 28 of block 24.
Bit 20, known in the art as a tri-type bit, has a conical head 38. The juncture between head 38 and shank 36 forms shoulder 40. Axial loads on bit 20 are borne by shoulder 40 engaging front face 26 of block 24. Bit 22, known in the art as a pencil type bit, has a tapering head 42 on its front end. Axial loads on bit 22 are borne by the back 44 of bit 22 engaging anvil 32 of block 24.
When bits 20 and 22 are properly seated in block 24, rear portion 46 of shank 36 protrudes from bore 28 into opening 30. A planar region 48 is cut in rear portion 46 of shank 36 parallel to the axis of shank 36. A rough cut hole 50 is provided in region 48 to receive a spring loaded button insert 52. Insert 52 retains the bit 20 or 22 in block 24 by engaging end 54 of block 24.
As best seen in FIG. 2, insert 52 comprises a cup-like housing 55, a coil spring 56, a cylindrical button 58 having a brim 60 around its circumference at the lower end and a dome 61 at its top, and a retaining ring 62 around the top of the housing. Cylindrical button 58 is biased outwardly through ring 62 by spring 56, but is trapped by the engagement between brim 60 and ring 62. A pre-assembled button insert is commercially available such as those available from the Econo Trading Company in Rockford, Ill.
The planar configuration of region 48 permits mounting of button insert 52 so that only cylindrical button 58, but not retaining ring 62 protrudes from the profile of shank 36. The planar configuration of region 48 also makes it easier to position and machine hole 50. Location of hole 50 is important, since it is sometimes desirable that button insert 52 be located as far forward on shank 36 as possible so that when a bit is mounted, cylindrical button 58 is close to end 54 of bore 28, eliminating axial play of the bit in block 24.
Button insert 52 can be secured in hole 50 by a variety of means, however, the use of commercially available adhesives has been found to be satisfactory, while avoiding the need for close tolerances and expensive shop procedures of other methods, such as press fitting. One example of a satisfactory adhesive is K-G 633(TM) from Bill Stein Company in Northbrook, Ill.
OPERATION
The mounting, operation, and removal of bits 20 and 22 are similar and will be described in general terms applicable to both. The bit is easily mounted in block 24 by depressing button 58 until only the dome 61, or less, protrudes from the cross sectional profile of shank 36. Shank 36 can then be inserted into bore 28 of block 24. As the dome 61 has a curvilinear surface, it will cam the button 58 the rest of the way into the bore 28 in the same manner as the prior art devices may be inadvertently released. Shank 36 is slid into bore 28 until the rear portion 46 of shank 36 protrudes into opening 30. When the bit is properly seated in the block, button 58 will have passed completely through bore 28. Once in opening 30, button 58 extends outwardly through force of spring 56. In this extended position, button 58 prevents outward motion of the bit by engaging end 54 of bore 28, although some limited axial movement may be permitted.
In some applications, button insert 52 is located as far forward on shank 36 as possible so that there is little room for the bit to slide forward before button 58 engages end 54 of bore 28. Once properly seated, the bit can freely rotate in block 24, thus the bit wears evenly. Because of the flat face the side of button 58 presents to end 54 of bore 28, the bit cannot be removed without manually depressing button 58. Although button 58 firmly secures the bit to block 24, button 58 in no way interferes with the rotation of the bit because of the size of opening 30.
The bit is easily removed by turning the bit so that button 28 is accessible from opening 30, and then depressing button 58. As with insertion, dome 61 aids in removal through its camming action.
There are various changes and modifications which may be made to applicant's invention as would be apparent to those skilled in the art. However, any of these changes or modifications are included in the teaching of applicant's disclosure and he intends that his invention be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
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A mine tool bit is retained in an open ended block with a cylindrical button insert transversely mounted in the shank of the bit, the insert having a cylindrical button extending radially outwardly from the shank and biased by a coil spring. The button must be manually depressed to insert or remove the bit from the block.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to handdown and handoff procedures for mobile stations traveling between adjacent or overlapping cells of wireless communication systems. In particular, the invention provides handdown and handoff procedures which are triggered on the basis of propagation path loss between a mobile station and a base station currently serving the mobile station.
2. Discussion of the Known Art
In addition to signals carrying voice traffic, a base station of a cellular wireless communication system transmits at least one control signal at a known power level over its geographic area of coverage or “cell”. For example, a base station of a code-division multiple access (CDMA) system radiates a steady pilot signal having a repetitive pseudo random binary sequence code. The pilot signals of all base stations of a given CDMA system have the same binary sequence code, but have different time offsets relative to a zero time reference. When received by a mobile station, the pilot signals allow the mobile station to obtain initial system synchronization, and to link with a system base station whose received pilot signal is strongest among other received pilot signals. The pilot signal also provides a code that the mobile station uses to decode other signals from the system base stations, namely, synchronization (sync), paging, and traffic channels.
Base stations of a time-division multiple access (TDMA) system and of a frequency-division multiple access (FDMA or “analog”) system, also transmit steady control signals at known power levels to mobile stations traveling in the base station cells over forward control frequency channels. In TDMA systems such as, e.g., American Digital Cellular (ADC), the global system for mobile communications (GSM), and Japanese digital cellular (JDC), such signals include synchronization (SYNC), slow associated control channel (SACCH) and digital verification color code (DVCCH) signals. In analog systems such as, e.g., the advanced mobile phone system (AMPS), each base station transmits a continuous supervisory audio tone (SAT) control signal for reception by mobile stations in the base station's cell. See generally, R. C. V. Macario, Cellular Radio Principles and Design (McGraw-Hill 1993); and R. Kuruppillai, et al., Wireless PCS (McGraw-Hill 1997).
In typical cellular wireless communication systems, a mobile station within a system cell is linked by a serving base station for two-way communication with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or mobile switching center (MSC). The system base stations are themselves connected by wire to the mobile switching center. The MSC interfaces user traffic over wireless links between the base and the mobile stations, with the wired PSTN. An important function of the MSC is to ensure that a mobile station's link with the PSTN meets a minimum quality standard as the mobile station travels and signaling (i.e., propagation) conditions between the mobile station and the serving base station vary accordingly. The MSC will therefore operate to switch a mobile station to service by another base station, whenever a quality link with a currently serving base station becomes impossible to maintain.
If a mobile station is being served by a first base station affiliated with a first communication system (e.g., a CDMA system using a first set of frequency channels (F 1 )), and that base station's cell borders on a cell of a second base station affiliated with a second communication system (e.g., FDMA such as Advanced Mobile Phone System or AMPS, or CDMA using a different set of frequency channels (F 2 )), a “hard” handoff of the mobile station to service by the second base station must occur as the mobile station approaches the latter and moves out of range of the first base station. Otherwise, the mobile station will lose its link with the PSTN (a so-called “dropped” call). A hard handoff can be carried out directly, i.e., the mobile station is switched over directly for service by the second base station; or indirectly via an intermediate “handdown” procedure wherein the currently serving base station begins to serve the mobile station using the operating protocols of a second communication system (for example, the serving base station hands the mobile station down from CDMA to AMPS).
In CDMA systems, a known method of determining when a hard hand-off or handdown is necessary involves measuring received pilot signal strength in the form of a ratio Ec/Io at the mobile station, wherein Ec is received pilot signal power and Io is total received signal power at the mobile station, and initiating a hard handoff or handdown when the measured Ec/Io ratio falls below a set threshold. Currently, CDMA mobile stations measure Ec/Io and transmit a corresponding pilot strength measurement message (PSMM) based on the Ec/Io measurements to a serving base station, either in response to pilot strength measurement request orders (PMROs) from the base station, or if certain handoff trigger thresholds are met. Although CDMA base stations periodically request PSMMs from mobile stations they currently serve, such requests and the responses usually do not result in handoffs of the mobile stations. These ongoing signal exchanges occur irrespective of whether or not the trigger threshold is met, and increase processor loading of the system:infrastructure thus tending to degrade the voice quality of existing calls.
Using Ec/Io measurements to trigger a handdown and/or handoff incur the following problems, however.
1. The total receive power Io at the position of the mobile station is a function of cell loading, which condition typically varies over time. Using a trigger threshold based on the Ec/Io ratio at the mobile station thus makes the threshold sensitive to the current traffic load condition at the serving base station. Accordingly, a handoff trigger based on received Ec/Io does not accurately reflect the ability of the serving base station to sustain a quality voice link with a given mobile station.
2. Using set handoff or handdown trigger thresholds based on Ec/Io can cause a handoff either too soon or too late, because the Ec/Io measurements with which the thresholds are compared vary depending on traffic loading of the system. Setting the thresholds too high will cause a handoff to be initiated too soon when the mobile station travels inward (i.e., toward) the serving base station, while setting these thresholds lower can seriously delay a handoff or handdown as the mobile station moves farther into the bordering cell of the second communication system. Also, triggering a handoff or handdown too early causes the base station cell to reduce its traffic capacity unnecessarily. On the other hand, a late handoff or handdown impairs the quality of an existing voice link.
3. In an analog system such as AMPS, a typical base station covers less area than a typical CDMA base station. In the region of a strong CDMA pilot signal due to light traffic load, the pilot coverage for a CDMA base station is expanded because the received Ec/Io ratio at the mobile station increases. Thus, if the base station attempts to handdown the mobile station for AMPS service by the same base station in such a region, then the call may be dropped because the station's AMPS coverage is too small when compared to its CDMA pilot coverage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A scheme is provided for triggering a handoff or a handdown of a mobile station served by a base station in a cellular wireless communication system. Propagation path loss for signal links between the base station and the mobile station is used to trigger a handoff or a handdown. For example, the scheme can include determining a tolerable path loss for signal links between the mobile and the base stations, and radiating a control signal at a known transmit power level from the base station over its associated cell. A receive power level threshold for the control signal is determined for the mobile station, according to the known transmit power level of the control signal and the tolerable path loss. A handdown or a handoff of the mobile station is triggered after deriving the received power level of the control signal at the mobile station, and determining that the received power level is less than the receive power level threshold.
According to another aspect of the invention, a method of triggering a handdown or a handoff of a mobile station served by a base station of a cellular wireless communication system, includes receiving, at the mobile station, a control signal transmitted at a known power level from the base station, and a receive power level threshold for the control signal which threshold corresponds to the known transmit power level of the control signal and a tolerable path loss for signal links between the mobile and the base stations. A handdown or a handoff of the mobile station is triggered after the mobile station derives the received power level of the control signal, and determines that the received power level is less than the receive power level threshold.
For a better understanding of the invention, reference is made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawing:
FIG. 1 shows a CDMA system base station having a cell that borders a cell of a different system base station, and a mobile station served by the CDMA base station;
FIG. 2 shows two base stations with bordering cells as in FIG. 1, with the mobile station crossing a defined handdown trigger boundary;
FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of a receiver section of the mobile station;
FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a hand down procedure according to the invention; and
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a handoff procedure according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
As used herein, the term “handdown” is defined to include a procedure wherein a mobile station being served by a first base station using a first multiple access system, such as CDMA (F 1 ), of a first wireless communication system, is handed down for service by the first base station but using frequency channels and/or signaling protocols of a second multiple access system. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the second multiple access system corresponds to a second base station of a second wireless communication system whose cell borders or overlaps the cell of the first base station. Moreover, the second base station of the bordering cell can belong to a service provider different from the provider of the first base station.
The term “handoff” is defined herein to include a procedure wherein a mobile station being served by a first base station is handed over for service by a second base station whose cell borders or overlaps the cell of the first base station.
The following considerations are made in defining a trigger for initiating a handdown or a handoff of a mobile station:
I. The trigger is defined on the basis of propagation path loss between the mobile station and a current serving base station. Propagation path loss is independent of the traffic load condition at the serving base station at any given time.
II. Signaling between the mobile and the serving base station concerning the trigger should be reduced. This avoids placing ongoing signal processing demands on either station and their system infrastructure.
The illustrated embodiment concerns a CDMA system operating with a first allocation of frequency channels (F 1 ) and having base stations whose cells border on cells of neighboring AMPS base stations, or on cells of neighboring CDMA base stations operating with a second frequency channel allocation (F 2 ). Those skilled in the art will understand that the disclosed invention may be adapted to initiate handoffs of mobile stations traveling between any two base station cells, or sectors of a given base station cell, whether the base stations operate with the same or different frequency channels and/or system protocols.
FIG. 1 shows a base station 10 that is constructed and arranged to serve mobile stations within a geographic area cell A of a first cellular wireless communication system 12 . In this embodiment, the base station 10 operates as part of a CDMA system with a first allocation of frequency channels (F 1 ). Depending on the embodiment, the base station 10 can handdown from a CDMA system (F 1 ) to an AMPS system, or to a different CDMA system (F 2 ). In this embodiment, the base station 10 is arranged to handdown a CDMA mobile station 16 currently served by the base station 10 , for continued service by the base station 10 but using signaling and/or frequency protocols of a second wireless communication system 22 . For example, the system 22 may be an analog (AMPS) system having a base station 24 whose cell B borders on and partly overlaps cell A. Alternatively, base station 10 may be arranged to handdown the mobile station 16 for a different CDMA service by the base station 10 , using frequency channels F 2 corresponding to the second CDMA wireless communication system 22 .
In the disclosed embodiment, the base station 10 is equipped to transmit a primary pilot signal corresponding to the CDMA-F 1 system 12 at a set power level, so that the primary pilot signal radiates effectively to a primary pilot signal boundary 14 . For example, and without limitation, a typical pilot signal may be radiated by setting a base station transmitter output power at around eight watts, and feeding the output signal to a base station antenna having a typical gain of around eight dB. The boundary 14 thus defines an outer limit for CDMA service coverage by the base station 10 using the protocols of the first communication system 12 . It will be understood that the boundary 14 is not always circular since it depends on signal path loss which typically varies for different headings from the base station, due to intervening structures and terrain.
Base station 24 in cell B is equipped to establish two-way wireless links with mobile stations inside cell B, according to the protocols of the second communication system 22 . As mentioned, the second system 22 may be an “analog” one operating, for example, according to AMPS protocols, or it may be a second CDMA system using frequency channel allocations (F 2 ) different from the first allocation (F 1 ) of CDMA frequency channels. A boundary 26 defines a maximum limit of service area coverage by the base station 24 .
Because of its proximity to cell B, base station 10 of the first system 12 is equipped to handdown service of the mobile station 16 such that the latter continues to be served by the base station 10 , but according to the protocols of the second communication system 22 . Alternatively, a handoff triggering procedure can also result in a hard handoff of the mobile station 16 directly to the base station 24 . As explained below, the decision whether to handdown or to handoff can depend on the amount of signal path loss being experienced between the base station 10 and the mobile station 16 . In this embodiment, after the handdown is performed, base station 10 serves the mobile station 16 using the same frequency channels and signaling protocols (e.g., AMPS or CDMA-F 2 ) used by base station 24 of cell B, as far as a defined outer boundary 18 about the base station 10 . Thus, boundary 18 corresponds to a handdown service area coverage for base station 10 within which it can also provide one of, e.g., AMPS service, or CDMA service using the second allocation of frequency channels (F 2 ), depending on the nature of the bordering second wireless communication system 22 .
In the disclosed embodiment, a handdown trigger (T_Handdown) is defined according to a known transmit power level of the primary pilot signal from the base station 10 , and a tolerable signal propagation path loss between the base station 10 and the mobile station 16 for a desired quality of service under protocols of the first (CDMA-F 1 ) communication system 12 . For presently known CDMA systems, a tolerable path loss is typically between about 142 to 148 dB. Generally, the allowable path loss is a function of the maximum uplink signal power available from a given mobile station, as is known in the art.
In the present embodiment, the handdown trigger is initially transmitted to the mobile station using, for example, a forward traffic channel from the base station 10 . The trigger is then stored by the mobile station 16 . The mobile station then periodically derives a received power level of the primary (F 1 ) pilot signal radiated from base station 10 , and determines if the handdown trigger has been reached.
In FIG. 1, the tolerable path loss corresponds to a fixed distance from base station 10 thus defining a circular handdown trigger boundary 20 . As explained above with respect to the pilot signal boundary 14 , the trigger boundary 20 need not necessarily be circular. The trigger boundary 20 is defined on the basis of the tolerable signal propagation path loss. Forward traffic (voice) signals from the base station 10 thus may sustain the same path loss at different distances from the base station 10 , depending on the heading of the mobile station relative to the base station.
As mentioned, after the mobile station 16 receives the trigger T_Handdown from the base station 10 , it periodically derives the received power of the primary pilot signal radiated from base station 10 . The computation may be performed, for example, by performing a conventional pilot signal strength measurement Ec/Io, and then multiplying the measured Ec/Io ratio by Io. With respect to the value of Io alone, the mobile station can, for example, periodically measure total power of signals received over the operating frequency channels of the first communication system 12 , and compute an average total received signal power which average is taken as Io. If the Ec/Io and the Io measurements are each computed in terms of decibels, the results can then be added to obtain a relative received pilot signal power Ec in decibels. Alternative ways to determine these measurements are possible.
FIG. 3 shows a receiver section 40 of the mobile station 16 . An Ec/Io ratio measurement is typically performed by circuitry 42 coupled to an output of a long code descrambling stage 44 , as is known in the art. The value of Io can be measured, for example, by a power measurement circuit 46 coupled to an output of an existing receiver band pass filter 48 , wherein an antenna 50 of the receiver section 40 is coupled to an input of the filter 48 .
Next, mobile station 16 compares the obtained pilot signal power level Ec with T_Handdown. As long as Ec is greater then T_Handdown, no handoff related signals need be transmitted from the mobile station 16 to the base station 10 . Control signaling between the two stations concerning the threshold is therefore reduced, and ongoing traffic between the stations may continue with the desired quality of service.
In FIG. 2, the mobile station 16 is moving over the handdown trigger boundary 20 of cell A as it moves farther into cell B. When the mobile station compares Ec with T_Handdown beyond the boundary 20 , Ec becomes less than T_Handdown. In this embodiment, the mobile station 16 then transmits its Ec/Io and Io measurements to the serving base station 10 . The base station 10 will then typically report the measurements to the MSC with which the base station is wired. Alternative embodiments may have the mobile station transmit a derived Ec value alone to the serving base station.
At least two scenarios may occur. See FIGS. 4 and 5. For example, in FIG. 4, the signal path loss reflected by the reported measurements is such that the mobile station 16 can be served by the base station 10 under the protocols of the second system 22 , i.e., mobile station 16 is within the secondary service boundary 18 of base station 10 . Thus, the mobile station is handed down for such service by the base station 10 . As the mobile station continues to travel into cell B, known “soft” handoff procedures can be initiated wherein the mobile station 16 simultaneously communicates with base station 10 and base station 24 if, for example, the mobile station 16 has been handed down to a CDMA (F 2 ) system corresponding to the second base station 24 .
Assuming, for example, an allowable path loss of 145 dB, a handdown trigger is typically set to five dB less than the allowable path loss, i.e., a tolerable path loss of 140 dB. If the path loss indicated by the measurements at the mobile station is, e.g., up to three dB more than the handdown trigger (between 140 to 143 dB), a handdown of mobile station 16 to base station 10 may be appropriate.
A direct or “hard” handoff to the base station 24 is represented in FIG. 5 . There, the measured received Ec/Io and Io may indicate that the signal path loss is three dB or more above the handdown trigger. For example, the mobile station 16 may have traveled beyond the secondary service coverage boundary 18 of base station 10 into cell B. The mobile station is then handed off directly to the base station 24 of cell B.
As mentioned, according to one embodiment of the invention, signals representing a handdown or handoff request from a mobile station are transmitted from the mobile station only when the propagation path loss between the mobile station and its serving base station exceeds a certain level. A CDMA base station typically always monitors its transmit pilot signal power (P_pilot). The handdown trigger value T_Handdown may therefore be defined to be a threshold received pilot signal power level, such that;
T_Handdown=P_pilot−T_pathloss (all in dB);
wherein:
P_pilot=transmit pilot signal power at base station
T_pathloss=tolerable link path loss for a desired quality of service
In a CDMA system, the disclosed procedure can be implemented, for example and without limitation, by the following steps:
1. After acquiring a mobile station on a traffic channel, a serving base station sends a received pilot power threshold (PILOT_PWR_THRES) value to the mobile station.
2. The base station sends a request for periodic pilot strength measurements (Ec/Io) from the mobile station, with corresponding total received signal power measurements (Io). The mobile station is instructed to report when a strongest received pilot power computed by the mobile station as (Ec/Io)+Io, is less than PILOT_PWR_THRES.
3. After receiving one or more reports from the mobile station indicating that the received pilot signal power is less than PILOT_PWR_THRES, the base station and its associated MSC decide whether to handdown the mobile station (FIG. 4 ), or to handoff the mobile station directly for service by a different base station of a bordering cell (FIG. 5 ).
An example of how current systems can be adapted to use path loss to trigger a handdown or handoff is as follows:
1. Define a new periodic Pilot Strength Measurement Request Order with ORDER code=‘010001’, ORDQ=nnnnnnnn (where nnnnnnnn specifies the report period), and one Order Specific field to specify the pilot signal power threshold (PILOT_PWR_THRES).
2. After acquiring a mobile station on a traffic channel, a serving base station sends the new Order to request periodic pilot strength measurements from the mobile station, specifying the report interval and the condition under which the mobile station is to report the measurements.
3. The mobile station periodically transmits a pilot Strength Measurement Message (PSMM) and, in addition, a total serving frequency signal power value (SF_RX_PWR) to the base station when a strongest received pilot power derived as (Ec/Io) (dB)+Io(dBm) is less than PILOT_PWR_THRES. Thus, the newly defined PSMM may be considered as an extension of the PSMM used in a current IS-95 standard.
While the foregoing description represents a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention pointed out by the following claims. For example, the mobile station may transmit periodic pilot strength measurements (Ec/Io) with corresponding total received signal power measurements (Io) to the base station, autonomously. The base station can then calculate the power level of the control signal received at the mobile station, and determine when the received signal power level is less than the threshold power level.
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A procedure for triggering a handdown or a handoff a mobile station served by a base station of a cellular wireless communication system. A tolerable path loss for signal links between the base station and a mobile station located within the base station's cell, is initially determined. A control signal is radiated at a known transmit power level from the base station over its cell. A receive power level threshold is determined for the control signal for reception by the mobile station, according to the transmit power level and the tolerable path loss. A handoff of the mobile station is triggered after deriving the received power level of the control signal at the mobile station, and determining that the received power level is less than the receive power level threshold. In one embodiment, a mobile station reports to a serving base station only after the former determines that the received power level of a control signal from the base station is less than a threshold level initially provided to the mobile station by the base station. The procedure is applicable, e.g., to base station cells of a first CDMA cellular system which cells border on cells of an analog (AMPS) or a second CDMA cellular system.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to seals and more particularly to seals made of compacted knitted wire with a V-shaped cross section having protrusions for preventing complete nesting of the seals during packaging and shipping. Specifically, a seal of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,010, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, has been modified and improved upon.
2. State of the Art
It is generally known that seals and/or gaskets which are suitable for some applications can be made from compacted knitted-wire elements. Seals and gaskets have been produced comprising elements which are made by knitting wire to form a sheet or a knitted tube, rolling the sheet or tube to form a roll or a ring of knitted wire, and then compressing the roll or ring to form a compacted knitted-wire element. Knitted-wire elements of this type have been utilized as the core elements for seals, wherein they are covered with fiberglass fabrics for providing reduced leakage rates. Knitted-wire elements of the this type have also been utilized with various types of filler materials to provide reduced leakage rates so that they can then be used for other types of seals or gaskets.
It has been found that these compacted wire seals can be utilized effectively in applications wherein slow gas-leakage rates can be tolerated. In this connection, it has been found that because of the method by which these types of seals are formed, they have substantially reduced leakage rates in comparison with gaskets made from other types of compacted knitted-wire elements. By heating the knitted wire roll or ring in an atmosphere containing oxygen, oxides are produced on the surface of the wire; and when the roll or ring of knitted wire is thereafter compressed, these oxides fill in some of the void areas between the wires in the mesh to reduce the leakage rates of the seal. When the knitted wire seal is formed into a V-shaped configuration, it has sufficient resiliency in the legs of the V-shape to compensate for minor irregularities in the surfaces of elements with which it is engaged or abutted. When the seal is mounted so that a first element is received in engagement with the inner periphery of the seal and a second element is received in engagement with the outer periphery thereof, the V-shape of the seal and the resiliency and flexibility of the compacted wire mesh construction allow it to be maintained in sealing engagement with the first and second elements regardless of irregularities in the surface configurations. The use of the V-shaped cross section thus has advantages when combined with the above-mentioned method is of forming the seal.
One particular application for the above-described seal is in catalytic converters of the type used for treating exhaust gases from internal combustion engines. Most catalytic converters used in this environment comprise a ceramic monolith on which a platinum catalyst is deposited and through which exhaust gases can pass, a refractory or wire-mesh blanket disposed around the ceramic monolith, a metallic housing in which the monolith and the refractory or wire-mesh blanket are mounted, and a seal disposed between the monolith and the housing. The housing of a catalytic converter of this type is constructed for receiving exhaust gases and for directing them so that they pass through the monolith. The refractory or wire-mesh blanket is provided for protecting and cushioning the monolith so that it does not contact the housing and fracture, and the seal of the catalytic converter is provided so that substantial quantities of exhaust gases do not bypass the monolith, although relatively low leak rates can be tolerated.
It has been found that these types of seals can be made economically and that it is particularly effective to use them in catalytic converters. Specifically, the seal of this type, which is preferably made in a V-shaped configuration, can seal between the monolith and the housing of a catalytic converter by compensating for minor irregularities in the configurations of the housing and/or the monolith due to the inherent flexibility of knitted wire mesh. Further, when the seal is constructed from stainless-steel wire it can withstand the very high temperatures which are often experienced in catalytic converters. Because the seal is formed as an endless ring without seams, it is less likely to damage the monolith element of the catalytic converter. When oxides are caused to form on the surface of the wire in the seal (before compaction into a V-shaped configuration) the seal can effectively meet the leak-rate standards for catalytic converters. Even further, since the oxides on the wire of the seal of the instant invention are actually formed from the metal surface of the wire rather than being formed from an additional filler material coated onto the wire surface, the risk that particulate matter will escape from the seal and contaminate or clog downstream components, such as additional catalytic converter elements or monoliths, is substantially reduced.
The seal is preferably formed so that it has a V-shaped configuration wherein the apex of the V-shape thereof is disposed on one side of the seal and the legs of the V-shape diverge from the apex to define interior and exterior surfaces of the seal. The legs of the seal have an angle of divergence of about 60 degrees for substantially the entire length of the seal.
However, a drawback exists with the above described seal in that compacted knitted wire seals with V shaped cross sections tend to become completely nested within each other during packaging and shipping. Seals of this type typically are packaged front to back and then shipped in this configuration; that is, the exterior of one seal engages the interior of an adjacent seal, so they tend to become frictionally engaged during packaging and shipping. As a result, the seals are difficult to separate from each other. Additionally, identifying the edge of one seal from the edge of an adjacent seal is hampered typically because of the textured appearance of the oxidized wire mesh and because the seal is only about ¼-inch high (with a diameter of about 6 to 20 inches).
Accordingly, two adjacent seals stuck together are often unknowingly assembled into products because the assembler cannot distinguish one seal from another. This accidental assembly of joined seals can create increased pressure on the monolith, causing it to fracture and, eventually, failure of the catalytic converter can occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Given the above mentioned drawbacks, it is an object of the present invention to provide a seal that does not become completely nested when stacked, such as during packaging and shipping.
It is a farther object of the present invention to provide a seal that does not become completely nested during packaging and shipping while retaining compression and leak characteristics of the V-seal.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a seal that does not become completely nested without changing assembly procedures presently used for integrating the seal into another device, such as a catalytic converter.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a seal that does not become completely nested without increasing packaging or manufacturing costs for the seal.
It is also a primary objective of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing an effective, compacted wire seal that does not become completely nested, especially during packaging and shipping.
In order to alleviate the above mentioned drawbacks a continuous ring seal with a V-shaped cross section is provided wherein the cross section shows an apex section, a pair of legs disposed opposite and diverging from said apex defining interior and exterior surfaces of said seal, and a plurality of protrusions structured and arranged to prevent complete nesting of two of the seals, especially during packaging and shipping. The protrusions have been added to the seal in order to provide a gap between packaged seals so that separation of the seals for use is substantially expedited and assembly with unknowingly joined seals is substantially avoided.
Preferably, four equally spaced protrusions are added to, or formed in, the seal. However, it should be understood that a greater or lesser number of protrusions may be employed and the protrusions maybe located at various distances from each other. The protrusions are created by changing the angle of divergence of the legs of the seal for a relatively short length in which the protrusion is designed to exist. A protrusion is created large enough to provide a gap between seals during packaging in the fashion described above, namely, front to back, and nesting is therefore prevented.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a catalytic converter having continuous ring seal with a V-shaped cross section, wherein the continuous ring seal includes an apex in cross section, a first leg and a second leg disposed opposite and diverging from the apex defining interior and exterior surfaces of the seal, and a plurality of equally spaced protrusions disposed on the apex section and comprises a first portion juxtaposed to the first leg and a second portion juxtaposed to the second leg. The first leg has a first angle of divergence, the second leg has a second angle of divergence, the first portion of the each one of the protrusions has a third angle of divergence and the second portion of the each one of the protrusions has a fourth angle of divergence. The first, second, third and fourth angles of divergence differ sufficiently to prevent complete nesting of two of the seals.
Yet another embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle powered by an internal combustion chamber engine with a catalytic converter having a continuous ring seal having a V-shaped cross section, where the continuous ring seal includes an apex in cross section, a pair of legs disposed opposite and diverging from the apex defining interior and exterior surfaces of the seal, and a plurality of equally spaced protrusions structured and arranged to prevent complete nesting of said seal during packaging and shipping.
The present invention also encompasses a method of forming the V-shaped seals with protrusions. The method includes the steps of knitting an elongated wire, which may be either flat or tubular in configuration, to form a sheet of knitted wire and rolling the sheet to form a roll or ring of knitted wire. Thereafter the roll or ring of knitted wire is heated in an atmosphere containing oxygen to form oxides on the surface of the wire and to anneal the wire, and then compressed in a die cavity to form a compacted wire seal. In the preferred form of the method, the wire comprises stainless-steel wire, most preferably before it is knitted. In the preferred form of practicing the method, the knitted wire is formed into a tube, and the tube is rolled on itself from both ends to form two adjacent rolls. In another preferred form of practicing the method, the heating step is carried out so that oxides are formed on the surfaces of the wire in an amount comprising at least approximately 0.01 mm 3 oxide per cm 2 of wire surface. Preferably, the oxides are formed on the surfaces of the wire in an amount comprising at least approximately 0.025 mm 3 oxide per cm 2 of wire surface. Most preferably, the oxides are formed on the surfaces of the wire in an amount comprising at least approximately 0.1 mm 3 oxide per cm 2 of wire surface.
In the compressing step, the rolled oxidized wire preferably is compressed to a density wherein it comprises at least approximately 45% by volume of wire and oxide. In another preferred embodiment of the instant method, after the wire has been knitted to form a tube, rolled on itself to form a knitted-wire ring, and heated to form the oxides on the wire and to anneal the wire, the ring is then compressed in a die cavity to form a compacted wire-ring seal having a V-shaped cross-sectional configuration with protrusions disposed in various locations around the seal. Specifically, the seal is preferably formed so that it has a V-shaped configuration wherein the apex of the V-shape thereof is disposed on one side of the seal and the legs of the V-shape diverge from the centerline of apex to define the interior and exterior surfaces of the seal. The legs of the seal have an angle of divergence preferably of about 60 degrees for substantially the entire length of the seal and, preferably, four equally spaced protrusions are created to form an angle of divergence for the legs of the seal of about 40 degrees for about 1 millimeter in length. It is understood, however, that various numbers of protrusions with other angles of divergence can be employed, and that the protrusions may be located at various locations on the seal.
It is a novel feature of the present invention to prevent nesting of the seals while maintaining the prior art advantages. Modification of present assembly procedures, which can lead to changes in current V-Seal compression and leak characteristics and increases in packaging or manufacturing costs, need to be avoided. Heretofore it has not been possible to accomplish the above mentioned objectives and prevent complete nesting.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the present invention:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the flattening step of the method of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the knitting step of the method;
FIG. 2 a is an elevational view of a knitted sock which has been rolled into a ring;
FIG. 2 b is a sectional view taken along line 2 b — 2 b in FIG. 2 a;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the heating step of the method;
FIGS. 4 through 6 are sequential perspective views illustrating the compressing step;
FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a catalytic converter comprising the seal of the instant invention;
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the present invention per se;
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line 9 — 9 in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the present invention at a location without a protrusion;
FIG. 11 is cross sectional view of the present invention at a location with a protrusion;
FIG. 12 is a cross sectional view of the present invention at a location with a protrusion in engagement with another seal during packaging; and
FIG. 13 is a bottom plan view of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, the method of the instant invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 6, and the seal of the instant invention, which is made by the method, is illustrated in FIGS. 7 through 13 and generally indicated at 10 therein. Seal 10 as herein embodied is formed as a continuous ring having a V-shaped cross-sectional configuration as illustrated most clearly in FIGS. 9-11, and it is particularly adapted for use in a catalytic converter of the type illustrated in FIG. 7 and generally indicated at 12 as will hereinafter be more fully set forth. It will be understood, however, that a variety of other uses for the seal of the instant invention in both high-temperature and low-temperature applications are contemplated.
Referring first to FIG. 1, the first step of the method of forming the seal of the instant invention is illustrated. As will be seen, in the first step of the method, wire 14 is unwound from spool 16 so that it passes around alignment pin 18 and between a pair of hardened flattening rollers 20 to produce flattened wire 22 . Wire 14 preferably comprises a stainless-steel wire having a diameter which is preferably less than approximately 0.020 inch, and flattened wire 22 is preferably flattened to a thickness of approximately 0.001 inch as it is passed between the flattening rollers 20 . After wire 14 has been passed between the flattening rollers 20 , flattened wire 22 thereby formed is passed over dancer-roller assembly 24 to maintain adequate tension in wire 22 , and then flattened wire 22 is wound on take-up spool 26 .
In the second step of the method which is illustrated in FIG. 2, flattened wire 22 is knitted in a knitting assembly generally indicated at 28 to form a continuous tubular knitted sock 30 , where sock 30 is cut by means of cutting assembly 32 to form tubular sock sections 34 of a predetermined length. As will be seen, tubular sock sections 34 are partially rolled upon themselves from the opposite ends thereof as a result of the natural characteristics of knitted sock 30 . However, in accordance with the preferred form of the method, they are further rolled upon themselves in a subsequent step to form rolled rings 36 as will hereinafter be more fully set forth. It will also be understood that other forms of the method wherein wire 22 is knitted into sheets of nontubular configuration to make seals of non-ring-like configurations, such as elongated seal strips, are contemplated.
Knitting assembly 28 comprises knitting head 38 , first spool-support frame 40 and second spool-support frame 42 . Knitting head 38 comprises base 44 and knitting needle assembly 46 on base 44 , and it is operative in a conventional manner for producing tubular knitted-wire socks. More specifically, it is operative in a manner similar to the apparatus disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,445,231 and 2,425,293 to McDermott for producing tubular knitted-wire sock 30 . First spool-support frame 40 is mounted in spaced relation above knitting head 38 on columns 48 , and first spool 26 containing flattened wire 22 is rotatably received in frame 40 so that wire 22 therefrom passes over guide roller 50 on frame 40 and downwardly to knitting needle assembly 46 . Similarly, second spool-support frame 42 is mounted in spaced relation above first spool-support frame 40 on columns 52 , second spool 26 of flattened wire 22 is rotatably supported on second frame 42 , and wire 22 from spool 26 on the second frame 42 passes over a guide roller 54 and downwardly to knitting needle assembly 46 . Cover plate 56 is mounted on columns 58 above support plate 42 . Cutting assembly 32 comprises a pair of rollers 60 which draw (stock 30 ) downwardly from knitting head 38 as it is formed therein, and cutting blade 62 which is operative in cooperation with base plate 64 for cutting sock 30 to form the sock sections 34 which fall into container 66 as they are cut.
In the next step of the method, tubular sock sections 34 are rolled on themselves from their respective opposite ends to form rings 36 which each comprise a pair of adjacent rolls 68 as illustrated in FIGS. 2 a and 2 b . It will be understood that in other forms of the method wherein sheets of knitted wire are formed in non tubular configurations, such as flattened sheets, the sheets are rolled in a similar manner in this step of the method. In any event, as illustrated in FIG. 2 b , because sock sections 34 are each rolled from both ends thereof to form rings 36 , there is a more even distribution of wire material in seal 10 which is eventually formed in the remaining steps of the method of the instant invention, and seal 10 comprises a greater quantity of wire material in the circumferential portions thereof. Specifically, because ring 36 comprises a pair of rolls 68 , the outer circumferential surfaces of seal 10 which is eventually formed include the outer layers of material from both of the rolls 68 rather than from single roll 68 .
In the next step of the method of the instant invention which is illustrated in FIG. 3, rings 36 or other elements formed in the preceding steps are heated in furnace 70 to anneal wire 22 therein and to form oxides on the surfaces of wire 22 . More specifically, rings 36 are passed through furnace 70 on belt 72 in order to form annealed and oxidized rings 74 which are darkened in appearance as a result of the oxides which are formed on the surfaces thereof. In this connection, while most annealing operations of this type are carried out in oxygen-free atmospheres to prevent the formation of oxides, oven 70 is operated in the presence of air so that oxides are formed on the surfaces of wire 22 in rings 36 . Oven 70 is preferably operated at a temperature in excess of 1950 degrees F., and it is preferably operated so that rings 36 which are passed therethrough have residence times in oven 70 of between two and three minutes, it having been found that these conditions are sufficient to both anneal wire 22 in rings 36 and to produce the desired quantities of oxides on the surfaces thereof. In this regard, the annealed and oxidized rings 74 preferably comprise at least approximately 0.01 mm 3 oxide per cm 2 of wire surface area and preferably approximately 0.025 mm 3 oxide per cm 2 of surface area and most preferably approximately 0.1 mm 3 oxide per cm 2 of wire surface.
In the next step of the method of the instant invention, the annealed and oxidized rings 74 are compressed in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 4 through 6 to form seal 10 , it being understood that other elements made by the method of the instant invention in non-ring-like configurations would be compressed in a similar manner. As illustrated in FIG. 4, ring 74 is first pressed between a pair of substantially flat plates 76 and 78 in first press 80 to form a flattened ring 82 . Thereafter, as illustrated in FIG. 5, ring 82 is assembled in a die cavity in die 84 of second press 86 and compressed in the die cavity of die 84 with second die 88 to form partially-compressed ring 90 . Thereafter, as illustrated in FIG. 6, partially-compressed ring 90 is assembled in a die cavity in die 92 of third press 94 , and partially-compressed ring 90 is further compressed with die 96 of press 94 to produce seal 10 . In this connection, dies 84 and 88 and dies 92 and 96 are configured so that seal 10 is formed in an oval configuration and so that it has a V-shaped cross-sectional configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 9 . In this regard, dies 84 , 88 , 92 and 96 are configured so that apex 115 of the V-shape of seal 10 is disposed on one side thereof and so that a pair of legs, where each leg is designated by reference 112 , of the V-shape of seal 10 is disposed opposite and diverging from apex 115 to define interior surface 113 and exterior surface 114 of the oval configuration thereof (see FIG. 10 ). Preferably, seal 10 is compressed in presses 86 and 94 so that it has a density wherein it comprises at least approximately 45% wire and oxide. Further, the V-shaped configuration of seal 10 is preferably formed with legs 112 having an angle of divergence of about 60 degrees with respect to apex 115 for substantially the entire length of the oval shaped seal. In addition, during compression, the V-shaped configuration of seal 10 is formed with a plurality of protrusions 117 structured and arranged to prevent complete nesting seals 10 during packaging and shipping. Protrusions 117 , having sides 118 (see FIG. 11 ), extend from apex 115 and sides 118 form an angle of divergence of about 40 degrees for about 1 millimeter along the length of the seal.
It has been found that seal 10 which is manufactured in accordance with the hereinabove-described method can be effectively utilized for sealing applications, wherein low gas-leakage rates can be tolerated. In this connection, the oxides which are produced on the surfaces of wire 22 in the rings 74 before rings 74 are compressed tend to fill in the voids which inherently occur between the pieces of wire 22 in seal 10 so that the oxides substantially reduce the rates at which gases can pass or leak through seal 10 . Further, the V-shaped cross-sectional configuration of seal 10 makes it sufficiently resiliently flexible to compensate for minor irregularities in the configurations of elements with which it is positioned in engagement. More specifically, legs 112 of the V-shaped cross-sectional configuration of seal 10 can be resiliently compressed together to compensate for irregularities in the configurations of elements with which seal 10 is positioned in engagement.
The use of seal 10 in catalytic converter 12 is illustrated in FIG. 7 . As will be seen, catalytic converter 12 comprises a split housing generally indicated at 98 which includes primary and secondary housing sections 100 and 102 . Contained within each of the housing sections 100 and 102 is a monolith 104 having a catalyst, such as platinum, deposited on the surfaces thereof, a wire-mesh blanket 106 which is wrapped around the monolith 104 , and a seal 10 which is received on monolith 104 adjacent the upstream end thereof and adjacent the blanket 106 thereon. When seal 10 is assembled in converter 12 in this manner, it snugly engages both monolith 104 and housing 98 , and thus provides a seal between housing 98 and monolith 104 which substantially restricts the amount of gases which can pass through housing 98 without passing through the adjacent monolith 104 . Because seal 10 is preferably made from stainless-steel wire, it can withstand extremely high temperatures to which it is likely to be exposed in catalytic converter 12 ; and because seal 10 is made without the addition of filler materials, it can be manufactured economically and is not likely to emit particulate matter which will contaminate monolith 104 in secondary housing section 102 .
It is important that seal 10 retain the above mentioned characteristics, namely, no interference with present assembly procedures, no changes in current V-Seal compression and leak characteristics, and no increase in packaging or manufacturing costs.
Referring to FIG. 10 where shown is an idealized close-up of one edge in the cross section shown in FIG. 9, seal 10 in accordance with the present invention can be seen with legs 112 A and 112 B. It can be seen that legs 112 A and 112 B are diverging from the centerline C of apex 115 . Leg 112 A has a first angle of divergence θ 2 and Leg 112 B has an second angle of divergence θ 1 . Preferably each angle of divergence θ 1 and θ 2 are each equal to about 60 degrees from the centerline, although it should be understood that other angles are sufficient and that θ 1 and θ 2 need not be equivalent. Legs 112 A and 112 B define interior surface 113 and exterior surface 114 of seal 10 . Referring to FIG. 11, in accordance with the present invention, protrusion 117 includes sides 118 A and 118 B. Side 118 A is juxtaposed to leg 112 A and side 118 B is juxtaposed to leg 112 B. Each side 118 A and 118 B extends from apex 115 and from third and fourth angles of divergence α 1 and α 2 respectively. Preferably, third and fourth angles of divergence α 1 and α 2 are each equal to about 40 degrees from the centerline; again, it should be understood that other angles are sufficient and that α 1 and α 2 need not be equivalent. In the preferred embodiment of seal 10 , protrusion 117 is about 1 millimeter in length and the height of the seal is about 6.4 mm, although it is understood that other lengths along the circumference of seal 10 are sufficient. In essence, to practice this invention the length of the protrusion and the difference between α 1 and α 2 and θ 1 and θ 2 , respectively, need only be sufficient to prevent nesting of the seals. That is, while one seal will, to a certain extent fit within another seal, the side formed by 114 a and 118 a of one seal does not conform to the corresponding side 113 a of the seal into which it nests.
Because the sides do not conform there are two advantages that prevent the prior art problems noted above. First, when the inner (e.g., 113 a ) and outer (e.g., 114 a and 118 a ) corresponding sides of adject nested seals conform, there is sufficient surface in contact so that the seals can be stuck together. When the typically height of the seal (½ inch) is significantly less than the size of the seal (about 10 inches in diameter), it is difficult for the operator to determine that two nested seals are actually stuck together because the edges are not distinct (e.g., where 114 a meets 113 a on each of two adjacent nested seals; 121 in FIG. 13 ). In this invention, because the corresponding sides of adjacent nested seals do conform, there is less surface area in contact and so it is less likely two seals will be stuck together. Second, because α 1 and α 2 are each less than θ 1 and θ 2 the protrusion 117 effectively adds a small separation to adjacent nested seals. This small separation not only prevents conformance of the sides of adjacent nested seals, but also acts to separate the edges of each seal from the next, facilitating operation cognizance of the existence of two nested seals. Thus, non-conformance of the sides prevents adjacent seals from being stuck together, and the separation facilitated by the protrusion makes it easier for the assembler to see the edge of each seal.
As shown in FIG. 12, when stacked, nested, or packaged, protrusion 117 prevents frictional engagement of exterior surface 114 of one seal 10 with interior surface 113 of an adjacently packaged seal 10 , thereby preventing complete nesting of the seals 10 . Gaps 119 exist between exterior surface 114 of one seal 10 and interior surface 113 of the adjacent seal 10 , expediting the separation of seals 10 for use. Ends 121 of legs 112 are thus also separated, facilitating an assembler's selection of a single seal.
FIG. 13 shows the preferred embodiment of seal 10 with four protrusions 117 equally spaced apart from one another. There are preferably at least two protrusions and preferably not more than eight protrusions. Alternatively, the entire edge at apex 115 can be modified to provide divergence between α 1 and α 2 and θ 1 and θ 2 along the edge at apex 115 of the seal.
It should also be understood that α 1 and α 2 could be larger than θ 1 and θ 2 , in which case the protrusion would appear as a large arrowhead, with two edges abutting an adjacent seal. Such an embodiment is less preferred because there is comparatively more contact between adjacent seals than with the preferred embodiments, but still less contact than if no protrusion existed. Likewise, α 1 may be different than θ 2 . Even further, but less preferred, α 1 and θ 1 may be equal, while α 2 is different from and less than θ 2 , in which case at least one of the sides 114 a (e.g., as would be shown in FIG. 13) does not conform with the corresponding side 113 a of the adjacent seal, while 114 b and 113 b would conform; again, non-conformance of the side decreases the surface area for frictional engagement and provides separation from adjacent edges 121 .
This novel seal is made preferably by modifying the die cavity in the die 92 so that the resultant compressed ring has the protrusion formed internally therewith; thus, the die cavity preferably has four sections in which a protrusion is formed at the apex.
The foregoing description is meant to be illustrative and not limiting. Various changes, modifications, and additions may become apparent to the skilled artisan upon a perusal of this specification, and such are meant to be within the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the claims.
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An knitted wire mesh seal, such as for use in catalytic converters, is provided with a plurality of protrusions to prevent complete nesting of adjacent seals. When packaged and shipped, seals that do not completely nest prevent accidental assembly of two seals.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game device displaying a plurality of characters, whose respective movements are mutually associated, simultaneously, on a single screen. In particular, it relates to game devices wherein, when a character operated by a player in a fighting game makes a sudden intrusion, this character is displayed appearing from a particular position having a prescribed relationship with respect to the character being intruded upon, or alternatively, game devices where, in a participatory type of game, a character is displayed joining the game on the screen, whilst the game is in progress.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fighting games for enacting combat between characters displayed on a monitor screen by controlling the movements of the respective characters are played widely on game devices.
Fighting games of this kind provide a first game mode, wherein one player controls a first character displayed on the monitor screen and fights against a second character controlled by control means in the game device, and a second game mode, wherein a fighting game is played by two different players respectively controlling the first and second characters displayed on the monitor screen.
When implementing the second game mode, apart from cases where two different players play a combat game from the beginning, there are also cases where, initially, a single player is controlling a first character displayed on the monitor screen and playing a combat game against a second character controlled by the control means, according to the first game mode, during the course of which, a further player joins in the game and controls the second character, in place of the control means, thereby executing a fighting game according to the second mode.
Executing a fighting game according to this second mode also involves the second player making a sudden intrusion into the fight when he or she joins the game. In this case, the player joining the fighting game during the course of the game is called the intruder and the player on the receiving end of this new participation in the fighting game is called the intruded party.
FIG. 6 is shows a mode of sudden intrusion in a fighting game of this kind. In FIG. 6, it may be supposed that the characters a, b, c depicted are characters engaged in a fight with characters controlled by control means in the game device, according to the first game mode described above, or that they are characters already being operated by another player, according to the second game mode.
In either of these cases, a situation arises where a player makes a sudden intrusion, in other words, he or she joins in the fighting game. In this case, the player joins the fighting game by inputting a sudden intrusion request display signal, by using input means attached to the game device main unit (not illustrated). Upon detecting this signal, the game device causes a character A controlled by the player wishing to make a sudden intrusion, on the monitor screen.
In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the display method adopted hitherto involves a dramatic display wherein the character A drops down from the sky on the monitor screen. This type of display method creates a display which is unnatural in the context of the game.
At the same time, this method may also create a situation where one of the players involved in the game finds it easier to control his or her character than the other player, in other words, it creates conditions which are respectively advantageous and disadvantageous to the two players engaged in the fighting game. Consequently, the end of the fighting game may come inappropriately quickly, and hence the players may lose interest in the fighting game itself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game device, whereby, when displaying an image of a character operated by a player making a sudden intrusion in a fighting game, this intruder character can be displayed in a manner which avoids creating an unnatural effect.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, one aspect of the present invention is a method for controlling the movements on a display screen of at least one character of a plurality of characters displayed on a display device, according to operations implemented by a player, and executing a game in association with the movements of other characters, comprising the steps of: executing and controlling a game program; developing a game according to the execution of the game program and storing and holding the co-ordinates of a plurality of specific locations in the scene displayed on the display screen; acquiring the co-ordinate position of a character displayed on the display screen receiving an entrance by another character, when an entrance request for a character is detected; and displaying the character being controlled by the player as making an appearance as a entering character from a specific location corresponding to a co-ordinate position having a particular relationship with respect to the co-ordinate position of the character receiving an entrance, from amongst the stored and held plurality of specific locations.
A further aspect of the invention is a method for executing a game as described above, wherein the co-ordinate position of the specific location corresponding to a co-ordinate position having a particular relationship with respect to the co-ordinate position of the character receiving an entrance is a co-ordinate position which is in the vicinity of the co-ordinate position of the character receiving the entrance and separated by a prescribed distance or more from the character receiving the entrance.
A further aspect of the invention is a method for executing a game as described above, wherein the entering character is a character which engages in combat with the character receiving the entrance, the display of which is controlled in accordance with the operations implemented by the player.
Other aspects of the present invention shall become evident from the embodiment of the present invention as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a game device according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an operational flow diagram of intrusion processing according to the present invention as implemented by the game device according to FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an example illustrating possible appearance positions for an intruder character in one game field;
FIG. 4 is a table showing the appearance positions illustrated in FIG. 3 and their corresponding co-ordinates, as stored in the main memory 3 ;
FIG. 5 is one example of a monitor screen wherein an intruder character is displayed making an appearance, according to the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is an image display example wherein an intruder character makes an appearance, according to a conventional method.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Below, an embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals or reference symbols have been attached to items which are the same or similar.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a game device whereby, in a fighting game according to the present invention, when a character operated by a player is displayed making a sudden intrusion, the character in question is displayed making an appearance from a particular position having a prescribed relationship with respect to the co-ordinate position of the character which is intruded upon.
In FIG. 1, a large-capacity memory 1 , such as a CD-ROM, or the like, stores fighting game programs and a plurality of polygon data constituting the characters to be displayed in the fighting game.
When the game device is started up, a main CPU 2 , which forms control means, reads out a fighting game program from the large-capacity memory 1 , and controls the execution of that program. Moreover, the main CPU 2 also reads out the necessary polygon data from the large-capacity memory 1 and transfers this data to a view converting circuit 4 .
A main memory 3 stores the fighting game program and polygon data read out from the large-capacity memory 1 . Accordingly, during control operations, the main CPU 2 accesses the main memory 3 and implements processing.
The view converting circuit 4 converts the polygon data comprising three-dimensional local co-ordinate data transferred from the main CPU to a global co-ordinate system, and it further converts these co-ordinates to a viewpoint co-ordinate system having an origin at a viewpoint. These co-ordinates are then converted to two-dimensional co-ordinates data by projecting the polygons onto a flat two-dimensional plane in the viewpoint co-ordinates system. A buffer memory 5 buffers the data during the computing processes for performing this co-ordinate conversion. The polygon data converted to two-dimensional co-ordinates is input to a rendering process circuit 6 . This rendering process circuit 6 is connected to a Z buffer memory and a texture memory 7 . The polygon data has a depth in the Z axis direction, in other words, a magnitude in the depth direction of the two-dimensional plane, and in the case of opaque polygons, it is effective to display polygons having little depth in the Z axis direction.
Texture data is stored in the texture memory. The polygon data comprises a texture memory address for reading out texture to be attached to each respective polygon, from the texture memory.
Consequently, the rendering process circuit 6 creates effective polygons on the basis of the Z-direction depth data and texture memory address contained in the polygon data output by the view converting circuit 4 , attaches texture data thereto, and writes the resulting image data to the video RAM 6 .
The video RAM 6 is constituted by a pair of frame memories, each respectively having a one frame memory capacity. When one of the frame memories is in an image data writing state, the other frame memory assumes an image data read-out state.
The image data read out from the video RAM 6 is converted to an analogue video signal at the monitor 9 and the corresponding image is displayed on the monitor screen.
In the execution of a fighting game program controlled by the main CPU 2 in a game device having the composition described above, the present invention has a characteristic feature relating to the control of the display method for a character operated by a player joining in a game, in other words, a player making a sudden intrusion into the game.
FIG. 2 is an operational flow diagram of a game image display method relating to the present invention, as implemented in the game device illustrated in FIG. 1 . The operational flow in FIG. 2 is executed in accordance with the fighting game program stored in the large-capacity memory 1 .
FIG. 3 is an image of a game field screen in a fighting game relating to the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 3 shows a plan view of the layout of one game field on which a fighting game is played out. The characters fighting on this game field are controlled in such a manner that they are displayed moving about on the screen.
In FIG. 3, symbols A-F respectively indicate possible appearance positions for an intruder character in a game field according to the present invention. These appearance positions A-F for the intruder character in FIG. 3 are also represented as table data, which is included as a portion of the fighting game program data.
In other words, the respective co-ordinate positions of the appearance positions A-F in the game field are contained in the fighting game program data in the form of a table, as illustrated in FIG. 4 .
Under the control of the main CPU 2 , this data is read out from the large-capacity memory 1 , as the fighting game program is executed, and stored in the main memory 3 . Returning to FIG. 2, a fighting game program starts to be executed (step S 1 ), when the power supply is turned on to a prescribed game device, or in accordance with the program start settings, and the game is executed (step S 2 ). As described above, the game can be executed according to a first game mode or a second game mode.
During the execution of the game, the main CPU 2 detects whether or not there is a sudden intrusion request (step S 3 ). This sudden intrusion request is detected by the main CPU 2 when a player wishes to make a sudden entry into the game and inputs a specific instruction to the game device via input means, such as an input pad, or the like, (not illustrated in FIG. 1 ).
In FIG. 2, when the main CPU 2 determines that a sudden intrusion request has been made, it acquires the co-ordinates at which the character being intruded upon is displayed on the display screen of the monitor 9 (step S 4 ).
Thereupon, as stated previously, the main CPU 2 reads in the table illustrated in FIG. 4, for example, from the main memory 3 , and searches for the sudden intrusion position closest to the co-ordinates of the character being intruded upon, in sequence (step S 5 ). Next, the distance between the specified sudden intrusion position and the co-ordinates of the character being intruded upon is determined (step S 6 ).
It is then judged whether or not the distance to the character being intruded upon thus determined is greater than a prescribed distance (step S 7 ).
Here, the step of judging whether or not the distance in the virtual space between the character being intruded upon and the sudden intrusion position is greater than a prescribed distance is carried out for the following reason.
As described previously with reference to a conventional sudden intrusion display method, as illustrated in FIG. 6, in cases where the distance to the co-ordinates of the character being intruded upon is less than a prescribed distance, the intruder character will instantly receive an attack from the character being intruded upon, the moment that the intruder character makes its entry, and hence the sudden intrusion will prove extremely difficult for the player attempting to make a sudden entry into the game.
Consequently, in the execution of a sudden intrusion, it is made a condition that the distance to the character being intruded upon is greater than a prescribed distance (step S 8 ).
Moreover, in step S 5 in FIG. 2, it was described that the main CPU 2 searches for the sudden entry position closest to the co-ordinates of the character being intruded upon, from the sudden intrusion position list, in sequence, but if the intruder character is making an entrance at a position distant from the co-ordinates position of the character being intruded upon, then the position at which the intruder character appears is not necessarily limited to being a position within the field displayed on the monitor screen.
In this case, when the player attempts to make a sudden intrusion, he or she is required to move the character he or she is controlling up to a position where that character can fight with the character being intruded upon, and this significantly detracts from the players' enjoyment of the game.
However, if the player's character makes a sudden entrance at a position very close to the character being intruded upon, then as described above, this is disadvantageous to the player who is making the sudden entrance.
A scene where a sudden intrusion is enacted by the display method according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 5 . In FIG. 5, the position co-ordinates of a door located on a particular wall surface are listed as an appearance position, and the intruder character A is depicted making a sudden appearance from this door.
Fighting characters a, b are standing facing the door in the vicinity thereof. Consequently, it is possible to display the intruder character A appearing in a very natural manner from a door which has an essential practical purpose.
The description of the foregoing embodiment related to a case where a character is displayed making an appearance by a sudden entry on the screen in a fighting game. However, the present invention is not limited to a fighting game. It can also be applied to participatory games in general, in other words, games based on processing the actions of a plurality of characters operated respectively by a plurality of players. Specifically, it can be applied to processing in participatory games, whereby the number of characters increases during the game and characters are displayed appearing on the screen in successive fashion.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
As described above with reference to the embodiment and the relevant drawings, it is possible to display an intruder character appearing from a prescribed appearance position in a natural manner. Moreover, since there is a prescribed distance between the character receiving the intrusion or the entry of the other character, and the character making the intrusion or entry into the game, it is possible to avoid situations where the player operating the character making the intrusion or entry is at an unfair disadvantage.
The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and also covers the inventions described in the accompanying claims and items equivalent thereto.
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A game device is provided, whereby, when a character operated by a player is displayed making an intrusion or entry in a fighting or participatory type of game, the character making the intrusion or entry can be displayed in a manner which avoids creating an unnatural effect. The game device includes control means wherein the control means acquires the co-ordinate position of a character displayed on the display screen receiving an intrusion by another character, when an intrusion request for a character is detected; and causes the character being controlled by the player to be displayed as making an appearance as an intruding character from a specific location corresponding to a co-ordinate position having a particular relationship with respect to the co-ordinate position of the character receiving the intrusion, from amongst the stored and held plurality of specific locations.
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[0001] The invention relates generally to a device that converts a pull start engine to a kick start engine starter.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Currently there are a number of solutions for the purpose of allowing a person the capability to easily starter a lawnmower or other pull start engine. Some of these solutions attempt to sell lawnmowers with push button starters, but these solutions fail to meet the needs of the market because high costs and the tendency to malfunction over time. Other solutions attempt to feature a key start lawn mower, but these solutions are similarly unable to meet the needs of the market because keys can be lost or broken off in an ignition. Still other solutions seek to sell pull start mowers with the claim that the mower is easy to start, but these solutions over time also begin to fail.
[0003] Therefore, there currently exists a need in the market for a device that converts pull start engines to kick start engines that is easy to install and use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] It would be advantageous to have a device for the purpose of allowing a user the capability to pull start a hand start lawnmower or other pull start engine with the assistance of the user's leg. Furthermore, it would also be advantageous to have a device that utilizes the pull cord of a hand start mower attached to a series of pulleys and a foot stirrup to start the motor. Still further, it would be advantageous to have a device with a universally adaptable kick start device for use on most push mowers or that can be transferred between different machines. Therefore, there currently exists a need in the market for a starting apparatus that is a universally adaptable kick start device for use on most push mowers that allows a user the capability to pull start a hand start lawnmower with the assistance of the user's leg or pull start without reaching down to retrieve the cord.
[0005] In an example embodiment, the starter device converts a pull start mower to a kick start mower starter. The device has one starter handle rest and one small pulley fitted to the top of the support arm, there is also one stirrup connected to a stabilizing arm with small pulley at top. The device utilizes the pull cord that most engines are equipped with without adaptation. The pull cord is also available for use by hand without disengaging the start device.
[0006] In an alternative embodiment, the device could be used to start gas engines on standby generators, boat motors, chainsaws, string trimmers, or other machines with pull start engines that are primarily on the ground when in use.
[0007] In an example embodiment, the device is easy to connect to a handle bar and allows the hand cord to be kept available for use at all times with or without the device. This allows the device to connect to the handle mechanism of most lawnmowers on the market without modification.
[0008] It is an advantage of the device to provide the ability to start a gasoline engine with the power of a user's legs and when the user lacks the power and/or speed in their arms.
[0009] The device now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are intended to be read in conjunction with both this summary, the detailed description and any preferred and/or particular embodiments specifically discussed or otherwise disclosed. This device 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 by way of illustration only and so that this disclosure will be thorough, complete and will fully convey the full scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 . illustrates a perspective view of an example embodiment of a starter device or mechanism adapted for use on a gas start engine or mower; and
[0011] FIG. 2 . illustrates another view of an example embodiment of the starter device or assembly.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0012] Following are more detailed descriptions of various related concepts related to, and embodiments of, methods and apparatus according to the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that various aspects of the subject matter introduced above and discussed in greater detail below may be implemented in any of numerous ways, as the subject matter is not limited to any particular manner of implementation. Examples of specific implementation and applications are provided primarily for illustrative purposes.
[0013] Referring now to the Figures, FIG. 1 . illustrates a perspective view of an example embodiment of the starter device or assembly 10 . The kick-starter assembly 10 has a fixed arm 18 and a movable arm 20 connected at pivot point 22 . The movable arm 20 has a stirrup 12 connected at the end opposite the pivot point 22 . The fixed arm 18 connects the handle or frame of a lawnmower (on the side of the pull cord) so that the kick-starter 10 is aligned as the pull-start cord is. A pull-start cord is woven through pulleys 16 a and 16 b so that the handle rests in start handle rest 14 . Movable arm 20 is aligned with fixed arm 18 in a resting position, and when in use pivots at pivot point 22 , by engaging the stirrup 12 .
[0014] When a user desires to start a pull start engine, the user puts his foot in stirrup 12 and steps downwards. This action causes the movable arm 20 to pivot which pulls the pull-start cord to start an engine. Alternatively, a user may still pull the pull-start cord in the conventional manner without having to remove the kick-starter 10 and it provide the advantage of reaching the cord without bending down.
[0015] Referring now to FIG. 2 , there is illustrated an alternative view of kick-starter 10 . Kick-starter 10 has a fixed arm 18 with a starter handle rest 14 on one end and a pivot point 22 at an opposite end. A movable arm 20 is connected to pivot point 22 at one end and has a stirrup 12 at an opposite end. Moveable arm 20 and fixed arm 18 each have a pulley 16 a , 16 b . A pull-start cord is woven through kick-starter 10 by resting cord over pulley 16 a , under pulley 16 b , and is contained in starter handle rest 14 .
[0016] In an example embodiment, kick-starter 10 has two attachment points 24 a , 24 b to attach to the handle of a lawnmower. Attachment points (or pins) 24 a , 24 b are capable of attaching to a handle through existing screw holes, or with the use of brackets (not shown) or clamps. Attachment points 24 a , 24 b allow for easy attachment and removal of kick-starter 10 so it may be used on multiple machines. Kick-starter 10 also is capable of working with existing pull-start engine cords.
[0017] A method is also taught herein for starting a gas powered mower or engine or motor that utilizes a starter assembly which converts a pull start engine to a kick start engine starter, while still maintaining the option to pull start the engine. The starter assembly is placed on the frame of the frame of the mower, for instance, which one starter handle rest and one small pulley fitted to the top of the support arm, there is also one stirrup connected to a stabilizing arm with small pulley at top. The existing pull cord that most engines are equipped with is used without adaptation. The pull cord is then routed through a series of pulleys and engages the foot stirrup, while the handle is mounted in a hand rest. The pull cord is also available for use by hand without disengaging the said device.
[0018] Various related embodiments of the invention are also described in Appendix A, Which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The following patent is incorporated by reference in its entirety; U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,037.
[0019] While the invention has been described above in terms of specific embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these disclosed embodiments. Upon reading the teachings of this disclosure many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come to mind of those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, and which are intended to be and are covered by both this disclosure and the appended claims. It is indeed intended that the scope of the invention should be determined by proper interpretation and construction of the appended claims and their legal equivalents, as understood by those of skill in the art relying upon the disclosures in this specification and the attached drawings.
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A kick start engine starter assembly is provided herein, which is a universally adaptable kick start device for use on most push mowers and other pull-start engines, allows a user the capability to pull start a hand start lawnmower with the assistance of the user's leg.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a system for accommodation, temporary storage and output of movable objects, in particular of pilotless locomotive vehicles.
In such a system which is subject of the application PCT/EP94/03113, vehicles are taken over from at least one entry platform by means of a transfer device of a tender rotatably supported about a central axis and comprising at least one carrier arm. Each vehicle is taken from a parking platform over to an exit platform, wherein the platforms are arranged one beside the next in radial direction along a helical rail for the tender. The transfer device supported on the carrier arm of the tender therein comprises a frame device which can be moved in longitudinal direction between the wheels of a vehicle standing on a platform. The frame device includes at least four support arms extending rectangularly towards the vehicle wheels. At least two of said support arms are pivotable from a position directed in direction of said frame device into the rectangularly extended position in which the arms bear on the bottom area of the respective vehicle under pressure and lift it from the parking surface.
The efficiency of a parking plant depends upon the number of entering and leaving vehicles, which can be taken and delivered per unit time. Thus it is possible to provide a tender with only one carrier arm which depends upon request transfers, where a vehicle is moved to a platform or from a platform to the exit platform. Such an arrangement, however, only is suitable for small-size parking place capacities where a demand for parking spaces essentially remains constant over the course of time. In larger-scale plants, account has to be taken for rush operation or a temporal change between prevailing entry and exit operations. Thus, in an urban parking plant during the morning, mainly entry operations will occur while at the time of closing exit operations will prevail. Similarily, upon the end of theater or concert performances or similar events strong exit traffic will occur in the parking plant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is based on the object of designing a system where the operation can be optimized and adapted to different loads and operating conditions.
For solving said object, the tender in general comprises at least two carrier arms of which in entry and exit positions of the tender, one carrier arm is aligned with an entry platform and one carrier arm is aligned with an exit platform. In this way, it is possible to simultaneously take over a vehicle from an entry platform to a carrier arm and to deliver a vehicle to an exit platform from the other carrier arm.
In case of the tender equipped with two carrier arms, those preferably are arranged diametrally opposing each other, whereas four carrier arms preferably have an angle of 90° between one another. In the latter case, the entry and exit platforms are disposed on the periphery of a circle with mutual angular distances of 90°.
The capacity of the plant can be further increased if more entry and exit platforms than carrier arms are provided for. The carrier arms then can be aligned with entry and exit platforms at different angular positions and the entry and exit platforms which are not in connection with a carrier arm can be loaded or emptied during this time. The entry and/or exit platforms, respectively, therein preferably are arranged one beside the other for permitting quick loading of each platform.
Flexibility of the plant can be further increased by providing some of the entry and exit platforms which are equipped for selective use as entry platforms or as exit platforms or a built to be modified to selective use. It is also possible to make the individual carrier arms adjustable in their angular position such that in one position of the tender each carrier arm selectively can be aligned with at least two entry and/or exit platforms, respectively.
Depending on size and required efficiency of the plant one or several tenders, in particular two tenders, can be provided, wherein in the latter case the two tenders are displaceable independently from one another. The entry and exit platforms therein can either be aligned with both tenders together or separate entry and exit platforms are provided for each tender.
In larger-scale plants it is recommendable to arrange the entry and exit platforms between the upper and the lower ends of a helical rail for the tenders in such way that one tender can be moved to the platforms located above the entry and exit platforms and the other tender is movable to the platforms located below the entry and exit platforms. In such a parking plant the platforms located above the entry and exit platforms are arranged in an overground (multi-storey) car park and the platforms located below the entry and exit platforms are located in an underground parking garage.
For contruction reasons two tenders of differing diameters are used which are movable on corresponding rails separately or together. The overground parking garage therein can be designed where it is smaller than the underground parking garage. Therein it also is possible to use tenders of different sizes or with variable lengths of the carrier arm.
The carrier arms can be radially arranged with respect to the rail circle or as chord. In case of an arrangement with chords, a position would be possible in which the vehicles are picked up on one end of the carrier arm and are delived from the other end again. This provides the advantage that the vehicle at a later time can be delivered to the exit platform in a forward direction. In such a case it is provided for advantageously that the transfer device supported on each carrier arm can be charged and decharged from both sides. In such an arrangement, several carrier arms of a tender are disposed one on top of the other and at different heights displaced with respect to one another, wherein a minimum height must not be remained under.
Depending on the local situation, the entry and exit platforms are arranged on the level of the approach roads approximately or they are arrranged below or above the level of the approach paths, wherein then at least one entry and exit box connected to an entry and/or exit platform, respectively, by a vehicle elevator is arranged in the level of approach ways.
Providing separate entry and exit boxes as kind of deliverer for the entry and exit platforms permits vehicles to drive in or out in forward direction.
A common vehicle elevator can be provided for as common entry and exit platform, by means of which vehicles are transferred from the level of appraoch ways to the level of the respective carrier arm.
In a further embodiment of the invention, special platforms may be provided for vehicles whose height exceeds that of a passenger car, e.g. transporters or camping cars, the cross-section of the special platforms being adapted to such vehicles. In order to reliably move such vehicles to the respective platforms, a means for automatically detecting the vehicle height prior to the entry is provided.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a partly broken perspective view of a plant in accordance with the invention with partly occupied platforms;
FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are schematic cross-sectional views of the plant in the plane of the entry and exit platforms;
FIG. 5 shows the arrangement of a vehicle elevator with two tenders independent from one another;
FIG. 6 shows the correlation of the entry and exit boxes with an underground plant; and
FIG. 7 shows a tip view of a tender whose carrier arms are charged and decharged in a forward direction of the vehicles.
FIG. 8 shows an embodiment where three carrier arms are provided;
FIG. 9 shows an embodiment where two tenders are fixedly coupled with one another; and
FIG. 10 shows an embodiment where two tenders are movably independent of one another.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The plant shown in FIG. 1 forms a parking garage located below ground, which in its basic structure is formed as hollow cylinder. In the overground part the entry is located at 1 and the exit is located at 2. A plurality of parking places 3 which in their longitudinal direction are arranged radially and which with their radially outer ends are adjacent to the inside wall of the hollow cylinder and are arranged in the interior of the hollow cylinder. The parking places 3 are arranged along a helical line so that they lie one beside the other without interruption from the first up to the last and from the uppermost, respectively, to the lowestmost parking place. In the shown example, the helical line has a uniform diameter. It can, however, also be provided for that two parking garages of different sizes with helical lines of different diameters are located one above the other. Helical lines with different diameters are travelled on by different tenders 5 or the tenders are provided with carrier arms 6 adjustable in length.
On their radially inner side the parking places are connected with one another by a rail 4 which correspondingly also extends helically.
In the inside cylindrical space not occupied by the parking places 3 a so-called tender 5 having four carrier arms 6 is arranged. Each of the carrier arms of the tender is supported on the rail 4 by means of two running wheels 7 each. On the four arms of the tender 5 four vehicles 8 can be in common transported in upward or downward, respectively, directions. The tender 5 turns about his own axis during lifting or lowering operations so that each of the four arms can go to a parking place or an entry or exit platform, respectively.
On each carrier arm 6 a transfer device is located which by means of a frame shiftable under the vehicle lifts said vehicle, displaces it onto the carrier arm and upon moving of said carrier arm transfers it to the platform of a parking place. This operation and the respective reverse operation during leaving the parking place is automatically effected by means of a control without a service person having to interfere. The vehicle therein is not occupied. The transfer device and the relating control are not subject of the present invention and, therefore, are not shown and explained in detail.
For transferring the vehicle to a carrier arm 6, it has to be brought in a given position by the driver. An entry platform which is located behind the entry 1 and on which the vehicle is guided into the correct position by means of guide rails serves for this purpose. When this position is reached the driver and other possible passengers by means of a visual indication are called to leave the vehicle. If required, it can be automatically detected by suitable measurements where no person is in the vehicle still.
An exit platform to which a vehicle is transferred upon request by the driver is located at the exit 2.
Depending on the local situation and the demanded efficiency of the plant, i.e. entry and exit operations possible per unit time (per hour), the carrier arms 6 and the entry and exit platforms can be shaped and arranged differently. FIGS. 2 to 4 schematically show a cross-section of the plant in the plane of the entry and exit platforms, the entry platforms being referred to by E and the exit platforms--by A. The moving direction of the vehicles is shown by arrows.
FIG. 2 shows a plant with a two-arm tender 5. The two carrier arms 6 therein are arranged diametrally opposingly.
According to FIG. 2a, two entry platforms E and adjacently two exit platforms A are provided for on the outer circumference of the circle of rotation of the tender 5. Thus, always only one of the carrier arms 6 can be directed to one of the entry or exit platforms. The disadvantage, of a comparatively low efficiency is opposed to by the advantage the no large areas are required for approach and leaving paths. This can be of essential importance in certain cases, e.g. when the circumferential area of the plant is occupied by other buildings and is not accessible.
In FIG. 2b two entry platforms E are arranged one beside the other and diametrally opposingly two exit platforms A also are arranged one beside the other. In this way the one carrier arm 6 can be charged and simultaneously the other carrier arm 6 can be discharged. The entry 1 and the exit 2 of the building correspondingly are opposed to one another. This version is applicable if the local situation requires approach and leaving paths separated from one another.
For the case that the approach and leaving paths need not be separated from one another, the arrangement under FIG. 2c is suitable, which practically represents a duplication of the arrangement of FIG. 2a in that both carrier arms 6 can be charged or decharged simultaneously. In the shown example, it is provided for that in a position of the tender 5 simultaneously both carrier arms 6 can be discharged and in a displaced position both carrier arms can be charged. In corresponding position of the entry and exit platforms, however, it also is possible that one carrier arm is charged while the other is discharged.
While in the embodiment under FIG. 2 the two carrier arms 6 are aligned in a continuous radial direction, in a further embodiment shown in FIG. 8 also three carrier arms can be provided for enclosing between one another angular distances of 120° each.
A more efficient, however also more expensive embodiment results when the tender 5 has four carrier arms 6 of which two--seen in cross-section of the plant--each are opposed to one another diametrally and are displaced by 90° with respect to the other two carrier arms, so that in total a cross-shaped embodiment results as is schematically shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 3a therein in principle corresponds to the arrangement under FIG. 1a with duplication of the number of entry and exit platforms. Of the four carrier arms 6, however, only two can be charged or discharged simultaneously. Corresponding is true for FIG. 3b with respect to FIG. 2b.
Further possibilities are shown in FIGS. 3c, 3d and 3e, wherein the respective specific suitability results from the representation and the explanation to FIG. 2c without difficulty.
The embodiment under FIG. 3 is based on a rigid alignment of the four carrier arms 6 at angular distances of 90°. In a modification not shown, however, the carrier arms can also be mutually adjustable in limited angles so that in a position of the tender 5 a carrier arm 6 can operate two adjacent entry and exit platforms.
In the embodiments described up to now the platforms are provided for either as entry platforms or as exit platforms and provided with the equipment required therefor. However, the platforms can also be designed such that they can alternatively be used as entry or exit platforms. The constructional expense therefor of course must be higher and the change requires certain change-over works; as, however, the total number of platforms in this way can be kept lower, providing such combined platforms may be economically preferable depending on the situation.
FIG. 4 shows some possibilities of arranging such combined entry/exit platforms E/A. In FIG. 4a three entry platforms E, three exit platforms A and an entry/exit platform E/A are provided for. The latter can be changed depending on traffic load, e.g. to entry platform at the beginning of business or performance and to exit platform at the ending. FIG. 4b shows a possible arrangement in a four-arm tender 5 and FIG. 4c--in a two-arm tender.
In case of large-scale plants and/or high frequency of entry and exit parking operations it is advisable to provide for two tenders 5. The two tenders therein can either be fixedly coupled with one another or displaceable by means of a common drive or they are operated independently from one another.
In case of two tenders independent from one another the building accommodating the plant can be built in arbitrary manner, e.g. overground or underground. The necessity of synchronous operation, however, already brings about an increased expense for control and a certain amount of loss in efficiency.
Two tenders independent from one another are advantageous in larger-scale plants in particular, in which part of the parking places is overground and the other part--underground. The one tender then serves the underground part and the other tender--the overground part. The entry and exit can therein be effected such that for each tender own entry and exit ramps and relating entry and exit platforms are provided for.
Another possibility lies in that a vehicle elevator by which the vehicles from a common entry are brought to the level of the respective tender or are brought back, respectively, to a common exit level is used as entry and exit platform. FIG. 5 shows such an arrangement having an entry 1, two entry platforms E1 and E2 built as vehicle elevator and movable in height independently, an upper tender T1 and a lower tender T2. In FIG. 5a a first vehicle F1 moved on the upper entry platform E1 and a second vehicle F2 is waiting in the entry 1. The upper entry platform E1 then is moved upwardly and the second vehicle F2 moves onto the lower entry platform E2 as shown in FIGS. 5b and 5c. The two entry platforms E1 and E2 then according to FIG. 5 are brought to the levels of the tenders T1 and T2 arranged one on top of the other in their end positions and are taken over by the transfer device of the carrier arms. After having taken over, the tenders move to a free parking place and the upper entry platform E1 is brought back to the level of the entry 1 for taking over the next waiting vehicle F3 (FIG. 5e). The entire operation simultaneously occurring on the exit side in reverse manner has a duration of 5 minutes approximately.
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, of the plant in accordance with the present invention all parking places 3 are located underground so that only a minimum in traffic space is required for approach and leaving. Above ground only at least one entry box EB and one exit box AB are provided for, from which a vehicle elevator leads to the underground transfer position.
The vehicle to be parked is positioned on the elevator in the entry box EB and by the elevator is brought up to the level of the tender which is in its uppermost position. There, it either is transferred to the entry platform E or the elevator itself is formed as entry platform from which the vehicle is taken over by means of the transfer device. On the exit side the course of action runs in correspondingly reverse direction.
This arrangement has the additional advantage that the exit box AB and the elevator located therein can be designed such that the vehicle can move out in forward direction. In case of the exit platforms in the above-described embodiment moving out only is possible in backward direction because of the specific design, this sometimes causing problems for unpracticed drivers.
FIG. 7 shows a further possibility for the embodiment of a tender 5 having two carrier arms 6. Corresponding to the arrows the vehicles can be taken over onto the carrier arms in forward direction and can again be delivered in the same direction so that the vehicles can leave the exit platform moving in forward direction.
The plant in accordance with the present invention can be equipped with some parking places for particularly high vehicles in a manner not shown here. The height of the vehicles is detected during entry e.g. by light barriers and vehicles with great height are brought to the parking places provided therefor by automatic control.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art were intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
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A system for accommodation, temporary storage and delivery of movable objects, pilotless, movable vehicles in particular, includes a tender (5) supported rotatably about a central axis, by which tender the vehicles are taken over from at least one entry platform (E) and are placed on a free one out of a plurality of platforms (3) or again are picked up therefrom and are handed over to an exit platform (A). The tender (5) therein includes at least two carrier arms (6) one of which being correlated to an entry platform (E) in entry and exit position of the tender and one carrier arm being correlated to an exit platform (A). Depending on the local situation the entry and exit platforms (E, A) can be embodied and arranged differently. They can also be formed as combined entry/exit platforms (E/A) for permitting adaption to varying demands.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Our invention relates to a method for the manufacture of paper and to the improved paper thus obtained. More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an additive which may be incorporated with the stock during the manufacture of paper, thereby causing the paper to have improved retention of pigments and other desirable properties.
Our invention comprises the addition of anionic polyacrylamide polymer groups and starch derivatives containing cationic substituent groups to paper stock or pulp.
Paper that is thinner and lighter in weight is increasingly in demand to reduce the weight of printed material that must be shipped and mailed. Fillers or pigments are added in the stock during the papermaking process, prior to the formation of the sheet, to impart opacity to the finished sheet. Some of the pigments used have a mineral source, particularly clays, calcium carbonate, talc, titanium dioxide, gypsum, and zinc pigments. In addition to their ability to enhance opacity, the pigments improve brightness, printability and smoothness.
Since conventional pigments do not have an affinity for the cellulose fibers of paper, a binder for the pigment is incorporated into the paper. Conventionally, starch has been incorporated into paper to strengthen the paper. However, the starch employed for binding and strenthening the paper does not improve the pigment retention, and in many cases actually decreases the amount of pigment retained by the paper.
The addition of the non-fibrous fillers or pigments in substantial proportion makes the paper web weaker both in wet strength during its formation and in dry strength. Of course, larger amounts of starch could be added to increase the strength of the bond of the paper but this also increases the weight.
Several derivatives of starch have been introduced in recent years which are designed to increase the retention of fillers in paper and at the same time to improve the structural properties of the paper. (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,935,436; 2,813,093; 3,017,294; 3,151,019).
We have now discovered that the addition of a novel starch derivative, hereinafter described, to the pulp in the headbox of the Fourdrinier paper manufacturing machine results in a remarkable improvement in pigment retention in the paper, together with a concomitant increase in paper strength.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The novel additives used in our invention are starch derivatives which contain cationic groups in combination with a material which contains controlled amounts of anionic polyacrylamide polymer groups.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Our process may employ any starch derivative which contains the cationic (i.e., electrically positively charged) moiety shown below. The preferred cationic starch is made according to the process described in Hunt U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,070 issued Nov. 30, 1971.
This product is the reaction product of starch and an amine butene halide salt, which term includes quaternary ammonium alkene halide salts.
The product has the following structural formula: ##STR1## where R is methyl or ethyl and G is alkenylene of 1 to 4 carbons.
The preferred reactant is 1-chloro-4-butenyltrimethylammonium chloride.
As stated, the starch derivatives, to be suitable as an additive to paper pulp in the process of our invention, are used in combination with a controlled amount of anionic polyacrylamide polymer groups. From about 5 ppm to about 250 ppm polyacrylamide polymer based on the weight of dry pulp is added to the pulp.
Also, starch derivatives suitable for use in the process of this invention should be substituted with cationic groups to such an extent that their degree of substitution (D.S.), i.e., the average number of cationic groups per anhydroglucose unit of the starch molecule, ranges from about 0.0034 to 0.07, preferably about 0.035.
The starch derivatives suitable for the process of this invention are in the form of intact granules. They may be derived from any plant source including corn, rice, potato, wheat, tapioca and the like. They may also be derived from any of the conversion products of these starch types prepared by enzyme conversion or acid hydrolysis. The starting starch should have a fluidity of about 5 to about 50, preferably about 12.
The starch is reacted with about 0.45 to about 10 percent by weight of a cationic reactant at a temperature of about 80° F. to about 130° F. for a period of about 7 to about 48 hours. The starch reaction product is recovered and has about 0.0034 to about 0.07 degrees of substitution and a fluidity of about 5 to about 50.
In the papermaking process, the starch derivative is cooked with water to paste the same before being used in the papermaking process. The polyacrylamide polymer can be added to the starch before or after pasting and when the starch is added to the papermaking process it is on a cooked starch basis. Also, the polyacrylamide can be mixed dry with the cationic starch by the starch manufacturer and sold as a mixture to the papermaker. Alternatively, the starch and polyacrylamide can be added separately at the paper manufacturing plant.
The cooked starch derivatives are used mainly as headbox additives. This is the initial point in the papermaking process where the water temperature normally is in the range of about 60° to 90° F., and the pH normally is in a range of about 4 to about 8.0.
The amount of the starch derivative to be incorporated with the paper pulp may vary from 0.015% to about 5% in accordance with the particular pulp involved. In general, we prefer to use about 0.1% to about 5%, usually about 1%, of the starch derivative, based on the dry weight of the pulp. Within this range the precise amount which is used will depend upon the type of pulp being used, the specific operating conditions, and the particular end-use for which the paper is intended. As mentioned, the starch is cooked before it is added to the pulp. It can be added in the headbox or earlier in the process of papermaking if desired.
The amount of retention aid or anionic polyacrylamide polymer used may be from about 0.5% to about 5%, preferably about 2%, based on the dry weight of the starch. The amount of retention aid used varies depending upon the type of pulp, starch or filler being used.
The products of this invention yield improved performances in terms of pigment retention and paper strength.
HANDSHEET PREPARATION METHODS
A. TAPPI Method T205 M-47
In the laboratory the evaluation of retention aids, etc. is made by fabricating handsheets which are circular paper mats of 25 cms. diameter. The method used is TAPPI Method T205 M-47 which includes the following steps:
1. Assembling the required furnish.
2. Forming handsheets.
3. Observing sheet characteristics.
A mineral filler, titanium dioxide, was included in the furnish in the amount of 10% by weight of the pulp.
Using this process, handsheets in which cationic starch was used as a retention aid had 31% of the titanium dioxide retained measured as "ash". When 2% (based on starch weight) of the polyacrylamide polymer retention aid was added with the same amount of cationic starch, the retention was increased to 41%.
B. Anheuser-Busch Modification of TAPPI Method
In certain of the tests and data presented hereinafter, handsheets were made by a modified TAPPI method. In our modification, 10% titanium dioxide, 3% alum, 2% rosin, and 1% starch was used. The amounts of additives are based on the total weight of the furnish or pulp. In other respects the TAPPI procedure was followed.
The presence of alum precipitates rosin on the cellulose fibers. The alum also aids in obtaining the benefits of the anionic polyacrylamide.
Example No. 1 is a method of making cationic starch:
EXAMPLE NO. 1
37.8 grams of a 50% solution of 1-chloro-4-butenyltrimethylammonium chloride prepared according to the process of U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,070 is added to 1000 grams of a starch slurry containing 420 grams of dent starch of 40 fluidity and 8 grams hydrated lime. The solution is allowed to react for 18 hours with starch at 52° C. The slurry is then adjusted to pH 3.0 with dilute hydrochloric acid (1 part 37% hydrochloric acid diluted with 4 parts water). The slurry is diluted to 13° Be., filtered, washed with 300 ml. water on the filter, and dried. The cationic starch had a degree of substitution of 0.033 and is used in the examples hereinafter set forth.
The effect of the cationic starch and anionic polyacrylamide polymer groups in increasing the retention of pigment is further illustrated in the following examples.
EXAMPLE NO. 2
Example No. 2 illustrates the preparation of a material at the starch plant which contains cationic starch and anionic polyacrylamide polymer, and which is suitable for use in the process of this invention.
A cationic starch is prepared using the procedure of Example No. 1. The starch has a degree of substitution of 0.033. 98% of the cationic starch material is mixed with 2% by weight polyacrylamide polymer of about 5 × 10 6 average molecular weight.
EXAMPLE NO. 3
The product of Example No. 2 is added to water and cooked with steam for 20 minutes at 195° F. to gelatinize the starch. The cooked starch material is added to the headbox of a paper process as a wet-end additive in an amount of 1% by weight based on the weight of wood pulp solids. This means that 0.98% starch and 0.02% polyacrylamide polymer is added. The headbox has a concentration of about 0.3% to 0.7%, preferably about 0.5% by weight wood pulp.
EXAMPLE NO. 4
Table No. I illustrates the improved pigment retention resulting from the addition of cationic starch and polyacrylamide polymer to papermaking pulp, compared to the addition of cationic starch alone. The handsheets were prepared according to previously described method B using rosin and alum. The cationic starch was added at 1% by weight based on the dry pulp weight and the polyacrylamide was added at 2% by weight based on the dry starch weight. The cationic starch has a degree of substitution of 0.033 and is prepared according to the process of Example No. 1.
TABLE No. I__________________________________________________________________________Preparative Data and Retention (ashing) Drainage Handsheet Ash %Sample Handsheet Temp. (° F.) pH Time (sec.) Wt. (g.) Composite (as is)__________________________________________________________________________CATIONICSTARCH 1 80 4.05 5.0 1.514 3.1 2 78 4.00 5.0 1.616 3.1 3 78 4.30 5.0 1.625 3.1 4 82 4.50 5.3 1.647 3.1 5 82 4.75 5.0 1.647 3.1 6 79 5.00 5.0 1.655 3.1 7 77 4.20 5.2 1.716 3.1CATIONICSTARCH 1 78 4.00 5.0 1.290 4.1 + 2 78 4.60 5.2 1.332 4.1POLYACRYL- 3 78 4.50 5.0 1.336 4.1AMIDE 4 77 4.50 5.0 1.329 4.1(Anionic) 5 76 4.25 5.0 1.331 4.1 6 78 4.80 5.0 1.336 4.1 7 76 4.80 5.0 1.380 4.1__________________________________________________________________________
In the foregoing examples, the pH is maintained between 4 to 5 by the addition of alum and/or sulfuric acid.
In making filled paper, it is necessary to maintain a sufficient concentration of filler in the headbox to assure that the web retains the desired amount of pigment. If the retention of fines in the paper web is high usually this decreases the rate of drainage from the wire, and in general, impedes product formation. This is the reason for listing the drainage time. The drainage times of this invention are at least equal to or better than those for cationic starches alone. The ash is measured by techniques known in the art.
Table No. II is prepared using the techniques and amounts of ingredients as used in Table No. I, and shows the comparative results of handsheets prepared with no additives and those made according to the present invention. The starches of this invention were prepared according to the process hereinbefore set out and the additives are at the same levels. The starch used in the blank is unmodified and the retention aid is anionic polyacrylamide polymer of about similar molecular weight.
TABLE No. II__________________________________________________________________________ Drainage Handsheet Ash %Sample Handsheet Temp. (° F.) pH Time (sec.) Wt. (g.) Composite (as is)__________________________________________________________________________BLANK 1 79 4.10 5.0 1.351 3.1NO 2 78 4.20 5.1 1.333 3.1STARCH 3 78 4.60 5.1 1.361 3.1OR AID 4 78 4.10 5.4 1.434 3.1 5 78 4.50 5.0 1.420 3.1 6 79 4.65 5.0 1.418 3.1 7 76 4.10 4.8 1.130 3.1CATIONIC 1 79 4.45 5.4 1.563 3.7STARCH 2 78 4.00 5.0 1.518 3.7+ 3 78 4.30 5.2 1.505 3.7RETENTION 4 76 4.90 5.5 1.590 3.7AID 5 77 4.35 5.0 1.586 3.7 6 77 4.30 5.4 1.574 3.7(Anionic) 7 76 4.10 5.6 1.598 3.7__________________________________________________________________________
All the starch is 1% by weight of the furnish or pulp and the retention aid is 2% by weight of the starch.
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This application covers the use of a cationic starch and a polyacrylamide polymer as a retention aid in the manufacture of paper. The resulting paper containing the additives is characterized by improved retention of pigments.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT
[0003] Not applicable.
INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIALS SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC
[0004] Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] 1. Field of the Invention
[0006] Presented here is a procedure that helps reduce the time employed in the cooling of liquids, and in particular beer, in the closed processing tanks containing it, using gases that are expanding and in close contact with the liquids to be cooled.
[0007] 2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
[0008] Currently there are various methods used for the cooling of the beer. The one most used is that of cooling by means of jackets fitted to the exterior walls of the tanks. The heat transference is carried out through the wall of the tank with that of the jacket. This method presents the inconvenience of limiting the heat transference because the dimensions of the tank are fixed, meaning that increased cooling needs are unable to be satisfied were this necessary. This lengthens the cooling times. Additionally the turbulence of the beer inside the tank is low and therefore the heat transference is also low.
[0009] Another recent method is the use of submerged jacketed coolers with the characteristic of being built out of a tube that has a jacket fitted around its entirety and length in which a coolant circulates through the intermediate space that exists between the tube and the jacket.
[0010] This method reduces cooling time compared with the previous one and it means that more than one set of these can be installed depending on requirements.
[0011] In both cases the heat transference coefficient is low, although it is higher in that of the cooling apparatus submerged into the beer.
[0012] Typically, once the fermentation of the beer in the closed tanks has concluded, the process of its cooling begins. The time employed is long due to the large volumes stored in the tanks in which the fermentation was carried out. The tanks' geometry is generally vertical. They have dimensions of height and diameter that limit the area of heat transference of the coolant circulating through the external walls of the tank through fitted circulation jackets. This area cannot be increased further as it is fixed; limited by the tank's dimensions. The coolant's temperature also cannot be much reduced because of the risk of freezing the beer that is in contact with the internal walls through which the coolant circulates.
[0013] The above-described method entails the generation of low turbulence in the beer contained in the tank, wherein beer moves slowly and almost exclusively due to the variations in its density as its temperature falls. The transference of heat between the coolant and the beer through the wall of the tank is low, meaning that long times are needed to effectuate the cooling.
[0014] Another method used to reduce the time used in cooling the beer in the closed tanks is that of increasing the speed of the beer and therefore its turbulence inside the closed tank. The objective of this is to increase the transference of heat between the beer and the coolant, leading to a shorter cooling time. A cooling apparatus is used for this, which is described below.
[0015] The cooling apparatus is a heat exchanger built out of a tube that has a jacket fitted around its entirety and length. There is an intermediate space between the tube and the jacket through which a coolant circulates.
[0016] The wall of the tube has two faces, the interior and the exterior. In turn, the jacket has two faces, an interior one and another exterior one.
[0017] When the cooling apparatus is submerged into the beer vertically, i.e. leaving one end above and the other below, the exterior face of the wall of the jacket is in total contact with the beer. The same happens with the tube when it is submerged into the beer. The interior space is flooded, leaving the interior face of the wall of the latter in contact with the beer. The ends of the tube are free, allowing the interior space of the tube to be flooded with the beer.
[0018] The heat transference from the beer to the coolant of the cooling apparatus is carried out simultaneously from the beer through the wall of the jacket and from the beer through the wall of the tube.
[0019] The lowering of the temperature of the beer inside the tube causes its density to increase and this causes it to move to the bottom, allowing the beer with a higher temperature to enter at the top to be cooled. Therefore, constant circulation will be formed while the cooling process is being carried out.
[0020] More than one cooling apparatus can be used depending on the cooling requirements.
[0021] The two methods described involve long times needed to achieve the desired cooling of the beer because the convection currents are weak when created only by the density changes of the beer as the temperature drops.
[0022] With the aim of drastically reducing the time employed in the cooling of the beer when using the cooling apparatus, the innovation described below is presented.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0023] The innovation involves the cooling apparatus being installed vertically submerged in the beer inside a closed tank. At the lower end of the tube a pipe is introduced that discharges the CO 2 gas, injecting it into the beer. When the CO 2 comes into contact with the beer, it forms a mixture with the characteristic of having a lower density than that which the beer alone possesses. The low density of the mixture formed causes this to tend to go to the surface. As the injection of the CO 2 is done by the lower intake of the inside of the tube, as the mixture rises it will travel the whole inside of the tube to its end. During the ascent, the hydrostatic pressure exerted on the mixture drops making the CO 2 expand and therefore the density of the mixture decreases more and more. This induces the increase of the speed of the mixture, increasing its turbulence also. This process causes high suction on the lower intake of the interior of the tube, which makes the flow of the beer on the lower intake of the interior of the tube increase. The flow of the beer will be dependent on the flow of CO 2 injected. The greater the flow, the greater the speed, and the greater the speed, the greater the turbulence, and therefore the increase of heat transference between the beer and the coolant through the wall separating them.
[0024] With this situation a large Reynolds Number is obtained and therefore the heat transference coefficient is high, meaning that the time employed to cool the beer is drastically reduced when compared with other cooling methods. When the CO 2 reaches the surface of the beer, it occupies the free top space inside the closed tank. The CO 2 is extracted through piping towards the suction of a compressor to be compressed and returned to the tank to be fed to the lower end of the inside of the tube of the cooling apparatus and to thus continue with the procedure, thereby forming a cycle until the desired temperature is obtained in the beer contained in the closed tank.
[0025] CO 2 , the chemical formula of carbon dioxide, is the desired gas to be used because of its nature, having been formed during the fermentation and therefore it does not modify its properties.
[0026] The CO 2 , during the fermentation, can be collected and conducted through piping to be compressed and stored in a tank or tanks in order to subsequently feed it to the cooling apparatus.
[0027] It should be clarified that new CO 2 can be used, thereby avoiding compression. This is not recommendable from an economical standpoint, since a great amount of it would be needed. It is more economical to recycle it.
[0028] The quantity of CO 2 needed to be stored if done in this way will be the volume that is used within the cooling apparatus, necessary to fill the free volume within the closed tank, which is used in the conduction piping to the compressor, as well as the return pipe to the tank, plus an extra one. Following this procedure, the quantity of CO 2 used is small and recoverable; there are no losses of CO 2 .
[0029] To the best of the authors' knowledge, this invention can be summarized as follows.
[0030] It is the purpose of the following invention to reduce the times employed in the cooling of beer once it has fermented inside the closed tanks containing it, using for such purpose the injection of CO 2 gas into a cooling apparatus vertically submerged in the beer inside a closed tank to induce turbulence in it and therefore increase the transference of heat between the beer and the coolant circulating through the cooling apparatus.
[0031] Another intention of this invention is for the CO 2 gas to be injected through the lower end of the cooler vertically submerged in the beer containing the characteristic of being built out of a tube that has a jacket fitted around its entirety and length and there is an intermediate space between the tube and the jacket through which a coolant circulates.
[0032] Another intention of this invention is that when the cooling apparatus is submerged into the beer vertically, i.e. with one end above and the other below, the exterior face of the wall of the jacket is in total contact with the beer and the same occurs with the inside of the inside of the tube when submerged in the beer, leaving the whole interior face of the wall in contact with the beer. The upper and lower ends of the tube are free to allow the interior space of the tube to be flooded with the beer. Another intention of this invention is for the heat transference from the beer to the coolant in the cooling apparatus to be carried out simultaneously from the beer through the wall of the jacket and from the beer through the wall of the tube.
[0033] Another intention of the following invention is for the CO 2 gas injected to ascend through the interior of the tube of the cooling apparatus, carrying the beer to its upper end.
[0034] Another aim of this invention is that, during the ascent of the CO 2 gas together with the beer through the interior of the tube of the cooler, the exchange of heat between the beer and the coolant will occur through the wall of the tube separating them when the coolant circulates through the intermediate space that exists between the tube and the jacket.
[0035] Another intention of the following invention is for the CO 2 by itself to aid the cooling of the beer when the temperature it possesses is lower than that of the beer when it comes into contact therewith.
[0036] Another intention of this invention is to cause, if so desired, a powerful turbulence of the must, preventing the yeast from settling on the bottom of the tank during its transformation into beer, helping to further promote the contact between the sugars of the must and the yeast, as well as being able to control the temperature during fermentation.
[0037] Presented here is a procedure that helps reduce the time employed in the cooling of beer and inside the processing tanks containing it, using CO 2 gas and in close contact with the beer to be cooled.
[0038] Use of the gas carbon dioxide, CO 2 by its chemical formula, or any other gas, that does not alter the characteristics of the beer when the CO 2 is fed by injecting it through the lower intake of the tube that forms part of the cooling apparatus submerged into the beer. As it ascends, the gas travels throughout the interior of the tube of the cooling apparatus until it reaches the surface. The cooler must be submerged into the beer contained in the closed tank.
[0039] The cooling apparatus is a heat exchanger built with a tube that has a jacket fitted around its entirety and length. There is an intermediate space between the tube and the jacket through which a coolant circulates.
[0040] For the specific case of the cooling of beer, it is desirable to use CO 2 as the gas since it was generated in the beer itself and therefore does not alter the beer's properties.
[0041] When the CO 2 comes into contact with the beer, it forms a mixture. This will have a lower density than that which the beer alone possesses, causing it to rise to the surface. This is because both are flowing inside the tube of the submerged cooling apparatus. There is thus an increase in turbulence and therefore the transference of heat from the beer to the coolant, causing its temperature to lower. During the ascent, the CO 2 will in turn be cooling the beer because it is in close contact with the beer as it possesses a low temperature and is subject to turbulence.
[0042] With greater turbulence, i.e., a higher Reynolds Number, the heat transference coefficient increases, causing the time employed to cool the beer to be drastically reduced in relation to other cooling methods.
[0043] The CO 2 is recovered upon its exit from the tank and is compressed in order to be injected again through the lower intake of the tube of the cooling apparatus submerged in the beer until the desired temperature is obtained.
[0044] Due to the shortening of the time employed in the cooling, the tank will be ready before receiving the new charge of the must, thereby reducing the duration of the cycle necessary for the entire process in the production of beer.
[0045] Another characteristic of the procedure is also that of being used during the fermentation of the beer to control its temperature.
[0046] Another characteristic of the procedure is that of preventing the solid particles suspended in the beer itself from settling due to the strong suction formed at the lower intake due to the tube of the submerged cooling apparatus. The lower intake is located close to the bottom of the tank. The particles are suctioned, facilitating their mixture with the rest of the beer contained in the tank. The result is that the particles will be disseminated throughout the liquid instead of being partially settled at the bottom.
[0047] Another characteristic of the use of the CO 2 in the manner described is that of being able to increase the cooling capacity as it has the property of being compatible with any other de system cooling already installed in the tanks.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0048] FIG. 1 shows the vertical section of a standard closed tank in which can be seen the intake of CO 2 , its passage through the interior of the tube of the submerged vertical cooling apparatus, where the heat transference takes place as well as the exit of the CO 2 from the closed tank.
[0049] FIG. 1 also shows the passage of CO 2 outside the tank with the aim of compressing it and storing it or otherwise, before it is returned to the interior of the tank.
[0050] FIG. 2 shows the tank and the cooling apparatus in plan view.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0051] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 and following the same nomenclature of the indicated reference signs, this invention is such that a tank 1 containing a volume of beer 2 in which is submerged a cooling apparatus 3 wherein a coolant is circulating through the intermediate space 4 formed by the jacket of the cooling apparatus submerged 3 in the beer 2 . The coolant is supplied by the piping 6 and is extracted through the piping 5 after traveling through the entire free space of the intermediate space 4 existing in the submerged cooling apparatus 3 . The CO 2 is being injected through intake of the lower base 16 of the interior of the tube of the submerged cooling apparatus 3 , through the nozzle 8 under pressure with the aid of the compressor 9 . This CO 2 in contact with the beer upon entering through the base of the cooler 16 , when it exits through the nozzle 8 , causes the beer to be sucked into the intake of the lower base 16 of the inside of the tube of the submerged cooling apparatus making it rise mixed with the CO 2 through the interior part of the tube 17 to the end 11 of the cooler of the submerged cooling apparatus 3 and continue up to the surface of the beer 10 contained in the tank 1 . The ascent of the CO 2 from 8 to 11 with the beer causes turbulence due to the increase in speed it acquires because the CO 2 is expanding as the hydrostatic pressure is decreasing, and also the density of the mixture of CO 2 with the beer drops. The turbulence allows the heat transference coefficient to increase in the interior wall 7 of the tube in contact with the beer that rises together with the CO 2 from 16 to 11 through the interior of the tube of the submerged cooling apparatus 3 . This mechanism is carried out from point 16 to 11 , which is the exit of the beer and of the CO 2 , which will constantly occupy the free space 12 of the tank to be continuously extracted through the pipe 13 connected to the suction of the compressor 9 . After compressing the CO 2 through the compressor 9 it is transferred through the pipe 14 to the lower intake 16 of the interior of the tube of the submerged cooling apparatus 3 , having first passed through the pressure regulator valve 15 and so on successively until all of the beer in the tank reaches the desired final low temperature. Simultaneously, if so desired, after the compressor 9 , the CO 2 can be stored in the tank 18 for later use incorporating it into the pipe 14 .
[0052] At the same time through the exterior wall of the jacket 21 of the cooling apparatus 3 in contact with the beer, heat transference is also carried out between the beer 2 and the coolant 4 , although here the action of the CO 2 is not involved.
[0053] The submerged vertical cooling apparatus 3 , is fixed internally to the tank 1 by means of supports 19 . The tank is fixed to the floor by the exterior supports 20 . The quantity of fixations will depend on the needs of each tank.
[0054] Preferred embodiment of the invention.
[0055] The CO 2 stored in the tank 18 or directly from the compressor 9 is transferred through the pipe 14 passing through the pressure regulator valve 15 until it is released through the nozzle 8 to the lower intake 16 of the interior of the tube of the submerged cooling apparatus 3 into the beer 2 . The CO 2 , together with the beer, rises from point 16 to 11 turbulently. The heat is transferred from the beer to the coolant circulating through the intermediate space 4 of the cooling apparatus 3 . When the CO 2 and the beer reach the surface 10 , the CO 2 will occupy the space not occupied by the beer in the dome of the closed tank 12 , to be extracted by means of the pipe 13 that is connected to the suction of a compressor 9 , and then compressed for return through the pipe 14 to the lower intake 16 of the interior of the tube of the submerged cooling apparatus 3 through the nozzle 8 . The cooling continues thus successively until the desired temperature of the beer in the tank is achieved.
[0056] It is desired that the coolant circulating through the intermediate space 4 of the submerged cooling apparatus 3 , when it is liquid, shall circulate from top to bottom, i.e. the coolant is being received by the pipe 6 and moved along through the pipe 5 , since the CO 2 and the beer will circulate from bottom to top from 16 to 11 . In this way the countercurrent flow is obtained, which is as desired, since the heat transference is greater than when this done in parallel. When the coolant is a liquid that evaporates during the heat exchange it is the same whether it is in parallel or against the current.
[0057] Having described the invention, what is described in the invention is considered a novelty and therefore the contents of the following statements are claimed as our property.
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A method and apparatus for cooling liquids, specifically beer, is disclosed. The method and apparatus utilize fluid carbon dioxide injected into a cooling apparatus. The cooling apparatus is submerged vertically in the beer when it is contained in a tank with the aim of cooling it.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/907,134, filed Mar. 22, 2005.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an onboard apparatus for suppressing a fire involving an automotive vehicle.
[0004] 2. Disclosure Information
[0005] Police vehicles are subject to increased exposure to collisions, particularly high-speed rear-end collisions, arising from the need for police officers to stop on the shoulders, or even in the traffic lanes, of busy highways. Unfortunately, other motorists are known to collide with police vehicles employed in this manner. These accidents can compromise the fuel system on any vehicle and may cause fires. The present system is designed to suppress the spread of, or potentially, to extinguish such a fire. U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,718, discloses an anti-fire system for vehicles in which a number of fixed nozzles are furnished with a fire extinguishing agent in response to an impact sensor. The system of the '718 patent suffers from a problem in that the release of the extinguishing agent is triggered immediately upon receipt of a significant impact. As a result, the anti-fire agent may be expended before the vehicle comes to a halt, with the further result being that a subsequent fire might not be treated by the system. Also, the '718 patent uses a valving system which could become clogged and therefore inoperable. U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,681 discloses a system which is similar to that disclosed in the '718 patent, inasmuch as the fire extinguishing system does not take into account movement of the vehicle following subjection of the vehicle to an impact. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,762,145 discloses a fuel tank fire protection device including a powdered extinguishing agent panel attached to the fuel tank. In general, powder delivery systems are designed to prevent ignition of fires and are deployed upon impact. As a result, the powder may not be able to follow the post-impact movement of the struck vehicle and may not be able to prevent the delayed ignition or re-ignition of a fire.
[0006] The present fire suppression system provides significant advantages, as compared with prior art vehicular fire suppression systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An automotive vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle body and at least one reservoir containing a fire suppressant agent. The reservoir containing a fire suppression agent is mounted in proximity to the body, preferably within the body or on an external surface of the body. A sensor system determines whether the vehicle has been subjected to an impact and also whether the vehicle is moving subsequent to such an impact. A distribution system receives the fire suppressant agent from the reservoir and conducts the fire suppressant agent to at least one location about the body, either internally or externally thereto. Finally, a controller operatively connected with the sensor system and the reservoir causes the reservoir to initiate delivery of the fire suppressant agent from the reservoir through the distribution system in the event that a significant impact having a suitable magnitude, duration, and other characteristics, is sensed.
[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, the fire suppressant reservoir includes a tank for the suppressant agent and a propellant for establishing pressure within the tank sufficient to deliver suppressant agent from the tank to the distribution system. The propellant may take the form of either a pyrotechnic gas generator, or a canister containing compressed gas, or yet other types of propellants known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this disclosure.
[0009] According to another aspect of the present invention, the distribution system for the fire suppressant agent includes a number of conduits connected with the reservoir, with the conduits feeding a number of nozzles which may include both fixed and variable geometry nozzles. Release of the fire suppressant agent is governed by the controller, which is operatively connected with at least one accelerometer for sensing vehicle impact and at least one speed sensor for sensing vehicle speed.
[0010] In addition to the automatic deployment of the fire suppression system provided by the controller, a manually activatable switch is provided for causing the reservoir to initiate delivery of the fire suppressant agent from the reservoir to the distribution system. The manually activatable switch includes a manual pushbutton mounted upon a platform which is responsive not only to manual displacement of the pushbutton, but also to manual displacement of the platform itself.
[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for operating a fire suppression system installed in an automotive vehicle includes the steps of sensing an impact upon the vehicle, sensing the vehicle's speed following the impact, and discharging a fire suppression agent from an onboard reservoir in the event that the vehicle speed crosses a predetermined speed threshold following the sensing of an impact. As a variation of this method, a further step involves discharging the fire suppression agent only if the previous conditions are satisfied, as well as the additional condition that the vehicle is not experiencing acceleration in excess of a predetermined acceleration threshold.
[0012] The fire suppression agent will be discharged after a predetermined period of time following a significant, or triggering, impact upon the vehicle, regardless of subsequent vehicle speed or acceleration. In this manner, the fire suppression agent will be discharged in the event that the vehicle does not move following an impact. This also permits the system to discharge the suppression agent even if the system's sensors are damaged during an impact.
[0013] The sensor system used with the present fire suppression system may be combined with a control system for an occupant restraint airbag or other occupant restraints.
[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a quick connect coupler attaches the fire suppressant feeder conduit to the suppressant reservoir. This facilitates assembly of the present fire suppression system in the underbody environment of a vehicle, thereby reducing assembly cost, while helping to assure integrity of the fire suppression system.
[0015] According to another aspect of the present invention, the nozzles employed to distribute fire suppression agent discharged from the reservoir may be made from porous material, such as ceramic, or sintered metal. The nozzle may incorporate a closure bulkhead at a first end, and an integral stop abutment at a second end. As compared with a stamped or billet nozzle, a porous metal nozzle produces a more uniform distribution of suppressant agent, and at a lower cost than some competing technologies.
[0016] According to another aspect of the present invention, a fire suppressant reservoir may be formed as a composite characterized by an outer wall combined with a sealing liner. This construction is generally lighter in weight than conventional all-metal pressure vessels, and offers the advantage of enhanced corrosion resistance. The sealing liner, which may be formed from plastics or metals, or yet other materials, functions to seal leaks by extruding into sealing engagement with the outer wall in the event that a pressure-formed discontinuity opens in the outer wall. The outer wall may be formed from metal or fiber reinforced resin, or other materials known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this disclosure.
[0017] According to another aspect of the present invention, the gaseous propellant which expels the suppressant from the reservoir may either be the product of a pyrotechnic device, or a gas released from a charged cylinder. This cylinder may be either internal or external to the fire suppressant reservoir. If the gas cylinder is mounted externally, it offers the advantage of permitting a greater volume of fire suppressant to be carried within the reservoir. Alternatively, a smaller reservoir having the same interior volume could be employed with an external gas cylinder in the event that package space is a problem.
[0018] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the fire suppressant agent used with this system may be either a single component, such as an aqueous-based preparation, or a binary system in which the primary component is carried within a reservoir, and a secondary component, such as potassium carbonate, carried within the system's feeder conduits. In this manner, the flow of the primary component through the feeder conduits will cause the discharge of the secondary component into the flowing liquid. Then, both components will mix and be discharged simultaneously. This arrangement permits the use of a binary fire suppression agent without the need for additional storage tanks and propellant devices.
[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, in the event that a composite reservoir is specified, it will not generally be possible to weld the initiator conductor conduit, which extends from an upper portion of the system reservoir to a lower portion of the reservoir, to the reservoir itself. In such case, an inventive conductor conduit having an axially compliant section and integral upper and lower bonding flanges will allow the conduit to be installed and sealed after the reservoir's pressure vessel shell has been fabricated. This axially compliant conduit permits the initiator conductor to be protected in substantially the same manner as with a welded steel reservoir, but without the need for welding.
[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, a composite reservoir for containing fire suppression agent has a lower closure with a metal or composite plug having a circumferential groove and tension ring for anchoring the outer wall of the composite wall material to the plug. This construction permits a propellant to be mounted to the lower wall of the suppressant reservoir in a manner which resists tearout of the propellant base during deployment of the present system.
[0021] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a composite reservoir has a reinforced double concave section. This configuration is necessitated by packaging considerations applicable to the vehicle underbody environment. The double concave section presents a novel design task for fiber-resin composites because the fiber reinforcement in such a section is not placed in tension by the gas force accompanying deployment of the fire suppressant agent. The reinforcements according to the present invention provide the tensile strength needed to withstand this internal gas pressure. In this manner, the volume of suppressant agent may be maximized because the double concave design feature allows the reservoir to be fitted into spaces having rather complex geometry.
[0022] The present fire suppression system represents an advantage over other known systems because it has the capability to suppress a fire without the wheel “shadowing” which would otherwise occur if the flow of fire suppression agent were blocked by one or more wheels when the vehicle is stopped.
[0023] The present fire suppression system offers the additional advantage of not only automatic actuation, but also manual actuation, so as to allow the vehicle's operator to discharge the system even when the vehicle has not suffered a significant impact.
[0024] The present system offers the additional advantage that both variable and fixed geometry nozzles are used to assure adequate dispersion of the fire suppression agent, with the integrity of the system being protected from both road splash and objects thrown up by the vehicle's wheels during normal operation of the vehicle. Because the variable geometry nozzles are normally tucked up into the vehicle underbody region well above the road surface, these nozzles are protected from damage which would otherwise result from law enforcement maneuvers such as striking curbs and driving offroad.
[0025] The present system offers the additional advantage that the system operates without the need for an optical or other type of fire sensor which could become obscured, and therefore inoperable, in a vehicle underbody environment. The absence of such sensors allows the present system to begin its activation sequence immediately upon receipt of data indicating a triggering impact.
[0026] The present system offers the additional advantage that the system operates in the event of impacts which are directed against a vehicle not only longitudinally, but also laterally.
[0027] The present fire suppression system is designed advantageously to help reduce the risk of injury in high-speed rear impacts. The fire suppression system deploys chemicals designed to suppress the spread of fire or potentially extinguish a fire, thereby providing more time for occupants to escape from a crashed vehicle.
[0028] Other advantages, as well as objects and features of the present invention will become apparent to the reader of this specification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] FIG. 1 is a ghost perspective view of an automotive vehicle having a fire suppression system according to the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a fire suppression system according to the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a control module used with a system according to the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a manually activatable switch used with a fire suppression system according to the present invention.
[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates a portion of a wiring harness used with the present system.
[0034] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a portion of the logic used to control a system according to the present invention.
[0035] FIG. 7 is a cutaway perspective view of a fire suppression agent reservoir according to one aspect of the present invention.
[0036] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a variable geometry fire suppression agent nozzle according to one aspect of the present invention.
[0037] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a fire suppression system and with additional components for occupant restraint according to one aspect of the present invention.
[0038] FIG. 10 depicts a portion of a distribution system having a porous nozzle, shown in a closed position.
[0039] FIG. 11 depicts the nozzle of FIG. 10 in an open position.
[0040] FIG. 12 illustrates a fire suppressant reservoir and distribution feeder conduit having a quick connect coupler for attaching the feeder conduit to the reservoir.
[0041] FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the quick connect coupler shown in FIG. 12 .
[0042] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a locking collar incorporated within the coupler of FIGS. 12 and 13 .
[0043] FIG. 15 a illustrates a composite fire suppression agent reservoir according to one aspect of the present invention.
[0044] FIG. 15 b illustrates the reservoir of FIG. 15 a after a self-healing liner has stopped a pressure-induced fracture in the wall of the reservoir.
[0045] FIG. 16 illustrates a propellant having an external gas cylinder according to one aspect of the present invention.
[0046] FIG. 17 illustrates a connector for attaching the gas cylinder of FIG. 16 to a suppression agent reservoir.
[0047] FIGS. 18 a , 18 b , 18 c , and 18 d illustrate various structures for introducing a secondary component of a binary fire suppression agent according to one aspect of the present invention.
[0048] FIG. 19 illustrates an axially compliant initiator conductor conduit useful with a composite fire suppression agent reservoir according to one aspect of the present invention.
[0049] FIGS. 20 a , 20 b , and 20 c illustrate steps for assembling a composite fire suppression agent reservoir having a closure plug made from a different material than the outer wall of the reservoir.
[0050] FIG. 21 illustrates an assembled composite fire suppression agent reservoir having a closure plug made from a different material than the outer wall of the reservoir.
[0051] FIG. 22 illustrates a reinforced composite fire suppression agent reservoir having double concave section.
[0052] FIG. 23 is a sectional view of a double concave section of the reservoir depicted in FIG. 22 .
[0053] FIGS. 24 a and 24 b illustrate integral ribs formed externally and internally, respectively, as part of the composite reservoir of FIG. 22 .
[0054] FIGS. 25 a and 25 b illustrate preformed ribs bonded externally and internally, respectively, to the outer wall of the composite reservoir of FIG. 22 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0055] As shown in FIG. 1 , vehicle 10 has a passenger airbag restraint, 48 , and a driver's airbag restraint, 50 , mounted adjacent steering wheel 52 . A fire suppression system includes controller 66 which is mounted upon floor pan 68 of vehicle 10 , and reservoirs 18 which are mounted under floor pan 68 in the so-called kick-up area adjoining the rear axle of vehicle 10 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that additional passenger restraint devices, such as seat belt pretensioners and side airbags, may be installed in a vehicle and controlled at least in part by, or in conjunction with, controller 66 .
[0056] FIG. 1 shows not only reservoirs 18 but also a portion of right and left side fire suppression conduits 28 , as well as fixed geometry nozzles 30 and variable geometry nozzles 36 . As seen in FIG. 1 , variable geometry nozzles 36 project downwardly to allow fire suppression agent to be expelled from reservoirs 18 and placed at a low angle to the ground surface the vehicle is operating upon. This mode of operation is possible because variable geometry nozzles 36 are, as shown in FIG. 2 , telescopingly extensible. This telescoping feature, which is shown in greater detail in FIG. 8 , is produced by a sliding spray head, 40 , which is slidingly engaged with conduit 28 such that gas pressure within conduit 28 forces spray head 40 downwardly into its extended position, causing fire suppression agent 22 to be discharged through a number of holes 42 formed in spray head 40 . As shown in FIG. 2 , at least two variable geometry nozzles 36 may be employed with single reservoir 18 , along with at least two fixed nozzles 30 which are spray bars each having a number of orifices 34 . While in their normally closed state, variable geometry nozzles 36 are liquid-tight by virtue of seals 46 , which are interposed between an end of each of spray heads 40 and the corresponding ends of conduits 28 . In a preferred embodiment, seals 46 comprise elastomeric boots attached to an outer surface of conduit 28 . Seals 46 are simply sheared by the deploying spray head 40 when the present system is discharged. Fixed nozzles 30 are also rendered liquid-tight by covers 44 , which are simply blown off when the present system is discharged. The sealing of nozzles 30 and 36 is important, because this prevents the ingress of road splash, which could block the system in sub-freezing weather or cause corrosion or blockage due to mud or other foreign matter.
[0057] Additional details of reservoir 18 are shown in FIG. 7 . Tank 90 contains approximately 1.5 L of fire suppression agent 22 , and a propellant 92 . Propellant 92 includes two squibs (not shown) which are activated simultaneously by controller 66 via lines 91 so as to release a large amount of gas, forcing fire suppressant agent 22 from tank 90 and into distribution system 26 , including conduit 28 and the various fixed and variable geometry nozzles. A preferred propellant, marketed by Primex Aerospace Company as model FS01-40, is a mixture including aminotetrazole, strontium nitrate, and magnesium carbonate. This is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,033, which is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
[0058] Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that other types of propellants could be used in the present system, such as compressed gas canisters and other types of pyrotechnic and chemical devices capable of creating a gas pressure force in a vanishingly small amount of time. Moreover, fire suppressant agent 22 , which preferably includes a water-based solution with hydrocarbon surfactants, fluorosurfactants, and organic and inorganic salts sold under the trade name LVS Wet Chemical Agent® by Ansul Incorporated, could comprise other types of agents such as powders or other liquids, or yet other agents known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this disclosure. If two reservoirs 18 are employed with a vehicle, as is shown in FIG. 1 , all four squibs will be deployed simultaneously.
[0059] FIG. 4 shows manually activatable switch 54 for use with the present system. As shown in FIG. 1 , switch 54 may be advantageously located on the headliner of vehicle 10 between the sun visors, or at any other convenient position. To use this switch 54 , hinged clear cover 56 is first opened by pressing on cover 56 . Thereafter, the fire suppression system may be triggered by manually pressing pushbutton 58 . If the vehicle occupants are not disposed to release cover 56 , the system may be triggered by merely sharply depressing cover 56 , thereby closing contacts (not shown) contained within platform 60 .
[0060] Because the present system is intended for use when the vehicle has received a severe impact, controller 66 , which is shown in FIG. 3 , contains a redundant power reserve or supply, which allows operation of the fire suppression system for about nine seconds, even if controller 66 becomes isolated from the vehicle's electrical power supply. Wiring harness 80 , as shown in FIG. 5 , is armored, and has a para-aramid fiber inner sheath, 82 , of about 2 mm in thickness, which helps to shield the conductors within harness 80 from abrasion and cutting during a vehicle impact event. This para-aramid fiber is sold under the trade name KEVLAR® by the DuPont company. This armoring helps to assure that communication between controller 66 and reservoirs 18 remains in effect during an impact event. Post-impact communications are further aided by redundancy in the control system. Specifically, four independent sets of primary conductors, 79 a - d , extend from controller 66 to reservoirs 18 protected by sheath 82 . Moreover, an H-conductor, shown at 81 in FIG. 5 , extends between reservoirs 18 . Thus, if one or both of the primary conductors 79 a - b , or 79 c - d , extending to one of reservoirs 18 should become severed, H-conductor 81 will be available to carry the initiation signal from the undamaged lines to both of reservoirs 18 .
[0061] As noted above, an important feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the control parameters include not only vehicle impact, as measured by an accelerometer such as that shown at 70 in FIG. 9 , but also vehicle speed, as measured by means of speed sensors 74 , also shown in FIG. 9 . Speed sensors 74 may advantageously be existing sensors used with an anti-lock braking system or vehicle stability system. Alternatively, speed sensors 74 could comprise a global positioning sensor or a radar or optically based ground-sensing system. Accelerometer 70 , as noted above, could be used with a conventional occupant restraint airbag system, thereby maximizing use of existing systems within the vehicle. Advantageously, accelerometer 70 may be an amalgam of two or more accelerometers having differing sensing ranges. Such arrangements are known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this disclosure. At least a portion of the various sensors could either be integrated in controller 66 or distributed about vehicle 10 .
[0062] FIG. 6 shows a sequence which is used according to one aspect of the present invention for activating a release of fire suppressant agent.
[0063] Beginning at block 100 , controller 66 performs various diagnostics on the present system, which are similar to the diagnostics currently employed with supplemental restraint systems. For example, various sensor values and system resistances will be evaluated on a continuous basis. Controller 66 periodically moves to block 102 , wherein the control algorithm will be shifted from a standby mode to an awake mode in the event that a vehicle acceleration, or, in other words, an impact, having a magnitude in excess of a relatively low threshold is sensed by accelerometer 70 . Also, at block 102 a backup timer will be started. If the algorithm is awakened at block 102 , controller 66 disables manually activatable switch 54 at block 104 for a predetermined amount of time, say 150 milliseconds. This serves to prevent switch 54 from inadvertently causing an out-of-sequence release of fire suppression agent. Note that at block 104 , a decision has not yet been made to deploy fire suppression agent 22 as a result of a significant impact.
[0064] At block 106 , controller 66 uses output from accelerometer 70 to determine whether there has been an impact upon vehicle 10 having a severity is in excess of a predetermined threshold impact value. Such an impact may be termed a significant, or “trigger”, impact. If an impact is less severe than a trigger impact, the answer at block 106 is “no”, and controller 66 will move to block 105 , wherein an inquiry is made regarding the continuing nature of the impact event. If the event has ended, the routine moves to block 100 and continues with the diagnostics. If the event is proceeding, the answer at block 105 is “yes”, and the routine loops to block 106 .
[0065] If a significant impact is sensed by the sensor system including accelerometer 70 and controller 66 , the answer at block 106 will be “yes.” If such is the case, controller 66 moves to block 108 wherein the status of a backup timer is checked. This timer was started at block 102 .
[0066] Once the timer within controller 66 has counted up to a predetermined, calibratable time on the order of, for example, 5-6 seconds, controller 66 will cause propellant 92 to initiate delivery of fire suppressant agent 22 , provided the agent was not released earlier. Propellant 92 is activated by firing an electrical squib so as to initiate combustion of a pyrotechnic charge. Alternatively, a squib may be used to pierce, or otherwise breach, a pressure vessel. Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that several additional means are available for generating the gas required to expel fire suppressant agent 22 from tank 90 . Such detail is beyond the scope of this invention. An important redundancy is supplied by having two squibs located within each of tanks 90 . All four squibs are energized simultaneously.
[0067] The velocity of the vehicle 10 is measured at block 110 using speed sensors 74 , and compared with a low velocity threshold. In essence, controller 66 processes the signals from the various wheel speed sensors 74 by entering the greatest absolute value of the several wheel speeds into a register. This register contains both a weighted count of the number of samples below a threshold and a count of the number of samples above the threshold. When the register value crosses a threshold value, the answer at block 110 becomes “yes”. In general, the present inventors have determined that it is desirable to deploy fire suppression agent 22 prior to the vehicle coming to a stop. For example, fire suppression agent 22 could be dispersed when the vehicle slows below about 15 kph.
[0068] At block 112 , controller 66 enters a measured vehicle acceleration value into a second register. Thereafter, once the acceleration register value decays below a predetermined low g threshold, the answer becomes “yes” at block 112 , and the routine moves to block 114 and releases fire suppressant agent 22 . In essence, a sensor fusion method combines all available sensor information to verify that the vehicle is approaching a halt. The routine ends at block 116 . Because the present fire suppression system uses all of the available fire suppression agent 22 in a single deployment, the system cannot be redeployed without replacing at least reservoirs 18 .
[0069] FIG. 6 does not include the activation of occupant restraints 48 and 50 , it being understood that known control sequences, having much different timing constraints, may be employed for this purpose. In point of contrast, the low velocity threshold allows the present system to deliver the fire suppression agent while the vehicle is still moving, albeit at a very low velocity. This prevents the rear wheels of the vehicle from shadowing, or blocking dispersion of fire suppressant agent 22 . Also, in many cases, a vehicular fire may not become well-established until the vehicle comes to a halt.
[0070] FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate an additional nozzle embodiment according to another aspect of the present invention. Rather than having a stamped and welded construction, nozzle 232 is porous. As used herein, the term “porous” means that the material inherently has holes or orifices through which the suppressant agent flows. Thus, it is not necessary to machine additional orifices in nozzle 232 , and this eliminates additional expense. The porous material may be formed from either ceramic, or sintered metal, or composite, or other types of porous materials known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this disclosure. The material may be cast, or pressed, or extruded, or formed by any other suitable method.
[0071] FIG. 10 shows nozzle body 236 in its stowed position, and FIG. 11 shows nozzle body 236 in its telescopically deployed position, which results from the buildup of fluid pressure within feeder conduit 28 . While in the stowed position of FIG. 10 , nozzle body 236 is retained within feeder conduit 28 by frangible sealing disc 252 , which functions as a stowage seal by sealing against annular surface 258 formed in the end of feeder conduit 28 . Frangible sealing disc 252 is maintained in contact with annular surface 258 by means of external seal retainer 260 , which is attached to the outer end of feeder conduit 28 .
[0072] Frangible sealing disc 252 serves not only to prevent the ingress of contamination into feeder conduit 28 when nozzle body 236 is in its stowed position, but also prevents the escape of fire suppression agent from the closed, or bulkhead end, 244 of nozzle body 236 . This feature may be used to tune or adjust the distribution of fire suppression agent from nozzle 232 .
[0073] When nozzle body 236 is projecting telescopically from feeder conduit 28 , integral stop abutment and fluid seal 248 cooperates with internal stop abutment 256 formed at the end of conduit 28 to both seal the joint between nozzle body 236 and feeder conduit 28 , and to prevent nozzle body 236 from separating from feeder conduit 28 in response to the fluid pressure of the flowing fire suppressant agent.
[0074] FIGS. 12, 13 , and 14 illustrate another aspect of the present invention. A quick connect coupler attaches the fire suppressant feeder conduit to the suppressant reservoir. This facilitates assembly of the present fire suppression system in the underbody environment of a vehicle, thereby reducing assembly cost, while helping to assure integrity of the fire suppression system. Reservoir 18 is equipped with a spud, 200 , having external threads, 204 . Threads 204 are interrupted. The importance of this feature will be explained below. Feeder conduit 28 has an annular retention flange, 208 , which abuts collar 216 when feeder conduit 28 is attached to reservoir 18 .
[0075] A section of a fully assembled joint consisting of feeder conduit 28 , spud 200 , collar 216 , and o-ring seal 212 is shown fully assembled in FIG. 13 . Threads 220 , which are formed internally on collar 216 , cooperate with threads 204 formed on spud 200 to lock the various components together. O-ring seal is compressed between bore 202 of spud 200 and an outer surface of conduit 28 , so as to provide a leak-tight seal between spud 200 and conduit 28 . The joint of FIG. 13 is made up by inserting conduit 28 into spud bore 202 until retention flange 208 abuts spud 200 . Then, collar 216 is brought into contact with spud 200 and collar 216 is rotated to lock threads 204 and 220 . Because each of threads 204 and 220 are interrupted—i.e., they do not circumscribe the bases to which they are attached, collar 216 may be fully driven and seated upon spud 200 with less than one full revolution. This greatly facilitates assembly of the present system under a vehicle body.
[0076] FIG. 14 illustrates an anti-rotation feature provided by axially displaceable pints 224 . When collar 216 has been fully rotated upon spud 200 , pins 224 will be extended by compression springs (one spring, 228 being shown). Once pins 224 have extended, rotation of collar 216 in a direction permitting detachment of collar 216 from spud 200 will be prevented because each of pins 224 will abut one of threads 204 formed on spud 200 .
[0077] FIGS. 15 a and 15 b illustrate a fire suppressant reservoir, 264 , formed as a composite characterized by a pressure vessel having an outer wall, 268 , combined with a sealing liner, 272 . Outer wall 268 may be formed from metal or fiber reinforced resin, or other metallic or nonmetallic materials or composites known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this disclosure.
[0078] Liner 272 is said to be a dynamic reservoir seal because liner 272 is sufficiently extrudable in response to fluid pressure produced by the propellant device that liner 272 will extrude or squeeze directly into discontinuities caused by the high operating pressure of the present fire suppression system. This extrusion will seal outer wall 268 , preventing an excessive loss of the fire suppressant agent. In FIG. 15 b , portion 280 of liner 272 is shown as having extruded through discontinuity 276 . As shown in FIG. 15 b , portion 280 is in sealing engagement with outer wall 268 .
[0079] Sealing liner 272 may be formed from plastics or metals, elastomers, composites, or yet other materials known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this disclosure. In any event liner 272 is selected to provide the pressure-driven extrusion characteristic needed to seal outer wall 268 if a high pressure leak develops in reservoir 18 .
[0080] FIG. 16 shows a second type of propellant useful for practicing the present invention. Compressed gas cylinder 284 is pre-charged with a high pressure gas, such as nitrogen. Valve 288 , which is operatively connected with controller 66 , is opened when needed to permit gas to flow from cylinder 284 and through high pressure conduit 292 , thereby initiating discharge of the fire suppressant agent from reservoir 18 . As but one alternative to the arrangement shown in FIG. 16 , gas cylinder 284 could be located within reservoir 18 in the manner shown in FIGS. 15 a and 15 b , albeit at the expense of volume for the fire suppressant agent. The present compressed gas propellant provides a supply-chain advantage, inasmuch as non-pyrotechnic propellants are subject to less stringent shipping restrictions than are pyrotechnic devices.
[0081] FIG. 17 illustrates a system for connecting high pressure conduit 292 with reservoir 18 . A dome, 298 is provided in an upper surface of reservoir 18 . Dome 298 has a port, 296 , through which conduit 292 extends into the interior of reservoir 18 . As conduit 292 is inserted, it displaces valve disc 308 and spring 312 . Conduit 292 is retained within port 296 by means of retainer 300 , which passes through holes (not shown) formed dome 298 . Once conduit 292 has been installed, high pressure gas may flow into reservoir 18 through a series of exit orifices 304 formed in conduit 292 .
[0082] According to another aspect of the present invention, a fire suppressant agent used with this system may be either a single component, generally an aqueous-based preparation, or a binary system in which a primary component is carried within a first, or primary, reservoir, and a secondary component, such as potassium carbonate, is carried within a secondary reservoir accessible to the fire suppression system's feeder conduits. Passage of the primary component through a feeder conduit will cause the secondary component to be released such that the primary component and the secondary component will be combined before being discharged from the distribution nozzles. In essence, the purpose of the secondary component delivery system is to place the secondary component into a stream of primary component flowing within the present distribution system. If the secondary delivery system is housed within feeder conduit 28 , the need for an additional discrete reservoir for the secondary component may be avoided.
[0083] FIGS. 18 a - 18 d illustrate several embodiments of secondary reservoirs. FIG. 18 a shows a secondary reservoir defined by venturi tube 316 , which establishes an annular-shaped storage chamber, 320 within feeder conduit 28 . A number orifices, 324 are formed at the throat, 322 , of venturi tube 316 , such that primary component flowing through venturi tube 316 will cause secondary component 318 to be drawn through orifices 324 and aspirated into the flowing primary component stream. In the embodiment of FIG. 18 a , secondary component 318 could be in either a liquid or a powder state.
[0084] FIG. 18 b illustrates a secondary reservoir having a generally cylindrical housing, 328 , which is filled with secondary component 318 in either a powder or gelatinous state. As with the embodiment of FIG. 18 a , housing 328 is located within feeder conduit 28 . Pressure-responsive piston 332 is displaced by the pressure of the flowing primary component, and, as piston 332 moves down the bore of cylindrical housing 328 , secondary component 318 will be expelled through discharge orifices 336 .
[0085] FIG. 18 c illustrates a secondary reservoir having a generally cylindrical housing, 340 , enclosing a quantity of secondary component 318 , preferably in either a gelatinous or powdered state. When the primary component is flowing through feeder conduit 28 , turbine 346 , as well as shaft 352 and shredder blade 356 , will rotate in the manner of a windmill. As a result, shredder blade 356 will cooperate with shredder plate 360 to pulverize secondary component 318 , which is forced through shredder plate 360 by piston 344 and compression spring 348 .
[0086] FIG. 18 d illustrates a sacrificial secondary reservoir having a hollow cylindrical plug or lining, 364 made from solid secondary component, such as potassium carbonate. Lining 364 has a number of integral internal splines, 368 . Lining 364 is formulated and processed so that flowing primary component will cause lining 364 to be eroded and entrained in the flowing primary component.
[0087] With a composite fire suppressant reservoir, it is generally not possible to weld the initiator conductor conduit extending from an upper portion of the reservoir to a lower portion of the reservoir, to the reservoir itself. However, with the axially compliant conduit illustrated in FIG. 19 , this problem is avoided, while permitting the initiator conductor to be protected against damage. Conduit 384 is inserted into reservoir 18 after the pressure vessel shell, in this case, the outer wall of reservoir 18 , has been fabricated. This process begins with insertion of conduit 384 into the interior of reservoir 18 through assembly port 378 . Installation of conduit 384 continues with placement of the conduit's upper end, 384 a , into an upper conduit port formed in wall 18 a . Then, axial compliance section 388 is compressed sufficiently to allow lower end 384 b of conduit 384 to be inserted to a lower conduit port located in lower wall 18 b . Conduit 384 is then permitted to expand axially. Then, an initiator conductor or wire, 380 may be inserted into conduit 384 . Finally, propellant device 372 , which is attached to base 382 , may be mounted within port 378 .
[0088] Conduit 384 has an upset section, 396 , adjacent to each of its upper and lower ends, 384 a and 384 b , and these upset sections 396 lock into bonding flanges 392 , which are adhesively sealed to reservoir walls 18 a and 18 b.
[0089] FIGS. 20 a - 20 c illustrate a method for assembling a composite fire suppression agent reservoir having a closure plug either made from a different material than the outer wall of the reservoir, or from a material which is not thermally weldable to the outer wall. FIG. 20 a shows a preform having outer wall 400 , and inner reinforcement 404 . Closure plug 406 has a circumferential groove, 406 a , which allows tension band 410 purchase to bind outer wall 400 and inner reinforcement 404 to closure plug 406 . Plug 406 may be solvent welded, or bonded with various adhesives known to those skilled in the art, to outer wall 400 and inner reinforcement 404 .
[0090] The embodiment of FIGS. 20 a - 20 c is especially useful for practicing a variant of the present invention in which an external propellant is employed. On the other hand, the embodiment of FIG. 21 shows a combined structure in which closure plug 412 is also employed as a base for internally located propellant 372 . As before, plug 412 may be attached to the composite wall of reservoir 18 both mechanically by means of tension band 410 and/or by chemical bonding or friction welding.
[0091] The reservoir shown in FIG. 22 , which is ideally constructed of composite material, employs at least one double concave section to promote the adaptability of the reservoir for installation into spaces having irregular geometry. Accordingly, reservoir 416 is shown with double concave section 420 , which is generally bowl-shaped. Section 420 is reinforced by metallic doubler 428 , which may be insert molded to the interior surface of double concave section 420 . FIG. 24 a illustrates an embodiment in which mold 426 has a groove, 427 , which forms an integral rib, 432 , on an outer portion of double concave section 420 during the process of molding reservoir 416 . FIG. 24 b illustrates a similar embodiment in which rib 432 is formed on an inner surface of section 420 . In the interest of clarity, mold 426 is not shown in FIG. 24 b , or FIGS. 25 a and 25 b.
[0092] In the embodiments of FIGS. 25 a and 25 b , preformed ribs are insert molded to double convex section 420 . More specifically, in FIG. 25 a , rib 436 is shown as having been insert molded to an outer portion of section 420 , and in FIG. 25 b , rib 436 is shown as having been molded or bonded to an inner surface of section 420 . Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure that insert molding may be accomplished by fabricating a preform, in this case ribs 436 , which are placed into the mold 426 prior to injecting and curing the resin. Ribs 436 may be fabricated from either fiber-reinforced resin, or other metallic or non-metallic materials or composites known to those skilled in the art and suggested by this disclosure.
[0093] Although the present invention has been described in connection with particular embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that various modifications, alterations, and adaptations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the following claims.
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An onboard fire suppression system has a distribution network including porous, pressure-responsive nozzles which deliver fire suppression agent in a uniform pattern, without the need for drilling or other machining of nozzle orifices.
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RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a divisional of pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/888,135 filed Jul. 8, 2004, entitled, “Energy Efficient TMP Refining of Destructured Chips”, the benefit of which is claimed under 35 U.S.C. 120, and the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to apparatus and method for thermomechanical pulping of lignocellulosic material, particularly wood chips.
[0003] In recent decades, the quality of mechanical pulp produced by thermomechanical pulping (TMP) techniques has been improving, but the rising cost of energy for these energy-intensive techniques imposes even greater incentives for energy efficiency while maintaining quality. The present inventor has already advanced the state of the art as embodied in the Andritz RTS , RT Pressafiner , and RT Fibration , process technologies. He discovered an operating window by which feed material is preheated for a very short residence time at high temperature and pressure, then refined at such high temperature and pressure between opposed discs rotating at high speed. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,305). A further improvement was directed to pretreating the feed chips before preheating, by conditioning in a pressurized steam environment and compressing the conditioned chips in the pressurized steam environment. (PCT/US98/14718). Yet another improvement is disclosed in International Application PCT/US2003/022057, where the feed chips discharged from the pretreatment step, are fiberized without fibrillation, for example with a low intensity refiner, before delivery to a high intensity refiner.
[0004] The underlying principle in the progression of the foregoing developments has been to distinguish and handle in distinct equipment, the axial fiber separation and fiberization of the chip material, from the fibrillation of the fibers to produce pulp. The former steps are performed in dedicated equipment upstream of the refiner, using low energy consumption that matches the relatively low degree of working and fiber separation, while the high energy consuming refiner is relieved of the energy-inefficient defibering function and can devote all the energy more efficiently to the fibrillation function. This is necessary since the fibrillation function requires even more energy than defibering (also known as defibration).
[0005] These developments did indeed improve energy efficiency, especially in systems that employ high-speed discs (i.e., above 1500 rpm for double disc and above 1800 rpm for single disc refiners). However, especially for systems that did not employ high-speed refiners, the long-term energy efficiency was offset to some extent in the short term by the need for more costly or more space-occupying equipment upstream of the primary refiner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The object of the invention is to provide a simplified system and method for producing high quality thermomechanical pulps at lower energy consumption. The simplification includes facilitating the supply of lower cost systems capable of accelerated commissioning and start-up.
[0007] In essence, the invention achieves significant energy efficiency, even in systems that do not employ a high speed refiner, while reducing the scope and complexity of the equipment needed upstream of the refiner.
[0008] This object is achieved by synthesizing the concepts underlying the RTS, RT Pressafiner, and RT Fibration process technologies, and using a simplified equipment train. The equipment for implementing the invention requires only a pressurized screw discharger (PSD) and refiner(s). Significant modifications, however, are required to the PSD and the associated refining process.
[0009] The PSD is of the destructuring variety (macerating pressurized screw discharger, or MPSD) with increasing root diameter and plug zone complete with blowback valve (BBV). MPSD inlet pressure may span from atmospheric to about 30 psig, preferably 5-25 psig. This component of the process simulates RT Pressafiner pretreatment.
[0010] Higher dilution flow is necessary to maintain nominal refining consistencies, since the MPSD dewaters to higher solids content than conventional PSD screws.
[0011] Fiberizing inner plates (inner rings) in the primary refiner are designed to effectively feed and fiberize destructured wood chips. This component of the process is used to simulate RT Fibration.
[0012] High-efficiency outer plates (outer rings) in the primary refiner are designed for feeding (high intensity=>minimum energy consumption) or restraining (low intensity=>maximum strength development), or intensity levels between the two extremes, depending on product quality and energy requirements.
[0013] In a broad aspect, the invention is directed to a method for thermomechanical refining of wood chips comprising exposing the chips to an environment of steam to soften the chips, macerating and partially defibrating the softened chips in a compression device, feeding the destructured and partially defibrated chips to a rotating disc primary refiner, wherein opposed discs each have an inner ring pattern of bars and grooves and an outer ring pattern of bars and grooves, a substantially completing fiberization (defibration) of the chips in the inner ring and fibrillating the resulting fibers in the outer ring.
[0014] The system implementation preferably includes an inner feeding region and an outer working region on the inner ring and an inner feeding region and an outer working region on the outer ring, wherein the working region of the inner ring is defined by a first pattern of alternating bars and grooves, and the feeding region of the outer ring is defined by a second pattern of alternating bars and grooves. The first pattern on the working region on the inner ring has relatively narrower grooves than the grooves of the second pattern on the feeding region on the outer ring. The fiberization of the chips is substantially completed in the working region of the inner ring with low intensity refining, while the fibrillation of the fibers is performed in the working region of the outer ring at a smaller plate gap and higher refining intensity.
[0015] The inventive method preferably comprises the steps of exposing the chips to an environment of steam to soften the chips, compressively destructuring and dewatering the softened chips to a consistency greater than about 55%, diluting the destructured and dewatered chips to a consistency in the range of about 30% to 55%, feeding the diluted destructured chips to a rotating disc refiner, where opposed discs each have an inner ring pattern of bars and grooves and an outer ring pattern of bars and grooves, fiberizing (defibrating) the chips in the inner ring, and fibrillating the resulting fibers in the outer ring.
[0016] The compressive destructuring, dewatering, and dilution can all be implemented in one integrated piece of equipment immediately upstream of the primary refiner, and the fiberizing and fibrillating are both achieved between only one set of relatively rotating discs in the primary refiner.
[0017] The new, simplified TMP refining method, combining a destructuring PSD and fiberizing inner plates, was shown to effectively improve TMP pulp property versus energy relationships relative to conventional TMP pulping.
[0018] The method improved the pulp property/energy relationships for three commercially available processes: TMP, RT, and RTS. The RT and RTS refining configurations refer to low retention and higher pressure refining, typically between 75 psig and 95 psig, at standard refiner disc speeds (RT) or higher disc speeds (RTS).
[0019] The defibration efficiency of the inner refining zone improved at higher refining pressure. The level of defibration further increased with an increase in refiner disc speed.
[0020] Thermomechanical pulps produced with holdback outer rings had higher overall strength properties compared to pulps with expelling outer rings. The latter configuration required less energy to a given freeness and had lower shive content.
[0021] The specific energy savings to a given freeness using the inventive method in combination with expelling outer plates was 15%, 22%, and 32% for the TMP, RT, and RTS series, respectively, compared to the control TMP pulps.
[0022] Combining the inventive method with bisulfite treatment improved pulp strength properties and significantly increased pulp brightness.
[0023] Higher dilution flow effectively compensated for the higher discharge solids exiting the MSD-type PSD. The dilution/impregnation apparatus should ensure thorough penetration of the chips exiting the MPSD. One option is a split dilution strategy that adds dilution to both the MPSD discharge and in-refiner.
[0024] In the present context, maceration should be understood as the physical mechanism associated with solid material under compressive shearing forces. Maceration of wood chips in a steam-pressurized screw device or the like, destructures the material without breakage across grain boundaries, resulting in significant but not complete (e.g., up to about 30%) axial separation of the fibers. The majority of the maceration occurs in the plug zone after the flights, but some initial maceration can occur in the flighted section before the plug zone. The restriction in the plug zone can increase compression and maceration to some degree in the earlier flighted section.
[0025] Impregnation liquid (water and/or chemicals) is added directly in the expansion region or chamber at the discharge of the macerating screw device such that the liquid uptake into the expanding wood structure is immediate. The destructured wood chips should be sufficiently saturated with liquid such that the refining consistency is in a preferable range for optimum pulp. All or most of the liquid uptake takes place at the discharge of the MPSD as the heavily compressed chips are released. In the alternative embodiment, the dilution liquid is split, with some dilution at the MPSD screw discharge and further dilution introduced between the inner and outer refiner rings. The latter configuration is useful when excessive saturation is observed at the MPSD discharge but additional dilution is beneficial (after the inner rings) to further optimize the fibrillation refining.
[0026] As an example but not a limitation, the consistency in the plug-pipe zone is typically in the range of 58%-65%, and in the expansion zone with impregnation/dilution, in the range of about 30%-55%. The material remains at this consistency range through the seal off zone of the BBV (which is not normally a full seal and is thus similar in pressure to the expansion zone), at the exit from the seal off zone, and at the inlet to the refiner ribbon feeder. This is a pressurized environment so vaporization is taking place, but the goal is to target the optimum refining consistency, usually around 35%-55%, as delivered to the refiner feed device for introduction between the refiner plates.
[0027] In most cases the bar/grooves in the working zone of the outer rings (fibrillation) must be finer than in the working zone of the inner rings (defibration). To produce a mechanical pulp fiber, the fiber must first be defibrated (separated from the wood structure) and then fibrillated (stripping of fiber wall material). A key feature of this invention is that the working zone of the inner rings primarily defibrates and the working zone of the outer rings primarily fibrillates. A significant aspect of the novelty of the invention is maximizing the separation of these two mechanisms in a single machine and by that more effectively optimizing the fiber length and pulp property versus energy relationships. Since defibration in the inner rings takes place on relatively large destructured chips, the associated working region pattern of bars and grooves cannot be too fine. Otherwise the destructured chips would not adequately pass through the grooves of the inner rings and be distributed evenly. The defibrated material as received in the outer ring feed region from the inner ring and distributed to the outer ring working region, is relatively smaller and thus the pattern of bars and grooves in the working region of the outer ring is finer than in the inner ring. Another benefit of the invention is that more even distribution (i.e., higher fiber coverage across refiner plates) occurs both in the inner rings and outer rings compared to conventional processes. Better feeding means better feed stability, which decreases refiner load swings, which in turn helps maintain more uniform pulp quality.
[0028] An important benefit of the present invention is that the retention time is minimized at each functional step of the process. This is possible because the fibrous material is sufficiently size reduced at each step in the process such that the operating pressures can almost instantaneously heat and soften the fiber to the required level. The process can be considered as having three functional steps: (1) producing destructured chips, (2) defibrating the destructured chips, and (3) fibrillating the defibrated material. The equipment configuration should establish minimum retention time from the MPSD discharge of step (1) to the refiner inlet. The refiner feed device (e.g., ribbon feeder or side entry feeder) operates almost instantaneously for initiating step (2) in the inner rings. The inner ring design should establish a retention time for the material to pass through uninhibited. Some inner ring designs may have longer residence than others to effectively defibrate, but the net retention time is still less than if fibration were performed in a separate component. The defibrated material passes almost instantaneously to the outer ring where step (3) is achieved. Here also, the retention time is low. The actual retention time in the outer ring will be dictated by the design of plates chosen to optimize pulp properties and energy consumption. The benefit of this very low retention (minimum) at each process step (while achieving necessary fiber softening for maintaining pulp strength properties) is maximum optical properties.
[0029] In the system described in my prior International Application PCT/052003/022057, wherein the destructured chips were defibrated in a smaller fiberizer refiner before delivery to the main, primary refiner for fibrillation, the pressures were much lower in the fiberizing (defibration) step. The fiberizing retention time at pressure was much longer in a completely separate refiner. It was desirable to maintain a lower temperature to help preserve pulp brightness, since the low intensity refining intensity was gentle. High temperatures were therefore neither necessary nor desirable in the separate fiberizing refiner to preserve pulp strength. In the present invention, defibration and fibrillation are performed within the same highly pressurized refiner casing. The refining intensity in the fiberizing (defibrating) inner ring is still low, achieved at high pressure and a low retention time. There is no negative impact on brightness despite the high pressure (temperature), because the retention time is so short. This is analogous to the surprisingly beneficial effect of low preheat retention time at high temperature as described in my U.S. Pat. No. 5,776,305 (RTS mechanism).
[0030] When the present invention is implemented in an RTS system, there is no need for a separate preheat conveyor immediately upstream of the refiner feed device, because the destructured chips heat up rapidly during normal conveyance from the MPSD to the refiner. The environment from the expansion volume or chamber to the rotating discs is the refiner operating pressure, e.g., 75 to 95 psig for RTS, and the “retention time” at the corresponding saturation temperature during conveyance between the MPSD and refiner is well under 10 seconds, preferably in the range of 2-5 seconds, corresponding to the preferred RTS preheat retention time.
[0031] More generally, the process advantage of achieving energy efficient production of quality TMP pulp with minimum time at each process step, has the corollary advantage of minimizing the component, space, and cost requirements of equipment for implementing the process. Almost any installed TMP, RT-TMP, or RTS-TMP system can be upgraded according to at least some aspects of the present invention, without increasing the equipment footprint in the mill.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0032] FIG. 1 is a schematic of a TMP refiner system that illustrates an embodiment of the invention;
[0033] FIGS. 2A and B are schematics of alternatives of a macerating pressurized screw with dilution injection feature, suitable for use with the present invention;
[0034] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a portion of a refiner disc plate, showing the inner fiberizer ring and the distinct outer fibrillation ring;
[0035] FIGS. 4A and B show an exemplary inner, fiberizing ring pair for the rotor and stator, respectively, having angled bars and grooves;
[0036] FIG. 5 shows the relationship of the inner, fiberizing ring-pair to the outer, fibrillation ring pair, at the transition region;
[0037] FIGS. 6A and B show another exemplary fiberizing ring pair, having substantially radial bars and grooves;
[0038] FIGS. 7A and B show an exemplary outer, fibrillating ring, in front and side views, respectively, and FIGS. 7C and D show section views across the bars and grooves in the outer, middle, and inner zones, respectively;
[0039] FIGS. 8A , B and C show another exemplary outer, fibrillating ring in front and section views, respectively;
[0040] FIG. 8D shows a side and front view, respectively, of an exemplary outer ring for a rotor disc, having curved feeding bars;
[0041] FIG. 8E shows a side and front view, respectively, of an exemplary opposing outer ring for a stator, to be employed with the outer ring of FIG. 8D ;
[0042] FIG. 9 is a schematic of the plate used in laboratory experiments to model and obtain measurements of the operational characteristics inner fiberizing plate;
[0043] FIG. 10 is a schematic of the plate used in laboratory experiments to model and obtain measurements of the operational characteristics outer, fibrillating plate;
[0044] FIGS. 11-18 illustrate pulp property results for most of the refiner series produced in this investigation;
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0000] 1. Overview
[0045] FIG. 1 shows a TMP refiner system 10 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention. A standard atmospheric inlet plug screw feeder 12 receives presteamed (softened) chips from source S at atmospheric pressure P 1 =0 psig and delivers pre-steamed wood chips at pressure P 2 =0 psig to a steam tube 14 where the chips are exposed to an environment of saturated steam at a pressure P 3 . Depending on the system configuration, the pressure P 3 can range from atmospheric to about 15 psig or from 15 to up to about 25 psig with holding times in the range of a few seconds to many minutes. The chips are delivered to a macerating pressurized plug screw discharger (MPSD) 16 .
[0046] The macerating pressurized plug screw discharger 16 has an inlet end 18 at a pressure P 4 in the range of about 5 to 25 psig, for receiving the steamed chips. Preferably, the MPSD has an inlet pressure P 4 that is the same as the pressure P 3 in the steam tube 14 . The MPSD has a working section 20 for subjecting the chips to dewatering and maceration under high mechanical compression forces in an environment of saturated steam, and a discharge end 22 where the macerated, dewatered and compressed chips are discharged as conditioned chips into an expansion zone or chamber at pressure P 5 where the conditioned chips expand. Nozzles or similar means are provided for introducing impregnation liquid and dilution water into the discharge end of the screw device, whereby the dilution water penetrates the expanding chips and together with the chips forms a refiner feed material in feed tube 24 having a solids consistency in the range of about 30 to 55 percent. Alternatively, especially if no impregnation apart from dilution is required, the dilution can be achieved in a dilution chamber that is connected to but not necessarily integral with the MSD discharge. In this context, maceration or destructuring of the chips means that axial fiber separation exceeds about 20 percent, but there is no fibrillation.
[0047] A high consistency primary refiner 26 has relatively rotating discs in casing 28 that is maintained at pressure P 5 , each disc, having a working plate thereon, the working plates being arranged in confronting coaxial relation thereby defining a space which extends substantially radially outward from the inner diameter of the discs to the outer diameter of the discs. Each plate has a radially inner ring and a radially outer ring, each ring having a pattern of alternating bars and grooves. The pattern on the inner ring has relatively larger bars and grooves and the pattern on the outer ring has relatively smaller bars and grooves. A refiner feed device 30 , such as a ribbon feeder, receives the feed material from the dilution region associated with the MPSD (directly or via an intermediate buffer bin) and delivers the material at pressure P 5 to the space between the discs at substantially the inner diameter of the discs. As will be described in greater detail below, the inner ring completes the fiberizing (defibration) of the chip material and the outer ring fibrillates the fibers.
[0048] The refiner can be a single disc refiner (one rotating plate faces a stationary stator plate), a double disc refiner (opposed counter-rotating discs), or a Twin disc refiner available from Andritz Inc., Muncy Pa., where a central stator has plates on both sides, and each side faces a rotating disc. The feed devices for a double disc or Twin disc refiner would be somewhat different than that for a single disc refiner, as is known in the relevant field of endeavor.
[0049] The system may be backfit into any of the three core processes of (1) typical TMP, (2) RT-TMP, or (3) RTS-TMP. In the typical TMP, the first PSF 12 or rotary valve maintains separation between upstream atmospheric conditions and the elevated pressure in the steam tube that acts as a preheater in the pressure range of about 0-30 psig for a typical hold time of 30 seconds to 180 seconds. As per the invention, the second PSF at the discharge of the steaming tube (typically called a plug screw discharger or PSD) is converted or replaced with an RTPressafiner (macerating pressurized plug screw discharger=MPSD) screw device. In the RT-TMP and RTS-TMP configurations, the first PSF or rotary valve serves essentially the same purpose and the steaming tube can be operated in a range from 0-30 psig. In all configurations the first PSF is not necessary should a mill elect to operate the inlet to the MPSD (RTPressafiner) at atmospheric conditions (0 psig). It is noted that the benefit of pressurizing the inlet during RTPressafiner pretreatment is lost when operating at atmospheric conditions, which can result in fiber damage when processing softwoods using a PSD screw of the destructuring variety. Atmospheric conditions may be satisfactory when processing, for example hardwoods, which have much shorter fiber length to begin with. The typical TMP process is referred to as PRMP when no pressurized presteaming is conducted at the inlet to the MPSD. The material discharging from the MPSD (RTPressafiner) then discharges into the higher temperatures of the refining environment. At RT- or RTS-conditions the refining environment is at a higher temperature, which corresponds to the high pressure (above 75 psig, corresponding to a temperature well above the lignin transition temperature, Tg) in the refiner. In this embodiment, the total time the material is above Tg before delivery to the discs, should be less than 15 seconds, preferably less than 5 seconds.
[0050] This can be summarized in the following table:
System Conditions For Invention in Three Backfit Embodiments Component Conditions TMP RT-TMP RTS-TMP Pressure P1@ chip source S 0 psig 0 psig 0 psig Pressure P2 @ PSF 12 outlet 0-30 psig 0-30 psig 0-30 psig Pressure P3 @ steam tube 14 0-30 psig 0-30 psig 0-30 psig Holding time steam tube 14 30-180 sec 10-40 sec 10-40 sec Inlet pressure P4 @ MPSD 16 0-30 psig 0-30 psig 0-30 psig Processing time in MPSD 16 <15 sec <15 sec <15 sec Pressure P5 @ expansion volume 30-60 psig 75-95 psig 75-95 psig 22, refiner feeder 30 and casing 28 Dwell time in expansion volume 22 <10 sec <10 sec <10 sec refiner feeder 30 and casing 28
[0051] FIGS. 2A and B are schematics of a macerating pressurized screw 16 with dilution injection feature, suitable for use with the present invention. According to the embodiment of FIG. 2A , chip material 32 is shown in the central, dewatering portion of working section 20 , where the diameters of the perforated tubular wall 34 , rotatable coaxial shaft 36 , and flights 38 are constant. A chip plug 40 is formed in the plug portion of the working section, immediately following the dewatering portion, where the wall is imperforate and the shaft has no flights but the shaft diameter increases substantially, producing a narrowed flow cross section and thus a high back pressure that enhances the extrusion of liquid from the chips, through the drain holes formed in the wall of the central portion. The constricted flow and macerating effect may be further enhanced or adjusted by use of a tubular constriction insert (not shown) within the imperforate wall, or rigid pins or the like (not shown) projecting from the wall into the plugged material. The plug is highly compressed under mechanical pressures typically in the range of 1000 psi to 3000 psi, or higher. Most if not all of the maceration occurs in the plug. The chips are substantially fully destructured, with partial defibration exceeding about 20 percent usually approaching 30 percent or more.
[0052] At the end of the plug, the discharge end 22 of the MPSD has an increased cross sectional area, defined between an outwardly flared wall 42 and the confronting, spaced conical surface 44 of the blow back valve. 46 . The blow back valve is axially adjustable from a stop position nested in a conical recess 48 at the end of the MPSD shaft 36 , to a maximum retracted position. This adjusts the flow area of the expansion zone or volume 50 while maintaining a mild degree of sealing at 52 by chip material between the valve against the outer end of the flared wall, which can be controlled in response to transient pressure differential between the feed tube 24 and the MPSD 16 .
[0053] In the expansion zone 50 , impregnating liquor is fed under high pressure either through a plurality of pressure hoses 54 and associated nozzles (as shown), or a pressurized circular ring. The dewatered chips entering the expansion zone 50 quickly absorb the impregnation fluid and expand, helping to form the weak sealing zone at the end of the expansion zone.
[0054] FIG. 2B shows an alternative whereby the impregnation in the expansion zone 50 is achieved by providing fluid flow openings 56 in the face of the conical blow back valve, which can be supplied via high pressure hoses through the shaft 58 of the blow back valve.
[0055] The feed tube 24 is preferably a vertical drop tube for directing and mixing the diluted chips from the MPSD 16 to the feed device 30 of the refiner. However, it should be understood that the pressure P 5 in the feed tube 24 is the same pressure as in the feed device 30 and refiner casing 28 . A small pressure boost or drop may be desired between the refiner feed device 30 and refiner casing 28 , which is common practice in the field of TMP. Regardless, the pressures throughout this region following the MPSD to the refiner casing would typically be well above 30 psig, usually above 45 psig, which is much higher than the MPSD inlet steam pressure P 4 . However, the plug 40 is so highly mechanically compressed that even with the tube pressure as high as 95 psig or more, the compressed plug will quickly expand in the expansion zone due to the expansion of pores in the fibers in the uncompressed state. It can thus be appreciated that the feed tube can act as an expansion chamber in contributing to the effectiveness of the expansion volume. Practitioners in this field could readily modify the design and relationship of the expansion zone and feed tube so that expansion and dilution occur predominantly in a dedicated expansion chamber that is attached to but not integral with the MPSD.
[0056] FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a portion of refiner disc plate 100 , showing the inner fiberizer ring 102 and the outer fibrillation ring 104 . Each ring can be a distinct plate member attachable to the disc, or the rings can be integrally formed on a common base that is attachable to a disc. Each ring has an inner feeding region 106 , 108 and an outer working region 110 , 112 . The working (defibrating) region of the inner ring is defined by a first pattern of alternating bars 114 and grooves 116 , and the feeding region of the outer ring is defined by a second pattern of alternating bars 118 and grooves 120 . The very course bars 122 and grooves 124 in the feeder region 106 of the inner ring direct the previously destructured chip material into the defibrating region 110 of significantly narrower bars and grooves. The fiberized material then intermixes in and crosses the transition annulus 126 , where it is enters the feed region 108 of the outer ring. In general, the first pattern on the working region 110 on the inner ring has relatively narrower grooves than the grooves of the second pattern on the feeding region 108 on the outer ring. The working (fibrillating) region 112 of the outer ring has a pattern of bars 128 and grooves 130 wherein the grooves 130 are narrower than the grooves 116 of the working region 110 of the inner ring.
[0057] The coarse bars and grooves of the feeding region 106 of the inner ring on one disc can be juxtaposed with a feeding region on the opposed disc that has no bars and grooves, so long as the shape of the feed flow path readily directs the feed material from the ribbon feeding device into the working regions 110 of the opposed inner rings. Thus, every inner ring 102 will have an outer, fiberizing region 110 with a pattern of alternating bars and grooves 114 , 116 but the associated inner region 106 will not necessarily have a pattern of bars and grooves. The outer region 112 of the fibrillating ring 104 can have a plurality of radially sequenced zones, such as 132 , 134 , and/or a plurality of differing but laterally alternating fields, in a manner that is well known for the “refining zone” in TMP refiners, such as 136 , 138 . In FIG. 3 , the outer ring 104 has an inner, feeding region 108 of alternating bars and grooves, and the working region 112 has a first pattern of alternating bars and grooves 128 , 130 appearing as laterally repeating trapezoids in zone 132 , and another pattern of alternating bars and grooves 140 , 142 appearing as laterally repeating trapezoids in zone 134 that extend to the circumference 144 of the plate.
[0058] The annular space 126 between the inner and outer rings 102 , 104 can be totally clear, or as shown in FIG. 3 , some of the bars such as 146 in the outer ring feed region 108 can extend into the annular space. The annular space 126 delineates the radial dimension of the inner and outer rings, whereby the radial width of the inner ring 102 is less than the radial width of the outer ring 104 , preferably less than about 35 percent of the total radius of the plate from the inner edge 148 of the inner ring 102 to the circumferential edge 144 of the outer ring 104 . Also, the radial width of the feed region 106 of the inner ring 102 is larger than the radial width of the working region 110 of the inner ring, whereas the radial width of the feed region 108 in the outer ring 104 is less than the radial width of the working region 112 .
[0059] The type of plate described above with reference to FIG. 3 will for convenience be referred to as an “RTF” plate. The destructured and partially defibrated chip material enters the inner feed region 106 where no substantial further defibration occurs, but the material is fed into the working region 110 where energy-efficient low intensity action of the bars and grooves 114 , 116 defibrates substantially all of the material. Such plates can be beneficially used as replacement plates in refiner systems that may not have an associated pressurized macerating discharger. Where a PMSD is present, the combination of full destructuring and partial defibration along with high heat upstream of the refiner allows the plate designer to minimize the radial width and energy usage in the working region 110 of the inner ring for completing defibration. The pattern of bars and grooves 114 , 116 and the width of the working region 110 can be varied as to intensity and retention time. Even with less than ideal upstream destructuring and partial defibration, the plate designer can increase the radial width of the inner working zone 110 and chose a pattern that retains the material somewhat for enhanced working, while still achieving satisfactory fibrillation in a shortened high intensity outer ring 112 and overall energy savings for a given quality of primary pulp. Moreover, the invention does not preclude that with the RTF plates, some defibration may occur in the outer ring 104 or some fibrillation may occur in the inner ring 102 .
[0060] The composite plate shown in FIG. 3 is merely representative. FIGS. 4 , and 6 show other possible regions for the inner rings. FIG. 4A shows one inner ring 150 A and FIG. 4B shows the opposed inner ring 150 B. FIG. 5 shows a schematic juxtaposition of opposed inner rings 150 A and 150 B, with portions of the associated outer rings 152 A and 152 B as installed in the refiner. The feed gap 154 of the inner rings is preferably curved to redirect the feed material received at the “eye” of the discs from the axially conveyed direction, toward the radial working gap 156 of the inner rings. Preferably, the feeder bars (very coarse bars) are spaced apart by more than the size of the material in the feed. For example, the smallest of the three dimensions defining the chips (chip thickness) is typically 3-5 mm. This is to avoid severe impact, which results in fiber damage in the wood matrix. In most instances, the minimum gap 154 during operation should be 5 mm. The coarse feeder bars have the sole function of supplying the outer part of the inner ring with adequate feed distribution and should do no work on the chips. The feeder bars are provided on the rotor inner ring, but are not absolutely necessary on the stator inner ring.
[0061] In the embodiment of FIG. 4 , the bars and grooves in the inner ring are angled relative to the radius, thereby inhibiting free centrifugal flow in the inner ring and increasing retention time, if rotated to the left, or accelerating the flow if rotated to the right. In the embodiment of FIG. 6 , inner rings 162 A and 162 B have a substantially radial orientation that neither inhibits or nor enhances centrifugal flow. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 , the bars at the inlet of the defibrating region, e.g. the outer region of the inner rings, have a long chamfer 164 , or a gradual wedge closing shape. In general, the entrance to the fiberizing gap 156 between the inner rings is radial or near radial (no significantly scattered transition). This also prevents strong impacts on the wood chips. The slope of the chamfer should be typically a drop of 5 mm in height over a radial distance of 15-50 mm. The resulting slope is 1:5 to 1:10, but slopes of 1:3-1:15 with height drop of 3 to 10 mm are acceptable. It is that wedge shape that defines the low intensity “peeling” of chips, as opposed to the high intensity impacts of conventional breaker bars operating at a tight gap. The operating gap 156 in the working region of the inner plate be in the order of 1.5-4.0 mm, and can narrow gently outwardly. If the chamfer 164 is in the lower range of the angle (e.g. 1:3), then a large taper of gap 156 should be used, e.g., at least 1:40. This will ease the feed into the tighter gap.
[0062] The short working region 110 should operate at a gap of between 3 and 5 mm when the outer rings are at a standard operating gap. The gap 158 at the inlet of the outer rings should be slightly larger than the gap at the outer part of the inner rings. The outer part of the inner ring is preferably ground with taper, which ranges from flat to approximately 2 degrees, depending on application. Larger tapers and larger operating gaps will reduce the amount of work done in the inner rings. The construction of the outer region of the inner ring is such that it should minimize impact on the feed material in order to preserve fiber length at a maximum, while properly separating fibers.
[0063] The groove width in the fibrating region 110 should be smaller than the wood particles, and in order of magnitude of minimum operating gap for the fibrating region. Typically, no groove should be wider than 4 mm wide. This ensures that wood particles are being treated in the gap rather than being wedged between bars and hit by bars from opposing disc.
[0064] In the fibrating inner region 110 (or plate inlet for a one-piece refiner plate), the chips are reduced to fibers and fiber bundles before passing through annular space 160 and entering the outer ring 104 . That ring can closely resemble known high consistency refiner plate construction. As the fibers are mostly separated, they will not be subjected to high intensity impacts. One can see from FIGS. 3 and 5 that if untreated chips could enter the feeder region 108 of the outer ring, they would be subjected to high intensity impacts when the chip is wedged between two coarse bars 118 , 120 . If the chips are properly separated in the fibrator inner rings 102 , then there are no large particles left, so they cannot be subjected to this type of action.
[0065] The division of functionality as between the inner and outer rings can also be implemented in a so-called “conical disc”, which has a flat initial refining zone, followed by a conical refining zone within the same refiner. In that case, the inventive fibrating rings would substitute for the flat refining zone, which would then be followed by the conventional “main plate” refining in the conical portion. Normally, a conical portion for such refiners has a 30 or 45 degree angle cone, e.g. it is 15 or 22.5 degrees from a cylindrical surface. An example of such a conical disc refiner is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,016, issued Aug. 11, 1981. Thus, as used herein, “disc” includes “conical disc” and “substantially radially” includes the generally outwardly directed but angled gap of a conical refiner.
[0066] The inlet of the outer region of inner ring has a radial transition, or close to radial. Large variation in the radial location of the start of the ground surface normally results in the loss of fiber length, when particles larger than the gap are quickly forced into the gap. With a long chamfer at the start of the region (longer is better), the material fed will be gradually reduced in size until small enough (coarseness reduction) to enter the gap formed by the ground surfaces. The groove width of the outer region of the inner ring has to be narrow enough to prevent large unsupported fiber particles from entering the groove and then be forced into the gap, thus causing fiber cutting. Typically, the groove width should be no wider than the gap at the inlet of the ground surface. Subsurface dams or surface dams can be used in order to increase the efficiency of the action and/or increase energy input in the inner plates.
[0067] Two embodiments of the outer, fibrillating ring are shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 . These can range from high intensity to very low intensity. For the purpose of illustration of the concept, the pattern of FIG. 7 is a typical example of a high intensity directional outer ring 166 . FIG. 8 represents a very low intensity bi-directional design 182 . Various other bar/groove configurations can be used, such as having a variable pitch (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,525).
[0068] The directional ring 166 is coarser and has a forward feeding region 172 which reduces retention time and energy input capability in that area, forcing more energy to be applied in the outer part of the ring, which in turn increases the intensity of the work applied there, and thus will operate at a tighter gap. The working region of the outer ring has two zones 168 , 170 , the outer 168 of which has finer grooves than the former 170 . Some or all of the grooves such as 176 in the zone 168 can define clear channels that are slightly angle to the true radii of the ring, whereas other grooves such as 180 in the other zone 170 can have surface or subsurface dams 174 , 178 . Overall, the outer ring 166 is similar to the outer ring 112 of FIG. 3 .
[0069] As another example, the full-length variable pitch pattern 182 of FIG. 8 has essentially radial channels, without any centrifugal feeding angle. The feed region 190 is very short, and the working region 188 can have uniform or alternating groove width, or as shown at 184 and 186 , alternating or variable groove depth. This allows for a longer retention time within the plates and, combined with the large number of bar crossings, allows for a low intensity of energy transfer, which results in a larger plate gap.
[0070] In a variation of the outer ring, the inner feeding region of the outer ring is designed to prevent backflow of fiber from the outer ring to the inner ring. FIG. 8D presents an outer ring 192 for the rotor disc, with a feed region 194 having curved feeding bars 195 . The opposing stator ring 196 , as illustrated in FIG. 8E , does not have bars in the inner feed region 198 in opposition to the curved bars, thereby accommodating the opposing curved feeding bars 195 on the outer ring 192 . Such an approach further ensures a complete separation between the defibration and fibrillation steps in the inner and outer rings, respectively.
[0071] As shown in figures, the curved feeding (injector) bars 195 can optionally be supplemented with other structure in the feeding region of the rotor and/or stator rings (such as pyramids and opposed radial bars) to aid in the distribution of material from the curved bars into the working region. Thus, the surface of the radial extent of feed region 194 of the rotor can be fully or partially occupied by projecting curved bars 195 and the surface of the radial extent of the feed region 198 of the stator can be entirely flat, or partially occupied by distribution structure. The curved bars 195 of the rotor ring project in the feed region 194 a distance greater than the height of the bars in the working region, but the flatness of the opposed surface in the feeding region 198 of the stator ring accommodates this greater height.
[0072] In general, the pattern of bars and grooves throughout the working region of the inner ring has a has a first average, preferably uniform, density and the pattern of bars and grooves throughout the feed region of the outer ring has a second average, preferably uniform but lower density.
[0000] 2. Pilot Plant Laboratory Realization
[0073] The combination of fiberizing inner rings and high-efficiency outer rings is therefore an important component of this process. The optimization of this process was conducted by running an Andritz pressurized 36-1CP single disc refiner in two steps, firstly using only inner plates and secondly using only the outer plates. For the inner plates, a special Durametal D14B002 three zone refiner plate was used with ½ of the outer intermediate zone and the entire outer zone ground out (see FIG. 9 ). The inner ½ of the intermediate zone is used to fiberize the destructured wood chips. For the outer plate, a Durametal 36604 directional refiner plate was used in both feeding (expel) and restraining (holdback) refining configurations (see FIG. 10 ).
[0074] Three refining configurations were run using the fiberizer plate inners to simulate the following process variations:
1. RT [2-3 sec. retention (i), 85 psig, 1800 rpm] ii) See A2 from data tables. 2. RTS [2-3 sec. retention (i), 85 psig, 2300 rpm] ii). See A2 from data tables. 3. TMP [2-3 sec. retention (i), 50 psig, 1800 rpm] iii). See A3 from data tables. i) Retention from PSD discharge to refiner Inlet. ii) Steaming Tube Pressure=5 psi, retention=30 seconds. iii) Steaming Tube Pressure=20 psi, retention=3 minutes.
[0081] The precursor used to represent the combination of MPSD destructuring and fiberizing inner plates is f-. Therefore the nomenclature used for the preceding configurations are:
1. f-RT 2. f-RTS 3. f-TMP
[0085] The fiberized (f) material was then refined using the refiner plate outers at similar respective conditions of pressure and refiner speed i.e.
1. f-RT outers: 85 psig, 1800 rpm 2. f-RTS outers: 85 psig, 2300 rpm 3. f-TMP outers: 50 psig, 1800 rpm
[0089] The majority of the specific energy was applied during the refiner outer runs. Different conditions of refiner plate direction (expel and holdback) and applied power were evaluated during the outer runs in this investigation.
[0090] Each of the primary refined pulps was then refined in a secondary atmospheric Andritz 401 refiner at three levels of applied specific energy.
[0091] Control TMP series were also produced without destructuring of the wood chips in the PMSD. This was accomplished by decreasing the production rate of the inners control run from 24.1 ODMTPD to 9.4 ODMTPD. This effectively reduced the plug of chips in the PMSD. The plates were backed off during the control inners run such that size reduction was accomplished using only the breaker bars i.e., no effective refining action by the refiner fiberizing bars following the breaker bars. The inners chips were then refined in the 36-1CP refiner using the outers plates. The primary refined pulps were then refined in the Andritz 401 refiner at several levels of specific energy.
[0092] TABLE A presents the nomenclature for each of the refiner series produced in this trial study. The corresponding sample identifications are also presented.
TABLE A Sample Identification Primary Primary Nomenclature * Inners Outers Secondary f-RT 1800 hb 485 ml A1 A4 A7, A8, A9 f-RT 1800 ex 663 ml A1 A5 A10, A11, A12 f-RT 1800 ex 661 ml A1 A6 A13, A14, A15 f-RT 1800 ex 460 ml A1 A16 A22, A23, A24 f-RT 1800 ex 640 ml A1 A17 A25, A26, A27 (2.8% NaHSO 3 ) f-RT 1800 hb 588 ml A1 A18 A28, A29, A30 f-RTS 2300 ex 617 ml A2 A19 A31, A32, A33 f-RTS 2300 ex 538 ml A2 A20 A34, A35, A36 (3.1% NaHSO 3 ) f-TMP 1800 ex 597 ml A3 A21 A37, A38, A39 f-TMP 1800 hb 524 ml A3 A41 A46, A47, A48 TMP 1800 hb 664 ml A3-1 A44 A54, A55, A56, A57, A58 TMP ** 1800 hb 775 ml A3-1 A43 A49, A50, A51, A52, A53 * Nomenclature = process, 1ry refiner speed (1800 rpm or 2300 rpm), 1ry outers configuration (ex or hb), 1ry refined freeness ** No good since primary refiner freeness was too high.
[0093] The refiner series produced with the primary outers in holdback had a larger plate gap and higher long fiber content than the respective series produced using expelling outers. This permitted refining the holdback series to lower primary freeness levels while retaining the long fiber content of the pulp.
[0094] FIGS. 11-18 illustrate pulp property results for most of the refiner series produced in this investigation. The two series produced at very low primary freeness (<500 ml) are excluded from the plots due to congestion.
[0000] FIG. 11 . Freeness Versus Specific Energy
[0095] The control TMP series had the highest specific energy requirements to a given freeness. The f-TMP series had the next highest energy requirements followed by the f-RT series. The f-RTS series had the lowest specific energy requirements to a given freeness.
[0096] TABLE B compares the specific energy requirements for each of the plotted refiner series at a freeness of 150 ml. The results are from linear interpolation.
TABLE B Specific Energy at 150 ml. Specific Energy (kWh/MT) f-RT 1800 ex 661 ml 1889 f-RT 1800 hb 588 ml 1975 f-RTS 2300 ex 617 ml 1626 f-TMP 1800 ex 597 ml 2060 f-TMP 1800 hb 524 ml 2175 TMP 1800 hb 664 ml 2411 f-RT 1800 ex 640 ml (2.8% NaHSO 3 ) 2111* f-RTS 2300 ex 538 ml (3.1% NaHSO 3 ) 1411* *By extrapolation.
[0097] The f-RTS 2300 ex series (combination of fiberizing, RTS, and high intensity plates) had a 32% lower energy requirement than the control TMP series to freeness of 150 ml. The f-RT 1800 hb and f-RT 1800 ex series had 18% and 22%, respectively, lower energy requirements than the control TMP series at 150 ml. The f-TMP hb and f-TMP ex series had 10% and 15%, respectively, lower energy requirements than the control TMP series. The results indicate that rebuilding/replacing the PSD and refiner plates can generate a substantial return on investment for existing TMP systems.
[0000] FIG. 12 . Tensile Index Versus Specific Energy
[0098] The f-RTS ex pulps had the highest tensile index at a given application of specific energy, followed by the f-RT series and then the f-TMP series. The control TMP pulps had the lowest tensile index at a given application of specific energy.
[0099] The addition of approximately 3% sodium bisulfite (NaHSO 3 ) solution to the PSD discharge increased the tensile index relative to the respective series without chemical treatment.
[0100] A 52.5 Nm/g tensile index was achieved with the f-RTS 2300 ex (3.1% NaHSO 3 ) series with an application of 3.1% NaHSO 3 and 1754 kWh/ODMT.
[0000] FIG. 13 . Tensile Index Versus Freeness
[0000] Non-Chemically Treated Series
[0101] There were two bands of tensile index results. The lower band represents the series produced using the expelling outer plates. The upper band represents the series produced using the holdback outer plates. The average increase in tensile index using the holdback plates was approximately 10%. . It is noted that an f-RTS hb series was not conducted in this trial due to a shortage of fiberized A3 material.
[0000] Bisulfite Treated Series
[0102] The addition of approximately 3% bisulfite to the f-RT ex and f-RTS ex series elevated the tensile index to a similar or higher level than the holdback pulps.
[0103] TABLE C compares each of the refiner series at a freeness of 150 ml. The regression equations used in the interpolations are included on FIG. 13 .
TABLE C Tensile Index at 150 ml Tensile Index (Nm/g) f-RT 1800 ex 661 ml 43.8 f-RT 1800 hb 588 ml 47.7 f-RTS 2300 ex 617 ml 42.4 f-TMP 1800 ex 597 ml 43.5 f-TMP 1800 hb 524 ml 48.1 TMP 1800 hb 664 ml 48.2 f-RT 1800 ex 640 ml (2.8% NaHSO 3 ) 47.0* f-RTS 2300 ex 538 ml (3.1% NaHSO 3 ) 47.9* *By extrapolation.
FIG. 14 . Tear Index Versus Freeness
[0104] The refiner series produced using holdback outer plates had the highest tear index and long fiber content.
[0105] TABLE D compares the refiner series at a freeness of 150 ml. The tear index values were obtained using linear interpolation.
TABLE D Tear Index at 150 ml Tear Index (mN · m 2 /g) f-RT 1800 ex 661 ml 9.0 f-RT 1800 hb 588 ml 9.9 f-RTS 2300 ex 617 ml 8.7 f-TMP 1800 ex 597 ml 8.6 f-TMP 1800 hb 524 ml 9.3 TMP 1800 hb 664 ml 9.1 f-RT 1800 ex 640 ml (2.8% NaHSO 3 ) * 9.7 f-RTS 2300 ex 538 ml (3.1% NaHSO 3 ) * 8.8 * By extrapolation.
[0106] The f-RT hb pulps had the highest tear index. The f-RT ex and f-RTS ex pulps had comparable tear index results.
[0000] FIG. 15 . Burst Index Versus Freeness
[0107] The f-RT 1800 hb and f-TMP 1800 hb series produced with holdback outer plates had the highest burst index at a given freeness. The refiner series produced with expelling outer plates, f-RT 1800 ex, f-TMP 1800 ex, f-RTS 2300 ex, had a lower burst index at a given freeness.
[0108] The addition of approximately 3% bisulfite increased the burst index of the series produced with expelling outer plates to a similar level as the non-chemically treated series produced with holdback outer plates.
[0109] TABLE E compares the burst index results interpolated to a freeness of 150 ml.
TABLE E Burst Index at 150 ml Burst Index (kPa · m 2 /g) f-RT 1800 ex 661 ml 2.51 f-RT 1800 hb 588 ml 2.85 f-RTS 2300 ex 617 ml 2.30 f-TMP 1800 ex 597 ml 2.38 f-TMP 1800 hb 524 ml 2.76 TMP 1800 hb 664 ml 2.45 f-RT 1800 ex 640 ml (2.8% NaHSO 3 ) * 2.98 f-RTS 2300 ex 538 ml (3.1% NaHSO 3 ) * 2.67 * By extrapolation.
FIG. 16 . Shive Content Versus Freeness
[0110] The control TMP pulps had the highest shive content levels. The refiner series produced with the expelling outer plates had lower shive content levels than the respective series produced with holdback outer plates. It was clearly evident that the f-pretreatment helps reduce shive content.
[0111] TABLE F compares the shive content levels for each refiner series interpolated to a freeness of 150 ml.
TABLE F Shive Content at 150 ml. Shive Content (%) f-RT 1800 ex 661 ml 0.70 f-RT 1800 hb 588 ml 1.35 f-RTS 2300 ex 617 ml 0.31 f-TMP 1800 ex 597 ml 0.37 f-TMP 1800 hb 524 ml 1.61 TMP 1800 hb 664 ml 2.63 f-RT 1800 ex 640 ml (2.8% NaHSO 3 ) * 0.59 f-RTS 2300 ex 538 ml (3.1% NaHSO 3 ) * 0.18 * By extrapolation.
[0112] The f-RTS ex series produced with and without bisulfite addition had the lowest shive content levels. The addition of bisulfite lowered the shive content.
[0000] FIG. 17 . Scattering Coefficient Versus Freeness
[0113] The refiner series produced with the expelling outer plates had the highest scattering coefficient levels.
[0114] TABLE G presents the scattering coefficient results for each series at a freeness of 150 ml.
TABLE G Scattering Coefficient versus Freeness Scattering Coefficient (m 2 /kg) f-RT 1800 ex 661 ml 57.1 f-RT 1800 hb 588 ml 55.1 f-RTS 2300 ex 617 ml 56.8 f-TMP 1800 ex 597 ml 56.3 f-TMP 1800 hb 524 ml 53.6 TMP 1800 hb 664 ml 54.4 f-RT 1800 ex 640 ml (2.8% NaHSO 3 ) * 55.9 f-RTS 2300 ex 538 ml (3.1% NaHSO 3 ) * 53.8 * By extrapolation.
[0115] The addition of approximately 3% bisulfite reduced the scattering coefficient by approximately 1-3 m 2 /kg.
[0000] FIG. 18 . Brightness Versus Freeness
[0116] All the f-series had higher brightness than the control TMP pulps.
[0117] TABLE H compares each of the refiner series interpolated to a freeness of 150 ml.
TABLE H ISO Brightness at 150 ml ISO Brightness f-RT 1800 ex 661 ml 52.0 f-RT 1800 hb 588 ml 51.3 f-RTS 2300 ex 617 ml 52.8 f-TMP 1800 ex 597 ml 49.4 f-TMP 1800 hb 524 ml 48.9 TMP 1800 hb 664 ml 47.3 f-RT 1800 ex 640 ml (2.8% NaHSO 3 ) * 56.5 f-RTS 2300 ex 538 ml (3.1% NaHSO 3 ) * 59.1 * By extrapolation.
[0118] The f-TMP series had approximately 2% higher brightness than the control TMP series. A higher removal of wood extractives from the high compression PSD component of the f-pretreatment most probably contributed to the brightness increase.
[0119] The f-RTS series had the highest brightness (52.8) followed by the f-RT series (average=51.7), then the f-TMP series (average=49.2).
[0120] The addition of 3% bisulfite increased the brightness considerably, up to 59.1 with the f-RTS ex series.
[0000] Comparing Defibration Conditions During Inner Zone Refining
[0121] TABLE I compares the fiberized properties following the inner plates. As indicated earlier, three fiberizer runs, A1, A2, A3 were conducted to simulate the f-RT, f-RTS and f-TMP configurations. Each of these inner ring runs was fed with destructured chips from the PSD.
TABLE I Fiberized Properties following Inner Rings Specific Pres- Through- Energy Shive +28 Fiberizer sure put (kWh/ Content Mesh (f-) Run Process (psi) (ODMTPD) ODMT) (%) (%) A1 RT 85 23.3 152 66.5 75.4 A2 RTS 85 23.3 122 35.6 79.4 A3 TMP 50 24.1 243 88.7 82.4
[0122] It is evident that the process conditions have a major impact on the defibration efficiency during inner zone refining. The destructured chips refined at higher pressure (A1, A2) had a significantly lower shive content (=more defibrated fibers) compared to refining at a typical TMP pressure (50 psi). The energy requirement for defibration was also lower at high pressure. The highest defibration level was obtained when combining high pressure and high speed (A2).
[0123] The A2 (f-RTS) material demonstrated the highest fiber separation, followed by the A1 (f-RT) material. The A3 (f-TMP) was clearly the coarsest of the fiberized samples.
[0124] It is noted that bar directionality was not a factor during the inner zone refining runs since the inner plates were bidirectional.
[0125] The energy for defibration decreases with an increase in pressure. The energy losses are quite substantial when defibrating at conventional conditions. For example, at a pressure of 50 psig, an additional specific energy requirement of well over 100 kWh/MT would be necessary when producing fiberized material to the same shives level as compared to refining at 85 psig.
[0000] Laboratory Procedures
[0126] White spruce chips from Wisconsin were used for these examples. Material identification, solids content and bulk density for the spruce chips appear in TABLE II.
[0127] Initially, several runs were carried out on the 36-1CP pressurized variable speed refiner utilizing plate pattern D14B002 with the outer zone and ½ intermediate zone ground out. This was conducted to simulate the inner rings of larger single disc refiners. The first run A1 was produced with 30-second presteam retention in the steaming tube at 0.4 bar, 5.87 bar refiner casing pressure, and a machine speed of 1800 rpm. For A2, the machine speed was increased to 2300 rpm. The A3 run was produced with 3 minutes presteam retention at 1.38 bar, 3.45 bar refiner casing pressure, and refiner disc speed of 1800 rpm. Run A3-1 was also conducted at similar conditions as A3, except the production rate was decreased from 24.1 ODMTPD to 9.4 ODMTPD in order to prevent destructuring of the chips prior to feeding the refiner. The plate gap for this run was also increased to eliminate any effective action by the intermediate bar zone, such that the chips received breaker bar treatment only. Fiber quality analysis was not possible on sample A1-1 since chips receiving breaker bar treatment only are not in a fiberized form; therefore shive or Bauer McNett analysis is not applicable.
[0128] Each of these pulps was used to produce additional series. Six series were carried out on the A1 material. The outer plates (Durametal 36604) were installed in the 36-1CP refiner to simulate the outer zone of refining. All six primary outer zone runs were refined on the 36-1CP at 5.87 bar casing pressure and at a disc speed of 1800 rpm. The process nomenclature for these runs is RT. A sodium bisulfite liquor was added to A17 resulting in a chemical charge of 2.8% NaHSO 3 (on O.D. wood basis). Three secondary refiner runs were produced on each series.
[0129] Two series were produced on the A2 material. Both 36-1CP outer zone runs produced (A19 and A20) were produced at 5.87 bar refiner casing pressure and 2300 rpm machine speed. The process nomenclature for these runs is RTS. Sodium bisulfite liquor was added to A20 (3.1% NaHSO 3 ). Again three secondary refiner runs were produced on each.
[0130] Several series were also produced on the A3 material, each at 3.45 bar refiner casing pressure and 1800 rpm. Three secondary refiner runs were produced on each. The process nomenclature for these runs is TMP.
[0131] Two control TMP series were produced (A43 and A44) on the A3-1 chips, which went through breaker bar treatment only during inner zone refining. Both A43 and A44 were refined at 3.45 bar steaming pressure and 1800 rpm machine speed. Several atmospheric refiner runs were then conducted on these pulps to decrease the freeness to a comparable range as the earlier produced series.
[0132] All pulps were tested in accordance with standard Tappi procedures. Testing included Canadian Standard Freeness, Pulmac Shives (0.10 mm screen), Bauer McNett classifications, optical fiber length analyses, physical and optical properties.
TABLE I-A NOTE: A1 USED D14B002 PLATES. OUTER TAPER AND 1/2 INTERMEDIATE ZONE AND OUTER ZONE GROUND OUT. A1 TUBE PRESSURE OF 0.69 BAR, A4, A5, A6, A16, A17 AND A18 TUBE PRESSURE 0.34 BAR. A5, A6, A16 AND A17 REFINED IN REVERSE MODE.
[0133]
TABLE I-B
NOTE:
A2 AND A3 USED D14B002 PLATES OUTER TAPER AND 1/2 INTERMEDIATE ZONE AND OUTER ZONE GROUND OUT. A2 TUBE PRESSURE OF 0.69 BAR, A3 TUBE PRESSURE 1.38 BAR. A19, A20, A21, A40, A41 AND A42 TUBE PRESSURE 0.34 BAR. A19, A20, A21 REFINED IN REVERSE MODE.
[0134]
TABLE I-C
[0135]
TABLE II
MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION
BULK DENSITY
(kg/m 3 )
MATERIAL
% O.D. SOLIDS
WET
DRY
01
SPRUCE
66.5
169.8
112.9
SOAKED
47.7
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A system for thermomechanical refining of wood chips comprises preparing the chips for refining by exposing the chips to an environment of steam to soften the chips, compressively destructuring and dewatering the softened chips to a solids consistency above 55 percent, and diluting the destructured and dewatered chips to a consistency in the range of about 30 to 55 percent. The destructuring partially defibrates the material. This diluted material is fed to a rotating disc primary refiner wherein each of the opposed discs has an inner ring pattern of bars and grooves and an outer ring pattern of bars and grooves. The destructured and partially defibrated chips are substantially completely defibrated in the inner ring and the resulting fibers are fibrillated in the outer ring. The compressive destructuring, dewatering, and dilution can all be implemented in one integrated piece of equipment immediately upstream of the primary refiner, and the fiberizing and fibrillating are both achieved between only one set of relatively rotating discs in the primary refiner.
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RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/514,801, entitled “Method And Apparatus For Storing And Using Energy”, filed on Oct. 27, 2003.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of energy storage systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There are literally hundreds of thousands of office buildings and other commercial property located in the United States and throughout the world (hereinafter “commercial properties”). And, because most businesses and commercial properties are required to operate during the day, they typically need substantial electrical energy during the daytime hours to provide power for utilities, including lighting, heating, cooling, etc. This is particularly true with heating and cooling requirements, such as during the extreme winter and extreme summer months, wherein the energy needed to maintain a comfortable work environment can be relatively high.
These peak demands can place a; heavy burden on utility plants and grids that supply electrical power to commercial properties. Utility plants and grids often have to be constructed to meet the highest demand periods, which means that during the low demand periods, they will inevitably operate inefficiently, i.e., at less than peak efficiency and performance. This may be true even if the peak demand periods occur during only a small fraction of the time each day. Failure to properly account for such high demand periods, such as by over-designing the facilities to meet the peak demands, can result in the occurrence of frequent power outages and failures. Also, a failure in one area of the grid can cause tremendous stress and strain in other areas, wherein the entire system can fail, i.e., an entire regional blackout can occur.
These demands can also place expensive burdens on commercial property owners and operators. Utility companies often charge a significant premium on energy consumed by commercial properties during peak demand hours. This practice is generally based on the well known principles of supply and demand, e.g., energy costs are higher when demand is high, and less when demand is low. And because most commercial property owners are forced to operate during the day, they are most often forced to pay the highest energy costs during the highest demand periods.
Utility companies also charge for energy during peak demand periods by assessing a penalty or surcharge (hereinafter “demand charge”) on the maximum rate of consumption that occurs during a predetermined period, such as a one month period. A demand charge may be assessed, for example, based on the maximum “peak” rate of consumption that occurs during the period, wherein the demand charge can be assessed regardless of how short the peak “spike” or “surge” during that period is, and regardless of what rate may have applied immediately before and after the spike or surge. This demand charge can also be assessed regardless of the average consumption rate that may have otherwise been in effect during the period, which could be considerably lower than the peak. Even if the overall average rate of use is substantially lower, the demand charge can be based on a much higher peak spike or surge experienced during that period.
These pricing practices are designed to help utility companies offset and/or recover the high cost of constructing utility power plants and grids that are, as discussed above, designed to meet the peak demand periods. They also encourage commercial property owners and operators to reduce energy consumption during peak periods, as well as to try to find alternative sources of energy, if possible. Nevertheless, since most commercial property owners and operators must operate their businesses during the day, and alternative sources of energy are not always readily available, they often find themselves having to use energy during the highest rate periods. Moreover, because energy consumption rates can fluctuate, and surges and spikes can occur at various times, potentially huge demand charges may be applied.
Utility companies and other providers of energy have, in the past, implemented certain time-shifting methods, wherein energy supplied during low demand periods are stored, and then used later during peak demand periods. These methods typically involve storing energy, and then using that energy later, to supplement the energy provided by the grid. This theoretically enables more energy to be consumed when energy costs are low, and less energy to be consumed when energy costs are relatively high, thereby potentially reducing the higher rate costs.
Several such energy storage methods have been used in the past, including compressed air energy storage systems, such as underground caverns. Thus far, however, one of the main disadvantages of such systems is that they are relatively energy inefficient. For example, compressed air energy systems have a tendency to lose a significant portion of the energy that is stored, so that the energy used from storage ends up actually costing more than the energy that was stored. These inefficiencies can make it so that the economic incentives to install energy storage systems of this kind are significantly reduced.
Even though there are some advantages to such energy storage systems, the added costs associated with installing and operating such systems can become a financial burden, especially at the end-user level. Accordingly, commercial property owners and operators that use energy often have difficulty justifying the cost of installing and using such systems. Moreover, because of the expense of installation, they may have difficulties obtaining financing and approval, e.g., to attract investors and/or lenders to spend the money needed to develop and install such a system, because they often doubt whether they will be able to recoup the costs.
A method and system is needed, therefore, that can be used by individual end-users of energy or commercial property owners and operators to control and regulate the end-user consumption of energy from the power grid, so that more energy can be consumed during low-cost, low-demand periods, and less energy can be consumed during high-cost, high-demand periods, to achieve not only a reduction in overall demand and reducing the spikes and surges that can occur during peak demand periods, but to reduce the overall stress and strain on the power grid, and provide a means of forecasting the cost savings that can be achieved over an extended period of time, which can justify the cost and expense of installing and operating the system, thereby making the system more widely used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and energy storage system capable of being used by commercial property owners and operators for storing energy during periods when energy costs are relatively low, and then using the stored energy during periods when energy costs are relatively high, to reduce reliance on the power grid during the high demand periods, and therefore, reduce the operating costs associated therewith, and to do so in a manner that helps obtain a cost savings over an extended period of time.
The present invention is preferably to be used by commercial property owners and operators, such as office buildings, shopping centers, and other end-users of energy, and in this respect, the present system differs from past systems, insofar as it is not intended to be used by and in connection with energy suppliers, such as large utility and power supply plants and grids. That is, the present system preferably relates to the manner in which an “end-user” of energy can implement energy and costs savings, by using energy storage and time-shifting methods, to control and regulate the consumption of energy in a manner that achieves a cost savings over an extended period of time. This cost saving method is referred to as “Time-Of-Use” or TOU.
In this respect, one aspect of the present method and system preferably relates to being able to accurately forecast and predict the energy demands and peaks that might occur on a daily basis, by recording and analyzing the prior day's history, as well as the overall energy demand histories, using short and long term forecasts, and then setting up a variable energy storage/use plan or schedule that helps to reduce the peak demands by time-shifting the energy that is used, i.e., reducing consumption during high demand/high cost periods, by using the energy stored during low demand/low cost periods during the high demand/high cost periods.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 shows a typical energy storage system to be used in the present application; and
FIG. 2 shows a typical storage tank system with optional heating devices.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
This discussion will begin by discussing some of the basic components of the energy storage system apparatus that can be used by the present invention. The invention contemplates that various energy storage systems can be used in connection with the methods discussed herein. Nevertheless, the following discussion describes a preferred system that can be used in connection with the present invention.
The system generally comprises a compressed air energy storage system small enough to be housed within a commercial property, whether an office building, shopping center, or other end-user of energy. For example, the system can be installed in a basement of an office building, shopping center or commercial complex, where other utility equipment might be located. The storage tank can also be located on the roof or other outdoor location, and, for example, painted black, to enable the tank to absorb heat energy from the sun, as will be discussed.
As shown in FIG. 1 , the system 1 is preferably connected directly to the power grid 3 . This enables the system to draw power from the grid 3 in the same manner as any other commercial property. The difference, however, is in how the system can control and regulate the consumption of energy, as will be discussed.
Storage system 1 preferably comprises components found in energy storage systems of this kind, including a compressor 5 , a storage tank 7 , an airflow control valve 9 , a turbo-expander 11 , an electrical generator 13 , etc. The compressor 5 is preferably connected to the power supply so that electrical energy from the grid 3 can be converted to compressed air energy during off-peak, low demand hours, such as during the nighttime hours. The compressor 5 preferably uses electrical energy from the grid 3 and compresses air into the storage tank 7 , wherein the compressed air is stored until it can be used later when energy demands and costs are relatively high.
In general, the energy storage portion of the present system preferably comprises means for storing and making use of the compressed air energy. In this respect, storage tank 7 is preferably designed to withstand the pressures likely to be applied by compressor 5 , and insulated to maintain existing temperatures in tank 7 . Tank 7 is also preferably located in proximity to where the system 1 is connected to the power grid 3 , such that compressed air can be conveyed to tank 7 without significant pressure losses.
Although the present invention contemplates that various size tanks can be used, the size of the storage tank 7 depends on the amount of compressed air energy required for a given application, as well as other factors, such as the capacity of the compressor 5 , the capacity of the turbo-expander 11 , amount of the expected energy demand at the location, the size of the available space, etc.
The present invention contemplates that any of many conventional means of converting the compressed air into electrical energy can be used. In one embodiment, one or more turbo-expanders 11 are used to release the compressed air from storage tank 7 to create a high velocity airflow that can be used to power a generator 13 to create electrical energy. This electricity can then be used to supplement the energy supplied by the grid 3 when needed, as will be discussed. The turbo-expander 11 preferably feeds energy to an alternator, which is connected to an AC to DC converter, followed by a DC to AC inverter.
The turbo-expander 11 is used to release and expand the compressed air energy at the appropriate time, i.e., “on demand,” such as during peak demand periods, wherein the released and expanded air can drive the electrical generator 13 . This way, the stored energy in the tank can be used to generate electrical power on an “as needed” basis. For example, the turbo-expander 11 can be turned on when demand is low and there an expectation that extra energy will be needed during an upcoming high demand period, based on the monitored demand power history, as will be discussed below. On the other hand, the turbo-expander 11 can be shut down during the relatively high demand, high cost periods, so that high cost energy is not used to compress air into the tank 7 . The criteria preferably takes into account that the turbo-expander 11 starts from rest and accelerates to a peak rotational rate and then decelerates back to rest.
The present invention contemplates that storage tank 7 and/or related components, and their thermal inertia masses, can be designed to absorb and release heat to maintain the stored and compressed air in the tank 7 at a relatively stable temperature, even during compression and expansion. For example, in one embodiment, a heat transfer system made of tubing 8 extended through the inside of storage tank 7 can be used, wherein heat transfer fluid (such as an antifreeze) can be distributed through the tubing 8 to provide a cost-efficient way to stabilize the temperature in the tank 7 . This enables the system 1 to statically stabilize the temperature in a manner that is more cost efficient than mechanical systems.
In this embodiment, the means by which heat from various collectors (to be discussed) can be distributed to the compressed air in the tank 7 comprises a large surface area of thin walled tubing 8 that extends through tank 7 . The tubing 8 preferably comprises approximately 1% of the total area inside the tank 7 , and preferably comprises copper or carbon steel material. They also preferably contain an antifreeze fluid that can be heated by the collectors and distributed by the tubing 8 throughout the inside of tank 7 . The thin walled tubing 8 preferably act as a heat exchanger, which is part of the thermal inertia system. The tank 7 is preferably lined by insulation 19 to prevent heat loss from inside.
In another embodiment, the relatively thick walls of the storage tank 7 can, by itself, act as a thermal sink and source. For example, when air is compressed into storage tank 7 , and the air is heated, this heated air can help raise the temperature of the storage tank walls, i.e., the walls absorb the heat. Furthermore, when tank 7 is located outdoors, and painted black, the walls of the tank can absorb the heat from the sun, wherein the tank walls can act as a heat sink.
Extra metal, in such case, can be added to the walls, so that they provide a similar thermal inertia function as the anti-freeze filled tubing 8 , but with the added safety of being able to retain the storage tank 7 service-free for longer periods of time, i.e., considering the long term effects of corrosion. Moreover, a reduced number of problems can be expected, such as from corrosion, since the air inside the tank cannot contain a significant amount of water vapor at higher pressures. In this respect, compressor 5 will help to remove most of the water vapor during air compression, and the water condensed in tank 7 is preferably drained each day, i.e., such as by a draining means, wherein the air in storage tank 7 can be extremely dry.
The mass of the tank 7 can also be made relatively large compared to the air mass inside the tank 7 . Accordingly, the tank walls do not have to increase in temperature by a significant amount to help sustain the temperature of the air inside the tank 7 . For example, when air is exhausted by the turbo-expander 11 , the air temperature in the tank 7 will try to drop according to isentropic laws, but a heat exchange process will occur as a result of the heat absorbed by tank walls, which act as a thermal source to maintain the temperature in the tank 7 . Thus, the temperature drop is limited so that reasonable air temperatures are available inside the tank 7 , i.e., for use by turbo-expander 11 .
The present system can also incorporate other energy efficient methods and systems, as shown in FIG. 2 , including a means of using the heat absorbed in the interstage coolant water of the multi-stage compressor to provide supplemental heat for water heaters and boilers and other areas of the building or property, so that the heat can be put to efficient use. Also, the present invention contemplates the possibility of using one or more of a combination of solar heat (using a solar thermal collector 15 ), waste heat from the compressor 5 , combustors, low-level fossil fuel power 17 , etc., to provide the necessary heat to increase the temperature and pressure in the storage tank 7 . In this respect, the heat generated by compressor 5 can be used to maintain the stability of the temperature in tank 7 , to offset the cooling effect of the turbo-expander 11 , as it releases and expands air from the tank 7 .
For example, the storage tank 7 is preferably very effective in using the waste heat that needs to be removed from ammonia-refrigerated plants. For example, whenever the storage tank temperature drops to below 120 degrees F., the hot ammonia from the refrigeration cycle of the plant can flow through the tubing 8 in tank 7 . In this respect, it should be noted that turbo-expander 11 not only depends on the air supply pressure, but the higher the air supply temperature, the greater the energy produced by the turbo-expander 11 .
The increased temperature inside the storage tank 7 provides several advantages. First, it has been found that heat contributes greatly to the efficiency of overall work performed by the turbo-expander 11 , and therefore, by increasing the temperature of the compressed air in the storage tank 7 , a greater amount of energy can be generated from the same size storage tank. Second, by increasing the temperature of the air in the storage tank 7 , the pressure inside the tank can be increased, wherein a greater velocity can be generated through the turbo-expander 11 . Third, heating the air in the tank 7 helps to avoid freezing that can otherwise be caused by the expansion of the air in the tank 7 . Without a heating element, the temperature of the air released from the tank 7 can reach near cryogenic levels, wherein water vapor and carbon dioxide gas within the tank 7 can freeze and reduce the efficiency of the system. The present invention is preferably able to maintain the temperature of the expanding air at an acceptable level, to help maintain the operating efficiency of the system.
Likewise, the cooling effect resulting from the turbo-expander 11 expanding the compressed air can be used to supplement air conditioners and other cooling systems within the building or property. The present system contemplates that the cold air created by the expansion of the compressed air exhausting from the turbo-expander 11 can be used for additional refrigeration purposes, i.e., for cooling needed to keep refrigerators and freezers cold, as well as during the summer months to supplement energy needed to run air conditioners. This way, the system can be used to supplement the existing energy systems that are already in place within the commercial property. The cold air can also be rerouted through pipes to the compressor 5 to keep the compressor cool, as shown in FIG. 2 .
The system also preferably comprises a control system to control the operation of storage tank 7 , compressor 5 , turbo expander 11 , heating units, refrigeration components, etc. The control system is preferably designed to be able to maintain the level of compressed air energy in the tank 7 at an appropriate level, by regulating the flow of compressed air into and out of tank 7 . The controls are also used to control and operate the heat exchangers that are used to help control the temperature of the air in the tank 7 . The controls determine which heat exchangers are to be used at any given time, and how much heat they should provide to the compressed air. The control system preferably has a microprocessor that is pre-programmed so that the system can be run automatically. The control system preferably enables the user to determine when to use the compressed air energy.
The invention also preferably comprises a computer operated control system to help control and regulate the consumption of energy from the grid, to enable the system to decrease consumption during high demand periods, and, in turn, increase consumption during low demand periods, and to do so in a manner that enables the system to achieve a cost savings over an extended period of time. On a micro-level, the present system preferably enables the commercial property owner or operator to experience an energy cost savings, by consuming more energy during low cost periods, and less energy during high cost periods, and by reducing the occurrence of spikes and surges that can otherwise result in significant demand charges being assessed. The methods and systems contemplated by the present invention also make it possible, at a macro-level, to reduce the overall demand placed on utility plants and grids, such as during peak demand periods, which can help reduce the overall stress and strain on the grid, and thereby help reduce the likelihood that blackouts and other failures to the entire system could occur in the future.
The unique methods applied by the present system involve the following:
The initial steps preferably involve doing some research to determine the costs involved in installing and operating different size and capacity storage systems. Once these amounts are determined, the method contemplates using the information to determine what the rate of cost savings will have to be for the system to achieve an overall cost savings over the course of a predetermined time period, such as by the end of the depreciation cycle. That is, the method contemplates using a process to determine, for any given system, what the rate of cost savings will have to be, i.e., on a daily basis, to achieve an overall cost savings over an extended period of time, such as ten or fifteen years.
Based on the size and nature of the end-user property, the owner or operator may make several selections regarding what system components to use. The selection of such systems may be based on many factors, including but not limited to, the overall amount of energy to be consumed by the commercial property, what the maximum or peak demand for energy is expected to be, the expected growth and/or modifications that might have to be made to the property, where the system will be located, how much space there is to install the storage tank 7 , etc. Upon determining these amounts, or making these selections, the method preferably contemplates calculating and estimating the total cost of installation and operation over the estimated depreciation cycle. For example, the total cost over a ten-year period for one system might be $600,000.00.
Once that amount is known, the method preferably involves selecting the most energy and cost efficient system to use, based on a comparison between its cost and the ability to produce an adequate rate of cost savings over time, to off-set the installation and operation costs associated therewith.
To do so, the next step preferably involves determining how much energy is typically used by the end-user, such as over the course of a given 24-hour period, and to make this determination every day over the course of the year. This preferably involves measuring energy consumption rates at the property for the previous 24 hour or longer period, and charting that data to track energy consumption levels throughout the day and night, and to use that data to chart a curve that shows how much energy might be expected to be used during the next upcoming 24 hour period. The curve also preferably includes an estimate of the spikes and surges that might occur during that day or period, including the size of the spikes and surges, when they might occur, and how long they might last.
The method also preferably involves taking data over the course of several days, weeks, or months, etc., i.e., during the course of several seasons, if necessary, to determine whether there are significant changes in energy consumption that might occur from one season of the year to another. By looking for patterns during different times of the year, system operators can use this information to help forecast and predict when significant changes in energy consumption might occur, which can be used to more accurately forecast and predict when consumption rates might increase or when spikes and surges might occur.
In this respect, the method contemplates that the curve can be adjusted if necessary, based on the historical data for that period of the year, wherein the system can take into account the short and long-term data to determine the nature of the curves that are developed. This helps to ensure that the short-term analysis of the data is consistent with the long-term analysis for that particular property during that particular time of year.
The information obtained by these processes can then be used to accurately forecast and predict the expected consumption rate by the end-user during any given 24 hour period, during any given time of day. That is, for any given 24 hour period, the method contemplates using the data from the previous 24 hour period, as well as other historical data, to forecast and predict how much energy might be expected to be used on that day and when.
The present method contemplates using these forecasts and predictions to know in advance when the consumption rate will likely be at its highest, and to attempt to predict when and how long the spikes and surges might be, so that the proper controls and limitations can be implemented to time-shift energy consumption away from the peak demand periods, i.e., by storing energy during the low demand periods, and using the stored energy during the high consumption rate periods, and/or whenever spikes and surges might occur. This way, the amount of energy consumption during the highest rate periods, and the level of spikes and surges that might otherwise occur, can be reduced to reduce the energy costs that might apply during that period.
The system contemplates making these predictions and forecasts in conjunction with the actual energy rates and demand charges that are assessed by the utility power plants. That is, the method contemplates that by knowing the end-user's expected consumption rate, and knowing what the actual cost of energy will be during that same period, an evaluation can be made as to how the system can be adjusted and controlled to maximize the cost savings that can be achieved. In short, the information is used to know when and how much energy should be stored during the low demand periods, and when and how much energy should be used during the higher demand periods, and to make this determination on a daily basis throughout the year.
In many cases, energy pricing schedules are typically broken down into three periods each day, based on the level of demand,. i.e., high demand, mid demand, and low demand periods. A schedule that involves three different rates, for example, is often used by utility plants, as follows: a first mid-cost, mid demand rate might apply, for example, between 8:00 a.m. and noon, a high-cost, high demand rate might apply between noon and 6 p.m., a second mid-cost, mid demand rate might apply again 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. In this respect, utility companies typically have a graduated pricing schedule that applies a different rate per kW-H for energy consumed during different times of the day.
Utility companies also typically assess “demand charges,” as defined above, based on the peak “spike or surge” demand energy consumption rate experienced during any predetermined period of time, such as a one-month period. For example, in some areas of the country, in addition to the graduated pricing schedule discussed above, a utility company may charge an additional penalty or surcharge based on the maximum peak consumption of kW's experienced during that period. That is, a penalty or surcharge may be assessed for the period, based on a single maximum rate of consumption that occurs during that period, even if that single maximum peak rate lasts for only a few minutes. This demand charge is typically assessed regardless of how low the rate is immediately before and after the peak, and regardless of the average consumption rate experienced during the period. That is, the penalty or surcharge is assessed based on the peak demand consumption rate, even if the peak is a random spike or surge lasting only a few minutes, and even if that peak does not reflect the average consumption rate experienced during the remainder of the period.
Moreover, in many situations, the amount of the demand charge is highest during the peak summer months when energy consumption due to air conditioning needs are at their highest. This is particularly true within the warmer climate areas where the demand for air conditioning is extremely high. And, during those months, the price of energy is highest during the mid-day hours, which represents the highest demand period. For example, during the summer months, a typical demand charge that may be applied to a period may be $20.00 per kW based on a single peak spike rate experienced during that period, i.e., between noon and 6:00 p.m. On the other hand, only $2.45 per kW may apply during the mid-demand period, and $0.00 during the low demand period. Thus, even if the average rate during any given day of the peak summer month is relatively low (say 300 kW), if there is a single fifteen minute spike or surge during that month (i.e., at a rate of say, 700 kW), the amount of the demand charge that may be assessed for that month could be based on the higher rate (of 700 kW), and not the lower rate (of 300 kW), even though the higher rate was experienced during only a fifteen minute spike. Therefore, during peak hours, the amount of the demand charge can be prohibitively high, wherein it can be based on a single surge or spike, no matter how random, or how brief, it might be.
An example of a typical demand charge in such circumstances might be something like this: During the hottest summer months, i.e., the four hottest months, in addition to the usage rates discussed above, an additional one time demand charge may be assessed based on the maximum peak usage that occurs during that month. In the above example, the higher demand charge rate of $20.00 per kW might be applied to the highest rate spike or surge that occurs during the month, so that if the highest spike or surge is 700 kW, the higher rate will be multiplied by 700 kW, for a total demand charge of $14,000.00 for that month. On the other hand, when no spikes or surges occur during the month, or the spike or surge is lower, i.e., say 400 kW, the demand charge would be based on the lower rate, i.e., 400 kW instead of 700 kW. In such case, when multiplying $20.00 times 400 kW, the demand charge would be only $8,000.00, which would, in this example, represent a cost savings of $6,000 per month.
What this shows is that there are significant cost advantages that can be achieved by reducing or altogether eliminating the spikes and surges that can result in significant demand charges being assessed. When energy is used during the higher cost, high demand periods, the end-users are likely to be charged a significant demand charge, which means that the more the end-user uses energy during those periods, the greater the overall energy costs will be.
The way the present method addresses these additional costs, penalties and surcharges, is shown by the following example:
Based on the daily forecasts and predictions discussed above, the system determines each day how much energy is likely to be needed in storage for the upcoming 24 hour period. For example, during the summer months, because demand may be high, the system may need to store the maximum amount possible during the low demand periods, such as between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. that morning. This additional energy can then be used during the high demand periods, to control and limit the maximum consumption rates, as well as the spikes and surges that may otherwise be experienced, and therefore, reduce the costs associated with the high demand rates.
The plan preferably calls for reserving the stored energy each day for the upcoming high demand periods for the next day, although in some cases, there may be a desire to reserve some of the energy for the upcoming mid-demand periods as well. This will depend on whether there is enough energy in storage to sufficiently control the consumption rate during the peak demand periods, and/or whether there is any excess energy available, and how much benefit there would be in applying the energy to the mid-demand periods.
Note that if the electrical power rates during the day are sufficiently high compared to the nights during the critical summer months, there may be an additional mode of operation. For example, one can use a lull in the power usage during the course of the day and actually use power to drive the compressor to further compress air into the storage tank. Thus, if there is a late afternoon surge in demand, one could defeat that spike in demand power without having to fear that the storage tank will be exhausted from excessive previous excitation of the turbo-expander. Even though there is use of daytime energy at off-peak power, it may still be economical to follow this mode of operation in order to avoid a subsequent critical spike. Daytime operation of the compressor during low power periods can be the equivalent to having a larger storage tank.
Once the appropriate amount of energy is in storage, the system waits for the higher demand periods to occur the next day, and saves the energy so that it can be released at the appropriate time. In this respect, the system preferably has a consumption meter or other indicator that instantly measures the consumption rate that might occur at any given moment in time, so that the system will know when the energy in storage should be released and how much should be released at the appropriate time, i.e., to off-set the higher consumption rates and/or spikes and surges that may otherwise occur during that day.
For example, if the forecast predicts that there will be a surge lasting for five minutes during the peak demand period, and/or several spikes lasting three minutes each, and the predicted amount of the surge and/or spike is say, 800 kW, the system will reserve an amount in storage sufficient to reduce the draw of power on the grid during that time to a predetermined threshold amount, which can be, say 400 kW. This way, for that day, the highest consumption rate that occurs can be reduced from 800 kW, which would have occurred without the present system, to 400 kW, which can result in a significant reduction in the demand charge applied. In this example, if the peak spikes and surges are reduced to 400 kW or less each day during the month, there will be a total reduction of 400 kW or more that month, i.e., for purposes of determining the demand charge, in which case a cost savings of $8,000.00 can be obtained for that month. This is based on $20.00 per kW multiplied by the difference of 400 kW. Also, it can be seen that if this is repeated everyday of the month, during the four high demand months, there could potentially be a cost savings of $8,000.00 every month, which can lead to a cost-savings of 32,000.00 e very year, which can lead to a cost savings of $320,000.00 over the course of ten years.
Additional energy saved each day can also be released during the peak demand periods to reduce the total consumption of energy experienced during that day and therefore reduce the overall usage costs that day. For example, if the rate is $0.20 per kW-H during the high demand period, $0.10 per kW-H during the mid-demand period, and $0.08 per kW-H during the low demand period, by time-shifting the energy from $0.20 per kW-H to $0.08 per kW-H, a potential cost savings based on the difference between the two rates can be achieved. Nevertheless, since there is a reduced efficiency associated with energy storage, the cost savings that can actually be achieved by time shifting to the low demand period is not as large as it could be. That is, even if all the energy used during the peak demand period could be purchased at the lower rate of $0.08 per kW-H, instead of the higher rate of $0.20 per kW-H, because of the potential reduced efficiency of potentially as much as 50% resulting from energy storage, the actual cost savings may only be $0.04 per kW-H, instead of $0.12 per kW-H. Of course, these cost savings will vary depending on the actual efficiency of the system being used. The system is preferably designed to be as efficient as possible, using the various heating devices and collectors discussed above, wherein an efficiency percentage of about 70% could potentially be obtained.
The cost savings associated with this aspect of the invention can be based on the cost savings per kW-H multiplied by the total kW-h expended by the system during the entire year, which can be significant. For example, if the system expends 2,000,000 kW-H per year during the peak demand periods, the cost savings can potentially be 2,000,000 kW-H multiplied by the difference in the per kW-H rate of $0.04 kW-H, which in the above example, may lead to an additional cost savings $80,000.00 per year (2,000,000 times $0.04 kW-H per year). Thus, it can be seen that this can lead to an additional cost savings of $800,000.00 over the course of ten years.
Using the above examples, it can be seen that a potential cost savings of $1,120,000.00 can be achieved over a ten-year period ($320,000 plus $800,000). And as storage efficiencies are improved by using the heating devices and collectors described above, these amounts could potentially be increased. Accordingly, if the cost of installing and operating the system over the same period is $600,000.00, there is potentially a net savings of $520,000.00, which would justify the cost of installing and operating the system.
U.S. application Ser. No. 10/263,848, filed Oct. 4, 2002, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 60/474,551, filed May 3, 2003, and 60/478,220, filed Jun. 13, 2003, are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
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The invention relates to an energy storing method and apparatus for use by end-users of energy, such as commercial property owners and operators. The system differs from past systems, insofar as it is not intended to be used by and in connection with energy suppliers, such as large utility and power supply plants and grids. The system preferably relates to the manner in which an end-user of energy can implement energy and costs savings, by using energy storage and time-shifting methods, to control and regulate the consumption of energy in a manner that achieves a cost savings over a period of time. One aspect of the method relates to accurately forecasting and predicting the energy demands and peaks that might occur on a daily basis, by recording and analyzing the prior day's history, as well as the overall energy demand histories, using short and long term forecasts, and then setting up a variable energy storage/use plan or schedule that helps to reduce the peak demands by time-shifting the energy that is used, i.e., reducing consumption during high demand/high cost periods, and using the energy stored during low demand/low cost periods during the high demand/high cost periods.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 09/176,133, filed on Oct. 21, 1998, abandoned which is a division of application Ser. No. 08/919,869, filed on Aug. 28, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,210, the disclosures of which are all fully incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of superplastically formable aluminum alloys, and more particularly to means for imparting superplastic formability to aluminum alloys with relatively lower magnesium concentrations, i.e., those with about 4 wt. % magnesium or less. The invention further relates to an improved sheet product made from said alloys, said sheet product having improved corrosion resistance thereby making it more suitable for use in numerous applications, especially those in the automotive field.
2. Technology Review
Numerous approaches are known for enhancing superplastic formability. Some are directed to manipulations in the superplastic forming operation to enhance said operation or alleviate problems associated with it largely by controlling the flow of metal during forming. Representative examples of such manipulations are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,997,369, 4,045,986, 4,181,000 and 4,516,419. Another approach is directed to the metal to be superplastically formed. It has long been recognized that fine grain size enhances forming operations, including superplastic forming. Some efforts to achieve fine grain size are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,847,681 and 4,092,181. More recently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,257 taught adding scandium and zirconium to certain aluminum alloys for achieving SPF properties in 7050-type alloy.
There are several known ways for achieving superplastic formability in aluminum alloys with relatively higher magnesium contents, i.e. generally above 4 wt. % Mg. For Al sheet products containing about 4.5 wt. % or higher Mg, even up to about 10% Mg, the Zr, Cr and/or Mn dispersoids that are usually present develop superplastic forming (SPF) capabilities with elongations of about 400-550% at moderately fast strain rates of about 2×10 −3 /sec or more when subjected to certain thermomechanical process (or “TMP”) combinations. The latter rates are similar to the relatively fast strain rates available for a commercial SPF aluminum alloy sold by Superform under the mark Supral®.
Al alloys with magnesium contents of about 3 wt. % have superior corrosion resistance compared to their higher Mg (4.5 wt. % and above) counterparts, thus making lower magnesium-containing, aluminum alloys attractive for many automotive part applications, especially when such parts can be made by superplastic forming (“SPF”) to achieve part consolidation. When subjected to identical TMP conditions as those described above for higher Mg alloys, however, an Al-3% Mg alloy resulted in a maximum elongation of only about 208%. There is a current need to develop an SPF Al—Mg for possible automotive parts consolidations. Most efforts have centered around 4.5% Mg compositions because of automakers' and researchers' past familiarity with 5083 and 5182 alloy performance, an SPF alloy with only about 3% Mg would be preferred in spite of its somewhat reduced strength, since such lower Mg alloys are less susceptible to intergranular corrosion when exposed to paint bake temperatures unlike their Al-4.5 Mg counterparts. Such a development could provide a differentiated product for possible use in both inner part and outer panel automotive applications. Said products would have superior corrosion resistance coupled with high SPF formability. This invention addresses recent efforts to achieve good SPF elongations, in excess of about 400%, and more preferably 500% or higher, for about 88% cold rolled sheet at about 1050° F. using a moderately high strain rate of about 0.001/sec. The results obtained herein compare favorably with SPF results reported in the literature for the 4.5% Mg-based 5083 and 5182 aluminum alloys favored by today's automotive manufacturers and designers. It is believed that the same procedures described below for a new Al-3% Mg SPF product could also enhance the performance of higher Mg-containing alloys, including Al-4.5% Mg alloys.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal objective of this invention to provide a relatively lower Mg, aluminum-based alloy with superplastic formability, and more preferably, with improved corrosion resistance as well. It is another main objective to provide a method for imparting superplastic formability to a greater range of Al alloys containing less than about 6 wt. % Mg, and more preferably, less than about 4 wt. % magnesium. It is another main objective herein to provide for automotive sheet manufacturers, an improved product and method for exploiting the superplastic formability of lower Mg, aluminum alloys. These, and other objectives are achieved with a superplastically formable, aluminum alloy product which consists essentially of: about 2-3.8 wt. % magnesium; at least one dispersoid-forming element selected from the group consisting of: up to about 1.6 wt. % manganese, up to about 0.2 wt. % zirconium, and up to about 0.3 w. % chromium; at least one recrystallization nucleation-enhancing element selected from: about 0.11-1.0 wt. % silicon and/or up to about 1.5 wt. % copper or more preferably about 0.8% or less copper. Said alloy product has greater than about 225% elongation at a strain rate of about 0.0001-0.003/sec and a superplastic forming temperature between about 950-1135° F. due, in part, to the preferred thermomechanical processing steps applied thereto. A related method of manufacture is also disclosed herein.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further features, objectives and advantages of this invention will be made clearer from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments made with reference to the accompanying charts, drawings and micrographs in which:
FIG. 1 is a flowchart comparing standard manufacturing process steps (left side) versus one preferred process according to the invention;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are polarized light optical micrographs (100× magnification) showing the grain structures of a 0.10 inch thick, superplastically formed sheet product according to this invention tested at 1000° F. and a strain rate of 0.0003/sec FIG. 2A being at Grip and FIG. 2B at Gauge, respectively;
FIG. 3 is a chart showing the relative relationship of strain rate (x-axis) versus % elongation (y-axis) for one preferred alloy composition according to this invention;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are polarized light optical micrographs (100× magnification) comparing the grain structures of a 0.10 inch thick, superplastically formed sheet product according to this invention tested at 1000° F. (FIG. 4 a ) versus 1050° F. (FIG. 4B) and a strain rate of 0.001/sec.;
FIGS. 5A and 5B are polarized light optical micrographs (100× magnification) comparing the grain structures of a 0.07 inch thick, superplastically formed sheet product according to this invention tested at 1000° F. and a strain rate of 0.001/sec. to show the effect of cold rolling thereon, FIG. 5A being at Grip and FIG. 5B at Gauge, respectively.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
For any description of preferred alloy compositions, all references to percentages are by weight percent (wt. %) unless otherwise indicated.
When referring to any numerical range of values, such ranges are understood to include each and every number and/or fraction between the stated range minimum and maximum. A range of about 2-3.8 wt. % magnesium for example, would expressly include all intermediate values of about 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 and 2.5 wt. %, all the way up to and including 3.75, 3.77 and 3.79 wt. % Mg. The same applies to every other elemental and/or numerical property/processing range set forth herein.
As used herein, the term “substantially-free” means having no significant amount of that component purposefully added to the alloy composition, it being understood that trace amounts of incidental elements and/or impurities may find their way into a desired end product. For example, a substantially iron-free alloy might contain less than about 0.3% Fe, or less than about 0.1% Fe on a more preferred basis, due to contamination from incidental additives or through contact with certain processing and/or holding equipment. It is to be understood that the alloy composition of this invention is also generally free of any elemental components not expressly mentioned hereinabove. Particularly, this invention is free of components X, Y and Z even though it does not expressly state every single component which is absent from its preferred formulations. Furthermore, all corrosion-resistant embodiments of this present invention are substantially copper-free although the invention could be applied to Cu-containing alloys as needed.
As used herein, the term “superplastic” describes the forming of complex shapes from metals, especially aluminum alloys herein, at elevated temperatures and specified strain rates utilizing the superplastic forming characteristics of the metal to avoid localized necking, cavitation, tearing and other complex shape-forming problems. Superplastic forming can and has been viewed as an accelerated form of high temperature creep and occurs much like sagging or creep forming. In the case of aluminum alloys, superplastic forming is normally performed at temperatures above 700° F., typically in the range of about 900 to 1000° F. or even higher. At these temperatures, the metal creeps and can be moved by shaping operations at relatively low stress levels, the stress at which metal starts to move easily or “flow” being referred to as the flow stress.
Superplastic forming is recognized as being able to produce intricate forms or shapes from sheet metal and offers the promise of cost savings through opportunity for parts consolidation. Superplastic-forming techniques, however, are themselves time-consuming in that like any form of creep forming, the metal flowing operation proceeds relatively slowly in comparison with high speed press forming. Substantial cost savings and benefits could be realized if a superplastically formed, aluminum alloy could be made to flow faster at a given temperature, or be superplastically formed at a lower temperature, or both, without localized necking, tearing or rupturing.
Fine grain size, a prerequisite for good SPF properties, is generally obtained by manipulating both nucleation and growth of recrystallized grains in the cold rolled (CR) sheets. Ideally, many nucleation centers to form many recrystallized grains coupled with sufficient pinning sources to prevent grain growth are prerequisites to obtain fine grains. Al-3 wt. % Mg alloys (in our example) utilize similar dispersoid additions as the 4.5 and higher Mg alloys and higher, for example 6 wt. % Mg, or even up to about 10 wt. % Mg. Thus, they have the requisite pinning centers to prevent grain growth. Nucleation wise though all the alloys had undergone identical deformation, it is likely that at the 3 wt. % Mg level the density of dislocation networks which increases with increasing Mg was inadequate, thus resulting in less development of nucleation sources for recrystallized grains. Thus, it appeared that the improved SPF performance of the Al-3 wt. % Mg alloy was intimately related to its ability to develop finer grains through the formation of more recrystallization nuclei made possible through some new approach.
The current invention attempts to overcome the low solute handicap in lower Mg-content, aluminum-based alloys. By incorporating Si (and/or Cu when corrosion is not a concern) into solid solution, the density of tangled dislocations could be increased during TMP to a level similar to that of higher Mg alloys or lower Mg alloys with other intentional solute additions like Zn, Cu, etc. This would then provide more nucleation centers for recrystallized grains. On a preferred basis, Si is added to Al-3 wt. % Mg alloys to its maximum solubility limit. However, the solubility of Si (and to an extent of Cu) is drastically reduced in aluminum alloys containing greater than 1 wt. % Mg. Thus, the amount of Si that could be added to an Al-3 wt. % Mg composition was 0.18% corresponding to the highest possible SHT temperature of 1080° F. per equilibrium diagram information. In addition, combinations of dispersoid formers Mn, Cr and/or Zr were added. On a preferred basis, the alloy product of this invention contains Zn, Cu and Mg levels that satisfy the following formulaic ratio: ( % Z n + % Cu ) % Mg < 0.5
The final composition of a test, book mold ingot (2.0″×10″×14″) was: Mg: 3.13 wt. %; Si: 0.22 wt. %; Mn: 0.78 wt. %; Cr: 0.19 wt. %; Zr: 0.10 wt. %; Fe: 0.05 wt. %; Be: 0.0004 wt. %;, the balance aluminum. The scalped ingot was heated to 830° F. in 15 hours, soaked for 4 hours at 830° F., and hot rolled in four passes to a 0.6″ finish gauge plate. The plate was then solution treated at 1080° F. for 1 hour, cold water quenched (CWQ) and cold rolled (in 10 passes) to an 80% reduction (or to 0.12″) or, alternatively to an 88% reduction (0.072″ gauge sheet).
SPF tests were performed on these sheet products by rapidly heating the samples in 15 minutes to SPF test temperatures of 1000 or 1050° F. Failure samples were then taken for metallographic examination of their grain structures. The actual SPF tests followed the normal procedures of first determining the strain rate sensitivity parameter (m) as a function of strain rate, and then determining the elongation at selected constant strain rates corresponding to the highest or optimized high “m” values. In this investigation, strain rates varied from 0.003 to 0.0003/sec and the corresponding “m” values from 0.35 to 0.45, respectively.
Another important aspect of this invention is the application of a drastic cooling rate, or quench, to the hot rolled plate or slab (prior to cold rolling). Preferably, this quench, which follows the first of two solution heat treatments (or “SHT”) is accomplished via contact with a cold liquid medium, most preferably cold water. For the aforementioned alloy composition, that first SHT is optimized at or below about 1080° F. to retain solute supersaturation and take full advantage of same during subsequent cold rolling. This contrasts with a known standard practice (shown comparatively in accompanying FIG. 1) that uses air cooling of hot rolled plate followed by low temperature annealing and/or direct cold rolling. The additional solute retained by the preferably cold water quench (or “CWQ”) of this invention leads to increased solute interaction effects due to Si. In subsequent stages, the much reduced solubility of Si at high Mg compositions was exploited to its best advantage. The excess Si formed many fine Mg 2 Si precipitates at lower temperature during the heat up for SPF. This resulted in added dispersoids effect which contributed to further grain growth control.
In FIG. 1, the differing steps between this invention and known standard practices have been underscored for further emphasis. Notably, the standard practice, with its lone SHT step, uses air cooling and annealing of a hot rolled plate product as compared to this method's use of a first SHT, rapid quench and cold roll, without any anneal, eventually followed by a second SHT and cooling. This invention also differs from known art by adding smaller amounts of Si and/or Cu than their other superplastic counterparts.
In the next several Figures, polarized light optical micrograph data illustrates several noteworthy changes in the microstructure that accompanied the progress of SPF in the preferred, lower Mg-containing alloys of this invention. FIGS. 2A and 2B show micrographs at Grip versus Gauge sections, respectively, for a 0.1″ sample tested at 1000° F. and 0.0003/sec to indicate the effect of strain induced grain growth at Gauge. The Gauge was exposed to both high (SPF) temperature and strain while Grip to just high temperature exposure. Compared with FIG. 2A, the grain size in FIG. 2B appears somewhat coarser thereby indicating the effect of strain on the latter product sample.
FIG. 3 shows a composite plot of results in terms of SPF elongation (EL) versus strain rate (SR) at two different test temperatures (1000 and 1050° F.), and for two sheet gauges (0.1 and 0.07″), that corresponded to 80 and 88% cold roll reductions, respectively. Comparing these results with those observed for standard processed sheets (at the same 80% cold reduction and under identical test conditions of 1000° F. and 0.002/sec strain rates), longitudinal SPF elongation values were observed to increase to 292% from the standard value of 208% (not plotted in FIG. 3 ). Thus, the new process of this invention increased comparative elongations by nearly 40%!
General trends show an increase in elongation as strain rates decrease from about 0.002 to about 0.0003/sec (per the line connecting certain data points in accompanying FIG. 3 ). For example, elongation values went from 292% at 0.002/sec to 376% at 0.0003/sec for 80% cold rolled sheet at 1000° F. Since higher strain rates are generally more attractive to manufacturers, especially automotive sheet manufacturers, most of the SPF data in FIG. 3 was collected for a 0.001/sec strain rate.
FIG. 3 also shows the several higher SPF elongation values obtained in samples through further TMP optimization. Thus, at a strain rate of 0.001/sec, increasing the SPF test temperature from 1000 to 1050° F. increased elongation from 332 to 356%, while increasing the cold reduction from 80% to 88% increased elongation at 1000° F. from 332 to 404%. A sample of 0.072″ gauge when tested at 1050° F., at either 0.001/sec or at 0.0003/sec, did not fail up to a 550% elongation limit imposed by the maximum setting of the cross head motion. Thus, the preferred new approaches of this invention, both Si additions and rapid quenching (preferably CWQ) of an intermediate slab or plate product prior to cold rolling, when combined with additional optimization measures (increased cold rolling and higher SPF test temperatures) succeeds in increasing overall SPF elongations for an Al-3 wt. % Mg alloy by more than 160% from its original 208% to greater than 550%.
In a comparative experiment, hot rolled plate samples were solution heat treated at a lower temperature, about 950° F. (below the solvus temperature), before being quenched to intentionally reduce the solubility of Si in the matrix. Such processing was predicted to correspondingly decrease the overall nucleation effect during deformation due to a reduced Si-Mg interaction effect. The SPF elongation results for these samples dropped from 332 to 216% at the aforesaid temperature and strain rate conditions consistent with this prediction.
Optical metallography of SPF-formed Al-3 wt. % Mg—Si samples in FIG. 4A show the presence of fine, uniformly recrystallized grains, thus meeting this invention's first objective of grain size refinement. The detailed SPF results are listed in Table 1 that follows.
TABLE 1
SPF Elongation Values as Functions of Strain Rate,
Temperature and Sheet Gauge in an Al-3 Mg-0.2 Si Alloy According
to the Invention
(/1000F(−1)
(/1000F(−2)
Strain Rate
(/1000F(−1)(L)(.10″)
(T);).10″)
(L)(.10″)
0.0003
376
0.0007
348
0.001
332
224
216
0.002
292
0.003
260
(/1050F(−1)
(/1050F(−2)
Strain Rate
(/1050F(−1)(L)(.10″)
(T);(.10″)
(L)(.10″)
0.0003
444
404
0.0007
0.001
356
236
308
(/1000F(−1)
Strain Rate
(/1000F(−1)(L)(.07″)
(T)(.07″)
0.0003
0.0007
0.001
404
224
1050F(−1)
Strain Rate
(/1050F(−1)(L)(.07″)
(T)(.07″)
0.0003
>550
292
0.0007
0.001
>550
FIG. 4B shows the effect of temperature, where the gauge micrograph shows coarser grains for a test temperature of 1050° F. compared to the micrograph for 1000° F. in FIG. 4A (both using the strain rate 0.001/sec).
FIGS. 5A and 5B show the micrographs at Gauge and Grip, respectively, for the 0.07″ gauge sheet pulled at 1000° F. and 0.001/sec, indicating that higher cold reduction resulted in further grain refinement commensurate with further increase in elongation, 404% compared to 332% for 0.10″ sheets.
Because of the foregoing performance, it is believed that sheet product compositions processed according to this invention would achieve the desired SPF properties, with improved corrosion resistance performance and sufficient strength values as to warrant the manufacture of both inner and outer automotive structural sheet parts therefrom.
Having described the presently preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied by the scope of the claims appended hereto.
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A method for making a superplastically formable, aluminum alloy product which consists essentially of: about 2-3.8 wt. % magnesium; at least one dispersoid-forming element selected from the group consisting of: up to about 1.6 wt. % manganese, up to about 0.2 wt. % zirconium, and up to about 0.3 w. % chromium; at least one nucleation-enhancing element for recrystallization selected from: about 0.11-1.0 wt. % silicon, up to about 1.5 wt. % copper, and combinations thereof. Said alloy product has greater than about 300% elongation at a strain rate of about 0.0001-0.003/sec and a superplastic forming temperature between about 1000-1100° F. due, in part to the preferred thermomechanical processing steps applied to its intermediate plate or slab product forms.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a head arm assembly (HAA) having a recording and/or a reproducing head such as a flying type thin-film magnetic head or a flying type optical head, and to a disk drive device with the HAA.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0002] In a magnetic disk drive device, a magnetic head slider for writing magnetic information into and/or reading magnetic information from a magnetic disk is in general formed on a magnetic head slider flying in operation above a rotating magnetic disk. The slider is fixed at a top end section of an HAA.
[0003] The conventional HAA includes a support arm with high rigidity, a voice coil motor (VCM) that is an actuator to rotationally move this support arm in parallel with a magnetic disk surface, a suspension having elasticity, which is fixed to a tip end of the support arm, and a magnetic head slider mounted to a top end section of the suspension, and it is constructed so that a load applied to the magnetic head slider in a direction to the magnetic disc surface generated with a leaf spring provided at the suspension itself, or a leaf spring provided at a connecting section of the suspension and the support arm.
[0004] In the HAA with the conventional structure as described above, the magnetic head slider is mounted to the suspension at the tip of the leaf spring, and therefore when an impact is applied thereto from outside, there is a fear that the magnetic head slider is strongly vibrated and collided against the magnetic disk surface, and gives a damage to the disk surface.
[0005] In order to improve resistance of the HAA with the conventional structure against the impact, an HAA with a new structure, in which a main part of the HAA is constructed by an arm member with high rigidity, a magnetic head slider is mounted to one end section of the arm member while a VCM is mounted to the other end section, a support point to make it possible to rotationally move in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the magnetic disc is provided in the middle of the one end and the other end of the arm member, and a leaf spring for load generation is mounted to that section, is researched and developed (not known at the time of this application).
[0006] In the HAA with the conventional structure, a limiter mechanism for preventing the arm member from popping up when an impact is applied from outside is provided between a flexure and a load beam so that the flexure provided at the top end section of the suspension does not pop up from the load beam.
[0007] However, in the HAA with the aforementioned new structure, because the entire arm member is constructed by the member with high rigidity and moves together, it becomes impossible to provide the limiter mechanism with the above-described structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new structure HAA having an effective limiter mechanism, and a disk drive device including the HAA.
[0009] According to the present invention, an HAA includes a head slider having at least one head element, an arm member for supporting the head slider at one end section, an actuator, mounted to the other end section of the arm member, for rotationally moving the arm member in a direction substantially parallel with a recording medium surface around a horizontal rotation axis of the arm member, a load generation unit for generating a load for energizing the head slider in a direction to the recording medium surface by rotationally moving the arm member in a direction substantially orthogonal to the recording medium surface around a vertical rotation axis, and a limiter unit for restraining the arm member from rotationally moving more than a predetermined limit in a direction to separate from the recording medium surface around the vertical rotation axis.
[0010] Also, according to the present invention, a disk drive device includes at least one of the above-mentioned HAA.
[0011] The head slider and the actuator such as a VCM are mounted to the respective end sections of the arm member, and the horizontal rotation axis is located between them. The arm member is constructed to be able to rotationally move in the direction substantially orthogonal to the recording medium surface with the vertical rotation axis as the center, and the head slider is biased in the direction of the recording medium surface by the load generation unit. In the HAA with such a new structure, the limiter unit for the restraining the arm member from rotationally moving more than the predetermined limit in the direction to separate from the recording medium surface with the vertical rotation axis as the center is provided. By providing such limiter unit as restrains the arm member itself from rotationally moving more than the predetermined limit, the suspension can be prevented from popping up due to the impact applied from outside also in the HAA with the new structure.
[0012] It is preferred that the limiter unit is mounted to a horizontal bearing section located at a midpoint of the arm member to rotationally moving in a horizontal direction with the arm member.
[0013] It is also preferred that the limiter unit consists of a member having high rigidity, the member abutting to the arm member only when the arm member is rotationally moved by the predetermined limit.
[0014] It is further preferred that the limiter unit consists of a first member (damper section) that is always in contact with the arm member and has a spring property to deter a vibration of the arm member, and a second member (limiter section) that supports the first member and has high rigidity to arrest rotational movement of the arm member when the arm member is rotationally moved to the predetermined limit.
[0015] It is preferred that the limiter unit abuts to or is always in contact with the arm member at a position between the head slider and the vertical rotation axis.
[0016] It is preferred that the limiter unit abuts to or is always in contact with the arm member at a position between the actuator and the vertical rotation axis.
[0017] It is also preferred that the limiter unit includes a single arm or a plurality of arms that abut(s) to or are(is) always in contact with the arm member.
[0018] It is preferred that the horizontal rotation axis is provided at a horizontal bearing section located at a midpoint of the arm member, and that the vertical rotation axis consists of a protuberance provided in the vicinity of the horizontal bearing section.
[0019] It is further preferred that the load generation unit includes a leaf spring connected to the horizontal bearing section and the arm member.
[0020] It is preferred that the arm member includes a support arm having rigidity, and a flexure having elasticity, which is supported at one end section of the support arm and for controlling a flying attitude of the head slider, the head slider being fixed on the flexure.
[0021] It is also preferred that the arm member further includes a load beam having rigidity and including a load protrusion for applying load to the head slider, the flexure being fixed on the load beam.
[0022] Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] [0023]FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating partial construction of an HAA in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0024] [0024]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an entire construction of the HAA including the HAA in FIG. 1 and its mounting part;
[0025] [0025]FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the part of a head gimbal assembly (HGA) in FIG. 1;
[0026] [0026]FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a part of a limiter member in FIG. 1;
[0027] [0027]FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating part of the limiter member and a part of a support arm in FIG. 1;
[0028] [0028]FIG. 6 is a side view schematically illustrating the entire construction of the HAA in FIG. 1;
[0029] [0029]FIG. 7 is a side view schematically illustrating an entire construction of an HAA in another embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] [0030]FIG. 8 is a side view schematically illustrating an entire construction of an HAA in still another embodiment of the present invention;
[0031] [0031]FIG. 9 is a side view schematically illustrating an entire construction of an HAA in yet another embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] [0032]FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a part of a limiter member in a modified mode of the aforementioned embodiment; and
[0033] [0033]FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating the part of the limiter member and part of a support arm in FIG. 10.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0034] [0034]FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a partial construction of an HAA in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 illustrates an entire construction of the HAA including a mounting part thereof, FIG. 3 illustrates a part of an HGA thereof, FIG. 4 illustrates a part of a limiter member thereof, FIG. 5 illustrates the part of the limiter member thereof and a part of a support arm, and FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an entire construction of the HAA. It should be noted that FIGS. 1 and 3 are views of the HAA seen from below (a side facing a magnetic disk), and FIG. 2 is a view of the HAA seen from the opposite direction from that in FIGS. 1 and 3.
[0035] In these drawings, reference numeral 10 denotes a support arm having high rigidity, 11 denotes a load beam also having high rigidity with its base section being fixed to a top end section of the support arm 10 , 12 denotes a flexure which is fixed to a top end section of the load beam 11 and has elasticity to control a flying attitude of a magnetic head slider 13 , 13 denotes the magnetic head slider which is fitted to a tip end of the flexure 12 and includes at least one magnetic head element, 14 denotes a leaf spring for generating a load applied to the magnetic head slider 13 , 15 denotes a fixing member for this leaf spring 14 , 16 denotes a horizontal bearing part (bearing housing) for rotationally moving the support arm 10 in a direction parallel with the surface of a magnetic disk 17 , 18 denotes a coil assembly which has a coil 19 for a VCM and is mounted to the support arm 10 , 20 denotes a mounting spacer, and 21 denotes a nut, respectively.
[0036] The support arm 10 is constructed by a metal plate member having sufficient rigidity, for example, a stainless steel plate (for example, SUS304TA) about 330 μm thick, or a resin plate member.
[0037] The load beam 11 is constructed by a metal plate member having sufficient rigidity, for example, a stainless steel plate (for example, SUS304TA) about 40 μm thick. The load beam 11 and the support arm 10 are fixed by pinpoint fixation by a plurality of welded points with use of a laser beam or the like when the support arm 10 is a metal plate member.
[0038] The flexure 12 is constructed so as to give suitable stiffness to the magnetic head slider 13 pressed and loaded by a dimple (not shown) being a protuberance for applying a load provided at a top end section of the load beam 11 . The flexure 12 is constructed by a stainless steel plate (for example, SUS304TA) about 25 μm thick in this embodiment. The flexure 12 and the load beam 11 are fixed by pinpoint fixation by a plurality of welded points with use of a laser beam or the like.
[0039] The leaf spring 14 is formed of a metal leaf spring material in substantially a circular shape or substantially a semicircular shape, and its thickness and quality are suitably selected so as to be able to give a desired load to the magnetic head slider 13 . In this embodiment, the leaf spring 14 is constructed by a stainless steel plate (for example, SUS304TA) about 40 μm thick. The leaf spring 14 is placed to be coaxial with the fixing member 15 , a mounting hole 10 a of the support arm 10 and the bearing housing 16 , both end sections of the semicircular shape are fixed to the support arm 10 , and a central section is fixed to the bearing housing 16 via the fixing member 15 . Accordingly, the support arm 10 is supported by the bearing housing 16 via the leaf spring 14 . A rotation axis of the bearing housing 16 is a horizontal rotation axis 23 a of the support arm 10 , accordingly, the HAA, and the bearing housing 16 and the support arm 10 rotationally move together in the horizontal direction with this rotation axis 23 a as the center.
[0040] The fixing member 15 is formed of a metal plate with high rigidity in substantially a semicircular shape, and in this embodiment, it is constructed by, for example, a stainless steel plate (for example, SUS304TA) about 100 μm thick.
[0041] A pair of protuberances, namely, pivots 22 as shown in FIG. 6 are provided on an under surface (surface on the side of the magnetic disk) of a flange portion 16 a of the bearing housing 16 . A pair of these pivots 22 are provided at such locations as they are axially symmetric with respect to a center axis of the support arm 10 , and a straight line connecting both of them passes through an axial center of the bearing housing 16 , and they are constructed so that tip ends of these pivots 22 abut to the support arm 10 . Consequently, the support arm 10 is supported by the leaf spring 14 in the state in which it abuts to the tip ends of the pivots 22 and is axially supported, and the support arm 10 is biased in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the magnetic disk 17 . In this case, the straight line connecting the tip ends of a pair of pivots 22 becomes a vertical rotation axis 23 b of the support arm 10 , accordingly, the HAA.
[0042] A limiter member 24 having only a limiter function is provided at a front surface (magnetic head slider side) of the flange portion 16 a of the bearing housing 16 , as shown in FIGS. 2 , and 4 - 6 . The limiter member 24 is formed by a member with high rigidity, and its tip end 24 a is not in contact with the support arm 10 normally and is away from the support arm 10 . When some impact is applied from outside, and the support arm 10 is rotationally moved at a certain angle (displacement height) in a direction (direction of the arrow 25 in FIG. 6) in which the magnetic head slider 13 separates form the magnetic disk with the vertical rotation axis 23 b as a center, the tip end 24 a of the limiter member 24 abuts to the surface of the support arm 10 or the load beam 11 to restrain the support arm 10 from rotationally moving more than this. Accordingly, the suspension can be prevented from popping up due to the impact applied from outside.
[0043] The limiter member 24 may be formed integrally with the bearing housing 16 , or it may be fixed to the bearing housing 16 after it is formed separately. In the former case, there is no addition of a new component, which makes the production easy, and the production cost does not rise. In either case, the limiter member 24 is formed by a metal member or a plastic member so as to have high rigidity.
[0044] The load to the magnetic head slider 13 is applied by the leaf spring 14 . Namely, the leaf spring 14 gives an elastic force in the direction shown by the arrow 26 to the support arm 10 , whereby the force is transmitted by the support arm 10 having rigidity with the pivots 22 as the support points and the load beam 11 , and biases the magnetic head slider 13 downward. According to this construction, the support arm 10 and the load beam 11 can be constructed by the members with high rigidity, and therefore resistance against the impact applied form outside can be enhanced. In addition, resonance frequency can be enhanced by using the arm with high rigidity, thus making it possible to perform positioning with high precision at a high speed without causing an unnecessary vibration mode.
[0045] The important point in this embodiment is that the limiter member 24 is provided at the front surface of the bearing housing 16 , and this restrains the support arm 10 from rotationally moving upward at a certain angle or more. According to this, in the HAA with the structure for supporting the support arm 10 with high rigidity with the pivots 22 as the supporting points, the support arm can be prevented from popping up due to the impact applied from outside.
[0046] [0046]FIG. 7 is a side view schematically illustrating an entire construction of an HAA in another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a damper/limiter member 74 having a damper function and a limiter function is provided at the front surface (the magnetic head slider side) of the flange portion 16 a of the bearing housing 16 . The damper/limiter member 74 has a two-stage construction of a damper part 74 a having a spring property with low rigidity, and a limiter part 74 b with high rigidity for supporting a base section of this damper part 74 a , and a tip end 74 c of the damper part 74 a is constructed to be always in contact with the surface of the support arm 10 or the load beam 11 .
[0047] When the support arm 10 is rotationally moved in a direction (the direction of the arrow 25 in FIG. 7) in which the magnetic head slider 13 separates from the magnetic disk with the vertical rotation axis 23 b as a center for some reason, the vibration is attenuated by the vibration reduction effect of the damper part 74 a of a low load and a low spring constant up to a certain angle (displacement height). When the impact is applied from outside and the support arm 10 is rotationally moved more than this, it exceeds the maximum displacement amount of the damper part 74 a , and the rigidity of the limiter part 74 b restrains the support arm 10 from rotationally moving more than this, whereby the suspension is prevented from popping up due to the impact applied form outside.
[0048] The damper/limiter member 74 may be formed integrally with the bearing housing 16 , or may be fixed to the bearing housing 16 after it is formed separately. In the former case, the rigidities and spring constants are made different by changing the shapes and thicknesses of the damper part 74 a and the limiter part 74 b from each other. In this case, there is not addition of a new component, which facilitates the production, and the production cost does not rise. In the latter case, the damper part 74 a and the limiter part 74 b may be formed of the same material, or may be formed of the materials with different rigidities from each other. In either case, the damper part 74 a is formed to have low rigidity, and the limiter part 74 b has high rigidity.
[0049] The other constructions and the other operational effects of this embodiment are substantially the same as in the case of the embodiment in FIG. 1.
[0050] [0050]FIG. 8 schematically illustrates an entire construction of an HAA in still another embodiment of the present invention.
[0051] In this embodiment, a limiter member 84 having only the limiter function is provided at a rear surface (the VCM side) of a lower flange portion 16 b of the bearing housing 16 . The limiter member 84 is formed of a member with high rigidity, and its tip end 84 a is not in contact with the coil assembly 18 or the support arm 10 normally, and is separated from them. When some impact is applied from outside, and the support arm 10 is rotationally moved at a certain angle (displacement height) in a direction in which the magnetic head slider 13 separates from the magnetic disk (the direction of the arrow 25 in FIG. 8) with the vertical rotation axis 23 b as the center, a tip end 84 a of the limiter member 84 abuts to a back surface of the coil assembly 18 or the support arm 10 to restrain the support arm 10 from rotationally moving more than this. Accordingly, the suspension can be prevented from popping up due to the impact applied from outside.
[0052] The limiter member 84 may be formed integrally with the bearing housing 16 , or may be fixed to the bearing housing 16 after it is separately formed. In the former case, there is not addition of a new component, which facilitates the production, and the production cost does not rise. In either case, the limiter member 84 is formed by a metal member of a plastic member to have high rigidity.
[0053] The other constructions and the other operational effects of this embodiment are substantially the same as in the case of the embodiment in FIG. 1.
[0054] [0054]FIG. 9 schematically illustrates an entire construction of an HAA in yet another embodiment of the present invention.
[0055] In this embodiment, a damper/limiter member 94 having the damper function and the limiter function is provided at a rear surface (the VCM side) of the lower flange portion 16 b of the bearing housing 16 . The damper/limiter member 94 has a two-stage construction of a damper part 94 a having a spring property with low rigidity and a limiter part 94 b with high rigidity for supporting a base section of this damper part 94 a , and is constructed so that a tip end 94 c of the damper part 94 a is always in contact with a back surface of the coil assembly 18 or the support arm 10 .
[0056] When the support arm 10 is rotationally moved in the direction in which the magnetic head slider 13 separates from the magnetic disk (the direction of the arrow 25 in FIG. 9) with the vertical rotation axis 23 b as the center for some reason, the vibration is attenuated by a vibration reduction effect of the damper part 94 a of a low load and a low spring constant to a certain angle (displacement height). When an impact is applied from outside, and the support arm 10 is rotationally moved more than this, it exceeds the maximum displacement amount of the damper part 94 a , and the rigidity of the limiter part 94 b restrains the support arm 10 from rotationally moving more than this, whereby the suspension is prevented from popping up due to the impact applied from outside.
[0057] The damper/limiter member 94 may be formed integrally with the bearing housing 16 , or may be fixed to the bearing housing after it is formed separately. In the former case, the rigidities and spring constants are made different by changing the shapes and the thicknesses of the damper part 94 a and the limiter part 94 b from each other. In this case, there is not addition of a new component, which facilitates the production, and the production cost does not rise. In the latter case, the damper part 94 a and the limiter part 94 b may be formed of the same material, or may be formed with the materials with different rigidities. In either case, the damper part 94 a is formed to have low rigidity, and the limiter part 94 b is formed to have high rigidity.
[0058] The other constructions and the other operational effects of this embodiment are substantially the same as in the case of the embodiment in FIG. 1.
[0059] [0059]FIG. 10 illustrates a limiter member section in a modified mode of the aforementioned embodiment, and FIG. 11 illustrates the limiter member section in FIG. 10 and part of the support arm.
[0060] In this modified mode, a limiter member 104 provided at the bearing housing 16 has two arms, and when an impact is applied to the support arm 10 from outside and the support arm 10 is rotationally moved more than a certain angle (displacement height), tip ends 104 a of these two arms abut to the front surface of the support arm 10 or the load beam, or the back surface of the coil assembly 18 or the support arm 10 to restrict the rotational movement more than this, whereby the suspension is prevented from popping up due to the impact applied from outside.
[0061] The other constructions and the other operational effects of this embodiment are substantially the same as in the case of the embodiment in FIG. 1.
[0062] The shapes and constructions of the limiter member and the damper/limiter member in the embodiments described above and the modified mode are only examples, and it is obvious that any thing may be suitable if only the aforementioned function is satisfied. The member for mounting them is not limited to the bearing housing, and any member may be suitable if only it is the member rotationally moving in the horizontal direction together with the support arm.
[0063] The present invention is explained with use of the HAA including the thin-film magnetic head element, but the present invention is not limited only to the HAA like this, but it is obvious that the present invention is applicable to the HAA including the head element such as, for example, an optical head element other than a thin-film electromagnetic head element.
[0064] Many widely different embodiments of the present invention may be constructed without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. It should be under stood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in the specification, except as defined in the appended claims.
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An HAA includes a head slider having at least one head element, an arm member for supporting the head slider at one end section, an actuator, mounted to the other end section of the arm member, for rotationally moving the arm member in a direction substantially parallel with a recording medium surface around a horizontal rotation axis of the arm member, a load generation unit for generating a load for energizing the head slider in a direction to the recording medium surface by rotationally moving the arm member in a direction substantially orthogonal to the recording medium surface around a vertical rotation axis, and a limiter unit for restraining the arm member from rotationally moving more than a predetermined limit in a direction to separate from the recording medium surface around the vertical rotation axis.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to guidewires used with catheters, for example, to guide and place a catheter in a blood vessel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to guidewires commonly used in the placement of catheters at various locations in a patient's body, such as in the cardiovascular system, e.g., balloon catheters and angiographic catheters. Such catheters may be too flexible to be advanced unsupported through the patient's vasculature and require a quidewire to support and guide the catheter into place.
Typically, a guidewire first is manipulated through the patient's vasculature to a desired location. The catheter, which has a lumen adapted to receive the guidewire, then is advanced over the guidewire to follow it to the desired location. One very common quidewire construction has an elongate, flexible helical coil having a proximal end and a distal end, the latter being inserted into the patient. An internal core wire typically extends through the coil, the proximal end of the core wire being attached to the proximal end of the coil. The internal core wire may be tapered at its distal end or may not extend fully to the distal end of the helical coil thus providing a segment of increased flexibility at the distal end of the guidewire. The more flexible distal segment is advantageous in that it is less likely to cause trauma to a blood vessel. Guidewires also commonly have a safety wire which extend within the coil from the proximal to the distal end. The safety wire prevents detachment of a segment of the coil, should such a segment break off within the body. In some guidewires used for cardiovascular purposes, the distal portion of the helical coil is J shaped to provide improved steerability of the guidewire into various branches of a blood vessel.
This invention in particular relates to a class of guidewires having an inner core wire that is movable longitudinally within the lumen of the helical coil. The movable core wire permits variability in the flexibility of the distal end of the guidewire. The core wire can be drawn proximally to provide increased flexibility in the distal end or can be advanced towards the distal end of the helical coil to increase the stiffness at the distal end. Variable flexibility enables the guidewire to be used in situations where it is important to be able to vary the tip configuration from a soft, flexible atraumatic configuration to a stiffer, more easily pushed configuration.
Movable core guidewires having a helical coil with a J shaped distal portion are sometimes used for cardiovascular applications. The movable core is advantageous over the fixed core for the J-shaped guidewires because the size of the curve on the distal portion can be adjusted by moving the core wire distally (to straighten out the J) or moving the core wire proximally (to reform the J). The ability to control the shape of the J-tip increases the facility by which the guidewire can be manipulated to select a desired blood vessel at branch points.
It is very important, for patient safety, that the distal tip of the movable core does not strike through the side of the guidewire through a pair of adjacent turns of the helical coil. The risk of such "strike through" is somewhat greater when the distal portion of the guidewire is disposed in a more sharply curved or tortuous blood vessel or body lumen. Additionally, when the guidewire is advanced into such difficult vasculature, it increases the frictional forces developed between the movable core tip and the inner surface of the helical coil thus making it more difficult to move the movable core wire through the helical coil and also reducing the physician's sensitivity to the feel of the movable core. It is among the general objects of the invention to provide an improved movable core guidewire which avoids the foregoing difficulties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The movable core guidewire of the present invention includes an elongate, flexible helical coil having a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough for receiving a movable core wire. The movable core wire has a flexible polymeric element extending from the distal end of the movable core wire which facilitates smooth movement of the movable core wire within the lumen of the helical coil and also reduces the risk of the core wire striking through the helical coil. The polymeric element is made of a lubricious polymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene or tetrafluoroethylene which reduces the force necessary to push or pull the core wire through the lumen of the helical coil. The use of this polymeric element provides a movable core guidewire that has a better, more sensitive feel for the physician when the movable core is slid longitudinally through the lumen of the helical coil particularly when the distal end of the guide is in tortuous vasculature.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved movable core guidewire for guiding a catheter within a body blood vessel.
It is another object of the invention to provide a movable core guidewire which provides a better feel for the physician when moving the core wire.
Another object of the invention is to provide a movable core guidewire having an inner core which can be advanced through the lumen of a helical coil with reduced friction.
Another object of the invention is to provide a movable core guidewire which reduces the risk of the core wire striking through the helical coil outer casing.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a movable core guidewire which is relatively uniform with regard to variability of the feel from one guidewire to the next.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will be appreciated more fully from the following further description thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is an enlarged sectional, fragmented illustration of the movable core guidewire of the present invention;
FIG. 2A through 2C are enlarged fragmented illustrations of the distal region of embodiments of the movable core wire of the guidewire having a polymeric element attached to and extending distally from the distal end of the core wire;
FIGS. 3A through 3C are enlarged diagrammatic illustrations showing the manner in which the movable core wire can be manipulated to vary the degree of curvature at the distal end of a guidewire having a J-tip;
FIG. 4 depicts one manner in which the tip element may prevent the core wire from protruding through the helical coil; and
FIG. 5 illustrates another manner in which the tip element may function to prevent the core wire from striking through the coil.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1, illustrates the guidewire which may be considered as having a proximal end (to the right in FIG. 1) and a distal end (to the left in FIG. 1). The guidewire includes an elongate, flexible, helical coil which may be of any outer diameter, it being noted that the most common diameters for such guidewires are 0.035" or 0.038". The guidewire necessarily will be longer than the catheter with which it is intended to be used so that it may be manipulated from its proximal end while the distal end projects beyond the distal end of the catheter. Guidewires incorporating the present invention may be made in a wide variety of lengths corresponding to the lengths of the catheters with which they are intended to be used. By way of example only, the length of the guidewire may be between 100-175 cm. The proximal end of the helical coil is open, as indicated at 3, several of the most proximal turns of the helical coil 2 being joined together, as by soldering or resistance welding. The distal end of the coil is closed, as by a tip weld or soldered end indicated at 12. The tip weld 12 is hemispherical and smooth to further facilitate smooth movement of the guidewire within the body and reduce potential trauma to the body caused by the insertion of the guidewire. A movable core wire 4 is slidably received within the lumen of the helical coil 2. The movable core wire 4 has a polymeric element 6 on its distal end 8. The guidewire also preferably includes a slender safety wire 10 extending longitudinally through the coil. The safety wire 10 is attached to the proximal end of the coil at the joint and at the tip joint 12 distal end of the helical coil 2. The safety wire 10 may be coated with a lubricious material, such as Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene and tetrafluoroethylene).
The helical coil 2 can be wound from round or other cross section (preferably round) stainless steel wire 0.007" diameter. The helical coil preferably is coated with a lubricious polymer such as Teflon to facilitate smooth movement of the guidewire within the lumen of the catheter with which it is to be used as well as within the lumen of the blood vessel or other body organ. The coating preferably is applied to the helical coil after the wire is already wound so that only the outer surface of the wire which is going to contact the inner surface of the catheter lumen or body organ is so coated. The outside diameter of the helical coil 2 will vary depending upon the inside diameter of the catheter which it is going to guide. The size of the catheter is selected depending upon factors such as the size and location of the organ or blood vessel which is going to be catheterized.
The movable core wire 4 is slidably received within the lumen of the helical coil 2. The core wire 4 preferably is formed from stainless steel and preferably is coated with a lubricious polymer to aid in the smooth movement of the movable core wire 4 within the lumen of the helical coil 2. Examples of such polymers include polytetrafluoroethylene and tetrafluoroethylene, e.g. Teflon. The coating is quite thin, of the order of 0.0002" thickness and may be defined by application of a thin primer coat of Teflon, omitting the usually thicker second enamel coating of the Teflon coating process. The movable core wire 4 can be coated over its entire length from the proximal to the distal end or it can be coated over a portion of its length. A distal segment of the core wire may be uncoated, in the region where the core wire is ground down to a taper, as described more fully below. Additionally, the proximal end of the core wire also may remain uncoated to facilitate attachment of a handle. The portion of the length of the movable core wire 4 that is coated with the polymer should be that which is necessary or sufficient to provide smooth movement of the core wire within the lumen of the helical coil 2. The distal-most segment of the tapered region will be covered by a lubricious polymeric material extending over a length of about 1 to 3 cm. The diameter of the movable core wire 4 varies depending upon the inside diameter of the helical coil 2. For example, for a 0.035" or 0.038" guidewire formed from 0.007" diameter wire, the guidewire will have an inner lumen diameter of 0.021" or 0.024", the movable core wire preferably has a diameter of 0.016" or 0.018". It should be understood, however, that these dimensions are illustrative only and that they may be modified, particularly if other materials are used for any of the helical coil, movable core wire or safety wire.
The proximal end 16 of the core wire 4 preferably has a handle 14 which can be formed from the same material as the helical coil or can be formed from a plastic.
The distal portion 8 of the core wire 4 may be tapered. The taper may be a step taper or a gradual continuous taper. The tapered portion preferably extends over a distance of about 4 cm but may be between 1 to 3 cm. In the step taper, the diameter of the distal portion 8 of the core wire is reduced in progressive distinct increments alternating short tapered segments with somewhat longer continuous diameter barrel segments. In the continuous taper configuration, the taper is continuous over the distal portion 8. By way of example, the core wire may taper down to a diameter at its distal tip of the order of 0.010".
In accordance with the invention and as shown in FIG. 2A through 2C, a flexible, elongate polymeric element 6 is attached to and extends distally from the distal end 8 of the movable core wire 4. The polymeric element 6 can be applied to the core wire 4 using conventional manufacturing technologies such as shrink tubing, injection molding, or dipping. Preferably, the polymeric element 6 is formed from a length of shrinkable tubing and applied to the core wire 4 by using shrink tubing techniques. The polymeric element 6 can be hollow or solid and also can be open ended or close ended. The preferred polymeric element 6 is hollow and open ended which provides a greater flexibility than a solid polymeric element 6. The polymer for element 6 should be based on such factors as its flexibility, degree of lubricity and the ease of applying the polymer onto the core wire 4. Examples of lubricious polymers which can be used in this invention include polytetrafluoroethylene or tetrafluoroethylene, e.g. Teflon.
The polymeric element 6 preferably is formed from a tubular sleeve of heat shrinkable polymeric material selected so that it may be placed over the distal end of the core wire and then heat shrunk tightly about the core wire with a distal segment of the sleeve defining the flexible tip segment 7 that extends distally beyond the distal tip of the core wire. The tip segment 7 is of cylindrical shape and preferably narrows down to a smaller diameter than the portion of the sleeve 6 that is mounted on the distal tip of the core wire. For example, in a core wire in which the distal tip 9 of the core wire is 0.010" in diameter, the diameter of the portion of the sleeve that is disposed on the core wire may be of the order of 0.016". The distal tip element preferably necks down (indicated at 11) to a smaller diameter, preferably of the order of an inner diameter of 0.008" and an outer diameter of about 0.014". The tip extension may be of the order of 0.5 mm to about 1 mm (0.020" to about 0.040"). The wall thickness of the sleeve is about 0.003". Although the specific starting tube from which the foregoing configuration is made may vary, depending on the specific material used, we have found that a heat shrinkable Teflon tube having an inner diameter of about 0.020" and a wall thickness of about 0.003" results in satisfactory tip element. It may be noted that the necking down to a slightly smaller diameter of the tip extension tends to result in a weaker cross-section for the tip extension 7 and facilitates its bending in a manner contemplated by the present invention.
The polymeric element 6 facilitates smooth movement of the movable core wire 4 within the lumen of the helical coil 2 and also prevents the movable core wire 4 from striking through the coils of the wound helical coil 2 into the body lumen such as a blood vessel. Such protrusion of the movable core wire 4 could cause considerable trauma to a blood vessel. The polymeric element 6 prevents protrusion of the core wire 4 through the helical coil 2 by bending or folding as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 or collapsing in somewhat of an accordian-like fashion as shown in FIG. 5. In the mode of operation suggested in FIG. 4, the tip extension 7 of the polymeric element 6 bends toward the inside of the lumen of the coil 2 and thereby continually directs the distal end 8 of the movable core wire through the lumen. Should the tip extension of the polymeric element 6 become caught on a turn of the helical coil, the highly flexible nature of the tip extension 7 will cause it to collapse, as suggested somewhat diagrammatically in FIG. 5. The collapsed tip portion 7 will assume somewhat enlarged dimensions such that it cannot pass through a pair of adjacent turns of the helical coil and will tend to be deflected back into the lumen of the coil.
The polymeric element 6 also facilitates smooth movement of the core wire particularly in the distal region of the guidewire. It is the distal region of the guidewire that likely will encounter sharply curved or tortuous body lumens and will present maximum resistance to movement of the movable core. By forming the polymeric element from a lubricious material, as well as by coating a segment of the core wire proximally of the polymeric element 6 with a lubricious material, the frictional forces developed between the core wire and the coil will be reduced, even when the distal portion of the coil is in a sharply curved or tortuous configuration.
Smooth movement of the core wire 4 within the lumen of the helical coil 2 also is important when the distal portion of the helical coil 2 is J-shaped as shown by FIGS. 3A-3C. These figures show the sequential mechanism of pushing the movable core wire 4 into the helical coil 2 towards the distal end of the helical coil 2 for purposes of straightening out the J-shaped distal portion (FIG. 3A) and pulling the movable core wire 4 towards the proximal end to reform the J-shaped distal portion (FIGS. 3B and 3C). When the movable core wire 4 approaches the J-shaped portion 18 of the helical coil 2 and begins to straighten out the J shaped portion, it requires less force to push a core wire 4 having a polymer element 6 on the tip than the same coated core wire 4 without the polymer element 6.
Thus, it will be appreciated that the invention provides an improved movable core type of guidewire in which the frictional drag developed between the movable core and the guidewire lumen is reduced, even in sharply curved and tortuous configurations and also where the risk of the tip of a movable core wire striking through the helical coil is reduced. Moreover, the foregoing advantages and objects are achieved with a very simple construction, with the device being relatively easy and inexpensive to fabricate.
It should be understood, however, that the foregoing description of the invention is intended merely to be illustrative thereof and other embodiments, modifications and equivalents may be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from its spirit.
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A movable core guidewire for use in guiding a catheter to an internal body location includes an elongate, flexible helical coil having a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough for receiving a movable core wire. The movable core wire has a flexible polymeric element extending from the distal end which facilitates smooth movement of the movable core wire within the lumen of the helical coil. The use of this polymeric element provides a movable core guidewire that has a better feel for the physician when the movable core is slid longitudinally through the lumen of the helical coil and by reducing the force necessary to push or pull the core wire through the lumen of the helical coil and also reduces the risk of the core wire striking through the helical coil.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As is well known to those versed in the venetian blind art, under certain circumstances it is desired to provide venetian blinds which may be locked upon elevation of the slat assembly to its uppermost position. By this means, apartment houses, office buildings and other similar large buildings are rendered more attractive from the outside, as the haphazard appearance of venetian blinds at a multitude of different slat settings or elevations is avoided.
However, prior art blind assemblies having automatic top position locking have been relatively complex in structure and consequently unreliable in operation, requiring considerable maintenance to assure satisfactory operability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an important object of the present invention to provide a top position lock for a venetian blind, sometimes called a top lock structure, which is entirely automatic in operation, serving to automatically lock in its top position, and releasable by the conventional pull cord swinging manipulation, which structure is extremely simple in construction for economy in manufacture, ease of assembly, extreme reliability in operation throughout a long useful life, and which requires an absolute minimum of maintenance.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a top lock structure for a venetian blind which greatly reduces the number of parts required, substantially simplifies the structure of required parts. By way of example, the instant invention completely obviates the need for a locking dog or any pivoted cord-locking mechanism whatever, as is required in the prior art device of U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,236.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing a venetian blind of the present invention with the slat assembly in a released, unlocked or lowered condition.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view, partly broken away and enlarged for clarity, showing the top position lock structure of the present invention, as located in the region "2" of FIG. 1, with the lock released, and a slightly different position being illustrated in phantom.
FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the lock structure in a locked condition with the slats elevated to top position.
FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view taken generally along the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a top plan view showing the lock assembly of FIG. 4.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and specifically to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a venetian blind of the present invention generally designated 10, including a laterally extending upper assembly or head 11, and depending therefrom a slat assembly 12, shown in its lowered position. Tilt actuating means 13 may assume the form of a rotary rod, or other suitable actuating means, as at 13, depending from the head 11 adjacent to one end thereof, say the left-hand end. Also depending from the head 11, say adjacent to the right-hand end, may be elevation or height control means 14, say in the form of a pull cord, which may conventionally include a pair of cord elements suitably secured together, as desired.
The slat assembly 12 is suspended from the head 11 by ladders 15, which may be string ladders as illustrated, or otherwise, and have their upper ends connected within and depending from the head 11. As thus far described, the venetian blind 10 may be essentially conventional.
However, within the head 11, as in the region 2, is a top position lock of the present invention for automatically locking the slat assembly 12 in its top or uppermost position, permitting of selective unlocking and lowering, while precluding locking in any position except the top position.
The top position lock structure is best seen in FIGS. 2-5, there being generally designated 20. The top lock mechanism 20 may include a mounting structure 21 mounted in a top rail or head channel 22. The mounting structure 21 is generally of U-shaped, channel-like configuration, as may be formed of sheet metal, and may include a pair of generally parallel, spaced front and rear walls 23 and 24 inclined upwardly and rearwardly as best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. The upstanding front and rear walls 23 and 24 are connected together at their lower regions by spaced bottom wall portions 25 and 26 combining to define a bottom wall resting on the bottom of head channel 22. The bottom wall portions 25 and 26 are spaced apart to define therebetween an opening 27, for a purpose appearing presently, and a forwardly declining holding tab or extension 28 projects from the lower edge of front mounting structure wall 23 for engagement through a bottom opening in the head channel 22. The front mounting structure wall 23 is further formed in its upper region with a pair of laterally spaced, forwardly and upwardly extending holding tabs 29 and 30 for holding engagement with the head channel 22, as in an upper edge curl 31, see FIG. 4. The rear mounting structure wall 24 may be provided at its lower edge with a downwardly projecting holding tab or extension 32, see FIG. 4, for depending holding engagement through the bottom of head channel 22, so that the mounting structure is effectively maintained in position within the head 11 without the need for fastener elements, such as rivets, or the like.
Generally over the bottom wall opening 27 of the mounting structure 11, extending forwardly and rearwardly between the front and rear mounting structure walls 23 and 24, is a cord guide, roller or wheel 35, which may be generally cylindrical, having its axis extending generally perpendicular to and between front and rear mounting structure walls 23 and 24, being rotatably supported therebetween by a shaft, axle or rivet 36. The roller or rotatable guide 35 may be suitably fabricated, as of plastic, and is freely axially rotatably supported by the rivet or pin 36. In addition, the supporting rivet or pin 36 may structurally reinforce and rigidify the generally U-shaped mounting structure 21.
Formed in the front and rear mounting structure walls 23 and 24 are respective, parallel spaced, opposed, facing guideways or slots 37 and 38 which extend from a position at least partially below or under the roller or guide 35, on one side of the latter, the right-hand side as seen in the drawings, obliquely upwardly and rightwardly or outwardly, generally toward and approximately tangent to the roller guide. That is, the slots or guideways 37 and 38 extend, in their facing relation, from a position below the guide roll 35 adjacent to one side of the latter obliquely upwardly toward the guide roller 35 terminating proximate to and alongside of the latter.
A jam member, pin or cylindrical catch 40 may extend generally horizontally, forwardly and rearwardly through the opposed, facing pair of guideways or slots 37 and 38, being freely rotatable and shiftable along the slots. That is, the cylindrical jam member or pin 40 has its axis generally parallel to the axis of guide roller 35 and is shiftable from a lowermost position in slots 37 and 38, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, obliquely upwardly toward and generally along a tangent to the guide roller 35, say to the position shown in FIG. 3. Enlarged forward and rearward heads or ends 41 and 42 may be provided on respective opposite ends of jam member or pin 40, respectively outwardly of the front and rear mounting structure walls 23 and 24, to retain the jam member in position within the slots 37 and 38 extending between the mounting structure walls, while permitting free axial rotation and translation of the jam member along the slots. Advantageously, the jam member 40 may be circumferentially roughened or knurled, such as by serrations 43, best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3.
The pull cord 14 extends from the slat assembly 12, laterally within the head 11, outwardly over the guide roller 35, as at 45, being trained outwardly over and downwardly along the outer side of the guide roller, as at 46, whence the pull cord depends between the guide roller and the jam member 40, as at 47. It will best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, that the flexible elongate pull cord 14, at its region 47 passes inwardly of, over and in engagement with the serrated or frictional surface 43 of freely shiftable jam member 40. Thence, the pull cord 14 depends freely in front of the slat assembly 12, to its free end.
A detent or latching mechanism is generally designated 50, and includes a freely rotatably shiftable or swingable, generally U-shaped detent member 51 located at an elevation above and overlapping the upper regions of slots 37 and 38. More specifically, the detent member 51 has its upper end freely pivotally supported, as by a rivet or pin 52 extending generally forwardly and rearwardly between mounting structure walls 23 and 24 at a location over or generally above the upper ends of slots 37 and 38. The pin 52 may be generally parallel to the axes of guide roll 35 and jam member 40. The generally U-shaped detent 51 has parallel, spaced front and rear side walls 53 and 54 rotatably receiving, at their upper ends, pin 52 and depending therefrom to their lower regions, where they are joined by a generally forwardly and rearwardly extending connecting or bottom wall 55. The detent member 51 is configured to swing gravitationally clockwise to a limiting position with the inner end or edge 56 (the left-hand edge as seen in the drawings) of bottom wall 55 extending at least beyond the center line of slots 37 and 38, and also beyond the center line of pin 40 when the latter is in its lower, rest position of FIG. 2. Such clockwise movement of detent 51 is limited by a stop finger 57 extending rearwardly for abutting engagement with the end edge of rear mounting structure wall 24. This condition is shown in FIG. 5.
The detent means 50 may further include shifting means 60, say in the form of an arm or trigger depending from a laterally outward region of detent bottom wall 55, remote from pin 40 and cord guide 35, and terminating at its lower end in an abutment head 61. The detent shifting arm 60 and its lower end abutment head 71 depend, in the solid line position of FIG. 2, to a position in the path of upward movement of the slat assembly 12. By this means, upward movement of the slat assembly 12 to its top position effects engagement with the detent shift means 60 to elevate the latter and swing detent 51 counterclockwise, to the phantom position shown in FIG. 2.
In operation, slat elevation to its top position, the phantom position shown in FIG. 2, withdraws the detent 51 out of its position where inner edge 56 extends across the center line of slots 37 and 38, and over the center of pin 40. In this condition, with the pull cord 45 in its fully downwardly pulled condition in frictional engagement with the freely shiftable jam member 40, incipient upward movement of the pull cord upon release, as effected by incipient gravitational downward movement of the slat assembly, causes the jam member 40 to shift upwardly along its constrained path of slots 37 and 38 to the position shown in FIG. 3. That is, the jam member 40 moves upwardly, obliquely toward the cord guide 35 and effectively jams the cord between the guide and jam member, so that further downward movement of the slat assembly is prevented. This top lock position is shown in FIG. 3.
In order to release the slat assembly from its top locked position of FIG. 3, it is only necessary to swing the pull cord 14 leftward, to the phantom position, to release the jam member 40 for gravitational falling past detent 51 to its lowermost, slat assembly releasing or freeing position of FIG. 2. Thence, upon release of the pull cord 14, the slat assembly is free to descend. In this released slat assembly condition, the solid line position of FIG. 2, it will be observed that the detent member 51, by its gravitational movement, swings over the jam member or pin 40. Hence, free up and down movement of the slat assembly by the pull cord 14 may be freely effected, without impairment by the jam member 40, the latter being held downwardly by limiting engagement with the under side of detent bottom wall 55. It is only in the topmost slat position that the detent member is shifted outwardly or counterclockwise, as described hereinbefore, to release the jam member for its jamming action.
Further rigidifying the channel-like mounting structure 20 may be a generally forwardly and rearwardly extending pin or rivet 65 extending between the front and rear walls 23 and 24, at the innermost or leftward end thereof. Also, an additional pair of upstanding, inclined, parallel spaced, facing slots 66 and 67 may be formed in the respective front and rear walls 23 and 24, on the other, leftward side of the guide roll 45, similar to the guide slots 37 and 38, while front and rear rivet holes 68 and 69 may be provided adjacent to and above the upper ends of respective slots 66 and 67. The slots 66, 67 and holes 68, 69 are provided to enable the mounting structure 21 to be employed in a left-hand operated blind, as well as a right-hand operated blind. In a left-hand operated blind, the jam member 40 and detent means 50 would be mounted in the slots 66, 67 and holes 68, 69, and operate in the same manner as described hereinbefore, being only of opposite hand.
From the foregoing, it is seen that the present invention provides a top position lock structure for a venetian blind which is extremely simple in design, requiring a minimum of relatively staunch and sturdy parts for high reliability in operation throughout a long useful life, and which otherwise fully accomplishes its intended objects.
Although the present invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it is understood that certain changes and modifications may be made within the spirit of the invention.
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A venetian blind having a top position lock wherein a pull cord extends over and depends from a cord guide between the latter and a freely upwardly shiftable jam member which engages the depending pull cord. The pull cord urges the jam member downwardly away from the guide upon upward slat movement, and the pull cord urges the jam member upwardly into jammed engagement with the cord guide upon downward slat movement. Detent means holds the jam member downwardly except in the top slat position, so that jamming action only occurs with the slats fully raised.
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BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In the processing of tubular knitted fabric, finishing procedures typically include passing the tubular knitted fabric over a suitable spreader frame, to distend the fabric to a predetermined, uniform width and to convert the fabric to a flat, two-layer form. The fabric is continuously advanced over the spreader and, while in the flattened and distended condition, is steamed, permitting geometric adjustment of the fibers and stitches to stabilize the fabric in its uniformly distended condition. The fabric is then immediately discharged into a pair of calendering rolls, which, in effect, press the fabric, smoothing and further stabilizing it. After calendering, the fabric is gathered, typically by rolling or folding, and is taken away for cutting.
For many end uses, and particularly where the fabric is of a striped construction, it is important that the top and bottom layers of the two-layer fabric be in proper alignment or registration. Otherwise, distortions will appear in the fabric, which may be carried over into the garments which are ultimately made therefrom. Various techniques have been proposed and practiced for effecting relative adjustment of the top and bottom layers. One early and widely used technique is reflected in the S. Cohn et al. U.S. Pat. No. 2,222,794, and this involves the use of adjustable diverter bars, which enable one layer of the fabric to be diverted and/or retarded relative to the other, to bring the two layers of fabric into better alignment. Proposals have also been made for independently driving portions of the upper and lower fabric layers by variable speed rollers, in an effort to provide a greater range of adjustability. Prior proposals for such arrangements have had serious shortcomings, however, in that the independently driven rollers engage the fabric in cooperation with other rolls mounted on the spreader frame and positioned internally of the fabric. Because of the inherent bulkiness of such internal rolls, and the provisions for the support thereof, there are substantial margins of the fabric, adjacent the edge extremity, which cannot be effectively engaged by the independently driven rolls. As a result, these substantial margins may be difficult to adjust, and the finished fabric may contain significant irregularities along these margins.
In accordance with the invention, improved arrangements are provided which enable the upper and lower surfaces of the distended fabric to be controllably driven, substantially across the full distended width of the fabric, reducing to a practical minimum side edge margins which are not subject to control. Pursuant to this aspect of the invention, the spreader is provided, in its upstream portion, with a thin, flat contact plate, which may be virtually as thin as the upstream portion of the spreader frame. The contact plate is positioned in cooperating relation to upper and lower contact rolls, which extend across the full width of the machine. When the spreader frame is in position, and fabric is passing over it, the respective upper and lower layers of the fabric are grippingly engaged between the contact plate and the respective contact rolls. The presence of the contact plate does not distort the fabric, and control engagement of the fabric, out to its edge extremity, is made possible.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an improved calendering arrangement is provided, having the features and characteristics mentioned above, which readily accommodates lateral adjustment of the spreader frame. To this end, the spreader frame incorporates a substantially full width contact plate, which is adjustably mounted at its opposite sides in the spreader frame to accommodate a limited range of adjustment. A limited number of contact plates may be provided, to encompass the full range of width adjustment of the equipment, while at the same time providing in all cases substantially full width control over the fabric in the adjustment stage.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, an improved guard arrangement is provided, for cooperation with the upstream end of the spreader, in the region of the contact rolls. The guard arrangement is linked with the contact rolls in an advantageous manner, such that when the contact rolls are opened sufficiently to enable a new fabric section to be threaded into the equipment, the front guard automatically opens wide to provide manual access. When the contact rolls subsequently are moved into operating positions, the guard means automatically move into position to preclude access to the nip area of the contact rolls.
For a more complete understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment and to the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top plan view illustrating an apparatus according to the invention for the finishing of tubular knitted fabric.
FIG. 2 is a schematic side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view showing details of the spreader frame apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2.
FIGS. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary plan views illustrating details of the arrangement for mounting a flat contact plate in the spreader apparatus of FIGS. 2 and 3.
FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view as taken generally along line 6--6 of FIG. 7.
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view as taken generally along line 7--7 of FIG. 6.
FIGS. 8-10 are cross sectional views as taken generally along lines 8--8, 9--9 and 10--10 respectively of FIG. 6.
FIGS. 11 and 12 are fragmentary cross sectional views as taken generally along lines 11--11, 12--12 respectively of FIG. 10.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, the reference numeral 20 designates generally a spreader frame for receiving tubular knitted fabric. The spreader 20 includes opposite side frame members 21, 22 connected by a length-adjustable spacer rod 23. Symmetrically arranged with respect to the spacing rod 23 are pairs of rolls 24, 25 which are arranged in a well known manner to be engaged and supported by edge drive rolls 26 at each side. The edge drive rolls typically are of concave peripheral contour, for engagement with convexly contoured frame rolls 24, 25 such that, when the frame 20 is properly positioned between and in contact with the edge drive rolls 26, the frame is supported vertically, as well as positioned horizontally by the edge drive rolls.
Conventionally, the edge drive rolls are journaled on carriages, which are slideably supported by guide rods 28 for lateral adjustment by means of a threaded shaft 29. A splined drive shaft 30 is driven by means (not specifically shown) for operating the edge drive rolls 26, and hence the spreader frame rolls 24, 25, at controllably adjustable speeds.
The downstream section of the spreader frame 20, that is the section to the left of the edge drive rolls in FIG. 1, comprises a pair of frame plates 31, 32 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) which mount belt guide rollers 33, 34. Belts 35 are supported and guided by the rollers 33 and 34 and also by the downstream spreader rolls 24, such that the belts 35 are driven synchronously with the spreader rolls 24, by means of the edge drive rolls 26, in a known manner. As shown particularly in FIG. 3, the outside regions of the belts 35 lie slightly outside the recessed edges of the frame plates 31, 32, such that the belts form the edge extremities of the spreader in the downstream section. Accordingly, when the frame is positioned by the edge drive rolls 26, and the latter are driven to rotate, the belts 35 are driven in a direction to advance fabric over the downstream section of the spreader frame toward the discharge end 36 thereof. The discharge end 36 is tapered to a fairly thin section, and is normally positioned between an opposed pair of calender rolls 37, 38, so as to discharge fabric directly into the nip 39 thereof.
As reflected in FIG. 2, the spreader frame 20 has its greatest thickness in the area of the edge drive rolls 26, where the frame plates 31, 32 are separated sufficiently to straddle the spreader rolls 24, 25. Upstream of the spreader rolls, the frame plates 31, 32 are converged to a narrower dimension and rigidly mount a plate-supporting bracket 40 at each side. The brackets 40 may be generally of an L-shaped configuration, including transversely extending plate-supporting arms 41. The plate-supporting arms 41 are formed with a transverse recess 42 arranged to receive and frictionally retain a flat, thin, transversely extending contact plate 43. The plate-supporting arms 41 typically are rather short in relation to the overall width of the assembled spreader. The contact plate 43, on the other hand, extends across substantially the full width of the spreader, being supported at its end extremities within the recess 42 of each supporting arm 41.
As reflected in FIG. 3, for example, the width of the contact plate 43, in the upstream-downstream direction, is substantially greater than the depth of the recess 42, such that a substantial portion of the contact plate projects upstream from the mounting brackets 40. Although the invention is not in any sense limited to particular dimensions, a representative practical embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3 may incorporate plate-mounting brackets 40 having a thickness of about 20 mm, mounting a contact plate 43 whose thickness typically may be less than 10 mm. The forward extremities of the plate-receiving portions 41 advantageously are tapered substantially down to the thickness of the contact plate 43. Likewise, in a machine having an overall width capacity of about 127 cm (in the downstream stage of the spreader). The arm portions 41 of the plate-mounting brackets might typically have a length of as little as 15 cm, whereas the contact plate 43 itself extends entirely across the spreader frame, from one bracket 40 to another, having an overall transverse length of, for example, somewhat in excess of 100 cm. In this respect, the upstream portion of the spreader frame typically is about the same width as the downstream section and, in the example, might have an overall upstream width of around 110 cm. For some applications, the upstream section may advantageously be slightly narrower than the downstream section.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the transverse length of the contact plate 43 may be of the same as the width of the upstream portion of the spreader, but more desirably is slightly (e.g. 5 cm) less, leaving a small space (e.g. 2.5 cm) at each side, as indicated at 44 in FIG. 3. This provides for a limited amount of width adjustment of the spreader frame, with a contact plate of fixed size, the plate 43 being slideable in the recess 42 to accommodate a limited relative movement. In practical application, in order to keep the size of the gap 44 as narrow as practicable, a separate plate 43 may be provided for each 5 cm range of adjustment over the full adjustable capacity of the equipment. However, the number of plates provided may be somewhat greater or somewhat less, depending upon the production requirements to be satisfied.
In the illustrated form of the invention, there is attached to the plate-mounting brackets 40 at each side a generally U-shaped, wire entry frame 45, which forms the upstream end extremity of the spreader frame and serves as a lead-in for the oncoming fabric. At each side, the entry frame 45 is provided with an inwardly angled end portion 46 snugly received in a recess 47 drilled in the mounting bracket 40. The entry frame 45 is relatively resilient, and a single wire will accommodate a substantial range of lateral adjustment of the spreader frame. However, it may be desirable to provide more than one size of entry frame member 45 to cover the full range of adjustment of the equipment.
Pursuant to an important aspect of the invention, upper and lower contact rolls 48, 49 are journaled in the machine frame, by means to be later described, directly above and below the contact plate 43. The contact rolls extend the full width of the machine, so as to cooperate with a contact plate 43 of the largest size accommodated by the equipment. As reflected in FIG. 2, the contact rolls 48, 49, when in operative position, have their surfaces closely adjacent the respective upper and lower surfaces of the contact plate. In general, ideal adjustment of the equipment would provide for a very small (i.e., less than the thickness of a layer of fabric) clearance between the contact plate and the rolls, although very light touching of one or the other of the rolls, when no fabric is in the machine, is not harmful. The outer surfaces 50 of the contact rolls desirably are comprised of a suitable resilient material having good frictional characteristics with fabric, and the arrangement is such that, when a section of tubular knitted fabric is being advanced over the spreader frame, the respective upper and lower layers of the fabric are drivingly gripped between the respective contact rollers 48, 49 and the intervening contact plate 43. The upper and lower surfaces of the contact plate, at least in the region immediately opposing the rolls 48, 49, are very smooth, to accommodate the free sliding movement of the fabric layer over the contact plate, under the driving influence of the rollers 48, 49. As reflected in FIG. 2, the wire, forming the entry frame 45, is of relatively small diameter, so as to be in no event of greater diameter than the thickness of the contact plate 43. The latter may be as thin as is structurally practicable, consistent with reasonable durability under factory conditions.
In normal operation of the equipment of FIGS. 1-4, dry tubular knitted fabric is advanced over the upstream end of the wire entry frame 45. The fabric then passes over the contact plate 43, between the contact rollers 48, 49, and is carried over the spreader frame by the driving action of the spreader frame rollers 24, 25, the edge drive rollers 26, and the spreader belts 35. While being advanced over the downstream end of the spreader frame, the fabric is steamed, as by means of steam boxes 51, which may be of the type illustrated in the S. Cohn U.S. Pat. No. 2,602,314. The steamed fabric is then discharged from the spreader, directly into the calendering rolls 37, 38, where it is subjected to rolling pressure in the nip 39 and then discharged and gathered by rolling or folding.
Precise and effective control over the strips or cross lines in the tubular fabric, on the respective upper and lower faces thereof, is enabled by providing independent speed control of the contact rollers 48, 49, in relation to each other and to the edge drive rolls 26, as well as variable control of the calender rolls with respect to the edge drive rolls. Thus, the rolls 48, 49 may be independently advanced or retarded in relation to the edge drive rolls, and to each other, so that the cross lines of the fabric on the top may be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly relative to the cross lines on the bottom, and the center portions of the fabric may be effectively advanced or retarded, as needed, in relation to the side edges of the fabric.
Variable adjustment of upper and lower contact rollers is, of course, per se known. However, the system of the present invention provides for significantly superior results in relation to those heretofore obtainable, as a result of the thin, flat, contact plate 43, which extends substantially the full width of the spreader frame and affords continuous driving contact between the rolls 48, 49 and the fabric, across the full width of the fabric, except for a narrow gap 44 at the edge extremity, which will exist except at one extreme of the adjustment range of the setup. Thus, at one limit condition of adjustment, the sides of the wire entry frame 45 are substantially engaged with the end edges of the contact plate 43, such that there is no significant gap 44. At the opposite extreme of the adjustment range, the gap 44 may be on the order of 2 to 3 cm, still extremely small by comparison to equipment of more conventional construction. The contact plate 43, being rather thin in relation to the thickness of the spreading equipment overall, and desirably substantially less in thickness than the maximum thickness of the spreader frame, permits the fabric to have an extremely flat cross sectional configuration in the area of the contact rolls 48, 49. This not only reduces to a practical minimum the size of any gap 44 at the side edge, but also minimizes distortions in these unsupported edge margins of the fabric. Accordingly, a far greater degree of geometric uniformity in the processed fabric is obtainable in accordance with the invention than is possible with the known prior art.
In typical operation of the process, the speed of the calender rolls will be set in relation to the speed of the edge drive rolls (machine speed) so that the fabric is rather loose (free of length tension) in the downstream section, but not so loose as to pleat in the calender nip. A machine operator can easily observe the condition of the upper layer of the fabric, as it passes over the downstream portion of the spreader and as it emerges on the downstream side of the calender rolls 37, 38. If the cross lines of the fabric exhibit any forward bow, the speeds of the upper and lower contact rollers 48, 49 may be slightly decreased in relation to the edge drive rolls to pull back on the bow and straighten the cross lines. Correction of the lower fabric layer may be facilitated by viewing the same over a light source 52 and/or by means such as uprolling of the calendered fabric, as indicated at 53, in order to make the bottom layer of fabric conveniently visible.
In the illustrated form of apparatus, the basic segments of the apparatus are mounted on primary frame sections 55, 56, 57 (FIG. 1) which are structurally interconnected. At the upstream end of the installation, the primary frame section 57 includes means for mounting and driving the contact rolls 48, 49, and also an improved and simplified form of guard arrangement, to protect against accidental entry of foreign objects into the nip area of the contact rolls 48, 49. These features are shown particularly in FIGS. 6-12 of the drawing. Frame pillars 58, 59, forming part of the primary frame section 57, are mounted at each side of the machine and include mounting plates 60, 61. The lower contact roll 49 has supporting shafts 62 at each end, which project through vertically elongated openings 63 in the mounting plates and are journaled in arms 64 pivoted at 65 on the mounting plate 60 or 61. The mounting arms 64 are connected to actuating cylinders 66, which are anchored at 67 on the machine frame. The actuator 66 have a limited range of movement and, when fully extended, raise the lower contact roll 49 into a preadjusted, closely opposing relation to the lower surface of the contact plate 43. Means are provided for adjusting the fully extended position of the actuator 66, typically this may be incorporated in the anchoring structure 67, such that the fully raised position of the contact roll 49 may be precisely adjusted in relation to the contact plate.
The upper contact roll 48 is carried by a shaft 68, passing through an arcuately elongated slot 69 in the mounting plates 60 or 61 and supported by mounting levers 70 pivoted at 71. The levers 70 are connected to hydraulic actuators 72 having a predetermined range of extension, and being adjustably anchored at 73 such that the position of the actuator rods in the retracted condition may be accurately adjusted, to properly locate the upper contact roll 49 in relation to the plate 43 in the closed position of the roll.
In the illustrated apparatus, the edge drive rolls 26 are driven directly by a variable speed motor (not shown) which establishes the "machine speed". The contact rolls 48, 49 are in turn driven from a speed reducer 80 (FIG. 6) driven off of the edge drive roll input. The output shaft 81 of the reducer 80 is arranged to drive a pair of P.I.V.-type adjustable drives 82, 83, the output shafts 84, 85 of which drive the upper and lower contact rolls 48, 49. The shaft 85 is connected through a chain 86 to a drive sprocket 87 mounted coaxially with the pivot axis of the upper roll supporting lever 70 at one side of the machine (FIG. 8). The sprocket is fixed to a drive pinion 88, which meshes with a gear 89 carried on the roll shaft 68. The P.I.V. output shaft 84, at the opposite side, is connected through sprockets 90, 91 and chain 92 to a drive sprocket 93 mounted coaxially with the pivot axis 65 for the roll-mounting lever 64. The sprocket 93 is connected through a chain 94 and sprocket 95 to the shaft 62 of the lower contact roll 49.
By separate control of the P.I.V. units 82, 83, the contact rolls, 48, 49 may be independently speed regulated, one with respect to the other and also with respect to the edge drive rolls. The calender rolls 37, 38 are also driven from the edge drive roll drive. For this purpose, a variable pulley or the like (not shown) may be provided to control the speed of the calender rolls 37, 38 in relation to the speed of the edge drive rolls, in a generally known manner.
In threading a new length of tubular knitted fabric onto the machine, or when removing or replacing a spreader frame, it is desirable to open the contact rolls 48, 49 with respect to the intervening contact plate 43. This is accomplished by appropriately energizing the actuators 66, 72, extending the upper actuator 72 and retracting the lower actuator 66. As soon as the entry end of the fabric has passed the rollers, the actuators may be reversely energized, to bring the rollers into driving contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the fabric in the manner described.
To prevent entry of foreign objects into the control nip, formed by the contact rollers and the plate 43, an advantageous form of guard arrangement is provided, which bars access to the control nip during normal operation of the machine, but which automatically opens upon opening of the control nip for threading of a new length of fabric. The guard arrangement includes upper and lower guard grids 100, 101, which are arranged respectively above and below the pass line of the fabric. Each grid consists of a series of rods or bars 102 secured at opposite ends and extending transversely across the machine in front of the contact rolls 48, 49. As reflected in FIG. 10, the bars of each grid are arranged and spaced in parallel relation, in a configuration which converges toward the pass line 103 a short distance in front of the contact rolls. In the closed position of the guard, illustrated in full lines in FIG. 10, there is ample space between the forwardmost grid bars 102a to accommodate the presence of the upstream end of the spreader frame, but insufficient clearance to admit a large object.
The lower guard grid 101 includes mounting plates 104 at each side, serving to secure the ends of the rods 102 and being in turn fixed to the frame pedestals 58, 59 by bolts 105.
The guard rods 102 of the upper grid 100 are carried at their ends by swing arms 106, which are movably mounted for opening and closing movement. Advantageously, the swing levers 106 are carried on the shaft 68, supporting the upper contact roller 48, the arrangement being such that the shaft 68 rotates within a bushing 107 carried by the swing arm. Portions 108 of the swing arms 106 extend in a downstream direction beyond the shaft 68 and are movably anchored by tie-rods 109, which are pivoted at 110 on the frame pedestals. As reflected particularly in FIG. 10, the geometric relationship of the tie-rods 109 to the swing levers 106 is such that, when the contact roll 48 is in its closed position, illustrated in full lines in FIG. 10, the swing levers 106 are tilted slightly downward in the upstream direction, so that the series of guard rods converges toward the pass line in the upstream direction.
When opening the contact rolls 48, 49, the upper roll 48 is raised on its mounting levers 70, by extension of the fluid actuators 72, such that the upper contact roll 48 assumes the position illustrated in phantom lines in the upper portion of FIG. 10. Since the swing levers 106 are supported by the shaft 68 of the contact roll, the swing levers are raised along with the contact roll. However, the downstream ends 108 of the swing levers are anchored by the tie-rods 109 and serve, in effect, as a moving pivot for the swing levers, such that the forward or upstream portions of the swing levers swing upward through a large arc, to the position shown in phantom lines in FIG. 10, to provide a wide entry opening into the contact roll area.
The method and apparatus of the invention provide a significantly improved arrangement for stripe and cross line control in the finishing of tubular knitted fabric. Of particular significance, in this regard, is the provision of a flat, thin, substantially full-width contact plate, supported within the spreader frame and arranged for cooperation with upper and lower variable speed contact rolls. By using a flat, thin contact plate, rather than internal rolls or the like, significant improvements can be realized in cross line uniformity in the edge areas of the fabric. Thus, in known equipment, utilizing upper and lower stripe control rolls, cooperating with internal, spreader-mounted rolls, significantly large areas of the fabric, at the edge extremities, are not subject to cross line control in the finishing operation and can represent a significantly large geometric discontinuity in a striped fabric, for example. In this respect, where the edge discontinuities are sufficiently large as to be readily noticeable, the basic benefits of the cross line adjustment and control in the center portions of the fabric are largely wasted. In the procedure and apparatus according to the applicant's invention, cross line control is established between a flat, thin contact plate, which is readily accommodated within the cross sectional configuration of a flat, two-layer, laterally distended fabric tube, and a variable speed roller mounted externally of the fabric. The flat contact plate may extend for substantially the full width of the fabric and, indeed, can theoretically extend right up to the wire entry frame. In a typical commercial embodiment, however, a reasonable degree of width adjustment is accommodated by providing a contact plate which is a slightly narrower than the maximum width setting of the spreader for that plate. It is contemplated, in this respect, that any discontinuity in the control contact with the fabric be minimized by the provision of a series of contact plates in increments of about 5 mm.
In some instances, it may be advantageous to provide for positive control contact with the fabric at the edge extremities of the spreader frame. In such cases, an arrangement as shown in FIG. 5 may be utilized. In the modified arrangement, the plate-mounting bracket 140 adjustably receives a contact plate 143 substantially in the manner described with respect to the apparatus of FIGS. 1-4. However, the contact plate 143 is slightly shorter than the plate 43, in a typical case being perhaps 5 cm shorter in length, measured in the transverse direction of the machine. At the side edge extremities of the mounting brackets 140 are auxiliary contact plate sections 143a, which are of the same cross section as the primary contact plate 143 but of relatively narrow width, typically about 5 cm measured transversely of the machine. The auxiliary contact plates are permanently secured at each side to the mounting brackets 140, as by means of set screws 111, so as to lie directly alongside the entry frame 45. As in the case of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, when the spreader frame is adjusted to a width greater than the minimum width accommodated by the contact plate 143, a narrow gap 144 is formed between the primary contact plate 143 and the auxiliary plates 143a at each side. By providing primary contact plates 143 in increments of, say, 5 cm variation in length, the width of the gaps 144 at each side may be limited to a maximum of about 2.5 cm. In any case, however, the gap 144 is displaced inward from the edge extremity, so that direct control contact is provided in the critical area immediately adjacent the entry frame 45.
In either of the forms of the spreader and contact plate arrangement reflected in FIGS. 4 and 5, not only is greatly improved cross line control made possible, but the spreader frame itself is fully adapted for utilization in conventional calendering operations, where stripe control may not be necessary or desirable. Thus, when the contact rolls 48, 49 are separated, the fabric advances in a normal fashion over the spreader frame, being neither distorted nor obstructed by the presence of the contact plate 43.
In addition to utilization in a stripe straightening capacity, the contact rolls 49, 49 may be utilized for overfeeding of tubular knitted fabric to the downstream stage of the spreader. This is accomplished by driving the contact rolls at a higher peripheral speed than that of the edge drive rolls. Additional overfeed capability may be provided by utilizing spreader rolls 24 having relatively deeper than normal grooves for the reception of the edge drive belts 35. With this arrangement, the belts will be advancing at a speed somewhat less than the peripheral speed of the rolls 24, providing some additional overfeed of the fabric in going from the edge drive rolls on to the belts 35.
In any of its forms, the apparatus of the invention may advantageously utilize the improved guard arrangement in association with the contact rolls, enabling the use of such rolls adjacent the upstream or entry end of the spreader without significant risk of injury to a machine operator or to the equipment itself. By supporting the upper guard grid on the upper contact roll itself, an amplified opening motion of the upper guard grid automatically occurs when the upper contact roll is raised, to provide convenient access for threading a new length of fabric, etc.
It should be understood, of course, that the specific forms of the invention herein illustrated and described are intended to be representative only, as certain changes may be made therein without departing from the clear teachings of the disclosure. Accordingly, reference should be made to the following appended claims in determining the full scope of the invention.
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The disclosure relates to an apparatus for finishing of tubular knitted fabric including means for laterally distending the fabric to flat, two-layer form by passing it over a spreader frame, and discharging the fabric from the spreader frame into a pair of opposed calendering rolls. Improved arrangements are provided for engaging the tubular fabric, across its fully spread width, above and below the spreader, for independently advancing or retarding the respective layers of the fabric in order to bring them into proper alignment. The improved arrangements include a thin, flat contact plate, incorporated into the spreader frame structure, which provides a contact support for the fabric, enabling it to be drivingly engaged by independently driven contact rolls. The structure of the invention enables the fabric to be adjusted substantially across its full width, reducing to a practicable minimum areas at the extreme edges of the fabric tube that are not under positive control during the adjustment stage. The apparatus also includes an improved entry guard arrangement, which facilitates the machine operator's attendance to the equipment and process while improving working conditions from a safety standpoint.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/361,320, filed Jan. 28, 2009, U.S. Pat. No. 7,928,782. This application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all purposes.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to locked loops, such as delay lock loops (“DLLs”) and phase lock loops (“PLLs”), and, more particularly, to locked loops having operating parameters that may be configured.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A variety of components are included in integrated circuits that affect the rate at which power is consumed. For example, delay lock loops are often found in memory devices to perform such functions as synchronizing one signal, such as a data strobe signal DQS, to another signal, such as an external clock signal. The DQS signal can then be used to latch data at a time that is synchronized with the external clock signal.
A typical prior art DLL 10 is shown in FIG. 1 . The DLL 10 includes a delay line 14 , which typically uses a large number of gates and/or inverters that are coupled to each other in series. At least some of the gates and/or inverters in the delay line 14 switch at each transition of a reference clock signal CLK REF that is applied to the input of the delay line 14 . Each time the gates and/or inverters switch, they consume power. The DLL 10 also includes a phase detector 16 and control circuitry 18 coupled to the output of the phase detector 16 for adjusting the delay of the delay line 14 . The phase detector 16 compares the phase of the reference clock signal CLK REF to the phase of an output clock signal CLK OUT generated by delay line 14 to determine a phase error. The CLK OUT signal is thus used as a feedback clock signal, although other signals derived from the CLK OUT signal may instead be used as the feedback clock signal. If the phase detector 16 is a digital phase detector, it typically generates an UP signal if the phase of the CLK OUT signal leads the phase of the CLK REF signal by more than a first value. The control circuitry 18 responds to the UP signal by increasing the delay of the delay line 14 to reduce the phase error. Similarly, the phase detector 16 generates a DN signal if the phase of the CLK OUT signal lags the phase of the CLK REF signal by more than a second value. In that case, the control circuitry 18 responds to the DN signal by decreasing the delay of the delay line 14 to reduce the phase error. The phase detector 16 generates neither an UP signal or a DN signal if the magnitude of the phase error is between the first value and the second value. The first and second values thus establish a hysteresis for the DLL 10 .
The amount of hysteresis provided by the phase detector 16 has several effects on the operating performance of the DLL 10 . Reducing the hysteresis results in a “tighter” loop that causes the phase of the CLK OUT signal to more closely follow the phase of the CLK REF signal. On the other hand, increasing the hysteresis allows the phase of the CLK OUT signal to drift farther from the phase of the CLK REF signal. However, the power consumed by the DLL 10 is also affected by the hysteresis since power is consumed each time the phase detector 16 generates an UP or DN signal and the control circuitry 18 and delay line 14 respond accordingly. Thus, a smaller hysteresis generally results in more frequent delay line adjustments because the permissible phase error tolerance is correspondingly smaller. Thus, the power consumed by the DLL 10 can be reduced by increasing the size of the hysteresis provided by the phase detector 16 . Also, a smaller hysteresis makes the DLL 10 more susceptible to noise since noise imparted to the CLK REF signal and/or the CLK OUT signal can momentarily increase the difference in phase between the CLK REF and the CLK OUT signals beyond the phase error tolerance.
Another operating parameter of the DLL 10 that can effect power consumption is the tracking speed of the DLL 10 , i.e., how frequently the phase detector 16 compares the phase of the reference clock signal CLK REF to the phase of an output clock signal CLK OUT . A high tracking speed in which the phase detector 16 compares the phase of the reference clock signal CLK REF to the phase of an output clock signal CLK OUT every cycle of the reference clock signal CLK REF causes a relatively high power consumption since power is consumed each time the phase comparison is made and the control circuitry 18 and delay line 14 respond to a phase error. However, a longer interval between phase comparisons resulting in a relatively slow tracking speed may allow a phase error to drift well outside the error tolerance set by the hysteresis.
The size of the hysteresis provided by a phase detector as well as the tracking speed and other operating parameters of DLLs are determined by the design of the DLLs. Designers of DLLs normally select circuit components to provide a specific set of performance parameters. However, these performance parameters may not be optimum for a specific application in which a DLL is used. For example, as mentioned above, a DLL may be used in an integrated circuit memory device. One purchaser of the memory device may install it in a laptop computer or other portable device. For this application, a large hysteresis and/or a slow tracking speed providing low power consumption may be more important than the accuracy at which the phase of a clock signal generated by the DLL corresponds to the phase of a reference clock signal. Another purchaser of the memory device may install it in a high-speed desktop computer where the memory device operates at a very high clock speed. For this application, the ability of the memory device to correctly latch data may depend on a DQS signal generated by the DLL closely tracking the phase of a reference clock signal. As a result, a small hysteresis and a high tracking speed may be desired. Unfortunately, the operating parameters of conventional DLLs used in memory devices and other integrated circuits cannot be easily adjusted by users or other circuits, thus potentially resulting in performance limitations in electronic devices containing such integrated circuits.
Although the problem of operating parameter adjustment inflexibility has been discussed in the context of DLLs, the problem also exists in other types of locked loops, such as phase lock loops.
There is therefore a need for a locked loop and method in which the operating parameters can be easily adjusted for optimal performance in different applications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional delay lock loop.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a delay lock loop according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a phase detector that may be used in the delay lock loop of FIG. 2 .
FIGS. 4A-C are timing diagrams showing various phase relationships between a reference clock signal and an output clock signal.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a delay lock loop system according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a delay lock loop system according to another embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a delay lock loop system according to still another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
An embodiment of a DLL 50 according to an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2 . The DLL 50 may use the same delay line 14 and control circuit 18 that is used in the DLL 10 of FIG. 1 . However, a phase detector 54 used in the DLL 50 differs from the phase detector 16 used in the DLL 10 of FIG. 1 . The phase detector 54 includes an input for receiving a hysteresis control signal that adjusts the hysteresis provided by the phase detector 54 . As explained in greater detail below, the hysteresis of the phase detector 54 may be adjusted by a user or other circuit when the DLL 50 or a device containing the DLL 50 is placed in operation. Thus, the user or other circuit may select a large hysteresis to conserve power or the user or other circuit may select a small hysteresis for good noise immunity and/or where it is important for the output of the DLL 50 to closely follow the phase of a reference clock signal.
With further reference to FIG. 2 , the DLL 50 also includes a frequency divider 60 positioned between the input of the delay line 14 and one of the inputs of the phase detector 54 . Similarly, a second frequency divider 64 is positioned between the output of the delay line 14 and the other input of the phase detector 54 . When enabled by a DividerEnable signal, the frequency dividers 60 , 64 divide the frequency of the reference clock signal CLK REF and the output clock signal CLK OUT , respectively, by a divisor N to generate respective CLK R and CLK O signals. As a result, the rate at which the phase detector 54 compares the phase of the reference clock signal CLK REF to the phase of the output clock signal CLK OUT is also reduced by N, thereby reducing the tracking speed of the DLL 50 . However, as explained above, power is consumed each time the phase detector 54 generates an UP or DN signal and the control circuitry 18 and delay line 14 respond accordingly. Therefore, the power consumed by the DLL 50 can be reduced by enabling the frequency dividers 60 , 64 to divide the respective clock signals by N. One the other hand, if it is important for the output clock signal CLK OUT to closely follow the phase of a reference clock signal CLK REF , particularly if the phase of the reference clock signal or the output clock signal varies at a high rate, the frequency dividers 60 , 64 can be disabled so that they simply couple the reference clock signal CLK REF and the output clock signal CLK OUT to the respective inputs of the phase detector 54 .
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , the frequency dividers 60 , 64 operate in a binary manner by either dividing the reference clock signal CLK REF and the output clock signal CLK OUT by N or not. However, in another embodiment, the value of N can be selected among a plurality of choices depending upon the desired tradeoff between high phase accuracy and good noise immunity on one hand and low power consumption on the other.
An embodiment of the phase detector 54 used in the DLL of FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 3 . The phase detector includes a pair of delay lines 74 , 76 that delay the clock signal CLK R from the divider 60 and the clock signal CLK O from the divider 64 , respectively, by a delay value T VD . The output of the delay line 74 is applied to the data input D of, a first flip-flop 84 , and the output of the delay line 76 is applied to the data input D of, a second flip-flop 86 . The first flip-flop 84 is clocked by the clock signal CLK O , and the second flip-flop 86 is clocked by the clock signal CLK R . As a result, the first flip-flop 84 outputs the level of delayed clock signal CLK R at the rising edge of the clock signal CLK O . Therefore, with reference to FIG. 4A , the first flip-flop 84 compares the time t O to the time t DR . As long as t O is not later than t DR , the output of the delay line 74 will be low when the flip-flop 84 is clocked so that the flip-flop 84 will output an inactive low DN signal. On the other hand, if t O is later than t DR as shown in FIG. 4B , the output of the delay line 74 will be high when the flip-flop 84 is clocked. The flip-flop 84 will therefore output an active high DN signal to cause the control circuit 18 ( FIG. 2 ) to apply a signal to the delay line 14 to reduce the delay of the delay line 14 . As a result, the delay of the CLK O signal relative to the CLK R signal will be reduced toward the phase relationship shown in FIG. 4A .
As mentioned above, the second flip-flop 86 is clocked by the clock signal CLK R so that the second flip-flop 86 outputs the level of delayed clock signal CLK O at the rising edge of the clock signal CLK R . Returning to FIG. 4A , the second flip-flop 86 therefore compares the time t DO to the time t R . As long as t DO is not earlier than t R , the output of the delay line 76 will be low when the flip-flop 86 is clocked so that the flip-flop 86 will output an inactive low UP signal. If t DO is earlier than t R as shown in FIG. 4C , the output of the delay line 76 will be high when the flip-flop 86 is clocked. The flip-flop 86 will therefore output an active high UP signal to increase the delay of the delay line 14 . As a result, the delay of the CLK O signal relative to the CLK R signal will be increased toward the phase relationship shown in FIG. 4A . Insofar as each of the delay lines 74 , 76 delay the respective clock signals CLK R and CLK O by a delay of t VD , the size of the hysteresis is 2t VD . However, in other embodiments the delay of the delay line 74 is different from the delay of the delay line 76 .
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a delay lock loop system 80 according to an embodiment of the invention. The system 80 uses the DLL 50 of FIG. 2 or a DLL according to some other embodiment of the invention. The DLL 50 is coupled to a temperature sensor 84 that generates the hysteresis control signal and the DividerEnable signal as a function of the temperature, and hence the power consumed by, an electronic device (not shown) containing the system 80 . However, in other embodiments the power consumed by an electronic device (not shown) containing the DLL 50 is sensed by other means.
A delay lock loop system 90 according to another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 6 . The system 90 again uses the DLL 50 of FIG. 2 or a DLL according to some other embodiment of the invention. The DLL 50 is coupled to a command decoder 94 used in a memory device, such as a dynamic random access memory device or a flash memory device. The command decoder 94 generates the hysteresis control signal and the DividerEnable signal as a function of the operation being performed by the memory device containing the command decoder 94 . For example, when data are not being read from or written to the memory device, the command decoder 94 may generate a DividerEnable signal and a hysteresis control signal that causes the DLL 50 to remain locked, but allows the phase of the output clock signal CLK OUT to deviate substantially from the phase of the reference clock signal. On the other hand, when data are being written to the memory device at a high rate of speed, the command decoder 94 may generate a DividerEnable signal that disables the frequency dividers 60 , 64 and a hysteresis control signal that provides only a small amount of hysteresis. The phases error tolerance during a read operation may be greater than that of a write, so that the command decoder 94 may generate a hysteresis control signal that provides a larger amount of hysteresis, although it may still generate a DividerEnable signal that enables the frequency dividers 60 , 64 .
A delay lock loop system 100 according to still another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 7 . The system 100 also uses the DLL 50 of FIG. 2 or a DLL according to some other embodiment of the invention, and the DLL 50 is coupled to a mode register 104 of the type frequently used in memory devices. The mode register 104 may be programmed to generate a hysteresis control signal and a DividerEnable signal appropriate to a particular application in which the memory device is used.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the disclosed embodiments, persons skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the invention. For example, although the embodiments are primarily disclosed in the context of delay lock loops, it will be understood that other embodiments may include other types of locked loops, such as phase lock loops. Also, although the disclosed embodiments of the invention use both a phase detector having a variable hysteresis and frequency dividers dividing the reference clock signal CLK REF and the output clock signal CLK OUT by a divisor, it should be understood that either of these features may be used alone. Thus, a locked loop may include a phase detector having a fixed hysteresis and frequency dividers dividing the reference clock signal CLK REF and the output clock signal CLK OUT by a divisor. A locked loop may also include a phase detector having a variable hysteresis but no frequency dividers. Such modifications are well within the skill of those ordinarily skilled in the art. Accordingly, the invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.
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A locked loop may have an adjustable hysteresis and/or a tracking speed that can be programmed by a user of an electronic device containing the locked loop or controlled by an integrated circuit device containing the locked loop during operation of the device. The looked loop may include a phase detector having a variable hysteresis, which may be coupled to receive a reference clock signal and an output clock signal from a phase adjustment circuit through respective frequency dividers that can vary the rate at which the phase detector compares the phase of the output clock signal to the phase of the reference clock signal, thus varying the tracking speed of the loop. The hysteresis and tracking speed of the locked loop may be programmed using a variety of means, such as by a temperature sensor for the electronic device, a mode register, a memory device command decoder, etc.
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BACKGROUND
The present disclosure relates to the selection and display of online advertisements.
Online content can include web pages and advertisements displayed with the web pages. A user viewing the web pages and advertisements may be more likely to follow up on the advertisements if the advertisements have relevance to the web page. For example, if the web page relates to a particular topic, the user may be interested in that topic and may also be interested in purchasing advertised products or services related to that topic. Advertisements that are candidates for display with a web page can be evaluated for their relevance to that web page and assigned a score that quantifies this relevance.
SUMMARY
This specification describes technologies relating to selection and display of online advertisements.
In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes receiving a collection of advertisement candidates for display in an online medium, the advertisement candidates each assigned a quality score calculated based at least in part on a measure indicative of relevance of the respective advertisement candidate to online content for concurrent display in the online medium, determining a score threshold based at least in part on relationships among multiple quality scores of the quality scores associated with the advertisement candidates in the collection of advertisement candidates, and based on the determined score threshold, identifying a subset of advertisement candidates of the collection for display. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding system, apparatus, and computer program products.
These and other embodiments can each optionally include one or more of the following features. Identifying a subset of advertisement candidates of the collection for display includes identifying one advertisement candidate of the collection to exclude from the subset, based on a relationship between a quality score of the one advertisement candidate and quality scores of the other advertisement candidates of the collection. Determining the score threshold includes calculating the score threshold by dividing a predetermined threshold value by a number of advertisement candidates in the subset. Determining the score threshold includes calculating the score threshold based on a characteristic of search results for display in association with the advertisement candidates. Determining the score threshold includes calculating the score threshold based on a characteristic of a user of the online medium.
In general, another aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes receiving advertisement candidates for display in an online medium, the advertisement candidates each assigned a numerical score, filtering the received advertisement candidates based on a first threshold to determine a subset of the advertisement candidates each having a numerical score greater than the first threshold, evaluating a characteristic of the subset based on a second threshold, and based on the evaluation, removing from the subset the advertisement candidate having a lowest numerical score when the characteristic of the subset does not satisfy the second threshold. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding system, apparatus, and computer program products.
These and other embodiments can each optionally include one or more of the following features. The method includes calculating the second threshold by dividing a predetermined threshold value by a number of advertisement candidates in the subset. The characteristic of the subset is the lowest numerical score assigned to an advertisement candidate. The method includes comparing the second threshold to a lowest numerical score assigned to an advertisement candidate, and removing the advertisement candidate having the lowest numerical score if the lowest numerical score falls below the second threshold. The method includes removing the advertisement candidate having the lowest numerical score if a sum of the numerical scores assigned to the advertisement candidates of the subset is below the second threshold. Removing from the subset the advertisement candidate having a lowest numerical score includes replacing the advertisement candidate having a lowest numerical score with a different advertisement candidate. Each numerical score includes a quality score calculated at least partially based on relevance of the respective advertisement candidate to online content for display in the online medium. Filtering the received advertisements includes selecting advertisement candidates having highest quality scores. The method includes calculating the second threshold based on a characteristic of search results for display in association with the advertisement candidates. The method includes calculating the second threshold based on a characteristic of a user of the online medium.
In general, another aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in a method that includes receiving advertisement candidates for display in an online medium, the advertisement candidates each assigned a quality score calculated based at least in part on a measure indicative of relevance of the respective advertisement candidate to online content for display in the online medium, determining a subset of the advertisement candidates each having a quality score greater than a first threshold, calculating a second threshold by dividing a predetermined threshold value by a number of advertisement candidates in the subset, comparing the second threshold to a lowest quality score assigned to an advertisement candidate in the subset, and removing from the subset an advertisement candidate having the lowest quality score if the lowest quality score falls below the second threshold. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding system, apparatus, and computer program products.
These and other embodiments can each optionally include one or more of the following features. Removing from the subset the advertisement candidate having a lowest numerical score includes replacing the advertisement candidate having a lowest numerical score with a different advertisement candidate. Calculating the second threshold includes calculating the second threshold based on a characteristic of search results for display in association with the advertisement candidates. Calculating the second threshold comprises calculating the second threshold based on a characteristic of a user of the online medium.
Particular embodiments of the invention can be implemented to realize one or more of the following advantages. The quality of a collection of advertisements displayed to a user can be improved by calculating multiple quality thresholds. A quality threshold can be used that depends on a characteristic of the entire collection.
The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary online environment.
FIG. 2 is an example of a web browser displaying online content, including advertisements.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a collection of advertisement candidates.
FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an example of the collection of advertisement candidates, showing advertisements being removed from the collection.
FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating an example the collection of advertisement candidates, showing advertisements being replaced in the collection.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary process for selecting advertisements for display.
FIG. 6 is block diagram of an exemplary computer system that can be used to facilitate the display of advertisements.
Like reference numbers and designations in the various drawings indicate like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
An online advertising service displays advertisements to a user by selecting advertisements from a pool of advertisement candidates based on a quality score assigned to each advertisement candidate. A quality score is a metric that quantifies the relevance of an advertisement candidate to content that the user is viewing. Because a relevant advertisement is likely to be clicked on by a user, a higher quality score indicates a higher likelihood that the advertisement candidate will be clicked on if displayed as an advertisement on a web page (e.g., a web page displaying search results). The quality score may be based on other factors, such as the relevance and quality of a web page that the advertisement candidate links to.
When selecting online advertisements for display, the online advertising service could reject advertisement candidates that have quality scores that fall below a certain threshold because those advertisement candidates are not sufficiently relevant to content to be displayed with the search results or are low quality and not likely to be clicked on by a user (e.g., by selecting only advertisements having quality scores above the threshold). If the advertisement candidates are chosen independently of each other, sometimes most or all of the chosen advertisement candidates will have a quality score only slightly above the threshold. In implementations described herein, the advertisement candidates are also evaluated with respect to the other advertisement candidates, such that the user can be presented with advertisements that together satisfy a predetermined measure of advertisement quality.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary online environment 100 . The online environment 100 facilitates the serving of content items for display on user devices 102 . For example, content items can include web pages 104 and advertisements 106 (e.g., advertisements related to the web pages 104 ).
Web pages 104 and advertisements 106 can be provided to user devices 102 through the network 107 . The network 107 can be a wide area network, local area network, the Internet, or any other public or private network, or combination of both. User devices 102 can connect to the web server 116 (or the advertisement server 110 ) through the network 107 using any device capable of communicating in a computer network environment and displaying retrieved information. Exemplary user devices 102 include a web-enabled handheld device, a mobile telephone or smartphone, tablet device, a set top box, a game console, a personal digital assistant, a navigation device, or a computer.
For example, web pages 104 can be provided by a web server 116 for display on a user device 102 , and advertisements 106 can be provided by an advertisement server 110 for display on the user device 102 . In some implementations, the advertisements 106 are provided directly to the web server 116 by the advertisement server 110 , and the web server 116 then provides the advertisements 106 to the user devices 102 in association with one or more particular web pages 104 , e.g. web pages which are related to the advertisements 106 . In some implementations, the web server 116 queries the advertisement server 110 for advertisements 106 related to one or more particular web pages 104 , and the advertisement server 110 evaluates a pool 109 of advertisements and chooses one or more advertisements 106 that are related to the web pages 104 , e.g. advertisements that pertain to subject matter referenced by or described within the web pages 104 . The advertisements 106 can be displayed with the web page 104 on a web browser 112 of a user device 102 . The advertisements 106 can also be requested as part of the delivery of a web page 104 in response to a user device 102 requesting the web page 104 from a web server 116 .
FIG. 2 is an example of a web browser 200 displaying online content, including advertisements. The web browser 200 includes a browsing portion 202 for displaying requested content (e.g., a web page 104 or search results presented in response to a user-entered query) and an advertisement portion 204 , e.g., for displaying advertisements 106 a - h related to the web page or search request. In the example shown, the web page 104 is a presentation of search results 206 representing references (e.g., hyperlinks to uniform resource locators) to other web pages selected by a search engine (not shown) to be related to a user query previously entered by a user of the web browser 200 . The advertisements 106 a - h have been identified (e.g., by an advertisement server 110 as shown in FIG. 1 ) in response to the particular content displayed within the web page 104 . For example, the advertisements 106 a - h can be associated with keywords that also appear in the search results 206 , or the advertisements 106 a - h can contain links to the web page (e.g., hyperlinks to a uniform resource locator of the web page). Advertisements that are relevant to the content of a web page may be more likely to be of interest to a user viewing the web page, and more likely to be followed up upon by the user (e.g., leading to the user clicking on the advertisement, submitting a product inquiry, or engaging in a commercial transaction solicited by an advertisement).
In some implementations, advertisements can appear in multiple locations within the web browser 200 . For example, in addition to advertisements 106 a - h displayed along an advertisement portion 204 on the right-hand side of the web browser 200 , other advertisements 108 a - b can be displayed in another advertisement portion 208 in an upper area of the web browser 200 . In some examples, advertisements are displayed in a lower area of the web browser 200 or on the left-hand side of the web browser 200 .
Advertisements 106 a - h displayed in the web browser 200 can be chosen, e.g., by an advertisement server 110 ( FIG. 1 ), based on a quality score associated with the advertisements. For example, an advertisement server can identify many possible candidates to display in the web browser 200 based on the degree to which the advertisement candidates are related to the content displayed in the web browser, e.g., the search results 206 . The advertisement server can then select one or more advertisements from the advertisement candidates for display.
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a collection 300 of advertisement candidates 306 a - h . The collection 300 of advertisement candidates 306 a - h represents possible advertisements to be displayed with a web page 304 . Each advertisement candidate 306 a - h is assigned a quality score 302 a - h represented as a numerical value and the advertisement candidates 306 a - h are ordered by their respective quality scores. For example, an advertisement server 110 ( FIG. 1 ) may cross-reference each advertisement candidate 306 a - h with the contents of a web page 304 (e.g., search results) to determine the quality score. The quality score may be provided by a dedicated system for providing quality scores, for example, a quality score server system (not shown). For example, one advertisement candidate 306 a has a quality score 302 a of 500, which indicates that the advertisement candidate 306 a is a better match to the content of the associated web page 304 than another advertisement candidate 306 h that has a quality score 302 h of 40. The quality scores 302 a - h may also be calculated according to other factors such as the content of the advertisement or statistics about the way in which users react to the advertisement.
The advertisement candidates 306 a - h may represent all advertisements that have been determined to be relevant to the web page 304 , or the advertisement candidates 306 a - h may represent a subset of advertisements that have been determined to be relevant to the web page 304 . For example, the advertisement candidates 306 a - h may be chosen randomly from a larger pool of advertisement candidates, or the advertisement candidates 306 a - h may be chosen based on factors other than relevance to the web page 304 . In some implementations, the number of advertisement candidates represents a maximum number of advertisements that can be displayed with a web page. For example, there may be eight advertisement candidates, and the web page can only accommodate eight advertisements or less.
In some implementations, the advertisement candidates 306 a - h are chosen based on a score threshold 308 . For example, the score threshold 308 can represent a minimum score that each quality score 302 a - h should meet or exceed to be included in the collection 300 of advertisement candidates 306 a - h , and only advertisement candidates having a quality score 302 a - h above the score threshold 308 are included in the collection 300 of advertisement candidates 306 a - h.
In some examples, the collection 300 may include one or more advertisement candidates 306 a - h that meet or exceed the score threshold 308 by only a small amount. For example, advertisement candidates 306 c - h all have a quality score 302 c - h of 40 or 45. Although these quality scores satisfy the condition of meeting or exceeding the score threshold 308 of 40, the associated advertisement candidates 306 c - h may only be marginally relevant to the web page. The other advertisement candidates 306 a - b have quality scores 302 a - b of 500 and 200 and may be highly relevant to the web page 304 compared to the remaining advertisement candidates 306 c - h with lower quality scores 302 c - h . If the collection 300 of advertisement candidates 306 a - h were displayed with the web page 304 , a user may view the collection of advertisements as a whole as having only marginal relevance overall.
Other thresholds can be used in addition to the score threshold 308 . For example, a collection threshold 310 can be used to determine if the entire collection 300 meets a certain condition of quality. As such, two different thresholds are applied to select the advertisements, a first threshold based on the advertisement itself, and a second threshold that is based on multiple advertisements that are potentially going to be displayed. In some implementations, the collection threshold 310 is a predetermined value (e.g., a value chosen in advance on a single user interface) that can be used to compute a lowest minimum score 312 based on the number of advertisement candidates 306 a - h in the collection 300 . The lowest minimum score 312 is a numerical value that should be exceeded by the score of the lowest-scoring advertisement in the collection. For example, the collection threshold 310 can have a numerical value of [350] (indicated here in brackets to distinguish this numerical value from a reference numeral). The collection threshold 310 can be divided by the number of advertisements in the collection 300 to compute the lowest minimum score 312 (equation 1).
L>X/N Equation 1
(L: lowest minimum score; X: collection threshold; N: number of advertisement candidates)
When there are few advertisement candidates, this calculation yields a greater value for lowest minimum score 312 than the calculation would yield for a greater number of advertisement candidates. As such, the use of the collection threshold 310 imposes a higher threshold for quality scores for each advertisement candidate among a smaller collection of advertisement candidates, in comparison to the use of the collection threshold 310 with a larger collection of advertisement candidates.
In the example shown in FIG. 3 , the numerical value of the lowest minimum score 312 is [350] divided by [8], or [43.75]. The advertisement candidate 306 h having the lowest quality score has a quality score 302 h of 40, which is below the lowest minimum score 312 , indicating that the advertisement candidate 306 h should be removed from the collection. Alternatively, the number of advertisement candidates were greater, then the lowest minimum score would be higher.
FIG. 4A is a diagram illustrating an example of a change in the collection of advertisement candidates, showing advertisements being removed from the collection. In some implementations, the advertisement candidate 306 h having the lowest quality score 302 h (in this example, a score of [40]) can be removed without adding a corresponding replacement advertisement candidate. The lowest minimum score 312 is calculated using equation 1. In this example, the lowest minimum score 312 is recalculated each time an advertisement candidate is removed. Initially, the lowest minimum score 312 is [43.75] (the result of dividing the collection threshold by the number of advertisement candidates, which is a calculation of [350]/[8]). When the advertisement candidate 306 h having the lowest quality score 302 h is removed, the lowest minimum score 312 a is recalculated based on the smaller number of advertisement candidates 306 a - g in the collection 300 a . The first recalculation of the lowest minimum score 312 a yields a value of [50] (the result of [350]/[7]). Upon a first recalculation of the lowest minimum score 312 a , the advertisement candidate 306 g having the new lowest quality score 302 g (in this example, [45]) does not exceed the new lowest minimum score 312 a ([50]) and the collection 300 b still does not satisfy the collection threshold 310 . Advertisement candidates 306 c - g can be successively removed, and the lowest minimum score 312 b - f recalculated upon each removal, until a lowest minimum score 312 f is reached that is exceeded by the lowest quality score 302 b of an advertisement candidate 306 b . In this example, the lowest minimum score 312 b - f is successively recalculated to be [58.33], [70], [87.5], [116.66], and [175]. When the lowest minimum score 312 f is recalculated to be [175] ([350]/[2]), the advertisement candidate 306 b having the lowest quality score 302 b has a quality score of 200, and so the collection threshold 310 is satisfied.
The collection threshold 310 can be used in other ways. For example, the collection threshold 310 can be used as a minimum threshold to be exceeded by the sum of the quality scores among the collection of advertisement candidates. Referring to the example shown in FIG. 3 , the sum of the quality scores 302 a - h in the collection 300 is [965], which exceeds the numerical value of the collection threshold 310 , which is [350]. If the collection 300 does not satisfy the collection threshold 310 , the advertisement candidate 306 h having the lowest quality score 302 h can be removed (and in some examples replaced with another advertisement candidate having a different score). In some implementations where the collection threshold 310 is minimum threshold to be exceeded by the sum of the quality scores among the collection of advertisement candidates, the collection threshold 310 is variable and determined based on the number of advertisement candidates. The collection threshold 310 may increase for a greater number of advertisement candidates and decrease for a smaller number of advertisement candidates. For example, the collection threshold 310 could be determined by a look-up table containing values each for use with a different number of advertisement candidates.
FIG. 4B is a diagram illustrating an example of another change in the collection of advertisement candidates, showing advertisements being replaced in the collection. In some implementations, advertisements are randomly selected from a group of candidates satisfying the threshold. In such examples, when the advertisement candidate 306 h having the lowest quality score 302 h (in this example, [40]) is removed, it can be replaced by another advertisement candidate 306 i . For example, the advertisement candidates 306 a - h may have been selected from a larger pool of possible advertisement candidates and so other advertisement candidates remain available for consideration. Because the number of advertisement candidates 306 b - i in the collection remains the same when an advertisement candidate is replaced, the lowest minimum score 312 retains the same numerical value and does not change. The advertisement candidate 306 g having the new lowest quality score 302 g can then be compared to the lowest minimum score 312 to determine if the new collection 300 a satisfies the collection threshold 310 . In this example, the lowest quality score 302 g has a numerical value of [45], and the lowest minimum score 312 is still [43.75], so the new collection 300 a satisfies the collection threshold 310 .
The collection threshold 310 can also be used in other kinds of calculations to determine whether to remove or replace advertisement candidates. For example, the calculation threshold can be adjusted (for example, raised or lowered) depending on the presence of absence of certain conditions. In some implementations, the location of the advertisements can be used to adjust the calculation threshold 310 . For example, referring to FIG. 2 , advertisements 108 a , 108 b displayed in the upper portion 208 of the web browser 200 can be evaluated using a different calculation threshold than the advertisements 106 a - h displayed on the right-hand portion 204 of the web browser 200 . In some implementations, the search results 206 can be used to adjust the calculation threshold 310 . For example, the number of search results can be used to adjust the calculation threshold 310 , or the subset of search results currently viewed by the user (e.g., a page of search results) can be used to adjust the calculation threshold 310 . For example, in the case of a small number of search results displayed to a user, the number of advertisements displayed to the user may also be small, and so the calculation threshold 310 can be adjusted to be higher so that the small number of advertisements shown to the user are of high quality. In some implementations, a characteristic of the user can be used to adjust the calculation threshold 310 . A characteristic of the user may be the user's language, the user's location (e.g., country of origin), a preference indicated by the user (e.g., a setting made by the user in a user profile), or another characteristic.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary process 500 for selecting advertisements for display. The process 500 can be used, for example, by the advertisement server of FIG. 1 to determine which advertisements 106 should be displayed with a web page 104 .
At stage 502 , an advertisement server receives advertisement candidates for display with a web page. For example, the advertisement candidates can be received from a process or mechanism that assigns quality scores to advertisement candidates, for example, based on the degree to which an advertisement candidate is relevant to the web page and the likelihood that a user will click on the advertisement candidate if presented as an advertisement.
At stage 504 , the advertisement server filters the advertisement candidates based on a first threshold. For example, the advertisement server may remove all advertisement candidates that have a quality score below a numerical value represented by the first threshold. As such, the advertisement server retains the advertisement candidates that have a quality score above the numerical value represented by the first threshold.
At stage 506 , the advertisement server determines the second threshold. The threshold can be based on relationships among the quality scores associated with the advertisement candidates. For example, the second threshold can be calculated by dividing a predetermined threshold value by the number of filtered advertisement candidates. Alternatively, the value can be determined by accessing a lookup table.
At stage 508 , the advertisement server determines if the second threshold is satisfied by evaluating a characteristic of the set of filtered advertisement candidates. For example, the advertisement server may examine the quality score of the lowest-scoring advertisement to determine if it satisfies the second threshold. Because the second threshold can depend on characteristics of multiple advertisement candidates, such as the number of advertisement candidates and the quality scores of the advertisement candidates, the lowest-scoring advertisement is therefore evaluated based at least partially upon those characteristics of the other advertisement candidates.
If the second threshold is satisfied, at stage 512 , the advertisements are transmitted for display, for example, on a web browser as part of a web page. If the second threshold is not satisfied, at stage 510 , the lowest-scoring advertisement candidate is removed from the filtered advertisement candidates. The process then returns to stage 506 and the second threshold is recalculated based on the changed number of advertisement candidates. The process continues until the second threshold is satisfied.
FIG. 6 is block diagram of an exemplary computer system 600 that can be used to facilitate display of advertisements. The system 600 includes a processor 610 , a memory 620 , a storage device 630 , and an input/output device 640 . Each of the components 610 , 620 , 630 , and 640 can be interconnected, for example, using a system bus 650 . The processor 610 is capable of processing instructions for execution within the system 600 . In one implementation, the processor 610 is a single-threaded processor. In another implementation, the processor 610 is a multi-threaded processor. The processor 610 is capable of processing instructions stored in the memory 620 or on the storage device 630 .
The memory 620 stores information within the system 600 . In one implementation, the memory 620 is a computer-readable medium. In one implementation, the memory 620 is a volatile memory unit. In another implementation, the memory 620 is a non-volatile memory unit.
The storage device 630 is capable of providing mass storage for the system 600 . In one implementation, the storage device 630 is a computer-readable medium. In various different implementations, the storage device 630 can include, for example, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, or some other large capacity storage device.
The input/output device 640 provides input/output operations for the system 600 . In one implementation, the input/output device 640 can include one or more of a network interface devices, e.g., an Ethernet card, a serial communication device, e.g., an RS-232 port, and/or a wireless interface device, e.g., and 802.11 card. In another implementation, the input/output device can include driver devices configured to receive input data and send output data to other input/output devices, e.g., keyboard, printer and display devices 660 . Other implementations, however, can also be used, such as mobile computing devices, mobile communication devices, set-top box television client devices, etc.
The web server, advertisement server, and content aggregator can be realized by instructions that upon execution cause one or more processing devices to carry out the processes and functions described above. Such instructions can comprise, for example, interpreted instructions, such as script instructions, e.g., JavaScript or ECMAScript instructions, or executable code, or other instructions stored in a computer readable medium. The web server and advertisement server can be distributively implemented over a network, such as a server farm, or can be implemented in a single computer device.
Although an example processing system has been described in FIG. 7 , implementations of the subject matter and the functional operations described in this specification can be implemented in other types of digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents, or in combinations of one or more of them. Implementations of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a tangible program carrier, for example a computer-readable medium, for execution by, or to control the operation of, a processing system. The computer readable medium can be a machine readable storage device, a machine readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter effecting a machine readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more of them.
The term “processing system” encompasses all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The processing system can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them.
A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, or declarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.
Computer readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto optical disks; and CD ROM and DVD ROM disks. The processor and the memory can be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special purpose logic circuitry.
Implementations of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back end component, e.g., a data server, or that includes a middleware component, e.g., an application server, or that includes a front end component, e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a Web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the subject matter described is this specification, or any combination of one or more such back end, middleware, or front end components. The components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, e.g., a communication network. Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”) and a wide area network (“WAN”), e.g., the Internet.
The computing system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client server relationship to each other.
While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any invention or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features that may be specific to particular implementations of particular inventions. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.
Similarly, while operations are depicted in the drawings in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. In certain circumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. Moreover, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.
This written description sets forth the best mode of the invention and provides examples to describe the invention and to enable a person of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention. This written description does not limit the invention to the precise terms set forth. Thus, while the invention has been described in detail with reference to the examples set forth above, those of ordinary skill in the art may effect alterations, modifications and variations to the examples without departing from the scope of the invention.
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This specification describes technologies relating to displaying online content. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include receiving a collection of advertisement candidates for display in an online medium, the advertisement candidates each assigned a quality score calculated based at least in part on a measure indicative of relevance of the respective advertisement candidate to online content for concurrent display in the online medium, determining a score threshold based at least in part on relationships among multiple quality scores of the quality scores associated with the advertisement candidates in the collection of advertisement candidates, and based on the determined score threshold, identifying a subset of advertisement candidates of the collection for display. Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding systems, apparatus, and computer program products.
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The Government of the United States has rights in this invention under a contract with the United States Department of Energy.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 314,809 entitled PROTECTION OF BURIED PIPES AGAINST ROOT INTRUSION and 314,810 entitled PROTECTION OF BURIED HAZARDOUS WASTES, both filed Oct. 26, 1981.
This invention is directed to the long-term control of root growth. There are a number of situations in which it is desirable to control the growth of the roots of a plant without killing the plant. For example, low-level nuclear wastes and other solid wastes are frequently buried in the ground and vegetation is planted over them to minimize erosion and eliminate soil moisture. Roots of the plants may penetrate the wastes. Certain of the radioactive isotopes and other elements are taken up by the plants.
Uranium mill tailings present a still further problem. These tailings contain small amounts of uranium and radium-226, the latter being a decay product of uranium-238, which is the principal uranium isotope found in nature. Radium-226 in turn decays, forming various decay products, one of which is a radioactive gas, radon-222. The escape of radon is at present considered to be a primary health hazard connected with uranium mill tailings. Radon has been found to diffuse through the soil and escape. Because of its high molecular weight (which is the same as its atomic weight) radon-222 is much heavier than air and tends to accumulate in low places, for example, in the basement of houses.
One method which has been proven effective for retaining the radon is to cover the tailings with a layer of asphalt and then cover the asphalt with topsoil to prevent its deterioration by sunlight. To prevent erosion of the topsoil, it is desirable to plant vegetation over the asphalt. Instead of asphalt, very impervious clay has also been used. It has been found, however, that the roots of some plants tend to penetrate asphalt or clay, thus forming passages for the escape of radon. Moreover, the roots tend to take up other radioactive isotopes as described above in connection with the low-level nuclear wastes.
Another reason for restricting root growth without killing the plant is in connection with "dwarfing" of shrubs and trees. It has been the practice to accomplish this by grafting a desirable tree or shrub to a dwarf fruit stock, that is, one which produces a limited growth of roots. This has the effect of restricting the maximum growth of the tree or shrub. A more extreme example is in connection with the production of "bonsai" trees or shrubs. In this technique the tree or shrub is kept small by periodically digging it from the ground and pruning the roots. The growth of trees and shrubs under power lines presents a serious maintenance problem, since it has been necessary to periodically prune back the vegetation at a high expenditure of labor. It would be highly desirable, if it were practical, to restrict the growth of the vegetation so that frequent pruning is unnecessary.
Still another situation in which restriction of root growth is desirable, is in connection with buried water pipes, particularly sewers, septic tank dispersion fields, and drain fields for agricultural land. The usual treatment of such pipes may be called "post problem". It involves the boring out of the intruding roots by "power snakes" or the taking up of the pipes and physical removal of the offending roots. Sewage lines and septic tank dispersion fields present a particular problem because of the high nutrient quality of the water going through them. This increases the tendency of the roots to penetrate the pipe joints and to grow within the pipe. A similar problem sometimes exists with swimming pools or other below-ground containers of water. Furthermore, roots frequently grow beneath sidewalks, road pavements, patio or other slabs and cause damage. It is also desirable in some cases simply to prevent the spread of roots from one piece of property to another, for example, from trees into a neighbor's garden.
A somewhat different application involves the control of the direction of growth. For example, grape growers may desire deeper rooted grape plants. It would be advantageous to restrict the upward growth of their roots in order to encourage downward development.
There has been some prior attempt at chemical restriction of root growth. Otto Pauli of Farben Fabriken Bayer AG, Germany, has proposed (U.S. Pat. No. 3,231,398) utilizing, as a joint sealant in pipelines, asphalt containing a herbicide of the chlorophenoxy type, e.g., an ester of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid, commonly known as 2,4-D. This is said to repel roots and prevent their contact with the asphalt. To the best of our knowledge, this has not gone into practical use. A difficulty with this approach is that these very potent herbicides tend to translocate within the plants and kill or seriously damage them.
There is, however, a group of compounds which behave differently in their action on plants although they fall within the general class of herbicides. These are the 2,6-dinitroanilines. When minute quantities of these compounds come in contact with plant roots they prevent further elongation by inhibiting cell division but do not translocate within the plant. For this reason, they are effective as preemergent herbicides for preventing the growth of unwanted weeds or grass in established crops. They prevent elongation of the roots coming from the seeds and so prevent the growth of plants from those seeds but do not translocate within and kill the established crops. (If applied in sufficiently large quantities, they may also kill mature plants by preventing root elongation). Compounds of this class are disclosed in a number of U.S. Patents: for example, Soper U.S. Pat. No. 3,111,403; Soper U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,190; and Lutz, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,582. A particularly well known example of these compounds is N,N-di-n-propyl-4-trifluoromethyl-2, 6-dinitroaniline, which is known by the generic name trifluralin and is sold under the trademark, Treflan. It had occurred to us that these compounds might "repel" roots of growing plants to prevent their intrusion of wastes, pipes, or other undesirable locations or to restrict their growth to "dwarf" the plant. In connection with the burial of uranium tailings, we considered the direct incorporation of one of these compounds into the asphalt. We also considered the substitution of such compounds for the 2,4-D derivatives disclosed by Pauli in connection with pipe joints. This proved unsuccessful, however, since the asphalt apparently denatured or bound these herbicides and roots were not repelled.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is directed to the restriction of the growth of roots of plants over a long period of time, up to about 100 years, without killing the plant or adversely affecting it (except for restricting its maximum growth) by placing an organic polymer incorporating a 2,6-dinitroaniline in the area in which root restriction is desired. We have found that the 2,6-dinitroaniline may be incorporated into polymers which are suitable for use in the form of pellets, sheets, strips, pipe gaskets, or pipes themselves. By incorporating them in polymers they can be made to release at such a rate that they will continue effective as root repellents for many years or decades while maintaining concentrations sufficiently low that the plants are not killed or injured.
Our method may be used in connection with buried waste or buried pipelines for preventing root intrusion, for preventing intrusion into swimming pools or basements or beneath sidewalks or other slabs, for preventing excess growth in right-of-ways, for the dwarfing of fruit trees or ornamentals, for controlling the direction of root propagation, or in fact any application in which restriction of root growth is desired, without killing the plants. It is effective over a period of many years or decades.
One method of employing the herbicide in combination with the polymer is to mix the dinitroaniline in the polymer and form the mixture into the pellets, sheets, etc., referred to above. Another method which is particularly applicable to the pellet form is to encapsulate the dinitroaniline in a polymer, that is, we may use a release system consisting of a tube or hollow cylinder with closed ends formed of the polymer and containing the dinitroaniline either pure or diluted by a suitable solvent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawing,
FIG. 1 is a graph showing a generalized comparison of a single application of a herbicide with a controlled release system.
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the degradation of trifluralin in soil.
FIG. 3 is a graph showing the change in trifluralin concentration in soil with time utilizing our invention.
FIG. 4 is a vertical cross section of an experimental embodiment of our invention as applied to the protection of pipes against root intrusion.
FIG. 5 shows diagrammatically an embodiment involving the use of pellets in connection with pipe protection.
FIG. 6 shows diagrammatically an embodiment employing a plastic sheet in connection with pipe protection.
FIG. 7 shows diagrammtically a perforated plastic pipe.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The invention will be described first in connection with the protection of uranium mill tailings. The tailings, either placed in an excavation or simply disposed on the surface of the ground, are first covered by a layer of a cationic asphalt emulsion which is allowed to harden. A few inches of soil are laid down and pellets of carbon-filled low-density polyethylene containing about 25 percent by weight trifluralin are distributed over the area. The pellets are about 9 millimeters in length and the same in diameter. The pellets are distributed at a rate of about 260 grams per square meter of surface. At least two feet of soil is then added and vegetation suitable to the climate is planted to prevent erosion. Instead of the asphalt, an impervious clay such as bentonite may be used.
EXPERIMENTAL BASIS
The experimental basis for this invention will now be described. Referring to the drawing, FIG. 1 provides a generalized comparison of the effect of a single application of herbicide to soil in the usual manner with the controlled release dose provided by our system. A single application of an herbicide such as trifluralin results in much higher concentrations than those necessary to achieve the desired effect. However, with time, the concentration of the herbicide will be reduced by physical, chemical and biological action to levels less than the minimum effective level (MEL). By using our system involving "Controlled Release Devices," the active ingredients can be maintained at levels above the MEL for extended periods of time.
In the following reports of experiments, herbicides tested are designated by the common names under which they were obtained commercially. The common names and a chemical name for each are as follows:
______________________________________Common Name Chemical Name______________________________________Trifluralin 4-trifluoromethyl-2,6 dinitro-N,N- dipropyl aniline.Oryzalin 4-sulfonamido-2,6 dinitro-N,N- dipropyl aniline.Dinoseb (DNBP) 2,4-dinitro-6-sec-butyl phenol.Bromoxynil 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile.Paraquat 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride.Bromoxynil Oc- 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile,tanoic Acid Ester octanoic acid ester.TBA 2,3,6-trichlorobenzoic acid.2,4-D 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid.______________________________________
Because of the importance of the two products oryzalin and trifluralin and to better show their relationship, their structural formulas are given as follows: ##STR1##
EXAMPLE 1
Short-term Biobarrier Study
In our first experiment, we identified a suitable herbicide and tested its effectiveness in preventing plant roots from reaching buried waste. Fifteen lysimeters, 15 cm in diameter and 50 cm long, were made from Lucite(R) (polyacrylate) tubing to allow observation of root growth. Ritzville loam soil was used (see Wildung, U.S. ERDA Report BNWL-2272 (1977) for a description of this soil type). The five herbicides listed in Table 1 were placed in a 1-cm thick layer of soil 30 cm below the soil surface, and each herbicide treatment was replicated three times. Herbicide was applied at the rate of 20 lb. of active ingredient per acre, considerably higher than that recommended for weed control. The soil was fertilized with ammonium sulfate at the rate of sixty pounds of available N per acre, irrigated to 20% soil moisture and seeded to Russian thistle (Salsola kali L.). Building paper was placed around the outside of the Lucite lysimeters to prevent light from affecting root growth, but growth and configuration of the roots could be observed by removing the paper cover. All lysimeters were placed in a growth chamber for 30 days.
During the subsequent harvest, the roots and above ground parts of the plants were photographed and then collected for yield determinations. Soil was removed from the roots by gentle running water; above ground parts were clipped at ground level. The roots and above ground parts were oven-dried at 60° C. for 48 hours before weights were taken.
The effectiveness of five herbicides as root barriers are shown in Table 1. The plants grew normally without visible effects to the roots and above ground parts in the control and in soils treated with oryzalin, paraquat, and trifluralin.
TABLE 1______________________________________Results of Above Ground Parts and Roots ofRussian Thistle Grown in Lysimeters Treated withFive Different HerbicidesLeaves and Stems Roots Oven Dry Oven DryHerbicide Effect Wt. (g)* Penetration Wt. (g)*______________________________________Oryzalin N. grn** 21.1 ± 1.6 Stopped at 9.2 ± 1.6 barrierParaquat N. grn 25.7 ± 1.3 Grew past 6.9 + 0.4 barrierTBA dead 1.4 ± 0.3 Not visible 0.4 ± 0.1Dinoseb N. grn 9.9 ± 2.2 Grew past 2.4 ± 0.4 barrierTrifluralin N. grn 23.9 ± 2.5 Stopped at 10.4 ± 1.4 barrierControl N. grn 25.1 ± 3.7 Throughout soil 8.1 ± 0.9______________________________________ *N = 3, X ± SE **N. grn = normal green
The plants grew for a short time and died in the soil treated with TBA. Roots grew through the barriers of dinoseb, paraquat, and the control, and the dinoseb treated lysimeters produced less root and leaf biomass. For these reasons, paraquat, TBA, and dinoseb were not considered as potential applicants as biobarriers where a vegetation cover is desired. Oryzalin and trifluralin treated barriers stopped elongation through the treated soil and were not harmful to the remaining plant parts. Though both herbicides were determined to be satisfactory root barriers, the less water-soluble trifluralin did not seem to move within the soil profile as much as oryzalin.
EXAMPLE 2
Intermediate-term Biobarrier Study
This study was designed to accomplish a sustained release of a selected herbicide from a synthetic, polymeric carrier/delivery system (PCD system). This delivery system acts as a reservoir for the herbicide, prevents excessive loss or degradation of the compound for a prolonged period, and regulates delivery of the compound at a suitable rate to prevent root growth through the polymer/herbicide zone.
Seven herbicides were selected for this study based on their mode of phytotoxic action and soil sorption behavior. This includes trifluralin, oryzalin, bromoxynil, dinoseb, paraquat, bromoxynil octanoic acid ester, and TBA. The herbicides were incorporated into silicone polymer sheets at 10% by weight. Control treatments consisted of sheets of silicone rubber without incorporated herbicide. The sheets were cut in a circular shape 13.7 cm in diameter to fit the lysimeter. A 2.5 cm diameter hole was placed in the center and two holes 1.25 cm in diameter placed adjacent to the center hole. Holes were used to determine if the herbicide would move beyond the sheet and effectively prevent root penetration through voids or breaks in normal sheet biobarriers.
The circular sheets were placed within the soil of a 50-cm long lysimeter made of lucite tubing 15 cm in diameter. The lysimeter contained a 15-cm bottom layer of soil, the treated or control polymer sheet, and an additional 35-cm layer of soil above the sheet. The soil was then fertilized with nitrogen and distilled water added to give a soil moisture content of 20%. To prevent light exposure to the root zone, building paper was wrapped around each lysimeter. The paper cover could be lifted from time to time to observe root growth.
The lysimeters were planted to Russian thistle and placed in a controlled environmental growth chamber with 16 hours light per day at temperature settings of 20° C. day and 12° C. night.
Plants were maintained for 50 days. During this time a photographic record was maintained of root development patterns with respect to barrier placement and changes in shoot morphology resulting from phytotoxicity of the soil-placed herbicides. At the termination of the experiment, shoot tissues were oven-dried and weighed. One lysimeter from each of the treatments was split longitudinally and the roots recovered by washing away the soil with running water. These were subsequently oven-dried and weighed to determine root distribution and phytotoxin effects.
The effects on root and shoot yields of various herbicides impregnated into sheet-type PCD systems are shown in Table 2. Roots did not pass through the treated PCD system even though a 2.5-cm hole was placed in the middle of the sheet, but roots grew throughout the soil profile of the control. By contrast, when herbicide was added directly to the soil, roots did penetrate paraquat and dinoseb barriers. The reason for this is most likely due to replenishment of soil paraquat and dinoseb levels by the PCD system, while in the case of the directly amended soil, soil sorption and degradation rapidly decrease the herbicide concentrations below levels at which the roots may be controlled. Shoot and root yields were reduced in lysimeters containing dinoseb and bromoxynil. These plants were slow-growing through the season. Though shoot yields were greatly reduced in the paraquat, bromoxynil, bromoxynil acid ester, and TBA-treated PCD systems, root yields were nearly the same as in the trifluralin-and oryzalin-treated PCD systems. It was observed in PCD system treatments using paraquat, bromoxynil, bromoxynil octanoic acid ester and TBA that plants grew vigorously until the roots came in contact with the barrier resulting in the immediate death of upper plant parts. Higher root yields in the control probably resulted from growth throughout the entire soil profile since the roots were not restricted by the treatment with herbicides.
TABLE 2______________________________________Leaf, Stem, and Root Weights (g/lysimeter) ofRussian Thistle Plants Grown in Lysimeters withPCD Systems. Shoot YieldTreatment (Leaf and Stem Tissue) Root Yield______________________________________Trifluralin 6.43 ± 0.96 4.75Oryzalin 5.44 ± 0.59 4.76Dinoseb 1.36 ± 0.10 1.54Bromoxynil 2.41 ± 1.75 0.53Paraquat 1.68 ± 0.57 5.48Bromoxynil Octanoic 1.68 ± 0.57 5.45Acid EsterTBA 1.44 ± 0.24 3.77Control 6.61 ± 0.55 9.15______________________________________
These are preliminary studies; however, data indicate that trifluralin, and oryzalin were the most promising herbicides for use in future PCD systems.
The behavior of different plant species was investigated to determine the minimum effective levels of trifluralin sufficient to restrict basipetal root growth. We used 5-cm (ID) x 35-cm lysimeters containing 1200 g Ritzville silt-loam (18% moisture). A 2-cm zone, located 25 cm from the surface, contained known concentrations of trifluralin. After the seeds were planted, 13 to 24 days elapsed before the roots ceased longitudinal growth due to the concentration of trifluralin in the soil surrounding the root tips. Minimum effective levels for individual plant species were determined by analysis of trifluralin in soil at the point at which root elongation ceased. These ranged from 0.3 ppm for Russian thistle (tumbleweed) to 6.4 ppm for crown vetch (Table 3).
TABLE 3__________________________________________________________________________Minimum Effective Levels of Trifluralin REquired to Inhibit LongitudinalRoot Growth, and Effects on Shoot and Root Dry Weight Time for Root to Effect on Shoot/Root Reach Treated Duration of Minimal Effective Dry Weight.sup.cPlant Zone.sup.a (days) Study (days) Concentration.sup.b (ppm) (% of Control)__________________________________________________________________________Russian Thistle 17 31 0.3 92/82Tansy Mustard 21 45 4.7 90/85Fourwing Saltbush 15 45 4.0 72/77Gardner Saltbush 16 45 3.1 115/94Winter Fat 18 55 1.9 57/50Crown Vetch 14 45 6.4 94/115Rocky Mtn. Penstemon 24 45 0.9 99/101Whitmar Wheatgrass 13 45 1.5 102/97Thickspike Wheatgrass 21 59 0.7 71/67Russian Wildrye 14 56 0.5 86/82Lewis Blue Flax 13 56 2.5 83/101Bitterbush 14 54 1.2 95/96__________________________________________________________________________ .sup.a Roots grew from 18 to 24 cm below surface; 2cm treated zone locate 25 cm from surface .sup.b Plugs for analysis removed from soil just below root zone .sup.c Mean of three replicates
Since it is essential that the chemical biobarrier be of minimal toxicity, root and shoot dry-matter production was determined in our experiments. With the exception of winter fat and fourwing saltbush, trifluralin had little effect on dry-matter production; no symptoms of toxicity were observed. The weight reductions observed may have resulted from a substantial loss (40-60%) in rooting volume, caused by the presence of the trifluralin-loaded soil layer.
The saltbush was believed to be representative of other dry-land shrubs such as sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata). The latter was not suitable for experimental use because of its slow growth rate.
For the studies of controlled release of trifluralin from polymers, it was necessary to accurately determine the release rates of herbicide from the polymeric system. A continuous flow system has been used to measure the steady-state release rates of trifluralin from several types of polymers, and permitted us to make an evaluation of their suitability for use in the proposed application. Based on these results, as well as other parameters (physical characteristics, loading ability, and polymer cost), carbon-filled polyethylene and polypropylene polymers appear to be the best choices. These polymers combine low release rates (therefore long lifetimes for a given loading) with slow polymer degradation rates when in contact with soil, and relatively low cost to provide suitable reservoirs for the proposed application.
Among the different forms of these polymers, low density polyethylene is preferred. However, high density polyethylene and polypropylene are also suitable.
Table 4 shows the in vitro release rates determined by the experiments referred to above. The lower release rates are preferred.
TABLE 4______________________________________Release Rates (±SD) of Trifluralin from PolymericCarrier Delivery Systems (sheets)Polymer Type Release Rate μg/day cm.sup.2______________________________________Polyetherurethane 3.4 ± 1.0Poly (ethylene-vinyl acetate) 9.3 ± 3.3Silicone Rubber 91.7 ± 16.8Polyester (aromatic) 7.3 ± 1.7Polyethylene 1.5 ± 0.2Polypropylene 4.2 ± 0.4______________________________________
We looked at two systems in which trifluralin was placed in tubing, the ends sealed, and the release rates determined.
The first of these was silicone tubing. A piece of tubing 4.65 mm OD×3.35 mm ID×28 mm long was plugged in one end with Medical Grade silicone rubber, filled with trifluralin crystals and a small amount of silicone oil, and the other end sealed with Silastic. The devices were run for approximately seven weeks, with an unacceptably high release rate, 124 μg/day/device ±54 SD, about 16.5 μg/day/cm 2 .
The second devices were fabricated from polyehylene tubing. The tubing was 4.83 mm OD×3.75 mm ID×23 mm long. It was heat sealed at one end, filled with trifluralin crystals and silicone oil, and then heat sealed at the other end. The release rate was 12.7 μg/day/device±4.3 SD, about 3.6 μm/day cm 2 .
The silicone oil was placed in the devices to increase the surface area available for the trifluralin to diffuse into. Trifluralin is quite soluble in the oil. The oil is too soluble in the silicone tubing. It rapidly penetrates the tubing and is lost. It does remain in the polyehylene tubing and is probably helpful in maintaining a constant release rate.
Deep placement of the PCD devices in soil should result in a loss of released trifluralin primarily by microbial decomposition and chemical degradation (hydrolysis). To maintain the MEL this loss must be compensated by an equivalent release of the herbicide from the PCD device. In our study, a Ritzville silt-loam amended with 20 or 10 ppm trifluralin, and maintained at 18% moisture, resulted in a calculated half-life of approximately 50 days for trifluralin (see FIG. 2 of the drawing). Although half-life will vary with soil class and field moisture conditions, this calculation provides an indication of the long-term, sustained, in-situ release rate of trifluralin required from a PCD system in order to maintain the MEL.
In the initial studies we used membranes due to the simplicity of the system; however, for practical adaption to many field studies, membranes may cause problems in application and use. Pellets are frequently a much more practical approach to accomplish the objective. In the first studies with pellets, we used 10% trifluralin-loaded polypropylene devices 2 to 3 mm in diameter and 5 to 7 mm long, with a release rate (determined in the continuous flow system) of 19.8 μg/day/g±2.4 SD. Release in soil indicated a somewhat lower rate than this flow-system-determined value, possibly indicating a reduced concentration gradient of the herbicide between the environment and the polymer under these conditions.
Polypropylene pellets such as are described above were distributed in soil in three different proportions (0.5, 1.0 and 3.0 g pellets per 400 g soil) and soil trifluralin concentrations were measured over a period of time. Results are shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing. In each case, near-equilibrium conditions were reached within 30 days.
Based on the in vitro release rate and the amount of trifluralin in the pellet, these devices could last only 14 years (because of their small size) at zero-order release rate. However, taking into account the degradation rate of trifluralin and the equilibrium levels which were determined for these devices, it appears that the in situ release rate is approximately half the rate determined in vitro, possibly indicating a reduced concentration gradient of the herbicide between the environment and the polymer under field conditions. It is therefore possible that the potential lifetime of the devices in the field may be increased by a factor of approximately two.
Because the theoretical lifetime of these devices was insufficient for the proposed application, where a 100 year useful life is desired, larger devices (9 mm in diameter and 9 mm long) were fabricated to take advantage of the extended release rate possible with these devices. Release rates after 70 days were on the order of 25 to 30 μg/day/device. This re lease rate (on a surface area basis) is actually somewhat higher than that of the smaller devices, possibly because these devices were molded (leading to randomly arranged polymer chains) while the smaller devices were extruded (leading to more-organized polymer chains).
These 9 mm×9 mm pellets have also been used in studies to determine their suitability in preventing root penetration. A layer of soil was placed in a lysimeter, the pellets were added in densities from 1 to 4 in 2 /pellet, the lysimeter was filled with soil and seeded with a test plant. At the end of the study, the lysimeters were taken apart and the density of pellets necessary to prevent root penetration was determined. Using barley as the test plant, roots ceased to elongate in the treatment zone at all densities tested.
Studies on these devices have been extended to determine the characteristics of trifluralin release under various conditions. Initial analyses indicate thate the concentration of trifluralin recovered from the soil after diffusion from the device is inversely proportional to soil moisture content of between 6 and 18%. Diffused trifluralin is strongly sorbed by the soil (Ritzville silt-loam), reaching a concentration of ˜2 ppm at 2 cm from the pellet after 30 days; at 8-10 cm from pellet, concentrations were undetectable. Similar results were obtained in wet soil having a high clay content.
In a later experiment, pellets 9 mm in diameter and 9 mm long, weighing about 0.7 g were molded from low density polyethylene having a melt index of 22, containing 30 pph (parts by weight per hundred of polyethylene) carbon black and 40 pph trifluralin. The carbon black serves to stablize the polymer, increase the possible concentration of trifluralin in the polymer, and slow down its release rate, which was, after the initial burst, 15-20 μg/day/pellet in vitro.
Based on the information cited, we have developed a trifluralin-releasing device with a theoretical lifetime approaching 100 years. Equilibrium concentrations of trifluralin in soil can be adjusted (along with the theoretical life of the device) to suit specific needs.
A second embodiment of our invention is in connection with buried pipes. We have found that the 2,6-dinitroanlines may be incorporated into polymers which are suitable for use in the form of gaskets, sheets, strips or pellets, or as the pipes themselves, and are released at rates such that root elongation is inhibited and root penetration of the pipe prevented.
When the pipe is impervious, so that root penetration occurs only at joints, it is obviously most economical to incorporate the herbicide only in the gasket or otherwise place it only adjacent to the joints. If, however, the pipe is perforated to permit seepage in or out, it may be desirable to incorporate it into the pipe material.
If the pipe joints are intended to be sealed, the gasket should be of a resilient material. We consider butyl rubber, chlorobutyl rubber, natural rubber, EPDM (ethylene-propylene-dione monomer) rubber and silicone rubber to be satisfactory although other elastomers may be used. If the joints are not sealed, as in drain fields and sewage-dispersal fields, polyethylene and polypropylene may be used, either in the form of O-rings within the joints or sheets wrapped around the exterior.
Where the pipe is perforated, it may be necessary or desirable to incorporate the herbicide directly into the pipe itself. Polyethylene, polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as well as the elastomers mentioned above, are suitable pipe materials which are also suitable for the incorporation of the herbicides. Alternatively, strips or sheets of polyethylene or polypropylene incorporating the herbicide may be wrapped around the perforated pipe, or pellets of the same composition may be spread over the pipe. The elastomers mentioned above may also be used in these manners.
As a retrofit expedient, rods, strips, or sheets incorporating a 2,6-dinitro aniline can be inserted on the inner surface of a pipe by a plumbers' snake or similar device. For example, expandable mesh or tubing can be pressed against the pipe by a coiled spring or similar element.
By proper selection of the polymer, the dinitroaniline and the proportions of each, the protection can be made effective for many years, e.g., up to 100 years.
In FIG. 4 we show the preferred embodiment of this application of our invention incorporated into the experimental setup. This employs synthetic rubber gaskets incorporating trifluralin.
A sewer line is shown including several sections: 2, 4, and 6. The joints are sealed by gaskets 8, 10 and 12. These gaskets are formed of butyl rubber incorporating 40 pph of trifluralin, i.e., 40 parts by weight of trifluralin to 100 parts of butyl rubber.
For purposes of the experiments, which will be described later, one end of the pipe was closed by a seal 14, while the other end, 16 was open and extended above the ground. An aerator 18 supplied air to the nutrient solution in the pipe. Experimental examples leading up to the selection of this design and composition will now be described.
EXAMPLE 3
Our initial experiments involved the selection, formulation and in vitro testing of a number of elastomeric materials suitable for our test. The initial tests were carried out using an RTV silicone rubber. Although this material was easily formulated and proved the feasibility of the concept, silicone rubber is expensive, and had rather poor physical properties for use as an "O" ring compression seal. Therefore, we redirected our efforts to other materials more suitable for "O" ring applications. These included EPDM (ethylene-propylene-diene monomer) rubber, chlorobutyl rubber and butyl rubber. These were formulated with either trifluralin or 2,4-D to provide the root intrusion barrier and other suitable compounding agents to provide strength and resilience, and cured to produce either sheets or pellets for subsequent in vitro and in situ testing to determine release rates, effectiveness, and effective life of the barrier. After preliminary testing, butyl rubber was selected for further studies. This material is commonly employed in the gaskets, possesses good physical properties as a seal when loaded with high concentrations of trifluralin, and exhibits suitable release rates.
In vitro release rates and effective lifetime were first determined. Tests included butyl rubber itself and a chlorobutyl rubber. The chlorobutyl rubber was formed in a sheet with a thin layer of pure chlorobutyl rubber sealed over the trifluralin-loaded chlorobutyl rubber (45 pph trifluralin i.e., 45 parts by weight trifluralin to 100 parts of the polymer) to give a diffusion layer of the same material for the trifluralin to diffuse through. Over a nine-week period the release rate of trifluralin was approximately constant, 13.4 micrograms per day per cm 2 ±1.1 SD. For this loading and release rate, provided the release rate did not change with time, one gram of the loaded chlorobutyl rubber behind one sq centimeter of surface would furnish sufficient trifluralin to release at this rate for 63 years. In actual fact, over an extended period of time, the diffusion rate would drop off making the actual useful lifetime nearer 200 years. For the proposed application, this probably far exceeds the reasonable lifetime of the sewer pipe.
Release rates were also determined for a 14 pph addition of trifluralin to butyl rubber. The test pieces were in the form of a cylinder approximately one centimeter in diameter by 0.4 cm thick. The release rate was approximately constant for a four-week period starting eight weeks after the beginning of the flow testing: 8.7 micrograms a day per cm 2 ±1.2SD. For this loading and this rate, the test piece with one gram of butyl rubber behind the surface area of one sq centimeter would continue to release at this rate for 32 years. However, because of the decrease in release rate with time, the useful lifetime would probably be approximately 100 years.
EXAMPLE 4
These studies involved in situ soil studies and determination of intrusion effectiveness. They included determination of comparative release rates and effectiveness in inhibiting root growth when trifluralin or 2,4-D are contained in either butyl rubber or asphalt blends. Specific objectives were to evaluate (1) release rates of trifluralin and 2,4-D (acid form) contained in butyl rubber sewer pipe gasket material and its subsequent soil mobility; (2) release rates and soil mobility for trifluralin and 2,4-D blended in asphalt; (3) determination of the minimum effective levels of trifluralin and 2,4-D required to inhibit root elongation or penetration of the barrier; and (4) the comparative phytotoxicity and usefullness of trifluralin and 2,4-D. Since pipe blockage by willow roots is notoriously common, experiments were conducted using that plant.
All experiments were conducted using 5 cm (I.D.) x 36 cm laboratory lysimeters containing 1200 grams Ritzville silt loam (pH 6.9) and transplanted willow cuttings to simulate deep placement of barriers and subsequent root interactions. Each lysimeter was implanted with 3 one-sq-centimeter butyl rubber devices containing 40 pph trifluralin at 26 cm below the soil surface. After 60 days, trifluralin concentrations in the soil averaged 8 ppm at 0 to 2 cm above the devices and decreased to 0.6 ppm at 4 to 6 cm above the devices. Asphalt blended with trifluralin at 5% by weight resulted in soil concentrations of 1.4 ppm at 0 to 2 cm and decreased to less than 0.05 ppm at 4 to 6 cm. Longitudinal root growth was inhibited by the trifluralin-containing butyl rubber devices but not by the trifluralin-asphalt blend. Extraction of the latter showed trifluralin to be extractable with methanol but apparently bound, preventing subsequent diffusion to the soil.
The well known herbicide 2,4-D was tested in butyl rubber devices at 5.6 and 40 pph and in asphalt at 5% by weight. No discernible diffusion pattern such as that noted with trifluralin was observed in this case, because the 2,4-D is much more volatile and moves through the soil profile more rapidly. Soil concentrations ranged from less than 1 to 2.5 ppm over the entire soil column whether the herbicide was supplied in butyl rubber or as a blend with asphalt. In no case did the willow seedlings survive beyond 32 days of growth in the presence of 2,4-D. Unfortunately, due to time and funding limitations, no quantitative measure of root and shoot growth over the term of the experiment could be obtained in the lysimeters treated with trifluralin. However, root intrusion beyond the soil-implanted devices was prevented without detrimental effects to the plant by the butyl rubber-trifluralin device but not by the asphalt-trifluralin blend, the butyl rubber-2,4-D, or asphalt-2,4-D implant. In all 2,4-D treatments, the willow seedlings yellowed and died.
EXAMPLE 5
Greenhouse/Field Simulation of Root Intrusion Devices
The most common location where plant roots enter an operating sewer line is at the pipe joints which employ gaskets as seals. A greenhouse study was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of the protection systems using 2,4-D and trifluralin-impregnated seals as methods to prevent plant root intrusions of sewer lines.
Lengths of sewer pipe including one joint were placed vertically into a soil profile within a 2×2×3 ft plant growth container (FIG. 4). The joint was placed approximately 18 in. below the soil surface with six different types of seals (Table 5): (1) A perfect 0-ring treated with trifluralin was placed in one joint, sealing the joint to water flow; (2) a trifluralin-treated 0-ring with holes drilled into it large enough to permit nutrient solution to leak slowly out and for roots to pass inwardly; (3) a perfect untreated O-ring; (4) an untreated 0-ring with drilled holes so plant roots could penetrate the seal and nutrient solution could leak slowly out; (5) a seal made by mixing 18 g 2,4-D with 342 g of asphalt cement which was pressed into the pipe joint; and (6) a seal made by mixing 18 g trifluralin with 324 g asphalt cement and pressing the mixture into the pipe joint. The test pipes were filled to the joints with aerated nutrient solution to increase the probability of the roots entering the pipes through any opening in the seal to obtain nutrients and water (FIG. 4).
Two experimental pipes were placed in each of the four growth containers as shown. Soil was then placed around the pipes, planted with weeping willow seedlings and irrigated.
After about 3 months, the sewer pipes were removed from the boxes that were located in the greenhouse. Before the pipes were removed, the willow limb lengths were measured. The soil was removed from around the pipe and the root contact was observed. Pictures were taken of the above-ground plant parts and the roots' relationship to the treated pipe seals. The following results were observed and are shown in Table 6. The limbs and roots of the plants grown in the box containing the 2,4-D-treated seal were dead. The limb lengths were 41±12 cm. The roots were very small and dead and were located in the upper 6 to 8 inches of the soil profile. The soil moisture was at near field capacity showing the plants had
TABLE 5______________________________________Treatments for Field Simulationof Root Intrusion DevicesTreatment No. Treatment Box No.______________________________________1 Good O-ring - trifluralin treated 12 Holed O-ring -trifluralin treated 13 Good O-ring - no treatment-control 24 Holed O-ring - no treatment (no 2 trifluralin)5 Asphalt seal - impregnated with 3 2,4-D6 Asphalt seal - impregnated with 3 trifluralin______________________________________
TABLE 6______________________________________Status of Willow Plants in Boxesat Completion of StudyTreatment of Limb and Root Average Limb Soil MoisturePipe Seal Viability Length (cm)* Content______________________________________Box 1, Tri- live 130 ± 12 dryfluralinBox 2, Control live 114 ± 14 dryBox 3, 2,4-D dead 41 ± 12 wet______________________________________ *.sup.-- X ± SD
The limbs and roots of the plants grown in the boxes containing the control seals and trifluralin-treated seals were alive and growing at harvest time. The limb lengths were 114±14 cm an 130±12 cm, respectively, and the roots were growing throughout the soil profiles of both boxes. Nearly all of the available soil moisture had been removed from the entire soil profile in both boxes showing that the plants were transpiring. No differences in plant growth were observed between the control and trifluralin treated boxes. No toxic effects from trifluralin were observed, contrary to the case of the 2,4-D asphalt treatment.
The root contact with the pipes near the treated seals were as follows: No roots grew near the pipe containing the 2,4-D/asphalt seals, and the entire plant was finally killed. However, the roots grew near the pipe but did not enter the pipe joints containing the trifluralin treated 0-rings. In the control containing an untreated holed 0-ring the roots grew along the pipe and into the joint, so visual differences were observed between the vegetative growth in the trifluralin treated and control boxes.
In FIG. 5 we show a buried pipe 28 having perforations 32. Over it are spread trifluralin-containing polymeric pellets 24. FIG. 6 shows a pipe 30 having perforations 32. Over it is placed a trifluralin-containing polymeric sheet. FIG. 7 shows a pipe 40 made of a polymer mixed with trifluralin and having perforations 42.
While we have disclosed specific embodiments of the invention in considerable detail, it will be apparent to those persons skilled in the art that various changes can be made. For example, while we have performed experiments only with trifluralin and oryzalin among the dinitroanilines, the property of limiting root growth without translocating is common to that group of compounds, so numerous ones may be substituted.
We, therefore, wish our invention to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.
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A method and system for long-term control of root growth without killing the plants bearing those roots involves incorporating a 2,6-dinitroaniline in a polymer and disposing the polymer in an area in which root control is desired. This results in controlled release of the substituted aniline herbicide over a period of many years. Herbicides of this class have the property of preventing root elongation without translocating into other parts of the plant. The herbicide may be encapsulated in the polymer or mixed with it. The polymer-herbicide mixture may be formed into pellets, sheets, pipe gaskets, pipes for carrying water, or various other forms. The invention may be applied to other protection of buried hazardous wastes, protection of underground pipes, prevention of root intrusion beneath slabs, the dwarfing of trees or shrubs and other applications. The preferred herbicide is 4-difluoromethyl-N,N-dipropyl-2,6-dinitro-aniline, commonly known as trifluralin.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a method for optimizing and producing spectacle lenses for spectacle lens pairs for the correction of the anisometropia of a spectacle wearer.
[0002] Furthermore, the invention relates to a computer program product, a storage medium, a device for performing the method, and a spectacle lens pair and its use for the correction of the anisometropia of a spectacle wearer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] When looking through spectacles, the pair of eyes continuously executes viewing movements, whereby the visual points within the spectacle lenses are displaced. If the pair of eyes looks through two points in both spectacle lenses, which generate different prismatic secondary powers, an artificial heterophoria is generated and the fusion is strained.
[0004] If anisometropia exists (i.e., unequal far point refraction of both eyes), the spectacle lenses differ in their power. If the pair of eyes executes viewing movements in the same direction behind the spectacles, different prismatic secondary powers result—in contrast to spectacles having equal power on the left and right—in the left and the right visual points, which strain the fusion and/or the binocular vision.
[0005] The prismatic imbalances, which are defined as the difference of the prismatic powers in the corresponding visual points of the right and the left spectacle lenses, increase strongly with the increase of the viewing angle, because the prismatic secondary powers are a function in a first approximation of the viewing angle (distance c from the optical centerpoint) and the optical power D according to the so-called Prentice formula:
[0000] Δ P=c *( D R −D L ) (1)
[0006] D R referring to the dioptric action of the right spectacle lens and D L referring to the dioptric action of the left spectacle lens.
[0007] For single-vision lenses, it is at least possible to set both the prismatic power and also the equivalent power and the astigmatism optimally in the main visual point. For progressive lenses (progressive power lenses), in contrast, this is no longer possible in the reference points (far and near reference points), because they lie outside the optical center.
[0008] To counteract this problem, progressive lenses are therefore often provided with a so-called slab-off grind. For this purpose, the surface is inclined in a spectacle lens along a horizontal line which typically runs through the optical centerpoint. The prismatic power in the upper half of the spectacle lens (i.e., above the horizontal line) may thus be set differently than in the lower half of the spectacle lens (i.e., below the horizontal line), so that an equalization of the prismatic power on the right and left may occur.
[0009] However, this method has the disadvantage that an image jump occurs along the horizontal line because of the discontinuity in the first derivative. A further disadvantage is that the partition line is visible and thus cosmetically unfavorable. In addition, only a correction of the vertical prismatic components in one point may be achieved using this method.
[0010] For the optimization of typical progressive lenses, it has been suggested that the binocular vision be improved by a minimization of the difference of the second-order imaging errors (i.e., the equivalent error and/or the refraction errors and the astigmatic errors) in the corresponding visual points of the right and the left spectacle lenses. Such a method is described, for example, in WO 01/46744.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] It is an object of the invention to improve the binocular properties of spectacle lenses to correct an anisometropia.
[0012] This object is achieved by a method for producing a spectacle lens having the features of Claim 1 , a computer program product having the features of Claim 15 , a storage medium having the features of Claim 16 , a device for producing a spectacle lens having the features of Claim 17 , a spectacle lens pair having the features of Claim 18 , and a use of a spectacle lens pair having the features of Claim 25 . Preferred exemplary embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.
[0013] It has been recognized according to the invention that in particular the method known from WO 01/46744 is not capable of achieving significant improvements of the binocular vision upon the existence of an anisometropia.
[0014] In particular, it has been recognized according to the invention that typical methods (as described, for example, in WO 01/46744) do have the result that the astigmatic deviation and the refraction errors in the corresponding visual points of the two spectacle lenses of a spectacle lens pair are approximately equal and a spectacle wearer thus sees two approximately equally sharp images, however, the images generated by the right and left spectacle lenses are typically seen as a double image because of the different prismatic powers.
[0015] The invention breaks with the typical procedure. It is suggested according to the invention that the difference of the prismatic powers be minimized instead of the difference of the refraction errors and the astigmatic errors. To achieve this, according to the invention, the prismatic powers are incorporated in the target function during the optimization. It is consciously accepted that the images generated by the right and the left spectacle lenses are no longer seen equally sharply because of the occurring refraction errors and astigmatic errors. According to the method according to the invention, it is even possible that complete correction no longer exists in the main visual points of the two spectacle lenses. The main visual point of one spectacle lens may be coincident with the design reference point, optical centerpoint, or fitting point, depending on the reference point requirement.
[0016] Surprisingly, it has been shown that in spite of such worsening of the imaging quality of the image generated by the particular spectacle lens, the binocular vision and thus the compatibility and acceptance of the spectacle lens pair are significantly improved.
[0017] According to the invention, a method for optimizing and producing a spectacle lens is suggested which comprises an optimization or calculation step of at least one of the surfaces of the spectacle lens in consideration of an anisometropia D of the eyes of a spectacle wearer, the calculation and/or optimization step being performed in such a way that a target function F is minimized:
[0000]
min
F
=
∑
i
gP
i
(
(
PR
(
i
)
-
PL
(
i
)
)
-
P
set
(
i
)
)
2
,
(
2
)
[0000] in which:
PR(i) refers to an actual prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; PL(i) refers to a prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; P set (i) refers to a target value of the difference ΔP of the actual prismatic power PR(i) and the prismatic reference power PL(i) at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and gP i refers to a weighting of the prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens;
and the prismatic reference power PL(i) being the (actual) prismatic power in a visual point of a second spectacle lens corresponding to the i-th evaluation point, and the spectacle lens and the second spectacle lens forming a spectacle lens pair for correcting the anisometropia of the spectacle wearer.
[0022] The prismatic power comprises the prismatic secondary power of the spectacle lens and possibly the prescribed prism and/or the thickness reduction prism (compare EN ISO 8980-2). The prismatic secondary power may be calculated in a first approximation according to the Prentice rule (cf. formula 1).
[0023] The i-th evaluation point relates to the particular penetration point of the particular main beam with the front or rear surface of the spectacle lens to be optimized. The index i is used to index the various main beams which are used in sequence for the calculation of the target function in case of an optimization.
[0024] The visual points of the second spectacle lens corresponding to the i-th evaluation points are preferably calculated using ray tracing with the assumption of orthotropia in the usage position of the spectacle lens to be optimized and of the second spectacle lens in front of the eyes of the spectacle wearer.
[0025] In particular, the course of a first main beam and the associated wavefront are calculated. The first main beam is preferably defined as the beam which runs from the center of rotation of the eye of the first (for example, the right) eye through a penetration point on the front or rear surface of the spectacle lens to be optimized (for example, the right) to a predefined object point. The penetration point of the first main beam with the front or rear surface of the spectacle lens to be optimized represents the i-th evaluation point. The calculation of the wavefront is preferably performed using wavefront tracing.
[0026] Subsequently, the course of a second main beam is iterated with the assumption of intersecting fixation lines (orthotropia) and subsequently the wavefront associated with the second main beam is calculated. The second main beam is preferably defined as the beam which runs through the predefined object point, the second (for example, the left) spectacle lens, and the center of rotation of the eye of the second (for example, the left) eye.
[0027] The penetration point of the second main beam with the front or rear surface of the spectacle lens represents the visual point of the second spectacle lens corresponding to the i-th evaluation point.
[0028] The astigmatic deviation and the refraction errors of the wavefront at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens to be optimized and the astigmatic deviation and the refraction errors in the corresponding visual point of the second spectacle lens may be ascertained from the data of the wavefront. The astigmatic deviation represents the difference of the actual astigmatism of the spectacle lens and the required (setpoint) astigmatism. The refraction error also represents the difference of the actual equivalent power of the spectacle lens and the required (setpoint) equivalent power.
[0029] The astigmatic difference represents the difference (according to the method of obliquely crossed cylinders and/or cross-cylinder method as described, for example, in US 2003/0117578) of the astigmatic deviations calculated of the spectacle lens to be optimized and the second spectacle lens. According to the cross-cylinder method, the difference in the cylinder or astigmatism of the left and right spectacle lens is calculated as follows:
[0000]
zyl
x
=
zyl
R
·
cos
(
2
·
A
R
)
-
zyl
L
·
cos
(
2
·
A
L
)
zyl
y
=
zyl
R
·
sin
(
2
·
A
R
)
-
zyl
L
·
sin
(
2
·
A
L
)
zyl
Dif
=
zyl
x
2
+
zyl
y
2
A
Dif
=
a
tan
(
zyl
y
zyl
x
)
[0000] in which:
zyl R represents the absolute value of the cylinder of the right spectacle lens;
A R represents the cylinder axis of the cylinder of the right spectacle lens;
zyl L represents the absolute value of the cylinder of the left spectacle lens;
A L represents the cylinder axis of the cylinder of the left spectacle lens;
Zyl Dif represents the absolute value of the resulting cylinder; and
A Dif represents the cylinder axis of the resulting cylinder.
[0030] The refraction equilibrium represents the absolute value of the difference of the mean powers of the spectacle lens to be optimized and the second spectacle lens.
[0031] The vertical prism difference results in that the eye-side main beams are projected in the cyclopean eye plane and the angle between the straight lines is expressed in cm/m. The cyclopean eye plane is the plane which passes through the point in the center of the straight line which connects the center of rotation of the eyes of the two eyes and is perpendicular to this straight line. The two eyes may be average model eyes (e.g., Gullstrand eyes), which are situated in an average usage position (e.g., according to DIN 58 208 part 2 ). Alternatively, the two eyes may be model eyes which take the individual parameters of a spectacle wearer into consideration, and are situated in a predefined (individual) usage position. Furthermore, reference is made to the textbook “Refraktionsbestimmung” by Heinz Diepes, third edition, DOZ Verlag, Heidelberg 2004, pages 74 through 75 and to the textbook “Binokular Vision and Stereopsis” by Ian P. Howard, Brian J. Rogers, Oxford University Press, 1995, pages 38 through 39, page 560 in regard to the definition of the cyclopean eye and/or the cyclopean eye coordinates.
[0032] The spectacle lens to be optimized and the second spectacle lens (or the spectacle lens pair to be optimized) may be situated in a predefined or predefinable usage situation in front of the eyes of an average or a specific (individual) spectacle wearer.
[0033] An average usage situation (as defined in DIN 58 208 part 2 ) may be characterized by:
parameters of a standard eye, such as the so-called Gullstrand eye of a spectacle wearer (center of rotation of the eye, entry pupil, and/or main plane, etc.); parameters of a standard usage position and/or configuration of the spectacle lens pair in front of the eyes of the spectacle wearer (face form angle, pantoscopic angle, vertex distance, etc.); and/or parameters of a standard object model or standard object distance.
[0037] The following numeric parameters characterize an average usage situation, for example:
vertex distance=15.00 mm; pantoscopic angle=8.0°; face form angle=0.0°; inter-pupillary distance=63.0 mm; center of rotation of the eye distance e=28.5 mm; object distance model: infinite object distance in the upper section of the spectacle lens, which passes smoothly into an object distance of −2.6 diopter at x=0 mm, y=−20 mm.
[0044] However, individual parameters of the eye or eyes of a specific spectacle wearer (center of rotation of the eye, entry pupil, and/or main plane, etc.), the individual usage position or configuration in front of the eyes of the spectacle wearer (face form angle, pantoscopic angle, vertex distance, etc.), and/or of the individual object distance model may be taken into consideration in the calculation of the course of the particular main beam and the associated wavefront.
[0045] It is possible to transmit the prescription data of the two spectacle lenses of the spectacle lens pair and/or the individual data of the spectacle lens, the usage position, and/or the object model, preferably by data remote transmission or “online”, to a device according to the invention for producing a spectacle lens. The optimization of the spectacle lens in consideration of the anisometropia of the spectacle wearer is performed on the basis of the transmitted prescription data and/or individual data.
[0046] The optimization according to the invention of the spectacle lens may preferably be performed in a monocular way. Only one spectacle lens is optimized iteratively to a predefined second spectacle lens.
[0047] The data of the second spectacle lens (thickness, deviations of the front and rear surfaces, and/or local curvatures), which are taken into consideration in the calculation of the course of the main beam and the associated wavefront, may be theoretical data which relate to a reference spectacle lens having the prescription values required for the correction of the refraction deficit (i.e., having the predefined spherical, cylindrical, progressive, and/or prismatic powers).
[0048] However, it is possible that the data of the spectacle lens are obtained by measuring the deviations of the front and/or the rear surfaces, for example, using sampling devices or an interferometer. The measurement is preferably performed in points of a raster which lie at a predefined distance. The entire surface may subsequently be reconstructed using spline functions, for example. It is thus made possible for any production-related aberrations of the deviations to also be able to be taken into consideration in the calculation or optimization of the spectacle lens. The measured data of the second spectacle lens may also be transmitted by data remote transmission (“online”) to a device according to the invention for producing a spectacle lens.
[0049] Of course, it is possible that the two spectacle lenses of a spectacle lens pair are optimized iteratively for joint use in a pair of spectacles for the correction of an anisometropia according to the method according to the invention in consideration of the prismatic imbalances caused by the anisometropia.
[0050] One of the two surfaces of the spectacle lens to be optimized, which is preferably the object-side front surface, is preferably a simple rotationally-symmetric surface. The optimization of the spectacle lens comprises a surface optimization of the opposing surface, which is preferably the eye-side rear surface, so that the above-mentioned target function is minimized. The surface thus optimized is typically not a rotationally-symmetric surface, e.g., an aspherical, atoric, or progressive surface.
[0051] The calculation or optimization step is preferably performed in such a way that the difference of the vertical prismatic power and the vertical prismatic reference power is taken into consideration in the target function F:
[0000]
min
F
=
∑
i
gPv
i
(
(
PvR
(
i
)
-
PvL
(
i
)
)
-
Pv
set
(
i
)
)
2
,
(
3
)
[0000] in which:
PvR(i) refers to an actual vertical prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; PvL(i) refers to a vertical prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; Pv set (i) refers to a target value of the difference ΔPv of the vertical prismatic power and the vertical prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and gPv i refers to a weighting of the vertical prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens.
[0056] The vertical prismatic power is defined as the particular vertical component of the prismatic power.
[0057] Our visual system is very sensitive in particular to vertical prismatic imbalances or differences of the prismatic powers in the corresponding visual points of the right and the left spectacle lenses of a pair of spectacles. Thus, at a value of the difference of the vertical prismatic powers of 0.5 cm/m, the fusion of the images generated by the right and left spectacle lenses is significantly impaired, so that the two images may no longer be seen as a binocular single image.
[0058] Therefore, the optimization according to the invention is advantageously performed in such a way that the vertical prismatic imbalances caused by the anisometropia are kept as small as possible, preferably less than 1.0 cm/m, especially preferably less than 0.5 cm/m, at least in a circular area having a diameter of 10 mm, preferably 15 mm, around the main visual point of the spectacle lens to be optimized.
[0059] Furthermore, the calculation or optimization step is preferably performed in such a way that the difference of the horizontal prismatic power and the horizontal prismatic reference power is additionally taken into consideration in the target function F:
[0000]
min
F
=
∑
i
=
1
N
gPv
i
(
(
PvR
(
i
)
-
PvL
(
i
)
)
-
Pv
set
(
i
)
)
2
+
gPh
i
(
(
PhR
(
i
)
-
PhL
(
i
)
)
-
Ph
set
(
i
)
)
2
,
(
4
)
[0000] in which:
PhR(i) refers to an actual horizontal prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; PhL(i) refers to a horizontal prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; Ph set (i) refers to a target value of the difference of the horizontal prismatic power and the horizontal prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and gPh i refers to a weighting of the horizontal prismatic power Ph at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens.
[0064] The optimization according to the invention is preferably performed in such a way that the horizontal prismatic imbalances caused by the anisometropia are kept as small as possible, preferably below 2 cm/m, at least in a circular area having a diameter of 10 mm, preferably 15 mm, around the main visual point of the spectacle lens to be optimized.
[0065] The horizontal prismatic power is defined as the horizontal component of the prismatic power.
[0066] The calculation or optimization step is preferably performed in such a way that in addition at least one further property of the spectacle lens is taken into consideration in the target function F:
[0000]
min
F
=
∑
i
(
∑
k
ga
i
k
(
A
act
k
(
i
)
-
A
set
k
(
i
)
)
2
)
+
gP
i
(
(
PR
(
i
)
-
PL
(
i
)
)
-
P
set
(
i
)
)
2
,
(
5
)
[0000] in which:
A k act (i) refers to an actual property A k at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; A k set (i) refers to a required property A k at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and ga k i refers to a weighting of the property A k at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens.
[0070] In particular, the at least one property of the spectacle lens may be the equivalent power, the refraction error, and/or the astigmatic error at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens. Furthermore, the at least one property of the spectacle lens preferably comprises the magnification and/or the distortion of the spectacle lens at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens.
[0071] Surface values may be taken into consideration in the calculation of the equivalent power error, the refraction error, and/or the astigmatic error of a spectacle lens. However, usage values are preferably taken into consideration, the spectacle lens and the second spectacle lens being situated in an average or an individual usage situation. The usage situation may in particular be characterized by average or individual parameters (center of rotation of the eye, entry pupil, and/or main plane, etc.) of the eyes of the spectacle wearer, parameters of a usage position (face form angle, pantoscopic angle, vertex distance, etc.), and/or parameters of an object model and/or an object distance.
[0072] The weighting coefficients ga k , and gP i preferably each lie in a range between 0.01 and 100.
[0073] Furthermore, it is preferable if the calculation or optimization step is performed in such a way that in addition the astigmatic difference and/or the refraction equilibrium at the i-th evaluation point is taken into consideration in the target function F.
[0074] The astigmatic difference is the difference of the astigmatic deviations of the first and the second spectacle lenses (according to the method of the obliquely crossed cylinders). The refraction equilibrium is the absolute value of the difference of the mean powers of the first and the second spectacle lenses.
[0075] The astigmatic deviation, the equivalent power or the mean power, and/or the refraction errors of the particular wavefront through the spectacle lens and the second spectacle lens may be ascertained as described above from the data of the wavefront associated with the particular main beam.
[0076] According to a further preferred embodiment, the calculation or optimization step is performed in such a way that the difference ΔP of the prismatic power of the spectacle lens and the prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens is less than an upper limit and this limit is a function of the anisometropia D and the distance r of the i-th evaluation point from the prism reference point:
[0000] Δ P ( r )< k*r*D, (5)
[0000] in which k is a constant less than 1.
[0077] For the difference of the vertical prismatic powers, k preferably has a value of 0.9, more preferably 0.8. For the difference of the horizontal prismatic powers, k preferably has a value of 0.95, more preferably 0.8.
[0078] The spectacle lens to be optimized and the second spectacle lens may be single-vision lenses, multi-vision lenses, or progressive lenses, which are usable jointly in a pair of spectacles.
[0079] If the two spectacle lenses of the spectacle lens pair are progressive lenses, the calculation or optimization step is preferably performed in such a way that
the difference of the prismatic power and the prismatic reference power in the far reference point of the spectacle lens is less than 1.3 cm*D, and preferably less than 0.8 cm*D; and/or the difference of the prismatic power and the prismatic reference power in the near reference point is less than 1.3 cm*D, and preferably less than 1.0 cm*D.
[0082] The method according to the invention is particularly advantageous for optimizing and producing spectacle lenses or spectacle lens pairs upon the existence of an anisometropia which is greater than 0.5 diopter, preferably greater than 1.5 diopter, especially preferably greater than 3 diopter.
[0083] Furthermore, a method is suggested according to the invention for optimizing and producing a spectacle lens pair, the spectacle lens pair being designed to correct an anisometropia D of the eyes of a spectacle wearer, and at least one of the two spectacle lenses of the spectacle lens pair being calculated or optimized and produced according to the method for optimizing and producing a spectacle lens described above.
[0084] Furthermore, a computer program product is provided according to the invention which is designed, when loaded and executed on a computer, to perform the method according to the invention described above for optimizing at least one of the surfaces of a spectacle lens or a spectacle lens pair, in consideration of an anisometropia D of the eyes of the spectacle wearer. The method for optimizing the at least one surface of the spectacle lens comprises a calculation or optimization step which is performed in such a way that a target function F is minimized:
[0000]
min
F
=
∑
i
gP
i
(
(
PR
(
i
)
-
PL
(
i
)
)
-
P
set
(
i
)
)
2
,
(
6
)
[0000] in which:
PR(i) refers to an actual prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; PL(i) refers to a prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; P set (i) refers to a target value of the difference ΔP of the prismatic power and the prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and gP i refers to a weighting of the prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens;
and the prismatic reference power PL(i) being the prismatic power in a visual point of a second spectacle lens corresponding to the i-th evaluation point, and the spectacle lens and the second spectacle lens forming a spectacle lens pair for correcting the anisometropia of the spectacle wearer. Moreover, reference is made to the above description of the method according to the invention in regard to the computer program product.
[0089] Furthermore, a storage medium having a computer program stored thereon is provided according to the invention, the computer program being designed, when loaded and executed on a computer, to perform the method described above according to the invention for optimizing at least one of the surfaces of a spectacle lens or a spectacle lens pair in consideration of an anisometropia D of the eyes of the spectacle wearer. The method for optimizing the spectacle lens comprises a calculation or optimization step which is performed in such a way that a target function F is minimized:
[0000]
min
F
=
∑
i
gP
i
(
(
PR
(
i
)
-
PL
(
i
)
)
-
P
set
(
i
)
)
2
,
(
7
)
[0000] in which:
PR(i) refers to an actual prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; PL(i) refers to a prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; P set (i) refers to a target value of the difference ΔP of the prismatic power and the prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and gP i refers to a weighting of the prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens;
and the prismatic reference power PL(i) being the prismatic power in a visual point of a second spectacle lens corresponding to the i-th evaluation point, and the spectacle lens and the second spectacle lens forming a spectacle lens pair for correcting the anisometropia of the spectacle wearer.
[0094] Furthermore, a device is provided according to the invention, which is designed and set up in such a way as to perform the method described above for optimizing and producing a spectacle lens or a spectacle lens pair.
[0095] The device according to the invention for producing a spectacle lens or a spectacle lens pair comprises:
detection means for detecting target data of a spectacle lens or a spectacle lens pair; calculation and optimization means for calculating and optimizing at least one surface of the spectacle lens in consideration of an anisometropia D of the eyes of the spectacle wearer, the calculation or optimization means being designed to minimize a target function F, so that
[0000]
min
F
=
∑
i
gP
i
(
(
PR
(
i
)
-
PL
(
i
)
)
-
P
set
(
i
)
)
2
,
(
8
)
[0000] applies, in which:
PR(i) refers to an actual prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; PL(i) refers to a prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; P set (i) refers to a target value of the difference ΔP of the prismatic power and the prismatic reference power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and gP i refers to a weighting of the prismatic power at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens;
and the prismatic reference power PL(i) being the prismatic power in a visual point of a second spectacle lens corresponding to the i-th evaluation point, and the spectacle lens and the second spectacle lens forming a spectacle lens pair for joint use in a pair of spectacles for correcting the anisometropia of the spectacle wearer.
[0102] Furthermore, a spectacle lens pair for correcting an anisometropia of a spectacle wearer is provided according to the invention, having a first spectacle lens which is designed to correct a far point refraction deficit of the first eye of the spectacle wearer, and a second spectacle lens, which is designed to correct a far point refraction deficit of the second eye of the spectacle wearer,
[0000] the difference ΔP=|PL−PR| of the prismatic powers in the corresponding visual points of the first and the second spectacle lenses being less than an upper limit and this limit being a function of the difference D of the dioptric power in the prism reference point of the first spectacle lens and the dioptric power in the prism reference point of the second spectacle lens and the distance r of the visual point from the prism reference point:
[0000] Δ P ( r )< k*r*D, (9)
[0000] in which k is a constant less than 1.
[0103] The prism reference point is defined in EN ISO 13 666. It is typically located at the geometric center point of the unframed or tubular lens and/or in the lens centerpoint. The lens centerpoint is defined as the point which is located at the center of the lens horizontal running through the permanent markings. In some pre-decentered spectacle lenses, the prism reference point may be located at a point having coordinates (+/−2.5 mm, −4 mm).
[0104] At least one of the two surfaces of the spectacle lens is preferably an aspheric and/or atoric or progressive surface. The opposing surface, which is preferably the front surface and/or the surface facing toward the object, may be a simple rotationally-symmetric, in particular spherical surface.
[0105] Furthermore, difference D is preferably greater than 0.5 diopter, more preferably greater than 1.5 diopter, very preferably greater than 3.0 diopter.
[0106] The corresponding visual points of the first and the second spectacle lenses may be calculated as described above in the usage position of the spectacle lens and the second spectacle lens in front of the eyes of the spectacle wearer using ray tracing with the assumption of orthotropia.
[0107] In particular, average parameters (center of rotation of the eye, entry pupil, and/or main plane, etc.) of a standard eye (such as the so-called Gullstrand eye), a standard usage position (face form angle, pantoscopic angle, vertex distance, etc.), and/or of a standard object model or a standard object distance may be taken into consideration, as defined in DIN 58 208 part 2 .
[0108] The following numeric parameters characterize an average usage situation, for example:
vertex distance=15.00 mm; pantoscopic angle=8.0°; face form angle=0.0°; inter-pupillary distance=63.0 mm; center of rotation of the eye distance e=28.5 mm; object distance model: infinite object distance in the upper section of the spectacle lens, which passes smoothly into an object distance of −2.6 diopter at x=0 mm, y=−20 mm.
[0115] However, individual parameters of the eye of a spectacle wearer, the individual usage position, and/or the individual object distance model may be taken into consideration in the calculation of the course of the main beam and the associated wavefront.
[0116] The constant k preferably has a value of 0.9, more preferably 0.8 for the difference of the vertical prismatic powers, and/or a value of 0.95, more preferably 0.8 for the difference of the horizontal prismatic powers.
[0117] The first and the second spectacle lenses may be single-vision lenses, multi-vision lenses, or progressive lenses.
[0118] If the spectacle lenses are progressive lenses, it is preferable if:
the difference of the vertical and/or the horizontal prismatic powers in the far reference point of the spectacle lens is less than 1.3*D, and preferably less than 0.8*D; and/or the difference of the vertical and/or the horizontal prismatic powers in the near reference point is less than 1.3*D, and preferably less than 1.0*D.
[0121] The far and near reference points of a progressive lens are defined in EN ISO 13 666. The far reference point has coordinates (0, +8 mm) and the near reference point has coordinates (0, −14 mm), for example, the origin of the coordinate system being located in the geometrical centerpoint (of the unframed or tubular spectacle lens) and/or in the lens centerpoint of the spectacle lens and the abscissa and the ordinate identifying the horizontal and the vertical axis of the spectacle lens in the usage position, respectively.
[0122] The spectacle lenses or spectacle lens surfaces optimized in consideration of the anisometropia of a spectacle wearer may, for example, be produced from mineral glass or plastic using numerically controlled tools.
[0123] Furthermore, a use according to the invention of the spectacle lens pair according to the invention described above for correcting an anisometropia of a spectacle wearer is provided.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0124] The invention is explained for exemplary purposes hereafter on the basis of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. In the figures:
[0125] FIG. 1 shows the distribution of the vertical prismatic imbalances of a conventional spectacle lens pair of progressive lenses for correcting an anisometropia;
[0126] FIG. 2 shows the distribution of the astigmatic imbalances of the conventional spectacle lens pair of progressive lenses for correcting an anisometropia;
[0127] FIG. 3 shows the distribution of the vertical prismatic imbalances of a spectacle lens pair according to the invention of progressive lenses for correcting an anisometropia;
[0128] FIG. 4 shows the distribution of the astigmatic imbalances of the spectacle lens pair according to the invention of progressive lenses for correcting an anisometropia;
[0129] FIG. 5 shows the distribution of the vertical prismatic imbalances of a conventional spectacle lens pair of single-vision lenses for correcting an anisometropia;
[0130] FIG. 6 shows the distribution of the astigmatic imbalances of the conventional spectacle lens pair of single-vision lenses for correcting an anisometropia;
[0131] FIG. 7 shows the distribution of the vertical prismatic imbalances of a spectacle lens pair according to the invention of single-vision lenses for correcting an anisometropia;
[0132] FIG. 8 shows the distribution of the astigmatic imbalances of the spectacle lens pair according to the invention of single-vision lenses for correcting an anisometropia;
[0133] FIG. 9 shows a schematic illustration of an example of the preferred device for calculating the local magnification and/or the local distortion of a spectacle lens and/or for calculating or optimizing the at least one surface of the spectacle lens.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0134] FIGS. 1 through 8 show the distributions of the particular prismatic and astigmatic imbalances of a conventional spectacle lens pair of progressive lenses ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ) or single-vision lenses ( FIGS. 5 , 6 ) and of a spectacle lens pair according to the invention of progressive lenses ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ) or single-vision lenses ( FIGS. 7 , 8 ) as isolines or contour lines of equal value.
[0135] The vertical prismatic imbalances represent the difference of the vertical prismatic powers at the particular corresponding visual points of the right and the left spectacle lens of the spectacle lens pair.
[0136] The astigmatic imbalances represent the difference of the astigmatic deviations at the particular corresponding visual points of the right and the left spectacle lens of the spectacle lens pair (calculated using the cross-cylinder method).
[0137] The corresponding visual points of the left and the right spectacle lenses may be ascertained as described at the beginning using ray tracing with the assumption of orthotropia in the usage position of the spectacle lenses in front of the eyes of the spectacle wearer.
[0138] All FIGS. 1 through 8 are based on a Cartesian coordinate system which lies tangentially to the front surface of the right spectacle lens and whose origin is located in the neutral viewing direction in front of the right eye. The x-y plane is tangential to the front surface in the prism reference point or geometrical centerpoint; all coordinate values x and y are specified in mm.
[0139] In all FIGS. 1 through 4 , the right spectacle lens is designed to correct a far point refraction deficit of Rsph=+2.0 diopter (right) and the second spectacle lens is designed to correct a far point refraction deficit of Lsph=+5.0 diopter (left). The anisometropia of the spectacle wearer is 3 diopter. Both spectacle lenses are progressive lenses and have an addition power of 2.0 diopter.
[0140] The particular far and near reference points are shown as circles in FIGS. 1 through 4 . Measured in a coordinate system of the front surface having an origin in the geometrical centerpoint of the spectacle lens and having a x-y plane tangential to the front surface, the x axis identifying the horizontal axis and the y axis identifying the vertical axis, in all spectacle lenses shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 , the far reference point is in a point having coordinates (0, +8 mm) and the near reference point is in a point having coordinates (0, −14 mm).
[0141] FIG. 1 shows the distribution of the absolute value of the vertical prismatic imbalances of a typical spectacle lens pair for a correction of an anisometropia of +3 diopter. The front surface of the left and right spectacle lenses of the conventional spectacle lens pair facing toward the object to be observed is a spherical surface having a radius of curvature of 80.7 mm. The rear surface facing toward the eyes of the spectacle wearer is a progressive surface which is optimized according to a typical optimization method in regard to the astigmatic error and refraction error. The index of refraction of the particular left and right spectacle lenses of the conventional spectacle lens pair is 1.597.
[0142] As is obvious from FIG. 1 , very strong vertical prismatic imbalances result in such a conventional spectacle lens pair of progressive lenses at an anisometropia of 3 diopter.
[0143] At most, values of greater than 12 cm/m occur, and values of 2 and 6 cm/m occur in the reference points (far and near reference points). In the event of large prismatic imbalances of this type, the images generated by the left and right spectacle lenses are no longer seen as a single image.
[0144] FIG. 2 shows the distribution of the astigmatic imbalances of the conventional spectacle lens pair shown in FIG. 1 . As is obvious from FIG. 2 , the maximum value of the occurring astigmatic imbalances is less than 0.5 diopter.
[0145] FIG. 3 shows the distribution of the vertical prismatic imbalances of a preferred spectacle lens pair according to the invention, which is optimized in consideration of an anisometropia in regard to the prismatic imbalances. Both the right and also the left spectacle lens each have a spherical front surface having a radius of curvature of 80.7 mm and a progressive rear surface. The progressive surface of the right spectacle lens has been optimized according to the invention in consideration of the prismatic imbalances. The indices of refraction of the left and the right spectacle lenses of the spectacle lens pair according to the invention are 1.597.
[0146] As is obvious from FIG. 3 , the occurring vertical prismatic imbalances have been significantly reduced. Thus, values of only 1 cm/m (in the far reference point) and 2.5 cm/m (in the near reference point) still result in the reference points. The maximum value of the occurring vertical prismatic imbalances is 5.5 cm/m. The vertical imbalances have been reduced by more than half in comparison to a conventional spectacle lens pair.
[0147] FIG. 4 shows the distribution of the astigmatic imbalances of the progressive lens pair shown in FIG. 3 .
[0148] As is obvious from FIG. 4 , the astigmatic imbalances of a spectacle lens pair according to the invention have been slightly increased in comparison to a conventional spectacle lens pair. The astigmatic imbalances in the far and near reference points are thus less than a value of 0.25 diopter. The maximum occurring value of the astigmatic imbalances is approximately 1.0 diopter.
[0149] FIGS. 5 through 8 show single-vision lens pairs for correcting an anisometropia.
[0150] In FIGS. 5 through 8 , the right single-vision lens is designed to correct a far point refraction deficit of Rsph=+3.5 diopter (right) and the second single-vision lens is designed to correct a far point refraction deficit of Lsph=+5.0 diopter (left). The anisometropia of the spectacle wearer is thus 1.5 diopter.
[0151] FIG. 5 shows the distribution of the absolute value of the vertical prismatic imbalances of a typical single-vision lens pair for correcting an anisometropia of 1.5 diopter.
[0152] The left and the right spectacle lenses of the conventional single-vision lens pair each have spherical front and rear surfaces, the radius of curvature of the front surfaces of both spectacle lenses being 80.7 mm. The radius of curvature of the rear surface of the right spectacle lens is 146.5 mm, and the radius of curvature of the rear surface of the left spectacle lens is 219.2 mm. The index of refraction of both spectacle lenses is 1.597.
[0153] As is obvious from FIG. 5 , very strong vertical prismatic imbalances result in such a conventional pair of single-vision spectacle lenses in case of an anisometropia of 1.5 diopter. At most, values of greater than 9 cm/m occur, which makes the fusion of the visual impressions of the right and the left spectacle lenses significantly more difficult.
[0154] FIG. 6 shows the distribution of the astigmatic imbalances of the conventional single-vision lens pair shown in FIG. 5 . As is obvious from FIG. 6 , the maximum value of the occurring astigmatic imbalances is approximately 1.5 diopter.
[0155] FIG. 7 shows the distribution of the vertical prismatic imbalances of a preferred single-vision lens pair according to the invention, which is optimized in consideration of an anisometropia in regard to the prismatic imbalances. Both spectacle lenses of the pair according to the invention each have a spherical front surface having a radius of curvature of 80.7 mm and an aspheric rear surface optimized according to the invention. The index of refraction of both spectacle lenses is 1.597.
[0156] As is obvious from FIG. 7 , the vertical prismatic imbalances occurring are clearly reduced in relation to those of a conventional spectacle lens pair. The maximum value of the occurring vertical prismatic imbalances in the periphery of the spectacle lens is only approximately 4.00 cm/m. In a circle around the prism reference point or around the geometric center point having a diameter of approximately 20 mm, the value of the maximum occurring vertical prismatic imbalances is 1.0 cm/m. In a circle having a diameter of approximately 30 mm, the value of the maximum occurring vertical prismatic imbalances is less than 2.0 cm/m.
[0157] FIG. 8 shows the distribution of the astigmatic imbalances of the preferred single-vision lens pair according to the invention shown in FIG. 7 . As is obvious from FIG. 8 , the astigmatic imbalances of a single-vision lens pair according to the invention are also significantly reduced in comparison to a conventional single-vision lens pair.
[0158] The spectacle lens pair according to the invention for correcting an anisometropia of a spectacle wearer may be produced, for example, using the method described hereafter.
[0159] The method comprises a calculation or optimization step of at least one surface of one of the spectacle lenses of the spectacle lens pair (e.g., the right spectacle lens) in consideration of an anisometropia of the spectacle wearer, which is performed in such a way that a target function F is minimized.
[0160] A target function normally has the following form:
[0000] min F=Σga i ( A act ( i )− A set ( i )) 2 +gb i ( B act ( i )− B set ( i )) 2 (10)
[0161] A and B relate here to monocular target values and imaging errors at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens. Typically, two criteria or properties of the spectacle lens are used: A=astigmatism and B=equivalent power (as surface values or as usage values).
[0162] In formula (10):
A act (i) refers to an actual monocular feature A (e.g., astigmatism) at the i-th evaluation point; A set (i) refers to a required monocular feature A at the i-th evaluation point; ga i refers to a weighting of the monocular feature A at the i-th evaluation point; B act (i) refers to an actual monocular feature B (e.g., equivalent power) at the i-th evaluation point; B set (i) refers to a required monocular feature B at the i-th evaluation point; and gb i refers to a weighting of the monocular feature B at the i-th evaluation point.
[0169] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the target function is expanded in such a way that the difference of the prismatic power of the spectacle lens to be optimized and a second spectacle lens having a dioptric power different from the first spectacle lens at the i-th evaluation point is also taken into consideration.
[0170] The target function thus expanded may assume the following form, for example:
[0000] min F=Σga i ( A act ( i )− A set ( i )) 2 +gb i ( B act ( i )− B set ( i )) 2 +gPv i (( PvR ( i )− PvL ( i ))− Pv set ( i )) 2 +gPh i (( PhR ( i )− PhL ( i ))− Ph set ( i )) 2 (11)
[0000] in which:
A act (i) refers to an actual monocular feature A (e.g., astigmatism) at the i-th evaluation point; A set (i) refers to a required monocular feature A at the i-th evaluation point; ga i refers to a weighting of the monocular feature A at the i-th evaluation point; B act (i) refers to an actual monocular feature B (e.g., equivalent power or the refraction error) at the i-th evaluation point; B set (i) refers to a required monocular feature B at the i-th evaluation point; gb i refers to a weighting of the monocular feature B at the i-th evaluation point; PvR(i) refers to the actual vertical prismatic power Pv in the right spectacle lens at the i-th evaluation point; PvL(i) refers to the vertical prismatic reference power Pv in the left spectacle lens at the corresponding visual point of the i-th evaluation point; Pv set (i) refers to the required vertical prismatic difference at the i-th evaluation point; gPv i refers to a weighting of the vertical prismatic power Pv at the i-th evaluation point; PhR(i) refers to the actual horizontal prismatic power Ph in the right spectacle lens at the i-th evaluation point; PhL(i) refers to the actual horizontal prismatic reference power Ph in the left spectacle lens at the corresponding visual point of the i-th evaluation point; Ph set (i) refers to the required horizontal prismatic difference at the i-th evaluation point; and gPh i refers to the weighting of the horizontal prismatic power Ph at the i-th evaluation point.
[0185] The variables entered in formula (II) may be calculated as follows:
[0186] The weights ga i , gb i , gPv i , gPh i , are each preferably in a range between 0.01 and 100.
[0187] The course of the main beam and the associated wavefront are first ascertained. The main beam runs from the center of rotation of the eye of the right eye through a point on the front surface of the right spectacle lens to a predefined object point. The main beam may be calculated using ray tracing.
[0188] The astigmatic deviation and the refraction errors are calculated in a generally known way from the data of the calculated wavefront and the order of the right eye. Subsequently, the main beam and the wavefront through the left spectacle lens and the left center of rotation of the eye are iterated from the object point under the assumption of intersecting lines of fixation (orthotropia).
[0189] The visual points of the right and left spectacle lenses correspond to the penetration points of the main beam with the front or rear surface of the particular right and left spectacle lenses.
[0190] The following average usage situation is taken into consideration in the calculation or optimization of the spectacle lens pair shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 :
[0191] An average usage situation is characterized, for example, by the following parameters:
vertex distance=15.00 mm; pantoscopic angle=8.0°; face form angle=0.0°; inter-pupillary distance=63.0 mm; center of rotation of the eye distance e=28.5 mm; object distance model: infinite object distance in the upper section of the spectacle lens, which passes smoothly into an object distance of −2.6 diopter at x=0 mm, y=−20 mm.
[0198] The astigmatic deviation and the refraction errors of the wavefront through the left spectacle lens are combined with corresponding values of the right lens and thus result in the dimensions of the astigmatic difference (according to the method of obliquely crossed cylinders) and the refraction equilibrium (absolute value of the difference of the mean power of the spectacle lenses). The vertical prism difference results in that the eye-side main beams are projected into the cyclopean eye plane and the angle between the straight lines is expressed in cm/m.
[0199] In the method described above for producing a spectacle lens pair, the optimization of the spectacle lens or a spectacle lens pair according to the invention is performed in a monocular way. Only one spectacle lens is iteratively optimized to a predefined second (left) spectacle lens.
[0200] Of course, it is also possible, however, that the two spectacle lenses of a spectacle lens pair are iteratively optimized to correct an anisometropia according to the method according to the invention in consideration of the prismatic imbalances caused by the anisometropia.
[0201] The left and the right spectacle lenses may be situated in an average usage situation or a usage situation adapted individually to a spectacle wearer. The data of the second spectacle lens (index of refraction, deviations of the front and rear surfaces) used in the calculation of the main beam and the associated wavefront may be theoretical data or measured data which are obtained by measuring the deviations of the (for example) left spectacle lens using sampling devices or an interferometer. The measurement is preferably performed in points of a raster which lie at a predefined distance. The entire surface may subsequently be reconstructed using spline functions, for example. It is thus made possible for any production-related aberrations of the deviations to also be able to be taken into consideration in the calculation or optimization of the spectacle lens.
[0202] Furthermore, it is possible to transmit the prescription data of the spectacle lenses, preferably together with individual data of the spectacle wearer (including the data of the individual usage situation) and/or data of the spectacle lens (index of refraction, deviations of the front and rear surfaces), preferably by data remote transmission, to a device according to the invention for producing a spectacle lens. The optimization of the spectacle lens in consideration of the anisometropia of the spectacle wearer is performed on the basis of the transmitted prescription data and individual data.
[0203] The spectacle lenses or spectacle lens surfaces optimized in consideration of the anisometropia of a spectacle wearer may, for example, be produced from mineral glass or plastic using numerically controlled tools.
[0204] Furthermore, as schematically shown in FIG. 5 , a computer program product (i.e., a computer program claimed in the patent claim category of a device) 200 is provided, which is designed in such a way that it—when loaded and executed on a suitable computer 100 or network—may perform a method for optimizing a spectacle lens or spectacle lens pair in consideration of an anisometropia of a spectacle wearer. The computer program product 200 may be stored on a physical storage medium or program carrier 210 . The computer program product may also be provided as a program signal.
[0205] A possible computer or network architecture is described hereafter with reference to FIG. 5 .
[0206] The processor 110 of the computer 100 is a central processing unit (CPU), a microcontroller (MCU), or a digital signal processor (DSP), for example. The memory 120 symbolizes elements which either temporarily or permanently store data and commands. Although the memory 120 is shown as part of the computer 100 for better understanding, the memory functions may be implemented at other points, e.g., in the processor itself (e.g., cache, register) and/or also in the network 300 , for example, in the computers 101 / 102 . The memory 120 may be a read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), a programmable or non-programmable PROM, or a memory having other access options. The memory 120 may be physically implemented and/or stored on a computer-readable program carrier, for example, on:
(a) a magnetic carrier (hard drive, diskette, magnetic tape); (b) an optical carrier (CD-ROM, DVD); (c) a semiconductor carrier (DRAM, SRAM, EPROM, EEPROM).
[0210] The memory 120 is alternately distributed over various media. Parts of the memory 120 may be attached permanently or replaceably. The computer 100 uses known means such as disk drives, etc., for reading and writing, for example.
[0211] The memory 120 stores support components such as a BIOS (basic input output system), an operating system (OS), a program library, a compiler, an interpreter, and/or a table or text processing program. These components are not shown for better understanding. Support components are commercially available and may be installed and/or implemented on the computer 100 by technicians.
[0212] The processor 110 , the memory 120 , the input device, and the output device are connected via at least one bus 130 and/or alternately linked and/or connected to one another via the (monodirectional, bidirectional, or multidirectional) network 300 (e.g., the Internet). The bus 130 and the network 300 represent logical and/or physical connections which transmit both commands and also data signals. The signals within the computer 100 are predominantly electrical signals, while in contrast the signals of the network may be electrical, magnetic, and/or optical signals or also wireless radio signals.
[0213] Network environments (such as the network 300 ) are typical in offices, company-wide computer networks, intranets, and in the Internet (i.e., World Wide Web). The physical distance between the computers in the network is not significant. The network 300 may be a wireless or a wired network. The following are listed as possible examples of implementations of the network 300 here: a local network (LAN), a wireless local network (WLAN), a wide area network (WAN), an ISDN network, an infrared connection (IR), a radio connection such as the universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS), or a satellite connection. Transmission protocols and data formats are known. Examples thereof are: TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), URL (Unique Resource Locator), HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), XML (Extensible Markup Language), WML (Wireless Application Markup Language), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc.
[0214] The input and output devices may be part of a user interface 160 .
[0215] The input device 140 stands for a device which provides data and instructions for processing by the computer 100 . For example, the input device 140 is a keyboard, a pointing device (mouse, trackball, cursor arrow), microphone, joystick, scanner. Although the examples are all devices having human interaction, preferably through a graphic user interface, the device 140 may also manage without human interaction, such as a wireless receiver (e.g., using satellite or terrestrial antenna), sensor (e.g., a thermometer), a counter (e.g., a piece counter in a factory). The input device 140 may be used to read the storage medium or carrier 170 .
[0216] The output device 150 identifies a device which displays instructions and data which have already been processed. Examples of this are a monitor or another display (cathode ray tubes, flat display screen, liquid crystal display, loudspeaker, printer, vibration alarm). Similarly as in the input device 140 , the output device 150 preferably communicates with the user, preferably through a graphic user interface. The upper device may also communicate with other computers 101 , 102 , et cetera.
[0217] The input device 140 and the output device 150 may be combined in a single device. Both devices 140 , 150 may be provided alternately.
[0218] The computer program product 200 comprises program instructions and alternately data which cause the processor 110 , inter alia, to execute the method steps of the method according to the invention or preferred embodiments thereof. In other words, the computer program 200 defines a function of the computer 100 and its interaction with the network system 300 . The computer program product 200 may be provided as source code in an arbitrary programming language and/or as binary code in compiled form (i.e., machine readable form), for example. One skilled in the art is capable of using the computer program product 200 in connection with each of the previously explained support components (e.g., compiler, interpreter, operating system).
[0219] Although the computer program product 200 is shown as stored in the memory 120 , the computer program product 100 may also be stored at another arbitrary location (e.g., on the storage medium or program carrier 170 ).
[0220] The storage medium 170 is shown situated outside the computer 100 for exemplary purposes. To transfer the computer program product 200 onto the computer 100 , the storage medium 170 may be inserted into the input device 140 . The storage medium 170 may be implemented as an arbitrary, computer-readable carrier, such as one of the media explained above (cf. memory 120 ). The program signal 180 , which is preferably transmitted via the network 300 to the computer 100 , may also contain the computer program 200 or be a part thereof.
[0221] Interfaces for coupling the individual components of the computer system 50 are also known. For simplification, the interfaces are not shown. An interface may, for example, have a serial interface, a parallel interface, a game port, a universal serial bus (USB), an internal or external modem, a graphic adapter, and/or a soundcard.
[0222] The spectacle lenses or spectacle lens surfaces optimized in consideration of the anisometropia of a spectacle wearer may, for example, be produced from mineral glass or plastic using numerically controlled tools.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0000]
50 computer system
100 , 10 q computer
110 processor
120 memory
130 bus
140 input device
150 output device
160 user interface
170 storage medium
180 program signal
200 computer program product
300 network
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According to the invention, a method for producing a spectacle lens or a pair of spectacle lenses is proposed which comprises a calculation and optimization step for at least one of the surfaces of the spectacle lens taking into account an anisometropia D of the eyes of a spectacles wearer, said calculation and optimization step involving a target function F being minimized: minF=Σ i gP i ((PR(i)−PL(i))−P soll (i)) 2 , where: PR(i) is a prismatic effect at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; PL(i) is a prismatic reference effect at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; P soll (i) is a desired value of the difference ΔP in prismatic effect and prismatic reference effect at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and gP i is a weighting of the prismatic effect at the i-th evaluation point of the spectacle lens; and where the prismatic reference effect PL(i) is the prismatic effect at a visual point of a second spectacle lens corresponding to the i-th evaluation point, and the spectacle lens and the second spectacle lens form a pair of spectacle lenses for joint use in spectacles for correcting the anisometropia of the spectacles wearer. The invention further relates to a computer program product, a storage medium, a device for carrying out the method, and a pair of spectacle lenses and the use thereof for correcting an anisometropia of a spectacles wearer.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention broadly relates to a device that is useful in, for example, heat or mass transfer, the separation of gases by absorption or desorption, the concentration of fluids, catalytic reactions, or particle cleaning. Such a device is especially suitable for use as a heat wheel or rotary recuperator in which, for example, heat energy from hot exhaust flue gas is captured and used to preheat combustion air or hot gas used in a particular process from which the hot exhaust gas is being removed.
Rotary recuperators or heat wheels are well known and used in the exchange of thermal energy between hot and cool gases. Generally, such devices employ stationary hot and cold gas chambers through which a rigid, preformed, torus-shaped heat wheel is rotated to be alternately heated and cooled by the gases being circulated through the device. The heat wheel is composed of thermal energy responsive material, e.g. honeycombed ceramic-type material, through which the hot and cool gases are circulated to achieve a thermal energy exchange between the gases and material.
A serious problem of such devices is in the provision of a good effective seal between the stationary hot and cold gas chambers and the rotary heat wheel which, because of a pattern of alternating heating and cooling, has portions that are constantly expanding and contracting in such a way as to cause continual warping and distortion of the heat wheel thereby making it exceedingly difficult for the seal to maintain contact with the rotary wheel. Thus, it is not uncommon for such devices to experience gas leakage between the two stationary chambers, which leakage generally disrupts the heat exchanging process when the seals become the least bit worn and ineffective. The invention is primarily designed to overcome this problem by the provision of a heat exchanging device in which it is not necessary to maintain a seal in contact with the thermal energy responsive material.
Briefly stated, the invention is in a device which comprises a stationary, hollow, cylindrical fluid distributing member and a hollow closed torus-shaped rotary member which is mounted for rotation about the stationary member in a plane which is generally normal to the longitudinal axis of the stationary member. The stationary member is longitudinally and transversely divided into four compartments, through which fluid is circulated between pairs of longitudinally communicating compartments. The rotary member is divided into pie-shaped sections or chambers which carry material through which fluid can be circulated. A plurality of longitudinally extending wiper-type seals and circumferentially oriented ring seals are positioned in the space between the rotary and stationary members and divide the space into four segments which are in communication with the four compartments of the stationary member. The seals literally divide the device into two chambers through which different fluids can be simultaneously circulated free of each other. The compartments of the stationary member and the sections of the rotary member are provided with communicating openings so that one fluid can be circulated through a first pair of compartments and communicating sections while another fluid is circulated through the second pair of compartments and communicating sections.
It can be appreciated that it is much simpler to provide good effective seals between the inner periphery of the rotating closed torus and the adjacent outer periphery of the stationary cylinder, than it is to provide good, continuous contact of a flap seal with a twisting heat wheel of the prior art. In addition, the device of the invention has the added advantage of not being restricted in the shape or size of, for example, the thermal energy responsive material that is carried by the rotary member. Most heat wheels are preformed of thermal responsive material into a comparatively rigid ring, but this is understandable, since it is the rotating member. The rotary member of this invention carries and supports the thermal energy responsive material which can be composed of any suitable loosely or tightly packed particulate material as well as having the more rigid structure previously described.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The following description of the invention will be in relation to a thermal energy exchanging device by way of example and will be better understood by having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a cross-section of a thermal energy exchanging device which is made in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a section of the device viewed from the line 2--2 of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 3 is a section similar to that of FIG. 2, but of another embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With general reference to the drawing for like parts and more particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a thermal energy exchanging device 5 which essentially comprises: a stationary, thermally insulated hollow cylindrical gas distributing member 6; a hollow, doughnut or closed torus-shaped thermally insulated member 7 that is mounted for rotation about the stationary member 6 in a plane which is substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the stationary member 6; and any suitable drive mechanism 8 for rotating the rotary member 7 about the stationary member 6.
The stationary member 6 is longitudinally and transversely divided by any suitable dividers 9,10 into four separated compartments. The first pair of longitudinally aligned compartments 11,12, relative to the longitudinal axis of the stationary member 6, is provided as a conduit or passageway through which, for example, hot exhaust gas, e.g. air, is circulated, such compartments hereinafter referred to as the hot air compartments 11,12. The remaining second pair of longitudinally aligned compartments 13,14 is provided as a conduit through which, for example, cool combustion air is circulated for preheating, such compartments hereinafter referred to as the cold air compartments. The four compartments 11-14 are each provided with a plurality of similar openings 15 adjacent the transverse divider 10. The openings 15 are generally equally arcuately spaced in the outer peripheral wall of the stationary member or compartments adjacent the rotary member 7. The hot air compartments 11,12 and the cold air compartments 13,14 are each provided with similar inlet and outlet ports 16,17. Although the arrows show that air is circulated in opposite directions through the hot and cold air compartments 11,12, and 13,14 it should be realized that the air circulation can be in the same direction, depending on the desired circulation and location of the inlet and outlet ports 16,17 of the device 5.
The rotary member 7 comprises a pair of opposing, parallel annular top and bottom endwalls 18,19 which are connected by a pair of inner and outer peripheral cylindrical walls 20,21 to define an enclosure 22 which, as best seen in FIG. 2 is divided into a plurality of generally pie-shaped chambers or sections 23-30 by similar, radially oriented dividers 31. The sections 23-30 are each provided in the inner cylindrical wall 20 with openings 32 that correspond to the openings 15 in the four compartments 11-13 of the stationary member 6.
The sections 23-30 of the rotary member 7 are provided with any suitable means, such as a perforated plate 33, for supporting any suitable thermal energy responsive material 34, e.g. honeycombed metal or ceramic-type material, ceramic chips, cellulosic material, or particulate material such as pebbles, through which gas can circulate and which can be heated and cooled during a thermal energy exchange between the gas and material. A single perforated plate 33 is normally used to support particulate matter when the rotary member 7 is designed to rotate in a horizontal plane. The use of similar particulate matter would require the use of a second perforated plate to confine the particulate matter, in cases where, for example, the rotary member 7 is designed to rotate in a vertical plane, or in a plane which is angularly disposed to the horizontal. It can be appreciated that the material 34 can be any appropriate catalyst, regenerative or concentrating solid, or any other composition of matter necessary to carry on any of the aforementioned processes.
The rotary member 7 is mounted on a plurality of sets of casters 35,36 which are equally arcuately spaced around the annular bottom 19 of the rotary member 7. The casters 35,36 are supported on, and movable along, a platform 37 which can be apart from the device 5, or secured to the stationary member 6, depending on the size of the device 5, especially the revolving member or torus 7. In smaller devices, the rotary member 7 can be journalled in the stationary member 6 for rotation on, for example, ballbearings. Ballbearings can be used between the platform 37 and rotary member 7 in place of the casters, or the rotary member 7 can be floated on any suitable fluidized bed. Thus, any appropriate rotary mounting of the rotary member 7 can be provided, depending on the particular size and weight of the device 5, or the mounting desired.
Any suitable ring seal arrangements 38,39 and 40 can be provided in the annular space between the stationary and rotary members 6 and 7, adjacent the top and bottom walls 18,19 of the rotary member 7 and the horizontal divider 10 of the stationary member 6, respectively. A plurality of any appropriate flap-type seals, e.g. seals 41,42 are vertically secured longitudinally of the stationary member 6 between the ring seals 38-40 in radial alignment with the longitudinal divider 9 of the stationary member 6 for compressive sealing engagement with the adjacent inner peripheral wall 20 of the rotary member 7. The ring seals 38-40 and flap seals 41,42 coact to divide the annular space between the stationary and rotating members 6,7 into four segments which are generally in radial alignment and communication with the four compartments of the stationary member 6 and which, like the four compartments, are sealed from each other. It can be appreciated that diagonally opposite pairs of compartments can be placed in communication by spiraling dividers and flap seals, if desired. In any case, the compartments 11-14 of the stationary member 6 and any communicating sections of the rotary member 7 are literally divided into two sides or a pair of hot and cold air chambers 43,44, the sections of the rotary member 7 in the two chambers 43,44 constantly changing as the rotary member 7 revolves around the stationary member 6.
A single flap seal can be used in place of the spaced apart, double flap seals 41-42, so long as it is designed to span and cover an opening 32 in the inner peripheral wall 20 of the rotary member 7. Otherwise, gas will bypass the seals and circulate around the stationary member 6 to disrupt the thermal energy transferring process being carried on in the hot and cold air chambers 43,44. It can be appreciated that the combination of flap seals and sealing rings, provides a highly improved and effective seal of the hot and cold air chambers 43,44 from each other and the ambient atmosphere, and prevents undesireable leakage of gas between the two chambers to disrupt the thermal energy transferring process.
The driving mechanism 8 comprises any suitable driving wheel 45 which can be a rubber wheel or toothed gear that is designed for meshing engagement with a matingly toothed rack 46 which is secured circumferentially around the outer peripheral wall 21 of the rotary member 7. The drive wheel 45 is rotated by any suitable means, e.g. an electric motor 47 and connected gear box 48.
In operation, for example, hot exhaust gas from a heat treatment process is circulated through the inlet port 16 into the first compartment 11 of the hot air compartments 11,12 of the stationary member 6, from which the hot gas passes into the particular sections of the rotary member 7 which are, at that time, in communication with the first compartment 11 through radially aligned openings 15,32. The hot gas passes upwardly through the pebbles or honeycombed ceramic-type material 34, etc., whichever is used, to heat the material, after which the then cooled hot gas passes into the second compartment 12 of the hot air compartments 11,12 and out through the outlet port 17 to be reused elsewhere or discharged into the ambient atmosphere. Simultaneously, cool combustion air is circulated through the inlet port 16 of the first compartment 13 of the cold air compartments 13,14, of the stationary member 6, from which the cool combustion air circulates into the remaining sections which are in communication with the first cold air compartment 13. The cool combustion air passes downwardly through the ceramic-type material 34, assumed to be previously heated by the hot exhaust gas, whereby the material 34 is cooled and the cool combustion air is preheated, after which the preheated combustion air circulates back into the second compartment 14 of the cold air compartments 13,14 and subsequently exits through the outlet port 17 to a burner or burners used in the heat treatment process in which the hot exhaust gas is removed for preheating the cool combustion air. The cooled and heated ceramic materials are then rotated into the opposing hot and cold air chambers 43,44 and the process repeated.
It should be obvious that the various sections 23-30 of the rotary member 7 become part of either the hot or cold air chambers 43,44, as they pass alternately into the areas or sides that are vertically divided by the flap seals 41,42.
As previously indicated, the rotary member 7, is divided into a plurality of pie-shaped sections 23-30. It can be appreciated that the thermal energy exchanging process would be disrupted when the openings were covered by the opposing flap seals 41,42, if the rotary member 7 was divided into two sections with singular openings. Actually, there is a disruption in the flow of gas and consequent drop or fluctuation in the gas pressure, everytime one of the flap seals 41,42 covers an opening 32 in the sections 23-30. If the rotary member 7 is divided into four segments, then there will be less disruption of the flow of gas and a smaller pressure drop. From a practical standpoint, it appears that there should be provided a minimum number of four sections in the rotary member 7 to keep the thermal energy transfer process from becoming completely disrupted for short periods of time. Thus, it should be understood that the number of sections of the rotary member 7 is correlated, and dependent on, the gas flow or gas pressure fluctuation. Suppose, for example, a certain gas pressure drop or fluctuation is desired, and that in order to achieve such desired results it will be necessary to provide eight pie-shaped sections, as shown in FIG. 2. Then it is only a matter of designing the openings to accommodate the flow of gas desired. The size of the openings in the compartments 11-14 and sections 23-30 are dependent on a particular gas flow. The particular shape of the openings is not critical, so long as the openings are properly sized to achieve the desired flow of gas through the device 5.
The embodiment of FIG. 3 is essentially the same as that of FIG. 2, except that the longitudinal divider 9 is V-shaped to provide a pair of longitudinally extending and aligned pie-shaped compartments which are separated and, at any time, in communication with only one of the sections of the rotary member 7. Such a design is beneficial when a disportionate share of sections are needed to accomplish different tasks in a particular process. For example, in the cleaning of a specific gas, it may be necessary to use seven sections in the cleaning operation and only one section in the rehabilitation of the gas cleaning material carried by the sections of the rotary member 7. It should be understood that the stationary and rotary members can be divided, accordingly, into any number of compartments and sections, depending on the requirements of the process involved.
Thus, there has been described a highly improved thermal energy exchanging device, wherein any suitable particulate or solid matter can be used as a thermal energy transferring medium. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide the complex sealing arrangement between the energy transferring medium. Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide the complex sealing arrangement between the energy transferring medium and other components of the device as is the case with known devices. The device, because of its unique design, can be used for any number of processes, a few of which have been mentioned above.
The generally solid material located in each of the sections between the longitudinally spaced openings in the inner cylindrical wall of the rotary member, divides the sections transversely into two parts which are continually moving into and out of communication with the hot and cold compartments of the stationary member, as the rotary member revolves. It can be appreciated that this division of the sections can be accomplished by radially oriented dividers, which are continuous throughout the length of the sections, in combination with pie-shaped perforated plates between such dividers or by a single, annular perforated plate which disrupts the continuity of the dividers and separates each divider into a pair of dividers which abut the plate in radial alignment.
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A thermal energy exchanging device is described as having a stationary, hollow cylindrical gas distributing member around which a closed, hollow torus-shaped member rotates. The stationary member is longitudinally and transversely divided into four compartments. The hollow enclosure of the rotatable member is longitudinally divided into a plurality of pie-shaped sections which contain thermal energy responsive material. Sealing means are provided between the two members to divide the annular space therebetween into four segments which are radially aligned and communicate with the four compartments of the stationary member. The sealing means, in effect, divides the device into two sides or two separated chambers through which gases of different temperatures are simultaneously circulated into thermal energy exchanging relation with the heat responsive material that happens to be in that particular chamber at the moment.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to electrically variable transmissions with selective operation both in power-split variable speed ratio ranges and in fixed speed ratios, and having two planetary gear sets, two motor/generators and up to six torque transmitting devices.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Internal combustion engines, particularly those of the reciprocating piston type, currently propel most vehicles. Such engines are relatively efficient, compact, lightweight, and inexpensive mechanisms by which to convert highly concentrated energy in the form of fuel into useful mechanical power. A novel transmission system, which can be used with internal combustion engines and which can reduce fuel consumption and the emissions of pollutants, may be of great benefit to the public.
[0003] The wide variation in the demands that vehicles typically place on internal combustion engines increases fuel consumption and emissions beyond the ideal case for such engines. Typically, a vehicle is propelled by such an engine, which is started from a cold state by a small electric motor and relatively small electric storage batteries, then quickly placed under the loads from propulsion and accessory equipment. Such an engine is also operated through a wide range of speeds and a wide range of loads and typically at an average of approximately a fifth of its maximum power output.
[0004] A vehicle transmission typically delivers mechanical power from an engine to the remainder of a drive system, such as fixed final drive gearing, axles and wheels. A typical mechanical transmission allows some freedom in engine operation, usually through alternate selection of five or six different drive ratios, a neutral selection that allows the engine to operate accessories with the vehicle stationary, and clutches or a torque converter for smooth transitions between driving ratios and to start the vehicle from rest with the engine turning. Transmission gear selection typically allows power from the engine to be delivered to the rest of the drive system with a ratio of torque multiplication and speed reduction, with a ratio of torque reduction and speed multiplication known as overdrive, or with a reverse ratio.
[0005] An electric generator can transform mechanical power from the engine into electrical power, and an electric motor can transform that electric power back into mechanical power at different torques and speeds for the remainder of the vehicle drive system. This arrangement allows a continuous variation in the ratio of torque and speed between engine and the remainder of the drive system, within the limits of the electric machinery. An electric storage battery used as a source of power for propulsion may be added to this arrangement, forming a series hybrid electric drive system.
[0006] The series hybrid system allows the engine to operate with some independence from the torque, speed and power required to propel a vehicle, so the engine may be controlled for improved emissions and efficiency. This system allows the electric machine attached to the engine to act as a motor to start the engine. This system also allows the electric machine attached to the remainder of the drive train to act as a generator, recovering energy from slowing the vehicle into the battery by regenerative braking. A series electric drive suffers from the weight and cost of sufficient electric machinery to transform all of the engine power from mechanical to electrical in the generator and from electrical to mechanical in the drive motor, and from the useful energy lost in these conversions.
[0007] A power-split transmission can use what is commonly understood to be “differential gearing” to achieve a continuously variable torque and speed ratio between input and output. An electrically variable transmission can use differential gearing to send a fraction of its transmitted power through a pair of electric motor/generators. The remainder of its power flows through another, parallel path that is all mechanical and direct, of fixed ratio, or alternatively selectable.
[0008] One form of differential gearing, as is well known to those skilled in this art, may constitute a planetary gear set. Planetary gearing is usually the preferred embodiment employed in differentially geared inventions, with the advantages of compactness and different torque and speed ratios among all members of the planetary gear set. However, it is possible to construct this invention without planetary gears, as by using bevel gears or other gears in an arrangement where the rotational speed of at least one element of a gear set is always a weighted average of speeds of two other elements.
[0009] A hybrid electric vehicle transmission system also includes one or more electric energy storage devices. The typical device is a chemical electric storage battery, but capacitive or mechanical devices, such as an electrically driven flywheel, may also be included. Electric energy storage allows the mechanical output power from the transmission system to the vehicle to vary from the mechanical input power from the engine to the transmission system. The battery or other device also allows for engine starting with the transmission system and for regenerative vehicle braking.
[0010] An electrically variable transmission in a vehicle can simply transmit mechanical power from an engine input to a final drive output. To do so, the electric power produced by one motor/generator balances the electrical losses and the electric power consumed by the other motor/generator. By using the above-referenced electrical storage battery, the electric power generated by one motor/generator can be greater than or less than the electric power consumed by the other. Electric power from the battery can sometimes allow both motor/generators to act as motors, especially to assist the engine with vehicle acceleration. Both motors can sometimes act as generators to recharge the battery, especially in regenerative vehicle braking.
[0011] A successful substitute for the series hybrid transmission is the two-range, input-split and compound-split electrically variable transmission now produced for transit buses, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,757, issued Aug. 3, 1999, to Michael Roland Schmidt, commonly assigned with the present application. Such a transmission utilizes an input means to receive power from the vehicle engine and a power output means to deliver power to drive the vehicle. First and second motor/generators are connected to an energy storage device, such as a battery, so that the energy storage device can accept power from, and supply power to, the first and second motor/generators. A control unit regulates power flow among the energy storage device and the motor/generators as well as between the first and second motor/generators.
[0012] Operation in first or second variable-speed-ratio modes of operation may be selectively achieved by using clutches in the nature of first and second torque transfer devices. In the first mode, an input-power-split speed ratio range is formed by the application of the first clutch, and the output speed of the transmission is proportional to the speed of one motor/generator. In the second mode, a compound-power-split speed ratio range is formed by the application of the second clutch, and the output speed of the transmission is not proportional to the speeds of either of the motor/generators, but is an algebraic linear combination of the speeds of the two motor/generators. Operation at a fixed transmission speed ratio may be selectively achieved by the application of both of the clutches. Operation of the transmission in a neutral mode may be selectively achieved by releasing both clutches, decoupling the engine and both electric motor/generators from the transmission output. The transmission incorporates at least one mechanical point in its first mode of operation and at least two mechanical points in its second mode of operation.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,658, issued Mar. 4, 2003 to Holmes et al, commonly assigned with the present application, discloses an electrically variable transmission utilizing two planetary gear sets, two motor/generators and two clutches to provide input split, compound split, neutral and reverse modes of operation. Both planetary gear sets may be simple, or one may be individually compounded. An electrical control member regulates power flow among an energy storage device and the two motor/generators. This transmission provides two ranges or modes of electrically variable transmission (EVT) operation, selectively providing an input-power-split speed ratio range and a compound-power-split speed ratio range. One fixed speed ratio can also be selectively achieved.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention provides a family of electrically variable transmissions offering several advantages over conventional automatic transmissions for use in hybrid vehicles, including improved vehicle acceleration performance, improved fuel economy via regenerative braking and electric-only idling and launch, and an attractive marketing feature. An object of the invention is to provide the best possible energy efficiency and emissions for a given engine. In addition, optimal performance, capacity, package size, and ratio coverage for the transmission are sought.
[0015] The electrically variable transmission family of the present invention provides low-content, low-cost electrically variable transmission mechanisms including first and second differential gear sets, a battery, two electric machines serving interchangeably as motors or generators, and up to six selectable torque-transmitting devices. Additionally, a dog clutch may be provided. Preferably, the differential gear sets are planetary gear sets, such as simple or compound (including Ravigneaux) gear sets, but other gear arrangements may be implemented, such as bevel gears or differential gearing to an offset axis.
[0016] In this description, the first or second planetary gear sets may be counted first to second in any order (i.e., left to right, right to left).
[0017] Each of the two planetary gear sets has three members. The first, second or third member of each planetary gear set can be any one of a sun gear, ring gear or carrier member, or alternatively a pinion.
[0018] Each carrier member can be either a single-pinion carrier member (simple) or a double-pinion carrier member (compound).
[0019] The input shaft is continuously or selectively connected with at least one member of the planetary gear sets. The output shaft is continuously connected with at least one member of the planetary gear sets.
[0020] An optional first interconnecting member continuously connects the first member of the first planetary gear set with the first member of the second planetary gear.
[0021] A first torque transmitting device selectively connects a member of the first planetary gear set with the input member or with a member of the second planetary gear set.
[0022] A second torque transmitting device selectively connects a member of the second planetary gear set with a member of the first planetary gear set, this pair of members being different than the ones connected by the first torque transmitting device.
[0023] A third torque transmitting device selectively connects a member of the first planetary gear set with a member of the second planetary gear set or with the input member.
[0024] A fourth torque transmitting device selectively connects a member of the first planetary gear set with a stationary member (transmission housing/casing).
[0025] A fifth torque transmitting device selectively connects a member of the second planetary gear set with a stationary member (transmission housing/casing).
[0026] An optional sixth torque transmitting device is connected in parallel with one of the motor/generators for selectively preventing rotation of the motor/generator.
[0027] The torque transmitting devices which are brakes may be implemented as conventional friction-based brakes, dog clutches, one-way clutches, or selectable one-way clutches, as appropriate. The rotating clutches may be implemented as conventional friction-based clutches, dog clutches, one-way clutches, or selectable one-way clutches, as appropriate.
[0028] The first motor/generator is mounted to the transmission case and is connected either continuously with a member of the first planetary gear set or selectively via a dog clutch to a member of the first or second planetary gear set. The first motor/generator may also incorporate offset gearing. The dog clutch, if present, allows the first motor/generator to be switched between a pair of members on the first or second planetary gear sets. The dog clutch may reduce clutch spin losses, and allows motor/generator operation at low speeds throughout the operating range of the transmission. The dog clutch may be replaced by a pair of conventional torque transfer devices.
[0029] The second motor/generator is mounted to the transmission case and is connected continuously to a member of the first or second planetary gear set. The second motor/generator connection may incorporate offset gearing.
[0030] The selectable torque transmitting devices are engaged in combinations to yield an EVT with a continuously variable range of speeds (including reverse) and at least four mechanically fixed forward speed ratios. A “fixed speed ratio” is an operating condition in which the mechanical power input to the transmission is transmitted mechanically to the output, and no power flow (i.e. almost zero) is present in the motor/generators. An electrically variable transmission that may selectively achieve several fixed speed ratios for operation near full engine power can be smaller and lighter for a given maximum capacity. Fixed ratio operation may also result in lower fuel consumption when operating under conditions where engine speed can approach its optimum without using the motor/generators. This fixed ratio operation is useful for meeting reverse gradeability requirements and also for cold-weather operating when the electrical torque assist may not be available due to poor battery operation. A variety of fixed speed ratios and variable ratio spreads can be realized by suitably selecting the tooth ratios of the planetary gear sets.
[0031] The electrically variable transmissions of the present invention have a compound-split and input-split architecture. Compound-split means neither the transmission input nor output is directly connected to a motor/generator. This allows a reduction in the size and cost of the electric motor/generators required to achieve the desired vehicle performance. In input-split designs, one of the motor/generators is directly connected to the output.
[0032] The proposed designs are all two- or three-mode designs (or two- or three-range) in which one torque transmitting device is disengaged and another one engaged during forward EVT operation to change modes or ranges. The multi-mode designs enable a switch between different operating modes (e.g., compound-split to output-split, etc.) to better match operating requirements while minimizing electrical component loads/speeds and energy used.
[0033] The torque transmitting devices, and the first and second motor/generators are operable to provide five operating modes in the electrically variable transmission, including battery reverse mode, EVT reverse mode, reverse and forward launch modes, continuously variable transmission range mode, and fixed ratio mode.
[0034] The above features and advantages, and other features and advantages of the present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0035] FIG. 1 a is a schematic representation of a powertrain including an electrically variable transmission incorporating a family member of the present invention;
[0036] FIG. 1 b is an operating mode table and fixed ratio mode table depicting some of the operating characteristics of the powertrain shown in FIG. 1 a;
[0037] FIG. 2 a is a schematic representation of a powertrain having an electrically variable transmission incorporating another family member of the present invention;
[0038] FIG. 2 b is an operating mode table and fixed ratio mode table depicting some of the operating characteristics of the powertrain shown in FIG. 2 a;
[0039] FIG. 3 a is a schematic representation of a powertrain having an electrically variable transmission incorporating another family member of the present invention;
[0040] FIG. 3 b is an operating mode table and fixed ratio mode table depicting some of the operating characteristics of the powertrain shown in FIG. 3 a;
[0041] FIG. 4 a is a schematic representation of a powertrain having an electrically variable transmission incorporating another family member of the present invention; and
[0042] FIG. 4 b is an operating mode table and fixed ratio mode table depicting some of the operating characteristics of the powertrain shown in FIG. 4 a.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0043] With reference to FIG. 1 a , a powertrain 10 is shown, including an engine 12 connected to one preferred embodiment of the improved electrically variable transmission (EVT), designated generally by the numeral 14 . Transmission 14 is designed to receive at least a portion of its driving power from the engine 12 . As shown, the engine 12 has an output shaft that serves as the input member 17 of the transmission 14 . A transient torque damper (not shown) may also be implemented between the engine 12 and the input member 17 of the transmission.
[0044] In the embodiment depicted the engine 12 may be a fossil fuel engine, such as a diesel engine which is readily adapted to provide its available power output typically delivered at a constant number of revolutions per minute (RPM).
[0045] Irrespective of the means by which the engine 12 is connected to the transmission input member 17 , the transmission input member 17 is operatively connected to a planetary gear set in the transmission 14 . An output member 19 of the transmission 14 is connected to a final drive 16 .
[0046] The transmission 14 utilizes two differential gear sets, preferably in the nature of planetary gear sets 20 and 30 . The planetary gear set 20 employs an outer gear member 24 , typically designated as the ring gear. The ring gear member 24 circumscribes an inner gear member 22 , typically designated as the sun gear. A carrier member 26 rotatably supports a plurality of planet gears 27 such that each planet gear 27 meshingly engages both the outer, ring gear member 24 and the inner, sun gear member 22 of the first planetary gear set 20 .
[0047] The planetary gear set 30 also has an outer gear member 34 , often also designated as the ring gear, that circumscribes an inner gear member 32 , also often designated as the sun gear member. A plurality of planet gears 37 are also rotatably mounted in a carrier member 36 such that each planet gear member 37 simultaneously, and meshingly, engages both the outer, ring gear member 34 and the inner, sun gear member 32 of the planetary gear set 30 .
[0048] A first interconnecting member 70 continuously connects the ring gear member 24 of the planetary gear set 20 with the sun gear member 32 of the planetary gear set 30 .
[0049] The first preferred embodiment 10 also incorporates first and second motor/generators 80 and 82 , respectively. The stator of the first motor/generator 80 is secured to the transmission housing 60 . The rotor of the first motor/generator 80 is secured to the sun gear member 22 of the planetary gear set 20 .
[0050] The stator of the second motor/generator 82 is also secured to the transmission housing 60 . The rotor of the second motor/generator 82 is secured to the sun gear member 32 of the planetary gear set 30 .
[0051] A first torque transmitting device, such as input clutch 50 , selectively connects the carrier member 26 of the planetary gear set 20 with the input member 17 . A second torque transmitting device, such as clutch 52 , selectively connects the sun gear member 22 of the planetary gear set 20 with the ring gear member 34 of the planetary gear set 30 . A third torque transmitting device, such as input clutch 54 , selectively connects the sun gear member 22 with the input member 17 . A fourth torque transmitting device, such as the brake 55 , selectively connects the ring gear member 34 with the transmission housing 60 . A fifth torque transmitting device, such as brake 57 , selectively connects the carrier member 26 with the transmission housing 60 . A sixth torque transmitting device, such as brake 58 , is connected in parallel with the motor/generator 82 for selectively braking rotation thereof. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth torque transmitting devices 50 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 57 and 58 are employed to assist in the selection of the operational modes of the hybrid transmission 14 , as will be hereinafter more fully explained.
[0052] The output drive member 19 of the transmission 14 is secured to carrier member 36 of the planetary gear set 30 .
[0053] Returning now to the description of the power sources, it should be apparent from the foregoing description, and with particular reference to FIG. 1 a , that the transmission 14 selectively receives power from the engine 12 . The hybrid transmission also receives power from an electric power source 86 , which is operably connected to a controller 88 . The electric power source 86 may be one or more batteries. Other electric power sources, such as fuel cells, that have the ability to provide, or store, and dispense electric power may be used in place of batteries without altering the concepts of the present invention.
General Operating Considerations
[0054] One of the primary control devices is a well known drive range selector (not shown) that directs an electronic control unit (the ECU 88 ) to configure the transmission for either the park, reverse, neutral, or forward drive range. The second and third primary control devices constitute an accelerator pedal (not shown) and a brake pedal (also not shown). The information obtained by the ECU from these three primary control sources is designated as the “operator demand.” The ECU also obtains information from a plurality of sensors (input as well as output) as to the status of: the torque transfer devices (either applied or released); the engine output torque; the unified battery, or batteries, capacity level; and, the temperatures of selected vehicular components. The ECU determines what is required and then manipulates the selectively operated components of, or associated with, the transmission appropriately to respond to the operator demand.
[0055] The invention may use simple or compound planetary gear sets. In a simple planetary gear set a single set of planet gears are normally supported for rotation on a carrier member that is itself rotatable.
[0056] In a simple planetary gear set, when the sun gear is held stationary and power is applied to the ring gear of a simple planetary gear set, the planet gears rotate in response to the power applied to the ring gear and thus “walk” circumferentially about the fixed sun gear to effect rotation of the carrier member in the same direction as the direction in which the ring gear is being rotated.
[0057] When any two members of a simple planetary gear set rotate in the same direction and at the same speed, the third member is forced to turn at the same speed, and in the same direction. For example, when the sun gear and the ring gear rotate in the same direction, and at the same speed, the planet gears do not rotate about their own axes but rather act as wedges to lock the entire unit together to effect what is known as direct drive. That is, the carrier member rotates with the sun and ring gears.
[0058] However, when the two gear members rotate in the same direction, but at different speeds, the direction in which the third gear member rotates may often be determined simply by visual analysis, but in many situations the direction will not be obvious and can only be accurately determined by knowing the number of teeth present on all the gear members of the planetary gear set.
[0059] Whenever the carrier member is restrained from spinning freely, and power is applied to either the sun gear or the ring gear, the planet gear members act as idlers. In that way the driven member is rotated in the opposite direction as the drive member. Thus, in many transmission arrangements when the reverse drive range is selected, a torque transfer device serving as a brake is actuated frictionally to engage the carrier member and thereby restrain it against rotation so that power applied to the sun gear will turn the ring gear in the opposite direction. Thus, if the ring gear is operatively connected to the drive wheels of a vehicle, such an arrangement is capable of reversing the rotational direction of the drive wheels, and thereby reversing the direction of the vehicle itself.
[0060] In a simple set of planetary gears, if any two rotational speeds of the sun gear, the planet carrier member, and the ring gear are known, then the speed of the third member can be determined using a simple rule. The rotational speed of the carrier member is always proportional to the speeds of the sun and the ring, weighted by their respective numbers of teeth. For example, a ring gear may have twice as many teeth as the sun gear in the same set. The speed of the carrier member is then the sum of two-thirds the speed of the ring gear and one-third the speed of the sun gear. If one of these three members rotates in an opposite direction, the arithmetic sign is negative for the speed of that member in mathematical calculations.
[0061] The torque on the sun gear, the carrier member, and the ring gear can also be simply related to one another if this is done without consideration of the masses of the gears, the acceleration of the gears, or friction within the gear set, all of which have a relatively minor influence in a well designed transmission. The torque applied to the sun gear of a simple planetary gear set must balance the torque applied to the ring gear, in proportion to the number of teeth on each of these gears. For example, the torque applied to a ring gear with twice as many teeth as the sun gear in that set must be twice that applied to the sun gear, and must be applied in the same direction. The torque applied to the carrier member must be equal in magnitude and opposite in direction to the sum of the torque on the sun gear and the torque on the ring gear.
[0062] In a compound planetary gear set, the utilization of inner and outer sets of planet gears effects an exchange in the roles of the ring gear and the planet carrier member in comparison to a simple planetary gear set. For instance, if the sun gear is held stationary, the planet carrier member will rotate in the same direction as the ring gear, but the planet carrier member with inner and outer sets of planet gears will travel faster than the ring gear, rather than slower.
[0063] In a compound planetary gear set having meshing inner and outer sets of planet gears the speed of the ring gear is proportional to the speeds of the sun gear and the planet carrier member, weighted by the number of teeth on the sun gear and the number of teeth filled by the planet gears, respectively. For example, the difference between the ring and the sun filled by the planet gears might be as many teeth as are on the sun gear in the same set. In that situation the speed of the ring gear would be the sum of two-thirds the speed of the carrier member and one third the speed of the sun. If the sun gear or the planet carrier member rotates in an opposite direction, the arithmetic sign is negative for that speed in mathematical calculations.
[0064] If the sun gear were to be held stationary, then a carrier member with inner and outer sets of planet gears will turn in the same direction as the rotating ring gear of that set. On the other hand, if the sun gear were to be held stationary and the carrier member were to be driven, then planet gears in the inner set that engage the sun gear roll, or “walk,” along the sun gear, turning in the same direction that the carrier member is rotating. Pinion gears in the outer set that mesh with pinion gears in the inner set will turn in the opposite direction, thus forcing a meshing ring gear in the opposite direction, but only with respect to the planet gears with which the ring gear is meshingly engaged. The planet gears in the outer set are being carried along in the direction of the carrier member. The effect of the rotation of the pinion gears in the outer set on their own axis and the greater effect of the orbital motion of the planet gears in the outer set due to the motion of the carrier member are combined, so the ring rotates in the same direction as the carrier member, but not as fast as the carrier member.
[0065] If the carrier member in such a compound planetary gear set were to be held stationary and the sun gear were to be rotated, then the ring gear will rotate with less speed and in the same direction as the sun gear. If the ring gear of a simple planetary gear set is held stationary and the sun gear is rotated, then the carrier member supporting a single set of planet gears will rotate with less speed and in the same direction as the sun gear. Thus, one can readily observe the exchange in roles between the carrier member and the ring gear that is caused by the use of inner and outer sets of planet gears which mesh with one another, in comparison with the usage of a single set of planet gears in a simple planetary gear set.
[0066] The normal action of an electrically variable transmission is to transmit mechanical power from the input to the output. As part of this transmission action, one of its two motor/generators acts as a generator of electrical power. The other motor/generator acts as a motor and uses that electrical power. As the speed of the output increases from zero to a high speed, the two motor/generators 80 , 82 gradually exchange roles as generator and motor, and may do so more than once. These exchanges take place around mechanical points, where essentially all of the power from input to output is transmitted mechanically and no substantial power is transmitted electrically.
[0067] In a hybrid electrically variable transmission system, the battery 86 may also supply power to the transmission or the transmission may supply power to the battery. If the battery is supplying substantial electric power to the transmission, such as for vehicle acceleration, then both motor/generators may act as motors. If the transmission is supplying electric power to the battery, such as for regenerative braking, both motor/generators may act as generators. Very near the mechanical points of operation, both motor/generators may also act as generators with small electrical power outputs, because of the electrical losses in the system.
[0068] Contrary to the normal action of the transmission, the transmission may actually be used to transmit mechanical power from the output to the input. This may be done in a vehicle to supplement the vehicle brakes and to enhance or to supplement regenerative braking of the vehicle, especially on long downward grades. If the power flow through the transmission is reversed in this way, the roles of the motor/generators will then be reversed from those in normal action.
Specific Operating Considerations
[0069] Each of the embodiments described herein has seventeen functional requirements (corresponding with the 17 rows of each operating mode table shown in the Figures) which may be grouped into five operating modes. These five operating modes are described below and may be best understood by referring to the respective operating mode table accompanying each transmission stick diagram, such as the operating mode tables of FIG. 1 b , 2 b , 3 b , etc.
[0070] The first operating mode is the “battery reverse mode” which corresponds with the first row (Batt Rev) of each operating mode table, such as that of FIG. 1 b . In this mode, the engine is off and the transmission element connected to the engine is not controlled by engine torque, though there may be some residual torque due to the rotational inertia of the engine. The EVT is driven by one of the motor/generators using energy from the battery, causing the vehicle to move in reverse. Depending on the kinematic configuration, the other motor/generator may or may not rotate in this mode, and may or may not transmit torque. If it does rotate, it is used to generate energy which is stored in the battery. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 b , in the battery reverse mode, the clutch 50 and brake 55 are engaged, the generator 80 has zero torque, the motor 82 has a torque of −1.00, and a torque ratio of −2.88 is achieved, by way of example. In each operating mode table an (M) next to a torque value in the motor/generator columns 80 and 82 indicates that the motor/generator is acting as a motor, and the absence of an (M) indicates that the motor/generator is acting as generator.
[0071] The second operating mode is the “EVT reverse mode” (or mechanical reverse mode) which corresponds with the second row (EVT Rev) of each operating mode table, such as that of FIG. 1 b . In this mode, the EVT is driven by the engine and by one of the motor/generators. The other motor/generator operates in generator mode and transfers 100% of the generated energy back to the driving motor. The net effect is to drive the vehicle in reverse. Referring to FIG. 1 b , for example, in the EVT reverse mode, the clutch 50 and brake 55 are engaged, the generator 80 has a torque of −0.35 units, the motor 82 has a torque of −3.55 units, and an output torque of −8.33 is achieved, corresponding to an engine torque of 1 unit.
[0072] The third operating mode includes the “reverse and forward launch modes” (also referred to as “torque converter reverse and forward modes”) corresponding with the third and fourth rows (TC Rev and TC For) of each operating mode table, such as that of FIG. 1 b . In this mode, the EVT is driven by the engine and one of the motor/generators. A selectable fraction of the energy generated in the generator unit is stored in the battery, with the remaining energy being transferred to the motor. In FIG. 1 , this fraction is approximately 99%. The ratio of transmission output speed to engine speed (transmission speed ratio) is approximately +/−0.001 (the positive sign indicates that the vehicle is creeping forward and negative sign indicates that the vehicle is creeping backwards). Referring to FIG. 1 b , in the TC Reverse mode, the clutch 50 and brake 55 are engaged, the motor/generator 80 acts as a generator with −0.35 units of torque, the motor/generator 82 acts as a motor with −3.09 units of torque, and a torque ratio of −7.00 is achieved. In the TC Forward mode, the clutch 50 and brake 55 are engaged, the motor/generator 80 acts as a generator with −0.35 units of torque, the motor/generator 82 acts as a motor with 0.98 units of torque, and a torque ratio of 4.69 is achieved.
[0073] The fourth operating mode is a “continuously variable transmission range mode” which includes the Range 1 . 1 , Range 1 . 2 , Range 1 . 3 , Range 1 . 4 , Range 2 . 1 , Range 2 . 2 , Range 2 . 3 and Range 2 . 4 operating points corresponding with rows 5 - 12 of each operating point table, such as that of FIG. 1 b . In this mode, the EVT is driven by the engine as well as one of the motor/generators operating as a motor. The other motor/generator operates as a generator and transfers 100% of the generated energy back to the motor. The operating points represented by Range 1 . 1 , 1 . 2 . . . , etc. are discrete points in the continuum of forward speed ratios provided by the EVT. For example in FIG. 1 b , a range of torque ratios from 4.69 to 1.86 is achieved with the clutch 50 and brake 55 engaged. A range or torque ratios from 1.36 to 0.54 is achieved with the clutches 50 and 52 engaged.
[0074] The fifth operating mode includes the “fixed ratio” modes (R 1 , F 1 , F 2 , F 3 and F 4 ) corresponding with rows 13 - 17 of each operating mode table (i.e. operating mode table), such as that of FIG. 1 b . In this mode the transmission operates like a conventional automatic transmission, with three torque transmitting devices engaged to create a discrete transmission ratio. The clutching table accompanying each figure shows only four forward fixed-ratio and one reverse fixed-ratio speeds but additional fixed ratios may be available. Referring to FIG. 1 b , in fixed ratio R 1 , a reverse fixed ratio, the clutch 54 and brakes 55 , 57 are engaged to achieve a fixed torque ratio of −5.32. In fixed ratio F 1 the clutches 50 , 54 and brake 55 are engaged to achieve a fixed torque ratio of 2.86. In fixed ratio F 2 , the clutches 50 , 52 and brake 55 are engaged to achieve a fixed ratio of 1.86. In fixed ratio F 3 , the clutches 50 , 52 and 54 are engaged to achieve a fixed ratio of 1.00. In fixed ratio F 4 , the clutches 50 , 52 and brake 58 are engaged to achieve a fixed ratio of 0.53. Accordingly, each “X” in the column of motor/generator 82 in FIG. 1 b indicates that the brake 58 is engaged and the motor/generator 82 is not rotating.
[0075] The powertrain 10 may also operate in a “charge-depleting mode”. For purposes of the present invention, a “charge-depleting mode” is a mode wherein the vehicle is powered primarily by an electric motor/generator such that the battery 86 is depleted or nearly depleted when the vehicle reaches its destination. In other words, during the charge-depleting mode, the engine 12 is only operated to the extent necessary to ensure that the battery 86 is not depleted before the destination is reached. A conventional hybrid vehicle operates in a “charge-sustaining mode”, wherein if the battery charge level drops below a predetermined level (e.g., 25%) the engine is automatically run to recharge the battery. Therefore, by operating in a charge-depleting mode, the hybrid vehicle can conserve some or all of the fuel that would otherwise be expended to maintain the 25% battery charge level in a conventional hybrid vehicle. It should be appreciated that the vehicle powertrain is preferably only operated in the charge-depleting mode if the battery 86 can be recharged after the destination is reached by plugging it into an energy source (not shown).
[0076] Also, the engine 12 may be powered using various types of fuel to improve the efficiency and fuel economy of a particular application. Such fuels may include, for example, gasoline; diesel; ethanol; dimethyl ether; etc.
[0077] The transmission 14 is capable of operating in so-called single or dual modes (or ranges). In single mode, the engaged torque transmitting device remains the same for the entire continuum of forward speed ratios (represented by the discrete points: Ranges 1 . 1 , 1 . 2 , 1 . 3 and 1 . 4 ). In dual mode, the engaged torque transmitting device is switched at some intermediate speed ratio (e.g., Range 2 . 1 in FIG. 1 b ). The transmission of FIG. 4 a includes three-mode capability. In three-mode, the engaged torque transmitting devices are switched at an additional intermediate speed ratio (e.g., Range 3 . 1 in FIG. 4 b ). Depending on the mechanical configuration, this change in torque transmitting device engagement has advantages in reducing element speeds in the transmission.
[0078] As set forth above, the engagement schedule for the torque transmitting devices is shown in the operating mode table and fixed ratio mode table of FIG. 1 b . FIG. 1 b also provides an example of torque ratios that are available utilizing the ring gear/sun gear tooth ratios given by way of example in FIG. 1 b . The N R1 /N S1 value is the tooth ratio of the planetary gear set 20 ; and the N R2 /N S2 value is the tooth ratio of the planetary gear set 30 . Also, the chart of FIG. 1 b describes the ratio steps that are attained utilizing the sample of tooth ratios given. For example, the step ratio between the fixed reverse and first fixed forward torque ratios is −1.86, the step ratio between the first and second fixed forward torque ratios is 1.54, the step ratio between the second and third fixed forward torque ratios is 1.86, the step ratio between the third and fourth fixed forward torque ratios is 1.86, and the ratio spread is 5.40.
Description of a Second Exemplary Embodiment
[0079] With reference to FIG. 2 a , a powertrain 110 is shown, including an engine 12 connected to another embodiment of the improved electrically variable transmission, designated generally by the numeral 114 . Transmission 114 is designed to receive at least a portion of its driving power from the engine 12 .
[0080] In the embodiment depicted the engine 12 may also be a fossil fuel engine, such as a diesel engine which is readily adapted to provide its available power output typically delivered at a constant number of revolutions per minute (RPM). As shown, the engine 12 has an output shaft that serves as the input member 17 of the transmission 14 . A transient torque damper (not shown) may also be implemented between the engine 12 and the input member 17 of the transmission.
[0081] Irrespective of the means by which the engine 12 is connected to the transmission input member 17 , the transmission input member 17 is operatively connected to a planetary gear set in the transmission 114 . An output member 19 of the transmission 114 is connected to a final drive 16 .
[0082] The transmission 114 utilizes two differential gear sets, preferably in the nature of planetary gear sets 120 and 130 . The planetary gear set 120 employs an outer gear member 124 , typically designated as the ring gear. The ring gear member 124 circumscribes an inner gear member 122 , typically designated as the sun gear. A carrier member 126 rotatably supports a plurality of planet gears 127 such that each planet gear 127 meshingly engages both the outer, ring gear member 124 and the inner, sun gear member 122 of the first planetary gear set 120 .
[0083] The planetary gear set 130 also has an outer gear member 134 , often also designated as the ring gear, that circumscribes an inner gear member 132 , also often designated as the sun gear. A plurality of planet gears 137 are also rotatably mounted in a carrier member 136 such that each planet gear member 137 simultaneously, and meshingly, engages both the outer, ring gear member 134 and the inner, sun gear member 132 of the planetary gear set 130 .
[0084] The transmission input member 17 is connected with the carrier member 126 of the planetary gear set 120 . The transmission output member 19 is connected with the carrier member 136 of the planetary gear set 130 .
[0085] The transmission 114 also incorporates first and second motor/generators 180 and 182 , respectively. The stator of the first motor/generator 180 is secured to the transmission housing 160 . The rotor of the first motor/generator 180 is secured to the sun gear member 122 of the planetary gear set 120 .
[0086] The stator of the second motor/generator 182 is also secured to the transmission housing 160 . The rotor of the second motor/generator 182 is secured to the sun gear member 132 of the planetary gear set 130 .
[0087] A first torque transmitting device, such as clutch 150 , selectively connects the sun gear member 122 of the planetary gear set 120 with the ring gear member 134 of the planetary gear set 130 . A second torque transmitting device, such as clutch 152 , selectively connects the ring gear member 124 of the planetary gear set 120 with the sun gear member 132 of the planetary gear set 130 . A third torque transmitting device, such as clutch 154 , selectively connects the sun gear member 122 of the planetary gear set 120 with the sun gear member 132 of the planetary gear set 130 . A fourth torque transmitting device, such as the brake 155 , selectively connects the ring gear member 134 of the planetary gear set 130 with the transmission housing 160 . A fifth torque transmitting device, such as the brake 157 , selectively connects the ring gear member 124 of the planetary gear set 120 with the transmission housing 160 . The first, second, third, fourth and fifth torque transmitting devices 150 , 152 , 154 , 155 and 157 are employed to assist in the selection of the operational modes of the hybrid transmission 114 .
[0088] Returning now to the description of the power sources, it should be apparent from the foregoing description, and with particular reference to FIG. 2 a , that the transmission 114 selectively receives power from the engine 12 . The hybrid transmission also exchanges power with an electric power source 186 , which is operably connected to a controller 188 . The electric power source 186 may be one or more batteries. Other electric power sources, such as fuel cells, that have the ability to provide, or store, and dispense electric power may be used in place of batteries without altering the concepts of the present invention.
[0089] As described previously, each embodiment has seventeen functional requirements (corresponding with the 17 rows of each operating mode table shown in the Figures) which may be grouped into five operating modes. The first operating mode is the “battery reverse mode” which corresponds with the first row (Batt Rev) of the operating mode table of FIG. 2 b . In this mode, the engine is off and the transmission element connected to the engine is effectively allowed to freewheel, subject to engine inertia torque. The EVT is driven by one of the motor/generators using energy from the battery, causing the vehicle to move in reverse. The other motor/generator may or may not rotate in this mode. As shown in FIG. 2 b , in this mode brake 155 is engaged, the generator 180 has zero torque, the motor 182 has a torque of −1.00 units and an output torque of −2.88 is achieved, by way of example.
[0090] The second operating mode is the “EVT reverse mode” (or mechanical reverse mode) which corresponds with the second row (EVT Rev) of the operating mode table of FIG. 2 b . In this mode, the EVT is driven by the engine and by one of the motor/generators. The other motor/generator operates in generator mode and transfers 100% of the generated energy back to the driving motor. The net effect is to drive the vehicle in reverse. In this mode, the clutch 152 and brake 155 are engaged, the generator 180 has a torque of −0.35 units, the motor 182 has a torque of −3.55 units, and an output torque of −8.33 is achieved, corresponding to an input torque of 1 unit.
[0091] The third operating mode includes the “reverse and forward launch modes” corresponding with the third and fourth rows (TC Rev and TC For) of each operating mode table, such as that of FIG. 2 b . In this mode, the EVT is driven by the engine and one of the motor/generators. A selectable fraction of the energy generated in the generator unit is stored in the battery, with the remaining energy being transferred to the motor. In TC Rev, the clutch 152 and brake 155 are engaged, the motor/generator 180 acts as a generator with −0.35 units of torque, the motor/generator 182 acts as a motor with −3.09 units of torque, and a torque ratio of −7.00 is achieved. In TC For, the clutch 152 and brake 155 are engaged, the motor/generator 180 acts as a generator with −0.35 units of torque, the motor/generator 182 acts as a motor with 0.98 units of torque, and a torque ratio of 4.69 is achieved. For these torque ratios, approximately 99% of the generator energy is stored in the battery.
[0092] The fourth operating mode includes the “Range 1 . 1 , Range 1 . 2 , Range 1 . 3 , Range 1 . 4 , Range 2 . 1 , Range 2 . 2 , Range 2 . 3 and Range 2 . 4 ” modes corresponding with rows 5 - 12 of the operating mode table of FIG. 2 b . In this mode, the EVT is driven by the engine as well as one of the motor/generators operating as a motor. The other motor/generator operates as a generator and transfers 100% of the generated energy back to the motor. The operating points represented by Range 1 . 1 , 1 . 2 . . . , etc. are discrete points in the continuum of forward speed ratios provided by the EVT. For example in FIG. 2 b , a range of ratios from 4.69 to 1.86 is achieved with the clutch 152 and brake 155 engaged. and a range of ratios from 1.36 to 0.54 is achieved with the clutches 150 and 152 engaged.
[0093] The fifth operating mode includes the fixed “ratio” modes (F 1 , F 2 , F 3 , F 4 and F 5 ) corresponding with rows 13 - 17 of the operating mode table of FIG. 2 b . In this mode the transmission operates like a conventional automatic transmission, with one torque transmitting device engaged to create a discrete transmission ratio. In fixed ratio F 1 the clutches 152 , 154 and brake 155 are engaged to achieve a fixed ratio of 2.82. In fixed ratio F 2 , the clutches 150 , 152 and brake 155 are engaged to achieve a fixed ratio of 1.74. In fixed ratio F 3 , the clutches 150 , 152 and 154 are engaged to achieve a fixed ratio of 1.00. In fixed ratio F 4 , the clutches 150 , 152 and brake 157 are engaged to achieve a fixed ratio of 0.60. In fixed ratio F 5 , the clutches 150 , 154 and brake 157 are engaged to achieve a fixed ratio of 0.39.
[0094] As set forth above, the engagement schedule for the torque transmitting devices is shown in the operating mode table and fixed ratio mode table of FIG. 2 b . FIG. 2 b also provides an example of torque ratios that are available utilizing the ring gear/sun gear tooth ratios given by way of example in FIG. 2 b . The N R1 /N S1 value is the tooth ratio of the planetary gear set 120 ; and the N R2 /N S2 value is the tooth ratio of the planetary gear set 130 . Also, the chart of FIG. 2 b describes the ratio steps that are attained utilizing the sample of tooth ratios given. For example, the step ratio between first and second fixed forward torque ratios is 1.63, and the ratio spread is 7.32.
Description of a Third Exemplary Embodiment
[0095] With reference to FIG. 3 a , a powertrain 210 is shown, including an engine 12 connected to another embodiment of the improved electrically variable transmission, designated generally by the numeral 214 . The transmission 214 is designed to receive at least a portion of its driving power from the engine 12 . As shown, the engine 12 has an output shaft that serves as the input member 17 of the transmission 214 . A transient torque damper (not shown) may also be implemented between the engine 12 and the input member 17 of the transmission 214 .
[0096] Irrespective of the means by which the engine 12 is connected to the transmission input member 17 , the transmission input member is operatively connected to a planetary gear set in the transmission 214 . An output member 19 of the transmission 214 is connected to a final drive 16 .
[0097] The transmission 214 utilizes two differential gear sets, preferably in the nature of planetary gear sets 220 and 230 . The planetary gear set 220 employs an outer gear member 224 , typically designated as the ring gear. The ring gear member 224 circumscribes an inner gear member 222 , typically designated as the sun gear. A carrier member 226 rotatably supports a plurality of planet gears 227 , 228 such that each planet gear 227 meshingly engages inner, sun gear member 222 and each planet gear 228 simultaneously and meshingly engages both the outer, ring gear member 224 and the respective planet gear 227 of the first planetary gear set 220 .
[0098] The planetary gear set 230 also has an outer ring gear member 234 that circumscribes an inner sun gear member 232 . A plurality of planet gears 237 are also rotatably mounted in a carrier member 236 such that each planet gear 237 simultaneously, and meshingly, engages both the outer ring gear member 234 and the inner sun gear member 232 of the planetary gear set 230 .
[0099] The transmission output member 19 is connected to the carrier member 236 .
The transmission 214 also incorporates first and second motor/generators 280 and 282 , respectively. The stator of the first motor/generator 280 is secured to the transmission housing 260 . The rotor of the first motor/generator 280 is secured to the sun gear member 222 . The stator of the second motor/generator 282 is also secured to the transmission housing 260 . The rotor of the second motor/generator 282 is secured to the sun gear member 232 . A first torque transmitting device, such as input clutch 250 , selectively connects ring gear member 224 with the input member 17 . A second torque transmitting device, such as clutch 252 , selectively connects the sun gear member 222 with the ring gear member 234 . A third torque transmitting device, such as input clutch 254 , selectively connects the sun gear member 222 with the input member 17 . A fourth torque transmitting device, such as the brake 255 , selectively connects the ring gear member 234 with the transmission housing 260 . A fifth torque transmitting device, such as brake 257 , selectively connects the ring gear member 224 with the transmission housing 260 . A sixth torque transmitting device, such as brake 258 , is connected in parallel with the motor/generator 282 for selectively braking rotation thereof. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth torque transmitting devices 250 , 252 , 254 , 255 , 257 and 258 are employed to assist in the selection of the operational modes of the hybrid transmission 214 . The hybrid transmission 214 receives power from the engine 12 , and also from electric power source 286 , which is operably connected to a controller 288 .
[0103] The operating mode table of FIG. 3 b illustrates the clutching engagements, motor/generator conditions and output/input ratios for the five operating modes of the transmission 214 . These modes include the “battery reverse mode” (Batt Rev), “EVT reverse mode” (EVT Rev), “reverse and forward launch modes” (TC Rev and TC For), “range 1 . 1 , 1 . 2 , 1 . 3 . . . modes” and “fixed ratio modes” (R 1 , F 1 , F 2 , F 3 and F 4 ) as described previously.
[0104] As set forth above the engagement schedule for the torque transmitting devices is shown in the operating mode table and fixed ratio mode table of FIG. 3 b . FIG. 3 b also provides an example of torque ratios that are available utilizing the ring gear/sun gear tooth ratios given by way of example in FIG. 3 b . The N R1 /N S1 value is the tooth ratio of the planetary gear set 220 ; and the N R2 /N S2 value is the tooth ratio of the planetary gear set 230 . Also, the chart of FIG. 3 b describes the ratio steps that are attained utilizing the sample of tooth ratios given. For example, the step ratio between the first and second fixed forward torque ratios is 1.54, and the ratio spread is 5.40.
Description of a Fourth Exemplary Embodiment
[0105] With reference to FIG. 4 a , a powertrain 310 is shown, including an engine 12 connected to another embodiment of the improved electrically variable transmission, designated generally by the numeral 314 . The transmission 314 is designed to receive at least a portion of its driving power from the engine 12 .
[0106] As shown, the engine 12 has an output shaft that serves as the input member 17 of the transmission 314 . A transient torque damper (not shown) may also be implemented between the engine 12 and the input member 17 of the transmission.
[0107] Irrespective of the means by which the engine 12 is connected to the transmission input member 17 , the transmission input member 17 is operatively connected to a planetary gear set in the transmission 314 . An output member 19 of the transmission 314 is connected to a final drive 16 .
[0108] The transmission 314 utilizes two planetary gear sets 320 and 330 . The planetary gear set 320 employs an outer ring gear member 324 which circumscribes an inner sun gear member 322 . A carrier member 326 rotatably supports a plurality of planet gears 327 such that each planet gear 327 meshingly engages both the outer ring gear member 324 and the inner sun gear member 322 of the first planetary gear set 320 .
[0109] The planetary gear set 330 also has an outer ring gear member 334 that circumscribes an inner sun gear member 332 . A carrier member 336 rotatably supports a plurality of planet gears 337 , 338 such that each planet gear 337 meshingly engages the outer ring gear member 324 and the each planet gear 338 simultaneously, and meshingly engages both the inner sun gear member 332 and the respective planet gear 337 of the planetary gear set 330 .
[0110] The transmission output member 19 is connected with the ring gear member 334 .
[0111] The transmission 314 also incorporates first and second motor/generators 380 and 382 , respectively. The stator of the first motor/generator 380 is secured to the transmission housing 360 . The rotor of the first motor/generator 380 is selectively connectable with the ring gear member 334 or the sun gear member 322 via dog clutch 392 , alternating between positions A and B, respectively. The rotor of the first motor/generator 380 is connected to the dog clutch 392 via offset gearing 394 . Within the scope of the invention, a pair of torque transmitting devices could be utilized to accomplish the selective engagement as achieved by dog clutch 392 , as is understood by those skilled in the art.
[0112] The stator of the second motor/generator 382 is also secured to the transmission housing 360 . The rotor of the second motor/generator 382 is secured to the sun gear member 332 .
[0113] A first torque transmitting device, such as input clutch 350 , selectively connects the carrier member 326 with the input member. A second torque transmitting device, such as clutch 352 , selectively connects the sun gear member 322 with the carrier member 336 . A third torque transmitting device, such as input clutch 354 , selectively connects the sun gear member 322 with the input member 17 . A fourth torque transmitting device, such as brake 355 , selectively connects the carrier member 336 with the transmission housing 360 . A fifth torque transmitting device, such as brake 357 , selectively connects the carrier member 326 with the transmission housing 360 . A sixth torque transmitting device, such as the brake 358 , is connected in parallel with the motor/generator 382 for selectively braking rotation thereof. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth torque transmitting devices 350 , 352 , 354 , 355 , 357 and 358 and the dog clutch 392 are employed to assist in the selection of the operational modes of the transmission 314 .
[0114] The hybrid transmission 314 receives power from the engine 12 , and also exchanges power with an electric power source 386 , which is operably connected to a controller 388 .
[0115] The operating mode table of FIG. 4 b illustrates the clutching engagements, motor/generator conditions and output/input ratios for the five operating modes of the transmission 314 . These modes include the “battery reverse mode” (Batt Rev), the “EVT reverse mode” (EVT Rev), “reverse and forward launch modes” (TC Rev and TC For), “continuously variable transmission range modes” (Range 1 . 1 , 1 . 2 , 1 . 3 . . . ) and “fixed ratio modes” (R 1 , F 1 , F 2 , F 3 and F 4 ) as described previously.
[0116] As set forth above, the engagement schedule for the torque transmitting devices is shown in the operating mode table and fixed ratio mode table of FIG. 4 b . FIG. 4 b also provides an example of torque ratios that are available utilizing the ring gear/sun gear tooth ratios given by way of example in FIG. 4 b . The N R1 /N S1 value is the tooth ratio of the planetary gear set 320 ; and the N R2 /N S2 value is the tooth ratio of the planetary gear set 330 . Also, the chart of FIG. 4 b describes the ratio steps that are attained utilizing the sample of tooth ratios given. For example, the step ratio between first and second fixed forward torque ratios is 1.54, and the ratio spread is 5.40.
[0117] In the claims, the language “continuously connected” or “continuously connecting” refers to a direct connection or a proportionally geared connection, such as gearing to an offset axis. Also, the “stationary member” or “ground” may include the transmission housing (case) or any other non-rotating component or components. Also, when a torque transmitting mechanism is said to connect something to a member of a gear set, it may also be connected to an interconnecting member which connects it with that member. It is further understood that different features from different embodiments of the invention may be combined within the scope of the appended claims.
[0118] While various preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed, it is to be understood that the concepts of the present invention are susceptible to numerous changes apparent to one skilled in the art. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is not to be limited to the details shown and described but is intended to include all variations and modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims.
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The electrically variable transmission family of the present invention provides low-content, low-cost electrically variable transmission mechanisms including first and second differential gear sets, a battery, two electric machines serving interchangeably as motors or generators, up to six selectable torque-transfer devices and possibly a dog clutch. The selectable torque transmitting devices are engaged to yield an EVT with a continuously variable range of speeds (including reverse) and at least four mechanically fixed forward speed ratios. The torque transmitting devices and the first and second motor/generators are operable to provide five operating modes in the electrically variable transmission, including battery reverse mode, EVT reverse mode, reverse and forward launch modes, continuously variable transmission range mode, and fixed ratio mode.
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This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/181,395, filed Feb. 9, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to the art of pest control, and more particularly to the art of barriers for impeding route of travel of crawling arthropods at point source, point of entry. It serves as a novel technology in integrated pest management (IPM). The invention is particularly applicable to barriers for interrupting a route of travel of crawling arthropods along passageways that lead to partially enclosed or partially exposed spaces, and may be advantageously employed in these and other environments.
Ants and other crawling arthropods pose a problem to electrical or lighting wall work boxes, pipe flanges, fluid dispensing and intake passageways, enclosed utility boxes, heating, ventilating and air conditioning ports, and other enclosed or partially enclosed vias accessible to the pests. They are also undesirable in living areas, and are known to crawl up support structures to reach beds, table tops, racks and the like.
In agricultural areas where irrigation is used, ants tend to make their way into the tiny microjets that extend from the water feed line. The ants bring sand, dirt, food and other substances with them as they enter the jets. They also leave fecal matter. The fine microjets become clogged, and the flow of water therefrom becomes interrupted such that irrigation is interrupted. The jets must then be cleaned out or replaced on a frequent basis.
In another example, crawling insects that are inside walls or utility passageways often invade interior spaces, such as residential living areas or commercial rooms, by entering through utility wall plates. This is particularly the case in warmer climates or nesting areas in all climates. It is not uncommon for ants to enter into a room via the openings for receptacles and switching outlet components or electrical sockets. Also, if there is a gap between the wall and wall plate, the ants can foreseeably crawl through the gap into the room. They can also crawl into a room through openings defined by plates for cable wires, light switches, blank plates, and the like.
Pipe flanges and other articles that cover openings in walls provide another area where arthropods find access into a room or into a wall. The arthropods or ants crawl behind the flanges or plates, through pipe cracks or through pipe openings covered by flanges, or gaps between the wall and plumbing pipes.
Arthropods pose a serious problem for the microjets and other passageways, vias or enclosed or partially enclosed spaces attractive to such crawling insects. They clog passageways and spread diseases. They are considered a health hazard. Certain insects, such as red fire ants and Argentine ants, tend to sting humans, some to such a great extent to cause grave injury or even death. It is desirable to find a solution or an answer to these critical needs and to develop a way to prevent the arthropods from entering and clogging microjets and other vias. It is further desirable to develop a procedure for eliminating or dramatically reducing the passageway of the crawling arthropods into residential as well as non-residential spaces. Finally, it is desirable to develop an implement and method to obstruct a route of travel of crawling arthropods along an exposed, enclosed, or partially enclosed passageway.
The present invention provides for a novel barrier implement and method for obstructing a route of travel of crawling arthropods that is safe, economical, and durable and provides a solution to the critical needs in integrated pest management.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a barrier for separating ants and other crawling arthropods and vermin from a point or area where they are undesired. A method for impeding a route of travel of crawling arthropods is also provided.
A barrier implement intended for obstructing a route of travel of crawling arthropods along a passageway comprises a sheet material adapted to circumscribe the passageway along which arthropods crawl. A dimension of the sheet is sized relative to the passageway. An arthropod deterring component is associated with the sheet material to deter crawling arthropods and impede their route of travel along the passageway.
A method of impeding a route of travel of crawling arthropods from a location A to a location B along a passageway is also provided. A sheet is positioned between the two locations. An arthropod deterring component is associated with the sheet. The sheet circumscribes the passageway, and a dimension of the sheet is sized relative to said passageway. An arthropod impervious barrier is created between location A and location B to impede a route of travel of crawling arthropods from moving from location A to location B is impeded.
A principal advantage of the present invention is that the barrier implement can be retrofit to existing standard equipment. It provides an economical solution to a widespread insect problem.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it falls within the recent mandate to reduce the broadcasting of pesticide chemicals.
Another advantage of the present invention is that the barrier device serves a dual purpose. It deters a route of travel of crawling arthropods. It also reduces or eliminates the infiltration of air or drafts that flows through electrical boxes, wall plates, pipe flanges and the like.
Yet another advantage of the invention is found in its duration. The implement can be applied and kept in place for up to several years. After the barrier implement loses its effectiveness, a new barrier implement can be readily installed to replace the old.
Still other advantages and benefits of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.
FIG. 1A discloses a barrier implement installed about an elongated structure in an irrigation microjet environment;
FIG. 1B provides a detailed perspective view of the barrier implement of FIG. 1A in the irrigation microjet environment;
FIG. 2 shows a barrier implement adapted for installation behind a utility wall receptacle, namely, an outlet wall plate;
FIG. 3 shows a barrier adapted for installation behind a switch plate;
FIG. 4 shows a barrier implemented for use in association with a flange;
FIG. 5A sets forth an exploded view of a barrier implement situated in an environment that includes a caster and a coaster disk; and
FIG. 5B displays an assembled view of a caster, furniture leg and a coaster disk which holds the barrier implement in place and also provides a shield for the barrier.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings where the showings are made for the purpose of illustration only and are not for the purpose of limiting same, the Figures set forth examples of environments in which a barrier implement for impeding a route of travel of crawling arthropods is useful. The implement is useful in connection with blocking progression of arthropods crawling along passageways, whether the passageways be elongated or abbreviated in length, enclosed or exposed. The implement is designed to surround or circumscribe a given passageway such that it obstructs the crawling arthropod from proceeding between a location A and a location B along said passageway. These two locations generally comprise areas on either side of an installed barrier implement.
The barrier implement is comprised of any impregnable material or any material to which an arthropod deterring constituent could be superficially applied or impregnated. In a preferred embodiment, the sheet is comprised of a pliable polymer material into which an arthropod deterring component can be molded. But the material need not necessarily be pliable. The barrier implement can also be composed of a stiff or rigid material. The implement can be molded to be a circular, rectangular or any other shape disk, or it can be molded to virtually any configuration to fit or conform and adapt to any virtually surface orientation. For example, the disk can be shaped as a circle, square, angular, rectangular, as a wafer, a flap, gasket, washer, sheet, plate, shelf, leaf, thimble, coat, grommet, foil, membrane or virtually any configuration. It can be flat, concave, convex or embossed. It can be molded or extruded to fit any surface or embodiment to cause interruption of arthropod travel from point to point. Its purpose is to interrupt a route of crawling arthropod travel. It employs point source technology in that it stops or deters crawling arthropods at the source of the problem. It also responds to critical needs in integrated pest management.
An active ingredient in the nature of an arthropod deterring component is associated with the barrier material. The component can be molded directly in the barrier material, or it can be applied to the surface by painting it on or by inserting or installing a cartridge thereon. Preferably, the component is a pesticide such as permetherin which can be molded directly in the sheet. Another pesticide or other type of arthropod deterring constituent, which may or may not comprise a pesticide, is contained in, applied to or molded directly in the barrier material composition. In some instances, a slippery substance, such as polytetraflurorethylene (Teflon) coating or petroleum jelly applied to the barrier material, will suffice to deter the crawling arthropods from proceeding along the passageway. The barrier serves the purpose of acting as a shield or barrier to prevent the ingress of arthropods into ports or enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces where pests are not desired, or even past certain points on flat or elongated structures.
An example of an environment where the barrier implement is useful is provided in FIGS. 1A and 1B . Here, the barrier implement provides a deterring effect along an elongated passageway, in this particular case an external surface of a microjet capillary. An irrigation water line 10 travels along the ground 14 . The water line is shown broken away to indicate that it extends linearly in both directions. A thin diameter microjet capillary or flex tube 18 branches off the water line and is supported in a generally upward position by a stake 22 that is stationed in the ground. An upper end 24 of the stake is designed to hold or support the flex tube 18 in place. A microjet assembly 26 is in place at the distal end of the capillary or flex tube 18 . Water flows from water line 10 through capillary 18 and out through an opening 28 defined in a head portion 30 of the assembly. It is to be understood that the microjet assembly exemplified in FIGS. 1A and 1B includes a threaded tube which extends downward from the head, through hex nut 32 . The threaded tube is received within an internally threaded end 34 of capillary 18 .
The removable nature of the microjet assembly enables the installation of a barrier implement 36 . The barrier itself comprises a disk shaped sheet that is fashioned to enable an elongated or other type object pass therethrough. Here, the sheet is provided in a circular configuration, though virtually any configuration will suffice. The thickness of the sheet should be such that it can be accommodated in the environment. The sheet disclosed in FIGS. 1A and 1B is less than approximately {fraction (1/16)}″ in thickness, but this is not intended to be a limiting dimension. The sheet thickness is preferably substantially even, but is not required to be even.
An opening 40 defined in the sheet is adapted to circumscribe an elongated or other structure therethrough. Here, the opening is sized to accommodate the capillary tube 18 . The barrier disk is held in place on the tube by passing threads from the microjet assembly through it and securing it in place by joining the assembly to the capillary and holding it in palace by the pressure of the hex nut.
An arthropod deterring component is associated with the disk. The disk and arthropod deterring component together act as a barrier and a deterrent to prevent the crawling arthropods from passing through to the tiny microjet openings. As the arthropods crawl upward along the support member or the tube, they approach the disk. The arthropod deterring component associated with the disk deters them from continuing along their path.
FIG. 1B shows A detailed view of the microjet assembly. Ants or other arthropods are known to crawl into the microjet opening 28 when the jets are not in use. Microjets are typically used minimally, often only once per day, in order to conserve water. When the jets are not in use, the ants crawl in through the opening to seek out moisture, particularly in dry and arid situations. They bring sand, dirt, and food with them. This clogs the microjets, which then significantly disrupts the irrigation flow.
Ants and other crawling arthropods are prevented or deterred from entering the microjets by placing a disk 36 that embodies an arthropod deterring agent around the threads of the microjet, just below the opening 28 . The disk extends to overhang the width of the capillary and is shown to rest on the top 24 of the stake 22 . Ants that would have to crawl up the stake or flex tube to reach the microjet opening or port 28 are deterred by the arthropod deterring agent embodied in the disk. They must encounter the disk before they can proceed to the opening.
Another example of an environment in which the vermin deterring component can be used is shown in FIG. 2 . It is understood that the utility wall plate environment of FIG. 2 includes a wall plate 42 , electrical socket 44 , socket box 46 and barrier implement 48 . As is traditional, the socket box is mounted inside a wall and is situated to hold an electrical socket in place therein. It is understood that the outlets 49 are exposed outside the wall via openings 50 within the wall plate. Barrier sheet 48 is configured to fit within an underside of the wall plate. When installed, it is sandwiched, at least about or near its periphery, between the wall plate and a wall. The barrier sheet is configured to define openings 52 therein for receiving or exposing electrical sockets therethrough. The sockets are exposed through the barrier implement and the wall plate 42 .
Barrier implement shown in FIG. 2 also acts as an insulator while it keeps arthropod infestation down. As will be noted, sheet 48 is designed to fit inside a utility wall plate 42 to obstruct a route of travel of crawling arthropods. In many climates, there is a problem in that crawling arthropods tend to invade a room by entering through an opening made by a utility wall plate 42 . The sheet defines openings 52 that correspond to openings 50 in the wall plate 42 which are adapted to receive an electrical socket therethrough.
Arthropods can also escape into a room through any gaps that are formed between a wall plate and a wall. The barrier implement is designed to prevent the escape of ants or other arthropods through such gaps.
The sheet itself is configured to correspond to the size and shape of the wall plate. Generally, two opposing sides of the wall plate sheet are substantially equal in size. The sheet can be configured to agree to the shape and purpose of the wall plate. For example, the wall plate shown in FIG. 2 is designed to cover a double electrical outlet. If there were two additional outlets under the plate, then the sheet would be designed to include those added outlets by including two additional holes.
A similar situation is identified in FIG. 3 where a light switch 54 is shown. It is understood that this environment includes a switchplate 55 , the switch 54 , socket box 56 and barrier implement 58 . The socket box 56 is recessed inside a wall and is adapted to hold the switch therein. It is understood that the toggle switch 57 is exposed outside the wall via opening 53 in the switchplate. The barrier implement 58 is configured to fit within an underside of the switchplate and, during installation, is at least sandwiched between the switchplate and the wall. A periphery of the barrier 58 and portions inward therefrom is mounted flush to a wall. Opening 59 is defined in the switchplate barrier 58 to receive or expose the toggle switch 57 therethrough.
The barrier implement can be configured to virtually any shape or size. Another example of a useful barrier is shown in FIG. 4. A barrier implement 60 is adapted to fit between a flange 62 and wall 64 . By way of example, a pipe 66 is shown as extending outward from said wall. Crawling arthropods that seek to enter a room by any gaps left by an installed pipe or conduit or the like are impeded by placement of the ring-shaped disk 60 behind the flange 62 . Gaps are often left between an opening in a wall 68 and a pipe or conduit. The disk is a sheet of material impregnated with an arthropod deterring component to interrupt a route of travel of the crawling arthropods from within a wall or behind a wall into a room.
Barrier implements can be configured to correspond to other types of flanges including those from conduit, cable, dryer units and the like.
The barrier of FIGS. 2 , 3 and 4 serves an added benefit in that it reduces or eliminates drafts or air flow through openings in walls which are not adequately, insulated by pipes or flanges. After a time, the barrier implement can be recharged with a deterring component, or it can be easily discarded and replaced.
Another useful environment for the barrier implement is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B . Here, a leg 70 supported by a caster 72 is shown. A coaster disk 74 defines an opening 75 for receipt of the leg therethrough. The leg can be for furniture or movable storage racks and all units supported by casters, where crawling insects are a problem. These include racks used in health care, food storage, laboratories or any other rolling structure supported by casters. Caster joining components 76 are received through opening 75 to position the coaster in place. The coaster acts as a receptacle for a barrier implement 78 which is clinglingly or otherwise mounted into the coaster. The barrier implement defines an opening that matches the coaster opening 75 . The coaster provides a shielding function for the barrier so that when it is in place the barrier is not in plain view of persons and is not easily touched by persons. It is foreseeable that the barrier device could be installed on a leg without the need for a coaster. The coaster provides one example of a shield for a barrier device. In this instance, the shield includes a barrier wall 80 with a rim 84 . It is to be understood that the rim could be angled outwardly or flared, as shown, or perpendicular to the barrier wall 80 . It is further understood that a return can be present at a bottom of the rim to minimize a gap between the caster and the coaster. The shield is composed of an inert material. The barrier shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B serves to prevent arthropods from crawling along a passageway formed from furniture legs and casters.
This invention is not limited to the sheets disk shown in the Figures. Nor is it limited to the microjet, the wall plates, the flanges, or the furniture/caster environments shown in the figures. The situation shown in the figures is merely by way of example. The device of the present invention is fully adaptable to virtually any enclosed or partially enclosed area where it is desirable to eliminate ants, roaches and other crawling arthropods by stopping their route of travel from point to point. Examples of where the barrier device of the present invention can be used include irrigation systems, electrical systems, heating and air conditioning systems, agricultural equipment, table or cart on legs, adjacent casters (indoors or outdoors), or any other situation where crawling pests pose a problem. The list is non-inclusive and is intended to include adaptability of the device to virtually any environment in any configuration to aid in the stopping of travel of arthropods from point to point.
The barrier can likewise be used with virtually any fluid dispensing or intake apparatus, any conduit, any enclosed or semi enclosed area where arthropods are not desired. Examples include, but are not limited to, use in utility boxes, junction boxes, at the end of hoses, electrical conduits inside tubes, outside tubes, at HVAC ports, or virtually anywhere that arthropods may crawl. The barrier device can be of virtually any configuration, and is molded to conform to the shape of the object to which it will be attached. It acts as a barrier, an exclusion device, a destruction device, blockade, impediment, or partition. It stops, kills or inhibits the route of travel from point to point of crawling arthropods. The device shields an enclosed or partially enclosed space from the crawling vermin. The vermin are prevented from crawling along the passageway from location A, which is defined as their source or the portion of passageway that leads from the source, to location B, which is defined as the area where arthropods are undesired or a portion of passageway which leads to that area.
The barrier is readily removable and can be replaced with another if the arthropod deterring constituent or active ingredient should become ineffective or depleted. In the alternative, it can have a protective cover or shield to protect against dermal contact.
The invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment. Obviously modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading and understanding of this specification. It is intended to include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalent thereof.
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A barrier implement intended for obstructing a route of travel of crawling arthropods along a passageway comprises a sheet configured to circumscribe a passageway along which arthropods crawl. A dimension of the sheet is sized or molded relative to said passageway. An arthropod deterring component associated with said sheet for deterring said crawling arthropods and impeding their route of travel along said passageway.
In a method of impeding a route of travel of crawling arthropods from moving along a passageway from a location A to a location B, an arthropod deterring component is associated with a sheet. The sheet separates location A from location B and creates a vermin-impervious barrier therebetween. A route of travel of crawling arthropods from moving from location A to location B is impeded.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of patent application Ser. No. 09/734,505, filed on Dec. 11, 2000, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,829 which claims benefit of Prov. No. 60/178,630 filed Jan. 28, 2000.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a straight or extension ladder comprising anti-slide-out means for determining the minimum ladder set-up angle whereby the base of the ladder is precluded from sliding away from the wall or other structure against which the ladder is leaning upon application of a weight on the ladder.
2. Description of Prior Art
A straight or extension ladder maintains its equilibrium when placed against a wall or other structure by the friction resistance against sliding that is created between the side rail feet and the ground surface. When this friction force is not sufficient, the base of the ladder slides away from the wall dropping its climber. Over one-third of all ladder accidents are caused by ladder slide-out.
The equations of equilibrium for straight or extension ladders indicate that the resistance against slide-out increases with the steepness of the ladder. The steepness of the ladder is normally characterized by the acute angle formed between the ground surface and the center line of the ladder. In the United States, ladders are designed and tested using an angle of 75.52°, which is also used as the limiting ladder set-up angle to avoid slide-out. The safety factor against ladder slide-out falls off very quickly as the ladder angle becomes shallower.
There are a number of popular techniques for establishing the 75.52° ladder angle. The first of these is the one-in-four method by which the angle is set by arranging the geometry such that the base-to-wall distance is one-forth of the active ladder length.
Another method involves the mounting of an “L” on the side rail of the ladder in a special orientation. When the ladder is correctly set up, the L achieves a natural orientation with its legs in a vertical and horizontal direction.
Yet a third method involves anthropometric set-up in which four instructional steps are placed on ladder labels to achieve a ladder angle of approximately 75°. These instructional steps are—1) place toes against bottom of ladder side rails; 2) stand erect; 3) extend arms straight out; and 4) palms of hands should touch top of rung at shoulder level.
A further means for achieving proper set-up of a ladder is taught by U.S. Pat. No. 2,845,719 wherein a bubble level is attached to the outside of the ladder side rail at eye level to disclose any chosen set-up angle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,118,234 teaches a pendulum device attached to the outside of the ladder side rail whereby, when the ladder is set up at a ladder angle of 75°, a mark on the pendulum housing lines up with the pendulum. If the ladder base is too far in or out, the pendulum housing is marked appropriately “move in” or “move out” so that the user will move the ladder base in the correct direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,881 teaches yet another approach in which an electronic circuit and alarm are attached to a ladder with two sensors. One of the sensors determines the side-to-side orientation of the ladder while the other determines the ladder inclination angle. When incorrectly set up, the alarm sounds and the actual angles are displayed.
Yet another device for determining proper inclination of a ladder is a “monster eye”, named after a toy, which is mounted under the sixth base section rung at eye level. The monster eye consists of two concentric spheres, the inner sphere of which is opaque and weighted on one side and the outer sphere of which is transparent. Between the spheres, the space is filled with liquid that allows the inner sphere to rotate freely so that its weighted side can remain in a downward-facing orientation. When an equator line on the inner sphere falls between two closely spaced parallel lines painted around the equator of the outer sphere, the ladder has achieved an inclination angle of 75.5°.
One problem associated with each of the above described methods and devices is that the set-up protocol may be completely ignored by the users, who may adopt any arbitrary inclination angle that suits their immediate fancy, risking thereby a non-safe ladder set-up.
It will also be appreciated that there are numerous devices known in the art for stabilizing a ladder. U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,899 teaches an anti-skid hand leveling device for ladders which includes a pair of devices consisting of a guide rail along which an upper carriage and a lower carriage slide independently. The upper carriage provides a mounting platform onto which a brace is rotatably mounted. The lower carriage provides a mounting platform onto which an outrigger-type foot is mounted. When pivoted to a specified angle and lowered so as to contact the ground, the brace prevents the ladder from skidding in a direction away from the object against which the ladder is resting. Similar devices are taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,629 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,130,181. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,698; U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,220; U.S. Pat. No. 3,059,723; U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,427; U.S. Pat. No. 1,710,026; U.S. Pat. No. 1,352,566; U.S. Pat. No. 840,365; U.S. Pat. No. 776,446; and U.S. Pat. No. 530,374. Although providing stabilization for straight and extension ladders, none of these prior art references provides any means for ensuring proper set-up of the ladder so as to preclude ladder inclination angles below a specified limiting ladder set-up angle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is one object of this invention to provide an apparatus for ensuring proper ladder inclination angles which preclude slide-out of the base of the ladders upon application of a weight to the ladder.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for proper ladder set-up which passively rejects any ladder inclination angle below a specified limiting ladder set-up angle θ, for example 75.5°.
These and other objects of this invention are addressed by a non-self-supporting ladder comprising two substantially parallel, elongated, spaced apart side rails having an upper and a lower end and a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced apart rung elements joining the spaced apart side rails. An inboard roller assembly comprising a bracket and a roller rotatable over its central axis is connected to each of the spaced apart side rails, whereby the central axes of the rollers are oriented so as to be essentially parallel to the spaced apart rung elements joining the spaced apart side rails. The inboard roller assemblies are disposed so as to impose a specified ladder inclination angle θ when the lower end of the spaced apart side rails and the rollers rest on a substantially flat horizontal surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects and features of this invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side view of the lower portion of a rigid ladder system at different inclination angles having an anti-slide-out device in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a side view of a ladder having an anti-slide-out device in accordance with one embodiment of this invention showing equilibrium and non-equilibrium states for the ladder;
FIG. 3 is a side view of an anti-slide-out device for a ladder employing an eccentric mechanism in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 4 is a side view of the anti-slide-out device shown in FIG. 3 with the eccentric mechanism at a shallow inclination angle after loading;
FIGS. 5 a - 5 e are side views of an anti-slide-out device at various load conditions and inclination angles in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;
FIGS. 6 a - 6 e show side views of an anti-slide-out device for a straight or extension ladder in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 7 is a side view of an anti-slide-out device for a straight or extension ladder in accordance with yet another embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 8 is a side view of a ladder comprising an anti-slide-out device in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 9 is a side view of a ladder comprising an anti-slide-out device comprising a preloaded spring suspension in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;
FIG. 10 is a side view of an anti-slide-out device comprising a preloaded flat spring suspension in accordance with one embodiment of this invention; and
FIG. 11 is a side view of an anti-slide-out device comprising a detented slider in accordance with one embodiment of this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
If frictionless wheels are fixed to the base of a ladder to act as its feet, the ladder cannot support either itself or a live load. For any angle of inclination, the ladder will slide out away from the vertical wall or structure against which it is leaning. FIG. 1 shows the bottom portion of a ladder comprising side rail 12 and rungs 14 and a device for determining the proper set-up inclination angle for the ladder in accordance with one embodiment of this invention comprising outrigger or bracket 13 attached to the base of the ladder, which bracket 13 supports roller 11 . Roller 11 in accordance with one embodiment of this invention is a pneumatic tire wheel. One such device is attached to each side rail 12 . Three dispositions of the ladder are shown in FIG. 1 . As illustrated in the center disposition, rollers 11 are located so that the ladder base 16 and rollers 11 simultaneously touch horizontal surface or ground 15 when the ladder inclination angle achieves the desired set-up angle, θ. At angles steeper than θ, as shown in the right-most disposition, rollers 11 are lifted above surface 15 leaving the ladder base 16 in contact with the support surface 15 . It should be noted that steeper set-up angles, such as that shown in the right-most disposition, are more difficult from which to slide out. By contrast, the left-most disposition of the ladder shown in FIG. 1 depicts a ladder inclination that is shallower than the desired set-up angle θ. In this case, ladder base 16 is above the surface 15 and the ladder is supported only by rollers 11 . Consequently, the ladder will start falling because the ladder base will propel itself in the direction away from the support wall or structure. If the user does not oppose this motion, the ladder will fall against the ground.
An examination of the “too shallow” case shown in FIG. 1 reveals three feed-back mechanisms that indicate to the user an improper inclination angle. First, ladder base 16 can be seen not touching the ground 15 . Second, the ladder will push against a user standing in front of the ladder or it will accelerate in the direction indicated by arrow 17 . Finally, if the ladder is not too heavy, attempts to mount the lowest of the rungs 14 will lift the top of the ladder up off the support structure. There is a seesaw action that gives rise to a fulcrum rotation about the axles of rollers 11 . The seesaw action is associated with rollers 11 positioned inboard of the bottom rung as illustrated in FIG. 1 .
In a rigid world, a climber would adjust the ladder to achieve simultaneous contact of the ladder base 16 and rollers 11 . Then, a slight additional rearward movement would permanently elevate the rollers 11 and allow climbing to proceed. In the real world of flexibility, the ladder will sag when supporting a climber. Unfortunately, this sag will always rotate the ladder base 16 in a direction which moves rollers 11 downward. It is possible for this downward movement to jack up the ladder base 16 causing the ladder base 16 to leave the ground 15 and remove all resistance to slide-out. The climber and the ladder collapse together as rollers 11 run away from the supporting wall or structure. This fail-to-danger scenario may be actively averted by instructing the user to leave a specified ground clearance beneath the rollers during set-up. On the other hand, a passive system may be used to preclude the roll out phenomenon entirely.
Such a system is shown, for example, in FIG. 2 in which rollers 11 are spring loaded. At shallow angles less than the desired set-up angle θ, the left-most illustration of FIG. 2, spring 20 carries the weight of ladder 10 and any extension sections thereof with a safety factor, for example 1.5 times the ladder weight. In this state, the ladder base 16 is elevated from the ground surface and the ladder 10 will accelerate away from the support wall or structure in the direction of arrow 17 . This state provides both visual and tactile feedback relative to the improper set-up angle. At any shallow angle less than θ, the user may stabilize the ladder with his hands while he mounts a rung. This live load, indicated by arrow 21 , on ladder 10 will overcome the pre-load in spring 20 and allow ladder base 16 to push against the ground with sufficient force to develop almost the full frictional resistance to slide-out associated with the specific ladder inclination. This situation is shown in the center illustration of FIG. 2 using conventional spring loaded rollers often found in self-supported ladder stands. The set-up shown in the right-most illustration of FIG. 2 shows a ladder at the exact inclination angle θ desired or specified by standards or codes. Currently, this angle is 75.52°. Theoretically, an infinitesimally larger angle than θ will completely lift rollers 11 from the ground surface allowing side rails 12 to develop their full resistance to slide-out. If ladder sag under live load should force rollers 11 into the ground, they cannot cause the side rails to lift because their lifting or jacking capability is limited to the spring force. The spring force is always small; it is somewhat larger than the self weight of the ladder. The anti-slide-out device in accordance with the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 comprises a passive spring system. Bracket 13 is connected to side rail 12 of ladder 10 and roller 11 is attached to rod 22 which is slidably connected to bracket 13 . That portion of rod 22 between roller 11 and bracket 13 is surrounded by preloaded spring 20 . This passive spring system adds robustness to the anti-slide-out safety system of this invention. It should be noted that rollers 11 enable ladder 10 to be moved in the same manner as a wheelbarrow.
In accordance with other embodiments of this invention, spring loaded rollers such as those shown in FIG. 2 are automatically removable from active participation once a live load is imposed on the ladder. Some embodiments of this property are shown in FIGS. 3, 4 , 5 a - 5 e , 6 a - 6 e and 7 .
FIG. 3 shows one embodiment of the anti-slide-out device of this invention oriented so as to provide the desired angle of inclination θ. The device comprises fixed bracket 30 attached to side rail 12 of ladder 10 . Roller 11 is disposed at one end of square rod 32 around which is disposed compression spring 31 . The opposite end of square rod 32 is connected to hinged fitting 35 , which, in turn, is hingedly connected to fixed bracket 30 . Hinged fitting 35 comprises torsion spring 33 which tends to rotate hinged fitting 35 against stop 34 . Any loads transferred to roller 11 in an upward direction will also hold hinged fitting 35 against stop 34 . The eccentricity of roller 11 relative to hinged fitting 35 , together with the spring constant of torsion spring 33 and compression spring 31 may be combined with the preloading of the two springs to maintain contact of hinged fitting 35 with stop 34 under the self weight of ladder 10 . On the other hand, if the inclination of ladder 10 is shallow, and if a live load is placed on ladder 10 , the mechanism assumes the geometry shown in FIG. 4 . In this configuration, almost no upward force is exerted on ladder 10 by the roller mechanism. Even when the live load is removed, a ladder 10 will not be lifted by the mechanism and the original configuration shown in FIG. 3 will not be recovered. To restore the original/initial geometry of FIG. 3, the user must lift the ladder and allow torsion spring 33 to recock the system.
It can, thus, be seen that the eccentric mechanism of FIGS. 3 and 4 provides two additional safety features. First, when the ladder is misused, that is set up at shallow angles, the spring system will not reduce the force on the side rail feet which might compromise the frictional resistance to slide-out. Second, when the user dismounts a ladder set up at a shallow angle, compared to the desired angle of inclination, the ladder will remain in equilibrium and not push back from the vertical support structure.
In accordance with the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the roller suspension system is unloaded when the self weight and live load on the ladder exceed a preset limit. The user can reset or reactivate the suspension system merely by lifting the ladder of the ground surface.
Another embodiment of the anti-slide-out device of this invention is shown in FIGS. 5 a - 5 e . The device, detailed in FIG. 5 e comprises roller mechanism support bracket 85 which is fixedly connected to the ladder 10 . Roller 11 is disposed at one end of roller arm 80 , the opposite end of which is pivotably connected by means of pivot shaft 87 to roller mechanism support bracket 85 . Roller arm 80 forms a longitudinally oriented detent slot 81 in which is disposed a detent pin 82 . One end of over-the-center pretensioned detent spring 88 is connected to detent pin 82 and the other end of over-the-center pretensioned detent spring 88 is connected to spring support pin 89 extending outwardly from roller mechanism support bracket 85 . Roller mechanism support bracket 85 further comprises roller arm stops 83 , 84 disposed on either side of roller arm 80 . An edge portion of roller mechanism support bracket 85 disposed between roller arm stop 83 and roller arm stop 84 forms a detent cam 86 . In operation, detent pin 82 is held against the cam profile 86 by means of over-the-center pretension spring 88 , which is designed to carry the weight of the ladder, and any extension sections, with a small safety factor, in a manner similar to that of FIG. 2 previously described. At shallow angles less than the desired angle of inclination θ, as shown in FIG. 5 a , the anti-slide-out device in accordance with this embodiment carries the weight of the ladder but the side rail feet are elevated from the ground surface resulting in acceleration of the ladder away from the support wall or structure. This state provides both visual and tactile feedback relative to the improper set-up angle. At any shallow angle less than θ, the user may stabilize the ladder with his hands while mounting a rung 14 . This live load on the ladder acts through roller 11 on roller arm 80 , pushing detent pin 82 over the cam hump of detent cam 86 . The action by the over center pretensioned detent spring 88 moves roller 11 together with roller arm 80 out of the way toward the ladder as shown in FIG. 5 b . This roller state provides the user with an immediate visual feedback that the set-up angle was improper. However, the feet of side rails 12 will now be in contact with the ground, pushing against it with sufficient force to develop the full frictional resistance to slide-out associated with the specific ladder inclination.
FIG. 5 c shows ladder 10 employing the anti-slide-out cam and detent mechanism of FIG. 5 e at the exact inclination angle θ desired or specified by standards or codes. A larger angle than θ will lift the rollers 11 from the ground surface allowing the side rails 12 to develop their full resistance to slide-out. If ladder sag under live loads should happen to push rollers 11 against the ground, rollers 11 will not cause side rails 12 to lift. Instead, as shown in FIG. 5 d , the sag will act through roller 11 on roller arm 80 , pushing detent pin 82 over the cam hump of detent cam 86 resulting in action by the over center pretensioned detent spring 88 moving roller 11 with roller arm 80 out of the way, in a direction away from ladder 10 leaving only the feet of side rails 12 to contact the ground and to develop their full resistance to slide-out. This roller state provides the user with an immediate visual feedback that the setup angle was proper in contrast to that of FIG. 5 b . After using the ladder, the user can restore roller 11 to its neutral position by hand by moving roller arm 80 to the position shown in FIG. 5 e , or for storing purposes by moving roller arm 80 to the position shown in FIG. 5 b.
A further embodiment of the anti-slide-out device of this invention is shown in FIGS. 6 a - 6 e , which embodiment employs the roller support device detailed in FIG. 6 e . The device comprises roller mechanism support bracket 100 attached to ladder 10 and roller arm 107 having one end pivotally connected by means of roller arm pivot shaft 101 to roller mechanism support bracket 100 and having an opposite end connected to roller 11 . Roller arm 107 forms detent slot 106 in which is disposed a detent pin 105 . The device further comprises pretensioned spring 109 having one end connected to detent pin 105 and having an opposite end connected to spring support pin 108 connected to and extending from one face of roller mechanism support bracket 100 . Roller mechanism support bracket 100 further comprises roller arm stops 102 and 103 disposed on either side of roller arm 107 . The edge region of roller mechanism support bracket 100 disposed between roller arm stops 102 and 103 forms a detent cam 104 .
In operation, the embodiment of the anti-slide-out device of this invention shown in FIGS. 6 a - 6 e acts in a manner analogous to that of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 a - 5 e as described hereinabove, except that it has been modified to preclude ladder 10 from being set up at an angle shallower than the desired inclination angle θ, even under action of a live load W as indicated by arrow 111 , as shown in FIGS. 6 a and 6 b . The transition from the embodiment of FIG. 5 to that of FIG. 6 is accomplished by removing the cam hump of detent cam 104 closest to ladder 10 , repositioning roller arm stop 103 closest to ladder 10 , and repositioning spring support pin 108 so as to no longer be disposed along the longitudinal axis of roller arm 107 . As shown in FIGS. 6 c and 6 d , when ladder 10 is positioned with the desired set-up angle θ, there is no slide-out of the ladder under either the unloaded condition of FIG. 6 c or the loaded condition with sag due to the load of 6 d . As in the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 a - 5 e , after using the ladder, the user can restore roller 11 to its neutral position by hand by moving roller arm 107 to the position shown in FIG. 6 e.
FIG. 7 shows yet another embodiment of the anti-slide-out device of this invention utilizing the roller support device substantially as shown in FIG. 6 e . The device and its mechanism, when utilized on a ladder, cause the ladder to act in a manner analogous to the ladder of FIGS. 6 a - 6 e except that it has been modified in a manner which eliminates the snap-out retraction of roller 11 and roller arm 107 to an out-of-the-way position. This is achieved by removing the cam hump of the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 e and eliminating detent slot 106 , which is no longer necessary. This modification enables roller 11 and roller arm 107 to give under sag due to the presence of a live load at the set-up angle θ, but does not retract them to an out-of-the-way position as shown in FIG. 6 d . In this case, when the live load is removed from the ladder, or if the ladder is lifted up, roller arm 107 and roller 11 automatically return to their neutral position with respect to roller mechanism support bracket 100 as shown in FIG. 7 .
In accordance with one embodiment of the anti-slide-out device of this invention, rollers 11 are elastically mounted without preloading as shown in FIG. 8 . Roller 11 is connected to one end of flat spring 40 , the opposite end of which is connected to side rails 12 of ladder 10 . Due to the extreme simplicity of this embodiment, the device has high reliability, high robustness and the potential for minimum cost. In addition, to satisfy horizontal storage requirements, the device can be deflected flat against side rails 12 when not in use.
FIG. 9 is a side view of an anti-slide-out device similar to the device shown in FIG. 2 utilizing a preloaded spring system. The device comprises roller 11 connected to an underside of an elongated pivotal bracket 51 having one end pivotally connected to side rails 12 by means of hinge pin 56 . A first angle bracket 52 is connected to side rail 12 at a position above hinge pin 56 and a second angle bracket 53 is attached to the end of elongated pivotal bracket 51 opposite to the end connected to side rail 12 . A rod 54 is slidably connected to first angle bracket 52 and second angle bracket 53 . Preloaded spring 50 surrounds rod 54 between first angle bracket 52 and second angle bracket 53 . Preloaded compression spring 50 pretensions rod 54 , as a result of which the suspension will act rigidly until sufficient roller reaction force, indicated by arrow 55 , overcomes the preload whereupon preloaded compression spring 50 will exhibit elastic behavior.
In accordance with one embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. 10, the elastically mounted roller system of FIG. 8 is preloaded. The device comprises flat spring 40 connected at one end by attachment means 63 to side rail 12 and having roller 11 connected at an opposite end thereof. Threaded rod 60 has one end extending through flat spring 40 and an opposite end connected by pin 62 to side rail 12 . Surrounding threaded rod 60 in the area between flat spring 40 and pin 62 is preloaded spring 61 .
In accordance with one embodiment of this invention as shown in FIG. 11, the anti-slide-out device incorporates a mechanism that acts as a mechanical fuse to unload the springs when their compression force reaches a preset limit. The device comprises fixed bracket 30 connected to side rails 12 . Roller 11 is connected to one end of vertically oriented threaded rods 72 , the other end of which extends through fixed bracket 30 and is held in place by nut 73 . Connected to threaded rod 72 proximate to roller 11 is detented force limiter 70 . Disposed between detented force limiter 70 and fixed bracket 30 , and surrounding threaded rod 72 is preloaded spring 71 . As shown in FIG. 11, detented force limiter 70 is merely a detented slider. It should be noted that the detented slider must be manually reset or repositioned after it has acted to unload the spring by sliding downward.
While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.
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A non-self-supporting ladder having an anti-slide-out device which enables a user to set up the ladder at the specified minimum ladder set-up angle (θ) or greater angles for precluding the base of the ladder from sliding away from a structure against which the ladder is leaning upon application of a weight on the ladder, but prevents the ladder to be set up at angles smaller than (θ). The device includes an inboard roller assembly having a bracket connected to each side rail of the ladder and a roller connected to each bracket oriented and disposed so as to impose a specified ladder inclination angle (θ), when the lower end of the ladder and the rollers simultaneously rest on a substantially flat horizontal surface. At set-up angles smaller than the specified minimum angle (θ), only the rollers rest on the horizontal surface, preventing the ladder from being set up.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates in general to a firing system for a firearm and, more particularly, to an automatic safety for use in association with a muzzleloading firearm.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] It is know in the art of muzzleloading firearms to provide a trigger safety which prevents actuation of the trigger. As with any safety design, trigger safeties have been known to fail, or to have been inadvertently defeated by a user. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a supplemental safety to prevent death or injury associated with unintended actuation of the firing system of a muzzleloading firearm. Although there are other safety systems known in the art, such systems typically require manual actuation, which can be overlooked, especially if the safety is merely a supplemental or additional safety feature. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide an automatically actuating system which did not require affirmative user manipulation. It would additionally be desirable to provide for a low-cost safety system which is easy to operate and did not require a large amount of maintenance or attention. The difficulties encountered in the prior art discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] In an advantage provided by this invention, a firing system is provided which directs smoke and debris away from a shooters face.
[0006] Advantageously, this invention provides a firing system which shields a firing mechanism for a firearm from moisture and other elements.
[0007] Advantageously, this invention provides a positive engagement ignition system for a firearm which reduces smoke and debris associated with ignition.
[0008] Advantageously, this invention provides a firing system for a firearm which prevents undesired contact with the ignition system prior to firing.
[0009] Advantageously, this invention provides a firing system for a firearm which is quick and easy to operate.
[0010] Advantageously, this invention provides for a firing system for a muzzleloading firearm which allows the use of a scope or similar optics.
[0011] Advantageously, this invention provides a firing system for a firearm which is capable of being field stripped and cleaned without the requirement of additional tools.
[0012] Advantageously, this invention provides a firing system for a firearm which reduces the collection of soot and other debris in the firing mechanism.
[0013] Advantageously, this invention provides a firing system for a firearm with a plurality of safety mechanisms.
[0014] Advantageously, in a preferred example of this invention, an improved action is provided for a firearm having a grip, a receiver, a forwardly extending barrel and a trigger assembly. The improvement comprises a frame and a hammer pivotably coupled to the frame. Means are provided on a carriage for releasably engaging the hammer when the carriage is pivoted a first direction, and for releasing the hammer when the carriage is pivoted in an opposite, second direction. Means are also provided for pivotably coupling the carriage to the frame in manner which allows the carriage to disengage from the frame upon pivoting the carriage a predetermined angle relative to the frame.
[0015] Preferably, the carriage is pivotable between the first position which protects the ignition system from the elements and second position, allowing for access to, removal and reinsertion of the ignition system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates a rear perspective view of the improved firearm of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 illustrates a side elevation in cross-section of the improved action of the firearm of FIG. 1 , shown in the initial position;
[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates a rear perspective view of the carriage of the improved action of FIG. 2 ;
[0020] FIG. 4 illustrates a front perspective view in partial phantom of the trigger guard assembly of the improved action of FIG. 2 ;
[0021] FIG. 5 illustrates a top elevation in cross-section of the safety mechanism of the improved action of FIG. 2 , shown in the safe position;
[0022] FIG. 6 illustates a top elevation in cross-section of the safety mechanism of the improved action of FIG. 2 shown in the fire position;
[0023] FIG. 7 illustrates a rear perspective view of the rear carriage catch of the improved action of FIG. 2 ;
[0024] FIG. 8 illustrates a side elevation in cross-section of the retractable face assembly of the improved action of FIG. 2 , shown in the safe position;
[0025] FIG. 9 illustrates a front perspective view of the retractable face of the retractable face assembly of FIG. 8 ;
[0026] FIG. 10 illustrates a side elevation in cross-section of the retractable face assembly of FIG. 8 , shown in the fire position;
[0027] FIG. 11 illustrates a rear perspective view of the forward carriage release of the improved action of FIG. 2 ;
[0028] FIG. 12 illustrates a side elevation in cross-section of the improved action of FIG. 1 , showing the action being cocked;
[0029] FIG. 13 illustrates a side elevation in cross-section of the improved action of FIG. 1 , showing the action being removed from the frame;
[0030] FIG. 14 illustrates a side elevation in cross-section of the improved action of FIG. 1 , shown as an ignition system is inserted into the frame;
[0031] FIG. 15 illustrates a top elevation of the improved action of FIG. 1 , shown with the ignition system being moved into battery;
[0032] FIG. 16 illustrates a side elevation in cross-section of the improved action of FIG. 1 , shown immediately prior to the ignition system being engaged into battery;
[0033] FIG. 17 illustrates a side elevation in cross-section of the improved action of FIG. 1 , shown in battery;
[0034] FIG. 18 illustrates a side elevation in cross-section of the improved action of FIG. 1 , showing the action in the fired position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0035] Referring to FIG. 1 , a firearm ( 10 ) according to this invention is shown with a frame ( 12 ), preferably constructed of stainless steel or similar material. The frame ( 12 ) is preferably provided with an upper aperture ( 14 ) and a lower aperture ( 16 ). Extending through the upper aperture ( 14 ) is a portion of the carriage assembly ( 18 ), described in more detail below. Extending through the lower aperture ( 16 ) is the trigger guard ( 20 ) and trigger ( 22 ). As shown in FIG. 1 , the frame ( 12 ) connects a grip, such as a rear stock ( 24 ) to the front stock ( 26 ) and barrel ( 28 ).
[0036] As shown in FIG. 2 , the rear stock ( 24 ) is coupled to the frame ( 12 ) by a rear stock retaining screw ( 30 ) in a manner such as that known in the art. Similarly, the front stock ( 26 ) is provided with a slot ( 32 ), configured to receive a lug ( 34 ) constructed of stainless steel, with a rectangular cross-section. The lug ( 34 ) is welded or otherwise secured directly to the barrel ( 28 ). The lug ( 34 ) is provided with a threaded hole ( 36 ) which receives a forward retaining screw ( 38 ), which is threadably received in a hole ( 40 ) provided on the frame ( 12 ) to retain the barrel ( 28 ) and front stock ( 26 ) in engagement with the frame ( 12 ).
[0037] As shown in FIGS. 2-3 , the carriage assembly ( 18 ) contains the entire firing assembly, including a carriage ( 42 ), preferably constructed of 10/20 steel hardened to Rockwell 55. The carriage ( 42 ), of course, may be constructed of any suitable material known in the art. As shown in FIG. 3 , the carriage ( 42 ) includes a front plate ( 44 ), a bottom plate pair ( 46 ) and a back strap ( 48 ). Provided on the bottom plate pair ( 46 ) are a plurality of holes and a slot ( 50 ). The slot ( 50 ) is preferably cut at a forty-five degree angle, with parallel walls ( 52 ) opening to a circular recess ( 54 ), having a diameter greater than the distance between the walls ( 52 ). As shown in FIG. 2 , provided through the circular recess ( 54 ) is a flat-sided pin ( 56 ) which has a diameter across a first dimension only slightly smaller than the diameter of the circular recess ( 54 ), and a distance across a transverse direction only slightly smaller than the distance between the walls ( 52 ) of the slot ( 50 ). Preferably, this narrower distance is maintained across the entire dimension of the flat-sided pin ( 56 ), allowing the carriage assembly ( 48 ) to be removed from the frame ( 12 ) when the carriage assembly ( 18 ) is rotated a predetermined angle relative to the frame ( 12 ). The flat-sided pin ( 56 ) is secured to the frame ( 12 ) in such a manner that the carriage assembly ( 18 ) must be rotated in excess of forty-five degrees before the flat-sided pin ( 56 ) is in proper alignment with the walls ( 52 ) of the slot ( 50 ) to allow the carriage assembly ( 18 ) to be removed from the frame. The flat-sided pin ( 56 ) is frictionally engaged with the frame ( 12 ) to prevent rotation of the flat-sided pin ( 56 ) relative to the frame ( 12 ). Rotation of the flat sided pin ( 56 ) would prevent the desired removal of the carriage assembly ( 18 ) from the frame ( 12 ) upon rotation to the predetermined angle.
[0038] The bottom plate pair ( 46 ) is provided with a pair of receiving holes ( 58 ). As the bottom plate pair ( 46 ) is also provided with a first sidewall ( 60 ) and a second sidewall ( 62 ), one of the receiving holes ( 58 ) is provided in each one of the sidewalls ( 60 ) and ( 62 ) in a manner so as to receive a pin ( 64 ). The pin ( 64 ) is provided with a diameter only slightly smaller than that of the receiving holes ( 58 ) to provide a frictional fit therein, and to prevent rotation of the pin ( 64 ) relative to the sidewalls ( 60 ) and ( 62 ) of the bottom plate pair ( 46 ) of the carriage ( 42 ).
[0039] As shown in FIG. 2 , the firearm ( 10 ) is provided with a hammer ( 66 ), preferably constructed of 10/18 steel hardened to Rockwell 55. The hammer ( 66 ) is provided with a shaft ( 68 ), a head ( 70 ) and a tail ( 72 ). Provided on the shaft ( 68 ) is a bore ( 74 ), sized slightly larger than the diameter of the pin ( 64 ). The diameter of the bore ( 74 ) is slightly larger than the diameter of the receiving holes ( 58 ) to allow pivotal movement of the hammer ( 66 ) around the pin ( 64 ) without rotating the pin ( 64 ) relative to the receiving holes ( 58 ). Integrally formed into the tail ( 72 ) of the hammer ( 66 ) is a nib ( 76 ). As shown in FIG. 2 , the nib ( 76 ) is preferably constructed of a length, dimension and orientation so that as the hammer ( 66 ) is cocked, the nib ( 76 ) protrudes into the finger area ( 78 ), defined by the trigger guard ( 20 ), and retracts from the finger area ( 78 ) when the hammer ( 66 ) is no longer cocked. The tail ( 72 ) is provided with an outward catch ( 80 ) and an inward catch ( 82 ). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the back strap ( 48 ) of the carriage ( 42 ) is provided with a slot ( 84 ) through which the outward catch ( 80 ) of the hammer ( 66 ) protrudes.
[0040] As shown in FIG. 2 , the head ( 70 ) of the hammer ( 66 ) is provided with a firing pin ( 86 ), such as those known in the art, retained on the hammer ( 66 ) by a pin ( 88 ), which engages a scallop ( 90 ), provided on the firing pin ( 86 ). The length of the firing pin ( 86 ) is preferably sufficient to detonate, but insufficient to puncture, a primer.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 4 , the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ) includes the trigger guard ( 20 ), a base plate ( 100 ) and a pair of side plates ( 102 ) and ( 104 ). The base plate ( 100 ) is preferably provided with two holes ( 106 ) and ( 108 ) to accommodate the trigger ( 22 ) and nib ( 76 ) of the hammer ( 66 ) respectively. Similarly, the side plates ( 102 ) and ( 104 ) are provided with a plurality of hole pairs ( 112 ), ( 114 ), ( 116 ) and ( 120 ). The side plates ( 102 ) and ( 104 ) are provided with risers ( 122 ) and ( 124 ) integrally formed therewith. The risers ( 122 ) and ( 124 ) are also provided with a hole pair ( 126 ). As shown in FIG. 4 , the trigger guard assembly is provided with a front face ( 130 ) and a stop ( 132 ) which coact to form a slot ( 134 ) to accommodate the slotted pin ( 56 ). ( FIGS. 2-4 ).
[0042] The slot ( 134 ) comprises a pair of walls ( 136 ) and a circular recess ( 138 ) similar in dimension to the walls ( 52 ) and circular recess ( 54 ) described above in association with the carriage ( 42 ). As shown in FIG. 2 , the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ) is positioned within the carriage ( 42 ) and pinned in place by the various pin placements described above and below. A double torsion spring ( 140 ) is provided around the flat sided pin ( 56 ) biased between the back ( 142 ) of the hammer ( 66 ) and the base plate ( 100 ) of the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ).
[0043] As shown in FIG. 2 , the trigger ( 22 ) is provided with a hole ( 146 ) to receive a pin ( 148 ), which also passes through the hole pair ( 150 ) in the carriage ( 42 ) and the hole pair ( 116 ) in the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ). ( FIGS. 2-4 ). The trigger ( 22 ) is also provided with a sear engagement head ( 152 ) and a safety tail ( 154 ), including two safety fingers ( 156 ) and ( 158 ). ( FIGS. 2 and 5 ). As shown in FIG. 5 , a safety pin ( 160 ) is provided through the hole pair ( 114 ) in the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ). The safety pin ( 160 ) is provided with a pair of rings ( 162 ) and ( 164 ), welded or otherwise secured to the safety pin ( 160 ). The safety pin ( 160 ) is provided with a plurality of spring loaded balls ( 166 ), motivated by springs ( 168 ), provided in recesses ( 170 ) in the safety pin ( 160 ). As shown in FIG. 5 , the balls ( 166 ) ride in detents ( 172 ) provided in the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ). The system is preferably designed to allow the safety pin ( 160 ) to be shifted from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. 6 , with the mechanism engaging the safety pin ( 160 ) in the desired orientation until specifically moved therefrom.
[0044] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , when the safety pin ( 160 ) is in the position shown in FIG. 5 , the rings ( 162 ) and ( 164 ) prevent the fingers ( 156 ) and ( 158 ) of the trigger ( 22 ) from rotating past the safety pin ( 160 ), thereby preventing rotation of the trigger ( 22 ) itself. However, when the safety pin ( 160 ) is moved into the position designated in FIG. 6 , the rings ( 162 ) and ( 164 ) are moved out of the way, thereby allowing the fingers ( 156 ) and ( 158 ) to pass, and the trigger ( 22 ) to rotate. Of course, any desired safety mechanism known in the art may be utilized to prevent actuation of the trigger.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 7 , a rear carriage catch ( 174 ) is provided with a tab ( 176 ), a body ( 178 ) having a keeper ( 180 ), a head ( 182 ), a beak ( 184 ) and a hole ( 186 ). Provided through the hole ( 186 ) is a pin ( 188 ), secured through the hole ( 186 ) to the frame ( 12 ). ( FIGS. 2 and 7 ). Provided around the pin ( 188 ) is a double a torsion spring ( 192 ) biased between the body ( 178 ) of the rear carriage catch ( 174 ) and the frame ( 12 ). As shown in FIG. 7 , the double torsion spring ( 192 ) extends around the pin ( 188 ) and around the body ( 178 ), back around the pin ( 88 ) and back to the frame ( 12 ), in a manner which motivates the rear carriage catch ( 174 ) in a counter-clockwise direction. Alternatively, any desired resilient motivation or securement may be utilized to maintain the rear carriage catch ( 174 ) in a closed position.
[0046] As shown in FIG. 2 , a hammer catch ( 194 ) is provided with a wide body ( 196 ), having a center slot ( 198 ). The slot ( 198 ) is provided around a pair of pins ( 200 ) and ( 202 ) having a diameter only slightly less than the height of the slot ( 198 ). The pins ( 200 ) and ( 202 ) are preferably secured to the frame ( 12 ) to allow the hammer catch ( 194 ) to slide forward and reverse, along a substantially even plane. Depending from the body ( 196 ) is a catch block ( 204 ). Extending forward from the body ( 196 ) is an integrally formed tapered nose ( 206 ), which is preferably narrow enough to extend between the slot ( 84 ) provided in the carriage ( 42 ). ( FIGS. 2-3 ). The hammer catch ( 194 ) is preferably motivated into a forward orientation by a spring ( 208 ) coupled between a tail ( 210 ) of the hammer catch ( 194 ) and the rear pin ( 200 ). Of course, any suitable motivation mechanism may be utilized.
[0047] As shown in FIG. 2 , a release lever ( 212 ) is pivotally secured to the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ) by a pin ( 214 ) secured within the hole pair ( 112 ). The release lever ( 212 ) is preferably motivated in a clockwise direction by a torsion spring ( 216 ) secured between the release lever ( 212 ) and the frame ( 12 ) around the pin ( 214 ). A stop ( 218 ) is preferably welded or otherwise secured to the frame ( 12 ) to prevent over rotation when the release lever ( 212 ) is actuated. Pivotally secured to the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ) by a pin ( 220 ) secured through the hole pair ( 126 ) is a sear ( 222 ). The sear is preferably motivated in a clockwise rotation by a compression spring ( 110 ) secured within recesses provided within the sear ( 222 ) and the sear engagement head ( 152 ) of the trigger ( 22 ).
[0048] Provided near the top of the carriage assembly ( 18 ) is a primer pocket ( 224 ), provided with two hole pairs ( 226 ) and ( 228 ). ( FIG. 3 ) A hole ( 230 ) is also provided in the rear of the primer pocket ( 224 ). As shown in FIG. 8 , provided within the primer pocket ( 224 ) is a retractable face ( 232 ). As shown in FIG. 9 , the retractable face is preferably a hollow, open-bottomed spool having a barrel ( 234 ), a front flange ( 236 ) and a rear flange ( 238 ). As shown in FIG. 8 , the rear flange ( 238 ) does not obstruct entry into the interior ( 240 ) of the barrel ( 234 ), while the front flange ( 236 ) covers the barrel ( 234 ) except for a small hole ( 242 ), having a diameter twice the widest diameter of the firing pin ( 86 ). While the retractable face ( 232 ) may be constructed of any suitable material, in the preferred embodiment it is constructed of stainless steel, and is preferably covered with Teflon® or similar low friction material to allow the retractable face ( 232 ) to move back and forth within the primer pocket ( 224 ). As shown in FIG. 8 , the retractable face ( 232 ) is biased toward a forward orientation by a compression spring ( 244 ), which contacts the rear flange ( 238 ). A pair of pins ( 246 ) and ( 248 ) extend through the hole pairs ( 226 ) and ( 228 ) in the primer pocket ( 224 ). By engaging the front of the rear flange ( 238 ), the pins ( 246 ) and ( 248 ) maintain the retractable face ( 232 ) within the primer pocket ( 224 ).
[0049] As shown in FIG. 8 , in the preferred embodiment, an ignition system ( 250 ) comprising a plastic jacket ( 242 ) and a primer ( 254 ) is provided. While any ignition system of suitable dimensions may be used, in the preferred embodiment, a full plastic jacket such as that sold by Knight Rifles of Centerville, Iowa is utilized in association with a 209 Primer, such as that known in the art for use in association with muzzleloaders. As shown in FIG. 8 , the primer ( 254 ) is inserted into the jacket ( 252 ). The ignition system ( 250 ) is provided in front of the retractable face 232 ) in a manner described in more detail below. As shown in FIG. 8 , when the ignition system ( 250 ) rests in front of the retractable face ( 232 ), the spring ( 244 ) motivates the retractable face ( 232 ) into a forward position, maintaining the primer ( 254 ) out of reach of the firing pin ( 86 ). The firing pin ( 86 ) remains out of reach until the carriage ( 42 ) and primer pocket ( 224 ) are rotated into battery, where the sleeve ( 256 ) encircles the nipple ( 258 ) of the breech plug ( 260 ). As the carriage ( 42 ) rotates, the nipple ( 258 ) motivates the sleeve ( 256 ) outward, placing the bore ( 262 ) in airtight communication with the bore ( 264 ) of the breech plug ( 260 ). The breech plug ( 260 ) may also be provided with a lip ( 266 ) to prevent the escape of gasses during ignition. As the carriage ( 42 ) rotates, the breech plug ( 260 ) prevents the sleeve ( 256 ) of the jacket ( 252 ) from moving forward with the carriage ( 42 ). The carriage ( 42 ) continues to rotate, compressing the spring ( 244 ) until the ignition system ( 250 ) is to a point where upon release of the hammer ( 66 ), the firing pin ( 86 ) is capable of engaging and igniting the primer ( 254 ). ( FIGS. 2 and 10 ).
[0050] A forward carriage release ( 268 ) is shown in FIG. 2 , pivotably coupled to the frame ( 12 ) by a pin ( 270 ). As shown in FIG. 11 , the forward carriage release ( 268 ) includes a bottom plate ( 272 ) provided with a finger recess ( 274 ). The forward carriage release ( 268 ) is also provided with an upwardly extending neck ( 276 ), curving laterally toward a catch plate ( 278 ). The forward carriage release ( 268 ) is resiliently motivated into a counter-clockwise rotation by a compression spring ( 280 ), secured within recesses provided within the catch plate ( 278 ) and the frame ( 12 ). ( FIGS. 2 and 11 ). As shown in FIG. 2 , the frame ( 12 ) is provided with a recess ( 282 ), formed by an overhang ( 284 ). The overhang ( 284 ) prevents the forward carriage release ( 268 ) from over rotating. Although the catch plate ( 278 ) of the forward carriage release ( 268 ) may be of any suitable design or configuration, it is preferably designed to engage the stop ( 132 ) of the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ) to prevent over rotation of the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ).
[0051] When it is desired to utilize the firearm ( 10 ) of the present invention, the tab ( 176 ) of the rear carriage catch ( 174 ) is moved rearward sufficiently to allow the keeper ( 180 ) to clear the lip ( 286 ) of the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ). ( FIG. 2 ). The trigger guard ( 20 ) is then utilized to rotate the carriage assembly ( 18 ) in a counter-clockwise rotation around the flat sided pin ( 56 ). As the carriage assembly ( 18 ) rotates, the primer pocket ( 224 ) motivates the hammer ( 66 ) in a counter-clockwise rotation. As the carriage assembly ( 18 ) rotates, the outward catch ( 80 ) of the hammer ( 66 ) contacts the sloped nose ( 206 ) of the hammer catch ( 194 ). The sloped nose ( 206 ) biases the hammer catch ( 194 ) rearward against the tension of the spring ( 208 ) until the outward catch ( 80 ) passes the nose ( 206 ), and allows the spring ( 208 ) to again motivate the hammer catch ( 194 ) forward. As shown in FIG. 12 , the nose ( 206 ) of the hammer catch ( 194 ) is shaped with a flat bottom to prevent the outward catch ( 80 ) from passing by the hammer catch ( 194 ) in a clockwise motion until the hammer catch ( 194 ) is motivated rearward.
[0052] If it is desired to remove the entire carriage assembly ( 18 ) for cleaning, inspection or repair, a finger of a user (not shown) may be placed into the recess ( 282 ) to engage the finger recess ( 274 ) of the forward carriage release ( 268 ). Using the trigger guard ( 20 ) as a handle, the forward carriage release ( 268 ) is rotated clock-wise against the compression spring ( 280 ) until the catch plate ( 278 ) is retracted sufficiently so as to allow the stop ( 132 ) of the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ) to pass. To release the carriage assembly ( 18 ) the carriage assembly ( 18 ) must be rotated enough to align the flat sided pin ( 56 ) with the walls ( 52 ), to allow the flat sided pin ( 56 ) to move through the slot ( 50 ) and allow the carriage assembly ( 18 ) to disengage from the rest of the firearm ( 10 ). ( FIG. 13 ). Although the flat sided pin ( 56 ) and slot ( 50 ) may be constructed of any suitable design or orientation, in the preferred embodiment, the flat sided pin ( 56 ) and slot ( 50 ) are oriented so that the flat sided pin ( 56 ) can slide through the slot ( 50 ) when the carriage assembly is oriented at an angle greater than thirty degrees, more preferably greater than forty degrees, and most preferably, forty-five degrees. Whatever angle for release is selected, it is important that the forward carriage release ( 268 ) and stop ( 132 ) be constructed in a manner such that the carriage assembly ( 18 ) cannot be released from the remainder of the firearm ( 10 ) unless the forward carriage release ( 268 ) has been manually rotated in a clockwise manner.
[0053] After the carriage assembly ( 18 ) has been inspected, cleaned and/or repaired, the carriage assembly ( 18 ) is moved into the frame ( 12 ) with the flat sided pin ( 56 ) provided through the slot ( 50 ), until the flat sided pin ( 56 ) reaches the circular recess ( 54 ). The forward carriage release ( 268 ) may then be manually rotated in a clockwise manner sufficiently to allow the stop ( 132 ) to clear the catch plate ( 278 ) as the carriage assembly ( 18 ) is rotated in a clockwise manner. Once the stop ( 132 ) has cleared the catch plate ( 278 ), the forward carriage release ( 268 ) may be released.
[0054] If it is desired to fire the firearm ( 10 ) the carriage assembly ( 18 ) is rotated as described above sufficiently to allow the carriage assembly ( 18 ) to clear the upper aperture ( 14 ) in the frame ( 12 ). The ignition system ( 250 ) is then inserted into the primer pocket ( 224 ) until it rests in an orientation such as that shown in FIGS. 8, 14 and 15 . Once the ignition system ( 250 ) has been so positioned, the carriage assembly ( 18 ) is rotated clockwise until the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ) contacts the rear carriage catch ( 174 ). ( FIG. 16 ). The angle of both the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ) and the rear carriage catch ( 174 ) allow the rotation of the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ) to push the rear carriage catch ( 174 ) against the torsion of the torsion spring ( 192 ). Contact of the beak ( 184 ) with the hammer catch ( 194 ) prevents the rear carriage catch ( 174 ) from over rotating through either manual motivation or motivation by the trigger guard assembly ( 96 ). As the carriage assembly ( 18 ) rotates, the nose ( 206 ) of the hammer catch ( 194 ) engages the outward catch ( 80 ) of the hammer ( 66 ), while the sear ( 222 ) engages the inward catch ( 82 ), thereby preventing the hammer ( 66 ) from rotating with the carriage assembly ( 18 ).
[0055] As the carriage assembly ( 18 ) moves into battery, the release lever ( 212 ) engages the catch block ( 204 ) of the hammer catch ( 194 ), motivating the hammer catch ( 194 ) rearward against the motivation against the spring ( 208 ) and out of contact with the outward catch ( 880 ) of the hammer ( 66 ). Accordingly, once the carriage assembly ( 18 ) has been moved into battery as shown in FIG. 16 , the release lever ( 212 ) has completely motivated the hammer catch ( 194 ) out of engagement with the outward catch ( 80 ) of the hammer ( 66 ). Thereafter, only the sear ( 222 ) prevents the hammer ( 66 ) from moving rapidly clockwise in response to the motivation of the double torsion spring ( 140 ).
[0056] Once the carriage assembly ( 18 ) has been moved into battery, the lip ( 286 ) is received by the keeper ( 180 ) of the rear carriage catch ( 174 ), thereby locking the carriage assembly ( 18 ) into battery. As shown in FIG. 17 , when the hammer is cocked, the nib ( 76 ) extends into the finger area ( 78 ), allowing a user to immediately determine by feel whether the hammer is cocked. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 17 , when the carriage release ( 18 ) is in battery, the breech plug ( 260 ) positions the ignition system ( 250 ) and retractable face ( 232 ) into positions which allow the primer ( 254 ) to come in contact with the firing pin ( 86 ) as the hammer ( 66 ) is thrown.
[0057] When it is desired to fire the firearm ( 10 ), the safety pin ( 160 ) is moved from the position shown in FIG. 5 to the position shown in FIG. 6 to allow the trigger ( 22 ) to rotate. Once the safety pin ( 160 ) has been released, the trigger ( 22 ) may be rotated. The trigger ( 22 ) is rotated sufficiently to cause the sear engagement head ( 152 ) to engage the sear ( 222 ) to move the sear ( 222 ) out of engagement with the inward catch ( 82 ) of the hammer ( 66 ). This action allows the double torsion spring ( 140 ) to motivate the hammer ( 66 ) and firing pin ( 86 ) clockwise. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 18 , as the hammer ( 66 ) rotates, the firing pin ( 86 ) enters the primer pocket ( 224 ) through the hole ( 242 ), and into contact with the primer ( 254 ). Contact with the primer ( 254 ) ignites a plasma charge which travels through the bore ( 262 ) of the jacket ( 252 ), and through the bore ( 262 ) of the breech plug ( 260 ) to ignite a powder or similar charge (not shown) located within the barrel ( 28 ) to propel a projectile (not shown). The frame ( 12 ) acts as a shield to direct smoke and shrapnel downward. As shown in FIG. 18 , once the firearm ( 10 ) has been fired, the nib ( 76 ) no longer extends into the finger area ( 78 ) of the trigger guard ( 20 ), thereby allowing a user to readily determine that the hammer ( 66 ) is not cocked. The firearm ( 10 ) may then be reloaded, cleaned or stored.
[0058] As noted above, an important feature of the present invention is the coverage of the aperture ( 14 ) by the back strap ( 48 ) of the carriage ( 42 ) during firing. This coverage directs smoke, debris and concussion away from a user's face and out of the sight line of the firearm ( 10 ). When it is desired to rearm the weapon, the foregoing process is repeated, with the spent ignition system ( 250 ) being removed through the aperture ( 14 ) and replaced with a new ignition system ( 250 ).
[0059] Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it to be also understood that is not to be so limited, since changes and modifications can be made therein which are within the full, intended scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, although all assemblies described herein are preferably constructed within a 90% variance, and more preferably within a 25% variance from the dimensions listed above, they may be constructed of any suitable size or materials.
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An improved muzzleloading firearm having a novel safety system. The safety system utilizes a spool coupled to a compression spring to maintain an ignition system such as a primer out of potential contact with a firing pin, even in the event of unintentional actuation of a hammer or sear. The safety system is automatic in operation, automatically placing the ignition system within reach of the firing pin when the firearm is placed into battery.
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CROSS REFERENCES TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation of Ser. No. 07/946,539 filed on Sep. 16, 1992, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is for a baler, and more particularly, pertains to a baler for expanded polystyrene, also known as foam polystyrene or foam. The continuous compacted expanded polystyrene of the baler can be cut into a length which is manageable in terms of weight, such as that proscribed by OSHA, and can be cut into predetermined lengths by an ordinary person.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior Art balers have not been practical for baling expanded polystyrene because the ram did not have sufficient penetration into the baling or compression chamber, and therefore, could not compress the material sufficiently into a mass. Therefore, high-volume and low-mass materials generally have been very difficult to bale because of the lack of suitable ram penetrating forces in the baling chamber. Bales of high volume-low mass material made with prior art balers were unstable and tended to come apart even with any handling.
Expanded polystyrene is a material of particular concern to environmentalists, as the material is of high volume and low mass, and is taking up considerable space in landfills. Polystyrene is used to package a wide assortment of products, such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, other household appliances, TVs, audiovisual equipment, model trains, and just about any other type of product which is shipped in a box. The expanded polystyrene packaging can range from peanuts, spaghetti, small blocks measured in inches, to large shapes measured in feet. Expanded polystyrene also comes in what is referred to as peanuts, spaghetti or denoted with other cute names, and is used as packing material to protect goods in packages or boxes against damage in transit.
The wide diversity of sizes and shapes of polystyrene complicates the baling problem. Of course, it would be possible to sort polystyrene waste according to size and density, but this adds expense and complicates the recycling process.
The subsequent disposal of polystyrene is of very serious concern to the environmentalists, who in the past have had no real recourse but to see this type of packing material buried in landfills, wasting landfill space, which is now considered a precious, non-renewable natural resource.
One particular concern of baling polystyrene was to achieve a bale weight of high density for transportation and recycling. The higher density bales formed by the present invention have a 12"×12" profile and can be appropriately cut to keep the bale weight within a 40 pound maximum as required by OSHA, or to a desired length for palleting.
Expanded polystyrene, in the past, was not able to be recycled. It is only recently that it has been possible to recycle polystyrene. Now there has been a need created to effectively bale expanded polystyrene on a cost-efficient basis so that the economies were appropriate for handling of baled polystyrene, especially by truck. Achieving the appropriate bale density for cost-efficient handling and transportation is not only important, but is being demanded by the recycling industry, as well as the transportation industry for cost efficient transportation.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a high density baling system for expanded polystyrene packing material, where the bales of the polystyrene are formed into convenient size which can be recycled which saves, protects and preserves the environment, and especially for transportation to a recycler.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The general purpose of the present invention is a polystyrene baler for baling expanded polystyrene material, and having a ram in cooperation with ever narrowing walls in the degasification and densification chamber to provide for continuous baling of the material.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a baler with a conveyor for elevating materials to a hopper. The conveyor conveys material from a ground position up to a point at an opening in the top of the baler above a charging box. The conveyor has a chopper at the lower end, closest to the floor and away from the baler, to chop pieces of expanded polystyrene into smaller pieces suitable for baling. The baler includes a ram having sufficient penetrating forces with a ram face pressure to fully compress material against a chamber or a chamber with ever narrowing chamber allowing for escape of gases.
One significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a baler having a chamber which can reduce in cross section size along its length to provide for continuous degasification and densification in baling of a material. The baler bales material for subsequent recycling in an ecological manner while conserving energies and resources.
Another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a baler which can simultaneously compresses along its length and across its cross section to obtain a more densely packed continuous bale which can be separated or later cut into predetermined sizes.
Still another significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a baler which produces a continuous cross section in a continuous length bale, by way of example and for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as limiting of the present invention, can be broken or cut to an appropriate length or weight as desired or predetermined. The cross section can range from 8" to 16", and in one example is 14" high by 13-12" wide.
An additional significant aspect and feature of the present invention includes a baler for baling of expanded polystyrene packing material, which may vary from packing peanuts to large physical pieces which are used to pack appliances, such as washers, dryers, or refrigerators.
Still an additional significant aspect and feature of the present invention is a baler which chops large-sized material of loose density, such as high-volume and low-density polystyrene into smaller pieces. The polystyrene chopper includes powerful rotary fingers or teeth which chops and sizes incoming expanded polystyrene material to enhance baling efficiency and provides a dimension of the expanded polystyrene material. The chopper can be positioned wherever desired, such as above an air system or adjacent a conveyor such as a lower portion of a conveyor.
Other significant aspects and features of the present invention is a baler for polystyrene or other low-density, high-volume materials which obtains a preferred bale weight or dimension for various types of materials. Other types of material could include copper wire, aluminum scraps or shavings. The baler includes the ability to bale expanded polystyrene and obtain one preferred OSHA manageable bale weight in the range of 40 pounds. The chopper includes the ability to chop polystyrene or low-density materials to be baled at a convenient location prior to feeding these materials into the baler. By way of example and for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as limiting of the present invention, in one environment, a chopper mechanism is provided at a lower end of the conveyor prior to conveying the chopped materials, such as the polystyrene materials, upwardly into an upper open area of the baler.
Having thus described the embodiments of the present invention, it is a principal object hereof to provide a baler for baling expanded polystyrene or other materials to degas and densify a bale square, log or cube.
One object of the present invention is to provide a baler with a chopper to chop the expanded polystyrene or other loose-density material prior to baling.
Another object of the present invention is a baler specially designed to uniformly degas and densify, and bale expanded polystyrene materials in a high production environment. The high pressure hydraulic system delivers powerful compaction force, enough to compress and breakdown the expanded polystyrene foam material past the material's form memory. The ram travels to deliver material compaction forcing material towards and into the compression chamber to be ever further compacted into a continuous stream of material in the degassing and densification chamber, which can be either constant in cross section, or preferably, narrowing in cross section to further enhance degasification and densification of the baled material.
An additional object of the present invention is a polystyrene densifier baler to bale polystyrene material for easy handling subsequent to recycling.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other objects of the present invention and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a polystyrene densifier baler, the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the polystyrene densifier baler;
FIG. 3 illustrates an end view of the polystyrene densifier baler;
FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the bale chamber;
FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the bale chamber;
FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the bale chamber;
FIG. 7 illustrates a top view of the bale chamber;
FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 8--8 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 9--9 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 10--10 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 11--11 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 12--12 of FIG. 6;
FIG. 13 illustrates a hydraulic schematic and reference chart for the hydraulic schematic;
FIG. 14 illustrates an electrical schematic diagram for the polystyrene densifier baler;
FIG. 15 illustrates the alignment of FIGS. 16A, 16B and 16C;
FIGS. 16A, 16B and 16C illustrate control circuitry for the polystyrene densifier baler;
FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate a flow chart for the operation of the polystyrene baler; and,
FIG. 18, a first alternative embodiment, illustrates a front view of a bale chamber;
FIG. 19 illustrates a top view of FIG. 18;
FIG. 20 illustrates an end view of FIG. 18;
FIG. 21 illustrates a hydraulic schematic and reference chart for the hydraulic schematic;
FIG. 22 illustrates the alignment of FIGS. 23A-23B;
PIG. 23A-23B illustrate an electrical schematic diagram for FIG. 18;
FIG. 24 illustrates an electrical schematic diagram for the polystyrene baler;
FIG. 25A and 25B illustrate a flow chart for the operation of the polystyrene baler; and,
FIG. 26 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the degasification and densification chamber with grooves and ridges for stacking of baled material.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of an expanded polystyrene degasification and densification baler 10, the present invention, including a charge chamber 12, a hydraulic power unit 14, a ram enclosure 16, a conveyor 18, a tapered hopper 20, having internal chopper teeth fingers, a hopper 21, and a control stand 22 illustrated in FIG. 2. The baler 10 includes a top 24, a bottom 26 and sides 28 and 30, which adjust inwardly between yoke assemblies 32, 34, 36 and 38 to form a tapered compression area 40 extending between yoke assemblies 38 and to the left of flanges 42 and 44, which connect the bale chamber 12 to the ram enclosure 16. A ram enclosed in the ram enclosure 16 forces polystyrene material loaded from the tapered hopper 20 and conveyor 18, and through a loading opening 46 at the upper region of the hopper 21 into a compression chamber 13 and then towards a degasification and densification chamber 15. Force is applied to compress the polystyrene by two methods. First, force is applied longitudinally by the force of the ram, and secondly, then laterally across the material by the tapered sides 28 and 30 of the bale chamber 12 as the material is forced along the length of the degasification and densification chamber 15, as illustrated by way of example and for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as limiting of the present invention. An access door 48 is also provided for the hopper 21. A plurality of support struts or strengtheners align about the baler top 24, sides 28 and 30 and bottom 26 as later illustrated in more detail.
FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the polystyrene densifier baler 10 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. Illustrated in particular is the alignment of the conveyor 18 with the load area 46 of the charge chamber 12. Motor 50 powers the tapered hopper 20, which includes a polystyrene chopper (not illustrated) for breaking the polystyrene pieces into smaller more manageable sized pieces. A motor 52 powers the conveyor 18. A hydraulic motor 54 and a pump 56 on the hydraulic power unit 14 provides for hydraulic pressure for operation of the ram as illustrated in FIG. 6. A series of upper support struts or strengtheners 58a-58e and 60a-60e align along the top 24 and along, between and adjacent to the yoke assemblies 32-38 and flanges 42 and 44. In the same manner, an opposing set of lower support struts or strengtheners 62a-62e and 64a-64e align along the bottom 26 and are illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5.
FIG. 3 illustrates an end view of the polystyrene densifier baler 10 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. The conveyor 18 includes a conveyor belt 66 aligned between a powered adjustable drive roller assembly 68 and a tail roller assembly 70. One or more optional safety stop lines 72 align along the upper region of the conveyor 18. A plurality of legs 74a-74n provide support for the conveyor 18.
FIGS. 4-7 illustrate views of the baler 10 and ram enclosure 16 from the rearward side of the polystyrene densifier baler 10.
FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the baler 10 and ram enclosure 16 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. The ram cylinder 76 and ram head 78 are shown in dashed lines between side walls 80 and 82 of the ram enclosure 16. The side walls 80 and 82 are constructed of vertically aligned steel channel material, one end of which is secured such as by welding to the flange 44. The sides 28 and 30 are also constructed of vertically aligned steel channel material, one end of which is secured such as by welding to the flange 42 extending along the length of the bale chamber 12 to the end yoke assembly 38. As previously described, the side walls 28 and 30 can adjust inwardly to decrease the bale chamber 12 size along the length of the bale chamber 12 as later described in detail.
FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the baler 10 and the ram enclosure 16. Sides 30 and 28 are constructed of steel channel material and include support struts 84a-84e secured between, along and adjacent to the yoke assemblies 32-38 and flanges 42 and 44 on the side 30. Support struts 86a-86e align in a similar fashion to the opposing side 28 as illustrated in FIG. 1. Struts 84f and 84g align parallel to struts 84a and struts 86f and 86g and align parallel to strut 86a.
FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the baler 10 and ram enclosure 16 along line 6--6 of FIG. 4. The ram cylinder 76 secures to one end of the ram enclosure 16 by a bracket 88 and pin 90. A ramped member 92 secures to one end of the bale chamber 12 and on the other end secures to the bottom 26 of the ram enclosure 16. The bottom 26 extends below the load area 46 and along the length of the bale chamber 12.
FIG. 7, a top view of the bale chamber 12, illustrates the moveable sides 28 and 30 forming an ever narrowing bale chamber 12 i.e., a cross sectional area of the chamber 12 decreases along its length, where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. Opposing side adjuster assemblies 94, such as those illustrated in FIG. 8, adjust the sides 28 and 30 inwardly and laterally across the bale chamber 12 to a position illustrated by dashed lines 28a and 30a. Yoke assemblies 34, 36 and 38 each include opposing adjuster assemblies 94.
FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 8--8 of FIG. 6 illustrating side adjuster assemblies 94 and the yoke assembly 38 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. Yoke assembly 38 includes horizontal channel members 38b and 38d and vertical channel members 38a and 38c aligned between the horizontal channel members 38b and 38d as illustrated. Other yoke members are constructed in a similar fashion. One side adjuster assembly 94, similar to others distributed along and about other yoke assemblies, is now described in relationship to the vertical side member 28. A plate 96 secures, such as by welding, across the channel member comprising the side 28 and the support strut 84e. Another plate 98 secures on the channel member 38a of the yoke assembly 38 and has a plurality of threaded holes 100a-100n which accommodate bolts 102a-102n. Bolts 102a-102n have nuts 104a-104n fixedly secured at their ends to act as bearing surfaces against the plate 96 secured vertically across the channel member comprising the side 28 and the support strut 84e.
FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 9--9 of FIG. 6 showing the relationship of the adjustable sides 28 and 30 to the top and bottom members 24 and 26. It is noted that the top and bottom members 24 and 26 remain stationary, and the sides 28 and 30 are adjusted inwardly as described in FIG. 8. As polystyrene is forced down the chamber 15, gases and air from the compressed materials are allowed to escape between the open corners of the chamber 15, which are fit with an air gap for the purpose of letting the gases escape. The longer the length of travel in this chamber, there is more opportunity to degas and densify the resulting log of compressed material which exits at the end of chamber 15. These fit corners are formed by the intersections of the sides 28 and 30 with the top and bottom members 24 and 26.
FIG. 10 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 10--10 of FIG. 6 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. The flange 42 is a common anchor and support point for the top 24, bottom 26 and the opposing sides 28 and 30.
FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 11--11 of FIG. 6 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. Illustrated in particular is the ram face plate 78 aligned between the side walls 106 and 108 of the ram enclosure 16. The ram face plate 78 includes a front 110, a bottom side plate 112, side plates 114 and 116, a planar top member 118 and a connecting flange 120. Guide bars 122 and 124 align at the upper and inner surfaces of the side walls 106 and 108, respectively, to guide the top member 118 of the ram head 78.
FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view along line 12--12 of FIG. 6 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. Additional guide bar members 126 and 128 align beneath the lower surface of the planar top member 118 to offer additional support for the planar top member 118 which extends along the length of the ram cylinder 76.
FIG. 13 illustrates a hydraulic schematic and reference chart for the hydraulic circuit for the polystyrene densifier baler 10 for controlling hydraulic functions.
FIG. 14 illustrates an electrical schematic diagram for control circuitry for the polystyrene densifier baler 10.
FIG. 15 illustrates the alignment of FIGS. 16A, 16B and 16C.
FIGS. 16A, 16B, and 16C illustrate an electrical schematic diagram for control circuitry for the polystyrene densifier baler 10.
FIGS. 17A and 17B illustrate a flow chart for the operation of the polystyrene densifier baler.
MODE OF OPERATION
FIGS. 2 and 6 illustrate one mode of operation of the expanded polystyrene degasification and densification baler 10. Expanded polystyrene material is fed into the tapered hopper 20 where powerful internal chopping fingers break up and down size larger material into smaller more manageable sized pieces. The conveyor 18 carries the down sized material to the hopper 21 where the material is loaded into the charge chamber 12 for subsequent compaction to force the air or gas content from the particles of the chopped polystyrene material and breakdown the memory of the expanded polystyrene material by reducing the size through compression.
Initial charging of the chamber 15 may require that cardboard or like material of the appropriate compression quality be compressed first to form a plug in the chamber 15 so that initial compaction of polystyrene material can commence. Material is loaded into the charge chamber 12 and compressed by movement of the ram face plate 78 by the ram cylinder 76 into the charge chamber 12, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6. Material is advanced along the interior of the chamber 15 by action of the ram face plate 78.
Compaction takes place firstly by action of the ram head 78 along the length of the chambers. Secondly, compaction occurs across the chamber 15 as the walls 28 and 30 continually taper to a lesser dimension along the length of the bale chamber 12. Air and gases which are forced from the polystyrene material exit from the air gaps of the junction of the corners formed by the top and bottom with the sides. Continuous compacted polystyrene material exits the chamber 15 at the yoke assembly 38 where the material can be broken or cut into desired length bales or desired weight bales.
DESCRIPTION OF A FIRST ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT
FIG. 18, a first alternative embodiment, illustrates a front view of a polystyrene baler 200 similar to that of the polystyrene baler 10 with the addition of hydraulic tension cylinders which are incorporated to adjust the side members of the bale chamber inwardly and outwardly as later described in detail. The baler 200 includes a charge chamber 201, a hydraulic power unit 203, a ram enclosure 205, a conveyor 207, a hopper 209, having internal chopper teeth fingers, and a hopper 213 mounted over the ram enclosure 205. The charge chamber 201 includes a top 202, a bottom 204, sides 206 and 208, a ram face plate 211, upper and lower parallel support struts 210a-210e, and 212a-212e and other struts over, about and along the sides and bottom, which are similar to those described for the baler of the previous FIGS. 1-17. A yoke assembly 214, including an optional side adjuster assembly 216, encompasses the output end of the polystyrene baler 200. Yoke assemblies 218 and 220, having hydraulic cylinders 222, 224, 226 and 228, surround and are spaced about the baler 200. A yoke assembly 230 is located inboard of the yoke assembly 220 as illustrated. The hydraulic tensioning cylinders 222 and 226 act to move the side 206 inwardly as illustrated by inwardly depressed side section 206a in dashed lines of FIG. 19. Similarly side 208 is hydraulically actuated inwardly by hydraulic actuator sets 224 and 228 to depress the side 208 inwardly such as shown by position 208a shown in dashed lines. The hydraulic cylinders 222-228 are actuated to apply sideways pressure upon the polystyrene in the charge chamber 201 of the polystyrene baler 200 to offer additional aid in destroying the memory of the polystyrene and to assist in forcing the gaseous material from the bale. The hydraulic actuators 222-228 can also hold the bale material in place in the polystyrene baler 200 when the ram face plate 211 is retracted so that more polystyrene material can be added for chamber compression. This maneuver maintains bale compression forces so that ground is not lost during material addition. When polystyrene is again compressed in the polystyrene baler 200 by the ram, the hydraulic tension cylinders are then relaxed slightly to allow for forward movement of the compressed polystyrene within the chamber as previously described.
FIG. 19 illustrates a top view of the baler 200 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. Specifically, the hydraulic tension cylinders 222-228 are illustrated in an engaged position.
FIG. 20 illustrates an end view of the baler 200 where all numerals correspond to those elements previously described. The conveyor 207 includes a conveyor belt 215 aligned between a powered adjustable drive roller assembly 217 and a tail roller assembly 219. One or more optional safety stop lines 221 align along the upper region of the conveyor 207. A plurality of legs 223a-223n provide support for the conveyor 207.
FIG. 21 illustrates the hydraulic schematic and the reference chart for the hydraulic circuit for the polystyrene baler 200 for controlling hydraulic functions. The hydraulic tension cylinders 222-228 are illustrated.
FIG. 22 illustrates the figure alignment of FIGS. 23A-23B.
FIGS. 23A-23B illustrate the electrical schematic diagrams for controlling the electric, electromechanical and hydraulic operations by a logic controller, such as an Allen Bradley small logic controller or programmable logic controller. In the alternative, a relay switching or microprocessor controller could also be used in lieu of a logic controller. The specific logic controller for this example and not to be construed as limiting is an Allen Bradley SLC500.
FIG. 24 illustrates an electrical schematic diagram for the control circuitry for the polystyrene baler 200.
FIGS. 25A and 25B illustrate the flow chart for the operation of the polystyrene baler.
MODE OF OPERATION
The dimension of the cube would be sized for ram face cross section, and the suggested size is by way of example and for purposes of illustration only and not to be construed as limiting of the present invention.
The operation of the expanded polystyrene baler 200 is similar to that of FIGS. 1-17 with the exception of the optional side tensioning cylinders as later described in detail.
One desired cross-sectional size of the expanded polystyrene blocks is 14" wide by 13" high for convenience of palleting the blocks. The cross-sectional size can range from 4" wide by 4" high to 24" wide by 24" high. The desired density ranges from 8-40 pounds per cubic foot. One desired weight is 18 pounds per cubic foot for filling a truck trailer while expanded polystyrene recyclers prefer a density of 28-30 pounds per cubic foot. The length of the densification chamber can be in a range of 5-25 feet. The ram face pressure can be in a range of 150-800 psi, and one operational pressure is 500 psi. A face of the ram which is 14"×13" can also include an approximately centered block of material 232, such as steel, on the ram face plate which is 4"h×4"w×2"d, as illustrated in FIG. 18. Any other suitable geometrical configuration can be utilized to initiate compression of the material, and also causing the gases to travel from the center of the material being compressed outwardly towards the edges. A plurality of holes 234a-234n are located in the structure of the charge chamber 201 for release of gases from the compressed material. This block provides for breaking and compressing of the expanded polystyrene material from the center of the cube outwardly. This action is thermodynamic in nature causing the material to reduce in size while still maintaining substantially the same mass.
The side tensioning cylinders can move in a range of 1/16" to 1", preferably about 1/8", and maintain side tension on the cube or log of compressed expanded polystyrene until a predetermined preset hydraulic system pressure is reached, at which time the tension is released for 1/2-10 seconds, preferably for 1-2 seconds. The tension cylinders are again actuated on rearward movement of the ram. The side tension cylinders provide for maintaining the dimensions of the cube, as well as providing for further compression for degasification and densification. While two pairs of tensioning cylinders are illustrated, one pair of tensioning cylinders is also within the teaching of the present invention, or also especially if the length of the degasification and densification chamber is shorter length. The air gap between the sides and the upper and lower plates provide for release of any gases during compression and along the length of travel in the chamber, gas escape holes can also be provided at point on each side plate to provide for escaping gases. It is noted that at about the end of travel of the ram face plate, considerable heat is generated through thermodynamic action, further adding to the actions of the compression of the expanded polystyrene into a cube, which can also be referred to as a log.
The bales can be easily formed by breaking the bales off at the end of the chamber. In the event that the bales will not easily break, the bales can be broken with a simple wedge, such as that used to split logs. As illustrated in FIG. 18, the bales 310 can exit the chamber on a pallet 312 covered with cardboard, a table or a roller table. The bales can be sized to engage a 42" or 48" pallet and stack as high as desired, such as four or five bales high.
The polybreaker can break the pieces of the expanded polystyrene into suitable sizes, such as 6" or less pieces. One preferred size is 3". A size for system air transport to the charging chamber of the polystyrene baler can be a golf ball to a tennis ball size. The teeth and blades of the polybreaker can be preferably 11/2" to 3" apart so long as the pieces are broken into an appropriate size.
The structure of FIGS. 18-24 can be modified within the scope of the teachings of this invention. For example, rather than two pairs of tension cylinders, a shorter degasification and densification chamber may be provided with only one tension cylinder. The particular sizing and placement of the yokes, such as the yoke near the flange and the yoke near the exit, can either be down sized, or in the alternative, eliminated, depending upon the length of the degasification and densification chamber, the cross section of the chamber, the tapering of the chamber, the number of tension cylinders and the pressure settings for the tension cylinders. Teachings of the present invention an extend from a charged chamber, a compression chamber, which is part of the degasification and densification chamber, and a length of cross section of the chamber with no tapering to the more sophisticated embodiment of that illustrated in FIGS. 18-24.
The baler can also bale other materials, such as polymers (plastic), aluminum cans, aluminum shavings, copper wire, or cardboard boxes. The bales could also be extruded as square logs. Through put of material is based on bale density. It is desirable to degas and densify the bale for approximately one hour of material travel. The bore can be in a range of 4-8".
System pressure is in a range of 500-3000 psi with platen face pressure of 100-1000. The polybreaker desirably would break material in approximately a cube of 1-5", more so closer to 3 inches. Finally, the sides could be provided for oscillating at a desired frequency or more frequently than on every forward ram actuation.
DESCRIPTION OF A SECOND ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT
FIG. 26 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the degasification and densification chamber 300 with grooves 302 and 304 and ridges 306 and 308 in the top and bottom members for forming geometrical indentations and projections into the material for purposes of stacking, such as stacking on a pallet.
Various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the apparent scope hereof.
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Polystyrene baler for extreme compaction of expanded polystyrene or other similar materials where a ram forcibly acts to compress the expanded polystyrene material into a narrowing chamber where the narrowing chamber walls further act to compress the expanded polystyrene material to allow for air or gases trapped in the polystyrene material to escape so that a densely packed polystyrene bale is formed. A continuous bale is formed which can be broken or cut into desired lengths or weights. Vertically aligned walls of the bale chamber can be hydraulically actuated to accommodate the degree of compaction desired.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 702,521, filed Feb. 19, 1985, now abandoned.
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to detergency builder systems useful in detergent compositions.
BACKGROUND ART
The term detergency builder can be applied to any component of a detergent composition which increases the detergent power of a surface active agent, hereinafter surfactant. Generally recognized functions of detergency builders include removal of alkaline earth and other undesirable metal ions from washing solutions by sequestration or precipitation, providing alkalinity and buffer capacity, prevention of floculation, maintenance of ionic strength, protection of anionic surfactants from precipitation and extraction of metals from soils as an aid to their removal. Polyphosphates such as tripolyphosphates and pyrophosphates are widely used as ingredients in detergent compositions and are highly effective detergency builders. However, the effect of phosphorus on eutrophication of lakes and streams has been questioned and the use of phosphates in detergent compositions has been subject to government regulation or prohibition.
These circumstances have developed a need for highly effective and efficient phosphorus-free detergency builders. Many materials and combinations of materials have been used or proposed as detergency builders. Carbonates and silicates are widely used in granular detergent compositions, but by themselves are deficient as detergency builders in a number of respects. Aluminosilicates such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,975, issued June 23, 1981, to Corkill et al., have also been used to replace polyphosphates. Aluminosilicates, however, have relatively low calcium and magnesium binding constants and can present solubility problems, particularly in combination with silicates.
Ether polycarboxylates having one or more units of the structure ##STR1## wherein M is hydrogen, an alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium cation, have been proposed as detergency builder substitutes for polyphosphates. The ether polycarboxylates need not contain phosphorus or nitrogen (also subject to environmental concerns when used in large amounts) and can be more rapidly biodegradable than polymeric polycarboxylates. Ether polycarboxylates are one of the essential components of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,176, issued Dec. 20, 1966, to White, discloses ether chelating compounds having carboxylic acid, phosphoric acid or sulfonic acids groups.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,685, issued Sept. 19, 1972 to Lamberti et al., discloses detergent compositions containing an ether polycarboxylate having the formula: ##STR2## wherein R is H or CH 2 COONa
U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,300, issued Oct. 14, 1980, to Lannert, discloses ether polycarboxylate sequestering agents and detergency builders having the formula ##STR3## wherein M is alkali metal or ammonium, R 1 and R 2 are hydrogen, methyl or ethyl and R 3 is hydrogen, methyl, ethyl or COOM.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,923,679, issued Dec. 2, 1975, and 3,835,163, issued Sept. 10, 1974, both to Rapko, disclose 5-membered ring ether carboxylates. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,158,635, issued June 19, 1979; 4,120,874, issued Oct. 17, 1978, and 4,102,903, issued July 25, 1978, all to Crutchfield et al. disclose 6-membered ring ether carboxylates.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,850, issued Dec. 4, 1973, to Pearson et al., discloses polymers to be used as detergent builders having the formula: ##STR4## wherein R is hydrogen or other specified radicals and n is from 2 to about 40, preferably from 2 to about 6.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,495, issued Mar. 27, 1979, to Crutchfield et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method of preparing polyacetal carboxylate detergency builders containing the structure ##STR5## wherein M is alkali metal, ammonium, tetralkylammonium or alkanolamine and n averages at least 4.
Many, but not necessarily all, ether polycarboxylates, are deficient in calcium binding power relative to inorganic polyphosphates. This is recognized and modifications to detergent compositions have been suggested to overcome this and other deficiencies. The suggestions include an increase in surfactant level and combination with inorganic alkaline materials such as sodium silicate and sodium carbonate.
It has now been found that ether polycarboxylate materials with a calcium binding constant (expressed as log K Ca ) above a specified minimum value can be successfully incorporated in detergent compositions as part of a builder system comprising three types of organic detergency builders. The resultant detergent compositions provide, in a no or low phosphate composition, fabric cleaning in a household laundry context essentially equivalent to that provided by compositions containing from about 25% to about 50% by weight of an alkali metal polyphosphate such as sodium tripolyphosphate. The additional builders are designated iron and manganese chelating agents and polymeric polycarboxylate dispersing agents herein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The detergent compositions of the invention contain as essential ingredients:
(a) from about 2% to about 30% by weight of a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic, ampholytic and cationic surfactants and mixtures thereof,
(b) from about 4% to about 50% by weight of an ether polycarboxylate compound or mixtures thereof having one or more units of the structure ##STR6## wherein M is hydrogen, an alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium and said compound has a log K Ca (35° C., 0.1M ionic strength, pH 9.5) of at least about 3.6,
(c) from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of an iron and manganese chelating agent as hereinafter defined,
(d) from about 0.5% to about 10% by weight of one or more polymeric polycarboxylic acid dispersing agents, copolymers thereof and salts thereof containing at least 60% by weight of segments having the structure: ##STR7## wherein X, Y and Z are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, carboxy, carboxymethyl, hydroxy and hydroxymethyl; and n is from about 30 to about 400,
(e) from 0% to about 75%, and in a granular or tablet form composition, preferably from about 15% to about 60%, by weight of an inorganic detergency builder selected from the group consisting of alkali metal phosphates, sodium carbonate, sodium silicate, sodium aluminosilicate and mixtures thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The detergent compositions of the invention can be prepared in solid or liquid physical form.
The detergent compositions of the invention are particularly suitable for laundry use, but are also suitable for the cleaning of hard surfaces and for dishwashing.
In a laundry method aspect of the invention, typical laundry wash water solutions comprise from about 0.1% to about 1% by weight of the detergent compositions of the invention.
THE SURFACTANT
The compositions of the invention contain from about 2% to about 30% by weight of a surfactant or mixtures thereof.
Various types of surfactants can be used in the compositions of the invention. Useful surfactants include anionic, nonionic, ampholytic, zwitterionic and cationic surfactants or mixtures of such materials. Detergent compositions for laundry use typically contain from about 5% to about 30% anionic surfactants or mixtures of anionic and nonionic surfactants. Detergent compositions for use in automatic diswashing machines typically contain from about 2% to about 6% by weight of a relatively low sudsing nonionic surfactant or mixtures thereof and, optionally, suds control agents. Particularly suitable low sudsing nonionic surfactants are the alkylation products of compounds containing at least one reactive hydrogen wherein, preferably, at least about 20% by weight of the alkylene oxide by weight is propylene oxide. Examples are products of the BASF-Wyandotte Corporation designated Pluronic®, Tetronic®, Pluradot® and block polymeric variations in which propoxylation follows ethoxylation. Preferred suds control agents include mono-and disteryl acid phosphates.
(A)
Anionic soap and non-soap surfactants
This class of surfactants includes ordinary alkali metal monocarboxylates (soaps) such as the sodium, potassium, ammonium and alkylolammonium salts of higher fatty acids containing from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms and preferably from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms. Suitable fatty acids can be obtained from natural sources such as, for instance, from plant or animal esters (e.g., palm oil, coconut oil, babassu oil, soybean oil, castor oil, tallow, whale and fish oils, grease, lard, and mixtures thereof). The fatty acids also can be synthetically prepared (e.g., by the oxidation of petroleum, or by hydrogenation of carbon monoxide by the Fischer-Tropsch process). Resin acids are suitable such as rosin and those resin acids in tall oil. Naphthenic acids are also suitable. Sodium and potassium soaps can be made by direct saponification of the fats and oils or by the neutralization of the free fatty acids which are prepared in a separate manufacturing process. Particularly useful are the sodium and potassium salts of the mixtures of fatty acids, derived from coconut oil and tallow, i.e., sodium or potassium tallow and coconut soap.
Soaps and fatty acids also act as detergency builders in detergent compositions because they remove multivalent ions by precipitation.
Anionic surfactants also includes water-soluble salts, particularly the alkali metal and ethanolamine salts of organic sulfuric reaction products having in their molecular structure an alkyl radical containing from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms and a sulfonic acid or sulfuric acid ester radical. (Included in the term alkyl is the alkyl portion of alkylaryl radicals.) Examples of this group of non-soap anionic surfactants are the alkyl sulfates, especially those obtained by sulfating the higher alcohols (C 8 -C 18 carbon atoms); alkyl benzene sulfonates, in which the alkyl group contains from about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms, in straight chain or branched chain configuration, sodium alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonates; fatty acid monoglyceride sulfonates and sulfates; sulfuric acid esters of the reaction product of one mole of a C 12-18 alcohol and about 1 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide; salts of alkyl phenol ethylene oxide ether sulfate with about 1 to about 10 units of ethylene oxide per molecule and in which the alkyl radicals contain about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms.
Additional examples of non-soap anionic surfactants are the reaction product of fatty acids esterified with isothionic acid and neutralized with sodium hydroxide where, for example, the fatty acids are derived from coconut oil; sodium or potassium salts of fatty acid amide of methyl lauride in which the fatty acids, for example are derived from coconut oil.
Still other anionic surfactants include the class designated as succinamates. This class includes such surface active agents as disodium N-octadecylsulfosuccinamate; tetrasodium N-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)-N-octadecylsulfosuccinamate; the diamyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid and the dihexyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid; dioctyl ester of sodium sulfosuccinic acid.
Anionic phosphate surfactants are also useful in the present invention. These are surface active materials having substantial detergent capability in which the anionic solubilizing group connecting hydrophobic moieties is an oxy acid of phosphorus. The more common solubilizing groups, of course are --SO 4 H, --SO 3 H, and --CO 2 H. Alkyl phosphate esters such as (R--O) 2 PO 2 H and ROPO 3 H 2 in which R represents an alkyl chain containing from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms are useful.
These esters can be modified by including in the molecule from one to about 40 alkylene oxide units, e.g., ethylene oxide units.
Particularly useful anionic surfactants useful herein are alkyl ether sulfates. The alkyl ether sulfates are condensation products of ethylene oxide and monohydric alcohols having about 10 to about 20 carbon atoms. Preferably, R has 14 to 18 carbon atoms. The alcohols can be derived from fats, e.g., coconut oil or tallow, or can be synthetic. Such alcohols are reacted with 1 to 30, and especially 3 to 6, molar proportions of ethylene oxide and the resulting mixture of molecular species, having, for example, an average of 3 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, is sulfated and neutralized.
Other suitable anionic surfactants are olefin and paraffin sulfonates having from about 12 to about 24 carbon atoms.
(B)
Nonionic surfactants
Alkoxylated nonionic surfactants may be broadly defined as compounds produced by the condensation of alkylene oxide groups (hydrophilic in nature) with an organic hydrophobic compound, which may be aliphatic or alkyl aromatic in nature. The length of the hydrophilic or polyoxyalkylene radical which is condensed with any particular hydrophobic group can be readily adjusted to yield a water-soluble compound having the desired degree of balance between hydrophilic and hydrophobic elements.
Alkoxylated nonionic surfactants include:
(1) The condensation product of aliphatic alcohols having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, in either straight chain or branched chain configuration, with from about 5 to about 20 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol.
(2) The polyethylene oxide condensates of alkyl phenols, e.g., the condensation products of alkyl phenols having an alkyl group containing from about 6 to 12 carbon atoms in either a straight chain or branched chain configuration, with ethylene oxide, the said ethylene oxide being present in amounts equal to 5 to 25 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alkyl phenol. The alkyl substituent in such compounds may be derived from polymerized propylene, diisobutylene, octene, or nonene, for example.
(3) Materials derived from the condensation of ethylene oxide with a product resulting from the reaction of propylene oxide and a compound with reactive hydrogen such as glycols and amines such as, for example, compounds containing from about 40% to about 80% polyoxyethylene by weight resulting from the reaction of ethylene oxide with a hydrophobic base constituted of the reaction product of ethylene diamine and propylene oxide.
Non-polar nonionic surfactants include the amine oxides and corresponding phosphine oxides. Useful amine oxide surfactants include those having the formula R 1 R 2 R 3 N→O wherein R 1 is an alkyl group containing from about 10 to about 28 carbon atoms, from 0 to about 2 hydroxy groups and from 0 to about 5 ether linkages, there being at least one moiety of R 1 which is an alkyl group containing from about 10 to about 18 carbon atoms and no ether linkages, and each R 2 and R 3 are selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals and hydroxyalkyl radicals containing from 1 to about 3 carbon atoms;
Specific examples of amine oxide surfactants include: dimethyldodecylamine oxide, dimethyltetradecylamine oxide, ethylmethyltetradecylamine oxide, cetyldimethylamine oxide, diethyltetradecylamine oxide, dipropyldodecylamine oxide, bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)dodecylamine oxide, bis-(2-hydroxypropyl)methyltetradecylamine oxide, dimethyl-(2-hydroxydodecyl)amine oxide, and the corresponding decyl, hexadecyl and octadecyl homologs of the above compounds.
(C)
Zwitterionic Surfactants
Zwitterionic surfactants include derivatives of aliphatic quaternary ammonium, phosphonium, and sulfonium compounds in which the aliphatic moiety can be straight or branched chain and wherein one of the aliphatic substituents contains from about 8 to 24 carbon atoms and one contains an anionic water-solubilizing group. Particularly preferred zwitterionic materials are the ethoxylated ammonium sulfonates and sulfates disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,925,262, Laughlin et al, issued Dec. 9, 1975 and 3,929,678, Laughlin et al, issued Dec. 30, 1975, said patents being incorporated herein by reference.
(D)
Ampholytic Surfactants
Ampholytic surfactants include derivatives of aliphatic heterocyclic secondary and ternary amines in which the aliphatic moiety can be straight chain or branched and wherein one of the aliphatic substituents contains from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms and at least one aliphatic substituent contains an anionic water-solubilizing group.
(E)
Cationic Surfactants
Cationic surfactants comprise a wide variety of compounds characterized by one or more organic hydrophobic groups in the cation and generally by a quaternary nitrogen associated with acid radical. Pentavalent nitrogen ring compounds are also considered quaternary nitrogen compounds. Suitable anions are halides, methyl sulfate and hydroxide. Tertiary amines can have characteristics similar to cationic surfactants at washing solutions pH values less than about 8.5.
A more complete disclosure of cationic surfactants can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,044, issued Oct. 14, 1980, to Cambre, said patent being incorporated herein by reference.
When cationic surfactants are used in combination with anionic surfactants and certain detergency builders including polycarboxylates, compatibility must be considered. A type of cationic surfactant generally compatible with anionic surfactants and polycarboxylates is a C 8-18 alkyl tri C 1-3 alkyl ammonium chloride or methyl sulfate.
More complete disclosures of surfactants suitable for incorporation in detergent compositions of the invention are in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,056,481, Tate (Nov. 1, 1977); 4,049,586, Collier (Sept. 20, 1977); 4,040,988, Vincent et al (Aug. 9, 1977); 4,035,257, Cherney (July 12, 1977); 4,033,718, Holcolm et al (July 5, 1977); 4,019,999, Ohren et al (Apr. 26, 1977); 4,019,998, Vincent et al (Apr. 26, 1977); and 3,985,669, Krummel et al (Oct. 12, 1976); all of said patents being incorporated herein by reference.
THE DETERGENCY BUILDER SYSTEM
A.
Ether Polycarboxylate
The compositions of the invention contain from about 4% to about 50%, and in solid form detergent compositions, preferably from about 15% to about 40%, of an ether polycarboxylate compound or mixtures thereof having one or more units of the general structure ##STR8## wherein M is hydrogen, an alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium and said compound has a log K Ca (35° C., 0.1M molar strength, pH 9.5) of at least about 3.6, preferably at least about 4.2. Compounds with this structure provide calcium binding by formation of polydentate structures. Ether carboxylates with log K Ca values above about 5 or greater are more nearly equivalent to polyphosphates for fabric cleaning without the additional organic detergency builder components of the present invention, but nevertheless all ether polycarboxylates tend to be somewhat deficient when used as a direct replacement for polyphosphates on a mole equivalent basis.
Ether polycarboxylates having the structure: ##STR9## wherein R 1 and R 2 are each H, COOM or CH 2 COOM and M is H, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium constitute embodiments of the invention particularly benefited by the combination with iron and manganese chelating agents and polymeric polycarboxylate dispersing agents.
Specific ether polycarboxylates particularly benefited include 2-oxa-1,1,3-propanetricarboxylates, 2-oxa-1,3,4-butanetricarboxylates, 3-oxa-1,2,4,5-pentanetetracarboxylates and polyacetal carboxylates having the structure ##STR10## wherein M is hydrogen or a monovalent cation, n averages at least 4, preferably at least about 50, and R 1 and R 2 are groups to stabilize against rapid depolymerization in alkaline solution such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,144,226 issued Mar. 13, 1979, to Crutchfield et al, incorporated herein by reference.
A method for the preparation of 2-oxa-1,1,3-propanetricarboxylic acid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,300, issued Oct. 14, 1980, to Lannert, incorporated herein by reference.
A method for the preparation of 2-oxa-1,3,4-butanetricarboxylic acid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,692,685, issued Sept. 19, 1972, to Lamberti et al, incorporated herein by reference.
A method for the preparation of 3-oxa-1,2,4,5-pentanetetracarboxylic acid is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,128,287 issued Apr. 7, 1964, to Berg, incorporated herein by reference.
Crutchfield, M. M., J. Am. Oil Chemists' Soc. 55:58 (1978), incorporated herein by reference, lists log K Ca values of a large number of ether polycarboxylates suitable for use in detergent compositions of the present invention.
Also suitable in the compositions of the invention are the 3,3-dicarboxy-4-oxa-1,6-hexanedioates and the related compounds disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 672,302 filed Nov. 16, 1984, and incorporated herein by reference.
Suitable ether polycarboxylates include cyclic compounds, particularly alicyclic compounds, provided they have the essential substructure described hereinbefore. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,923,679; 3,835,163; 4,158,635; 4,120,874 and 4,102,903 discussed hereinbefore, incorporated herein by reference, disclose such cyclic ether polycarboxylates.
CALCIUM BINDING CONSTANT DETERMINATION
A computer system (Hewlett-Packard) with digital voltmeters was used to collect and analyze data from an Orion calcium selective electrode and a linear syringe buret (Sage Instruments syringe pump plus a linear potentiometer). An Analog Devices 40J non-inverting operational amplifier electrometer amplified the calcium electrode voltage and provided Nernstian behavior of the electrode into the 10 -7 M range. Volumetric accuracy was better than +/-0.5%.
Three hundred data pairs of [Ca total] vs 10.sup.(E/S), which is a linear measure of [Ca free], were collected and corrected for dilution during each titration. S is the Nernst equation slope, ca. 29 mv/decade, and E is the calcium electrode voltage. Calcium ion was titrated into buffer solution. Here, L represents the sequestering ligand. A ligand-free standard titration calibrated the electrode response. A second titration, containing a fixed concentration of total ligand [L tot] allowed calculation of K Ca at various [Ca tot]/[L tot] ratios. A third titration, adding Ca ion to a solution of a fixed [L tot] and fixed [Mg tot] was compared with K Ca at different [Ca tot]/[L tot] ratios to reveal K Mg at those same ratios. ##EQU1##
At high ratios of [Ca tot]/[L tot], the ligand became saturated with Ca ion and a linear increase in [Ca free] resulted. This line was extrapolated back to [Ca free]=0 and [Ca tot] at that point represented a measure of calcium binding capacity.
pH was always 9.55, temperature 22° C. Ionic strength ca. 0.1M, [Ca tot]=0 to 1.4 mM (0 to 8.2 gr/gal), [Ligand total]=3.52×10 -4 M, [Mg total]=2.0 mM.
______________________________________Calcium Ion Binding Constants(35° C., 0.1 M ionic strength, pH 9.5) Log K.sub.Ca______________________________________Sodium tripolyphosphate 4.9Nitrilotriacetic acid, sodium salt 5.52-oxa-1,1,3 propanetricarboxylic acid, 4.3sodium salt2-oxa-1,3,4 butanetricarboxylic acid, 3.7sodium salt3-oxa-1,2,4,5-pentanetetracarboxylic acid 4.7sodium saltSodium citrate 3.5______________________________________
IRON AND MANGANESE CHELATING AGENT
The detergent compositions of the invention contain from about 0.1% to about 10%, preferably from about 0.5% to about 10%, more preferably from about 0.75% to about 6% and most preferably from about 0.75% to about 3%, by weight of an iron and manganese chelating agent or mixtures thereof. Preferably the weight ratio of ether polycarboxylate to chelating agent is from about 3:1 to about 40:1, more preferably from about 10:1 to about 30:1 and most preferably from about 15:1 to about 30:1.
The iron and manganese chelating agents of the invention are selected from the group consisting of amino carboxylates, amino phosphonates, polyfunctionally--substituted aromatic chelating agents and mixtures thereof, all as hereinafter defined.
Without relying on theory, it is speculated that the benefit of these materials is due in part to an exceptional ability to remove iron and manganese ions from washing solutions by formation of soluble chelates.
Amino carboxylates useful in compositions of the invention have one or more, preferably at least two, units, of the substructure ##STR11## wherein M is hydrogen, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium (e.g. ethanolamine) and x is from 1 to about 3, preferably 1. Preferably, said amino carboxylates do not contain alkyl or alkenyl groups with more than about 6 carbon atoms. Alkylene groups can be shared by substructures.
Included are ethylenediaminetetraacetates, N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetates, nitrilotriacetates, ethylenediamine tetrapropionates, diethylenetriaminepentaacetates, and ethanoldiglycines.
Amino phosphonates are suitable in the compositions of the invention when at least low levels of total phosphorus are permitted in detergent compositions. Compounds with one or more, preferably at least two, units of the substructure ##STR12## wherein M is hydrogen, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium and x is from 1 to about 3, preferably 1, are useful and include ethylenediaminetetrakis(methylenephosphonates), nitrilotris(methylenephosphonates) and diethylenetriaminepentakis(methylenephosphonates). Preferably, said amino phosphonates do not contain alkyl or alkenyl groups with more than about 6 carbon atoms. Alkylene groups can be shared by substructures.
Polyfunctionally--substituted aromatic chelating agents of the invention comprise compounds having the general formula ##STR13## wherein at least one R is --SO 3 H or --COOH or soluble salts thereof and mixtures thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,044 issued May 21, 1974, to Connor et al, incorporated herein by reference, discloses polyfunctionally--substituted aromatic chelating and sequestering agents.
Preferred compounds in acid form are dihydroxydisulfobenzenes and 1,2-dihydroxy-3,5-disulfobenzene or other disulfonated catechols in particular. Alkaline detergent compositions can contain these materials in the form of alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium (e.g. mono- or triethanolamine) salts.
POLYMERIC POLYCARBOXYLATE DISPERSING AGENT
The detergent compositions of the invention contain from about 0.5% to about 10%, preferably from about 0.75% to about 6%, and most preferably from about 0.75% to about 3% by weight of one or more polymeric polycarboxylate dispersing agents, copolymers thereof and salts thereof containing at least about 60% by weight of segments with the general formula ##STR14## wherein X, Y, and Z are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, carboxy, carboxymethyl, hydroxy and hydroxymethyl; M is hydrogen, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium and n is from about 30 to about 400. Preferably, X is hydrogen or hydroxy, Y is hydrogen or carboxy and Z is hydrogen.
The polymeric polycarboxylates of greatest value in compositions of the invention are those that provide a dispersant effect for particulate soil or other insoluble material in the washing solution. This chacteristic is related to, but not identical with, precipitation modification as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,056 issued July 22, 1975, to Benjamin et al, incorporated herein by reference.
Preferably, the weight ratio of polymeric polycarboxylate dispersing agent to iron and manganese chelating agent is in the range of from about 3:1 to about 1:3, most preferably from about 2:1 to about 1:2. Suitable polymeric polycarboxylates generally include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,067 issued Mar. 7, 1967, to Diehl, incorporated herein by reference. Unsaturated monomeric acids that can be polymerized to form suitable polymeric polycarboxylates include acrylic acid, maleic acid (or maleic anhydride), fumaric acid, itaconic acid, aconitic acid, mesaconic acid, citraconic acid and methylenemalonic acid. The presence of monomeric segments containing no carboxylate radicals such as vinylmethyl ether, styrene, ethylene, etc. is suitable provided that such segments do not constitute more than about 40% by weight.
Particularly suitable polymeric polycarboxylates are polyacrylates with an average molecular weight in acid form of from about 1,000 to about 10,000, and acrylate/maleate or acrylate/fumarate copolymers with an average molecular weight of from about 2,000 to about 20,000 and a ratio of acrylate to maleate or fumarate segments of from about 30:1 to about 2:1. This and other suitable copolymers based on a mixture of unsaturated mono- and dicarboxylate monomers are disclosed in European Patent Applicant No. 66,915, published Dec. 15, 1982, incorporated herein by reference.
Although the polymeric polycarboxylates contribute to the alkaline earth metal ion sequestration provided by the ether polycarboxylate component, the optimum molecular weight for dispersing of particulate material in the washing solution is generally lower than the molecular weight optimum for multivalent metal ion sequestration.
OPTIONAL DETERGENCY BUILDERS
The detergent compositions of the present invention can contain detergency builders in addition to the essential combination described herein.
Suitable additional polycarboxylate detergency builders include the acid form and alkali metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium salts of citric, ascorbic, phytic, mellitic, benzene pentacarboxylic, cyclohexanehexacarboxylic and cyclopentanetetracarboxylic acids.
Non-amino polyphosphonate detergency builders comprise organic compounds having two or more ##STR15## groups wherein M is hydrogen, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium. Suitable phosphonates include ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonates, ethanehydroxy-1,1,2-triphosphonates and their oligomeric ester chain condensates. In common with other phosphorus-containing components, the incorporation of phosphonates may be restricted or prohibited by government regulation.
As discussed hereinbefore C 8-24 alkyl monocarboxylic acid and soluble salts thereof have a detergent builder function in addition to surfactant characteristics. C 10 -C 20 alkyl, alkenyl, alkoxy and alkyl thio-substituted dicarboxylic acid compounds, such as 4-pentadecene-1,2-dicarboxylic acid, salts thereof and mixtures thereof, are also useful optional detergency builders.
Inorganic detergency builders useful in the compositions of the invention at total combined levels of from 0% to about 75% by weight, include alkali metal phosphates, sodium aluminosilicates, alkali metal silicates and alkali metal carbonates.
Granular laundry detergent compositions generally contain at least about 40% of inorganic salts and it is desirable that a major portion of such salts have a contribution to the detergent effect. Inorganic detergency builders are less useful in liquid detergent compositions of the invention and can be omitted to provide optimum physical properties and optimum levels of the essential components.
Phosphate detergency builders include alkali metal orthophosphates which remove multivalent metal cations from laundry solutions by precipitation and the polyphosphates such as pyrophosphates, tripolyphosphates and water-soluble metaphosphates that sequester multivalent metal cations in the form of soluble complex salts. Sodium pyrophosphate and sodium tripolyphosphate are particularly suitable in granular detergent compositions and potassium pyrophosphate is suitable in liquid detergent compositions to the extent that governmental regulations do not restrict or prohibit the use of phosphorus-containing compounds in detergent compositions. Granular detergent composition embodiments of the invention particularly adapted for use in areas where the incorporation of phosphorus-containing compounds is restricted contains low total phosphorus and, preferably, essentially no phosphorus.
Crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange materials useful in the practice of this invention have the formula Na z [(AlO 2 ) z . (SiO 2 )y]xH 2 O wherein z and y are at least about 6, the molar ratio of z to y is from about 1.0 to about 0.5 and x is from about 10 to about 264. In a preferred embodiment the aluminosilicate ion exchange material has the formula Na 12 [(AlO 2 ) 12 (SiO 2 ) 12 ]xH 2 O wherein x is from about 20 to about 30, especially about 27.
Amorphous hydrated aluminosilicate material useful herein has the empirical formula: Na z (zAlO 2 .ySiO 2 ), z is from about 0.5 to about 2, y is 1 and said material has a magnesium ion exchange capacity of at least about 50 milligram equivalents of CaCO 3 hardness per gram of anhydrous aluminosilicate.
The aluminosilicate ion exchange builder materials herein are in hydrated form and contain from about 10% to about 28% of water by weight if crystalline and potentially even higher amounts of water if amorphous. Highly preferred crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange materials contain from about 18% to about 22% water in their crystal matrix. The crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange materials are further characterized by a particle size diameter of from about 0.1 micron to about 10 microns. Amorphous materials are often smaller, e.g., down to less than about 0.01 micron. Preferred ion exchange materials have a particle size diameter of from about 0.2 micron to about 4 microns. The term "particle size diameter" herein represents the average particle size diameter of a given ion exchange material as determined by conventional analytical techniques such as, for example, microscopic determination utilizing a scanning electron microscope. The crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange materials herein are usually further characterized by their calcium ion exchange capacity, which is at least about 200 mg. equivalent of CaCo 3 water hardness/gm. of aluminosilicate, calculated on an anhydrous basis, and which generally is in the range of from about 300 mg.eq./g. to about 352 mg. eq./g. The aluminosilicate ion exchange materials herein are still further characterized by their calcium ion exchange rate which is at least about 2 grains Ca.++/gallon/minute/gram of aluminosilicate (anhydrous basis), and generally lies within the range of from about 2 grains/gallons/minute/gram to about 6 grains/gallons/minute/gram, based on calcium ion hardness. Optimum aluminosilicate for builder purposes exhibit a calcium ion exchange rate of at least about 4 grains/gallons/minute/gram.
The amorphous aluminosilicate ion exchange materials usually have a Mg++ exchange capacity of at least about 50 mg. eq. CaCO 3 /g (12 mg. Mg++/g.) and a Mg++ exchange rate of at least about 1 gr./gal./min./g./gal. Amorphous materials do not exhibit an observable diffraction pattern when examined by Cu radiation (1.54 Angstrom Units).
Aluminosilicate ion exchange materials useful in the practice of this invention are commercially available. The aluminosilicates useful in this invention can be crystalline or amorphous in structure and can be naturally-occurring aluminosilicates or synthetically derived. A method for producing aluminosilicate ion exchange materials is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,985,669, issued Oct. 12, 1976, incorporated herein by reference. Preferred synthetic crystalline aluminosilicate ion exchange materials useful herein are available under the designation Zeolite A, Zeolite B, and Zeolite X.
Suitable alkali metal silicates have a mole ratio of SiO 2 : alkali metal oxide in the range of from about 1:1 to about 4:1. The alkali metal silicate suitable herein include commercial preparations of the combination of silicon dioxide and alkali metal oxide or carbonate fused together in varying proportions according to, for example, the following reaction: ##STR16##
The value of m, designating the molar ratio of SiO 2 :Na 2 O, ranges from about 0.5 to about 4 depending on the proposed use of the sodium silicate. The term "alkali metal silicate" as used herein refers to silicate solids with any ratio of SiO 2 to alkali metal oxide. Silicate solids normally possess a high alkalinity content; in addition water of hydration is frequently present as, for example, in metasilicates which can exist having 5, 6, or 9 molecules of water. Sodium silicate solids with a SiO 2 :Na 2 O mole ratio of from about 1.5 to about 3.5, are preferred in granular laundry detergent compositions.
Silicate solids are frequently added to granular detergent compositions as corrosion inhibitors to provide protection to the metal parts of the washing machine in which the detergent composition is utilized. Silicates have also been used to provide a degree of crispness and pourability to detergent granules which is very desirable to avoid lumping and caking.
Alkali metal carbonates are useful in the granular compositions of the invention as a source of washing solution alkalinity and because of the ability of the carbonate ion to remove calcium and magnesium ions from washing solutions by precipitation.
Preferred granular compositions free of inorganic phosphates contain from about 10% to about 40% by weight sodium carbonate, from 0% to about 30% sodium aluminosilicate, from about 0.5% to about 10% sodium silicate solids, from about 10% to about 35% of the ether carboxylates of the invention and from about 10% to about 25% surfactant.
Preferred liquid compositions free of inorganic phosphates contain from about 8% to about 20% by weight of non-soap anionic surfactants, from about 2% to about 18% ethoxylated nonionic surfactants, from about 5% to about 20% of a C 10-22 alkyl or alkenyl mono-or dicarboxylic acid or salt thereof and from about 5% to about 15% of the ether carboxylates of the invention.
ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL COMPONENTS
Granular compositions of this invention can contain materials such as sulfates, borates, perborates and water of hydration.
Liquid compositions of this invention can contain water and other solvents. Low molecular weight primary or secondary alcohol exemplified by methanol, ethanol, propanol, and isopropanol are suitable. Monohydric alcohols are preferred for solubilizing the surfactant but polyols containing from 2 to about 6 carbon atoms and from 2 to about 6 hydroxy groups can be used and can provide improved enzyme stability. Examples of polyols include propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, glycerine and 1,2-propanediol. Ethanol is a particularly preferred alcohol.
The compositions of the invention can contain such materials as proteolytic and amylolytic enzymes, fabric whiteners and brighteners, sudsing control agents, hydrotropes such as sodium toluene or xylene sulfonate, perfumes, colorants, opacifiers, anti-redeposition agents and alkalinity control or buffering agents such as monoethanolamine and triethanolamine. The use of these materials is known in the detergent art.
Materials that provide clay soil removal/anti-redeposition benefits can also be incorporated in the detergent compositions of the invention and are particularly useful in liquid compositions of the invention.
These clay soil removal/anti-redeposition agents are usually included at levels of from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight of the composition.
One group of preferred clay soil removal/anti-redeposition agents are the ethoxylated amines disclosed in European Patent Application No. 112,593 of James M. Vander Meer, published July 4, 1984, incorporated herein by reference. Another group of preferred clay soil removal/anti-redeposition agents are the cationic compounds disclosed in European patent application No. 111,965 to Young S. Oh and Eugene P. Gosselink, published June 27, 1984, incorporated herein by reference. Other clay soil removal/anti-redeposition agents which can be used include the ethoxylated amine polymers disclosed in European patent application No. 111,984 to Eugene P. Gosselink, published June 27, 1984; the zwitterionic compounds disclosed in European patent application No. 111,976 to Donn N. Rubingh and Eugene P. Gosselink, published June 27, 1984; the zwitterionic polymers disclosed in European patent application No. 112,592 to Eugene P. Gosselink, published July 4, 1984; and the amine oxides disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 516,612 to Daniel S. Connor, filed July 22, 1983, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Polyethylene glycol can also be incorporated to prvide anti-redeposition and other benefits.
Soil release agents, such as disclosed in the art to reduce oily staining of polyester fabrics, are also useful in the compositions of the invention. U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,152 issued June 8, 1976, to Nicol et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses copolymers of ethylene terephthalate and polyethylene oxide terephthalate as soil release agents. U.S. Pat. No. 4,174,305 issued Nov. 13, 1979, to Burns et al., incorporated herein by reference, discloses cellulose ether soil release agents.
The detergent compositions of the invention can also include a bleach system comprising an inorganic or organic peroxy bleaching agent and, in preferred compositions, an organic peroxy acid bleach precursor.
Suitable inorganic peroxygen bleaches include sodium perborate mono- and tetrahydrate, sodium percarbonate, sodium persilicate and urea-hydrogen peroxide addition products and the clathrate 4Na 2 SO 4 :2H 2 O 2 :1NaCl. Suitable organic bleaches include peroxylauric acid, peroxyoctanoic acid, peroxynonanoic acid, peroxydecanoic acid, diperoxydodecandioic acid, diperoxyazelaic acid, mono- and diperoxyphthalic acid and mono- and diperoxyisophthalic acid. The bleaching agent is generally present in the compositions of the invention at a level of from about 5% to about 35% preferably from about 10% to about 25% by weight.
The compositions of the invention preferably also contain an organic peroxy acid bleach precursor at a level of from about 0.5% to about 10%, preferably from about 1% to about 6% by weight. Suitable bleach precursors are disclosed in No. UK-A-2040983, and include for example, the peracetic acid bleach precursors such as tetraacetylethylenediamine, tetraacetylmethylenediamine, tetraacetylhexylenediamine, sodium p-acetoxybenzene sulfonate, tetraacetylglycouril, pentaacetylglucose, octaacetyllactose, and methyl o-acetoxy benzoate. Highly preferred bleach precursors, however, have the general formula ##STR17## wherein R is an alkyl group containg from 6 to 12 carbon atoms wherein the longest linear alkyl chain extending from and including the carboxyl carbon contains from 5 to 10 carbon atoms and L is a leaving group, the conjugate acid of which has a logarithmic acidity constant in the range from 6 to 13.
The alkyl group, R, can be either linear or branched and, in preferred embodiments, it contains from 7 to 9 carbon atoms. Preferred leaving groups L have a logarithmic acidity constant in the range from about 7 to about 11, more preferably from about 8 to about 10. Examples of leaving groups are those having the formula ##STR18## wherein Z is H, R 1 or halogen, R 1 is an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, X is 0 or an integer of from 1 to 4 and Y is selected from SO 3 M, OSO 3 M, CO 2 M, N + (R 1 ) 3 O - and N + (R 1 ) 2 --O - wherein M is H, alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium, and O is halide or methosulfate.
The preferred leaving group L has the formula (a) in which Z is H, x is 0 and Y is sulfonate, carboxylate or dimethylamine oxide radical. Highly preferred materials are sodium 3,5,5,-trimethylhexanoyloxybenzene sulfonate, sodium 3,5,5-trimethylhexanoyloxybenzoate, sodium 2-ethylhexanoyl oxybenzenesulfonate, sodium nonanoyl oxybenzene sulfonate and sodium octanoyl oxybenzenesulfonate, the acyloxy group in each instance preferably being p-substituted.
The bleach activator herein will normally be added in the form of particles comprising finely-divided bleach activator and a binder. The binder is generally selected from nonionic surfactants such as the ethoxylated tallow alcohols, polyethylene glycols, anionic surfactants, film forming polymers, fatty acids and mixtures thereof. Highly preferred are nonionic surfactant binders, the bleach activator being admixed with the binder and extruded in the form of elongated particles through a radial extruder as described in European Patent Application No. 62523. Alternatively, the bleach activator particles can be prepared by spray drying.
EXAMPLES
The following embodiments illustrate, but are not limiting of, detergent compositions of the present invention. All percentages herein are by weight unless indicated otherwise.
EXAMPLE I
A granular detergent composition for household laundry use is as follows:
______________________________________Component Wt. %______________________________________Sodium C.sub.14 -C.sub.15 alkylsulfate 13.3Sodium C.sub.13 linear alkyl benzene sulfonate 5.7C.sub.12 -C.sub.13 alkylpolyethoxylate (2.5) 1.0Sodium toluene sulfonate 1.03-oxa-1,2,4,5-pentanetetracarboxylic acid, 25.0sodium saltSodium N--hydroxyethyethylenediamine- 2.0triacetateSodium polyacrylate (Avg. M.W. = ±5000) 2.0Sodium carbonate 20.3Sodium silicate 5.8Polyethylene glycol (Avg. M.W. ±8000) 1.0Sodium sulfate, water and miscellaneous Balance to 100______________________________________
In the composition of Example I the following substitutions are made:
(a) for 3-oxa 1,2,4,5-pentanetetracarboxylic acid, sodium salt
(1) 2-oxa-1,1,3-propanetricarboxylic acid, sodium salt
(2) 2-oxa-1,3,4-butanetricarboxylic acid, sodium salt
(3) a polyacetal carboxylate with the approximate formula ##STR19## (b) for N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetate, sodium salt (1) diethylenetriaminepentakis(methylenephosphonate), sodium salt
(2) 1,2-dihydroxy-3,5-disulfobenzene, sodium salt
(c) for sodium polyacrylate (avg. M.W.=±5000)
(1) sodium salt of an acrylate/maleate copolymer (avg. M.W.=9000) in which the acrylate/maleate weight ratio is approximately 7:3.
The components are added together with continuous mixing with sufficient extra water (about 40% total) to form an aqueous slurry which is then spray dried to form the composition.
EXAMPLE II
A liquid detergent composition for household laundry use is as follows:
______________________________________Component Wt. %______________________________________Potassium C.sub.14 -C.sub.15 alkyl polyethoxy 8.3(2.5) sulfateC.sub.12 -C.sub.14 alkyl dimethyl amine oxide 3.3Potassium toluene sulfonate 5.0Monoethanolamine 2.32-oxa-1,1,3-propanetricarboxylic acid, 15.0potassium saltSodium salt of 1,2-dihydroxy- 1.53,5-disulfobenzeneSodium polyacrylate (avg. M.W. = ±9000) 1.5Minors and water Balance to 100______________________________________
The components are added together with continuous mixing to form the composition.
EXAMPLE III
A liquid detergent composition for household laundry use is prepared by mixing the following ingredients:
______________________________________C.sub.13 alkylbenzenesulfonic acid 10.5%Triethanolamine cocoalkyl sulfate 4.0C.sub.14-15 alcohol ethoxy-7 12.0C.sub.12-18 alkyl monocarboxylic acids 15.03-oxa-1,2,4,5-pentanetetracarboxylic acid 5.0Diethylenetriaminepentamethylene 0.8phosphonic acidPolyacrylic acid (avg. M.W. = ±5000) 0.8Triethanolamine 4.5Ethanol 8.61,2-Propanediol 3.0Water, perfume, buffers and miscellaneous Balance to 100______________________________________
3,3-dicarboxy-4-oxa-1,6-hexanedioic acid is substituted for 3-oxa-1,2,4,5-pentanetetracarboxylic acid.
The acrylate/maleate copolymer of Example I in acid form is substituted for polyacrylic acid.
N-hydroxyethylethylenediaminetriacetic acid is substituted for diethylenetriaminepentakis(methylenephosphonic) acid.
EXAMPLE IV
In the Compositions which follow, the abbreviations used have the following designations:
C 12 LAS: Sodium linear C 12 benzene sulfonate
TAS: Sodium tallow alcohol sulfonate
TAE n : Hardened tallow alcohol ethoxylated with n moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol
Dobanol 45 E 7: A C 14-15 primary alcohol condensed with 7 moles of ethylene oxide
TAED: Tetraacetyl ethylene diamine
NOBS: Sodium nonanoyl oxybenzenesulfonate
INOBS: Sodium 3,5,5 trimethyl hexanoyl oxybenzene sulfonate
Silicate: Sodium silicate having an SiO 2 :Na 2 O ratio of 1:6
Sulfate: Anhydrous sodium sulfate
Carbonate: Anhydrous sodium carbonate
CMC: Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose
Silicone: Comprising 0.14 parts by weight of an 85:15 by weight mixture of silanated silica and silicone, granulated with 1.3 parts of sodium tripolyphosphate, and 0.56 parts of tallow alcohol condensed with 25 molar proportions of ethylene oxide
PC1: Copolymer of 3:7 maleic/acrylic acid, average molecular weight about 70,000, as sodium salt
PC2: Polyacrylic acid, average molecular weight about 4,500, as sodium salt
PESA: Polyepoxysuccinic acid of formula HO--[CH(COOH)--CH(COOH)--O] n --H n averaging about 10 (contains at least about 25% by weight where n=2-4), M.W. (as Na salt, by NMR)=950, Log K Ca =5.3
Perborate: Sodium perborate tetrahydrate of nominal formula NaBO 2 .3H 2 O.H 2 O 2
Enzyme: Protease
EDTA: Sodium ethylene diamine tetra acetate
Brightener: Disodium 4,4'-bis(2-morpholino-4-anilino-s-triazin-6-ylamino)stilbene-2:2'disulfonate
DETPMP: Diethylene triamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid), marketed by Monsanto under the Trade name Dequest 2060
EDTMP: Ethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid), marketed by Monsanto, under the Trade name Dequest 2041
Granular detergent compositions are prepared as follows. A base powder composition is first prepared by mixing all components except, where present, Dobanol 45E7, bleach, bleach activator, enzyme, suds suppressor, phosphate and carbonate in crutcher as an aqueous slurry at a temperature of about 55° C. and containing about 35% water. The slurry is then spray dried at a gas inlet temperature of about 330° C. to form base powder granules. The bleach activator, where present, is then admixed with TAE 25 as binder and extruded in the form of elongated particles through a radical extruder as described in European Patent Application No. 62523. The bleach activator noodles, bleach, enzyme, suds suppressor, phosphate and carbonate are then dry-mixed with the base powder composition and finally Dobanol 45E7 is sprayed into the final mixture.
______________________________________COMPOSITIONS A B C D______________________________________C.sub.12 LAS 4 9 8 8TAS 4 3 -- 3TAE.sub.25 0.5 0.5 0.8 --TAE.sub.11 -- 1 -- --Dobanol 45E7 4 -- 4 2NOBS -- 2 -- --INOBS 3 -- -- --TAED 0.5 -- 3 --Perborate 19 20 10 24EDTMP 0.3 -- 0.4 0.1DETPMP -- 0.4 -- --EDTA 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1Magnesium (ppm) 1000 1000 750 --PC1 2 1 2 2PC2 1 1 -- 1PESA 25 7 15 10Zeolite A* -- 15 14 --Sodium tripolyphosphate -- -- -- 12Coconut Soap -- -- -- 2Carbonate 17 15 10 --Silicate 3 2 2 7Silicone 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2Enzyme 0.8 0.5 0.4 0.3Brightener 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2Sulfate, to 100Moisture &Miscellaneous______________________________________ *Zeolite A of 4 A pore size.
The above compositions are zero and low phosphate detergent compositions displaying excellent bleach stability, fabric care and detergency performance across the range of wash temperatures with particularly outstanding performance in the case of Compositions A, B and C on greasy and particulate soils at low wash temperatures.
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A highly effective detergency builder system comprises the combination of a major proportion of an ether polycarboxylate and minor proportions of an iron and manganese chelating agent and a polymeric polycarboxylate dispersing agent.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a Non-Provisional Application of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/884,645, filed Jan. 12, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference.
STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST
This invention was made with Government support under Grant No. 2117760900 and 21177760900 awarded by the Florida Department of Transportation. The Government may therefore have certain rights in the invention.
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to GPS technology and data collection.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, research into the automation of traffic data collection with GPS technology has shown remarkable feasibility for replacing traditional resources of traffic data. Paper diaries and phone interviews are two such resources that are heavily depended upon by the traffic and travel research industry. Recent studies compared vehicle-based GPS data to manually recorded data in Travel Diaries to evaluate the efficiency of automated purpose derivation systems. Among its other functions, one of the most consequential uses of travel diaries has been the reporting of an individual's purpose for travel.
Several studies conducted in the past explored implementing GPS data with manual and electronic travel diary submissions. Some of these studies were the first to use passively recorded GPS data. (See Wolf, J., R. Guensler and W. Bachman (2001) “Elimination of the Travel Diary: An Experiment to Derive Trip Purpose from GPS Travel Data,” Transportation Research Record 1768, p. 125-134, Aug. 3, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference). The study conducted by Wolf et al. utilized a GIS database and GPS data collected by thirteen individuals carrying GPS enabled PDAs. (See also, Wolf, J. (2004) “APPLICATIONS OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN TRAVEL SURVEYS,” Submitted to the International Conference on Transport Survey Quality and Innovation, Costa Rica, August 2004, which is incorporated herein by reference). To derive trip purpose, researchers used a point-in-polygon analysis to retrieve a land use code. A set of purposes of varying detail were associated with individual land use codes based on a 1990 Atlanta household travel survey. (See also Atlanta Regional Commission. 1990 Household Travel Study: Final Report. The Atlanta Regional Commission, December, 1993, which is incorporated herein by reference). The land use code was used to derive trip purpose by using a code-purpose association. Wolf et al. faced several obstacles during the land use code categorization step because GIS database used relied on center points. This flaw in the database necessitated manually defining business boundaries in the GIS database based on photographic references. Although the Wolf study was conducted while Atlanta's GIS inventory was still premature, land uses were successfully determined for 145 out of 156 trips.
Another study was conducted by Griffin et al. which concluded that the reliance on geocoded maps to identify locations based on GPS data is impractical because a large percentage of the United States remains to be geocoded. (Griffin, T., Y. Huang and R. Halverson (2006), “Computerized Trip Classification of GPS Data,” International Conference on Cybernetics and Information Technologies, Systems and Applications , Orlando, Fla., which is incorporated herein by reference). Griffin et al. utilized a clustering method known as Dbscan to determine points of interests (POI). POI are simply a cluster of points that were accumulated from an individual frequenting a particular location. These POI were classified by trip purpose based on a decision tree and a learning method known as C4.5. Trip purposes were derived by comparing POI and their established trip purpose to coordinate data transmitted by a GPS enabled PDA. The derivation process, however, was not totally automated. Each POI's purpose had to be manually classified before they could be compared to a GPS coordinate position. The derivation process was no less dependant on human memory than a travel diary as a result of the involvement of human input. The trip classification framework produced correct results between 70% and 97% for all data values despite questionable automation authenticity related to the trip purpose derivation process.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The disclosed method includes an automated travel purpose detection method that utilizes GPS Data collected by GPS-enabled devices. The GPS data is compared against a GIS map to obtain various spatial and location characteristics of the surrounding area. This information is then used to derive a traveler's trip purpose.
In a preferred embodiment, the inventive method is implemented automatically without any needed manipulation of GIS data. Additionally, the method integrates location information as defined by the user for critical locations such as home and work. These personalized locations allow the method to immediately identify the two most common types of trips: work-related trips and trips returning home.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1A is an example of a GIS map.
FIG. 1B is an image of an attribute table associated with the area selected on the GIS map ( FIG. 1A ).
FIG. 2 is an illustrative use-table.
FIG. 3 is an illustrative purpose-table.
FIG. 4 is a representation of the purpose-ids based on the U.S. Department of Transportation National Household Travel Survey.
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of collecting user trip data in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and within which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
Transportation engineers depend on the responsibility and accurate memory of travel survey respondents to recall and record their travel history. However, because of the large number of distractions and the burden of maintaining a travel diary some of the collected data from respondents' is often flawed and inconsistent. In particular, fatigue has been an issue that has afflicted many traffic data collection surveys.
The integrity and accuracy of collected data is imperative because it is used to configure and adjust travel demand models. Travel demand models are used to estimate transportation activity over time and project future travel needs. Currently, the only authoritative national source of personal travel behavior data is the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS), formerly known as the NPTS. Created in 1969, and conducted every six to seven years, the data collected by the NTHS is used to determine how travel has changed and developed as a whole in the United States. The NHTS provides information about personal travel behavior including the purpose of the trip, mode of transportation, trip length, time and date of trip, occupancy (number of people taking a trip), and many other trip properties.
The latest NHTS was conducted in 2001 with computer-assisted-telephone-interviewing (CATI) technology. Respondents were divided into two groups: the first were only required to participate in a telephone interview and the second were asked to provide feedback based on a travel diary for an assigned travel day. The respondents who maintained travel diaries were interviewed within a six day window following the day after their assigned travel day. The call-back window was determined by the US Department of Transportation because of memory difficulties beyond six days. In total, the 2001 NHTS took 14 months to complete and cost approximately 10 million dollars for 25,000 households at 411 dollars each.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) are two related technologies that provide the opportunity to implement a highly sophisticated level of accuracy in travel research. Both technologies have exceptionally powerful means to generate accurate global and local spatial data. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) digitally represents the geospatial and geographic characteristics of a region of Earth. A trip path can be accurately represented digitally using a set of Feature Classes By using a GIS map region, such as a city. Feature Classes include polygons, points, or polylines—a series of points connected with lines.
In an illustrative embodiment, polygons were used which represent the boundaries of a business' premise; points were used to represent the final position of the user for a particular trip. A GIS map attribute table was used to access parcel information for each polygon. Attribute tables contain information related to the polygon's shape, address, ownership, business type, acreage and more. The fields are customizable, in a preferred embodiment, and vary depending on the needs of the user. FIG. 1A is a GIS map ( 10 ) in ARCMAP™, a GIS mapping program, and FIG. 1B is an attribute table ( 20 ) for the selected polygon (A, FIG. 1A ). Attribute table 20 comprises fields such as associated map shape 22 , Folio Number 24 , Acreage 26 , Use-code (DOR CODE) 28 and property owner 30 . The fields are customizable to allow adjustments for particular uses.
A GPS-enabled device automatically calculates data such as coordinate data, temporal information related to a single coordinate, heading, velocity, and trip route without the need for feedback from the individual. Data related to the position of a single GPS enabled device supports accuracy between 2-5 meters with the dissolution of Selective Availability (SA) in May of 2000. Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) utilize information from a cellular network to reduce the time required to obtain location information from a GPS device and enhance position data accuracy.
EXAMPLE
Data Preparation
A relational database was constructed comprising several tables, namely: a use-table, purpose-table, locations table, trip-data table and trip-table. Each table is discussed in greater detail below. These tables defined specific relationships between land use, and trip purpose. The use-table classified use-codes based on known Department of Revenue Resource Codes (DOR code's). DOR code's are used to define the type of property at a given location; for example residential or commercial. DOR codes used to generate use-codes were specifically obtained from the State of Florida Department of Revenue (FDOR). The use-table contained an auto-generated primary key field (code-id), the DOR_use_code (use-code) field, and a field for the property type description of the associated use-code (Property-Type). The use of additional fields is contemplated and will be apparent to those of skill in the art as needed for a given purpose. FIG. 2 is a table representing a few random rows of the table; the complete table used in this example is 282 rows long.
The purpose-table associates the use-codes to general and specific purposes. The purpose-table is populated with the same code-id's as the use-table. The General and Specific Purposes, FIG. 4 , were related to the code-id's using a similar number-purpose association scheme as the U.S. Department of Transportation National Household Travel Survey. (See U.S Department of Transportation, National Household Travel Survey (NHTS); 2001 NHTS User's Guide: Chapter 3 Survey Procedures and Methodology and Letter Report—National Household Travel Survey ( NHTS ), which are incorporated herein by reference). Because each code-id was associated with a use-code, the code-id's were classified based on DOR CODE property type descriptions from the FDOR website. FIG. 3 is an illustrative purpose table using code-ids shown in FIG. 2 .
The locations-table consisted of several base locations and their coordinates associated with different user ids. The locations used for this example were Home and Work.
Data Collection
The data collection process for this example utilized a GPS enabled Motorola i870 cellular phone. GPS-enabled mobile phones were used in this example because they are inexpensive by comparison and are already owned by much of the population. Moreover, the FCC e911 mandate requires U.S. cellular carriers to be able to locate mobile phones when an emergency call is placed. Therefore, GPS-enabled mobile phones have great potential to serve as electronic travel surveys of the future.
An application installed on each cell-phone was initialized to start a new trip. For every new trip a trip-id was created that was associated with a user-id. As each user went about their errands, the application constantly sent GPS data to a server which recorded the user's travel behavior. Recording terminated when the user ended his/her trip and the GPS coordinates of the trip end-point were designated with a 1 under a field called “trip_end” in the trip-data table. The concluded trip information was recorded in the trip-table, which holds summary information for each trip such as general and specific trip purpose, mode-id and other automatically determined trip characteristics.
Detecting Trip Purpose
The method employed in this example required two components, the trip-id and its associated latitude and longitude pairs. An SQL query was executed against the trip-table to determined if the trip had ended. If the trip ended (“trip_end”=1), the method then executes a query against the trip-data table to retrieve and verify that the ending trip coordinate is valid GPS data, to ensure the latitude and longitude pairs were greater than zero. Valid GPS coordinates, in this example, are stored as an ArcObjects Point Feature. The method then utilized a GIS map of Hillsborough County (HBC) from ARCMAP™.
A proximity test was performed within the GIS map to determine if the distance between the trip-end coordinate and any base location (home or work) was greater than 50 meters. The proximity itself is a variable parameter; 50 meters was chosen for this example through estimation. Both the home and work locations coordinate were retrieved from the location-table. Multiple base locations were factored into the method to accommodate a user with more than one of either; the method therefore checks all proximity possibilities. If the condition of the proximity test was true the method updated the trip purpose based on which base location was nearest to the trip-end point; “8, null” and “1, null” are the general and specific purpose for home and work respectively. If the proximity test was false, a procedure called a spatial query was executed. Spatial queries determine any spatial relationships between geometries in an ARCMAP™ GIS map. The spatial query used for this example was a simple point-in-polygon calculation that determined what polygon on the GIS map the trip-end coordinate lied within. Once the valid polygon was located, the use-code field of the attribute table was accessed and the use-code was retrieved.
The method of this example then comprised a series of SQL queries. An outer join query that used the “code-id” fields from use-table and purpose-table was executed using the retrieved use-code.
A relationship to the General and Specific purposes from the purpose-table was established through the correlating “code-id” fields from both tables.
A final SQL query was performed to update the trips-table once the General and Specific Purpose ID numbers had been retrieved for the Trip-ID. Based on all of the stored and processed data the update query updated the fields “Auto_Detected_Purpose_ID,” “Auto_Detected_Specific_Purpose_ID”, “FL_HCO_PA_DOR_CODE_ID (DOR code)”, and “Purpose_Detection_Completed” for the trip-table. The field “Purpose_Detection_Completed” was updated to a value of 1 from null once the trip purpose for a particular tripid was defined. This prevented any purposes from being rewritten by the method later.
In the illustrative embodiment, a user's GPS enabled device (such as a GPS-enabled cell phone) transmits latitude and longitude coordinate pairs to a server. Coordinates can be determined by any method known in the art, such as trilateration or triangulation. The coordinates are then associated with a trip-id value for the user. In alternate embodiments, the system can store all points collected that are associated with a trip-id or the system can store only the coordinates associated with the trip end point. The system associates a trip-end value with the coordinates and trip-id once the user indicates that the trip has ended. In a preferred embodiment, the system verifies that all coordinate values are greater than zero ensuring the end coordinates represent valid coordinates.
Also in a preferred embodiment, a proximity test is preformed within a GIS map to determine if the distance between the trip end point and a base location (home, work, etc.) associated with the user is within a predetermined distance (i.e. 50 meters). If the trip end point and a base location are within 50 meters of each other, the system then updates the trip purpose based on which base location was nearest the end point. If no base locations are within the predetermined vicinity, the system continues to detect the trip purpose.
A spatial query (such as a point-in-polygon calculation) is then executed using GIS database, preferably a GIS map, to determine which property comprises the end point (coordinates). The system next retrieves a use-code (such as a DOR CODE) from the GIS database. The use-code is then used to determine an associated code-id. The code-id, in turn, can be used to determine a particular general and specific purpose code associated with the code-id. The use-code, general purpose code, specific purpose code and any other desire information are then associated with the trip-id. This information is further associated with a detection-complete value. The detection-complete value is executed to reduce overhead in future executions of the system.
The inventive method is therefore able to determine location of the individual as well as capture information about the commercial or residential property visited. The method therefore augments traffic surveys and travel diaries with GPS data, or completely eliminates the dependency on methods that rely on a participants memory.
In this example the trip purpose was derived immediately after a trip ended and its data catalogued. In an alternate embodiment, each trip purpose is derived using batch updating. In this alternate embodiment, the “Purpose_Detection_Completed” field of the trip-table is checked for any trips whose purpose has not yet been defined after many trips have ended. The trip-data table is then queried for all the trips with a “1” in the “trip_end” field. Each trip is then processed consecutively by trip-id in the same fashion as in the example described above. Processing also includes all of the checks and tests as described above. The following snippets of code illustrate the objects and their parameters for each of the two versions of the aforementioned methods:
Single Update:
public PurposeDetector (int triplD, int Range)
Batch Update:
public PurposeDetector (Integer[ ] TripIDz, int Range)
Additional features are included in the inventive method to provide enhanced functionality. Illustrative features address discrepancies that would result when individuals shop at the same place they work, or perform drop-off's and pick-up's at locations that are not defined by an appropriate use-code; buildings such as strip-malls, for example, contain numerous use-codes. For all of these possibilities explanations and solutions were formulated. The first two scenarios are simply resolved by calculating the duration of elapsed time for each event. These time periods are then be compared to the user's work hours or to an estimation of elapsed drop-off/pick-up time (e.g 20 seconds).
It will be seen that the advantages set forth above, and those made apparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained and since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matters contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall there between. Now that the invention has been described.
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Disclosed is an automated trip-purpose detection method that utilizes GPS Data collected by GPS-enabled devices. The GPS data is compared against a GIS map to obtain various spatial and location characteristics of the surrounding area. This information is then used to derive a traveler's trip purpose. In a preferred embodiment, the inventive method is implemented automatically without any needed manipulation of GIS data. Additionally, the method integrates location information as defined by the user for critical locations such as home and work. These personalized locations allow the method to immediately identify the two most common types of trips: work-related trips and trips returning home.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a control system for selecting ambient stimuli from a database, in particular to such a control system for use in a hospital environment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Ambient stimuli such as special light settings, presentation of music and video may be used in hospitals to reduce patient's stress. However, the potential stress reduction offered by such ambient stimuli is dependent on individual differences between patients. Thus, it is a problem for ambient stimuli systems that they do not enable adaptation of the presented ambient stimuli to a patient.
[0003] Accordingly, it is not straightforward to select an ambient stimulus for a patient. Thus, it would be desirable to be able to better choose the most effective ambient stimuli in terms of stress reduction for a given patient.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,846 discloses method of managing a psychological and physiological state of an individual which involves the use of images or stimuli, the measurement of a physiological state of the individual, and the creation of a personalized preferred response profile which is specifically tailored to the individual. With the method it is possible for an individual to manage and thereby lower his or her stress by viewing, for example, images which are selected based on the created personalized preferred response profile for the individual. The personalized preferred response profile is created by having the individual view, for example, a wide variety of images and creating the profile based on those images which provide a preferred response to the individual. The system supports and enhances existing biofeedback equipment.
[0005] The inventor of the present invention has appreciated that an improved method for selection of ambient stimuli is of benefit, and has in consequence devised the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] It would be advantageous to achieve improvements within use of ambient stimuli for stress reduction. In general, the invention preferably seeks to mitigate or alleviate the disadvantages relating to current methods used for generating ambient stimuli for patients where little or no adaptation of the stimuli to the patient is used. In particular, it may be seen as an object of the present invention to provide a method that solves the above mentioned problems of current ambient stimuli systems, or other problems, of the prior art.
[0007] To better address one or more of these concerns, in a first aspect of the invention a stimuli control system for selecting ambient stimuli for a user from a database with selectable ambient stimulus descriptors obtained from multiple other users characterized by user characteristics wherein an ambient stimulus descriptor defines an ambient stimulus and has an associated user characteristic and an associated stress reduction capability is presented, comprising:
an input for receiving an input user characteristic, a filter function configured for determining a selection of ambient stimulus descriptors from the database by filtering the ambient stimulus descriptors with respect to the input user characteristic, a selecting function configured for selecting at least one ambient stimulus descriptor from the determined selection of ambient stimulus descriptors in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities.
[0011] A stimulus descriptor may be a data record which defines a particular ambient stimulus, e.g. a music stimulus. The stimulus descriptor has an associated user characteristic, e.g. age and gender, and an associated stress reduction capability, i.e. a capability of the ambient stimulus to reduce stress. Thus, a stimulus descriptor may be seen as a data record or other data structure defining an ambient stimulus and containing a user characteristic and a stress reduction capability.
[0012] By filtering the database with respect to the user characteristics a selection from the database is generated which contains stimulus descriptors having associated user characteristics which are close to the input user characteristics. The filtering may comprise determining stimulus descriptors having user characteristics which are similar to the input user characteristics.
[0013] The selecting function is configured for selecting at least one stimulus descriptor, i.e. by selecting a stimulus descriptor an ambient stimulus is selected for the user. Accordingly, by selecting an ambient stimulus from the selection having promising stress reduction capabilities for user's with user characteristics corresponding to the current user's characteristics an improved ambient stimulus selection may be achieve and, therefore, improved stress reduction.
[0014] In an embodiment the selecting function is configured for selecting the at least one ambient stimulus descriptor in random from the determined subset and in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities. Thereby, the user is advantageously presented with different ambient stimuli over time.
[0015] In an embodiment the stimuli control system further comprises:
an input for receiving a physiological measurement, and a translator for translating the physiological measurement into a stress level, wherein the filter function is configured for determining the selection of ambient stimulus descriptors from the database by additionally filtering the ambient stimulus descriptors with respect to the stress level.
[0019] By additionally basing the filtered selection of the stimulus descriptors on a current stress level of the user improved selection of ambient stimuli to the user may be achieved since the different ambient stimuli may be suited for high and low stress levels.
[0020] Alternatively, the filter function may be configured for determining a second selection or subset of ambient stimulus descriptors from the database by filtering the stimulus descriptors with respect to the stress level. In this case selecting at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined first and second selections/subsets in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities of at least some of the stimulus descriptors of the first and second selections/subsets may comprise making a combination (e.g. weighted sum) of the stress reduction capabilities of corresponding (i.e. similar but not necessarily identical) stimulus descriptors of the first and second subsets.
[0021] In an embodiment the stimuli control system further comprises:
an input for receiving user preferences, wherein the filter function is configured for determining the selection of ambient stimulus descriptors from the database by additionally filtering the ambient stimulus descriptors with respect to the user preferences.
[0024] By additionally basing the filtered selection of the stimulus descriptors on user preferences an improved adaptation of ambient stimuli to the user may be achieved since the different ambient stimuli may be suited for users with different preferences, e.g. preferences for a particular music genre.
[0025] In an embodiment the stimuli control system further comprises:
an evaluation function for determining the effect on stress level of a user in response to an executed ambient stimuli, and a feedback function for supplying data containing information about the executed ambient stimuli, the effect on stress level and the input user characteristic to the database.
[0028] By supplying data back to the database which contains information about the stress reduction capabilities together with associated input user characteristic (and/or the stress level determined from the translator and/or user preferences and/or predicted stress level (based on data from similar users)) the database may continuously be updated so that the capability of selecting the ambient stimuli to users is continuously improved.
[0029] In an embodiment the stimuli control system is configured for normalizing the effect on the stress level according to the user. Thereby, the stress reduction capabilities of different ambient descriptors may become more or less independent on user characteristics such as weight.
[0030] In a related embodiment the stimuli control system is further configured for normalizing the physiological measurements for an individual user so as to enable comparison of the physiological measurements with other users' physiological measurements.
[0031] In an embodiment the stimuli control system is configured for representing each of the ambient stimulus descriptors in terms of quantified features of one or more ambient stimuli. Furthermore, the stimuli control system is configured for representing—the quantified features of the ambient stimulus descriptors in a feature space having dimensions corresponding to the features of the ambient stimulus descriptors. The representation of ambient stimuli in a feature space may improve e.g. comparison of different ambient stimuli. In an embodiment the stimuli control system is configured for providing all ambient stimulus descriptors of the selection which have positive stress reduction capabilities with a function, e.g. a Gaussian function, that extrapolates the positive stress reduction capabilities to similar ambient stimulus descriptors, and for determining a probability distribution describing the possibility of positive stress reduction by combining the functions, e.g. by taking their normalized sum, and
the selecting function is configured for selecting the at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined selection in dependence of the probability distribution.
[0033] In an embodiment the stimuli control system is configured for averaging the stress level over time. Thereby, temporary effects on the stress level, e.g. caused by a short visit of a doctor, does not affect the selection of ambient stimuli significantly.
[0034] In an embodiment the selecting function is configured for randomized selection of the at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined subset over time.
[0035] A second aspect of the invention relates to an ambient stimuli system comprising:
a database with selectable ambient stimulus descriptors obtained from multiple users characterized by user characteristics, wherein an ambient stimulus descriptor defines an ambient stimulus and has an associated user characteristic and an associated stress reduction capability, and a stimuli control system according to the first aspect.
[0038] A third aspect of the invention relates to a method for selecting ambient stimuli for a user from a database with selectable ambient stimulus descriptors obtained from multiple other users characterized by user characteristics, wherein an ambient stimulus descriptor defines an ambient stimulus and has an associated user characteristic and an associated stress reduction capability comprising the steps of:
receiving an input user characteristic, filtering the ambient stimulus descriptors with respect to the input user characteristic for determining a selection of ambient stimulus descriptors from the database, selecting at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined selection of ambient stimulus descriptors in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities.
[0042] In summary the invention relates to a method for finding ambient stimuli from a database in a way so that the ambient stimuli having the most promising effect on stress reduction is selected. The selection may be performed based on a probability distribution created for describing how likely it is that a given ambient stimuli has a positive effect on the stress level for a given patient or other user. The database is a multiuser database which may be updated based on experiences from users with already registered ambient stimuli.
[0043] In general the various aspects of the invention may be combined and coupled in any way possible within the scope of the invention. These and other aspects, features and/or advantages of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0044] Embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which
[0045] FIG. 1 illustrates an ambient stimuli system 199 comprising a stimuli control system 100 and a database 120 with selectable ambient stimulus descriptors, and
[0046] FIG. 2 illustrates a method of the invention with steps 201 - 203 for selecting ambient stimuli.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0047] FIG. 1 shows a stimuli control system 100 for selecting ambient stimuli for a user, e.g. a patient in a caregiving environment such as a hospital.
[0048] The ambient stimuli may be a special room lighting characterized for example by specific light colors and/or a specific light intensity. The ambient stimuli could also be images or video presentations on a display, sound presentations such as nature sounds or music or other stimuli which may have an effect on the user's stress level, e.g. anxiousness, caused by the environment of a hospital and/or actions performed in a hospital or expectations thereof. Additional benefit of stress reduction is that it has been demonstrated that stress reduction has a positive effect by reducing pain in patients, reducing need in medications and promoting patient recovery.
[0049] The ambient stimuli are effectuated by stimuli generating devices 190 such as a general lighting installation in a room, an ambient lighting system configured specifically for generating a special light atmosphere, an audio system, a video system, a display or other systems capable of creating ambient changes.
[0050] One or more ambient stimuli, e.g. a light color setting and a video presentation, are selected from a database 120 which contains selectable ambient stimulus descriptors. For example, a descriptor for a specific ambient light setting may have a distinguishable name and define properties of the light setting.
[0051] The ambient stimulus descriptors in the database 120 have been obtained from situations where other users have been exposed to ambient stimuli. In connection with the exposure to ambient stimuli the effect on the stress of the user is determined. The effect on the user's stress is recorded in the database 120 as a stress reduction capability for that ambient stimuli exposure together with a user characteristic of the user. The user characteristic may include different characteristics such as age, gender, race, current disease, current use of medication, etc.
[0052] Accordingly, the database 120 contains different stimulus descriptors, where each descriptor is associated with a user characteristic, e.g. a patient characteristic, and a stress reduction capability for the user characteristic of a user or users with the same characteristic. Clearly, a descriptor also defines an ambient stimulus.
[0053] The stimuli control system 100 further comprises an input 101 for receiving input user characteristics, i.e. characteristics corresponding in format to the user characteristics in the database 120 .
[0054] An embodiment of the invention also relates to an ambient stimuli system 199 comprising a database 120 with selectable ambient stimulus descriptors and the stimuli control system 100 .
[0055] Based on the received user characteristics, e.g. for a new patient in a hospital, the control system 100 is capable of finding an ambient stimuli from the database which has shown good stress reduction capabilities for other users having patient characteristics similar to the patient characteristic of the new patient.
[0056] In order to achieve this, the system 100 has a filter function 113 which is capable of initially determining a subset of ambient stimulus descriptors from the database 120 by filtering the stimulus descriptors with respect to the input user characteristics so as to find stimulus descriptors having associated user characteristics which are close to the input user characteristics.
[0057] Additionally, as an example, a stress reduction probability function that determines the predicted stress reduction effect on the user in question based on the a priori physiological measurements of most similar users may be used in the filter function for determining the subset.
[0058] The filtering may be achieved by searching in the database for user characteristics which are close to the input user characteristics. For example, a database stimulus descriptor having an associated user age of 50 may be considered close to an input age of 48.
[0059] The ambient stimuli for the new patient is finally determined by a selecting function 112 configured for selecting at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined subset in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities of the descriptors. Thus, since the stimulus descriptors are linked with stress reduction capabilities obtained from other users, one or more stimulus descriptors can be selected for the new patient, by selecting one or more of the descriptors having the highest values of stress reduction capabilities, having values of stress reduction capabilities above a given threshold, or using the stress reduction capabilities as measure of probability for selection. For example, one stimulus descriptor defining an ambient light setting and/or one stimulus descriptor defining a scene of a video presentation could be selected.
[0060] In order to avoid that a user is exposed to the same ambient stimuli over time the selecting function 112 may be configured to select stimulus descriptors in random from the determined subset and in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities. A threshold value of the stress reduction capabilities may be set to ensure that the randomly selected stimulus descriptors have a sufficiently high value of stress reduction capabilities. Alternatively, in order to avoid that a user is exposed to the same ambient stimuli over time the selecting function 112 may be configured to exclude stimulus which have been selected to the same user within a given preceding period of time.
[0061] In order to further improve adaptation of the selected ambient stimuli it may be advantageous to also select ambient stimulus descriptors in dependence of the current stress level of a patient.
[0062] For that purpose the stimuli control system 100 may be provided with an input 102 for receiving physiological measurements of the user and a translator 111 for translating the physiological measurements into stress levels. Suitable physiological measurements may be measurements of heart rate using a pulse detector, skin conductance corresponding to a sweat level using a galvanic skin response sensor, electrical muscle potential using an electromyograph, electrocardiogram using an electrocardiograph, encephalogram using a encephalograph and other measurements. The physiological measurements are converted into stress levels using the stress level translator 111 .
[0063] As an example the translator 111 may apply a transformation function to measured physiological signals to translate them into a stress indication. As an example, skin conductance is known to correlate positively with stress. The translator 111 can directly translate skin conductance into a relative stress measure by taking the first derivative of the skin conductance signal. In order to provide absolute stress levels, the translator 111 might use historical measurements to compare the current measure, using e.g., baseline comparison, normalization using a histogram or range of previous values, or another method for normalization. For example, the current skin conductance level can be compared to the skin conductance values measured in the past hour, or another time period, and the position of the current skin conductance level within the historic range indicates an absolute stress level. Other physiological signals may require other translation methods for converting them into stress levels, including other normalization methods.
[0064] For the purpose of selecting an additional subset of ambient stimulus descriptors from the database 120 in dependence of the determined user stress level the filter function is configured to filter the stimulus descriptor with respect to stress levels.
[0065] In order to filter the database descriptors with respect to general user stress levels, at least some of the ambient stimulus descriptors in the database are associated with a user stress level and the user characteristic together with the stress reduction capability for that user characteristic, i.e. for a given user. Clearly, this requires that general stress levels of previous users have been determined and that the general stress levels (i.e. stress levels before exposure to ambient stimuli) are stored in the database 120 together with the effect on the stress (i.e. stress reduction capabilities) in association with a stimulus descriptor (i.e. a descriptor defining the ambient stimuli to which the user has been exposed).
[0066] Since the database stimulus descriptors are filtered both with respect to user characteristics and user stress levels the filter function 113 may generate both a first and a second subset of stimulus descriptors. Therefore, the selecting function 112 may be configured for selecting at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined first and second subsets in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities of at least one, normally at least some, of the stimulus descriptors of the first and second subsets.
[0067] Alternatively, instead of creating first and second subsets of stimulus descriptors from the database by filtering with respect to the input patient characteristic and the stress level, the filter function 113 may generate a single subset by filtering with respect to the input patient characteristic and the stress level. Thus, in general the filter function 113 is configured to determine a selection of stimulus descriptors from the database, where the selection may be constituted by a single subset or two or more subsets.
[0068] The selection by the selecting function 112 of at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined first and second subsets may be performed by making a combination, e.g. a weighted sum, of the stress reduction capabilities of corresponding stimulus descriptors of the first and second subsets. Thus, a common value of a stress reduction capability for a stimulus descriptor of the first subset (which has been obtained by filtering with respect to user characteristics) and for a stimulus descriptor of the second subset (which has been obtained by filtering with respect to a user's general stress level) may be obtained by adding the respective values of stress reduction capabilities. The stimulus descriptors of the first and second subsets need not be the same; for example, the stimulus descriptors could be similar so that both descriptors define ambient light settings which are similar, but not identical, with respect to color and intensity.
[0069] In case only a single subset is created by the filter function 113 by filtering with respect to the input patient characteristic and the stress level, the selecting function 112 is configured to select at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined single subset in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities. Thus, in general the selecting function is configured for selecting at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined selection, e.g. a single subset or a plurality of subsets, of stimulus descriptors in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities.
[0070] The adaptation of ambient stimuli for a user may be further improved by selecting ambient stimulus descriptors in dependence of user preferences. For that purpose the stimuli control system 100 may be provided with an input 103 for receiving user preferences, e.g. preferences for styles of music, artists and video genres.
[0071] Handling of inputted user preferences is provided by the filter function 113 which is further configured for determining a third subset of ambient stimulus descriptors from the database 120 by filtering the stimulus descriptors with respect to the user preferences, and the selecting function 112 which is configured for selecting at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined first, second and third subsets in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities of at least one or some of the stimulus descriptors of the first, second and third subsets. Alternatively, as explained above a single subset of ambient stimulus descriptors may be determined by the filter function 113 by filtering with respect to the user characteristics, the stress level and the user preferences; and the selecting function 112 may determine at least one stimuli descriptor from the subset in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities.
[0072] Similarly to the embodiment where stimulus descriptors are filtered with respect to measured stress levels of a user, in the embodiment where stimulus descriptors are filtered with respect to user preferences a stimulus descriptor may be selected from the determined first, second and third subsets, the single subset or generally from a selection in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities of at least some of the stimulus descriptors of the first second and third subsets or the selection by combining (e.g. averaging or summing) values of stress reduction capabilities of stimulus descriptors of the first, second and third subsets or the selection of stimulus descriptors.
[0073] Although FIG. 1 shows three inputs 101 - 103 for receiving user characteristics, values of physiological measurements and data of user preferences, these inputs could also be supplied to the stimuli control system 100 via any other number of inputs such as a single input.
[0074] In order to provide a learning function where the database 120 is provided with different ambient stimuli and associated values of stress reduction capabilities for different patient parameters including any combination of patient characteristics, indirectly measured stress levels and user preferences, the stimuli control system is provided with an evaluation function 114 for determining the effect on stress level of a user in response to an executed ambient stimuli and a feedback function 115 for supplying data containing information about the executed ambient stimuli, the effect on stress level (stress reduction capability) and one or more of the 1) input user characteristic, 2) determined the stress level (before or during exposure to ambient stimuli and, 3) user preferences to the database 120 .
[0075] For the learning function which is embodied by the evaluation function 114 and the feedback function 115 the ambient stimuli to be stored in the database 120 may have been determined by the stimuli control system 100 or determined otherwise, e.g. manually. The effect on stress level and/or the general stress level (e.g. before exposure to ambient stimuli) may have been determined via physiological measurements and the stress translator 111 , or the effect on stress or general stress could have been determined manually via user input.
[0076] The effect on the stress level which is determined by the evaluation function 114 may be normalized according to the user. The normalization may be required in order to make the stress reduction capabilities of different stimulus descriptors comparable. For example, stress reduction capabilities may be normalized by using historical measurements for comparison with the current measure, using e.g., baseline comparison, normalization using a histogram or range of previous values, or another method for normalization. For example, a level of stress reduction capabilities can be compared with levels of stress reduction capabilities measured in the past hour, or another time period, and the position of the stress reduction level relative to the historic range indicates an absolute stress level. The normalization of the effect on the stress level may be performed by the evaluation function 114 , or generally by the stimuli control system 100 , e.g. by a processor 116 , such as a data or computer processor comprised by the stimuli control system.
[0077] In a possible embodiment the ambient stimulus descriptors are represented in terms of quantified features of one or more ambient stimuli. For example, an ambient stimulus descriptor for a piece of music may be represented by the frequency distribution of the audio used, and an ambient light setting may be represented by the light intensities, color or color temperature used for a set of light sources . Other representations include frequency distribution of dynamics (rapid versus slow changes in sounds/images/light-effects, categories of audio/video, textual descriptors, e.g. textual descriptors of nature scenes, genre for music, or other features that helps in discriminating dissimilar atmospheres.
[0078] The quantified features of the ambient stimulus descriptors may be represented in a feature/vector space having dimensions corresponding to the features of the ambient stimulus descriptors. Thus, the quantified features of the ambient stimulus descriptors may be combined into a vector describing the atmosphere. The representation or conversion of ambient stimuli into quantified features representation in a feature space may be performed by the stimuli control system 100 , e.g. by the processor 116 comprised by the stimuli control system.
[0079] In a practical implementation each of the ambient stimulus descriptors of a selection of ambient stimulus descriptors, e.g. of any of the determined first, second and third subsets of stimulus descriptors, are provided with a probability function describing the probability that the ambient stimuli will have a positive effect on stress of the user. For example such a probability function could be created by providing each stimulus descriptor having a positive stress reduction effect (stimulus descriptors from a selection of stimulus descriptors) with a function (referred to as kernel function; e.g., a Gaussian function or other probability function) that extrapolates the positive effect to similar stimulus descriptors (i.e., stimuli descriptors with similar feature values). A probability distribution is then taken by combining the probability functions (e.g. kernel functions), e.g., by taking their normalized sum. By doing so, the known effects of used stimuli can be used to infer expected effects of unused stimuli represented in the vector space. The similarity between stimulus descriptors can be determined from distances between stimulus descriptors in the feature space/vector space, e.g. by determining the Euclidean distance between stimulus descriptors. The assignment of functions to the ambient stimulus descriptors of the selection which have positive stress reduction capabilities, and the determination of a probability distribution from the functions may be performed by the stimuli control system 100 , e.g. by the processor 116 comprised by the stimuli control system.
[0080] The selecting function 112 may be configured for selecting the at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined selection in dependence of the probability distribution determined according to the above example. For example, the selecting function 112 may be configured for selecting at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined first, second and third subsets in dependence of a weighted sum of the probability distributions over the first, second and third subsets.
[0081] In an embodiment the stress level determined by the translator 111 is averaged over time in order to avoid that that sudden and temporary disturbances, e.g. talking to a doctor, to the user influences the selection of ambient stimulus descriptors. The averaging may be performed by the translator or the processor 116 comprised by the stimuli control system.
[0082] In another embodiment the selecting function 112 is configured for randomizing selecting of the at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined first, second and/or third subset over time in order to avoid that patient are always provided with the same ambient stimuli.
[0083] In any of the above mentioned examples it should be understood that even though an example describes determination of a selection in the form of one or more subsets, e.g. first, second and third subsets, by use of the filter function 113 , such an example applies equivalently to determination of a single subset, i.e. a selection, of ambient stimulus descriptors determined by filtering with respect to e.g. user characteristics and a stress level. The selection function 112 is adapted correspondingly for selection of an ambient stimulus descriptor from the selection.
[0084] FIG. 2 illustrates a method of the invention for selecting ambient stimuli comprising the steps,
201 for receiving an input user characteristic, 202 for filtering the stimulus descriptors with respect to the input patient characteristic for determining a selection of ambient stimulus descriptors from the database, 203 for selecting at least one stimulus descriptor from the determined selection of ambient stimulus descriptors in dependence of the stress reduction capabilities.
[0088] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary and not restrictive; the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.
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In summary the invention relates stimuli control system 100 configured for finding ambient stimuli from a database 120 in a way so that the ambient stimuli having the most promising effect on stress reduction is selected. The selection may be performed based on a probability distribution created for describing how likely it is that a given ambient stimuli has a positive effect on the stress level for a given patient or other user. The database is a multiuser database which may be updated based on experiences from uses already registered ambient stimuli.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for mixing short staple and down cluster by a dry processing, in particular to a method that employs an air tool to blow a short staple cluster over, thereby allowing the short staple cluster to be further mixed with the down cluster.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since feathers (down feather) are light and excellent in warmth retaining property, they are used abundantly in down wear, down quilts, sleeping bags, etc. Tucking down in the aforementioned products allows warmth to be retained around users. Preferably, the light feature of the down product provides users with a flexible motion.
However, down extracted from waterfowls, such as a goose and a duck, the down usually contains high water repellence. Herein, in view of the advanced water repellence, the down has to be dissolved in a hot water bath with chemicals for stirring, so that a functional processing treatment could be carried out. However, the treatment is actually inconvenient because of the minute and complicated preparation. Even the functional processing treatment is launched, the processed down adversely has a poor property of washing resistance. Moreover, the treatment cost is high, which results in the lack of practicability.
A Japanese Patent No. 3383855 stirs staple fibers and feathers that have the wettability after washing in a mixing process bath containing a surfactant system softening agent. The staple fibers are entwined with the barbule. Herein, the disclosed processing treatment needs an environment of high humidity for mixing the feather and the staple fibers. Obviously, such processing treatment simply takes time and the applied material is easily worn out. Thus, the limited operating environment and the long processing time are both unbenefited to the speedy productivity, which causes the applicant's endeavor to solve the disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the applicant of the present invention made an effort to solve the disadvantages existing in the conventional method with a novel technique, so that an improved product could be expected for an advanced development in the industry.
A method for mixing short staple and down cluster by a dry processing comprises steps of:
(a) turning on an air tool in a blending trough for creating an air current therein and blowing the air current over a short staple cluster disposed in the blending trough, so that the short staple cluster subjected to blows of the air current is separated into strands of short staple;
(b) mixing the strands of short staple with a down cluster; a mixture of the strands of short staple and the down cluster being conveyed to a stirring tank disposed at a bottom of the blending trough;
(c) repeating step (a) to step (b) until the short staple cluster is used up;
(d) placing the redundant down cluster into the stirring tank and turning on stirring blades disposed in the stirring tank; and
(e) taking the mixture of the strands of short staple and the down cluster into a gathering room disposed in the blending trough after a stirring process is completed.
A windmill motor is disposed at one side of the stirring tank; said windmill motor is communicated with an air tube that includes two air holes respectively defined at both sides of the stirring tank; a filter is installed on the air hole, and an entrance is disposed in the blending trough; the mixture of the strands of short staple with the down cluster is sucked into the stirring tank via the entrance while turning on the windmill motor in step (b).
A channel disposed at the other side of the stirring tank for being corresponding to the windmill motor is communicated with the gathering room.
The gathering room includes two accommodating rooms respectively communicated with the channel; a blocking member is disposed at a convergence of the channel and the accommodating rooms.
A proportion of the strands of short staple mixed with the down cluster is 1% to 30%; a preferable proportion of said mixture is 5% to 20%.
The present invention contributes to the following advantages:
By means of abovementioned steps, the stirring time and the stirring procedure in the stirring tank are shortened about within 20 minutes. Thus, the speedy productivity is achieved by the shortened stirring procedure.
Further, in time of mixing, no chemicals are needed, and the mixture of the short staple and the down also does not have to be soaked in any liquid. Accordingly, troubles correlated with the drainage, the heating facility, and the resulted pollution are all prevented for saving cost.
In addition, the proportion of the short staple to the down cluster can be adjusted in accordance with the practical property of the product to be made. For example, if the effect of retaining warmth is to be enhanced, the proportion of the short staple will be raised. On the other hand, the proportion of the short staple could be alternatively decreased for saving cost.
Following embodiments and correlated figures are believed to show a clear performance of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a blending trough of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing the short staple cluster of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing strands of short staple formed by the scattered short staple cluster;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a down cluster of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a mixture of the short staple and the down cluster; and
FIG. 7 is an experimental statistic of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1 and 2 show a method for mixing short staple and down cluster by a dry processing comprising steps of:
(a) turning on an air tool 2 in a blending trough 1 for creating an air current and blowing the air current over a short staple cluster F disposed in the blending trough 1 (as shown in FIG. 3 ), so that the short staple cluster F subjected to blows of the air current is separated into strands F 1 of short staple (as shown in FIG. 4 ) ( 901 );
(b) mixing the strands F 1 of short staple with a down cluster D (as shown in FIG. 5 ); a mixture of the strands of short staple and the down cluster (as shown in FIG. 6 ) being conveyed to a stirring tank 3 disposed at a bottom of the blending trough 1 ( 902 );
(c) repeating step (a) to step (b) until the short staple cluster F is used up ( 903 );
(d) placing the redundant down cluster D into the stirring tank 3 and turning on stirring blades 4 disposed in the stirring tank 3 ( 904 ); and
(e) taking the mixture of the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster D into a gathering room 5 disposed in the blending trough 1 after a stirring process is completed ( 905 ).
A windmill motor 6 is disposed at one side of the stirring tank 3 . The windmill motor 6 is communicated with an air tube 61 that includes two air holes 62 respectively defined at both sides of the stirring tank 3 . A filter 63 is further installed on the air hole 62 , and an entrance 10 is disposed in the blending trough 1 . Thereby, the mixture of the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster D is sucked into the stirring tank 3 via the entrance 10 while turning on the windmill motor 6 in step (b).
Further, a channel 7 disposed at the other side of the stirring tank 3 for being corresponding to the windmill motor 6 is further communicated with the gathering room 5 .
Moreover, the gathering room 5 includes two accommodating rooms 50 , 51 respectively communicated with the channel 7 . A blocking member 52 is disposed at a convergence of the channel 7 and the accommodating room 50 .
According to the steps and the correlated figures above, the present invention is operated within the blending trough 1 that includes one air tool 2 , one stirring tank 3 , one set of stirring blades 4 , one gathering room 5 , one windmill motor 6 , and one channel 7 .
The stirring tank 3 is disposed at the bottom of the bending trough 1 . The entrance 10 is disposed between the stirring tank 3 and the blending trough 1 . The entrance 10 , the stirring tank 3 , and the blending trough 1 are intercommunicated with each other. The windmill motor 6 is disposed at one side of the stirring tank 3 and communicated with the air tube 61 . The air tube 61 includes two air holes 62 that are respectively disposed at the side of the stirring tank 3 . The filter 63 is disposed on the air hole 62 . The flowing air current is created by the air tube 61 . Disposed on the other side of the windmill motor 6 , the channel 7 is communicated with the gathering room 5 .
Two accommodating rooms 50 , 51 included by the gathering room 5 are respectively communicated with the channel 7 . The blocking member 52 is disposed at the convergence of the channel 7 and the accommodating room 50 .
The set of the stirring blades 4 includes a stirring motor 41 and a blade unit 42 . The stirring motor 41 is disposed out of the stirring tank 3 . The blade unit 42 is disposed in the stirring tank. Preferably, the stirring motor 41 and the blade unit 42 are connected with each other.
A controller 8 disposed in the blending trough 1 further includes a feeding switch 81 , a stirring switch 82 , and an extruding switch 83 . The feeding switch 81 and the extruding switch 83 are electrically connected to the windmill motor 6 . The stirring switch 82 is electrically connected to the stirring motor 41 .
In operation, the short staple cluster F and the down cluster D are placed in the blending trough 1 . Thereby, the air tool 2 creates an air current. Thence, blowing over via the air current, the short staple cluster F is scattered into strands F 1 of short staple. The strands F 1 of short staple are mixed with the down cluster D. Accordingly, while the feeding switch 81 is turned on to motivate the windmill motor 6 for the air current to travel through the air tube 61 from the air hole 62 , a mixture of the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster is sucked in the stirring tank 3 via the entrance 10 . Herein, the filter 63 prevents the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster D from being sucked into the windmill motor 6 . Aforementioned operation is repeatedly conducted until the short staple cluster F is used up.
Afterward, the redundant down fluster D is placed in the stirring tank 3 via the entrance 10 . Thence, the stirring switch 82 is turned on for motivating the stirring motor 41 . Thereby, the blade unit 42 is rotated for launching the stirring.
Certain operating time of the stirring has to be properly adopted. Namely, the rotation of the blade unit 42 has to be suspended for 2 minutes per 5-minute-operation. The procedure has to be conducted for three rounds. Accordingly, the total stirring time will be 15 minutes, and the total suspension will be 4 minutes. Such procedure contributes to the even mixture.
The extruding switch 83 is turned on after the completion of the stirring. Turning on the extruding switch 83 allows the windmill motor 6 to fan. Whereby, the mixture of the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster D in the stirring tank 3 enters into the gathering room 5 via the channel 7 . Preferably, the rotating blade unit further provides the mixture of the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster D with an additional push for achieving a smooth traveling into the channel, so that a convenient gathering is resulted.
Two accommodating rooms 50 , 51 included by the gathering room 5 are respectively connected to the channel 7 . Both the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster D are gathered for entering the accommodating rooms 50 , 51 . The blocking member 52 (or a valve switch) is further disposed at the exit of the channel 7 with respect to the accommodating room 50 . By means of the blocking member 52 , a blockage between the accommodating rooms 50 , 51 and the channel 7 is formed therebetween. Thereby, the mixture of the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster D would selectively enter the accommodating rooms 50 , 51 . Succeedingly, a weaving bag P is disposed on the convergence among the exit of the channel 7 and the accommodating rooms 50 , 51 for collecting the mixture of the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster.
The present invention conduces to a speedy mixture and avoids the pollutant generated in the conventional wet processing, which contributes to an inventive step.
In fact, the aim of mixing the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster D is to achieve a mixture that retains warmth since the strands F 1 of short staple are featured by retaining the absorbed warmth. Herein, the proportion for mixing the strands F 1 of short staple with the down cluster D will be discussed later in the specification. It should be noted that a proportion of the strands F 1 of short staple mixed with the down cluster D is 1% to 30%. Preferably, a proportion of the strands F 1 of short staple mixed with the down cluster is 5% to 20%.
An experimentation for observing a relationship between the effect of retaining warmth and the proportion of the strands of short staple F 1 in the mixture is conducted by the following means: A halogen lamp of 500 W is set away from a sample by 100 centimeters for 10 minutes. Thence, an infrared thermal imager measures the surface temperature of the sample. Accordingly, a comparison between a before-temperature and an after-temperature of the surface of the sample will be conducive to a conclusion as follows.
Referring to FIG. 7 , an obvious warmth retaining effect is achieved while the proportion of the strands F 1 of short staple is set from 1% to 20%. Moreover, when the weight proportion of the strands F 1 of short staple is assumed from 1% to 20%, the mixture of the strands F 1 of short staple and the down cluster D has a better warmth retaining effect than that of the cluster D without the strands F 1 of short staple.
The following Forms 1 to 3 present three different tests on the temperature that proves the superior warmth retaining effect while adding the strands F 1 of short staple (increased temperature as follows is indicated to the surface increased temperature of the sample; compared temperature as follows is indicated to the comparison of the increased temperature of the sample added with the strands F 1 of short staple to the increased temperature of the sample without the strands F 1 of short staple):
FORM 1
NO
SHORT
STAPLE
1%
5%
10%
15%
20%
INCREASED
+5.57° C.
+5.95° C.
+7.17° C.
+9.66° C.
+9.28° C.
+8.55° C.
TEMPERATURE
COMPARED
+0° C.
+0.38° C.
+1.60° C.
+4.09° C.
+3.71° C.
+2.98° C.
TEMPERATURE
FORM 2
NO
SHORT
STAPLE
1%
5%
10%
15%
20%
INCREASED
+6.04° C.
6.45° C.
+7.98° C.
+8.89° C.
+8.3° C.
+8.06° C.
TEMPERATURE
COMPARED
+0° C.
+0.41° C.
+1.94° C.
+2.85° C.
+2.26° C.
+2.02° C.
TEMPERATURE
FORM 3
NO
SHORT
STAPLE
1%
5%
10%
15%
20%
INCREASED
+7.4° C.
+8.24° C.
+9.61° C.
+10.55° C.
+9.79° C.
+9.72° C.
TEMPERATURE
COMPARED
+0° C.
+0.84° C.
2.21° C.
+3.15° C.
+2.39° C.
+2.32° C.
TEMPERATURE
Above embodiments demonstrate the inventive steps of the present invention for the patentability. Embodiments presented in the present invention do not limit the creative, novel, and non-obvious spirits involved in the techniques and functions of the same.
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A method for mixing short staple and down cluster by a dry processing utilizes an air tool to blow the short staple over, so that the scattered short staple is mixed in the down cluster. Stirring blades are further applied for stirring. Chemical agents are needless, no pollution is generated, and processing time is preferably reduced since the mixture does not have to be soaked in the chemical agent. Both the processing time and the manufacturing cost are decreased. Preferably, a proportion of the short staple to the down cluster is adjustable for different needs and divergent warmth retaining effects.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention relates to a method for the projection welding of high-carbon steels, and high-tension low-alloy steels.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Projection welding is a method of lap resistance welding like spot or seam welding. A high current and a high pressure are concentrated on the projections formed on one or both of two parts to be joined, so that the heat generated by their contact and specific resistances may melt the materials and join the parts together, as is well known. Corners, edges, ends, bulged portions, etc. on the parts are sometimes utilized without any such projection being formed.
[0005] For projection welding, it is necessary that a movable electrode be so low in inertia and friction as to be capable of following the decay of the projections precisely, and that a uniform pressure be applicable by the whole electrode to enable uniform multi-spot welding. Projection welding requires a rigid welding machine and an accurately and quickly responding mechanism for applying pressure. Thus, there is a welding machine designed exclusively for projection welding.
[0006] Projection welding undesirably requires a better welding machine of higher performance and the preparation of projections with a considerably high dimensional accuracy, but also has many merits as stated below:
[0007] (1) It is useful even for the joining of parts differing from each other in thickness and therefore in heat capacity, since the projections formed on the part having the larger thickness make it easy to obtain a thermal equilibrium;
[0008] (2) It is useful even for the joining of different kinds of metals, since the projections formed on the metal superior in thermal conductivity make it easy to obtain a thermal equilibrium;
[0009] (3) The electrode having a large surface area is beneficial for mechanical strength and thermal conductivity, and is consumed only slowly;
[0010] (4) The uniform application of current and pressure to all of the spots to be welded gives substantially uniformly welded spots of high reliability;
[0011] (5) The simultaneous welding of a multiplicity of spots ensures a very quick and efficient job;
[0012] (6) The use of a special electrode or jig enables the accurate welding of parts complicated in shape; and
[0013] (7) It is useful for the joining of a wide range of materials, including steel, bronze, stainless steel, a nickel or aluminum alloy, and a combination of steel and brass or bronze.
[0014] Despite its numerous merits stated above, however, no projection welding has been applicable to the joining of two parts of high-carbon structural steel having a high hardenability, or of a part of high-carbon steel and another of high-tension low-alloy steel. Although projection welding is useful for joining different kinds of metals, or a wide range of materials as stated, it is applicable only to materials having a low carbon content and not showing any welding defect, such as cracking, and is hardly applicable to high-carbon structural steels of high hardenability, or high-tension low-alloy steels, such as S45C, SCM, SCNM or HT780. No sound welded joint free from any welding defect can be obtained on any such high-carbon, or high-tension low-alloy steel, since carbon promotes cracking or an increase of hardness as a result of rapid heating and cooling by which resistance welding is characterized. Thus, there has not been any method of projection welding used successfully in joining S45C or like high-carbon, and high-tension low-alloy steels.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Under these circumstances, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved method of projection welding which enables the sound welding of high-carbon, and high-tension low-alloy steels by an existing projection welding machine.
[0016] This object is essentially attained by a method for the projection welding of two parts of which at least one is of high-carbon, or high-tension low-alloy steel, wherein a spacer is disposed between those parts. The high-carbon steel may be any structural steel of high hardenability, such as S45C, SCM, SCNM or HT780, and the spacer may be in the form of a thin sheet having a thickness of 50 microns to 0.4 mm, or a coating having a thickness of 10 to 100 microns. If the spacer is a coating, it may be formed on at least one of the parts to be welded, or a combination of a thin sheet and a coating can alternatively be formed on one of the parts. The spacer may be of low- or ultralow-carbon steel having a carbon content of 0.05% or less, or pure nickel or copper, and the coating may be of iron, nickel or copper. The welding may be carried out in a non-oxidizing or reducing gas atmosphere, or in a vacuum.
[0017] The spacer is intended for diluting the carbon in the parts to be welded, and thereby avoiding any cracking, or increase of hardness caused by carbon. When the projections are gradually decayed by an electric current to form nuggets, the spacer is also melted into the nuggets and its material dilutes the carbon in the nuggets. The spacer, which is a thin sheet, or coating, forms a thin soft layer in the center of each joint.
[0018] The spacer preferably has a thickness of 50 microns to 0.4 mm if it is in the form of a thin sheet. A sheet having a thickness smaller than 50 microns is too expensive to be easily available on the market and is not easy to handle, either. A sheet having a thickness over 0.4 mm forms a joint layer having a substantially equal thickness irrespective of its own thickness if pressure is applied under equal conditions, and if its thickness is too large, extra metal protrudes from the joint and gives it a poor shape. The spacer in the form of a coating preferably has a thickness of 10 to 100 microns. A coating having a thickness smaller than 10 microns may be useless, as it peels off in an instant if too high a pressure, or current is applied thereto. A coating having a thickness over 100 microns may be of low quality and fail to form a joint of high quality.
[0019] The spacer is preferably of low- or ultralow-carbon steel having a carbon content of 0.05% or less, or pure nickel or copper, so that it may not form any hard and brittle intermetallic compound, but may form in the center of a joint a soft and ductile layer which will act as a buffer to prevent any reduction in notch fatigue or static strength even if the joint may be so poor in shape as to form a notch.
[0020] The method of this invention is preferably carried out in a nonoxidizing or reducing gas atmosphere, or in a vacuum to ensure the formation of a joint of high quality, since the exposure of the joint to the air at a high temperature is likely to result in the oxidation of its outer or inner surface, the formation of pores, or its lowering in quality by absorbing oxygen from the air. It may also be effective to apply an electric current to the welded joint again to lower its hardness and improve its elongation and toughness to a further extent by resistance heating.
[0021] Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] [0022]FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a method for projection welding embodying this invention;
[0023] [0023]FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a method according to another embodiment of this invention; and
[0024] [0024]FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a method according to still another embodiment of this invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0025] The invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings showing a few preferred embodiments thereof. Referring first to FIG. 1, a method embodying this invention is intended for welding a thick steel sheet 1 and a thin steel sheet 2 together. Both of the steel sheets 1 and 2 are of a high-carbon steel, or a high-tension low-alloy steel. The thin steel sheet 2 has a plurality of projections 2 - 1 which are each spaced apart by a spacer 3 - 1 from the thick steel sheet 1 . The spacer 3 - 1 may be a thin sheet having a thickness of 50 microns to 0.4 mm, or a coating having a thickness of 10 to 100 microns. The spacer 3 - 1 in the form of a coating may be a single layer formed on the projection 2 - 1 or the thick steel sheet 1 , or a combination of two layers formed on both sides. The spacer 3 - 1 may also be formed by a combination of a thin sheet and a coating, in which the coating may be a single layer, or a combination of two layers as mentioned above. The spacer 3 - 1 is of low- or ultralow-carbon steel having a carbon content of 0.05% or less, or pure nickel or copper.
[0026] In the method as shown in FIG. 1. In the case where the steel sheets 1 and 2 to be welded together, a spacer 3 - 1 is located between the projection 2 - 1 provided on the thin steel sheet side and the thick steel sheet 1 , the steel sheets 1 and 2 are held together between a movable electrode 4 and a stationary electrode 5 , and while the movable electrode 4 is lowered to apply pressure to the thin steel sheet 2 , an electric current is supplied from a power source 6 , and concentrated on the projections 2 - 1 to weld the sheets 1 and 2 together. The projections 2 - 1 and the spacers 3 - 1 are melted together by the heat generated by the contact and specific resistances of the thick steel sheet 1 and the projections 2 - 1 and form nuggets having a carbon content lowered by the molten spacer material therein to thereby form a sound welded joint having no crack or other defect resulting otherwise from an increase of hardness, even though the sheets 1 and 2 may be of a structural steel of high hardenability, such as S45C, SCM or SCNM, HT 780 or a high-tension low-alloy steel, such as SHY.
[0027] Referring now to FIG. 2, a method according to another embodiment of this invention is used for welding a thick steel sheet 1 and a cylindrical body 7 together. The sheet 1 and the cylindrical body 7 are each of any of the materials as already stated above. The cylindrical body 7 has a lower end so shaped as to define a projection 7 - 1 and a spacer 3 - 2 is located between the projection 7 - 1 and the steel sheet 1 . The spacer 3 - 2 may be of the same material and composition as already stated above. In the same method as show in FIG. 1. The steel sheet 1 and the cylindrical body 7 are held together between a movable electrode 4 and a stationary electrode 5 not shown, and while the movable electrode 4 is lowered to apply pressure to the cylindrical body 7 , an electric current is supplied from a power source not shown to weld the steel sheet 1 and the cylindrical body 7 together. The projection 7 - 1 and the spacer 3 - 2 are melted together by the heat generated by the contact and specific resistances of the thick steel sheet 1 and the projection 7 - 1 and form a nugget having a carbon content lowered by the molten spacer material therein to thereby form a sound welded joint having no crack or other defect.
[0028] Referring now to FIG. 3, a method according to still another embodiment of this invention is used for welding a steel pipe 8 and a cylindrical body 9 together. They may both be of any of the materials as already stated before. The pipe 8 has an opening, and the cylindrical body 9 has a lower end so shaped as to define a projection 9 - 1 spaced apart from the pipe 8 by a spacer 3 - 3 encircling its opening. The pipe 8 and the cylindrical body 9 are held together between a movable electrode 4 and a stationary electrode 5 not shown, and while the movable electrode 4 is lowered to apply pressure to the cylindrical body 9 , an electric current is supplied from a power source not shown to weld the pipe 8 and the cylindrical body 9 together. The projection 9 - 1 and the spacer 3 - 3 are melted together by the heat generated by the contact and specific resistances of the pipe 8 and the projection 9 - 1 and form a nugget having a carbon content lowered by the molten spacer material therein to thereby form a sound welded joint having no crack or other defect.
[0029] The method of this invention makes it possible to form a sound welded joint having no defect between parts of structural steels of high hardenability and high-tension low-alloy steels by projection welding, while it has hitherto been impossible, as stated above. Therefore, the method of this invention is very useful in the manufacture of various kinds of products made of structural steels of high hardenability or high-tension low-alloy steels, and required to be of high quality and reliability, such as high-pressure fuel injection pipes for motor vehicles, push rods and cross shafts for fans.
EXAMPLE 1
[0030] A few experiments were made for the projection welding of a sheet of S45C structural steel of high hardenability having a thickness of 6 mm and a cylindrical body of the same material having an outside diameter of 12 mm, an inside diameter of 3.3 mm and a projecting end diameter of 6 mm. According to this invention, a spacer was employed in each case. It was a thin annular sheet of SPCC, or pure nickel or copper having an outside diameter of 6 to 8 mm, an inside diameter of 3 mm and a thickness of 0.3 mm. The experiments were made by employing the welding conditions shown in Table 1, and the results are shown in Table 2. The tables also include a case according to the prior art in which no spacer was employed. As is obvious from Table 2, a sound welded joint having no crack or other defect could be obtained in every case where the method of this invention was employed, while cracking occurred when no spacer was employed.
TABLE 1 Duration of current application Case No. Pressure (kgf) Current (A) (cycles) Invention 1 280 9300 40 2 280 9200 40 3 280 9100 40 Prior art 280 9500 40
[0031] [0031] TABLE 2 Material Spacer Welding Case No. of parts Material Thickness results Invention 1 S45C Thin sheet of 0.3 mm No defect SPCC 2 S45C Thin sheet of 0.3 mm No defect pure nickel 3 S45C Thin sheet of 0.3 mm No defect pure copper Prior art S45C None Cracking
EXAMPLE 2
[0032] A few experiments were made for the projection welding of a sheet of SCM structural steel of high hardenability having a thickness of 6 mm and a cylindrical body of the same material having an outside diameter of 12 mm, an inside diameter of 3.3 mm and a projecting end diameter of 6 mm. According to this invention, an iron, nickel or copper coating having a thickness of 20 to 35 microns was formed as a spacer in each case. The experiments were made by employing the welding conditions shown in Table 3, and the results are shown in Table 4. The tables also include a case according to the prior art in which no spacer was employed. As is obvious from Table 4, a sound welded joint having no crack or other defect could be obtained in every case where the method of this invention was employed, while cracking occurred when no spacer was employed.
TABLE 3 Duration of current application Case No. Pressure (kgf) Current (A) (cycles) Invention 1 280 9500 40 2 280 9700 40 3 280 9600 40 Prior art 280 9600 40
[0033] [0033] TABLE 4 Material Spacer Welding Case No. of parts Material Thickness results Invention 1 SCM Iron coating 0.3 mm No defect 2 SCM Nickel coating 0.3 mm No defect 3 SCM Copper coating 0.3 mm No defect Prior art SCM None Cracking
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This invention provides an improved method of projection welding which enables the sound welding of high-carbon, and high-tension low-alloy steels.
A spacer is disposed between two parts to be joined by projection welding. At least one of the parts is made of a high-carbon, or high-tension low-alloy steel. The spacer is a thin sheet, or coating formed on at least one of those parts.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates generally to work tables and, more specifically, to a portable combination writing and drawing table apparatus particularly useful for children and method therefor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Many adults and children of all ages enjoy drawing, doodling and writing. Parents often encourage this behavior to improve the skills that aid in the child's ability to express him or herself. Additionally, it is often when drawing, doodling or writing as a child that parents and other adults are able to identify special artistic talents. To this end, parents often bring with them drawing paper and various crayons, markers or other writing implements when traveling in order to provide their children with every opportunity to draw or write.
[0003] Several obstacles present themselves to both adults who enjoy drawing themselves and to parents who want to encourage their children to creatively express themselves and hone their writing and drawing skills. First, it is not always easy to find a flat surface suitable for writing or drawing. Even if such a surface is found, however, the table, counteror other space is often at a height either not suitable for children or inappropriate for adults. This is especially a problem for parentsor other adults who need to take children to doctor's appointments, meetings, or on other errands in which table space at an appropriate height for children is not always available. Additionally, it is not easy for the adult or the child to transport drawing paper, crayons, markers, and other writing implements from place to place. Often times, the drawing paper gets crinkled and the caps come off of the markers making a mess that is both time-consuming as well as expensive to clean up.
[0004] A need therefore existed for a portable combination writing and drawing table apparatus and method therefor capable of providing a flat writing and drawing surface at a comfortable height for both children and adults as well as secure compartments for various writing implements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a portable combination writing and drawing table apparatus capable of providing a substantially flat writing surface.
[0006] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a portable combination writing and drawing table apparatus capable of providing a substantially flat writing surface at a comfortable height for both children and adults.
[0007] It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a portable combination writing and drawing table apparatus comprising at least one receptacle dimensioned to securely hold various kinds of writing implements.
[0008] It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a portable combination writing and drawing table apparatus comprising at least one receptacle dimensioned to receive drawing paper.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0009] In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a portable combination writing and drawing table apparatus is disclosed, comprising, in combination, a platform having a substantially flat top surface and a bottom surface and a front side and a back side, a cover having substantially the same size as the platform and having a top surface and a bottom surface and a front side and a back side, a lower portion of the cover is rotatably coupled proximate the back side of the platform, at least one exterior compartment coupled proximate the top surface of the cover, at least one interior compartment coupled proximate the bottom surface of the cover, a first retractable support member rotatably coupled proximate the bottom surface of the platform, and a second retractable support member rotatably coupled proximate the bottom surface of the platform, the first retractable support member and the second retractable support member are dimensioned to support the platform in a raised position when the first retractable support member and the second retractable support member are fully extended away from the platform.
[0010] In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing a portable combination writing and drawing table apparatus is disclosed, comprising, in combination, the steps of providing a platform having a substantially flat top surface and a bottom surface and a front side and a back side, providing a cover having substantially the same size as the platform and having a top surface and a bottom surface and a front side and a back side, rotatably coupling a lower portion of the cover proximate the back side of the platform, coupling at least one exterior compartment proximate the top surface of the cover, coupling at least one interior compartment proximate the bottom surface of the cover, rotatably coupling a first retractable support member proximate the bottom surface of the platform, and rotatably coupling a second retractable support member proximate the bottom surface of the platform, the first retractable support member and the second retractable support member are dimensioned to support the platform in a raised position when the first retractable support member and the second retractable support member are fully extended away from the platform.
[0011] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] [0012]FIG. 1 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus of the present invention, showing the table in the closed position.
[0013] [0013]FIG. 2 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the retractable support members partially extended.
[0014] [0014]FIG. 3 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus of FIG. 1, showing the retractable support members fully extended.
[0015] [0015]FIG. 4 is a front view of the preferred embodiment of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus of FIG. 1, showing three interior compartments and the cover held in an open position relative to the platform by the rod and groove assembly.
[0016] [0016]FIG. 5 is a back view of the preferred embodiment of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus of FIG. 4, showing two exterior compartments and the cover in an open position relative to the platform.
[0017] [0017]FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus of FIG. 4, showing the locking pivot arm assembly in the unlocked position and the rod and groove assembly unengaged.
[0018] [0018]FIG. 7 is a back view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, showing one exterior compartment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Referring to FIGS. 1 - 6 reference number 10 refers generally to the preferred embodiment of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus of the present invention. The combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 comprises a platform 12 having a substantially flat top surface 14 (shown in FIGS. 4 and 6) and a bottom surface 16 . The platform 12 also comprises a front side 18 (shown in FIGS. 1 - 4 and 6 ) and a back side 20 (shown in FIGS. 5 and 7).
[0020] The combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 further comprises a cover 22 having substantially the same size as the platform 12 . The cover 22 has a top surface 24 (shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 , 5 and 7 ) and a bottom surface 26 (shown in FIGS. 4 and 6) and a front side 28 (shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 , and 6 ) and a back side 30 (shown in FIGS. 5 and 6). A lower portion of the cover 22 is rotatably coupled proximate the back side 20 of the platform l 2 . In the preferred embodiment, the cover 22 is hingedly coupled proximate the back side of the platform 12 . Preferably, the cover 22 comprises a first hinge 29 (shown in FIG. 4) and a second hinge 31 (shown in FIG. 4). The first hinge 29 is hingedly coupled proximate a first end 33 (shown in FIG. 4) of the cover 22 proximate the back side 20 of the platform 12 and the second hinge 31 is hingedly coupled proximate a second end 35 (shown in FIG. 4) of the cover 22 proximate the back side 20 of the platform 12 . While, in the preferred embodiment, the cover 22 comprises a first hinge 29 and a second hinge 31 , it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative configuration of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 in which the cover 22 is rotatably coupled to the platform 12 by some other mechanism, such as the shaft assembly 37 (shown in FIG. 6).
[0021] The combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 further comprises at least one and preferably a first exterior compartment 34 (shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 , and 5 - 6 ) and a second exterior compartment 36 (shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 and 5 ). The first exterior compartment 34 is preferably coupled proximate the top surface 24 of the cover 22 and is dimensioned to receive drawing paper (not shown). The second exterior compartment 36 is preferably smaller in size than the first exterior compartment 34 and is dimensioned to receive drawing paper of a smaller size than the first exterior compartment 34 . The second exterior compartment 36 is also preferably coupled proximate the top surface 24 of the cover 22 . While, in the preferred embodiment, the cover 22 comprises a first exterior compartment 34 and a second exterior compartment 36 it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative embodiment of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 in which the cover 22 comprises a single exterior compartment 32 (as shown in FIG. 7). In this alternative embodiment of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus, hereinafter 100 , only one exterior compartment 32 is coupled proximate the top surface 24 of the cover 22 .
[0022] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 6, the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 further comprises at least one and preferably three interior compartments: a first interior compartment 38 , a second interior compartment 40 and third interior compartment 42 . The first interior compartment 38 , the second interior compartment 40 and the third interior compartment 42 are coupled proximate the bottom surface 26 of the cover 22 In the preferred embodiment, the first interior compartment 38 is dimensioned to receive crayons (not shown), the second interior compartment 40 is dimensioned to receive drawing markers (not shown) , and the third interior compartment 42 is dimensioned to receive pens and pencils (not shown). While, in the preferred embodiment, three interior compartments are dimensioned to receive varying kinds of writing implements it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative configuration of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 in which the bottom surface 26 of thecover 22 comprises as few as one interior compartment, so long as it is capable of receiving at least one variety of writing implements. Similarly, it should be understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative configuration of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 in which the first interior compartment 38 , the second interior compartment 40 , and the third interior compartment 42 are dimensioned to receive other items often used by children, such as drawing paper, glue, and the like.
[0023] Referring now to FIGS. 4 - 6 , preferably the first interior compartment 38 , the second interior compartment 40 , the third interior compartment 42 , the first exterior compartment 34 and the second exterior compartment 36 each comprise a lid 43 . Each lid 43 is dimensioned to be coupled proximate an upperportion of the first interior compartment 38 , the second interior compartment 40 , the third interior compartment 42 , the first exterior compartment 34 and the second exterior compartment 36 . Preferably, each lid 43 further comprises a shaft 45 (shown in FIG. 4 enlarged and removed to the side although with a shortened shaft) having a first end 47 (shown in FIG. 4) and a second end 49 (shown in FIG. 4). In the preferred embodiment, the first end 47 of each shaft 45 is rotatably coupled proximate a first end 51 (shown in FIGS. 4 - 6 ) of each lid 43 by a first washer and bolt assembly 55 (shown in FIGS. 4 - 5 ). Preferably, the second end of the of each shaft 45 is rotatably coupled proximate a second end 53 (shown in FIGS. 4 - 6 ) of each lid 43 by a second washer and bolt assembly 57 (shown in FIGS. 4 - 5 ). While, in the preferred embodiment, each lid 43 comprises a first washer and bolt assembly 55 and a second washer and bolt assembly 57 , it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative configuration of the interior and exterior compartments in which either no lid 43 exists or where the lid 43 is coupled by an alternative mechanism, such as by Velcro™ or some other means, so long as the interior and exterior compartments are able to securely hold their contents.
[0024] Referring now to FIGS. 2 - 7 , the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 further comprises a first retractable support member 44 and a second retractable support member 46 . The first retractable support member 44 and the second retractable support member 46 are rotatably coupled proximate the bottom surface 16 of the platform 12 and are dimensioned to support the platform 12 in a raised position when the first retractable support member 44 and the second retractable support member 46 are fully extended away from the platform 12 . It should be understood that the retractable support members do not have to be in use for the substantially flat top surface 14 of the platform 12 to be utilized. Preferably, the purpose of the retractable support members are to allow a child (not shown) to sit on the floor and still comfortably write or draw on the substantially flat top surface 14 . Additionally, it should be noted that the first retractable support member 44 and the second retractable support member 46 can also be used when placing the portable combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 on a table (not shown) or some other place, to raise the table to a more appropriate height for children and/or adults.
[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 6, the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 preferably comprises a rod and groove assembly 48 (shown in FIG. 4) dimensioned to support the cover 22 in an open position relative to the platform 12 . The substantially flat top surface 14 of the platform 12 defines a groove 50 proximate the back side 20 of the platform 12 . The groove 50 is dimensioned to receive a rod 52 . The rod 52 is pivotably coupled proximate the bottom surface 26 of the cover 22 , proximate the back side 30 of the cover 22 . While, in the preferred embodiment, the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 comprises a rod and groove assembly 48 , it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative configuration of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 in which other means, such as hinges, are used to support the cover 22 in an open position relative to the platform 12 . It is also quite possible that the cover 22 could be supported in an open position relative to the platform 12 by gravity alone if the cover 22 is coupled to the platform 12 at an angle of greater than ninety degrees.
[0026] In the preferred embodiment, the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 further comprises a handle 54 coupled proximate the front side 28 of the cover 22 . Freferably, the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 also comprises a locking pivot arm assembly 56 (shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 ). The pivot arm assembly 56 comprises a knob 58 (shown in FIGS. 1 - 4 , and 6 ) coupled proximate the front side 18 of the platform 12 . A pivot arm 60 (shown in FIGS. 1 - 3 and 6 ) is preferably coupled proximate the front side 28 of the cover 22 and dimensioned to communicate with the knob 58 to lock the cover 22 in a closed position relative to the platform 12 . While, in the preferred embodiment, the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 comprises a pivot arm assembly 56 it should be clearly understood that substantial benefit could be derived from an alternative configuration of the combination writing and drawing table apparatus 10 which either lacks a locking mechanism altogether or which comprises an alternative locking mechanism, such as Velcro™ or the standard latches found on most briefcases.
[0027] While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention
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A combination writing and drawing table apparatus and method therefore capable of providing a flat writing and drawing surface at an appropriate height for children as well as secure compartments for various writing implements.
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This application is a 371 of PCT/DE93/00638, filed Jul. 17, 1993.
DESCRIPTION
The present invention is concerned with an active ingredient patch for controlled topical or transdermal release of volatile active ingredients, consisting of a backing layer or carrier layer and a reservoir layer bonded to it, which consists of an SEBS three-block copolymer which serves at the same time as adhesive layer and control layer for the release of the active ingredient, and method for the production of this active ingredient patch from the melt. The skin patch is covered with a protective film, which is removed by peeling it off from the reservoir layer before the use of the patch, that is, before application of the patch on the skin.
Active ingredient patches, which permit controlled release of the active ingredient(s) into the skin are already known from the literature. Embodiments of such patches, in which the active ingredient is dissolved or dispersed homogeneously in a thin contact (pressure-sensitive) adhesive layer and is liberated from it in a diffusion-controlled manner, are transdermal or topical systems of simple design, suitable in principle for mass production.
However, in practice, the development and/or production of such active ingredient patch always has disadvantages, of which are described below, and as a result, it is correspondingly expensive:
The adhesive properties of the reservoir layer cannot be adjusted optimally at high active ingredient contents, so that the patch must have an additional adhesive layer in order to achieve good adhesion on the skin surface during use and to permit complete painless removal of the patch from the skin after use.
The reservoir must have a multilayer structure in order to be able to incorporate sufficient amounts of active ingredient into the patch and/or additional depots are to be provided which are separated spatially and functionally from the adhesive layer.
An additional control layer is necessary in order to ensure controlled, continuous liberation of the active ingredient over long application time periods and/or at least to limit skin irritation and/or systemic side effects at a given active ingredient release rate per unit time.
The contact adhesive reservoir layer is prepared from solution, so that there is the problem of elimination of solvent residues and the related evaporation of volatile active ingredients. The use of solvents in the production of active-ingredient-containing contact adhesive layers is disadvantageous for several reasons. The preparation of the solution requires at least one technologically expensive process step. For medical purposes, highly pure and thus expensive solvents must be used for the dissolution of the adhesive or of its starting materials, in order to ensure the corresponding absence of residues in the adhesive reservoir. Another problem is to achieve absence of solvent in the patch itself. Therefore, technically expensive drying sections and aspiration installations are necessary. In addition, recovery and separation of the solvent must be ensured technologically in order to avoid environmental pollution; moreover, the combustibility of solvents represents an additional risk. Furthermore, most organic solvents are damaging to the human organism, so that expensive protective measures must be provided for the personnel involved in manufacture.
Skin patches, among others, for transdermal application of bupranolol, are known from EP 0144486; here, the active ingredient is contained in a reservoir with multistep structure, whereby a multistep active ingredient concentration gradient from the outer reservoir layer that faces the carrier film to the skin is provided as control element for the release of the active ingredient.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,232 also describes, among others, an active ingredient patch with β-blockers in which an adhesive reservoir containing bupranolol or propranolol is built up in two partial steps; in this case, water-swellable polymers are added to the reservoir to improve and control its active ingredient release properties.
Transdermal release systems with the β-blocker timolol are known from EP 0186071, which, for reasons of local tolerance, limit the liberation of active ingredient from the reservoir to a maximum of 20 μg/cm 2 /h with the aid of discrete control layers.
The disadvantages related to the use of solvents in the development and production of active ingredient patches are to be avoided by the production of self-adhesive active ingredient reservoirs from the melt. Thus, for example, indomethacin-containing contact hot-melt adhesives are known from US 4,485,077 and JP 63203616 describes contact hot-melt adhesives for patches and similar structures, especially for etofenamate. According to DE-P 37 43 947, the two proposed forms of application for contact hot-melt adhesives are suitable for high processing temperatures, but not for low-melting and/or volatile active ingredients, such as, for example, the sensitive nicotine, which has a low boiling point and high evaporation rate. DE-P 37 43 947 describes correspondingly a method in which the nicotine reservoir is produced using a contact hot-melt adhesive with a processing temperature of 40°-80° C. Various nicotine patches have been described with and without nicotine depots, which are spatially and functionally separated from the adhesive layer. The above application does not give examples from which the loading of contact hot-melt adhesives with active ingredient could be deduced in single-layer systems, nor are there data on the loading capacity of such adhesive formulations. Rather, it is described that the devices named there also have one or several nicotine depots in which nicotine is present at concentrations which are higher than that of the nicotine-containing contact hot-melt adhesive layer, as a result of which higher doses of nicotine can be incorporated and thus the device can be used for a longer period of time before it has to be replaced. The incorporation of an additional depot in a patch requires additional technological expenditure and consequently development and production become more expensive.
EP 0 521 761 discloses a special dressing that promotes wound healing, consisting of a synthetic polymer matrix, which is formed from a mixture of block copolymers of the S-EB-S type, with plasticizer.
The inventive idea here is to provide such a matrix wound dressing which protects the wound against the outside environment and retains wound exudations, but is able to provide a moist medium. The reason is that this is advantageous for growth and cell multiplication, without sticking to the wound, so that damage of the skin trauma is avoided when the dressing is removed, while, at the same time, formation of the covering tissue is promoted under good conditions.
Although, here, block copolymers of the S-EB-S type are mentioned, they are always named in a mixture with plasticizer and these are used exclusively as adhesive material.
Finally, it should be indicated that the claimed composition could contain pharmaceutically active ingredients in therapeutically active amounts. However, loading of the adhesive with active ingredients, data as to which active ingredients or active ingredient groups can be used, or data regarding the loading capacity of such adhesive formulations are lacking.
EP 0 356 382 describes a multilayer patch, the reservoir layer of which, that is able to release the active ingredient, is formed from a mixture of styrene/mixed block copolymers with alkane or alkadiene homopolymers. Additionally, this reservoir layer must contain at least one agent that promotes the permeability of skin to active ingredients. Optionally, other control means, for example, a membrane, must be present.
For the reasons given above, such a patch structure is not only difficult to produce industrially, but is undesirable because of the skin penetration promoters that are necessarily contained in it.
European Offenlegungsschrift EP 0 249 979 discloses a hot-melt adhesive of the type A-B-A (three-block copolymer) or A-B-A-B-A-B (multiblock copolymer), which is suitable for use in absorption devices that are to be secured on tissues. For example, sanitary napkins or diapers are named as such means. For these applications, a number of additives are necessarily added to the block copolymers mentioned above.
The indication that these types of adhesives could contain pharmaceutically active ingredients cannot be deduced from this document. Mention of the fact that these types of adhesives could serve as adhesive and control layer for pharmaceutically active ingredients is lacking.
EP 0 186 019 describes an active-ingredient-containing patch system which contains water-swellable polymers that are not soluble in the adhesive film. The addition of these special swellable polymers provides reproducible release of the active ingredient, controlled over the entire application time period, in a high, therapeutically appropriate amount of active ingredient.
Sometimes the use of a three-block polystyrene poly(ethylene butylene) polystyrene copolymer of the SEBS type is described. However, this polymer is used exclusively in organic solvents as a necessary admixture to water-swellable polymers. According to the teaching of this document, it is only the combination consisting of this adhesive composition, the swellable polymer and organic solvent that is able to provide an active ingredient patch that ensures reproducible release of the active ingredient, controlled as much as possible over the entire application time period, at a high total amount of active ingredient.
Indication that the adhesive of the SEBS type could be used along for the production of therapeutically applicable active ingredient patches, without the addition of other substances that would control the loading with active ingredient and the amount of active ingredient released from the patch, cannot be deduced from this document.
Finally, EP 0 439 180 describes a transdermal therapeutic system with the active ingredient tulobuterol. In this document, styrene-1,3-diene-styrene block copolymers are used as polymer component. It can be deduced from the document that this polymer is suitable only for the galenic preparation form of a patch with the active ingredient tulobuterol, but not for the active ingredient salbutamol, which belongs to the same class of active ingredients, the β-sympathomimetics.
Furthermore, the block copolymer mentioned above is an elastomer, which contains chemically unsaturated groups as structural components and thus must be protected against oxidation and degradation due to shear stresses, even during processing. Added to this are protective measures in the finished patch as pharmaceutical during storage and limitations in the use of protective films. The patient demands transparent films that can be exposed to lights during application or to bath waters that contain sterilizing agents, for example, chlorine or ozone.
However, the document does not describe that copolymers of the SEBS type, which contain chemically saturated groups as structural components in the middle block, can be used generally in active ingredient patches, with the simultaneous function of adhesive and control layer for the release of active ingredients, while avoiding the above disadvantages, when they are used according to the invention, as described below.
Therefore the task of the present invention is to avoid the disadvantages of skin patches of this type for topical and/or transdermal application of low-melting and/or volatile active ingredients, especially of nicotine and of β-receptor blockers, such as bupranolol. It was found surprisingly that an active ingredient patch, without the addition of swellable polymers for controlled release of active ingredients into the skin, increases the loading capacity of the reservoir, without additional depots and control elements and/or control layers and no solvent, the patch consisting of a backing layer, of an adhesive film bonded to it consisting of a contact hot-melt adhesive, and of a layer that covers the adhesive film and can be removed again, while the adhesive layer contains a contact hot-melt adhesive, a three-block copolymer of polystyrene-block-copoly(ethylene-butylene)-block-polystyrene (SEBS) at a concentration of 10 to 80 weight %, preferably 20 to 40 weight %, and an active ingredient which is liquid at the processing temperature of the contact hot-melt adhesive, at a concentration of 2.5 to 25 weight %, also and contains optionally a tackifier. Preferably, the styrene content of the SEBS three-block copolymer is 10 to 50 weight % and especially preferably 10 to 30 weight %.
Furthermore, the adhesive film of the active ingredient patch according to the invention contains preferably between 20 and 90 weight %, especially preferably 40 to 70 weight % of a tackifier and optionally 0.1 to 1% anti-aging agent. Preferred tackifiers are aliphatic and/or aromatic hydrocarbon resins which are compatible with the end blocks and/or middle block of the SEBS polymer. Furthermore, preferably, hydroabietyl alcohol and/or its derivatives are used as tackifier.
Antioxidants, such as tocopherol, substituted phenols, hydroquinones, pyrocatechols and aromatic amines can be used as antiaging agents.
The active ingredient patch according to the invention can be produced by mixing the components of the contact hot-melt adhesive before the addition of the active ingredients while heating at 100° to 200° C., preferably 110° to 170° C., in an inert atmosphere, until a homogeneous melt is obtained and then dissolving the active ingredient in the melt of the contact adhesive under an inert gas at a processing temperature of 100° to 200° C., preferably 110° to 130° C. Preferably, the homogeneous, active-ingredient-containing contact hot-melt adhesive composition is applied onto the removable protective layer or onto an antiadhesive substrate by extrusion, casting, roll application, blade application, spraying or with a pressure process and covered with the backing layer. Another procedure consists in application of the homogeneous, active-ingredient-containing hot-melt adhesive composition onto the backing layer by extrusion, casting, roll application, blade application, spraying or by a pressure method and then covering it with the removable protective layer. Preferably, the individual patches are produced by cutting and/or format stamping.
Furthermore, it was found surprisingly that SEBS three-block copolymers with low-melting and/or volatile active ingredients, for example, nicotine or bupranolol, form reservoir layers which:
1. can be produced from the melt at processing temperatures above 100° C. without decomposition of the active ingredient and/or of the polymer,
2. can take up a large amount of active ingredient without the loss of their cohesiveness and adhesive strength, so that the incorporation of additional depot and/or active-ingredient-binding substances which are insoluble in the contact adhesive composition can be omitted, and
3. in which the release of the active ingredient can be adjusted to the required rate without additional control layers by adjusting the styrene content of the SEBS three-block copolymers and/or by the use of tackifiers, which are compatible with the end blocks and/or the middle block of the SEBS block copolymer.
Surprisingly, furthermore, when obtaining the SEBS-based active ingredient reservoir according to the invention from the melt, higher liberation rates from the patch are achieved than when the manufacturing process is from a solution, so that the amount of active ingredient in the reservoir can be reduced without lowering the release capacity of the patch in comparison to correspondingly structured and composed solvent-based systems. The technical expenditure and, consequently, the cost of the patch can be kept low by saving solvent, additional reservoir and control layers, as well as active ingredient. The invention is explained below with the aid of the following Examples:
EXAMPLES 1a to 1f
Production according to the hot-melt method
Kraton G 1657 (SEBS three-block copolymer), Regalrez 1094 (aliphatic hydrocarbon resin), Abitol (hydroabietyl alcohol) and Irganox 1010 (antioxidant) are melted under argon in a laboratory kneader at 110°-150° C. in the amounts given (see Table 1) and are mixed to obtain a homogeneous mixture (duration about 60 minutes). Then 23.9 g of bupranolol are dissolved in the clear melt under argon at 140° C. (duration about 20 minutes). The bupranolol-containing contact hot-melt adhesive composition is cast into a coolable mold coated with an antiadhesive layer to a film having a thickness of approximately 250 μm, cooled to 12°-14° C. within 5 minutes and covered with a 70 μm thick polyester film (backing layer). The open adhesive surface of the laminate thus obtained, consisting of adhesive film and backing layer, is then laminated to a 100 μm thick polyester film silicone-coated on both sides (=removable protective layer).
Then, individual patches with a surface area of 8 cm 2 are stamped out.
Comparison examples 1a' to 1f'
Preparation according to the solvent method
The components listed in Table 1, including bupranolol, are weighed into an iodine flask and dissolved in a mixture of 50 mL of petroleum benzine and 15 mL of toluene under shaking. The solvent-containing mass is coated onto a 100 μm thick polyester film with a doctor blade and dried for 3 days at 25° C. in a drying oven with air circulation, so that an adhesive film of approximately 174 g/m 2 results. The open adhesive surface of the laminate thus obtained, consisting of adhesive film and backing layer, is laminated to a 100 μm thick polyester removable film coated with silicone on both sides (removable protective layer).
Then individual patches with a surface area of 8 cm 2 are stamped.
TABLE 1__________________________________________________________________________Composition of the hot-melt patch according to the inventionand of the Comparison ExamplesExample amounts in g · 10.sup.-1 or in g for the Comparison Examples(Comparison Kraton GX Regalrez IrganoxExample) # 1657 # 1094 Abitol # 1010 bupranolol total__________________________________________________________________________1a (1a') 8.57 7.50 5.36 0.10 2.39 23.931b (1b') 6.97 9.11 5.36 0.10 2.39 23.931c (1c') 5.36 10.72 5.36 0.10 2.39 23.931d (1d') 5.36 9.11 6.97 0.10 2.39 23.931e (1e') 5.36 7.50 8.57 0.10 2.39 23.931f (1f') 6.97 7.50 6.97 0.10 2.39 23.93__________________________________________________________________________
Release of active ingredient
Patch sections of 8 cm 2 in size are used for the measurement active ingredient release.
The test is carried out according to the Paddle-Over-Disk method according to USP XXII in 600 mL of phosphate buffer, pH 5.5, as release medium. Samples are taken every 15 minutes. The bupranolol content in the sample solution is determined by liquid chromatography.
The results of the release of active ingredient after 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours are summarized for Examples 1a to 1f in Table 2a, and for the corresponding Comparison Examples in Table 2b.
TABLE 2a______________________________________Release of active ingredient (hot-melt patch) mean release in mg/8 cm.sup.2 afterExample 2 h 4 h 6 h 8 h 12 h 24 h______________________________________# 1a 1.62 2.28 2.79 3.22 3.92 5.53# 1b 1.20 1.67 2.02 2.31 2.80 3.91# 1c 0.67 0.92 1.08 1.22 1.47 1.99# 1d 0.87 1.18 1.41 1.60 1.92 2.65# 1e 1.07 1.52 1.84 2.10 2.54 3.49# 1f 1.29 1.79 2.18 2.50 3.02 4.17______________________________________
TABLE 2b______________________________________Release of active ingredient (Comparison Examples)Comparison mean release in mg/8 cm.sup.2 afterExample 2 h 4 h 6 h 8 h 12 h 24 h______________________________________# 1a' 1.43 1.99 2.44 2.81 3.41 4.78# 1b' 0.82 1.23 1.56 1.84 2.31 3.35# 1c' 0.35 0.44 0.51 0.56 0.67 1.01# 1d' 0.76 1.04 1.24 1.41 1.69 2.26# 1e' 0.72 1.03 1.28 1.50 1.88 2.80# 1f' 1.10 1.58 1.93 2.22 2.72 3.95______________________________________
As shown by comparison of the measurement series in Table 2a and 2b, the release rates of the hot-melt patch are surprisingly above those of the solvent-based systems, sometimes clearly so, for the same composition and active ingredient concentration in the contact adhesive composition, at all measurement points, in spite of complete absence of solvent.
EXAMPLES 2a to 2f
Preparation according to the hot-melt method
Kraton G 1657 (SEBS three-block copolymer), Regalrez 1094 (aliphatic hydrocarbon resin), Kristalex F 85 (aromatic hydrocarbon resin), Abitol (tackifier) and Irganox 1010 (antioxidant) are melted under argon in a laboratory kneader at 110°-150° C. in the amounts given (see Table 3) and mixed until a homogeneous mixture is obtained (duration approximately 60 minutes). Bupranolol is dissolved in the given amount in the clear melt under argon at 140° C. (duration approximately 20 minutes). The bupranolol-containing contact hot-melt adhesive composition obtained in this way is cast into a heated, water-coolable mold with an antiadhesive coating to obtain an approximately 250 μm thick film, cooled to 12°-14° C. within 5 minutes and covered with a 70 μm thick polyester film (backing layer). The open adhesive surface of the laminate consisting of adhesive film and backing layer obtained in this way is laminated to a 100 μm thick polyester film silicone-coated on both sides (=removable protective layer).
Then individual patches with an area of 8 cm 2 are stamped out.
TABLE 3__________________________________________________________________________Composition Example 2, end-block-resin-modified formulations (hot-meltpatch)Amounts given in gKraton GX # Regalrez # Kristalex # Irganox #Example1657 1094 F85 Abitol 1010 bupranolol total__________________________________________________________________________2a 60.00 75.00 15.00 41.00 0.88 21.32 213.202b 48.75 86.25 15.00 41.00 0.88 21.32 213.202c 37.50 97.50 15.00 41.00 0.88 21.32 213.202d 37.50 86.25 26.25 41.00 0.88 21.32 213.202e 37.50 75.00 37.50 41.00 0.88 21.32 213.202f 48.75 75.00 26.25 41.00 0.88 21.32 213.20__________________________________________________________________________
Release of active ingredient
Patch sections of 8 cm 2 in size are used for the measurement of the active ingredient release. The test is carried out according to the Paddle-Over-Disk method as described for Example 1. The results of the liberation of active ingredient after 2, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours are summarized for Examples 2a to 2f in Table 4.
TABLE 4______________________________________Active ingredient release, Example 2, end-block-resin-modifiedformulations (hot-melt patch) mg/8 cm.sup.2Example 2 h 4 h 6 h 8 h 12 h 24 h______________________________________# 2a 1.06 1.47 1.79 2.06 2.51 3.55# 2b 0.74 1.04 1.26 1.45 1.77 2.46# 2c 0.44 0.61 0.74 0.84 1.01 1.37# 2d 0.50 0.70 0.85 0.98 1.19 1.67# 2e 0.60 0.84 1.02 1.18 1.43 2.01# 2f 0.80 1.14 1.39 1.60 1.96 2.77______________________________________
As the results shown in Table 4 indicate, the amount of active ingredient released can be retarded with the aid of aromatic hydrocarbon resins. The change of the amounts of SEBS polymer, and of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon resins is possible in the art, so that the required release pattern can be achieved without having to incorporate additional control membranes.
At the same time, the required adjustments in the formulation can be made with regard to adhesive performance, permeability to water vapor and skin-compatible release behavior without having to change the amount of active ingredient contained.
EXAMPLES 3a to 3e and 4a to 4e
Preparation according to the hot-melt method
Kraton G 1657 (SEBS three-block copolymer) or Cariflex TR 1107 (SIS three-block copolymer), Regalrez 1094 (aliphatic hydrocarbon resin), Abitol (tackifier) and Irganox 1010 (antioxidant) are melted in a laboratory kneader at 110°-150° C. in the given amount (see Table 5) under argon and mixed until a homogeneous mixture is obtained (duration approximately 60 minutes). Then the adhesive composition is cast and cooled to 4° C.
A part of the produced adhesive composition is melted in the laboratory kneader at 110°-150° C. (duration approximately 10 minutes). The adhesive composition is diluted with Abitol, so that the quantitative composition shown in Table 6 is reached. Then the bupranolol amounts given in Tables 6 and 7 are added to the clear melts and dissolved under argon at 140° C. (duration approximately 20 minutes). The bupranolol-free or bupranolol-containing contact hot-melt adhesive composition thus obtained is cast into a heated, water-coolable mold with antiadhesive coating, to obtain an approximately 250 μm thick film, cooled to 12°-14° C. within 5 minutes and covered with a 70 μm thick polyester film (backing layer). The open adhesive surface of the laminate consisting of adhesive film and backing layer is then laminated to a 100 μm thick polyester film silicone-coated on both sides (removable covering layer).
Then individual patches with a surface area of 8 cm 2 are stamped.
TABLE 5______________________________________Composition Example 3, saturated middle block (hot-melt patch)Amounts given in g Kraton Cariflex GX TR Regalrez IrganoxExample # 1657 # 1107 # 1094 Abitol # 1010 total______________________________________3, a-e 58.30 79.58 61.20 0.92 2004, a-e 58.30 79.58 61.20 0.92 200______________________________________
TABLE 6______________________________________Composition Example 3, saturated middle block (hot-melt patch)Amounts given in g KratonExam- GX Regalrez Irganoxple # 1657 # 1094 Abitol # 1010 bupranolol total______________________________________3a 29.17 39.83 30.54 0.46 0 1003b 28.42 38.80 29.83 0.45 2.50 1003c 27.69 37.80 29.07 0.44 5.00 1003d 26.23 35.81 27.54 0.41 10.00 1003e 23.32 31.81 24.48 0.36 20.00 100______________________________________
TABLE 7______________________________________Composition Example 4, unsaturated middle block (hot-meltpatch) Amounts given in gEx- Cariflexam- TR # Regalrez Irganoxple 1107 # 1094 Abitol # 1010 bupranolol total______________________________________4a 29.17 39.83 30.54 0.46 0 1004b 28.42 38.80 29.83 0.45 2.50 1004c 27.69 37.80 29.07 0.44 5.00 1004d 26.23 35.81 27.54 0.41 10.00 1004e 23.32 31.81 24.48 0.36 20.00 100______________________________________
Dynamic-mechanical analysis
Characterization of the middle block temperature range
The active-ingredient-free or active-ingredient-containing adhesive compositions are characterized with the aid of dynamic-mechanical analysis. The amount of active ingredient contained was 2.5, 5, 10 and 20% bupranolol.
The determination of the dynamic-mechanical behavior in the temperature range of the middle block glass transition temperature was carried out with a Rheometrics RDS 7700 equipment. A PC was used for control equipment, which was operated with the software RHIOS 3.01. The operation was carried out in the parallel plate mode. The plate diameter was 8 mm. The frequency of the sinusoidal excitation was i Hz, that is, 6.28 rad/s. The temperature region measured was between -10° and 35° C.
The temperature was lowered in steps of 4° C. The initial temperature was 35° C. The temperature equalization time of the sample was 120 s. The tangent delta (damping), the maximum of tangent delta and the temperature of the maximum, the loss modulus and shear modulus were determined.
TABLE 8______________________________________Temperature at the maximum of tangent delta for the active-ingredient-free and active-ingredient-containing adhesivecompositions of Examples 3 and 4 polystyrene bupranolol maximum tangentExample polymer (%) (%) delta.sup.a) (°C.)______________________________________3a Kraton 14 0 7.83b GX 1657 2.5 8.23c 5 7.33d 10 7.63e 20 7.54a Cariflex 15 0 7.44b TR 1107 2.5 8.04c 5 7.34d 10 7.04e 20 5.1______________________________________ .sup.a) Measuring frequency 1 Hz.
The temperature at which the tangent delta reaches a maximum was determined for Cariflex TR 1107 and Kraton GX 1657. The results are presented in Table 8.
Characterization of the end block temperature range
The active-ingredient-free or active-ingredient-containing adhesive compositions were characterized with the aid of dynamic-mechanical analysis. The active ingredient content was 2.5, 5, 10 and 20% bupranolol. The determination of the dynamic-mechanical behavior in the temperature range of the use temperature (32° C.) and of the polystyrene glass transition was done with a Rheometrics RDS 7700. A PC was used as control equipment, which was operated with the software RHIOS 3.01. The operation was carried out in the parallel plate mode. The plate diameter was 25 mm. The frequency of the sinusoidal excitation was 1 Hz or 6.28 rad/s. The temperature range studied was between 25 and 130° C. The temperature was increased in steps of 6° C. The initial temperature was 25° C. The temperature equalization time of the sample was 90 s. The tangent delta (damping) of the loss modulus and shear modulus were determined.
TABLE 9______________________________________Temperature at which the shear modulus (G') falls below a valueof 10,000 Pa. Measured values for Examples 3 and 4 polystyrene temperature content, bupranolol, (°C.)Example polymer weight % weight % G' <10,000 Pa______________________________________3a Kraton 14 0 823b GX 1657 2.5 773c 5 743d 10 713e 20 624a Cariflex 15 0 634b TR 15 1107 2.5 624c 5 584d 10 564e 20 32______________________________________
Comparison of the measured values listed in Table 9 shows that the temperature at which the shear modulus drops below 10,000 Pa decreases to different degrees with increasing active ingredient content for comparable polystyrene contents. In the range of 10,000 Pa, the adhesive system goes into the molten state. The interval between the application temperature and the temperature of this transition gives an idea about the suitability of the adhesive composition as contact hot-melt adhesive. The value of the active-ingredient-free Cariflex TR 1107 lies in the range of Kraton GX 1657 containing 20 weight % of bupranolol.
While the temperature decrease for GX 1657 with saturated middle block is almost linear with increasing active ingredient content, in the case of TR 1107, when the bupranolol content goes above 10 weight %, surprisingly a large drop is observed. The temperature decrease is so large for the adhesive system based on TR 1107 containing 20 weight % bupranolol that the cohesiveness necessary for a contact adhesive system is no longer present in the range of application temperatures. Cohesiveness is lowered to the extent that the adhesive system separates from the carrier layer and leads to separation, and, on the other hand, when the adhesive system is separated from the skin, massive residues of adhesive composition remain on the skin.
TABLE 10______________________________________Shear modulus (G') of adhesive compositions based on GX 1657at skin temperature (32° C.). The determination was carried outin the parallel plate mode. The plate diameter was 25 mm. polystyrene bupranolol shear modulus atExample polymer (weight %) (weight %) 32° C. (Pa)______________________________________3a Kraton 14 0 1.14 E53b GX 1657 2.5 9.53 E43c 5 1.02 E53d 10 8.34 E43e 20 5.32 E44a Cariflex 15 0 3.07 E44b TR 1107 2.5 3.08 E44c 5 2.29 E44d 10 2.46 E44e 20 9.30 E3______________________________________
Table 10 shows the results of the dynamic-mechanical characterization regarding the shear modulus at skin temperature (32° C.). Considering the literature (D. Satas (Ed.), Handbook of pressure-sensitive adhesive technology, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, p. 158 ff, 1989), good adhesive performance is expected when the shear modulus (G') lies between 50,000 and 200,000 Pa at the application temperature. Table 8 [Should be 10.-T] shows the results of the dynamic-mechanical characterization. While the measured values show that the formulation based on Kraton GX 1657 lies within these limits, the measured values for the formulation based on TR 1107 are clearly below the value of 50,000 Pa. At a degree of loading with 20% bupranolol, with Kraton GX 1657, according to the selected example of formulation, one can produce carrier systems which satisfy the requirements regarding the viscoelastic properties of an active ingredient patch. In the case of carrier systems based on Cariflex TR 1107, the viscoelastic properties are not in the required range at the application temperature for any of the listed examples of formulation, so that the requirements for a contact-adhesive reservoir are not satisfied.
EXAMPLES 5a, b and 6a, b
Preparation of the adhesive composition
Examples 5a, b
Kraton G 1657 (SEBS three-block copolymer) or Cariflex TR 1107 (SIS three-block copolymer), Regalfez 1094 (aliphatic hydrocarbon resin), Abitol (tackifier) are melted in a laboratory kneader at 160° C. in the given amounts (see Table 11) and the mixture is mixed until it becomes homogeneous (duration approximately 60 minutes). This process is carried out without entry of air, but a protective gas atmosphere is not used. Bupranolol is added to the clear melt. Then the mixture is mixed and/or kneaded further while air is entered over a large area. After 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 minutes, samples of approximately 10 g are taken from the kneading trough to determine the molecular weight.
TABLE 11______________________________________Composition of Examples 5a and b Amounts given in g Cariflex Kraton TR GX RegalrezExample #1107 #1657 #1094 Abitol bupranolol______________________________________5a 112.50 75.00 50.00 12.505b 112.50 75.00 50.00 12.50______________________________________
EXAMPLES 6a, b
Kraton G 1657 (SEBS three-block copolymer) or Cariflex TR 1107 (SIS three-block copolymer), Regalrez 1094 (aliphatic hydrocarbon resin), Abitol (tackifier) and Irganox 1010 (antioxidant) are melted in a laboratory kneader at 160° C. under argon in the given amount (see Table 12), and mixed until homogeneity is reached (duration approximately 60 minutes). Bupranolol is added to the clear melt. Then, the kneading is continued with the exclusion of air in an argon atmosphere. After 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 minutes, samples of approximately 10 g are taken from the kneading trough. The molecular weight of the samples is determined with GPC.
TABLE 12__________________________________________________________________________Composition Example 6a and b Amounts given in gCariflex TR Kraton GX Regalrez IrganoxExample#1107 #1657 #1094 #1010 Abitol bupranolol__________________________________________________________________________6a 112.50 75.00 1.25 50.00 12.506b 112.50 75.00 1.25 50.00 12.50__________________________________________________________________________
Molecular weight determination
The molecular weight determinations were carried out using gel permeation chromatography. The installation used consisted of a Lichrograph L-6000 HPLC pump (Merck, D Darmstadt), a column thermostat T-6300 (Merck), an ERC-7512 refractive index detector (Erma, J-Tokyo) and a D-2520 GPC integrator (Merck). A Polymer Laboratories (UK-Shropshire) PL-Gel 5 μ Mix Column was used.
The column was 300 mm long, the inside diameter was 7.5 mm; the particle size of the column filling was 5 μm. The calibration of the column was done with polystyrene, using a Polymer Laboratories Mole Standard: Polystyrene-medium Molecular Weight Calibration kit was used. Tetrahydrofuran served as solvent. The column temperature was 35° C., the pressure 25 bar; the flow rate of the solvent was adjusted to 1 mL/min.
The samples were dissolved in tetrahydrofuran and a corresponding amount of toluene was added.
TABLE 13______________________________________Example 5a. Number-average, weight-average and z-averagemolecular weight and polydispersity of adhesive compositionsbased on Cariflex TR 1107 (SIS three-block copolymer), whichwere heat-treated for a period between 120 and 360 minutesin the laboratory kneader. The adhesive composition was notstabilized with Irganox or argonsample taken M.sub.n M.sub.w M.sub.z M.sub.w /M.sub.n______________________________________untreated 159,048 197,247 239,912 1.240120 minutes 61,806 114,799 176,420 1.857180 minutes 46,679 84,497 133,398 1.810240 minutes 39,377 69,338 109,044 1.760300 minutes 32,701 56,307 88,183 1.721360 minutes 28,134 46,600 71,924 1.656______________________________________
TABLE 14______________________________________Example 5b. Number-average, weight-average and z-averagemolecular weight and polydispersity of adhesive compositionsbased on Kraton GX 1657 (SEBS three-block copolymer), whichwere heat-treated for a period between 120 and 360 minutesin the laboratory kneader. The adhesive composition was notstabilized with Irganox or argonsample taken M.sub.n M.sub.w M.sub.z M.sub.w /M.sub.n______________________________________untreated 98,396 121,378 142,518 1.233120 minutes 93,791 117,405 144,724 1.251180 minutes 96,591 119,772 141,034 1.239240 minutes 97,425 121,307 142,906 1.245300 minutes 95,941 119,673 141,184 1.247360 minutes 94,705 118,409 139,956 1.250______________________________________
TABLE 15______________________________________Example 6a. Number-average, weight-average and z-averagemolecular weight and polydispersity of adhesive compositionsbased on GX 1657, which were heat-treated for a period between120 and 360 minutes in the laboratory kneader. The adhesivecomposition was stabilized with Irganox and argonsample taken M.sub.n M.sub.w M.sub.z M.sub.w /M.sub.n______________________________________120 minutes 93,080 163,146 223,606 1.752180 minutes 91,739 162,362 223,376 1.769240 minutes 92,601 165,590 230,121 1.788300 minutes 90,402 161,962 227,359 1.791360 minutes 90,922 163,664 228,981 1.800______________________________________
TABLE 16______________________________________Example 6b. Number-average, weight-average and z-averagemolecular weight and polydispersity of adhesive compositionsbased on GX 1657, which were heat-treated for a period between120 and 360 minutes in the laboratory kneader. The adhesivecomposition was stabilized with Irganox and argonsample taken M.sub.n M.sub.w M.sub.z M.sub.w /M.sub.n______________________________________120 minutes 93,952 116,246 136,825 1.237180 minutes 93,569 115,310 135,493 1.232240 minutes 94,924 116,940 137,383 1,231300 minutes 94,536 117,397 139,381 1.241360 minutes 93,866 116,185 137,083 1.237______________________________________
Tables 13 and 14 show the changes of the molecular weight distribution with the corresponding parameters for Examples 5a and 5b. The unstabilized adhesive composition based on Cariflex TR 1107 suffers significant degradation of the polymer during heat treatment, which is characterized by a shift of the molecular weight distribution toward lower molecular weights. In the case of the unstabilized adhesive composition based on GX 1657, the change is considerably smaller. Comparing the stabilized Examples 6a and 6b (Tables 15 and 16) with one another, it is noted that, here, too, the adhesive composition based on GX 1657 undergoes considerably lesser changes. Surprisingly, the stabilized formulation, Example 6a, is also considerably more liable to polymer degradation, especially when one compares the molecular weight distributions of the untreated polymer.
Formulations based on polymers which contain a saturated middle block show higher stability during processing in the hot-melt method. The amount of necessary stabilizers can be greatly reduced in comparison to the comparison polymers with unsaturated middle block. Since stabilizers and their derivatives can also be regarded as potential skin irritants, the contact hot-melt adhesive composition according to the invention presents advantages in this regard.
EXAMPLE 7
Nicotine patch
Kraton G 1657 (SEBS three-block copolymer), 1039.5 g, and 16.5 g of Irganox 1010 are heated in a kneader to 170° C. (duration approximately 45 minutes). Then 1419 g of Regalrez 1094 (aliphatic hydrocarbon resin) and 561 g of Abitol (hydroabietyl alcohol) are added in succession in portions and mixed until a homogeneous mixture is obtained (duration approximately 240 minutes). Then 299.5 g of nicotine are dissolved in the clear melt under an inert gas at 150° C. by dropwise addition (duration approximately 30 minutes). The obtained 150° C. nicotine-containing contact hot-melt adhesive composition is pressed continuously through a nozzle slit and is applied at a rate of 5 m/minute at a thickness of approximately 150 μm onto a cooled, silicone-coated polyester film (protective layer). A 15 μm thick polyester film (backing layer) is laminated onto the open contact adhesive surface under cooling.
Individual patches of 16 cm 2 in size are stamped from the obtained laminate.
Comparison Example 7'
Placebo patch
The preparation is done according to Example 5, but without the addition of nicotine.
Dynamic-mechanical analysis
Determination of the modulus of elasticity
The modulus of elasticity G' of the nicotine and placebo patches produced according to Example 7 and 7' was determined with the aid of the DMTA equipment, Model Eplexor (made by Gabo) as a function of temperature. The measurement was carried out in the shear mode on 14×14 mm samples consisting of the adhesive film and backing layer, according to DIN 53513 at a frequency of 10 Hz. The temperature range studied was between -50° and 80° C.; the temperature was increased starting from -50° C. in steps of 1° C. The corresponding shear modulus G' of the sample was determined after equalization of the temperature.
The modulus G' thus determined was uniformly 1.1 E5 Pa at 32° C., that is, in the skin temperature region, both for the patches that contained active ingredient and the one that did not. Accordingly, this important parameter for the evaluation of the adhesive properties of the patch was not changed in spite of relatively high (approximately 8%) nicotine content in the contact hot-melt adhesive.
Comparison Example 8
Nicotine patch
Preparation from solution
A nicotine-containing contact adhesive composition consisting of
170 g of nicotine
350 g of Cariflex TR 1107 (polystyrene-polyisoprene-polystyrene three-block copolymer)
350 g Hercurez C (aliphatic hydrocarbon resin)
280 g Abitol (hydroabietyl alcohol)
450 g Elcema P050 (cellulose for binding the nicotine)
1.050 g of special benzine 80-110 as solvent is applied onto a silicon-coated, approximately 100 μm thick protective film, so that after the removal of the solvent a contact adhesive layer of approximately 77.75 g/m 2 results. Two of these adhesive layers are laminated onto one another with simultaneous replacement of one of the protective layers by a 20 μm thick polyester film, so that a nicotine patch with an adhesive film of approximately 155.5 g/m 2 is obtained.
Individual patches of a size of 16 cm 2 are stamped from the obtained laminate.
Active ingredient release
The measurement of the release of nicotine from Example 7 and Comparison Example 8 is carried out according to the USP XXII Paddle-Over-Disk method in water at 32° C. The amounts of nicotine released per 16 cm 2 after 1, 2 and 3 hours are determined by liquid chromatography. The results of the investigation are shown in Table 17. As the measured values show, the liberation of the easily volatile nicotine from the reservoir according to the invention is retarded significantly more strongly than in the Comparison Example.
TABLE 17______________________________________Release of nicotine mean liberation in mg/16 cm.sup.2 aftertest preparation 1 h 2 h 3 h______________________________________Example 7 (n = 3) 3.4 4.8 5.8Comparison Example 8 (n = 6) 9.2 12.7 15.8______________________________________
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The invention concerns a patch for the controlled release of readily available volatile active substances to the skin, the patch comprising a back layer and, bonded to it, a water-insoluble adhesive film consisting of a pressure-sensitive fusion adhesive, plus a detachable film covering the adhesive film. The patch is characterized in that the pressure-sensitive fusion adhesive contains a triple-block copolymer of polystyrene block copoly(ethylene/butylene) block polystyrene (SEBS) at a concentration of 10 to 80% by wt., and an active substance which, at the temperature at which the adhesive bonds, is a readily volatile liquid, and which is present at a concentration of 2.5 to 25% by wt.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present invention is related to the following commonly assigned and co-pending U.S. application:
“Produce Data Collector And Produce Recognition System”, filed Nov. 10, 1998, invented by Gu et al., and having a Ser. No. 09/189,783.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to product checkout devices and more specifically to a produce recognition system and method.
Bar code readers are well known for their usefulness in retail checkout and inventory control. Bar code readers are capable of identifying and recording most items during a typical transaction since most items are labeled with bar codes.
Items which are typically not identified and recorded by a bar code reader are produce items, since produce items are typically not labeled with bar codes. Bar code readers may include a scale for weighing produce items to assist in determining the price of such items. But identification of produce items is still a task for the checkout operator, who must identify a produce item and then manually enter an item identification code. Operator identification methods are slow and inefficient because they typically involve a visual comparison of a produce item with pictures of produce items, or a lookup of text in table. Operator identification methods are also prone to error, on the order of fifteen percent.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a produce recognition system and method. It would also be desirable to provide a produce data collector with a reference apparatus that makes calibration easier.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a produce recognition system and method are provided.
The produce recognition system includes a produce data collector and a computer. The produce data collector collects first data from an external reference, collects second and third data from an internal reference, and collects fourth data from a produce item. A computer determines a first calibration value from the first and second data and a second calibration value from the third data and applies the first and second calibration values to the fourth data to produce fifth data. The computer further obtains sixth data from reference produce data and compares the fifth and sixth data to identify the produce item.
A method of identifying a produce item includes the steps of obtaining calibration information for a produce data collector, collecting first data describing the produce item by the produce data collector, applying the calibration information to the first data to produce second data, obtaining a number of previously stored third data associated with a plurality of produce items, comparing the second data to the third data to determine fourth data and a corresponding produce item from the third data which is most like the second data, and identifying the produce item to be the corresponding produce item.
A method of calibrating produce data collected by a produce data collector includes the steps of obtaining a first calibration value for the produce data collector using an external reference and an internal reference, obtaining a second calibration value for the produce data collector using only the internal reference, and applying the first and second calibration values to the produce data.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a produce recognition system and method.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a produce recognition system and method which identifies produce items by comparing their spectral data with those in a spectral data library.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the produce data collector with a reference apparatus that makes calibration easier.
It is another object of the present invention to provide the produce data collector with an internal reference for automatic calibration.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a produce data collector which uses an internal reference for indirect inter-device calibration.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an indirect inter-device calibration method for a produce data collector.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Additional benefits and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates from the subsequent description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a transaction processing system including a produce recognition system;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a type of produce data collector which collects spectral data;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the produce data collector illustrating placement of external and internal references;
FIGS. 4A and 4B are top and bottom views of a housing of the produce data collector illustrating a placement and operation of the internal reference;
FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a produce recognition method of the present invention; and
FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of obtaining an internal reference calibration value.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 1, transaction processing system 10 includes bar code data collector 12 , produce data collector 14 , and scale 16 .
Bar code data collector 12 reads bar code 22 on merchandise item 32 to obtain an item identification number, also know as a price look-up (PLU) number, associated with item 32 . Bar code data collector 12 may be any bar code data collector, including an optical bar code scanner which uses laser beams to read bar codes. Bar code data collector 12 may be located within a checkout counter or mounted on top of a checkout counter.
Produce data collector 14 collects data for produce item 18 or any other non-barcoded merchandise item. Such data preferably includes color or spectral data, but may also include size data, shape data, surface texture data, and aromatic data.
Produce data collector 14 includes memory 36 for storing device-specific calibration data 34 . Memory 36 may include a flash read-only-memory (ROM).
Classification library 30 is a data library derived from previously collected and processed produce data. It contains information about different produce items, or types of produce items called classes, each of which is associated with a PLU number.
During a transaction, operation of produce data collector 14 may be initiated by placement of produce item 18 on the data collector window 60 (FIG. 2) or by operator-initiated commands from transaction terminal 20 . Window 60 is integrated into the cover plate of scale 16 , such that produce item 18 is weighed by scale 16 and viewed by produce data collector 14 at the same time.
Scale 16 determines a weight for produce item 18 . Scale 16 works in connection with bar code data collector 12 , but may be designed to operate and be mounted separately. Scale 16 sends weight information for produce item 18 to transaction terminal 20 so that transaction terminal 20 can determine a price for produce item 18 based upon the weight information.
Bar code data collector 12 and produce data collector 14 operate separately from each other, but may be integrated together. Bar code data collector 12 works in conjunction with transaction terminal 20 and transaction server 24 .
In the case of bar coded items, transaction terminal 20 obtains the item identification number from bar code data collector 12 and retrieves a corresponding price from PLU data file 28 through transaction server 24 .
In the case of non-bar coded produce items, transaction terminal 20 executes produce recognition software 21 which obtains produce characteristics from produce data collector 14 , identifies produce item 18 by comparing the collected produce data with classification library 30 , retrieves a corresponding price from PLU data file 28 .
Produce recognition software 21 manages calibration of produce data collector 14 and maintains calibration data 34 . Calibration data 34 includes device-specific calibration data on each produce data collector 14 in system 10 .
In an alternative embodiment, identification of produce item 18 may be handled by transaction server 24 . Transaction server 24 receives collected produce characteristics and identifies produce item 18 using classification library 30 . Following identification, transaction server 24 obtains a price for produce item 18 and forwards it to transaction terminal 20 .
Storage medium 26 preferably includes one or more hard disk drives. PLU data file 28 , classification library 30 , and calibration data 34 are stored within storage medium 26 , but each may also be located instead at transaction terminal 20 . PLU data file 28 may be located in bar code data collector 12 . Calibration data 34 may also be stored within individual produce data collectors 14 .
To assist in proper identification of produce items, produce recognition software 21 may additionally display candidate produce items for operator verification. Produce recognition software 21 preferably arranges the candidate produce items in terms of probability of match and displays them as text and/or color images on an operator display of transaction terminal 20 . The operator may accept the most likely candidate returned by or override it with a different choice.
Turning now to FIGS. 2 and 3, produce data collector 14 primarily includes light source 40 , spectrometer 51 , control circuitry 56 , transparent window 60 , internal reference 62 , and housing 66 .
Light source 40 produces light 70 . Light source 40 preferably produces a white light spectral distribution, and preferably has a range from 400 nm to 700 nm, which corresponds to the visible wavelength region of light.
Light source 40 preferably includes one or more light emitting diodes (LED's). A broad-spectrum white light producing LED, such as the one manufactured by Nichia Chemical Industries, Ltd., is preferably employed because of its long life, low power consumption, fast turn-on time, low operating temperature, good directivity. Alternate embodiments include additional LED's having different colors in narrower wavelength ranges and which are preferably used in combination with the broad-spectrum white light LED to even out variations in the spectral distribution and supplement the spectrum of the broad-spectrum white light LED.
Other types of light sources 40 are also envisioned by the present invention, although they may be less advantageous than the broad spectrum white LED. For example, a tungsten-halogen light may be used because of its broad spectrum, but produces more heat.
A plurality of different-colored LEDs having different non-overlapping wavelength ranges may be employed, but may provide less than desirable collector performance if gaps exist in the overall spectral distribution.
Spectrometer 51 includes light separating element 52 , photodetector array 54 .
Light separating element 52 splits light 76 in the preferred embodiment into light 80 of a continuous band of wavelengths. Light separating element 52 is preferably a linear variable filter (LVF), such as the one manufactured by Optical Coating Laboratory, Inc., or may be any other functionally equivalent component, such as a prism or a grating.
Photodetector array 54 produces spectral signals 82 . The pixels of the array spatially sample the continuous band of wavelengths produced by light separating element 52 , and produce a set of discrete signals. Photodetector array 54 is preferably a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) array, but could be a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) array.
Control circuitry 56 controls operation of produce data collector 14 and produces digitized spectral signals 84 . The digitized spectrum represent a series of data points for narrow wavelength bands. These data points make up the measured spectrum F(λ) of produce item 18 , where λ is the center wavelength of various wavelength bands. For this purpose, control circuitry 56 includes an on-board digital controller/processor, which contains multiple analog-to-digital (A/D) and digital-to-analog (D/A) converters. For a detector array with 1000:1 signal-to-noise ratio, a 12-bit A/D converter with a sampling rate of 22-44 kHz produces acceptable results.
Transparent window 60 includes an anti-reflective surface coating to prevent light 72 reflected from window 60 from contaminating reflected light 74 .
Internal reference 62 is used for purposes of indirectly calibrating produce data collector 14 . External reference 64 is used for direct calibration. Both internal and external references are made of materials which are diffusely reflective, and are white or gray in color. The material and its color should be stable in time and against changes in environmental conditions. Commercially available ceramic references may be used as external references. Internal reference materials should be light in weight and easy to work with. Certain types of white or gray plastic material (e.g., ABS polycarbon) are suitable for use as internal references.
Calibration data 34 includes correction function C dev (λ) and the measured spectrum F′ ref (λ) of internal reference 62 . Correction function C dev (λ) is determined during manufacture or field installation of produce data collector 14 using measured spectrum F′ ref (λ) of internal reference 62 and measure spectrum F ref (λ) of external reference 64 . Internal measured spectrum F′ ref (λ) is also determined subsequently during an internal calibration procedure. Calibration data 34 may also include mapping and/or interpolation data specific to each produce data collector 14 .
Housing 66 contains light source 40 , spectrometer 51 , photodetector array 54 , control circuitry 56 , transparent window 60 , and internal reference 62 .
In operation, an operator places produce item 18 on window 60 . Control circuitry 56 turns on light source 40 . Light separating element 52 separates reflected light 74 into different wavelengths to produce light 80 of a continuous band of wavelengths. Photodetector array 54 produces spectral signals 82 containing produce data. Control circuitry 56 produces digitized produce data signals 84 which it sends to transaction terminal 20 . Control circuitry 56 turns off light source 40 and goes into a wait state.
Transaction terminal 20 uses produce data in digitized produce data signals 84 to identify produce item 18 . Here, produce data consists of digitized spectra which transaction terminal 20 processes and identifies using information provided in classification library 30 . After identification, transaction terminal 20 obtains a unit price from PLU data file 28 and a weight from scale 16 in order to calculate a total cost of produce item 18 . Transaction terminal 20 enters the total cost into the transaction.
From time to time, produce data collector 14 must be calibrated. Preferably, produce recognition software 21 controls operation of internal reference 62 in order to minimize operator involvement. Calibration may be conducted during each produce transaction or based upon a predetermined schedule. However, switch 104 may be used by an employee or technician to signal control circuitry 56 to initiate calibration.
Normally, a common external reference 64 or references identical to each other in terms of their reflective properties are needed for inter-device calibration.
For ideal linear devices, the measured spectra F(λ) for any external object (a produce item or external reference 64 ) may be expressed as
F (λ)= T (λ) S (λ) R (λ); (1)
where T(λ) is the system transfer function, S(λ) is the source illumination function at window 60 , and R(λ) is the average diffuse reflection coefficient of the external object.
If the object is external reference 64 , the measured spectrum F ref (λ) has the same form:
F ref (λ)= T (λ) S (λ) R ref (λ); (2)
where R ref (λ) is the average diffuse reflection coefficient of external reference 64 . Therefore when the sampled spectrum of an external object is normalized by the external reference spectrum F ref (λ), a device-independent measurement of spectral data results: F NORM ( λ ) ≡ F ( λ ) F ref ( λ ) = R ( λ ) R ref ( λ ) . ( 3 )
Obviously, if the same external reference 64 or identical references are used, the normalized spectra for different produce data collectors 14 will be identical: since there is no device-dependent factors, i.e., T(λ) and S(λ), on the right-hand side of Equation (3).
For most practical devices, frequent calibration is required, since both the transfer function T(λ) and source function S(λ) of produce data collector 14 may vary with time and the environment. An external reference measurement using external reference 64 requires operator involvement and can be inconvenient to checkout operations. Internal reference 62 is preferred because it improves operability and reliability by minimizing operator involvement. However, since both the source illumination function S(λ) and the system transfer function T(λ) are different for internal reference 62 than for the external reference 64 , internal reference 62 cannot be used for direct inter-device calibration. Internal reference 62 can be used for indirect inter-device calibration, but only under special conditions.
Indirect calibration is preformed by first calibrating internal reference 62 . The measured spectrum F′ ref (λ) of internal reference 62 is
F′ ref (λ)= T ′(λ)× S ′(λ)× R′ ref (λ). (4)
An initial calibration of internal reference 62 determines F ref ( λ ) F ref ′ ( λ ) = T ( λ ) T ′ ( λ ) × S ( λ ) S ′ ( λ ) × R ref ( λ ) R ref ′ ( λ ) . ( 5 )
As mentioned above, special conditions must be met in order to use internal reference 62 for indirect inter-device calibration. One condition is that internal reference 62 must be located and oriented so that its system transfer function T′(λ) only differs by a constant factor t from the system transfer function T(λ) of external reference 64 . T ( λ ) T ′ ( λ ) = t ( λ ) ; ( 6 )
where t(λ) is in general a function of wavelength λ but independent of any system characteristics that may vary with time or environmental conditions. For a spectrometer 51 using a linear variable filter for light separating element 52 combined with a linear diode array detector for photodetector array 54 , one way of achieving a constant factor t(λ) is by placing internal reference 62 in the direct light path between window 60 and light separating element 52 . The only difference between T(λ) and T′(λ) is now due to the transmission of window 60 and the geometric factors. These differences are, or can be made, very stable factors.
Another condition which must be met in order to use internal reference 62 for indirect inter-device calibration is that the source illumination function S′(λ) of internal reference 62 only differs by a factor s from the source illumination function S(λ) of external reference 64 : S ( λ ) S ′ ( λ ) = s ( λ ) ; ( 7 )
where s(λ) represents the difference due to geometric parameters, which can be made stable against time and environmental changes.
A final condition which must be met in order to use internal reference 62 for indirect inter-device calibration is that the diffuse-reflection coefficient R(λ) of internal reference 62 is stable in time. This is achieved by proper selection of reference material.
In general, the equation for indirect inter-device calibration is: F NORM ′ ( λ ) ≡ F ( λ ) F ref ′ ( λ ) = F ref ( λ ) F ref ′ ( λ ) × F ( λ ) F ref ( λ ) = C dev ( λ ) × F NORM ( λ ) . ( 8 )
Thus, the device-independent spectral measurement as defined in Equation (3) can be obtained through an internal reference by F NORM ( λ ) = 1 C dev ( λ ) × F NORM ′ ( λ ) = F ( λ ) C dev ( λ ) × F ref ′ ( λ ) ; ( 9 )
where correction function C dev (λ) equals: C dev ( λ ) = F ref ( λ ) F ref ′ ( λ ) = t ( λ ) × s ( λ ) × R ref ( λ ) R ref ′ ( λ ) . ( 10 )
External reference 64 is only needed for initial calibration to determine the correction function C dev (λ). This initial calibration may be during manufacture or field installation of produce data collector 14 .
In equations (1) through (10), all measurements and factors are expressed as functions of wavelength λ. In reality, however, measurements obtained as raw data are functions of pixel positions. To transform these functions of pixels to functions of wavelength, produce data collector 14 needs to be wavelength-calibrated at manufacture. For the spectrometer 51 described in this invention which uses an LVF, the relationship between wavelength and pixel position is linear, and the wavelength-calibration can be easily obtained from a measured spectrum of a line source, such as a mercury-argon (HgAr) lamp.
Let x=1,2, . . . , N be the pixel positions, where N is the total number of pixels, the linear relation between x and wavelength λ can be expressed as
λ= C 0 +C 1 ×x; (11)
where C 0 and C 1 are two constant factors. By determining the center-positions of two or more spectral lines in the wavelength range of the linear-variable-filter, the linear mapping parameters C 0 and C 1 can be computed.
If an LVF and a linear diode array, as taught in example spectrometer 51 above, are permanently fixed together at manufacture, the wavelength mapping will be fixed too. Therefore, wavelength mapping parameters C 0 and C 1 , along with correction function C dev (λ), can be determined at manufacture and permanently stored on the produce data collector board, e.g., into memory 36 of the controller/processor chip along with calibration values C dev (λ) and F′ ref (λ). Produce recognition software 21 loads, wavelength mapping parameters C 0 and C 1 during startup and/or as necessary.
While one type of spectrometer and corresponding mapping function have been disclosed, the present invention anticipates that other types of spectrometers and mapping functions may be employed in a similar fashion.
Equation (11) defines a one-to-one relationship between the pixel position and a device-dependent wavelength grid. By interpolating the normalized spectrum from this grid onto a common wavelength grid, say, from 400 nm to 700 nm with 5 nm intervals, makes the resulting data truly device independent.
With reference to FIG. 3, produce data collector 14 is shown in further detail.
Light source 40 preferably includes a number of white LED's which are specially arranged so that the illumination is uniform in both luminosity and spectrum over the entire surface of window 60 for illuminating produce item 18 .
Housing 66 contains window 60 and internal reference 62 . External reference 64 is shown above window 64 . External reference may be a separate element or mounted to the top surface of housing 66 and activated in a manner similar to internal reference 62 .
Turning mirrors 90 and 92 direct reflected light 74 to spectrometer 51 .
Light baffle 96 minimizes contamination of reflected light 74 by light 72 from light source 40 .
Printed circuit board 98 contains control circuitry 56 and forms a base for mounting light source 40 , spectrometer 51 , turning mirror 90 , turning mirror 92 , and light baffle 96 . Printed circuit board 98 fastens to housing 66 .
Turning now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, internal reference 62 is shown in further detail. Internal reference 62 is mounted below and adjacent window 60 . FIG. 4A shows both housing 66 and printed circuit board 98 , while FIG. 4B shows only printed circuit 98 .
Internal reference assembly 63 includes motor 100 and shutter 102 . Motor 100 is mounted to printed circuit board 90 . Shutter 102 is mounted to the shaft of motor 100 . Internal reference 62 is either formed as part of shutter 102 or attached to inner surface 103 of shutter 102 .
Control circuitry 56 energizes motor 100 to place shutter 102 in an open position (FIG. 4A) and a closed position (FIG. 4 B). Calibration readings are taking while shutter 102 is closed. Control circuitry 56 responds to commands from produce recognition software 21 in the automatic mode of operation and from switch 104 in the manual mode of operation.
Turning now to FIG. 5, the produce recognition method of the present invention begins with START 108 .
In step 109 , produce recognition software 21 loads classification library 30 and calibration data 34 . Classification library 30 may be loaded from storage medium 26 through transaction server 24 or from transaction terminal 20 .
Calibration data 34 may be loaded from storage medium 26 , transaction terminal 20 , and/or memory 36 . Values C 0 , C 1 , C dev (λ) are preferably loaded from memory 36 . If a previously measured internal reference spectrum F′ ref (λ) is available for the same produce data collector 14 , it may be loaded as initial calibration data until a new calibration is performed.
In step 110 , produce recognition software 21 determines whether a new calibration is necessary. During normal operations, produce recognition 21 software and/or produce data collector 14 constantly monitors system performance and stability and automatically determines if a new calibration is needed. Upon system startup, if there is no previously measured internal reference data F′ ref (λ) available, then a new calibration is required. Produce recognition software 21 may periodically initiate calibration based upon a preset schedule. Alternatively, an operator may force a calibration by issuing a command through transaction terminal 20 or by using switch 104 . If a new calibration is necessary, operation proceeds to step 112 . If not, operation proceeds to step 113 .
In step 112 , produce recognition software 21 initiates calibration to obtain more recent internal reference spectrum F′ ref (λ) (FIG. 6 ). Following calibration, operation proceeds to step 114 .
In step 114 , produce recognition software 21 waits for a signal from produce data collector 14 to identity produce item 18 . Preferably, produce data collector 14 is self-activated. Control circuitry 56 continuously monitors the ambient illumination at window 60 to determine if produce item 18 is placed on window 60 . Alternatively, if produce data collector 14 is integrated with scale 16 , scale 16 may signal control circuitry 56 when there is a stable weight reading. As another alternative, an operator may manually signal control circuitry 56 to begin data collection through an input device (e.g., keyboard) of transaction terminal 20 .
In detail, produce data collector 14 illuminates produce item 18 , splits light collected from produce item 18 into a plurality of different light portions in different wavelength bands, converts energy in the plurality of light portions into a plurality of electrical signals, and digitizes the plurality of electrical signals to produce sample spectrum F(λ).
If a signal is received from produce data collector 14 by produce recognition software 21 , operation proceeds to step 116 .
In step 116 , produce recognition software 21 normalizes sample spectrum F(λ) by dividing it by the product of internal reference spectrum F′ ref (λ) and the correction function C dev (λ) according to equation (9). As mentioned above, internal reference spectrum F′ ref (λ) and correction function C dev (λ) are obtained from memory 36 . Internal reference spectrum F′ ref (λ) may be one which was recently obtained in step 112 .
In step 118 , produce recognition software 21 maps and interpolates normalized spectrum F NORM (λ) onto a fixed wavelength grid, for example, a grid in the visible range from 400 to 700 nm, with 5 nm intervals. For an LVF, equation (11) and a standard linear interpolation method are used for this data reduction step.
In step 120 , produce recognition software 21 performs further data reduction that may be required to optimize the identification result. For example, by linearly transforming the spectral data into a lower dimensional space in which the distinguishing features between different classes within library 30 are weighted according to their importance, and the less and non-distinguishing features are disregarded.
In step 122 , produce recognition software 21 compares the processed sample data against library 30 and classifies the unknown produce item 18 .
The data reduction detail in step 120 and the data format in classification library 30 are all related to the classification process of step 122 . One simple classification algorithm uses the nearest-neighbor method, which compares the distances between the unknown sample or instance and all the known instances in classification library 30 . The class containing the instance with the shortest distance from the unknown instance is the closest match and may be chosen as the identity of the unknown instance. Many more sophisticated classification algorithms may also be used. Some of these algorithms may be used in conjunction with the nearest-neighbor method.
Produce recognition software 21 may automatically choose the identity of produce item 18 or display a short list of possible identifications for operator selection through a graphic user interface or other type of interface. For example, the operator may pick the correct identification by touching one of a number of color pictures of possible identifications on a touch-screen display. Transaction terminal 20 uses the identification information to obtain a unit price for produce item 18 from transaction server 24 . Transaction terminal 20 then determines a total price by multiplying the unit price by weight information from scale 16 and, if necessary, by count information entered by the operator.
Operation returns to step 110 to await another signal from produce data collector 14 .
Referring now to FIG. 6, the method of obtaining an internal reference calibration value (measured spectrum F′ ref (λ)) for step 112 in FIG. 5 begins with START 150 .
In step 152 , produce recognition software 21 closes shutter 102 thereby placing internal reference 62 in the light path.
step 154 , produce recognition software 21 causes control circuitry 56 to activate light source 40 . Light source 40 illuminates internal reference 62 .
In step 156 , produce recognition software 21 collects measured spectrum F′ ref (λ) of internal reference 62 from control circuitry 56 .
In step 158 , produce recognition software 21 stores measured spectrum F′ ref (λ) of internal reference 62 in calibration data 34 .
In step 160 , produce recognition software 21 opens shutter 102 .
In step 162 , operation ends.
Advantageously, the present invention facilitates inter-device calibration without operator involvement.
Although the invention has been described with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
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A produce recognition system and method which use an internal reference to calibrate a produce data collector. The produce data collector collects first data from an external reference, collects second and third data from an internal reference, and collects fourth data from a produce item. A computer determines a first calibration value from the first and second data and a second calibration value from the third data and applies the first and second calibration values to the fourth data to produce fifth data. The computer further obtains sixth data from reference produce data and compares the fifth and sixth data to identify the produce item.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having a structure for enhancing gain and band characteristics of an amplifier using a high-electron mobility transistor device (HEMT) of a nitride semiconductor represented by GaN, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] A structure of a HEMT using a nitride semiconductor represented by GaN (GaN HEMT) is known (see, for example, Non Patent Literature 1). Taking as an example “GaN-Based RF Power Devices and Amplifiers” presented in Non Patent Literature 1, the structure is described below.
[0003] Gain is an important feature of an amplifier. The gain is proportional to the ratio of a mutual conductance (gm) to a gate-drain capacitance (Cgd). Therefore, reduction in Cgd results in gain enhancement.
[0004] As a method for reducing Cgd, FIG. 5(b) of Non Patent Literature 1 presents a method using a source field plate (SFP). This is a method in which an electrode having the same potential as that of a source is placed between a gate and a drain. According to this conventional method, a part of electric flux lines between the gate and the drain extends toward the field plate, and thus, the electric flux lines between the gate and the drain decrease to reduce Cgd.
CITATION LIST
Non Patent Literature
[0000]
[NPL 1] “GaN-Based RF Power Devices and Amplifiers”, Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 96, No. 2, p. 287 (2008)
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
[0006] However, the conventional technology has the following problem.
[0007] According to this conventional method, the electric flux lines between the gate and the drain are reduced, but electric flux lines between the field plate and the drain are increased. In this case, the potential of the field plate is the same as that of the source, and thus, the result is that the source-drain capacitance (Cds) is increased.
[0008] Increase in Cds limits the band of the amplifier. Further, when the SFP is not used, although Cds is not increased, Cgd cannot be reduced. From the above-mentioned reason, in a conventional semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT, it is difficult to attain both high gain and a broad band (that is, to attain both reduction in Cgd and reduction in Cds).
[0009] In a microwave amplifier, signals in a wide frequency band are required to be amplified with high gain. However, in a conventional semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT, reduction in Cgd for the purpose of enhancing the gain results in increase in Cds, and it is difficult to attain both gain and band.
[0010] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT which can attain both high gain and a broad band (that is, attain both reduction in gate-drain capacitance and reduction in source-drain capacitance), and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
Solution to Problem
[0011] According to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor device, including: a GaN channel layer through which electrons travel; a barrier layer which is provided on the GaN channel layer in order to form two-dimensional electron gas in the GaN channel layer and which contains at least any one of In, Al, and Ga and contains N; a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode; and a plate formed of a material having polarization, which is provided between the gate electrode and the drain electrode, the plate being held in contact with a part of the barrier layer and held out of contact with the gate electrode.
[0012] According to the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including: a GaN channel layer through which electrons run; a barrier layer which is provided on the GaN channel layer in order to form two-dimensional electron gas in the GaN channel layer and which contains at least any one of In, Al, and Ga and contains N; a gate electrode, a source electrode, and a drain electrode; and a plate formed of a material having polarization, which is provided between the gate electrode and the drain electrode, the plate being held in contact with a part of the barrier layer, the method including: a step of manufacturing the barrier layer; and thereafter a step of manufacturing the plate in the same manufacturing system used in manufacturing the barrier layer without exposing the plate to atmosphere.
Advantageous Effects of Invention
[0013] According to the semiconductor device and the method of manufacturing the semiconductor device of the present invention, by further including the plate formed of the material having polarization, which is provided between the gate electrode and the drain electrode so as to be held in contact with a part of the barrier layer, there can be obtained a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT which can attain both high gain and a broad band (that is, attain both reduction in Cgd and reduction in Cds) and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 A sectional view of a conventional semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT without a source field plate.
[0015] FIG. 2 A potential distribution map in the conventional semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT illustrated in FIG. 1 .
[0016] FIG. 3 A sectional view of a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 4 A potential distribution map in the semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to the first embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3 .
[0018] FIG. 5 An explanatory view illustrating definitions of dimensions of a GaN plate in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 6 A graph showing the relationship between Cgd and distance in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 7 A graph showing the relationship between Cds and distance in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 8 A graph showing the relationship between Cgd and length in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0022] FIG. 9 A graph showing the relationship between Cds and distance in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0023] FIG. 10 A graph showing the relationship between Cgd and thickness in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] FIG. 11 A graph showing the relationship between Cds and thickness in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] FIG. 12 A sectional view of a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
[0026] FIG. 13 A sectional view of a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
[0027] FIG. 14 A plan view of the semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] FIG. 15 An explanatory view illustrating a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
[0029] FIG. 16 An explanatory view illustrating the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 17 An explanatory view illustrating the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 18 An explanatory view illustrating the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 19 An explanatory view illustrating the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0033] A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in the following with reference to the drawings.
First Embodiment
[0034] It is known that gain G can be improved by reducing Cgd and a frequency band W can be improved by reducing Cds. The magnitude of a capacitance (such as Cgd or Cds) is known from distribution of a potential formed in a GaN HEMT. For example, in the case of Cgd, a capacitance is thought to be generated in a region in which equipotential lines are dense in potential distribution between a gate and a drain.
[0035] Accordingly, potential distribution on a cross-section of a GaN HEMT was calculated by device simulation. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a conventional semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT without a source field plate. The conventional semiconductor device illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a substrate 1 , a buffer 2 , a GaN channel 3 , an AlGaN barrier 4 , n-type heavily doped impurity (n+) regions 5 , a source electrode 6 , a drain electrode 7 , a gate electrode 8 , and a protective film 9 .
[0036] The semiconductor device actually also includes an element isolation region, wiring, and the like, which are omitted from FIG. 1 . Further, in FIG. 1 , a gate-drain capacitance 10 (equivalent to Cgd) and a source-drain capacitance 11 (equivalent to Cds) are schematically illustrated.
[0037] Further, FIG. 2 is a potential distribution map in the conventional semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT illustrated in FIG. 1 . As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the potential distribution is dense at the side of the gate electrode on the drain side. Two-dimensional electron gas formed under AlGaN on the drain side is substantially at the same level as a drain potential, and thus, the dense portion at the side of the gate electrode corresponds to Cgd. Further, there is also a dense portion under the gate electrode. Two-dimensional electron gas on the source side is substantially at the same level as a source potential, and thus, the region is thought to correspond to Cds.
[0038] Accordingly, it is thought that, by causing the potential distribution in these two dense regions to be sparse, Cgd and Cds can be reduced at the same time. A potential varies depending on charges, and thus, by placing a fixed charge around a border region between Cgd and Cds, the potential distribution can be sparse. Therefore, in the present invention, as this fixed charge, polarization of a nitride semiconductor such as GaN or AlGaN, or a pyroelectric material such as a PbTiO3-based material or a PZT-based material is used.
[0039] FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The semiconductor device according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a substrate 1 , a buffer 2 , a GaN channel 3 , an AlGaN barrier 4 , n-type heavily doped impurity (n+) regions 5 , a source electrode 6 , a drain electrode 7 , a gate electrode 8 , a protective film 9 , and a GaN plate 20 . The semiconductor device actually also includes an element isolation region, wiring, and the like, which are irrelevant to the operation of the present invention and are therefore omitted from FIG. 3 .
[0040] The semiconductor device according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 is different from the above-mentioned conventional semiconductor device illustrated in FIG. 1 in further including the GaN plate 20 . Further, the semiconductor device according to the present invention can be used as a standalone amplifier, but can also be used as a transistor forming an MMIC.
[0041] The substrate 1 is a sapphire substrate, an SiC substrate, an Si substrate, a GaN substrate, or the like. In particular, a semi-insulating SiC substrate which is high in heat conductivity is commonly used, but an Si substrate which is extremely common as a semiconductor substrate is often used.
[0042] The buffer 2 is a layer interposed between the substrate 1 and the GaN channel 3 . Various structures such as MN, AlGaN, GaN/InGaN, and AlN/AlGaN are used as the buffer 2 for the purpose of improving the crystallinity of the GaN channel 3 and trapping electrons in the GaN channel 3 .
[0043] The AlGaN barrier 4 is provided on the GaN channel 3 . The AlGaN barrier 4 can obtain the effect of the present invention not only when single-layer AlGaN is used but also when a plurality of kinds of AlGaN having different compositions, film thicknesses, or impurity concentrations are used, or when a combination of AlGaN and GaN or AlN is used.
[0044] The n+ regions 5 are formed under the source electrode 6 and under the drain electrode 7 respectively for the purpose of reducing the contact resistances of the source and the drain. Note that, the effect of the present invention can be obtained without the n+ regions 5 insofar as an ohmic contact can be formed for each of the source electrode 6 and the drain electrode 7 .
[0045] Next, operation of the semiconductor device in the first embodiment is described. In the first embodiment, the GaN plate 20 having polarization (fixed charge) is placed on the AlGaN barrier 4 between the gate electrode 8 and the drain electrode 7 .
[0046] FIG. 4 is a potential distribution map in the semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to the first embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 3 . It can be seen that, compared with the above-mentioned conventional potential distribution illustrated in FIG. 2 , by further including the GaN plate 20 , the potential around the GaN plate 20 becomes sparse.
[0047] With regard to potential distribution in regions originating the above-mentioned conventional Cgd and Cds illustrated in FIG. 2 , in a region A denoted by a dotted oval in FIG. 4 , Cgd can be reduced by the increased distance between equipotential lines. Similarly, in a region B denoted by another dotted oval in FIG. 4 , it can be seen that Cds can also be reduced by the increased distance between equipotential lines.
[0048] Specifically, it can be seen that, by placing the GaN plate 20 in the above-mentioned region in which the equipotential lines are dense illustrated in FIG. 2 , the distance between equipotential lines is increased in that portion to enable reduction of both Cgd and Cds. By placing the GaN plate 20 so as to be held in contact with the AlGaN barrier 4 thereunder, generation of an extra parasitic capacitance can be inhibited.
[0049] Further, in a GaN HEMT which operates at a high frequency, a T-shaped gate electrode 8 is used. When a part of the GaN plate 20 is placed under the T-shaped gate electrode 8 as illustrated in FIG. 3 , both Cgd and Cds can be reduced more effectively.
[0050] Next, for the purpose of indicating a more specific effect of the GaN plate 20 , Cgd and Cds were calculated by device simulation. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view illustrating definitions of dimensions of the GaN plate 20 in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The distance, length, and thickness are defined as follows.
[0051] distance: space between a base portion of the T-shaped gate electrode 8 and the GaN plate 20
[0052] length: horizontal dimension of the GaN plate 20 in FIG. 5
[0053] thickness: vertical dimension of the GaN plate 20 in FIG. 5
[0054] Next, the result of calculation of Cgd and Cds when, among these three parameters (distance, length, and thickness), two parameters are fixed and the remaining one parameter is variable is described with reference to FIG. 6 to FIG. 11 .
[0055] (1) Result of Calculation of Cgd and Cds when Distance is Variable
[0056] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between Cgd and the distance in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between Cds and the distance in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Note that, the results of calculation shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are the results when the length is fixed to 0.8 μm, the thickness is fixed to 46 nm, and the distance is variable. Further, for comparison with the conventional art, the results of calculation with regard to a conventional structure without the GaN plate 20 are also shown as a solid triangle.
[0057] As is clear from the results of calculation shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , by the provision of the GaN plate 20 , both the value of Cgd and the value of Cds obtained are lower than the conventional values. Therefore, by manufacturing an amplifier so as to have a structure including the GaN plate 20 , both high gain characteristics and broad band characteristics are expected to be attained.
[0058] With reference to the result of calculation shown in FIG. 6 , it can be seen that Cgd is increased as the distance from the gate is increased, and approaches the conventional value. Further, with reference to the result of calculation shown in FIG. 7 , it can be seen that Cds has a tendency to be reduced around 2 μm. Further, as can be seen from the tendencies shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 , Cgd and Cds are in a trade-off. Therefore, an appropriate distance may be adopted depending on the target performance of the amplifier.
[0059] With regard to Cgd, judging from the result shown in FIG. 6 , when the distance is 3 μm or less, the effect of the present invention that Cgd is reduced can be obtained. Further, taking Cds shown in FIG. 7 into consideration, it can be said that a distance up to 2 μm before the value of Cds is increased is more desirable.
[0060] (2) Result of Calculation of Cgd and Cds when Length is Variable
[0061] FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between Cgd and the length in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 9 is a graph showing the relationship between Cds and the length in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Note that, the results of calculation shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 are the results when the distance is fixed to 0.1 μm, the thickness is fixed to 46 nm, and the length is variable. Further, for comparison with the conventional art, the results of calculation with regard to a conventional structure without the GaN plate 20 are also shown as a solid triangle.
[0062] As is clear from the results of calculation shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 , by the provision of the GaN plate 20 , both the value of Cgd and the value of Cds obtained become further lower than the conventional values as the length becomes larger. However, when the length is 2 μm or more, the rate of reduction decreases. Further, when the length is 0.4 μm or less, the rate of reduction with respect to the conventional value is 10% or less. From this, it is thought that, for the purpose of sufficiently obtaining the effect of the present invention that both Cgd and Cds are reduced, it is appropriate to set the length to be 0.4 to 2 μm.
[0063] (3) Result of Calculation of Cgd and Cds when Thickness is Variable
[0064] FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between Cgd and the thickness in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Further, FIG. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between Cds and the thickness in the semiconductor device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Note that, the results of calculation shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 are the results when the distance is fixed to 0.1 μm, the length is fixed to 0.8 μm, and the thickness is variable. Further, for comparison with the conventional art, the results of calculation with regard to a conventional structure without the GaN plate 20 are also shown as a solid triangle.
[0065] As is clear from the results of calculation shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , the sensitivity of the thickness to the provision of the GaN plate 20 has a tendency to be lower than the sensitivity of the distance and the length to the provision of the GaN plate 20 . Note that, when the GaN plate 20 is placed under the T-shaped gate electrode 8 , it is better that the thickness thereof be small. From FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 , it can be seen that the effect can be sufficiently obtained even when the thickness is 40 nm or less.
[0066] As described above, according to the first embodiment, there is formed a semiconductor device further including a plate formed of a material having polarization, which is provided between the gate electrode and the drain electrode so as to be held in contact with a part of the barrier layer. As a result, a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT which can attain both high gain and a broad band (that is, attain both reduction in Cgd and reduction in Cds) can be obtained.
[0067] Note that, in the first embodiment, the effect thereof is described taking as an example the GaN plate 20 manufactured from GaN. However, the present invention is not limited to the GaN plate 20 . For the purpose of changing the potential, GaN is not necessarily required to be used, and the material which has a fixed charge, that is, polarization may be used. Therefore, a similar effect can be obtained even when a nitride semiconductor other than GaN, for example, AlGaN, InGaN, AlN, InN, or AlInGaN, is used.
[0068] Further, the plate may be formed of a pyroelectric material (a PbTiO3-based material such as PbCaTiO3 or PbTiO3-La2/3TiO3, or a PZT-based material such as Pb(Ti,Zr)O3-Pb(Sn1/2Sb1/2)O3). Further, the plate may be crystalline, polycrystalline, or amorphous. Further, even when a plate in which a plurality of such various kinds of plates are combined is used, a similar effect can be obtained.
[0069] Further, the impurity concentration in the GaN plate 20 is uniform in the first embodiment, but the impurity concentration in the GaN plate may be nonuniform. Further, the GaN plate 20 in the first embodiment is not held in contact with the gate electrode 8 . Therefore, the GaN plate 20 can be applied also to a gate recess in which etching is carried out under the gate electrode 8 .
Second Embodiment
[0070] In the above-mentioned first embodiment, a case in which there is one GaN plate 20 is described. On the other hand, in this second embodiment, a case in which a plurality of GaN plates 20 are used is described.
[0071] FIG. 12 is a sectional view of a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The semiconductor device according to the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12 includes the substrate 1 , the buffer 2 , the GaN channel 3 , the AlGaN barrier 4 , the n-type heavily doped impurity (n+) regions 5 , the source electrode 6 , the drain electrode 7 , the gate electrode 8 , the protective film 9 , and the plurality of GaN plates 20 .
[0072] The semiconductor device according to the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12 is different from the above-mentioned semiconductor device according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 in that the GaN plate 20 is divided into two portions and provided. An effect similar to that of the above-mentioned first embodiment can be obtained also in a case in which the GaN plate 20 is divided into two or more portions in this way.
[0073] As described above, according to the second embodiment, there is formed a semiconductor device further including a plurality of plates formed of a material having polarization, which are provided between the gate electrode and the drain electrode so as to be held in contact with a part of the barrier layer. As a result, similarly to the case of the above-mentioned first embodiment, a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT which can attain both high gain and a broad band (that is, attain both reduction in Cgd and reduction in Cds) can be obtained.
Third Embodiment
[0074] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, cases in which the potential of the GaN plate 20 is not fixed are described. On the other hand, in this third embodiment, a case in which the potential of the GaN plate 20 is fixed is described.
[0075] For example, the GaN plate 20 may be connected by wiring to the source electrode 6 to be at the source potential. FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The semiconductor device according to the third embodiment illustrated in FIG. 13 includes the substrate 1 , the buffer 2 , the GaN channel 3 , the AlGaN barrier 4 , the n-type heavily doped impurity (n+) regions 5 , the source electrode 6 , the drain electrode 7 , the gate electrode 8 , the protective film 9 , the GaN plate 20 , and wiring 21 .
[0076] Further, FIG. 14 is a plan view of the semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT according to the third embodiment of the present invention. In particular, as illustrated in the plan view of FIG. 14 , by forming the wiring 21 from the source electrode 6 around an active region, an extra capacitance formed by the gate electrode 8 and the source electrode 6 can be reduced.
[0077] As described above, according to the third embodiment, in addition to the structure of the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, a wiring structure for fixing the potential of the plate is further included. As a result, similarly to the cases of the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, a semiconductor device using a GaN HEMT which can attain both high gain and a broad band (that is, attain both reduction in Cgd and reduction in Cds) can be obtained. Further, by connecting the plate and the source electrode by wiring, for example, a further effect can be obtained that an extra capacitance formed by the gate electrode and the source electrode can be reduced.
Fourth Embodiment
[0078] In the above-mentioned first to third embodiments, the structure and operation of the semiconductor device according to the present invention are described, and the effectiveness thereof is demonstrated from the results of calculation by device simulation. On the other hand, in this fourth embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention is described.
[0079] FIG. 15 to FIG. 19 are explanatory views illustrating the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Note that, in the fourth embodiment, a manufacturing method for obtaining the structure of the above-mentioned first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 is specifically described with reference to FIG. 15 to FIG. 19 .
[0080] First, as illustrated in FIG. 15 , the buffer 2 , the GaN channel 3 , the AlGaN barrier 4 , and further, the GaN plate 20 are sequentially formed on the substrate 1 through crystal growth. MOCVD and MBE can be used for the crystal growth.
[0081] Further, when the GaN plate 20 is formed by a manufacturing method other than that for other layers (for example, plasma CVD, sputtering, or vapor deposition), the GaN plate 20 may be formed after the structure up to the AlGaN barrier 4 is formed by crystal growth.
[0082] Then, as illustrated in FIG. 16 , the GaN plate 20 is removed while a part thereof is left. The removing processing can be realized by using photolithography and plasma or chemical etching. When chemical etching is used, by applying, for example, mixture gas of chlorine gas and Ar gas in a plasma state, etching can be carried out. Further, as an etching mask, a resist, SiO, or SiN can be used.
[0083] Then, as illustrated in FIG. 17 , the n+ regions 5 are selectively formed only under the source electrode 6 and the drain electrode 7 , respectively, which are to be formed in the subsequent process. As this forming processing, an ion implantation technology in which Si ions are implanted and are electrically activated by high temperature heat treatment can be used.
[0084] Then, as illustrated in FIG. 18 , the source electrode 6 and the drain electrode 7 are formed on the n+ regions 5 , respectively. By selectively forming the electrodes by photolithography and lift-off and then carrying out heat treatment, satisfactory ohmic electrodes can be formed.
[0085] Finally, by forming the gate electrode 8 , the protective film 9 , the wiring (not shown), and the like as illustrated in FIG. 19 , the semiconductor device in the above-mentioned first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 can be manufactured.
[0086] As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, the plate (GaN plate) which is a technical feature of the present invention can be easily built at a location between the gate electrode and the drain electrode so as to be held in contact with a part of the barrier layer by using an existing manufacturing system.
[0087] Note that, in the fourth embodiment, a case in which, after the GaN plate 20 is etched ( FIG. 16 ), the n+ regions 5 , the source electrode 6 , and the drain electrode 7 are formed ( FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 ) is described. However, the GaN plate 20 may be etched after the n+ regions 5 , the source electrode 6 , and the drain electrode 7 are formed in advance ( FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 ). Further, the formation of the n+ regions 5 ( FIG. 17 ) may be omitted insofar as sufficient ohmic characteristics can be obtained.
[0088] Further, in the case of manufacturing the structure having the wiring 21 described in the above-mentioned third embodiment, after the series of processes illustrated in FIG. 15 to FIG. 19 are carried out, the source electrode 6 and the GaN plate 20 are connected by the wiring 21 . In this case, by using photolithography and lift-off, the wiring 21 may be manufactured.
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It is an object to attain both high gain and a broad band (that is, to attain both reduction in a gate-drain capacitance and reduction in a source-drain capacitance). Provided is a semiconductor device, including: a GaN channel layer ( 3 ) through which electrons travel; a barrier layer ( 4 ) which is provided on the GaN channel layer in order to form two-dimensional electron gas in the GaN channel layer and which contains at least any one of In, Al, and Ga and contains N; a gate electrode ( 8 ), a source electrode ( 6 ), and a drain electrode ( 7 ); and a plate ( 20 ) formed of a material having polarization, which is provided between the gate electrode ( 8 ) and the drain electrode ( 7 ), the plate being held in contact with a part of the barrier layer ( 4 ).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1) Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to the manufacture of articles such as fasteners and, more particularly, relates to an apparatus and method for reducing the grain size of materials through an angular extrusion process and forming the articles therefrom.
[0003] 2) Description of Related Art
[0004] Articles such as fasteners, clips, brackets and the like that are used in the aerospace industry, where weight and strength are of critical concern, typically are subjected to repeated cycles of shear, compressive, and/or tensile stresses over the life of the articles. As a result, the articles must exhibit good mechanical strength and fatigue resistance and preferably not be unduly heavy. In addition, because the articles may be exposed to the ambient environment, including moisture and temperature fluctuations, the articles must have good corrosion resistance and resistance to thermal stresses.
[0005] To address the strength and weight requirements, some articles such as rivets are typically formed of materials having high strength-to-weight ratios, such as aluminum and aluminum alloys that are hardened by cold working or precipitation hardening. Advantageously, a number of high strength aluminum alloys are available that are lightweight, and also have relatively high fatigue and corrosion resistance. A variety of heat treatments can be performed to achieve the desired properties of the materials. For example, heat treatments for rivets, including quenching, solution treating/annealing, and precipitation-hardening aging are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,403,230 to Keener. Such heat treatments can be performed during or after the manufacture of the rivets. Often, multiple heat treatments are performed during manufacture to offset cold working effects that result during the formation of the rivets. For example, heat treatments such as annealing can be used to increase the formability of the material during manufacture. Following the formation of the articles, the desired mechanical properties of the articles can be achieved by other heat treatments, such as precipitation hardening or aging. Unfortunately, the various heat treatments required during such a manufacturing process are time consuming and increase the cost of the finished articles. Additionally, if the heat treatments are conducted improperly, undesirable mechanical properties can result in the articles.
[0006] Thus, there exists a need for an improved apparatus and method for manufacturing articles having favorable mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, formability, and resistance to fatigue, corrosion, and thermal stresses. Preferably, the method should reduce the amount of heat treating that is required during manufacture. Additionally, the method should be cost effective and compatible with materials that have high strength-to-weight ratios.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides apparatuses and methods for manufacturing blanks and articles using angular extrusion to refine the grain structure thereof and imparting favorable mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, formability, and resistance to fatigue, corrosion, and thermal stresses. The methods can be used to manufacture articles such as rivets cost-effectively from materials with high strength-to-weight ratios such as aluminum, titanium, and alloys thereof.
[0008] According to one embodiment, the present invention provides an apparatus for extruding a workpiece to form a structural member having a refined, or “ultra-fine,” grain structure. The apparatus includes first and second rotatable rollers configured to form a nip therebetween. One or both of the rollers are rotated by an actuator to advance a workpiece through the nip and into a die. The die defines an extrusion passage with first and second portions. The first portion at least partially defines a first cross-sectional shape that corresponds in shape to the workpiece, and one or both of the portions define a second cross-sectional shape that is imparted to the workpiece to form the blank. For example, the first and second cross-sectional shapes of the die can be rectangular and circular, respectively, so that a rectangular workpiece is extruded to form a cylindrical blank. The second portion defines an extrusion angle relative to the first portion so that the workpiece is angularly extruded through the passage. The extrusion angle can be between about 45 and 135 degrees, for example, about 90 degrees. The cross-sectional area of the second portion of the passage can be about equal to the cross-sectional area of the first portion of the passage, each cross sectional area being measured in a plane normal to the direction of motion of the workpiece in the respective portion.
[0009] According to another embodiment, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing an article having a refined grain structure and articles formed thereby. The method includes extruding the workpiece through the first and second extrusion passage portions so that a grain size of at least a portion of the workpiece is refined and the workpiece is extruded to form a blank. A cross-sectional shape of the workpiece can also be changed, for example, from rectangular to circular. At least a portion of the blank is then formed into the article, such as by extruding the blank through a die or stamping the blank with a punch. For example, the blank can be used to form a rivet having a cylindrical shank with a head at one end and a second end adapted to be upset to form a second head. The blank or the article can also be heat treated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The foregoing and other advantages and features of the invention, and the manner in which the same are accomplished, will become more readily apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate preferred and exemplary embodiments, and which are not necessarily drawn to scale, wherein:
[0011] FIG. 1 is perspective view illustrating an extrusion apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a sectional view in elevation illustrating the forming apparatus of FIG. 1 ;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a blank formed according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a rivet formed according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 5 is a digital image illustrating a sectional view of a rivet formed according to one embodiment of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 5A is digital image illustrating a sectional view of a conventional rivet as is known in the art; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating the operations for manufacturing a structural member according to one embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] The present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.
[0019] Referring now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is illustrated an extrusion apparatus 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The extrusion apparatus 10 includes two rollers 12 , 14 configured to form a nip 16 therebetween for receiving a workpiece 40 . The apparatus 10 also includes a die 20 defining an extrusion passage 22 through which the workpiece 40 is extruded. The rollers 12 , 14 are configured to advance the workpiece 40 through the die 20 from an entry 24 to an exit 26 of the passage 22 . The workpiece 40 is angularly extruded in the passage, as discussed below, to form a blank 42 of a desired shape that has a refined grain structure. The blank 42 , shown in FIG. 3 , can then be formed into one or more articles such as a rivet 50 , as shown in FIG. 4 . In other embodiments, other devices can be used to move the workpiece 40 through the die 20 . For example, the apparatus 10 can include other arrangements of rollers or anvils for pushing the workpiece through the die 20 , rollers configured to receive the blank 42 from the die 20 and pull or draw the blank 42 therefrom, and the like.
[0020] The rollers 12 , 14 can be formed of metal such as tool steel or other hard and wear resistant metallic materials. The rollers 12 , 14 can be arranged in a generally parallel configuration, and rotatably mounted on shafts. One or more actuators 18 can be connected to the rollers 12 , 14 to rotate the rollers 12 , 14 and move the workpiece 40 through the passage 22 of the die 20 . The actuators 18 can be connected to both rollers 12 , 14 , or only of the rollers 12 , 14 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . Each actuator 18 can be a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrically powered device such as an electric motor. A control device (not shown) can be configured to monitor, adjust, and/or synchronize, the speed of the rollers 12 , 14 according to a predetermined schedule, operating parameters, or commands provided by an operator.
[0021] The die 20 , which can also be formed of tool steel or other hard and wear resistant metallic materials, can be shaped to at least partially receive the rollers 12 , 14 , as shown in FIG. 1 so that the workpiece 40 is directed into the entry 24 of the passage 22 . The entry 24 can define a size and shape that correspond to the workpiece 40 . For example, the workpiece 40 can be a piece of stock material such as rectangular aluminum or aluminum-alloy sheet or plate, and the entry 24 can be approximately the same size as the cross-sectional size of the workpiece 40 . Alternatively, the workpiece 40 can define other shapes, such as a square or circular bar, sheet, foil, or the like. The workpiece 40 can be selected from a variety of materials such as aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium, titanium alloys, and other metallic materials for which improved material properties can be achieved through angular extrusion.
[0022] The passage 22 defines first and second extrusion passage portions 28 , 30 , which define an extrusion angle A therebetween. The die 20 can be a single monolithic device, as shown in FIG. 1 , or the die 20 can be an assembly comprised of multiple pieces, for example, each piece defining one of the passage portions 28 , 30 . Due to the extrusion angle A between the portions 28 , 30 of the passage 22 , the workpiece 40 is angularly extruded. The extrusion angle A is measured between the directions of motion of the workpiece 40 in the portions 28 , 30 of the passage 22 . For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the direction of motion of the workpiece 40 in the first portion 28 of the passage 22 immediately before entering the extrusion angle A is toward the bottom of the page, and the direction of motion of the workpiece 40 in the second portion 30 of the passage 22 immediately after emerging from the extrusion angle A is toward the right side of the page. Thus, the extrusion angle A of FIG. 2 is about 90 degrees. In any case, the extrusion angle A is between 0 and 180 degrees, and preferably the angle A is between about 45 and 135 degrees.
[0023] The cross-sectional areas of the first and second extrusion passage portions 28 , 30 can be the same or different. According to one embodiment of the invention, the cross-sectional area of the second portion 30 of the passage 22 , measured in a plane normal to the direction of motion of the workpiece 40 through the second portion 30 , is about equal to the cross-sectional area of the first portion 28 of the passage 22 , measured in a plane normal to the direction of motion of the workpiece 40 through the first portion 28 of the passage 22 . Accordingly, the cross-sectional size of the workpiece 40 is not substantially increased or decreased due to the extrusion angle A, and the speed of the workpiece 40 through the passage 22 is about equal as the workpiece 40 enters the extrusion angle A from the first portion 28 of the passage 22 and emerges from the extrusion angle A into the second portion 30 . Alternatively, the cross-sectional sizes of the first and second portions 28 , 30 of the passage 22 can be dissimilar proximate to the extrusion angle A, for example, so that the cross-sectional size of the workpiece 40 is reduced in the extrusion angle A and moves at a faster speed as it emerges from the extrusion angle A or so that the cross-sectional size of the workpiece 40 is enlarged in the extrusion angle A and the workpiece 40 moves at a faster speed as it enters the extrusion angle A.
[0024] The shape of the portions 28 , 30 proximate to the extrusion angle A can also be similar or dissimilar. According to one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the workpiece 40 is rectangular as it enters the apparatus 10 and the entire length of the first portion 28 of the passage 22 as well as part of the second portion 30 of the passage 22 define a rectangular shape that is equal in size and aspect to the workpiece 40 . Thus, the workpiece 40 enters and emerges from the extrusion angle with a shape and size that is substantially equal to the workpiece 40 at the entry 24 . Thereafter, the workpiece 40 is extruded through the remaining part of the second portion 30 of the passage 22 , which is circular in shape, and the workpiece 40 is formed into that circular shape therein. As shown in FIG. 1 , a transition 31 between the rectangular and circular parts of the second portion 30 of the passage 22 can be gradual or smooth. It is appreciated that the workpiece 40 can alternatively be extruded from or to other shapes besides the rectangular and circular shapes shown in the figures. Additionally, the shape of the workpiece 40 can be changed at other locations in the passage 22 . For example, the first portion 28 of the passage 22 can define a change in cross section so that the workpiece 40 is extruded therein to a shape that is the same or different than the final shape of the blank 42 . Further, the entire first portion 28 of the passage 22 can define a first cross-sectional shape and the entire second portion 30 can define a second cross-sectional shape, the first and second cross-sectional shapes meeting at the extrusion angle A so that the workpiece 40 is angularly extruded through the extrusion angle A and simultaneously changed in shape.
[0025] The process of angular extrusion, sometimes referred to as “equal angle extrusion” in the art, mixes the material of the workpiece 40 , thereby cold working the workpiece 40 and refining the grain structure by reducing the grain size of the material of the workpiece 40 . While not intending to be bound by any particular theory of operation, it is believed that the material is plasticized as it passes through the shear plane at the angle A in the passage 22 and reconsolidates with a refined, or smaller, grain structure achieved through uniform cold-working and characterized by grains of reduced size that become homogenous throughout the workpiece 40 . Upon cooling, the refined grain structure of the blank 42 imparts improved material characteristics such as improved strength, toughness, ductility, fatigue resistance, and corrosion resistance so that the material will resist the formation and propagation of cracks. It is believed that the refined grain structure formed according to the present invention is more formable or ductile than the unrefined grain structure or coarse-grained material of conventional materials that are used to form articles such as rivets, since the former has a finer grain having a greater total grain boundary area to impede dislocation motion.
[0026] Thus, improved material properties can be achieved by the inventive process delineated herein, which can be used in addition to, or in lieu of, thermal or heat treatment processes used in the manufacture of articles. For example, metallic fasteners, such as the rivet 50 of FIG. 4 , can be produced from the blank 42 formed according to the present invention. The rivets 50 can be formed from the blank 42 without the need for additional heat-treating steps subsequent to the extrusion through the apparatus 10 , thus reducing the time and costs associated with manufacture and reducing the likelihood of improper heat treatment. Further, the improved material properties increase the usefulness of the finished articles. For example, the rivets 50 produced according to the present invention can have higher strength and be more fatigue, crack, and corrosion resistant than conventionally formed rivets.
[0027] The blank 42 of FIG. 3 can be used to form a variety of structural members or articles including, but not limited to, rivets 50 , bolts, nuts, screws, clips, brackets, and the like. The articles can be formed by machining, stamping, punching, or otherwise cutting or forming the blank 42 , and each blank 42 can be used to form a plurality of articles. The resulting articles can be used in a multitude of applications such as for joining members to form assemblies for aeronautical or aerospace vehicles and devices. Referring to FIG. 4 , the rivet 50 formed from the blank 42 has a head 52 and a shank 54 extending therefrom. The shank 54 of each rivet 50 is structured to extend through an aperture defined by two or more members (not shown) that are to be joined by the rivet 50 . The head 52 of the rivet 50 has a diameter that is larger than at least part of the aperture through which the shank 54 extends. An end 56 of the shank 54 opposite the head 52 , which is structured to be inserted through the aperture, is structured to be upset to form a second head to thereby at least partially join the members. The end 56 can also define a cavity (not shown) to facilitate upsetting the end 56 to form the second head.
[0028] The rivets 50 are formed of a metal or metal alloy such that the rivets 50 have an ultra-fine grain structure, and preferably a refined grain structure with a grain size of less than about 0.0004 inches (approximately 10 microns), for example, a refined grain structure with a grain size ranging in order of magnitude from approximately 0.0001 to approximately 0.0003 inches (approximately 2.5 to 7.5 microns) and having equiaxed shape. FIG. 5 illustrates a rivet 50 formed according to the present invention that is disposed in a structural member 51 . The rivet 50 is formed of aluminum and has an average grain size of between about 0.0001 and 0.0003 inches (approximately 2.5 to 7.5 microns). For purposes of illustration, there is shown in FIG. 5A a conventional aluminum rivet 50 a with an average grain size of between about 0.002 and 0.003 inches (50 and 75 microns).
[0029] The blank 42 and/or the articles formed from the blank 42 can also be heat treated. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the rivets 50 are heat treated according to a predetermined heat treatment schedule by heating the rivets 50 to one or more heat treatment temperatures, maintaining those temperatures, and subsequently cooling. For example, rivets formed of 7050 aluminum alloy can be heated in a furnace from an ambient temperature to a first heat treatment temperature of about 250° F., held at that temperature for a duration of about 4-6 hours, further heated to a second heat treatment temperature of about 355° F., held at that temperature for a duration of about 8-12 hours, and thereafter cooled by ambient air to the ambient room temperature. Heat treatments are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,403,230; 6,221,177; 5,922,472; 5,858,133; and 5,614,037 to Keener, each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and the entirety of each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
[0030] Referring now to FIG. 6 , there are illustrated the operations for manufacturing a blank and articles having a refined grain structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. One or more of the operations illustrated in FIG. 6 can be omitted according to other embodiments of the invention. The method includes providing a workpiece such as a rectangular workpiece comprising aluminum, aluminum alloys, titanium, or titanium alloys. See block 110 . The workpiece is extruded through an extrusion passage defining a cross-sectional shape that changes therealong and having first and second extrusion passage portions that define an extrusion angle therebetween. Thus, a grain size of at least a portion of the workpiece is refined and the workpiece is extruded to form a blank. For example, the workpiece can be extruded through a passage portion having a rectangular cross-sectional corresponding to the shape of the workpiece and a passage portion having a circular cross-sectional area that imparts a cylindrical shape to the workpiece to form the blank therefrom. See block 112 . The blank can be heat treated. See block 114 . At least a portion of the cylindrical blank is then formed into the article, such as a rivet. For example, the blank can be formed by extruding the blank through a die or stamping the blank with a punch. See block 116 . The article can be heat treated. See block 118 . The article can be installed into an assembly, for example, as a rivet that joins other components as described above in connection with FIG. 4 . See block 120 .
[0031] Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions 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 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.
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An apparatus and method are provided for angularly extruding a workpiece through a die to form blanks and articles having refined grain structure. The die is also used to form the workpiece to a desired shape, such as a cylinder. The angular extrusion method can be used in place of some heat treatments, thereby lowering the cost and time for manufacturing articles. The method is compatible with materials with high strength-to-weight ratios such as aluminum, titanium, and alloys thereof. The blanks can be used to form articles having favorable mechanical properties such as strength, toughness, formability, and resistance to fatigue, corrosion, and thermal stresses.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to containers for use in shipping and, more particularly, to containers with movable dunnage for supporting product during shipment and/or storage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Different container structures are utilized by manufacturers to ship a variety of different products to end users which may be, for example, assembly plants. In the automobile industry, for example, an assembly plant assembling a particular automobile might utilize a number of different parts from different manufacturers. These manufacturers ship their respective parts to the assembly plant in container structures where the parts are then removed from dunnage or support members inside the container structure and assembled into a finished automobile.
[0003] Access to the product in the containers is of particular concern. Specifically, in the automotive industry, the containers full of product are positioned on an assembly line adjacent to a work area, which is associated with a particular product to be installed on a manufactured vehicle. For example, a container full of interior door panels is usually positioned next to a particular station on an assembly line where interior door panels are installed so that a line worker may easily access the door panels inside the container. The product or part is taken directly from the container and used on the line. Some existing containers are difficult to access, which makes removal of the parts therein difficult and time consuming. For example, some containers are configured so that a line worker must walk around the container to remove parts or products from opposite ends of the container. As may be appreciated, a line worker only has a certain amount of time to install a part. Any delay in access and removal of the part from the container is undesirable.
[0004] In many containers, a line worker or employee must insert or remove parts from a lower part of the container. Sometimes the size and/or weight and/or configuration of the parts or work pieces may make inserting or removing such parts from a lower level of the container difficult due, in part, to the configuration or location of the dunnage inside the container. Such difficulty may cause stress or strain on the line worker and, more particularly, on the back of the worker when inserting or removing parts from the lower part of such a container. Such ergonomically unfriendly movements may cause physical trauma, pain and other injuries that may lead to lost production time.
[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a container with movable dunnage inside the container so an operator may more easily load or unload parts from inside the container. Such movable dunnage may alleviate stress and/or strain on the operator's body during loading and/or unloading processes.
[0006] Containers having movable dunnage in the form of pouches are known. Such containers may be adapted to store and ship parts residing inside the pouches. Some parts or products are more easily, cost effectively and/or safely shipped/stored in dunnage other than pouches.
[0007] Accordingly, there is a need for a container having movable dunnage in a form other than pouches.
[0008] There is further a need for a container having multiple levels of dunnage other than pouches in order to ship additional parts or products.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention provides a container for holding product therein during shipment and/or storage that has a body and upper and lower levels of dunnage components supported, at least in part, by the body. For purposes of this document, the term dunnage component refers to both a single dunnage member and multiple pieces or members joined together into a dunnage assembly. In some embodiments, at least one movable dunnage component may move above at least one stationary dunnage component for ease of loading/unloading products into the dunnage for shipment or storage. In some embodiments, two movable upper dunnage components may be moved away from each other or separated in order to aid the loading or unloading of parts into or out of the lower level of dunnage. Separating the upper dunnage components increases the size of an opening through which a part must pass to be loaded into the lower level of dunnage or unloaded from the lower level of dunnage. In other embodiments, only one of the two upper dunnage components may be movable.
[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, the container has a base and at least two opposed walls or side structures. The container further comprises upper and lower levels of dunnage for holding products during storage and shipment. The lower level of dunnage is often stationary, but may be movable in certain applications. The upper level of dunnage components may be at least partially movable to facilitate insertion and removal of products from an interior of the container. Supports are operatively coupled to opposed side structures of the container and guides supported by the supports. The upper level of dunnage comprises multiple dunnage components. The guides direct at least one of the upper dunnage components to a desired position away from another dunnage component to facilitate insertion and removal of products from the lower level of dunnage.
[0011] At least one of the dunnage components may include a dunnage member made at least partially of foam. Any other material, such as plastic or wood, may be used for the dunnage components of either level.
[0012] The container guides may be rails, beams, rods or tubes made of metal, such as aluminum, or any other suitable material. The guides may extend the length or width of the interior of the container. Alternatively, each of the guides may be less than the length or width of the container's interior.
[0013] According to another aspect of the invention, the container comprises a base and at least two opposed side structures. The container further comprises supports operatively coupled to opposed side structures of the container. The container has multiple levels of dunnage for holding products during storage and shipment. At least one level of dunnage may be stationary. At least one level of dunnage may be at least partially movable to facilitate insertion and removal of products into and out of a lower level of dunnage. Guides may be supported by the supports, the guides directing at least one dunnage component of the upper level of dunnage to a desired position to facilitate removal or insertion of products into and out of the lower level of dunnage. The upper level of dunnage may comprise two dunnage components, each of the upper dunnage components having at least one opening which one of the guides passes, such that the upper dunnage component may be guided to a desired position.
[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, a method of unloading products from inside a container is disclosed. The method comprises removing products extending between movable dunnage components of an upper level of dunnage. At least one of the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage is movable away from another dunnage component of the upper level of dunnage. The next step comprises moving at least one of the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage from a first position to a second position, the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage being further away from each other in the second position than in the first position. The next step comprises removing products of a lower level of dunnage while the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage are in their second position.
[0015] According to another aspect of the invention, a method of loading products into a container is disclosed. The method comprises inserting products into a lower level of dunnage while dunnage components of an upper level of dunnage are spaced away from each other in an open position. At least one of the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage is movable away from another of the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage. The next step comprises moving the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage towards each other into a closed position. The last step comprises inserting products into notches into the upper level of dunnage.
[0016] According to another aspect of the invention, a method of loading products into a container is disclosed. The method comprises inserting products into a lower level of dunnage while dunnage components of an upper level of dunnage are spaced away from each other in an open position. The next step comprises moving the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage towards each other into a closed position. The last step comprises inserting products into the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage.
[0017] According to another aspect of the invention, a method of unloading products from inside a container is disclosed. The method comprises removing products from an upper level of dunnage. The next step comprises moving the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage from a first position to a second position, the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage being further away from each other in the second position than in the first position. The last step comprises removing products from a lower level of dunnage while the dunnage components of the upper level of dunnage are in their second position.
[0018] The container may have at least one door. The movable dunnage of the upper level allows product to be more efficiently and safely removed from the container or inserted therein without unnecessary stress or strain on the operator. Although the containers shown and described herein contain two levels or layers of dunnage, the container may have three or more layers or levels of dunnage.
[0019] The ease of operation and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and the brief description thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with a general description of the invention given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0021] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a reusable and returnable container;
[0022] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 showing the dunnage inside the container;
[0023] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the container shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 ;
[0024] FIG. 3A is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of container having upper dunnage components comprising unitary pieces;
[0025] FIG. 3B is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of container having different upper dunnage components;
[0026] FIG. 3C is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of container having different upper dunnage components;
[0027] FIG. 3D is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of another embodiment of container having different upper dunnage components and different guides;
[0028] FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the container shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0029] FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view, like FIG. 4 , showing a different upper dunnage component;
[0030] FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 1 , the dunnage components of the upper level being shown in a closed position and products being shown in dashed lines;
[0031] FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 6A , the dunnage components of the upper level being shown in an open position and products of the lower level being shown in dashed lines;
[0032] FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 6B , the dunnage components of the upper level being shown in an open position and products of the lower level being removed from inside the container;
[0033] FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 1 , products being loaded into the dunnage components of the lower level;
[0034] FIG. 6E is a cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 6D , the dunnage components of the upper level shown being moved to a closed position after the lower level of dunnage is fully loaded with products;
[0035] FIG. 6F is a cross-sectional view of the container shown in FIG. 6D , the dunnage components of the upper level being shown in a closed position and products being loaded into the dunnage of the upper level;
[0036] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a reusable and returnable container;
[0037] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 7 showing the dunnage inside the container;
[0038] FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the container shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 ;
[0039] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a reusable and returnable container;
[0040] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 10 showing a door or portion of the container being removed;
[0041] FIG. 12 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the container shown in FIG. 10 ;
[0042] FIG. 13 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the container shown in FIGS. 10 and 12 ;
[0043] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a reusable and returnable container;
[0044] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 14 showing the dunnage inside the container;
[0045] FIG. 16 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the container shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 ;
[0046] FIG. 17 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the container shown in FIG. 14 ;
[0047] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a reusable and returnable container; and
[0048] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 18 turned upside down.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0049] Referring to FIG. 1 , there is illustrated a reusable and returnable container 10 according to one embodiment. The reusable and returnable container 10 , as shown, comprises a body 12 having a base 14 , opposed side walls 16 , a front wall 18 and a rear wall 20 , all of the walls or side structures extending upwardly from the base 14 . Two or more of the walls or sides 16 , 18 and 20 may or may not be hingedly secured to the base 14 .
[0050] The base 14 has an upper surface which functions as a floor 22 of the interior 24 of the container. Each of the side walls 16 has an inner surface 26 . The rear wall 20 has an interior surface 28 and the front wall 18 has an interior surface 30 . The floor 22 , interior surfaces 26 of side walls 16 and interior surfaces 30 , 28 of the front and rear walls 18 , 20 , respectively, define the interior 24 of the container 10 . The linear distance between the interior surfaces 26 of the side walls 16 defines a width “W” of the interior of the container. The linear distance between the interior surfaces 30 , 28 of the front and rear walls 18 , 20 , respectively, defines a length “L” of the interior 24 of the container 10 . See FIG. 1 .
[0051] The present invention is not intended to limit the size or configuration of the container base and walls. Although one type of container is illustrated, the present invention may be used with other types or configurations of container.
[0052] Container 10 further comprises a pair of spaced stationary supports 32 operatively coupled to the rear wall 20 of the container 10 (only one being shown in FIG. 1 ). For purposes of this document, operatively coupled means directly or indirectly connected or coupled. FIG. 2 illustrates a pair of spaced stationary supports 32 operatively coupled to the front wall 18 of the container 10 . Each of the supports 32 do not move during the loading or unloading processes. Each support 32 is illustrated in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4 to be a guide eye, such as an eye bolt fixedly secured to a container wall. However, as shown in the alternative embodiments and described herein, these supports may assume other geometries or configurations. Although the drawings illustrate a pair of spaced supports 32 operatively coupled to each of the front and rear sides 18 , 20 of the container 10 , any number of supports may be operatively coupled to the sides of the container.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 3 , each of the supports or guide eyes 32 extends through the container side structure and may be secured in place with a nut 34 and washers 36 on each side of the container side structure.
[0054] As shown in FIGS. 1-4 , container 10 further comprises two guides 40 . One of the guides 40 extends through an opening 38 through each of the supports or eye bolts 32 secured to the rear wall 20 of the container 10 . Similarly, as best shown in FIG. 2 , the second guide 40 extends through an opening 38 of each of the supports or eye bolts 32 secured to the front wall 18 of the container 10 . As shown in FIG. 3 , each of the guides 40 has a length greater than the width “W” of the interior 24 of the container 10 . Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , each guide 40 has opposed end portions 42 (only one being shown). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , each end portion 42 of each guide 40 extends into a bore 44 in one of the container side walls 16 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a washer 46 is located inside the container side wall 16 surrounding the guide 40 . As best shown in FIG. 3 , a holder 48 in the form of a triangular metal wire has two ends 50 which fit into holes in the guide 40 . The holder 48 at each end of each guide 40 functions to hold each guide 40 in place. The pair of holders 48 , acting in concert, functions to prevent the guide 40 from separating from the container side walls 16 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the holder 48 (shown on the left of the container) functions to prevent the guide 40 to which the holder 48 is secured from moving further to the left, such that the right side of the guide 40 separates from the opposite side wall 16 . The other guide 48 proximate the side wall 16 (shown on the right of the container) functions to prevent the guide 40 from moving to the right, such that the left side of the guide 40 separates from the opposite side wall 16 . Although one configuration of holder in the form of a triangular metal wire is shown and described, other types of holders, such as wires or pieces of other materials configured in other shapes, may be used.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 4 , each of the guides 40 are in the form of a tube having a hollow interior 52 . Although one configuration of guide in the form of a tube is shown and described, other types of guides, such as solid rods made of metal or plastic or wood, or any other desired material, may be used.
[0056] As shown in FIGS. 1-4 , container 10 further comprises a lower level of dunnage 54 which may be fixedly secured to the floor 22 of the container. This lower level of dunnage 54 comprises a pair of stationary dunnage components 56 spaced from one another. Each stationary dunnage component 56 has a plurality of spaced notches 58 extending downwardly from an upper surface of the dunnage component 56 . The notches 58 are for receiving and retaining products 60 , as shown in FIG. 2 , one of the products 60 extending between a pair of corresponding notches 58 in the stationary dunnage component 56 . Although one specific shape of notch 58 is illustrated in the drawings, this document is not intended to limit in any way the size, shape or configuration of notches 58 in any of the dunnage components 56 of the lower level of dunnage 54 . If desired, more than two dunnage components may comprise the lower level of dunnage 54 . Alternatively, a single dunnage component or member may comprise the lower level of dunnage 54 .
[0057] Although one specific shape of product 60 is illustrated in the drawings, this document is not intended to limit in any way the size, shape or configuration of product 60 shipped or stored in any of the embodiments described or shown herein. One type of product which may be used in accordance with the present invention is car fenders.
[0058] As shown in FIGS. 1-4 , container 10 further comprises an upper level of dunnage 62 which is movable inside the interior 24 of the container. This upper level of dunnage 62 comprises a pair of movable dunnage components 64 spaced from one another. Each of the movable dunnage components 64 moves between one of the container side walls 16 and one of the supports 32 . Each movable dunnage component 64 has a plurality of spaced notches 66 for receiving and retaining products 60 , as shown in FIG. 6A . Although one specific shape of notch 66 is illustrated in the drawings, this document is not intended to limit in any way the size, shape or configuration of notches 66 in any of the dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 .
[0059] As shown in FIGS. 2-4 , each of the dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 has a main portion or body 65 having a pair of openings 68 , one on each end. The body 65 is commonly made of foam, but may be made of other materials. As best shown in FIG. 4 , a sleeve 70 extends through each opening 68 in the dunnage body 65 of the dunnage component 64 and moves with the dunnage component 64 . Each sleeve 70 is sized to allow one of the guides 40 to extend through the sleeve 70 . If desired, the sleeves 70 may be omitted.
[0060] As shown in FIGS. 2-4 , each of the dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 also has a stiffener 72 and a liner 74 , the liner 74 being between the stiffener 72 and body 65 of dunnage component 64 . As best shown in FIG. 4 , the stiffener 72 and liner 74 of the upper dunnage component 64 are each generally “U-shaped” and fit around a lower portion of the body or dunnage body 65 of upper dunnage component 64 . The stiffener 72 may be made of foam, metal and/or plastic and provides rigidity in two directions to the dunnage component 64 . The liner 74 may be made of metal and/or plastic and provides rigidity in two directions to the dunnage component 64 . As shown in FIG. 3 , fasteners 76 secure the body 65 of upper dunnage component 64 , the liner 74 and stiffener 72 together. If desired, the stiffener 72 and/or liner 74 of the upper dunnage component 64 may be omitted.
[0061] FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative upper dunnage component 64 a comprising a body or main portion 65 having notches 66 identical to the main body portion 65 of upper dunnage component 64 of FIGS. 1-4 . However, each upper dunnage component 64 a has no generally “U-shaped” liner or stiffener at the bottom thereof. Instead upper dunnage component 64 a has a stiffener 78 in the form of a block located inside the interior of the body 65 of upper dunnage component 64 a and held therein by fastener 80 , as shown in FIG. 5 . The stiffener 78 may be made of plastic, aluminum, steel, fiber, glass or any other stiffening material. Any of the dunnage components shown or described herein may be used in upper or lower levels of any embodiment of container shown or described herein.
[0062] FIG. 3A illustrates an upper dunnage component 114 which may be incorporated into any container in place of one of the dunnage components 64 . Each of the upper dunnage components 114 has notches 116 identical to the notches 66 of upper dunnage component 64 . However, each upper dunnage component 114 has no liner or stiffener. Each dunnage component 114 is a one-piece unitary body made of foam, rubber, wood or any other suitable material. These dunnage components 114 may be used in upper or lower levels of dunnage of any of the embodiments of container shown or described herein. Although one specific shape of notch 116 is illustrated in the drawings, this document is not intended to limit in any way the size, shape or configuration of notches 116 in any of the dunnage components 114 of the upper level of dunnage 62 or any of the levels of dunnage.
[0063] FIG. 3B illustrates an upper dunnage component 114 a which may be incorporated into any container in place of one of the dunnage components 64 or dunnage components 114 shown in FIG. 3A . Each of the upper dunnage components 114 a has a specific geometry for a particular part or product, in this case, a plurality of spaced protrusions 118 between recesses or valleys 119 . The protrusions 118 may be configured or sized to fit into one or more recesses (not shown) of a product 60 ′, shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3A , to reduce the likelihood of the product 60 ′ moving, shifting or separating from the dunnage and getting damaged during shipment. In other words, the specific configuration of the dunnage components may be shaped or configured to secure products in place so as to reduce the chances of the products getting damaged during shipment. Like upper dunnage component 114 shown in FIG. 3A , each upper dunnage component 114 a has no liner or stiffener. Each upper dunnage component 114 a is a one-piece unitary body made of foam, rubber, wood or any other suitable material. These dunnage components 114 a may be used in upper or lower levels of dunnage in any of the embodiments of container shown or described herein. Although one specific shape of protrusion 118 is illustrated in the drawings, this document is not intended to limit in any way the size, shape or configuration of protrusions 118 in any of the dunnage components 114 a of the upper level of dunnage 62 or any of the levels of dunnage. If desired, the unitary dunnage component 114 a shown in FIG. 3B may be incorporated into a dunnage component having one or more liners or stiffeners in accordance with the present invention.
[0064] FIG. 3C illustrates a dunnage component 114 b which may be incorporated into any container in place of any of the dunnage components shown or described herein. Each of the dunnage components 114 b may have a specific geometry for a particular part or product; in this case, a plurality of spaced protrusions 118 between recesses or valleys 119 . The protrusions 118 may be configured or sized to fit into one or more recesses (not shown) of a product 60 ′, shown in dashed lines in FIG. 3C , to reduce the likelihood of the product 60 ′ moving, shifting or separating from the dunnage and getting damaged during shipment. In other words, the specific configuration of the dunnage components may be shaped or configured to secure products in place so as to reduce the chances of the products getting damaged during shipment. Unlike dunnage components 64 , 114 , 114 a shown in FIGS. 3 , 3 A, 3 B, respectively, each dunnage component 114 b has no opening therethrough. Instead, each dunnage component 114 b comprises a one-piece unitary body made of foam, rubber, wood or any other suitable material to which is secured a sleeve 70 with a bracket 71 and fastener 73 . Although one type of bracket 71 is shown, any known bracket may be used. Similarly, although one particular sleeve 70 is illustrated, other types of sleeves may be used. Sleeve 70 is sized to allow one of the guides 40 to extend through the sleeve 70 regardless of whether the sleeve 70 is inside or outside the body of the dunnage component. These dunnage components 114 b may be used in upper or lower levels of dunnage in any of the embodiments of container shown or described herein. Although one specific shape of protrusion 118 is illustrated in the drawings, this document is not intended to limit in any way the size, shape or configuration of protrusions 118 in any of the dunnage components 114 b . If desired, a sleeve and bracket-like sleeve 70 and bracket 71 may be incorporated into any of the dunnage components described or shown herein. For example, a dunnage component, like dunnage component 114 shown in FIG. 3A , may lack an opening therein, the sleeve 70 being secured to the body of the dunnage component 114 with a bracket or via any other suitable manner.
[0065] FIG. 3D illustrates another dunnage component 114 c which may be incorporated into any container in place of one of the dunnage components shown or described herein. Each upper dunnage component 114 c has no opening therethrough. Instead, each upper dunnage component 114 c comprises a one-piece unitary body made of foam, rubber, wood or any other suitable material to which is secured a slider 115 like those described and shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,762,422, which is fully incorporated herein. Although one type of slider 115 is shown, any other shaped slider may be used. Slider 115 is sized to move along a track 117 like tracks shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,762,422. These dunnage components 114 c and tracks 117 may be used in upper or lower levels of dunnage in any of the embodiments of container shown or described herein. Although one specific shape of track 117 is illustrated in the drawings, this document is not intended to limit in any way the size, shape or configuration of tracks 117 in any of the levels of dunnage. If desired, the tracks 117 may be the full width of the interior of the container.
[0066] FIGS. 6A-6C illustrates a method of unloading product 60 from a fully loaded container 10 . The method comprises the first step of pulling product 60 extending between the two dunnage components 64 of the upper level or layer of dunnage 62 out of the dunnage in the direction of arrow 61 . As shown in FIG. 6B , the two dunnage components 64 of the upper level or layer of dunnage 62 are then moved outwardly away from each other in the direction of arrows 63 . More specifically, an operator moves them from a first or closed position shown in FIG. 6A to a second or open position illustrated in FIG. 6B . As shown in FIG. 6B , when the two dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 are in their second or open position, the opening therebetween is greater than when they are in the first or closed position illustrated in FIG. 6A . As shown in FIG. 6C , the next step comprises removing product 60 extending between the dunnage components 56 of the lower level of dunnage 54 , the two dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 remaining in their second or open position. With the dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 being in their second or open position, products 60 in the lowermost level of dunnage 54 may be more easily removed from the container in the direction of arrow 67 without the dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 being in the way or obstructing the removal of the lower level of products though the opening.
[0067] FIGS. 6D-6F illustrates a method of loading product 60 into an empty container 10 . As shown in FIG. 6D , products 60 are loaded into the container's interior 24 by the operator in the direction shown by arrow 82 between the dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 (which are in their open position). Thus, products 60 are loaded into the lower level of dunnage 54 and, more specifically, loaded such that each product 60 extends between the dunnage components 56 of the lower level of dunnage 54 . As shown in FIG. 6E , once the lower level of dunnage 54 is full of product 60 , the two dunnage components 64 of the upper level or layer of dunnage 62 are then moved inwardly towards each other in the direction of arrows 84 . More specifically, an operator moves them from a second or open position shown in FIG. 6D to a first or closed position illustrated in FIG. 6F . The distance they travel inwardly is limited by the location of the supports 32 . Each of the dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 does not travel between the supports 32 . In other words, each of the dunnage components 64 of the upper level of dunnage 62 does not travel inside the support 32 closest to it. As shown in FIG. 6F , the last step of the method comprises loading product 60 into the upper level or layer of dunnage 62 in the direction of arrow 86 , each product 60 extending between the two dunnage components 64 of the upper level or layer of dunnage 62 .
[0068] Although FIGS. 6A-6F illustrate methods of loading and unloading product into container 10 having two guides 40 , these methods may be used in any of the embodiments shown or described herein. For example, the upper components may be moved in the same manner using the container 10 a having the shorter guides 40 a . Although one configuration of container is shown and described with respect to the method, the method may be practiced with any container shown or described herein.
[0069] FIGS. 7 , 8 and 9 illustrate an alternative embodiment of container 10 a . Container 10 a is identical to container 10 except for the guides. Rather than having two guides 40 , each having a length greater than the width “W” of the interior 24 of the container 10 , container 10 a has four guides 40 a . Two of the four guides 40 a are front guides, and two are rear guides, each guide 40 a being shorter in length than the width “W” of the interior 24 of the container 10 a . In this embodiment, one of the rear guides 40 a extends between one of the side walls 20 and a support 32 operatively coupled to rear wall 20 . The other rear guide 40 a extends between the other side wall 20 and the other support 32 operatively coupled to rear wall 20 . Similarly, as shown in FIG. 8 , each of the front guides 40 a extends from one of the container side walls 16 to the nearest support 32 . As shown in FIG. 9 , each guide 40 a extends through an opening 38 through one of the supports or eye bolts 32 operatively coupled to the front or rear wall 18 , 20 of the container 10 . As shown in FIG. 9 , each guide 40 a has opposed end portions 42 a . As shown in FIG. 9 , one end portion 42 a of each guide 40 a extends into a bore 44 in one of the container side walls 16 . As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , a washer 46 is located inside the container side wall 16 surrounding the guide 40 a . A holder 48 , like the holder 48 shown in FIG. 3 , is secured to the guide 40 a inside the washer 46 . As best shown in FIG. 9 , two holders 48 are secured to each guide 40 a . Each holder 48 is in the form of a triangular metal wire and has two ends 50 which fit into holes in the guide 40 a . The holders 48 function to hold each guide 40 a in place. The pair of holders 48 , acting in concert, functions to prevent the guide 40 from separating from one of the container side walls 16 and from separating from one of the supports 32 . As shown in FIG. 9 , the holder 48 (shown on the left of the container) functions to prevent the guide 40 a from moving further to the left, such that the right side of the guide 40 a separates from the nearest support 32 . The other guide 48 located inside the support 32 (shown on the right in FIG. 9 ) functions to prevent the guide 40 a from moving to the right, such that the left side of the guide 40 a separates from the side wall 16 .
[0070] As shown in FIG. 9 , each of the guides 40 a is in the form of a tube having a hollow interior 52 a . Although one configuration of guide in the form of a tube is shown and described, other types of guides, such as solid rods or beams made of metal or plastic or wood, or any other desired material, may be used if desired.
[0071] FIGS. 10 , 11 , 12 and 13 illustrate an alternative embodiment of container 10 b . Container 10 b is similar to container 10 a and uses the same dunnage and same four guides 40 a . In this embodiment, two of the four supports 32 b are operatively coupled to rear wall 20 below a removable section 88 . Although not shown, the other two of the four supports 32 b are operatively coupled to front wall 18 below a removable section 88 . As shown in FIG. 11 , each of the container walls may have a removable section or door 88 . FIG. 11 illustrates the removable section 88 of rear wall 20 being removed in the direction of arrow 90 . Alternatively, one or more of the wall sections 88 may be hinged to the remainder of the container wall, side or side structure.
[0072] As shown in FIG. 12 , two of the four supports or brackets 32 b are each operatively coupled with fasteners 92 to container rear wall 20 below the removable section 88 so as to not interfere with the removal of the wall section 88 of rear wall 20 . The other two supports 32 b are operatively coupled to the front container wall 18 below the removable section 88 so as to not interfere with the removal of the wall section 88 of front wall 18 . As shown in FIG. 12 , each of the supports 32 b has a generally planar first portion 94 and a generally planar second portion 96 extending outwardly from the first portion 94 . As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the second portion 96 of each support or bracket 32 b has a holder 98 on an outer surface thereof. Each holder 98 is sized to receive and retain one end of one of the guides 40 a , as best illustrated in FIG. 12 . As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the other end of each guide 40 a extends into an opening 100 in a flange 102 located in a bracket 104 secured to one of the container side walls 16 . As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , fasteners 106 are used to secure the bracket 104 to one of the container side walls 16 .
[0073] FIGS. 14-17 illustrate an alternative embodiment of container 10 c . Container 10 c is similar to container 10 a and uses the same dunnage and same four guides 40 a . However, in container 10 c , the supports 32 c are not eye bolts. As best shown in FIG. 15 , two of the four supports 32 c are secured to rear wall 20 , and the other two of the four supports 32 c are secured to front wall 18 in any conventional manner.
[0074] As best shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 , each of the supports 32 c comprises a U-shaped bracket 108 secured with fasteners 110 to a middle body 112 . As best shown in FIG. 17 , the U-shaped bracket 108 contacts three sides of the body 112 . As shown in FIG. 17 , the guide 40 a passes through an opening in one wall of the bracket 108 (the innermost wall) and through the body 112 of the support 32 c . Thus, each support 32 c is sized to receive and retain one end of one of the guides 40 a , as best illustrated in FIG. 17 . As shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 , the other end of each guide 40 a extends into a bore 44 in one of the container side walls 16 . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , a washer 46 is located inside the container side wall 16 surrounding the guide 40 a . As best shown in FIG. 16 , a holder 48 in the form of a triangular metal wire has two ends 50 which fit into holes in the guide 40 a . The holder 48 at one end of each guide 40 a functions to hold each guide 40 a in place. The holder 48 helps prevent the guide 40 a from moving to the left, as shown in FIG. 16 and discussed herein. The other end of guide 40 a passes through one of the sides of bracket 108 and through the body 112 of the support 32 c , abutting the opposed side of bracket 108 .
[0075] FIGS. 18-19 illustrate an alternative embodiment of container 10 d . Container 10 d is similar to container 10 c shown in FIGS. 14-17 in that container 10 d uses the same dunnage, guides 40 a and supports 32 c as container 10 c . However, in container 10 d , the side structures are not solid walls. As best shown in FIG. 18 , container 10 d comprises an outer metal rack or frame 120 having a bottom 122 and four corner posts, two rear corner posts 124 and two front corner posts 126 . As best shown in FIG. 19 , each of the corner posts 124 and 126 is generally rectangular in cross-section, has a hollow interior, and a knob 128 at the top thereof for stacking purposes so that multiple containers 10 d may be stacked upon one another. The knobs 128 of a first container fit inside the hollow interiors of the corner posts of another or second container located above the first container for stacking purposes. If desired, each of the corner posts may have a cap 130 at the bottom thereof (only one being shown in FIG. 18 ).
[0076] The metal frame 120 further comprises an upper rear member 132 and a lower rear member 134 (see FIG. 19 ) extending between the two rear corner posts 124 and being secured thereto. Two spaced intermediate rear braces 136 extend between the upper and lower rear members 132 , 134 and are secured thereto, such as by welding, for example. As shown in FIG. 18 , two of the four supports 32 c are welded or otherwise secured to the intermediate rear braces 136 (one support 32 c per intermediate rear brace 136 ). The other two supports 32 c are welded or otherwise secured to the vertical members 164 of the front gates 160 described below (one support 32 c per vertical member 164 ). An intermediate rear panel 138 extends between the two rear corner posts 124 and is secured thereto. These rear members 132 , 134 , rear panel 138 and rear corner posts 124 define a rear portion or structure 140 of the metal frame 120 , intermediate rear panel 138 being above lower rear member 134 .
[0077] The metal frame 120 further comprises, on each side of the container, side members 142 , 144 and 146 extending between one of the rear corner posts 124 and one of the front corner posts 126 and secured thereto. On each side, upper side member 142 is located above intermediate side member 144 and generally co-planar with the upper rear member 132 , as shown in FIG. 18 . On each side, intermediate side member 144 is located above lower side member 146 , lower side member 146 being generally co-planar with the lower rear member 134 . As shown in FIG. 18 , the four guides 40 a are secured to the intermediate side members 144 , two per side. In addition, each side has a side panel 148 extending between and secured to one of the rear corner posts 124 and one of the front corner posts 126 . The side members 142 , 144 and 146 , side panel 148 and corner posts 124 , 126 define a side portion or structure 150 of the metal frame 120 .
[0078] As best shown in FIG. 19 , the bottom 122 of the metal rack 120 further comprises generally co-planar perimeter members defining a rectangle, including lower rear member 134 , two lower side members 146 and front floor member 152 . Front floor member 152 extends between the two front corner posts 126 and is secured to each of them. Bottom 122 of the metal rack 120 further comprises a plurality of intersecting interior members 154 extending between opposed perimeter members and secured thereto, members 154 comprising part of the bottom 122 of the metal rack 120 . Although four interior members 154 are shown in the bottom 122 of the metal rack 120 , any number of interior members may be used. Similarly, although the rear and side portions 140 , 150 of the metal rack 120 are illustrated as having a certain number of braces or members extending between corner posts, any number of braces or members may extend between corner posts of any desired shape or size.
[0079] A floor 156 rests on top of the bottom of the metal outer frame 120 . The floor 156 may be made of plastic, wood, metal or any other desired material. Although the floor 156 is illustrated as being one piece or panel, more than one piece or panel may comprise the floor 156 resting on top of the bottom 122 of the metal rack 120 .
[0080] The metal frame 120 further comprises two front gates 160 , one on each side of the container 10 d . Each front gate 160 comprises a horizontal member 162 secured to one of the front corner posts 126 and being generally co-planar with the upper side members 142 and upper rear member 132 . Each front gate 160 further comprises a vertical member 164 , the horizontal member 162 and the front floor member 152 .
[0081] Although the outer metal rack or frame 120 is shown only in FIGS. 18 and 19 with guides 40 a and supports 32 c , any of the dunnage systems shown or described herein may be used in a container having an outer metal rack or frame like the outer metal rack or frame 120 .
[0082] While various embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described in considerable detail, it is not the intention of the applicant to restrict or in any way limit the scope of the claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspect is, therefore, not limited to the specific details, representative system, apparatus, and method, and illustrative example shown and described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departing from the spirit or scope of the applicant's general inventive concept.
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A container for holding product therein during shipment and being returned for reuse has a base and opposite sides. The container has multiple levels of dunnage components, the dunnage components of at least one level being movable between open and closed positions to enable an operator to load and unload products more easily. The dunnage components of at least one level may have openings through which pass guides supported at least partially by the container.
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FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention relates to the field of intravascular balloons, and more particularly to method and apparatus for forming balloons.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) procedures a guiding catheter is advanced until the, distal tip of the guiding catheter is seated in the ostium of a desired coronary artery. A guidewire, positioned within an inner lumen of an dilatation catheter, is first advanced out of the distal end of the guiding catheter into the patient's coronary artery until the distal end of the guidewire crosses a lesion to be dilated. Then the dilatation catheter, having, an inflatable balloon on the distal portion thereof, is advanced into the patient's coronary anatomy over the previously introduced guidewire until the balloon of the dilatation catheter is properly positioned across the lesion. Once properly positioned, the dilatation balloon is inflated with liquid one or more times to a predetermined size at relatively high pressures (e.g. greater than 8 atmospheres) so that the stenosis is compressed against the arterial wall and the wall expanded to open up the passageway. Generally, the inflated diameter of the balloon is approximately the same diameter as the native diameter of the body lumen being dilated so as to complete the dilatation but not overexpand the artery wall. After the balloon is finally deflated, blood flow resumes through the dilated artery and the dilatation catheter can be removed therefrom.
In such angioplasty procedures, there may be restenosis of the artery, i.e. reformation of the arterial blockage, which necessitates either another angioplasty procedure, or some other method, of repairing or strengthening the dilated area. To reduce the restenosis rate and to strengthen the dilated area, physicians frequently implant an intravascular prosthesis, generally called a stent, inside the artery at the site of the lesion. Stents may also be used to repair vessels having an intimal flap or dissection or to generally strengthen a weakened section of a vessel. Stents are usually delivered to a desired location within a coronary artery in a contracted condition on a balloon of a catheter which is similar in many respects to a balloon angioplasty catheter, and expanded to a larger diameter by expansion of the balloon. The balloon is deflated to remove the catheter and the stent left in place within the artery at the site of the dilated lesion. Thus, stents are used to open a stenosed vessel, and strengthen the dilated area by remaining inside the vessel.
In either procedure, substantial, uncontrolled or unpredictable expansion of the balloon against the vessel wall can cause trauma to the vessel wall. For example, although stents have been used effectively for some time, the effectiveness of a stent can be diminished if it is not properly implanted within the vessel. Additionally, the final location of the implanted stent in the body lumen may be beyond the physician's control where longitudinal growth of the stent deploying balloon causes the stent's position on the balloon to shift during deployment. As the balloon's axial length grows during inflation, the stent may shift position along the length of the balloon, and the stent may be implanted upstream or downstream of the desired location in the body lumen. Thus, balloons which have a large amount of longitudinal growth during inflation can frequently provide inadequate control over the location of the implanted stent. Thus, it is important for the balloon to exhibit dimensional stability.
Therefore, what has been needed is an improved method for forming catheter balloons. The present invention satisfies these and other needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for forming balloons with improved dimensional stability and balloons formed by the same.
The method of the present invention provides for a very accurate control of the temperature profile of the balloon material during its making. The attributes of the balloon can be affected by how the balloon is treated during the blowing stage and after the initial blowing, i.e., heat-setting. Using the present method, the balloon will form more uniformly and evenly (e.g., wall thickness and outer diameter of the balloon). The present method significantly increases the dimensional stability of the balloon which provides a balloon that is more predictable in use. The present heat-set process also provides the means for the working length to be located more accurately on dilation catheters and stent delivery systems.
In one embodiment, the method for forming the balloon comprises disposing a polymeric tubular product having an effective length with first and second ends within a mold. The interior of the tubular product is then pressurized. At least a portion of the tubular product is heated to a first elevated temperature for a first predetermined period of time to form the tubular product into a balloon. Preferably, the temperature of the tubular product is maintained to a minimal temperature differential from the first temperature. The tubular product is heated to a second elevated temperature for a second predetermined period of time to heat set the formed balloon. The tubular product (i.e. formed balloon) is then cooled down to substantially ambient temperature and may be subsequently removed. In an embodiment, the temperature differential is less than about 100° C., preferably, less than about 50° C., and more preferably, less than about 20° C. In one embodiment, the first elevated temperature is greater than the glass transition temperature of the polymeric material forming the tubular product, preferably, by at least 10° C., more preferably, by at least 20° C., and most preferably, by at least 40° C. Preferably, the first elevated temperature is less than the melting temperature of the polymeric material forming the tubular product. The second elevated temperature may be equal or greater than the first elevated temperature, and is preferably sufficiently high to thermoset the polymeric material forming the tubular product.
In one embodiment, the tubular product is heated uniformly between the first and second ends to the second elevated temperature for a predetermined period of time to heat set the formed balloon. Preferably, the temperature difference between the first and second ends is less than about 30° C., more preferably, less than 15° C., and most preferably, less than 10° C.
In a preferred embodiment, the tubular product is heated to the first elevated temperature with a first heating member, and to the second elevated temperature with a second heating member. The first heating member may apply the heat as it traverses along the length of the mold. Alternatively, the first heating member has an effective length which is at least substantially the same as the effective length of the tubular product. In this embodiment, the first heating member may then apply the heat to the mold simultaneously across the effective length of the tubular product.
In one embodiment, the second heating member applies heat to the tubular product as it traverses from one end of the tubular product to the other end. Alternatively, the second heating member may apply the heat to the tubular product simultaneously across the effective length of the tubular product.
In another embodiment, the first and second heating members are integral with one another. Alternatively, the first heating member and the second heating member may be on different heating heads. The second heating member may apply the heat to the mold as it traverses along the length of the mold or it may apply the heat simultaneously across the effective length of the mold, and thus, the tubular product.
Balloons formed from the process of the present invention, preferably, have either or both a reduced radial shrinkage and reduced axial growth. Such reduction, being in radial shrinkage or axial growth, preferably, is less than about 10%, more preferably, less than about 6%, and most preferably, less than about 4%.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top elevational view, partially cut away, of a balloon forming apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a partial top elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing a first heating element.
FIG. 3 is a front, partially cut away, elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 2 taken along lines 3 .
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 3 taken along lines 4 .
FIG. 5 is a partial top elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 showing a second heating element.
FIG. 6 is a front, partially cut away, view of the apparatus of FIG. 5 taken along lines 6 .
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the apparatus of FIG. 6 taken along lines 7 .
FIG. 8 is a bottom view of the apparatus in FIG. 6 taken along lines 8 .
FIG. 9 is an alternate embodiment of another heating element.
FIG. 10 is an alternate embodiment of another heating element having heating cartridges.
FIG. 11 is an alternate embodiment of another heating element having a heating head configured in a “C” shape.
FIG. 12 is a side elevational view, partially cut away, of an alternate embodiment of the balloon forming apparatus of FIG. 1 .
FIG. 13 is an alternate embodiment of an integral heating element.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a method of making a balloon and apparatus for carrying out the same. The method generally comprises extruding a polymeric tubular product having a first outer diameter. The tubular product is then radially expanded and, preferably axially drawn, to a second outer diameter by heating at least a portion of the tubular product to a first elevated temperature while subjecting the interior of the tubular product to an expansion pressure. While still under pressure, the expanded tubular product is heated to a second elevated temperature. Preferably, the first elevated temperature is greater than the glass transition temperature of the polymeric material forming the tubular product. Preferably, the first elevated temperature is at least 10° C., more preferably at least 20° C., and most preferably at least 40° C., greater than the glass transition temperature of the polymeric material forming the tubular product. The second elevated temperature is sufficiently high to thermoset the polymeric material forming the tubular product. The second elevated temperature may be less, equal or greater than the first elevated temperature. Preferably, the second elevated temperature is equal to or greater than the first elevated temperature.
The transformation of the tubular product into the balloon is performed in a mold having a longitudinal dimension including an effective length with first and second ends, the mold's effective length and the ends substantially corresponding to an effective length and first and second ends of the tubular product which in turns corresponds to the resulting balloon's longitudinal dimension; and a radial dimension suitable for forming the desired size balloon.
Preferably, the temperature of the tubular product along its effective length is maintained to a minimal temperature differential from the first temperature. Preferably, the temperature differential is less than about 100° C.; more preferably, less than about 50° C.; and most preferably, less than about 20° C. It should be noted, that when referring to the temperature of the tubular product, such temperature may be measured directly, or indirectly by correlation, as for example, when measuring the temperature of the heat source or the in mold temperature.
Preferably, the second elevated temperature is uniformly applied to the effective length of the tubular product. Preferably, the tubular product's temperature difference between the first and second ends is less than about 30° C.; more preferably, less than about 15° C.; and most preferably, less than about 10° C.
The expanded, heat-treated tubular product is then cooled to form a balloon.
For example, the formed balloon has a minimal radial shrinkage (for example, as measured by the % change in the outer diameter of the working length of an inflated balloon as part of a catheter system versus as formed after the present process), and minimal axial growth (for example, as measured by the % change in the axial dimension of an inflated balloon as part of a catheter system versus as formed after the present process). Preferably, balloons formed as a result of the present process will exhibit a % shrinkage less than about 10%, more preferably, less than about 6%, and most preferably, less than about 4%. The balloons made according to the present method, may additionally have reduced axial growth of less than about 10%, more preferably, less than about 6%, and most preferably, less than about 4%, as for example when balloons formed from polyurethane.
The balloon is typically formed within a mold having dimensions close to the dimensions of the desired balloon. The blow up ratio, i.e., the balloon outer diameter divided by the balloon tubing inner diameter, is typically about 5.0 to about 8.0, and preferably about 7.0 to about 8.0.
In a presently preferred embodiment, to heat the tubular product to the first elevated temperature during the radial expansion, a first heating member such as a heat nozzle is displaced along a length of the tubular product within the mold, to thereby apply heat to portions of the tubular product adjacent to the first heating member. The expanded tubular product is then heat treated at a second elevated temperature. The heat treatment at the second elevated temperature may be achieved by the first heating member or a second heating member. In either way, the heating member for applying the heat treatment at the second elevated temperature, preferably, applies the heat in such manner as to sufficiently provide a uniform temperature profile across at least substantially the entire length of the mold corresponding to the balloon member (i.e., the effective length). The balloon is then cooled within the mold under pressure.
By way of example, when using a polyurethane tubular product, the first elevated temperature is reached by heating the mold to about 80° C. to about 120° C., and preferably about 95° C. to about 105° C.; and the second elevated temperature is reached by heating the mold to about 100° C. to about 160° C., and preferably about 110° C. to about 140° C. In a presently preferred embodiment, regardless of the material of choice for the tubular product, the second temperature is greater than the first temperature. By way of example, when using a polyurethane tubular product, the second temperature is typically no more than about 10° C. to about 50° C., preferably no more than about 10° C. to about 20° C., greater than the first temperature.
FIGS. 1 through 7, illustrate features of a balloon forming apparatus 10 for transforming a tubular product 13 into a balloon 16 (FIG. 6) for medical devices according to the present invention. The apparatus 10 achieves longitudinal stretching, biaxial orientation, heating, and cooling, in addition to means for monitoring radial expansion or biaxial orientation through suitable means such as hard circuitry, a microprocessor, or other computerized controlling arrangements. For simplicity, many of the details of such apparatus which are commonly known and used in the art are not illustrated. The tubular product 13 is disposed within a mold 19 by inserting the distal and proximal ends of the tubular product 13 through the mold 19 and into corresponding distal and proximal collets, 22 and 25 . The mold 19 is then closed and held in place. The tubular product 13 is then subjected to axial tension and pressurized air as is commonly practiced in the art.
To blow the balloon (FIGS. 2 through 4 ), the interior of the tubular product 13 is pressurized at the desired pressure and a first heating member 37 providing heat at a first elevated temperature is moved from a first position substantially radial to a distal end 40 of an effective length 43 of the mold 19 (i.e., what will be a distal shaft of the balloon 16 ), over the working length 43 , to a second position, substantially radial to a proximal end 46 of the effective length 43 of the mold 19 (i.e., what will be a proximal shaft of the balloon 16 ). During the movement of the first heating member 37 , the tubular product 13 is also being subjected to radial expansion, preferably, also axial stretching. At this time, the tubular product 19 is blown up and formed to substantially its ultimate shape. The blow cycle may include one or more passes of the first heating member 37 along the effective length 43 of the mold 19 . Alternatively, as the first heating member 37 traverses along the effective length 43 of the mold, the second heating member 49 may also traverse along this length following the first heating member.
After the completion of the blowing cycle (may include one or more passes of the first heating member), the tubular product 13 is then subjected to a second elevated temperature as a second heating member 49 applies heat to the tubular product 13 through the mold 19 (FIGS. 5 through 7 ). Preferably, the second heating member 49 is of such longitudinal dimension and design so as to apply heat to substantially the entire effective length 43 of the mold 19 at the same time. In other words, preferably, the second heating member 49 is long enough to provide a uniform temperature profile across substantially the entire length of the mold 19 , and in effect substantially the entire effective length 43 of the tubular product 13 corresponding to the balloon 16 within the mold 19 .
Now referring to FIGS. 8A, 8 B, the second heating member 49 includes a heating head 52 having one or more heating nozzles 55 . The heating head 52 may have one large nozzle such as slot 58 (FIG. 8A) or a multiple of smaller nozzles such as 61 (FIG. 8 B). The heating nozzles 55 , may have any shape and number as may be required to heat the mold in the uniform manner desired. The heating nozzles 55 as shown in FIGS. 7, 8 A, 8 B, 9 and 10 are fluidically connected to a source of hot air 64 . The air source 64 may be heated in connecting bodies 67 before exiting the heating nozzles 55 .
FIG. 10 illustrates features of an alternate embodiment of a second heating member 70 . In this embodiment, the second heating member 70 includes one or more heating heads 73 formed of conductive material such as stainless steel and further includes cartridge heaters 76 . To apply heat to the mold 19 , the heating cartridges 76 heat the heating head 73 . The heating head 73 is brought into physical contact with the mold 19 and the mold 19 is heated by conduction. At points such as 79 where the heating head 73 is not in physical contact with the mold 19 , the mold 19 may be heated as heat radiates from the heating head 73 through air and to the mold 19 .
In order to uniformly heat the mold 19 from all directions, the second heating member 49 , may include one or more individual heating members such as 82 , each possibly having a separate heat source (e.g. air) which can heat the mold 19 from two opposite sides, as shown in FIG. 7 . Alternatively, the second heating member 49 , may be one such as that illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 11, where the heating head 85 is formed in a semi-circular shape or “C” shaped and receiving its heat from a single source. It should be appreciated that the same configuration may also be used for the first heating member 37 .
Now referring to FIG. 12, wherein like references refer to like members, apparatus 100 includes a single integral heating member 103 for both the blowing and heat setting of the tubular product 13 as it is formed into balloon 16 . In this embodiment, the integral heating member 103 includes a single heating head 106 with one or more leading nozzles 109 (one as is shown in FIGS. 12, and 13 ) for heating the tubular product 13 during the blowing stage. As a leading edge 112 of the integral heating member 103 moves from the first position to the second position, the tubular product 13 is blown as described in reference to FIG. 1 . When the one or more leading nozzles 109 reach the second position, one or more trailing nozzles 115 apply heat to the mold 19 to heat set the balloon 16 . The integral heating member 103 may be formed from multiple single heating heads 106 (as shown in FIG. 13) or multiple heads configured to correspond to the leading nozzle 109 and the trailing nozzle 115 separately.
This embodiment, enables the blowing of the tubular product 13 in a number of desirable fashions. For example, during the blowing stage of the tubular product 13 , the integral heating member 103 may be displaced along the effective length 43 of the mold 19 as it traverses from one end to the other. Alternatively, a heating member such as that of FIGS. 8A or 8 B may be brought into position (as that illustrated in FIG. 5) so as to provide uniform heating of the entire effective length 43 of the mold 19 for both blowing and heat-setting.
The balloon may be formed of any material, preferably, compliant material, including thermoplastic and thermoset polymers. The presently preferred compliant polymeric materials include polyurethanes such as TECOTHANE from Thermedics. TECOTHANE is a thermoplastic, aromatic, polyether polyurethane synthesized from methylene disocyanate (MDI), polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) and 1,4 butanediol chain extender. TECOTHANE grade 1065D is presently preferred, and has a Shore durometer of 65D, an elongation at break of about 300%, and a high tensile strength at yield of about 10,000 psi. However, other suitable grades may be used, including TECOTHANE 1075D, having a Shore D of 75. Balloons produced from the TECOTHANE materials are particularly preferred because the axial growth of the balloon during inflation is minimized, and the axial and radial size of the balloon deflates to the original preinflation size following inflation and deflation of the balloon. Thus, inflation produces little or no axial or radial growth, so that the deflated balloons elastically recoil to the preinflation size. Other suitable compliant polymeric materials which deflate so that at least the radial size of the balloon returns to the original preinflation radial size, and which therefore have a substantially elastic recoil after deflation, include ENGAGE from DuPont Dow Elastomers (an ethylene alpha-olefin polymer) and EXACT, available from Exxon Chemical, both of which are thermoplastic polymers and are believed to be polyolefin elastomers produced from metallocene catalysts. Other suitable compliant materials include, but are not limited to, elastomeric silicones, latexes, and urethanes. The type of compliant material may be chosen to provide compatibility with the catheter shaft material, to thereby facilitate bonding of the balloon to the catheter.
The compliant material may be cross linked or uncrosslinked, depending upon the balloon material and characteristics required for a particular application. The presently preferred polyurethane balloon materials are not crosslinked. However, other suitable materials, such as the polyolefinic polymers ENGAGE and EXACT, are preferably crosslinked. By crosslinking the balloon compliant material, the final inflated balloon size can be controlled. Conventional crosslinking techniques can be used including thermal treatment and E-beam exposure. After crosslinking, initial pressurization, expansion, and preshrinking, the balloon will thereafter expand in a controlled manner to a reproducible diameter in response to a given inflation pressure, and thereby avoid overexpanding the stent (when used in a stent delivery system) to an undesirably large diameter.
The length of the compliant balloon may be about 0.8 cm to about 8 cm, preferably about 1.5 cm to about 3.0 cm; and is typically about 2.0 cm. The wall thickness is generally about 0.004 in (0.1 mm) to about 0.016 in (0.4 mm), and is typically about 0.008 in (0.2 mm). In an expanded state, the balloon diameter is generally about 0.06 in (1.5 mm) to about 0.22 in (5.5 mm), and the wall thickness is about 0.0005 in (0.012 mm) to about 0.0025 in (0.06 mm).
While particular forms of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that various modifications can be made, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the appended claims.
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The present invention is directed to apparatus and method for forming balloons with improved dimensional stability and balloons formed by the same. The method of the present invention provides for a very accurate control of the temperature profile of the balloon material during its making. The attributes of the balloon can be affected by how the balloon is treated during the blowing stage and after the initial blowing, i.e., heat-setting. Using the present method, the balloon will form more uniformly and evenly (e.g., wall thickness and outer diameter of the balloon). The present method significantly increases the dimensional stability of the balloon which provides a balloon that is more predictable, in use. The present heat-set process also provides the means for the working length to be located more accurately on dilation catheters and stent delivery systems.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a joint of a crib and a method for locking and releasing the joint, and more particularly, to a join which is easily released to release all of the joints of the crib simultaneously.
[0003] 2. Description of Related Art
[0004] Taiwan Patent Publication No. M382780 discloses joints respectively connected between the side tubes of the top frame of a crib and the top frame of the crib can be folded by operation of the joints.
[0005] Taiwan Patent Publication No. M345539 and M323250 respectively disclose a joint that is similar to Taiwan Patent Publication No. M382780, and provide joints for connecting the side tubes of the top frame, and the top frame is folded by operation of the joints.
[0006] However, when folding the top frame, the joints have to be released one by one, that is to say, the user cannot release all the joints by releasing one of the joints.
[0007] Besides, Taiwan Patent Publication No. M375912 discloses a joint of a crib and the joint has a pressing member which is pressed when releasing the joint. The pressing member is moved to push the support members on two sides thereof so as to rotate the support members which then do not support the support members and the crib can be folded. However, it is experienced that the pressing action to the pressing member may not successfully rotate the support members as expected and the joint cannot be released.
[0008] The present invention intends to provide a joint for a crib and all of the joints of the crib can be released by simply releasing one of the joints.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention relates to a joint of a crib which has two joints connected to a top frame thereof. The joint comprises a mounting member, two operation units, a resilient member and two end pieces. The mounting member has a bridge and two side plates extend from two ends of the bridge so as to define a space between the two side plates. The two operation units are pivotably connected to each other and located in the space of the mounting member and the two operation units are pivotably connected to the two side plates. The mounting member are connected to two side tubes of the top frame and two end pieces are respectively engaged with two respective distal ends of the two side tubes of the top frame. When the operation unit of one of the two joints is pushed and the side tube corresponding to the operation unit is rotated about to the extreme position, the end piece of the side tube is hooked with the operation unit and drives the other operation unit on the other end of the joint to force the two operation units not to support the side tubes of the top frame. The joints are then released.
[0010] The primary object of the present invention is to provide a joint of a crib and one of the joints is released, the rest of the joints of the top frame are released simultaneously.
[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a joint of a crib wherein the once the joint is released from one end thereof, the other end of the joint is ensured to be released to avoid the user from folding the top frame by force while the other end of the joint is still in locked status.
[0012] The present invention relates to a method for releasing the joint. A flexible linkage unit is connected between the joints so that when one of the joints is released, the other joints are released by the linkage unit simultaneously. The top frame of the crib is able to be folded easily. The one action folding feature allows the user to fold the crib by one hand and hold the kid by the other hand.
[0013] The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view to show the frame of the crib of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is to an exploded view show the joint of the present invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 shows the joint designated by circle A of FIG. 1 of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 shows that the joint designated by circle A of FIG. 1 of the present invention is pushed;
[0018] FIG. 5 shows the action of the joint designated by circle B of FIG. 1 of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 6 shows the other action of the joint designated by circle B of FIG. 1 of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 7 shows the crib of the present invention with the joints cooperated with the casings;
[0021] FIG. 8 is an exploded view to show the joint cooperated with the casings, and
[0022] FIG. 9 is an exploded view to show the bottom base of the crib of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , the frame of the crib of the present invention comprises a top frame 5 , a bottom frame 10 and four upright members 20 . The top frame 5 has at least two joints 30 and the four upright members 20 are connected to the four corers of the top frame 5 . Each upright member 20 is connected to the bottom frame 10 by its lower end. The distal ends of the links 101 of the bottom frame 10 are connected to a bottom base 40 .
[0024] The joint 30 comprises a mounting member 1 , two operation units 2 , a resilient member 3 and two end pieces 4 .
[0025] The mounting member 1 has a bridge 11 and two side plates 12 extend downward from two ends of the bridge 11 . A space 13 defined between the two side plates 12 .
[0026] The two operation units 2 are located in the space 13 of the mounting member 1 and each operation unit 2 is pivotably connected between the two side plates 12 by a first pin 21 . Each operation unit 2 has a support piece 22 extending toward a first direction M (toward the top frame). Each of the support pieces 22 has an engaging member 23 protruding from the top thereof. Each of the support pieces 22 has a contact member 25 extends toward a second direction N. The support piece 22 is connected to the contact member 25 . One of the two operation units 2 has a pivot 26 on the top of the contact member 25 and the other one of the two operation units 2 has an elongate hole 27 defined in the top of the contact member 25 . The pivot 26 is engaged with the elongate hole 27 . Each of the two operation units 2 has a pressing section 28 extending toward a third direction O (the direction away from each other).
[0027] The resilient member 3 connected between the engaging members 24 of the two operation units 2 .
[0028] The two end pieces 4 are respectively engaged with two respective distal ends of the two side tubes 51 of the top frame 5 . Each end piece 4 having a notch 41 which is located corresponding to the support piece 22 of the operation unit 2 corresponding thereto. Each of the end pieces 4 has a groove 411 located beside the notch 41 , the engaging member 23 is engaged with the groove 411 . A second pin 42 extends through the side plates 12 , the side tube 51 and the end piece 4 to pivotably connect the mounting member 1 to the side tubes 51 . The end pieces 4 are secured in the side tubes 51 .
[0029] A linkage unit 6 is connected between the two joints 30 , as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5 , the linkage unit 6 is a flexible unit, preferably, the linkage unit 6 is a cable. The linkage unit 6 has a first end connected to the pressing section 28 of one of the operation units 2 of one of the two joints 30 , a second end of the linkage unit 6 is connected to the pressing section 28 of one of the operation units 2 of the other one of the two joints 30 .
[0030] When expanding the crib, the side tubes 51 are located horizontally so that the notch 41 of each of the end pieces 4 is supported by the support piece 22 of the operation unit 2 . The resilient member 3 biases the two operation units 2 , and the two contact members 25 of the two operation units 2 are in contact with each other. Therefore, the two operation units 2 are firmly in contact with each other to ensure that the top frame does not fold unexpectedly.
[0031] Further referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , when folding the top frame 5 , the user pushes the pressing section 28 of one of the operation units 2 of one of the joints 30 , the linkage unit 6 drives the operation unit 2 of the other joint 30 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , to let the two operation units 2 of the two joins 30 not support the side tubes 51 . Therefore, when one joint 30 is released, by the linkage unit 6 , the rest of the joint 30 is released, this allows the user to fold the crib by one hand and hold the kid by the other hand.
[0032] When the pressing section 28 of one of the operation units 2 is pushed, the operation unit 2 is pivoted about the first pin 21 and toward the first direction M, in the meanwhile, because the contact members 25 of the two operation units 2 are in contact with each other, the other operation unit 2 is also pivoted about the first pin 21 and toward the first direction M. By the two pivotal movement of the two operation units 2 , the support pieces 22 do not support the end pieces 4 in the side tubes 51 which are not supported by the operation units 2 , the joint 30 is released.
[0033] In addition, the pressing section 28 of each of the operation units 2 has a hook portion 29 extending toward the first direction M. When the pressing section 28 of one of the operation units 2 is pushed, but the support piece 22 of the other operation unit 2 is not disengaged from the end piece 4 of the side tube 51 , the hook portion 29 of one of the operation units 2 hooks the notch 41 of the end piece 4 and drives the other operation unit 2 . The support piece 22 of said the other operation unit 2 is then disengaged from the notch 41 of the other side tube 51 . Therefore, the joint 30 is completely released even if only one end of the joint 30 is released. This prevents the user to fold the crib without knowing that the other end of the joint 30 is still locked and damage the joint 30 .
[0034] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the mounting member 1 has a casing 14 mounted thereto and the casing 14 has a push member 15 extending from the underside thereof. The push member 15 has two tabs 151 on two sides thereof so as to be engaged with two protrusions 141 on an inside of the casing 14 to restrict the protruding distance. The push member 15 has two push portions 152 which are located corresponding to the pressing sections 28 of the operation units 2 . When pushing the push member 15 , the push portions 152 push the pressing sections 28 of the operation units 2 to fold joint 30 .
[0035] As shown in FIG. 9 , the bottom base 40 of the crib has two tubular members 402 which have toothed portions 401 , and the two toothed portions 401 are engaged with each other. When the crib is expanded or folded, by the engagement between the two toothed portions 401 , the bottom frame 10 can be folded or expanded even only one side of the bottom frame 10 is operated.
[0036] While we have shown and described the embodiment in accordance with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art that further embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
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The present invention relates to a joint of a crib and a method for releasing the joint. A flexible linkage unit is connected between the joints so that when one of the joints is released, the other joints are released by the linkage unit simultaneously. The top frame of the crib is able to be folded easily. The one action folding feature allows the user to fold the crib by one hand and hold the kid by the other hand.
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FIELD
[0001] The field of the invention relates to the Internet and more specifically to method of constructing and transmitting images over the Internet.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Computer networks, in general, and the Internet, in specific, have become a vast resource of information. With the aid of a personal computer (PC) and web browser, a user may connect and retrieve information on virtually any subject matter.
[0003] Using the browser, a user can locate and access any of a number of search engines through the Internet. From the search engines, a webpage may be downloaded for the entry of search terms. Through the proper entry of search terms, any range of images and text may be located and downloaded to a user.
[0004] Once downloaded to a user, the user may review the information on-line or print it out. Alternatively, the user may store the information to disk.
[0005] While the information downloaded from the Internet is useful, it typically downloaded under a hypertext transport protocol (HTTP). While HTTP is useful for storing and printing, it is not particularly easy to manipulate and combine files. Other protocols, such as XML, are available, but have not been developed into useful applications. Accordingly, a need exists for applications which allow for the easy manipulation and combining of web based documents.
SUMMARY
[0006] A method and apparatus are provided for constructing a composite image within an image space of webpage. The method includes the steps of displaying plurality of source images within a content area of the webpage and dividing the image space of the composite image into a plurality of subspaces. The method further includes the steps of designating a subspace of the plurality of subspaces for receipt of a selected image of the plurality of images and resizing the selected image to fit the designated subspace of the composite image.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] [0007]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for constructing a composite image in accordance with an illustrated embodiment of the invention;
[0008] [0008]FIG. 2 is login screen that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;
[0009] [0009]FIG. 3 is a subject matter selection screen that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;
[0010] [0010]FIG. 4 depicts a further subject matter selection screen that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;
[0011] [0011]FIG. 5 depicts a template selection screen that maybe used by the system of FIG. 1;
[0012] [0012]FIG. 6 depicts a selected template and content area that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 7 depicts a floating toolbar that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 8 depicts details of content selection that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 9 depicts further details of content selection that may be used by the system of FIG. 1;
[0016] [0016]FIG. 10 depicts content that may be used in the composite image by the system of FIG. 1;
[0017] [0017]FIG. 11 depicts details of construction of the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;
[0018] [0018]FIG. 12 depicts details of image transfer to the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;
[0019] [0019]FIG. 13 depicts details the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;
[0020] [0020]FIG. 14 depicts details of text transfer to the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;
[0021] [0021]FIG. 15 depicts details of creation of the composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1;
[0022] [0022]FIG. 16 depicts a composite image constructed by the system of FIG. 1; and
[0023] [0023]FIG. 17 depicts a screen for editing composite images that may be used by the system of FIG. 1.
[0024] Appendix I depicts a DTD that may be used by the system of FIG. 1.
[0025] Appendix II depicts a composite image file that may be generated from the composite image of FIG. 17.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] [0026]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 10 , shown generally under an illustrated embodiment of the invention, for collecting, composing and transmitting images through the Internet. As used herein, an image includes: an illustration; photo; text; multimedia components such as, but not limited to, video, hypertext, etc.; and/or the like. A composite image includes more than one image.
[0027] Included within the system 10 may be an operators station 34 . The operators station 34 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 12 with an appropriate web browser 32 , a display 20 and keyboard 18 . The operators station 34 may also include a database 22 which may function as a source and also a destination of images.
[0028] The operators station 34 may include a connection to the Internet 14 . Also coupled to the Internet 14 may be one or more servers (e.g., CPUs) 16 , including websites 26 and databases 24 . The servers 16 may also function as both a source and destination of images as described in more detail below.
[0029] Under the illustrated embodiment, an operator (not shown) working through the operators station 34 may access a website 26 and download a webpage 28 containing the software constructs (e.g., a page building via browser (PBVB) tool 30 ) for processing composite images. The PBVB tool 30 is a configurable tool, which brings page layout functionality to the Internet. Communication between the operators station 34 and website 26 for downloading of the P 3 VB tool 30 (and subsequent communication) may occur through the standard HTTP port 80 of the operators station 34 .
[0030] As described in more detail below, the PBVB tool 30 provides a facility and an intuitive interface for placing content within a template. Since it may be retrieved from a website, it is inherently simple to access from remote locations and easy to install. Further, since the PBVB tool 30 may be downloaded from a common website of an organization, the organization may more easily enforce business rules through the use of embedded templates.
[0031] In general, the PBVB 30 may be written as a Java applet and run inside the browser 32 . Providing the PBVB 30 as a Java applet allows PBVB 30 to be easily used in conjunction with Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator browsers on either PC or Macintosh platforms.
[0032] Further, to facilitate operation of the PBVB 30 , data may be delivered to and routed from the PBVB 30 under a common format (e.g., XML). The use of XML simplifies image manipulation and composite image construction by providing a format which is Internet compatible and which is easily adapted to both text and image processing.
[0033] The preparation of composite images may be useful for any of a number of uses. For example, the operator may use the workstation 34 to retrieve text and graphical representations from any of a number of Internet or local sources and combine such information into virtually any form of instructional or sales literature (e.g., catalogs).
[0034] Following is a description of a process that may be used for the creation of a catalog. While the description below is directed to a specific type of composite image, it should be understood that the described process may be extended to virtually any situation.
[0035] In order to perform construction of a composite image, the operator (after accessing the website 26 and downloading webpage 28 and PBVB 30 ) may first be presented with a sign-on screen 40 (FIG. 2). The operator may enter his user name in a first box 42 and password in a second box 44 , followed by activation of a login softkey.
[0036] Following sign-in to the system, the website 26 may download a webpage 50 (FIG. 3) offering a set of file choices 52 , 54 , 56 , 58 from which the composite images will be created. In the example of the catalog, the operator may activate the “Spring and Summer” option 58 .
[0037] In response, a further webpage 60 may be downloaded from the website offering subdivisions 62 , 64 , 66 , 68 of the file selection 58 . As a further example of the catalog creation, the operator may select “Misses” 68 .
[0038] In response, the website 26 may download a template selection webpage 70 . Within the template selection webpage 70 , a number of possible templates 72 , 74 , 76 may be provided, any one of which may be used for creation of a composite image. A scroll bar 78 may be provided to access other choices of templates. In the example provided, the operator may select the lower template 76 .
[0039] The templates may be divided into a number of boxes. Larger boxes may have smaller boxes inside. The smaller boxes may be text boxes and the larger boxes may be image boxes. For convenience text boxes may be shown with diagonal lines. However, this is for convenience only, in the sense that images may later be placed in text boxes and text placed in image boxes.
[0040] Upon selection of a template 76 , the PBVB 30 may divide the display 80 into a composing screen including first and second windows 82 , 84 (FIG. 6). The first window 82 may be a content area for selecting source content for the composite image and the second window 84 displays the template within which the composite image is to be created. A floating toolbar 86 is also provided to facilitate creation of the composite image.
[0041] [0041]FIG. 7 provides further detail regarding the floating toolbar 86 . As shown, a first icon 88 of a disk, allows the user to save the composite image. A second icon 90 allows the user to print the composite image. Third and fourth curved arrows 92 , 94 allows the user to UNDO and REDO changes. A selection tool 96 is provided to select specific boxes of the template for insertion of content into the composite image. A text tool 98 is provided to edit text in specific boxes. Zoom-in and zoom-out boxes 100 , 102 and a zoom-to-percentage box 104 are provided to enlarge or reduce portions of the composite image. A help box 106 is also provided. Finally, a box select tool 108 and line selection tool 107 are provided to insert additional boxes and lines into the template.
[0042] A user may click on the box selection tool 107 with a cursor 134 and then click on a desired location within the selected template. The location of the cursor 134 when the key on the mouse was actuated becomes the upper left corner of a new box. The user may enlarge the box by holding the actuating key on a mouse controller and dragging the new box to whatever size needed.
[0043] Similarly, the line tool 107 may be selected by placing the cursor 134 on the line selection icon 107 and clicking. To create lines, the user may first click on a starting position, move the cursor 134 to an end position and click a second time.
[0044] The content area 82 functions as a means for accessing source material for inclusion into the composite image. Within the content area 82 , a first pull-down menu 110 may specify a data path to a particular data source (e.g., within a local directory, related database 22 , Internet source 24 , etc.). Once a source has been identified, first and second tabs 112 , 114 may be used to select either text or images within the source file.
[0045] In the catalog example, a user may specify a specific pathname as a data source within a remote DB 24 (FIG. 1). Files identified by the pathname may be displayed in the pulldown menu 118 (FIG. 8) of content select 110 . In the catalog example, the file names may be “Specific Product”, “Special Items” and “Sale”. The user may select “Specific Product”. Some choices may require additional path information.
[0046] For example, selection of the directory name “Specific Product” may not be a complete path to a file. In this case, a window 120 (FIG. 9) may be displayed requesting a specific file name. The user enters an identifier in a file identifier box 122 and activates the OK button. The information entered through the file identifier box 122 may be easily customized via a configuration file.
[0047] Upon identification of a file, the contents of the file may be displayed in the content area 82 . Since the image tab 112 is highlighted in the content area 82 , images 128 , 130 , 132 within the file 11 SKU#; 12345 - 1211 are retrieved and displayed within the content display area 126 . To accommodate the reduced size of the content display area 126 , the images may be reduced or enlarged using standard Java commands. Alternately, a thumbnail image may be displayed which may be suggestive of the underlying image.
[0048] To create the composite image, the user may place a cursor 134 on an image (e.g., 128 ) and drag the image to a box (e.g., 136 ). When the cursor 134 is released, the 10 PBVB 30 resizes the image 128 to occupy the box 136 using standard Java commands. The outline of the box 136 disappears and the resized image 138 appears in its place (FIG. 11).
[0049] Since the image 138 was placed in a first box 136 of the larger box 142 , the PBVB 30 may now assume that the second smaller box 140 is a text box. To select text to add to the composite image, the user may either click on the box 140 or select the text tab 114 .
[0050] Selection of the text tab 114 (FIG. 12) causes any text sections 142 , 144 , 146 associated with the file to be presented in the content area 82 . As with images, the user may place the cursor 134 over a text section and drag the text (e.g., 144 ) to a box (e.g., 140 ). Alternatively, the user may first click on the box 140 and then simply click on the text section 144 to affect a transfer. As with the images, the text section 144 may be resized to fit the box of the composite image (FIG. 13).
[0051] Once text has been dragged to a box the user may edit the text. Alternatively, the user may edit the text 144 file in the control area 82 . The user may edit the text by selecting the text tool 98 or he may select the text by double-clicking on the text. Once the text tool has been selected, the user may place the cursor 134 in the proper location in the text and make any necessary changes.
[0052] To facilitate entry of information into the composite image 148 , the user may select the zoom-in tool 150 (FIG. 14) and enlarge a particular box 152 . In response, the box 152 (FIG. 15) may be enlarged to occupy the entire right window. Image and text may be dragged and dropped as above. As each box 152 (FIG. 15) is completed, the user may return to the template by selecting the zoom-out tool 100 .
[0053] Using the process described above, the entire composite image 148 may be completed as shown in FIG. 16. Upon completion, the user may select the save icon. Upon selection of the save icon 88 , the composite image 148 may be converted into an XML document and stored or printed. The XML document may be stored in a local database 22 , transmitted under XML to a website 26 or stored in a remote database 24 .
[0054] The transfer of data into and out of the PBVB 30 may be accomplished under any of a number of different formats. The source information (text and images) provided to the PBVB 30 may be provided under any appropriate mark-up language (e.g., XML) from any of a number of information conversion utilities (e.g., DeskNet APS). Images may be further encoded under an appropriate image format (e.g., gif, jpeg, etc.).
[0055] Composite images may be encoded by PBVB 30 into a composite image file 21 , 29 under a webpage format for transmission, printing or storage in an appropriate database under a mark-up language structured to minimize composite file size, yet maximize file conversion efficiency. Appendix I provides an example of a document type definition (DTD) that may be used in conjunction with XML as an encoding mechanism for the composite image.
[0056] As may be noted from the DTD information of Appendix I, the information of the composite image maybe encoded under XML based upon position and any of a number of text and picture elements. The x position (xpos), y position (ypos) and width and height of each box of the original template of the composite image 148 is required. Text may be attached to text boxes using conventional XML formatting. Lines, font or shading may be imparted to the composite image 148 using the DTD and conventional XML formatting.
[0057] As may also be noted from the Appendix I the DTD allows images or text to be identified by a universal resource locator (URL). The utility of using a URL for an image (or for text) is that the actual image does not necessarily have to be stored within the composite image file. As such, the composite image file 21 , 29 may simply be transferred in the form of a shell with references to source files. When the composite file reaches its destination, a browser may simply retrieve the information from the URL and insert it into the proper location of the composite image 148 .
[0058] As is clear from Appendix I, the composite image file 21 , 29 may be structured without any text or image information within the file. The composite image file 21 , 29 , in fact, need only contain a page layout with paths to the image and text necessary for rendering the composite image into the same visual appearance presented to the original user during creation of the composite image.
[0059] Within a destination (e.g., another CPU 16 ), the composite image 148 may be reconstructed based upon the composite image file 29 and the DTD 27 . To recreate the composite image 148 , a decoding processor 23 (e.g., a browser) may retrieve the composite image file 29 from a database 24 . The decoding processor 23 may reconstruct the template using the composite image file 29 and DTD 27 . Any images not contained within the file 29 may be retrieved using the URL within the composite image file 29 .
[0060] [0060]FIG. 17 depicts an editing screen that may be generated by the PBVB tool 30 for editing composite screens. As with the composing screen of FIG. 6, the editing screen may include a content area 82 and an image area 84 .
[0061] To facilitate editing of existing (or the generation of entirely new) composite images, the content area 82 may include tabs allowing selection of images, text or templates. In the case of the editing screen of FIG. 17, the template tab 160 may be used to retrieve pre-existing composite images.
[0062] By selecting the template tag (and entry of an appropriate path identifier), a number of previously created composite images 162 , 164 , 166 may be displayed in the context area 82 . To select a composite image 162 , 164 , 166 , the user may place the cursor over the image and activate the selection switch.
[0063] In response, the selected composite image 162 , 164 , 166 may be displayed in the image area 84 . Once an image has been selected, the user may select the image or text tab (FIG. 18) and edit the selected composite image. Editing may occur by selecting the text tool and typing in corrections, add new boxes, change box size (all as described above), or substitute new content. New content may be substituted by dragging new content into the space of existing content. When this is done, the new content completely replaces the old content.
[0064] Turning now to the composite images, an example will now be provided regarding the structure and content of the composite image files 21 , 29 . Appendix II may be representative of a CEF file 21 , 29 that may be generated by the PBVB tool 30 from the composite image 168 of FIG. 17.
[0065] For ease of understanding the content of Appendix II, line numbers have been added along the left margin of FIG. 17. Reference shall be made to the line numbers as appropriate to understanding the relationship between CEF files elements and corresponding elements of the composite image 168 .
[0066] As may be noted, line 1 defines the type of CEF 21 , 29 file by version and the term “encloding=“linin1” defines an XML character set. Line 3 provides a URL to a relevant DTD 27 , 31 . Line 5 provides a layout delimiter. Line 6 provides a page number of the composite image and a size of the page in points (e.g., 72 points per inch).
[0067] Lines 7 - 18 defines the first element 170 of the composite image 168 . As shown on line 7 , the element 170 is a text box. The x and y position (i.e., xpos and ypos) of the upper left corner of the box lies at 225 and 643.252, respectively. The width is 365.7266 and the height is 21.2385 points. The box can be edited, therefore canEdit=“true”. The term xpos=0, therefore other boxes may overlap the first element 170 . The runaround terms (e.g., runaroundleft, runaroundright, runaroundtop, runaroundbottom) specify a border space around the element 170 . Line 12 defines the end of the text properties. Lines 13 - 15 specify font and style. Lines 16 - 17 specifies the actual text to be placed within the element 170 . Line 18 defines the end of the text element 170 .
[0068] Lines 20 - 27 defines the location and content of a picture box 172 . As may be noted, line 26 provides a URL to the actual image information to be inserted into the picture box 172 .
[0069] Similarly, lines 28 - 35 defines image element 196 and lines 36 - 47 defines text box 182 . Line 48 to the end of page 1 and lines 1 - 6 on page 2 of Appendix II define text box 184 . Lines 8 - 19 defines empty box 178 , lines 20 - 27 defines image element 174 and lines 28 - 35 defines picture box 180 .
[0070] Line 36 to the end of page 2 and lines 1 - 9 of page 3 of Appendix II defines the location and content of large text box 188 . Lines 10 - 21 defines text box 188 , lines 22 - 33 defines text box 190 , lines 34 - 45 defines text box 192 . Line 42 to the end of page 2 and lines 1 - 11 on page 4 defines text box 186 .
[0071] It should be noted that elements 172 and 174 have a lower zpos value than elements 188 . The lower zpos values of elements 172 and 174 identify these elements as lying on top of (instead of underneath) element 188 .
[0072] A specific embodiment of a method and apparatus for constructing composite images according to the present invention has been described for the purpose of illustrating the manner in which the invention is made and used. It should be understood that the implementation of other variations and modifications of the invention and its various aspects will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and that the invention is not limited by the specific embodiments described. Therefore, it is contemplated to cover the present invention and any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed and claimed herein.
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A method and apparatus are provided for constructing a composite image within an image space of a webpage. The method includes the steps of displaying a plurality of source images within a content area of the webpage and dividing the image space of the composite image into a plurality of subspaces. The method further includes the steps of designating a10 subspace of the plurality of subspaces for receipt of a selected image of the plurality of images and resizing the selected image to fit the designated subspace of the composite image.
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RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/985,489 filed on Nov. 5, 2007 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/991,004 filed on Nov. 29, 2007 and each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to soft prosthetic implants and, more particularly, to methods of texturing the exterior surface of such implants, for instance breast implants, to produce an open-cell texture on the outer surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Implantable prostheses are commonly used to replace or augment body tissue. In the case of breast cancer, it is sometimes necessary to remove some or all of the mammary gland and surrounding tissue, which creates a void that can be filled with an implantable prosthesis. The implant serves to support surrounding tissue and to maintain the appearance of the body. The restoration of the normal appearance of the body has an extremely beneficial psychological effect on post-operative patients, eliminating much of the shock and depression that often follows extensive surgical procedures. Implantable prostheses are also used more generally for restoring the normal appearance of soft tissue in various areas of the body, such as the buttocks, chin, calf, etc.
[0004] Soft implantable prostheses typically include a relatively thin and quite flexible envelope or shell made of vulcanized (cured) silicone elastomer. The shell is filled either with a silicone gel or with a normal saline solution. The filling of the shell takes place before or after the shell is inserted through an incision in the patient.
[0005] The development of implants having textured outer surfaces reflects an attempt to prevent the contraction of the fibrous outer capsule that forms around the implant, which tends to render an implant spherical, painful and aesthetically undesirable. Layers of polyether, polyester or polyurethane foam material have been applied to the back sides of mammary prostheses so that fibrous-tissue could grow into the material and thereby anchor prosthesis securely to the chest wall. However, possible problems exist with foam materials, which may degrade in the body over a period of time, and the effectiveness of these materials for preventing capsular contracture may disappear as they degrade.
[0006] Despite many advances in the construction of soft prosthetic implants, there remains a need for better methods for texturing surfaces of implants.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention provides processes for forming soft prosthetic implants having textured surfaces and implants formed by said processes. The processes generally comprise the steps of forming a flexible shell, adhering on the exterior of the flexible shell a distribution of rounded particles, curing the flexible shell with the rounded particles adhered thereto, and causing or allowing the rounded particles to be removed from the shell thereby leaving impressions of the particles in the shell to create an open-pored structure on a surface thereof.
[0008] In one embodiment, the flexible shell is formed of a silicone elastomer. For instance, the flexible shell may be formed of a plurality of layers of different silicone elastomers, or the flexible shell may be formed of a single homogeneous layer of a silicone elastomer.
[0009] The step of forming the flexible shell may comprise dipping a mandrel into a liquid dispersion of elastomeric material. Alternatively, the step of forming comprises rotational molding.
[0010] In one embodiment, the step of adhering comprises dipping the flexible shell into a liquid containing the rounded particles, for example, a liquid dispersion or emulsion of rounded particles, for example, rounded salt crystals. Prior to the step of dipping the flexible shell, the process may also include applying a tack coat layer onto the flexible shell.
[0011] In one aspect, the rounded particles comprise rounded crystals of sodium chloride and the solvent is an aqueous composition, for example, water. In other embodiments, the rounded particles comprise rounded sugar particles. In other embodiments, the rounded particles comprise a suitable solid material which is provided in a rounded particulate form, and which is capable of being adhered to a shell, for example, an uncured elastomer shell, and is capable of being dissolved, for example, using a solvent, thereby leaving open, rounded pores in the shell.
[0012] In one embodiment, the rounded particles used in accordance with the invention have a substantially uniform particle size of between about 150 microns and about 1450 microns. More specifically, the particles have a maximum particle size range selected from a group of ranges consisting of (1) a range between about 180 microns and about 425 microns, (2) a range between about 425 microns and about 850 microns, and (3) a range between about 850 microns and about 1450 microns. In one embodiment, about 90% of the particles are in the selected particle size range.
[0013] Another aspect of the invention is a soft prosthetic breast implant, formed by a process comprising the steps of forming a flexible shell of silicone elastomer in the shape of a breast implant, adhering on the exterior of the flexible shell a substantially even distribution of rounded particles, curing the flexible shell with the rounded particles adhered thereto, and exposing the flexible shell to a suitable solvent for a sufficient amount of time to dissolve the rounded particles thereby forming an open-pored structure on the exterior of the flexible shell.
[0014] In one embodiment, at least one, for example, at least two, for example all three of the physical properties of ultimate break force, ultimate elongation, and ultimate tensile strength of an implant formed in accordance with the present process is superior to an implant made using substantially the same process and the same materials except for conventional angular or non-rounded salt crystals instead of rounded salt crystals.
[0015] The step of forming the flexible shell may comprise dipping a mandrel into a liquid dispersion of a shell material, or rotational molding. In one embodiment, the step of forming the flexible shell comprises forming a shell with an opening and the process further includes attaching a patch to cover the opening. The patch may be an unvulcanized elastomer and is attached prior to the step of curing. Alternatively, the step of forming the flexible shell comprises forming a shell with an opening and the process further includes attaching valve, for example, a one-way valve to cover the opening. The rounded salt crystals may comprise sodium chloride.
[0016] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention are set forth in the following description and claims, particularly when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts bear like reference numerals.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Features and advantages of the present invention will become appreciated and the same become better understood with reference to the specification, claims, and appended drawings wherein:
[0018] FIGS. 1A-1C show several steps in a process of dip-forming the shell of a breast implant prosthesis;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through one portion of a textured multi-layered breast implant prosthesis shell;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through one portion of a textured single-layer breast implant prosthesis shell;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a magnified view of a sample of rounded salt crystals used in the implant texturing process of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a magnified view of a sample of cubic salt crystals used in conventional implant texturing processes of the prior art;
[0023] FIGS. 6A and 6B are cross-sectional and plan views, respectively, of a textured implant of the prior art;
[0024] FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional and plan views, respectively, of another textured implant of the prior art; and
[0025] FIGS. 8A and 8B are cross-sectional and plan views, respectively, of a textured implant in accordance with the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] The present invention provides a saline- or gel-filled soft implant for prostheses and tissue expanders. The implant generally comprises a shell, for example, a silicone elastomer shell, with a textured surface. The primary application for such soft implants is to reconstruct or augment the female breast. Other potential applications are implants for the buttocks, testes, or calf, among other body regions.
[0027] FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate one process for forming flexible implant shells for implantable prostheses and tissue expanders, involving dipping a suitably shaped mandrel 20 into a silicone elastomer dispersion 22 . Many such dispersions are used in the field. Basically they contain a silicone elastomer and a solvent. The silicone elastomer is typically polydimethylsiloxane, polydiphenyl-siloxane or some combination of these two elastomers. Typical solvents include xylene or trichloromethane. Different manufacturers vary the type and amount of the ingredients in the dispersion, the viscosity of the dispersion and the solid content of the dispersion. Nonetheless, the present invention is expected to be adaptable to have utility with a wide variety of silicone rubber dispersions.
[0028] The mandrel 20 is withdrawn from the dispersion and the excess silicone elastomer dispersion is allowed to drain from the mandrel. After the excess dispersion has drained from the mandrel at least a portion of the solvent is allowed to volatilize or evaporate. Normally this is accomplished by flowing air over the coated mandrel at a controlled temperature and humidity. Different manufacturers use various quantities, velocities or directions of air flow and set the temperature and humidity of the air at different values. However, the desired result, driving off the solvent, remains the same.
[0029] It is also common for prostheses manufacturers to repeat this dip and volatilize procedure a number of times so that a number of layers are built up on the mandrel to reach a desired shell thickness. A layered structure like most current silicone elastomer shells can be made by sequentially dipping the mandrel in different dispersions. Alternatively, the steps may be repeated in a single dispersion 22 so that the finished product is a single homogenous material or layer. That is, the dipping process may be done in multiple stages or steps, each step adding more material, yet the finished product exhibits no distinct layers and the entire shell wall is homogenous or uniform in composition.
[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates in cross-section a portion of a textured multi-layered implant of the present invention. A primary barrier to fluid passage through the shell wall is provided by an inner barrier layer 30 . Two base coat layers 32 , 34 lie radially inward from the barrier layer 30 . In some cases a single base coat layer may be used. On the outer side of the barrier layer 30 , three further base coat layers 36 , 38 , 40 are provided, although again a single outer layer may be used. Furthermore, outside of the outer base coat layers 30 - 40 , a tack coat layer 42 , a layer of textured crystals 44 , and an overcoat layer 48 are provided. The absolute thickness of the implant wall may vary but an exemplary average thickness is about 0.456 mm (0.018 inches). The overall thickness of the textured implant wall is somewhat greater than a similar smooth-walled shell because of the extra layers.
[0031] Alternatively, FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-section of textured single-layered implant shell wall 50 that is a homogeneous silicone elastomer made entirely of a barrier material that sterically retards permeation of the silicone gel through the shell. The outer surface 52 of the barrier layer 50 is textured. The implants made with the single layer 50 may be for implant in the breast such that the entire flexible outer shell is shaped accordingly, for instance in with a more flattened posterior side and rounded anterior side.
[0032] In addition to the aforementioned dipping process, the flexible shell for the prosthetic implant may be formed using a molding process. For example, a rotational molding process such as described in Schuessler, U.S. Pat. No. 6,602,452, may be used. The process for forming texturing on the exterior surface is preferably done using a dipping technique, but the formation of the flexible shell may then be accomplished by one of a number of methods.
[0033] An exemplary process for forming a textured outer surface on either a multi-layered shell as in FIG. 2 or a single-layered shell as in FIG. 3 will now be described. After the mandrel 20 of FIGS. 1A-1C is raised out of the dispersion with what is to be the final layer adhering thereto, this layer is allowed to stabilize. That is, it is held until the final coating no longer flows freely. This occurs as some of the solvent evaporates from the final coating, raising its viscosity.
[0034] Again, it should be understood that alternative methods are contemplated for forming the flexible shell prior to the texturing process. The dip molding process advantageously results in the flexible shell pre-mounted on a dipping mandrel, which can then be used for the texturing process. However, if the flexible shell is made by another technique, such as by rotational molding, it can subsequently be mounted on a dipping mandrel and the process continued in the same manner.
[0035] Once the flexible shell has been stabilized and mounted on the mandrel, any loose fibers or particles are blown off of the exterior of the shell with an anti-static air gun. A tack coat layer is then applied. The tack coat layer may be sprayed on, or may be applied by dipping the flexible shell on the mandrel into a tack coat material, for example, a tack coat dispersion. The operator immerses the flexible shell into the dispersion and returns the mandrel to a rack for stabilization. The time required for stabilization typically varies between about 5 and about 20 minutes. A suitable tack coat layer may be made using the same material employed in the base layers.
[0036] After tack coat layer has been applied, rounded salt particles are applied substantially evenly over the entire surface. The solid particles may be applied manually by sprinkling them over the surface while the mandrel is manipulated, or a machine operating like a bead blaster or sand blaster could be used to deliver a steady stream of solid particles at an adequate velocity to the coating on the mandrel.
[0037] In one embodiment, the coated mandrel is dipped into a body of the particles. In another embodiment, particle application is accomplished by exposing the coated mandrel to a liquid dispersion of the particles. It should be understood that the present invention is not intended to be restricted to any one particular method of applying the particles.
[0038] In one embodiment, a salt bath for coating the tacky flexible shells is prepared by first procuring a quantity of rounded salt crystals and sorting the crystals into a desired size range. For example, unsorted rounded salt crystals are placed in a shaker having a first sieve size (e.g. coarse sieve) and a second sieve size (e.g. fine sieve). Larger salt crystals will be stopped by the coarse sieve at the inlet of the salt shaker, while smaller salt crystals will continue through both of the sieves. Crystals in the desired size range are trapped between the sieves. In a specific embodiment, the first sieve is a 14 mesh sieve and the second sieve is a 20 mesh sieve. In another embodiment, the first sieve is a 20 mesh sieve and the second sieve is a 40 mesh sieve. In yet another embodiment, the first sieve is a 40 mesh sieve and the second sieve is a 80 mesh sieve.
[0039] In one embodiment, the rounded particles used in accordance with the invention have a substantially uniform particle size of between about 150 microns and about 1450 microns.
[0040] In one embodiment, the rounded particles comprise or consist of relatively fine grained particles. For example, in one embodiment, the rounded particles have a maximum particle size of at least about 150 microns, for example, the particles have a maximum particle size in a range of between about 180 microns and about 425 microns. For example, about 90% of the rounded particles will be retained between a sieve having mesh size 80 and a sieve having mesh size 40.
[0041] In another embodiment, the rounded particles comprise or consist of relatively medium grained particles. For example, in one embodiment, the rounded particles have a maximum particle size of at least about 300 microns, for example, the particles have a maximum particle size in a range of between about 425 microns and about 850 microns. For example, about 90% of the particles will be retained between a sieve having mesh size 40 and a sieve having mesh size 20.
[0042] In yet another embodiment, the rounded particles comprise or consist of relatively large grained particles. For example, in one embodiment, the rounded particles have a maximum particle size of at least about 800 microns, for example, the particles have a maximum particle size in a range of between about 850 microns and about 1450 microns. For example, about 90% of the particles will be retained between a sieve having mesh size 20 and a sieve having mesh size 14.
[0043] The size of the salt crystals can be selected by sorting a bulk quantity of rounded salt crystals using a series of gradually smaller meshes.
[0044] In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the salt crystals, for example, those having a particular size distribution are then added to an aqueous salt bath prior to being applied to the shell. The tacky flexible shells are immersed in the salt bath, rotated for even coverage, removed, and then allowed to stabilize. After a suitable period of stabilization, such as between about 5 minutes and about 20 minutes, the flexible shells may be dipped into an overcoat dispersion. A suitable overcoat dispersion may also be made using the same material employed in the base layers. The flexible shells on the mandrels are then mounted on a rack and allowed to volatilize for a sufficient time, such as, for example, about 15 minutes.
[0045] In one embodiment, the entire silicone elastomer shell structure is vulcanized or cured in an oven at elevated temperatures. For example, the temperature of the oven is maintained at a temperature between about 200° F. and about 350° F. for a curing time preferably between about 20 minutes and about 1 hour, 40 minutes.
[0046] Upon removal from the oven, the mandrel/shell assembly is placed in a solvent for the solid particles, and the solid particles are allowed to dissolve. The solvent is a material that does not affect the structure or integrity of the silicone elastomer. When the solid particles have dissolved, the assembly is removed from the solvent and the solvent evaporated. The shell is then removed from the mandrel. At this point, it is preferable to place the shell in a solvent for the solid particles and gently agitate it to ensure complete dissolution of all the solid particles. Once the shell has been removed from the solvent, the solvent evaporates or otherwise is removed from the shell.
[0047] Dissolving the solid particles leaves behind open pores, voids or spaces in the surface of the shell. When applied, some of the solid particles are partially exposed so that they can be acted upon by the solvent. These exposed solid particles also provide a way for the solvent to reach those solid particles beneath the surface to dissolve them in turn. The result is an interconnected structure of cells, some of which are open to the surface, in the outer layer of the shell. The process described above produces a shell like that shown in either FIG. 2 or 3 . The shell has a thin outer wall made of silicone elastomer with an opening therein at the point where a support member connected to the mandrel 20 , which opening will subsequently be covered with a patch.
[0048] The present invention diverges from previous processes in the make-up of the salt crystals used in the dispersion 22 . Namely, as seen in FIG. 4 , rounded salt crystals 60 are shown over a reference scale 62 . In contrast to regular crystalline sodium chloride 70 , as seen against a scale 72 in FIG. 5 , the rounded salt crystals 60 have been appropriately processed to smooth any sharp or non-rounded edges that are typically found on standard sodium chloride crystals 70 (sometimes, termed “cubic salt crystals”).
[0049] FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate in magnified cross-section and plan view, respectively, an implant shell 80 of the prior art having texturing formed using conventional cubic salt crystals. The shell 80 includes an inner wall 82 and an outer textured surface 84 . This textured surface 84 is formed by applying cubic salt crystals and then dissolving those crystals to leave an open-celled porous surface. The relatively rough surface 84 is partly the result of the angular salt crystals used in the formation process. The particular texture illustrated is sold under the tradename Biocell® surface texture by Allergan, Inc. of Irvine, Calif.
[0050] FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate in magnified cross-section and plan view, respectively, another implant shell 90 of the prior art having texturing formed using conventional cubic salt crystals. The shell 90 includes an inner wall 92 and an outer textured surface 94 . This textured surface 94 is formed by an embossing process that imprints the texture on uncured silicone material. The particular texture illustrated is sold under the tradename Siltex® surface texture by Mentor Corp. of Santa Barbara, Calif.
[0051] Now with references to FIGS. 8A and 8B , a magnified cross-section and plan view of an implant shell 100 of the present invention having texturing formed using rounded salt crystals is illustrated. The shell 100 includes an inner wall 102 and an outer textured surface 104 . This textured surface 104 is formed by applying rounded salt crystals and then dissolving those crystals to leave an open-celled, porous, textured surface, as explained above. The textured surface 104 is somewhat smoother than those made with angular salt crystals, as seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 . Although not shown in great detail, the pores or openings in the open-celled surface 104 have smoother dividing walls and fewer angular discontinuities than the pores or openings in conventionally manufactured shells that are otherwise identical but use angular salt crystals rather than rounded salt crystals. As will be shown, this difference surprisingly leads to statistically significant changes in overall shell strength.
[0052] In one embodiment, the rounded salt crystals are applied so as to achieve a depth ranging from a portion of one crystal diameter to a multiple of many crystal diameters. The crystals may be embedded in the surface of the shell to a depth of from about one to about three times the diameter of the crystals. Penetration of the solid crystals depends upon the size of the crystals, the thickness of the final uncured layer, the viscosity of the uncured layer and the force with which the crystals are applied. These parameters can be controlled to achieve a desired depth of penetration. For example, if the last layer is relatively thick and low in viscosity, less external force will be required on the solid crystals to produce an acceptable pore depth.
[0053] Although standard sodium chloride is preferably used for the rounded salt crystals, other salts may be suitable based on several factors: (1) the salt should be economically available in the desired particle sizes; (2) the salt should be nontoxic in case some remains in the surface of the prosthesis; and (3) the salt should be readily soluble in a solvent that is economically available, nontoxic and does not dissolve the silicone elastomer.
[0054] In one embodiment, the rounded salt particles are sodium chloride crystals which are readily available in granulated form, and can be processed into round crystals, for example, by an industrial milling facility, including Central Salt & Marine Chemicals Research Institute of Bhavnagar, India, a subsidiary of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), a publicly funded industrial R&D organization in India. When crystalline sodium chloride is used in accordance with the invention, the solvent may comprise pure water. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that a number of solid and solvent pairs could be chosen in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
[0055] After finishing the shell according to the steps described above, additional processing steps may be performed. For example, the opening left by the dip molding process may be patched with unvulcanized sheeting, for example, uncured silicone elastomer sheeting. If the prosthesis is to be filled with silicone gel, this gel may be added and cured, the filled prosthesis packaged, and the packaged prosthesis sterilized. If the prosthesis is to be inflated with a saline solution, a one-way valve is assembled and installed, the prosthesis is post cured if required, and the prosthesis is then cleaned, packaged and sterilized. A combination breast implant prosthesis can also be made wherein a gel-filled sac is positioned inside the shell to be surrounded by saline solution.
[0056] As mentioned above, the properties of an implant shell having a texture formed with round salt crystals are statistically superior to those formed using cubic salt crystals. This is believed to be due to a reduction in stress concentrations, which may be seen at the sharp corners formed using cubic salt crystals.
[0057] To compare the different shells, standard tensile strength specimens were cut from the shells and subjected to stress tests. The comparison shell was a standard commercial textured shell of the prior art sold under the tradename INAMED® BIOCELL® Saline- or Silicone-Filled Breast Implants, by Allergan, Inc. of Irvine, Calif. More specifically, random BIOCELL® shells formed using the process described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B were used for comparison. Sixty specimens from this group were cut using an H2 die and tested for tensile strength. Table I below illustrates the results.
[0000]
TABLE I
Test of Prior Art Commercial Textured Shells
Ultimate
Ultimate
Tensile
Thickness
Stress@ % elongation (psi)
Break force
Elongation
Strength
(in)
50%
100%
200%
300%
(lbf)
(%)
(psi)
Mean
0.0209
52.79
84.40
176.119
295.552
4.272
621.690
819.079
Std.
0.0021
3.54
5.79
11.985
19.723
0.511
32.227
42.482
Min
0.0170
44.49
70.49
147.73
250.188
3.439
552.016
752.760
Max
0.0260
63.89
102.77
213.868
355.503
5.802
707.647
912.512
[0058] Likewise, sixty specimens from a group of shells formed using the process of the present invention were cut using an H2 die and tested for tensile strength. Table II below illustrates the results.
[0000]
TABLE II
Test of Shells Produced with Process of the Present Invention
Ultimate
Ultimate
Tensile
Thickness
Stress@ % elongation (psi)
Break force
Elongation
Strength
(in)
50%
100%
200%
300%
(lbf)
(%)
(psi)
Mean
0.0214
47.50
76.08
163.350
280.964
4.494
662.411
841.880
Std.
0.0013
2.18
3.74
7.811
12.474
0.328
20.845
33.806
Min
0.0190
42.52
68.33
147.318
252.912
3.617
591.457
761.376
Max
0.0250
52.20
84.29
179.215
305.826
5.528
705.347
934.60
[0059] These data show that test samples of similar thickness formed by the methods of the present invention experience lower stresses during elongation while the break force, ultimate elongation, and tensile strengths are significantly higher. Specifically, the mean thickness of the test samples formed in accordance with present invention was 0.0214 inches, while the mean thickness of the prior art test samples was 0.0209 inches, or around a 2.3% difference. However, the mean ultimate break force for samples of the present invention was more than 5% greater, the mean ultimate elongation was more than 6% greater, and the mean ultimate tensile strength was nearly 3% greater than samples of the prior art. Given the number of samples (n=60), these differences are somewhat surprising given the similar technique for forming the shells and similar thicknesses. Applicants believe that the rounded salt crystals form a smoother open-cell structure on the exterior of the shells which reduces stress concentrations. As such, the test results indicate other than an expected linear relationship proportional to the difference in thickness.
[0060] It is also important to note the improvement in ultimate elongation. The resulting 662% mean elongation for the sixty shells tested is well past the level required by various regulatory bodies around the word. In particular, the U.S. standard is 350% from ASTM F703, Standard Specification for Implantable Breast Prostheses. In Europe and elsewhere, the standard for elongation is set at 450% by ISO 14607. The implant shells formed by the lost material technique and rounded salt crystals satisfy these standards with greater margins of confidence than ever before. It is believed that changing from a cubic crystal with sharp corners and edges to the rounded crystals where stress concentrations are more evenly distributed helps statistically meet consensus performance breast standards.
[0061] In addition, tests were conducted on shells that were formed using the texturing process of the present invention both with conventional cubic salt crystals and with the rounded salt crystals disclosed herein. That is, instead of comparing the shells of the present invention with existing commercial shells, new shells were formed using the same process but with conventional angular or cubic salt crystals.
[0062] Specifically, five shells textured with regular cubic salt crystals were dip molded, and five shells textured with rounded salt crystals were also dip molded. All the shells were subjected to gel curing at 145° C. for 8 hours, and then subjected to a simulated sterilization at 127° C. for 20.5 hours. Sixty tensile strength specimens from each batch were cut with an H2 die and tested. These results are shown in the following Tables III and IV.
[0000]
TABLE III
Test of Textured Shells formed with Cubic Salt Crystals
Ultimate
Ultimate
Thickness
Stress@ % elongation (psi)
Break force
Elongation
Tensile
(in)
100%
200%
300%
(lbf)
(%)
Strength (psi)
Mean
0.0197
108.44
245.196
427.548
3.157
574.394
1020.331
Std.
0.0012
4.32
9.455
15.716
0.253
22.905
50.407
Min
0.017
96.59
218.531
396.776
2.73
513.924
905.827
Max
0.022
119.34
270.61
471.472
3.781
616.102
1126.053
[0000]
TABLE IV
Test of Textured Shells formed with Rounded Salt Crystals
Ultimate
Ultimate
Thickness
Stress@ % elongation (psi)
Break force
Elongation
Tensile
(in)
100%
200%
300%
(lbf)
(%)
Strength (psi)
Mean
0.0196
113.49
253.224
437.177
3.321
593.298
1076.807
Std.
0.0015
5.13
10.537
16.966
0.337
22.248
57.867
Min
0.015
102.42
232.879
401.088
2.189
543.156
926.505
Max
0.025
124.49
276.015
473.083
4.321
639.847
1181.189
[0063] Again, these data show that test samples of similar thickness formed by the methods of the present invention experience lower stresses during elongation while the break force, ultimate elongation, and tensile strengths are significantly higher. Specifically, the mean thickness of the test samples formed in accordance with present invention was 0.0196 inches, while the mean thickness of the prior art test samples was 0.0197 inches, or around a 0.05% difference, with the samples made in accordance with the present invention being thinner on average. However, the mean ultimate break force for samples of the present invention was more than 5% greater, the mean ultimate elongation was more than 3% greater (and sufficient to meet global standards), and the mean ultimate tensile strength was nearly 6% greater than samples of the prior art. Given the number of samples (n=60) and the fact that the shells were identically formed except for the shape of the salt crystals, these differences are even more surprising than the previous comparison. Once again, the test results indicate a non-linear relationship relative to the difference in thickness.
[0064] Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in the combination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention, as hereinafter claimed.
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A method of texturing a soft prosthetic implant shell, such as a silicone breast implant shell. A soft prosthetic implant with a textured external surface layer of silicone elastomer and having an open-cell structure is made by adhering and then dissolving round salt crystals. The resulting roughened surface has enhanced physical properties relative to surfaces formed with angular salt crystals. An implant having such a textured external surface layer is expected to help prevent capsular contraction, to help prevent scar formation, and to help in anchoring the implant within the body.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to the field of blinds and other vertically hung coverings or screens which can be raised by pulling down on a set (one or more) of lift cords, e.g., Venetian blinds and any other vertically hung coverings raised and lowered in similar fashion, and more particularly to such incorporating a pump-action “wand” for safely containing the control end(s) of the set of lift cords and for operating the same.
As used herein and in the claims appended hereto, the terms “blind” or “blinds” shall refer to any types or configurations of blinds which can be raised or foreshortened, wholly or in part, by pulling on a set of cords, and to any other vertically hung coverings or screens which can be raised in similar fashion.
This invention can be used to particular advantage on horizontal blinds, e.g., Venetian blinds. Conventionally, the raising and lowering of horizontal blinds have been controlled by one or more “lift” cords attached at their remote ends to a base rail of the blinds and strung through vertically aligned holes in the slats to a headrail in which they are strung around pulleys or rollers and through the headrail and ultimately down through a headrail cord lock where their control ends are left dangling. (As used herein, “headrail” includes in general any structure at the top of a blind containing cord redirecting elements, e.g., pulleys and rollers, and which conventionally contain cord locking mechanisms.) Pulling down on the lift cords causes the base rail to be pulled up to a level corresponding to the amount that the lift cords were vertically displaced downward. As the base rail is pulled up, slats encountered by the base rail collapse against it. Releasing the lift cords allows gravity to act on the base rail and the collapsed slats, dropping the base rail to its lowest level, or to a desired lower level depending on the extent to which the lift cords have been released. Conventionally the base rail is secured at a desired level by locking the lift cords in place, and this is conventionally done by a cord lock mechanism in the head rail, which mechanism is engaged and released by tugging the lift cords at an angle from the vertical.
The above-described conventional blind control is widely used throughout the world, but nevertheless presents a safety problem. The problem is that infants and small children can become entangled in the dangling lift cords, too often resulting in death or injury from strangulation or as a result of restricted blood flow. This danger has resulted in the development of devices for making the loose lift cords inaccessible to such potential victims by controlling or enclosing the cords. However, the result has been that such safety devices are hard to operate, require additional steps, the use of both hands or, as in the case of such motorized devices, are relatively expensive. There is therefore a need for a blind control device that can eliminate the danger of loose, dangling cords but nevertheless be relatively inexpensive and easily operable.
The blind control wand of this invention provides a means for easily controlling the vertical position of blinds, is inexpensive, and safely controls the lift cords so there is no danger of loose dangling cords. Other advantages and attributes of this invention will be readily discernable upon a reading of the text hereinafter.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a means for safely controlling the vertical position of a blind.
Another object of this invention is to provide a means for easily and inexpensively controlling the vertical level of a blind.
Another object of this invention is to provide a means for easily and inexpensively controlling the vertical level of a blind without freely dangling cords.
Another object of this invention is to provide for a vertical covering which can be raised, partially or completely, by pulling down, in opposition to gravity, on a set of lift cords egressing from a headrail, a device for safely confining and operating the set of lift cords.
These objects, and other objects expressed or implied in this document, are accomplished by: (1) a first cord locking mechanism, disposed in the headrail, which when not released prevents the set of lift cords from moving axially upward, the first cord locking mechanism being releasable by selective manipulation of the set of lift cords; (2) an inner elongated tube pivotally affixed to the headrail, an operative length of the set of lift cords being disposed within the inner tube; (3) a tensioner for preventing slack in the set of lift cords; (4) an outer elongated tube telescopingly slidable over a range along the length of the inner tube; and (5) a second cord locking mechanism disposed within the inner tube but affixed to outer tube, the second cord locking mechanism when not released preventing the set of lift cords from moving axially upward relative to the outer tube, the second cord locking mechanism being released to allow free movement of the set of lift cords through it and the inner tube in response to selective manipulation of the outer tube. According to this invention a covering is raised by reciprocal (up and down) movement of the outer tube relative to the inner tube a selected number of times depending on how high the covering is to be raised, and it is lowered by simultaneously releasing both locking mechanisms. Preferably the first cord locking mechanism is released by simultaneously angling the tubes laterally from the vertical and momentarily pulling down on the outer tube. The tensioner can be an accumulator which accumulates slack in the lift cords when the blinds are being raised, and which discharges slack when the blinds are being lowered. A preferable embodiment of an accumulator is a spooler which spools the set when the covering is being raised according to the amount that the covering is being raised, and which unspools the set when the covering is being lowered according to the amount that the covering is being lowered. Preferably the tensioner is a closed loop of cord to which the set of lift cords is connected, the loop being rotatable in a first direction to take up slack in the set when the covering is being raised, and the set being rotatable in the opposite direction to allow the set to move up when the covering is being lowered. In the preferred embodiment, the loop is rotated in the first direction by being grasped by the second cord locking mechanism whenever the outer tube is pulled down, and wherein the loop is rotated in the opposite direction by pull of the set of lift cords whenever the set of lift cords are moving up due to being released from both locking mechanisms; and the closed loop of cord is wound around two rollers—preferably one journaled in the headrail as part of the headrail cord lock, and the other journaled in the inner tube. Preferably the second cord locking mechanism is released for a time whenever the outer tube is pushed to and held, for said time, at an upper limit of its sliding range, and further includes a control arm having at least a cord locked position and a cord released position, and a bias urging the control arm toward its cord locked position; and the inner tube further comprises a projection disposed at the upper limit of the outer tube's sliding range, the control arm being forced by reaction to the projection to its cord released position whenever the outer tube is at the upper limit of its sliding range. Preferably the first cord locking mechanism includes a housing; a roller journaled in the housing; a serrated cylinder juxtaposed with roller, the set of lifts cord passing between the roller and the cylinder and wrapping partially around the roller, the cylinder having a range of radial movement between a rest position and a cord-locked position at which the set of lift cords is wedged between the cylinder and the roller; and a rack angled toward the roller and disposed within the cylinder's range of movement, vertically upward axial movement of the set of lift cords tangentially dragging the cylinder from its rest position toward the rack which in turn guides the dragged cylinder to its cord-locked position. Preferably the second cord locking mechanism includes a body defining an upwardly narrowing, vertically oriented channel, the set of lift cords passing through the channel; an obstruction disposed in the channel, the set of lift cords passing around the obstruction, the obstruction being too large to pass through the narrowed channel when the cords are also in the channel; a bias for urging the obstruction upward in the channel to wedge the cords between the obstruction and the narrowed channel walls, the cords being axially slippable by the obstruction whenever the body is moving upward relative to the cords; and a release lever selectively operable against the bias to push the obstruction low enough in the channel to release the cords while the lever is being operated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partially cut away, of a preferred embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2 — 2 of FIG. 1 .
FIGS. 3A through 3G are cross-sectional views taken along lines 3 A— 3 A through 3 G— 3 G, respectively, of FIG. 2 .
FIGS. 4A through 4D are an end view, front elevation view, opposite end view, and a top view partially cut away, respectively, of a cord lock body according to this invention.
FIGS. 5A through 5C are an end view, front elevation view, and a cross-sectional view, respectively, of a plunger according to this invention. The cross-sectional view, FIG. 5C, is taken along 5 C— 5 C of FIG. 5 B.
FIGS. 6A through 6D are views showing the cooperation of a cord lock and plunger according to this invention. FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6 A— 6 A of FIG. 2 . FIGS. 6B and 6C are cross-sectional views, taken along lines 6 B— 6 B and 6 C— 6 C, respectively, of FIG. 6A, illustrating unlocked cords. FIG. 6D is also a cross-sectional view taken along line 6 C— 6 C of FIG. 6A, but 6 D illustrates locked cords.
FIGS. 7A through 7D are views illustrating a preferred headrail mounting bracket. FIG. 7A is a pictorial view of same, and FIGS. 7B and 7C are cross-sectional views taken along lines 7 B— 7 B and 7 C— 7 C, respectively, of FIG. 7 A. FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view taken normal to a headrail to which a bracket according to this invention is affixed by snap-fit.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8 — 8 of FIG. 2 illustrating in more detail a headrail cord locking mechanism according to this invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagrammatical illustration of this invention adapted to control a window type blind, and
FIG. 10 is a detail view of a section of FIG. 9 .
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 , and 7 A through 10 , a headrail 2 of a conventional set of horizontal blinds 3 is slightly modified to accommodate this invention. Mounted on the headrail, preferably by a snap fit, is a mounting bracket 4 including an angled (preferably 45 degrees), integral cord-lock housing 5 which projects into the interior channel of the headrail through a cutout 7 in the headrail. As best illustrated in FIG. 7D, the mounting bracket 4 is preferably snap fitted to the headrail 2 by a resilient face that conforms to the profile of the headrail face at the mounting area but extends further to catch prominent extremities of the headrail face. The bracket is preferably affixed proximate an operative end of the headrail and replaces a conventional cord-lock mechanism typically located there. Contained within the cord-lock housing are a roller 6 journaled in opposite, angled sides, 10 A and 10 B, of the housing so as to freely rotate on its axis, and an externally serrated, hollow cylinder 8 also extending between the two angled sides. The cylinder is preferably serrated by uniformly triangular, uniformly distributed, axially elongated teeth, and is confined within the housing by a parallel pin 9 extending between, and affixed to, the angled housing sides, 10 A and 10 B. Since the diameter of the pin 9 is much less than the inner diameter of the serrated cylinder, the cylinder has a range of movement, e.g., as indicated by the arrow Y and the phantom lines. At rest in a cord-unlocked state the cylinder rests on the pin as shown by the phantom lines, due to gravity. A plurality of cords, “lift” cords 34 and “loop” cord 36 , pass between the roller and the serrated cylinder and wrap partially around the roller.
In operation, when the cords in between the roller and the cylinder move axially upward, i.e., the cords are urged counterclockwise around the roller 6 , the cords catch the serrations of the cylinder thereby dragging it upward and against an angled rack 13 defined by a wall of the housing, the teeth of the rack being meshable with the serrations of the cylinder. The angle of the rack directs the upwardly rotating cylinder further against the cords and closer to the roller, as shown by arrow Y, until the cylinder has wedged the cords between the roller and itself thereby preventing further upward movement of the cords. Due to the teeth of the cylinder pressing into the cords, the cylinder will be held in place until the cords are angled away from the cylinder in a direction as shown by the arrow X and momentarily pulled in a clockwise direction with respect to roller 6 . This action releases the serrated cylinder allowing it to drop down to its rest position on pin 9 . With the cylinder in its rest position and the cords so angled away from the cylinder, the cords can be freely move around the roller 6 under the control of a lift wand as described below. It should also be realized that angling the cords in a direction opposite to arrow X more quickly engages the cord lock.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 , 8 , and 7 A through 7 D, also affixed to walls of the cord-lock housing 5 are a pair of cord guide pins, 11 A and 11 B, which extend between lateral walls of the housing immediately below the cord-lock mechanism and normal to the cords, 34 and 36 . The cord guide pins serve to keep the cords separated from one another just before they enter the cord-lock mechanism to prevent them from becoming intertwined and entangled as they pass through the cord-lock. A semi-cylindrical boss 12 projects forwardly from the mounting bracket 4 and defines an annular groove 14 in which is hung a wand hanger 18 (which will be further explained below), which groove is closed at the apex 15 of the boss to prevent the wand hanger from moving vertically out of the groove.
As used herein, the terms “up,” “upper,” “down,” “downward,” and “forward” are arbitrarily selected directional references with “up” and “upper” referring to the general upward direction, away from the center of the earth, “down” and “downward” referring to the opposite direction and “forward” referring to the general direction toward the viewer of FIG. 1, away from the plane of the blinds.
Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 , 9 and 10 , the lift wand, generally designated 16 , is shown in its preferred relation with the headrail 2 , supported from the boss 12 . The wand generally includes the wand support 18 , an elongated inner tube 20 , an elongated outer tube 22 , referred to herein as a “handle,” slidable along and over the inner tube, and a wand cord-lock mechanism 24 affixed to the top of the handle but traveling within the inner tube. The wand support 18 is preferably a rigid metal bar or wire having generally a “U” shape, the inverted saddle of the “U” being disposed in the annular channel 14 of the mounting bracket boss 12 . The free ends of the “U” have right-angled bends to catch and hold the top end of the inner tube 20 , the bends being disposed in opposite holes 26 defined through an upper margin band 30 and the inner tube's upper margin. In operation, the support 18 allows the lift wand 16 to be freely pivoted about the boss 12 in a lateral direction (e.g. see arrow X of FIG. 8) to angle the cords with respect to the headrail cord lock for the purpose of releasing, or engaging, the headrail cord lock, as explained above. Also, the support could as well be any kind of pivotal connected to the bracket, e.g., a ball joint or such.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 A through 3 G, and 9 , the inner tube 20 and handle 22 have generally oval cross-sections with flat sides and curved ends with the handle slidably enclosing the inner tube. Other cross profiles, such as circular, oval and polygonal, could as well be used. The inner tube defines a slot 28 extending longitudinally along one side. A narrow annular band 30 encircles the upper margin of the inner tube 20 for structural support and to also serve as a stop for the wand cord locking mechanism 24 , as will be explained later in more detail. Also traversing the top margin of the inner wand are two guide pins 32 which serve to redirect cords, 34 and 36 , between the headrail cord-lock mechanism and the lift. The control ends of two lift cords, both designated 34 , from the blind 2 are disposed within the inner tube 20 . (As used herein the term “control ends” used with reference to a blinds' lift cords refers to the cords' ends conventionally dangling from a headrail and which are pulled by a user to lift the blinds.) The lift cords are kept suitably taut in the wand by means of a tensioner, illustrated herein to be a “loop” cord 36 to which the lift cords are connected by means of a connection device illustrated herein to be a crimped band 38 . “Suitably taut” means that the tensioner keeps the lift cords taut enough to allow the wand to function as described herein, but not so taut as to introduce friction which would interfere with the raising or lowering of the blinds. The loop cord is wrapped in a loop around the headrail roller 6 and a roller 40 journaled within a distal end of the inner tube, and the ends of the loop cord are connected together by the crimped band. One of the pins 32 serves to guide two legs of the lift cords and one leg of the loop cord between the headrail roller 6 and the wand cord-lock mechanism 24 , allowing them to be guided from the roller 6 and aligning them to properly pass through the wand cord-lock mechanism. The other pin 32 serves as a cord guide for the return path of the loop cord to the upper roller 6 after passing around the lower roller 40 .
As can be seen, the inner tube telescopes, i.e., slides in and out of the outer tube within limits. Preferably the overall wand length when the tubes are fully telescoped is about 2-3 inches longer than one-half the blind drop. So for a typical blind drop of 72″, then maximum wand length is preferably 38″-39″.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 A- 3 G, 4 A- 4 D, 5 A- 5 C and 6 A- 6 D, the wand cord-lock mechanism 24 has a body 42 having a generally tubular construction, sized and shaped to provide a slip fit within the inner tube 20 , and having a longitudinal rib 44 extending the length of the body and beyond at one end, which rib slip fits in the in the inner tube's slot 28 . At its upper end the handle 22 defines a longitudinal slot 50 to accommodate the rib, and preferably the end of the rib extending beyond the body 42 defines a hole 48 to accommodate a pin 46 or similar securing fastener which mates with a hole (not shown) defined in a wall of the slot 50 to affix the body to the handle. Preferably the rib terminates in a perpendicular flange 52 extending the length of the rib, which flange maintains the correct orientation of the body, preventing the body from pivoting on pin 46 as the handle slides over the inner tube during operation. The flange abuts the outer surface of the handle at the edges of the slot 50 and any pivoting force is overcome by the interference of the flange with the handle. The body 42 defines a generally rectangular cavity 54 extending longitudinally through the body. The cavity is centered in the body with its long and short sides parallel with the body's long and short sides, respectively. In addition, the cavity has two opposing, side extensions 56 generally centered on the long sides of the cavity's rectangular cross-section, generally perpendicular to the rib 44 . The cavity has three distinct sections, each preferably approximately one-third of the body in length. The top section, distal from the hole 48 , has a rectangular cross-section 54 . The rectangular cross-section continues through the entire length of the body. However, in the second section, the middle-third of the body, the inner walls (parallel with the rib) angle outwardly, narrowing the walls and creating opposed angled ramps 58 which terminate at the cavity's side extensions 56 . In the third section, proximate the hole 48 , the body's inner and outer walls are parallel and the cavity has no angled surfaces.
Referring again to FIGS. 2, 3 A- 3 G, 4 A- 4 D, 5 A- 5 C and 6 A- 6 D, a control arm 60 , also referred-to herein descriptively as “plunger,” has a cross-profile in the general shape of an “I” beam including a connecting web 65 and normal flanges 67 . The plunger is sized and shaped to slide freely in reciprocal fashion within the rectangular cavity 54 of the wand cordlock mechanism body 42 . (It should be noted that the plunger could have a variety of crosssections, e.g. rectangular, cross, tubular (rectangular or oval), but in the preferred embodiment the I-beam cross-section is used.) A release trigger 62 is illustrated to be in the form of a “T” shaped tab 64 projecting laterally from the top of the plunger, and is preferably aligned with the I-beam web 65 , the head of the “T” being a flange 66 perpendicular to the rib. Preferably the tab extends only approximately ten to fifteen percent (10-15%) longitudinally down the length of the plunger or just sufficient to provide structural strength for the trigger which, when pushed against the stop 30 (see FIGS. 2 and 3A) will not break or be deformed. The web 65 extends from the top of the plunger to a point sufficient for structural integrity of the plunger, illustrated in this embodiment to be about sixty to seventy percent (60-70%) down the length of the plunger where the web terminates. Proximate the bottom end of the plunger is disposed a cylinder 70 extending fully and normally across the gap (left by the termination of the web 65 above) between the flanges 67 . The cylinder is held centrally in place by pins 68 projecting from its ends which are seated in mating slotted holes defined in the flanges 67 . Preferably the cylinder's diameter is no greater than the width of the flanges so as not to interfere with the plunger's slip-fit in the rectangular cavity 54 of the cordlock body 42 . Alternatively the cylinder 70 can be a free roller.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 A- 3 G and 6 A- 6 D, the wand cord locking mechanism 24 is shown assembled by inserting the plunger 60 through a coiled helical spring 72 and into the rectangular cavity 54 of the cord-lock body 42 with the release trigger 62 in line with the rib 44 of the body 42 . The inner diameter of the spring is at a minimum a slip fit over the plunger. The bottom of the spring abuts the cordlock body and is retained at the top by the tab 64 . The assemblage of the body 42 with the plunger therein surrounded by the spring is then inserted into the inner tube 20 with the tab 64 and rib 44 extending through the slot 28 in the inner tube. The cords are strung such that they pass through the spring, alongside the plunger's I-beam web, and through the cord-lock body 42 . Preferably the lift cords 34 are strung along one side of the I-beam web and the loop cord 36 is passed along the other side of the I-beam web. This helps to keep the cords from becoming entangled. The lift cords and the loop cord are passed through the cordlock body cavity and are gathered together below the body where they are joined with the other leg of the loop cord 36 after it has been passed over the other pin 32 and around the bottom roller 40 . Crimp band 38 is slipped over the the gathered ends of the lift cords and the loop cord and is crimped to hold the ends together. The crimp is preferably a steel or aluminum band which can be crimped using a common crimping tool. Other methods of joining the ends of the cords can be used as well, such as stitching or lacing them together, adhesively joining them, tying the ends together, or with the proper cord material, fusing them together by the use of heat. With the cord-lock mechanism 24 installed in the inner tube 20 and the cords properly routed and secured, the handle 22 can be attached. It is slipped over the lower end of the inner tube and with the rib 44 positioned in the short slot 50 in the top of the handle, pin 46 is inserted through hole 48 and preferably pressed into an aligned hole (not shown) defined in the handle.
Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 6 A- 6 D, with the cords installed, the spring 72 cannot fully extend and is held in partial compression, biasing the plunger 60 upward so that the cylinder 70 is constantly urged against the cord-lock body's opposing ramps 56 . This causes the cylinder to wedge, i.e., compress the cords between it and the ramps, best shown by FIG. 6 D. Since there is only a slip fit for the cylinder to pass through the cavity 54 in the cordlock body 42 , the cords create an obstruction, preventing the spring from pushing the body off of the plunger because without the cords, the body would slip off of the plunger. The force of the spring is sufficient to keep the cord-lock mechanism 24 held in position, preventing it from slipping to the bottom of the inner tube 20 due to its own weight and that of the handle 22 .
In operation, the wand cord-lock mechanism and the headrail cord-lock mechanism work in conjunction with each other. The headrail cord-lock mechanism functions to lock the lift cords 34 and the loop cord 36 between the roller 6 and the serrated cylinder 8 whenever the wand 16 is in the vertical or “neutral” position. This prevents upward axial movement of the cords relative to the headrail cord lock, but not downward movement. When the cords are thus locked and there is no downward axial movement, the blinds will stay wherever they are positioned. This will also lock the loop cord since both the lift cords and the loop cord pass over the headrail's cord-lock roller and will be locked by the headrail's serrated cylinder preventing the cords from slipping or moving axially upward. The headrail cord-lock mechanism releases the cords whenever the wand is pivoted on its support 18 to the left and the handle momentarily pulled down because pivoting the wand left causes the cords to be angled away from interference with the serrated cylinder, except at the point where the cylinder is holding the cords against the cord-lock roller. The slight momentary tug on the handle likewise tugs the cords and disengages them from the serrated cylinder, and since it is not restricted by the cords, the cylinder falls away from the roller by gravity until stopped by its securing pin. When the wand is returned to its neutral position, the cords again are caught by the serrated cylinder, but so long as the cords are moving axially downward from the headrail roller, as is the case when the cords are being pulled down by pulling on the wand's handle, the headrail cord lock will not restrict or lock the cords. However, each time the handle is pushed up, gravity will try to move the lift cords axially upward and the headrail cord lock will again catch them. As for the wand cord lock, pushing the handle upward allows the cords to slip through the wand cord lock because the loop cord will prevent the lift cords from rising with the handle and so the wand cord lock cylinder 70 will become dislodged sufficiently to allow the cords to slip by it as long as the handle is moving upward relative to the inner tube. However when the handle is pulled downward, the cords will be locked in the wand cord lock and be pulled down along with the handle. In this way blinds can be raised by pumping the handle up and down depending on how high the blinds are to be raised.
As for lowering the blinds, both cord locks must be released simultaneously for a time. This is done by releasing the headrail cord lock as previously explained and simultaneously pushing the handle to its upper limit at which the wand cord-lock release trigger 62 is forcibly pressed against the stop 30 , at the top of the inner tube. The reaction force against the trigger compresses the spring 72 enough to release the wand cord lock. When both cord locks are released simultaneously, the lift cords are free to move axially in response to gravity acting against the blinds' bottom rail and any collapsed slats resting on the bottom rail. When the blinds have been lowered to a desired point, the wand is then returned to its neutral position at which the headrail cord lock comes back into play.
The loop cord keeps tension on the lift cords by causing the them to effectively “spool” whenever manipulation of the handle would otherwise cause slack in the lift cords, i.e., when the blinds are being raised. Whenever the handle is pulled down to raise the blinds, the leg of loop cord passing through the wand cord lock is likewise pulled down causing the loop cord to rotate clockwise around its loop, and this loop cord rotation in turn pulls the lift cords around with it, effectively spooling the lift cords around loop cord's loop and avoiding slack in the lift cords. Whenever the handle is being pushed up, as when it is being pumped to raise the blinds, the loop cord is caught by the headrail cord lock and prevented from counterclockwise rotation; this anchors the lift cords keeping enough tension on them to cause them to slip through the wand cord lock while the handle is being pushed up, as explained above. Whenever the handle is manipulated to release the lift cords from both cord locks, e.g., to lower the blinds, the loop cord is also released from both cord locks and freely rotates counterclockwise so as not to hinder the lift cords from unspooling, i.e., moving axially in an upward direction.
The foregoing description and drawings were given for illustrative purposes only, it being understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is intended to embrace any and all alternatives, equivalents, modifications and rearrangements of elements falling within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, although the embodiment of the tensioner described herein is a loop cord cooperating with the cord locks to spool and unspool the lift cord set, the tensioner can be expressed in any embodiment which accumulates slack in the lift cords when the blinds are being raised, and which proportionally discharges slack when the blinds are being lowered.
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A telescoping wand safely encloses the control ends of a set of lift cords of vertically raisable “blinds” (as defined in the specification). The wand includes a selectively releasable cord locking mechanism which cooperates with a lift cord tensioner and a cord locking mechanism in the blinds' headrail to allow a user to raise and lower the blinds by one-handed operation of the wand. The blinds are raised by reciprocatingly moving an outer handle tube telescopically along a stationary inner tube. Each time the handle is pumped up and down, the blinds are raised a discrete amount. The wand's cord locking mechanism allows the lift cords to slip through the wand on the handle's upward stroke, but grabs and pulls the lift cords on the handle's downward stroke. Two or three quick pumps of the handle are all that is typically needed to fully raise a set of blinds. To lower the blinds, the wand is manipulated to simultaneously release the headrail's cord lock and the wand's cord lock, allowing the lift cords to freely slip through the wand which in turn allows the blinds to drop down by their own weight. By proper control of the wand, the blinds can be secured at any desired level.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/987,007, filed on May 1, 2014, hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to an improvement of a system and method for facilitating making beds of all sizes with one or more flat bed sheets by way of an inflatable volume incorporated into a foundation which provides increased levitation height to further facilitate bed making and facilitate cleaning between the mattress and the foundation along the periphery.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] A conventional bed includes a box spring or bottom mattress or platform and a top mattress, Top mattresses are relatively heavy items. The weight of a mattress varies as a function of the coil core, the gauge of the coil and the type of material or foam material used. An average king size mattress weighs between 65 and 115 pounds. High end king size mattresses with latex or memory foam can weigh as much as 300 pounds (mattressdirectonline.com).
[0006] Hotel and motel chains as well as healthcare facilities which include hospitals, nursing homes and extended care facilities (hereinafter “commercial facilities”) are known to only use flat bed sheets in their facilities due to the lower cost of flat bed sheets relative to fitted bed sheets and the desire to maintain fewer items in their respective inventories. As such, in order to properly make the beds in such facilities with flat bed sheets, housekeeping personnel need to lift the top mattress, which can be quite heavy, as discussed above. More particularly, in such facilities beds are made with a top bed sheet and a bottom bed sheet and a blanket. Both the top bed sheet and the bottom bed sheet are flat bed sheets.
[0007] In order to properly make the bed, the top and bottom bed sheets are tucked in between the top mattress and the box spring. More specifically, the bottom bed sheet is placed on the bed so that an equal amount of the bed sheet hangs off each side of the bed and an equal amount of the bed sheet hangs off the head and foot regions of the bed. The excess is tucked in at the head and foot regions of the bed to form so palled “hospital corners”. Next, the excess portions of the bottom bed sheet are tucked in next between the mattress and the box spring. The top bed sheet is then placed on top of the bottom bed sheet and placed and tucked in the same manner as the bottom bed sheet with hospital style corners except the head region is left open. In other words, only the foot and side pardons of the top bed sheet are tucked between the mattress and the box spring. Next, a blanket is paced on the bed and may be tucked in the same manner as the top bed sheet.
[0008] in order to tuck the top and bottom bed sheets between the mattress and the box spring, the top mattress must normally be lifted. As mentioned above, mattresses can weigh up to 300 pounds. In order to make a bed, a housekeeping employee may need to lift a mattress up to ten (10) times per bed-four (4) times for the bottom bed sheet and three (3) times for the top bed sheet and the blanket. Assuming that each housekeeping employee in a hotel, motel or healthcare facility makes at least 20-30 beds in a single shift, each housekeeping employee would typically lift a mattress at least 150-200 times per shift. Since bed making is a daily chore, housekeeping employees probably lift mattresses 150 - 200 times per shift on a daily basis.
[0009] Such sustained and repetitive lifting leads to employees developing back problems, resulting in employees missing work or, in severe cases, being placed on disability. Measures have been taken to mitigate such health problems. For example, simply using fitted bed sheets for the lower bed sheet reduces the number of times the mattress is to be lifted by 40. However, fitted bed sheets do not provide the “hospital corners” that the lower bed sheets that hospitals are known for. Moreover, even using fitted bed sheets for the bottom bed sheet still requires a housekeeping employee to lift mattresses at least 90-160 times per day using the example above,
[0010] The use of fitted had sheets is not without its drawbacks. For example, fitted bed sheets cost more than flat bed sheets. Also, frequent washing of bed sheets in commercial facilities tends to wear out the elastic in fitted bed sheets. As such, fitted bed sheets used in such facilities need to be replaced in applications in commercial facilities more frequently than straight bed sheets.
[0011] In addition to bed making, the housekeeping staff must also clean between the mattress and the box spring or platform (hereinafter “foundation”) along the periphery of foundation. This task also requires lifting heavy mattresses.
[0012] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2012/0260432 A1 discloses a bed maker apparatus. The bed maker apparatus includes an inflatable volume incorporated into the underside of a mattress or into a foundation, in a bed making mode, the inflatable volume is inflated, which, in turn, raises or levitates the mattress with respect the foundation. Although the bed maker apparatus disclosed in the '432 publication facilitates bed making, the configuration of the inflatable volume only allows only a limited lift of the mattress when the inflatable volume is fully inflated. As such, cleaning between foundation and the mattress along the periphery can be cumbersome.
[0013] Thus, there is a need for further minimizing or eliminating the need facilitate cleaning between the foundation and the mattress along the periphery in addition to facilitate bed making.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Briefly, the present invention relates to an apparatus and method for facilitating making beds of all sizes with one or more flat bed sheets by minimizing lifting of the mattress so that flat bed sheets and/or blankets can be tucked between the upper mattress and the box spring or platform without having to lift the top mattress. The apparatus in accordance with the present invention includes an inflatable volume that is configured to provide additional levitation height to facilitate cleaning between the mattress and the foundation.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0015] These and other advantages of the present invention will be readily understood with reference to the following specification and attached drawing wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a top layer of an inflatable volume which includes an exemplary and optional adjustable air valve without air exit holes and before assembly.
[0017] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an inflatable volume illustrating the top layer and a bottom layer separated from each other wherein the top layer is formed into the shape of a shoe box lid and including an adjustable air valve and a plurality of air exit holes.
[0018] FIG. 3 is an isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of an inflatable volume fully inflated and shown connected to an air pump by way of a conduit.
[0019] FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the top and bottom layers of the inflatable volume, shown with the inside edge of the corner cut outs of the top layer secured together and with the top layer separated from the bottom layer.
[0020] FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the inflatable volume illustrated in FIG. 3 .
[0021] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the inflatable volume illustrated in FIG. 3 .
[0022] FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating the fabrication of the corners of the top layer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The apparatus described herein relates to a bed maker, as generally described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2012/0260432, hereby incorporated by reference. In this embodiment, the configuration of the inflatable volume allows for a greater levitation height than the bed maker disclosed in the '432 publication to facilitate cleaning between the mattress and the foundation along the periphery.
[0024] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4 , the inflatable volume includes a top sheet 20 and a bottom sheet 22 . The top 20 and the bottom layers 22 may be formed from various materials including nylon ripstop or various other materials as set forth in the '432 publication. In addition, the top 20 and bottom 22 layers may include various coatings. The top layer 20 may be formed with a slick surface, of higher coefficient of friction than the opposite side of the inflatable volume, to facilitate mattress rotation with or without the assistance of the inflatable volume 36 . One or both of the top layer 20 and the bottom layer 22 may be made from a stretchable material, such as, so called “four way” stretch materials, for example, TPU laminated or Polyurethane coated Rayon or spandex nylon or polyester blend materials.
[0025] Notched corner cut-outs, generally identified with the reference numeral 24 , may be formed in the four corners of the top layer 20 . As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the edges of these notch cut-outs, generally identified with the reference numerals 26 and 28 , are stitched or otherwise fastened together so that when the inflatable volume is fully assembled and inflated, the top layer 20 will take the outer shape of a shoe box lid, or dress shirt box top. The shoe box lid forms a top surface 21 and a plurality of side panels 23 .
[0026] In addition to the notches 26 , the top layer 20 may be formed with an extending tab 30 along one side of the top layer 20 . Although shown on one end of the top layer 20 , the tab 30 can be formed on any of the sides of the top layer 20 . The tab 30 is complementary to a tab 32 formed on the bottom layer 22 , The bottom layer 22 may be formed with the same general shape as the top layer 20 but without the notches 26 . The top 20 and bottom 22 layers are stitched or otherwise fastened together along the entire periphery of one or both of the top 20 and bottom 22 layers except for the tabs 30 and 32 to form an inflatable volume 36 , as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 . The tabs 30 and 32 are fastened together along their respective edges to form an air inlet 34 for the inflatable volume 36 , as shown in FIG. 5 . Additional tabs (not shown) may optionally be formed in the top layer 20 and the bottom layer 22 except to allow for fluid communication between the air source and inside of the inflatable volume or to form an air exit port.
[0027] At least one air exit port is required in the inflatable volume 36 . The air exit port may be formed from one or more air exit holes, generally identified with the reference numeral 38 , in the top layer 20 . The air exit port may also include an adjustable air valve, for example, a zipper 40 or other adjustable mechanism, shown formed in the top layer 20 , for adjusting the exit air flow from the inflatable volume 36 . The inflatable volume 36 may also include a combination of one or more air exit holes 38 as well as one or more optional adjustable air valve 40 , as shown in FIG. 3 or an air exit port formed by way of the tabs, as discussed above.
[0028] One or more attachment points 42 may optionally be provided within the inflatable volume 36 . The attachment points 42 are formed by fastening the top layer 20 to the bottom layer 22 within the periphery of the inflatable volume 36 . The attachment points 42 may be formed by stitching or other conventional means for fastening two layers of material together. As shown in FIGS. 3-6 , the attachment points 42 are shown in the center of the inflatable volume 36 . However, one or more attachment points 42 may be formed in other locations or formed by various stitch patterns.
[0029] As best shown in FIG. 6 , the side panels 23 formed in the top layer 20 allow the top surface 21 of the top layer 20 to be raised to a desired height by adjusting the adjustable air valve 40 . In particular, the inflatable volume 36 can be raised from a minimum height to a maximum height. The minimum is defined with no or very little air pressure within the expandable volume 36 . The maximum height is the height in which the side panels 23 of the inflatable volume 36 allow to a fully extended vertical position, and the attachment point 42 . The configuration of the inflatable volume 36 enables a mattress (not shown) to be lifted to a greater height than the various embodiments of the inflatable volumes, disclosed in the '432 publication to facilitate cleaning between a mattress and a foundation or tucking of a blanket or comforter of thicker profile requiring more clearance between mattress and box spring to tuck while requiring little to no lift of the mattress to do so.
[0030] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 6 , an inflatable volume 36 is shown secured to an optional conduit 44 and an air pump 46 . One end of the conduit 44 is attached to the air inlet 34 ( FIG. 5 ) and the other end is attached to the air pump 46 . The air pump 46 is driven by an electric or DC motor (not shown) that is selectively operable by way of a switch 48 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the inflatable volume 36 is inflated and allowing air to exit the air exit holes 38 and the adjustable air valve.
[0031] The inflatable volume 36 , as described herein, may be formed to be the same size as a foundation (not shown) and a mattress (not shown) and integrated into a top side of the foundation or an underside of a mattress, as generally shown in the '432 publication. The inflatable volume 36 may also be integrated into an encasement for a mattress or foundation (not shown) as also disclosed in the '432 publication. The inflatable volume 36 , as described herein, may also be integrated into a removable cover with side panels (not shown), for example, at least a portion of continuous or non continuous stretchable or elastic side panels, secured to the periphery of the inflatable volume to enable the inflatable volume to be selectively secured to the underside of a mattress or a top side of a foundation.
[0032] Lastly, the inflatable volume 36 may include a separate rider cover (not shown), for example, as shown in FIGS. 30 and 32 of the '432 publication with the reference numeral 218 . As shown in the '432 publication, the rider cover is used to create an air cushion between the inflatable volume 36 and the rider cover for the purpose of mattress rotation, levitation, or sliding (herein referred to as “maneuvering”), and may also be used to hold an optional bed skirt in place about the foundation during said maneuvering.
[0033] The inflatable volume 36 , as described herein, is multifunctional. In particular, it can be used for bed making and lifting a mattress high enough to facilitate cleaning between the mattress and the foundation, With a suck surface for on a top side of the top layer 20 , the inflatable volume 36 can be used to facilitate mattress rotation with and without an air assist.
[0034] Alternate embodiments of the inflatable volume are contemplated in which one or both of the layers are formed from a stretchable material, as discussed above. The stretchable material allows for even greater mattress levitation relative inflatable volumes formed from non-stretchable material. In one such alternate embodiment of the inflatable volume, the top layer may be formed without notches and thus will have the same configuration bottom layer. More particularly, both the top and bottom layers in such an embodiment may be formed to have the same size and may both be formed with the configuration of the bottom layer 22 , as illustrated in FIG. 2 . Further alternative configurations include the inside edges of one of more corner cutout notches remaining unattached to each other, thereby forming an alternative air exit hole configuration. Alternately, the inflatable volume may be formed in different shapes, such as circular or rectangular shapes, in which the top layer and the bottom layer are the same size or different sizes, as defined by stitching or continuous attachment of the top and bottom layers at least along the outside perimeter of the inflatable volume, such as the inflatable volumes illustrated in the '432 publication.
[0035] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Thus, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described above.
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An apparatus and method for facilitating making beds of all sizes with one or more flat bed sheets by minimizing lifting of the mattress so that flat bed sheets and/or blankets can be tucked between the upper mattress and the box spring or platform without lifting the top mattress. The apparatus includes an inflatable volume that is configured to provide additional levitation height to facilitate cleaning between the mattress and the foundation.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention proceeds from a pump, in particular a high-pressure fuel pump.
[0002] Such a pump in the form of a high-pressure fuel pump is disclosed by DE 10 2010 063 363 A1. This pump comprises a pump element having a roller tappet, via which a pump piston is supported on a cam of a drive shaft. In the roller tappet a roller, which bears on the cam, is rotatably supported on a bearing pin. The roller is supported on the bearing pin by way of a bearing bush. The bearing bush usually comprises a body composed of metal, in particular steel, which is provided with a coating of friction-bearing material. The highly accurate machining required and the application of the coating make manufacturing of the bearing bush very exacting. In addition, an uneven pressure distribution can occur in the bearing bush between this and the roller and/or the bearing pin, resulting in greater pressures in the edge areas of the bearing bush, so that increased wearing of the bearing bush occurs in these areas. The known steel bearing bushes have only poor emergency running characteristics in the event of inadequate lubrication, so that in this case heavy wearing of the bearing bush and/or the roller and/or the bearing pin can occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The pump according to the invention by contrast has the advantage that the bearing bush is easy to produce, and due to the greater elasticity of the plastic material compared to steel allows a more even pressure distribution.
[0004] Advantageous embodiments and developments of the pump according to the invention are specified in the dependent claims. Suitable plastic materials for the bearing bush are specified in the claims, as well as a development that allows good emergency running characteristics in the event of inadequate lubrication of the bearing bush, and an embodiment that facilitates manufacturing of the bearing bush.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] An exemplary embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawing and is explained in more detail in the following description.
[0006] FIG. 1 shows a simplified representation of a pump in a longitudinal section; and
[0007] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged representation of a detail of a roller tappet of the pump.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0008] FIG. 1 represents a pump, which is in particular a high-pressure fuel pump for a fuel injection device of an internal combustion engine. The pump comprises at least one pump element 10 , which comprises a pump piston 16 , displaceably and tightly guided in a cylinder bore 12 of a housing part 14 , which is referred to hereinafter as a cylinder head. With its end projecting into the cylinder bore 12 the pump piston 16 defines a pump working chamber 18 . The end of the pump piston 16 projecting from the cylinder bore 12 is connected to a roller tappet 20 . The roller tappet 20 is supported on a cam 22 of a drive shaft 24 , which cam under the rotational movement of the drive shaft 24 produces a reciprocating movement of the pump piston 16 in the cylinder bore 12 . The drive shaft 24 may be part of the pump or part of the internal combustion engine, for example its camshaft or another shaft.
[0009] The pump working chamber 18 can be connected via an inlet valve 26 to a low-pressure inlet 27 to the pump and via an outlet valve 28 to a high-pressure outlet, which leads, for example, to a high-pressure accumulator 30 . The low-pressure inlet 27 may be fed, for example, by a feed pump, which draws in fuel from a storage tank.
[0010] The roller tappet 20 comprises a hollow cylindrical tappet body 40 , into which the end of the pump piston 16 protruding from the cylinder bore 12 projects on the side thereof remote from the cam 22 . On the side of the tappet body 40 facing the cam 22 a roller 42 , which rolls on the cam 22 , is rotatably supported in said tappet body. A bearing pin 44 , on which the roller 42 is rotatably supported by a bearing bush 46 , is fixed in the tappet body 40 . The tappet body 40 has a bore 48 , which runs at least approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 17 of the pump piston 16 , wherein the diameter of the bore 48 is enlarged in its middle area, viewed in the longitudinal direction, and the bore 48 in its middle area is open to the cam 22 . The bearing pin 44 may be pressed into the bore 48 at its end areas or may be secured in the bore 48 by means of a sprung retaining clip 50 , for example, so that it cannot be pushed out of the bore 48 in the direction of its longitudinal axis.
[0011] The bearing bush 46 is of hollow cylindrical design and is arranged with a slight radial play on the middle area of the bearing pin 44 . The hollow cylindrical roller 42 is supported with a slight radial play on the bearing bush 46 . Here the roller 42 is arranged with its larger diameter in the middle area of the bore 48 and protrudes out through the open side of the middle area of the bore 48 towards the cam 22 . The bearing bush 46 is produced from a plastic material, preferably from polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or from polyphthalamide (PPA). In addition, polyimide, polyamide imide or polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) may also be used as plastic material.
[0012] Fillers, which serve in particular to improve the emergency running characteristics of the bearing bush 46 in the event of inadequate lubrication, may be added to the plastic material. Carbon fibers, for example, and/or glass fibers and/or potassium titanate and/or polyaramid may be used as fillers. In addition, fillers which improve the anti-frictional characteristics of the bearing bush may be added to the plastic material. Solid lubricant particles, which may contain graphite, may be used as fillers for this purpose. Titanium dioxide and/or zinc sulfide and/or polytetrafluoroethylene may also be used as additives.
[0013] The bearing bush 46 is preferably produced by an injection molding method, wherein no further production operation, or at least only a machining of the inside and/or outside diameter of the bearing bush 46 , is necessary following the injection molding process. Alternatively, the bearing bush 46 may also be produced by a method of pressing. In addition, the bearing bush 46 may also be produced from a bar material, from which portions of the required width are cut off.
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Disclosed is a pump, in particular a high-pressure fuel pump, comprising at least one pump element ( 10 ) that has a roller tappet ( 20 ) inside which a roller ( 42 ) is rotatably mounted on a bearing bolt ( 44 ) by means of a bearing sleeve ( 46 ), said roller ( 42 ) rolling off a cam ( 22 ) of an input shaft ( 24 ). The bearing sleeve ( 46 ) is made of a plastic material, especially polyether ether ketone (PEEK) or polyphthalamide (PPA).
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/503,891 filed Sep. 22, 2003, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to functional sweeteners.
[0004] 2. Related Background Art
[0005] Corosolic acid is present in many types of plants, but is now mainly obtained from banaba ( Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers.). Banaba belongs to Myrtales Lythraceae , and is a kind of crape myrtle distributed throughout tropical Asia which is known as Pride of India. A hot water decoction of this leaf has been drunk as a remedy for many years, for example in the Philippines. Recently, it has been attracting interest in Japan due to its diabetes treating effect and blood glucose level depressing effect, and the number of people who drink it as a health tea is increasing.
[0006] Regarding the medicinal value of banaba, it was already reported in the 1940s that when a healthy domestic rabbit was medicated with a decoction of desiccated banaba leaves, blood glucose level was depressed by 16-49 mg/dl with a dose of 1-2 g of desiccated leaves per 1 kg of body weight (F. Garcia: On the hypoglycemic effect of a decoction of Lagerstroemia speciosa (Banaba), J. Philip. Med. Assoc. 20, 395 (1940)). Further, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-310587, it is reported that, as a result of administering a diet containing 3% mixed banaba extract powder to a type II diabetic mouse for one week, and thereafter administering a diet containing 5% mixed banaba extract powder for 3 weeks, the blood glucose level was significantly depressed as compared with a control which did not receive the banaba extract powder.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-227398, it is reported that this medicinal effect of banaba is partly due to the inhibition of amylase and lipase, and in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-12547, it was observed that as a result of this inhibitory effect, blood glucose elevation was suppressed when saccharides were simultaneously ingested. However, according to the inventor's research, the blood glucose level depressing effect of banaba extract is mainly due to the action of corosolic acid, and the contribution of digestive enzyme inhibitors is secondary.
[0008] According to the inventor's latest research, the blood glucose level depressing mechanism of corosolic acid is as follows. Specifically, corosolic acid stimulates the initial secretion of insulin. The insulin secretion stimulated by corosolic acid then causes glucose which has started to increase in the blood to be assimilated by peripheral cells, so the blood glucose level falls. The fall of blood glucose inhibits an increase in insulin secretion which would normally have been brought about by the increase in glucose, and as a result, the corosolic acid controls the total amount of insulin secretion. Corosolic acid also has an insulin-like effect of promoting assimilation of glucose into peripheral cells, as has been pointed out in the past, and will therefore suppress blood glucose also from this viewpoint. Moreover, corosolic acid only depresses the blood glucose level in the presence of blood glucose of a certain concentration or higher, so corosolic acid is an excellent food additive, and is also a safer and more effective antidiabetic substance than ordinary antidiabetic drugs.
[0009] While it is important to control the blood glucose level in treatment of diabetes, recently, it is also said to be important to stop excess insulin secretion as it affects overall body health, and many low insulin food products are now being marketed in the U.S. Although corosolic acid initially temporarily stimulates insulin secretion, it suppresses insulin secretion overall, and is therefore of importance as a low insulin substance. Further, as rapid fluctuations of blood glucose affect the nervous system, it is necessary to maintain insulin stable at a low level. Corosolic acid is a substance which meets this demand perfectly.
[0010] However, supposing that blood glucose level depression by corosolic acid follows the above mechanism, blood glucose rapidly increases before insulin secretion is stimulated by corosolic acid, if corosolic acid and sugar which is rapidly absorbed are consumed together.
[0011] In this case also, assimilation of glucose into peripheral cells is still promoted by corosolic acid, so the blood glucose level stabilizes more quickly than if corosolic acid was not consumed, but if its effect of stimulating the initial secretion of insulin could also be utilized, an even more pronounced blood glucose level depressing effect of corosolic acid might be obtained.
[0012] The inventor focused on the contribution of digestive enzyme inhibitors present in banaba extract which was a secondary effect found from prior research, and thought as follows. The reason why a remarkable blood glucose level depression is obtained by consuming banaba extract is not because digestive enzyme inhibitors interfere with the digestion and absorption of sugar, but because the digestion and absorption of sugar is delayed. During this time, the absorbed corosilic acid stimulates insulin secretion, so the assimilation into peripheral cells of the sugar with slightly delayed absorption is promoted. This thought was also supported by the fact that, in in vivo experiments on rats, if banaba extract was given together with starch, which is a polysaccharide, the blood glucose level was depressed, but if it was given together with glucose, which is a monosaccharide, the blood glucose level was not depressed (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-12547). On the basis of the above thought, the inventor concluded that the initial insulin secretion stimulating effect of colosolic acid could be utilized and a blood glucose level depressing effect identical to that of banaba extract might be obtained, by combining corosolic acid with known digestive enzyme inhibitors or digestion and absorption inhibitors, and that by such a combination, the disadvantages of tannin and the like contained in the extract could be avoided.
[0013] The present invention provides a sweetener (functional sweetener) wherein corosolic acid, and at least one selected from the group consisting of a sucrase inhibitor and indigestible dextrin, are added to sucrose. The sucrase inhibitor is preferably L-arabinose or 1-deoxynojirimycin. Indigestible dextrin is a substance which suppresses rapid elevation of blood glucose level by interfering with the digestion and absorption of sugars.
[0014] The sweetener of the present invention may contain other additive components to the extent that they do not interfere with its effect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0000] (Isolation and Purification of Corosolic Acid)
[0015] The corosolic acid contained in the sweetener (functional sweetener) of the present invention may be manufactured from banaba extract or banaba extract concentrate.
[0016] Banaba extract is obtained by extracting banaba leaves with hot water, an alcohol such as methanol, ethanol or propanol, or an aqueous solution of these alcohols. It contains corosolic acid and banaba polyphenols (polyphenols in banaba leaves), which are the principal components, and the extraction can be performed by the following method.
[0017] Banaba leaves used as the raw material for banaba extract are the fresh or dried leaves of Banaba ( Lagerstroemia speciosa Linn. or Pers.), which grows for example in the Philippines. The fresh leaves may be dried for example by natural drying, air drying or forced drying. The drying is preferably performed to a “toasted dry” state with a moisture content of no greater than 20 wt % and preferably no greater than 10 wt % in order to prevent growth of microorganisms and ensure storage stability.
[0018] The dried banaba leaves may be extracted directly, but they may preferably be extracted after pulverization and chopping. The methods and conditions employed to extract the dried banaba leaves with hot water or alcohol and to concentrate the extract are not particularly limited, but they are preferably such as to yield a fixed content of corosolic acid in the concentrate. Specifically, they are preferably such that, when the banaba extract is processed into banaba extract concentrate described later, the proportion of corosolic acid is 0.1-15 mg per 100 mg of the concentrate. Further, the proportion of corosolic acid is preferably 0.2-12 mg and more preferably 0.5-10 mg per 100 mg of the concentrate. Suitable extraction methods and conditions are as follows.
[0019] Method 1: Ethanol or an aqueous ethanol solution (50-80 wt % ethanol content) is added to dried pulverized banaba leaves (raw material) at 5-20 times by weight and preferably 8-10 times by weight with respect to the raw material, and the mixture is heated to reflux for extraction at a temperature from normal temperature to 90° C. and preferably from about 50° C. to 85° C., for a period from 30 minutes to 2 hours. The extraction is repeated 2 or 3 times.
[0020] Method 2: Methanol or an aqueous methanol solution (50-90 wt % methanol content) is added at 3-20 times by weight to dried pulverized banaba leaves, and the mixture is heated to reflux for extraction in the same manner as in Method 1. The extraction procedure is preferably carried out at a temperature from normal temperature to 65° C. for a period from 30 minutes to 2 hours. The extraction procedure may be carried out once or repeated two or more times.
[0021] Method 3: Hot water is added at 3-20 times by weight to dried pulverized banaba leaves, and the mixture is heated to reflux for extraction at a temperature of 50-90° C. and preferably 60-85° C., for a period from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
[0022] The above Methods 1 to 3 for preparing banaba extract may be combined as required. For example, Method 1 and Method 2 can be combined together. Of these methods, Methods 1 and 2 are preferred, but Method 1 is particularly preferred.
[0023] To facilitate handling, banaba extract is usually processed into banaba concentrate by concentration and drying. Regarding post-extraction concentration and drying, if the concentrate is stored at high temperature for a long time, the active components can deteriorate, so this is preferably performed in a relatively short time. For this purpose, it is advantageous to perform the concentration and drying under reduced pressure. The extract obtained as described above is filtered, and then concentrated under reduced pressure at a temperature of 60° C. or less. The obtained solid is dried at a temperature of 50-70° C. under reduced pressure (a higher reduced pressure than during the concentration). The dried solid is then crushed to obtain a powdered concentrate. Banaba extract concentrate is not limited to the powder form, and may be processed into tablets or granules. The banaba extract concentrate obtained by these methods contains corosolic acid, banaba polyphenols and other active components.
[0024] From the banaba extract or banaba extract concentrate obtained as described hereinabove, corosolic acid (containing 99% or more corosolic acid) can be obtained by removing components other than corosolic acid (other components) using an extraction technique known in the art (e.g., liquid chromatography such as HPLC).
[0025] When purifying corosolic acid from banaba extract, the following method may be used. Specifically, after suspending the banaba extract in water, it is distributed in ether or hexane to first remove low polarity components. The aqueous layer is then successively eluted with water, methanol and acetone using Diaion HP-20 column chromatography or the like. The methanol fraction containing corosolic acid is then subjected to separation and purification by silica gel column chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography so as to isolate the corosolic acid. Purification is easier if low polarity components are removed by ether or hexane and separation is performed using Diaion HP-20 column chromatography or the like (particularly if the extract amount is large), but this is not absolutely necessary, and the extract may be directly separated by silica gel column chromatography and then finally purified by high performance liquid chromatography.
[0026] The corosolic acid which is isolated and purified from the banaba extract or banaba extract concentrate may be used as it is, or alternatively, there may be used corosolic acid of high purity obtained by acylating (e.g., acetylating) the corosolic acid and then removing the acyl groups. Acetylation of the corosolic acid may be carried out, for example, by first dissolving the corosolic acid isolated and purified as described above in anhydrous pyridine, adding acetic anhydride and allowing the mixture to stand at room temperature for about 12 hours, and then adding ice water to the reaction mixture and performing extraction several times (about 3 times) with chloroform. Next, the chloroform layer may be dewatered with sodium sulfate, the sodium sulfate removed by filtration, and then the chloroform distilled off under reduced pressure and recrystallization performed from hexane to obtain acetylcorosolic acid. By removing the acyl groups from the acylated corosolic acid thus obtained, corosolic acid of extremely high purity (effectively 100%) can be obtained.
[0000] (Manufacture of Sweetener (Functional Sweetener))
[0027] The corosolic acid obtained as described above is mixed with a sucrase inhibitor (such as L-arabinose or 1-deoxynojirimycin) or a digestion and absorption inhibitor (blood glucose level depressor) (such as indigestible dextrin), and this is added to sucrose to obtain a sweetener (functional sweetener).
[0028] The mixing may be performed by crushing each of the above-mentioned components, but sucrose may be heated at normal pressure or under high pressure (approximately 180° C. at normal pressure) to melt it, and the corosolic acid, a sucrase inhibitor (such as L-arabinose or 1-deoxynojirimycin) or a digestion and absorption inhibitor (blood glucose level depressor) (such as indigestible dextrin) dissolved therein.
[0029] An appropriate consumption of corosolic acid is 0.1 (mg/day/person), and supposing that the daily consumption of sucrose is about 50 g, the sweetener (functional sweetener) of the present invention may contain one part per million to one part in ten (but preferably one part in 50,000) of corosolic acid with respect to sucrose. The amount of a sucrase inhibitor (such as L-arabinose or 1-deoxynojirimycin) or a digestion and absorption inhibitor (blood glucose level depressor) (such as indigestible dextrin) is arbitrary.
[0030] According to the sweetener (functional sweetener or functional sugar) of the present invention, compared to the case where sucrose is consumed alone, or the case where sucrose is consumed together with a sucrase inhibitor or a digestion and absorption inhibitor (blood glucose level depressor), blood glucose level is stabilized. This sweetener has a blood glucose level depressing effect identical to that of banaba extract, and does not contain tannin, nor other components having undesirable effects, which are present in banaba extract.
[0031] The sweetener of the present invention can be used in the food manufacturing industry in general, such as in the manufacture of cakes or drinks. Also, it can be used as an ingredient of health supplements targeted at diabetic patients and people at risk of diabetes.
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The present invention provides sweeteners wherein corosolic acid, and at least one selected from the group consisiting of a sucrase inhibitor and indigestible dextrin, are added to sucrose.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application relates to and incorporates herein by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 9-177757 filed on Jun. 18, 1997.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wiper blade rubber for a windshield wiper which turns back and forth on the windshield of a vehicle.
2. Related Art
A conventional windshield wiper for wiping the windshield of a vehicle has a wiper blade rubber. The wiper blade rubber is inclined against the windshield while wiping the windshield so that the windshield is wiped effectively. The wiper blade rubber has a neck portion having a narrowed shape, and a wiping portion connecting to the neck portion. When the wiper blade rubber wipes the windshield, the neck portion is bent so that the wiping portion is inclined, leading to an effective wiping.
Further, the conventional windshield wiper turns back and forth. Therefore, when the windshield wiper turns over, an inclining direction of the wiping portion against the windshield is also reversed while changing the height of the wiper blade rubber from the windshield. Specifically, the inclining direction of the wiping portion is reversed with a top end of the wiping portion as a center. The top end of the wiping portion contacts the windshield surface to be wiped. Therefore, the height of the wiper blade rubber is maximum when the wiping portion stands upright during changing of the inclining direction, and is minimum when the wiping portion is inclined to a maximum degree. However, when the height of the wiper blade rubber changes, a harsh noise may sounds.
To decrease the noise, JP-A-2-162142 proposes to form an arc portion in a wiper blade rubber so that the inclining direction of a moving portion (i.e., wiping portion) is turned over smoothly using the arc portion. However, in the wiper blade rubber according to JP-A-2-162142, the moving portion and a fixed portion of the wiper blade rubber may slide in a lateral direction, resulting in that the moving portion fails to be inclined.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wiper blade rubber which suppresses changes in the height of the wiper blade rubber when the inclining direction of the wiper blade rubber is reversed, while keeping a wiping portion of the wiper blade rubber being inclined appropriately.
According to the present invention, a wiper blade rubber has a holding portion being held by a supporting member, a wiping portion for wiping the windshield of a vehicle and a connecting portion for connecting the holding portion and the wiping portion. The connecting portion has a neck portion having a narrowed cross-section, and has an inside hollow. The hollow extends vertically in the neck portion and horizontally above the neck portion, with respect to the windshield, thus having a T-shaped cross-section. Therefore, the connecting portion is readily bent due to the neck portion so that the wiping portion is inclined. Further, the connecting portion is readily deformed vertically with respect to the windshield due to the hollow. Therefore, the wiper blade rubber can suppress changes in the height of the wiper blade rubber when turning over the inclining direction of the wiper blade rubber, reducing a harsh noise generated due to friction between the wiper blade rubber and the windshield.
Preferably, the wiping portion has a shoulder portion for limiting the inclining angle of the wiping portion. When the wiping portion is inclined during wiping, the shoulder portion touches the connecting portion so that the wiping portion is inclined at an appropriate angle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a better understanding of the preferred embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing a wiper blade rubber in a first embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view showing the wiper blade rubber while wiping a windshield in the first embodiment;
FIG. 1C is a cross-sectional view showing the wiper blade rubber while turning over its inclining direction in the first embodiment;
FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing a wiper blade rubber in a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing the wiper blade rubber while wiping a windshield in the second embodiment; and
FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view showing the wiper blade rubber while turning over its inclining direction in the second embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Embodiments of the present invention will be described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.
(First Embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 1A, a wiper blade rubber 10 has a holding portion 12 , a connecting portion 14 and a wiping portion 16 . These portions are elongated and integrally formed. The holding portion 12 is held by a plurality of supporting members 20 at a plurality of points disposed in a longitudinal direction of the holding portion 12 . The supporting members 20 are part of a wiper blade connector (not shown) and are connected to a wiper arm (not shown) through the wiper blade connector. Therefore, when the wiper arm moves arcuately, the wiper blade rubber 10 moves arcuately as well.
The holding portion 12 contains a backing 11 therein extending in a longitudinal direction thereof to provide reinforcement. Due to the backing 11 , pressure (i.e., wiper arm pressure) incurred by the holding portion 12 is dispersed in a longitudinal direction of the holding portion 12 . The wiping portion 16 has a pair of shoulder portions 16 a and an edge portion 16 b. The wiping portion 16 is formed in substantially a triangle shape. The edge portion 16 b of the wiping portion 16 is thinned to improve wiping performance of the wiper blade rubber 10 .
The connecting portion 14 has a base portion 14 a which extends from the holding portion 12 and a neck portion 18 . The neck portion 18 which extends from the base portion 14 a becomes thinner gradually and is thickened again toward the shoulder portions 16 a to have a narrowed cross-section, as shown in FIG. 1 A. The base portion 14 a and the wiping portion 16 are connected by the neck portion 18 . The neck portion 18 can be bent readily due to its reduced thickness. Therefore, the wiping portion 16 can be readily inclined by the bending of the neck portion 18 .
The connecting portion 14 has an inside hollow 22 . The hollow 22 extends in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1A in the base portion 14 a, and in the vertical direction in FIG. 1A in the neck portion 18 so that the hollow 22 has a T-shaped cross-section. Further, the hollow 22 extends downward (i.e., toward the edge portion 16 a ) leading to the wiping portion 16 . In the joint area between the base portion 14 a and the neck portion 18 the connecting portion 14 is gently curved in section. The hollow 22 is gently curved corresponding to a gentle curve of an outline of the connecting portion 14 so that the neck portion 18 has a substantially uniform thickness. Further, the whole connecting portion 14 has a circular sectional shape facing the hollow 22 . Therefore, the connecting portion 14 can be deformed continuously while preventing stress from being applied intensively due to deformation.
Further, the width of a cross-section of the hollow 22 in the base portion 14 a in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1A is larger than the width of a cross-section of the neck portion 18 in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1 A. This enables the neck portion 18 to be readily deformed in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 A. Furthermore, the hollow 22 in the base portion 14 a has an acute angle on the side of the connecting portion 14 . This also enables the neck portion 18 to be readily deformed in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 A.
Thus, the neck portion 18 can be bent readily due to the hollow 22 formed inside of the neck portion 18 . Further, the connecting portion 14 can also be deformed in the vertical direction in FIG. 1A because of the hollow 22 formed inside of the base portion 14 a.
Next, an operation of the wiper blade rubber 10 will be explained specifically. As shown in FIG. 1B, when the wiper arm (not shown) moves arcuately, the wiper blade rubber 10 moves as the supporting member 20 connected to the wiper arm moves in the direction indicated by arrow I. The wiping portion 16 of the wiper blade rubber 10 wipes a surface 24 a to be wiped of a windshield 24 .
During this wiping, the wiping portion 16 is inclined so that the edge portion 16 b is left behind with respect to a moving direction of the holding portion 12 . This inclining of the wiping portion 16 is made possible by deformation of the connecting portion 14 . That is, the wiping portion 16 is inclined by the bending of the neck portion 18 of the connecting portion 14 . The hollow 22 formed inside the connecting portion 14 enables the neck portion 18 to bend more readily.
Further, the whole connecting portion 14 can also be bent readily because the hollow 22 extends in not only neck portion 18 but also the base portion 14 a. Thus, the wiping portion 16 can be readily inclined by the bending of the whole connecting portion 14 .
Furthermore, the shoulder portion 16 a of the wiping portion 16 touches the lower end of the base portion 14 a of the connecting portion 14 , limiting the inclining angle of the wiping portion 16 . Therefore, the wiping portion 16 can be inclined at an appropriate angle.
Next, as shown in FIG. 1C, when the wiper arm turns over while moving back and forth, the connecting portion 14 of the wiper blade rubber 10 is deformed in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 C. Specifically, the connecting portion 14 is deformed so that the neck portion 18 is inserted inside the base portion 14 a. This is made possible by the hollow 22 extending in the horizontal direction in FIG. 1C in the base portion 14 a.
Thus, the connecting portion 14 can suppress changes in the height of the wiper blade rubber 10 . That is, the height of the wiper blade rubber 10 is tentatively increased when inclining direction of the wiper blade rubber 10 is turned over. However, the changes in the height of the wiper blade rubber 10 can be decreased by the connecting portion 14 . This reduces a harsh noise when the wiper blade rubber 10 turns over the inclining direction.
In the first embodiment, the neck portion 18 is greatly deformed when the wiper blade rubber 10 turns over the inclining direction. Therefore, if snow is filled in a recess existing around the neck portion 18 , snow can be removed readily when the wiper blade rubber 10 turns over the inclining direction. When a surface of the neck portion 18 has a repellency, snow can be removed more readily.
(Second Embodiment)
As shown in FIG. 2, similarly to the first embodiment, a wiper blade rubber 30 has a holding portion 32 , a connecting portion 34 and a wiping portion 36 . The connecting portion 34 has a neck portion 38 . A hollow 42 is formed extending both inside the connecting portion 34 and the wiping portion 36 . The holding portion 32 is held by a plurality of supporting members 40 . The holding portion 32 and the supporting members 40 respectively have the same structures as the holding portion 12 and the supporting members 20 in the first embodiment. The wiping portion 36 operates substantially similarly to the wiping portion 16 in the first embodiment although a shoulder portion 36 a is more sloping in section compared to the shoulder portion 16 a. The neck portion 38 also operates substantially similarly to the neck portion 18 in the first embodiment although the neck portion 38 has a more roundish sectional shape compared to the neck portion 18 due to the shape of the shoulder portion 36 a.
In the second embodiment, a shape of the hollow 42 is different from the shape of the hollow 22 in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2A, the hollow 42 extends in the horizontal direction in FIG. 2A in the base portion 34 a, and extends in the vertical direction in FIG. 2B in the neck portion 28 . The hollow 42 further extends downward to the wiping portion 36 . In the second embodiment, the hollow 42 extends in the horizontal or lateral direction in the wiping portion 36 . Therefore, the hollow 42 is narrowed in the middle corresponding to the outline of the neck portion 38 .
According to the second embodiment, the connecting portion 34 can be readily bent at the neck portion 38 . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the wiping portion 36 wipes the surface 24 a to be wiped of a windshield 24 , the wiping portion 36 is readily inclined by the bending of the neck portion 38 . Moreover, the neck portion 38 can be readily bent due to the hollow 42 .
Further, the connecting portion 34 can also be deformed in the vertical direction in FIG. 2C because the hollow 42 is narrowed in the middle and can be crushed in the vertical direction in FIG. 2C when the wiper blade rubber 30 turns over the inclining direction. Furthermore, the hollow 42 in the wiping portion 36 has an acute angle on the side of the connecting portion 34 . This enables the connecting portion 34 to be readily deformed in the vertical direction in FIG. 2 C. Thus, changes in the height of the wiper blade rubber 30 can be suppressed to reduce a harsh noise. Other effects of the wiper blade rubber 30 in the second embodiment are the same as those of the wiper blade rubber 10 in the first embodiment.
In the above-described embodiments, the shoulder portions 16 a, 36 a of the wiping portions 16 , 36 may or may not touch the base portion 14 a, 34 a of the connecting portion 14 , 34 , respectively, while the wiper blade rubber 10 , 30 wipes the windshield 24 . However, even if the shoulder portions 16 a , 36 a do not touch the base portion 14 a , 34 a , harsh noise can be reduced.
Although the present invention has been fully described in connection with preferred embodiments thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art.
Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
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A wiper blade rubber for a windshield wiper has a holding portion held by a plurality of supporting members, a wiping portion for wiping the surface of a windshield and a connecting portion connecting the holding portion and the wiping portion. The connecting portion is narrowed in a middle part thereof providing a neck portion, and has an inside hollow. The hollow extends vertically in the neck portion and horizontally above the neck portion, with respect to the windshield, thereby having a T-shaped cross-section in the connecting portion. Preferably, the hollow extends into the wiping portion. Therefore, when the wiper blade rubber turns over the inclining direction of the wiping portion, the wiper blade rubber can suppress changes in the height of the wiper blade rubber by deforming the hollow, while keeping an appropriate inclining angle of the wiping portion.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a valve assembly for controlling fluid flow to and from a high-pressure fuel tank, and more particularly to such a valve assembly having a motor-driven seal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] High-pressure fluid reservoirs, such as high-pressure fuel tanks, may use an isolation valve to open and close a vapor path between the fuel tank and a purge canister. In a typical evaporative emissions system, vented vapors from the fuel system are sent to a purge canister containing activated charcoal, which adsorbs fuel vapors. During certain engine operational modes, with the help of specifically designed control valves, the fuel vapors are adsorbed within the canister. Subsequently, during other engine operational modes, and with the help of additional control valves, fresh air is drawn through the canister, pulling the fuel vapor into the engine where it is burned.
[0003] For high-pressure fuel tank systems, an isolation valve may be used to isolate fuel tank emissions and prevent them from overloading the canister and vapor lines. In some systems, it may be desirable to isolate the fuel tank except during refueling or during extreme pressure conditions to avoid the potential risk of damage to the system. Due to the high-pressure environments in which isolation valves often operate, the sealing mechanisms in the isolation valve should operate consistently.
[0004] There is a desire for a system that ensures consistent seal operation while keeping the overall isolation valve structure simple.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] An isolation valve according to one embodiment of the invention comprises a housing having a vent path and a sealing member aligned with the vent path and movable between a first position to open the vent path and a second position to close the vent path. The sealing member is driven by a motor that is controllable by a controller, and a gear arrangement couples the motor with the sealing member. The motor drives the gear arrangement in a first direction to open the vent path and a second direction to close the vent path. During operation, a motor current rises when the sealing member reaches one of the first position and the second position, and the controller detects the motor current rise and changes operation of the motor in response.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an isolation valve according to one embodiment of the invention where a seal is in an open position;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the isolation valve in FIG. 1 where the seal is in a closed position; and
[0008] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an isolation valve according to another embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] FIG. 1 is a representative diagram of an isolation valve 10 according to one embodiment of the invention. In this example, the isolation valve 10 has a housing 11 and is arranged as an inline valve disposed in a vent path 12 formed in the housing 11 and opening into a fuel tank 13 . However, the isolation valve 10 can be disposed in a high-pressure fluid system in any way without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the housing 11 can be configured to be mounted on or in the fuel tank 13 .
[0010] In one embodiment, the isolation valve 10 may have a sealing member 14 disposed in the vent path 12 and aligned with a seat 15 . The sealing member 14 itself may have any appropriate structure that provides secure sealing in the isolation valve 10 . FIGS. 1 and 3 show a sealing member 14 having a seal plate 14 a and a gasket 14 b to prevent leakage, while FIG. 2 shows a sealing member 14 having a tapered stopper 14 c with the gasket 14 b to ensure good alignment between the sealing member 14 and the seat 15 . Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize other possible sealing member 14 structures that may be used without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0011] The sealing member 14 may be driven by an electric motor 16 that actuates a gear arrangement 18 . The gear arrangement 18 may be any appropriate gear system, such as planetary gears, worm drives, or other systems. The example shown in FIG. 1 uses a worm drive, but those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the gear arrangement 18 can have any configuration without departing from the scope of the invention. The sealing member 14 , seat 15 , motor 16 , and gear arrangement 18 are operatively coupled to open and close the vent path 12 .
[0012] Operation of the isolation valve 10 , and more particularly operation of the motor 16 , may be controlled by a vehicle controller 24 . The controller 24 sends signals to the motor 16 to start and stop of the motor 16 as well as control its direction of operation based on various inputs such as, for example, a sensed tank pressure. Possible motor 16 operation modes will be described in more detail below.
[0013] The operation of the isolation valve 10 will now be described with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 . To close the valve 10 , the controller 24 sends a signal to the valve 10 to start operation of the motor 16 . The motor 16 in turn operates the gear arrangement 18 , in turn lowers the sealing member 14 until the sealing member 14 contacts the seat 15 . In one embodiment, there is a hard stop 25 that limits the downward travel of the sealing member 14 . When the hard stop 25 is reached, the motor 16 stalls and the current through the motor 16 will spike, and this spike is detected by the controller 24 . The controller 24 then stops supplying current to the motor 16 , stopping the downward movement of the sealing member 14 . At this point, the sealing member 14 closes the vent path 12 . The location of the hard stop 25 dictates the location at which the sealing member 14 stop, which in turn affects the load applied by the sealing member 14 onto the seat 15 . If a lost motion member 26 is used as described in more detail below, the location of the hard stop 25 also controls the amount of spring force applied by the lost motion member 26 onto the sealing member 14 when it closes the vent path 12 .
[0014] To open the vent path, the isolation valve 10 works the same way as described above but in reverse. More particularly, the controller 24 sends a signal to the motor 16 to open the valve 10 , causing the motor 16 to turn the gear arrangement 18 in the opposite direction and lift the sealing member 14 off the seat 15 . Note that a hard stop may be included to stop the motor 16 in this direction as well, but since the sealing member 14 operation does not necessarily need to be as precise in this direction, the motor 16 may be stopped in this direction simply when the moving parts in the motor 16 bottom out (e.g., when they are completely threaded together).
[0015] Although the sealing member 14 provides a secure seal, it may be desirable to provide additional structures in the isolation valve 10 to ensure consistent sealing despite variations and changes in the motor 16 and/or the gear arrangement 18 due to, for example, wear, design, assembly, or manufacturing. Thus, the isolation valve 10 may also include the lost motion member 26 , such as a spring, that applies a downward biasing force to the sealing member 14 to bias the sealing member 14 toward the seat 15 . This biasing force helps the isolation valve 10 become less sensitive to positional and force variations in the motor 16 and gear arrangement 18 , ensuring consistent sealing action despite these variations.
[0016] In one embodiment, the biasing force in the lost motion member 26 allows the isolation valve 10 to be used as an overpressure relief device. More particularly, the lost motion member 26 applies a spring force when the motor 16 bottoms out due to the hard stop 25 and stops operation. As noted above, this spring force, combined with the location of the sealing member 14 when in the closed position, controls the amount of load on the seat 15 when the isolation valve 10 is closed.
[0017] The lost motion member 26 also allows the isolation valve 10 to act as a bleed valve by gradually allowing pressure to escape before opening completely. For example, to bleed pressure through the isolation valve 10 , the motor 16 and gear arrangement 18 may turn only slightly to lift the sealing member 14 slightly of the seat 15 . However, the biasing force from the lost motion member 26 tends to bias the sealing member 14 downward toward the seat 15 . As a result, the high vapor pressure in the vent path 12 may counteract the biasing force of the lost motion member 26 and allow vapor to escape, but the small space between the sealing member 14 and the seat 15 prevents vapors from rushing through the vent path 12 at full force. Thus, vapor can bleed in a controlled manner through the vent path 12 , gradually reducing the vapor pressure until, for example, the pressure level drops to a level where the valve 10 can be opened completely in a controlled manner without adverse effects elsewhere in the emissions system. This gradual bleeding can be controlled even further by incorporating the stopper 14 c since the small gap between the stopper 14 c and the walls forming the vent path 12 chokes vapor flow.
[0018] In other words, the combination of the motor 16 and the biasing force of the lost motion member 26 allows close control over the amount of pressure relief provided by the isolation valve 10 . The specific degree of pressure relief may be fine-tuned by selecting the biasing force of the lost motion member 26 so that it has a predetermined degree of compression at a given motor 16 position. For example, the biasing force may be selected to provide a desired amount of pressure relief during an overpressure condition.
[0019] FIG. 3 illustrates the isolation valve 10 according to another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the isolation valve 10 may be disposed outside the fuel tank 13 , and the motor 16 itself is disposed outside the housing 11 of the isolation valve 10 . In this embodiment, a shaft 32 extends through the housing 11 to couple the motor 16 with the sealing member 14 . A shaft seal 34 may be used to prevent leakage through the housing 11 . The other components of the isolation valve 10 operate in the same manner as the embodiments described above.
[0020] If the isolation valve 10 is used in an environment where vacuum pressures are a potential issue, a vacuum relief valve 36 may be incorporated into the emissions system or even within the isolation valve 10 itself.
[0021] Because the operation of the isolation valve 10 is controlled by the controller 24 , its operation does not depend on responding to changes in tank pressure. Thus, the isolation valve 10 may also be used as a fuel limit valve. For example, a fuel level sensor (not shown) may be used to monitor a fuel level in a tank and send a signal to the controller 24 when the tank is full. The controller 24 then sends a signal to the isolation valve 10 to close, thereby allowing pressure to build up in the tank and induce shutoff in a refilling nozzle.
[0022] While the best modes for carrying out the invention have been described in detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will recognize various alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the invention within the scope of the appended claims.
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An isolation valve has a housing having a vent path and a sealing member that opens and closes the vent path. The sealing member is driven by a motor via a gear arrangement that links the sealing member with the motor. The motor drives the gear arrangement in a first direction to open the vent path and a second direction to close the vent path. During operation, a motor current rises when the sealing member reaches the first position and/or the second position. The controller detects the motor current rise and changes operation of the motor (e.g., stops the motor) in response.
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[0001] This is a divisional of prior application Ser. No. 09/915,080 filed Jul. 25, 2001, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to barrier movement operators and, more particularly, to such operators which respond to both rolling access codes and fixed access codes.
[0003] Automatic garage door openers comprise a door or barrier moving unit such as a controlled motor and intelligent activation and safety devices. The barrier moving unit is typically activated in response to an access code transmitted from a remote transmitter. RF signaling is the most common means of transmitting the access codes. It is important that the access code format transmitted by the remote transmitter is the same format as that expected by the receiver of the actuation equipment. A standard access code may, for example, comprise 20 digits which remain unchanged until the door opening equipment is reprogrammed. A possible security problem exists with fixed codes, since a potential thief might intercept and record a standard fixed access code. Later, the thief could return with a trans\7mitter for producing an identical duplicate of the recorded code and open the barrier without permission. Some garage door opening systems have begun using codes to activate the system which change after each transmission. Such varying codes, called rolling codes, are created by the transmitter and acted on by the receiver, both of which operate in accordance with the same method to predict a next access code to be sent and received.
[0004] A modem barrier movement controller, such as a garage door opener, may respond to multiple different types of transmitters or wall controls. For example, such a system may respond to a portable rolling code transmitter as might be carried in an automobile, a fixed wall control which is wired to a barrier controller and to an external keypad transmitter which is attached outside the area to be closed by a movable barrier. Such a keypad transmitter can be accessed by the general public and accordingly, should provide good protection against improper use. One such keypad is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,513 issued Feb. 16, 1999 to the Chamberlain Group, Inc. The keypad transmitter described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,872,514 uses a rolling code format which incorporates digits entered by user interaction with a keypad into the transmitted rolling code. A receiver of the barrier movement controller then properly validates the rolling code which may include the keypad digits and performs requested barrier operations.
[0005] The keypad type transmitter requires that a user type in a passcode then press a key to initiate the transmission of the rolling code including the typed in digits. This is a difficult task to perform when the user has his or her arms full of items, such as groceries, but wants to gain access to the closed area. What is need is a secure transmitter which permits hands free operation to send enabling security codes to the controller of a barrier movement operator.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] This need is met as described and claimed herein with a keypad transmitter for mounting outside a controlled area which may respond to the voice or other biometric indicia of users by transmitting validatable codes to a controller of a barrier movement system.
[0007] In accordance with the described embodiments the keypad may be used to send a validatable code or it may be used in a learning operation of the voice responsive portion. The voice responsive portion includes speaker dependent voice analysis for some functions and speaker independent voice analysis for other functions. Before use in the speaker dependent voice analysis, the keypad/voice transmitter must learn to recognize a command of the user's choosing in the user's voice. A plurality of such commands by different users may be learned by the system.
[0008] The keypad/voice transmitter learns a command by performing voice analysis and generating a voice representation which can be stored in a memory of the transmitter. The user also enters a passcode of, for example 4 digits, to be stored in association with the stored speech representation. The passcode may be entered by user interaction with the keypad or by speaker independent voice analysis of the user saying the passcode digits. When voice operation is activated the user speaks the command and the transmitter searches the stored speech representation for a match. When a matching (within acceptable standards for speech representations) representation is identified, the passcode associated therewith is used to form a security code which is transmitted to the controller of a barrier movement system. The controller validates the received security code and performs a requested action. When the speaker dependent voice analysis system does not recognize a spoken command, it converts to speaker independent operation to receive the spoken digits of a passcode which are then formulated into a security code which is transmitted to the barrier movement controller.
[0009] Further attributes are provided to simplify the hands free operation of the system. In one embodiment the keypad/voice transmitter includes a movable cover for the transmitter which, when the cover is closed, can be pressed by perhaps an elbow to activate voice analysis. When the cover is open a switch on the keypad/voice transmitter may be pressed to activate voice analysis. Also, embodiments are disclosed which improve the safety of the system by enabling speaker independent voice analysis response to perform a limited number of operations. For example, after a security code is transmitted from the keypad/voice transmitter speaker independent voice analysis is activated for a predetermined period of time to respond to any speaker saying one of a limited number of words or phrases to modify door movement (or non-movement) initiated by the preceding command.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garage having mounted within it a garage door operator embodying the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a controller mounted within the head unit of the garage door operator employed in the garage door operator shown in FIG. 1 ;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the controller shown in block format in FIG. 2 ;
[0013] FIG. 4 shows a power supply for use with the apparatus; and
[0014] FIG. 5 is a detailed circuit description of the radio receiver used in the apparatus;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram of a wall switch used in the embodiment;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a rolling code transmitter;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a representation of codes transmitted by the rolling code transmitter of FIG. 7 ;
[0018] FIGS. 9A-9C are flow diagrams of the operation of the rolling code transmitter of FIG. 7 ;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of a keypad transmitter;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a representation of the codes transmitted by the keypad transmitter of FIG. 10 ;
[0021] FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram of a fixed code transmitter;
[0022] FIG. 13 is a representation of the codes transmitted by the fixed code transmitter of FIG. 12 ;
[0023] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of the interrogation of the wall switch of FIG. 6 ;
[0024] FIG. 15 is a flow diagram of a clear radio subroutine performed by a controller of the embodiment;
[0025] FIG. 16 is a flow diagram of a set number thresholds subroutine;
[0026] FIGS. 17A and 17B are flow diagrams of the beginning of radio code reception by the controller;
[0027] FIGS. 18A-18D are flow diagrams of the reception of the code bites comprising full code words;
[0028] FIGS. 19 A-D are flow diagrams of a learning mode of the system;
[0029] FIGS. 20 A-C are flow diagrams regarding the interpretation of received codes;
[0030] FIGS. 21 A-C and 22 are flow diagrams of the interpretation of transmitted codes from keypad type transmitters;
[0031] FIGS. 23A and 23B are flow diagrams of a test radio code subroutine used in the system of FIG. 3 ;
[0032] FIG. 24 is a flow diagram of a test rolling code counter subroutine;
[0033] FIG. 25 is a flow diagram of an erase radio memory subroutine;
[0034] FIGS. 26A and 26B are flow diagrams of a timer interrupt subroutine;
[0035] FIG. 27 is a flow diagram of a protector pulse received routine;
[0036] FIG. 28 is a flow diagram of routines periodically performed in the main programmed loop;
[0037] FIG. 29 is a flow diagram of portions of a travelling down routine;
[0038] FIGS. 30A and 30B illustrate a keypad/voice transmitter as used in the embodiments with an open cover and closed cover respectively;
[0039] FIGS. 31A and 31B show cutaway/sectional views of the keypad/voice transmitter to illustrate operation of a switch;
[0040] FIG. 32 is a flow diagram of a learn mode of the keypad/voice transmitter;
[0041] FIG. 33 is a flow diagram of the operational mode of the keypad/voice transmitter;
[0042] FIG. 34 is a representation of memory usage in the keypad/voice transmitter; and
[0043] FIG. 35 is a flow diagram of an additional embodiment of the keypad/voice transmitter operational mode of FIG. 33 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0044] Referring now to the drawings and especially to FIG. 1 , more specifically a movable barrier door operator or garage door operator is generally shown therein and referred to by numeral 10 includes a head unit 12 mounted within a garage 14 . More specifically, the head unit 12 is mounted to the ceiling of the garage 14 and includes a rail 18 extending therefrom with a releasable trolley 20 attached having an arm 22 extending to a multiple paneled garage door 24 positioned for movement along a pair of door rails 26 and 28 . The system includes a hand-held transmitter unit 30 adapted to send signals to an antenna 32 positioned on the head unit 12 and coupled to a receiver as will appear hereinafter. An external control pad 34 is positioned on the outside of the garage having a plurality of buttons thereon and communicates via radio frequency transmission with an antenna 32 of the head unit 12 . The external pad 34 , which is generally available to the public also includes speech analysis and speech generation capabilities. A switch module 39 is mounted on an inside wall of the garage. The switch module 39 is connected to the head unit by a pair of wires 39 a . The switch module 39 includes a light switch 39 b , a lock switch 39 c and a command switch 39 d . An optical emitter 42 is connected via a power and signal line 44 to the head unit. An optical detector 46 is connected via a wire 48 to the head unit 12 .
[0045] As shown in FIG. 2 , the garage door operator 10 , which includes the head unit 12 has a controller 70 which includes the antenna 32 . The controller 70 includes a power supply 72 ( FIG. 4 ) which receives alternating current from an alternating current source, such as 110 volt AC, and converts the alternating current to required levels of DC voltage. The controller 70 includes a super-regenerative receiver 80 ( FIG. 5 ) coupled via a line 82 to supply demodulated digital signals to a microcontroller 84 . The receiver 80 is energized by the power supply 72 . The microcontroller is also coupled by a bus 86 to a non-volatile memory 88 , which non-volatile memory stores user codes, and other digital data related to the operation of the control unit. An obstacle detector 90 , which comprises the emitter 42 and infrared detector 46 is coupled via an obstacle detector bus 92 to the microcontroller. The obstacle detector bus 92 includes lines 44 and 48 . The wall switch 39 ( FIG. 6 ) is connected via the connecting wires 39 a to the microcontroller 84 . The microcontroller 84 , in response to switch closures and received codes, will send signals over a relay logic line 102 to a relay logic module 104 connected to an alternating current motor 106 having a power take-off shaft 108 coupled to the transmission 18 of the garage door operator. A tachometer 110 is coupled to the shaft 108 and provides an RPM signal on a tachometer line 112 to the microcontroller 84 ; the tachometer signal being indicative of the speed of rotation of the motor. The apparatus also includes up limit switches 93 a and down limit switches 93 b which respectively sense when the door 24 is fully open of fully closed. The limit switches are shown in FIG. 2 as a functional box 93 connected to microcontroller 84 by leads 95 . It should be mentioned that the limit switches may be replaced with an electronic passpoint system (not shown) in other embodiments.
[0046] FIG. 4 shows the power supply 72 for energizing the DC powered apparatus of FIG. 2 . A transformer 130 receives alternating current on leads 132 and 134 from an external source of alternating current. The transformer steps down the voltage to 24 volts and the reduced feeds alternating current is rectified by a plurality of diodes 133 . The resulting direct current is connected to a pair of capacitors 138 and 140 which provide a filtering function. A 28 volt filtered DC potential is supplied at a line 76 . The DC potential is fed through a resistor 142 across a pair of filter capacitors 144 and 146 , which are connected to a 5 volt voltage regulator 150 , which supplies regulated 5 volt output voltage across a capacitor 152 and a Zener diode 154 to a line 74 .
[0047] The controller 70 is capable of receiving and responding to a plurality of types of code transmitters such as the multibutton rolling code transmitter 30 , single button fixed code transmitter 31 and keypad/voice type door frame mount transmitter 34 .
[0048] Referring now to FIG. 7 , the rolling code transmitter 30 is shown therein and includes a battery 670 connected to three pushbutton switches 675 , 676 and 677 . When one of the pushbutton switches is pressed, a power supply at 674 is enabled which powers the remaining circuitry for the transmission of security codes. The primary control of the transmitter 30 is performed by a microcontroller 678 which is connected by a serial bus 679 to a non-volatile memory 680 . An output bus 681 connects the microcontroller to a radio frequency oscillator 682 . The microcontroller 678 produces coded signals when a button 675 , 676 or 677 is pushed causing the output of the RF oscillator 682 to be amplitude modulated to supply a radio frequency signal at an antenna 683 connected thereto. When switch 675 is closed, power is supplied through a diode 600 to a capacitor 602 to supply a 7.1 volt voltage at a lead 603 connected thereto. A light emitting diode 604 indicates that a transmitter button has been pushed and provides a voltage to a lead 605 connected thereto. The voltage at conductor 605 is applied via a conductor 675 to power microcontroller 678 which is a Zilog 125C01138-bit in this embodiment. The signal from switch 675 is also sent via a resistor 610 through a lead 611 to a P32 pin of the microcontroller 678 . Likewise, when a switch 676 is closed, current is fed through a diode 614 to the lead 603 also causing the crystal 608 to be energized, powering up the microcontroller at the same time that pin P 33 of the microcontroller is pulled up. Similarly, when a switch 677 is closed, power is fed through a diode 619 to the crystal 608 as well as pull up voltage being provided through a resistor 620 to the pin P 31 .
[0049] The microcontroller 678 is coupled via the serial bus 679 to a chip select port, a clock port and a DI port to which and from which serial data may be written and read and to which addresses may be applied. As will be seen hereinafter in the operation of the microcontroller, the microcontroller 678 produces output signals at the lead 681 , which are supplied to a resistor 625 which is coupled to a voltage dividing resistor 626 feeding signals to the lead 627 . A 30-nanohenry inductor 628 is coupled to an NPN transistor 629 at its base 620 . The transistor 629 has a collector 631 and an emitter 632 . The collector 631 is connected to the antenna 683 which, in this case, comprises a printed circuit board, loop antenna having an inductance of 25-nanohenries, comprising a portion of the tank circuit with a capacitor 633 , a variable capacitor 634 for tuning, a capacitor 635 and a capacitor 636 . A 30-nanohenry inductor 638 is coupled via a capacitor 639 to ground. The capacitor has a resistor 640 connected in parallel with it to ground. When the output from lead 681 is driven high by the microcontroller, the capacitor Ql is switched on causing the tank circuit to output a signal on the antenna 683 . When the capacitor is switched off, the output to the drive the tank circuit is extinguished causing the radio frequency signal at the antenna 683 also to be extinguished.
[0050] Microcontroller 678 reads a counter value from nonvolatile memory 680 and generates therefrom a 20-bit (trinary) rolling code. The 20-bit rolling code is interleaved with a 20-bit fixed code stored in the nonvolatile memory 680 to form a 40-bit (trinary) code as shown in FIG. 8 . The “fixed” code portion includes 3 bits 651 , 652 and 653 ( FIG. 8 ) which identify the type of transmitter sending the code and a function bit 654 . Since bit 654 is a trinary bit, it is used to identify which of the three switches, 675 , 676 or 677 was pushed.
[0051] Referring now to FIGS. 9A through 9C , the flow chart set forth therein describes the operation of the transmitter 30 . A rolling code from nonvolatile memory is incremented by three in a step 500 , followed by the rolling code being stored for the next transmission from the transmitter when a transmitter button is pushed. The order of the binary digits in the rolling code is inverted or mirrored in a step 504 , following which in a step 506 , the most significant digit is converted to zero effectively truncating the binary rolling code. The rolling code is then changed to a trinary code having values 0, 1 and 2 and the initial trinary rolling code is set to 0. It may be appreciated that it is trinary code which is actually used to modify the radio frequency oscillator signal. The bit timing for a trinary code for a 0 is 1.5 milliseconds down time and 0.5 millisecond up time, for a 1, 1 millisecond down and 1 millisecond up and for a 2, 0.5 millisecond down and 1.5 milliseconds up. The up time is actually the active time when carrier is being generated. The down time is inactive when the carrier is cut off. The codes are assembled in two frames, each of 20 trinary bits, with the first frame being identified by a 0.5 millisecond sync bit and the second frame being identified by a 1.5 millisecond sync bit.
[0052] In a step 510 , the next highest power of 3 is subtracted from the rolling code and a test is made in a step 512 to determine if the result is equal to zero. If it is, the next most significant digit of the binary rolling code is incremented in a step 514 , following which flow is returned to the step 510 . If the result is not greater than 0, the next highest power of 3 is added to the rolling code in the step 516 . In the step 518 , another highest power of 3 is incremented and in a step 520 , a test is determined as to whether the rolling code is completed. If it is not, control is transferred back to step 510 . If it has, control is transferred to step 522 to clear the bit counter. In a step 524 , the blank timer is tested to determine whether it is active or not. If it is not, a test is made in a step 526 to determine whether the blank time has expired. If the blank time has not expired, control is transferred to a step 528 in which the bit counter is incremented, following which control is transferred back to the decision step 524 . If the blank time has expired as measured in decision step 526 , the blank timer is stopped in a step 530 and the bit counter is incremented in a step 532 . The bit counter is then tested for odd or even in a step 534 . If the bit counter is not even, control is transferred to a step 536 where the bit of the fixed code bit counter divided by 2 is output. If the bit counter is even, the rolling code bit counter divided by 2 is output in a step 538 . By the operation of 534 , 536 and 538 , the rolling code bits and fixed code bits are alternately transmitted. The bit counter is tested to determine whether it is set to equal to 80 in a step 540 . If it is, the blank timer is started in a step 542 . If it is not, the bit counter is tested for whether it is equal to 40 in a step 544 . If it is, the blank timer is tested and is started in a step 544 . If the bit counter is not equal to 40, control is transferred back to step 522 .
[0053] FIGS. 30A and 30B are perspective views of the exterior of the keypad/voice transmitter 34 . Transmitter 34 may be mounted outside of the garage interior and be generally available to the public. Transmitter 34 includes plurality of push buttons 701 - 713 corresponding generally to a telephone keypad and an activate button 725 . A cover 728 is pivotably attached by a pivot 777 to a housing 772 to provide weather protection for the device. An aperture 727 is present in the cover 728 to allow sounds to pass from a speaker 726 internal to the housing 772 . Similarly, an opening 776 is present in the cover 728 to allow spoken sounds to be picked up by a microphone 729 of the transmitter.
[0054] The activate button 725 is used in a manner discussed below to turn on a voice analysis capability of the keypad/voice transmitter 34 . Advantageously, button 725 is disposed on the transmitter 34 so that the position of cover 728 can control the state of the button. In FIG. 30A the push button 725 is shown mounted to a surface of the housing 772 so that as the cover 728 pivots closed, the cover contacts and controls the state of the push button. FIGS. 31A and 31B are cut away views of the interaction between cover 728 and push button 725 . When the cover is open ( FIG. 30A ), it is not in contact with button 725 but a user can freely press the button. The cover 728 in a normal closed state ( FIG. 31A ) rests against button 725 which is held in the non-pressed state by a spring 771 . When pressure is applied to the normally closed cover 728 ( FIG. 31B ), the cover presses on button 725 to change its state. With the disclosed configuration, the cover 728 can be in the normally closed state ( FIG. 31A ) and a user can change the state of the activate button 725 by a press against cover 728 . Such permits a user to activate voice analysis by an elbow on shoulder nudge against the cover.
[0055] FIG. 10 shows an electrical block diagram of a keypad/voice type rolling code transmitter 34 . Transmitter 34 includes a microprocessor 715 and non-volatile memory 717 powered by a switched battery 719 . Also included are 14 keys 710 - 713 and 725 connected in row and column format. The battery 719 is not normally supplying power to the transmitter. When a button, e.g. 701 , is pressed, current flows through series connected resistors 714 and 716 and through the pressed switch to ground. Voltage division by resistors 714 and 716 causes the power supply 720 to be switched on, supplying power from battery 719 to microprocessor 715 , memory 717 and an RF transmitter stage 721 . Initially, microprocessor 715 enables a power on circuit 723 to cause a transistor 724 to conduct, thereby keeping the power supply 720 active. Microprocessor 715 includes a timer which disables power on circuit 723 a predetermined period of time, e.g. 10 seconds, after the last key 701 - 713 is pressed, to preserve battery life.
[0056] The row and column conductors are repeatedly sensed at input terminals of the microprocessor 715 so that microprocessor 715 can read each key pressed and store a representation thereof. A human operator presses a number of, for example, four keys followed by pressing the enter key 712 , the * key 711 or the # key 713 . When one of the keys 711 - 713 is pressed, microprocessor 715 generates a 40-bit (trinary) code which is sent via conductors 722 to transmitter stage 721 for transmission. The code is formed by microprocessor 715 from a fixed code portion and a rolling code portion in the manner previously described with regard to transmitter 30 . The fixed code portion comprises, however, a serial number associated with the transmitter 34 and a PIN portion identifying the four keys pressed and which of the three keys 711 - 713 initiated the transmission. FIG. 11 represents the code transmitted by keypad transmitter 34 . As with prior rolling code transmission, the code consists of alternating fixed and rolling code bits (trinary). Bits 730 - 749 are the fixed code bits. Bits 730 - 739 represent the keys pressed and bits 740 - 748 represent the serial number of the unit in which bits 746 - 748 represent the type of transmitter. In some transmitters 34 no * and # keys are present. In this situation the * and # keys are respectively simulated by simultaneously pressing the 9 key and enter key or the 0 key and enter key.
[0057] Microprocessor combines general purpose computation capability with voice analysis and may, for example, be the RSC-300/364 produced by Sensory, Inc. of Santa Clara, Calif. The RSC-300/364 combines an 8-bit processor with neural-net algorithms to provide speaker-independent speech recognition, speaker-dependent speech recognition and speaker verification. The processor also supports speech synthesis and system control. The micro processor 715 is pre-trained, at the time of manufacture, to recognize spoken words in a speaker independent mode. Such words include the numeral digits 0 through 9, enter, pound, star, stop and start. As is described in detail later herein the microprocessor can be taught to recognize other words or phrases in a speaker dependent mode. For example, the unit can be taught to verify the phrase “open sesame” (or any other phrase) spoken by a particular speaker. As is the nature of speaker dependent voice analysis, the words “open sesame” spoken by another speaker will not be verified and accordingly will not be used to control a door function.
[0058] In order to transmit an appropriate code in response to voice commands the transmitter must first be “taught” a voice command and a 4-digit passcode to be transmitted when a learned voice commands is detected. FIG. 34 represents a portion of the memory 717 of controller 715 which is used to store representations of learned voice commands and associated passcodes. To initiate a voice command learn sequence, a user presses a unique combination of keys on the keypad which is recognized by controller 715 as a voice command learn sequence. FIG. 32 represents a voice command learn sequence which begins with a step 1001 . In the learn mode, the processor 715 enables speaker 726 to request the user to speak the phrase to be learned in block 1003 . The phrase is then spoken by the user and received in block 1005 by the controller via microphone 726 . Controller 715 then performs speaker dependent analysis to encode the received phase in block 1007 . The controller 715 then directs the user to enter a 4-digit passcode in block 1009 . The passcode can be entered via the push button keys or by voice. Such passcode entry occurs in either block 1011 for keypad or 1013 for voice. When in the voice passcode mode, the controller 715 successively reminds the user to speak one digit of the passcode until 4 passcode digits have been accumulated. After the passcode is accumulated, either by push button or voice, the speech representation of the spoken command is stored in a memory location 1002 of a table 1006 as shown in FIG. 34 and the learned passcode is stored in direct association with the stored speech representation.
[0059] The voice analysis capability of transmitter 34 can also be used to record temporary passcodes in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 32 . Temporary passcodes require entry of the type of temporary passcode such as number of uses or time and the number of uses or length of time for which the passcode is intended to be active. The phrase representation, passcode and condition for a temporary passcode may be stored in fields 1010 , 1012 and 1014 of a temporary passcode table 1008 . Separate tables are provided for the semiperm and temporary passcodes so that the contents of the tables can be manipulated differently.
[0060] FIG. 33 is a flow diagram showing the use of speech to initiate the control of the door. The speech access operation begins at step 1021 which is started by pressing push button 725 , either directly or indirectly by pressing on cover 728 . A step 1023 is then performed to enter the speaker dependent mode of operation. While in the speaker dependent mode, a spoken command is received and encoded (step 1025 ) in the same manner that encoding occurred when commands were being learned ( FIG. 32 ). The encoded command generated in block 1025 is then compared with the encoded command representations stored in table 1006 and 1008 ( FIG. 34 ). The comparison is performed one at a time with the representation of the tables by steps 1027 , 1029 and 1031 . When a stored representation compares favorably with the received representation in step 1029 , the received representation is considered verified and the flow proceeds to step 1033 where the passcode stored in association with the stored representation is read from one of the tables 1006 or 1008 . The passcode read is combined with the other previously discussed security code parts (see FIG. 11 ) and the result is transmitted to the head unit which approves the security code or not as described elsewhere herein. Such approval results in control of the door to open, close or stop.
[0061] When a received speech representation does not compare favorably in step 1029 , sequential comparison with other stored representations is carried out until a step 1031 identifies that no more un-compared stored representations are available. Upon this occurrence, flow proceeds from block 1031 to block 1041 where an announcement is given that the command could not be verified and that a passcode should be entered. Block 1043 is next performed to switch from the speaker dependent analysis mode to the speaker independent analysis mode for the receipt of spoken passcode digits. Passcode digits can be received from the keypad (block 1051 ) or via spoken commands analyzed in the speaker independent mode in step 1045 . If no proper passcode is received in block 1045 or block 1051 , it is identified in block 1047 and flow proceeds to an end of task 1039 . When a proper passcode is detected in step 1047 flow proceeds to block 1035 where a proper security code is constructed and transmitted to the head end receiver.
[0062] FIG. 33 includes an optional step 1049 in which the transmitter 34 verifies that the passcode received in block 1045 or block 1051 is an approved passcode. An approved passcode being a passcode previously learned and stored in table 1006 or 1008 . This latter test provides verification of the transmitted security code before its transmission and may be used to remove the need for the head unit receiver to further verify the passcode of received messages.
[0063] FIG. 12 is a circuit description of a fixed code transmitter 31 which includes a controller 155 , a pair of switches 113 and 115 , a battery 114 and an RF transmitter stage 161 of the type discussed above. Controller 155 is a relatively simple device and may be a combination logic circuit. Controller 155 permanently stores 19 bits (trinary) of the 20 bit fixed code ( FIG. 13 ) to be transmitted. When a switch, e.g., 113 , is pressed, current from the battery 114 is applied via the switch 113 and a diode 117 to a 7.1 volt source 116 which powers RF transmitter stage 161 . The 7.1 volt source is also connected to ground via a LED 120 and Zener diode 121 which produces a regulated 5.1 volt source 118 . The 5.1 volt source is connected to power the controller 155 .
[0064] Closing switch 113 also applies battery voltage to series connected resistors 123 and 127 so that upon switch 113 closing, a voltage on a conductor 122 rises from substantially ground to an amount representing a logic “1”. Upon power up, controller 155 reads the logic 1 on conductor 122 and generates a 20 bit (trinary) code from the permanently stored 19 bits integral to the controller and the state of the switch 113 . Controller 155 then transmits the 20 bit code to the RF stage 161 via a resistor 159 and conductor 157 . The code is thus transmitted to receiver 80 . Controller 155 includes an internal oscillator regulated by an RC circuit 124 to control the timing of controller operations.
[0065] FIG. 13 represents the code transmitted from a fixed code transmitter such as transmitter 30 . The code comprises 20 bits in two 10 bit words with a blank period between the words. Each word is preceded by a sync bit which allows receiver synchronization and which identifies the type of code being sent. The sync bit for the first code word is active for approximately 1.0 milliseconds and the sync bit of the second word is active for approximate 3 milliseconds.
[0066] The wall switch 39 is shown in detail in FIG. 6 along with a portion of microcontroller 85 and the interrogate/sense circuitry interconnecting the two. Wall switch 39 comprises three switches 39 b - 39 d . Switch 39 d is the command switch which is connected directly between the conductors 39 a . Switch 39 b , the light switch, is connected between the conductors 39 a via a 1 microfarad capacitor 386 . Switch 39 c , the vacation or lock switch, is connected between conductors 39 a by a 22 microfarad capacitor 384 . Wall switch 39 also includes a resistor 380 and diode 392 serially connected between conductors 39 a . Microcontroller 85 interrogates the wall switch 39 approximately once every 10 milliseconds to determine whether a button 39 b - d is being pressed. FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of the interrogation. At the beginning (step 802 , FIG. 14 ) of each test, microcontroller 85 turns on transistor 368 b by a signal applied from pin P 35 to the base of transistor 368 a and at the same time turns a transistor 369 off from pin P 37 . Pins P 07 and P 06 are connected to read the voltage level between conductors 39 a by a conductor 385 and respective resistors 387 and 389 . If pins P 07 and P 06 are low (step 804 ) the command switch 39 d is closed (step 806 ) and a status bit is marked in RAM (step 830 ) to indicate such. Alternatively, if pins P 07 and P 06 are high, further tests (step 803 ) must be performed. First, micro-controller 85 turns transistor 368 b off and transistor 369 on. Then, after a short pause (step 810 ) to allow stay capacitance to discharge, pins P 07 and P 06 are again sensed (step 812 ). If P 07 and P 06 are low, no switches have been closed (step 814 ) and their status in RAM is so set (step 830 ). However, if after the short pause the level of conductor 385 is high, microcontroller 85 waits approximately 2 milliseconds (step 816 ) and again tests (step 818 ) the voltage level of conductor 385 . If the voltage is now low, the light switch 396 has been closed (step 820 ). This assessment can be made since 2 milliseconds is adequate time for the 1 microfarad capacitor 386 to discharge. If the input at pins P 07 and P 06 is still high at the 2 millisecond test, the controller retests (step 824 ) after an additional 16 millisecond delay (step 822 ). If the pins P 07 and P 06 are low after the 16 millisecond delay, the vacation switch 39 c was closed (step 826 ) and, alternatively, if the voltage at pins P 07 and P 06 is high, no switches were closed (step 828 ). At the completion of the wall switch test the status bits of the three switches 39 b , 39 c and 39 d are set to reflect their identified state (step 830 ).
[0067] The receiver 80 is shown in detail in FIG. 5 . RF signals may be received by the controller 70 at the antenna 32 and fed to the receiver 80 . The receiver 80 includes a pair of inductors 170 and 172 and a pair of capacitors 174 and 176 that provide impedance matching between the antenna 32 and other portions of the receiver. An NPN transistor 178 is connected in common base configuration as a buffer amplifier. The RF output signal is supplied on a line 200 , coupled between the collector of the transistor 178 and a coupling capacitor 220 . The buffered radio frequency signal is fed via the coupling capacitor 222 to a tuned circuit 224 comprising a variable inductor 226 connected in parallel with a capacitor 228 . Signals from the tuned circuit 224 are fed on a line 230 to a coupling capacitor 232 which is connected to an NPN transistor 234 at its base. The collector 240 of transistor 234 is connected to a feedback capacitor 246 and a feedback resistor 248 . The emitter is also coupled to the feedback capacitor 246 and to a capacitor 250 . A choke inductor 256 provides ground potential to a pair of resistors 258 and 260 as well as a capacitor 262 . The resistor 258 is connected to the base of the transistor 234 . The resistor 260 is connected via an inductor 264 to the emitter of the transistor 234 . The output signal from the transistor is fed outward on a line 212 to an electrolytic capacitor 270 .
[0068] As shown in FIG. 5 , the capacitor 270 couples the demodulated radio frequency signal from transistor 234 to a bandpass amplifier 280 to an average detector 282 . An output of the bandpass amplifier 280 is coupled to pin P 32 of a Z86233 microcontroller 85 . Similarly, an output of average detector 282 is connected to pin P 33 of the microcontroller. The microcontroller is energized by the power supply 72 and also controlled by the wall switch 39 coupled to the microcontroller by the lead 39 a.
[0069] Pin P 26 of microcontroller 85 is connected to a grounding program switch 151 which is located at the head end unit 12 . Microcontroller 85 periodically reads switch 151 to determine whether it has been pressed. As discussed later herein, switch 151 is normally pressed by an operator who wants to enter a receiver learn or programming mode to add a new transmitter to the accepted transmitter list stored in the receiver. When the operator continuously presses switch 151 for 6 seconds or more, all memory settings in the receiver are overwritten and a complete relearning of transmitter codes and the type of codes to be received is then needed. Pressing switch 151 for a momentary time after a 6+ second press enters the apparatus into a mode for learning a new transmitter type which can be either rolling code type or fixed code type.
[0070] Pins P 30 and P 03 of microcontroller 85 are connected to obstacle detector 90 via conductor 92 . Obstacle detector 90 transmits a pulse on conductor 92 every 10 milliseconds when the infrared beam between sender 42 and receiver has not been broken by an obstacle. When the infrared beam is blocked, one or more pulses will be skipped by the obstacle detector 46 . Microcontroller scans the signal on conductor 92 every 1 millisecond to determine if a pulse has been received in the last 12 milliseconds. When a pulse has not been received, an obstacle is assumed and appropriate action, as discussed below, may be taken.
[0071] Microcontroller pin P 31 is connected to tachometer 110 via conductor 112 . When motor 106 is turning, pulses having a time separation proportional to motor speed are sent on conductor 112 . The pulses on conductor 112 are repeatedly scanned by microcontroller 85 to identify if the motor 106 is rotating and, if so, how fast the rotation is occurring.
[0072] The apparatus includes an up limit switch 93 a and a down limit switch 93 b which detect the maximum upward travel of door 24 and the maximum downward travel of the door. The limit switches 93 a and 93 b may be connected to the garage structure and physically detect the door travel or, as in the present embodiment, they may be connected to a mechanical linkage inside head end 12 , which arrangement moves a cog (not shown) in proportion to the actual door movement and the limit switches detect the position of the moved cog. The limit switches are normally open. When the door is at the maximum upward travel, up limit switch 93 a is closed, which closure is sensed at port P 20 of microcontroller 85 . When the door is at its maximum down position, down limit switch 93 b will close, which closure is sensed at port P 21 of the microcontroller.
[0073] The microcontroller 85 responds to signals received from the wall switch 39 , the transmitters 30 and 34 , the up and down limit switches, the obstruction detector and the RPM signal to control the motor 106 and the light 81 by means of the light and motor control relays 104 . The on or off state of light 81 is controlled by a relay 105 b , which is energized by pin P 01 of microcontroller 85 and a driver transistor 105 a . The motor 106 up windings are energized by a relay 107 b which responds to pin P 00 of microcontroller 85 via driver transistor 107 a and the down windings are energized by relay 109 b which responds to pin P 02 of microcontroller 85 via a driver transistor 109 a.
[0074] Each of the pins P 00 , P 01 and P 02 is associated with a memory mapped bit, such as a flip/flop, which can be written and read. The light can thus be turned on by writing a logical “1” in the bit associated with pin P 01 which will drive transistor 105 a on energizing relay 105 b , causing the lights to light via the contacts of relay 105 b connecting a hot AC input 135 to the light output 136 . The status of the light 81 can be determined by reading the bit associated with pin P 01 . Similar actions with regard to pins P 00 and P 02 are used to control the up and down rotation of motor 106 . It should be mentioned, however, that energizing the light relay 105 b provides hot AC to the up and down motor relays 107 b and 109 b so the light should be enabled each time a door movement is desired.
[0075] The radio decode and logic microcontroller 84 ( FIG. 2 ) of the present embodiment can respond to both rolling codes as shown in FIG. 8 and fixed codes as shown in FIG. 13 ; however, after it has learned one type of code all permissible codes will be of the same type until the system memory is erased and the other type of code is entered and exclusively responded to. When the apparatus is first powered up or after memory control values have been erased in response to a greater than 6 second press of program button 151 , the system does not know whether it will be trained to respond to fixed or rolling codes. Accordingly, the system enters a test mode to enable it to receive both types of access codes and determine which type of code is being received. In the test mode the apparatus periodically resets itself to receive one of rolling codes or alternatively, fixed codes, until a code of the expected type is received. A short press of switch 151 after the 6+ second press causes a learn mode to be entered. When a code is correctly received in the test mode, and the apparatus is in a learn mode, the type of expected code becomes the code type to be received and the received fixed code or fixed code portion of a received rolling code is stored in nonvolatile memory for use in matching later received codes. In the case of a received rolling code, the rolling code portion is also stored in association with the stored fixed code portion to be used in matching subsequently received rolling codes. After a rolling code has been learned by the system, only additional rolling codes can be learned until a reprogramming occurs. Similarly, after a fixed code is learned, only additional fixed codes can be received and learned until reprogramming occurs.
[0076] From time to time while receiving incoming codes, it is determined that a code being received is not proper and a clear radio subroutine ( FIG. 15 ) is called by microcontroller 85 . A decision step 50 is first performed to determine whether the apparatus is in a test mode or a regular mode. When not in a test mode, flow proceeds to a step 62 to clear radio codes and blank timer after which the subroutine is exited. When decision step 50 identifies the test mode, steps 52 - 60 are performed to arbitrarily select the fixed code or rolling code mode and set up necessary values to seek the selected mode. In step 52 the lowest bit of a continuous timer is selected as a randomizer. The value of the lowest bit is then analyzed in a decision step 54 . When the lowest bit is a “1” the fixed test mode is selected in step 56 and the numeric thresholds needed for receiving fixed codes are stored in a step 60 before clearing the radio codes and exiting in step 62 . When decision step 54 determines that the lowest bit is a “0”, the rolling code mode is selected in step 58 followed by the storage of rolling code numeric threshold values in step 60 . Flow proceeds to step 62 when radio codes are cleared and the clear radio subroutine is exited.
[0077] The set number thresholds subroutine (step 60 of FIG. 15 ) is shown in more detail in FIG. 16 . Initially, a step 180 is performed to identify which mode is presently selected. When the mode is determined to be a fixed code mode, steps 182 , 184 and 186 are next performed to set the sync threshold to 2 milliseconds, the number of bits per word to 10 and the decision threshold to 0.768 milliseconds. Alternatively, when step 180 determines that the rolling code mode is selected, steps 192 , 194 and 196 are performed to set the sync threshold to 1 millisecond, the number of bits per word to 20 and the decision threshold to 0.450 milliseconds. After the performance of either step 186 or 196 the subroutine returns in step 188 .
[0078] The primary received code analysis routine performed by microcontroller 85 begins at FIG. 17A in response to an interrupt generated by a rising or falling edge being received from the receiver 80 at pins P 32 and P 33 . Given the pulse width format of coded signals, the microcontroller maintains active or inactive timers to measure the duration between rising and falling edges of the detected radio signal. Initially, a step 546 is performed when a transition of radio signal is detected and a step 548 follows to capture the inactive timer and perform the clear radio routine. Next, a determination is made in step 550 of whether the transition was a rising or falling edge. When a rising edge is detected, step 552 is next performed in which the captured timer is stored followed by a return in step 554 . When a falling edge is detected in step 550 , the timer value captured in step 548 is stored (step 556 ) in the active timer. A decision step 558 is next performed to determine if this is the first portion of a new word. When the bit counter equals “0” this is a first portion in which a sync pulse is expected and the flow proceeds to step 560 ( FIG. 17B ).
[0079] In step 560 , the inactive timer value is measured to see if it exceeds 20 milliseconds but is less than 100 milliseconds. When the inactive timer is not in the range, step 562 is performed to clear the bit counter, the rolling code register and the fixed code register. Subsequently, a return is performed. When the inactive timer is within the range of step 560 , step 566 is performed to determine if the active timer is less than 4.5 milliseconds. When the active timer is too large, the values are cleared in step 568 followed by a return in step 582 .
[0080] When the active timer is found to be less than 4.5 milliseconds in step 566 , a sync pulse has been found, the bit counter is incremented in step 570 and a decision step 572 is performed. In decision step 572 , the active timer is compared with the sync threshold established in the set number thresholds subroutine of FIG. 16 . Accordingly, decision step 572 uses a value of 2 milliseconds when a fixed code is expected and a value of 1 millisecond when a rolling code is expected. When step 572 determines that the active timer exceeds the threshold, a frame 2 flag is set in step 574 and a fixed keyless code flag is cleared in step 576 . Thereafter, a return is performed in step 582 . When the active timer is found in step 572 to be less than the sync threshold, a decision step 578 is performed to determine if two successive sync pulses have been of the same length. If not, the keyless code flag is cleared in step 576 and a return is performed in step 582 . Alternatively, when two equal successive sync pulses are detected in step 578 , the fixed keyless code flag is set in step 580 and a return is implemented in step 582 .
[0081] When the performance of step 558 identifies that the bit count is not “0”, indicating a non-sync bit, the flow proceeds to step 302 ( FIG. 18A ). In the sequence of steps shown in FIGS. 18A-18D , microcontroller 85 identifies the individual code bits of a received code word. In step 302 the length of the active period is compared with 5.16 milliseconds and when the active period is not less, the registers and counters are cleared and a return is performed. When step 302 indicates that the active period was less than 5.16 milliseconds, a step 306 is performed to determine if the inactive period is less than 5.16 milliseconds. If it is less, the step 304 is performed to clear values and return. Alternatively, when step 306 is answered in the affirmative a bit has been received and the bit counter is incremented in a step 308 . In the subsequent step 310 the value of the active and inactive timers are subtracted and the result is compared in step 312 with the complement of the decision threshold for the type of code expected. When the result is less than the complement of the decision threshold, a bit value of “0” has been received and flow continues through a step 314 to step 322 ( FIG. 18B ) where it is determined whether or not a rolling code is expected.
[0082] When step 312 determines that the time difference is not less than the complement of the decision threshold flow proceeds to decision block 316 ( FIG. 18B ) where the result is compared to the decision threshold. When the result exceeds the decision threshold, a bit having a value 2 has been received and the flow proceeds via step 318 to the decision step 322 . When decision step 316 determines that the result does not exceed the decision threshold, a bit having a value of 1 has been received and flow continues via step 320 to decision step 322 .
[0083] In step 322 , microprocessor 85 identifies if rolling codes are expected. If not, flow proceeds to step 338 ( FIG. 18C ) where the bit value is stored as a fixed code bit. When rolling codes are expected, flow continues from block 322 to a decision step 324 where the bit count is checked to identify whether a fixed code bit or a rolling code bit is received. When step 324 identifies a rolling code bit, flow proceeds directly to a step 340 ( FIG. 18C ) to determine whether this is the last bit of a word. When a fixed bit is detected in step 324 , its value is stored in a step 326 and a step 328 is performed to identify if the currently received bit is an ID bit. If the bit count identifies an ID bit, a step 330 is performed to store the ID bit and flow proceeds to the storage step 338 ( FIG. 18C ). When step 328 determines that the currently received bit is not an ID bit, flow continues to step 334 ( FIG. 18C ) to determine whether the currently received bit is a function bit. If it is a function bit, its value is stored as a function indicator in step 336 and flow continues to step 338 for storage as a fixed code bit. When step 334 indicates that the currently received bit is not a function bit, flow proceeds directly to step 338 . After the storage step 338 , flow for the fixed bit reception also proceeds to step 340 to determine whether a full word has been received. Such determination is made by comparing the bit counter with the threshold values established for the type of code expected. When less than a word has been received, flow proceeds to step 342 to await other bits.
[0084] When a full word has been received, flow proceeds to a step 344 where the blank timer is reset. Thereafter, flow continues to decision step 346 to determine if two full words (a complete code) have been received. When two full words have not been received, flow proceeds to block 348 to await the digits of a new word. When two full words are detected in step 346 , flow proceeds to step 350 ( FIG. 18D ) to determine whether rolling codes are expected. When rolling codes are not expected, flow continues to step 358 . When rolling codes are expected, flow proceeds from step 350 through restoration of the rolling code in a step 352 to a decision step 354 where it is identified if the ID bits indicate a voice/keypad transmitter, e.g., transmitter 34 . When a voice/keypad transmitter code is detected, a flag is set in step 356 and flow proceeds to a decision step 362 , discussed below. When step 354 indicates that the code is not from a voice/keypad transmitter, flow continues to the decision step 358 to identify whether a vacation flag is set in memory. The vacation flag is set in response to a human activated vacation switch and when the vacation flag is set, no radio codes are allowed to activate the door open while codes from voice/keypad transmitters such as 34 are permitted to activate the system. Accordingly, if a vacation flag is detected in step 358 , the code is rejected and a return is performed. When no vacation flag has been set, flow proceeds to a step 362 where it is determined if a receiver learn mode is set. Receiver learn modes can be set by several types of operator interaction. The program switch 151 can be pressed. Also, by preprogramming, microprocessor 85 is instructed to interpret the press and hold of the command and light buttons of the wall control 39 while energizing a code transmitter. Additionally, prior radio commands can place the system in a learn mode. The decision at step 362 is not dependent on how the learn mode is set, but merely on whether a learn mode is requested. At this point it is assumed that a learn mode has been set and flow continues to step 750 ( FIG. 19A ).
[0085] In step 750 , a determination is made concerning the type of code expected. When a fixed code is expected, flow proceeds to step 756 where the present fixed code is compared with the prior fixed code. When step 756 does not detect a match, the present code is stored in a past code register and a return is executed. When step 750 identifies that rolling code is expected, a step 752 is performed to determine if the present rolling code matches the past rolling code. If no match is found, flow proceeds to step 754 where the present code is stored in a past code register and a return is executed. When step 752 determines that the rolling codes match, the fixed portion of the received rolling code is compared with the past fixed portions in step 756 . When no match is detected, the code is stored in a past code register and a return is executed. When step 756 detects a match, flow proceeds to step 758 to identify if the learn was requested from the wall control 39 . If not, flow proceeds to step 766 ( FIG. 19B ) where the transmitter function is set to be a standard command transmitter. When step 758 determines that the learn mode was commenced from wall control 39 , flow proceeds to step 760 to determine whether fixed or rolling codes are expected. When fixed codes are expected, flow proceeds to step 766 ( FIG. 19B ) where the function is set to be that of standard command transmitter. When rolling codes are identified in step 760 , flow proceeds to step 762 ( FIG. 19B ).
[0086] In step 762 it is determined if the light and vacation switches of the wall control 39 are being held. If so, the transmitter is set to be a light switch only in step 763 and flow proceeds to step 768 . When step 762 is answered in the negative, flow proceeds to step 764 to determine if the vacation and command switches are being held. If they are, flow proceeds to step 765 to set the transmitter function as open/close/stop and flow proceeds to step 768 . When step 764 determines that the vacation and command switches are not being held, flow proceeds to step 766 where the transmitter is marked as a standard command transmitter. After step 766 , a step 768 is performed to identify if the received code is in the radio code memory. If the present code is in radio code memory, flow proceeds to step 794 ( FIG. 19C ). If the received code is not in radio code memory, flow proceeds from step 768 to 780 to determine whether the system is in a permanent or a test mode. When step 780 determines that the system is in a test mode, the current radio mode, either fixed or rolling, is set as a permanent mode in step 782 and flow proceeds to a step 784 to set the current thresholds by storing a pointer to the storage location in ROM into permanent memory.
[0087] After step 784 , flow proceeds to step 786 ( FIG. 19C ) to determine if the present code is from the keypad transmitter and specifies an input code 0000 . If so, the step 787 is executed where the received code is rejected and a return is executed while remaining in the learn mode. When the code 0000 is not present, flow continues to step 788 to find whether a non-enter key (* or #) was pressed. If so, flow proceeds to step 787 . If not, flow continues to decision step 789 to identify if an open/close/stop transmitter is being learned. When the present learning does not involve an open/close/stop transmitter, flow proceeds to step 792 where the code is written into nonvolatile memory. When step 789 determines that an open/close/stop transmitter is being learned, flow proceeds to step 790 to determine if a key other than the open key is being pressed. If so, flow proceeds to block 789 and if not, flow proceeds to block 792 where the fixed code is stored in nonvolatile memory.
[0088] After step 792 , step 794 is performed to determine if rolling code is the present mode. If not, flow proceeds to step 799 where the light is blinked to indicate the completion of a learn and a return is executed. When step 794 identifies the mode as rolling code, flow proceeds to step 795 where the received rolling code is written into nonvolatile memory in association with the fixed code written in step 792 . After step 795 , the current transmitter function bytes are read in step 796 , modified in step 797 and stored in nonvolatile memory. Following such storage, the work light is blinked in step 799 and a return is executed.
[0089] The performance of step 799 concludes the learn function which began when step 362 ( FIG. 18D ) identified a learn mode. When step 362 does not identify a learn mode, flow proceeds from step 362 to step 402 ( FIG. 20A ). In step 402 the ID bits of the received code are interpreted to identify whether the code is from a rolling code keypad/voice type transmitter, e.g. 34 . If so, flow proceeds to step 450 ( FIG. 21A ). When the ID bits do not indicate a rolling code keypad/voice entry, flow proceeds to a step 404 where a check is made to see if an 8 second window in which a learn mode may be set exists which was entered from a fixed code keypad transmitter. When the learn mode exists, flow proceeds to step 406 to determine if the operator has entered a special “0000” code. If the special code has been entered, flow proceeds from step 406 to step 410 where the learn mode is set and an exit performed. When step 406 does not detect the special “00001” code, flow proceeds to a step 408 , which step is also entered when no 8 second learn mode was detected in step 404 .
[0090] In step 408 the received code is compared with the codes previously stored in nonvolatile memory 88 . When no match is detected, the radio code is cleared and an exit is performed in step 412 . Alternatively, when step 408 detects a match, flow proceeds to step 414 ( FIG. 20B ) which identifies when rolling codes are expected. When step 414 determines that rolling codes are not expected, flow proceeds to step 428 where a radio command is executed and an exit performed. When step 414 determines that a rolling code is expected, flow proceeds to step 416 to determine if the rolling portion of the received code is within the accepted range. When the rolling portion is out of range, step 418 is performed to reject the code and exit. When the rolling code is within the range, step 420 is performed to store the received rolling code portion (rolling code counter) in nonvolatile memory and flow proceeds to a step 422 , which identifies whether the function bits of the received code identify a light control signal. When a light control signal is identified, flow proceeds to step 424 where the status of the light is changed, the radio is cleared and an exit performed. When the presently received code is not identified in step 422 as a light control, flow proceeds to step 426 to identify if the present code is an open/close/stop command. When step 426 does not identify an open/close/stop command, flow proceeds to the step 428 where a radio command is set and an exit performed.
[0091] When step 426 identifies an open/close/stop command, flow proceeds to step 430 ( FIG. 20C ) to interpret the command. Step 430 identifies from the function bits of the received code which of the three buttons was pressed. When the open button was pressed, flow proceeds to a step 432 to identify what the present state of the door is. When the door is stopped or at a down limit, step 434 is entered where an up command is issued and exit performed. When step 432 identifies that the door is traveling down, a reverse door command is issued and an exit performed in step 436 . In the third case, when step 432 detects the door to be open, step 440 is entered and no command is issued.
[0092] When step 430 identifies that the close transmitter button was pressed, flow proceeds to step 438 to identify what state the door is in. When step 436 determines that the door is traveling up or at a down limit, the step 440 is performed where no command is issued and an exit performed. Alternatively, when step 438 identifies that the door is stopped at other than the down limit, a down command is issued in a step 442 . When step 430 determines that the stop button was pressed, flow proceeds to step 444 to identify the state of the door. When the door is already stopped, flow proceeds from step 444 to step 448 where no command is issued and an exit performed. When the door is identified in step 444 as traveling, a stop command is issued in step 446 and an exit performed.
[0093] It will be remembered that when step 402 ( FIG. 20A ) identifies that a rolling code keypad/voice code is received, flow proceeds to step 450 ( FIG. 21A ). In step 450 the serial number portion of the received code is compared with the serial numbers of those codes stored in nonvolatile memory. When no match is detected, flow proceeds to step 452 where the code is rejected and an exit performed. When step 450 detects a match, flow proceeds to step 454 to identify if the rolling code portion is within the forward window. When the code is not within the forward window, flow proceeds to the step 452 where the received code is rejected and an exit is performed.
[0094] When the received rolling code portion is found to be within the forward window in step 454 a step 456 is performed where the received code is used to update the rolling code counter in memory. This storage keeps the rolling code transmitter and rolling code receiver in synchronism. After step 456 , a step 458 is entered to identify which code reception mode has been set. When normal code reception is identified in step 458 , a step 460 ( FIG. 21B ) is performed to identify if the user input portion of the received code matches a stored user passcode. When a match is detected in step 460 , flow proceeds to step 470 to identify which of the keypad input keys, *, # or enter, was pressed. When step 470 identifies the enter key, a step 472 is performed in which a keypad/voice entry command is issued and an exit initiated. When the * key is detected in step 470 , flow proceeds to step 476 where the light is blinked and the learn temporary passcode flag is set to identify the learn temporary passcode mode. When step 470 identifies that the # key was pressed, flow proceeds to a step 474 to blink the light and to set a standard learn mode.
[0095] When the performance of step 460 determines that the received user input portion does not match a passcode stored in memory, flow proceeds to step 462 where the received user input portion is compared to temporary user input codes. When step 462 does not discover a match, a step 464 is performed to reject the code and exit. When step 462 identifies a match between a received user input code and a stored temporary password, flow proceeds to step 466 to identify whether the door is at the down limit. If not, flow proceeds to step 472 for the issue of a keypad/voice entry command. When step 466 identifies that the door is closed, a step 468 is performed to identify whether the previously set time or number of uses for the temporary passcode has expired. When step 468 identifies expiration, the step 464 is performed to reject the code and exit. When the temporary passcode has not expired, flow proceeds to step 478 ( FIG. 21C ) where the type of user temporary passcode, e.g., duration or number of activations, is checked. When step 478 identifies that the received temporary passcode is limited to a number of activations, a step 480 is executed to decrement the remaining activations and a step 472 is executed to issue an entry command. When step 478 identifies that the received keypad/voice passcode is not based on the number of activations (but instead on the passage of time) flow proceeds from step 478 to the issuance of an entry command in step 472 . No special up date is needed for timed temporary passcodes since the microcontroller 85 continuously updates the elapsed time.
[0096] It will be remembered that a step 458 ( FIG. 21A ) was initiated to identify the reception mode presently enabled. When the learn temporary passcode mode is detected, flow proceeds from step 458 to step 482 ( FIG. 22 ). In step 482 a query is performed to determine the enter key was used to transmit the received code. When the enter key was not used, a step 484 is performed to reject the code and exit. When the enter key was used, a step 486 is performed to determine whether the received user input code matches a passcode already stored in memory. If so, a step 488 is performed to reject the code. When step 486 identifies no matching user passcodes, the new user input code is stored as the temporary passcode in step 490 and flow proceeds to step 492 where the light is blinked and the learn temporary passcode duration learn mode is set for subsequent use. When the learn temporary passcode duration mode is later detected in step 458 , flow proceeds to a step 481 where the user entered passcode is checked to see if it exceeds 255. This is an arbitrary limit to either 255 activations or 255 hours of temporary access. When the user entered code exceeds 255 it is rejected in step 483 . When the user entered code is less than 255, a step 485 is performed to identify which key was used to transmit the keypad/voice code. When the * key was used, the transmitted code is to indicate a time duration for the temporary password the time duration mode is set in step 487 and a time is started in step 491 using the code as the number of hours in the temporary code duration. When step 485 determines that the # key was used to transmit the code, a flag is set in step 489 indicating that the temporary mode is based on the number of activations and the number of activations is recorded in step 491 . After step 491 , the light is blinked and an exit is performed.
[0097] FIGS. 23A and 23B are flow diagrams of a radio code match subroutine. The flow begins at a step 862 where it is determined whether a rolling code is expected or not. When a rolling code is not expected, flow proceeds to a step 866 where a pointer identifies the first radio code stored in nonvolatile memory. When step 866 determines that a rolling code is expected, all transmitter type codes are fetched in a step 864 before beginning the pointer step 866 . After step 866 , a decision step 868 is performed to determine whether an open/close/stop transmitter is being learned. If so, a step 870 is performed in which the memory code is subtracted from the received code and the flow proceeds to a step 878 to evaluate the result. From step 878 the flow proceeds to a step 878 to evaluate the result. From step 878 , the flow proceeds to a step 880 to return the address of the match when the result of the subtraction is less than or equal to two. When the result of the subtraction is not less than or equal to two, the flow continues from step 878 to step 882 to determine if the last memory location is being compared. If the last memory was compared, step 884 is performed to return a “no match.”
[0098] When step 868 indicates that the system is not learning an open/close/stop transmitter, flow continues to step 872 to determine if the memory code is an open/close/stop code. If it is, flow proceeds through steps to step 874 where the received code is subtracted from the memory code. Thereafter, flow proceeds through step 878 to either step 880 or 882 as above described. When step 872 determines that the current memory code is not an open/close/stop code, flow proceeds to step 876 ( FIG. 23B ). In step 876 the received code is compared with the code from memory and, if they match, step 880 is performed to return the address of the matching code. When step 876 determines that the compared codes do not match, flow continues to step 882 to determine if the last memory location has been accessed. When the last memory location is not being accessed, the pointer is adjusted to identify the next memory location and the flow returns to step 868 using the contents of the new location. The process continues until a match is found or the last memory location is detected in step 882 .
[0099] FIG. 24 is a flow diagram of a test rolling code counter subroutine which begins at a step 888 in which the stored rolling code counter is subtracted from the received rolling code and the result is analyzed in a step 890 . When step 890 determines that the subtraction result is less than “0”, flow continues to step 892 where the subroutine returns a backward window lockout. When step 890 determines that the subtraction result is greater than 0 and less than 1000, the subroutine returns a forward window indication in step 892 .
[0100] FIG. 25 is a flow diagram of an erase radio memory routine which begins at a step 686 of clearing all radio codes, including keyless temporary codes. Next, a step 688 is performed to set the radio mode in nonvolatile memory as testing for rolling codes or testing for fixed codes. Step 690 is next performed in which the working radio mode is set as fixed code test and the fixed code number thresholds are set in a step 692 . A return step 694 completes the subroutine.
[0101] FIGS. 26A and 26B show a timer interrupt subroutine which begins at a step 902 when all software times are updated. Next, flow proceeds to a step 904 to determine whether a 12 millisecond timer has expired. The 12 millisecond timer is used to assure that obstructions which block the light beam in protector 90 and cause the absence of a 10 millisecond obstructive pulse, are rapidly detected. When the 12 millisecond timer has not expired, flow proceeds to a step 914 discussed below. Alternatively, when the timer expires, a step 906 is performed to determine if a break flag, which is set at the first missed pulse, is set. If it is not set, flow proceeds to step 910 in which the break flag is set. If the break flag was detected in step 906 , flow continues to step 908 in which an IR block flag, indicative of a plurality of missed 10 millisecond obstruction pulses, is set. Flow then proceeds through step 910 to step 912 where the 12 millisecond timer is reset. Decision step 914 , which is performed after step 912 , determines whether it has been more than 500 milliseconds since a valid radio code has been received. If more than 500 milliseconds has transpired, step 916 is performed to clear a radio currently on air flag and an exit is performed. When step 914 determines that 500 milliseconds has not expired, flow proceeds directly to exit step 918 .
[0102] FIG. 27 is a flow diagram of an IR pulse received interrupt begun whenever a protection pulse is received by microcontroller 85 . Initially, a step 920 is performed in which the IR break flag is reset and the flow proceeds to step 922 where the IR block flag is reset. This routine ends by resetting the 12 millisecond timer in step 924 and exiting in step 926 .
[0103] The control structure of the present embodiment includes a main loop which is substantially continuously executed. FIG. 28 is a flow diagram showing portions of the loop. Every 15 seconds a step 928 is performed in which the local radio mode is loaded from nonvolatile memory and the number thresholds are set in a step 930 . This activity ends with a return step 946 . Every hour a step 932 is performed to determine if a keypad temporary timer is currently active. If so, flow proceeds to step 914 where the time is decremented and a return is executed at step 946 .
[0104] Every 1 millisecond a step 936 is performed to determine if the IR break flag is set and the IR block flag is not set. This condition is indicative of the first missed protector pulse. If the determination in step 936 is negative, a return is performed. If step 936 detects only the IR break flag and not the IR block flag, a step 938 is performed to identify if the door is at the up limit. When the door is not at the up limit, a return is performed. When step 938 detects the door at the up limit, a step 940 is performed to identify if the light is on. If the light is on, it is blinked a predetermined number of times in step 942 and a return is executed. When step 940 determines that the light is off a step 944 is performed to turn the light on and set a 4.5 minute light keep on timer. A return is executed after step 944 .
[0105] FIG. 29 is a flow diagram illustrating the use of the IR protection circuit in door control. At a step 948 a decision is made whether a memory matching keypad type transmitter is on the air. If so, flow proceeds to step 956 to determine if the down limit of door travel has occurred. If the down limit has been reached, a step 958 is performed to set a stopped at down limit state of the door. When step 956 determines that the down limit has not been reached, a step 960 is performed to continue the downward travel of the door. When step 948 is answered in the negative, a step 950 is performed to determine if the command switch is being held down. If it is, flow proceeds to step 956 and either step 958 or 960 as discussed above. When step 950 is answered in the negative, a step 952 is performed in which the IR break flag is checked. If the break flag is set, signalling an obstruction, a step 954 is performed to reverse the door, set the new state of the door and set an obstruction flag. When step 952 does not detect an IR break flag, flow proceeds to step 956 as above described. It should be mentioned that the conditions established in steps 948 and 950 are intended to allow the operator to override the obstruction detector.
[0106] In the preceding embodiments the keypad/voice transmitter 34 , under conditions discussed above, transmits a security code to the head end receiver to initiate door movement. It may be found desirous to have a somewhat less secure arrangement to control door movement for a short period of time after door movement is initiated. FIG. 34 represents an additional function which is enabled to control a moving door for a period of, for example, 20 seconds after a security code is transmitted from the keypad/voice transmitter 34 . It is intended that the capability of FIG. 34 would be provided between steps 1037 and 1039 of the FIG. 33 flow diagram.
[0107] In step 1037 ( FIG. 34 ) a security code is transmitted to which the head unit will respond by moving the door. Next a step 1051 is performed to enter the speaker independent analysis mode. A decision block 1053 is then performed to identify if the word “stop” has been received. If the word “stop” is not received, a loop is continued which will be terminated after 20 seconds by a step 1055 . When step 1055 identifies the passage of 20 seconds after the transmission of a security code (block 1037 ), a step 1057 is performed to disable speaker independent analysis and the process ends at block 1039 . If the word “stop” by any speaker is detected in step 1053 flow proceeds to step 1059 where a security code to which the head end will respond by stopping or causing the door to raise, is transmitted. The transmitted security code may conveniently be the same security code transmitted in block 1037 with one rolling code iteration. The functions and apparatus represented by FIG. 34 allow, for a brief period, any speaker to change door movement by saying the word “stop”. The preceding capability specifically empowers a user to stop a moving door by speaker independent voice analysis. The transmitter may also be taught to respond to other speaker independent words or phrases to initiate or stop other barrier movement in the interval of time after transmission of a security code.
[0108] While there has been illustrated and described a particular embodiment of the present invention, it will be appreciated that numerous changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all those changes and modifications which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention. By way of example, the transmitter and receivers of the disclosed embodiment are controlled by programmed microcontrollers. The controllers could be implemented as application specific integrated circuits within the scope of the present invention.
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A keypad transmitter for mounting outside a controlled area which may respond to the voice or other biometric indicia of users by transmitting validatable codes to a controller of a barrier movement system. The keypad may be used to send a validatable code or it may be used in a learning operation of the voice responsive portion. The voice responsive portion includes speaker dependent voice analysis for some functions and speaker independent voice analysis for other functions.
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[0001] THIS APPLICATION IS A CONTINUATION OF CURRENTLY PENDING INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION No. PCT/EP2004/001921 FILED FEB. 26, 2004 WHICH CLAIMS PRIORITY OF GERMAN PATENT APPLICATION No 103 08 831.8 FILED FEB. 27 , 2003 .
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention relates to a rotary piston machine of the type having a housing, a prismatic cavity in the housing, the cross section of this cavity being an oval, and a rotary piston movable in this cavity, the cross section of this rotary piston being also an oval, the order of the rotary piston oval being different from the order of the oval forming the cross section of the cavity. The rotary piston, in operation, moves, in consecutive intervals of motion, from one blocking position to the next. In each such blocking position, the axis about which the rotary piston rotates, changes from one position to another one. Thus the rotary piston, alternatingly, rotates about different axes of rotation. During this rotary movement, two working chambers are defined between the inner wall of the cavity and the rotary piston, the volume of one working chamber increasing, while the volume of the respective other working chamber decreases. The rotary piston has an axial aperture therethrough with an internal gear, which meshes with gear means for driving the rotary piston machine or for being driven thereby.
[0003] In mathematics, an “oval” is a non-analytical, closed, convex figure which is composed of circular arcs. The circular arcs join each other continuously and differentially. In the points in which the circular arcs join, the curve is continuous. Also the tangents of the two joining circular arcs coincide there. The curve is differentiable. In the points, where the circular arcs of different radii of curvature join, the second derivative, which determines the curvature, makes a saltus. The oval consists, alternatingly, of circular arcs having a first, smaller radius of curvature and a second, larger radius of curvature. The order of the oval is determined by the number of pairs of circular arcs having the first and second radii of curvature. An oval of second order or bi-oval is “ellipse-like” with two diametrically opposite circular arcs of smaller diameter and two circular arcs of larger diameter.
[0004] Rotary piston machines of this type are known.
[0005] U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,967,594 and 3,006,901 disclose rotary piston machines having an oval rotary piston in an oval cavity. The cross section of the rotary piston is bi-oval. This bi-oval rotary piston is movable in a tri-oval chamber. In this prior art rotary piston machine, complex transmissions are provided to transmit the rotary movement of the rotary piston to an output shaft.
[0006] DE 199 20 289 C1 describes a rotary piston machine, wherein the cross section of a prismatic cavity defined in a housing is tri-oval with three pairs of continuously and differentially joining first and second circular arcs of alternatingly a smaller radius of curvature and a larger radius of curvature. A rotary piston having bi-oval cross section is guided in this cavity. The bi-oval cross section of the rotary piston is formed of alternatingly first and second circular arcs with the smaller and larger, respectively, radii of curvature of the tri-oval cross section of the cavity, these circular arcs, again, joining continuously and differentially. The bi-oval rotary piston, in the cavity, carries out the intervals of motion with “jumping” instantaneous axes of rotation described above. The rotary movement of the rotary piston is picked-off in a very simple way: A shaft extends centrally through the tri-oval cavity, i.e. along the line of intersection of the planes of symmetry of the cavity. The shaft carries a pinion. The rotary piston has an oval aperture with an internal gear. The long axis of the cross section of the aperture extends along the short axis of the bi-oval cross section of the rotary piston. The pinion continuously meshes with the internal gear.
[0007] In the prior art rotary piston machine, a housing defines a prismatic cavity, the cross section of which is such an oval of odd order, thus, for example, an oval of third order. The cavity has cylindrical inner wall sections with, alternatingly, the first, smaller and the second, larger radii of curvature. In such an oval of third (fifth or seventh or higher) order, rotary piston is rotatable, the cross section of which is an oval, the order of this rotary piston oval being by one smaller than the order of the oval of the cavity. Even though the oval used for the rotary piston has a higher order, it has a twofold symmetry, i.e. it is mirror-symmetrical with respect to two mutually orthogonal axes. This rotary piston has two diametrically opposite cylindrical surface sections, the radius of curvature of which is equal to the smaller (first) radius of curvature of the oval of the cavity. If the cross section of the rotary piston is an oval, the second, larger radius of curvature of this oval is equal to the second, larger radius of curvature of the oval defining the cavity. In a certain interval of motion, a first of these cylindrical surface sections of the rotary piston engages a cylindrical inner wall section complementary thereto of the cavity, which inner wall section has the same radius of curvature. The second, diametrically opposite cylindrical surface section of the rotary piston slides along the opposite, larger radius of curvature cylindrical inner wall section of the cavity. In this way, two working chambers are defined by the rotary piston, of which, during the rotation of the rotary piston, one increases in volume and one becomes smaller. In this interval of motion, the rotary piston rotates about an instantaneous axis of rotation. This instantaneous axis of rotation coincides with the cylinder axis of the first cylindrical surface section. This instantaneous axis of rotation has a well-defined position relative to the rotary piston. In this interval of motion, the instantaneous axis of rotation coincides, of course, also the housing-fixed cylinder axis of the smaller radius of curvature inner wall section, in which the rotary piston rotates. This rotation continues, until the second cylindrical surface section of the rotary piston reaches a blocking position. In the blocking position, the second cylindrical surface section engages the smaller diameter inner wall section joining the opposite inner wall section of larger diameter.
[0008] A further rotation of the rotary piston about the hitherto existing instantaneous axis of rotation is not possible. Therefore, the instantaneous axis of rotation, for the next interval of motion, “jumps” into another position, namely the cylinder axis of the second cylindrical surface section. Also this new instantaneous axis of rotation is in a well-defined position relative to the rotary piston. In the next interval of motion, this instantaneous axis of rotation coincides with the cylinder axis of the cylindrical inner wall section, in which now the second cylindrical surface section of the rotary piston is rotatably guided. In this interval of motion, the “first” cylindrical surface section slides along the opposite inner wall section of lager radius of curvature.
[0009] In a rotary piston machine of this type, the rotary piston rotates always with the same rotational direction but, alternatingly, about different instantaneous axes of rotation, the axes of rotation “jumping” after each interval of motion. Referenced to the rotary piston, two such instantaneous axes of rotation are defined, namely by the cylinder axes of the diametrically opposite cylindrical surface sections. Referring to the housing and the cavity defined therein, the instantaneous axis of rotation jumps between the “corners” of the oval. Thus, the cylinder axes of the inner wall sections having smaller radii of curvature.
[0010] During each interval of motion, the volume of one working chamber increases up to a maximum value, while the volume of the respective other working chamber decreases down to a minimum value. In the ideal case, when the cross section of the rotary piston also is an oval, the volume of the working chamber increases from virtually zero to the maximum value and decreases to virtually zero, respectively. Such a rotary piston machine can be designed as a two stroke or four stroke internal combustion engine or as an engine with external combustion such as a steam engine. It may, however, also be designed to operate as a pneumatic motor, as a hydraulic motor or as a pump.
[0011] DE 199 20 289 C1 discloses rotary piston machine, wherein a rotary piston, the cross section of which is an oval of second order, is movable in a cavity, the cross section of which is an oval of third order. For transmitting the movement of the rotary piston, there is a single output shaft extending centrally through the cavity. The output shaft extends through an oval aperture of the rotary piston and carries a pinion. The pinion is in mesh with an internal gear on the inner wall of the aperture.
[0012] In the prior art rotary piston machine, the order of the oval defining the cavity is always by one larger than the order of the oval defining the cross section of the rotary piston. A bi-oval rotary piston is guided in a tri-oval cavity. In the blocking positions, the instantaneous axes of rotation of the rotary piston jump relative to the rotary piston between two positions, but jump between at least three positions relative to the housing. The smaller radius section of the rotary piston moves translatorily along the larger radius inner wall section of the cavity. This may cause sealing problems with the sealing between the working chambers. A further problem results from the fact that, in each working cycle, consecutively more than two working chambers is formed, which travel around along the inner wall of the housing.
[0013] A similar design is disclosed in applicants' U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/773,093, filed Aug. 8, 2002 (=WO 03/014527). For ensuring that the kinematics of the instantaneous axis of rotation is unambiguously defined in the blocking positions, one rotational axis is temporarily fixed by mechanical means, in such blocking position.
[0014] Luxembourg patent 45,663 to Bleser, filed Mar. 16, 1964 and granted Mar. 30, 1965, describes an internal combustion engine in the form of a rotary piston engine, wherein a housing has an oval cavity and the cross section of the rotary piston is also an oval, wherein, however the order of the oval of the cavity is smaller than the order of the oval of the rotary piston. Thus the cross section of the cavity is an oval of second order, while the cross section of the rotary piston is an oval of third order. Two working chambers are defined between the inner wall of the cavity and the rotary piston. When the rotary piston rotates, the volume of one of the chambers increases, while the volume of the respective other one of the chambers is reduced. The rotary piston rotates always in the same rotary direction but in consecutive intervals of motion from one blocking position to the next blocking position. When the rotary piston has reached one blocking position by rotating about a first axis of rotation, it rotates further to the next blocking position about a second axis of rotation. With this structure, there are two housing-fixed axes of rotation, and the rotary piston, in consecutive intervals of motion, alternatingly rotate about these two axes.
[0015] To transmit the rotary motion of the rotary piston, the rotary piston has an aperture therethrough, which forms an oval similar to the contour of the rotary piston. This aperture forms an internal gear.
[0016] Two spaced, parallel shafts extend through the aperture. The axes of the shafts coincide with the two axes, about which the rotary piston rotates alternatingly. Pinions are provided on the shafts and mesh with the internal gear of the aperture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] It is an object of the invention to improve the seal between the working chambers of the cavity.
[0018] It is a further object of the invention to ensure, in a rotary piston machine of the type mentioned above, unambiguous kinematics with unambiguous movements of the rotary piston in the blocking positions of the rotary piston.
[0019] A more specific object of the invention is to reduce the number of the instantaneous axes of rotation occurring referenced to the housing.
[0020] A still further object of the invention is to design a rotary piston machine of the type mentioned above such that only two working chambers are defined, which are opposite each other in fixed angular positions and the volumes of which increase and decrease alternatingly.
[0021] To this end, in accordance with one aspect of the invention, a rotary piston machine comprises a housing defining a prismatic cavity with a cavity wall therein, the cross section of said prismatic cavity being a cavity oval which is formed by circular arcs of, alternatingly, smaller and larger radii, an order of said an order of said cavity oval being defined by a first number of pairs of said smaller radius and larger radius circular arcs. A rotary piston is guided for rotary movement in said cavity and has a cross section which is also an oval formed by circular arcs of, alternatingly, said smaller and larger radii, an order of said piston oval being defined by a second number of pairs of said smaller radius and larger radius circular arcs. Said order of said cavity oval is by one smaller than the order of said piston oval. Said rotary piston moves in consecutive intervals of motion from one blocking position, in which a pair of said smaller and larger radii circular arcs of said rotary piston engage a pair of smaller and larger radii, respectively, circular arcs of said cavity, to an adjacent end position, in which another pair of said smaller and larger radii circular arcs of said rotary piston engage a pair of smaller and larger radii, respectively, circular arcs of said chamber. Said rotary piston, during said consecutive intervals of motion rotating, in the same rotational direction, alternatingly about one of two different axes, said axes are located, relative to said cavity, in the centers of curvature of said larger radius circular arcs. In each such interval of motion one larger radius circular arc of said rotary piston slides along a larger radius circular arc of said chamber while a smaller radius circular arc of said rotary piston engages an opposite larger radius circular arc of said chamber. Transmission means are provided for transmitting rotary motion about said two axes. Thereby, when said rotary piston reaches a blocking position, there is an associated larger diameter cavity circular arc, in which the larger diameter piston circular arc was slidingly guided during the preceding interval of motion. Means are provided for temporarily providing, when said rotary piston has reached one of said blocking positions, reduced rotary speed of the rotary motion of said rotary piston about that one of said axes which is located in the center of curvature of said associated larger radius circular arc, as compared to the rotary speed about the other axis.
[0022] In the locking position, the kinematics of the rotary piston in the cavity is not unambiguous. Instead of a further rotary movement, transverse forces could occur, for example by feeding a fluid under pressure into the volume-minimized working chamber or by igniting a fuel mixture. Such transverse forces could result in jamming of the rotary piston in the chamber. In order to solve this problem and to obtain unambiguous kinematics, means are provided for reducing, when a blocking position has been reached, the rotary motion of said rotary piston about that one of said axes which is located in the center of curvature of said associated larger radius circular arc, as compared to the rotary speed about the other axis. This forced speed reduction ensures that the rotary piston continues to rotate about the axis which is thus forced to rotate at a lower speed. This forced selection of rotary speed need only take place for a short time, until the rotary piston has rotated out of the blocking position. The forced reduction of rotary speed can be effected in that braking means temporarily brake a respective one of the two axes. This can be achieved quite easily.
[0023] On one side, a peripheral section of the rotary piston rotates rather slowly along a peripheral section of the inner wall of the cavity having large radius of curvature. The slower movement reduces the sealing problems. On the opposite side, a peripheral section of the rotary piston slides with large radius of curvature on a large radius of curvature peripheral section of the inner wall. This results in a large sealing surface
[0024] The two shafts meshing with the internal gear rotate alternatingly at lower and higher rotary speed. By means of a differential gear or a free wheel, a constant rotary speed of a driving or driven shaft coupled with both shafts can be provided.
[0025] According to another aspect of the invention, a rotary piston machine comprises a housing defining a prismatic cavity therein, the cross section of said prismatic cavity being a cavity oval which is formed by circular arcs of, alternatingly, smaller and larger radii, an order of said an order of said cavity oval being defined by a first number of pairs of said smaller radius and larger radius circular arcs. A rotary piston is guided for rotary movement in said cavity and has a cross section which is also an oval formed by circular arcs of, alternatingly, said smaller and larger radii, an order of said piston oval being defined by a second number of pairs of said smaller radius and larger radius circular arcs. Said order of said chamber oval being different from the order of said piston oval. Said rotary piston and said cavity define blocking positions in which said smaller diameter circular arc of said rotary piston closely engages one of said smaller diameter circular arcs of said cavity and an adjacent one of said larger diameter circular arcs of said rotary piston closely engages an adjacent one of said larger diameter circular arcs of said cavity, movement of said rotary piston from one of said blocking positions to the next one defining intervals of motion. Said rotary piston, during said consecutive intervals of motion rotates, in the same rotational direction, alternatingly about different axes. Thereby, variable volume working chambers are defined between said cavity wall and said rotary piston. For sealing between said working chambers, sealing ledges with sealing surfaces are provided, the radius of curvature one of said sealing surfaces being equal to said smaller radius of curvature and the radius of curvature of another one of said sealing surfaces being equal to said larger radius of curvature.
[0026] This ensures surface sealing engagement with both types of curved surfaces.
[0027] In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, an internal combustion engine is provided having at least one working chamber limited by a piston and means for fuel injection, wherein said fuel injection means are arranged in a separate ignition chamber communicating with said working chamber, and means for tuning said ignition chamber and fuel injected by said fuel injection means such that substantially only burnt, expanding combustion gas enters the working chamber.
[0028] Embodiments of the invention are described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] FIG. 1 shows a cross sectional view of a rotary piston machine having two shafts, wherein a rotary piston, the cross section of which is an oval of third order, is guided in a cavity, the cross section of which is an oval of second order.
[0030] FIG. 2 is an illustration similar to FIG. 2 and shows the rotary piston in a blocking position.
[0031] FIG. 3 is an illustration similar to FIG. 2 and shows the rotary piston during the next interval of motion.
[0032] FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of a rotary piston machine having two shafts, wherein the rotary piston, the cross section of which is an oval of fifth order, is guided in a cavity, the cross section of which is an oval of fourth order.
[0033] FIG. 4A shows a modification of the arrangement of FIG. 4 .
[0034] FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of a rotary piston machine having two shafts, wherein a rotary piston, the cross section of which is an oval of seventh order, is guided in a cavity, the cross section of which is an oval of sixth order.
[0035] FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of rotary speed regulating means used in a rotary piston machine of FIG. 1 .
[0036] FIG. 7A is a schematic enlarged illustration of a seal used in a rotary piston machine of the type illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 , sealing being effected between a sealing ledge and a surface section of the rotary piston having the smaller radius of curvature.
[0037] FIG. 7B is a schematic enlarged illustration of a seal used in a rotary piston machine of the type illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 , sealing being effected between a sealing ledge and a surface section of the rotary piston having the larger radius of curvature.
[0038] FIG. 8 shows, at an enlarged scale, a detail of the rotary piston machine of FIG. 4A .
[0039] FIG. 8A shows the detail of FIG. 8 at a further enlarged scale.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0040] Referring to FIG. 1 , numeral 10 designates a housing. A cavity 12 is defined in this housing 10 . The cross section of the cavity represents an oval of second order or is “bi-oval”. Thus the cross section of the cavity is formed by two circular arcs 14 and 16 of relatively small radius of curvature and, alternating therebetween, two circular arcs 18 and 20 of relatively large radius of curvature. The circular arcs join continuously and differentially.
[0041] A rotary piston 22 is guided in cavity 12 . The cross section of the rotary piston 22 represents an oval of third order or is “tri-oval”. Accordingly, the circumference of the cross section consists of three pairs of circular arcs, each pair comprising a circular arc of relatively small radius of curvature 24 , 26 and 28 , respectively, and a circular arc of relatively large radius of curvature 30 , 32 and 34 , respectively. The circular arcs of small and large radii of curvature join alternatingly and also continuously and differentially. The small radii of curvature of the rotary piston 22 are equal to the small radii of curvature of the cavity 12 , and, in the same way, the large radii of curvature of the rotary piston 22 are equal to the large radii of curvature of the cavity 12 . The cross section of the cavity 12 looks similar to an ellipse. The cross section of the rotary piston looks similar to a triangle of arcs with rounded corners.
[0042] The rotary piston 22 has a central aperture 36 . The cross section of the aperture 36 represents also an oval of third order. This oval of third order is composed of three circular arcs of relatively small radii of curvature 38 , 40 and 42 and of three circular arcs of relatively large radii of curvature. The circular arcs 38 , 40 and 42 having small radii of curvature and the circular arcs 44 , 46 and 48 having large radii of curvature join alternatingly and continuously and differentially, whereby an oval similar to a triangle of arcs with rounded corners is formed. The planes of symmetry 50 , 52 and 54 of the aperture 36 coincide with the planes of symmetry of the rotary piston 22 .
[0043] The aperture 36 has an internal gear 56 . This internal gear 56 has three concave-arcuate gear racks 58 , 60 and 62 substantially along the circular arcs 44 , 46 and 48 , respectively. Between these concave-arcuate gear racks 58 , 60 and 62 , convex-arcuate (or straight) gear racks 64 , 66 and 68 are provided in the region of the circular arcs of small radius of curvature.
[0044] Two parallel shafts 70 and 72 with pinions 74 and 76 , respectively, extend through the aperture 36 . The axes of the shaft are located in the plane of symmetry 77 , extending through the circular arcs 18 and 20 , of the cavity 12 . The pinion of one shaft, in FIG. 1 the pinion 74 of shaft 70 , is located in the “corner of the triangle of arcs”, i.e. in the region of the circular arc 38 of small radius of curvature and meshes with the internal gear 56 , as will be described below. The pinion of the other shaft, in FIG. 1 pinion 76 of shaft 72 , meshes with the opposite concave-arcuate gear rack, in FIG. 1 the gear rack 60 .
[0045] The rotary piston 22 subdivides the bi-oval cavity 12 into two working chambers 80 and 82 . In FIG. 1 , the rotary piston machine is illustrated schematically as an internal combustion engine. Accordingly, an inlet valve 84 or 86 and an outlet valve 88 or 90 is shown for each working chamber 80 and 82 , respectively. Furthermore, a combustion chamber 92 or 94 with a spark plug or a fuel injector 98 and 98 communicates with each working chamber 80 and 82 , respectively. The working chambers 80 and 82 with the valves and spark plugs or fuel injectors are arranged symmetrical to the plane of symmetry passing through the circular arcs 14 and 16 of small radii of curvature.
[0046] Pairs of adjacent sealing ledges 100 A and 100 B and 102 A and 102 B are provided in the regions 18 and 20 , respectively, of large radii of curvature. The sealing ledges 100 A and 100 B and 102 A and 102 B, respectively, are symmetrical to the plane of symmetry passing through the circular arcs 18 and 20 of large radii of curvature of the cross section.
[0047] FIG. 7A shows the sealing ledges 100 A and 100 B with a position in the area of the transition from the small radius of curvature r 1 of the outer surface of the rotary piston 22 , on the right in FIG. 7A , to the area of the larger radius of curvature r 2 of this outer surface, on the left in FIG. 7A . The sealing ledge 100 A has a concave-cylindrical inner surface, the radius of curvature of which is equal to the larger radius of curvature r 2 . The sealing ledge 100 B has a concave-cylindrical inner surface, the radius of curvature of which corresponds to the smaller radius of curvature r 1 . It will be apparent, that the inner surface of the sealing ledge 100 A closely engages the surface of the rotary piston complementary thereto, in the area of the radius of curvature r 2 . In the area, in which the radius of curvature of the surface of the rotary piston is smaller, namely r 1 , a wedge-shaped gap 100 C is formed between the inner surface of the sealing ledge 100 A and the rotary piston 22 . The sealing ledge 100 B has a concave-cylindrical inner surface, the radius of curvature is equal to the smaller radius of curvature r 1 . It will be apparent, that the inner surface of the sealing ledge 100 B closely engages the surface of the rotary piston 22 complementary thereto, in the area of the radius of curvature r 1 of the rotary piston 22 . In the area, in which the radius of curvature of the surface of the rotary piston 22 is larger, namely r 2 , a wedge-shaped gap 100 D is formed between the sealing ledge 100 B and the rotary piston 22 . In the transition region illustrated, both sealing ledges, on a respective portion of the inner surface, are in surface contact with the outer surface of the rotary piston, whereby a surface-to-surface seal is ensured.
[0048] FIG. 7B shows, in similar manner, the seal in the area of the transition from the large radius of curvature r 2 to the smaller radius of curvature r 1 . When the pair of sealing ledges 100 A and 100 B engages an area of the rotary piston having large radius of curvature r 2 only or an area having small radius of curvature r 1 only, either the sealing ledge 100 A or the sealing ledge 100 B ensures a surface contact with its respective total inner surface.
[0049] The described arrangement operates as follows:
[0050] The rotary piston 22 rotates counter-clockwise in FIG. 1 . When doing so, the rotary piston 22 rotates about the shaft 70 and slides with low speed along the inner wall of the cavity 12 in the area of the large radius of curvature. The axis of the shaft 70 passes through the center of curvature of the circular arc 24 of smaller radius of curvature. The circular arc 24 is tangent to the circular arc 18 of the cross section of the cavity 12 . The opposite area of the outer surface of the rotary piston 22 with large radius of curvature engages the area of the inner wall of the cavity 12 corresponding to the circular arc 20 . This area of the inner wall has the same radius of curvature as the engaging area of the outer surface of the rotary piston. Thus, there is a shape-adapted surface-to surface engagement. During the rotary movement of the rotary piston, this area of the outer surface of the rotary piston slides along the corresponding area of the inner wall.
[0051] Thereby, the volume of the working chamber 80 is increased, while the volume of the working chamber 82 becomes smaller. During this process, the shaft 70 is rotated relatively slowly, while a relatively fast rotation of the shaft 72 occurs.
[0052] This movement is continued, until the right blocking position in FIG. 2 is reached. Then the area of the outer surface of the rotary piston is located in that area of the inner wall of cavity 12 , which corresponds to the circular arc 16 . Both areas have the same, namely the small radius of curvature. The areas of the outer surface of the rotary piston corresponding to the circular arcs 32 and 34 having the large radius of curvature engage that areas of the inner wall of cavity 12 , which correspond to the circular arcs 18 and 20 , respectively, of the cross section. These radii of curvature, again, are equal. Thus the volume of the working chamber 82 , apart from the combustion chamber 82 , is reduced to zero, while the working chamber 82 has its maximum volume. Then the shaft 72 with the pinion 76 is located in the region which corresponds to the circular arc 40 , thus, so to say, in the left lower “corner” of the triangle of arcs. The rotary piston 22 is, however, not able to further rotate about the shaft 70 as instantaneous axis of rotation.
[0053] This position is illustrated in FIG. 2 .
[0054] For a further rotation, which may, for example, be effected by igniting fuel in the combustion chamber 94 in an internal combustion engine or by conducting a working fluid into the working chamber 82 , the instantaneous axis of rotation “jumps” to the axis of shaft 72 . The rotary piston 22 can now continue to rotate counter-clockwise, but now about the shaft 72 .
[0055] The further motion sequence is then, referenced to the new instantaneous axis of rotation, the same as described before with reference to the shaft 70 as instantaneous axis of rotation.
[0056] Consecutive intervals of motion occur, when the rotary piston 22 rotates. Each interval of motion extends from one of the described blocking positions to the next one. In each interval of motion, the volume of one working chambers, for example 80 , increases from zero to a maximum, while the volume of the other working chamber decreases from the maximum down to zero. During the next interval of motion, it is the other way round: The volume of the working chamber 82 increases from zero ( FIG. 2 ) up to a maximum, while the volume of the working chamber 80 decreases again ( FIG. 3 ).
[0057] In the position of FIG. 2 , the kinematics is not unambiguous. Each of the two shafts could with its axis define an instantaneous axis of rotation. If then, for example, by working fluid conducted into the working chamber 82 , a force to the left is exerted on the rotary piston 22 , this force could result in a translatory motion in horizontal direction instead of a rotary motion about an instantaneous axis of rotation. Thereby, the rotary piston 22 would be wedged in the cavity 12 .
[0058] This risk can be avoided in that, in the position of FIG. 2 , rotary speed regulating means are used to temporarily compel a lower rotary speed of the shaft 72 than the rotary speed of shaft 70 . Then the rotary piston is forced to rotate about this shaft 72 , while the other shaft 70 permits the concave-arcuate gear rack to roll off on the pinion 74 .
[0059] This is schematically illustrated in FIG. 6 . Sensors 140 detect the position of the rotary piston 22 in the cavity 12 . The sensors signal when the rotary piston has reached a blocking position. Then a control device 142 , to which the signals from the sensors are applied, actuates devices 144 and 146 by which, alternatingly, depending on which blocking position had been reached, rotary speeds are temporarily, for a short time, rotary speeds are forced on shaft 70 or shaft 72 , respectively, For example, a lower rotary speed is forced on shaft 70 , and a higher rotary speed is forced on shaft 72 or vice versa. In the simplest case, these devices 144 and 146 may be braking devices which, in the blocking positions, are caused to act, alternatingly for a short time, on the shaft 70 or the shaft 72 , while the respective other shaft remains unbroken.
[0060] The radii of the reference circles of the pinions are substantially equal to the small radii of curvature of the oval of second order defining the aperture 36 . If the internal gear 56 followed the oval of the aperture continuously, then the pinions would be caught, each time, in the blocking positions of the rotary piston 22 . The “corners” of the “triangle of arcs” could not roll over the pinions. For this reason, the concave-arcuate gear racks are interconnected, in the region of the circular arcs 38 , 40 , 42 of smaller radii of curvature, are interconnected by short straight or convex-arcuate gear racks 64 , 66 or 68 , respectively. The convex-arcuate gear racks 64 , 66 and 68 permit the internal gear 56 , and thereby the rotary piston 22 , to continue its rotation. They are so dimensioned that, in each blocking position, one of the concave-arcuate gear racks 58 , 60 or 62 engages the pinion 74 or 76 immediately after the pinion 74 or 76 has disengaged the preceding gear rack 62 , 58 or 60 , respectively. In this way, each pinion continuously engages one of the concave-arcuate gear racks 64 , 66 or 68 . The short convex-arcuate or straight gear racks ensure transition without interrupting the form fit but also without blocking.
[0061] FIG. 4 shows a rotary piston machine having a cavity, the cross section of which represents an oval 106 of fourth order. A rotary piston 108 , the cross section of which represents an oval 110 of fifth order is guided in the cavity 108 . Also here, the rotary piston 108 has an aperture 112 , the shape of which represents an oval 114 of fifth order. The axes of symmetry of rotary piston 108 and aperture coincide. The aperture has an internal gear 116 . The internal gear 116 meshes with two pinions 118 and 120 . The pinions 118 and 120 are attached to two housing-fixed shafts 122 and 124 , respectively. The axes 126 and 128 of the shafts 122 and 124 , respectively extend in an axis of symmetry of the cavity 104 .
[0062] The rotary piston 108 subdivides the cavity into two working chambers 130 and 132 , of which, when the rotary piston rotates, alternatingly the volume of one is increased and the other one is decreased.
[0063] The operating cycle is similar to the operating cycle of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3 . The rotary piston 108 rotates, for example, about the axis 126 of one shaft 122 up to a blocking position. Then the instantaneous axis of rotation jumps into the axis 128 of the other shaft 124 . The rotary piston continues to rotate counter-clockwise in FIG. 4 up to the next blocking position. Course of motion between two consecutive blocking positions is an “interval of motion”. In each interval of motion, the volume of the working chamber 130 increases from zero to a maximum and the volume of the working chamber 132 decreases from a maximum to zero, or vice versa. The working chambers are located always on both sides of the plane of symmetry containing the axes 126 and 128 . They do not travel around the cavity.
[0064] In FIG. 4 , valves and spark plugs or fuel injectors are (schematically) shown for each working chamber.
[0065] FIG. 4A shows a rotary piston machine similar to FIG. 4 . Corresponding elements bear the same reference numerals as there. Details of the rotary piston machine of FIG. 4A are shown, at an enlarged scale, in FIGS. 8 and 8 A.
[0066] In the rotary piston machine of FIG. 4A , numeral 150 designates a fuel injector. The fuel injector extends into a combustion chamber. This combustion chamber is so dimensioned and shaped, that the injected fuel is combusted substantially in the combustion chamber only. Then only the expanding combustion gases emerge into the expanding working chamber. The injection may be metered time-dependent or dependent on the rotation of the rotary piston such that it is adapted to the change of volume of the working chamber 130 or 132 . There is no flame front within the working chamber. The propagation of flame fronts in an expanding working chamber presents problems in prior art rotary piston machines.
[0067] In the embodiment of FIGS. 8 and 8 A, the combustion chamber comprises a spherical calotte-shaped recess of the housing, which communicates with a first conical space 156 tapering towards the working chamber. The space 156 is formed in an insert 158 , which is screwed in a threaded recess of the wall of the working chamber 130 or 132 . The combustion chamber 152 is closed by a grid or net 160 . The fuel injector 150 terminates in a cone rounded at the tip, injection taking place through nozzle openings in the surface of this cone.
[0068] The described arrangement of the fuel injector in a combustion chamber such that combustion takes place substantially within the combustion chamber and frame fronts in the working chambers are avoided, is also applicable to other machines, for example in reciprocating internal combustion engines.
[0069] FIG. 5 shows a rotary piston machine, wherein a rotary piston, the cross section of which represents an oval of seventh order, is guided in a cavity the cross section of which represents an oval sixth order. Setup and operation are, apart from the orders of the ovals, similar to that of the embodiment of FIG. 4 . Corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals as in FIG. 4 , however marked by the suffix “A”.
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A rotary piston machine with a housing forming a prismatic cavity with a cavity wall. The cross section of the prismatic cavity is a cavity oval. A rotary piston is guided for rotary movement in the cavity. The rotary piston moves in consecutive intervals of motion from one blocking position to an adjacent end position. The rotary piston, during the consecutive intervals of motion rotates, in the same rotational direction, alternatingly about one of two different axes. A transmission arrangement transmits the rotary motion about two axes. When the rotary piston reaches a blocking position, there is an associated larger diameter cavity circular arc, in which the larger diameter piston circular arc was slidingly guided during the preceding interval of motion. To provide unambiguous kinematics of the system in this position, there is a device for temporarily providing, when said rotary piston has reached one of the blocking positions, reduced rotary speed of the rotary motion of said rotary piston about that one of the axes which is located in the center of curvature of the associated larger radius circular arc, as compared to the rotary speed about the other axis. Variable volume working chambers are defined between the wall of the cavity and the rotary piston. For sealing between these working chambers, sealing ledges with sealing surfaces are provided.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for making a windshield glass and trim assembly and the assembly formed thereby.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recent changes to the outside appearance of cars and trucks have been greatly influenced by aerodynamic requirements. With respect to such aerodynamic requirements, significant changes have taken place in the manner of mounting of windshield glass to a vehicle body.
The major change has been from gasket-type mounting of a windshield which yields a definite offset between the glass surface and the body surface, to the bonded glass mounting which provides a glass surface and body surface in nearly the same plane. In such bonded mounting, a small extruded vinyl trim strip is positioned within a channel between the glass and body panels and extends over the glass and body panels after the glass is adhesively bonded in place, to provide a finished appearance to the juncture. The adhesive layer used to retain the glass in place is also used to retain the trim strip in place.
Further, more recent advancements have introduced an encapsulated glass process. This process includes the molding of a plastic trim strip onto the periphery of the glass, using an injection molding process in which the glass is placed into the mold during the molding process. This method provides a single unit for installation with excellent dimensional tolerances along the perimeter of the assembly. This process may also include the provision of glass locating identification marks, mounting tabs, spacer blocks and exterior lip-type seals. Although this process is a definite advancement over the bonding method described above, the cost of the injection mold and related equipment is intolerable for less-than-high volume production. Further, this process presents an unfavorable situation for replacement windshields in that the replacement windshield must incorporate the molded perimeter.
As will be described in greater detail hereinafter, the windshield glass and trim assembly and method for making same of the present invention provides an alternative to the encapsulation method. The method of the present invention provides a bonded glass and trim assembly having a dimensionally controllable perimeter, thus providing a good, near-flush fit between the glass and the body surfaces. Also, as will be described hereinafter, the glass and trim assembly and method for making same of the present invention eliminate the need for use of an injection mold.
The assembly, as will be further described below, includes a trim strip which is a vinyl extrusion having a unique shape in cross section. Such unique shape provides an aerodynamic exterior appearance, a bonding surface for bonding the trim strip to the glass, if desired, and location identifiers which may be required for dimensional control. The assembly of the present invention can be removed by the conventional wire method and the provision of the glass and trim strip as individual parts provides ease in replacement of the windshield glass if such replacement becomes necessary.
Further, the assembly of the present invention allows for off-line bonding of the trim strip to the glass and becomes one of several off-line operations already being performed on the glass. The assembly also allows the perimeter of the assembly to be dimensionally controlled by use of a locating fixture during formation of the assembly. In addition, at installation, the adhesive used in bonding the glass to the body of the vehicle also provides for adherence of the trim strip of the assembly to the body surface.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention there is provided an elongate trim strip for trimming a periphery of a windshield, the trim strip having, in cross section, a T shape including a cross member and a base member, the base member of the T comprising a locating member, the locating member depending centrally from the cross member and being adapted to engage a locating fixture.
Further according to the invention there is provided a windshield glass and trim assembly comprising a windshield glass having a trim strip bonded around an end edge of the windshield glass, the trim strip being an elongate, unitary structure having, in cross section, a planar cross portion having a first end portion and a second end portion and a central depending portion, each end portion extending laterally outwardly from the central depending portion, the central depending portion forming a locating member for providing a windshield glass and trim assembly of predetermined size.
Still further according to the invention there is provided a method for forming a windshield glass and trim assembly for mounting in an opening of a vehicle including the steps of:
a. installing a trim strip around a periphery of the windshield;
b. providing locating means on the trim strip;
c. providing a locating fixture, the dimensions of which relate to the size of the vehicle opening;
d. laying the windshield with installed trim strip over the locating fixture;
f. adjusting the position of the trim strip around the periphery of the windshield so that the locating means on the trim strip lock onto the locating fixture; and
g. bonding the trim strip to the periphery of the windshield once the locating means lock onto the locating fixture to form a windshield and trim assembly having predetermined dimensions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view through an end edge section of a windshield glass and trim assembly of the present invention and shows a trim strip mounted along an end edge of a glass windshield.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1 and shows trim strip of the assembly positioned on a locating fixture used in practicing the method of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1 and shows the assembly of the present invention fixed to one embodiment of a body panel of a vehicle.
FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 3 and shows the assembly of the present invention fixed to another embodiment of a body panel of a vehicle.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is shown in FIG. 1, in cross section, an end edge area of the windshield glass and trim assembly 10 of the present invention. The glass and trim assembly 10 includes an elongate, unitary trim strip 12 which has a unique cross sectional configuration.
The trim strip 12 is somewhat T shaped in cross section, having a horizontal cross member 20 forming the upper cross member 14 of the T and a base portion 15 which includes two depending spaced apart leg portions 16 and 18.
The horizontal cross member 20 has a slightly convex upper surface 22 having a downwardly projecting rib 24 at one end thereof and an identical downwardly projecting rib 25 at the other end thereof.
One of the leg portions, leg portion 16, has an arm 26 extending laterally away from it in a direction away from the other leg portion 18, and the arm 26 ends in an angularly upwardly flexed flange 28. The arm 26 is parallel to cross member 20 and the flange 28 is slightly inwardly positioned relative to the position of the rib 24 extending downwardly from the cross member 20, above the arm 26. Also, the arm 26 is vertically spaced a predetermined distance from the cross member 20, as will be defined further hereinafter.
As shown, the flange 28 and the downwardly projecting rib 24 of the cross member 20 extending downwardly thereabove, interact to grasp and hold an end edge portion 30 of a glass windshield 32 therebetween. The vertical spacing between the flange 28 and the rib 24 is approximately equal to the thickness of the glass windshield 32 to be received therebetween.
The end edge portion 30 of the glass windshield 32 extends inwardly of the rib 24 and flange 28 and terminates within a somewhat rectangular cavity 34 which is defined by the leg portion 16 on one side, the arm 26 along a bottom, a portion 36 of the cross member 20 which extends over the arm 26, along a top, and the rib 24 and flange 28 on the other side.
As shown, the cavity 34 is of a horizontal dimension which will tolerate variances in the dimensions of the glass windshield 32 from those expected.
In this respect, if the windshield 32 is of a greater dimension than that expected it will extend further into the cavity 34 and if the dimension is smaller than that expected, it will terminate only slightly within the cavity 34.
The cavity 34, in addition to accommodating dimensional variations of the glass windshield 32, is used as an adhesive cavity 34 whereby, after appropriate positioning of the glass windshield 32 within the cavity 34, the cavity 34 is filled with a bead of adhesive 35 to bond the trim strip 12 to the windshield 32, forming the assembly 10 as illustrated in FIG. 2.
As shown, the windshield 32, in an off-line process, is placed upon a glass support structure 38 having a surface 40 of the windshield 32, which will form in the interior surface 40 of the windshield 32 when it is mounted to a vehicle, resting upon the glass support structure 38. Another surface 42 of the windshield 32, which will form the exterior surface 42 of the windshield 32 when the windshield 32 is mounted to a vehicle, faces upwardly.
The trim strip 12 is then placed around the periphery or end edge 30 of the windshield 32 in the manner shown and so that the cross member 20 of the strip 12 is positioned over the surface 42 of the windshield 32 and so that the flange 28 of the arm 26 rests against the surface 40 of the windshield 32.
The dimensions of the opening in the vehicle within which the windshield 32 and attached strip 12 is to be mounted are then noted, as will be described in connection with the description of FIG. 3, and a particular locating fixture 50, which is a manufacturing tooling piece comprising a frame-type structure having predetermined dimensions, is positioned around and below the periphery 30 of the windshield 32.
The locating fixture 50 has, as shown, an inverted T shaped cross section, an upwardly extending leg portion 52 of which is sized to be received between the leg portions 16 and 18 of the trim strip 12. Once the locating fixture 50 has been positioned around the periphery of the windshield 32 and the end edge 30 of the windshield 32 has been placed within the cavity 34 of the trim strip 12, the trim strip 12 is then mounted over the leg portion 52 of the locating fixture 50 so that the leg portions 16 and 18 of the trim strip 12 straddle the leg portion 52 of the locating fixture 50. Use of a particular locating fixture 50 having predetermined dimensions which relate to the dimensions of a particular size windshield receiving opening for positioning of the trim strip 12 assures that the trim strip 12 will bridge the channel 53 (FIGS. 3 and 4) between the windshield 32 and the body panels 54 (FIGS. 3 and 4) of the vehicle to surround the windshield 32. It will be obvious that the position of the trim strip 12 relative to the end edge 30 of the windshield 32 may be shifted to accommodate any variance in the expected size of the windshield 32 or, as in aftermarket production of such an assembly 10, in the expected size of the opening within which the windshield 32 is to be received.
This is when the configuration of the cavity 34 comes into play, providing a tolerance for small variations in the dimensions of the windshield 32 relative to the dimensions of the opening in the vehicle.
In this respect, if the dimensions of the windshield 32 are smaller than those expected for a particular windshield opening, within a small variable, the windshield 32 will extend slightly inwardly of the flange 28 of the arm 26 and a little way into the cavity 34. On the other hand, if the dimensions of the windshield 32 are greater than those expected, relative to the dimensions of the windshield opening, within a small variable, the windshield 32 can extend further into the cavity 34, up to a position where the end edge 30 of the windshield 32 rests against the leg portion 16 of the trim strip 12.
Once the trim strip 12 is appropriately positioned around the windshield 32 by use of the locating fixture 50, it is fixed to the windshield 32 by placement of the adhesive 35, such as the adhesive used to bond the windshield 32 to the vehicle, within the cavity 34. When the bonding of the trim strip 12 to the windshield 32 is complete, the assembly 10 of bonded windshield 32 and trim strip 12 is removed from engagement over the locating fixture 50 and is ready for mounting, as shown in FIG. 3.
In use of the locating fixture 50 for properly positioning the trim strip 12 relative to the end edges of the windshield 32, it is to be understood, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 that the various body panels 54 which surround an opening 56 in the vehicle for receiving the windshield 32 are provided with flanges 58 in a conventional manner.
As shown in FIG. 3, the flanged body panels 54 include an inwardly offset side wall 60 which extends generally normal to the glass windshield 32 and a flange 62 which extends into the opening 56 from the side wall 60 in a plane parallel to the plane of the windshield 32.
After the trim strip 12 has been movably engaged onto the end edge 30 of the windshield 32 by placement of the end edge 30 within the cavity 34 and positioned on the end edge 30 of the glass windshield 32, by use of a particular locating fixture 50, the dimensions of which relate to the size of the opening 56 within which the windshield 32 is to be fitted, it can be assured that the cross member 20 of the trim strip 12 will completely cover the channel 53 which exists between the end edge 30 of the windshield and the side wall 60 of the opening 56 when the assembly 10 is mounted within the opening 56.
In positioning of the trim strip 12 to cover the channel 53 between the end edge 30 of the windshield 32 and the side wall 60 of the opening 56, the particular locating fixture 50 chosen for use in forming the assembly 10 has the upwardly extending leg 52 thereof in a position which corresponds to a position along the flange 58 around which the leg portions 16 and 18 of the trim strip 12 are to be centered.
The trim strip 12 is then moved to either side, while remaining in contact with the windshield 32, to a position where the leg portions 16 and 18 thereof straddle the leg portion 52 of the locating fixture 50. Once the trim strip 12 has been engaged onto the leg 52 of the locating fixture 50 around the periphery 30 of the glass windshield 32, the cavity 34 is filled with adhesive 35 and the trim strip 12 is secured to the glass windshield 32, the trim strip 12 remaining mounted on the locating fixture 50 until the adhesive dries. The assembly 10 of trim strip 12 bonded to the windshield 32 is then removed from engagement with the locating fixture 50 and is ready for mounting onto the vehicle.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the method of mounting the assembly 10 of bonded windshield 32 and trim strip 12 to different embodiments of body panels 54 of a vehicle surrounding the opening 56 within which the assembly 10 is to be placed.
In FIG. 3, one embodiment 61 of a flanged body panel 54 is shown. In this embodiment 61, an exterior wall surface 62 of the body panel 54 is shown to be planar. In such an arrangement, as shown, the assembly 10 is mounted so that the windshield 32 thereof is almost flush with the exterior wall surface 62 of the body panel 54. It is to be understood also, that the cross member 20 of the trim strip 12 may be of varied length, to accommodate styling preferences.
An example of such a styling preference may be seen in FIG. 4, where the exterior wall surface 74 of this embodiment 70 of a body panel 54 provides for a recessed windshield 32 by the provision of a countersunk shoulder 72 in the exterior wall surface 74 around the opening 56 for the assembly 10.
In either embodiment 61, 70 of the body panels 54, once the windshield 32 is mounted to a vehicle as shown, the cross member 20 of the trim strip 12 will form a planar bridge over the channel 53 between the windshield 32 and the body panel 54 forming the opening 56 in the vehicle for receiving the windshield 32. Further, the strip 12 of the present invention, will provide a windshield 32 which is almost flush with the body panels 54 of the vehicle surrounding the opening 56 in which the windshield 32 is to be received.
Such nearly flush mounting of the windshield 32 in relation to the body panels 54 of the vehicle between which the windshield 32 is to rest provides a significant aerodynamic advantage to the assembly 10.
In mounting of the assembly 10 within the opening 56 surrounded by body panels 54 of the vehicle, regardless of the styling of the body panels 54, so long as the opening 56 is flanged and, obviously, slightly larger in dimension than the windshield 32, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the mounting procedure is the same.
In this respect, in the mounting of the assembly 10 between and onto the body panels 54 of a vehicle, one first places small spacers, shown in phantom in FIGS. 3 and 4, at various locations around the flange 58, along a surface 76 of the flange 58 against which the assembly 10 will rest. Such spacers ensure that an adhesive 55 used in the mounting of the assembly 10 to the body panels 54 will be adequate in amount around the periphery 30 of the assembly 10 and will not be squeezed off the surface 76 of the flange 58 by the weight of the assembly 10.
Once the spacers have been positioned, with usually only one spacer being required along each side of the assembly 10, the adhesive 55 is applied onto either the flange 58 or the end edge portion 30 of the assembly 10 along the surface 40 of the windshield 32. The assembly 10 is then positioned within the opening 56, having been previously dimensioned with the locating fixture 50 as described above, so that the cross member 20 of the trim strip 12 spans the channel 53 between the end edge 30 of the windshield 32 and the exterior wall surface 62, 74 of the body panels 54. The rib 25 forms a cushion 25 for the end of the cross member 20 and rests against the exterior wall surface 62, 74 of the body panel 54. The leg portions 16 and 18 of the trim strip 12 become embedded, to a certain degree within the adhesive 55, as does a bottom surface 78 of the arm 26 and a portion of the glass windshield 32 just interior to the end edge 30. The embedding of such surfaces creates a greater surface area for bonding of the assembly 10 to the body panels 54.
The cross member 20 of the trim strip 12 is convex along the upper surface 22 thereof. Such convex shape has a twofold purpose. First, the convexity causes the ribs 24 and 25 at the ends of the member 20 to exhibit a tensioned force against any surface they bear against, here the windshield 32 and the body panel 54, and can be considered as "cushioning" the windshield 32 against jarring motion, the windshield 32 "floating" in the opening 56 since it does not bear against any hard surface. For this reason also, the leg portions 16 and 18 are of a length which is less than the depth of the side wall 60 of the body panel 54, keeping the leg portions 16 and 18 in a state of suspension above the flange 58.
Secondly, the trim strip 12 can be considered to be weather proofing, with rain or the like hitting the strip 12 rolling off the convex surface 22 and away from the channel 53 beneath the trim strip 12.
The assembly 10 of the present invention has a number of advantages, some of which have been described above, and other of which are inherent in the invention. Also, modifications can be made to the assembly 10 without departing from the teachings of the present invention. For example, the arm 26 extending laterally away from the leg 16 can be eliminated and the shape and styling of the cross member 20 may be varied from those shown. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims.
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The trim strip is used for trimming a periphery of a windshield. The trim strip has, in cross section, a T shape including a cross member and a base member, the base member comprising a locating member. The locating member depends from the cross member and is adapted to engage onto a locating fixture.
The windshield glass and trim assembly comprises a windshield glass having a trim strip bonded along an edge thereof to form an assembly having predetermined dimensions.
The method for forming the assembly includes the steps of:
a. movably attaching a trim strip to an end edge of the windshield;
b. providing locating means on the trim strip;
c. providing a locating mixture, the dimensions of which relate to the size of the vehicle opening;
e. laying the windshield over the locating fixture;
f. adjusting the position of the trim strip on the windshield so that the locating means on the trim strip lock onto the locating fixture; and
g. bonding the trim strip to the periphery of the windshield to form an assembly having predetermined dimensions.
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This invention relates to liquid chromatography. In one aspect this invention relates to a method for analyzing a liquid mixture of polymerizable monomers and a solvent by liquid chromatography.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Process liquid chromatography (PLC) is increasingly being used in the chemical industries to extend the analysis capabilities of process gas chromatography (PGC). In many respects, PLC can be considered as a complement to PGC. There is considerable overlap between the two chromatographic techniques since many compounds can either be vaporized or dissolved. Many PLC analyses are involved with complex separations involving compounds that are difficult or impossible to separate by PGC. These include analyses of compounds that are non-volatile, thermally unstable, high boiling and which require excessive temperatures to vaporize, or which polymerize or react on heating.
One analysis of potential commercial importance is that of the mixture of 1,3-butadiene, styrene and cyclohexane. Such an analysis would be of some importance in the monitoring of operations in SBR rubber production. However, this analysis has been difficult to carry out in the past by gas chromatography due to the tendency of the styrene to polymerize on the column. This analysis has also been difficult to carry out by liquid chromatography due to incomplete separation of the 1,3-butadiene and the cyclohexane.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved process for the analysis of a mixture of 1,3-butadiene, styrene and cyclohexane.
Other objects, aspects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the reading of the following disclosure.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided an improved process for analyzing a process stream consisting essentially of a mixture of 1,3-butadiene, styrene and cyclohexane by liquid chromatography which provides complete separation of the 1,3-butadiene and the cyclohexane. The process of this invention comprises introducing a sample of such mixture into a chromatographic column containing a partitioning material that selectively retards passage therethrough of the components of the mixture, introducing a carrier fluid into the column at a predetermined flow rate to carry the mixture through the column to effect separation of the mixture into its components, and separately determining the quantity of each component, wherein the carrier fluid is dried by passing same through a drying column prior to being introduced into the partitioning column.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawings,
FIG. 1 is a shematic representation of a liquid chromatographic system of this invention;
FIG. 2 is a curve showing a typical separation not utilizing the invention; and
FIG. 3 is a curve showing a typical separation utilizing the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The process of this invention is of particular applicability in process monitoring and control of a solution polymerization process for preparing copolymers of 1,3-butadiene and styrene, such as the process disclosed in Zelinski, U.S. Pat. No. 2,975,160, issued Mar. 14, 1961, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Generally, the mixture to be analyzed will contain 1,3-butadiene and styrene in a weight ratio in the range of 5:95 to 95:5, together with about 250 to 1000 parts by weight of cyclohexane per 100 parts by weight of the above monomer mixture.
Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a carrier supply tank 2 for storing the carrier fluid. The carrier fluid is passed through line 4 by means of pump 6 to drying chamber 8 wherein the carrier fluid is contacted with a drying agent such as for example, molecular sieves. Sample supply from a process stream 11 is introduced via line 10 to sample valve 12. This sample stream can be taken off continuously and returned to the process stream 11 via line 14 except during the period when it is desired to analyze the sample stream. At this point, sample valve 12 is switched so as to trap a small portion of the stream flowing therethrough and introduce same into line 16 along with the carrier fluid. The sample is then carried by means of the carrier fluid vai line 16 to chromatographic column 18 wherein the sample mixture is separated into its individual components. Coming out of column 18 is line 20 which carries the eluted portions of the sample to detector 22.
Many conventional parts such as temperature controllers, preheaters, pulse damping means, pressure monitors, valves and the like have been omitted from the system for the sake of simplicity but their inclusion is understood by those skilled in the art.
The drying chamber 8 is packed with molecular sieves having a nominal pore diameter of about 10 Angstroms. The drying chamber is dry packed and, preferably, is baked out at about 250° C while purging with an inert gas, such as helium, for about 12 hours.
The column 18 is packed with an alumina or silica gel partitioning material having a particle size in the approximate range of 2 to 40 microns, preferably 15 to 37 microns, and a surface area in the approximate range of 250 to 450, preferably about 300, square meters per gram. A suitable packing material is Porasil T, available from Waters Associates, Farmington, Mass., a porous silica having a particle size of 15-25 microns.
The column 18 is dry packed and is activated at a temperature in the range of 150° to 250° C while purging with an inert gas, such as helium, for several hours. It is presently preferred that such activation be carried out at about 150° C.
The carrier fluid can be any carrier fluid of suitable low polarity known in the art, e.g., n-hexane, n-pentane or isopentane. In a presently preferred embodiment the carrier fluid is n-hexane.
The following example illustrates the invention:
EXAMPLE
A 10 microliter sample of a mixture of cyclohexane, 1,3-butadiene and styrene, typical of a polymerizable mixture, was passed to a liquid chromanalyzer via a high pressure sampling valve such as is shown in FIG. 1. n-Hexane was used as the carrier fluid. The chromatographic column was 5 feet long, 50 -inch diameter tubing packed with Porasil T, having a particle size in the range of 15 to 25 microns. The carrier pressure was 1000 psig. The components were detected by a refractive index detector.
The first materials to come through the column were cyclohexane, labeled peak A in FIG. 2, and 1,3-butadiene, labeled peak B. Thereafter, the styrene, labeled peak C, came through. The 1,3-butadiene peak, B, is incompletely separated from the cyclohexane peak, A.
A second analysis was performed as before but a drying chamber was inserted between the high pressure pump and the high pressure sampling valve 12 as shown in FIG. 1. The guard chamber was 2 feet long by 1/4-inch tubing packed with Type 13X molecular sieves having a nominal pore diameter of 10 Angstroms, in 60/80 mesh powder form. A 10 microliter sample of the mixture was passed onto the column, as above. The first material to come through the column was cyclohexane, labeled A' in FIG. 3, followed by 1,3-butadiene, labeled B' and styrene, labeled C'.
It is readily apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3 that, by pretreating of the n-hexane carrier in accordance with the invention, resolution of the 1,3-butadiene peak is greatly improved.
Reasonable variations and modifications, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, can be made in this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.
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An improved method for the separation of the individual components contained in a process stream consisting essentially of 1,3-butadiene, styrene and cyclohexane is provided which comprises passing a sample of the stream through a silica-filled column in a liquid chromatographic apparatus. The carrier is passed through a drying chamber prior to introducing the carrier onto the column.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority to and is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/453,506 filed on Aug. 6, 2014 entitled CASING STRIPPER ATTACHMENT which is a continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 8,905,150 issued from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/199,197 filed on Aug. 22, 2011 entitled CASING STRIPPER ATTACHMENT which was filed on the same date that application Ser. No. 13/199,196 entitled “PIPE WIPER BOX” to Grant Pruitt and Cris Braun was filed and the same date that application Ser. No. 13/199,198 entitled “ADAPTER ASSEMBLY” to Grant Pruitt and Cris Braun was filed.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
Not Applicable.
RESERVATION OF RIGHTS
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to intellectual property rights such as but not limited to copyright, trademark, and/or trade dress protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records but otherwise reserves all rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
Oil, gas, water and geothermal wells are typically drilled with a drill bit connected to a hollow drill string which is inserted into a well casing cemented in the well bore. A drilling head is attached to the well casing, wellhead or to an associated blowout preventer to seal the interior of the well bore from the surface. The drilling head also facilitates forced circulation of drilling fluid through the well while drilling or diverting drilling fluids away from the well. Drilling fluids include, but are not limited to, water, steam, drilling muds, air, and other gases.
Such drilling fluids should remain within the well. Spillage of the drilling fluids inconvenience workers and costs money and time. Furthermore, the stripper rubber connection should be made quickly and achieve a fluid tight seal.
However, casing typically includes various diameter sections. Thus, the rubber was sized to maintain sealing contact with the casing or the smallest diameter component which traveled through the well. The rubber must be rigid enough to withstand the pressures of the drilling fluid yet resilient enough to maintain a seal on the casing and other tools as the casing and other tools pass through the well.
Present day drilling operations are extremely expensive, and an effort to increase the overall efficiency of the drilling operation while minimizing expense requires the essentially continuous operation of the drilling rig. Thus, it is imperative that downtime be minimized.
In this regard, there is a need for improved sealing of the casing and allowing different sized casing and other tools through the casing stripper.
Pressure control is achieved by means of one or more stripper rubbers. Stripper rubbers typically taper downward and include rubber or other elastomeric substrate so that the downhole pressure pushes up on the rubber, pressing the rubber against the casing inserted into the stripper rubber to achieve a fluid-tight seal.
Casing stripper rubbers are connected or adapted to the drilling nipple at the nipple base to establish and maintain the pressure control seal around a down hole tubular (i.e. casing, etc.). The casing striper rubber replaces the bearing assembly when running casing and is especially useful in containing cement or drilling fluid returning to the surface. Casing stripper rubber sizes usually vary from 4½ inches to 13⅜ inches oversized.
Known casing stripper rubbers attach via a threaded connection to the drilling nipple. The threaded connection requires a specialized casing stripper rubber with internal threads. These specialized strippers can only be attached to threaded connections. Such threaded connections create difficulties when attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber. Dirt and other debris found on the drilling nipple increase the difficulty of attaching the casing stripper rubber to the drilling nipple. After use of the casing stripper rubber, users must remove the casing stripper rubber from the drilling nipple. The threaded connection of the casing stripper rubber increases the difficulty of removing the casing stripper rubber from the drilling nipple. In most instances, users cannot remove the casing stripper rubber from the drilling nipple. Users must either cut the casing stripper rubber from the drilling nipple or otherwise destroy the casing stripper rubber to remove the casing stripper rubber.
Cutting and otherwise destroying the casing stripper rubber requires additional time and effort for removing the casing stripper rubber. The casing stripper rubber attachment of the present invention improves the speed and efficiency of attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber. The improved efficiency of attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber decreases the drilling costs by reducing downtime of the operation. Furthermore, the present invention reduces the costs of manufacturing the casing stripper rubber. Furthermore, the casing stripper rubber of the present invention provides a greener solution than the known art. The casing stripper rubber of the present invention reduces the harmful environmental effects of removing the known casing stripper rubbers.
Therefore, a casing stripper rubber assembly that overcomes abovementioned and other known and yet to be discovered drawbacks associated with known casing stripper rubber assemblies individually and, optionally, would be advantageous, desirable and useful.
II. Description of the Known Art
Patents and patent applications disclosing relevant information are disclosed below. These patents and patent applications are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,168 (“the '168 patent”) issued to Williams et al. on May 18, 2010 teaches a reinforced stripper rubber assembly with a stripper rubber body including a drillstring engaging portion having a drillstring bore extending axially therethrough. The drillstring engaging portion of the stripper rubber body taught by the '168 patent is made from an elastomeric material, has an inner surface that engages a drillstring when the drillstring is disposed therein and has a reinforcing insert receiving recess within an exterior surface thereof extending at least partially around the drillstring bore. The '168 patent teaches that a reinforcing insert is disposed within the reinforcing insert receiving recess. The reinforcing insert taught by the '168 patent includes an elastomeric material bonded to the stripper rubber body within the reinforcing insert receiving recess. A support structure taught by the '168 patent is disposed within a support structure engaging portion of the stripper rubber body. The support structure taught by the '168 patent includes a central opening generally aligned with the drillstring bore thereby allowing the drillstring to pass jointly through the central opening and the drillstring bore.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,170 (“the '170 patent”) issued to Williams on May 18, 2010 teaches an upper stripper rubber canister system comprising a canister body and a canister body lid. The canister body taught by the '170 patent includes an upper end portion, a lower end portion and a central passage extending therebetween. The central passage taught by the '170 patent is configured for having a stripper rubber assembly disposed therein. The upper end portion of the body includes a plurality of bayonet connector structures. The canister body lid taught by the '170 patent includes an exterior surface, an upper end portion, a lower end portion and a central passage extending between the end portions thereof. The '170 patent teaches that the exterior surface is configured for fitting within the central passage of the canister body. The canister body lid taught by the '170 patent includes a plurality of bayonet connector structures integral with its exterior surface. Each canister body lid bayonet connector structure taught by the '170 patent is configured for being engaged with one of the canister body bayonet connector structures for interlocking the canister body lid with the canister body.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,479 (“the '479 patent”) issued to Bailey, et al. on Nov. 5, 1991 teaches a stripper rubber for use in a drilling head to seal against a work string deployable through the drilling head. The stripper rubber taught by the '479 patent is longitudinally restrained to prevent extrusion of the stripper under pressure and to reduce the tensile and compressive stresses on the stripper rubber. The '479 patent teaches one embodiment of the stripper rubber that incorporates upper and lower metal rings which are maintained in spaced apart relation by vertical rods thereby allowing radial expansion as tool joints pass through the rubber but prevents inversion of the stripper rubber under pressure. The '479 patent teaches a second embodiment that bonds a stripper rubber into a cylinder which restrains the rubber in the vertical direction. Radial deflection is accommodated by allowing the rubber to flow vertically as a tool joint passes therethrough. Each of the stripper rubbers taught by the '479 patent incorporates an integrally formed drive bushing which facilitates mounting within the drilling head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,158 (“the '158 patent”) issued to Bailey, et al. on May 25, 1993 teaches a drilling head with dual rotating stripper rubbers designed for high pressure drilling operations ensuring sealing under the extreme conditions of high flow or high pressure wells such as horizontal drilling. The dual stripper rubbers taught by the '158 patent seal on the same diameter yet are manufactured of different materials for different sealing functions. The lower stripper rubber is manufactured from a more rigid, abrasive resistant material to divert the flow from the well. The upper stripper rubber is manufactured of a softer sealing material that will closely conform to the outer diameter of the drill string thereby preventing the flow of fluids through the drilling head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,444 issued to Williams on Jul. 15, 1997 (“the '444 patent”) discloses a rotating blowout preventor having at least two rotating stripper rubber seals which provide a continuous seal about a drilling string having drilling string components of varying diameter. A stationary bowl taught by the '444 patent is designed to support a blowout preventor bearing assembly and receives a swivel ball that cooperates with the bowl to self-align the blowout preventor bearing assembly and the swivel ball with respect to the fixed bowl. The '444 patent teaches that chilled water is circulated through the seal boxes of the blowout preventor bearing assembly and liquid such as water is pumped into the bearing assembly annulus between the stripper rubbers to offset well pressure on the stripper rubbers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The casing stripper rubber of the present invention attaches to an attachment body for installation within a housing such as the bowl. The attachment body includes a base and an attachment lip. The base provides an outer surface for securing the attachment body and stripper rubber to the housing. The clamp secures the base of the attachment body with the housing. The stripper rubber fastens to the attachment lip of the attachment body to be secured within the bowl.
The base of the present invention attaches to a pipe such as a drilling nipple. The height of the pipe extending upwards from the base may vary according to the needs at the well. The drilling nipple assists with inserting the casing into the well, a process known as running casing. The attachment of the casing stripper with the attachment body increases the bore through which the casing and other downhole tools can be inserted. Therefore, larger casing and other downhole tools can be used within the well.
The known art provides a casing stripper rubber that attaches via a threaded connection that is limited in bore size. Therefore, the known art does not allow larger drilling tools, downhole tools, casing, and pipe to pass through the stripper aperture. The known art also increases the difficulty in attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber. The present invention provides a non-threaded connection thus allowing for the casing stripper rubber to be used in different environments. The attachment of the casing stripper rubber to the attachment body taught by the present invention enables a larger bore size and stripper aperture. The larger stripper aperture of the present invention allows larger size drilling tools, downhole tools, and casing to pass through the stripper aperture of the present invention.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved casing stripper rubber.
It is another object of the present invention to increase the functionality of non-threaded stripper rubbers.
It is another object of the present invention to reduce the number of specialized threaded stripper rubbers required at a drilling site.
Another object of the present invention is to allow larger drilling tools, downhole tools, and casing to pass through the attachment body and casing stripper.
Another object of the present invention is to maintain drilling fluids within the well.
Another object of the present invention is to create a safer work environment for rig personnel.
Another object of the present invention is to simplify the method of attaching and removing the casing stripper rubber.
Another object of the present invention is to allow a casing stripper rubber system that will save valuable time on the rig, thus reducing time in which the rig is inoperable.
In addition to the features and advantages of the casing stripper attachment according to the present invention, further advantages thereof will be apparent from the following description in conjunction with the appended drawings.
These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent as the description proceeds in the following specification and the attached drawings. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention, along with features of novelty appurtenant thereto, will appear or become apparent in the course of the following descriptive sections.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the following drawings, which form a part of the specification and which are to be construed in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals have been employed throughout wherever possible to indicate like parts in the various views:
FIG. 1 is an environmental view showing one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is another environmental view thereof;
FIG. 3 is a top view of one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a top perspective view thereof;
FIG. 5 is a bottom perspective view thereof;
FIG. 6 is a side view thereof;
FIG. 7 is a bottom view thereof;
FIG. 8 is an exploded view thereof; and
FIG. 9 is an environmental view of one embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Referring to FIG. 1 , the attachment body of the present invention is generally illustrated by reference numeral 100 . The attachment body 100 is characterized by an attachment lip 110 and base 106 . The stripper rubber 112 attaches to the attachment lip 110 of the attachment body 100 . After the stripper rubber 112 is attached to the attachment body 100 , the attachment body 100 with stripper rubber 112 is installed within a housing 104 such as a bowl 104 . The clamp 102 secures the attachment body 100 with the housing 104 .
Continuing to refer to FIG. 1 , the housing 104 , a bowl in one embodiment, is installed on the drilling rig floor. The clamp 102 attaches attachment body 100 and casing stripper 112 to the housing 104 for use at the well. The base 106 has a diameter that is large enough to be secured within clamp 102 . Continuing to refer to FIG. 1 , attachment body 100 and casing stripper 112 may be removed from housing 104 and installed into housing 104 . To install attachment body 100 , the clamp 102 must be opened for insertion of attachment body 100 . The user closes clamp 102 while the attachment body 100 is within clamp 102 to secure attachment body 100 and casing stripper 112 to the housing 104 as shown in FIG. 2 .
In FIG. 2 , attachment body 100 and casing stripper 112 are secured with housing 104 for use at the well. FIG. 2 shows the attachment body 100 and casing stripper 112 installed into housing 104 for operation. The user inserts casing and other downhole tools into lip aperture 120 and stripper aperture 114 for use of the casing and other downhole tools in the well. The base 106 is sized such that the base 106 will fit within the housing 104 . The base 106 and attachment body 100 are also sized such that the base 106 and attachment body 100 will be secured within the housing 104 and not pass completely through the housing 104 .
FIG. 3 shows a top view of the attachment body 100 with the casing stripper 112 installed on attachment body 100 . Attachment lip 110 secures to base 106 . In one embodiment, attachment lip 110 is welded to base 106 . Attachment lip 110 provides a bottom surface 111 for attaching the casing stripper 112 . The attachment lip 110 has an upper surface 109 and a lower surface 111 . The casing stripper 112 attaches to the lower surface 111 of attachment lip 110 . Fastener lock bodies 108 , such as a nut, lock nut, or other locking body, secure the fastener 116 . The lock bodies 108 contact the upper surface 109 of attachment lip 110 .
When installing casing and/or other downhole equipment, the user inserts the casing and/or other downhole equipment through lip aperture 120 and stripper aperture 114 . The bolted attachment of casing stripper 112 to attachment lip 110 provides a larger bore that allows casing and/or downhole equipment of a greater size than the known art.
The bolted attachment of casing stripper 112 improves upon previous connections of known casing strippers. The connections of known casing strippers require a threaded connection on the nipple. After use of the known casing strippers, the users cannot easily remove the known casing strippers from the nipple. Dirt and other debris interfere with the threaded connection thus increasing the difficulty in removing the casing stripper. Furthermore, the threads of the known casing strippers may be stripped through use of the known casing strippers. The users found it simpler to remove the known casing strippers by cutting or otherwise destroying the casing stripper to remove the casing stripper from the nipple.
FIG. 4 shows the lip aperture 120 in greater detail. Lip aperture 120 allows the casing and downhole equipment to pass through attachment body 100 . In one embodiment, the base 106 attaches to the attachment lip 110 at weld 128 . A person may weld attachment lip 110 to base 106 at weld 128 .
Attachment lip 110 also provides a surface for attaching a pipe, such as a drilling nipple to the base 106 . In one embodiment, a pipe, such as a drilling nipple, is welded to base 106 above the upper surface 109 of attachment lip 110 . In one embodiment, the pipe is welded adjacently above the upper surface 109 . The pipe extends upward above the casing stripper 112 and the attachment lip 110 . The pipe may vary in height depending upon the particular drilling needs and the environment in which the casing stripper 112 is installed.
FIGS. 5 and 7 show bottom perspective views of the attachment body 100 secured to the casing stripper 112 . Casing stripper 112 provides a fastening head 126 . The top side of fastening head 126 contacts attachment lip 110 . The bottom side of fastening head 126 contacts fasteners 116 for securing casing stripper 112 to attachment lip 110 . The fastening head 126 extends outward from the casing stripper 112 to increase the size of the surface area of the casing stripper 112 . The fastening head 126 increases the surface area of the casing stripper 112 for attaching the casing stripper 112 to the attachment lip 110 . The fastening head 126 provides installation apertures 124 with sufficient surface for fasteners 116 to secure the casing stripper 112 to the attachment lip 110 .
The casing stripper 112 also provides adjustment apertures 118 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 for tightening and loosening fasteners 116 found on the bottom side of casing stripper 112 . The fasteners 116 are inserted through installation apertures 122 of fastening lip 110 and installation apertures 124 of casing stripper 112 . Nuts 108 or other locking bodies secure the fasteners 116 within the installation apertures to install casing stripper 112 to attachment lip 110 . The nuts 108 of one embodiment of the present invention are found above the upper surface 109 of the attachment lip 110 . In one embodiment, the nuts 108 are located adjacently above the upper surface 109 of the attachment lip 110 .
Referring to FIGS. 5-8 , the attachment of the casing stripper 112 to the base 106 will be discussed in greater detail. The casing stripper 112 provides a fastening head 126 that protrudes outward from the casing stripper 112 . Fastening head 126 is placed adjacent the lower surface 111 of attachment lip 110 . The fastening head 126 contacts lower surface 111 of attachment lip 110 when casing stripper 112 attaches to attachment lip 110 . The installation apertures 124 of the fastening head 126 enables passage of fasteners 116 for securing the casing stripper 112 to the attachment lip 110 .
In one embodiment of the present invention, the casing stripper 112 is a non-threaded rubber stripper that is attached to a rotating head. The present invention allows the non-threaded rubber stripper to be used in both the rotating head and the drilling nipple. Therefore, the present invention allows users to use a single type of rubber stripper thus eliminating the need for specialized threaded stripper rubbers. Users of the present invention may avoid purchasing and storing the threaded stripper rubbers. The present invention increases the use of the non-threaded stripper rubber to allow a user to function without the threaded stripper rubber. The user can then avoid purchasing and storing the threaded stripper rubber.
From the fastening head 126 , the casing stripper 112 tapers to the stripper tail 130 . The casing stripper 112 narrows from the fastening head 126 to the stripper tail 130 . The casing stripper 112 contacts the casing as the casing is inserted through the stripper aperture 114 at stripper tail 130 of casing stripper 112 .
FIG. 8 shows an exploded view of the present invention. Fasteners 116 pass through adjustment aperture 118 and installation apertures 124 of casing stripper 112 and installation apertures 124 of attachment lip 110 to secure casing stripper 112 to attachment lip 110 . Fasteners 118 enter from the bottom side of casing stripper 112 and attachment lip 110 . Lock bodies 108 , such as nuts 108 , secure the casing stripper 112 to the attachment lip 110 . In one embodiment, lock bodies 108 contact the upper surface 109 of attachment lip 110 to secure casing stripper 112 to attachment lip 110 . Attachment lip 110 secures to base 106 by welding or some other attachment method.
FIG. 9 shows an environmental view of the attachment body 100 secured with the casing stripper 112 and the pipe 132 . In one embodiment, pipe 132 is a drilling nipple. The pipe 132 secures to the base 106 above the upper surface 109 of attachment lip 110 . In one embodiment, pipe 132 is welded to the base 106 . The pipe 132 varies in height according to the conditions of the well. The pipe provides an inner pipe aperture extending downwards to allow passage of casing and other downhole tools through the pipe 132 , attachment body 100 , and casing stripper 112 . The inner surface of the pipe 132 defines the pipe aperture. In one embodiment, the inner surface of the pipe 132 is located horizontally outwards from the installation apertures 122 when the pipe 132 is attached to base 106 .
From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention is one well adapted to obtain all the ends and objects herein set forth, together with other advantages which are inherent to the structure.
It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
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The casing stripper attachment secures the casing stripper within a housing, such as the bowl. The casing stripper rubber attaches to an attachment body for installation within the housing. The attachment body includes a base and an attachment lip. The base provides an outer surface for securing the attachment body and stripper rubber to the housing. The clamp secures the outer surface of the base with the housing. The stripper rubber fastens to the attachment lip of the attachment body to be secured within the bowl. The base of the present invention could attach to a drilling nipple that assists with inserting the casing into the well, a process known as running casing.
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This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/348,684, filed Dec. 2, 1994 and now U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,830.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to flash spinning of fiber forming polymers and in particular to the electrostatic charge applying system within a flash spinning apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As noted in other patents and patent applications assigned to the assignee of the present invention, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (DuPont), CFC solvents are presently used to manufacture flash-spun polyolefins such as Tyvek® spunbonded polyolefin. Tyvek® is a registered trademark of DuPont. However, CFC's are believed to have harmful environmental effects such as ozone depletion and are thus to be eliminated from conventional use. Plans are very much underway to continue making Tyvek® spunbonded olefin using a non-CFC solvent. However, the system using the new solvent tends to use higher charging currents and produces product at much lower throughputs as compared to the current system. Both the lower throughput and higher charging current tend to create more polymer dust during spinning. Thus, the electrostatically charged parts tend to become coated with dust and ultimately interferes with the efficient operation of the charging system, the uniformity of the charging, and the quality of the nonwoven sheet.
The electrostatic charging system basically comprises a DC voltage source, a wand or ion gun, and a conductive target plate connected to a suitable ground and spaced from the wand. A corona field is created between the wand and the target plate by the DC voltage source and the web is directed through the corona field to pick up charged particles that are migrating from the wand to the target plate. The wand basically comprises a plurality of needles, spaced along an arc, all of which are directed towards the target plate.
As the fiber is spun into the a continuous plexifilamentary film-fibril web, some of the polymer forms a fine dust that may float around the spin cell and collect on the components therein. Some of the dust also acquires a charge and therefore becomes attracted to and collects on both the needles and the target plate. Accumulation of polymer dust on the elements of the electrostatic charging system increases the resistance (since the polymer is not very conductive) resulting in higher energy requirements to maintain a sufficient charge on the web. As such, dust tends to foul the electrostatic charging system increasing energy requirements to continue to provide a suitable charge on the web. Eventually, electrostatic fouling will cause energy requirements to exceed predetermined current levels causing the pack to be shut down for replacement.
Spin packs are commonly shutdown and replaced for a variety of reasons. DuPont closely monitors pack life and pack mortality (why the pack had to be removed from service) because of its effect on the sheet quality and the profitability of the business. As noted above, high energy requirements and electrostatic fouling are common causes of pack failure. Based on tests using pentane hydrocarbon as a solvent, it is anticipated that more dust will be generated in the spin cell and that higher charging currents will be required to obtain as suitable charge on the web. Thus, it will be very likely that pack life will become almost entirely dependent on the operational life of the electrostatic system. As discussed in other patents and applications, pack life for spinpacks in the manufacture of Tyvek® spunbonded olefin will have a substantial effect on the profitability of the business.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system which avoids the drawbacks as described above.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to provide a system which reduces the tendency of polymer or other debris from collecting on the wand or ion gun needles that will interfere with the operation of the charging system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by the provision of a cleaning system which provides a gaseous flow over the needles of the wand to direct dust and debris in the spin cell from collecting on the needles of the wand.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention may be better understood by reference to drawings of a preferred embodiment thereof. Accordingly, drawings of the preferred embodiment have been included herewith wherein:
FIG. 1 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of a conventional spinpack particularly illustrating the conventional form of the wand;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the diffuser wherein the wand is provided with the cleaning arrangement; and
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front view of the wand and diffuser shown in FIG. 2 as indicated by the arrow 3 in FIG. 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Turning now to the drawings, the invention will be described in relation to the wand as is currently configured and presently in use. The current configuration is shown in FIG. 1. The overall system is described in detail in other patents such as Blades et al (U.S. Pat. No. 3,227,784) and Brethauer et al (U.S. Pat. No. 3,851,023) which are incorporated herein by reference. Briefly, a spinpack generally indicated by the number 10, receives a polymer solution (polymer and solvent dissolved together) through a conduit 15 at elevated temperature and pressure. The polymer passes into a letdown chamber 17 near the spin orifice 18 to allow the spin mixture to drop to a slightly lower temperature prior to passing through the spin orifice 18. Upon passing through the spin orifice 18, the polymer solution enters the spin cell which has a much lower pressure and temperature.
As the polymer solution enters the spin cell environment, the solvent flashes and the polymer forms a plexifilamentary film-fibril strand S moving at very high speed. The strand S is directed to a baffle 23 where it is flattened and turned down toward a conveyor belt (not shown). The baffle also causes the flattened strand (now generally called a web W) to oscillate back and forth to lay it out across the conveyor belt (not shown) and form a batt suitable for pressing into a nonwoven sheet.
The path of the oscillating web W is between two spaced apart shields 30 and 35. A first shield 30 includes a recess 31 along an arc at its upper portion thereof. A wand 40 is mounted therein which includes a plurality of needles 42. Across the path of the web W from the wand 40 is a conductive target plate 50. The needles 42 are arranged to extend toward the target plate 50 such that the distal ends of the needles 42 do not quite project out from the recess 31.
In operation, the wand 40 and the target plate 50 are provided with a suitable DC charge and electric ground so that charged particles, i.e. electrons, ions or molecules, are formed on the tips of the needles 42 and move toward the target plate 50. The area of concentration of charged particles moving to the target plate is the corona field 48 which is generally indicated by the dashed lines extending from the needle 42 to the target plate 50. As the charged particles move toward the target plate 50 some of the particles are collected onto the web W and carried therewith to the conveyor belt. The resulting charge on the web W helps to maintain the plexifilaments in an open, spaced apart arrangement and also helps pin the web W down to the conveyor belt.
As described above, dust is formed in the spin cell by polymer debris that did not form into the continuous strand S. In the present arrangement, the needles 42 are open to any dust which gets between the shields 30 and 35. In FIGS. 2 and 3, there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention which provides greater resistance to having dust and debris collecting on the needles. In FIGS. 2 and 3, equipment that is essentially the same as in FIG. 1 has been identified with a similar number except that it is now a three digit number with the first digit being 1. For example, the first shield is number 30 in FIG. 1 and 130 in FIG. 2. That being understood, the description of the invention will continue.
In the present invention, the needles 142 are attached to a generally flat, arc shaped mounting bracket 145 such that the needles are generally normal to the plane of the flat bracket 145. The front shield 130 has a recess 132, but it faces away from the path of the web W rather than facing toward the path. The front shield 130 also includes a plurality of little holes 143 arranged to receive the distal end of each needle 142. It is preferred that the distal ends of the needles 142 protrude about 0.03±0.006 inches from the face of the front shield 130 into the path of the fiber. It is more preferable to have the distal ends of the needles protruding 0.031±0.003 inches from the face of the front shield 130. The holes 143 are also sized to have a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of each needle 142. In the preferred embodiment, the needle is 0.058 inches in diameter (not including the portion that tapers down at the end) and the hole is 0.094 inches in diameter.
The mounting bracket 145 is attached by suitable means such as bolts 146 to close the recess 132 and thereby essentially reform the recess into a plenum chamber within the shield 130. The resulting plenum chamber 132 is connected by a conduit 133 (best seen in FIG. 3) and other suitable means, such as a hose, etc. (not shown), to a suitable source of vaporized solvent. It should be noted that any gaseous fluid that is compatible with the solvent and the spin cell environment may be provided to the plenum chamber 132 to use in the inventive arrangement. As the gaseous fluid, preferably vaporized solvent, is provided into the conduit 133, it fills the plenum chamber 132 and passes out through the holes 143.
As may have been alluded to above, the holes 143 form annular passages around the needles 142 that substantially circumscribe each needle. As such, a stream of vaporized solvent moves along the length of each of the needles 142 to sweep any dust or polymer therefrom and to resist the momentum of any dust from entering the holes 143. The flow of vaporized fluid is dedicated to the task of sweeping away dust and debris and need not be very substantial as it is desirable not to change the aerodynamics of the flow of gases between the shields that accompany the web W. Typically, the flow of vaporized solvent around each needle is 0.75 scfm for a 10 needle array. This can be compared to a flow of about 260 scfm between the shields from all sources. Also, since the flow of vaporized solvent through the holes 143 is intended to be continuous, it is expected to be suitable to deflect and disperse dust or debris before it can contact the needles 142 or become firmly attached thereto. Preferably, the dust and debris is deflected into the more substantial vapor flow accompanying the web W to be carried along therewith and carried away on the forming sheet on the conveyor belt. As such the dust and debris would then be away from the electrostatic charging system and may be captured by suitable filters or other atmospheric control equipment in the spin cell, e.g. netting arrayed in the upper portion of the spin cell.
In a second preferred embodiment which is not shown, a second arc of needles is provided which is generally concentric with the first. The second row or arc of needles would include a second plenum chamber but be essentially the same as the first as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. By the second preferred embodiment, the web W passes through a second corona field and will be more likely to have a satisfactory charge applied thereto. Clearly other mechanical variations of this invention can be foreseen.
The foregoing description is provided solely to explain the details of the invention and the preferred embodiment. The scope or range of equivalents shall not be diminished by the description. For a clear definition of the scope of protection provided by the patent laws, please refer to the claims that follow.
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This invention relates to a method and apparatus for sweeping dust and debris from the needles of a wand which is for applying an electrostatic charge to a plexifilamentary film-fibril web. The needles of the wand tend to acquire dust and debris from the polymer and by the present invention the dust and debris are efficiently swept away by a gaseous fluid flow over the needles preferably so that the fluid passes circumferentially over the needles through an annular passage.
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[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 61/817,021 filed 29 Apr. 2013.
FIELD
[0002] The disclosed embodiments generally relate to a system and method for displaying information on mobile devices, and more specifically to a user interface (UI) for presenting information on the mobile devices. Further, aspects of the disclosure are also directed to mobile shopping and advertisements.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The increased penetration of Internet enabled electronic devices such as non-portable terminals, portable terminals, smartphones and tablets is causing a significant shift in the traditional terminals of advertisement. Shopping and advertising have been a big topic in the Internet industry and growing at a very fast pace. An estimate suggests that worldwide mobile advertising revenue is set to reach $11.4 billion in 2013, up from $9.6 billion in 2012. There are many different forms of advertisement delivery methods that include delivery of advertisements along with web pages, games, applications, web applications, and software. Internet based businesses rely on advertisements to promote their business according to their marketing plans. Advertisements play an important role in generating revenue for mobile content and software developers.
[0004] Conventionally, advertisements appear on websites, games, software application, video or other media, such as content displayed in browsers on various devices. The advertisements themselves are selected based on the content displayed to the user and served by automated systems, for example, in new browser windows, in page formats, or in pop-ups which take the user to a web browser. The problem with prior art methods of presenting advertisements is that the user is directed away from the application, web page or activity when the user accesses the advertisement to pursue it further, make a purchase, or explore more about the advertisement. In the case of pop up advertisements for mobile applications, clicking an ad directs the user to a web page. This leads to user dissatisfaction and may lead to negative action related to the promoted content or product. This is undesirable for a software or content developer showing the advertisement as the users are driven away from it by selecting an advertisement which reduces the time spent on their content. In case of mobile gaming this becomes a real issue because users are dropped in middle of a game leading to a negative experience towards the game. Also, because mobile phones have limited viewing space due to small screen size and screen resolution, a user cannot access a single complete webpage view and this limits space available for the advertisements.
[0005] Hence, there exists a need for a system and user interface that facilitates user exploration of advertisements or information during an activity on webpage or application without affecting it, that solves the problem of viewing advertisements or making purchases during engaging activities such as gaming, that avoids reducing time spent on an application or reducing interest due to distraction caused by opening a new browser window, and that overcomes the above-mentioned limitations of existing methods of displaying information on various devices, for example, mobile devices.
SUMMARY
[0006] The disclosed embodiments provide a system and method for displaying information on a terminal.
[0007] In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system for displaying information via a user interface (UI) that has an overlay structure on top of an application or web page which shows content related to a product or service such as advertisements.
[0008] In another aspect, the disclosed embodiments are directed to a method of displaying information on a device including showing at least a first content item on a display, upon selecting the first content item, providing an overlay of information over the display, and providing a scrolling function as part of the overlay for displaying additional information.
[0009] The disclosed embodiments include an apparatus for displaying information comprising a processor, and a memory comprising program code, wherein the processor under control of the program code causes the apparatus to show at least a first content item on a display, upon selection of the first content item, provide an overlay of information over the display, and provide a scrolling function as part of the overlay for displaying additional information.
[0010] In another aspect of the disclosed embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable components includes instructions for showing at least a first content item on a display, upon selecting the first content item, providing an overlay of information over the display, and providing a scrolling function as part of the overlay for displaying additional information.
[0011] In accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure, the content can include means for purchasing the product or service, lead information to the merchant or provide information to a user without leaving a view on which the promoted content has been selected.
[0012] In accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure, the system includes logic on the overlay structure. X-axis i.e. movements in a horizontal direction can include information related to the product such as product images, descriptions and webstore access. Y-axis i.e. movements in vertical direction can include additional products.
[0013] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the user interface includes overlay areas that can have elements such as links, maps, videos, images, text, elements and can be interactive.
[0014] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the user interface (UI) may be implemented by using one or more touch-sensitive graphical display wireless devices. The display of the wireless devices employed to implement the user interface (UI) are connected to the Internet. Typical examples of the wireless devices include, although are not limited to, smart phones, Mobile Internet Devices (MID), wireless-enabled tablet computers, Ultra-Mobile Personal Computers (UMPC), phablets, tablet computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), web pads, and cellular phones.
[0015] In another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for displaying information on mobile terminals.
[0016] Embodiments of the present disclosure facilitate displaying overlays in the screen using a user interface (UI) which shows content related to a promoted product and enable purchasing a product or service without leaving a view. The overlay layout of the UI may provide X-axis movements, i.e. movements in a horizontal direction which may include information related to the product such as product images, descriptions and webstore access and Y-axis movements, i.e. movements in a in vertical direction which may include additional products. This improves space availability for an advertisement which was previously limited by the screen size or resolution.
[0017] In accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, the user interface (UI) can be used for immediate purchasing using a “one click” approach and may include actions related to inserting credit card numbers or logging/authenticating to some web store or merchant system. The web store can be opened in a separate browser view or the overlay can be extended to cover substantially an entire screen to present content of the web store for the user. The benefit of using the UI is that the user may go back to the originating web page or application without affecting their situation after the actions with the overlays are done.
[0018] Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the present disclosure would be made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments.
[0019] It will be appreciated that features of the disclosed embodiments are susceptible to being combined in various combinations or further improvements without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments and the present application.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0020] The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, exemplary constructions of the disclosure are shown in the drawings. However, the disclosed embodiments are not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, it should be understood that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.
[0021] FIG. 1 shows example view of a screen of a mobile terminal.
[0022] FIG. 2 illustrates example of interaction in the overlays in the screen.
[0023] FIG. 3 presents logic on the overlay structure.
[0024] FIG. 4 presents an example of interaction in the user interface (UI) overlays in full screen.
[0025] FIG. 5A , 5 B, and 5 C illustrates the user interface (UI) overlays in accelerometer enabled devices.
[0026] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the user interface (UI) overlays on a web enabled wireless device in portrait mode during shopping.
[0027] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of the user interface (UI) overlays on a web enabled wireless device in landscape mode during shopping.
[0028] FIG. 8A , 8 B, 9 A, and 9 B are additional exemplary views of a screen while using the user interface (UI) for finding additional information.
[0029] FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of a computing apparatus 1000 that may be used to practice aspects of the disclosed embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0030] Referring now to the drawings, particularly by their reference numbers, FIG. 1 shows an example view of a screen of a mobile terminal (for example, an iPhone® of Apple). In step S1.1. the user may use a web browser to access web page 100 . Content can include digital content such as images, videos, text etc. In the example there is a web page of a newspaper with images 104 and 105 and some text 102 . The page can be technically implemented using, for example, HTML5, HTML, or other technologies used in the implementation of web based applications. The page can include scripts of java etc. According to the disclosed embodiments, image 104 includes an indicator 106 in the corner of the image that said image might include additional information.
[0031] In step S1.2 the user clicks/points/touches with a finger or a touch simulating device, or otherwise selects, the indicator 106 . The gesture of selecting the indicator, for example by touching, initiates an overlay picture on top of the web content. In at least one embodiment the overlay structure may be organized as set of rectangular areas of 110 , 112 , 114 . The area 110 in the middle shows details of the product which was in the image 104 . The content of the area 110 can be arbitrary but in at least one embodiment the content is related to the image. The areas 112 and 114 below and on top of the area 110 respectively have details of other products related to the image 104 or to the content of area 110 . There are areas 116 on the left and right side of the middle area 110 . The web page 100 is shown as a dimmed version 118 behind the overlay.
[0032] According to the disclosed embodiments, information content for the overlay may be downloaded from a web service at the time a user touches the indicator 106 or it can be preloaded to the terminal at substantially the same time as the web content for the web page. An example means for acceding the content can be found from commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/005,403 (published as U.S. 2012/179541), incorporated by reference herein. The overlay areas can have elements such as links, maps, videos, images, and text, and the elements can be interactive.
[0033] FIG. 2 shows an example of interaction in the user interface (UI) overlays on the screen 200 . The middle area 202 includes image, text and other information such as pricing related to a product. The overlay area has button 204 for adding the item to a shopping cart for purchase, for example, from a web store 210 . Purchasing can be done immediately using a “one click” approach, i.e. a mobile terminal would have credentials to complete purchases or the purchasing can include actions related to inserting credit card numbers or logging/authenticating to some web store or merchant system. The web store can be opened in a separate browser view or the overlay can be extended to cover substantially the entire screen to present content of the web store for the user. At least one benefit of using the overlay is providing a user with the ability to go back to the originating web page 100 after the actions with overlays are done. Button “x” 201 in the UI can be used to go back to the original web site or application, and for example, to close the overlay.
[0034] There can be other buttons such as “Want” button 208 in the area 202 . Example usage would include storing a number of “Wants” for each product in a database 212 . The information could be further shared through social networks 214 such as Facebook®, for example, by providing a status update in Facebook® : “User Hirvi.K wants to get Iittala” with a link so others might access the same item as well. Additionally there could be buttons such as “Share” instead or addition to “Want button 208 to share content or link to content of the overlay and/or underlying application or web site in social networks.
[0035] FIG. 3 shows an illustration of logic on the overlay structure of the user interface. X-axis i.e. movements such as scrolling in the horizontal direction can include information related to the product such as product images, descriptions and webstore access. Y-axis i.e. movements such as scrolling in the vertical direction can include additional products.
[0036] In at least one example there are areas 302 as marked with 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, and 1.5 through 4.5. The user view 300 is shown in the FIG. 3 . The current view would show area 3.3 and part of areas 3.2 and 3.4 on left and right of area 3.3. Areas 3.2 and 3.4 would include information related to the product shown in area 3.3. A user can scroll to the left and right, for example by swiping with a finger. As another example, when swiping a finger to the left, the area 3.4 would be in the middle and area 3.3 and 3.5 would be shown partially to the left and right of area 3.4. If user further swipes a finger to the left area 3.5 would be shown in the middle and part of area 3.4 would be to the left and part of the area 3.1 would be to the right as the selection information would scroll over, or wrap around.
[0037] In at least one embodiment, the areas on top and below the scrolled areas would not move as the areas are scrolled from left to right or right to left. In the example of swiping row 3 left and right described above, part of area 2.3 and part of area 4.3 would be shown and not moved. If a user scrolls downward, for example by swiping, the area 2.3 would be presented in the user view. The area 2.3 would be in the middle and areas 2.2 and 2.4 would be shown partially on the left and right of area 2.3. Area 1.3 and 3.3 would be shown partially on top and below of the area 2.3 respectively. If a user further swipes downward, the area 1.3 would be shown and area 4.3 would be shown partially on top of area 1.3 and area 2.3 would be shown partially below area 1.3. FIG. 3 may be implemented, for example, on a web page. The embodiments of the user interface can be applied also to an application domain i.e. on top of an application. In certain embodiments the overlay areas in the corners can be made invisible for a user (i.e. for example when 3.3 is a middle area, no content or frame of content may be shown for areas 2.2, 2.4, 4.2 and 4.4).
[0038] FIG. 4 shows an example of interaction in the user interface (UI) overlays in full screen mode. The overlay may be extended to cover substantially an entire screen to present content of the web store to a user. At least one benefit of using the overlay is providing the user with the possibility to go back to the originating web page 100 after the actions with the overlays are done. Button “1:goback” can be used for seeing previous overlays or exiting the overlays and button “2: go to other browser view” can be used to open the web store in a separate browser view. This provides a user with the flexibility of using the overlays and web browser for viewing the advertisement or the information.
[0039] FIG. 5A , 5 B, and 5 C are illustrations of the user interface (UI) overlays for use in accelerometer enabled devices (for example, an iPad®) which may have different viewing modes based on device orientation. The user interface UI overlays may generally adapt to the orientation. FIG. 5A illustrates an exemplary portrait layout mode of the device. In this example, during a shopping related activity, product information may always be on top and a carousel of products may be positioned below. FIG. 5B illustrates an exemplary landscape layout of the device turned 90° counter clockwise. FIG. 5C illustrates an exemplary landscape layout of the device turned 90° clockwise. In the landscape layout the positions of the product information and the carousel of products may depend on the direction in which the user has turned the device.
[0040] FIG. 6 shows an example of the user interface (UI) overlays on a web enabled wireless device (for example, an iPad®) in portrait mode during shopping. In the original view of the webpage on the device 600 , tapping a corner of an image opens a second layer 601 and 603 , covering the screen with a semi-transparent black layer 602 . The product or products tagged in the image of the original view 600 appear highlighted in the overlay 601 . The overlay shows key information about the “active” product such as product image, brand name, product name, price, and product description, and includes action buttons such as Buy Now. Item 603 is shown just below the “active” product and the other products tagged in the images from the original webpage 600 are shown as a continuously scrollable list. The user interface (UI) overlays follow the layout shown in FIG. 5A such that the product information is shown on the upper part of the screen and product images are displayed in a horizontally scrollable list on the lower part of the screen. Tapping on an image in the list 603 will open the relevant details for that particular product in the product information area 601 . These are some of many examples that can be used to describe the system and should not unduly limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein.
[0041] FIG. 7 shows an example of the user interface (UI) overlays on a web enabled wireless device (for example, an iPad®) in landscape mode during shopping. In the original view of the webpage on the device 700 , tapping a corner of an image opens a second layer 702 and 703 , covering the screen with a semi-transparent black layer 701 . The product products tagged in the image of the original view 700 appear highlighted in the overlay 702 . The overlay shows key information about the “active” product such as product image, brand name, product name, price, product description, and includes action buttons such as Buy Now. Item 703 is shown just below the “active” product and the other products tagged in the images from the original webpage 700 are shown as a continuously scrollable list. The user interface (UI) overlays follow the layout shown in FIG. 5B or 5 C such that the product information is shown on one side 702 and the list of products 703 are shown next to the product information. Tapping on an image in the list 703 will open the relevant details for that particular product in the product information area 702 . The placements of the items may be the same as for the portrait mode in FIG. 6 , while the content within the containers may be rotated as the device turns. This enables a user to seamlessly view the content in different viewing modes of the device and provides a consistent feel of the user interface. These are some of many examples that can be used to describe the system and this should not unduly limit the scope of the embodiments of the present application disclosed herein. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of the disclosed embodiments.
[0042] FIG. 8A , 8 B, 9 A, and 9 B are additional example views of screens provided while using the user interface (UI) for finding nearby store locations for a product using maps, for example, on a mobile terminal, which should not unduly limit the scope of the present application herein. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize many variations, alternatives, and modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein.
[0043] In at least one aspect of the disclosed embodiment, the systems and methods disclosed herein may be executed by one or more computers under the control of one or more programs stored on computer readable medium. FIG. 10 shows a block diagram of a computing apparatus 1000 that may be used to practice aspects of the disclosed embodiment. In at least one exemplary aspect, the mobile terminal, accelerator enabled devices, web enabled wireless devices, screens, web pages, views, overlays, displays, and buttons, and other disclosed devices and systems may be implemented using an instance or replica of the computing apparatus 1000 or may be combined or distributed among any number of instances or replicas of computing apparatus 1000 .
[0044] The computing apparatus 1000 may include computer readable program code stored on at least one computer readable medium 1102 for carrying out and executing the processes and methods described herein. The computer readable medium 1102 may be a memory of the computing apparatus 1000 . In alternate aspects, the computer readable program code may be stored in a memory external to, or remote from, the apparatus 1000 . The memory may include magnetic media, semiconductor media, optical media, or any media which may be readable and executable by a computer. Computing apparatus 1000 may also include a processor 1104 for executing the computer readable program code stored on the at least one computer readable medium 1102 . In at least one aspect, computing apparatus may include one or more input or output devices, generally referred to as a user interface 1106 , for example, the user interface (UI) described above, which may operate to allow input to the computing apparatus 1000 or to provide output from the computing apparatus 1000 , respectively. The user interface 1106 may include a device display, touch screen, buttons, and audio input and output.
[0045] The disclosed embodiments can be used for various purposes, including, though not limited to, enabling users to view advertisements, do shopping, browse product catalogues, etc.
[0046] It should be understood that while the disclosed embodiments have been described as implemented on mobile devices, the disclosed embodiments may be implemented on any suitable device including but not limited to non-portable terminals, portable terminals, smartphones, tablets, touch-sensitive devices, wired devices and wireless devices.
[0047] Modifications to the embodiments described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the embodiments as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “consisting of”, “have”, “is” used to describe and claim the present invention are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural.
[0048] Those skilled in the art will realize that the above-recognized advantages and other advantages described herein are merely exemplary and are not meant to be a complete rendering of all of the advantages of the various aspects of the disclosed embodiment.
[0049] In the foregoing specification, specific aspects of the disclosed embodiment have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosed embodiment. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, or required.
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A system and method for displaying information on mobile devices via a user interface (UI) includes an overlay structure on top of an application or web page which shows content related to a product or service. The overlay structure on top of an application or web page showing content related to the promoted product enables user action such as purchasing the product or service without taking the user away from the original view used for accessing the information.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to the purification of water and more particularly to a method and apparatus for producing high purity, laboratory quality water.
In laboratory work, water having various levels of purity is required for different laboratory projects. The highest quality water is referred to as "type I" water by several professional organizations and approaches the theoretical maximum level of purity (approximately 18 megohms). Unless water having this extremely high level of purity is needed, less pure water is used.
Purified water is normally provided by reverse osmosis (RO) treatment which makes use of a thin membrane to produce product water that is 95% salt free. The reject water from the membrane contains 95% or more of the salts and is usually discarded. The product water from the RO cartridge is typically stored in a storage vessel from which it is drawn when needed. Polishing cartridges which remove dissolved contaminants and colloidal particles can be used to further process the product water and provide extremely high purity type I water which is likewise stored in a tank so that it is available when needed.
The storage of purified water and particularly type I water is undesirable because contaminants from the storage vessel tend to leach into the water and degrade its purity. In addition, stagnant water in the storage vessel is subject to bacteria contamination which causes further degradation of the purity. Stagnant water in drains and other parts of the plumbing system can cause similar problems. Another problem is that the RO membrane tends to become clogged with inorganic scale and bacteria which reduce its effectiveness and useful life. The membranes are high cost items, and the need to frequently replace them adds appreciably to the cost of producing high quality water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for processing ordinary tap water in order to produce laboratory quality water which may be dispensed at either of two different levels of purity (reverse osmosis product water or type I water). In accordance with the invention, incoming tap water is prefiltered to remove chlorine, scale and particulate contaminants, and the water is then pumped to a reverse osmosis unit which produces substantially salt free product water along with reject water which contains 95% or more of the salts. The clean water from the RO unit is delivered to a faucet on the cabinet of the machine, thus making RO product water available for dispensing from the faucet in a convenient manner.
The RO product water is also delivered to a recirculating pump which circulates it through a polishing system formed by serially arranged polishing cartridges that remove dissolved organic and inorganic contaminants and colloidal particles and microorganisms in the submicron size range. The polished type I water from the polishing cartridges is delivered to a special hand held dispensing gun from which the high purity type I water can be dispensed as desired in accurately controlled amounts.
It is a particularly important feature of the invention that the high purity type I water is continuously circulated in the polishing portion of the plumbing system. The absence of water storage in the machine avoids problems associated with the leaching of impurities and water stagnation. At the same time, high purity type I water is available at all times at the dispensing gun and can be dispensed as desired.
The dispensing gun has a unique construction which facilitates recirculation and dispensing of the type I water. A pair of concentric flexible hoses connect with the dispensing gun to supply it with incoming pure water through the inside hose while at the same time accommodating recirculation of the water away from the dispensing gun through the outer hose. A special tee fitting is provided to accommodate the circulation of high purity water in the polishing system while also accommodating the compact "tube within a tube" arrangement.
The dispensing gun is equipped with a finger operated trigger which accurately controls the dispensing of high purity water. The trigger is spring loaded and normally pinches closed a supply tube in the dispensing gun. The trigger can be activated with the finger and locked in the active position to completely open the supply tube for a maximum discharge rate, as when a large container is being filled with water. The trigger can also be operated to only slightly release the pinching action on the supply tube, and water is then dispensed drop by drop or in other closely controlled amounts so that extremely accurate metering of the water is possible, as when a volumetric flask or other vessel is being filled to a precisely specified level.
The machine of the present invention also provides a unique system for maintaining the nozzle of the dispensing gun in a sterile condition. This is accomplished by providing a heated compartment in which the nozzle is stored when the dispensing gun is not in use. The heat which is supplied to the nozzle eliminates bacteria that may be picked up, and bacteria are preventd from contaminating the water by entering through the dispenser.
An additional feature of the invention is the provision of an aspirated drain system that counters any tendency for bacterial contamination to occur in the drain. The cabinet and heater drain lines are cleared by aspiration as the RO reject water flows through the drain system, and this virtually eliminates standing water in the drain lines.
Among the other features of the invention are the reuse of part of the reject water from the RO membrane in order to conserve water and the recycling of the clean product water from the membrane in order to enhance the purity of the water which is delivered to the membrane and prevent standing water in the system. The invention also provides for regular flushing of the RO membrane to periodically flush away scale and any other contaminants it may pick up, and this increases both the effectiveness and the useful life of the membrane.
The machine is self contained and can be provided either as a free standing unit or as an undercounter unit suitable for installation beneath an existing counter. Installation is simple in that all that is required is connection to the water and drain lines of the building and electrical connection to the power that is available in the building. The cabinet is an attractive structure which includes a sink and drain, a magnetically attached door panel, and a special cartridge rack which provides convenient access to the cartridges for easy servicing of the filters.
The machine of the present invention is further characterized by a microprocessor based control system which controls all operations and constantly monitors the water quality, pressure, temperature and other conditions, all of which can be digitally displayed on the control panel. If an abnormal condition arises, the system generates an audio and visual alarm and, in the event of water leakage, the alarm is accompanied by automatic shut down of the machine.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water purification machine constructed according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the cartridge rack and drip pan of the machine in their extended positions and the door panel removed from the front of the machine;
FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in FIG. 1, with the special dispensing gun extended away from the control panel and a portion of the cabinet side broken away for purposes of illustration;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken generally along line 3--3 of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken through the dispensing gun along a longitudinal plane;
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the plumbing system for the machine;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the electrical control system of the machine; and
FIG. 7 is an elevational view on an enlarged scale showing the key pad and display screens on the control panel of the machine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings in more detail and initially to FIGS. 1 and 2, numeral 10 generally designates a water purification machine constructed in accordance with the present invention. The machine 10 functions to process ordinary tap water into high purity water suitable for use in the laboratory. The machine 10 has a rectilinear cabinet which is generally designated by numeral 12 and which includes opposite side panels 14, a back panel 16, a floor 17 and a horizontal top 18. The cabinet 12 rests on adjustable feet 20. A control panel 22 projects above the top 18 near the back of the cabinet. An L-shaped shroud 24 is bolted in place to normally cover various pumps, fittings and other components of the machine that are housed within the lower portion of cabinet 12. Above the shroud 24, a compartment 26 is provided for housing a series of filter cartridges which will be described in more detail. An access opening 27 in the front of the cabinet provides ready access to compartment 26.
A removable door panel 28 normally covers the front of cabinet 12 and the access opening 27 in order to enclose the compartment 26. Panel 28 has on its lower edge a flange 30 which is provided with a pair of openings 32 near its opposite ends. When panel 28 is in place on the cabinet, the openings 32 are fitted on pins 34 which are carried on lugs 36 projecting from the front of the cabinet. Panel 28 is held in place by a pair of magnets 38 mounted on cabinet 12 at the top of the access opening 27. Panel 28 is provided with a pair of finger pulls 40 which facilitate removal of the door panel when access to compartment 26 is required. The magnetically mounted door panel 28 is preferred over a hinged door panel because it does not require significant room in front of the cabinet when open.
The process by which water is purified by the machine 10 is best illustrated in the plumbing diagram of FIG. 5. The plumbing system includes an inlet line 42 which connects through a service entrance with a source of feed water such as the existing water lines of the building. The inlet line 42 connects to an inlet pressure regulator 44 which protects the machine from excessive water pressure. An inlet solenoid valve 46 controls the flow of feed water into the machine. An inlet pressure sensor line 48 connects an inlet pressure transducer 50 to the inlet line.
The inlet line 42 for the incoming tap water leads to a filter cartridge 52 which preferably contains charcoal impregnated on a suitable filter medium. The filter cartridge 52 removes chlorine and particulate matter from the water. Arranged in series with filter 52 is another cartridge 54 containing sodium calcium hexametaphosphate which functions as an antiscalant. The water leaving cartridge 54 flows through line 56 to an inlet water conductivity/temperature sensor 58 which senses the electrical conductivity and temperature of the water. A post filter pressure line 60 connects with line 56 and leads to a post filter pressure transducer 62.
Downstream from sensor 58, line 56 connects to a booster pump 64 powered by an electric motor 65. The booster pump 64 has a discharge line 66 which connects to a reverse osmosis check valve 68. The reverse osmosis check valve 68 is connected to the bottom of a reverse osmosis pressure vessel 70 which contains a replaceable reverse osmosis membrane (not shown). The reverse osmosis membrane functions conventionally to remove 95% or more of the impurities which enter it. The check valve 68 allows the RO cartridge to be removed without excessive spillage of water.
The reverse osmosis purified water is discharged from vessel 70 through a product water line 72 which is equipped with a conductivity/temperature sensor 74 for monitoring of the electrical conductivity and temperature of the purified water. A check valve 76 in line 72 prevents reverse flow of water in the product water line 72.
The product water line 72 is connected to a recirculation tee 78 which distributes the product water for use. When there is no demand for purified water, the water which enters tee 78 flows through a check valve 80 to another tee 82. The water which leaves tee 82 flows through line 84 to the suction side of the booster pump 64. The check valve 80 prevents reverse flow of water into the product water line 72 from tee 78.
Tee 78 has a second outlet which connects with a product water line 85 leading to a flow switch 86 and then to a distribution tee 87. One outlet of tee 87 connects with a product water line 88 leading to a recirculation tee 89. The other outlet of tee 87 connects through a faucet supply line 90 with a faucet valve 92 controlled by an operating handle 94. Valve 92 controls the flow of clean water to a telescoping gooseneck faucet 96. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, faucet 96 is mounted at a convenient location on the control panel 22, and the handle 94 can be operated to open valve 92 in order to dispense reverse osmosis purified water that is delivered to faucet 96.
The reverse osmosis pressure vessel 70 has a reject line 98 which delivers the reject water to a reject manifold 100. The pressure of the reject water (operating pressure of the reverse osmosis membrane) which enters manifold 100 is monitored by a pressure transducer 102. Reject water then flows to a tee 104 which directs the water either to a back-pressure regulator 106 along one path or a solenoid flush valve 108 along another path. The backpressure regulator 106 maintains a constant backpressure on the reverse osmosis membrane. When energized, the normally closed solenoid flush valve 108 allows the water to bypass the regulator 106, resulting in a low pressure flush of the membrane. During a flush, the reject water is directed through valve 108 to a flush tee 110 and on through tee 110 to a reject drain tee 112. Connected to the downstream side of regulator 106 is a reject recirculation tee 113 which directs the reject water either to a reject control solenoid valve 114 or through an adjustment valve 115 to a check valve 116, depending upon whether or not valve 114 is open. The check valve 116 connects with tee 110.
During periods of purified water demand, the reject control solenoid valve 114 opens, directing a large volume of reject water through tee 112 and an aspirator 118 to a drain 120 for the building. A drain line 121 connects the aspirator 118 to the drain 120. When there is no purified water demand, the reject control valve 114 is closed, and the reject water is then directed largely from tee 113 through tee 110 to a recirculation line 122 which leads to the reject recirculation tee 82. The recirculating reject water then flows through line 84 to the booster pump 64. The recirculation check valve 116 prevents the flow of water in the reverse direction. During periods of no product water demand, a small fraction of the reject water is removed and sent to the drain via the reject water adjustment valve 115.
The polishing system which produces deionized Type I water includes the recirculation tee 89 which delivers the water to a recirculation pump 142. The discharge side of the recirculation pump connects with a discharge line 144 that leads to four serially arranged polishing cartridges 146, 148, 150, and 152 forming the polishing system of the machine. The first cartridge 146 contains activated carbon and removes dissolved organic compounds. The second and third cartridges 148 and 150 are ion exchange cartridges which remove ionic contaminants by ion exchange. The final cartridge 152 may be a submicron filter which removes particulate matter larger than 0.2 microns. Alternatively, cartridge 152 may be an ultrafilter cartridge, with a molecular weight cutoff of 10,000 Daltons. The polishing cartridges produce Type I water which flows through line 156 to a special tee fitting 158. A polished water resistivity/temperature sensor 159 located at the top of cartridge 150 senses the electrical resistance and temperature of the polished water.
As will be explained in more detail, the polished water delivered to fitting 158 is supplied to a specially constructed dispensing gun 160 and is circulated from the dispensing gun back to fitting 158 and then away from the fitting along a recirculation line 161. A check valve 162 prevents reverse flow of water in the recirculation line 161. The recirculation line 161 connects to the recirculation tee 89 which is in turn connected with the suction side of pump 142. The configuration of the special tee fitting 158 is best shown in FIG. 3. The fitting includes a T-shaped body 164 to which line 156 is attached through a connector 166 which is threaded onto the lower end of body 164. A nut 168 is threaded onto the lower end of connector 166 and compresses an O-ring 170 which seals line 156 to the connector. The connector 166 retains a flanged tube support 172 in the end of a flexible supply hose 174 which extends through body 164 and also through a flexible outer hose 176. Hose 176 is larger in diameter than the supply hose 174 and is sleeved around the supply hose in order to form an annular flow passage 178 between hoses 174 and 176. Passage 178 accommodates water which is returned from the dispensing gun, as will be explained in more detail.
The outer hose 176 is secured to the top of body 164 by a barbed fitting 180 on the inside and a nut 182 threaded onto body 164 outside of hose 176. Fitting 180 is somewhat larger than hose 174 in order to provide a flow passage 184 which connects passage 178 with a flow chamber 186 formed within body 164. The flow chamber 186 is isolated from the inside of the supply hose 174 and connects with the recirculation line 161 in order to deliver the recirculating water thereto. A nut 188 is threaded onto body 164 to compress an O-ring 190 which provides a seal between body 164 and the recirculation line 161.
The details of the special dispensing gun 160 are best shown in FIG. 4. The gun 160 is a hand held dispenser and includes a generally cylindrical body 194 having a size and shape to be conveniently held in the hand. The supply hose 174 extends into the lower end of the body 194 and receives in its end a flanged tube support 196 held by a fitting 198 which is in turn secured by an end cap 200. An O-ring 202 seals fitting 198 to the outer hose 176. Within body 194, the supply hose 174 connects with a compressible supply tube 204 which is held in place at the bottom by a flanged tube support 206 and at the top by another flanged tube support 208. Tube support 206 is sealed to tube support 196 by a sealing ring 210. Tube 204 extends into the head 212 of the dispensing gun and has in its end the flanged tube support 210 which is sealed to a nozzle 214 by a sealing ring 216. The head 212 is secured to the body 194 by a screw 218. Nozzle 214 terminates in a dispensing tip through which the polished water is dispensed. The nozzle may be threaded onto the head 212 or secured in any other suitable manner.
The supply tube 204 is controlled by a finger operated trigger 220 which is mounted on the dispenser body 194. A pivot pin 222 mounts the trigger 220 on the dispenser body 194, and a compression spring 224 continuously urges trigger 220 to pivot about pin 222 toward the closed position of the dispenser shown in FIG. 4. In this position, a tip 226 of the trigger 220 pinches the supply tube 204 closed, thus completely blocking the flow of water to the nozzle 214.
When the free end of trigger 220 is depressed, the trigger is pivoted against the force of the compression spring 224. The pinching of the supply tube 204 is then relieved and tube 204 is open to permit the flow of water to the dispensing tip of the nozzle. When trigger 220 is fully depressed, tube 204 is fully opened, and water is then dispensed at the maximum rate. Trigger 220 can be opened to any desired extent in order to dispense water at various rates between the fully opened and fully closed condition. A pivot pin 228 mounts a trigger latch 230 in the trigger 220. A compression spring 232 continuously urges the latch to remain in the retracted position, as shown in FIG. 4. When the trigger 220 is in the fully open position, pivoting the latch 230 against the force of the compression spring 232 elevates the latch tip 234. A slight decrease in the trigger 220 actuation will then capture the tip 234 of latch 230 in receiving notch 236 formed in the dispenser gun body 194. The contact of the latch tip 234 in the receiving notch 236 prevents further travel of the trigger 220 against the force of compression spring 224, thus locking the dispensing pistol into a fully open position. A slight actuation of the trigger 220 allows the latch compression spring 232 to pivot the latch 230 back into the retracted position, allowing the trigger 220 to actuate freely.
The construction and arrangement of the supply tube 204 and trigger 220 and the pinching action provided by the trigger permits accurate metering of the rate at which water is dispensed from the dispensing gun 160. By depressing the trigger only slightly, the supply tube 204 can be only slightly opened such that water is able to pass through the supply tube one drop at a time, and the water is then dispensed through nozzle 214 drop by drop, as when a volumetric flask is being filled to a specified level. The latching action of the trigger provided by latch 220 allows large volumes of water to be dispensed, as when large storage tanks are being filled, without requiring that continuous pressure be maintained on the trigger.
The supply hose 174 is provided with a plurality of openings 238 at a location adjacent the dispensing gun 160. Openings 238 provide passages through which the polished water can flow from tube 174 into the annular flow passage 178 which leads to the special tee fitting 158 and to the recirculation line 161.
When the dispensing gun 160 is not in use, it is stored on the control panel 22 in the position shown in FIG. 1. A boss 240 formed on the control panel 22 is provided with a pocket or compartment 242 (see FIG. 2) having a size and shape to closely receive the nozzle 214 of the dispensing gun. The fit of the nozzle in compartment 242 maintains the dispensing gun in its storage position on the machine. An electric heating element 244 is coiled around compartment 242 and heats the compartment to a temperature of approximately 90° C. The heat is supplied to nozzle 214 and is sufficient to eliminate any bacteria that may be picked up on the tip of the dispensing gun. In this manner, the dispensing gun nozzle is maintained in a sterile condition, and bccteria are prevented from contaminating the polished water through the dispensing gun.
With reference to FIG. 2 in particular, hose 176 (and the smaller hose 174 contained therein) extends within compartment 26 of the cabinet and connects with the dispensing gun 160 through a passage formed in the top panel 18 of the cabinet. Within compartment 26, hose 176 is looped at 176a, and a weight 245 is hung on the loop 176a. The weight 245 urges the dispensing gun 160 to retract toward the cabinet. When the dispensing gun is to be used to dispense water, it can be removed from the storage compartment 242 and extended to the location desired. Hose 176 then extends through the opening in panel 18 against the force applied by the weight 245. When the gun is stored on the control panel 22, weight 245 acts to retract hose 176 within compartment 26.
The filter and polishing cartridges are held on a special rack 246 which is best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The rack 246 includes opposite sides 247 and a pair of horizontal plates 248 and 249 which extend between the sides 247. Each side 247 is provided with a wheel 248a (see FIG. 2) which rides in a track 249a mounted on the inside surface of the cabinet side panel 14. Similarly, the side panels 14 are provided with wheels 250 which roll in tracks 251 on the opposite sides 247 of the rack. The wheels and tracks allow rack 246 to be fully retracted into compartment 26 when the machine is in operation, and they also permit the rack 246 to be extended out of the compartment for easy access to and servicing of the filter and polishing cartridges.
The cartridges are carried on rack 246 in two rows. The front row includes three of the cartridges (such as cartridges 52, 54 and 152) carried on the front plate 248. The back row includes the other three cartridges (146, 148 and 150) which are carried on the back plate 249. Each cartridge includes a cap 252 into which a cartridge body 253 is threaded. The filter material or other functional part of each cartridge is contained within the cartridge body 253, while each cap 252 is secured to the underside of one of the plates 248 or 249.
The construction of rack 246 facilitates changing of the filters and other servicing of the cartridges. The three cartridges in the front row are easily accessible, and each cartridge body 253 can be turned in order to unthread it from and thread it into its cap 252. The cartridges in the back row are not as accessible, but they can be reached without great difficulty when the rack 246 is extended to the position shown in FIG. 1. The back plate 249 is raised relative to the front plate 248, and a space 254 is thereby provided through which the threaded connections between caps 252 and the cartridge bodies 253 in the back row can be viewed. Consequently, the serviceman changing the filters is able to view the caps in the back row and can easily thread the cartridge bodies into them since he does not have to rely entirely on "feel" in order to start the threading of the cartridge bodies.
A sliding drip pan 255 is located at the bottom of compartment 26. Pan 255 is supported on a pair of slides 256 (see FIG. 1) which are part of shroud 24. Consequently, pan 255 can be extended beneath rack 246 when the rack is extended, and the drip pan then underlies the cartridges carried on the rack in order to catch any water that may spill when the cartridges are being changed or otherwise serviced. Pan 255 can be removed to pour out any water that it catches, and it can be slid back into compartment 26 when rack 246 is retracted into the cabinet.
The upper surface of the cabinet top 18 is provided with a drain opening 257 and with grooves 257a which direct spilled water to the drain opening. Opening 257 and grooves 257a are located adjacent to the control panel 22 where they are best able to catch any water that spills from the faucet 96 or the dispensing gun 160. As shown diagrammatically in FIG. 5, the drain opening 257 and compartment 242 connect with respective drain lines 258 and 259 which lead to a tee 260. Extending from the tee 260 is a drain line 261 equipped with a filter 262 and a check valve 263. Line 261 leads to the aspirator 118. Thus, waste water from the drain opening 257 and compartment 242 is removed by the vacuum created by the aspirator 118 from tee 112 through the aspirator and drain line 121.
The control panel 22 of the machine is provided with a key pad and a display which are best shown in FIG. 7. A main screen 264 provides a digital display of the various conditions that are monitored by the control system. The water quality of the type I water may be displayed on a megohm-cm display screen 265 which is preferably a bar type display. The key pad includes a power key 266 having an associated LED 266a which is energized when the power key is depressed to provide operating power to the machine. A flush key 267 may be depressed to open the normally closed flush solenoid valve 108, and LED 267a is activated whenever the flush solenoid is energized either by depression of key 267 or by automatic flushing of the RO membrane, as will be described more fully.
A leak reset key 268 may be depressed to reset the leak system after it has detected a leak and deactivated the machine. The leak system includes a pair of spaced apart electrical contacts 269 located on the floor 17 of the cabinet (See FIG. 2). If water leaks onto the floor, there is electrical continuity between the contacts 269, and this deactivates the machine. The machine can be reset only when the leak condition has been corrected. The leak reset key 268 has an associated LED 268a.
The key pad further includes an inlet conductivity key 270 which may be activated to provide a digital display on screen 264 of the conductivity of the inlet water (displayed in micro siemens). Key 270 has an associated LED 270a. An R/O conductivity key 272 may be activated to provide a digital display of the conductivity of the water produced by the membrane of the RO cartridge 70. An LED 272a is energized when the R/O conductivity is being displayed. A percent reject key 274 may be activated to provide a display of the percent of the salts that the RO membrane is rejecting (based on electrical conductivity). An associated LED 274a is energized when the percent reject key is active.
Temperature display keys 276, 278 and 280 are provided on the key pad. Each has an associated LED 276a, 278a or 280a which is energized when the corresponding key is active. When key 276 is active, a digital display is provided indicating the temperature of the incoming water as sensed by the inlet temperature sensor 58. Key 278 provides a digital display of the temperature of the clean water produced by the RO membrane, as sensed by sensor 74. Activation of key 280 provides a digital display of the temperature of the polished water, as sensed by sensor 159.
The key pad also includes pressure keys 282, 284 and 286 and associated LEDs 282a, 284a and 286a. When key 282 is active, screen 264 provides a digital display of the pressure of the incoming water, as sensed by the pressure transducer 50. Activation of key 284 provides a digital display of the pressure sensed by pressure transducer 102. Key 286 provides a digital display of the pressure drop from the inlet pressure transducer 50 and the post-filter pressure transducer 62.
Key 288 permits selection to be made between a display on screen 265 of the polished water quality (in megohms-cm), as detected by sensor 159, and the water quality alarm set point, which may be set by key 290. When the display is in the alarm set point display mode, LEDs 288a and 290a are energized. Key 290 can be used to select any water quality alarm point between 1 and 18 megohms-cm. Key 292 is used to activate and deactivate the audible alarm. An LED 292a is energized when the alarm is active and is deenergized when the alarm is inactive.
The machine includes a microprocessor based electrical control system which is illustrated in block diagram form in FIG. 6. A microprocessor 294 controls the operation of the machine and generates the displays on screens 264 and 265 under the control of the keys on the key pad. For example, when the inlet conductivity key 270 is activated, the microprocessor 294 causes the screen 264 to provide a digital display of the conductivity of the inlet water as sensed by the inlet conductivity sensor 50. When key 274 is active, a percent reject block 296 calculates the percent of salts that are rejected by the membrane of the RO unit 70. This calculation is made by subtracting the conductivity of the reverse osmosis product water from the conductivity of the inlet water and dividing the difference by the conductivity of the inlet water (and then converting to percentage). Normally, 95% or more of the salts are rejected by the RO unit 70. However, if the rejection percentage falls below a preselected level (such as 80%, for example), an audible alarm 298 is automatically activated to generate an audible alarm signal, and LED 274a is caused to flash. Thus, both audible and visible alarms are generated if the percent of salt rejection in the reverse osmosis membrane is abnormally low, thus indicating that corrective action should be taken.
Similarly, keys 276, 278, 280, 282, 284, and 286 can be activated to provide on screen 264 a digital display of the temperatures and pressures in various parts of the plumbing system. If the inlet temperature sensed by sensor 58 is excessive (such as above 35° C., for example), LED 276a is caused to flash and the alarm 298 is activated. In addition, the machine is automatically shut down by block 300. If the temperature sensed by sensor 24 exceeds a predetermined level (such as 40° C.), LED 278a flashes, the alarm 298 is activated, and block 300 shuts down the machine. In this manner, excessive water temperatures are avoided and both audible andvisual alarm signals are given to indicate the existence of, abnormal temperature conditions. The temperature keys 276 and 278 can be depressed to reset the machine into normal operation once the abnormal temperature condition has been corrected.
If the pressure sensed by sensor 50 is unduly low (such as if it drops below 10 psi three times within a four minute time period), LED 282a flashes, the alarm 298 is activated and block 300 shuts down the machine. Once the problem has been corrected, the machine is reset by depression of key 282. If the pressure sensed by sensor 102 is abnormally low (such as less than 170 psi), LED 284a flashes and the alarm 298 is activated. Again, the problem can be corrected and the machine can be reset by depression of key 284. If the pressure difference between sensors 50 and 62 is excessive (such as 15 psi, for example), indicating that the prefilter is clogged, LED 286a flashes and the alarm 298 is activated. After the alarm condition has been remedied, key 286 can be depressed to reset the machine.
Activation of the power key 266 turns the machine on through a start block 302, and the inlet solenoid valve 46 and the pumps 64 and 142 are then energized. A timing circuit 304 is arranged in parallel with the manual flush key 267 such that the flush solenoid valve 108 is opened whenever key 267 is depressed and also whenever the timer 304 causes automatic opening of valve 108. Preferably, the timer 304 is set to cause the occurrence of a four minute flush cycle every two hours. If the machine is inactive (power off) when the automatic flush occurs, the inlet solenoid valve 44 and both pumps 64 and 142 are activated along with valve 108 for the duration of the flush cycle.
When a leak is detected by contacts 269, the machine is immediately shut down via blocks 306 and 300. If the condition causing the leak has been corrected, the leak reset key 268 can be activated to reset the leak system 306 through reset block 308.
The selector switch 288 can be set in the position shown in FIG. 6 to cause the megohm display 265 to visually indicate the quality of the type I polished water in megohms-cm. Switch 288 can be depressed again to cause the megohm-cm display 265 to display an alarm setting which is the (arbitrarily selected) minimum water quality that is acceptable. Switch 290 can be activated to set the water quality alarm set point at any selected value between 1 and 18 megohms-cm. Switch 292 can be depressed to activate or deactivate the audible alarm. If the alarm is activated and the water quality drops below the set level, LED 290a is caused to flash and an audible alarm signal is generated to indicate both visually and audibly that the water quality is unduly low.
In operation of the machine, ordinary tap water from the water line of the building is supplied to the inlet line 42 and is directed through the prefilters 52 and 54 which remove chlorine, particulate matter and add an antiscalant. The filtered water is then delivered to the booster pump 64 which increases the pressure of the water flowing through line 66 to the RO cartridge 70. The RO membrane removes 95% or more of the impurities contained in the tap water and discharges the purified product water through line 72. The reject water is discharged through line 98. The product water flows through fitting 78 and along line 85 to the flow switch 86. The product water is then delivered to tee 87 where it is made available to the gooseneck faucet 96 on the control panel 22 of the machine. By operating the handle 94, the product water can be dispensed as desired from the faucet 96.
The reject water which the RO unit 70 discharges through line 98 is delivered to the reject manifold 100 and normally flows through the pressure sensor 102, fitting 104, the pressure reulator 106, fitting 113, valve 114, tee 112, aspirator 118 and to the service drain of the building via line 121. When there is no demand for purified water, the machine reverts to a standby mode of operation in which most of the reject water is recycled. The flow pattern in the standby mode is through pressure sensor 102, fitting 104, pressure regulator 106, fitting 113, check valve 116, recirculation line 122 and through the recirculation tee 82 to the booster pump 64 via line 84. A small part of the reject water is diverted from the recirculation path by valve 115 and delivered through tees 110 and 112 to the aspirator 118 and then to the service drain via line 121.
In this manner, during periods when there is no demand for purified water, water is conserved since part of the reject water is recycled through the RO cartridge 70. In addition, during standby operation, all of the product water is recirculated through tee 82 to the reverse osmosis unit 70, thus enhancing the purity of the water which is supplied to the intake of pump 64. This in turn allows the reverse osmosis membrane to function more efficiently in removing impurities from the water because the impurity content of the feed water is diluted by the product water.
Whenever the flush valve 108 is open, the reject water which reaches the reject manifold 100 is able to flow to the drain through fitting 102, valve 108, tee 110, tee 112, aspirator 118 and line 121. This flush path bypasses the backpressure regulator 106, and the water is able to flow through the reverse ososis membrane at a reduced pressure and, thus, an increased velocity. The increased velocity of water across the surface of the membrane cleans the membrane by removing scale, bacteria and other deposits from it. As previously indicated, the flush valve 108 is opened automatically at regular intervals in order to periodically flush the RO membrane. In addition, key 267 can be manually depressed at any time the machine is activated in order to effect a flush cycle lasting a preselected time (such as four minutes, for example). At the end of each flush cycle, valve 108 closes and the normal path to the drain is reestablished.
Water which spills into the cabinet drain opening 256 or compartment 242 drains into line 261. As reject water flows through line 121 to the service drain of the building, the water in line 261 is drawn by aspiration (provided by the aspirator 118) into line 121. Thus, gravity is not relied upon to drain water from lines 258 and 259, and the constant aspirating force applied to line 261 and tee 260 prevents water from standing in the drain lines, thus eliminating a possible source of bacterial contamination. In addition, the positive aspirating force that is applied by aspirator 118 allows the machine drain line to be placed at a higher level than the drain opening 257 or compartment 242.
The reverse osmosis product water which is supplied to faucet 96 is also made available to the polishing system. The product water passes from tee 87 through line 88 and tee 89 to the intake 140 of pump 142. The water is discharged from pump 142 through line 144 and is pumped serially through polishing cartridges 146, 148, 150 and 152. The polished water produced by the polishing system flows along line 156 to the special tee fitting 158 and is made available to the dispensing gun 160 through the inner hose 174. The water that is not dispensed from the dispensing gun 160, flows through openings 238, into passage 178 and back through fitting 158 to the recirculation line 161. The recirculating water is directed through check valve 162 and tee 89 back to the intake of pump 142 which again pumps it through the polishing system.
By virtue of this arrangement, polished high purity type I water is immediately available at all times to the dispensing gun 160. At the same time, the type I water is continuously recirculated through the polishing system and does not remain stationary such that it could be subject to stagnation and other problems associated with the storage of high purity water in a tank. Similarly, the reverse osmosis product water is recycled to pump 64 and is thus kept constantly in motion to avoid stagnation and related problems.
From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the structure.
It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.
Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
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A method and apparatus for purifying water to two different laboratory quality levels of purity, both of which are made available for dispensing. Ordinary tap water is prefiltered and treated by reverse osmosis to produce virtually salt free product water which is made available to a cabinet mounted faucet. The product water is delivered to a system of polishing cartridges which produce polished water and supply it to a special hand held dispensing gun. A recirculation pump operates to recirculate the water in the polishing system to prevent it from standing and eliminate the need for water storage. The product water is also recycled through the reverse osmosis cartridge. Some of the reject water from the RO cartridge is directed to a drain, but most of the reject water is recycled to conserve water. A microprocessor based control system monitors and displays the water quality and other conditions and generates an alarm if an abnormal condition arises.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/990,210, filed Nov. 26, 2007. This provisional application is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates in general to equipment for drilling operations and more specifically, but not by way of limitation to a mud pulsing actuation device and method for doing same.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] Conventional mud pulsing devices generate a pressure pulse by inserting a poppet which can be actuated either directly or by means of a hydraulic ram into an orifice. The drawbacks of conventional methods of actuating the pulser orifice include high electrical current demands and high maintenance costs due to the number of moving parts. Accordingly and for the aforementioned reasons, there is a need for a cheaper mud pulsing device that can generate mud pulses at relatively low power and over several cycles.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present invention relates to systems and methods for transmitting mud pulse signals in a downhole environment. In one embodiment, a mud pulser system is disclosed. The mud pulser system includes a valve; a wire comprising shape memory alloy (SMA) and operable to have a first shape at a first temperature and a second shape at a second temperature; a thermal energy source to heat the wire from the first temperature to the second temperature; and a valve poppet coupled to the wire, wherein the valve poppet is extended to close the valve when the wire is in the first shape and wherein the valve poppet is retracted to open the valve when the wire is in the second shape.
[0005] According to another embodiment, a method for generating a mud pulse signal is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a mud pulser tool having a valve poppet; providing a SMA wire coupled to the valve poppet; positioning the mud pulser tool into the downhole environment; heating the SMA wire from a first temperature to second temperature, transitioning the wire transitions from a first shape to a second shape; and retracting the valve poppet to open the valve.
[0006] The foregoing has outlined some of the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features of the invention will be described herein after which form the subject of the claims of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] A more complete understanding of the system of the present invention may be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying Drawings wherein:
[0008] FIG. 1 shows an illustrated embodiment of Measurement While Drilling (MWD) mud pulsing data transmission system of the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of the mud pulser or wireline tool of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 3 shows a different illustration of the cross-section of the mud pulser or wireline tool of the present invention as outlined in FIG. 2 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that show, by way of illustration, specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. It is understood that the various embodiments of the invention, although different, are not mutually exclusive. For example, a particular, feature, structure, or characteristic described herein in connection with one embodiment may be implemented within other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In addition, it is understood that the location or arrangement of individual elements within each disclosed embodiment may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, appropriately interpreted, along with a full range of equivalents to which the claims are entitled. In the drawings, like numerals refer to the same or similar functionality throughout the several views.
[0012] A mud pulser device is used in conjunction with a MWD system to provide relevant information about wellbore features without halting regular drilling operations. The pulser receives parameters from the attached sensors and creates a series of pressure pulses which can be observed from the surface receiver connected to the drill pipe assembly. Based on the timing of the pulses, statistics such as temperature, gamma ray count rate, or inclination and azimuth may be decoded.
[0013] Given the high costs associated with this data transmission process, existing MWD mud pulsers use a pilot valve to operate a large hydraulic ram as a means of conserving power. The hydraulic ram forces a choke into an orifice as it extends and retracts, partially restricting the flow of the drilling fluid. This main poppet which can be actuated either directly or by means of a hydraulic ram creates the pulses in the drilling pipe which are decoded on the surface.
[0014] There are, however, different actuation methods for the operation of the pilot valve. One design involves the pilot valve being operated by solenoid such that the linear motion of the solenoid directly opens and closes the pilot valve. Another design involves a rotary motor and gearing system that implements a ball screw to convert the rotary motion to linear motion. Another similarly designed alternative incorporates an oil-submersed brushless DC motor. The drawbacks of these conventional methods of actuating the pulser orifice include high electrical current demands and high maintenance costs due to the number of moving parts. Accordingly, for the aforementioned reasons, there is a need for a cheaper mud pulsing device that can generate mud pulses at relatively low power and over several cycles.
[0015] One of the major contributors to downhole failure of pulsers is the breakdown of pulser components. Motors, bearings, gearboxes, ball-screws, and other friction items are difficult to replace and add considerable expense to the operating cost of a tool. In addition, motor suppliers cannot easily and economically meet the reliability requirements desired for downhole usage. The presently disclosed embodiments of a mud pulser actuation system use a SMA wire to actuate the pilot valve of the mud pulser. Accordingly, the mud pulser actuation system provides a more direct and efficient method of linear actuation because the servo/pilot valve extension rod actuated by a compression spring and variable length SMA wire. In addition, the disclosed embodiments of the mud pulser system utilize relatively lower power and fewer moving parts than conventional designs.
[0016] FIG. 1 shows an example of a system for transmitting MWD data, indicated generally by the numeral 2 . System 2 includes rig 4 to suspend or position tool 6 within borehole 8 formed within earth formation 10 . Tool 6 may be a mud pulser, MWD tool, logging-while-drilling (LWD) tool or similar downhole device for generating mud pulse signals. Tool 6 may be a wireline tool (e.g., positioned via wireline 5 ). Alternatively, tool 6 may be a generator or battery operated tool. Tool 6 may be seated in a mule shoe in a landing sub. System 2 includes mud pump 12 to circulate drilling mud 14 within borehole 8 . System 2 includes surface device 16 to receive mud pulse signals transmitted by Tool 6 .
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of an embodiment of Tool 6 . Tool 6 includes pulser electronics 18 , which may include power supply, sensors, processors, and other electronic devices. Tool 6 includes wire 26 . Wire 26 is coupled to pulser electronics 18 via electrical connectors 22 via high-pressure electrical pass-through bulkhead 20 . Wire 26 is coupled to servo/pilot valve poppet 32 . Spring 28 is coupled to poppet 32 . Wire 26 , electrical connectors 22 and spring 28 are positioned within chamber 24 , which is oil-filled and pressurized. Tool 6 includes compensation bladder 30 , pulser flow screens 34 , piston unit 36 and valve seat 38 . Valve seat 38 is a cylindrical orifice.
[0018] Wire 26 comprises SMA material, smart alloy, memory metal, muscle wire, or any similar material that, through a memory effect, including without limitation, the one-way and two-way memory effects, can regain or be returned to its original geometry, e.g., crystallographic composition, after being deformed, e.g., by applying heat to the alloy. SMA material repeatedly switches between austenite and martensite phases at a prescribed temperatures and applied stress. When formed as wire, SMA materials will change length significantly at a specified temperature. For example, heating the SMA component of wire 26 causes wire 26 to contract while cooling wire 26 along with a minimal deformation force will allow wire 26 to return to its elongated position. As long as the stress levels remain sufficiently low, this process can be repeated for a substantial number of cycles, e.g., for as many as a million cycles.
[0019] An example of suitable material for wire 26 includes ‘Flexinol’ produced by Dynalloy in California. Flexinol is a Nickel Titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy commonly referred to as Nitinol. Nitinol wire like other SMAs has a high electrical resistance such that the resistance of the wire to electric current quickly generates sufficient heat (ohmnic heating) to bring the wire through its transition temperature and cause the wire to contract. Exploitation of such pseudo-elastic properties of SMA materials therefore, results and depends on temperature dependant reactions which alter the properties of the compound from martensite to austenite and vice-versa. Other examples of suitable materials include, without limitation, CuSn, InTi, TiNi, and MnCu.
[0020] Wire 26 is deformed by the application of heat and, as wire 26 cools down, wire 26 may recover its original shape with the help of a counter-force which resets or stretches the wire back to its original length. The temperatures at which wire 26 changes shape, e.g., the transformation temperature, is based on the composition and tempering of the SMA of wire 26 . For example, wire 26 could comprise material with a transition temperature range of approximately 140-220° C. This is sufficiently high enough to allow cooling downhole via the typical 125-150° C. mud flow. If direct electrical current is used, it could provide adequate heating to cause the wire to contract to 1.5-2% strain. Wire 26 may be selected or processed to meet specific qualifications for length, diameter, tensile strength, and transition temperature, among other parameters.
[0021] In one embodiment, tool 6 electrically heats wire 26 with an electrical current generated by thermal energy source 18 and delivered to wire 26 via connectors 22 . Thermal energy source 18 may comprise pulser electronics and connectors 22 may comprise electrical connectors. Alternatively, thermal energy source 18 can comprise other electrical sources to generate heat such as batteries, a generator or even a capacitor bank. In other examples, thermal energy source 18 may comprise a heat pump, combustion device or any other source of thermal energy conveyed by radiation or convection. As wire 26 is heated to the transformation temperature, wire 26 undergoes macroscopic deformation that is manifested as a contraction or strain. As wire 26 contracts due to heating, wire 26 displaces poppet 32 from its default position (e.g., displacing poppet 32 such that valve seat 38 is opened). As wire 26 cools and returns to its original length, poppet 32 may return to its default position (e.g., allowing poppet 32 to close the valve by blocking valve seat 38 ). Rapid cooling can be achieved by means of agitator 40 near wire 26 .
[0022] Accordingly, Tool 6 uses electrically heated wire 26 to mechanically actuate a valve to generate mud pulses. Wire 26 may act to replace traditional mechanical linkages such as a motor, gearbox, and ball screw. Wire 26 may be used to operate either a pilot valve or the main valve of an MWD system. In the example shown in FIG. 2 , wire 26 actuates a pilot valve (which includes poppet 32 and valve seat 38 ).
[0023] In one example, shown in FIG. 2 , spring 28 supplies force contrary to the direction of the force of the contraction of wire 26 . For instance, spring 28 may be a pre-loaded compression spring that will be compressed as wire 26 is heated. In this example, spring 28 provides the closing force for the valve and the contracted wire 26 provides the opening force. For example, as shown in FIG. 2 , the default (off) pilot valve position is closed. When wire 26 is heated wire 26 will contract, compressing spring 28 and moving poppet 32 to open valve seat 38 , up to the maximum strain of wire 26 . A single contraction of wire 26 may produce sufficient force to overcome spring 28 and move poppet 32 , e.g., open valve seat 38 for 1-2 seconds to produce a mud pulse signal. As wire 26 is re-cooled spring 28 will deform wire 26 and push poppet 32 back to its default position to close the pilot valve. For example, when the pulser is configured to give a servo poppet travel of ⅛ of an inch, the SMA wire with an operating range of 140-220° C. will produce a strain of up to 2%. A 6.25 inch length of wire will yield a strain of about 0.125 inches, adequate to actuate the poppet while six wires in parallel will produce a max pull force of 46 lbf. Additionally, a spring force of approximately 20 lbs will adequately close the poppet and allow compression from the SMA wire.
[0024] The mud pulser and method of actuation as disclosed herein, may be more efficient than other conventional actuation tools and methods because it reduces the number of moving parts and reduces the chance of mechanical failure, thus providing improved tool reliability. The disclosed mud pulser tool may also be more efficient than convention tools because the SMA wire directly activates the valve with no friction losses from bearings and gearings or moving parts. Additionally, there is a substantial cost benefit to using an SMA actuated pulser. An SMA wire only costs a few dollars compared to the several thousand dollars needed for a motor/ball-screw system. Furthermore, with motors having a short operating life of about 500 hours, the savings on parts and services for operating a single pulser each year, also amounts to several thousand dollars.
[0025] Other examples of the disclosed mud pulser actuation system may use different arrangements or configurations of the SMA wire with respect to the valve to fit the needs of the particular device or application. Other examples include: contraction of the SMA wire to oppose a compression spring, contraction of the SMA wire to oppose an extension spring, alternate contraction of the SMA wire to facilitate bi-directional motion, using fluidic forces to create the default closing/opening force and the SMA wire to create unidirectional opening/closing force only, or an SMA wire wrapped around a circular element to create rotational motion/force.
[0026] Although the disclosed system and method has been described in connection with a mud pulser device, one of ordinary skill in the relevant arts will recognize that the disclosed system and method may be used in any system where a valve is opened or closed by linear motion from an electrical signal.
[0027] From the foregoing detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention, it should be apparent that a mud pulser actuation system and method that is novel has been disclosed. Although specific examples have been disclosed herein in some detail, this has been done solely for the purposes of describing various features and aspects of the invention, and is not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the invention. It is contemplated that various substitutions, alterations, and/or modifications, including but not limited to those implementation variations which may have been suggested herein, may be made to the disclosed examples without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims which follow.
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A system and method for transmitting mud pulse signals in a downhole environment is disclosed. In one embodiment, a mud pulser system includes a valve ( 32 ), a wire ( 26 ) comprising shape memory alloy (SMA), and operable to have a first shape at a first temperature and a second shape at a second temperature; a thermal energy source ( 18 ) to heat the wire ( 26 ) from the first temperature to the second temperature; and a valve poppet ( 32 ) coupled to the wire, wherein the valve poppet is extended to close the valve when the wire is in the first shape and wherein the valve poppet is retracted to open the valve when the wire is in the second shape.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of our prior application Ser. No. 10/044,612, filed Jan. 11, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,683 which in turn is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/376,619 filed Aug. 18, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,428,809, issued Aug. 6, 2002.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the packaging of dry powders and particularly to the metering and packaging of precise quantities of pharmaceuticals and drugs for medical uses. The invention has particular utility in the metering and packaging of dry powders, particularly precise amounts of dry powder pharmaceuticals and drugs, and will be described in connection with such utility, although other utilities are contemplated.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The convenience of administering a single dose of a medication which releases multiple active ingredients in a controlled fashion and in a chosen location over an extended period of time, as opposed to the administration of a number of single doses at regular intervals, has long been recognized in the pharmaceutical arts. The advantage to the patient and clinician in having consistent and uniform blood levels of medication over an extended period of time are likewise recognized. The advantages of a variety of controlled-release dosage forms are well known. Among the most important advantages are: (1) increased contact time for the drug to allow for local activity in the stomach, small intestine, colon, or other locus of activity; (2) increased and more efficient absorption for drugs which have specific absorption sites; (3) the ability to reduce the number of dosages per period of time; (4) employment of less total drug; (5) minimization or elimination of local and/or systemic side effects; (6) minimization of drug accumulation associated with chronic dosing; (7) improved efficiency and safety of treatment; (8) reduced fluctuation of drug level; and (9) better patient compliance with overall disease management.
Additionally, many experts believe controlled release drug delivery has many important non-therapeutic ramifications as well, including a financial saving to the patient in terms of fewer lost work days, reduced hospitalization and fewer visits to the physician.
It is known that certain design parameters are critical to proper drug delivery. Typically, they are: (1) delivering the drug to the target tissue; (2) supplying the drug for a predetermined period of time; and (3) fabricating a delivery system that provides drug in the desired spatial and temporal pattern. Controlled release drug delivery systems are intended to utilize these parameters to achieve the aforementioned advantages as compared to conventional pharmaceutical dosing.
Previously direct placement of medication onto a substrate generally was limited to medical placement of large doses or required technology where the active pharmaceutical was mixed with the substrate or matrix to provide differential delivery, or coated with a material with desired release characteristics.
As used herein “controlled-release” is used to describe a system, i.e. method and materials for making an active ingredient available to the patient in accordance with a preselected condition, i.e. time, site, etc Controlled-release includes the use of instantaneous release, delayed release and sustained release. “Instantaneous release” refers to immediate release to the patient. “Delayed release” means the active ingredient is not made available until some time delay after administration. Typically, dosages are administered by oral ingestion, although other forms of administration are contemplated in accordance with the present invention. “Sustained release” refers to release of active ingredient whereby the level of active ingredient available to the patient is maintained at some level over a period of time. The method of effecting each type of release can be varied. For example, the active-ingredient can be placed on a semi-permeable membrane having predetermined diffusion, dissolution, erosion or breakdown characteristics.
Alternatively, the active ingredient can be masked by a coating, a laminate, etc. Regardless of the method of providing the desired release pattern, the present invention contemplates delivery of a controlled-release system which utilizes one or more of the “release” methods and materials. Moreover, the present invention advantageously can be employed in the development of multiple different release system(s).
The patent and scientific literature is replete with various sustained release (SR) methods and materials. For common methods of obtaining SR systems, see “Sustained and Controlled Release Drug Delivery Systems,” Robinson, Joseph R., Ed., PP 138-171, 1978, Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, N.Y. For example it is known to fill polymeric capsules with a solid, liquid, suspension or gel containing a therapeutic agent which is slowly released by diffusion through the capsule walls. Heterogeneous matrices, for example, compressed tablets, control the release of their therapeutic agents either by diffusion, erosion of the matrix or a combination of both. Other SR systems focus on the fabrication of laminates of polymeric material and therapeutic agent which are then formed into a sandwich, relying on different diffusion or erosion rates to control release of the therapeutic agent. Liquid-liquid encapsulation in a viscous syrup-like solution of polymer also has been known to be useful in controlling release of the therapeutic agent. Additionally, it is generally known that heterogeneous dispersions or solutions of therapeutic agents in water-swellable hydrogen matrices are useful in controlling the release of the agent by slow surface-to-center swelling of the matrix and subsequent diffusion of the agent from the water-swollen part of the matrix.
During dissolution of a controlled-release matrix tablet, the dosage form generally remains as a non-disintegrating, slowly eroding entity from which the therapeutic agent leaches out, through a diffusion controlled process. Conventional SR formulations are generally designed to release their active ingredients over an extended period of time, usually 8-24 hours. Conventional SR formulations use waxes or hydrophilic gums as the primary drug carriers to prolong the release of the active ingredients.
Starch USP (potato or corn) is commonly used as a component in conventional tablet or hard shell capsule formulations.
The existing sustained release technologies generally involve relatively complicated formulations and manufacturing processes which often are difficult and expensive to precisely control. For example, one well known SR delivery system, OROS, marketed by the Alza Corporation, involves laser drilling through a tablet to create passages for the release of the drug from the tablet core. In controlled release technologies, it is desirable to be able to incorporate the active ingredient in its controlled-release pattern in a single dosage unit without deteriorating the active ingredient. Moreover, the dosage unit should be able to deliver the system without interfering with its release pattern.
Various methods have been devised to enable controlled-release systems to be delivered to a patient without destruction of the delivery system during manufacturing, handling and distribution. For example, controlled-release systems have been provided in the form of beads or particles which are packaged in a gelatin capsule for oral dosage. This method of delivery of the controlled-release system prevents damage to the coating on the beads.
Furthermore, when controlled-release active ingredients are incorporated in compression tablets, it may be difficult for many people to swallow such tablets. Moreover; dissolution of high compression tablets often initially is slow and erratic and may result in localized hot spots of alimentary tract irritation where disintegration and release of the active ingredient finally occurs. And, present systems do not allow for the accurate deposition of doses of powdered medication onto different substrates either in single packets, layered packet, or multipackets on the same plane of the base substrate. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by offering a simple and inexpensive means of incorporating active ingredient (the drug) with a multitude of controlled-release systems.
In our earlier U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,649, granted Dec. 23, 1997, we describe a method and apparatus for packaging microgram quantities of fine powders such as pharmaceuticals using electrostatic phototechnology techniques. More particularly, as described in our aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,649, the ability of powders to acquire an electrical charge advantageously is utilized for precisely measuring exact microgram quantities of the powder, whereupon these exact microgram quantities are then placed in individual containers, and the containers sealed.
Electrostatic charge has been employed to attract a given quantity of powder to a surface. An example of this is the laser printer or the electrostatic copy device where a drum is charged and toner particles are attracted and held in position by the charge. The charge on the drum is neutralized by the attracted toner powder, thus limiting the amount of toner in accordance with the charge image on the drum. The charged powder on the printer drum is then transferred to a sheet of paper or other carrier to give a final image. In our U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,649, electrostatic charge technology is employed for transferring a predetermined amount of a finely powdered pharmaceutical or drug to a carrier or an intermediate such as a drum, carrying a charge of predetermined intensity and area, rotating the charged drum surface, carrying the predetermined amount of powdered pharmaceutical or drug on its surface, to a transfer station where the charge is overcome and the dry powder is transferred to a package which is then sealed. In lieu of a drum, a belt, or other movable surface is charged to a given potential in a localized area. Alternatively, a predetermined amount of powdered pharmaceutical or drug may be deposited directly in a package using electrostatic charge technology.
When a given amount of a powdered pharmaceutical or drug is to be packaged, the charge and area of charge can be determined experimentally for each dose of pharmaceutical or drug and each particle size distribution. This can be done by controlling either the charged area for a given charge density or the total electrostatic charge on any individual charged area. These conditions can be adjusted to provide essentially the exact desired amount of the particular pharmaceutical or drug to be transferred at the transfer station.
In our U.S. application Ser. No. 09/097,104, we describe another electrostatic charge technology which may be adopted to be used for measuring and packaging unit doses of a pharmaceutical or drug in a readily ingestible form, i.e. as a tablet or capsule. The technology thus described also permits reproducible precise measurement and packaging of a pharmaceutical or drug, and which may be scaled from laboratory to pilot plant to full scale production without the need for recertification.
BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, controlled quantities of powdered medication are formed in controlled release packages using electrostatic metering technology. The present invention also provides, in another aspect, combination medication delivery systems in which the active ingredients are segregated from one another
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further features and objects of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals depict like parts, and wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram showing the various steps involved in practicing the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a controlled release tablet made in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 1 , and showing alternative steps involved in practicing the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a view, similar to FIG. 2 , and showing an alternative form of a controlled release tablet made in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 , and showing yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a view, similar to FIG. 2 , and showing yet another embodiment of the invention; and
FIGS. 7-9 are views similar to FIG. 2 , and showing yet other embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIG. 1 , there is a schematic flow diagram of the various pieces of equipment needed to perform in the total process from powder supply to packaged pharmaceutical or drug, i.e. in controlled release tablet form, containing a specified amount of pharmaceutical or drug powder in the tablet or package. At 16 is indicated the pharmaceutical or drug powder supply which is fed into a device 18 for creating an aerosol of the powder. Next the powder particles are ionized at 20 . As will be indicated later, a number of these steps and pieces of equipment can be combined. At 24 is indicated a carrier surface capable of maintaining a space charge on its surface. This can be a plastic belt, for example, or a selenium drum of the type used in Xerox™ photocopiers. This carrier surface 24 is passed through a charging station 25 where a predetermined electrostatic charge 25 A (an electrostatic “image”) is created on a predetermined area of the transfer surface. This charged surface 25 A then passes through a step 26 wherein powder is deposited on the carrier surface in a sufficient amount 26 A to neutralize the charge carried by the carrier surface. Thereafter, the carrier surface, carrying the predetermined amount 26 A of powder on its surface, is passed to a powder discharging device 30 which discharges the powder 26 A from the surface 24 onto a membrane 29 . Alternatively, the powder may be placed directly onto the membrane 29 . The membrane 29 containing its charge of powder 26 A, then passes through a sealing step 32 wherein a second membrane 34 which may be porous, permeable or semi-permeable covers and seals the discharged powder 26 A on the membrane 29 . There is thus produced an aliquot of powdered medicine 26 A sandwiched between semi-permeable or permeable membranes 29 and 34 .
This sandwiched material is then passed to a cutting station 38 wherein the sandwich is cut into individual tablets or wafers 36 .
As mentioned previously in discussing FIG. 1 , the carrier surface with the electrostatic charge carries a known amount of charge on its surface and the polarity of this charge is opposite to that of the powder particles suspended in the chamber. The charged particles migrate to the charged surface because of the attraction by the opposite nature of the charges. This migration of the particles continues until the charge on the carrier surface is neutralized.
The actual amount of powder mass transferred to the carrier surface is a function of the mass-to-charge ratio of the charged particles. Although it is difficult to achieve a linear relationship between the mass and the actual charge, it is possible to establish a fixed relationship between the surface area of the powder particles and the charge the powder particle is carrying at charge saturation. However, the surface area of a mixed group of powder particles of different sizes and shapes can be extremely difficult to calculate mathematically, particularly when the shapes are irregular, (e.g. non-spherical, microcrystalline, etc.) As mentioned earlier, the simplest method of determining the amount and area of charge to attract a given weight of particles is to estimate the correct area and charge and then apply the estimated charge to the estimated area on the carrier surface 24 and expose this selectively charged area to a mass of powder which has been ionized in the ionizing step. The amount of powder deposited can then be readily measured at the discharge step. Thereafter, either the size of the charged area or the amount of charge applied to the area at the charging station 25 can be adjusted upwardly or downwardly to provide the correct amount of charge, both in area and charge intensity, for picking up a desired weight of oppositely charged powder. Likewise, using the technology of our co-pending application Ser. No. 09/097,104, larger quantities of medication may be deposited.
A feature and advantage of the present invention is to produce carefully controlled doses of controlled release medication. Electrostatic metering and packaging as above described permits exact dosing. And, by employing selected porous, permeable or semi-permeable membranes for encapsulating the powdered medicine aliquots, drug release rate and also site of drug release can be determined by adjusting membrane material and/or membrane thickness.
The membranes should be formed of ingestible materials having a selected permeability porosity to fluids at a selected site or sites within the alimentary canal, so as to permit controlled release of the medication. By way of example, one or both membranes 29 , 34 may comprise acid-dissolvable materials when it is desired to release the medication into the stomach or the membranes 29 , 34 may be alkaline-dissolvable materials at differing pH's to release into chosen locations within the intestine. Porosity, membrane thickness, etc., may be selected to provide desired rate of dissolution at the site of interest.
The invention is susceptible to modification. For example, referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 by adding a second powdered medicine supply and discharge station (shown generally at 40 ), a two-component controlled release tablet 48 may be formed (see FIG. 4 ) incorporating two different powdered medicines 50 , 52 , encapsulated between membranes 29 and 34 for simultaneous controlled release.
Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 5 , two different drugs 60 , 62 may be layered on one another, separated by a membrane 64 so the two medications may be delivered sequentially either in the same location, or in different locations within the alimentary canal. Another feature and advantage of the multi-drug tablet of FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 , as will be discussed in detail herein below, is that two normally incompatible drugs may be to be safely packaged in a single tablet.
The invention is susceptible to modification. For example, individual doses may be formed by electrostatic deposition in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,714,007.
Other possibilities are possible. For example, referring to FIG. 6 , the tablet 70 may incorporate an adhesive layer 72 such as a mucosal adhesive, which in turn is covered by an acid or alkaline dissolvable protective membrane 74 , which dissolves at a selected site allowing the adhesive to adhere, for example, to the intestinal wall, thereby increasing residence time of the medication in a chosen location. Alternatively, an acid or alkaline activatable adhesive may be applied to the outer surface of the tablet. In yet another possibility, the membrane may be a material which expands on contact with the acid or alkaline in the alimentary canal and becomes more porous whereby to slowly release medication in a chosen location within the alimentary canal.
As mentioned above, a particular feature and advantage of the present invention is that it permits packaging, within a single tablet of two or more different drugs normally considered to be incompatible. Certain drugs are known to cause undesirable side effects which need to be countered by a second drug. For example, Omeprazole 1 which finds substantial utility as an oral antiulcer agent, also is known to block the release of B12 from its protein binding site in food. This can lead to pernicious anemia. The present invention permits packaging of time-release Omeprazole with Vitamin B12 in an appropriate dosage of, e.g. 25 μgm-1 mg. After taking the medication, one membrane will dissolve allowing absorption of the B12, while the remaining membrane package carrying the Omeprazole will pass into the small intestine where the drug is released and absorbed.
The invention is susceptible to modification. For example, while the membranes have been described as being preformed, permeable, semipermeable or porous material, one or both membranes could be formed in place from a gel or liquid. The ability to accurately place the dose of medication onto a plurality of substrates and seal the dose with other membranes in accordance with the present invention, allows for the fabrication of many different dosage forms; by altering the substrates and encapsulating material a single unit dose form can be fabricated with a plurality of different drugs in different coverings, membranes and barriers. This will provide a single dosage form with multiple active ingredients each being delivered to the appropriate site for absorption. Alternatively, two or more active medicaments may be combined in a single delivery container, i.e. pill, capsule or caplet without actually mixing the two or more ingredients. For example, referring to FIG. 7 , the active ingredients are segregated from one another in a compartmentalized capsule 100 . Alternatively, two or more tablets 102 , 104 each containing only one active ingredient, could be placed in a larger absorbable capsule or encased in a larger tablet 106 . Or, as shown in FIG. 9 , two or more active ingredients could each be formulated as encapsulated particles 108 A, 108 B, and the encapsulated mixed particles placed in a capsule 110 where the only contact is between the particle inert coatings, etc.
There are many drugs which could benefit from combinations to improve patient benefit. However, with many active ingredients, there is a question of chemical interaction. Thus, several drugs are normally prescribed as separate tablets or capsules which presents a problem in terms of patient compliance, e.g. TB triple therapy, AIDS multi-drug therapy, anti-infectives, etc. Also, delivery of two or more active medicaments could reduce side effects, and/or improve therapeutic response which may in turn permit a decrease in the required dosage. By way of example, we provide the following combinations:
(1) Omeprazole 1 and analogs and isomers—As noted above Omeprazole is an inhibitor of gastric secretion and also inhibits the absorption of certain drugs/compounds that require stomach acid such as Vitamin B12, the deficit of which results in pernicious anemia. A combination of B12 with Omeprazole would eliminate the potential problem.
(2) Valacyclovir 2 and analogs and is used to treat Herpes Zoster. It is well known that two drugs Cimetidine 3 and Probenecid 4 both increase the AUC (area under curve) and Cmax. A combination drug can be constructed with a combination of either one or more of these components to provide more efficacy.
(3) Enalapril 5 and analogs and isomers is an ACE inhibitor used for the treatment of hypertension. This drug has been used with the following and analogs and isomers beta adrenegic-blocking agents, methyldopa, nitrate, calcium blocking agents, hydrazinc, Prazosin 6 and Digoxin 7 without clinically significant side effects. One or more of these agents may be combined with Enalapril to improve the compliance of patient with hypertension and hypertension and other cardiac diseases.
(4) Ketoconazole 8 and analogs and isomers is used to treat fungal infections. One of the side effects is the reduction of Testosterone. This side effect could be helped by the combination of Testosterone or one of its isomers or analogs to overcome the side effect.
(5) Omeprazole 1 and analogs and isomers is also used in combination with Clarithoromycin 1 for ulcer treatment. These two drugs may be combined as a single dose for patient compliance.
(6) Tamoxifen 10 and analogs and isomers used in treatment of breast cancer has a +/−30% incident of water retention with weight gain>5%. This can be a disturbing consequence for patients with an even more disturbing disease. The addition of a diuretic or combination diuretic to form a single dosage form for reduction in side effect and compliance.
(7) Isotretinoin 11 and analogs and isomers used for the treatment of postular acne has a severe danger if taken by a woman who is pregnant. The incorporation of oral contraceptive medication would eliminate the potential for pregnancy while medicated.
(8) Metformin HCl 12 and analogs and isomers are hypoglycenic agents which have been used in combination with Solfonylurea 13 and analogs and isomers to treat Type 2 Diabetes. These two agents act in different ways on reducing glucose levels. A combination would be helpful for those patients requiring more aggressive oral therapy for their diabetes.
It should be noted that certain combination drugs, including some of the above-listed combination drugs, also may be blended and packaged in a single tablet or capsule, when chemical interaction is not a problem.
The present invention also allows for the rapid production of different dosage medications using the same active ingredient, and allows for the development of medications with longer resident time.
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Controlled quantities of powdered medication are formed in controlled release packages using electrostating metering. Also provided are combination medication therapy delivery packages comprising two or more active pharmaceuticals segregated from one another in a single delivery package.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus for classifying photographed image data into a plurality of groups and managing the image data.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] For video and digital cameras, there have conventionally been available many products which include a photographing mode for enabling a user to freely set various functions and an automatic mode for enabling easy handling. For example, in the automatic mode, basic photographing is carried out, e.g., making automatic exposure, focusing, white balancing and the like, and hand shaking correction is operative but special effects are inhibited(e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-53368).
[0005] Recently, the capacity of data recording media such as a memory cards or optical cards has dramatically increased, and video camera products that use memory cards or optical disks as recording media have emerged. One of the features of video cameras that use memory cards or optical disks is a management function or an edit function of rearranging or combining recorded contents by utilizing random accessibility (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-278996). According to the invention of this patent, contents can be freely grouped regardless of a general file system.
[0006] One of the edit functions is to create a so-called playlist and execute the contents of the list. This playlist is classified into a list which only arranges contents and a list which designates a reproducing start time and a reproducing end time for all contents and enables more meticulous reproduction control.
[0007] In the case of optical disks and memory cards, unlike video tape, a position where reproduction was stopped is not mechanically set. Thus, a function called a resume is generally mounted which stores a reproduction stopping position (address) and starts reproduction from this reproduction stopping position next time reproduction is started. As the resume function, a method of storing a stopping position for each title, and a method of storing a last stopping position with respect to the entire disk may be employed. The user may select one of the two methods from a menu.
[0008] However, the automatic mode described above is designed only to automate a camera function during photographing, but not to operate in conjunction with a recording method such as grouping.
[0009] Furthermore, an edit mode is not available which can easily create a playlist when a switch is turned on for setting the camera function to the automatic mode. The same holds true for a contents displaying method and a resume method of the reproduction mode.
[0010] Thus, even when the automatic mode is set, the user must set additionally a resume function for reproducing, grouping, conditions for playlist creation, and the like each time. Such process may be burdensome for a beginner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] One aspect of the present invention is to solve various problems described above.
[0012] Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which automates not only a photographing function but also processing such as grouping of photographed image data which enables easy use even for a beginner.
[0013] According to one aspect of the present invention, an imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit that images and converts objects into image signals, a photographing function setting unit that optionally sets operation conditions of the imaging unit, a recording unit that classifies the image signals obtained by the imaging unit into groups and records the image signals on a recording medium, a group condition setting unit that optionally sets conditions for classifying the image signals recorded by the recording unit into the plurality of groups, and a mode switching unit that switches between a recording manual setting mode for causing the imaging unit to execute photographing in accordance with the operation conditions set by the photographing function setting unit and the recording unit to classify and record the image signals in accordance with the condition set by the group condition setting unit and a recording automatic setting mode for causing the imaging unit to execute photographing in accordance with predetermined operation conditions and the recording unit to classify and record the image signals in accordance with predetermined conditions.
[0014] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading of the following detailed description of embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a video camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] FIGS. 2A to 2 C show appearances of the video camera.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows a file structure and a directory recorded on an optical disk.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a state of a management file.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a descriptive example of a management file.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a structure of a time map table.
[0022] FIG. 7 shows an entry frame and a time search entry frame of moving image data.
[0023] FIG. 8 shows a descriptive example of a management file.
[0024] FIG. 9 shows a display example of an original group.
[0025] FIG. 10 shows a descriptive example of a management file.
[0026] FIG. 11 shows a descriptive example of a management file.
[0027] FIG. 12 shows a descriptive example of a management file.
[0028] FIG. 13 shows a display example of an original group.
[0029] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a recording operation according to the embodiment.
[0030] FIG. 15 shows a display example of an original group.
[0031] FIG. 16 shows a setting menu display example of a camera function.
[0032] FIG. 17 shows a setting menu display example of a camera function.
[0033] FIG. 18 shows a display example of a thumbnail screen in a reproducing mode.
[0034] FIG. 19 shows a display example of a thumbnail screen in the reproducing mode.
[0035] FIG. 20 shows a display example of a thumbnail screen in the reproducing mode.
[0036] FIG. 21 shows a display example of a thumbnail screen in the reproducing mode.
[0037] FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a reproducing operation.
[0038] FIG. 23 shows a descriptive example of a management file.
[0039] FIG. 24 shows a descriptive example of a management file.
[0040] FIG. 25 shows a reproducing operation.
[0041] FIG. 26 shows a descriptive example of a playlist file.
[0042] FIG. 27 shows a descriptive example of a playlist file.
[0043] FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing a reproducing operation.
[0044] FIG. 29 shows a display example of a warning dialogue.
[0045] FIG. 30 shows a display example of a warning dialogue.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0046] FIGS. 2A to 2 C show appearances of a video camera 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. A basic system will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2 C.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 2A , a reference numeral 201 denotes a video camera main body. A recording medium such as a hard disk or an optical disk is placed in the video camera main body 201 , and encoded image data is recorded/reproduced on/from the recording medium by a moving picture experts group (MPEG) 2 system or the like. A reference numeral 202 denotes a lens, and a reference numeral 203 denotes a microphone provided to record voices during photographing. A reference numeral 204 denotes an electronic view finder (EVF) provided to capture or confirm an object during camera photographing. The EVF 204 can be turned OFF by a control (not shown) in the main body. A reference numeral 205 denotes a trigger switch. The trigger switch 205 is a push button operated by a user to transmit the direction to start or finish photographing. A reference numeral 206 denotes a mode dial, i.e., a rotary switch.
[0048] A reference numeral in FIG. 2A shows a front of the mode dial 206 . In the mode dial 206 , for example, “REPRODUCE” for setting a reproducing mode, “CAMERA” for setting a camera mode, and “OFF” for turning main power OFF are marked. A reference numeral 212 denotes a bar marked in the main body. The mode dial 206 is rotated by user operation, and started in a mode matched with a position of the bar 212 . In the reproducing mode, there are functions of turning OFF the camera, reproducing recorded images, and editing and deleting the images. The main purpose of camera mode, on the other hand, is photographing.
[0049] A reference numeral 207 denotes an operation switch group in which keys especially for reproducing system and menu operations and the like are arranged to enable the user to operate the main body. A reference numeral 208 denotes a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel mounted to a main body side face so as to be freely opened/closed. Similar to the EVF 204 , an object image for photographing is confirmed and a reproduced image is displayed on the LCD panel 208 . The LCD panel 208 can be turned OFF by a control in the main body (not shown), similar to the EVF 204 . The LCD panel 208 can be rotated in a horizontal direction from the main body while in its opened position.
[0050] A reference numeral 211 denotes a panel opening/closing detection switch for electrically detecting a closed position of the LCD panel 208 . According to the embodiment, there is a projection in a frame of the LCD panel 208 and the panel opening/closing detection switch 211 is pressed in the closed position. A control system can recognize two states, i.e., press and release states, of the panel opening/closing detection switch 211 . A reference numeral 209 denotes a speaker for outputting a voice during reproducing, a reference numeral 210 denotes a battery detachably attached to the main body, and a reference numeral 220 denotes a photographic mode changing switch which selects an automatic mode or a program AE mode.
[0051] FIGS. 2B and 2C show the photographic mode changing switch 220 . A reference numeral 220 a denotes an automatic mode mark, a reference numeral 220 b denotes a program AE mode mark, and both are marked in the main body by printing or the like. A reference numeral 220 c denotes a slide switch which slides left and right to transmit the two states to a microcomputer 110 (described later). FIG. 2B shows a state in which the automatic mode is set, and FIG. 2C shows a state in which the program AE mode is set.
[0052] In the automatic mode photographing conditions such as focus, exposure, and white balance are automatically set in accordance with predetermined conditions. On the other hand, the program AE mode enables the user to set the conditions in accordance with the user's preference. Generally a consumer video camera allows a user, in the AE program mode, to select a pattern matched with a typical photographing condition for exposure.
[0053] As the program AE mode, the embodiment provides a sports mode for photographing a fast-moving object, a portrait mode for photographing a human or the like by blurring the background, a spotlight mode for photographing an object illuminated by a spotlight, and automatic mode which is in principle automatically set, and the like. Many types of recent video cameras include hand shaking correction functions because of high zoom magnification. In such video cameras, in the automatic mode, the hand shaking correction function is forcibly made effective. In the program AE mode, conditions are set by the user.
[0054] In short, the automatic mode enables the user to photograph by its simple operation of zooming and instructing a start/end of photographing, and the program AE mode enables the user to set various photographing functions.
[0055] FIG. 1 shows an internal configuration of the video camera 100 of FIG. 2A .
[0056] Referring to FIG. 1 , a reference numeral 130 denotes a lens unit which includes a fixed lens group for converging lights, a variable power lens group, a diaphragm, and a correction lens group having functions of correcting an image forming position shifted by a movement of the variable power lens group and adjusting a focus. By the lens unit 130 , an object image is lastly formed on an image forming surface of a CCD 131 (described below). The reference numeral 131 denotes a charge coupled device (CCD) for converting a light into charges to generate an image signal, and a reference numeral 132 denotes an A/D processing unit for executing predetermined processing for an imaging signal to output digital image data. The lens unit 130 , the CCD 131 , and the A/D processing unit 132 constitute a camera unit. The camera unit includes a variable power lens group (not shown), an actuator such as a diaphragm, a sensor for correcting hand shaking (e.g., angular speed sensor), and a correction unit (such as shift lens) for the same.
[0057] A reference numeral 135 denotes a camera control microcomputer for controlling the camera unit in accordance with controlling by the microcomputer 110 (described later), which serves to transmit information of the camera unit, e.g., information such as focusing information or hand shaking information obtained from the camera unit, to the microcomputer 110 .
[0058] A reference unit 133 denotes a microphone unit provided to collect voices during photographing, which carries out predetermined amplification, a band limit and the like. A reference numeral 134 denotes an A/D processing unit which receives an output of the microphone unit 133 and outputs digital voice data.
[0059] The reference numeral 110 denotes the microcomputer which controls each unit in FIG. 1 . The microcomputer 110 includes a nonvolatile memory (ROM) for storing a program, a volatile memory (RAM) which is a work area, an external bus for passing data with other hardware and accessing a control register, and a timer for measuring time. A reference numeral 103 denotes a bus. Each block is connected to the bus 103 which is a transmission path for transferring data in accordance with control of the microcomputer 110 .
[0060] A reference numeral 102 denotes an encoder which receives digital image data and digital voice data in accordance with the control of the microcomputer 110 , and encodes the data in the MPEG 2 format to compress the information amount thereof, and time-sequentially multiplexes the data to generate compressed video data. Further, the encoder 102 has a function of compressing in a JPEG format and outputting compressed static image data. The encoder 102 has a function of notifying necessary information, e.g., conversion of data and frame positions, to the microcomputer 110 .
[0061] A reference numeral 104 denotes a control circuit. The control circuit 104 includes an interface between the encoder 102 and a memory 106 (described later), an optical disk D and a decoder 108 , and controls data transfer based on controlling by the microcomputer 110 .
[0062] The control circuit 104 includes an optical head for writing/reading data on/from the optical disk D, a seeking mechanism for moving the optical head, a mechanical deck including a seek motor, a spindle motor and the like for rotary-driving the optical disk D, a control circuit for controlling such components, and an interface (e.g., ATAPI I/F) connected to the control circuit 104 . The control circuit 104 further includes a so-called direct memory access (DMA) for automatically transferring read or written data by designating a head address and a data amount of the memory 106 and a head sector written in the optical disk D.
[0063] The reference numeral 106 denotes a memory which each block can use for work.
[0064] A reference numeral 108 is a decoder which sequentially reads compressed video data or compressed static image data from a designated address of the memory 106 to the microcomputer 110 , converts the data into a digital picture signal or a digital voice signal of, e.g., ITU-R BT. 656 (CCIR 656), and outputs the signal.
[0065] A reference numeral 107 denotes a voice output unit, and a reference numeral 109 denotes a video output unit. The video output unit 109 and the voice output unit 107 are blocks for converting the digital picture and voice signals converted by the decoder 108 into analog signals and outputting the signals to the outside, which are connected to a television receiver or the like. A reference numeral 116 denotes a speaker unit for receiving the digital voice signal to reproduce a voice.
[0066] A reference numeral 113 denotes a display control unit which multiplexes pieces of information on various setting menus, titles and time as information for on-screen displaying (OSD) on a picture signal output from the decoder 108 or the camera unit, and generates picture signals of various display screens in accordance with an instruction from the microcomputer 110 . The display control unit 113 has a function of capturing the digital picture signal input from the decoder 108 , reduces the signal, and superimposes the signal on an optional position.
[0067] A reference numeral 112 denotes an operation switch group, a reference numeral 161 denotes a photographing mode changing switch, a reference numeral 162 denotes a trigger switch, and a reference numeral 163 denotes a mode dial. The microcomputer 110 determines a signal input by a user's operation, and executes the functions described above with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2 C.
[0068] A reference numeral 114 denotes a remote control light receiving unit which receives a signal from an infrared remote controller (not shown), and transmits the signal as a pulse to the microcomputer 110 . The microcomputer 110 converts the signal into data, and recognizes the data as a control command. The infrared remote controller is a user's input means similar to the operation switch group 112 . A reference numeral 115 denotes a real time clock which transmits calendar and time information to the microcomputer 110 . An initial value and a count start command are input through the operation switch group by the user, and supplied via the microcomputer 110 . They are used for time stamp information or the like which is supplied to recorded picture contents.
[0069] The microcomputer 110 contains software for handling a predetermined file system, and controls data reading/writing on/from the optical disk D in accordance with this file system. One round from a recording start to its end is basically managed as one content, and recorded as a moving image file (described later). However, a plurality of contents may constitute one file.
[0070] Next, processing for recording will be described.
[0071] When power is turned ON, the microcomputer 110 retrieves a recording enable (empty) area in the disk D in accordance with the file system. At this time, a recording enable capacity is calculated, and a recording enable time is calculated from the recording enable capacity and a recording mode. During recording, a reduction in the recording enable capacity is monitored to periodically update the recording enable time. The microcomputer 110 always detects a state of the operation switch group 112 and monitors the user's operation. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the user's operation is transmitted through the operation switch group 112 to the microcomputer 110 unless otherwise specified.
[0072] Next, when the user generates a recording start request, the microcomputer 110 controls each block to start recording of a camera image and a voice. First, the encoder 102 starts a MPEG 2 encoding processing, and compressed video data is output to the control circuit 104 . The control circuit 104 designates an address of the memory 106 to temporarily store the compressed video data in the memory 106 . Then, each time a predetermined amount of data is stored, the control circuit 104 notifies the microcomputer 110 of the storage by means such as interruption.
[0073] The microcomputer 110 that has received the notice next notifies a head address of the memory 106 for storing the compressed video data to the control circuit 104 . Further, the microcomputer 110 issues a command to the control circuit 104 to write the compressed video data stored in the memory 106 in the optical disk D. At this time, the recording area of the optical disk D is a recording enable (empty) area retrieved in accordance with the file system. A series of operations from this encoding process to the writing in the optical disk D are repeated until a recording stop request is generated.
[0074] The compressed video data which was recorded is entered as a moving image data file (extension “mpg”) described below. Management information of contents is written in a management file (extension “4C”) described below. Information necessary for special reproduction, a playlist or editing, is written by generating a time map table file (extension “tb1”)
[0075] Next, a reproducing operation will be described.
[0076] The user selects the contents to be reproduced via the operation switch group 112 . According to the embodiment, a contents list or a representative image (thumbnail) corresponding to the contents list is displayed (hereinafter referred to as the contents selection screen), a pointer is moved to desired contents, contents are selected, and reproduction starts. In addition, by directly pressing a reproduce key (or key allocated to issue a reproducing command), for example, head contents, a sequel to the last reproduction, or lastly recorded contents may be reproduced.
[0077] The microcomputer 110 issues a command to the control circuit 104 to read the compressed video data of the contents selected from the optical disk D and store the data in the memory 106 . At this time, a reading head sector of the optical disk D, a writing head address of the memory 106 , and a data amount are designated by the microcomputer 110 .
[0078] Next, the microcomputer 110 issues a command to the decoder 108 to decode the compressed video data stored in the memory 106 . A series of operations are repeated to prevent cutting-off of compressed video data decoded by the decoder 108 until an instruction comes in to finish, stop, or temporarily stop the contents.
[0079] FIG. 3 shows an example of a state in which moving image data, voice data, static image data, and a playlist are stored in the recording medium. A reference numeral 301 denotes a highest layer directory for storing a file group generated by the system. Here, it is named a root directory. A file whose extension is “.4C” is a management file (described later), and a file whose extension is “.TBL” is a time map table file (described later).
[0080] A reference numeral 305 denotes a DCIM directory for storing static image data as established in a DCF standard. The moving image data is a file whose extension is “.MPG”. The playlist is a file whose extension is “.SMI”. In reality, as shown in FIG. 3 , subdirectories are created below these directories, and files are stored therein.
[0081] Storage directories of data are created one after another by increasing numerals of subdirectory names, i.e., 4-digit numerals according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 shows two moving image directories 308 and 309 of the moving image directory only, but the same holds true for a static image directory 306 and a PL directory 311 .
[0082] In the PL directory, the moving image directory, and the static image directory, management files (the files whose extensions are “.4C”) are stored to manage the files stored in the above directories. The management files will be described in detail later.
[0083] A reference numeral 302 denotes a GRP directory, a reference numeral 303 denotes an original group (Gr.) directory, and a reference numeral 304 denotes an alias group (Gr.) directory. The GRP directory 302 has the original Gr. directory 303 and the alias Gr. directory 304 as subdirectories. The original Gr. directory 303 is for arranging original group files 321 to 323 . These directories will be described later with reference to a grouping function.
[0084] The DCIM directory 305 and below correspond to another standard called a DCF standard, and must always be arranged below the root directory. It is accordingly permitted to collect other directories below another directory.
[0085] The management file is a text file described in an extensible markup language form (XML). FIG. 4 shows an element structure of an XML document which constitutes the management file.
[0086] A COLLECTION element is a root element of the management information.
[0087] A GROUP element is used for grouping media objects such as moving and static images. The GROUP element has an id attribute. An IMG element is used for describing an entry of static imagedata. The IMG element has src, id, type, linkCount, and deleted attributes. The src attribute is used for describing a file name, and the id attribute is used for describing a file identification name. The identification name designated by the id attribute is unique in the management file. The type attribute represents a file type, and takes on an “image” value in the case of a static image. An attribute value of the linkCount attribute is an integer indicating a number of times of referring to each entry from the playlist. The deleted attribute is deletion information, and an attribute value is “true” or “false”. If the file is deleted when the linkCount attribute value is not 0, the deleted attribute value is set to “true”.
[0088] An MOV element is used for describing an entry of moving image data. As in the case of the IMG element, the MOV element has src, id, type, linkCount, and deleted attributes, and further has a dur attribute. A type attribute value is “movie” in the case of a moving image. The dur attribute describes a reproducing time of the entire moving image data, and takes on a clock value. The clock value (Clock-value) is represented by the following equation:
Clock-value::=(Full-Clock-value|Partial-Clock-value|Timecount-value)
Full-Clock-value::=Hours “:” Minutes “:” Seconds (“.” Fraction)?
Partial-Clock-value::=Minutes “:” Seconds (“.” Fraction)?
Timecount-value::=Timecount (“.” Fraction)? (Metric)?
Hours::=DIGIT+; any positive number
Minutes::=2 DIGIT ; range from 00 to 59
Seconds::=2 DIGIT ; range from 00 to 59
Fraction::=DIGIT+
Timecount::=DIGIT+
2 DIGIT::=DIGIT DIGIT
DIGIT::=<0-9>
[0089] For example, 14 min. 2 sec. is described as “00:14:03” or “14:03”.
[0090] A PLF element is used for describing an entry of a playlist file (PLF) described below. As in the case of the MOV element, the PLF elements have src, id, type, linkCount, deleted, and dur attributes. There is a possibility that the PLF itself will be referred to by the other playlist. Thus, the linkCount and deleted attributes are prepared for the PLF element. A type attribute value is “playlist” in the case of the PLF.
[0091] An extension for the file name of the management file is presumed to be “.4C”.
[0092] Next, FIG. 5 shows a descriptive example of management information of a moving image directory “MOV 00100” shown in FIG. 3 .
[0093] There is one MOV element 503 in a COLLECTION element 502 , and each attribute is as described above. The MOV element has a TBL element 504 . An src attribute of the TBL element 504 is “MOVE 00100. TBL” indicating a time map table to be referred to. Other related files may be described here. For example, in the case of creating another file by post-recording, an element indicating a voice file may be described in this position.
[0094] Each element can have a title attribute. A name such as a group or each content is described by the title attribute.
[0095] FIG. 6 shows a moving image frame and a moving image data file in an imagined form to explain the time map table, and FIG. 7 shows a data structure of the time map table.
[0096] The MPEG 2 system is a prediction encoding system of a motion compensation type for compressing an information amount and encoding data by using a correlation between screens. An I picture is an image encoded in a frame, and a P picture is an image encoded by inter-frame prediction encoding with a past frame. Further, a B picture is image data of each frame between I and P pictures or between P pictures, and is an image encoded by two-way prediction encoding using image data of past and future frames. In FIG. 6 , the images are denoted by I, B and P. According to the MPEG 2, a group of pictures (GOP) is constituted of a predetermined number of frames. Each GOP includes at least one frame of an I picture. Thus, random accessibility is improved to facilitate editing at a predetermined level.
[0097] In FIG. 6 , T 0 , T 10 , T 300 , and T 310 denote times. Tcst is an interval time for creating a time search entry (described later). Reference numerals 601 to 604 denote time search entry frames, and each is a frame for each Tcst. Tgop is a GOP reproducing time, and Gs indicates a GOP size. TC is a time code of a head frame of GOP. The time code here is equivalent to a frame number from a head of each content which is established during recording. Accordingly, in the case of executing partial deletion by a GOP unit, discontinuity occurs before/after the deletion. A unique GOP_ID is added to each GOP. Tgop and Gs are recorded for each GOP_ID.
[0098] Each time search entry has the following pieces of information: GOP_ID containing a time search entry frame corresponding to the time search entry, offset (EFdif) from an entry frame to the time search entry frame, and offset (Gofs) from a head to the entry frame. The entry frame is a head of frame data necessary for decoding each time search entry and making image data. As descried above, according to the MPEG 2, the B and P pictures are included, and these pictures are encoded by using a correlation between the frames of the I or the I and P pictures. Accordingly, when time search entries are B and P pictures, the entry frame is a head frame necessary for decoding the image. When a time search entry frame is an I frame, the frame itself becomes an entry frame, and Efdif=0 is established. FIG. 6 shows a case of the time search entry frame 601 .
[0099] Each of these pieces of information takes a structure similar to that shown in FIG. 7 , which is included in a time map table file (extension is “.TBL”).
[0100] A method of restoring the time search entry frame 603 of the time T 300 based on the time map table will be described as an example. The time search entry is created for each Tcst. Thus it becomes an n-th entry if the following is established:
n=T 300 / Tcst
[0101] Accordingly, GOP_ID [n] that is time search information [n] is obtained. From a member Gofs [n] of the GOP_ID [n], the number of bytes from the head to the entry frame 606 is known. It is also possible to know from the EFdig [n] which number-th frame from the entry frame 603 is a time search entry frame 603 . Thus, by starting decoding from the. Gofs [n] byte from the head and displaying the EFdif [n], frames from the time T 300 can be reproduced. As a result, frame retrieval is facilitated.
[0102] On the other hand, in the case of designating a frame by a time code, TC is retrieved to specify GOP_ID [m] close to desired one, and Gs [1 . . . m] up to the GOP_ID [m] is simultaneously added, and offset of the GOP_ID is calculated. By reproducing a frame obtained by advancing (designated frame-TC) frames, it is possible to designate an unchanged frame.
[0103] By the aforementioned method, it is possible to specify frames based on the relative time from the head of the contents as well as on the absolute time (time code).
[0104] It is to be noted that the time map table described here is reconstructed, for example, when partial deletion is carried out. But no partial deletion is carried out less than a GOP unit. The TC is not changed.
[0105] The description has been made with the example of the moving image. In reality, however, pieces of information such as audio data and pack header are also incorporated, and these are added to create a table.
[0106] Next, the grouping function will be described. There is always one original group file for each disk, and all the contents must be registered only in one of the original group files. FIG. 8 shows as an example a description of the original group file shown in FIG. 3 .
[0107] A reference numeral 801 denotes a GROUP element, and an id attribute is ORG 0001 . Reference numerals 802 to 805 denote elements for referring to contents registered in the GROUP element 801 . A value of an src attribute up to # is a path of a management file (.4C) present in each directory, describing ID added to contents to refer to a value of link destination ID of xpointer (id (“link destination ID”)) thereafter. Accordingly, to group the contents, a management file of each directory is indirectly referred to.
[0108] Here, ORG 0001 is a root group which is a highest layer of the original group. FIG. 9 shows this group in a conceptual form.
[0109] Next, a method of realizing a hierarchical structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 .
[0110] FIG. 10 shows an original group file similar to that of FIG. 8 . A reference numeral 1001 denotes a GROUP element, and an id attribute is ORG 0002 . An MOV element 802 and an IMG element 803 are registered.
[0111] FIG. 11 shows an original group file similar to that of FIG. 8 . A reference numeral 1101 denotes a GROUP element, and an id attribute is ORG 0003 . An MOV element 804 is registered.
[0112] FIG. 12 shows an example of editing the file of FIG. 8 . Unlike FIG. 8 , there are GROUP elements 1202 and 1203 in the registered element group. This means that the groups of FIGS. 10 and 11 are registered and a hierarchical structure is realized. FIG. 13 shows this structure 1301 in a conceptual form.
[0113] According to the embodiment, the grouping function is realized by the aforementioned method, and provides a GUI of a higher degree of freedom to the user by concealing the file name and the directory structure created by the file system and showing only the original group.
[0114] The grouping function described thus far is a function realized by utilizing the random accessibility of the recording medium. The function is difficult to be realized on a conventional video tape. However, some beginners are generally used to the conventional video tapes, and may be confused with such a function. The aforementioned automatic mode is mainly for allowing photographing with a minimum operation for the beginner or for unexpected sudden use. Next, a grouping process by the automatic mode will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 14 .
[0115] The process of FIG. 14 is executed at the time of photographing.
[0116] First, a step S 1401 determines whether the automatic mode has been set based on a position of the photographing mode changing switch 220 of FIGS. 2A to 2 C. The process proceeds to a step S 1402 if the automatic mode has been set, and to a step S 1403 if the automatic mode has not been set.
[0117] If the automatic mode has been set, in the step S 1402 , photographed contents are registered in a group in accordance with a predetermined rule.
[0118] Specifically, for example, the contents are registered in a root group (id=“ORG 0001”) in photographing order as shown in FIG. 12 .
[0119] FIG. 15 shows another example. Reference numerals 1501 , 1502 and 1503 denote original group titles. A group is automatically generated for each date in the automatic mode, and such a title is given. In each original group, contents photographed at the date of the title are registered. In other words, a new group is automatically generated when a date changes from a last photographing day, and photographed contents are registered in the group.
[0120] Here, the two specific examples have been shown, and the process of registering the contents photographed in accordance with the predetermined rule in the original group as described above is the step s 1402 .
[0121] Returning to FIG. 14 , if the automatic mode has not been set, then in the step S 1403 , the photographed contents are registered in the group in accordance with conditions set by the user. Here, the group conditions for registration are set by the user on the menu or the like of the main body before photographing.
[0122] FIG. 16 shows an example of a setting menu screen of a camera function. A reference numeral 1604 denotes a function item, and an item of “distribution rule” is selected at present. A reference numeral 1601 denotes a choice displayed for each item of the function items 1604 . Any one of the choices 1602 is exclusively selected.
[0123] FIG. 17 shows a situation of a change in the choice 1601 . A reference numeral 1602 denotes a selected item, and moved up and down by user's operation as shown in FIG. 17 . A reference numeral 1603 indicates presence of more detailed items during the choice “PERIOD”. In FIGS. 16 and 17 , as original group registration rules, five examples of “DATE”, “PERIOD”, “POWER”, “KEY”, and “OFF” are shown. Each will be briefly described.
[0124] When the “DATE” is selected, an original folder is generated to realize grouping for each date (day, month, year), and contents are registered.
[0125] When the “PERIOD” is selected, an original folder is generated to set contents photographed within a predetermined period in the same group, and the contents are registered. In FIG. 17 , further, detailed items are provided for enabling the user to set a period for registering contents as the same group. For example, by setting a period to 3 days before going on a trip of 2 days and 3 nights, it is possible to register contents to be photographed in the trip period in the same group.
[0126] When the “POWER” is selected, an original folder is generated to set another group by timing of power ON/OFF of the main body, and contents are registered.
[0127] In case the “KEY” is selected, when a predetermined key of the video camera 100 is pressed, a new original folder is generated, and contents photographed thereafter are registered in the newly created group.
[0128] When the “OFF” is selected, photographed contents are registered in the root group without generating any original folders.
[0129] The above rules are only examples, and other rules may be employed. The “KEY” may be removed from the menu, and the position of the photographing mode changing switch 220 may always be valid in the program AE mode.
[0130] As described above, according to the embodiment, when the automatic mode is set, the camera function is automatically set, and the photographed contents are automatically classified into groups in accordance with the predetermined conditions. Thus, where the user is a beginner or just wishes to execute photographing with a minimum operation, the user is relieved of the burden of setting group conditions and can avoid confusion at the time of reproduction. In the program AE mode in which the user sets a camera, grouping conditions can be freely set. Thus, the contents photographed by the user under optional conditions can be classified into groups.
[0131] Next, automatic mode processing at the time of reproduction will be described.
[0132] FIG. 18 shows a thumbnail screen used for reading a contents list in the reproducing mode, or selecting contents to be reproduced. Here, description will be made by taking an example of reproducing contents which are grouped and recorded in the structures shown in FIG. 13 .
[0133] A reference numeral 1801 denotes a contents list screen displayed on the LCD panel 151 at the time of reproduction, and a reference numeral 1810 denotes information indicating its hierarchy. Here, a list of current root groups is shown, and a broken line 1301 of FIG. 13 is a display target. Reference numerals 1803 to 1805 respectively show thumbnails of ORG 0002 , ORG 0003 and IMG_ 0002 . Reference numerals 1806 to 1808 respectively denote titles of the thumbnails 1803 to 1805 . Titles for the original groups 1803 and 1804 , and a title for the static image 1805 can be recognized by the difference of their designs.
[0134] A reference numeral 1809 denotes a selection frame displayed for a currently selected thumbnail. The user can move this selection frame 1809 by operating the switch provided in the main body. By operating the switch for transmitting the decision after selecting contents to be reproduced, the reproduction of the selected contents can be started.
[0135] For example, when the selection frame is a static image as shown in FIG. 18 , the static image is reproduced from the disk D to be displayed on the entire screen. Reproduction is similarly started for a moving image.
[0136] On the other hand, when an original group is selected as shown in FIG. 19 , the process proceeds to a next layer. FIG. 20 shows a state in which the process proceeds to displaying of a next layer. Thus, the apparatus includes the function of displaying the contents hierarchically grouped during photographing or during subsequent editing or the like.
[0137] To return to an upper layer, a general method may be employed such as allocating a switch for return, preparing a thumbnail for return, or designating a hierarchical display 2010 to display a thumbnail screen of a designated layer.
[0138] On the other hand, FIG. 21 shows an example of displaying thumbnail images of contents by arranging them in photographed order, regardless of groups. A reference numeral 2101 denotes a contents list. In FIG. 21 , if no layers are displayed, the hierarchy information 2112 is blank. Reference numerals 2103 to 2106 respectively show thumbnails of MOV 00100 , IMG 0001 , MOV 00200 and IMG 0002 respectively. Reference numerals 2107 to 2110 respectively denote titles of the thumbnails 2103 to 2106 . A reference numeral 2111 denotes a selection frame.
[0139] According to the embodiment, in connection with the aforementioned automatic mode, it is decided whether or not to execute the hierarchical displaying shown in FIG. 19 or FIG. 20 . FIG. 22 is a flowchart for deciding whether to execute hierarchical displaying when the thumbnail screen is displayed.
[0140] First, it is determined whether the automatic mode has been set based on a position of the photographing mode changing switch 220 described above with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2 C. As described above, by operating the photographing mode changing switch 220 during photographing, the mode can be switched between the automatic mode and the program AE mode during the photographing. According to the embodiment, however, a configuration is employed in which the automatic mode can be set by the changing switch 220 also during reproduction.
[0141] When the automatic mode is set in a step S 2201 , even if a hierarchical structure has been formed by the management file, hierarchical displaying similar to that shown in FIG. 19 or FIG. 20 is inhibited in a step S 2202 . Then the mode is easy and is used mainly by a beginner or the like, i.e., a time-sequential arrangement in the case of conventional video tape may be friendlier to the beginner.
[0142] If the automatic mode has not been set, hierarchical displaying similar to that shown in FIG. 19 or FIG. 20 is permitted in a step S 2203 .
[0143] Thus, when the position of the photographic mode changing switch is the automatic mode, no layers are displayed as shown in FIG. 21 , providing a GUI which is easily used by a beginner.
[0144] On the other hand, when the position of the photographic mode changing switch 220 is not an automatic mode, hierarchy displaying similar to that shown in FIG. 19 or FIG. 20 is permitted, thereby a grouping function is provided which is nondependent on the file system.
[0145] As described above, by using the photographic mode changing switch 220 as a method for deciding an automatic mode and setting the limit to the display method on the thumbnail screen (contents list) in the reproducing mode, it is possible to provide a video camera which is easily used even by a beginner.
[0146] Next, the resume function during reproduction will be described.
[0147] As described above, in the case of the video tape, if it is stopped in the middle of reproduction, next reproduction is started from approximately the same position.
[0148] However, in the case where a disk medium is used, in order to protect the disk, the pickup is moved to a predetermined position (home position) each time reproduction is stopped. Thus, to start the reproduction again from the last position where reproduction was stopped, the position on the disk where the reproduction was stopped must be stored.
[0149] For that purpose, two cases are conceivable: first, reproduction is started from a position where reproduction was stopped throughout the entire disk, and second, reproduction is started from a position for each contents where reproduction was stopped.
[0150] FIG. 23 shows adding reproduction end position information for each content to the management information shown in FIG. 5 . A RESUME element 2304 is reproduction end position information indicating that the MOV element 503 is reproduced and the reproduction is stopped at a frame position of 1 min. 5.22 sec. Based on this information a resume function can be provided which starts next reproduction from a sequel.
[0151] FIG. 24 shows an example of management information for executing time-sequential and continuous reproduction from one disk as a whole as in the case of a video tape.
[0152] FIG. 24 shows adding reproduction end information to the original group file as shown in FIG. 6 . RESUME elements 2406 to 2408 are pieces of reproduction end position information. A difference from the example of FIG. 23 is that since FIG. 24 shows the original group, the contents therein that are relevant are described, and contents being reproduced are designated by the MOV element 2407 .
[0153] In addition, in FIG. 24 , reproduction is continuously carried out in predetermined order such as photographing order, and the reproduction is stopped at a frame position of 3 min. 5.22 sec., with respect to contents indicated by the MOV element 2407 . This belongs to a root group which is a highest layer.
[0154] The video camera 100 of the embodiment includes both a resume function for all contents (contents resume, hereinafter) and a resume function for the entire disk (disk resume, hereinafter).
[0155] When the position of the photographic mode changing switch 220 is the automatic mode, disk resume is selected, and when the position is the program AE mode, contents resume is selected. FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing a reproducing operation including change of the hierarchical display.
[0156] First, in a step S 2501 , it is determined, based on a position of the photographic mode changing switch 220 in FIGS. 2A to 2 C, whether the automatic mode has been set.
[0157] If the automatic mode has been set, then in a step S 2502 , hierarchical displaying is inhibited. Next, in a step S 2503 , based on disk resume information, a selection frame 1809 is displayed in a thumbnail of contents corresponding to a last position where reproduction was stopped.
[0158] When an instruction to start reproduction is given in this state, reproduction is started from the instructed position based on the disk resume information. When the user selects other contents on the thumbnail screen and starts reproduction, the reproduction is started from the head of the selected contents.
[0159] If, in step S 2501 , the automatic mode has not been set, then in a step S 2504 , hierarchical displaying is permitted. Next, in a step S 2505 , the selection frame 1809 is displayed for predetermined contents. The predetermined contents are not particularly defined here. A list of contents or original groups directly below the root group maybe used. Subsequently, when the user selects contents and instructs to start a reproduction, the reproduction is started from a position designated by contents resume information in the management file corresponding to the selected contents.
[0160] The reproduction is started from a head when a time attribute of the resume information is 0 or there is no resume information.
[0161] In the contents resume, after the last of the contents is reproduced, the resume information is deleted, or the time attributes set to 0.
[0162] In the disk resume, after the last of the contents is reproduced, the resume information is deleted, or the time attributes set to 0.
[0163] In the step S 2503 , without displaying the thumbnail screen, an image at a reproduction start position of the contents placed in the disk resume position may be reproduced and displayed in a temporarily stopped state.
[0164] It has been described that the resume is based on each contents when the mode is not an automatic mode. However, it is also possible to adopt the way in which one of the two resume methods can be selected on the menu or the like.
[0165] As described above, according to the embodiment, it is possible to use the resume from the entire disk similar to the conventional video tape in case of the automatic mode and to use selectively the resume of each contents or the resume from the entire disk in the case of the non-automatic mode.
[0166] Thus, it is possible to provide both an easy mode for beginning user and a mode for an experienced user to suit.
[0167] Next, the playlist function will be described.
[0168] In the case of the video equipment that uses the disk medium of the embodiment, a number of products have been produced which include playlist functions of reproducing contents by optionally changing reproducing order of the contents based on characteristics thereof.
[0169] The video camera 100 of the embodiment includes such a playlist function. It is presumed in the embodiment that a playlist is described in a form compliant with SMIL. However, an src attribute value for designating a file name of a reproduced object takes on a file value. The file value (file-value) is represented by the following format:
file-value::=Manage-filename “# xpointer (//“Element-name”<@ID=“Object-ID”>)”
[0171] Here, the Manage-filename is a management name of a directory which stores a target file. The Element-name is an element name of a target entry. For example, it is “MOV” in the case of moving image data. The Object-ID is an id attribute value added to an entry of target data. Accordingly, by referring to each file from the playlist through the id attribute value, for example, even when the file name is changed, it is only necessary to change the src attribute value in the entry of the management file.
[0172] For example, it is presumed that there is static image data having an identifier of “IMG — 0001” in /DCIM/ 101 CANON/ 101 CANON.4C. In the case of referring to this file, reference is made by describing “/DCIM/101CANON/101CANON.4C# xpointer (//[@id=“IMG — 0001”])”. FIG. 26 shows a descriptive example of the playlist.
[0173] Next, process of referring to a moving image object like a tag 2601 from the playlist descriptive example in FIG. 26 will be described. In the tag 2601 , an area of a designated file to be reproduced is omitted. This means that all the contents from head to end are designated. FIG. 27 shows a descriptive example when a range is designated. Reference numerals 2701 and 2702 denote tags describing references to moving image files as in the case of the tag 2601 . However, one that omits a reference range (area) and one that designates starting and finishing positions are arranged. The tag 2701 omits a reference range, and the entire range is a reference target.
[0174] In the tag 2702 , a ClipBegin attribute and a ClipEnd attribute are described, reference start and end positions are designated based on relative times (offset) from a contents head, and a Clip-value-MediaClipping value is represented by the following sentence structure:
Clip-value-MediaClipping::=<Metric “=”>(Clock-val|Smpte-val)
Metric::=Smpte-type|“npt”
Smpte-type::=“smpte”|“smpte-30-drop”|“smpte-25”
Smpte-val::=Hours “:” Minutes “:” Seconds<“:” Frames<“.” Subframes>>
Hours::=Digit+
Minutes::=Digit Digit; range from 00 to 59
Seconds::=Digit Digit; range from 00 to 59
Frames::=Digit Digit; smpte range=00-29, smpte-30-drop
range=00-29, smpte-25 range=00-24
Subframes::=Digit Digit; smpte range=00-01, smpte-30-drop range=00-01, smpte-125 range=00-01
[0175] It is to be noted that the Clock-val is the aforementioned Clock value, and a Clock-val value is set when the Metric is omitted.
[0176] These attributes are defined as components of the MediaClipping module. A descriptive example is that clipBegin=“smpte=00:11:25:121”, and clipBeing=“npt=55s”. Accordingly, in the tag 2702 , reproduction is designated from a position of 50 sec., to a position of 10 min. 5 sec., from the head of the contents of id=MOV 00100 . This is a format standardized by the SMIL, and an equipment or application software compliant with the MediaClipping module of the SMIL can be pursed.
[0177] Thus, there is a type of process which designates reference start and reference end positions (hereinafter scene designation) and a type which omits such positions (herein after contents designation) . When a playlist is created, the scene designation requires complex work by the user. On the other hand, in the case of the contents designation, thumbnails are selected in reproducing order only, and this work is easier as compared with the scene designation.
[0178] Thus, according to the embodiment, regarding such playlist process, only a playlist function based on the contents designation is enabled when the position of the photographic mode changing switch 220 is the automatic mode. When its position is the program AE mode, the user can select either the contents designation or the scene designation.
[0179] As a result, a video camera is provided which enables the beginner to automatically select the easy contents designation, and the experienced user to select the scene designation method at the time of creating the playlist.
[0180] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0181] According to the foregoing embodiment, it is determined whether to set the automatic mode based on the position of the photographic mode changing switch 220 provided in the video camera main body 201 .
[0182] However, if the disk D on which contents have been recorded is loaded to execute new photographing, there is a possibility that a photographic mode of the recorded contents and a photographic mode for executing the new photographing may be different from each other.
[0183] Further, even in the case of a disk on which contents have been recorded on the automatic mode, the aforementioned operation of the automatic mode may not be realized during reproduction because the main body is not in the automatic mode.
[0184] Thus, according to the second embodiment, photographic mode determination information is recorded on a disk, and a warning or the like is displayed by using this information.
[0185] According to the second embodiment, the photographic mode determination information is written in a predetermined area on the disk. The information may be arranged in a predetermined management file, or in an area which inhibits user's operation. According to the second embodiment, 2-bit data is recorded as the photographic mode determination information, and a lower 1 bit is set as an automatic mode photographic determination bit. The bit is initialized to 0 when a disk is inserted into a video camera in an unused state for the first time. Subsequently, the bit is rewritten to 1 when photographing is executed in the automatic mode for the first time. An upper 1 bit is set as a program AE mode photographic determination bit, and then rewritten similarly to the above.
[0186] FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing a warning process based on the photographic mode determination information.
[0187] When a new disk is loaded, photographic mode information recorded on the disk is reproduced, and it is determined whether the 2-bit photographic mode information is 00 in a step S 2801 . If the information is not 00, it is recognized that contents have been already recorded on the disk in either one of the modes.
[0188] If the photographic mode information is 00, a photographic mode set during recording is set as the photographic mode information in a step S 2802 . The step S 2802 is carried out when no contents have been recorded on the disk. Accordingly, the step is to record photographic mode information set when first contents are recorded on the disk.
[0189] If the photographic mode information is not 00 in the step S 2801 , it is further determined in a step S 2803 whether the photographic mode information is 11. If the photographic mode information is 11, there is a mixture of contents photographed in the two photographic modes, and no warning display is necessary.
[0190] If the photographic mode information is not 11, it is determined in a step S 2804 whether a mode indicated by the photographic mode information and a currently set photographic mode coincide.
[0191] For example, if the photographic mode information is 01 , contents recorded in the automatic mode have been recorded on the disk. Thus, it is determined whether a currently set photographic mode is an automatic mode. If the current photographic mode coincides with the mode indicated by the photographic mode information, no special warning is necessary since photographing is executed in the mode identical to the previous photographic mode.
[0192] On the other hand, if the currently set photographic mode is different from the previous photographic mode, a warning to the user as shown in FIG. 29 is displayed on a LCD panel 151 in a step S 2805 . A period of this display may be a predetermined time, or until one of the keys is pressed. A dialogue similar to that shown in FIG. 30 may be displayed to make the user selects “YES” or “NO”. For example, when “YES” is selected, display may prompt the user to delete the dialogue thereby setting a photographing standby state and to prompt the user to operate a photographic mode changing switch 220 when “NO” is selected.
[0193] As described above, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to issue a warning to the user to prevent mixing contents photographed in the automatic mode and contents photographed in the other mode in one disk.
[0194] For the reproduction of the static image, the reproducing time can be designated by setting the equipment when necessary. The reproducing mode in which the moving and static images are mixed has been described. However, for example, a distinction may be made by the mode dial between a moving image reproducing mode and a static image reproducing mode. The same holds true for the playlist.
[0195] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
[0196] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-151981 filed May 21, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
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A imaging apparatus includes an imaging unit, a photographing function setting unit that optionally sets operation conditions of the imaging unit, a recording unit that classifies image signals obtained by the imaging unit into groups and records the image signals on a recording medium, a group condition setting unit that optionally sets conditions for classifying the image signals into a plurality of groups, and a mode switching unit that switches between a recording manual setting mode for causing the imaging unit to execute photographing in accordance with the operation conditions set by the photographing function setting unit and the recording unit to classify and record the image signals in accordance with the conditions set by the group condition setting unit and a recording automatic setting mode for causing the imaging unit to execute photographing in accordance with predetermined operation conditions and the recording unit to classify and record the image signals in accordance with predetermined conditions.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an oil drain arrangement for internal combustion engines and more particularly to an improved arrangement for handling oil leakage in an internal combustion engine.
With overhead valve internal combustion engines, the valves are supported within the cylinder head and some form of actuating mechanism is carried by the cylinder head for operating the valves. If the engine is of the overhead camshaft type, this operating mechanism will include the camshafts. Because of the high loading on the valve train, it is the normal practice to provide copious amounts of lubrication for the valve actuating mechanism and compoents of the valves themselves. Thus, there is a large degree of oil present in the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine having overhead valves at all times. Normally, it is the practice to provide some cover that encloses the valve and valve actuating mechanism of the cylinder head. There is, of course, a seal provided between the cover and the cylinder head. Frequently, however, it is necessary to remove the cover for servicing. Oftentimes, the level of the lubricant in the cylinder head is above the sealing surface and when the cover is removed lubricant is likely to spill from the cylinder head onto other components of the engine. This not only causes an unsightly appearance but can cause smoking and other disturbing consequences when the engine is subsequently run. These problems are particularly acute when the cylinder head and engine are installed in the vehicle in an inclined manner. Such inclination can result with V type engines or with inline engines that are not mounted in a vertical position.
It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide an improved drainage arrangement for internal combustion engines.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved system for an internal combustion engine wherein leakage oil is contained and may not run down onto other components of the engine.
It is a yet further object of this invention to provide an oil draining system for draining and collecting leakage oil from an engine and specifically from its cylinder head area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention is adapted to be embodied in an internal combustion engine having a cylinder head supporting a plurality of valves and a valve actuating mechanism. A cover is affixed to the cylinder head and encloses the valves and the valve actuating mechanism. A sealing surface is formed between the cylinder head and the cover. In accordance with the invention, a drain gutter is formed in the cylinder head outside of the sealing surface and adapted to collect and retain lubricant leaking from within the cover and past the sealing surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a portion of a motor vehicle incorporating an internal combustion engine constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, with portions broken away to more clearly show the construction.
FIG. 2 is a view taken generally in the direction of the arrow 2 in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a partially exploded phantom view of one of the cylinder heads of the engine.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the cylinder head.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 4.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a portion of a motor vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine constructed in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is identified generally by the reference numeral 11. The vehicle 11 is depicted as being of the front wheel drive, transverse engine type. Although the invention has particular utility in connection with such engine installations, it should be readily apparent that the invention may be utilized in conjunction with other automotive applications or, for that matter, may be applied to other uses for internal combustion engines.
The vehicle 11 is, as has been noted, powered by an internal combustion engine which is identified generally by the reference numeral 12. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the engine 12 is of the V type and includes a cylinder block 13 having a pair of angularly disposed cylinder banks each of which carries a respective cylinder head 14 at its upper end. In the illustrated embodiment, the engine 12 is of the V6 type. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be practiced in connection with engines having other types of cylinder configurations. A crankcase 15 is affixed to the underside of the cylinder block 13 and contains the lubricating oil for the engine 12, as is well known.
The engine 13 is positioned within the vehicle 11 with its crankshaft rotating about a transversely extending axis. A suitable transfer mechanism and change speed transmission, indicated generally by the reference numeral 16, is provided for taking the power output from the engine 11 and transmitting it to the front wheels 17 through a suitable drive arrangement including half shafts 18 (only one of which appears in the drawings). The front wheels 17 are suspended by means of a pillar type suspension 19 in an appropriate manner.
In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the engine 12 is of the double overhead camshaft type that employs an intake camshaft and an exhaust camshaft for each cylinder bank. These chamshafts are journaled in the cylinder head 14 in a known manner and the valves and camshaft mechanism are enclosed by means of cam covers 21 that are affixed to each of the cylinder heads 14. The specific valve operating mechanism forms no part of the invention but it may be of the type shown generally in copending Application Ser. No. 634,795, filed July 20, 1984 in the names of Masatoshi Ohmi et al, entitled "Intake Means Of Internal Combustion Engine" and assigned to the assignee of this application. The rotational axis of the camshafts, which appear in FIG. 3 wherein the camshafts are identified by the reference numerals 22, coincides with a sealing surface 23 of the cylinder head 14 which mates with a corresponding sealing surface 24 of the cam cover 21. Of course, a gasket may be interposed between the sealing surfaces 23 and 24, as is well known in this art.
Exhaust manifolds 25 are affixed to the respective cylinder heads 14 and deliver the exhaust gases to an appropriate exhaust system 26.
Referring now primarily to FIGS. 3 through 6, the arrangement for handling oil leakage will be described. This arrangement includes a drain gutter assembly, indicated generally by the reference numeral 27 and which is dispoed on the lower side of each cylinder head assembly 14. This drain gutter assembly 27 includes a drain trough 28 that extends from one end of each cylinder head 14 to the other and which is defined by an upstanding lip 29 formed at the outer periphery of each cylinder head 14. The gutter or trough 28 and lip 29 are disposed outwardly beyond the sealing surface 23 of the cylinder head and the corresponding sealing surface 24 of the cam cover 21.
As may be seen from the cross-sectional views, FIGS. 5 and 6, the depth of the trough 28 increases from one end of the cylinder head toward the other so that any oil which leaks beyond the sealing surfaces 23 and 24 will be drained forwardly and will not be permitted to run off of the cylinder head surface. At the forward end of the cylinder head, a drain opening 31 may be formed that is closed by a closure plug 32 and sealing gasket 33. Thus, oil that has accumulated in the gutter or drain trough 28 can easily be drained into an appropriate container by removing the plug 32. When the engine is being serviced and the camshaft covers 21 are removed, any residual oil in the cylinder heads 14 will flow into the drains 27 and not down on to the exhaust mainfolds 25 or other portions of the engine. Thus, the leakage of oil during this condition will be protected and the engine will be maintained in a clean state.
Although an embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.
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An internal combustion engine having an improved cylinder head draining arrangement for accumulating oil that may leak from the cylinder head and its cover in use or which may flow from the cylinder head when the cover is removed for surfacing. The drain trough is inclined and has a drain opening at its lowermost end in which a removable closure plug is positioned.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to an igniter assembly used in an inflator of an airbag device or a seat belt device, an inflator including the igniter assembly, and an airbag device and a seat belt device including the inflator.
In an igniter assembly assembled in an inflator of an airbag device, if an igniter is energized, high-temperature reaction gas is rapidly generated and a gas generating agent of the inflator starts to react with this reaction gas. Thus, the inflator generates a large amount of gas, and an airbag rapidly expands by this gas.
A conventional igniter assembly of an inflator will be described with reference to FIGS. 10( a )- 10 ( c ). FIG. 10( a ) is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of the igniter assembly, FIG. 10( b ) is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of a collar, and FIG. 10( c ) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the interface between the collar and a resin.
The igniter assembly 10 A includes an igniter 20 , a substantially cylindrical collar 30 A for holding the igniter 20 , and the resin 40 for joining the igniter 20 to the collar 30 A. The igniter 20 has a head portion 21 containing a reaction agent and pins 22 and 23 protruded and extended from the head portion 21 as conducting terminals. The collar 30 A has a cylindrical main body 31 , a collar portion 32 provided inward at the inner circumferential surface of the main body 31 , and a cylindrical surrounding wall portion 33 extended from one end of the shaft of the main body 31 . A surface 32 b of the collar portion 32 at the side of the surrounding wall portion 33 is a radial surface extended in a radiant direction perpendicular to the shaft of the main body 31 .
The head portion 21 of the igniter 20 is disposed in the surrounding wall portion 33 and the pins 22 and 23 are inserted into the main body 31 through an internal hole of the collar portion 32 .
The resin 40 is filled between the igniter 20 and the inside of the surrounding wall portion 33 and the inner circumferential surface 32 a of the internal hole of the collar portion 32 by injection molding or the like.
The resin 40 is filled between the igniter 20 and the collar 30 A, but then shrinks in the arrow direction A of FIG. 10( c ) during cooling. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 10( c ), a gap C may be generated between the resin 40 and the inner circumferential surface of the surrounding wall portion 33 and the inner circumferential surface 32 a of the collar portion 32 . This gap C may function as a passage for leaking gas at the time of operation of the inflator.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-293835 discloses a construction in which a cylindrical protrusion is provided on a collar such that a gap extended from the inner circumferential surface of the collar to the outer surface of an igniter is not generated although resin is shrunk. However, in this case, the cost of producing the collar increases by forming the protrusion.
An object of the present invention therefore is to provide an igniter assembly which can prevent a gap from being generated due to shrinkage of resin, and which has an easily manufactured collar. Another object of the invention is to provide an inflator using the igniter assembly, and an airbag device and a seat belt device including the inflator.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention and the associated drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an embodiment of the invention, an igniter assembly includes an igniter and a substantially cylindrical collar for holding the igniter, in which the igniter and the collar are integrally joined to each other with resin interposed therebetween. A radial surface which substantially extends in a radial direction is provided in the collar, the resin is attached to the radial surface, and a concave portion is formed in the radial surface.
According to another aspect of the invention, a groove which extends in a non-radial direction is formed as the concave portion.
According to another aspect of the invention, the bottom of the groove is rounded.
According to another embodiment of the invention, an inflator includes the above-described igniter assembly.
According to still another embodiment of the invention, an airbag device includes the above-described inflator.
In another embodiment of the invention, a seat belt device includes a seat belt and a pretensioner which applies pretension to the seat belt by gas pressure from the above-described inflator during an emergency.
In the igniter assembly according to the present invention, the concave portion is provided in the radial surface, shrinkage of the resin is restricted, and a gap is prevented from being generated between the collar and the resin. Furthermore, the concave portion can be more easily formed compared with a protrusion, and the cost of producing the igniter assembly is reduced.
If the groove which extends in a non-radial direction is provided as the concave portion, shrinkage of the resin can be restricted. In addition, the groove can be easily formed in the collar.
If the bottom of the groove is rounded, the resin is easily attached to the bottom of the groove.
The inflator, the airbag device, and the seat belt device including the igniter assembly can prevent gas from leaking through the gap of the igniter assembly upon operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1( a ) is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of an igniter assembly according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1( b ) is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of a collar, and FIG. 1( c ) is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the collar.
FIGS. 2( a ) and 2 ( b ) are plan views of a collar portion.
FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the collar portion illustrating a cross-sectional shape of a groove.
FIG. 4 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the collar portion illustrating another cross-sectional shape of the groove.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an inflator for an airbag device including the igniter assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an airbag device including the inflator shown in FIG. 5 .
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an inflator for a seat belt device including the igniter assembly according to an embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 8 illustrates the entire construction of a seat belt device that includes the inflator shown in FIG. 7 .
FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a retractor of the seat belt device shown in FIG. 8 .
FIG. 10( a ) is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of a conventional igniter assembly, FIG. 10( b ) is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of a collar, and FIG. 10( c ) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the interface between the collar and a resin.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1( a ) is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of an igniter assembly according to an embodiment, FIG. 1( b ) is a cross-sectional view taken along the axial direction of a collar, and FIG. 1( c ) is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the collar. FIGS. 2( a ) and 2 ( b ) are plan views of a collar portion. FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of the collar portion illustrating the cross-sectional shape of a groove.
In the igniter assembly 10 according to the present embodiment, grooves 50 are formed in the upper surface 32 b of a collar portion 32 of a collar 30 (radial surface at the side of a surrounding wall portion 33 ). These grooves 50 do not extend in a radial direction and are concentrically formed as shown in FIG. 2( a ) in the present embodiment. However, in another possible embodiment, grooves 51 may be formed in a knurling shape, as shown in FIG. 2( b ). The depth of the grooves 50 or 51 is preferably 0.2 to 1.0 mm, and particularly, 0.3 to 0.6 mm. The width of the grooves 50 and 51 along the radial surface 32 b is preferably 0.3 to 0.8 mm, and particularly, 0.4 to 0.6 mm.
The bottom of the groove 50 is preferably rounded as shown in FIG. 3 . The radius of curvature of the rounding is preferably in the order of 0.02 to 0.06 mm. By rounding the bottom of the groove 50 , it is possible to prevent with certainty air from remaining in the bottom of the groove when resin is filled in the groove 50 .
However, the shape of the groove 50 is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the bottom of the groove 50 may be flat as shown in FIG. 4 .
The other constructions of the igniter assembly 10 according to the present embodiment are the same as the igniter assembly 10 A, and like reference numbers denote the like portions.
In the igniter assembly 10 , in a case where resin 40 is filled between an igniter 20 and the collar 30 , shrinkage of the resin 40 along the radial surface 32 b is restricted by the grooves 50 formed in the radial surface 32 b of the collar portion 32 , and a gap C is prevented from being generated between the resin 40 and the collar 30 . Thus, when an inflator including the igniter assembly 10 generates gas, it is possible to prevent the gas from leaking through the gap C.
Furthermore, since the gap C does not exist, it is possible to prevent moisture from permeating into the inflator.
The collar may be made of metal such as aluminum, iron, stainless, or zinc or resin such as nylon or polybutyleneterephthalate (PBT). The groove may be formed by cutting the radial surface 32 b of the collar portion 32 . Alternatively, the groove may be formed by forming a convex protrusion in a mold when manufacturing the collar by casting or injection molding or the like. If the metal collar is forged, the groove may be formed upon forging.
Next, an inflator including the igniter assembly 10 and an airbag device and a seat belt device including the inflator will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 through 9 .
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an inflator for an airbag device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an airbag device including the inflator.
The inflator 60 for the airbag device includes an outer covering body composed of an upper housing 61 and a lower housing 62 and a cylindrical partition member 63 disposed in the outer covering body. A gas nozzle 64 is provided in the side surface of the outer covering body. One end of the partition member 63 is protruded downward through an opening formed in the bottom of the lower housing 62 . The outer circumferential surface of the partition member 63 and the inner circumferential surface of the opening are welded by laser beam welding or the like.
Ignition propellant (booster propellant) 65 is contained in the inside of the partition member 63 , and gas generating propellant (main propellant) 66 is contained in the outside of the partition member 63 . A filter 67 is disposed in the periphery of the gas generating propellant 66 (between the gas generating propellant 66 and the gas nozzle 64 ). The inside and the outside of the partition member 63 are communicated with each other through an opening 68 .
The igniter assembly 10 is mounted at one end of the partition member 63 . In more detail, the igniter assembly 10 is inserted into the partition member 63 while keeping the igniter 20 in the forefront and a head portion 21 of the igniter 20 contacts or faces the ignition propellant 65 in the partition member 63 . The periphery of one end side of the partition member 63 is caulked to the inside of the partition member 63 to overlap with the rear periphery of the igniter assembly 10 (collar 30 ) such that the igniter assembly 10 is held therein and one end of the partition member 63 is sealed.
However, the construction for holding the igniter assembly 10 and sealing the partition member 63 is not limited to this.
In the present embodiment, a flange 69 for mounting the inflator 60 to a retainer 82 is mounted at the side surface of the outer covering body of the inflator 60 . The gas nozzle 64 is disposed in the front of the flange 69 . Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the flange 69 is integrally formed with the lower housing 62 to be laterally protruded from the upper periphery of the lower housing 62 , and the gas nozzle 64 is formed by perforating the side surface of the upper housing 61 . However, the present embodiment is not limited to this. A hole 70 into which a bolt 84 a is inserted is formed in the flange 69 .
The airbag device 80 includes the inflator 60 , an airbag 81 which expands by gas emitted from the inflator 60 , and the retainer 82 for holding the inflator 60 and the airbag 81 , and a module cover 83 mounted on the retainer 82 to cover the folded airbag 81 .
The airbag 81 has a front surface facing a vehicle occupant or the like when the airbag 81 expands and a rear surface opposite to the front surface. An opening (mouth) 81 a into which the inflator 60 is inserted is provided in the rear surface.
The retainer 82 includes a main plate portion 82 a and a leg portion 82 b bent downward from the periphery of the main plate portion 82 a . An inflator inserting hole 82 c is formed in the center of the main plate portion 82 a . As shown in FIG. 6 , the front side of the inflator 60 is inserted from the rear surface of the main plate portion 82 a into the inflator inserting hole 82 c . The mouth 81 a of the airbag 81 and the periphery of the inflator inserting hole 82 c overlap with and are fixed to each other by a mounting ring 84 . The front side of the inflator 60 is disposed in the airbag 81 through the mouth 81 a.
The bolt (stud bolt) 84 a is protruded from the mounting ring 84 and is inserted into insertion holes (of which the reference numbers are omitted) of the periphery of the mouth 81 a and the periphery of the inflator inserting hole 82 c and an insertion hole 70 of the flange 69 to be protruded from the rear surface of the flange 69 . By tightening a nut 84 b to the, bolt 84 a , the airbag 81 and the inflator 60 are fixed to the retainer 82 .
The airbag device 80 is constructed by folding the airbag 81 and mounting the module cover 83 to cover the folded airbag 81 .
Moreover, in the present embodiment, a leg member 83 a is standing downward from the rear surface of the module cover 83 and fixed to the leg portion 82 b of the retainer 82 by a fixing tool 83 b such as a rivet. The module cover 83 is pushed and cleaved by the airbag 81 when the airbag expands. Reference number 83 c denotes a tear line for cleavage.
In the inflator 60 and the airbag device 80 having the aforementioned constructions, when pins 22 and 23 of the igniter assembly 10 are energized, a reaction agent in the igniter 20 reacts and thus the ignition propellant 65 is ignited. Next, the gas generating propellant 66 is ignited by high-temperature gas emitted from the ignition propellant 65 through the opening 68 , thereby generating gas. This gas is emitted from the gas nozzle 64 to the outside of the inflator 60 , that is, the inside of the airbag 81 through the filter 67 . As a result, the airbag 81 expands. The airbag 81 pushes and opens the module cover 83 and expands toward the vehicle occupant or the like, thereby protecting the vehicle occupant or the like.
In the inflator 60 and the airbag device 80 , the gas is prevented from leaking between the resin 40 and the collar 30 of the igniter assembly 10 upon operation.
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an inflator for a seat belt device including the igniter assembly 10 , FIG. 8 illustrates the entire construction of a seat belt device that includes the inflator, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a retractor (pretensioner) of the seat belt device.
One end of a seat belt 91 of the seat belt device 90 is retractably connected to the retractor 92 and the other end thereof is fixed to a vehicle body by an anchor 93 . The seat belt 91 penetrates through a shoulder anchor 94 and a tongue 95 . The anchor 93 is disposed at the side surface of the vehicle interior. A buckle device 96 for latching the tongue 95 is provided at the opposite side of the anchor 93 of the seat. The shoulder anchor 94 is disposed on the upper side of the side surface of the vehicle interior.
In the present embodiment, the retractor 92 includes a pretensioner which applies pretension to the seat belt 91 during an emergency of the vehicle and an impact energy absorbing mechanism (EA mechanism) for absorbing impact energy applied from the seat belt 91 to the vehicle occupant. Hereinafter, the construction of the retractor 92 will be described with reference to FIG. 9 .
A spool 98 is received in a base frame 97 of the retractor 92 and one end of the seat belt 91 is wound on the spool 98 . The seat belt 91 is wound on/off by rotating the spool 98 . A torsion bar 99 is mounted at the center of axis of the spool 98 and one end of the torsion bar 99 is supported by a support member 102 through locking components 100 and 101 .
The torsion bar 99 is a main component of the EA mechanism. If the tension of the seat belt 91 exceeds a predetermined value, the torsion bar 99 is plastic-deformed and thus rotates in an unwinding direction of the seat belt 91 while drag is applied to the spool 98 .
A gear 103 is mounted at one end (left side of FIG. 9 ) of the spool 98 . The gear 103 is engaged with a gear (not shown) of a return spring cover 104 shown in lower left side of FIG. 9 . The spool 98 is biased in a direction of retracting the seat belt 91 by a return spring (not shown) in the return spring cover 104 .
In FIG. 9 , a pipe 107 is mounted between a pretensioner cover 105 shown at the right side of the return spring cover 104 and a pretensioner plate 106 shown at the lower right side. An inflator 108 is mounted at one end of the pipe 107 . In the pipe 107 , a spring 109 , a piston 110 , and a plurality of balls 111 are arranged. A notched opening (of which the reference number is omitted) is formed in the vicinity of the other end of the pipe 107 . A guide block 112 is fitted into the other end of the pipe 107 .
A pin 113 is mounted in the pretensioner cover 105 and holds a ring gear 114 having external teeth and internal teeth. The pipe 107 surrounds the outer circumference of the ring gear 114 . Furthermore, the pipe 107 is arranged such that a direction from one end to the other end thereof becomes a direction of retracting the seat belt of the spool 98 . The opening faces the outer circumferential surface of the ring gear 114 and the front ball 111 exposed through the opening is engaged with the external teeth of the ring gear 114 .
A pinion 116 engaged with the internal teeth of the ring gear 114 is mounted on a root portion 115 of the gear 103 . When the ring gear 114 is held by the pin 113 , the ring gear 114 is not engaged with the pinion 116 .
When the inflator 108 emits the gas, the gas is injected into the pipe 107 and the balls 111 moves to the other end of the pipe 107 , that is, in the seat belt retracting direction of the spool 98 by gas pressure. At this time, the front ball 111 presses the ring gear 114 to bend the pin 113 . Thus, a state that the pin 113 holds the ring gear 114 is released and the ring gear 114 is engaged with the pinion 116 .
As a result, the spool 98 is biased in the seat belt retracting direction by the gas pressure from the inflator 108 through the pinion 116 , the ring gear 114 , and the ball 111 , and the seat belt 91 is wound on the spool 98 . Thus, the pretension is applied to the seat belt 91 .
In the present embodiment, an inflator 108 includes a substantially cylindrical housing 117 and gas generating propellant 118 is contained in the housing 117 . A gas nozzle 119 is formed in one end of the housing 117 . The gas nozzle 119 is closed by a burst seam 120 upon non-operation of the inflator. When the gas pressure having a predetermined value or more is applied from the inside of the housing 117 , the burst seam 120 bursts and the gas nozzle 119 is opened.
The igniter assembly 10 is mounted in the other end of the housing 117 . In more detail, the surrounding wall portion 33 of the collar 30 of the igniter assembly 10 is inserted into the housing 117 while keeping the igniter 20 in the forefront and the head portion 21 of the igniter 20 contacts or faces the gas generating propellant 118 in the housing 117 .
In the present embodiment, a concave portion (of which the reference number is omitted) is formed in a step portion between the surrounding wall portion 33 and the main body 31 , and the other end of the housing 117 is fitted into the concave portion. By caulking the outer periphery of the concave portion in the axial direction of the inflator, the housing 117 and the collar 30 are integrally coupled. In addition, a sealing material (O-shaped ring) 121 for sealing the coupling portion is provided in the concave portion.
The inflator 108 is inserted into one end of the pipe 107 while keeping the gas nozzle 119 in the forefront and connected with the pipe 107 by a connecting mechanism (not shown).
In the inflator 108 and the seat belt device 90 having the aforementioned construction, when the pins 22 and 23 of the igniter assembly 10 are energized, the reaction agent in the igniter 20 reacts and the gas generating propellant 118 is ignited, thereby generating gas. Furthermore, the burst seam 120 bursts by the gas pressure, the gas nozzle 119 is opened, and the gas is emitted from the gas nozzle 119 into the pipe 107 . As a result, the pretensioner mechanism of the retractor 92 operates as described above and thus the pretension is applied to the seat belt 91 .
In the inflator 108 and the seat belt device 90 , it is possible to prevent the gas from leaking between the resin 40 and the collar 30 of the igniter assembly 10 upon operation.
The aforementioned embodiments are only examples of the present invention, and the present invention may take configurations other than the aforementioned configurations. For example, the collar may be changed to a shape other than the aforementioned shape.
The igniter assembly according to the present invention may be incorporated in various kinds of inflators. In addition, the inflator may be incorporated in various kinds of airbag devices and seat belt devices.
The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-079672 filed on Mar. 18, 2005, is incorporated herein.
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An igniter assembly includes an igniter, a substantially cylindrical collar for holding the igniter, and resin for joining the igniter to the collar. The collar has a cylindrical main body, a collar portion provided inward at the inner circumferential surface of the main body, and a cylindrical surrounding wall portion which extends from one end of the main body in the axial direction of the main body. A groove is formed in a radial surface of the collar portion at the side of the surrounding wall portion. The resin is filled between the igniter and the inner circumferential surface and the radial surface of the internal hole of the collar portion and the inside of the surrounding wall portion so as to fill in the groove. The collar is easily manufactured, and the igniter assembly prevents a gap from being generated due to shrinkage of resin.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to the general field of wastewater networks. The invention relates in particular to real time management of such a network.
[0002] A wastewater network typically comprises water transport works, e.g. pipes, for conveying water to a treatment plant, and storage works, such as storm-water tanks. The network may also include automatic means and actuators such as pumps and valves for influencing the flow of water in the network. For example, a pump may be controlled as a function of the level of water in a tank.
[0003] The control setpoints of the actuators influence the performance of the network. For example, a high trigger level for a pump for discharging a storm tank serves to limit the quantity of water that is discharged into the network downstream and thus to limit the risk of flooding or of overflowing into the natural environment from the network downstream. Nevertheless, such a high level also puts a limit on the quantity of water that can still be stored in the event of heavy rain. The risk of overflowing into the natural environment upstream from the storm tank is thus increased.
[0004] Real time management of a wastewater network consists in adapting the setpoints for controlling the actuators to a rain event, so as to improve the performance of the network. By way of example, network performance may be characterized by the locations of floods in built-up areas and by the quantity of water that overflows into the natural environment, or indeed the quantity of energy that is used while performing said management. Thus, it is known to adapt control setpoints for actuators to match rain as forecast or measured.
[0005] For example, the Seine-Saint-Denis drainage network as described in the document “Exploitation en temps reel du réseau d'assainissement de Seine-Saint-Denis” [Real time operation of the Seine-Saint-Denis drainage network] by J. M. Delattre, as given to the Congress “La gestion avanzada del drenaje urbano” [Advanced management of urban drainage], Barcelona, 2004, is based on a scenario approach. In that approach, a rain type approximating as closely as possible to present or future real rain over the territory is selected from a sample of 27 rain types. Each rain type corresponds to a set of setpoints for actuators of the network. The sets of setpoints were predetermined, by using a model of the network.
[0006] It is also known to use an optimization algorithm to predetermine an optimum set of setpoints for a given rain type, as a function of the network model. Thus, the document “Optimization of sewer networks hydraulic behavior during wet weather: coupling genetic algorithms with two sewer networks modeling tools” presented at the Novatech 2010 Congress at Lyon, shows that such optimization makes it possible to improve the performance of real time management compared with predetermined setpoints derived from the long experience of the network manager.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A wastewater network may comprise numerous works and actuators. The inventors have found that in practice, a network nearly always includes at least one work or actuator that is not available or that is operating at reduced capacity. Non-availability may be due, for example, to a fault or to being laid up for maintenance purposes. Unfortunately, in the prior art mentioned in the introduction, the sets of setpoints are predetermined as a function of a model of the network that represents the nominal state of the network. Thus, the setpoints used can lead to underperformance of the network when its state is not the nominal state.
[0008] The invention seeks to provide a wastewater network control method that presents improved performance. In particular, the invention seeks to use a set of setpoints that leads to improved performance.
[0009] To this end, the invention provides a control method for controlling a wastewater network, said network including actuators suitable for influencing the flow rates of water in the network, with the behavior of the actuator depending on setpoints, the method comprising:
a step of selecting a rain type from a list of predetermined rain types, as a function of forecast or measured rain; a step of selecting a set of setpoints from a list of predetermined setpoints, as a function of the selected rain type; and a step of sending the setpoints of the selected set of setpoints to said actuators;
[0013] wherein the method further comprises a step of obtaining first state information representative of a current state of the network, said set of setpoints being selected from the list of predetermined sets of setpoints as a function of the selected rain type and as a function of the first state information;
[0014] the control method further comprising:
a step of obtaining second state information representative of a current or forecast state of the network; a step of determining at least one new set of setpoints as a function of a model of the network and as a function of the second state information; and a step of adding said new set of setpoints to said list of sets of setpoints.
[0018] By means of the invention, the set of setpoints is selected not only as a function of rain type, but also as a function of the current state of the network. It is thus possible to select a set of setpoints that enables improved performance to be obtained, given the current state of the network. Furthermore, when a change of state is planned or detected, a corresponding new set of setpoints is added to the list. Thus, the list of sets of setpoints contains a set of setpoints that enables improved performance to be obtained, regardless of the state of the network.
[0019] In an implementation, the step of determining at least one new set of setpoints comprises determining a new set of setpoints for each rain type in the list of rain types.
[0020] The step of determining at least one new set of setpoints may comprise executing an optimization algorithm.
[0021] Said step of determining at least one new set of setpoints comprises determining a model of the network as a function of a nominal network model and as a function of the second state information. In other words, the network model that is used is an updated model.
[0022] In an implementation, the control method comprises:
a step of evaluating the real performance of the network during a rain event; a step of evaluating the simulated performance of the network as a function of a rain hyetograph (storm intensity pattern) of the rain event and as a function of the set of setpoints selected during the rain event; and a step of comparing said real and simulated performance evaluations.
[0026] In an implementation, the control method comprises:
a step of evaluating first simulated performance of the network as a function of a rain hyetograph of the rain event and as a function of the set of setpoints selected during the rain event; a step of evaluating second simulated performance of the network as a function of said rain hyetograph and as a function of a set of setpoints selected as a function of said rain hyetograph; and a step of comparing said first and second simulated performance evaluations.
[0030] In an implementation, the control method comprises:
a step of evaluating optimum performance of the network during a rain event; a step of evaluating simulated performance of the network as a function of a rain hyetograph of the rain event and as a function of a set of setpoints selected as a function of said rain hyetograph; and a step of comparing said optimum and simulated performance evaluations.
[0034] In corresponding manner, the invention also provides a control device for a wastewater network, said network including actuators suitable for influencing the water flow rates in the network, the behavior of the actuators depending on setpoints, the control device comprising:
selector means for selecting a rain type from a list of predetermined rain types as a function of forecast or measured rain; selector means for selecting a set of setpoints from a list of predetermined sets of setpoints as a function of the selected rain type; and means for sending the setpoints of the selected set of setpoints to said actuators;
[0038] wherein the control device further comprises:
means for obtaining first state information representative of a current state of the network, said set of setpoints being selected from the list of predetermined sets of setpoints as a function of the selected rain type and as a function of the first state information; means for obtaining second state information representative of a current or forecast state of the network; means for determining at least one new set of setpoints as a function of a model of the network and as a function of the second state information; and means for adding said new set of setpoints to said list of sets of setpoints.
[0043] The invention also provides a wastewater network including actuators suitable for influencing the water flow rates in the network, the behavior of the actuators depending on setpoints, the network further including a control device of the invention.
[0044] The invention also provides a computer program including instructions for executing the steps of the above-mentioned control method when said program is executed by a computer.
[0045] The program may use any programming language, and it may be in the form of source code, object code, or code that is intermediate between source code and object code, e.g. in a partially compiled form, or in any other desirable form.
[0046] The invention also provides a recording medium or data medium that is readable by a computer and that includes instructions of a computer program as mentioned above.
[0047] The above-mentioned recording media may be any kind of entity or device capable of storing the program. For example, the medium may comprise storage means such as a read-only memory (ROM), e.g. a compact disk (CD) ROM, or a microelectronic circuit ROM, or indeed magnetic recording means, e.g. a floppy disk or a hard disk.
[0048] Furthermore, the recording media may correspond to a transmissible medium such as an electrical or an optical signal, which may be conveyed via an electrical or optical cable, by radio, or by other means. The program of the invention may in particular be downloaded from an Internet type network.
[0049] Alternatively, the recording media may correspond to an integrated circuit in which the program is incorporated, the circuit being adapted to execute or to be used in the execution of the method in question.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0050] Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention appear from the following description given with reference to the accompanying drawings that show an implementation having no limiting character. In the figures:
[0051] FIG. 1 shows a wastewater network suitable for performing a control method in an implementation of the invention;
[0052] FIG. 2 shows a control relationship for a pump of the FIG. 1 network;
[0053] FIG. 3 shows a control device of the FIG. 1 network;
[0054] FIG. 4 shows steps in a control method implemented by the control device of FIG. 3 ;
[0055] FIG. 5 shows other steps of a control method implemented by the control device of FIG. 3 ; and
[0056] FIG. 6 shows other steps of a control method implemented by the control device of FIG. 3 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0057] FIG. 1 shows a wastewater network 1 for conveying rainwater from a built-up area to a treatment plant 4 . The built-up area comprises a north zone 2 and a south zone 3 .
[0058] In this example, the network 1 has tanks S 1 to S 7 , pumps P 1 to P 10 , buffers T 1 to T 15 , pipes represented by arrows, and a control device 8 . Each tank S 1 to S 7 also has a level sensor serving to measure the depth of water h in the tank.
[0059] Circles 5 , 6 , and 7 represent overflow points to the natural environment, respectively into a first water course A 5 , a second water course A 6 , and a third water course A 7 .
[0060] FIG. 2 is a graph showing the behavior of the pumps P 1 to P 10 of the network 1 . The flow rate Q of a pump is controlled as a function of the depth h of water in the associated tank, as measured by a sensor. Thus, if the depth h is less than h stop , the pump is stopped. The water level will then rise until it reaches h start . The pump is then put into operation at a flow rate Q min . There are then two possibilities. If the weather is dry, the wastewater flow rate coming into the tank is less than Q min and the water level will drop until it reaches h stop , thereby causing the pump to be stopped. If the weather is rainy and the wastewater flow rate is greater than Q min then the water level will continue to rise and the pump will then increase its flow rate until it stabilizes at the flow rate of the incoming water, or until it reaches its maximum flow rate Q max .
[0061] If the flow rate of water entering the tank is greater than Q max , the water level will continue to rise and the water might overflow into the natural environment, which ought to be avoided.
[0062] The depth of water h max at which the pump reaches it maximum flow rate Q max constitutes a control setpoint that is representative of the tendency to store water in the tank (if h max is high) or to pump it rapidly downstream in order to avoid storing it (if h max is low). For each of the pumps P 1 to P 10 , the value of h max influences the performance of the network. A high value of h max serves to limit the quantity of water that is discharged into the downstream network and thus to limit the risk of flooding in the downstream network. Nevertheless, a high value for h max also limits the quantity of water that can still be stored in the event of heavy rain. The risk of overflowing into the natural environment is thus increased.
[0063] Thus, the control setpoints h max for each of the pumps P 1 to P 10 needs to be selected in appropriate manner.
[0064] By way of example, the control device 8 is situated in control premises of the manager of the network 1 . FIG. 3 shows the control device 8 in greater detail. It presents the architecture of a computer and comprises in particular a processor 9 , a non-volatile memory 10 , a random access memory (RAM) 11 , and a communications interface 12 . The processor 9 is capable of executing a program for controlling the network 1 , which program is stored in the memory 10 , with execution thereof making use of the RAM 11 . Thus, the memory 10 constitutes a data medium in the meaning of the invention and the control device 8 constitutes a control device in the meaning of the invention.
[0065] The control device 8 stores in the memory 10 a list of rain types, a list of network states, and a plurality of sets of setpoints for the pumps P 1 to P 10 . For example, the list of rain types comprises uniform rain referenced “PLHO”, and heavier rain in the south zone 3 , referenced “PLFS”. The list of network states includes a nominal state EN in which the tanks S 1 to S 7 , the pumps P 1 to P 10 , the buffers T 1 to T 15 , and the pipes of the network 1 are all operating normally, and a first laid-up state EC 1 in which action on the network requires the flow rate Q max of the pumps P 1 to P 2 to be limited to half their nominal Q max flow rate.
[0066] The list of sets of setpoints includes a set of setpoints that is associated with each rain type and network state pair, as represented by Table 1 in which C 1 to C 4 represents the sets of setpoints.
[0000]
TABLE 1
PLHO
PLFS
EN
C1
C2
EC1
C3
C4
[0067] The sets of setpoints C 1 to C 4 are predetermined in a manner that is described below.
[0068] FIG. 4 shows the steps of the control method implemented by the control device 8 .
[0069] In step E 10 , the control device 8 obtains information about current or forecast rain over the built-up area, e.g. from a weather station. The control device 8 also obtains information representative of the current state of the network 1 , e.g. by consulting a system for planning maintenance actions on the network or by consulting sensors suitable for generating such information, e.g. a pump fault sensor.
[0070] Thereafter, in step E 20 , the control station 8 selects, from the list of rain types, the rain type that corresponds most closely to the rain determined in step E 10 . From the list of network states, the control station 8 also selects the state that corresponds most closely to the state determined in step E 10 .
[0071] Thereafter, in step E 30 , the control device 8 selects from the list of sets of setpoints, the set of setpoints that corresponds to the rain type and to the network state as selected in step E 20 . For example, if PLSF rain and the EN nominal state were selected in step E 20 , then the control device 8 selects the C 2 set of setpoints in step 30 .
[0072] Finally, in step E 40 , the control device 8 sends messages to the pumps P 1 to P 10 informing them of the setpoints to be used, i.e. the setpoints of the set C 2 of setpoints in the above example.
[0073] Steps E 10 to E 40 may be repeated. Thus, in the event of a change in current or forecast rain and/or in the event of a change in the state of the network, step E 30 may select a new set of setpoints that is better matched to the conditions. The newly selected set of setpoints then enables the best performance to be obtained from the network, given the present or forecast rain and the state of the network.
[0074] FIG. 5 shows other steps of the control method implemented by the control device 8 .
[0075] In step E 50 , the control device obtains state information representative of the current or forecast state of the network, referred to as state EC 2 . By way of example, the state information may indicate that such-and-such a work is laid up or operating at reduced capacity. To obtain this state information, the control device 8 may consult a system for planning action on the network or sensors suitable for generating such information, as in step E 10 . It is assumed in this example that none of the states EN and EC 1 in the predetermined list of states corresponds to the state information that is obtained. The state EC 2 is thus a new state for the network.
[0076] Thereafter, in step E 60 , the control device 8 determines an updated model of the network 1 . For this purpose, the control device 8 updates a nominal model of the network 1 , e.g. stored in the memory 10 , as a function of the state information obtained in step E 50 . Thus, the updated model of the network 1 reflects the current or forecast state EC 2 of the network.
[0077] After determining the updated model, the control device 8 acts in step E 70 to determine a set of setpoints for each rain type in the list of rain types, by using the updated model. Thus, a set C 5 of setpoints is determined for rain PLHO and state EC 2 and a set C 6 of setpoints is determined for rain PLFS and state EC 2 . For this purpose, the control device 8 implements an optimization algorithm in order to determine the set of setpoints that optimizes the performance of the network 1 for given rain and using the updated model. By way of example, the optimization algorithm may be implemented in the manner described in the document mentioned in the introduction.
[0078] For the requirements of the optimization algorithm, the performance of the network 1 may be represented by a performance function that is defined by the manager of the network 1 . For example, if the object of the manager is to minimize the amount of water discharged from the network 1 into the above-mentioned water courses A 5 , A 6 , and A 7 , and if the water course A 5 is considered as being more critical than the water course A 6 , which is itself considered as being more critical than the water course A 7 , then the performance function may be
[0000] FP= 3 VA 5+2 VA 6 +VA 7
[0000] where VA 5 , VA 6 , and VA 7 represent the volumes discharged into the water courses A 5 , A 6 , and A 7 , respectively. The optimization algorithm then provides a set of setpoints that minimizes the performance function FP.
[0079] In a variant, the optimization algorithm may be a multi-target optimization algorithm that provides a plurality of solutions minimizing the volumes VA 5 , VA 6 , and VA 7 , followed by making a selection amongst the solutions that have been found as a function of the relative degrees of criticality of the water courses.
[0080] The optimization algorithm may take account of constraints, e.g. of limits between which it must find the setpoints that are to be optimized.
[0081] The above-mentioned sets C 1 to C 4 of setpoints are predetermined in similar manner, using the optimization algorithm and the nominal model of the network 1 (sets C 1 and C 2 ) or a model that is updated as a function of the state EC 1 (sets C 3 and C 4 ).
[0082] In step E 80 , the sets C 5 and C 6 are added to the list of sets of setpoints, in correspondence with the rain types PLHO and PLFS, and in correspondence with the network state EC 2 .
[0083] Thus, after performing steps E 50 to E 80 , the list of sets of setpoints comprises a set of setpoints that is associated with each rain type and network state pair, including for the state EC 2 of step E 50 , as shown in Table 2.
[0000]
TABLE 2
PLHO
PLFS
EN
C1
C2
EC1
C3
C4
EC2
C5
C6
[0084] In a variant, step E 80 is preceded by a step (not shown) of an operator validating the sets C 5 and C 6 of setpoints.
[0085] Also in a variant, the optimization of step E 70 applies only to some of the setpoints of the network 1 .
[0086] For example, the h max setpoints of the pumps P 9 and P 10 that are connected directly to the treatment plant 4 may be deemed to be too critical to be subjected to optimization. Thus, the optimization algorithm applies only to the h max setpoints of the other pumps P 1 to P 8 .
[0087] By way of example, the steps of FIG. 5 are executed periodically or in response to an instruction input by an operator. The steps of FIG. 5 , may also be executed when the control device 8 detects, in step E 10 , a network state that does not correspond to any of the states in the list of predetermined states.
[0088] By means of steps E 50 to E 80 , when a new state of the network 1 is provided or detected, new sets of setpoints corresponding thereto are added to the list. Thus, the list of sets of setpoints contains sets of setpoints that serve to obtain improved performance, whatever the state of the network.
[0089] FIG. 6 shows other steps of the control method implemented by the control device 8 . The steps of FIG. 6 are executed after a significant rain event.
[0090] In step F 10 , the control device 8 obtains data representative of the operation of the network 1 during the rain event. By way of example, this data comprises the water levels in the tanks S 1 to S 7 , the flow rates of the pumps P 1 to P 10 , and the discharge volumes or flow rates A 5 to A 6 . The control device 8 also obtains data representative of the rain that has actually fallen, e.g. a rain hyetograph as measured during the rain event. Finally, the control device 8 is aware of the set of setpoints that has been selected for the rain event, and also of the selected rain type and the selected network state corresponding thereto.
[0091] Thereafter, in steps F 20 to F 60 , the control device 8 evaluates different values of the performance function FP of the network 1 .
[0092] More precisely, in step F 20 , the control device 8 evaluates the real performance FP( 1 ) of the network 1 . For this purpose, the value FP( 1 ) is calculated as a function of data representative of the operation of the network 1 during the rain event, as obtained in step F 10 .
[0093] In step F 30 , the control device 8 evaluates the simulated performance FP( 2 ) of the network 1 without reclassifying the rain. Thus, the control device 8 calculates the value FP( 2 ) as a function of the rain hyetograph obtained in step F 10 and of the set of setpoints being used during the rain event.
[0094] In step F 40 , the control device 8 evaluates the simulated performance FP( 3 ) of the network 1 after reclassifying the rain. Thus, the control device 8 calculates the value FP( 3 ) as a function of the rain hyetograph obtained in step F 10 and of a set of setpoints corresponding to the rain type that ought have been selected from the list of rain types, given the rain that actually fell.
[0095] Finally, in step F 50 , the control device 8 determines an optimum set of setpoints for the rain that actually fell, and then in step F 60 it evaluates the simulated optimum performance FP( 4 ) of the network 1 . Thus, the control device 8 calculates the value FP( 4 ) as a function of the rain hyetograph obtained in step F 10 and as a function of the optimum set of setpoints as determined in step F 50 .
[0096] During steps F 30 to F 60 , the model of the network 1 that is used is the model that has been updated as a function of the network state selected for the rain event.
[0097] Thereafter, during steps F 70 to F 100 , the values FP( 1 ) to FP( 4 ) are compared, and then in steps F 110 to F 140 , conclusions are drawn as a function of those comparisons.
[0098] More precisely, in step F 70 , FP( 1 ) is compared with FP( 2 ). If a significant difference is observed, that means that equipment in the network 1 is faulty. Thus, in step F 110 , a comparison between the measured and simulated flow rates and levels serves to identify the faulty equipment. For example, if the measured flow rate of a pump levels out at a given level below the simulated flow rate for that pump, that means that the pump is faulty. The control device 8 can then display a maintenance recommendation concerning that pump for use by the manager of the network 1 .
[0099] In step F 80 , FP( 2 ) is compared with FP( 3 ). If a considerable difference is observed, that means that the rain type selected for the rain event was remote from the rain that actually fell. In other words, rain detection and forecasting need to be improved so as to enable rain type selection to be performed better. Thus, in step F 120 , the control device 8 displays a recommendation to improve the detection and the forecasting of rain.
[0100] In step F 90 , FP( 3 ) is compared with FP( 4 ). If a significant difference is observed, that means that the set of setpoints that was selected for the rain event was suboptimal. Thus, in step F 130 , the control device 8 displays a recommendation to add a new rain type to the list of rain types, together with the corresponding optimum setpoints. Thus, if the recommendation is accepted (e.g. by an operator), then the control device 8 determines for the new rain type and for each network state in the list of network states, a new set of setpoints. For this purpose, the control device 8 implements an optimization algorithm, as explained above with reference to step E 70 .
[0101] For the above-mentioned steps F 70 to F 90 , a difference is said to be significant for example if the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold.
[0102] Finally, in step F 100 , FP( 4 ), which represents the optimized performance of the network 1 for the rain that fell, is compared with a performance threshold. If the optimized performance is found to be insufficient, then in step F 140 the control device 8 displays a recommendation to investigate improving the structure of the network 1 or improving its real-time management.
[0103] Thus, after a rain event, the steps of FIG. 6 enable the causes of possible underperformance of the network 1 to be diagnosed and they indicate leads for studying for improvement.
[0104] The invention is described above with reference to an implementation in which the actuators of the network are pumps and the control setpoints are depths h max . Naturally, the invention may be applied to other types of actuator, e.g. valves, and to other types of control setpoints. The control relationship for the pumps may be other than that shown in FIG. 2 .
[0105] In a variant, the list of network states initially comprises only the nominal state EN. The steps shown in FIG. 5 then enable one or more additional states to be added, as necessary.
[0106] Also in a variant, the list of rain types may initially be empty. Under such circumstances, the control device 8 possess sufficient computation power to implement the optimization algorithm in the time interval between rain being forecast and the actual appearance of that rain, with it being possible for a first rain type corresponding to the forecast rain to be added to the list of rain types together with the set of setpoints determined therefor, before the rain appears. The determined setpoints can then be applied.
|
A control method for controlling a wastewater network, said network including actuators suitable for influencing the flow rates of water in the network, with the behavior of the actuator depending on setpoints, the method comprising:
a step of selecting a rain type from a list of predetermined rain types, as a function of forecast or measured rain; a step of selecting a set of setpoints from a list of predetermined setpoints, as a function of the selected rain type; and a step of sending the setpoints of the selected set of setpoints to said actuators.
The method further comprises a step of obtaining first state information representative of the current state of the network, said set of setpoints being selected from the list of predetermined sets of setpoints as a function of the selected rain type and as a function of the first state information.
| 4
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RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority as a continuation application under 35 U.S.C. §120 to PCT/IB2008/000359 filed as an International Application on Feb. 19, 2008 designating the U.S., the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to on-line performance monitoring, such as monitoring of reverse osmosis/nanofiltration plants by analyzing physical parameters of a membrane using a membrane transport phenomenological model.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0003] Reverse Osmosis/Nanofiltration/Ultrafiltration (RO/NF/UF) is a pressure driven membrane separation process used in various industries such as desalination, wastewater treatment and chemical manufacturing. RO/NF/UF is used in plants to produce potable water from sea/brackish water. In an RO/NF/UF process, high pressure is applied on the feed side of the membrane to overcome the osmotic pressure of solute and cause transport of the solvent from the feed side to a permeate side and solute accumulates near the membrane surface. As a result, the concentration of the solute near the membrane surface increases gradually over a period, adversely affecting the performance of membrane. This phenomena is called concentration polarization. The concentration polarization is inversely proportional to the feed velocity across the membrane module. As recovery increases, the flow velocity across the membrane decreases, causing increased concentration polarization. Product recovery depends on other variables like feed concentration, pressure and temperature. In RO/NF/UF plants, the membrane fouling rate due to concentration polarization is influenced by multiple factors such as changes in feed concentration, temperature, and pressure, and it is difficult for the plant operator to determine the root cause for a changing fouling rate in a RO/NF/UF plant. Prediction of the changes in the fouling rate would help the plant operators in taking maintenance actions like cleaning the membrane to restore the performance to a desired level.
[0004] In industry, cleaning of the membrane is carried out in at least two ways; either based on a pressure drop between the feed and reject being more than a threshold value, or at predetermined fixed periodic intervals as per a recommendation by a membrane manufacturer. In the first method, the membrane may get damaged due to permanent fouling, and in the second method, membrane cleaning is independent of the actual fouling taking place in the membrane modules. Thus, both these methods of membrane cleaning are not satisfactory since the fouling rate changes with time and is dependent on the feed flow rate, concentration, pressure and temperature.
[0005] Different methods have been reported in literature for online cleaning and performance monitoring of a membrane separation process. Ooe Kenji and Okada Shingo [28] reported online method for performance analysis of an RO plant based on an ASTM D-4516 [1] method. The ASTM D-4516 method does not allow for discovering the development of membrane fouling or scaling until it results in significant loss of product quality such as product flow, and salt passage. In addition, this technique is applicable only where the plant is operated as per the design conditions and capacity with recovery being equal to or less than 15%.
[0006] Mohamad Amin Saad [16] extended the ASTM method to measure “Fouling Monitor” (FM) to monitor the performance of an RO plant. The FM is defined as a percentage difference between the normalized flux at design conditions and actual flux at the operating conditions of the RO plant. A cleaning scheduling of a membrane is arrived at based on the value of the FM. This method cannot predict the fouling of the membrane based on the operating conditions before normalized flux deviates from a design value. In addition, the method based on normalized flux may not be sufficient to predict fouling of a membrane accurately.
[0007] Nalco chemical company [18-27] has developed a method for monitoring the performance of a membrane separation process. As per the method, a tracer is injected in the feed stream and the concentration of tracer in outlet streams was estimated experimentally by using external sensors. The tracer concentrations in the feed and the outlet streams are used to monitor the fouling taking place in the membrane separation processes. This technique involves external sensors and tracer injection systems for implementation.
[0008] University Technology Corporation [U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,435] has developed a method and apparatus for monitoring membrane modules by using an ultrasonic sound technique. Due to fouling, the membrane thickness increases from the original value. Cleaning of the membrane is scheduled based on the monitoring of the membrane thickness using an ultrasonic technique. This method involves an individual ultrasonic transducer to monitor fouling at each membrane module.
[0009] The methods described above are not based on actual plant operating conditions and do not account for any time varying nature of fouling taking place in the membrane units.
[0010] Several mathematical models dealing with solute transfer in a membrane separation process have been reported in literature. Broadly, these membrane transport models may be divided in two categories (i) for neutral (reverse osmosis) membranes and (ii) for charged (nanofiltration and charged reverse osmosis) membranes. The mathematical models like preferential sorption-capillary flow model [2], Solution Diffusion model [3], Irreversible Thermodynamic model (Kedem-Katchalsky model [4] and Spiegler-Kedem model [5]), and Langmuir-type model [6] have been used for neutral membranes. In the case of charged membranes, the Nernst-Planck equation [7], electrostatic and steric hindrance model [8] have been used. Data driven models based on neural networks [9] have also been used to predict both permeate concentration and flux without solving any membrane transport equation.
[0011] Models proposed for charged membranes are developed by considering the chemical and physical properties of the solute and membrane such as solute size, solute charge, pore size of membrane and charge of membrane etc. On the other hand models based on the irreversible thermodynamics [4, 5] are developed by considering the membrane as a black box which has fluxes (permeate and solute flux) corresponding to the driving forces (pressure difference and concentration difference) of the transport process. The phenomenological constants are used to correlate flux and driving force, and physical parameters of the membrane are derived from these phenomenological constants. With irreversible thermodynamic models, the physical parameters of the membrane can be estimated for experimental data without knowing properties of membrane and solute. Soltanieh and Gill [10] compared the performance of the SK model and the KK model and observed that at no fouling condition, the membrane physical parameters of the KK model were found to be a function of feed concentration, while SK model parameters were found to be constant with respect to feed concentration. Several authors [11] compared the Solution Diffusion (SD) model with the SK model and concluded that the SK model predicts better than the SD model.
[0012] Murthy and Gupta. [12] proposed new a model, namely a Combined Film Spiegler-Kedem (CFSK) model, by including both membrane transport and concentration polarization effects. They concluded that CFSK model predictions are better than other models available in literature. Senthilmurugan et al [13] and Abhijit et al., [14] extended the CFSK model to spiral wound and hollow fiber modules respectively, and validated the models with experimental data with good results.
SUMMARY
[0013] A method is disclosed for real time performance management of membrane separation processes, comprising: predicting a state of fouling of a membrane based on an estimation of a time varying physical parameter of the membrane from plant data; and scheduling cleaning of the membrane based on a comparison of an estimated time varying physical parameter with a pre-defined threshold value.
[0014] A system is disclosed for real time performance management of a membrane separation process by performing a computer implemented program on a computer to implement a method comprising: predicting a state of fouling based on estimation of a time varying physical parameter of a membrane from plant data; and scheduling cleaning of the membrane based on a comparison of an estimated time varying physical parameter with a pre-defined threshold value.
[0015] A system is disclosed for real time estimation of a time varying physical parameter of a membrane separation process from plant data, comprising: means to measure a plant process variable in real-time; means to store a real-time measurement of plant operation data in a computer based control system; means to process the plant operation data stored in the computer based control system to remove noise; means to estimate a physical parameter of a membrane using a mathematical model; and means to store an estimated physical parameter in the computer based control system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Other features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the description of the preferred exemplary embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0017] FIG. 1 is schematic of an exemplary RO/NF/UF plant with an associated instrumentation and control system;
[0018] FIG. 2 is an exemplary schematic of on-line performance monitoring system of an RO/NF/UF plant; and
[0019] FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic of a mathematical model.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] Exemplary embodiments can implement an on-line method that can analyze available plant data in terms of fouling of membranes and suggest an appropriate membrane cleaning schedule to plant operators to maintain the performance of the RO plant and also extend the life of the membrane. So far, such on-line performance monitoring methods based on a membrane transport phenomenological model have not been reported for RO/NF/UF plants and the present disclosure is aimed at filling such a gap.
[0021] In the present disclosure, an exemplary method for real-time estimation of a state of fouling and cleaning scheduling for RO/NF/UF plant is proposed. An exemplary method includes periodically executing the following steps: (i) using a phenomenological model to calculate the performance of an RO/NF/UF plant; (ii) on-line estimation of a membrane transport parameter of a phenomenological model at periodic intervals; and (iii) analysis of the membrane transport parameter to determine the state of the fouling of the membrane.
[0022] The following exemplary physical parameters of the membrane are estimated online:
Hydrodynamic permeability of membrane (A) Solute permeability i.e. Permeability of solute with respect to membrane (Pm) Reflection coefficient of membrane (σ)
[0026] The present disclosure provides for performance monitoring of a membrane unit through online analysis of physical parameters of the phenomenological model of the membrane transport process. This method provides information about the time varying rate of fouling in a membrane unit, which can be used in scheduling of the membrane cleaning.
[0027] A proposed on-line performance monitoring method includes:
A mathematical model for both hollow fiber and spiral wound membrane modules with listed inputs (model parameters, feed flow rate, conductivity and pressure) and outputs (permeate flow rate, permeate conductivity, and reject pressure) as shown in FIG. 3 . Online estimation of both physical parameters of the membrane and parameters related to the configuration of a membrane module by minimizing the error between measured and predicted values of permeate conductivity, flow rate, and reject pressure. A non-linear optimization technique can be used for minimizing the error between the predicted and measured values. Online validation of a developed RO/NF/UF unit model with plant data by comparing the model predicted values with actual operation data from the plant. Online estimation of physical parameters of the membrane in a regular time interval by minimizing the error between the measured and predicted values of permeate conductivity, flow rate, and reject pressure. A non-linear optimization technique can be used for minimizing the error between the predicted and measured values. Analysis of the estimated membrane transport parameter by comparing the current estimated parameter values with predefined threshold values. If the values of the current estimates of the parameter values is more than the threshold values, recommend cleaning of the membranes.
[0033] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic of an RO/NF/UF plant with associated instrumentation and plant control system
[0034] The RO/NF/UF based desalination plant has following streams, namely feed, reject and permeate streams. The feed is pretreated 2 before being pumped to RO/NF/UF membrane module through high pressure pump 3 . The properties of the feed stream such as conductivity, pressure and flow rate are measured by corresponding sensors 4 , 5 , 6 . The RO Modules network 7 is connected to the sensors 6 and 8 , the RO/NF/UF membrane module purifies the feed water and purified water is collected at a permeate end and concentrated water is collected at a reject end. The process variables such as reject flow rate and pressure are measured at corresponding sensors 8 , 9 . Similarly, other process variables such as permeate flow rate and conductivity are measured by corresponding sensors 10 , 11 . This measured data from sensors are stored in plant control system 1 . These measurements are carried under two conditions such as (i) normal operating conditions and (2) introducing at least one disturbance such as a step change in any one process variable.
[0035] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary schematic of the online performance monitoring system of an RO/NF/UF plant using mathematical model 22 and analysis of the estimated model parameters, which change with time depending upon the plant operating conditions.
[0036] Various exemplary steps involved in online parameter estimation method are:
The data stored in Distributed Control System 1 is processed 16 to remove the noise. Estimation of model parameters or physical parameters of membrane 17 Validation of model parameter 18 . Analysis of model parameter 19 . Recommendation goes to the operator panel 21 for cleaning, on expiry of the estimated time 21 .
[0042] The parameter estimation can be carried out by minimizing the error between the predicted and measured process variable under normal operating conditions. The error minimization can be performed by a non-linear optimization technique. Further estimated model parameters are used to validate the model using measured process variables.
[0043] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary mathematical model of an RO/NF/UF plant. The mathematical model for the membrane module will change depending upon the configuration of the module used in a plant, namely a Hollow Fiber (HF) module or a Spiral Wound (SW) module or a tubular module 23 . A brief description of the mathematical models of both HF and SW modules is outlined below
Model for HF Module
[0044] The permeate flow rate and solute concentration obtained from a given HF module can be predicted [14] by solving a set of equations which describe the mass transfer processes in the module. These equations namely, the membrane transport model, concentration polarization model, local solvent and solute mass balances are all applicable at any point within the permeator. The system of coupled differential equations may be solved numerically using the finite difference method.
[0045] The following assumptions have been made in the development of our analysis:
The bulk stream flows radially outward and there is sufficient axial mixing in the bulk stream. This implies that the bulk flow variables are only dependent on r and it allows for replacing the partial derivative terms that appear in the material balance equations and the pressure drop equation with ordinary derivatives. The element chosen for finite difference analysis within the permeator is much larger than the fiber dimensions. Hence, for all practical purposes the shell side of the membrane can be assumed to be a continuous phase. Membrane structure is uniform throughout the module. All model parameters within the permeator are constant. There is no variation in bulk flow properties of the feed stream. Solution contains only one salt and a solvent (binary solution). Film theory is applicable within the membrane module. Fluid properties and diffusivities remain constant inside the module.
[0053] By combining the membrane transport equation of Spiegler-Kedem [5] model and film theory based concentration polarization model [12] equation, we obtain:
[0000]
Permeate
flux
(
m
3
/
m
2
·
s
)
:
J
v
=
A
ρ
[
(
P
b
-
P
p
)
-
σ
vR
G
T
M
w
φ
C
b
(
1
-
F
φ
1
-
F
φ
+
1
-
σ
σ
)
]
(
1
)
[0000] Where A is membrane hydrodynamic permeability (m 3 /m 2 ·s·Pa), σ is reflection coefficient of membrane (−), ρ is density of sea water, P b and Pp are pressures of feed side bulk stream and permeate stream at membrane local point (Pa), ν is vont-hoff factor of solute (−), R G is gas constant (J·kmol −1 ·° K −1 ), T is temperature (° K), M w is molecular weight of solute (kg/kmol), φ is concentration polarization defined by equation (3), C b is concentration of bulk feed at membrane local point (kg/m 3 ), F is intermediate dummy variable which defined by equation (3),
[0000]
Permeate
concentration
:
C
p
=
C
b
1
+
σ
1
-
σ
·
1
-
F
φ
(
2
)
Where
,
φ
=
exp
(
J
v
k
)
,
and
F
=
exp
(
-
J
v
1
-
σ
P
m
)
(
3
)
[0000] Where, P m is solute permeability (m/s).
The mass transfer coefficient (k) used in equation (3) can be expressed as a function of the Reynolds and Schmidt numbers.
[0000] Sh=aRe b Sc 1/3 (4)
[0054] Equations of the same form are used in literature for estimating the mass transfer coefficients. The values of ‘a’ and ‘b’ for a hollow fiber module have been reviewed by Masaaki Sekino [29] for an HFRO module.
[0055] The pressure difference across the membrane which is used in equation 1 for obtaining the permeate flux varies throughout the membrane because of friction losses. The pressure drop for the permeate and bulk streams can be estimated using a Hagen-Poiseuille equation and the modified Ergun's [15] equation respectively. These equations are given below
[0000]
Hagen
-
Poiseuille
equation
:
z
P
p
=
-
32
μ
d
i
2
v
p
(
5
)
[0000] Where v p is permeate velocity (m/s) at inside the fiber bore, d i is an inside diameter of hollow fiber (m), μ is viscosity of water (Pa·s), z is axial coordinate
[0056] The modified Ergun [15] equation for pressure drop per length of the packed bed at a turbulent condition can be written as
[0000]
∂
P
b
∂
r
=
c
·
v
r
d
·
J
v
e
(
6
)
[0000] Where, v r is superficial velocity of feed stream (m/s), c, d, e constants are used in equation (6).
[0057] The material balance equations for both solute and solvent streams within the module are given below
[0000]
Permeate
stream
:
z
v
p
=
J
v
ζ
/
θ
such
that
BC
,
v
p
z
=
0
=
0
,
0
≤
z
≤
L
Here
θ
=
d
i
2
N
D
o
2
-
D
i
2
,
ζ
=
4
θ
d
o
d
i
2
·
L
L
m
.
(
7
)
[0058] The length of a hollow fiber is given as, L=√{square root over (L m 2 +4(πrW) 2 )}
[0000] L m is length of module (m).
Bulk stream solute concentration:
[0000]
r
(
rv
r
)
=
-
θ
rv
p
L
|
z
=
L
(
8
)
[0000] subject to BC, ν r | r=D i /2 =ν F
v F is velocity of feed at feed header (m/s)
Likewise for the solute,
[0000]
r
(
rv
r
C
b
)
=
-
θ
rv
p
C
p
L
|
z
=
L
(
9
)
[0000] subject to BC, C b | r=D i /2 =C F for D i /2≦r≦D o /2
C F is feed concentration (kg/m 3 ).
Differentiation of equation (3.8) and subsequent substitution into equation (3.11) leads to:
[0000]
2
z
2
P
p
=
-
32
μ
d
i
2
·
ζ
θ
·
J
v
BC
{
z
P
p
|
z
=
0
=
0
P
p
=
P
atm
-
l
s
·
32
μ
d
i
2
v
p
|
z
=
L
(
10
)
[0000] Where, I s is length of epoxy seal (m), P atm is atmosphere pressure (Pa).
[0059] The above equations (1) to (9) are solved numerically by the finite difference method with each of the variables being expressed as a discrete value. Since the permeate flow variables vary only along the z-axis while the bulk flow terms vary along the r-axis, the equations are solved sequentially by proceeding from r=D i /2 to D o /2 while solving all the z-axis dependent difference equations at a particular radial grid location. The bulk flow terms at r=D i /2 are known; P b =P F , C b =C F and v r =V F .
Model for SW Module
[0060] The following assumptions have been made in the development of our analysis.
Membrane structure is uniform throughout the module. All model parameters within the permeator are constant. There is no variation in bulk flow properties. Solution contains only one salt and a solvent (binary solution). Film theory is applicable within the membrane module. Fluid properties and diffusivities remain constant inside the module.
[0066] The mass transport equations of membrane will be same for both HF and SW modules. Therefore, the equations 1-4 are solved with the following pressure drop and mass balance equation given below for SW module [13].
[0067] The pressure drop in both the channels is based on the assumption that Darcy's law is applicable. This leads to the following expression for the pressure drops:
[0000]
Feed
Channel
:
P
b
x
=
k
fb
·
μ
·
U
b
(
10
)
Permeate
Channel
:
P
p
y
=
k
fp
·
μ
·
U
p
(
11
)
[0000] Where: k fb is the friction parameter in the feed channel (1/m 2 ), k fp is the friction parameter in the permeate channel (1/m 2 ), U b , U p is the velocity of the solution in feed and permeate channels (m/s) and μ is the viscosity of solution (Pa·s). Here both friction parameters are experimentally determined for a given module, and x and y are directions of feed and permeate flow when in a module unwind condition.
[0068] The overall material balance for the feed and the permeate sides are given by the following equations:
[0000]
U
b
x
=
-
2
J
v
/
h
b
(
12
)
U
p
y
=
2
J
v
/
h
p
(
13
)
[0000] Where, h b , h p are thickness of feed and permeate side spacer (m).
Similarly the material balance for the solute on the feed side is represented by the following equation:
[0000]
U
b
C
b
x
=
-
2
J
v
C
p
/
h
b
(
14
)
[0000] Differentiating equation (10) with respect of “x” and substituting in equation (12), we obtain:
[0000]
2
P
b
x
2
=
2
k
fb
μ
J
v
/
h
b
(
15
)
[0000] with boundary conditions
[0000]
P
b
=
P
F
at
x
=
0
and
P
R
=
P
F
+
∫
0
L
(
P
b
x
)
x
at
x
=
L
[0000] Similarly differentiating equation (11) with respect to y and substituting in equation (13) we obtain:
[0000]
2
P
p
y
2
=
-
2
k
fp
μ
J
v
/
h
p
(
16
)
[0000] with boundary conditions:
[0000]
P
p
=
P
atm
at
y
=
w
and
at
y
=
0
,
P
pw
=
P
atm
-
∫
0
w
(
P
b
y
)
y
[0000] P R is reject pressure (Pa), L is length of spiral wound module (m), and w=width of module with respect to number of wounds (m).
[0069] The above equations are solved using the method of finite differences. The feed flow path (x direction) is divided into m segments while the permeate flow path (y direction) is divided into n segments.
[0070] By solving the above model equations of HF and SW modules, the permeate flux, and concentration at local points of the membrane module can be estimated. The overall permeate concentration and flow rate can be estimated by the following equations:
[0000]
Q
p
=
∫
x
=
0
x
=
m
∫
y
=
0
x
=
n
J
v
S
m
y
x
(
17
)
C
pt
=
∫
x
=
0
x
=
m
∫
y
=
0
x
=
n
J
v
S
m
C
p
y
x
(
18
)
[0000] Where S m is surface area of a membrane corresponding finite element.
[0071] The exemplary lists of physical parameters 24 used in the model are:
Membrane hydrodynamic permeability (A) Reflection coefficient of membrane (σ) Solute permeability (P m ) The constants of mass transfer coefficients correlation (a and b) The constants of modified Ergun's equation for HFRO module (c, d, e) or Darcy's law constant for feed and permeate channel for spiral wound module (k fb , k fp ).
[0077] The conductivity of permeate can be estimated from the permeate concentration.
[0078] The above described mathematical models are used in the present method to describe the physical phenomena occurring in membrane separation processes. The models include parameters such as solute permeability, hydrodynamic permeability and membrane reflection coefficient to characterize the fouling phenomena. These model parameters are time varying in nature and are estimated periodically from the RO plant data such as flow rate, temperature, pressure and quality of feed, reject and permeate. Analysis of these estimated parameters will indicate the rate of fouling taking place in the RO plant and the cleaning of the membrane is recommended whenever the values of these parameters exceed a pre-defined threshold value.
[0079] It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restricted. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes that come within the meaning and range and equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
[0000] References, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and referenced by number in the specification.
1. ASTM D4516-00 (2006)e1 Standard Practice for Standardizing Reverse Osmosis Performance Data 2. R. Rangarajan, T. matsuura, E. C. Goodhe, and S. Sourrirjan, Predictability of reverse osmosis performance of porous cellulose acetate membranes for mixed uni-valent electrolytes in aqueous solutions, Ind. Eng. Chem. Prod. Des. Dev, 17 (1978) 46-56 3. J. G. Wijmans and R. W. Baker, The solution-diffusion model: a review, Journal of Membrane Science 107 (1995) 1-21 4. O. Kedem and A. Katchalsky, Thermodynamic analysis of the permeability of biological membranes to non electrolytes, Biochim. Bio-Phys. Acta. 27 (1958) 229. 5. K. S. Spiegler and O. Kedem, Thermodynamics of hyperfiltration (reverse osmosis): criteria for efficient membranes, Desalination 1 (1966) 311-326. 6. M. Soltanieh, and S. Sahebdelfar, Interaction effects in multi-component separation by reverse osmosis, J. Membr. Sci, 183 (2001) 15-27 7. M. W. Vonk and J. A. M. Smit, Positive and negative ion retention curves of mixed electrolytes in reverse osmosis with a cellulose acetate membrane. An analysis on the basis of the generalized Nernst-Planck equation, J. of Colloid and Interface Sci., 96 (1983) 121-134 8. X. Wang, T. Tsuru, M. Togoh S.-I. Nakao and S. Kimura, Transport of organic electrolytes with electrostatic and steric-hindrance effects through Nan filtration membranes, J. Chem. Engg. Japan, 28 (1995) (372-380) 9. Grishma R. Shetty a, Shankararaman Chellam, Predicting membrane fouling during municipal drinking water nanofiltration using artificial neural networks, J. Membr. Sci., 217 (2003) 69-86 10. M. Soltanieh and W. N. Gill, Review of reverse osmosis membranes and transport models, Chemical Engg. Comm., 12 (1981) 279 11. A. Mason, H. K. Lonsdale, Statistical mechanical theory of membrane transport, J. Membr. Sci. 51 (1990) 1. 12 Z. V. P. Murthy and S. K. Gupta, Thin film composite polyamide membrane parameters estimation for phenol-water system by reverse osmosis, Sep. Sci. Technol., 33(16)(1998) 2541E. 13 S. Senthilmurugan, Aruj Ahluwalia and Sharad K. Gupta, Modeling of a spiral wound reverse osmosis module and estimation of model parameters using numerical techniques”, Desalination, 173, 269-286, 2005 14 Abhijit Chatterjee, Aruj Ahluwalia, S. Senthilmurugan and Sharad K. Gupta, Modeling of a Radial flow hollow fiber module and estimation of model parameters using numerical techniques”, Journal of Membrane Science, 236, 1-16, 2004 15. Senthilmurugan s and Babji B S, Hydrodynamics studies in radial flow hollow fiber reverse osmosis module, International Conference on Modeling and Simulation, Coimbatore, 27-29 Aug. 2007 16. Mohamad Amin Saad, Early discovery of RO membrane fouling and real-time monitoring of plant performance for optimizing cost of water, Desalination 165 (2004) 183-191 17. U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,435 Method and apparatus for determining the state of fouling cleaning of membrane modules 18. U.S. Pat. No. 6,699,684 Method of monitoring Biofouling membrane separation processes 19. U.S. Pat. No. 6,730,227 Method of monitoring membrane separation processes 20. U.S. Pat. No. 6,821,428 Method of monitoring membrane separation processes 21. U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,001 Method of monitoring membrane separation processes 22. U.S. Pat. No. 6,838,002 Method of monitoring membrane separation processes 23. U.S. Pat. No. 7,060,136 Method of monitoring membrane cleaning processes 24. U.S. Pat. No. 7,169,236 Method of monitoring membrane cleaning processes 25. U.S. Pat. No. 6,475,394 Pseudo-fouling detector and use thereof to control an industrial water process 26. U.S. Pat. No. 6,017,459 Apparatus and method for the monitoring of membrane deposition 27. U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,096 Methods of simultaneously cleaning and disinfecting industrial water systems 28. Ooe Kenji and Okada Shingo, “eCUBE aqua” application portfolio for reverses osmosis membrane diagnosis. Yaokogawa Technical Report English Edition No 38 (2004). 29. Masaaki Sekino, Mass Transfer Characteristics of Hollow Fiber RO Modules, Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan, 28 (1995) 843-846
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Method for on-line prediction of performance of an RO based desalination plant is disclosed. The method includes: (i) a mathematical model of the RO unit; (ii) on-line estimation of membrane physical parameters of the nonlinear mathematical model representing the RO unit; and (iii) analysis of the estimated membrane transport parameter with respect to time. Based on the analysis of these estimated parameters, plant operators can clean the membranes to restore the performance of the RO desalination plant. The method can be implemented in a computer based control system used for data acquisition and control of an RO based desalination plant. The method can help in maintaining the performance of the RO based desalination plants at a desired level and increase membrane life without affecting quality of permeate water produced.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a transmitter head and a system for contactless energy transmission.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0002] German Published Patent Application No. 100 53 373 describes a device for contactless energy transmission, in which a transmitter head permits inductive energy transmission and has a number of turns per unit length.
[0003] German Published Patent Application No. 44 46 779 and German Published Patent Application No. 197 35 624 describe a system for contactless energy transmission, in which the path is made up of a stationary neutral conductor, and an aluminum profile as a return line. The neutral conductor is surrounded by a U-shaped core of the transmitter head, the core being movable along the neutral conductor. A winding is provided on the U-shaped core. The transmitter head may require a large unit volume.
[0004] PCT International Published Patent Application No. WO 92/17929 describes a system for contactless energy transmission, in which the transmission path is made up of a forward line and a return line in the form of line conductors. The transmitter head implemented with an E-shaped core and a winding disposed on the middle limb of the E-shaped core may require a large unit volume.
[0005] German Published Patent Application No. 197 46 919 describes a flat arrangement which, however, may result in low efficiency in the energy transmission.
SUMMARY
[0006] An example embodiment of the present invention may provide a system for contactless energy transmission which may provide a smaller unit volume in an inexpensive and uncomplicated manner.
[0007] The transmitter head for a system for contactless energy transmission may include a support connected to at least one ferrite core, the ferrite core being at least partially E-shaped, and the flat winding being disposed about one limb of the E. The transmitter head may be adapted for an electrical energy-transmission device having a primary-conductor arrangement made of at least two primary conductors extending parallel to each other and at least one secondary-winding arrangement, electromagnetically coupled thereto, which is mechanically separated from the primary-conductor arrangement and is movable in its longitudinal direction. The secondary-winding arrangement has at least one secondary coil which is in the form of a flat winding and which is arranged in a plane situated parallel to the plane accommodating the primary-conductor arrangement. The transmitter head includes a support connected to at least one ferrite core, the ferrite core being at least partially E-shaped, and the flat winding being provided about one limb of the E-shaped ferrite core.
[0008] The transmitter head may be very flat, may be cost-effective, and may require a small unit volume. In addition, the efficiency of the energy transmission may be much higher, since the E-shaped arrangement may conduct the field lines such that fewer stray fields may develop, and the majority of the field lines generated by the primary lines or conductors may be conducted through the ferrite core having the limbs of the E.
[0009] The primary conductors may be formed as line conductors, or the primary conductors may be formed as flat conductors whose surface normal is perpendicular to the plane accommodating the secondary-winding arrangement. High current densities may be achievable, litz-wire material may be useable, and therefore the skin effect may be reducible.
[0010] The secondary-winding arrangement may be disposed at the lower side of the floor of a vehicle. This may provide that a rail system is useable in the same manner as a system without rails.
[0011] The secondary-winding arrangement may be embedded in a potting or casting compound. This may provide that a high degree of protection is attainable.
[0012] The primary-conductor arrangement may be disposed in stationary manner in the near-surface region of a travel path. This may provide that high efficiency may be attainable in the energy transmission.
[0013] The primary-conductor arrangement and/or the secondary-conductor arrangement may be formed at least partially of litz-wire material. This may provide that it may be possible to reduce the skin effect.
[0014] The flat winding may be implemented as a conductor track on a single-layer or multilayer board. This may provide that it may be possible to produce the transmitter head particularly inexpensively.
[0015] The board may also be fitted with electronic components. This may provide that the number of components may be reducible, e.g., the number of devices for electrical and/or mechanical connection may be reducible.
[0016] The board may be connected to a housing part encompassing a cooling device. In particular, the cooling device has cooling fins and/or cooling fingers. This may provide that the heat may be able to be transmitted from the housing part to the cooling device.
[0017] Features hereof with respect to the system for contactless energy transmission using a transmitter head may include that two line conductors are laid in the floor with a mutual distance A, the distance of the transmitter head from the floor being between 0.05* A and 0.2* A. This may provide that great powers may be able to be transmitted, accompanied by particularly small unit volume.
LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS
[0000]
1 Support
2 Ferrite cores
3 Layer of a multilayer board
4 Layer of a multilayer board
5 Layer of a multilayer board
21 Housing part
22 Cooling fins
23 Electronic components
24 Ferrite cores
25 Winding
26 Board
31 Ferrite core
32 Plastic molded part
33 Litz wire
41 Floor
42 Line conductor
43 Housing part
A,B Distance
[0036] Example embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail with reference to the appended Figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0037] FIG. 1 a is a schematic view of a transmitter head of an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0038] FIG. 1 b is an enlarged view of a left end area of the transmitter head illustrated in FIG. 1 b.
[0039] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an entire structure of a transmitter head together with a board bearing a winding.
[0040] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0041] FIG. 3 a is a schematic view of an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0042] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a part for inductive energy transmission of a system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0043] FIG. 1 a illustrates a transmitter head of an example embodiment of the present invention, an enlarged section of the left end area being illustrated schematically in FIG. 1 b . It may be flat and may need a small unit volume.
[0044] Ferrite cores 2 are mounted on and connected to support 1 , using, for example, an adhesive connection or a releasable connection such as a screw connection, etc.
[0045] Provided at ferrite cores 2 is a multilayer board having layers ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) which bear copper conductor tracks that take the form of flat windings, and thus are implemented on the board.
[0046] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a single, planar, spiral winding may be provided as a conductor track of a single-layer board, less electrical power then being transmittable, however.
[0047] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, such as illustrated, for example, in FIGS. 1 a and 1 b , a multilayer board ( 3 , 4 , 5 ) is used that has a spiral winding in several planes. In that case, for example, the current conduction runs not only in a single, spiral, specific plane, but rather the conduction changes repeatedly between the planes to reduce the skin effect. That means that after a short conductor-track section, a change is made to a next plane of the board. There, a short conductor-track section is traversed again, and then in turn a change is made. In this manner, a quasi-twisted current conduction is obtained which, as far as the basic principle is concerned, corresponds to a litz wire, thus, a multiple bundle of mutually insulated current leads. The winding thus obtained is therefore quasi-twisted.
[0048] FIG. 2 illustrates the entire structure of the transmitter head together with board 3 bearing the winding. Board 3 also bears electronic components 23 and has the conductor tracks.
[0049] Board 3 and ferrite cores 4 are joined to a housing part 21 that also has cooling fins 22 for heat dissipation.
[0050] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment according to the present invention. Disposed on ferrite core 31 are plastic molded parts 32 , in whose depressions, litz wires 33 are embedded. The litz wires are missing in FIG. 3 a . In the left upper half of FIGS. 3 and 3 a , a symbolic intersection through plastic molded parts 32 is illustrated, with the indication of two inserted litz wires 33 . Plastic molded parts 32 facilitate the insertion of litz wires 33 . Ferrite core 31 is E-shaped, and the winding is implemented about the middle limb of the E. The three limbs of the E are very short, e.g., as short as the height of the winding.
[0051] FIG. 4 illustrates the part for the inductive energy transmission of the system. Embedded in floor 41 are two line conductors 42 , constructed from litz wire, which have a mutual distance A of, e.g., 140 mm. In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, values from 100 mm to 200 mm may be provided.
[0052] The flat transmission head, provided in a housing part 43 , has a maximum distance B to floor 41 of, e.g., 15 mm, thus approximately one tenth of distance A of the line conductors. Instead of a tenth, values between 7% to 12% may be possible.
[0053] These indicated geometric features may be achieved by arranging the winding to be flat. The lines of the winding are in one plane and do not cross over each other.
[0054] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, plastic molded parts 32 are arranged as modules able to be joined to one another, whose depressions are formed such that the litz wire is either insertable into straight lines or into circular-arc pieces. To that end, both the straight and the circular-arc-type shapes are impressed as depression into the original plastic part such that protuberances remain which are partially interrupted relative to each other, thus do not all directly connect together.
[0055] The transmitter head may be incorporated in a vehicle or machine part which is relatively movable with respect to the floor.
[0056] The system for contactless energy transmission may operate according to the electronic and electrical features described, for example, in German Published Patent Application No. 44 46 779, German Published Patent Application No. 100 53 373 and/or German Published Patent Application No. 197 35 624, and may be correspondingly designed. In contrast to these documents, however, the power transmission, e.g., the transmitter head, may be implemented with particularly small unit volume.
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A transmitter head for a system for contactless energy transmission includes a support connected to at least one ferrite core. The ferrite core is embodied at least partially in the E-form and a flat winding is arranged around one leg of the E.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of commonly owned copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/863,920, filed on Jun. 9, 2004, entitled “Multiple Cell Battery Charger Configured with a Parallel Topology”, attorney docket no. 211552-00053.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a. battery charger and more particularly, to a battery charger for charging two or more rechargeable battery cells using a parallel battery charger topology which provides constant current charging.
[0004] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0005] Various portable devices and appliances are known to use multiple rechargeable battery cells, such as AA and AAA battery cells. In order to facilitate charging of the battery cells for such multiple cell appliances, multiple cell battery chargers have been developed. Both parallel and series topologies are known for such multiple cell battery chargers. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,821,733 and 6,580,249, as well as published U.S. Patent Application U.S. 2003/0160593, disclose multiple cell battery chargers configured in a series topology. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,034,506 and 6,586,909 as well as published U.S. Patent Application U.S. 2003/0117109 A1 disclose battery chargers configured in a parallel topology.
[0006] In multiple cell battery chargers configured in a series topology, a series charging current is applied to a plurality of serially coupled battery cells. Because the internal resistance and charge on the individual cells may vary during charging, it is necessary with such battery chargers to monitor the voltage across and/or temperature of each cell in order to avoid overcharging any of the serially connected cells. In the event that an over-voltage condition is sensed, it is necessary to shunt charging current around the cell to prevent overcharging of any of the individual serially connected cells. Thus, such multiple cell battery chargers normally include a parallel shunt around each of the serially connected cells. As such, when a battery cell becomes fully charged, additional charging current is thus shunted around the cell to prevent overcharging and possible damage to the cell. In addition, it is necessary to prevent discharge of such serially connected battery cells when such cells are not being charged.
[0007] Various embodiments of a multiple cell battery charger configured with a serial charging topography are disclosed in the '733 patent. In one embodiment, a Zener diode is connected in parallel across each of the serially connected battery cells. The Zener diode is selected so that its breakdown voltage is essentially equivalent to the fully-charged voltage of the battery cell. Thus, when any of the cells become fully charged, the Zener diode conducts and shunts current around that cell to prevent further charging of the battery cell. Unfortunately, the Zener diode does not provide relatively accurate control of the switching voltage.
[0008] In an alternate embodiment of the battery charger disclosed in the '733 patent, a multiple cell battery charger with a series topology is disclosed in which a field effect transistors (FET) are used in place of the Zener diodes to shunt current around the battery cells. In that embodiment, the voltage across each of the serially connected cells is monitored. When the voltage measurements indicate that the cell is fully charged, the FET is turned on to shunt additional charging current around the fully charged cell. In order to prevent discharge of battery cells, isolation switches, formed from additional FETs, are used. These isolation switches simply disconnect the charging circuit from the individual battery cells during a condition when the cells are not being charged.
[0009] U.S. Pat. No. 6,580,249 and published U.S. Patent Application No. U.S. 2003/01605393 A1 also disclosed multiple cell battery chargers configured in a serial topology. The multiple cell battery chargers disclosed in these publications also include a shunt device, connected in parallel around each of the serially coupled battery cells. In these embodiments, FETs are used for the shunts. The FETs are under the control of a microprocessor. Essentially, the microprocessor monitors the voltage and temperature of each of the serially connected cells. When the microprocessor senses that the cell voltage or temperature of any cell is above a predetermined threshold indicative that the cell is fully charged, the microprocessor turns on the FET, thus shunting charging current around that particular battery cell. In order to prevent discharge of the serially connected cells when no power is applied to the battery charger, blocking devices, such as diodes, are used.
[0010] Although such multiple cell battery chargers configured in a series topology are able to simultaneously charge multiple battery cells without damage, such battery chargers are as discussed above, not without problems. For example, such multiple cell battery chargers require at least two active components, namely, either a Zener diode or a FET as a shunt and either a FET or diode for isolation to prevent discharge. The need for at least two active devices drives up the cost of such multiple battery cell chargers.
[0011] In order to avoid the problems associated with multiple cell series battery chargers, multiple cell battery chargers configured in a parallel topology are known to be used. Examples of such parallel chargers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,034,506 and 6,586,909, as well as U.S. Published Patent Application No. U.S. 2003/0117109. U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,909 and published U.S. Application No. U.S. 2003/0117109 discloses a multiple cell battery chargers for use in charging industrial high capacity electrochemical batteries. These publications disclose the use of a transformer having a single primary and multiple balanced secondary windings that are magnetically coupled together by way of an induction core. Each battery cell is charged by way of a regulator, coupled to one of the multiple secondary windings. While such a configuration may be suitable for large industrial applications, it is practically not suitable for use in charging appliance size batteries, such as, AA and AAA batteries.
[0012] Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,034,506 discloses a multiple cell battery charger for charging multiple lithium ion cells in parallel. As shown best in FIG. 3 of the '506 patent, a plurality of serially connected lithium ion battery cells are connected together forming a module. Multiple modules are connected in series and in parallel as shown in FIG. 2 of the '506 patent. Three isolation devices are required for each cell making the topology disclosed in the '506 patent even more expensive to manufacture than the series battery chargers discussed above.
[0013] Another problem associated with parallel battery chargers is thermal runaway. In particular, it is known parallel battery chargers provide constant potential charging. With such constant potential charging, as the cell voltage increases, the temperature and charging current of the cell also increase. Continued constant potential charging of the battery cell causes the current to continue to rise as well as the rate of change of the temperature to increase significantly, resulting in a thermal runaway condition. Thus, there is a need for a battery charger which requires fewer active components than known battery chargers and is thus less expensive to manufacture and also avoids a thermal runaway condition.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Briefly, the present invention relates to a multiple cell battery charger configured in a parallel topology which provides constant current charging. The multiple cell battery charger requires fewer active components than known serial battery chargers, while at the same time preventing a thermal runaway condition. The multiple cell battery charger in accordance with the present invention is a constant voltage constant current battery charger that includes a regulator for providing a regulated source of direct current (DC) voltage to the battery cells to be charged. The battery charger also includes a plurality of charging circuits, each charging circuit including a pair of battery terminals coupled in series with a switching device, such as a field effect transistor (FET) and optionally a battery cell charging current sensing element. In a charging mode, the serially connected FET conducts, thus enabling the battery cell to be charged. The FETs are controlled by a microprocessor that monitors the battery cell voltage and cell charging current and optionally the cell temperature. The microprocessor periodically adjusts the charging current of each cell by turning the FETs of the respective charging circuits off to maintain relatively constant charge (i.e. ampere-sec.) to the various cells during each PWM cycle of the regulator, thus avoiding a thermal runaway condition. The microprocessor also senses the voltage and optionally the temperature of each cell. When the microprocessor determines that the battery cell is fully charged, the FET is turned off, thus disconnecting the battery cell from the circuit. Accordingly, the battery charger in accordance with the present invention utilizes fewer active components and is thus less expensive to manufacture than known battery chargers configured with a serial topography while at the same time providing constant current charging to avoid a thermal runaway condition.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0015] These and other advantages of the present invention will be readily understood with reference to the following specification and attached drawing wherein:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the battery charger in accordance with the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 is a graphical illustration of the voltage, pressure, and/or temperature charging characteristics as a function of time as an exemplary NiMH battery.
[0018] FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate exemplary flow-charts for the battery charger for the present invention.
[0019] FIGS. 4A-4D illustrate the charging current of four exemplary cells at different time periods during an exemplary charging cycle.
[0020] FIG. 5 is an exemplary flow chart which illustrates a constant current mode of operation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The present invention relates to a constant voltage constant current multiple cell battery charger configured in a parallel topology that is adapted to charge multiple battery cells connected in parallel. The constant current mode of operation is illustrated and described in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5 .
[0000] Power Supply and Regulator
[0022] The battery charger, generally identified with the reference 20 , includes a power supply 22 and a regulator 24 . In an AC application, the power supply 22 is configured to receive a source of AC power, such as 120 volts AC, and convert it to a non-regulated source of DC power by way of a bridge rectifier (not shown), for example or other device, such as a switched mode power supply. In DC applications, the power supply 22 may simply be a unregulated source of DC, for example in the range of 10 to 16 volts DC, such as a vehicular power adapter from an automobile. The unregulated source of DC power from the power supply 22 may be applied to, for example, to a regulator, such as, a DC buck regulator 24 , which generates a regulated source of DC power, which, in turn, is applied to the battery cells to be charged.
[0023] The regulator 24 may be an integrated circuit (IC) or formed from discrete components. The regulator 24 may be, for example, a switching type regulator which generates a pulse width modulated (PWM) signal at its output. The regulator 24 may be a synchronous buck regulator 24 , for example, a Linear Technology Model No. LTC 1736, a Fairchild Semiconductor Model No. RC5057; a Fairchild Semiconductor Model No. FAN5234; or a Linear Technology Model No. LTC1709-85 or others.
[0024] The output of the regulator 24 may optionally be controlled by way of a feedback loop. In particular, a total charging current sensing device, such as a sensing resistor R 11 , may be serially coupled to the output of the regulator 24 . The sensing resistor R 11 may be used to measure the total charging current supplied by the regulator 24 . The value of the total charging current may be dropped across the sensing resistor R 11 and sensed by a microprocessor 26 . The microprocessor 26 may be programmed to control the regulator 24 , as will be discussed in more detail below, to control the regulator 24 based on the state of charge of the battery cells being charged.
Battery Charger Schematic
[0025] As shown in FIG. 1 , the battery charger 20 may optionally be configured to charge four battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 , and 34 . As shown, these battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 are electrically coupled to corresponding pairs of battery terminals: T 1 and T 2 ; T 3 and T 4 ; T 5 and T 6 ; and T 7 and T 8 , respectively. However, the principles of the present invention are applicable to two or more battery cells.
[0026] Each battery cell 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 is serially connected to a switching device, such as a field effect transistor (FET) Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 and Q 15 . More particularly, the source and drain terminals of each of the FETs Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 and Q 15 are serially connected to the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 . In order to sense the charging current supplied to each of the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 , a current sensing devices, such as the sensing resistors R 37 , R 45 , R 53 , R 60 , may be serially coupled to the serial combination of the FETs Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 and Q 15 ; and the pairs of battery terminals, T 1 ; and T 2 ; T 3 and T 4 ; T 5 and T 6 ; and T 7 and T 8 , The serial combination of the battery terminals T 1 and T 2 ; T 3 and T 4 ;T 5 and T 6 ; and T 7 and T 8 ; FETs Q 12 , Q 12 , Q 14 and Q 15 ; and the optional charging current sensing devices R 37 , R 45 , R 53 and R 60 , respectively, form a charging circuit for each battery cell 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 . These charging circuits, in turn, are connected together in parallel.
[0027] The charging current supplied to each of the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 can vary due to the differences in charge, as well as the internal resistance of the circuit and the various battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 , and 34 . This charging current as well as the cell voltage and optionally the cell temperature may be sensed by the microprocessor 26 . In accordance with an important aspect of the present invention, the multiple cell battery charger 20 may be configured to optionally sense the charging current and cell voltage of each of the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 , separately. This may be done by control of the serially connected FETS Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 and Q 15 . For example, in order to measure the cell voltage of an individual cell, such as the cell 28 , the FET Q 12 is turned on while the FETs Q 13 , Q 14 and Q 15 are turned off. When the FET 12 is turned on, the anode of the cell 28 is connected to system ground. The cathode of the cell is connected to the V sen terminal of the microprocessor 26 . The cell voltage is thus sensed at the terminal V sen .
[0028] As discussed above, the regulator 24 may be controlled by the microprocessor 26 . In particular, the magnitude of the total charging current supplied to the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 may be used to determine the pulse width of the switched regulator circuit 24 . More particularly, as mentioned above, the sensing resistor R 11 may be used to sense the total charging current from the regulator 24 . In particular, the charging current is dropped across the sensing resistor R 11 to generate a voltage that is read by the microprocessor 26 . This charging current may be used to control the regulator 24 and specifically the pulse width of the output pulse of the pulse width modulated signal forming a closed feedback loop. In another embodiment of the invention, the amount of charging current applied to the individual cells Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 and Q 15 may be sensed by way of the respective sensing resistors R 37 , R 45 , R 53 and R 60 and used for control of the regulator 24 either by itself or in combination with the total output current from the regulator 24 . In other embodiments of the invention, the charging current to one or more of the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 may be used for control.
[0029] In operation, during a charging mode, the pulse width of the regulator 24 is set to an initial value. Due to the differences in internal resistance and state of charge of each of the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 at any given time, any individual cells which reach their fully charged state, as indicated by its respective cell voltage, as measured by the microprocessor 26 . More particularly, when the microprocessor 26 senses that any of the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 or 34 are fully charged, the microprocessor 26 drives the respective FETs Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 , or Q 15 open in order to disconnect the respective battery cell 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 from the circuit. Since the battery cells are actually disconnected from the circuit, no additional active devices are required to protect the cells 28 , 30 , 32 , and 34 from discharge. Thus, a single active device per cell (i.e., FETs Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 and Q 15 ) are used in place of two active devices normally used in multiple cell battery chargers configured with a serial topology to provide the dual function of preventing overcharge to individual cells and at the same time protecting those cells from discharge.
[0030] As mentioned above, the charging current of each of the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 , and 34 is dropped across a sensing resistor R 37 , R 45 , R 53 , and R 60 . This voltage may be scaled by way of a voltage divider circuit, which may include a plurality of resistors R 30 , R 31 , R 33 and R 34 , R 35 , R 38 , R 39 , R 41 , R 43 , R 44 , R 46 , R 48 , R 49 , R 51 , R 52 , R 54 , R 57 , R 58 , R 59 , R 61 , as well as a plurality of operational amplifiers U 4 A, U 4 B, U 4 C and U 4 D. For brevity, only the amplifier circuit for the battery cell 28 is described. The other amplifier circuits operate in a similar manner. In particular, for the battery cell 28 , the charging current through the battery cell 28 is dropped across the resistor R 37 . That voltage drop is applied across a non-inverting input and inverting input of the operational amplifier U 4 D.
[0031] The resistors R 31 , R 33 , R 34 , and R 35 and the operational amplifier U 4 D form a current amplifier. In order to eliminate the off-set voltage, the value of the resistors R 33 and R 31 value are selected to be the same and the values of the resistors R 34 and R 35 value are also selected to be the same. The output voltage of the operational amplifier U 4 D=voltage drop across the resistor R 37 multiplied by the quotient of the resistor value R 31 resistance value divided by the resistor value R 34 . The amplified signal at the output of the operational amplifier U 4 D is applied to the microprocessor 26 by way of the resistor R 30 . The amplifier circuits for the other battery cells 30 , 32 , and 34 operate in a similar manner.
Charge Termination Techniques
[0032] The battery charger in accordance with the present invention can implement various charge termination techniques, such as temperature, pressure, negative delta, and peak cut-out techniques. These techniques can be implemented relatively easily by program control and are best understood with reference to FIG. 2 . For example, as shown, three different characteristics as a function of time are shown for an exemplary nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery cell during charging. In particular, the curve 40 illustrates the cell voltage as a function of time. The curves 42 and 44 illustrate the pressure and temperature characteristics, respectively, of a NiMH battery cell under charge as a function of time.
[0033] In addition to the charge termination techniques mentioned above, various other charge termination techniques the principles of the invention are applicable to other charge termination techniques as well. For example, a peak cut-out charge termination technique, for example, as described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,302, hereby incorporated by reference, can also be implemented. Other charge termination techniques are also suitable.
[0034] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary characteristic curve for an exemplary NiMH or NiCd battery showing the relationship among current, voltage and temperature during charge. More particularly, the curve 40 illustrates the cell voltage of an exemplary battery cell under charge. In response to a constant charge, the battery cell voltage, as indicated by the curve 40 , steadily increases over time until a peak voltage value V peak is reached as shown. As illustrated by the curve 44 , the temperature of the battery cell under charge also increases as a function of time. After the battery cell reaches its peak voltage V peak , continued charging at the increased temperature causes the battery cell voltage to drop. This drop in cell voltage can be detected and used as an indication that the battery's cell is fully charged. This charge termination technique is known as the negative delta V technique.
[0035] As discussed above, other known charge termination techniques are based on pressure and temperature. These charge termination techniques rely upon physical characteristics of the battery cell during charging. These charge termination techniques are best understood with respect to FIG. 2 . In particular, the characteristic curve 42 illustrates the internal pressure of a NiMH battery cell during charging while the curve 44 indicates the temperature of a NiMH battery cell during testing. The pressure-based charge termination technique is adapted to be used with battery cells with internal pressure switches, such as the Rayovac i n-cell c harge c ontrol (I-C 3 ) 1 , NiMH battery cells, which have an internal pressure switch coupled to one or the other anode or cathode of the battery cell. With such a battery cell ,as the pressure of the cell builds up due to continued charging, the internal pressure switch opens, thus disconnecting the battery cell from the charger. (I-C 3 ) is a trademark of the Rayovac Corporation.
[0036] Temperature can also be used as a charge termination technique. As illustrated by the characteristic curve 44 , the temperature increases rather gradually. After a predetermined time period, the slope of the temperature curve becomes relatively steep. This slope, dT/dt may be used as a method for terminating battery charge.
[0037] The battery charge in accordance with the present invention can also utilize other known charge termination techniques. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,302 discloses a peak cut-out charge termination technique in which the battery voltage and temperature is sensed. With this technique, a load is attached to the battery during charging. The battery charging is terminated when the peak voltage is reached and reactivated as a function of the temperature.
Battery Charger Software Control
[0038] FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate exemplary flow-charts for controlling the battery charger in accordance with the present invention. Referring to the main program, as illustrated in FIG. 3A , the main program is started upon power-up of the microprocessor 26 in step 50 . Upon power-up, the microprocessor 26 initializes various registers and closes all of the FETs Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 , and Q 15 in step 52 . The microprocessor 26 also sets the pulse-width of the PWM output of the regulated 24 to a nominal value. After the system is initialized in step 52 , the voltages across the current sensing resistors R 37 , R 45 , R 53 , and R 60 are sensed to determine if any battery cells are currently in any of the pockets in step 54 . If the battery cell is detected in one of the pockets, the system control proceeds to step 56 in which the duty cycle of the PWM out-put of the regulator 24 is set. In step 58 , a charging mode is determined. After the charging mode is determined, the microprocessor 26 takes control of the various pockets in step 60 and loops back to step 54 .
[0039] A more detailed flow-chart is illustrated in FIG. 3B . Initially, in step 50 , the system is started upon power-up of the microprocessor 26 . On start-up, the system is initialized in step 52 , as discussed above. As mentioned above, the battery charger in accordance with the present invention includes two or more parallel connected charging circuits. Each of the charging circuits includes a switching device, such as a MOSFETs Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 , or Q 15 , serially coupled to the battery terminals. As such, each charging circuit may be controlled by turning the MOSFETs on or off, as indicated in step 66 and discussed in more detail below. In step 68 , the output voltage and current of the regulator 24 is adjusted to a nominal value by the microprocessor 26 . After the regulator output is adjusted, a state of the battery cell is checked in step 70 . As mentioned above, various charge termination techniques can be used with the present invention. Subsequent to step 70 , the charging current is detected in step 72 by measuring the charging current dropped across the current sensing resistors R 37 , R 45 , R 53 , or R 60 .
[0040] One or more temperature based charge termination techniques may be implemented. If so, a thermistor may be provided to measure the external temperature of the battery cell. One such technique is based on dT/dt. Another technique relates to temperature cutoff. If one or more of the temperature based techniques are implemented, the temperature is measured in step 74 . If a dT/dt charge termination technique is utilized, the temperature is taken along various points along the curve 44 ( FIG. 2 ) to determine the slope of the curve. When the slope is greater than a predetermined threshold, the FET for that cell is turned off in step 76 .
[0041] As mentioned above, the system may optionally be provided with negative delta V charge termination. Thus, in step 78 , the system may constantly monitor the cell voltage by turning off all but one of the switching devices Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 , and Q 15 and measuring the cell voltage along the curve 40 ( FIG. 2 ). When the system detects a drop in cell voltage relative to the peak voltage V sen , the system loops back to step 66 to turn off the switching device Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 , and Q 15 for that battery cell.
[0042] As mentioned above, a temperature cut-off (TCO) charge termination technique may be implemented. This charge termination technique requires that the temperature of the cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 to be periodically monitored. Should the temperature of any the cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 exceed a predetermined value, the FET for that cell is turned off in step 80 . In step 82 , the charging time of the cells 28 , 30 , 32 , and 34 is individually monitored. When the charging time exceeds a predetermined value, the FET for that cell is turned off in step 82 . A LED indication may be provided in step 84 indicating that the battery is being charged.
[0043] FIG. 3C illustrates a subroutine for charging mode detection. This subroutine may be used to optionally indicate whether the battery charger 20 is in a “no-cell” mode; “main-charge” mode; “maintenance-charge” mode; an “active” mode; or a “fault” mode. This subroutine corresponds to the block 58 in FIG. 3A . The system executes the charging mode detection subroutine for each cell being charged. Initially, the system checks in step 86 the open-circuit voltage of the battery cell by checking the voltage at terminal V sen of the microprocessor 26 . If the open-circuit voltage is greater than or equal to a predetermined voltage, for example, 2.50 volts, the system assumes that no battery cell is in the pocket, as indicated in step 88 . If the open-circuit voltage is not greater than 2.50 volts, the system proceeds to step 90 and checks whether the open-circuit voltage is less than, for example, 1.90 volts. If the open circuit voltage is not less than 1.90 volts, the system indicates a fault mode in step 92 . If the open-circuit voltage is less than 1.90 volts, the system proceeds to step 94 and checks whether the open-circuit voltage is less than, for example, 0.25 volts. If so, the system returns an indication that the battery charger is in inactive mode in step 96 . If the open-circuit voltage is not less than, for example, 0.25 volts, the system proceeds to step 98 and checks whether a back-up timer, is greater than or equal to, for example, two minutes. If not, the system returns an indication that battery charger 20 is in the active mode in step 96 . If the more than, for example, two minutes has elapsed, the system checks in step 100 whether the battery cell voltage has decreased more than a predetermined value, for example, 6.2 millivolts. If so, the system returns an indication in step 102 of a maintenance mode. If not, the system proceeds to step 104 and determines whether the back-up timer is greater or equal to a maintenance time period, such as two hours. If not, the system returns an indication in step 106 of a main charge mode. If more than two hours, for example has elapsed, the system returns an indication in step 102 of a maintenance mode.
[0044] FIG. 3D illustrates a subroutine for the PWM duty cycle control. This subroutine corresponds to block 56 in FIG. 3A . This subroutine initially checks whether or not a cell is present in the pocket in step 108 as indicated above. If there is no cell in the pocket, the duty cycle of the PWM is set to zero in step 110 . When there is a battery cell being charged, the PWM output current of the regulator 24 is sensed by the microprocessor 26 by way of sensing resistor R 11 . The microprocessor 26 uses the output current of the regulator 24 to control the PWM duty cycle of the regulator 24 . Since the total output current from the regulator 24 is dropped across the resistor R 11 , the system checks in step 111 whether the voltage V sen is greater than a predetermined value, for example, 2 . 50 volts in step 111 . If so, the PWM duty cycle is decreased in step 115 . If not, the system checks whether the total charging current for four pockets equal a predetermined value. If so, the system returns to the main program. If not, the system checks in step 114 whether the charging current is less than a preset value. If not, the PWM duty cycle is decreased in step 115 . If so, the PWM duty cycle is increased in step 116 .
[0045] The pocket on-off subroutine is illustrated in FIG. 3E . This subroutine corresponds to the block 60 in FIG. 3A . Initially, the system checks in step 118 whether the battery cell in the first pocket (i.e. channel 1 ) has been fully charged. If not, the system continues in the main program in FIG. 3A , as discussed above. If so, the system checks in step 120 which channels (i.e pockets) are charging in order to take appropriate action. For example, if channel 1 and channel 2 are charging and channel 3 and channel 4 are not charging, the system moves to step 122 and turns off channel 3 and channel 4 , by turning off the switching devices Q 14 and Q 15 and moves to step 124 and turns on channel 1 and channel 2 , by turning on the switching device Q 12 and Q 13 .
[0046] The channels refer to the individual charging circuits which include the switching devices Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 , and Q 15 . The channels are controlled by way of the switching devices Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 or Q 15 being turned on or off by the microprocessor 26 .
Psuedo-Constant Current Operation
[0047] Referring first to FIG. 2 , the curve 45 illustrates that the charge is maintained as relatively constant over the charging cycle of a battery cell. This charging technique is best understood with reference to FIGS. 4A-4D , which illustrate an exemplary charging of an exemplary four (4) cell charger during an exemplary charging cycle (i.e. PWM cycle of the regulator 24 ). In particular, FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary charging condition for a battery cell 28 ( FIG. 1 ) connected to terminals T 1 -T 2 . FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary charging condition for a battery cell 30 connected to terminals T 3 -T 4 . FIG. 4 B illustrates an exemplary charging condition for a battery cell 32 connected to terminals T 5 -T 6 . Finally, FIG. 4D illustrates an exemplary charging condition for a battery cell 34 connected to terminals T 7 -T 8 .
[0048] By controlling the charging time and charge applied to the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 , the average charge applied to each battery cell 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 can be maintained to be relatively constant, which, in essence, creates a constant current condition (“pseudo constant current” condition), thus avoiding a thermal runaway condition. The charge applied to each battery cell 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 in ampere-seconds is the product of the current and the charging time. Graphically, the charge supplied to each battery cell 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 is the area under the curves illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4D . For example, with reference to FIG. 4A , the charge is the area within the shaded box, identified as Q 1 . The area Q 1 is the product of the charging current c 1 applied to the battery cell 28 and the time t 1 that the charging current c 1 was applied. With reference to FIG. 1 , the total current available from the power supply 22 and regulator 24 is fixed. Assuming that the total charging current available from the regulator 24 ( FIG. 1 ), is for example 4.0 amperes, at any given time during a charging cycle, the current I a +I b +I c +I d =4.0 amperes. Now referring to FIGS. 4A-4D and assuming initially that the charging currents applied to the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 are: I a =1.4 amperes; I b =1.2 amperes; I c =0.8 amperes; and I d =0.6 amperes, respectively.. Assuming that the charge applied to each cell 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 during each charging cycle is selected to be 1.0 ampere-seconds per charging cycle, then the FET Q 12 is controlled to disconnect the battery cell 28 after 0.7143 seconds at a current of 1.4 amperes (0.7143×1.40=1.0 coulombs). Thus, FIG. 4A illustrates that the cell 28 is cut off after time t 1 or, in this example, 0.7143 seconds in the first charging cycle.
[0049] After the charging current to the first battery cell 28 is cutoff, the total charging current, for example, 4.0 amperes will be available to the three remaining battery cells 30 , 32 , and 34 . Thus, after the FET Q 12 is opened, the charging current to the battery cells 30 , 32 , and 34 is measured. Assume that the charging current is I a =0 amperes, I b =1.85 amperes, I c =1.23 amperes, and I d =0.992 amperes for the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 and 34 , respectively.
[0050] The termination time for the battery cell 30 is best understood with reference to FIG. 4B . In this example, the charge supplied to the battery cell 30 up to time t 1 is represented by the area under the curve represented by the shaded areas Q 2 and Q 3 in FIG. 4B . The box Q 2 refers to the charge during the first time period t 1 in which the charging current was supplied to all four battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 , and 34 . Using the example above, t 1 was assumed to be 0.7143 seconds and the charging current I b supplied to the battery cell 30 during this time was assumed to be 1.2 amps. Thus, in order. for the total charge supplied to the battery cell 30 to be 1.0 ampere-seconds (coulomb), Q 2 +Q 3 must be equal to 1.0 ampere-seconds. In other words, assuming the values discussed above, t 2 −=1.0−(1.2×0.7143)/1.85. Solving the equation yields, t 2 =0.077 seconds. As such the microprocessor 26 will turn off the FET Q 13 ( FIG. 1 ) time t 2 , thus connecting the battery cell 30 from the circuit. After the battery cells 28 and 30 have been disconnected from the circuit, the current applied to the battery cells 30 and 32 is measured. At this stage, I a =I b =0, and I c +I d =4 amps.
[0051] Assume I c =2.29 amps and I d =1.71 amps. Referring to FIG. 4C , in order for the total ampere seconds applied to the battery cell 32 to be equal to 1.0 ampere seconds, the area in the boxes Q 4 ,Q 5 and Q 6 must total 1.0 ampere seconds. During time t 1 (i.e. 0.7143 seconds), the battery cell 32 was assumed to be charged with a charging current of 0.8 amps. Thus, Q 4 =0.7143×0.8=0.57144 ampere-seconds. During the time period between t 1 and t 2 , the charging current I c applied to the battery cell 32 is assumed to be 1.23 amperes for a time period equal to 0.077 seconds. Thus, Q 5 =1.23×0.077=0.09471 ampere-seconds. Assuming that the charging current I c applied to the battery cell 32 during the time period between time t 2 and t 3 was measured to be 2.29 amperes, Q 6 =2.29 amperes×(t 3 -t 2 ). Since Q 4 +Q 5 +Q 6 is assumed to be equal to 1.0 ampere seconds, the cut-off time period t 3 can be easily calculated to be 0.1458 seconds. At time t 3 ,the FET Q 14 is opened, thus disconnecting the cell 32 from the circuit. At time t 3 , all three battery cells, 28 , 30 , and 32 have been charged to one ampere-second and have been disconnected from the circuit. At time t 3 , the charging current I d , supplied to the battery cell 34 is measured. Since it was assumed that the power supply 22 and regulator 24 can produce a maximum current of 4.0 amps, the charging current I d to the battery cell 30 during this last time period between t 4 and t 3 will likely be 4.0 amperes. In order to determine the time period for disconnecting the battery cell 34 from the circuit, the total charge for all of the time periods is added (Q 7 +Q 8 +Q 9 +Q 10 ) is set equal to 1.0 ampere-seconds. The cut-off time t 4 equals 0.629 seconds.
[0052] As mentioned above each charging cycle is assumed to be equivalent to one PWM cycle of the regulator 24 . The above calculations are thus made for every PWM cycle of the regulator 24 to thereby maintain a relatively-constant current for each of the battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 , and 34 , thus avoiding a thermal runaway condition that is normally prevalent in such parallel battery chargers.
[0053] A flow diagram for the constant current operation is illustrated in FIG. 5 . As shown in FIG. 3B , each loop through the main program includes an output voltage and current adjustment in step 68 . This current adjustment is illustrated in detail in FIG. 5 . Initially, in step 144 , the charge (charging current x time) value for each pocket is set to a predetermined value. In the example discussed above, this value was assumed to be 1.0 ampere-second. Next, in step 146 , the FETS Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 , and Q 15 ( FIG. 1 ) are all turned on and the pocket number is set to the number of pockets in the charger. In this example, four pockets are assumed. In step 148 , the charging currents I a , I b , I c , I d are measured for all four battery cells 28 , 30 , 32 , and 34 . As discussed above, the turn-on time for the first cell 28 is calculated so that the charge supply to that battery cell 28 is equal to the preset value determined above in steps 150 and 152 . Next, in step 154 , the system turns off the appropriate FET Q 12 , Q 13 , Q 14 , Q 15 when the calculated turn-off time has elapsed, as discussed above. Next, in step 156 , the pocket number is decremented. The system next checks in step 158 if all of the pockets have been charged to the preset value determined in step 158 . If not, the system returns to step 148 and repeats the loop. If so, the system returns to step 144 and starts the process.
[0054] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Thus, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described above.
[0055] What is claimed and desired to be secured by a Letters Patent of the United States is:
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A multiple cell battery charger configured in a parallel topology provides constant current charging. The multiple cell battery charger requires fewer active components than known serial battery chargers, while at the same time preventing a thermal runaway condition. The multiple cell battery charger in accordance with the present invention is a constant voltage constant current battery charger that includes a regulator for providing a regulated source of direct current (DC) voltage to the battery cells to be charged. The battery charger also includes a pair of battery terminals coupled in series with a switching device, such as a field effect transistor (FET) and optionally a battery cell charging current sensing element, forming a charging circuit. In a charging mode, the serially connected FET conducts, thus enabling the battery cell to be charged. The FETs are controlled by a microprocessor that monitors the battery cell voltage and cell charging current and optionally the cell temperature. The microprocessor periodically adjusts the charging current of each cell to maintain a relatively constant current. When the microprocessor senses a voltage or temperature indicative that the battery cell is fully charged, the FET is turned off, thus disconnecting the battery cell from the circuit. Accordingly, the battery charger in accordance with the present invention utilizes fewer active components and is thus less expensive to manufacture than known battery chargers configured with a serial topography while at the same time providing constant current charging to avoid a thermal runaway condition.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sewing machine utilizing a stepping motor to convert the quantity of work piece feeding, and more particularly to an improvement of home point detection for the motor.
2. Description of the Prior art
In such prior art sewing machine, a work piece feeding cam 2 having a cam groove 1 formed along the entire periphery thereof is threadably secured to a feed stepping motor 3, as shown in FIG. 1, the cam groove 1 providing a feed pitch as a diameter from the center thereof. The contactor 6 of contactor arm 5 is slidably engaged with the cam groove 1, and the stepping motor 3 is actuated to rotate the work piece feeding cam 2 in one direction so that the diametral displacement of cam groove 1 is transferred to a feed regulator 7 as data representing a change in the quantity of work piece feeding. The feed mechanism 8 of known configuration is used to set the feed pitch of feed dog 9.
Advantages of such feed mechanism are the availability of inexpensive stepping motor and the possibility of setting a precise quantity of work piece feeding.
For such sewing machine incorporating the stepping motor, however, a so-called home point correcting procedure is required to apply in order to actuate the stepping motor return back to its home point during sewing operation, and thereby checking for proper rotating position for avoidance of step out of the stepping motor. The home point of the stepping motor means zero point of the motor. This correcting procedure has been made hereinbefore simultaneously when the sewing operation is stopped, the power switch is turned ON or during conversion of quantity of work piece feeding in starting the sewing machine operation, in order to check for proper position for avoidance of step out of motor operation.
For this reason, the home point correcting procedure of the stepping motor must be completed in a brief period. To this end, a traditional device operable to rotate the work piece feeding cam only in one direction comprises a plurality of detecting positions of home point formed over the work piece feeding cam 2 and a plural number of home point detectors including light emitting and receiving elements, the number being selected to match the number of detecting positions of home point. Thus, a shield plate 13 formed over the work piece feeding cam 2 can shield the home point detectors 12 which correspond to respective detecting positions of home point. This permits the stepping motor to reduce its rotating angle in correcting its home point, whereby ensuring a speedy execution of home point correcting procedure.
However, this arrangement presents a drawback in that the machine structure itself and its control sequence tend to be complicated for the need of providing plural number of home point detectors, whereby causing the machine to an added manufacturing cost. Though an alternative arrangement has been suggested wherein only a single home point detector is provided, this approach is impractical for an actual application since the response speed is quite slow in responding to a home point correcting signal for the stepping motor.
The present invention has been made to improve several problems in a prior art, and its object is to provide a sewing machine which can carry out the home point correction of stepping motor in an accelerated speed through single home point detector, without complicating a control sequence and increasing a manufacturing cost.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The sewing machine of present invention is characterized in that feed pitches (that is, stitch pitches) for straight and zigzag pattern or super pattern are respectively formed according to regions over the periphery of cam groove of a work piece feeding cam, and the rotating direction of work piece feeding cam toward a position where the home point is detected is reversed according to respective patterns, while at the same time permitting single home point detector commonly usable in detecting the home point for respective patterns. The super pattern means that feeding direction is reversed every swing operation.
Another characteristic of the present invention lies in that feed pitches (that is, stitch pitches) for straight and zigzag pattern or super pattern are respectively formed according to regions over the periphery of a cam groove in a work piece feeding cam, a detecting position of home point common to respective patterns is selected in one of the regions, and the direction of rotation of the work piece feeding cam toward the position where the home point is detected is reversed according to respective patterns, while at the same time permitting a single home point detector to be usable in common for respective patterns in detecting their respective home points.
Still another characteristic of the present invention lies in that feed pitches (that is, stitch pitches) for straight and zigzag pattern or super pattern are respectively formed according to regions over the periphery of cam groove of work piece feeding cam, detecting positions of home point to respective patterns are selected respectively in the boundary of regions, and the rotating direction of work piece feeding cam toward the position where the home point is detected is reversed according to respective patterns, while at the same time permitting a single home point detector to be usable in common for respective patterns in detecting their respective home points.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
By way of example, one embodiment of the present invention described hereinbelow, by making reference to several accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of prior art device;
FIG. 2 is a view of essential components in the first embodiment of the invention;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are flow charts of the first embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of essential components in the first and second embodiments of the invention;
FIG. 6 is a view of essential components in second embodiment of the invention; and
FIGS. 7, 8a, and 8b are flow charts of second embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIG. 2, characteristic components in first embodiment of the present invention are shown. In this FIG. 2, a contactor arm 5 is partially shown with a dot and dashed line.
Comparing the device of FIG. 2 with that of FIG. 1, it is known that the characteristic of the present invention lies in that the peripheral region of cam groove 21 of work piece feeding cam 2 along which feed pitches (that is, stitch pitches) are formed is divided into two parts, i.e., a region I along which a feed pitch for super pattern is formed and a region II along which a feed pitch for straight pattern (including zigzag pattern) is formed, a single home point detector of the motor (hereinafter merely called as "home point position") S is set in one of boundaries between the regions I and II, and a home point detector 12 is shielded by a shield plate 13 when the contactor 6 is located in the home point position S.
In this present embodiment, the single home point detector 12 comprises a light emitting element and a light receiving element facing each other in an opposing fashion with an extremely small clearance formed therebetween, and function to provide a sensor output (dark output) upon the shield plate 13 being rotated to enter into the clearance space. The feed pitch of cam groove 21 is formed as (+4) at the starting point position S.
This embodiment is identical in other respects to that of FIG. 1, and therefore components common to both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are shown by the same numerals.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are flow charts, showing the home point correcting sequence of the first embodiment in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 5 are block diagrams of essential components of first and second embodiments in accordance with the present invention. Connected with a control section (CPU) 25 is a memory circuit ROM 26 which is exclusively designed for read-out function and has stored program sequences on the basis of flow charts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 (or FIGS. 7 and 8) and sewing patterns for super pattern and straight pattern and the like. Also connected with the control section 25 is a straight pattern switch 27 selecting and indicating the feed pitch of straight pattern (including zigzag pattern), a super pattern switch 28 selecting and indicating a super pattern and a power switch 29. Likewise connected with the control section 25 is a flag process circuit 31 setting a flag that indicates the first feed converting span and a memory circuit RAM 32 capable of writing and reading data. A driving circuit 33 for the stepping motor 3 is also connected with the control section 25. A feed converting mechanism 35 built in accordance with the present invention is connected with the stepping motor 3. A reference numeral 36 designates a known sewing machine mechanism.
A characteristic operation of first embodiment thus formed in accordance with the present invention will be described hereinbelow.
If the sewing machine operation is stopped or if the power switch 29 is turned ON while the machine is raised upwardly, the control section 25 discriminates that a flag process circuit 31 has not set a flag indicative of the first converting span therein (as shown in FIG. 3 blocks, 40, 41, called merely as "block" hereinafter). Then, the control section 25 initiates the actuation of sewing machine by the sewing mechanism 36 (block 42). If the sewing machine is actuated and the flag process circuit 31 has set the flag therein, the control section 25 discriminates it as the first feed converting span (block 43) and functions uniquely as described below.
Also, if the sewing machine operation is stopped or if the power switch 29 is turned ON while the machine is lowered downwardly, the control section 25 discriminates it as the first converting span since a flag is set in the flag process circuit 31, and the control section 25 functions uniquely as described below (blocks 40, 41).
The term "first feed converting span" means the first feed span immediately after the stop of sewing machine operation.
If a super pattern is selected and indicated as a pattern to be sewn by a super pattern switch 28, the control section 25 discriminates it as a super pattern sewing mode (block 45) and carries out a home point correcting procedure for super pattern. The stepping motor 3 is thereby caused to rotate the work piece feeding cam 2 in the direction A until it returns back to the home point position S.
The contactor 6 which is located at, for example, a position 6 1 within the region I as shown in FIG. 2 can be instantly returned back to the home point position S. At this moment, the home point detector 12 is shielded by the shield plate 13 to provide the sensor output for detecting the home point, whereby causing the stepping motor 3 to stop in a home point setting magnetizing phase (blocks 46, 47, 48). This home point detecting operation is repeated until the home point is reached. Upon the control section 25 detecting the home point, the stepping motor 3 is caused to rotate in the direction B for rotating the work piece feeding cam 2 into a next feed pitch according to the sewing pattern of super pattern which has been stored in the ROM 26 (blocks 49, 50).
In this way, the contactor 6 is placed in a position of, for example, feed pitch (+1) as shown at 6 2 in FIG. 2, and the feed mechanism 8 sets the quantity of work piece feeding of feed dog 9 in accordance with this displacement (blocks 50, 51). A sewing operation is effected in a known manner at this feed pitch (block 52).
If a straight sewing pattern is selected and indicated by means of straight pattern switch 27 in the block 45, the control section 25 discriminates it as straight pattern (block 55) and effectuates the home point correcting mode with the straight pattern and causes the stepping motor 3 to rotate the work piece feeding cam 2 in the direction B until it returns back to the home point position S. In this way, the contactor 6 which is located at, for example, at a position 6 3 within the region II as shown in FIG. 2, can be instantly returned back to the home point position S. At this moment, the home point detector 12 is shielded by the shield plate 13 to provide the sensor output for detecting the home point, and whereby causing the stepping motor 3 to stop in the home point setting magnetizing phase (blocks 55, 47, 48). This home point detecting operation is repeated until the home point is detected.
Upon the control section 25 detecting the home point, the stepping motor 3 is caused to rotate in the direction A to rotate the work piece feeding cam 2 to a straight pattern sewing pitch as preset through the straight pattern switch 27 (block 56).
In this way, the contactor 6 can be placed in a feed pitch (+2) shown, for example, at 6 4 in FIG. 2, and the feed mechanism 8 set the quantity of work piece feeding of feed dog 9 in accordance with this displacement (blocks 56, 51). A sewing operation is performed in a known fashion at this feed pitch (block 52)
As described hereinbefore, the feed pitch of cam groove 21 is formed in respective regions corresponding to different patterns and the home point position of patterns is at the boundary position of the regions so that the rotating direction toward the home point can be reversed in accordance with each of the patterns. Thus, a distance to the home point is so reduced that even a single home point detector is sufficient to detect the zero point successfully.
FIG. 6 shows the general arrangement of characteristic components in the second embodiment of the invention wherein identical numerals are used to indicate components all common to FIG. 6 and FIGS. 1 and 2. In this FIG. 6, the contactor arm 5 is partially shown with a dot and dashed line.
Comparing a prior device shown in FIG. 1, it is known that the characteristic aspect of present invention lies in that the peripheral region of cam groove 60 of the work piece feeding cam 2 along which feed pitches (that is, stitch pitches) are formed is divided into two parts i.e., a region I along which a feed pitch for super pattern is formed and a region II along which a feed pitch for straight pattern (including zigzag pattern) is formed, one boundary portion between regions I and II is formed as a discontinuous section and opposite ends 62, 63 of cam groove 60 are formed as stopper in respective regions I and II of contactor 6. Moreover, while a detecting position of home point of the motor for the straight pattern (called as "home point position for straight pattern" hereinafter) S 1 is set at the end 63 of cam groove 60, a detecting position of home point of the motor for the super pattern (called as "home point position for super pattern") S 2 is preset at the end 62 of cam groove 60. Furthermore, another characteristic of the invention lies in that a single home point detector 12 is placed in position such that when the contactor 6 is located at the home point position for super pattern S 2 , the detector 12 is shielded by the rightward end a 2 of shield plate 13, whereas the detector 12 is shielded by the leftward end a 1 of shield plate 13 when the contactor 6 is located in the home point position for straight pattern S 1 .
In this embodiment, the home point detector 12 is formed such that the detector 12 may provide a sensor output (dark output) upon the shield plate 13 rotated to enter into an extremely small clearance formed between a light emitting element and a light receiving element provided in an opposing fashion. The feed pitch of cam groove 60 is formed as (+4) for the home point position for straight pattern S 1 , whereas the feed pitch of cam groove 60 is formed as (+2.5) for the home point position for super pattern S 2 .
FIGS. 7 and 8 are flow charts, showing the home point correcting sequences of the second embodiment of the invention.
Second embodiment of the invention thus formed will be described hereinbelow as to its characteristic operation.
If the sewing machine operation is stopped or if the power switch 29 is turned ON while the machine is raised upwardly, the control section 25 discriminates that a flag process circuit 31 has not set a flag indicative of the first converting span therein (blocks, 70, 71 of FIG. 7--called merely as "block" hereinafter). Then, the control section 25 discriminates the actuation of sewing machine by the sewing mechanism 36 (block 72). If the sewing machine is actuated and the flag process circuit 31 has set the flag therein, the control section 25 discriminates it as the first feed converting span (block 73) and functions uniquely as described below.
Also, if the sewing machine operation is stopped or if the power switch 29 is turned ON while the machine is lowered downwardly, the control section 25 discriminates it as the first converting span since a flag is set in the flag process circuit 31 in block 71, and then functions uniquely as described below (blocks 70, 71).
If a super pattern is selected and indicated as a pattern to be sewn by a super pattern switch 28, the control section 25 discriminates it as a super pattern sewing mode (block 75) and carries out a home point correcting procedure for super pattern. The stepping motor 3 is thereby caused to rotate the work piece feeding cam 2 in the direction A until it returns back to the home point position S 2 .
The contactor 6 which is located at, for example, a position 6 1 within the region I as shown in FIG. 6 can be instantly returned back to the home point position S 2 . At this moment, the home point detector 12 is shielded by the rightward end a 2 of shield plate 13 to provide the sensor output for detecting the home point whereby causing the stepping motor 3 to stop in a home point setting magnetizing phase (blocks 76, 77, 78). This home point detecting operation is repeated until the home point is detected. The end 62 of cam groove 60 also acts as a stopper against rotation in the direction A.
Upon the zero point detected, the control section 25 causes the stepping motor 3 to rotate in the direction B, thereby rotating the work piece feeding cam 2 into a next feed pitch according to the sewing pattern of super pattern stored in the ROM 26 (blocks 79, 80). This permits the contactor 6 to locate at a position such as, for example, shown at 6 2 in FIG. 6 with the feed pitch of (+1). The feed mechanism 8 sets the quantity of work piece feeding of feed dog 9 in accordance with this displacement (blocks 80, 81). A sewing operation is carried out with this feed pitch in a known sequence (block 82).
Upon the control section 25 discriminated next feed converting span in response to a signal from the sewing machine mechanism 36 (block 85), the work piece feeding cam 2 is caused to rotate into such next feed pitch position by means of stepping motor 3 in a similar manner, and thereby setting the quantity of work piece feeding of feed dog 9 as above described (blocks 86, 87).
At this moment, if a feed pitch to be set is similar to that for home point position for super pattern S 2 i.e., feed pitch (+2.5), the control section 25 discriminates it (block 88) and actuates the stepping motor to detect the home point in a similar sequence as that shown in blocks 76, 77 and 78 (that is, the work piece feeding cam is rotated in the direction A) (blocks 87, 88, 89 90). Once the feed pitch has been set, a sewing operation is carried out in a known sequence (block 91). Subsequent operations are the same as those described above.
If the straight pattern is selected and indicated as a sewing pattern in block 75 by means of straight pattern switch 27, the control section 25 discriminates it as straight pattern (block 75) and effectuates the home point correcting mode sequence for the straight pattern. That is, the stepping motor 3 is actuated to rotat the work piece feeding cam 2 in the direction B until the cam 2 returns back to the home point position for straight pattern S 1 . This permits the contactor 6 to instantly return from a position in the region II such as, for example, shown at 6 3 in FIG. 6 back to the home point position for straight pattern S 1 . At this moment, the home point detector 12 is shielded by the leftward end a 1 of shield plate 13 to provide a sensor output for detecting the home point, and then the stepping motor 3 stops in a home point setting magnetizing phase (blocks 92, 77, 78). This home point detecting operation is repeated until the home point is successfully detected. The end 63 of cam groove 60 acts as a stopper preventing rotation in the direction B.
Upon the home point detected, the control section 25 causes the stepping motor 3 to rotate in the direction A, thereby rotating the work piece feeding cam 2 into a sewing pitch for straight pattern which has been set by the straight pattern switch 27 (block 93). This permits the contactor 6 to locate at such feed pitch (+2) position as, for example, shown at 6 4 in FIG. 6. The feed mechanism 8 sets the quantity of work piece feeding of feed dog 9 in accordance with this displacement (blocks 93, 81). A sewing operation is carried out with this feed pitch in a known sequence (block 82). Since the feed pitch is held constant for the straight pattern, the feed pitch is not converted in next feed converting span despite its discrimination through the control section 25 (block 85), the sewing operation is continued with such constant feed pitch (block 91).
As described hereinbefore, the feed pitch of cam groove 60 is formed in respective regions divided by patterns, the home point positions for respective patterns are formed in the boundary of regions and the rotation direction toward respective home point positions is reversed in accordance with each of patterns. As a result, the time needed to reach the home point is extremely reduced to allow a single home point detector provide sufficient home point correcting operation.
In the first and second embodiments described above, the home point detector comprises a light emitting element, a light receiving element and a shield plate. Alternatively, the cam may be provided with a shifting contact and the home point detector may be provided with a stationary contact.
Besides, respective regions for patterns are preferably formed at substantially half around the cam groove. A feed pitch for reverse feeding is also formed in the region II for straight pattern.
As described above, the present invention is constituted such that respective feed pitches for straight pattern and super pattern are formed in regions formed by dividing the periphery of cam groove of work piece feeding cam, one or more detecting positions of home point of the motor which are commonly or respectively used for the patterns are formed on the work piece feeding cam, the rotating direction of work piece feeding cam toward the detecting position of home point is reversed in accordance with respective patterns, and the home point detector is used in common.
In consequence, it becomes possible to greatly reduce a distance to the detecting position of home point, and thereby greatly shortening time needed to reach the detecting position of home point. Thus, even a single home point detector is commonly used for respective patterns, a response speed of stepping motor is sufficient for detecting home point. Furthermore, the present invention provides another advantage of preventing complication of control program sequence for the home point detection and reducing the manufacturing cost of device.
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The present invention relates to an improvement in the home point detection of a motor for a sewing machine wherein the motor is used to rotate a cam into a predetermined feed pitch formed on the cam, and change in the quantity of work piece feeding that corresponds to such feed pitch is transferred to a feed dog through a linkage means. Respective feed pitches are formed in each of the regions of the cam, whereas the detecting position of home point of the motor is set in a suitable position. Moreover, the rotating direction of the cam toward the detecting position of home point is reversed in accordance with each of the regions. Accordingly, the returning speed of the motor back to the detecting position of home point is made fast and only one home point detector is used.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/642,845 filed May 4, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as though fully contained herein.
BACKGROUND
The measurement of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is an important health measure in the determination of health, especially cardiovascular health. It is desirable to have fast on-site measuring systems for LDL that does not require a laboratory or other facilities. In this way, health professionals may speak with patients immediately after a sample is taken, instead of having to wait days for test results to come back from a lab. In this way, the patient's history and status will be fresh in their mind and, therefore, lead to better results and analysis of patient health.
There are currently five known methods for quantifying low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol on a clinical chemistry analyzer in wet chemistry. Four of the methods are two-step reactions, where the first reagent reacts with all non-LDLs (HDL and VLDL) to produce a colorless product. Once the first reaction is complete, the addition of another reagent at a predetermined time then is utilized to quantify the remaining LDL. These methods appear to be incompatible with strip technology, as there is no way to reliably introduce multiple reagents at the critical timings needed. The final method, manufactured by Kyowa-Medex, claims to have a method where HDL and VLDL are blocked by sugar compounds (cyclodextrins), while LDL is selectively micellerized with specific surfactants and enzymes. Most importantly, the method claims to occur in one reaction which is complimentary for strip chemistry.
BRIEF SUMMARY
In one embodiment, a test strip for testing for cholesterol-related blood analytes in whole blood includes a red blood cell separation layer, the red blood cell separation layer separating red blood cells from a blood sample applied to the test strip as the blood sample flows downward through the red blood cell separation layer. The test strip further includes a reaction layer receiving the blood sample from the red blood cell separation layer, the reaction layer including POE-POP-POE block copolymer, a surfactant, and a reflectivity changing reactant, the POE-POP-POE block copolymers solubilizing essentially only non-LDL cholesterol analytes, the non-LDL cholesterol analytes reacting with the reflectivity changing reactant in order to change a reflectivity of the blood sample. Optionally, the test strip includes a spreading layer, oriented on top of the red blood cell separation layer. In one alternative, the POE-POP-POE block copolymer is selected from the list consisting of Pluronics L101: MW 3800, POE 7 -POP 54 -POE 7 ; Pluronics L121: MW 4400, POE 5 -POP 68 -POE 5 ; Pluronics P123: MW 5750, POE 20 -POP 70 -POE 20 ; and Pluronics F127: MW 12600; POE 106 -POP 70 -POE 106 . Alternatively, the surfactant is Triton-X. The test strip may further include a secondary blood separation layer adjacent to the red blood cell separation layer, the secondary blood separation layer separating additional red blood cells from the blood sample. Optionally, the secondary blood separation layer further includes Dextran Sulfate. Alternatively, a molecular weight of the Dextran Sulfate is between 10K and 1000K. Alternatively, magnesium chloride (or magnesium ions) may be used in similar quantities. In another alternative, a molecular weight of the Dextran Sulfate is between 50k and 750K. Optionally, a molecular weight of the Dextran Sulfate is 500K. Alternatively, the POE-POP-POE block copolymer is Pluronics P123: MW 5750, POE 20 -POP 70 -POE 20 . Optionally, a ratio of POE-POP-POE block copolymer to Triton-X is 10 parts POE-POP-POE block copolymer to one part Triton-X. In one alternative, a concentration of the Triton-X is at least 0.01%. In another alternative, a concentration of the Triton-X is at least 0.1%. In yet another alternative, a concentration of the POE-POP-POE block copolymer is at least 1%. Optionally, a concentration of the POE-POP-POE block copolymer is at least 2%. Alternatively, a concentration of the POE-POP-POE block copolymer is at least 3%. Optionally, a pH of the reaction layer is at least 5.4. Alternatively, a pH of the reaction layer is at least 6.8. In another alternative, a pH of the reaction layer is at least 7.4. Optionally, a pH of the reaction layer is 6.8. Alternatively, the blood separation layer includes D-23 borosilicate glass fiber impregnated with Phaselous Vulgaris (PHA-P) Lectins.
In one embodiment, a method of determining concentration of non-LDL cholesterol in a whole blood sample using a dry phase test strip includes contacting the whole blood sample with a blood separation layer of the test strip. The method further includes separating blood cells from the whole blood sample producing plasma and flowing the plasma through the blood separation layer to a test layer. The method further includes reacting a non-LDL fraction in preference to an LDL fraction and producing a color in the test layer substantially in proportion to a concentration of the non-LDL fraction in the sample. The method further includes measuring the color produced.
In another embodiment, a test strip for determining the concentration of LDL cholesterol in a sample of whole blood includes a test matrix (strip) having at least two stacks, a first stack of the at least two stacks for total cholesterol and a second stack of the at least two stacks for non-LDL. The first stack has reagents incorporated therein to produce a colorimetric response in proportion to the amount of total cholesterol in the samples. The second stack has reagents incorporated therein to produce a colorimetric response in proportion to the amount of non-LDL cholesterol in the sample. The test strip is configured to be read by a test meter, the test meter obtaining a value of non-LDL cholesterol from the second stack and subtracting the value of non-LDL cholesterol from a value of total cholesterol obtained from the first stack to yield a value of LDL cholesterol in the sample.
In another embodiment, a test strip and meter combination for determining the concentration of LDL cholesterol in a sample of whole blood includes a test strip. The test strip includes a test matrix (strip) having at least two stacks, a first stack of the at least two stacks for total cholesterol and a second stack of the at least two stacks for non-LDL. The first stack has reagents incorporated therein to produce a colorimetric response in proportion to the amount of total cholesterol in the samples. The second stack has reagents incorporated therein to produce a colorimetric response in proportion to the amount of non-LDL cholesterol in the sample. The combination includes a test meter configured to read the test strip. The test meter is configured to obtain a value of non-LDL cholesterol from the second stack and subtract the value of non-LDL cholesterol from a value of total cholesterol obtained from the first stack to yield a value of LDL cholesterol in the sample.
In another embodiment, a method of measuring LDL cholesterol from a human subject providing a blood sample includes providing a dry test strip and receiving the blood sample at the dry test strip. The method includes separating red blood cells from the blood sample in a first layer of the dry test strip and reacting non-LDL cholesterol in the blood sample in a reaction layer. The method includes producing a color change proportional to the non-LDL cholesterol and measuring the color change to determine a non-LDL cholesterol amount in the blood sample. The method includes subtracting the non-LDL cholesterol amount from a total cholesterol amount in the blood sample to yield an LDL cholesterol amount for the blood sample. Optionally, the blood sample is from an individual who has not fasted, and the resulting LDL cholesterol amount is more accurate than the Friedwald equation. Alternatively, a slope of a curve used to determine the non-LDL cholesterol is between 0.90 and 1.10. Optionally, VLDL cholesterol is not measured as LDL cholesterol. Alternatively, a reaction layer includes a POE-POP-POE block copolymer, a surfactant, and a reflectivity changing reactant, wherein the reacting includes solubilizing essentially only non-LDL cholesterol analytes, the non-LDL cholesterol analytes reacting with the reflectivity changing reactant in order to change a reflectivity of the blood sample. Optionally, the POE-POP-POE block copolymer is selected from the list consisting of Pluronics L101: MW 3800, POE T -POP 54 -POE 7 ; Pluronics L121: MW 4400, POE 5 -POP 68 -POE 5 ; Pluronics P123: MW 5750, POE 20 -POP 70 -POE 20 ; and Pluronics F127: MW 12600; POE 106 -POP 70 -POE 106 . In one alternative, the surfactant is Triton-X. Optionally, the method includes spreading the blood sample with a spreading layer, oriented on top of the first layer. In one alternative, the method further includes reacting the blood sample in a total cholesterol reaction layer, the total cholesterol reaction layer oriented to receive a portion of the blood sample from the spreading layer; producing a color change proportional to a total cholesterol; and measuring a color change to determine the total cholesterol amount in the blood sample. Optionally, the test strip includes a secondary blood separation layer adjacent to the red blood cell separation layer, the secondary blood separation layer separating additional red blood cells from the blood sample, where the secondary blood separation layer further includes Dextran Sulfate. Alternatively, the first layer includes D-23 borosilicate glass fiber impregnated with Phaselous Vulgaris (PHA-P) Lectins.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 a and 1 b show reaction kinetics data collected on a clinical chemistry analyzer (for example Roche Cobas Integra 400+) for a two reagent system utilizing Pluronics L121 and Triton X-100 to demonstrate selectivity for non-LDL Cholesterol;
FIGS. 2 a & 2 b show a comparison of the HDL and LDL fractions reacting (kinetics) in a reagent based system with and without Triton X and Pluronics P123;
FIG. 3 a show the reaction kinetics in terms of percent reflectance (% R) and an experimental test (P 123 and Triton-X);
FIG. 3 b show the linearization of the % R graphs using Kubelka-Munk equation of FIG. 3 a;
FIGS. 4 a - 4 b show kinetic charts in terms of K/S of strips tested with two different blood donors, Condition 1 is control with Triton X-100, while condition 2 is experimental test strips containing P123 & Trition X-100;
FIGS. 5 a - 5 h show graphs of tests with P123 and Triton X-100 showing that the only correlations to various analytes;
FIG. 6 show the non-hemolytic properties of P123 and Triton X-100 mixture;
FIG. 7 shows a control test of a current Polymer Technology Systems, Inc. (PTS), reaction layer including 2% P123 and 0.1% Triton X-100; and
FIGS. 8 a - 8 d show concentration testing for various combinations of dextran sulfate.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Certain terminology is used herein for convenience only and is not to be taken as a limitation on the embodiments of a non-fasting LDL test strip. In the drawings, the same reference letters are employed for designating the same elements throughout the several figures.
The words “right,” “left,” “front,” and “back” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the non-fasting LDL test strip and designated parts thereof The terminology includes the words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. The drawings are proportional.
Like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the various views and with particular reference to each of the Figs. as delineated below.
In brief, a non-fasting LDL assay has been created in which all non-LDL is reacted and measured and then subtracted from a total cholesterol amount in order to determine the LDL concentration. The assay is based on providing a chemistry that solublizes all cholesterols other than LDL for measurement. In some embodiments, the chemistry includes Triton X-100 and Pluronics P123. In some embodiments, an initial incomplete precipitation step is included to improve the resulting removal of LDL. In some embodiments, this initial incomplete precipitation is provided and, in order to enhance the selectivity of Triton X-100 and Pluronics P 123, includes additionally adding Dextran Sulfate/Mg +2 , which brings the bias of the assay within 10%. The assay is referred to as non-fasting since the assay is specific enough not to have the accuracy negatively affected by the presence of Chylomicrons. In this embodiment the ability of the assay to isolate lipoprotein density classes without the use of standard ultracentrifugation is unique resulting from the selective solubilization of lipoprotein particles differing in densities with the exclusion of LDL.
As mentioned above, it is desirable to have a direct LDL measurement technology that does not rely on estimate-based calculations from total cholesterol. Since it would be desirous to have such an assay, Applicants analyzed the Kyowa-Medex patent. The author of the Kyowa-Medex patent (U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,157 B1), Hirochi Sugiuchi, calls out a polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene (POE-POP) triblock copolymer, Pluronics L121, as the crucial component for directly measuring LDL in an aquous two reagent based system (“Wet Chemistry”) applied to Roche's clinical chemistry analyzer like Integra 917, Modula P and Cobas Integra 400+. Wet Chemistry systems vary significantly from dry test strip systems in that in Wet Chemistry systems reactants can be added at certain times and therefore timing can be carefully controlled. Furthermore, in Wet Chemistry systems all reactants tend to be mobilized and active in contrast to dry test strips with may require greater concentrations of reagents due to degradation and other mobilization issues. Research into this component demonstrated that it had no selectivity for LDL on its own. The patent briefly mentions the use of several co-surfactants (one such example being the use of Emulgen L40), alpha-sulfated cyclodextrins, and enzymes, leading to the initial belief of their relatively minor role in the reaction. However, after the lack of success screening Pluronics L121 for LDL selectivity in a two reagent format like Sugiuchi's, it became clear these additives were more crucial than previously thought. Moreover, it was found that Emulgen L40 (prepared by Kao Corporation) is not commercially available; and we believe Kyowa-Medex has exclusive rights to that co-surfactant. Applicants have repeatedly and thoroughly tested the methodology outlined in U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,157 B 1; however, it is believed that proprietary methods and reactants were not disclosed or are not available to the public.
After an exhaustive search and screening attempt as described above covering many surfactants, enzymes, and sugar compounds, it became clear that the Kyowa-Medex patent was not easily reproducible. Some proprietary method was being excluded, which prevented another successful, one-step LDL assay from being created. However, some combinations of Pluronics L121 with Triton X-100, which is known to indiscriminately strip lipoproteins, yielded interesting results, in a two reagent, based system as observed on a clinical chemistry analyzer.
In an attempt to identify a test selective for LDL, that results in a dry test strip, a more fundamental approach was taken to fully understand the role of L121 and Triton X-100. A similar two reagent based (“Wet Chemistry”) approach was initially employed. As can be seen from the reaction kinetics below ( FIGS. 1 a and 1 b ; data collected on clinical chemistry analyzer), the HDL (trend line 100 ) reacted at a much faster rate than the LDL fraction (trend line 110 ). In these graphs the sample is added at point 120 . This result was greatly unexpected, as Triton X-100 traditionally is used as a general surfactant to solubilize all the lipoproteins and primarily used as a surfactant of choice for a total cholesterol assay. Therefore, the combination of a compound known to solubilize all lipoproteins in combination with a compound thought to solubilize only LDL actual leads to a result that all non-LDL is solubilized. FIGS. 1 a (HDL) and 1 b (LDL) show Absorbance vs. Time graphs of a TX100/L121 solution combined with an enzyme/MAOS N-Ethyl-N-(2-hydroxy-3-sulfopropyl)-3,5-dimethylaniline/4AAP(pH 6.8), sodium salt solution to achieve final surfactant solution 0.25% TX100/0.5% L121. This reagent then is combined with a sample at mark 120 and measurements is taken at defined intervals up to end of the reaction. Note that the amount of Triton-X utilized is much lower than typically used to solubilize all lipoproteins. In short, in an attempt to follow U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,157 B1 to replicate the LDL assay and achieve a direct LDL measurement, a much different result was reached. Per the patent examples listed in Table 1, the authors employed 0.2% Pluronic L121 and 0.1% Emulgen 911 to achieve high LDL to HDL selectivity. However, upon replicating the same concentrations in our laboratory, we observed a high HDL-to-LDL selectivity, which is opposite to the claim of U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,157 B1. Titrating different combination of Emulgen 911 and L121 only gave the same selectivity (high HDL:LDL) and sometimes no selectivity contrary. This reversal of selectivity prompted the testing with TX-100 and other octylphenols and nonylphenols.
Originally, it was thought that this would lead to an assay that would react only LDL. Instead, the test results show the potential for a test that reacts all constituents other than LDL. While this is the opposite of the originally desired reaction, an assay has been determined where all non-LDL is reacted and subtracted the value from a known total cholesterol value. This method, while not direct, still poses several advantages over the Friedwald equation. The largest inadequacy of the Friedwald equation is the estimation of VLDL to be assumed as ⅕ the concentration of triglycerides. This is not true for many people, and the Friedwald equation typically underestimates LDL for individuals who have not fasted. These issues would be resolved by measuring non-LDL(HDL+VLDL+CM), giving an LDL value identical to a direct LDL assay.
Pluronics L121 demonstrated surprising HDL selectivity when solubilized with Triton X-100. Therefore it was concluded that combinations of Triton X-100 and POE X -POP Y -POE X could yield high specificity for HDL and all non-LDL cholesterols. It was considered a worthwhile experiment to try different Pluronics series to attempt to increase this selectivity. In some embodiments, different Pluronics are optionally utilized including, but not limited to:
Pluronics L101: MW 3800, POE T -POP 54 -POE 7 ; Pluronics L121: MW 4400, POE 5 -POP 68 -POE 5 ; Pluronics P123: MW 5750, POE 20 -POP 70 -POE 20 ; Pluronics F127: MW 12600, POE 106 -POP 70 -POE 106
The reagent was prepared by combining 0.7 ku Cholesterol Esterase, 0.5 ku Cholesterol Oxidase , 12 ku horseradish peroxidase in MOPS buffer with 0.58 mM 4-Amino antipyrine and 2.9 mM MAOS followed by the following concentrations of Pluronics (P123) and Triton X-100 mixtures. This reagent was tested on an automated clinical chemistry analyzer (namely, Roche's Cobas Integra 400+) to determine the selectivity. The table below shows the selectivity. Highest selectivity of ˜15:1 HDL:LDL observed was at 10:1 P123:Triton X-100 ratio. Shown in FIGS. 2 a & 2 b is a comparison of the HDL and LDL fractions reacting under similar conditions as FIGS. 1 a and 1 b with a final surfactant concentration consisting of 0.01% P123/0.0005% TX100. Cycle 28, mark 255, indicates the reaction about 2 minutes after the addition of sample, denoting a possible time limit for a test strip reader, such as the Cardiochek assay. FIG. 2 a show the P123 Triton X-100 combination, showing HDL trend lines 205 , LDL trend lines 215 , and VLDL trend lines 210 . FIG. 2 b shows only P123 without Triton X-100 condition, showing HDL trend line 240 , LDL trend line 250 , and VLDL trend line 245 . This clearly demonstrates selectivity for HDL over LDL.
TABLE 1
Selectivity and concentrations for P123 and Triton X-100.
P123:Triton X-100 ratios and concentrations
HDL:LDL Selectivity
1:1
1%:1%
1.17
0.1%:0.1%
2.32
0.01%:0.01%
2.57
3:1
1%:0.33%
1.84
0.1%:0.033%
3.86
0.01%:0.0033%
5.40
6:1
1%:0.165%
6.28
0.1%:0.0165%
9.65
0.01%:0.00165%
5.29
10:1
1:0.1%
10.71
0.1%:0.01%
14.82
0.01%:0.001%
5.22
20:1
0.1%:0.005%
9.56
0.01%:0.0005%
8.72
According to Table 1, the best concentration appears to be approximately 10:1 for “wet chemistry”.
P123 is a larger, more hydrophilic POE-POP copolymer and was found to solubilize much easier than L121, allowing for greater concentrations and ratios to be tested. The selectivity for HDL to LDL is very high (10:1) at cycle 28 leading to the use of P123 as the most optimized surfactant of choice to use with Triton X-100 to selectively solubilize non-LDLs.
Therefore, embodiments of a reagent combination selective of non-LDL cholesterols include combinations of Triton X-100 and POE X -POP Y -POE X . Optionally, these combinations include compounds of POE X -POP Y -POE X having a molecular weight ranging from 2,500 to 15,000. Optionally, the molecular weight is from 4,000 to 10,000. Optionally, the molecular weight is from 5,000 to 7,000. Optionally, the molecular weight of the POE X -POP Y -POE X is 5,750.
The “wet chemistry” protocol used to identify the properties of these surfactants was necessary to screen the many surfactants/ingredients tested. However, transfer to a dry test strip required re-optimizing concentration and ratios significantly. The two reagent based “wet chemistry” approach no longer served further purpose on a clinical analyzer. Originally, two reagent systems were of interest since in a dry test strip, multiple reagents cannot be added at various times to carryout various parts of the reaction. All reagents must be present in the test strip when the sample is applied. The more reagents required in a wet chemistry test, the greater chance that the reagents will interact effecting the efficiency of the test when they are all placed in a dry test strip and wetted simultaneously. Also, in the conversion to a dry test strip, typically a much higher concentration of reagents is needed.
In order to develop a working test strip system, in one embodiment, the test strip was arranged as follows. In a two reagent based system, the ratio of 10 parts P123 to one part Triton X-100 provided the best results, with the Triton X-100 concentration at 0.01%. In the previous Polymer Technology Systems, Inc. (PTS), total cholesterol assay, the Triton X-100 concentration is 0.1%. The reagents for dry test strip was prepared by impregnating Biodyne A from Pall with a solution of 241 ku/LCholesterol Esterase, 74 ku/L Cholesterol Oxidase, 232 ku/L peroxidase in MOPS buffer with 5 mM 4-amino antipyrene, and 40 mM MAOS (N-Ethyl-N-(2-hydroxy-3-sulfopropyl)-3,5-dimethylaniline, sodium salt) followed by the following concentrations of P123:Triton X-100 system. The sheet was dried in a constant temperature drying tunnel prior to preparing the dry test strips. A higher concentration of constituents is needed in test strips to obtain similar results as in wet chemistry environments. As a starting point for the non-LDL assay, the TX-100 concentration remained at 0.1% for a direct comparison to a total cholesterol strip. The enzyme concentration also was kept the same as that of the PTS total cholesterol reaction membrane. In order to maintain a 10:1 ratio, the P123 concentration was increased to 1%, and the pH was raised to 6.8. The reagent then was coated onto 0.45 t Biodyne A membrane and dried at room temperature.
The non-LDL Biodyne was cast into single-analyte test strips using the following format:
TABLE 2
Shows an example of a Non-LDL according currently
described methodologies.
Blood Spreading Layer
Petex
Blood Separation layer
Alhstrom 144
Secondary Blood Separation Layer
Cytosep 1660
Reaction Membrane
Non-LDL Reaction Membrane
The strips then were tested with an HDL fraction (178 mg/dL), an LDL fraction (188 mg/dL), and a mixture of fraction (368 mg/dL) on meters that recorded percent reflectance (% R) as measured on a CardioChek® meter until reaction completion. FIGS. 3 a and 3 b show the % R and K/S, respectively, for an experimental test (P123 and Triton-X) of a sample showing HDL 325, 360, LDL 320, 365, and mixture of (HDL:LDL) 330, 350. Reflectance was converted to K/S units using Kubelka-Munk equation to form a linear relationship with respect to concentration (similar to absorbance) where the reduction in concentration is directly proportional to K/S reduction.
The results with the experimental strips containing P123 was very encouraging. The LDL and HDL fractions were approximately equivalent in concentrations (confirmed through another testing methodology, the Integra), and the mixture was about double the reaction of both of the individual fractions. The addition of the P123:Triton X-100 mixture drastically reduced the kinetic trace of the LDL fraction and the mixture, while only slightly inhibiting the HDL fraction. This suggests that the majority of the mixture reaction observed with P123 strips is composed of HDL. Similar results were observed with lipoprotein fractions of a reduced concentration. As the results show, the reflectivity created by an LDL fraction is reduced as compared to the reflectivity created by an HDL fraction of approximately equivalent concentration. The reflectivity is correlated to the amount of reacted fraction in the sample. The higher the reflectivity, the less analyte available for reaction. Therefore, a high reflectivity for the LDL fraction, as shown, is reflective of a low amount of LDL cholesterol available for detection. Since reflectivity is not linearly related to the concentration of an analyte, K/S plots are created, providing a linear relationship to the concentration of an analyte. For purpose of quantification and to determine observable diminished LDL reactivity only K/S plots will be used going forward.
The “wet chemistry” protocol used to identify the properties of these surfactants was necessary to screen the many surfactants/ingredients tested. However, transfer to a dry test strip required re-optimizing concentration and ratios significantly. The two reagent based “wet chemistry” approach no longer served further purpose on a clinical analyzer. In a wet chemistry approach, reagents may be added at the appropriate times. In contrast, such timing mechanisms are generally not possible in dry test strips, since the reagents must be pre-impregenated in the test strips. Furthermore, the concentration of reagents required in test strips is typically much greater, since reagents may be inactivated during the drying process.
Finally, whole blood was tested to determine if the matrix of blood would disrupt the function of P123 and TX100. Color was reduced, and the K/S values of the P123 strips between the two blood samples was proportional to the amount of non-LDL in the native blood samples. FIGS. 4 a - 4 b show kinetic charts of strips tested with two different blood donors, sample # 254 and donor ID # 66 . Condition 1 , 415 , 435 represents the control; and Condition 2 , 420 , 440 represents the strips containing P123. For this test, the meter endpoint was extended to a 0.01% R change every two seconds in order to observe a complete kinetic reaction. The red data point indicates a typical meter endpoint which uses a <0.2% change in reflectance as reaction progress.
Data from the whole blood testing showed that a reproducible method of differentiating LDL from non-LDL is possible in a dry strip format. For this test, the meter endpoint was extended to a 0.01% R change every two seconds in order to observe a complete kinetic reaction. The red data point indicates a typical meter endpoint which uses a <0.2% change in reflectance as reaction. This was done to confirm that the kinetic profile of non-LDL is moving to completion.
Success criteria in a dry test strip was the highest level of formulary selectivity preference for HDL, e.g., a 5:1 (HDL:LDL) ratio indicates a high level of HDL selectivity. Thus, as seen in the table below, the ratio 20:1 of P123:Trition X-100 gave the desired selectivity.
TABLE 3
Selecting the ratio of P123 to Triton X-100.
P123:Triton X-100 Ratios and Concentrations
HDL:LDL Selectivity
10:1
0.5%:0.05%
2.29
1%:0.1%
3.62
2%:0.2%
3.72
15:1
0.75%:0.05%
4.95
1.5%:0.1%
3.69
3%:0.2%
3.50
20:1
1%:0.05%
3.56
2%:0.1%
5.11
4%:0.2%
4.00
FIG. 7 shows an experimental test strip including a current Polymer Technology Systems, Inc. (PTS), reaction layer, containing 2% P123 and 0.1% Triton X-100, with trendline 810 representing a mixture of LDL and HDL, line 815 representing HDL, and line 820 representing LDL. Good suppression of LDL is observed with 5:1 HDL: LDL selectivity, with the mixture consisting of both LDL and HDL fractions in equal concentrations giving a similar value to the total HDL fraction.
Previous studies so far described the first foray into dry strip technology, capturing the kinetics of the reaction means of quantification and demonstrating the potential of the chemistry.
The advance into dry strip chemistry looked very promising, but results could no longer be quantified with lipoprotein fractions and reaction kinetics. Using fresh serum samples, strips containing P123/Triton X-100 were correlated to non-LDL obtained on a clinical chemistry analyzer, obtaining a calibration curve to set each data point to a non-LDL value. Each data point then was subtracted from the Integra determined total cholesterol to give a “Measured LDL” value. Correlating the measured LDL value to the Integra Direct LDL value gave an indication of any bias in the non-LDL assay.
TABLE 4
Lists the correlation results from three different P123
concentrations at three different pH levels.
Condition
Non-LDL R 2
Non-LDL v K/S equation
LDL equation
LDL R 2
pH 5.4; 1% P123
0.6212
y = 0.0183x + 0.119
y = 0.7731x + 30.224
0.8729
pH 5.4; 2% P123
0.661
y = 0.0159x + 0.1843
y = 0.7662x + 31.028
0.9041
pH 5.4; 3% P123
0.6511
y = 0.0165x − 0.0285
y = 0.7941x + 27.424
0.8882
pH 6.8; 1% P123
0.8017
y = 0.0163x − 0.0632
y = 0.8533x + 19.451
0.9544
pH 6.8; 2% P123
0.8503
y = 0.0126 + 0.025
y = 0.086x + 19
0.9736
pH 6.8; 3% P123
0.8253
y = 0.0108x − 0.0231
y = 0.8612x + 18.517
0.9625
pH 7.4; 1% P123
0.7916
y = 0.0105x + 0.0206
y = 0.813x + 24.918
0.9635
pH 7.4; 2% P123
0.7182
y = 0.0099x + 0.0193
y = 0.7707x + 30.691
0.9418
pH 7.4; 3% P123
0.8278
y = 0.0098x − 0.0368
y = 0.8553x + 19.841
0.9661
A pH study coupled with changing P123 concentration at 10:1 constant P123:Triton X-100 ratio were tested with serum to examine any dependencies. All nine conditions were tested on the same day with 12 different serum samples, once across five meters.
From the above data, it is clear P123 provides some selectivity for non-LDL. A pH of 5.4 seems less desirable, as the non-LDL curves look very similar to a total cholesterol test strip; and a pH of 7.4 also appears to be less linear than strips at pH 6.8. Among the pH 6.8 strips, 1% P123 comes in last in terms of both precision and LDL bias. 2% P123 had a better R2 than 3%, but the strips containing 3% P123 had a slightly lower LDL bias. The slope of the final LDL equation, indicating the level of bias in the assay, suggests that some LDL still interacts with the non-LDL strips.
Therefore, combinations of Triton X-100 and POE X -POP Y -POE X for use in test strips have been determined to be operable from a pH from approximately 5.4 to approximately 8. Optionally, the pH is from 6 to 7.5. Optionally, the pH is at 6.8. Therefore, combinations of Triton X-100 and POE X -POP Y -POE X for use in test strips have been determined to be in a ratio of 0.1% Triton X-100 to between 0.5% to 5% POE X -POP Y -POE X Optionally, the ratio is 0.1% Triton X-100 to between 1% to 3% POE X -POP Y -POE X . Optionally, the ratio is 0.1% Triton X-100 to 2% POE X -POP Y -POE X . In some embodiments, P123 is chosen for the various combinations of pH and Triton X-100.
It is noteworthy to mention that, during the course of scientific investigation, it was determined that a new borosilicate glass fiber membrane D-23 from IW Treamont impregnated with Phaseolous Vulgaris Lectins PHA-P performed better than the non-woven Tuffglass (Alhstrom 144) from Pall.
It was the aim going forward to increase the agreement (slope) and bring it in close to unity or between the 0.90 to 1.10 range as compared LDL values obtained on Roche LDL C+ and decrease the intercept preferably to <5 mg/dL.
In some alternatives, the slope of the curve is improved by precipitating a portion of the LDL prior to the mobilization of the non-LDL cholesterols. This enables the P123/TX100 system and the LDL curve to surpass 0.9× for the slope, which was considered desirable for a successful assay. Although, many chemistries may be used for pre-precipitation of LDL, dextran sulfate is chosen in some embodiments. In some embodiments, polyvinylsulfate may be used to precipitate LDL prior to the treatment of Triton X-100 and POE X -POP Y -POE X described above.
Early LDL assays by Boehringer Mannheim (polyvinylsulfate) and Immuno AG (dextran sulfate) utilized polyanion precipitation to precipitate LDL and measure the difference in total cholesterol before and after precipitation. Siekmeir, Rudiger, Clinical Chemistry, 1990; 36(12):2109-2113, investigates the reliability of these assays and correlation to beta quantification. Both assays suffered from some VLDL coprecipitation at the polyanion concentrations needed to precipitate all of the LDL in the sample, with the dextran sulfate method precipitating less VLDL.
While the above methods alone are not sufficient for an accurate LDL assay, trace amounts of polyanions is utilized to remove some of the LDL but at low enough concentrations to leave the VLDL intact. The idea behind this is that the LDL particles could be lowered before reacting with the non-LDL reaction membrane, reducing the amount of LDL the non-LDL membrane has to exclude. Too much polyanion (dextran sulfate, for example) kills the selectivity for LDL.
The first step into this approach required an experiment demonstrating that some LDL could be precipitated without affecting the non-LDL. Dextran sulfate of MW 5K, 10K, 50K, and 500K was tested with 150 mM MgCl 2 , with 500K dextran sulfate identified as the most appropriate.
TABLE 5
The results from 20 parts of an LDL fraction combined
with 1 part of a DS reagent (saline for Control)
Integra
Integra
Integra
VLDL
Ratio (LDL
TC
HDL
LDL
(TC-HDL-
Fraction:Reagent)
(mg/dL)
(mg/dL)
(mg/dL)
LDL)
20:1
Control
216.5
2.1
171.9
42.5
(Saline)
0.15% 500K
179.9
1.9
134.9
43.1
Dextran
Sulfate/
150 mM
MgCl
Immediately after reagent addition, samples were centrifuged and the supernatant was tested on the Integra for total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL.
Table 5 shows that the LDL concentration was lowered without affecting the VLDL or HDL concentration. The results from screening dextran sulfate led to the belief that approximately 20% of LDL could be removed from a sample before precipitation of any non-LDL.
A variety of dextran sulfate (DS) with MW 5K; 50K; 500K; >500K was tested along side with a wide range of MgCl 2 concentrations. Most of the testing was performed as a reagent on Cobas Integra 400+ to identify the optimal concentration. A stock solution of dextran sulfate with molecular weight of 500K at 0.15% w/v with 150 mM MgCl 2 was tested to determine at what point only LDLs are precipitated.
The table 6 below shows that 20 parts of saline containing a fixed level of LDL fraction mixed with 1 part of the stock resulted as the preferred combination. The concentration of LDL was lowered by ˜33 mg/dL, while keeping VLDL concentration virtually unchanged at 43.3 mg/dL when compared to the aliquot of the same sample treated with saline as Control (see highlighted row). This demonstrates that at least some amount of LDL has been precipitated in the presence of VLDL without affecting VLDL concentration.
TABLE 6
Effects of various concentrations of dextran sulfate.
Due to the instantaneous interaction of dextran sulfate/MgCl 2 with LDL, the best layer to place it in for LDL precipitation and removal was the Cytosep. Impregnation of Cytosep 1660 with 0.15% dextran sulfate (MW 500K) with 150 mM MgCl 2 were placed in strips above the non-LDL reaction membrane containing P123: Triton X-100. Testing with whole blood samples gave excellent final correlations to LDL. This indicates that a similar plasma to Dextran sulfate/MgCl 2 interaction ratio is maintained or exists in the test strip as that observed in test samples highlighted below.
A titration study was performed using LDL fractions at known concentrations to identify the levels of dextran sulfate/MgCl 2 concentration in a test strip. Three concentrations were tested: i) 0.007% DS/7.5 mM MgCl 2 , FIG. 8 a , trend line 910 ; ii) 0.015% DS/15 mM MgCl 2 , FIG. 8C , trend line 930 ; and iii) 0.075% DS/75 mM MgCl 2 FIG. 8B , trend line 920 ; in a test strip containing the non-LDL cholesterol membrane alongside a Control. The Control strip contained the non-LDL reaction membrane but without the dextran sulfate/MgCl 2 in Cytosep1660, FIG. 8D , trend line 940 . The correlations below show that only 0.075% DS/75 mM MgCl 2 displayed a good correlation and agreement with the Integra LDL. However, this concentration had to be doubled when testing with whole blood.
Dextran sulfate/Mg+2 titration revealed that 0.15% dextran sulfate is ideal for serum samples. The cytosep contains 0.15% dextran sulfate/150 mM MgCl and sits on top of a P123/TX100 reaction membrane.
The graphs in FIGS. 5 a - 5 h show that the only correlation is to non-LDL. In FIG. 5 a , the graph shows the amount of non-LDL determined according to the methods described herein as compared to the Integra non-LDL amount determined according to industry accepted techniques. The term Integra in this case is used to refer to the measurement of the selected analyte using the Integra 917, Modula P and Cobas Integra 400+. Trend line 510 shows the correlation to the accepted standard is high. FIG. 5B and trend line 520 shows the relationship between non-LDL according to the methods described herein as compared to an Integra total cholesterol. FIG. 5B should be contrasted with 5C showing an Integra non-LDL measurement compared to an Integra Total Cholesterol (trend line 530 ). In both cases the correlation is low and very similar, showing that both the Integra non-LDL and the non-LDL according to the methods described herein are similarly not correlated to total cholesterol. FIG. 5D shows a combined graph of trend lines 520 , 530 for comparison. FIG. 5E and trend line 550 shows the relationship between Non-LDL according to the methods described herein as compared to an Integra LDL. FIG. 5E should be contrasted with 5F showing an Integra non-LDL measurement compared to an Integra LDL (trend line 560 ). In both cases the correlation is low and very similar, showing that both the Integra non-LDL and the non-LDL according to the methods described herein are similarly not correlated to LDL. FIG. 5G shows a combined graph of trend lines 550 , 560 for comparison.
The final LDL curve in FIG. 5 h looks excellent, as there is no LDL bias (0.99 slope) to the Integra and correlation is very good (R 2 =0.9813). This compares the LDL according to the techniques presented herein to Integra LDL measurements. Trend line 540 shows a very high correlation. As a control, when the same selectivity membrane was placed in conjunction with a total cholesterol reaction membrane (which only consists of Triton X-100), no correlation to non-LDL was observed, indicating that P-123 in the non-LDL reaction membrane plays a very important role.
In other words, trendline 520 shows the correlation of non-LDL to total cholesterol. Trendlines 520 and 550 show virtually no correlation to total cholesterol and LDL respectively. In FIG. 5 h , trendline 540 shows the correlation between the measured LDL from an integra LDL measurement and the measured LDL from the embodiment of the test described herein and in the immediately previous paragraphs. As is clear, there is a very high correlation, almost 1 to 1, suggesting that the resulting methodology is highly accurate.
The final LDL curve in FIG. 5 h looks excellent, as there is no LDL bias (0.99 slope) to the Integra and correlation is very good (R 2 =0.9813). As a control, when the same selectivity membrane was placed in conjunction with a total cholesterol reaction membrane (which only consists of Triton X-100), no correlation to non-LDL was observed, indicating that P-123 in the non-LDL reaction membrane plays a very important role.
Before whole blood testing could begin, the effects of the surfactants on hemolysis were considered. It is well known that Triton X-100 is very hemolytic, which in part necessitates the need for a good blood separation membrane. FIG. 6 demonstrates that P123 is not hemolytic and prevents any hemolytic activity when combined with Triton X-100, with tube 610 representing results of whole blood in saline, tube 620 representing results of whole blood in 0.1% Triton X-100, tube 630 representing results of whole blood in 2% P123, tube 640 representing results of whole blood in 0.1% Triton X-100 and 2% P123, and whole blood combined with saline, TX100, P123, or a mixture thereof. It can clearly be observed that P123 is not hemolytic and prevents any hemolytic activity when combined with TX 100.
The hemolysis data is exciting, as it demonstrates the non-obvious change in TX100 properties when combined with P123. The lack of any increased hemolysis over TX100 allowed for testing with whole blood without fear of increased hemolysis error.
Whole blood testing was continued on experimental test strips on four different occasions. The table below summarizes the output of the calibration curves and final correlation to the LDL analyte.
TABLE 7
Table comparing the results of four different series of
whole blood testing.
Non-
Non-LDL v
Entry
LDL R 2
K/S equation
LDL equation
LDL R 2
1
0.8548
Y = 0.01x − 0.1826
Y = 0.9629x + 4.2732
0.9802
2
0.5979
Y = 0.0102x − 0.2011
Y = 0.9313x + 6.897
0.9529
3
0.9333
Y = 0.0098x − 0.1936
Y = 0.973x + 3.3117
0.9765
4
0.874
Y = 0.0104x − 0.2372
Y = 0.9835x + 0.9834
0.9203
All strips consisted of the format described below.
The data for whole blood looks excellent in terms of LDL bias and correlation. One can conclude from the preceding data that a successful non-LDL strip to compute LDL from a reliable total cholesterol assay has been produced in the following format:
Blood Spreading Layer
Petex
Blood Separation layer
D-23 Brosilicate glass fiber with
phaselous vulgaris lectins
Secondary Blood Separation Layer
Cytosep (0.15% Dextran Sulfate/
150 mM MgCl)
Reaction Membrane
Non-LDL Reaction Membrane
(3% P123/0.2% TX100)
It is important to note that this architecture in a single-analyte strip is at a proof-of-concept stage. In the final development stage, the non-LDL assay would sit in a panel with at least cholesterol and another analyte as shown below.
Total
Layer
Cholesterol
LDL
Any analyte
Blood Spreading Layer
Polyether Sulfone (PES) 18/13 TW Hyphil
Blood Separation layer
D-23 Borosilicate glass fiber with Lectins
Secondary Blood
Cytosep 1660
LDL
corresponding
Separation Layer
selectivity
Membrane
Reaction Membrane
Total
Non-LDL
Reaction
Cholesterol
Reaction
Membrane for an
Reaction
Membrane
analyte
Membrane
Adhesive
Adhesive
It should also be noted that each LDL curve seen in this report has been computed by subtracting the non-LDL value from the Integra total cholesterol assay. Substantial work needs to be completed to develop the best non-LDL assay, such as determining preparation methods, interferents, and stability. However, the initial chemistry reaction with non-LDL has been proven to work in a single analyte strip format. If the chemistry works in this format, it is a logical conclusion that it can be placed into a panel format with a Polymer Technology Systems, Inc. (PTS), cholesterol assay to give a simple LDL assay correlating well to the Integra direct LDL assay.
While specific embodiments have been described in detail in the foregoing detailed description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications and alternatives to those details could be developed in light of the overall teachings of the disclosure and the broad inventive concepts thereof It is understood, therefore, that the scope of this disclosure is not limited to the particular examples and implementations disclosed herein but is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope thereof as defined by the appended claims and any and all equivalents thereof Note that, although particular embodiments are shown, features of each attachment may be interchanged between embodiments.
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In one embodiment, a test strip for testing for cholesterol-related blood analytes in whole blood includes a red blood cell separation layer, the red blood cell separation layer separating red blood cells from a blood sample applied to the test strip as the blood sample flows downward through the red blood cell separation layer. The test strip further includes a reaction layer receiving the blood sample from the red blood cell separation layer, the reaction layer including POE-POP-POE block copolymer, a surfactant, and a reflectivity changing reactant, the POE-POP-POE block copolymers solubilizing essentially only non-LDL cholesterol analytes, the non-LDL cholesterol analytes reacting with the reflectivity changing reactant in order to change a reflectivity of the blood sample.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2004/000305, which was filed on Apr. 2, 2004, and which, in turn, claimed the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 03108880.5, which was filed on Apr. 2, 2003, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
1. Field of the Technology
The invention generally relates to frame processing techniques for the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)/Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) and, more specifically, introduces a method and circuit for SDN/SONET frame alignment.
2. Background of the Invention
The SDH/SONET system is a signal transport system that transports signals at different rate levels on several standard-rate interfaces through an interleave multiplex and synchronous multiplex way. The SDH and the SONET are almost the same hierarchies except part of transmission rates and multiplexing paths are slightly different. Therefore, methods for the SDH system are introduced and those for the SONET system are completely same in principle. The ITU.T G707 has a detailed description of the SDH architecture.
FIG. 1 shows the rate hierarchy supported by the SDH system. FIG. 2 shows rates of Virtual Container with different rate levels and being supported by the SDH.
FIG. 3 shows the frame structure of SDH STM-1 (Synchronous Transport Module-1), in which the VC 4 s are formed by 63 VC 12 s.
The STM-2 frame is composed of 9 rows and 270 columns, namely totaling 2430 bytes, and takes 125 μs. Therefore, the rate of STM-1 in FIG. 1 is 155.520 Mbps. The first 9 columns of each frame are pointer addresses for RSOH (Regenerator Section Overhead), MSOH (Multiplexer Section Overhead) and AU- 4 Pointer, and the rest 261 columns are for VC 4 . In the VC 4 , the first column is for Path Overhead (POH). When the VC 4 is formed by 63 VC 12 s, the 8 columns that follow the POH column are the byte stuff columns, and the 252 columns that follow the stuff columns are formed by 63 TU 12 s that are multiplexed to TUG 2 s and then to TUG 3 s. See FIG. 9 .
FIG. 4 shows the multiplexing paths defined by the G707 standard for different VC rates. In FIG. 4 , the block with background color indicates pointer processing; the thick real line indicates multiplexing; the dot line indicates aligning and the thin real line indicates mapping.
During multiplexing, it often happens that the VC rate doesn't match the rates of the TU or AU to which the VC want to be multiplexed. In this case, the SDH deploys a pointer to locate the VC starting byte from a fixed position in the frame (the fixed position is the H 3 byte for AU 4 , the H 3 byte for TU 3 and the V 2 byte for TU 1 ). The pointer value is adjusted with the positive justification and negative justification. For AU 4 , as shown in the FIG. 5 , H 1 and H 2 are the pointers showing the starting byte of the VC- 4 , H 3 is for negative justification and the three bytes after H 3 is for positive justification. The FIG. 6 shows the TU 3 pointer, and the FIG. 7 shows the TU 12 /TU 11 pointer; wherein TU is the tributary unit, VC is the virtual container, V 1 is the first byte of the pointer and V 2 is the second byte of the pointer, V 3 is the negative justification byte and V 4 is a reserved byte.
FIGS. 8 and 9 show an interleaving processing where the TU 11 /TU 12 s are multiplexed into the TUG 2 s, and then the TUG 2 s are multiplexed into the TUG 3 s, and finally the TUG 3 s are multiplexed into the VC 4 .
The SDH multiplexing hierarchy defines a channel signal rate lower than VC 4 as the lower order channel and a channel signal rate above the VC 4 as the higher order channel. The lower order signals are interleaved into the TUG 2 s by columns, and then the TUG 3 s are interleaved into the TUG 3 s by columns, and then the TUG 3 s are interleaved into the VC 4 by columns. When multiplexing lower order signals to a higher order virtual container, the pointer of the higher order virtual container needs to be adjusted for rate matching, so pointers of different higher order virtual containers may have different values. Therefore, before interleaving, the virtual containers need to be aligned. At present, the alignment is made with the method called Tributary Unit Payload Processor (TUPP).
From the ingress direction of a high order signal, the TUPP finds the pointers of the lower order signals. With interpretation of a lower order signal pointer, the lower order signal payload is obtained and stored in an FIFO queue. Later, based on aligning requirement, the timing signal is generated. With the timing signal, the FIFO output is controlled and a new pointer justification is generated. The payloads of lower order signals in the FIFO and the generated pointers form an aligned high order signal that is the egress signal of the TUPP.
Taking the lower order traffic TU 12 as an example, shown in FIG. 10 , the Receiving Timer and Transmitting Timer generate necessary timing signals; the pointer interpreters (PI) of the modules 1 , 2 , . . . 63 make pointer interpretation of each channel respectively to obtain the payload position of each channel; under the control of the RecTiming signal, the payloads are stored in the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) memories; the Pointer Generator modules PG 1 , PG 2 , . . . PG 63 generate new pointers for each channel; and the Multiplexing module regenerates the payloads and their new pointers that are aligned for the higher order signal VC 4 .
The alignment processing of the TU 11 , TU 3 or payloads mapped by them is similar as above.
The above method meets demands of system for lower order signals in early SDH/SONET development phase when the system capacity is limited; However, with increase of system demands for lower order traffic, the method can hardly meet market needs. The TUPP is implemented by an ASIC on usual, and each ASIC can only process several channels, which leads to many ASICs in system. This makes serial problems for the system, such as system complexity increase, power consumption rising, system integration and system stability decrease etc.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one aspect, disclosed is a frame aligning method to overcome the low-level technology integration and the low utility of the present aligning integrated circuit.
Another aspect of the disclosure provides a frame alignment integrated circuit that has higher integration level and higher utility factor.
In accordance with one embodiment, the frame aligning method includes the steps of:
processing every channel of a frame time-sharingly through common circuits including at least a common pointer interpreter module and a pointer generator module;
based on the structure and control information of the frame to be aligned, said common circuit generating the receiving pulses indicating positions of a channel pointer's first byte and second byte;
said common pointer interpreter module receiving the first-byte and second-byte information of all channel pointers according to said receiving pulses, and storing the first-byte information;
according to the channel sequence, said common pointer interpreter module interpreting channel pointers to obtain pointer status information;
according to the state information obtained, the common pointer interpreter module generating control signals to store channel payload;
generating a time signal for a new frame required and providing to said pointer generator module;
based on pointer offset and adjustment information of each channel, said pointer generator module creating new channel pointers for all channels;
generating the control signal according to timing signals of said new frame and the new channel pointers generated by said pointer generator;
with said control signal, reading the payload and generated pointer of each channel to form aligned data frame.
In some cases, said obtaining pointer status information, respectively, includes the steps of:
according to first-byte and second-byte pointer information, pointer status information and first-byte and second-byte information of last frame, pointer interpretation module interpreting current channel pointer and storing obtained status information of channel pointer.
Said obtaining pointer state information may be realized according to ITU.
Said creating new channel pointers, respectively, may include the steps of:
depending on channel payload, pointer generator module calculating the offset of the channel pointer;
the new pointer and state information of the channel being created and stored based on the offset, channel adjustment information and state information of last frame.
Said creating new channel pointer may be realized according to ITU.
Said payloads and generated pointers of all channels may be stored in one memory.
Address collision may be avoided for said memory.
In accordance with another aspect, the frame aligning integrated circuit, includes a receiving timer, a pointer interpreter module, a transmitting timer, a pointer generator module and a first memory;
where said receiving timer is connected with the pointer interpreter module and the first memory respectively, receives frame to be aligned and the frame control signals, and then based on the frame control signals, it generates timing signals indicating different positions of frame signals; and sends the timing signals to pointer interpreter module; based on timing signals and pointer interpretation results given by pointer interpreter module, it controls the first memory to store frame data; and
where said pointer interpreter module is connected with the receiving timer, receives frame to be aligned; under control by timing signals from the receiving timer, interprets channel pointers of Tributary Units in a frame; sends pointer interpretation results to the receiving timer; and,
where said transmitting timer is connected with the pointer generator module and first memory, receives control signals for new frame system requires; based on the frame control signals, it generates timing signals indicating different positions of a new frame, based on timing signals and new channel pointer state sent by pointer generator module, controls the first memory to read frame data; and,
where said pointer generator module is connected with the transmitting timer and first memory; under control of timing signals provided by the transmitting timer, creates new channel pointers of Tributary Units and stores the new channel pointers into the first memory; and,
where said first memory is connected with the receiving timer, transmitting timer and pointer generator module, stores payloads of all channels under the control of timing signals provided by the receiving timer; and stores newly generated pointers of all channels, and outputs payloads and new pointers of all channels under the control of timing signals provided by the transmitting timer.
Said pointer interpreter module includes a first read-write controller, a first memory, a second memory, a third memory, a fourth memory and a pointer interpreter finite-state-machine:
where said first read-write controller is connected with the receiving timer, second memory, third memory and fourth memory, receives timing signals generated by the receiving timer to create read-write control signals to the second, third and fourth memories; and,
where said second and third memories are connected with the first read-write controller and pointer interpreter finite-state-machine, under control of first read-write controller, store channel pointer information of frame received, or output the channel pointer information to the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine, and,
where said fourth memory is connected with the first read-write controller and pointer interpreter finite-state-machine, under control of first read-write controller, stores pointer state information sent by the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine, or sends pointer state information to the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine; and,
where said pointer interpreter finite-state-machine is connected with the second, third and fourth memories; at specific timing signals provided by said receiving timer, interprets signals in second, third and fourth memories and then stores interpretation results in the fourth memory and outputs them to the receiving timer.
Said pointer generator module may include a second read-write controller, a fifth memory, a sixth memory and a pointer generator finite-state-machine:
where said second read-write controller may be connected with the transmitting timer, fifth memory and sixth memory, receives timing signals from transmitting timer to generate read-write control signal for fifth and sixth memories; and,
where said fifth memory may be connected with the second read-write controller and pointer generator finite-state-machine, stores the channel pointer offset and outputs them to the pointer generator finite-state-machine; and,
where said sixth memory may be connected with the second read-write controller and pointer generator finite-state-machine, stores frame states; and,
where said pointer generator finite-state-machine may be connected with the transmitting timer, fifth and sixth memories, under a specific timing signal from the transmitting timer and according to signals stored in the fifth and sixth memories, it generates new pointer and the pointer's state, and stores the state in the sixth memory and outputs the state to the first memory.
Said pointer generator module may include a common counter for all channels;
where said counter may be connected with the fifth memory; starts counting at the second address of each channel; increases count value of relevant channel by one after it reads one byte from the first memory; creates pointer offset and outputs it to the fifth memory.
Said pointer generator module may include an address comparator,
where said address comparator may be connected with the receiving timer and transmitting timer, receives the writing address generated by the receiving timer and reading address generated by the transmitting timer, and compares them to determine whether the positive justification or negative justification is needed, and then sends justification information to the pointer generator finite-state-machine.
As a result, the following advantages are presented:
With time-sharing, the circuit utility factor is raised; and,
with multiplex structure, the integrated level of each ASIC is increased.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows SDH bit rates.
FIG. 2 shows SDH Virtual Containers (VC).
FIG. 3 shows a frame structure of the STM-1.
FIG. 4 shows the multiplexing paths of SDH.
FIG. 5 shows the AU 4 pointer.
FIG. 6 shows the TU 3 pointer.
FIG. 7 shows the TU 12 /TU 11 pointer.
FIG. 8 shows the interleaving from TUG 3 s to VC 4 s.
FIG. 9 shows the interleaving from TU 11 /TU 12 s to the TUG 3 s.
FIG. 10 shows a diagram of present frame alignment processing.
FIG. 11 shows a diagram of frame alignment of the invention.
FIG. 12 shows a diagram of the pointer interpreter module of the invention.
FIG. 13 shows a space division diagram of the first memory of the invention.
FIG. 14 shows a diagram of the pointer generator module of the invention.
FIG. 15 shows receiving timing of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention is a frame alignment method and circuit used for SDH/SONET. The characteristics of the invention are as follows:
The Pointer Interpreter (PI), Pointer Generator (PG) and Payload memory are common for every lower order channel (63 TU 12 s, or 84 TU 11 s, or 3 TU 3 s or their mixture), so each of them can be replaced by a common time-sharing circuit; Having been processed by the common time-sharing circuits, pointer value of each channel is stored in a memory; The ingress signal timing controls the common time-sharing circuit and access of the memory.
In the following, an embodiment of the alignment of a VC 4 that is composed of TU 12 s is described in detail.
FIG. 11 shows the frame alignment circuit includes a pointer interpreter module 110 , a receiving timer 111 that generates RecTiming signal, a first memory 112 , a pointer generator module 113 and a transmitting timer 114 that generates TransmitTiming signal.
The pointer interpreter module 110 , the receiving timer 111 and the first memory 112 receive the VC 4 indication signals and the VC 4 frame data, vc 4 _data, which will be aligned.
The receiving timer 111 is connected with the pointer interpreter module 110 and the first memory 112 , and generates related timing signals based on the SDH frame structure, the spe signal of payload in indication signals of VC 4 frame and starting signal j 1 of VC 4 frame.
In detail, the positions of every signal in a VC 4 frame are relatively fixed to the starting signal j 1 , and the receiving timer 111 respectively generates the indicating pulses r_ts_v 1 and r_ts_v 2 for the first byte V 1 and the second byte V 2 , which are used to indicate pointers of 63 channels; the indicating pulses r_ts_v 3 and r_ts_v 3 p for the pointer justification bytes V 3 and V 3 p of the 63 channels; the sequential counter signal r_tu_num indicating sequence of the 63 channels and the indicating pulse r_ts_h 4 for the path overhead byte H 4 .
The receiving timer 111 sends the indicating pulses r_ts_v 1 , r_ts_v 2 and r_tu_num to the pointer interpreter module 110 .
Based on the r_ts_v 1 , r_ts_v 2 , r_tu_num and VC 4 frame signals, the pointer interpreter module 110 generates the interpretation results including the pointer value and positive justification or negative justification bytes, and then send them to the receiving timer 111 .
Based on the interpretation results, the receiving timer 111 obtains the indicating payload signals r_ts_vc 12 _payload and generates the writing addresses of the first memory 112 for the 63 channels to control the writing operation; the writing addresses are sent to the pointer generator module 113 to generate the positive or negative justification signals inc_dec_req. The timing diagram of the signals is shown in FIG. 15 .
In this embodiment, the pointer interpreter module 110 is shown in FIG. 12 . It includes: the first read-write controller (RAMReadWriteControl) 121 , the second memory 122 , the third memory 123 , the fourth memory 124 and the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine (PointerlntrpratFSM) 125 .
The second memory 122 , the third memory 123 and the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine 125 receive the VC 4 frame data from the external system.
The first read-write controller 121 is respectively connected with the receiving timer 112 , the second memory 122 , the third memory 123 and the fourth memory 124 , and controls the accesses of them in order to coordinate with the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine 125 .
The second memory 122 and the third memory 123 latch the V 1 bytes of this frame and the V 1 and V 2 bytes of last frame respectively; the fourth memory 124 stores interpretation results including the states of the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine 125 , the pointer value, the positive and negative justification values, and outputs the results to the receiving timer 111 .
The pointer interpreter finite-state-machine 125 is connected with the second memory 122 , the third memory 123 , the fourth memory 124 and the receiving timer 111 respectively. It interprets the pointer information of the received vc 4 _data and stores the interpretation results in the fourth memory 124 .
The channel pointer of a TU 12 includes two bytes, V 1 and V 2 , and the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine 125 takes the r_ts_v 2 signal sent by the timer 111 as the enable signal, so the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine 125 runs on the V 2 byte of every frame, and its operation conforms to the related proposals of ITU. The operation of the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine 125 uses V 1 and V 2 bytes of the last and this frames, and it runs on the V 2 byte of this frame, so only the last frame V 1 and V 2 bytes and this frame V 1 byte need to be latched.
In detail, the first read-write controller 121 receives the indicating pulses: r_ts_v 1 , r_ts_v 2 and r_tu_num, from the receiving timer 111 to control the intercepting and storing of the V 1 and V 2 bytes. When the r_ts_v 1 is coming, namely at the V 1 pulse position, the enable signal WEn 1 of the second memory 122 is made enabled to let the second memory 122 get V 1 information of all channels from the received vc 4 _data and store them. When the r_ts_v 2 is coming, namely at the V 2 pulse position, the enable signal WEna 2 of the third memory 123 is made enabled to let the third memory get V 2 information of all channels from the received vc 4 _data and the V 1 information from the second memory 122 , and store them.
One step delays the V 2 pulse and when the pointer interpreter finite-state-machine 125 has processed one channel, the writing enable WEn 3 of the fourth memory 123 is enabled to store the interpretation results of a channel. Here, the r_tu_num is used to indicate which channel is being processed.
In this embodiment, the first memory 112 is used to store each channel payload and pointers that are generated by the pointer generator module 113 . The first memory 112 stores the payload based on the payload-writing signal from the receiving timer 111 , and makes alignment and then outputs the aligned VC 4 frame based on the reading signal from the transmitting timer 114 . The first memory 112 stores the starting position of each VC frame, indication_or_v 5 _puls, which is used to indicate the starting position of each VC 12 frame for the pointer generator module 113 , and stores payloads of each channels.
In this embodiment, the first memory 112 is divided into two parts: one is for storing the payload, and another is for storing the new pointer. In FIG. 13 , there are 63 pieces of memory space for storing the payloads of 63 tributary units, and there are 63 bytes for storing the regenerated pointers. Since the new pointer is written into the first memory 112 by the pointer regenerator module 113 while the received payload is also written into the first memory, writing conflict may happen. It is necessary to avoid the writing conflict by adding conflict management in writing operation.
The transmitting timer 114 has a similar function to the receiving timer 111 . According to the VC 4 frame signals, including the VC 4 payload indicating signal t_spe and the VC 4 frame starting signal t_j 1 , the transmitting timer 114 generates timing signals for the aligned VC 4 frame.
In detail, the positions of every signal in a VC 4 frame are relatively fixed to the starting signal t_j 1 , and the transmitting timer 114 respectively generates the indicating pulses r_ts_v 1 and r_ts_v 2 for the first byte V 1 and the second byte V 2 , which are used to indicate pointers of 63 channels; the indicating pulses r_ts_v 3 and r_ts_v 3 p for the pointer justification bytes V 3 and V 3 p of the 63 channels; the sequential counter signal r_tu_num indicating sequence of the 63 channels and the indicating pulse r_ts_h 4 for the path overhead byte H 4 .
Furthermore, according to results generated by pointer generator module 113 , including pointer value and positive or negative justification information, the t_ts_c 12 _payload signal indicating VC 12 payload of 63 channels is obtained. Based on t_ts_vc 12 _payload, reading address of the first memory 113 is created to control reading of the first memory and finally, the new aligned VC 4 is gotten. The time sequence in transmitting is similar to that in receiving, so the time sequence diagram of receiving can be as a reference. The t_ts_v 1 , t_ts_v 2 and t_tu_num are sent to the pointer regenerator module 113 by transmitting timer 114 .
In this embodiment, the pointer regenerator module 113 , shown in FIG. 14 , regenerates pointer, the positive justification or negative justification for every channel. It includes: the second read-write controller 141 , the fifth memory 142 , the sixth memory 143 , the pointer generator finite-state-machine (PointerGenerateFSM) 144 , the counter 145 , and the comparator 146 .
The second read-write controller 141 is connected with the first memory 112 , the transmitting timer 114 , the fifth memory 142 , and the sixth memory 143 , respectively; it controls the reading and writing of the fifth memory 142 and the sixth memory 143 .
The fifth memory 142 transmits the regenerated pointer. When the second read-write controller 141 has read a V 5 , namely indication_of_v 5 puls, the first byte position signal of the VC 12 , it generates the writing address WA 1 and the write-enable signal WEn 1 for the fifth memory 142 and stores offset_from_v 2 of counter 145 into the fifth memory 142 .
The counter 145 increases the channel counting value by one when one byte of related channel is read from the first memory 112 . It is used for all channels and begins counting at the V 2 byte of each channel.
For the sixth memory 143 , the pointer generator finite-state-machine 144 begins running at the V 2 byte, namely at the moment when receiving the t_ts_v 2 , so it generates writing address WA 2 and writing enable signal WEn 1 one step delay the V 2 byte of each channel and stores the new created pointer state PrevState into the sixth memory 143 .
The second read-write controller 141 reads the fifth memory 142 and the sixth memory 143 in the same way. Since the pointer generator finite-state-machine 144 begins running at the V 2 byte, the read control for the second read-write controller 141 is to make the pointer offsets, the last frame pointer states and the positive or negative justification information inc_dec_req of the two memories arrive at the same time.
The second read-write controller 141 reads the pointer offset from the off_from_v 2 of the fifth memory 142 . The comparator 146 generates the positive or negative justification bytes inc_dec_req by comparing the writing address generated by the receiving timer 111 and the reading address generated by the transmitting timer 114 . The positive or negative justification bytes inc_dec_req is used to determine whether the generated pointer needs to be adjusted or whether the V 3 and V 3 P need to stuff effective data; this is determined by the receiving and transmitting rate difference. In this embodiment, the receiving and transmitting rate difference is the memory reading and writing rate difference. This means that the reading and writing address difference and the justification threshold determine whether the inc_dec_req is effective.
The pointer generator finite-state-machine 144 is a finite-state-machine for generating pointer based on proposals from ITU.T. It begins running at the moment receiving the V 2 byte and reads pointer offset from the fifth memory 142 and the sixth memory 143 , the last frame states PrevState and the positive or negative justification information inc_dec_req to generate the new pointer and pointer state CurState. After new pointer generates, namely a step delay the t_ts_v 2 , the pointer generator 114 stores new pointer and pointer state CurState into the sixth memory 143 and output them to the first memory 112 .
It can be seen from the above that the pointer interpreter module 110 and the pointer generator module 113 are two independent modules. The pointer interpreter module 110 interprets the receiving pointer to obtain the payload from the received data and store it in the first memory 112 . The pointer generator module 113 generates the new pointer for the new tributary unit based on the timing requirement and the rate difference between receiving and transmitting.
The frame alignment procedure is described in the following:
The receiving timer 111 generates the receiving pulse r_ts_v 1 that indicates the first byte V 1 position of TU 12 channel pointer based on information of frame structure, and the pointer interpreter module 110 receives and stores the first byte V 1 of all channels based on the receiving pulse r_ts_v 1 .
The receiving timer 111 generates the receiving pulse r_ts_v 2 that indicates the position of the pointer second byte V 2 of the TU 12 , and the pointer interpreter module 110 receives and stores the second byte V 2 of all channels based on the receiving pulse r_ts_v 2 .
While receiving the second byte receiving pulse of channel pointer, the pointer interpreter module 110 interprets the channel pointer to obtain the pointer states and then according to the states, the pointer interpreter module 110 generates control signal to store the channel payload into the first memory 112 .
The transmitting timer 114 generates timing signals for the pointer generator module 113 based on the indicating signal of the new frame from an external system, and the pointer generator module 114 sequentially generates the new pointer of every channel according to the pointer offset and stuffing bytes of each channel and stores the new pointers into the first memory.
The transmitting timer 114 generates control signals based on the new frame timing signal and results from pointer generator. With the control signals, the transmitting timer reads the payload and pointer of each channel from the first memory to form a data frame for the system.
The TU 12 is taken as an example in above, and the method for TU 3 , TU 11 or the mixture of TU 11 , TU 12 and TU 3 is quite similar. The only difference is that different timing pulses are generated.
For more tributaries alignment, such as four or even sixteen VC 4 s alignment, the same method can be used if only higher clock frequency or more memory capacity are provided.
The SDH and the SONET are almost the same hierarchies except part of transmission rates and multiplexing paths are slightly different. The above embodiment uses SDH as an example, however, the principle can be completely applied in the SONET system.
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The invention discloses a frame alignment method. Based on time-sharing structure of SDH/SONET data, the methods use one common circuit to complete functions like pointer interpretation, pointer generation and payload interception and storage, etc. The method stores information of every channel which is being processed respectively, and then controls reading and writing memories and the operations of the whole common circuit by the scheduling of input signals. The invention also opens a frame aligning circuit; improves circuit efficiency by multiplexing common circuit while decreases logistic scale of processing. The invention is mainly engaged to frame alignment of a SDH/SONET system.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] This invention is connected toward an improved connector block.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art including Information Disclosed under CFR §§1.97-1.99
[0004] A connector block is used in blasting operations to connect a detonator to at least one signal transmission line. An example of such a block is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,319.
[0005] A connector block has an elongated body member for holding a detonator therein with the explosive end of the detonator at one end of the block. Means are provided at this one end of the block for holding signal transmission lines adjacent the explosive end of the detonator. Several of the new connector blocks use a cantilevered arm on the end wall of the block at the one end to hold the signal lines adjacent to the explosive end of the detonator at the one end wall of the block. The signal lines are located in a narrow space or slot formed between the arm and the one end wall of the block and are inserted into that space through an entrance between the free end of the arm and the end wall. The slot is shaped and sized to hold the lines quite firmly, closely adjacent to the end of the detonator.
[0006] These known connector blocks can be dangerous however when detonated. Often the cantilevered arm will blow off the block when the detonator is detonated and the arm, as a small missile, could injure someone.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is the purpose of the present invention to provide connector blocks of the type employing a cantilevered arm to hold the signal lines that are safer in operation than the known blocks. More particularly, it is the purpose of the present invention to provide connector blocks in which the cantilevered arm remains attached to the block when detonated.
[0008] In accordance with the present invention there is provided a connector block having a cantilevered arm at least the front portion of which is tapered from a thin front end to a thicker middle section. As a result of this construction, the cantilevered arm peels or rolls back from its free front end toward its supported rear end, away from the end wall of the block, instead of being blown off the connector block when the detonator is detonated. With the arm remaining attached to the block during detonation, the block is much safer in use.
[0009] The invention is particularly directed toward a connector block having an elongated body, the body having an end wall at one end, the end wall having an outer face. An opening in the end wall extends through the end wall to the outer face. The body supports a detonator with a leading explosive end of the detonator extending into the opening in the end wall and at least close to the outer face of the end wall. A resilient, cantilever arm extends from one side of the end wall over the outer face of the end wall to the other side of the end wall and terminates in a free end at the other side of the end wall. The arm is spaced from the outer face to define, with the outer face, a slot that snugly receives signal lines so as to locate the signal lines adjacent the opening. The free end of the arm and the end wall form an entrance to the slot that is narrower than the slot. The cantilevered arm is tapered in thickness, from a point spaced along its length from its connection to the end wall determined by where the arm will curl rearwardly over itself, instead of separating from the end wall, when the detonator is exploded, to adjacent its free end where it is thinnest.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] [0010]FIG. 1 is perspective view of a known connector block;
[0011] [0011]FIG. 2 is a cross-section view of the known block taken along line 2 - 2 in FIG. 1;
[0012] [0012]FIG. 3 is a detail view of the entrance to the slot in the known block;
[0013] [0013]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a known detonator;
[0014] [0014]FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the known detonator and signal lines mounted on the known block;
[0015] [0015]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the improved connector block; and
[0016] [0016]FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the block after the detonator has exploded.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0017] A prior art connector block 1 , as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, has an elongated body 3 with side walls 5 joined by a bottom wall 7 defining an open, elongated channel 9 . One end of the body 3 is closed by an end wall 11 . The other end of the body 3 could also be partly closed by a second end wall 13 if desired. The channel 9 holds a detonator DE as will be described. The detonator DE can rest on the bottom wall 7 of the body 3 . Preferably, a detonator support 15 is provided on the bottom wall 7 and supports the detonator DE in the channel 9 . A cover 17 can be provided to close the body 3 . The cover 17 can be attached to the body 3 to be on one side of the body when not in use. The cover 17 , in use, rests on the top free edges 19 of the side walls 5 . Cooperating locking means (not shown) are provided on the cover 17 and the side walls 5 of the body 3 for locking the cover 17 to the body 3 when in use. The cover 17 can also have retaining means 20 on its bottom surface 21 for cooperating with the detonator DE to retain the detonator in place within the body 3 as will be described. The end wall 11 has a cylindrical opening 23 there through which opening is aligned with the detonator support 15 .
[0018] The outer surface 31 of the end wall 11 has a semicylindrical surface portion 33 , generally overlying the opening 23 and extending across the height of the end wall 11 . This curved surface portion 33 is transverse to the longitudinal axis 35 of the opening 23 . A pair of stop members 37 within the opening 23 partially close the opening adjacent the surface portion 33 , the stop members 37 integral with the end wall 11 .
[0019] The known connector block 1 includes a resilient, cantilevered arm 41 extending from one side 43 of the end wall 11 over and across its outer surface 31 , substantially covering the outer surface 31 . The arm 41 has a main body portion 45 , the length of which constitutes a substantial portion of the length of the arm, and which extends from the one side 43 of the end wall 11 . The main body portion 45 is of the same thickness over its length and is spaced from the outer surface 31 of the end wall 11 and curved over the semicylindrical surface portion 33 in a manner to form a narrow slot 47 which slot is of uniform width over at least a major portion of its length. The arm 41 has a free end portion 49 extending from the main body portion 45 of the arm 41 , which tapers to a point.
[0020] The free end portion 49 of the arm 41 forms a v-shaped entrance 51 with an entrance portion 53 of the outer surface 31 of the end wall 11 adjacent the other side 55 of the end wall 11 as shown in detail in FIG. 3. The entrance 51 provides access into the slot 47 . Preferably, the free end portion 49 of the arm 41 has its inner surface 57 angled outwardly forming one slanted side of the entrance 51 . The entrance portion 53 on the end wall 11 has an inwardly angled surface 59 forming the other slanted side of the entrance 51 . The end of the slot 47 near the other side 55 of the end wall 11 undercuts the entrance portion 53 forming a resilient finger 61 that, with the free end portion 49 of the resilient arm 41 , substantially closes the entrance 51 . This type of connector block is known.
[0021] The known block 1 is used with a detonator DE. The detonator DE, as shown in FIG. 4, has a casing C with a leading explosive end LE and an open trailing end TE. The casing C is preferably cylindrical in shape although it could have other shapes. The open trailing end TE is closed by a resilient bushing B through which a detonator signal line DSL is passed into the casing C. The casing C is crimped about the bushing B as shown at CR. At least one crimp and preferably two are employed. Detonators of this type are well known.
[0022] To use the block 1 , the detonator DE in placed in the channel 9 of the block 1 with its leading end LE inserted into the opening 23 in the end wall 11 and tight against the stops 37 as shown in FIG. 5. The stops 37 serve to locate the explosive end LE of the detonator DE relative to the semi-cylindrical surface 33 of the end wall 11 . The casing C rests on the support 15 in the channel 9 and the detonator signal line DSL extends rearwardly out of the body 3 through a slot 61 in the other end wall 13 . The cover 17 is used to close the body 3 and retain the detonator DE tight against the stops 37 and the support 15 with the retaining means 19 on the bottom of the cover 17 . The retaining means 19 partly encircle one of the crimps CR on the detonator casing C preventing both lateral and longitudinal movement of the detonator.
[0023] The signal lines SL are passed through the entrance 51 into the slot 47 between the resilient finger 61 and the free end portion 49 of the resilient arm 41 . The slot 47 is just wide enough to snugly receive the signal lines SL which lines, when in the slot 47 , extend transverse to the longitudinal axis 35 of the opening 23 . The signal lines SL are placed in the slot 47 through the entrance 51 one at a time. The resilient arm 41 helps hold the signal lines SL in place within the slot. The signal lines SL lie closely adjacent to the leading explosive end LE of the detonator DE, all about the same distance therefrom. Detonation of the detonator DE sends a signal through each signal line SL.
[0024] In accordance with the present invention, the cantilevered arm 41 ′ of the connector block 1 ′, as shown in FIG. 6, is modified to ensure that it remains with the body 3 ′ of the block when the detonator DE is detonated. To this end, the main body portion 45 ′ of the arm 41 ′ is modified to taper in thickness, from a point spaced from its connection to the end wall determined by where the free end of the arm will curl back on itself when the detonator is exploded, to the free end portion 49 ′. Preferably, the main body portion 45 ′ of the arm 41 ′ is modified to taper in thickness at least from about its mid-point 71 , at about the longitudinal axis 35 ′ of the opening 23 ′ in the end wall 11 ′, to the free end portion 49 ′, tapering from a thick cross-section at the mid-point 71 to a thin cross-section adjacent the free end portion 49 ′. The free end portion 49 ′ is also modified to have a thickness at its thick end equal to the thickness at the thin end 73 of the body portion. The tapered, forward portion 75 of the main body 45 ′ of the arm 41 ′ allows the arm to curl backward, as shown in FIG. 7, when the detonator DE is exploded, starting from its free end portion 49 ′, instead of being blown off. Thus the arm 41 ′ stays connected to the block during detonation making the block much safer in use. The tapering of the arm 41 ′ is done in a manner to leave the thickness of the slot 47 ′ unchanged.
[0025] If desired, the main body 45 ′ of the arm can be tapered back from its free end portion 49 ′ to a point close to the location where the arm is connected to the end wall. The arm would be tapered for about three quarters of its length in this case provided a longer tapered forward portion 75 of the arm 41 ′ making it still easier to curl the arm backward on itself during detonation.
[0026] The cantilevered arm 41 has been described as being resilient. The arm 41 could, in some cases, be rigid rather than springy with the arm slightly squeezing the signal lines SL to securely hold them in the slot 47 and with the resilient finger 61 in the entrance 51 designed to allow passage of the signal lines SL into the slot without movement of the arm 41 .
[0027] While one form of known connecting block has been described, other similar types of known blocks, using a cantilevered arm to hold the signal lines, can be employed, but with the arm modified according to this invention. The cantilevered arm and entrance is designed according to the present invention to securely retain all the signal lines in position within the slot adjacent the detonator, while still allowing entrance of the lines into the slot and also ensuring that the arm is tapered in a manner allowing it to curl starting from its front end when the detonator is exploded.
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A connector block having an elongated body with an end wall at one end. A resilient, cantilever arm extends from one side of the end wall over the wall to the other side of the wall and terminates in a free end at the other side of the end wall. The arm is spaced from the outer face of the end wall to define, with the outer face, a slot that snugly receives signal lines. The cantilevered arm is tapered in thickness toward its free end in a manner to have the end wall curl back over itself when the block is used by exploding a detonator carried by the block.
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound apparatus and method of assisting in alignment of an instrument relative to an ultrasound transducer probe. One application of the invention is to assist the puncturing of internal body organs, vessels and the like, through the utilization of a puncturing cannula or hollow needle that will reflect ultrasound waves.
DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0002] It is presently known that one can remove tissues or body fluids from internal body organs for example, the liver or kidney, for diagnostic purposes by means of suitable puncturing needles. By the same method amniotic fluid may be removed from the uterus during a pregnancy or, for example, blood or a medication may be injected into the fetal body or the organs of an adult human.
[0003] In all of these instances it is extremely important to know the precise position of the puncturing cannula or needle relative to the organs or vessels that are to be punctured so as to avoid any unnecessary injuries of endangered areas (for example, the heart during puncture of the left lobe of the liver), and also to prevent a tissue withdrawal from an erroneous body region or a misplaced injection.
[0004] An ultrasound-echo sectional view apparatus having an ultrasonic transducer probe for the ultrasonic scanning of the body region which is to be punctured, and a display for viewing the ultrasound echo-section images, allows continuous puncturing control through the assistance of ultrasound, in particular, through rapid display ultrasound-section images. The ultrasound transducer probe can be adjusted while observing the display of the ultrasound-echo sectional view apparatus to select, in the body region which is to be punctured, a sectional plane that is preferred for the puncture target or aim direction. Once the target direction is chosen, this is displayed as an echo-sectional view. If the puncturing cannula or needle is inserted in the plane of the ultrasound beam it is also easily visible on the display, since the cannula material has a distinguishable ultrasound contrast to the surrounding biological tissue.
[0005] Notwithstanding good visual control in the scanning region there are, however, further aiming problems. The movement of the cannula in the tissue may be directly followed by eye on the display only when the cannula actually reaches into the region of the ultrasound-scanning waves in the scanning sectional plane. If the plane of insertion of the cannula is different to that of the scanning sectional plane then the entire needle will not be seen. If the entire needle is not seen then there is a risk that the incorrect organ or tissue may be punctured, with a higher risk of unwanted injury to the patient or removal of incorrect tissue. A factor that potentially exacerbates this problem is that until the needle passes through any subcutaneous fat, the needle can be difficult to observe. Hence, the needle may be significantly misplaced before this is determined.
[0006] U.S. Pat. No. 4,058,114 describes a guide that is attached to the ultrasonic transducer probe. The needle is inserted through the guide, and the guide constrains the pathway of the needles such that it remains in the plane of the ultrasound beam.
[0007] Such guides limit the ability of the operator to angle the needle independently of the ultrasound transducer probe.
[0008] Accordingly, if the needle is inserted at the wrong angle or it is necessary to negotiate an obstacle such as a rib, the constraints of the guide make it difficult or impossible to realign the needle. This necessitates withdrawal of the needle and reinsertion and can cause additional and undesirable trauma to the patient.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The invention provides an ultrasound apparatus comprising:
an ultrasound transducer that operates in a target plane; and a light source that emits a broad, planar light beam that is co-planar with said target plane and directed relative to said ultrasound transducer to illuminate at least a region where an instrument is to be aligned with said target plane.
[0012] The invention also provides a method of assisting in alignment of an instrument relative to an ultrasound transducer that operates in a target plane comprising directing a broad, planar light beam in the same plane as said target plane to illuminate at least a region where said instrument is to be aligned.
[0013] The invention provides a method of aligning an instrument relative to an ultrasound transducer that operates in a target plane comprising directing a broad planar light beam in the same plane as said target plane and to illuminate at least a region where said instrument is to be aligned; and
adjusting the position of said instrument by monitoring light from said light source reflected from said instrument to determine whether said instrument is in said target plane.
[0015] Embodiments of the invention facilitate the insertion of a puncturing cannula into the body region that is to be punctured, in the same plane as the ultrasound beam, while allowing the operator to angle the needle as desired during the procedure without moving the ultrasonic transducer probe.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Further advantages and details of the invention may be ascertained from the following description of embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an ultrasound apparatus being used to assist in a puncturing procedure;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the ultrasound transducer probe of the first embodiment; and
[0019] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the ultrasound transducer probe of a second embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates schematically how an ultrasound apparatus 100 of a first embodiment can be used to align an instrument with the target plane.
[0021] Herein, the term “instrument” is used to refer to any item that may be desired to be monitored or guided using an ultrasound including puncturing cannulae, needles and the like.
[0022] The term “target plane” is used to refer to the plane in which the ultrasound operates—i.e., the plane from which the ultrasound transducer receives reflected sound waves that are subsequently processed and displayed.
[0023] The apparatus 100 comprises a transducer probe 101 that generates and receives sound waves by means of piezoelectric crystals. As is well known in the art, by applying appropriate electric currents to the crystals, sound waves are produces which travel outward from the crystals. Reflected sound waves are transformed by the piezoelectric crystals into electric current. The processor/controller 103 of the ultrasound apparatus converts these electric currents into ultrasound images as is well known to persons skilled in the art. The ultrasound images are then displayed on display 104 . Processor/controller 103 also contains control means for controlling the ultrasound transducer which is typically mounted at the contact end 102 of the ultrasound transducer probe 101 .
[0024] A coupling medium, for example, a precedent water section, is applied on the skin surface of a patient in the elevation of a target organ that is to be punctured, for example, the liver or the uterus of a pregnant woman to couple the transducer to the skin. The ultrasound beam is radiated in the direction of the target organ and reflected back to the ultrasound scanning probe. The reflected ultrasound beam 105 , thereby scans this body region and, in particular, the target organ 121 that is to be punctured—i.e. the transducer probe 101 is adjusted until the target organ 121 is displayed.
[0025] Through the corresponding linewise reproduction of the ultrasound echo impulses emanating from each ultrasound line in the examination region, on the display 104 there is obtained a visual image of the target plane of the target organ, that has been presently scanned by the ultrasonic beam. In order to assist in the insertion of an instrument along the plane of the ultrasound beam the ultrasound transducer probe incorporates a light source in the form of a laser assembly that emits a laser beam 106 . The laser beam is a broad, planar laser beam 106 . The laser is mounted so that the plane of the emitted light is co-planar with the target plane.
[0026] To successfully intersect the target 121 , the needle is inserted in the plane of the laser beam and is thereby colinear with the target plane. The needle will thus be visible on the display as it lies in the plane of the ultrasound beam when it is within the patient. The operator can monitor light reflected from the needle to align the needle appropriately, i.e. the longer the line of reflected light, the closer the needle is to the correct plane. This is particularly advantageous where the needle is being inserted into a body that has a layer of subcutaneous fat as the needle or other instrument can be difficult to observe in the region of subcutaneous fat and therefore will not appear on the ultrasound until it has been displaced some distance into the body. Accordingly, if the needle is offline, without the guidelight of the transducer probe of the present embodiment, the operator will not expect to see the needle until sometime after the needle has been inserted, and accordingly, an operator can be tempted to continue to insert the needle further into the body in situations where the needle is not visible because it is in the wrong plane rather than it is obscured by subcutaneous fat. Using the apparatus and inserting a needle in accordance with the aid of the apparatus of the preferred embodiment, allows the operator a greater degree of certainty that the needle will appear in the target plane while maintaining flexibility for the operator to adjust the needle position. This allows the operator to negotiate obstacles—for example, a bone such as a rib.
[0027] Further details of an ultrasound probe 101 of a first preferred embodiment are illustrated in FIG. 2 . In FIG. 2 the ultrasound transducer probe 101 is connected by cable 207 to processor/controller 103 . The ultrasound transducer 202 is mounted in the contact end 102 of the ultrasound transducer 101 probe. The control circuitry for the transducer 202 is well known to persons skilled in the art and is accordingly not illustrated.
[0028] The laser 203 is mounted within casing 107 . The laser 203 is also turned on or off under operation of the controller 103 .
[0029] Cylindrical lens 204 is mounted within the casing and turns the linear light beam produced by laser 203 to a broad planar light beam. In order to conveniently direct as much light as possible to the region where the instrument is to be aligned, mirror 205 is placed above window 206 . Thus, light is emitted from window 206 to a region near the ultrasound device in order to enable alignment of an instrument.
[0030] A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3 where a laser assembly consisting of a laser module 308 , a laser 303 and a cylindrical lens 304 are mounted externally to the casing 307 of an ultrasound transducer probe. The laser assembly may be permanently or demountably mounted to the probe. The laser module, incorporates a power source and switch for turning laser 303 on or off. In all other respects, the apparatus operates as in the first embodiment. While making the laser assembly demountable offers certain advantages, it would also be appreciated that mounting the light source within the casing of the transducer probe provides the advantage that the transducer probe is otherwise shaped as conventional probes. This is convenient in terms of supply of disposable covers which can be used to keep the transducer probe sterile.
[0031] While there has been shown what is considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious that modifications may be made which come within the scope of the disclosure of the specification.
[0032] For example, while a laser light source is convenient it will be appreciated that other light sources could be used such as light emitting diodes with appropriate focussing optics. These and other modifications should be understood as falling within the scope of the invention.
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There is disclosed an ultrasound apparatus comprising an ultrasound transducer that operates in a target plane, and a light source that emits a broad, planar light beam that is co-planar with said target plane and directed relative to said ultrasound transducer to illuminate at least a region where an instrument is to be aligned with said target plane.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dry cleaning machine using a solvent as a detergent and preventing contamination of the washing caused conversely by washing.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 5 is showing a constitutional block diagram of a dry cleaning machine by prior art.
In FIG. 5 , a drum-formed washing tank 1 is for washing the washing by rotating drum, throwing the washing into the drum tank, supplying a detergent (tetrachloroethylene or the like). The contaminated detergent after using is stored in a lower tank 2 . This detergent is sent into a filtering tank 4 and forwarded to a refining tank 5 by a pressure pump 3 . In the refining tank 5 , the detergent is refined to remove odors, acids and colors with filters, activated carbon and the like and then returned into the drum tank 1 to be reused.
In the dry cleaning machine shown in FIG. 5 , washing power of the detergent is remarkably sunk by cyclical use, even though the contaminated detergent is refined in the refining tank. Therefore, in a conventional dry cleaning machine, a detergent collecting unit as shown in FIG. 6 is appended. In this detergent collection unit, the heavy contaminated detergent in the washing tank 1 is sent into a distiller 6 . The contaminated detergent in the distiller 6 is heated to vaporize the detergent and other moisture and the vaporized gas is forwarded to a condenser 7 . The vaporized gas in the condenser 7 is liquefied by chiller water and is separated to detergent and water through a water separator 8 . The detergent is sent to a collection tank 9 and the separated water is sent to a separated water tank 10 . The detergent collected in the collection tank 9 is forwarded to the washing tank 1 to be used.
On the other hand, a dry cleaning machine has washing property as shown in FIG. 7 . The washing property in FIG. 7 shows phenomena of contaminator dissolving into the detergent and the washing property curve (a) shows contamination is maximized in a short time and is going down slowly after the peak. Thus, in the washing property, the detergent contamination becomes the maximum roughly at one minute and 30 seconds after starting, slightly depending on the washing type or contaminator type. In FIG. 7 , the vertical axis indicates detergent contamination and the horizontal axis indicates washing time.
The dry cleaning machine, shown in FIG. 5 , uses cyclically refined detergent to send the contaminated detergent through a filtering tank and a refining tank. Owing to the detergent contamination becomes the maximum in a short time, shown in FIG. 7 , there is apprehension to contaminate the washing conversely by washing. In addition, the detergent filtering in the filtering tank works well just after the dry cleaning machine running, but, as increasing washing cycle number, some waste threads, dirty oil or other dirt in the detergent stick on a filter and clog up the filter. When clogging up the filter, filtering efficiency is rapidly sinking and a volume of detergent flowing is going down. As washing performance cannot be kept if the volume of detergent flowing goes down, in general, increasing the detergent pressure in the filtering tank to keep the volume of detergent flowing maintains the washing performance of the dry cleaning machine. That, however, cannot solve the issue of contaminating the washing conversely by washing. Furthermore, there is apprehension that increasing detergent pressure in the filtering tank damages the filtering tank or the refining tank easily and then it possibly contaminates the washing by supplying contaminated detergent to the washing tank
Even if reusing detergent distilled by the distiller shown in FIG. 6 , the detergent contamination becomes the maximum in a short time after washing starting because of no deference on washing property of the dry cleaning machine shown in FIG. 7 . There are still issues of contaminating the washing conversely by washing and bad hygiene.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention has been accomplished to overcome the above drawbacks and an object of this invention is to avoid contaminating the washing conversely by contaminated detergent and provide a dry cleaning machine and method of dry cleaning, solving hygienic issues.
In order to attain the objects, according to an aspect of this invention, in a dry cleaning machine including a detergent tank to store detergent, a washing tank and a filtering tank to treat used detergent, wherein the treated detergent is sent back to the washing tank for cyclical use, there is provided the dry cleaning machine comprising of detecting means for detecting contamination level of the detergent discharged from the washing tank while washing, storing means for storing the used detergent when the contamination level of detergent reaches prescribed threshold level and distilling means for distilling the used detergent, whereby fresh detergent is supplied from the detergent tank to the washing tank.
In the dry cleaning machine mentioned above, before the detergent contamination becomes the maximum in a short time from starting washing the washing, the detergent channel is switched from washing tank-to-filtering tank to washing tank-to-contaminated detergent tank. During switching the detergent channel as mentioned above, fresh detergent is supplied to the washing tank and it can solves an issue to contaminate the washing conversely by contaminated detergent.
Advantageously, in the above machine, wherein detecting the contamination level of the detergent in a channel from the filtering tank to the washing tank, when the contamination level indicate an abnormal value, shutting the channel and storing temporarily the detergent from the filtering tank and distilling the detergent by the distiller.
In the machine, when detecting an abnormal value of contamination level of the detergent passed through the filtering tank, the detergent is distilled in the distiller after stored temporarily and reused. Then, rapid clogging up the filtering tank can be solved and cyclically use of the detergent can be worked.
Preferably, a dry cleaning machine, comprising of a washing tank for washing the washing by detergent supplied from a detergent tank, a filtering tank for refining contaminated detergent discharged from the washing tank and supplying the refined detergent to the washing tank, a contamination detector for detecting contamination level of detergent after used in the washing tank, a contaminated detergent tank for storing contaminated detergent temporarily while shutting detergent supplying channel from the washing tank to the filtering tank when the contamination level is over prescribed threshold level, a distiller to distill the contaminated detergent from the contaminated detergent tank and a condenser for condensing vaporized contaminated detergent in the distiller and sending the condensed detergent to the detergent tank.
In the dry cleaning machine mentioned above, by detecting contamination level of the detergent discharged from the washing tank with the contamination detector, the detergent channel from the washing tank to the filtering tank is switched to the contaminated detergent tank and the detergent is stored there, before the detergent contamination becomes the maximum in a short time after starting washing. After that, the contaminated detergent is sent to the distiller and vaporized in the distiller. The vaporized gas is forwarded to the condenser and condensed by chiller water and reused as refined detergent.
Advantageously, the dry cleaning machine mentioned above, wherein the second detector is mounted in a channel to supply detergent from the filtering tank to the washing tank for detecting the detergent contamination level in the channel.
In this dry cleaning machine, the detergent contamination, after the filtering tank, can be detected by the second detector mounted there. In the other word, when the detergent contamination after the filtering tank increasing, it makes definition of some damages in the filter occurred and supplying the detergent from the filtering tank to the washing tank can be stopped and then contaminating the washing conversely by washing can be prevented.
Advantageously, the all dry cleaning machines mention above, wherein the detector for detergent contamination level is of an image processing means, such a CCD camera or the like, to sense the detergent contamination level.
In these all dry cleaning machines, as the detector for detergent contamination is a CCD camera, it cannot sense only the detergent contamination but also a lot of waste threads mixed in the detergent. Therefore, it can prevent rapid clogging up the filtering tank.
In order to attain the objects, according to an aspect of this invention, there is provided a method of dry cleaning comprising the steps of supplying the washing and detergent to wash the washing in a washing tank, detecting detergent contamination level just after washing while treating used detergent in a filtering tank and reusing the detergent in the washing tank and shutting the detergent supply to the filtering tank and supplying fresh detergent to the washing tank to prevent the detergent contamination level is over prescribed threshold level when the detergent contamination level reaches prescribed threshold level.
In this cleaning method, contaminating the washing conversely by washing can be prevented as detecting the detergent contamination level discharged from the washing tank during washing. Then, the detergent can be used by circulating and also reused by distiller.
Advantageously, the cleaning method mentioned above, wherein the contamination level of detergent, supplied from the filtering tank to the washing tank, is detected and above channel from the filtering tank to the washing tank is closed to shut the detergent supply when the contamination level indicates an abnormal value.
In the cleaning method, contaminating the washing conversely by washing can be prevented and also the filtering tank damage can be detected because contamination level of the detergent transmitted from the filtering tank to the washing tank is detected. As a matter of course, when detecting rapidly increased contamination of the detergent, it is defined to occur some damages on the filter and then indicating or warning of the filter damage can urge to replace filter of the filtering tank.
EFFECT OF INVENTION
As mentioned above, according to this invention, the dry cleaning machine detects detergent contamination discharged from a washing tank then if the contamination level goes over prescribed value, stores the contaminated detergent in a contaminated detergent tank temporarily and supplies fresh detergent to the washing tank to prevent contaminating the washing conversely by washing. Therefore, the dry cleaning machine can use circulating detergent and clean the washing to supply clean detergent always not contaminating the washing to the washing tank.
According to this invention, the dry cleaning machine can prevent to contaminate the washing conversely by washing as cutting off the line to supply detergent from a filtering tank to a washing tank and supplying fresh detergent to the washing tank when detecting the contamination of detergent supplied from the filtering tank to the washing tank. Then, this is an excellent hygienic cleaning method.
According to this invention, the dry cleaning machine can detect reducing the light transmittance caused by darkened detergent with contamination as taking images of the detergent discharged from the washing tank by CCD camera. Moreover, advantageously the dry cleaning machine can prevent immoderate clogging of the filtering tank as judging abnormal condition by processing the image data even if a lot of waste thread or down mix into the detergent.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a constitutional block diagram, showing one embodiment of a dry cleaning machine according to this invention;
FIGS. 2A , 2 B are sectional views of examples of contamination detectors;
FIG. 3 is a graph and timing charts to explain the cleaning method which prevents contaminating the washing conversely by washing to detect detergent contamination in a dry cleaning machine according to this invention;
FIG. 4 is a graph and timing charts to explain the cleaning method which prevents contaminating the washing conversely by washing to detect detergent contamination supplied from the filtering tank in a dry cleaning machine according to this invention;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram to explain a dry cleaning machine by prior art;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram to explain a dry cleaning machine by prior art;
FIG. 7 is a graph to explain washing property of a dry cleaning machine;
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Some embodiments of dry cleaning machines and cleaning methods according to this invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 is showing a block diagram of one embodiment of a dry cleaning machine according to this invention. In FIG. 1 , a washing tank 10 is a shower drum type for washing the washing and preferably soaking type, shower type or jet type is effective and also combination type of these types is effective. A detergent tank 11 stores detergent and a rinse tank 12 stores rinse. Washing is done after inputting the washing and detergent (tetrachloroethylene or the like) into the washing tank 10 . The detergent for initial use can be supplied directly through fresh detergent line L 1 to the washing tank 10 or can also be supplied through circulating line L 3 , L 4 .
The detergent, discharged from the washing tank 10 , is sent by pressure to the filtering tank 16 through a detergent discharging line L 2 , next a button trap 13 and next a circulating line L 3 having a circulation pump P 1 in the line. The detergent after the filtering tank 16 is supplied to the washing tank 10 through a circulating line 4 . The detergent, discharged from the washing tank 10 , is monitored on contamination level by a contamination detector D 1 , mounted in the detergent discharging line L 2 . The detergent, supplied from the filtering tank 16 to the washing tank 10 , is monitored by a contamination detector D 2 , mounted in the circulating line L 4 . By way of the contamination detectors D 1 , D 2 , a CCD camera, a couple of light emitting elements and light receiving elements or a module of reflective millers and a couple of light emitting elements and light receiving elements or the like is used.
This dry cleaning machine includes of a distiller 14 for distilling contaminated detergent to reuse the detergent, a condenser 15 for condensing gas vaporized in the distiller 14 and a contaminated detergent tank 17 for storing the contaminated detergent temporarily. The detergent to the distiller 14 is supplied through the button strap 13 or the contaminated detergent tank 17 .
Switch valves V 3 , V 6 are mounted in the circulating line L 3 , wherein a contaminated detergent returning line L 5 is branched off. The contaminated detergent returning line L 5 , wherein switching valves V 8 , V 9 are mounted, is connected to the contaminated detergent tank 17 . The contaminated detergent tank 17 is connected to the distiller 14 by the contaminated detergent returning line L 6 , wherein a switching valve V 10 is mounted. Furthermore, the distiller 14 is connected to the condenser 15 by a vaporized gas sending line L 7 . The condenser 15 is connected to the detergent tank 11 by a condensed liquid sending line L 8 , for supplying condensed and liquefied detergent in the condenser 15 to the detergent tank 11 .
A control unit 20 including CPU, provided in the dry cleaning machine, receives data output from the contamination detectors D 1 , D 2 and controls the switching valves V 1 to V 10 with processing the data from the contamination detectors D 1 , D 2 .
In the next, the contamination detectors D 1 , D 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B . As the contamination detectors D 1 D 2 have the same structure, only the contamination detector D 1 will be described herein. In FIG. 2A , the contamination detector D 1 is mounted in the detergent discharging line L 2 or the circulating line L 4 . A CCD camera 23 and a light emitting element 21 , as the contamination detector D 2 , are placed opposite to each other sandwiching a transparent pipe 22 in the middle. The light emitting element 21 , the transparent pipe 22 and the light receiving section of the CCD camera 23 are covered with a shade material 24 to cut off external light into the transparent pipe 22 . Further, in FIG. 2B , the contamination detector D 1 is mounted in the detergent discharging line L 2 or the circulating line L 4 . The light emitting element 21 and a light receiving element 25 , as the contamination detector D 1 , are placed opposite to each other sandwiching a transparent pipe 22 in the middle. The light emitting element 21 , the transparent pipe 22 and the light receiving element 25 are covered with a shade material 24 to cut off external light into the transparent pipe 22 . The contamination detector D 1 is mounted by connecting the detergent discharging line L 2 or the circulating line L 4 on the both end of the contamination detector D 1 .
Preferably, the light emitting element 21 is placed at the same side of the CCD camera 23 or the light receiving element 25 to detect the detergent contamination by taking a image of the reflective light or receiving the reflective light, instead of placing the light emitting element 21 opposite to the CCD camera 23 or the light receiving element 25 .
In the next, working of the contamination detectors D 1 , D 2 in FIG. 2A will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 , 2 A. The light, radiated from the light emitting element 21 , irradiates the detergent flowing in the transparent pipe 22 through the transparent pipe 22 . The light, passing the detergent, is sensed by the CCD camera 23 . The image data from the CCD camera 23 is inputted to the control unit 20 and judged whether over or under the prescribed threshold level on each pixel. The image data on each pixel is defined as digital signal “1” for over the prescribed threshold level and digital signal “0” for under the prescribed threshold level. And then, judgement whether over the threshold level or not is done by total sum of all digital signals of each pixel of the image and defines “1” for over the threshold level and “0” for under the threshold level. When the judgement of total sum is “1”, the detergent contamination is defined to reaches the prescribed level. Thus, as the detergent contamination is defined numerically and the contamination is detected by total sum of each pixel digital signals, on the situation of detergent contamination mixed with a lot of waste thread or down waste the detection can be done.
The contamination detectors D 1 , D 2 in FIG. 2B will be described here. The contamination detectors D 1 , D 2 are mounted in the detergent discharging line L 2 or the circulating line L 4 . The light from the light emitting element 21 is received by the light receiving element 25 through the transparent pipe 22 . The output of the light receiving element 25 depends on light transmittance changing caused by the detergent contamination level and indicates the smaller transmitted light power the more detergent contamination. Then, the control unit 20 judges “1” by output from the contamination detectors D 1 , D 2 when the output of the light receiving element 25 reaches the prescribed level.
If the contamination detectors D 1 , D 2 in FIG. 2B are mounted in the circulation line L 4 , it can detect to supply the contaminated detergent to the washing tank 10 or can judge to occur the filter damage in the filtering tank 16 . Setting low detecting level (threshold level) for detergent contamination, damage of the filtering tank can be detected earlier and contaminating the washing conversely by washing can be solved. Preferably, inputting the output of the contamination detector D 2 into the control unit 20 and monitoring time-dependent change of detergent contamination change, the filter damage of the filtering tank 16 can be detected by rapid change of the detergent contamination.
In the next, a dry cleaning method to prevent contaminating the washing conversely by washing in a dry cleaning machine according to this invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 , 3 and 4 . In FIG. 3-A shows washing property curves (a), (b) and FIG. 3-B shows working condition of the circulating pump P 1 and FIGS. 3-C , D, E and F show each working condition of switching valves V 3 , V 6 and V 7 , V 8 and V 9 , V 2 and V 2 .
On this embodiment of dry cleaning machines, the switching valves V 3 , V 6 , V 7 are opened and the switching valves V 8 , V 9 are closed in starting operation. As the switching valves V 4 , V 5 are opened in certain level, the detergent and rinse are mixed to be usable. The mixed detergent is supplied from the filtering tank 16 to the washing tank 10 through the circulating line L 3 by operating the circulating pump P 1 . By rotating the drum of the washing tank 10 , washing the washing is started. The contamination level of the detergent, discharged from the washing tank 10 , is detected by the contamination detector D 1 . The output of the contamination detector D 1 is inputted into the control unit 20 . As shown in FIG. 3-A , the property shows the detergent contamination becomes the maximum in a short time (time T 2 ) after starting washing. Therefore, eliminating the maximum peak, when the output of the contamination detector D 1 goes over the prescribed threshold level (time T 1 ), the switching valves V 6 , V 7 are closed as shown in FIG. 3D to cut off the circulating line L 3 from the washing tank 10 to the filtering tank 16 and the circulating line L 4 from the filtering tank 16 to the washing tank 10 . In the other hand, the switching valves V 8 , V 9 in the detergent returning line L 5 are opened as shown in FIG. 3-E .
In the next, when the switching valves V 6 , V 7 are closed and the switching valves V 8 , V 9 in the contaminated detergent return line L 5 are opened, the contaminated detergent is supplied to the contaminated detergent tank 17 through the contaminated detergent return line L 5 . In the meantime, the switching valves V 1 , V 2 is opened and detergent, mixed by the detergent and rinse from the detergent tank 11 and the rinse tank 12 , is supplied directly to the washing tank and the washing is washed. After passing the prescribed time (the time between T 1 and T 2 in FIG. 3-A is required time that detergent contamination is changing from the prescribed threshold level to the maximum), the switching valves V 6 , V 7 are opened and the switching vales V 8 , V 9 and V 1 , V 2 are closed. Then the initial condition is set again. The contaminated detergent, sent to the contaminated detergent tank 17 , is forwarded at suitable intervals to the distiller 14 through the contaminated detergent return line L 6 . The contaminated detergent is heated and vaporized in the distiller 14 and the vaporized gas of the contaminated detergent is forwarded to the condenser 15 to be condensed and liquefied by chiller water. The liquefied detergent is sent to the detergent tank 11 through the condensed detergent transport line L 8 .
Thus, the control unit 20 can improve the washing property like Washing property curve as shown in FIG. 3-B , for supplying fresh detergent directly to the washing tank by controlling each switching vales, sending control signals to each switching valve before the detergent contamination becomes the maximum. Then, contaminating the washing conversely by washing can be solved and cyclically use of the detergent can be worked.
In the next, prevention to contaminate the washing conversely caused by filer damage of the filtering tank in a dry cleaning machine will be described with reference to FIG. 4 . The curve (b) in FIG. 4-A shows the washing property curve by the operation method to prevent above conversely contamination. The curve (c) in FIG. 4-A shows contaminated detergent leaking when the filter of the filtering tank is damaged. Solving to contaminate the washing conversely by such filter damage, the contamination detector D 2 is mounted in the circulating line L 4 from the filtering tank 16 to the washing tank 10 .
The contamination detector D 2 is detecting the contamination level of detergent flowing in the circulating line L 4 . When the output of the contamination detector D 2 is over the prescribed threshold level (in the condition as shown in FIGS. 4-A , C), the switching valve V 7 is closed and the switching valve V 9 is opened as shown in FIGS. 4-D , F. Then, the detergent passed through the filtering tank 16 is sent to the contaminated detergent tank 17 . In the meantime, the switching valves V 1 , V 2 are opened as shown in FIG. 4-G and fresh detergent is supplied to the washing tank 10 through fresh detergent line L 1 and this condition is kept until washing finished. The switching valves V 6 , V 8 are kept as shown in FIGS. 4-C , E. The contamination level of the detergent, discharged from the washing tank 10 , is detected by the contamination detector D 1 as shown in FIG. 3-A . When the detergent contamination level is over the prescribed threshold level, the switching valves V 6 , V 7 is closed to cut off the circulating line L 4 from the washing tank 10 to the filtering tank 16 and the switching valves V 8 , V 9 , mounted in the contaminated detergent return line L 5 , are opened to send the contaminated detergent to the contaminated detergent tank 17 .
On the other hand, the switching valve V 10 , mounted in the contaminated detergent return line L 6 , is opened and the contaminated detergent in the contaminated detergent tank 17 is forwarded to the distiller 14 . The vaporized gas by heating and vaporizing the contaminated detergent in the distiller 14 is sent through the vaporized gas transport line L 7 to the condenser 15 to be condensed and liquefied by chiller water. The liquefied detergent is returned to the detergent tank 11 through the condensed detergent transport line L 8 .
Detecting the contamination of the detergent from the filtering tank 16 and controlling as mentioned above can give the washing property as shown in FIG. 4-D . In addition, as the filter in the filtering tank 16 can be exchanged after washing the washing finished, the maintenance of the filtering tank is made easy. Preferably, in case of detecting abnormal condition by the contamination detector D 2 , indicating or alarming filter damage, then stopping operation temporarily, then exchanging filter in the filtering tank 16 , then restarting operation is effective.
Preferably, instead of detecting the detergent contamination by inputting image data by a CCD camera continuously to the control unit, detecting both of image data by a CCD camera and output signal by a light receiving element and inputting the data and the signal to the control unit to sense the detergent contamination is also effective.
Advantageously, a dry cleaning machine having only one contamination detector D 1 can solve issue to contaminate the washing conversely by washing. Mounting the second contamination detector D 2 in the dry cleaning machine can prevent more effectively contaminating the washing conversely by washing.
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The object is to avoid contaminating the washing conversely by contaminated detergent and provide a dry cleaning machine and dry cleaning method, solving hygienic issues.
In a dry cleaning machine which supplies detergent from a detergent tank 11 to a washing tank 10 and washes the washing in the washing tank 10 and treats detergent used in the washing tank 10 by a filtering tank 16 and sends the treated detergent to the washing tank 10 to use detergent cyclically, wherein contaminating the washing conversely by washing can be prevented, as detecting contamination level of detergent discharged from the washing tank 10 while supplying detergent to the washing tank 10 and washing the washing, and when the detergent contamination level reached a prescribed threshold level, storing the detergent discharged from the washing tank 10 temporarily and sending the detergent to a distiller 14 and supplying fresh detergent from the detergent tank 11 to the washing tank 10.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hold-down or restraining fittings and, in particular, relates to a restraining fitting and a cooperating track member that does not require displacement of the restraining fitting on the device affixed thereto once inserted in the track member for retainment.
2. Discussion of the Relevant Art
Many different types of restraining devices, e.g. tie-down devices, hold-down fittings and tracks and/or anchors are in use today on aircraft to convert their internal carrying space from passenger seats to cargo bays in order to meet the varying demands of customers. The ideal type of restraining or hold-down device should be flexible and easily removable so that conversion from a cargo hold-down arrangement to placement of passenger seats can be made with ease. Various types of mechanisms, devices, shelving, chairs, etc. are required to be installed and removed as necessary. In devices utilized at the present time, it frequently becomes necessary and is convenient to use a track member which is permanently affixed to the floor, wall and/or ceiling of the interior carrying space.
Although the discussion herein is generally related to changes in aircraft interiors, the restraining fittings disclosed herein are ideally suitable for use in other types of vehicles such as automobiles, vans, ships, etc. Various types of permanent tracks or anchors have been utilized over the years. A track provided with a longitudinal undercut channel and a plurality of bore holes is one of the most popular in use today. This type of track permits many different types of restraining devices to be inserted into the bore holes provided. The devices are moved in the undercut channel and, thereby, are restrained from removal from the track because a portion of the restraining device is disposed beneath the undercut channel lip. This approach has been found to be successful because very little restrictions are place on the installation of the track and the track is suitable for receiving any number of different types of restraining fittings, anchors, or hold-down devices, etc which may be used in conjunction with tie-down straps, webbing, etc.
One of the shortcomings of the devices presently in use requires that the hold down device be inserted into the bore holes provided in the longitudinal undercut channel provided in the track and then moved to the area between bore holes in order to be captured by the lip of the undercut channel. This requires that once an object, such as a chair having its legs or mounting associated therewith, is positioned for installation by inserting its mounting into a cooperating bore hole, it must be moved to place it in a restrained position. Generally, there is no visual indication when the object (chair) is moved to the restrained or locked position or that it may be removed by exerting an upwardly directed force. This may cause numerous problems because installation personnel may forget to move the object to its locked position and, therefore, the object is free to come loose vibration or when vertical forces are exerted upon it. Additional time, care and inspection is required to insure that the installation of the restraining devices have been made properly. Moreover, a positive lock is not provided when the object has been placed in its restrained position, nor is there a visual indication that the restrained position has been accomplished.
The instant invention overcomes the known shortcomings and provides a relatively simple means to accomplish a positive lock to an object once installed in a mating track, provides a visual indication when the lock has been accomplished and, furthermore, does not require that an object, once inserted in the track, be moved in order to obtain its restrained position.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a reliable restraining fitting which may be easily installable in a cooperating track.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a restraining fitting suitable for numerous applications with ease of installation and positive locking.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a restraining fitting which, when installed into a mating track and locked into position, will provide a visual indication to an observer with a cursory review.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a restraining fitting suitable for use with a mating track that provides a positive detent when it is in its locked position and, furthermore, requires a release to be changed from the locked to the unlocked position.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a restraining fitting suitable for use with objects to be affixed to a mating track which may be positioned upon installation and not moved to provide a locking or restraining mode.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawing which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be more fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a side view, in elevation, partially broken away, of a restraining fitting in its unlocked posision, according to the principles of the instant invention, and inserted in a mating or cooperating track member;
FIG. 2 is an isometric exploded view of the restraining fitting in its unlocked position just prior to insertion into a cooperating track;
FIG. 3 is an isometric exploded view of the restraining fitting shown in FIG. 2 with the protrusion disposed in the locked position;
FIG. 4 is an exploded isometric view showing the detent mechanism utilized in the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3;
FIG. 5 is a side view, in elevation, partially broken away of an alternative embodiment of a restraining fitting, according to the principles of the present invention, inserted in a mating track member;
FIG. 6 is a top plan view taken along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 5;
FIG. 9 is a side view, in elevation, of the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 5, partially broken away, indicating a positive locking mechanism;
FIG. 10 is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of a detent locking mechanism;
FIG. 11 is a partial side view, in elevation, of the mechanism disclosed in FIG. 10; and
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 12--12 of FIG. 11.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the figures, and in particular to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4, there is shown a restraining fitting 10 disposed in a mating or cooperating track 12 which may be affixed to any flat surface in or on a vehicle such as an airplane, automobile, ship, etc. The upper member 16 of the restraining fitting 10 is provided with a restraining device such as stud 18 adapted to be received into a threaded aperture 20 provided in the top of upper member 16. Although a threaded stud 18 is shown in the preferred embodiment, it is well known by those knowledgeable in the art that upper member 16 may be formed directly with other types of restraining devices as an integral part thereof. Threaded stud 18 may then receive a ring device 22 which has a lower threaded portion 24 that cooperates with threaded stud 18 and, when tightened in position, permits the swivel ring 26 to accept a tie-down belt or webbing 28 therein for the purpose of holding down cargo or other items to the surface 14, as will be explained hereinafter.
The upper member 16 is provided with a T-shaped channel 30 disposed longitudinally and a plurality of downwardly depending, spaced apart, cylindrically shaped protrusions 32 and 34. Protrusion 32 is cut in half merely for convenience in explaining the operation of the present embodiment. It is to be understood that a plurality of these protrusions are to be utilized and they will be spaced preferably so that the distance between centers of the protrusions is equal to the diameter of the protrusions. The number of protrusions employed depends upon the length of the upper member utilized and the forces that they are to restrain and, of course, are to be considered in the design of an overall system. The height of the protrusion 32 and 34 is preferably equal to or slightly greater than the scalloped lip portion 36 provided by the undercut channel 56 on the mating or cooperating track member 12 and the diameter of the protrusions 32 and 34 should be slightly less than the diameter provided in the bore holes 38, 40, and 42 provided in the track 12. Although circularly shaped protrusions and bore holes are preferred, any mating shapes or configurations may be utilized.
A lower member 44 is provided with a T-shaped portion 46 that is designed to be slidably retained within the T-shaped channel 30 provided in the upper portion 16. The lower portion 48 of the lower member 44 is provided at the distal end thereof with a series of circularly-shaped protrusions 50, 52 and 54 having a diameter essentially equal to the diameter of protrusions 32 and 34 provided on the underside of upper member 16. The height of protrusions 50, 52 and 54 is slightly less than the longitudinal undercut inverted T-shaped channel 56 provided in track 12 with which it is to cooperate as will be explained hereinafter. The lower portion 48 extends longitudinally and protrusions 50, 52 and 54 are spaced thereon in the same manner as protrusions 32 and 34 are spaced on upper member 16. The number of protrusions provided here again are determined in the same manner as protrusions 32 and 34 were determined. Although protrusions 50 and 54 have been cut in half for convenience, it is understood that a plurality of preferably circularly shaped protrusions as shown in 52 are to be included. Lower portion 48 extends through the channel opening 58 provided in channel 56 and in channel opening 60 provided in channel 30 in the upper member 16, thereby providing a severing of protrusions 32 and 34 into segments which is shown in FIG. 3.
Track member 12 is provided with mounting holes 62, 64, 66 and 68 into which are inserted screws or rivets 70, 72, 74 and 76 in order to affix the track member 12 to any flat surface. The number of mounting holes utilized and the screw size to be utilized depends upon the load to be restrained and is a matter of design choice. The apertures 38, 40 and 42 are slightly larger in diameter than the diameter of the protrusions 32 and 34 and protrusions 50, 52 and 54. Protrusions 32 and 34, when received by the apertures 38, 40 and 42, maintain the upper member in position, preventing any movement in the longitudinal direction and by movement of the lower member 44 in the direction of arrow 80, causing displacement of protrusions 52 from 34 and 50 from 32 will restrain the upper member from being removed from the track 12 since protrusions 50 and 52 will engage the lip portion 36 provided in the track 12, as is shown in FIG. 3. Movement of lower member 44 in the direction of arrow 82 will cause alignment of protrusions 34 and 52, 32 and 50, thereby permitting the upper member 16 to be removed together with the lower member 44 from the track 12. The position of the protrusions is clearly shown by comparing FIG. 2 to FIG. 3 and their location relative to the cooperating track 12.
Referring now to FIG. 4, there is shown an exploded view of the upper member 16 and the lower member 44 which is received therein, including the mechanical arrangement for the detent mechanism which provides for a positive indexing of the lower member 44 when it is moved from the locked position, in the direction of arrow 82, to the unlocked position shown in FIG. 2 and conversely when it is moved in the direction of arrow 80 to return to the locked position as shown in FIG. 3. Preferably, a threaded aperture 84 is centrally disposed in protrusion 52 entering and going clear through the lower member 44, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof. The threaded aperture 84 has inserted therein a detent ball 86, a coil spring 88 and headless screw 90 which is utilized to set the pressure on the detent ball 86. Preferably a set screw 92 is utilized to maintain screw 90 in position and prevent it from working loose under vibration conditions.
An elongated bore hole 94 is provided in the upper portion of channel 30. Bore 94 is provided with two detent depressions 96 and 98 into which detent ball 86 enters, indexing the locked and unlocked position when lower member 44 is moved or translated along the longitudinal axis 99 of the lower member 44. Thus, once upper member 16 has been positioned on track 12, it remains in position and lower member 44 is the mechanism that affects the locking of the restraining fitting 10.
Referring now to FIG. 5, wherein there is shown an alternative embodiment 100 of a restraining fitting which has its upper portion fabricated from two members 102 and 104, having a mating T-shaped channel 106 and protrusion 108 rigidly held together by conventional force fit techniques (see FIG. 7). Member 102 is preferably U-shaped and provided with a pair of apertures 110 and 112 into which a retaining pin 114 may be inserted. Retaining pin 114 is provided with a locking arm 116 to prevent inadvertent removal of the pin once placed in position to retain a device such as the leg of a chair 118 which may be provided with a corresponding aperture to align with apertures 110 and 112 or may receive the vertical portion of a shelf, or any other device, which is to be held in position. It is to be understood that although members 102 and 104 are shown as two separate pieces, they may be integrally formed and may also be fabricated as an integral part of chair leg 118 or any other device that is to be restrained. Member 102 may be fabricated together with member 104 in an infinite variety of assemblies which may be specifically adapted to the articles to be restrained.
The lower or sliding member 120 of restraining fitting 100 is fabricated identical to the lower member 44 as described in conjunction with the embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1 through 4. The only exception being that additional protrusions are incorporated herein since the restraining member 100 is larger in size and is suitable for restraining heavier loads. These protrusions 122, 124, 126, and 128 are shown in their locked position in FIG. 5. FIG. 6 shows a top plan view of the protrusions relative to apertures 130, 132, 134, and 136. The protrusions 122, 124, 126 and 128 are displaced relative to apertures 130, 132, 134 and 136 so that the lip portions 138, 140, 142 and 144 of track 12 prevent the removing of the restraining fitting 100 from the track 12 in this position, while protrusions 146 (see FIG. 7) positioned in each of the apertures 130, 132, 134 and 136 prevent lateral or longitudinal movement of the restraining fitting along longitudinal axis 150.
In order to provide ease in movement of the lower or sliding member 120, the protrusions provided on the underside thereof are sloped in an upwardly direction toward the longitudinal axis as shown in FIG. 7 and the cooperating upper surface 148 of protrusion 128 is also provided with a sloping surface, sloping downwardly away from the longitudinal axis to further reduce any frictional engagement between the two surfaces.
As shown in FIG. 5, the lower or sliding member 120 is provided with an extending portion 152 which is readily accessible to an individual who is to change the position of the sliding member from its unlocked to its locked state. The upper surface 154 (shown in FIG. 5) of the extending portion 152 may be provided with indicia thereon such as, for example, the word "locked" and a color, for example, green, making it apparent, with merely a cursory review, the state of the restraining fitting 100. When moved from the position shown in FIG. 5 in the direction of arrow 156, the sliding member 120 will be moved to the position shown by dotted line 158 whereupon the extending portion 160 may be provided on the surface 162 with indicia thereon such as "unlocked" and be colored red, so that a cursory review thereof will readily indicate this condition.
A detent mechanism such as that described in conjunction with the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 4 may also be incorporated herein to provide a positive indication when the slide 120 is moved from the locked to the unlocked position. The detent mechanism 164 is shown in FIG. 8 and includes a set screw 166, spring 168, and detent ball 170.
Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown a locking device 172 provided in the extending portion 152 of the lower or sliding member 120. As shown in FIG. 9, the restraining fitting 100 is in its locked position and, therefore, a spring loaded plunger 174 protrudes from a bore hole 176 provided in sliding member 120. A spring 178 urges the plunger 174 upwardly and is retained by a shoulder provided in the bore hole 176. Spring 178 is retained in the bore hole by a set screw 180, of the conventional type. Thus, when the sliding member 120 is in its locked position, the plunger 174 protrudes upwardly and comes into contact with the edge 182 of member 104 thereby preventing any movement of sliding member 120 in the direction of arrow 82 and preventing any unintentional movement from the locked to the unlocked position. Should it be desirable to unlock the restraining fitting 100, an individual will be required to depress plunger 174 beneath the surface 154 of the sliding member 120 and then exert pressure in the direction of arrow 82. A similar locking mechanism may be provided on the opposite end of sliding member 120 retaining the sliding member 120 in its unlocked position until released in the same manner.
An alternative locking mechanism 184 is disclosed in FIGS. 10, 11 and 12. Mechanism 184 includes a ring pull member 186 which is affixed to the distal end of a locking pin 188 which is provided with a detent groove 190 that is part of a slot 192 provided proximate the other end thereof. Pin 188 is received by an aperture 194 provided in the sliding member 120 which is positioned to coincide with a slotted groove 196 provided in member 104. The sliding member 120 is also provided with a spring loaded detent mechanism 198 which is seen to include a detent ball 200, spring 202 and set screw 204 which is positioned transverse to the pin 188. Since aperture 196 is an elongated groove, the sliding member may move freely from the locked to the unlocked position, however, on the far side of member 104, only two holes 206 and 208 are provided (see FIG. 10). These holes are adapted to receive the distal end of pin 188 when in either the locked or the unlocked position and, therefore, inadvertent movement from one position to the other is prevented. As shown in FIG. 10, ring pull 186 is pulled in the direction of arrow 210 to remove pin 188 from hole 206. The sliding member 120 may then be moved to the unlocked position in the direction of arrow 212 taking with it pin 188. When the unlocked position is reached, pin 188 may be pushed in the direction of arrow 214 causing pin 188 to be received by hole 208, thereby locking the restraining fitting 100 in the unlocked position.
Thus, as has been explained hereinbefore, a restraining fitting which may be positioned to cooperate with a mating track member, may be held onto the track member by the translation or movement of a sliding member and locked in position with ease, providing a visual indication of the position in which the device is disposed.
It is contemplated that the track member be fabricated in bulk and cut to specified lengths. The restraining portions may be fabricated in different modular constructions to cooperate with the track members, thereby permitting the invention to be utilized in numerous configurations for different applications.
Hereinbefore has been disclosed a simple, efficient, reliable, restraining fitting that may be utilized for a multitude of hold-down applications. It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, arrangement of parts and operating conditions which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principles and scope of the instant invention.
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A restraining fitting suitable for use with a mating track member affixed to a flat surface includes an upper portion having a ring affixed thereon suitable for receiving restraining straps or, alternatively, may include a bracket for receiving other mechanisms such as seat legs, shelves, etc., on its upper surface. The lower portion includes depending protrusions adapted to be received into and cooperate with bore holes provided in the track member. A lower member formed to be slidably retained by the upper member provides displacement of the depending protrusions locking the restraining fitting in the mating track member without requiring movement of the upper member from its initial position.
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This is a continuation-in-part of my copending patent application, Ser. No. 276,924 which was filed on Aug. 1, 1972 and entitled GYRO SYSTEM RAPID ACTIVATION UTILIZING LAST KNOWN POSITION OF GYRO, now abandoned.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to gyros and particularly to apparatus and method for aligning the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to a gyro orienting system in which a quick start device to bring the gyro up to speed and known orientation is essential because resort to reliable external magnetic signals or any other reliable external signals is virtually impossible. The field of invention exists because in modern warfare many self-propelled vehicles such as tanks, weapons carriers, boats, ships, planes, rocket launchers, jeeps, artillery and the like are operated over unfamiliar terrain and under extremely difficult navigational conditions caused by weather and hostile or friendly military action which may not only destroy known landmarks but through the use of atomic weapons reorient local magnetic fields.
In addition, because of the confusion involved in battle and the possibility that an enemy could attempt to disorient crews of such self-propelled devices, no resort can be had to external navigational aids such as radio signals and the like. Therefore, a navigational system for such a self-propelled device must have a fixed reference contained within itself. Because such vehicles disturb the accuracy of magnetic readings in their immediate vicinity a magnetic compass is unsuitable to use as the fixed reference. In addition, local magnetic variations and the possibility of atomic warfare creating magnetic disturbance make magnetic compass readings both within and without the vehicles excessively unreliable.
The range of self-propelled military vehicles and the like is generally quite limited because the space available for carrying fuel safely is very limited and because a large portion of the vehicle's payload is devoted to its principal mission of being a weapons carrier. Accordingly, when the vehicle is not actually in operation its electrical system must be shut down to conserve fuel. When such a vehicle is de-energized the gyro orienting system is also turned off. Naturally, when the vehicle has to move great danger can attend any delay in its motion because of the risk of hostile enemy infantry, air and artillery attacks.
There are gyro systems which initially orient themselves by use of a ballistic pendulum. These devices are quite accurate but, when turned off, tend to disorient themselves while running out and require a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes to reorient themselves.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplates a system for orientation of an indicating system which includes a movable platform, a gyro compass mounted to move with said platform, and having gyro sensing means to sense the orientation of a portion thereof with respect to said platform, apparatus rendered effective by de-energization of said gyro compass for storing information indicating the last position of said gyro compass prior to de-energization and apparatus for driving the gyro compass upon re-energization thereof to a position corresponding to the information stored upon the de-energization.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the invention reference should be made to the following detailed description of the invention and drawings in which:
FIG. 1 shows an example of an armored military vehicle which carries its own magnetic field and which may operate in conditions which will prohibit the occupants from getting accurate position information. Part of FIG. 1 is broken away and in section to show a gyro orienting system and a display device for the orienting system;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an electro-mechanical embodiment of this invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal side view of a tank 1 partially broken away and in section to show the location of a gyro orienting system 2 for the tank and a display device 3 shown within the operator's section of the tank 1.
Referring now to FIG. 2, we see an electromechanical schematic diagram of a system embodying the principles of this invention, in which a gyro compass having a portion 10 controls an output shaft 11 for indicating direction. A portion of the gyro compass 10 upon alignment continues to maintain a predetermined orientation. Movement of the portion of the gyro compass 10 moves the shaft 11 to follow therewith. The shaft 11 is mounted for rotation with respect to a platform 12. The shaft 11 is connected to a servo motor 13. A signal on a lead 14 will activate the motor 13 with direction of rotation and speed dependant upon the amplitude and phase of this signal related to the voltage from AC generator 19, which energizes the field windings of motor 13.
The shaft 11 also carries a rotor coil 16 of a position sensor 17. The position sensor 17 also has a set of stator coils 18. The position sensor 17 is mounted so that the stator coils 18 are fixed in a position with respect to the platform 12 while the rotor coil 16 is free for movement with the shaft 11.
An A.C. generator 19 provides an A.C. voltage signal on a pair of leads 21 and 22 when a positive voltage is applied on an input lead 23. The leads 21 and 22 are connected to slip rings mounted on the shaft 11 which apply the signal from the A.C. generator to the rotor coil 16. The stator coils 18 have three coils therein which provide output signals on leads 24, 26 and 27, depending upon the angular orientation of the rotor coil 16 with respect to the stator coils 18.
The leads 24, 26, 27 are connected to a stator coil 28 which is part of a indicator drive 29 similar to the position sensor 17. The device 29 also has a rotor coil 31. The device 29 is connected to the dial indicator 36. The signals applied by the leads 24, 26 and 27 energize the stator coil 28 of the indicator drive 29 which induces a signal in the rotor coil 31 provided on a lead 32. The signal from the coil 31 is provided to the lead 32 by slip rings with one of the slip rings grounded by a lead 33. The amplitude and phase of the signal on the lead 32 is depending upon the orientation of the rotor coil 31 with respect to the stator coil 28. When the rotor coil 31 is oriented with respect to the stator coil 28 in the same fashion as the rotor coil 16 is related to the stator coil 18, a null signal is present on the lead 32. The rotor coil 31 rotates on a shaft 34 which also carries therewith a dial indicator 36 for visually indicating the orientation of the rotor coil 31 and, therefore, the rotor coil 16 and a portion of the gyro compass 10. A servo motor 37, field energized from A.C. generator 19, is connected to the shaft 34 to drive the same upon receipt of a displacement signal supplied upon a lead 38.
A multi-positioned ganged switch 39 having three banks 39a, 39b and 39c interconnect the elements discussed above in four modes. The first mode is the "off" mode in which the wipers of the switch 39 are connected to the first position of the respective banks indicated by the numerical 1 next to the contact thereof. This is the "off" position in which the A.C. generator 19 is de-energized (and also the gyro compass) and the signal from the lead 32 is not applied to any other circuitry. When the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 is brought to rest and de-energized, the switch 39 is thrown to this first position to conserve power and all systems are de-energized. At this time the gyro compass 10 winds out and disorients. This is inherent in the operation thereof.
Upon re-energization of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1, it is necessary to reorient the gyro compass before it can serve as a navigational aid for the vehicle 1.
In accordance with the teachings of this invention, two modes of reorientation of the gyro compass are provided. If it is necessary to immediately start up the vehicle, the switch 39 is thrown to the position where each of the wipers are as shown in FIG. 2 in position 3. In this mode a voltage + V is applied by the wiper of bank 39a to the lead 23, energizing the A.C. generator 19 to provide an A.C. signal to the leads 21 and 22 to the coil 16 thereby impressing signals on leads 24, 26 and 27 which ultimately provide a position signal on the lead 32 indicating the relative angular positions of the shafts 11 and 34. The signal on the lead 32 is passed by the wiper of bank 39b via contact 3 to a lead 41 gate 42, amplifier 43, and lead 14 to activate the motor 13 orienting the shaft 11 and, therefore, the portion of the gyro compass 10 and coil 16 to correspond with the position of the shaft 34. In this way, it is seen that the start-up procedure in this mode employs the inertia of the dial indicator 36 and other inertia associated with members on the shaft 34 as a memory to reorient the gyro compass 10 to the last position of the gyro compass 10 prior to de-energization. It is important that the start-up of the system shown in FIG. 2 does not disorient the shaft 34 or else this information would be lost.
In this regard, it should be noted that the third bank, 39c of the switch 39, provides a ground signal via lead 44 to the input of gate 42 to ensure operation thereof and an inverting amplifier 46 provides an inhibit signal via lead 47 to a gate 48. The third bank of 39c of the switch 39 also provides a signal via lead 49 to a 90 second timer 51 which provides a signal 90 seconds after energization. In this way, the start light 53 indicates to the operator that the gyro compass is oriented to the last position and that operation can begin.
In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, if time permits, a more accurate alignment can be achieved of the gyro compass in a shorter time than has been previously possible. This is accomplished by throwing the switch 39 to the position in which the wipers engage the contacts numbered 2. As with the fast start mode of operation, the voltage + V energizes the A.C. generator 19 to ultimately provide the position signal on the lead 32. Again, the bank 39b provides the signal from the lead 32 via lead 41 to the gate 42. The bank 39c initiates operation of a monostable multi-vibrator 54 which supplies a ground signal to the gate 42 for approximately 90 seconds, thereby passing the signal from the lead 32 for that interval of time via amplifier 43 and lead 14 to the motor 13. In this way, the portion 10 of the gyro compass is oriented in accordance with the last position of the shaft 34. As before the amplifier 46 inverts the signal going to the gate 42 and inhibits the gate 48 during this 90 second interval. At the end of the 90 second interval, the monostable multi-vibrator 54 ceases to provide the ground signal to the gate 42 thereby inhibiting the gate 42 from further passing the signal on the lead 32. The inverting amplifier 46 thereupon supplies the ground signal via lead 47 to the gate 48 passing the signal on lead 32 (and lead 41) through the gate 48 and amplifier 56 and lead 38 to activate the motor 37. In this way, a signal on the lead 32 no longer reorients the portion 10 of the gyro compass but rather now drives the dial indicator to indicate changes in position of the portion 10 of the gyro compass. Bank 39c of the switch 39 is connected to a 15 minute timer 57 which illuminates the start light 53 via or gate 52 after 15 minutes have elapsed. It is seen that in this mode of operation the portion 10 of the gyro compass is brought in the first 90 seconds to the last position of the dial indicator 36 (shaft 34) and then allowed an additional 131/2 minutes to find its true position moving the dial indicator 36 to track therewith. In this way, the portion 10 of the gyro compass is brought quickly to a position which is close to its true position and allowed to then more quickly align itself. The operator is given an indication after 15 minutes that the start-up procedure has been completed.
After either of the procedures outlined above are completed (when the start light 53 lights up) the switch 39 is thrown to its fourth position. In this position, the A.C. generator is activated by a +V voltage, the output on the lead 32 is supplied directly via lead 58 to the amplifier 56 to activate the motor 37.
It should be appreciated that the use of the last position of the portion 10 of the gyro compass prior to de-energization for an initial start-up position enables beginning of operation within a minute and a half of reenergization on an operational basis. Of course, the waiting of the 15 minutes for self alignment after this process, provides a more accurate initial heading. It should be appreciated that the use of the last position provides more rapid start-up even in the more accurate alignment mode.
While this invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment thereof, numerous others will become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art in light thereof.
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A gyro system is disclosed in which the system is brought from an "off" position back to full operating speed and known orientation in a short time without requiring any external signal for orientation verification. A fast start procedure is disclosed in which the last known position is employed as the actual starting position of the gyro as well as an aligned procedure in which the last known position is employed as a reference point for faster alignment.
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This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/046,493, filed Jan. 28, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,046,355, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/191,765, filed Jul. 9, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,850,321, entitled, “Dual Stage Defect Region Identification and Defect Detection Method and Apparatus,” both of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for inspecting the surface of a substrate such as reticles, photomasks, wafers and the like (hereafter referred to generally as photomasks). More specifically, the present invention relates to an optical inspection system and method for scanning specimens at a high speed and with a high degree of sensitivity.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits are produced using photolithographic processes, which employ photomasks or reticles and a light source to project a circuit image onto a silicon wafer. Photomask surface defects are highly undesirable and adversely affect the resulting circuits. Defects can result from, but not limited to, a portion of the pattern being absent from an area where it is intended to be present, a portion of the pattern being present in an area where it is not intended to be, chemical stains or residues from the photomask manufacturing processes which cause an unintended localized modification of the light transmission property of the photomask, particulate contaminates such as dust, resist flakes, skin flakes, erosion of the photolithographic pattern due to electrostatic discharge, artifacts in the photomask substrate such as pits, scratches, and striations, and localized light transmission errors in the substrate or pattern layer. Since it is inevitable that defects will occur, these defects are preferably located and repaired prior to use. Blank substrates can also be inspected for defects prior to patterning.
Methods and apparatus for detecting defects have been available. For example, inspection systems and methods utilizing laser light are available to scan the surface of substrates such as photomasks, reticles and wafers. These laser inspection systems and methods generally include a laser source for emitting a laser beam, optics for focusing the laser beam to a scanning spot on the surface of the substrate, a stage for providing translational travel, collection optics for collecting either transmitted and/or reflected light, detectors for detecting either the transmitted and/or reflected light, sampling the signals at precise intervals and using this information to construct a virtual image of the substrate being inspected. By way of example, representative laser inspection systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,702 to Emery et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,072 to Emery et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,598 to Wihl et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 6,052,478 to Wihl et al., each of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Although such systems work well, ongoing work in the area seeks to improve existing designs to enable higher degrees of sensitivity, increase the ability to classify and quantify defects, and to allow faster scanning speeds and higher throughput. As the complexity of integrated circuits has increased, the demands on the inspection of the integrated circuits have also increased. Both the need for resolving smaller defects and for inspecting larger areas have resulted in greater magnification requirements and greater speed requirements.
Various methods exist to perform detailed inspections of patterned masks or reticles. One inspection method is a die-to-die comparison which uses transmitted light to compare either two adjacent dies or a die to the CAD database of that die. These comparison-type inspection systems are quite expensive because they rely on pixel-by-pixel comparison of all the dies and, by necessity, rely on highly accurate methods of alignment between the two dies used at any one time for the comparison. Apart from their high costs, this method of inspection is also unable to detect particles on opaque parts of the reticle which have the tendency to subsequently migrate to parts that are transparent and then cause a defect on the wafer. One such die-to-die comparison method of inspection is described in U.S. Pat Nos. 4,247,203 and 4,579,455, both by Levy et al.
The second method for inspecting patterned masks is restricted to locating particulate matter on the mask. This method makes use of the fact that light scatters when it strikes a particle. Unfortunately, the edges of the pattern also cause scattering and for that reason these systems are unreliable for the detection of particles smaller than one micrometer. Such systems are described in a paper entitled “Automatic Inspection of Contaminates on Reticles” by Masataka Shiba et al., SPIE Vol. 470 Optical Microlithography III , pages 233-240 (1984).
A third example of a system for performing photomask inspection is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,702 to David G. Emery, issued Oct. 8, 1996. The system disclosed therein acquires reflected images, in addition to transmitted images, to locate defects associated with contaminants, particles, films, or other unwanted materials. Since this system locates defects without reference or comparison to a description or image of the desired photomask pattern, it may in certain circumstances not locate defects outside of known boundaries, such as where the transmitted and reflected images differ from an expected amount by a threshold amount.
Specific types of photomasks called APSMs, or Alternating Phase Shift Masks, are typically designed with thickness variations in the glass or quartz which induce phase shift transitions between adjacent regions during photolithography. Phase defects can exist which are unwanted thickness variations created by phase etch process errors, and have similar optical image signatures during inspection. Hence APSM phase defects are difficult to distinguish from design phase features using the system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,702. Phase defects cannot be detected by this system without producing false defect readings on phase shift design features where no defects actually exist. However, the transmitted and reflected imaging capabilities and defect detection operators of this system can be useful to determine the presence of phase defects if all detected phase features are properly compared and contrasted to reference photomask image data, as in a die-to-die or die-to-database system.
The use of reflected light in combination with transmitted light may improve detection of phase defects. The difficulty with using reflected light is managing image artifacts, such as the bright chrome halos resulting from the removal of the antireflective chrome layer during quartz etching of phase shifters. Bright chrome halos may have variable widths resulting from second write level registration tolerances with intra-plate variations. These variations are not observable when solely using transmitted light inspection techniques.
Thus, in general, phase feature signals captured with brightfield transmitted light may vary widely depending on mask and defect characteristics, and phase feature signals captured in reflected light may be stronger. On the other hand, use of reflected light can be problematic in the presence of image artifacts such as bright chrome halos. Therefore, die-to-die or die-to-database photomask inspection with transmitted and reflected light may benefit from signal-to-noise enhancements as well as an enhanced ability to discern phase shift features and phase defects.
During inspection, different light sources can drastically affect the quality of the information received in the presence of certain types of defects. The phase defect signal in brightfield transmitted light can be substantially less than that of a similarly sized chrome defect, thereby complicating the ability to inspect the mask. The phase defect's signal depends on a variety of factors, including the height or phase angle of the phase defect, the depth of the phase shifters, and inspection system optical parameters.
An alternate method employed for defect detection is an extension of the die-to-database comparison method, wherein the system compares two die with an identical design. The images employed may be either reflected or transmitted light energy images. One of the two die is called the reference die, and the other is called the test die. In this method, if the difference between the pixels of the reference die and the test die exceed a predetermined value, the pixel is marked defective. The transmitted threshold may be called δT, while the reflected threshold is δR. Performance of a defect detection algorithm may be viewed as a ΔT−ΔR plane as illustrated in FIG. 3 . From FIG. 3 , ΔT represents the transmitted image difference between the test and reference dies, while ΔR is the reflected image difference between the test and reference dies. Previous methods have performed transmitted image detection independent from reflected image detection, where a defective zone is separated from a non-defective zone using constant thresholds as shown in FIG. 3 . These previous methods employed constant thresholds for determining and quantifying defects. Non-defective zones used in the presence of constant thresholds have been found to be excessively large, resulting in declaring defects when no true defects exist, requiring additional post processing. A smaller non-defective zone is preferable, as it translates to higher defect detectability. In other words, if the non-defective zone of FIG. 3 is small, a higher probability that a defect will be located exists. However, decreasing the non-defective zone excessively may result in too many anomalies being classified as defects. In actuality, many errors between dies exist, including errors between test and reference dies. If the threshold is too small, a large number of false or nuisance defects will develop, taking a great deal of time to inspect, decreasing overall throughput.
One type of defect identification system and method is presented in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/991,327, entitled “Advanced Phase Shift Inspection Method” to David G. Emery, filed on Nov. 9, 2001 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention. While the system disclosed therein provides for inspection of APSMs using transmitted and reflected light, certain defects may exist that may not be picked up by the Emery design. Further, the Emery design may require inspection of areas that are flagged as defective or potentially defective, potentially decreasing overall speed and throughput.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved inspection techniques that provide for improved detectability while at the same time avoiding excess false and nuisance detections when scanning specific types of semiconductor specimens, such as APSM photomasks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides improved apparatus and methods for performing an inspection of a specimen, such as an APSM photomask.
In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for inspecting a specimen, comprising performing a transmitted energy calibration inspection and a reflected energy calibration inspection of a plurality of calibration specimens, computing a training set based on the transmitted energy calibration inspection and reflected energy calibration inspection of the plurality of calibration specimens, performing a transmitted energy defect detection inspection and a reflected energy defect detection inspection of a plurality of specimens, computing a plot map based on the transmitted energy defect detection inspection and the reflected energy defect detection inspection of the plurality of specimens, and comparing the plot map to the training set to determine differences therebetween.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for inspecting a specimen, comprising performing a transmitted energy calibration inspection and a reflected energy calibration inspection of a calibration specimen, computing a training set based on the transmitted energy inspection and reflected energy inspection of the calibration specimen and transmitted energy and reflected energy from a baseline specimen, performing a transmitted energy defect detection inspection and a reflected energy defect detection inspection of the specimen, computing a plot map based on the transmitted energy defect detection inspection and the reflected energy defect detection inspection of the specimen and transmitted energy and reflected energy from an alternate baseline specimen, and comparing the plot map to the training set to determine differences therebetween.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for inspecting a specimen, comprising a training set table generator that generates a combined calibration transmitted energy and calibration reflected energy difference representation, and a defect detector that receives the combined calibration transmitted energy and calibration reflected energy difference representation and a transmitted and reflected energy representation of the specimen and determines the differences therebetween.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for inspecting a specimen, comprising computing a training set based on a transmitted energy calibration inspection and reflected energy calibration inspection of at least one calibration specimen, computing a plot map based on a transmitted energy defect detection inspection and a reflected energy defect detection inspection of the specimen, and comparing the plot map to the training set to determine differences therebetween.
These and other objects and advantages of all of the aspects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art after having read the following detailed disclosure of the preferred embodiments illustrated in the following drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an optical inspection system in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of an optical inspection system for inspecting the surface of a substrate, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates a transmitted-reflected (ΔT−ΔR) plane including a constant threshold non-defective zone;
FIG. 4 represents modifications of the non-defective threshold;
FIG. 5 is an expected ΔT−ΔR scan representation of a pair of images;
FIG. 6 represents the calibration performed by the present detection system using both transmitted and reflected images to produce a detection training set;
FIG. 7 illustrates a representative ΔT−ΔR plot as may be generated by the plot map generator;
FIG. 8 shows a core ΔT−ΔR training set as may be generated by the core training set generator;
FIG. 9 presents an enhanced TR training set as may be generated by the detection training set generator; and
FIG. 10 illustrates the defect detection processor of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to a few specific embodiments thereof and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an optical inspection system 10 , in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. The optical inspection system 10 is arranged for inspecting a surface 11 of a substrate 12 . The dimensions of various components are exaggerated to better illustrate the optical components of this embodiment. As shown, the optical inspection system 10 includes an optical assembly 14 , a stage 16 , and a control system 17 . The optical assembly 14 generally includes at least a first optical arrangement 22 and a second optical arrangement 24 . In general terms, the first optical arrangement 22 generates two or more beams incident on the substrate, and the second optical arrangement 24 detects two or more beams emanating from the sample as a result of the two or more incident beams. The first and second optical arrangement may be arranged in suitable manner in relation to each other. For example, the second optical arrangement 24 and the first optical arrangement 22 may both be arranged over the substrate surface 11 so that reflected beams resulting from incident beams generated by the first optical arrangement 22 may be detected by the second optical arrangement 24 .
In the illustrated system, the first optical arrangement 22 is arranged for generating a plurality of scanning spots (not shown) along an optical axis 20 . As should be appreciated, the scanning spots are used to scan the surface 11 of the substrate 12 . On the other hand, the second optical arrangement 24 is arranged for collecting transmitted and/or reflected light that is produced by moving the scanning spots across the surface 11 of the substrate 12 .
To elaborate further, the first optical arrangement 22 includes at least a light source 26 for emitting a light beam 34 and a first set of optical elements 28 . The first set of optical elements 28 may be arranged to provide one or more optical capabilities including, but not limited to, separating the light beam 34 into a plurality of incident light beams 36 , directing the plurality of incident light beams 36 to intersect with the surface 11 of the substrate 12 , and focusing the plurality of incident light beams 36 to a plurality of scanning spots (not shown in FIG. 1 ) on the surface 11 of the substrate 12 . The amount of first beams produced generally corresponds to the desired inspection speed. In one embodiment, the optical elements are arranged to separate the beam 34 into three incident light beams 36 . By triplicating the beam, a wider scan is produced and therefore the resulting inspection speed is about three times faster than the speed produced for a non-triplicated single beam. Although only three light beams are shown, it should be understood that the number of separated light beams may vary according to the specific needs of each optical inspection system. For example, two beams may be used or four or more beams may be used. It should be noted, however, that the complexity of the optic elements is directly proportional to the number of beams produced.
Furthermore, the second optical arrangement 24 includes at least a second set of optical elements 30 and a light detecting arrangement 32 . The second set of optical elements 30 are in the path of a plurality of collected light beams 40 , which are formed after the plurality of incident light beams 36 intersect with the surface 11 of the substrate 12 . The plurality of collected light beams 40 may result from transmitted light that passes through the substrate 12 and/or reflected light that is reflected off the surface 11 of the substrate 12 . The second set of optical elements 30 are adapted for collecting the plurality of collected light beams 40 and for focusing the collected light beams 40 on the light detecting arrangement 32 . The light detecting arrangement 32 is arranged for detecting the light intensity of the collected light beams 40 , and more particularly for detecting changes in the intensity of light caused by the intersection of the plurality of incident light beams with the substrate. The light detecting arrangement 32 generally includes individual light detectors 42 that correspond to each of the second light beams 40 . Furthermore, each of the detectors 42 is arranged for detecting the light intensity and for generating signals based on the detected light.
With regards to the stage 16 , the stage 16 is arranged for moving the substrate 12 within a single plane (e.g., x & y directions) and relative to the optical axis 20 , so that all or any selected part of the substrate surface 11 may be inspected by the scanning spots. In most embodiments, the stage 16 is arranged to move in a serpentine fashion. With regards to the control system 17 , the control system 17 generally includes a control computer 18 and an electronic subsystem 19 . Although not shown, the control system 17 may also include a keyboard for accepting operator inputs, a monitor for providing visual displays of the inspected substrate (e.g., defects), a database for storing reference information, and a recorder for recording the location of defects. As shown, the control computer 18 is coupled to the electronic subsystem 19 and the electronic subsystem 19 is coupled to various components of the optical inspection system 10 , and more particularly to the stage 16 and the optical assembly 14 including the first optical arrangement 22 and the second optical arrangement 24 . The control computer 18 may be arranged to act as an operator console and master controller of the system. That is, all system interfaces with an operator and the user's facilities may be made through the control computer 18 . Commands may be issued to and status may be monitored from all other subsystems so as to facilitate completion of operator assigned tasks.
On the other hand, the electronics subsystem 19 may also be configured to interpret and execute the commands issued by control computer 18 . The configuration may include capabilities for, but not limited to, digitizing the input from detectors, compensating these readings for variations in the incident light intensity, constructing a virtual image of the substrate surface based on the detected signals, detecting defects in the image and transferring the defect data to the control computer 18 , accumulating the output of the interferometers used to track the stage 16 , providing the drive for linear motors that move the stage 16 or components of the optical assembly 14 , and monitoring sensors which indicate status. Control systems and stages are well know in the art and for the sake of brevity will not be discussed in greater detail. By way of example, a representative stage, as well as a representative controller may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,702, which is herein incorporated by reference. It should be understood, however, that this is not a limitation and that other suitable stages and control systems may be used.
As should be appreciated, the optical inspection system 10 can be arranged to perform several types of inspection, for example, transmitted light inspection, reflected light inspection and simultaneous reflected and transmitted inspection. In transmitted light inspection, light is incident on the substrate, a photomask for example, and the amount of light transmitted through the mask is detected. In reflected light inspection, the light reflecting from a surface of the substrate under test is measured. In addition to these defect detection operations, the system is also capable of performing line width measurement.
In most of the defect detection operations a comparison is made between two images. By way of example, the comparison may be implemented by the electronic subsystem 19 of FIG. 1 . Broadly speaking, the detectors 42 generate scan signals, which are based on the measured light intensity, and send the scan signals to the electronic subsystem 19 . The electronic subsystem 19 , after receiving the scan signals, correspondingly compares the scan signals with reference signals, which are either stored in a database or determined in a current or previous scan.
More specifically, in die-to-die inspection mode, two areas of the substrate having identical features (dice) are compared with respect to each other and any substantial discrepancy is flagged as a defect. In the die-to-database inspection mode, a defect is detected by comparing the die under test with corresponding graphics information obtained from a computer aided database system from which the die was derived. In other defect detection operations, a comparison is made between two different modes of inspection. For example, in simultaneous reflected and transmitted inspection, a comparison is made between the light that is reflected off the surface of the substrate and light that is transmitted through the substrate. In this type of inspection the optical inspection system performs all of the inspection tasks using only the substrate to be inspected. That is, no comparisons are made between an adjacent die or a database.
FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram of an optical assembly 50 for inspecting the surface 11 of the substrate 12 , in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. By way of example, the optical assembly 50 may be the optical assembly 14 as described in FIG. 1 . The optical assembly 50 generally includes a first optical arrangement 51 and a second optical arrangement 57 , both of which may respectively correspond to the first optical arrangement 22 and the second optical arrangement 24 of FIG. 1 . As shown, the first optical arrangement 51 includes at least a light source 52 , inspection optics 54 , and reference optics 56 , while the second optical arrangement 57 includes at least transmitted light optics 58 , transmitted light detectors 60 , reflected light optics 62 , and reflected light detectors 64 .
The light source 52 is arranged for emitting a light beam 66 along a first path 68 . The light beam 66 emitted by the light source 52 , first passes through an acousto optic device 70 , which is arranged for deflecting and focusing the light beam. Although not shown, the acousto optic device 70 may include a pair of acousto-optic elements, which may be an acousto-optic prescanner and an acousto-optic scanner. These two elements deflect the light beam in the Y-direction and focus it in the Z-direction. By way of example, most acousto-optic devices operate by sending an RF signal to quartz or a crystal such as TeO 2 . The signal causes a sound wave to travel through the crystal. Because of the traveling sound wave, the crystal becomes asymmetric, which causes the index of refraction to change throughout the crystal. This change causes incident beams to form a focused traveling spot which is deflected in an oscillatory fashion.
When the light beam 66 emerges from the acousto-optic device 70 , it then passes through a pair of quarter wave plates 72 and a relay lens 74 . The relay lens 74 is arranged to collimate the light beam 66 . The collimated light beam 66 then continues on its path until it reaches a diffraction grating 76 . The diffraction grating 76 is arranged for flaring out the light beam 66 , and more particularly for separating the light beam 66 into three distinct beams, which are designated 78 A, 78 B and 78 C. In other words, each of the beams are spatially distinguishable from one another (i.e., spatially distinct). In most cases, the spatially distinct beams 78 A, 78 B and 78 C are also arranged to be equally spaced apart and have substantially equal light intensities.
Upon leaving the diffraction grating 76 , the three beams 78 A, 78 B and 78 C pass through an aperture 80 and then continue along path 68 until they reach a beam splitter cube 82 . The beam splitter cube 82 (working with the quarter wave plates 72 ) is arranged to divide the beams into paths 84 and 86 . Path 84 is used to distribute a first light portion of the beams to the substrate 12 and path 86 is used to distribute a second light portion of the beams to the reference optics 56 . In most embodiments, most of the light is distributed to the substrate 12 along path 84 and a small percentage of the light is distributed to the reference optics 56 along path 86 . It should be understood, however, that the percentage ratios may vary according to the specific design of each optical inspection system. In brief, the reference optics 56 include a reference collection lens 114 and a reference detector 116 . The reference collection lens 114 is arranged to collect and direct the second portion of the beams, now designated 115 A-C, on the reference detector 116 . As should be appreciated, the reference detector 116 is arranged to measure the intensity of the light. Although not shown in FIG. 2 , the reference detector 116 is generally coupled to an electronic subsystem such as the electronic subsystem 19 of FIG. 1 such that the data collected by the detector can be transferred to the control system for analysis. Reference optics are generally well known in the art.
The three beams 78 A, 78 B and 78 C continuing along path 84 are received by a telescope 88 . Although not shown, inside the telescope 88 there are a several lens elements that redirect and expand the light. In one embodiment, the telescope is part of a telescope system that includes a plurality of telescopes rotating on a turret. For example, three telescopes may be used. The purpose of these telescopes is to vary the size of the scanning spot on the substrate and thereby allow selection of the minimum detectable defect size. More particularly, each of the telescopes generally represents a different pixel size. As such, one telescope may generate a larger spot size making the inspection faster and less sensitive (e.g., low resolution), while another telescope may generate a smaller spot size making inspection slower and more sensitive (e.g., high resolution).
From the telescope 88 , the beams 78 A, 78 B and 78 C pass through an objective lens 90 , which is arranged for focusing the beams 78 A, 78 B and 78 C onto the surface 11 of the substrate 12 . As the beams 78 A-C intersect the surface 11 of the substrate 12 both reflected light beams 92 A, 92 B, and 92 C and transmitted light beams 94 A, 94 B, and 94 C may be generated. The transmitted light beams 94 A, 94 B, and 94 C pass through the substrate 12 , while the reflected light beams 92 A, 92 B, and 92 C reflect off the surface 11 of the substrate 12 . By way of example, the reflected light beams 92 A, 92 B, and 92 C may reflect off of an opaque surfaces of the substrate, and the transmitted light beams 94 A, 94 B, and 94 C may transmit through transparent areas of the substrate. The transmitted light beams 94 are collected by the transmitted light optics 58 and the reflected light beams 92 are collected by the reflected light optics 62 .
With regards to the transmitted light optics 58 , the transmitted light beams 94 A, 94 B, 94 C, after passing through the substrate 12 , are collected by a first transmitted lens 96 and focused with the aid of a spherical aberration corrector lens 98 onto a transmitted prism 100 . As shown, the prism 100 has a facet for each of the transmitted light beams 94 A, 94 B, 94 C that are arranged for repositioning and bending the transmitted light beams 94 A, 94 B, 94 C. In most cases, the prism 100 is used to separate the beams so that they each fall on a single detector in the transmitted light detector arrangement 60 . As shown, the transmitted light detector arrangement 60 includes three distinct detectors 61 A-C, and more particularly a first transmission detector 61 A, a second transmission detector 61 B, and a third transmission detector 61 C. Accordingly, when the beams 94 A-C leave the prism 100 they pass through a second transmitted lens 102 , which individually focuses each of the separated beams 94 A, 94 B, 94 C onto one of these detectors 61 A-C. For example, beam 94 A is focused onto transmission detector 61 A; beam 94 B is focused onto transmission detector 61 B; and beam 94 C is focused onto transmission detector 61 C. As should be appreciated, each of the transmission detectors 61 A, 61 B, or 61 C is arranged for measuring the intensity of the transmitted light.
With regards to the reflected light optics 62 , the reflected light beams 92 A, 92 B, and 92 C after reflecting off of the substrate 12 are collected by the objective lens 90 , which then directs the beams 92 A-C towards the telescope 88 . Before reaching the telescope 88 , the beams 92 A-C also pass through a quarter wave plate 104 . In general terms, the objective lens 90 and the telescope 88 manipulate the collected beams in a manner that is optically reverse in relation to how the incident beams are manipulated. That is, the objective lens 90 re-collimates the beams 92 A, 92 B, and 92 C, and the telescope 88 reduces their size. When the beams 92 A, 92 B, and 92 C leave the telescope 88 , they continue along path 84 (backwards) until they reach the beam splitter cube 82 . The beam splitter 82 is arranged to work with the quarter wave-plate 104 to direct the beams 92 A, 92 B, and 92 C onto a path 106 .
The beams 92 A, 92 B, and 92 C continuing on path 106 are then collected by a first reflected lens 108 , which focuses each of the beams 92 A, 92 B, and 92 C onto a reflected prism 110 , which includes a facet for each of the reflected light beams 92 A-C. The reflected prism 110 is arranged for repositioning and bending the reflected light beams 92 A, 92 B, 92 C. Similar to the transmitted prism 100 , the reflected prism 110 is used to separate the beams so that they each fall on a single detector in the reflected light detector arrangement 64 . As shown, the reflected light detector arrangement 64 includes three individually distinct detectors 65 A-C, and more particularly a first reflected detector 65 A, a second reflected detector 65 B, and a third reflected detector 65 C. Of course, each detector may be packaged separately or together. When the beams 92 A-C leave the prism 110 , they pass through a second reflected lens 112 , which individually focuses each of the separated beams 92 A, 92 B, 92 C onto one of these detectors 65 A-C. For example, beam 92 A is focused onto reflected detector 65 A; beam 92 B is focused onto reflected detector 65 B; and beam 92 C is focused onto reflected detector 65 C. As should be appreciated, each of the reflected detectors 65 A, 65 B, or 65 C is arranged for measuring the intensity of the reflected light.
There are multiple inspection modes that can be facilitated by the aforementioned optical assembly 50 . By way of example, the optical assembly 50 can facilitate a transmitted light inspection mode, a reflected light inspection mode, and a simultaneous inspection mode. With regards to transmitted light inspection mode, transmission mode detection is typically used for defect detection on substrates such as conventional optical masks having transparent areas and opaque areas. As the light beams 94 A-C scan the mask (or substrate 12 ), the light penetrates the mask at transparent points and is detected by the transmitted light detectors 61 A-C, which are located behind the mask and which measure the light of each of the light beams 94 A-C collected by the transmitted light optics 58 including the first transmitted lens 96 , the second transmitted lens 102 , the spherical aberration lens 98 , and the prism 100 .
With regards to reflected light inspection mode, reflected light inspection can be performed on transparent or opaque substrates that contain image information in the form of chromium, developed photoresist or other features. Light reflected by the substrate 12 passes backwards along the same optical path as the inspection optics 54 but is then diverted by a polarizing beam splitter 82 into detectors 65 A-C. More particularly, the first reflected lens 108 , the prism 110 and the second reflected lens 112 project the light from the diverted light beams 92 A-C onto the detectors 65 A-C. Reflected light inspection may also be used to detect contamination on top of opaque substrate surfaces.
With regards to simultaneous inspection mode, both transmitted light and reflected light are utilized to determine the existence and/or type of a defect. The two measured values of the system are the intensity of the light beams 94 A-C transmitted through the substrate 12 as sensed by transmitted light detectors 61 A-C and the intensity of the reflected light beams 92 A-C as detected by reflected light detectors 65 A-C. Those two measured values can then be processed to determine the type of defect, if any, at a corresponding point on the substrate 12 .
More particularly, simultaneous, transmitted and reflected detection can disclose the existence of an opaque defect sensed by the transmitted detectors while the output of the reflected detectors can be used to disclose the type of defect. As an example, either a chrome dot or a particle on a substrate may both result in a low transmitted light indication from the transmission detectors, but a reflective chrome defect may result in a high reflected light indication and a particle may result in a lower reflected light indication from the same reflected light detectors. Accordingly, by using both reflected and transmitted detection one may locate a particle on top of chrome geometry which could not be done if only the reflected or transmitted characteristics of the defect was examined. In addition, one may determine signatures for certain types of defects, such as the ratio of their reflected and transmitted light intensities. This information can then be used to automatically classify defects.
By way of example, representative inspection modes including, reflected, transmitted and simultaneous reflected and transmitted modes, may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,702, which is herein incorporated by reference. It should be understood, however, that these modes are not a limitation and that other suitable modes may be used.
Further details of the system of FIGS. 1 and 2 wherein the present invention may be employed may be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/636,124, filed Aug. 10, 2000, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/636,129, filed Aug. 10, 2000, both assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the entirety of which are incorporated herein by reference. As may be appreciated to those skilled in the art, other systems and designs may be used to practice the present invention.
Transmitted and Reflected Processing
Transmitted light and reflected light exhibit reverse behavioral characteristics such that when transmitted light intensity decreases, reflected light intensity usually increases. Considering this phenomenon in the ΔT−ΔR plane, ΔT and ΔR will follow the relationship that ΔT * ΔR is less than zero. Phase errors, in contrast to chrome defects, typically exist when the transmitted and reflected light exhibit similar properties, such as when both transmitted and reflected differences are greater than or are both less than zero. The non-defective threshold is modified using these relationships as shown in FIG. 4 , where modified non-defective zone 401 is bordered by removed region 402 , representing the sensitivity increase over the ΔT and ΔR constant thresholds. In practice, after scanning test and reference images and subtracting transmitted and reflected pixel quantities, the result is as shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 is a ΔT−ΔR scan representation of a pair of images, test and reference, where chrome defects generally exist when ΔT and ΔR have opposite signs, one positive and one negative. Phase defects exist where ΔT and ΔR have identical signs, i.e. where both ΔT is positive and ΔR is positive or where both ΔT is negative and ΔR is negative. From the roughly negative 45 degree sloping graphical representation, the area of likely defect locations can be more precisely assumed, drawn, and considered to more accurately assess the presence of defects.
Defect detection according to the present invention employs a two step process, a calibration step followed by a defect detection step. These processes or procedures may be embodied as part(s) of the control system 17 , control computer 18 , and/or electronics subsystem 19 of FIG. 1 , or may be included in a separate processing subsystem not illustrated but interacting with the inspection optics design such that transmitted and reflected image representations may be received and processed according to the following description. Dual stage defect detection according to the present invention may be performed by hardware, such as an ASIC, software, firmware, or in a manner known to those skilled in the art.
In the present invention, an initial calibration step determines the non-defective region on the ΔT−ΔR plane for a specific pair of dies, namely a test and reference die. This calibration generates a training set to represent the non-defective region on the ΔT−ΔR plane. Multiple image pairs may be used to generate this calibration training set. In practice, one may select the pattern on the mask having the greatest density or most complicated pattern when generating the training set. Other parameters may be used to select calibration patterns used for developing the training set. Selection of the high density or most complicated pattern can, in certain circumstances, avoid certain false defects.
FIG. 6 represents the calibration functions performed by the detection system using both transmitted and reflected image data. From FIG. 6 , the transmitted image (for both the test and reference specimens) is pre-processed at block 601 into a transmitted reference image and a transmitted test image. The reflected image (for both the test and reference specimens is pre-processed at block 602 into a reflected test image and a reflected reference image. Preprocessing here includes obtaining fixed pixel subimages of the test and reference specimens, such as a 70 by 70 pixel, 120 by 120 pixel, 180 by 180 pixel, or other sized subimage of the specimens.
Fine sub-pixel alignment and subtraction blocks 603 and 604 align the test and reference images for both transmitted and reflected representations, resulting in a ΔT(i,j) for the transmitted images and a ΔR(i,j) for the reflected images. Alignment may be performed before subtraction in blocks 603 and 604 . These aligned and subtracted values are passed through two 2 by 2 FIR (Finite Impulse Response) low pass filters 605 and 606 , resulting in reduced noise ΔT(i,j) and ΔR(i,j) values. Use of either or both FIR lowpass filters is optional. Generally, if no significant false defect readings are expected or actually occur for a mask, the filter can optionally be overlooked.
The system generates a ΔT−ΔR plot map using the ΔT and ΔR values at plot map generator 607 . The system then generates a core ΔT−ΔR training set at core training set generator 608 . A threshold is applied along with the core training set from core training set generator 608 at detection training set table generator 609 . Application of the threshold provides a buffer zone around the core ΔT−ΔR training set, and the threshold may vary depending on circumstances. For example, a zero to five pixel border, or other sized border, may be applied around all pixels from the core ΔT−ΔR training set to include close cases.
A representative ΔT−ΔR plot as may be generated by plot map generator 608 is illustrated in FIG. 7 . A core ΔT−ΔR training set as may be generated by core training set generator 608 is presented in FIG. 8 . FIG. 9 presents an enhanced or dilated TR training set as may be generated by detection training set generator 609 . As compared with the core training set of FIG. 8 , certain stray artifacts are buffered using detection training set generator 609 , and the pixels of FIG. 9 represent the non-defective region used for subsequent processing. The non-defective region resulting from the detection training set generator 609 may be converted to a look up table for reference purposes.
Defect detection processes four images: T T (i,j), the transmitted image from the test die; T R (i,j), the reflected image from the test die; R T (i,j), the transmitted image from the reference die; and R R (i,j), the reflected image from the reference die. i and j vary from 1 to the number of pixels in each direction within the image. FIG. 10 illustrates the defect detection processor. From FIG. 10 , test die image preprocessor 1001 processes the test die into test reflected and test transmitted representations. Reference die image preprocessor 1002 processes the reference die into reference reflected and reference transmitted representations. These four components are then aligned and subtracted in alignment and subtraction blocks 1003 and 1004 to produce ΔT and ΔR values, which are passed to two 2 by 2 FIR filters 1005 and 1006 for noise reduction. Again, use of either or both of these lowpass FIR filters is optional. Generally, use of each lowpass FIR filter at this stage depends on whether the filter was applied on the calibration stage, i.e. was used in the design of FIG. 6 . The ΔT and ΔR components are used to generate a ΔT−ΔR plot map at plot map generator 1007 . The generated ΔT−ΔR plot map is compared against the ΔT−ΔR training set table generated at detection training set table generator 609 in defect detection and classification block 1008 . If the ΔT−ΔR plot from plot map generator 1007 includes pixels outside of the pixels in the training set representation provided by detection training set generator 609 , or outside the non-defective region, those pixels are flagged as defective. After the system processes all pixels for all images, all defects are identified for potential post processing. Post processing may entail an operator reviewing the regions to determine the acceptability of the region and/or presence of a defect, or automated review of the particular area, or any method of defect review known in the art. Post processing may alternately entail computing the number of defects or potential defects and considering the sample bad if the number of defects exceeds a predetermined threshold. Post processing is an optional part of the present procedure.
While the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood that the invention is capable of further modifications. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses or adaptations of the invention following, in general, the principles of the invention, and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known and customary practice within the art to which the invention pertains.
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A method and apparatus for inspecting patterned substrates, such as photomasks, for unwanted particles and features occurring on the transmissive as well as pattern defects. A transmissive substrate is illuminated by a laser through an optical system comprised of a laser scanning system, individual transmitted and reflected light collection optics and detectors collect and generate signals representative of the light transmitted and reflected by the substrate. The defect identification of the substrate is performed using transmitted and reflected light signals from a baseline comparison between two specimens, or one specimen and a database representation, to form a calibration pixelated training set including a non-defective region. This calibration pixilated training set is compared to a transmitted-reflected plot map of the subject specimen to assess surface quality.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a venetian blind, more particularly, to a venetian blind mounted in a double glazing unit, and the present invention also relates to a sliding block for the venetian blind provided in a double glazing unit.
BACKGROUND ART
For purpose of environmental protection and energy saving, the double glazing unit is widely used in the world because of its particular heat insulating performance, sound insulating performance, glazed frost proof, dust and pollution proof and so on, after more than one hundred year's development. For example, the related laws in Germany stipulate that all the buildings must adopt double glazed window, the conventional windows formed by general glass are forbidden. In North America regions, 95 percent of windows adopt double glazing. With the improvement of the standard of living, the double glazing is rapidly and widely developed in China in recent years. Since the double glazing is formed mainly by transparent glass used for door and window, the transparent window should be provided with various curtains for shielding light and blinding line of sight. However, the curtains provided outside the window tend to be contaminated and damaged, in addition, it is very trouble to wash the contaminated curtains regularly. There is a gap between two sheets of glass of a double glazed window, so that the venetian blind could be fixed in the gap between the two sheets of glass, one obvious advantage thereof is that not only the light can be adjusted but also the venetian blind can be kept clean permanently. Because of the above, the double glazed unit provided with adjustable blind is developed rapidly in the world, for example, double glazing units provided with adjustable blind, which are manufactured by NORDICON Corporation of Denmark and UNICEL Corporation of Canada, are available in the market and used widely for various doors, windows, glass walls and glass roofs. However, in the above double glazing units, since the blind is adjusted directly by mechanical drive, the problem occurs in seal of the double glazing unit. Though the problem is solved at last, the complex structure and high cost prevent the double glazing unit provided with adjustable blind from being used widely. Chinese Utility Model No. 95229065, entitled “integral door or window sash with lateral blind provided in two sheets of glass thereof”, proposes a design in which the two sheets of glass are difficult to be sealed completely. In the designs proposed by Chinese Utility Model No. 9721572 entitled “interbedded telescoping blind driven by magnetism”, Chinese Utility Model No. 98210257 entitled “completely sealed venetian blind”, U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,944 entitled “device for operating a venetian blind or the like placed inside an insulating glass frame”, and WO02/01034A1 entitled “manufacturing method of magnetic drive system used for adjustable venetian blind provided in double glazing or pair glass”, though the complete seal problem of the double glazing or pair glass is solved by using magnetic drive, the structures of such designs are complex and inconvenient for application.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present is to provide a venetian blind provided in double glazing unit, lifting and deflecting of the leaves of the blind can be controlled at the same time by one magnet mounted inside the double glazing unit, The venetian blind of the present invention is simple in structure and convenient for operating, and also the complete sealing is realized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sliding block for a venetian blind provided in a double glazing unit, there is provided a roller on a surface of the sliding block, so that the contact between the surface of the sliding block and the glass and/or a side frame of the double glazing unit is rolling contact, therefore, a friction force of the sliding block is reduced when the sliding block is moved, and abrasion of the sliding block is also decreased. The sliding block is more durable, an operation of the Venetian blind provided in double glazing unit is easy and reliable.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.
In order to achieve the above and/or other objects, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a venetian blind provided in double glazing unit, which is mounted in a space defined by two sheets of glass, side frames, a top frame and a bottom frame, comprising: a blind body including a counterweight, a long shaft, a plurality of leaves, and a plurality of turning ropes fitting over said long shaft and being connected to front and rear edges of said leaves respectively, two ends of each turning rope being fixed to said counterweight; and a driving unit comprising a plurality of friction pulleys fitting over said long shaft, said counterweigh and leaves being hung from said pulleys through said turning ropes, the number of the friction pulleys being equal to that of said turning ropes, a lifting pull line, one end of the lifting pull line being fixed to a sliding block and the other end thereof being fixed to said counterweight by passing over a guide pulley which is perpendicular to said long shaft and fixed inside the double glazing unit, a turning pulley provided on one end of said long shaft, a turning tension pulley fixed to said bottom frame of the double glazing unit and located below said turning pulley, an endless turning pull line wound around said turning pulley and turning tension pulley tightly, whose length being suitable for just tensioning said turning pulley and turning tension pulley, said sliding block being fixed to said turning pull line, and two magnets, one of which being fixed to said sliding block and the other thereof being located outside the double glazing unit.
When the magnet outside of the double glazing unit moves up and down, through action of the magnetic force line, the magnet inside the double glazing unit moves up and down corresponding to the magnet outside the double glazing unit, so that the sliding block is moved up and down. When the sliding block moves up and down, the lifting pull line drives the counterweight to move up and down, thus actuating the leaves of the blind to overlap each other or to open. At the same time, because the sliding block is fixed to the turning pull line, the turning pulley is driven to rotate through the up and down movement of the turning pull line. Since the turning pulley is coaxial with the friction pulleys, the leaves are deflected to close or extended horizontally to open through drive of the friction action of the friction pulleys.
Since the upward and downward distances moved by the leaves are large, and the deflected distances of the leaves are small, when the leaves move upwardly or downwardly a large distance, skidding occurs between the friction pulleys and the turning ropes, when the top and bottom positions of the leaves are adjusted correctly, the leaves can be adjusted to deflect to close or to extend horizontally to open through adjusting a small upward and downward distance moved by the sliding block.
In the present invention, a moveable pulley and a pulley seat for supporting the moveable pulley can be substituted for the sliding block, one end of the lifting pull line is fixed to the side or top frames of the double glazing unit and the other end thereof is fixed to the counterweight by passing over the moveable pulley and a guide pulley which is perpendicular to the long axis and fixed inside the double glazing unit. The function of the moveable pulley and the pulley seat are corresponding to the sliding block in the first aspect a shaft of the moveable pulley is fixed to the pulley seat, the turning pull line are fixedly connected at both ends thereof to the pulley seat, and the magnet is also fixed to the pulley seat.
In view of extensibility of the turning pull line, in the present invention, end shafts of the turning tension pulley can be fixed in a U-shape tension pulley seat, the turning tension pulley can rotate in the U-shape tension pulley seat freely. A spring is provided between the U-shape tension pulley seat and the bottom frame of the double glazing unit and used for providing tension force between the turning tension pulley and the turning pulley. The preferable mounting manner is that the axial direction of the turning tension pulley is parallel to that of the long shaft and the magnet faces indoor space after the magnet is mounted on the sliding block or the moveable pulley seat.
Preferably, the lifting pull line is fixed to the counterweight by passing through the center of each leaf.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a venetian blind provided in double glazing unit, which is mounted in a space defined by two sheets of glass, side frames, a top frame and a bottom frame, comprising a blind body including a counterweight, a long shaft, a plurality of leaves, and a plurality of turning ropes fitting over the long shaft and being connected to front and rear edges of each leaf respectively, the two ends of each turning rope being fixed to the counterweight; and a driving unit including a plurality of friction pulleys fitting over the long shaft, the counterweigh and leaves being hung from the pulleys through the turning ropes, the number of the friction pulleys being equal to that of the turning ropes, a lifting pull line, one end of the lifting pull line being fixed to a the sliding block and the other end thereof being fixed to the counterweight by passing over a guide pulley which is perpendicular to the long axis and fixed inside the double glazing unit, a turning pulley provided on one end of the long shaft, a turning tension pulley fixed to the bottom frame of the double glazing unit and located below the turning pulley, an endless turning pull line wound around the turning pulley and turning tension pulley tightly, whose length being suitable for just tensioning the turning pulley and turning tension pulley, and a pulley pull line , one end of that being connected to the sliding block and the other end thereof being fixed to and wound around the turning pulley; and two magnets, one of which being fixed to an axial end surface of the turning tension pulley and the other one being located outside the double glazing unit.
In the present invention, a moveable pulley and a pulley seat for supporting the moveable pulley can be substituted for the sliding block, and wherein one end of the lifting pull line is fixed to the side or top frames of the double glazing unit and the other end thereof is fixed to the counterweight by passing over the moveable pulley and a guide pulley which is perpendicular to the long shaft and fixed inside the double glazing unit, and one end of the pulley pull line is fixed to the pulley seat and the other end thereof is fixed to and wound around the turning tension pulley.
In the venetian blind provided in double glazing unit, end shafts of the turning tension pulley can be fixed in a U-shape tension pulley seat, the turning tension pulley can rotate in the U-shape tension pulley seat freely. A spring is provided between the U-shape tension pulley seat and the bottom frame of the double glazing unit. The preferable mounting manner is that the axial direction of the turning tension pulley is perpendicular to that of the long shaft and the magnet faces indoor space after the magnet is mounted on the turning tension pulley.
Preferably, the lifting pull line is fixed to the counterweight by passing through the center of each leaf.
In the venetian blind provided in double glazing unit according to another aspect of the present invention, the magnet located outside of the double glazing unit is mounted on a rotation shaft of an additional motor. When powered, the motor rotates so as to drive the inside magnet to rotate, thus saving human labor. If a remote control unit is mounted on the motor, the remote control function can be achieved.
The venetian blind provided in double glazing unit according to the first aspect of the present invention differs from that according to the second aspect of the present invention in that the mounting position of the magnet is different. In the venetian blind provided in double glazing unit according to the second aspect of the present invention, the magnet is mounted on an axial end surface of the turning tension pulley and not on the sliding block or the moveable pulley. When the magnet outside of the double glazing unit moves, the magnet inside of the double glazing unit is driven to rotate through the action of magnetic force lines and the turning tension pulley is also actuated to rotate. The turning pulley and the long shaft are rotated through the turning pull line so as to deflect the leaves to close. Since the pulley pull line is fixed at one end thereof to the turning tension pulley and can be wound on the turning tension pulley during rotation of the turning tension pulley, so that the sliding block or the moveable pulley is driven to move up and down, and the lifting pull line is also driven so as to move the counterweight up and down, thus achieving the purpose of controlling the leaves to move up and down.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sliding block for a venetian blind provided in double glazing unit, comprising: a main body having substantively a U-shaped cross section and two extension portions extended outwardly from two sides of a U-shaped recess of the main body respectively, magnets of the venetian blind being mounted in U-shaped recess of the main body; and a first roller provided on a main surface of the extension portions, an axial direction of the first roller being substantively parallel to a width direction of the main surface.
Preferably, there are provided two first rollers on the main surface of the extension portions.
Further, the two first rollers are provided on two sides of the U-shaped recess along a length direction of the main body respectively.
Preferably, a second roller is provided on one side of an extension portion, an axial direction of the second roller is substantively perpendicular to the main surface of the extension portions.
Preferably, there are provided two second rollers on the one side of the extension portions.
Further, the two second rollers are provided on two sides of the U-shaped recess along a length direction of the main body respectively.
Moreover, the two extension portions, the two first rollers, and the two second rollers are symmetrical with respect to a transverse central line of the U-shaped recess, respectively.
Further, a portion of an external end of one extension portion becomes thinner, and a through hole is provided on the thinner portion for connecting to a moveable pulley of the venetian blind via a connection member.
Preferably, the two extension portions are are symmetrical with respect to a transverse central line of the U-shaped recess.
Further, a second roller is provided on one side of an extension portion, an axial direction of the second roller is substantively perpendicular to the main surface of the extension portions.
The advantages of the present invention are that:
1. Only one magnet is provided inside the double glazing unit, and the deflection and upward and downward movement of the leaves can be controlled freely at the same time, so that the structure of the present invention is simple.
2. The moved distance is shortened by half by using a moveable pulley.
3. The deflection and upward and downward movement of the leaves can be remote controlled by using the motor and the remote control unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To help understanding of the present invention, a specific embodiment thereof will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGS. 1 and 1A are schematic views of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a third preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sliding block according to a first embodiment of present invention;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a sliding block according to a second embodiment of present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The structure and operation of the venetian blind are described in detail with reference to the drawings and three embodiments of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 1 , a blind provided in the double glazing unit is mounted in a space defined by two sheets of glass 23 , side frames 24 , a top frame (not shown) and a bottom frame 25 , a long shaft 1 of the blind body is fixed to the side frame 24 , friction pulleys 2 and 4 are fit over the long shaft 1 . Turning ropes 3 and 5 are fixed to front and rear edges of a counterweight 20 and a leaf 21 , and hung from the friction pulleys 2 and 4 , respectively. A turning pulley 6 is provided at one end of the long shaft 1 , and a turning tension pulley 16 is fixed to a bottom frame 25 , a turning pull line 7 passes over the turning pulley 6 and the turning tension pulley 16 tightly. One end of each of lifting pull lines 10 and 12 is fixed to a sliding block 22 , and the other ends thereof are fixed to the counterweight 20 by passing over guide pulleys 8 and 9 perpendicular to the long shaft 1 and mounted in the double glazing unit. The sliding block 22 is secured to the turning pull line 7 . The turning tension pulley 16 is mounted on a tension pulley seat 17 , a spring 18 tensions the tension pulley seat 17 and a fixing member 19 mounted on the bottom frame 25 . A magnet 15 is fixed to the sliding block 22 .
As shown in FIG. 2 , a pulley seat 13 and a moveable pulley 14 are provided so as to substitute the sliding block 22 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . In this embodiment, one end of the turning pull line 7 is connected to the pulley seat 13 and the other end thereof runs downwardly, passes over the turning tension pulley 16 and then runs upwardly and passes over the turning pulley 6 , at last, the other end of the turning pull line 7 extends downwardly and also be connected to the pulley seat 13 . One end of each of lifting pull lines 10 and 12 passes over the moveable pulley 14 and then is connected to a side frame or top frame of the double glazing unit, and the other end thereof passes over guide pulleys 8 , 9 and 11 which are perpendicular to the long shaft 1 and mounted in the double glazing unit, then is connected to the counterweight 20 . The sliding distance of pulley seat 13 and the moveable pulley 14 is shortened by half because of provision of the moveable pulley 14 . The other structures of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2 are identical with that shown in FIG. 1 , so that the descriptions thereof are omitted.
As shown in FIG. 3 , by comparison with the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , a pulley pull line 26 is provided additionally, and the form and mounting position of the magnet 15 and the winding manner of the turning pull line 7 are also different from that shown in FIG. 2 . The turning tension pulley 16 functions to turn the direction and winding the pulley pull line 26 . The magnet 15 does not reciprocate up and down but winds the pulley pull line 26 around the turning tension pulley 16 through rotation, so that the moveable pulley 14 and the pulley seat 13 are moved up and down by the pulley pull line 26 so as to lift and deflect the leaf of the blind.
In a same way as that of substituting the moveable pulley 14 and the pulley seat 13 in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2 for the sliding block 22 in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the moveable pulley 14 and the pulley seat 13 shown in FIG. 3 can be replaced by a slide block, and the one end of each of the lifting pull lines 10 and 12 that is fixed to the pulley seat 13 will be fixed to the sliding block 22 and one end of pulley pull line 26 that is fixed to the pulley seat 13 will be fixed to the sliding block 22 .
The first embodiment of the sliding block 22 is described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 . As shown in FIG. 4 , the sliding block 22 comprises a main body having substantively a U-shaped cross section, and two extension portions 26 a and 26 b extended outwardly from two sides of a U-shaped recess of the main body respectively, magnets 15 of the venetian blind are mounted in U-shaped recess of the main body. There are provided two first rollers 30 a and 30 b on a main surface A of the extension portions 26 a and 26 b , axial directions of the two first rollers 30 a and 30 b are substantively parallel to a width direction C of the extension portions 26 a and 26 b . Preferably, two first rollers 30 a and 30 b are symmetrical with respect to a transverse central line of said U-shaped recess along a length direction of the main body. There are also provided another two second rollers 31 a and 31 b on one side B of the extension portions 26 a and 26 b , axial directions of the second rollers are substantively perpendicular to the main surface A of the extension portions 26 a and 26 b . Since there are provided two rollers on the main surface A and the side B respectively, when the magnets outside of the double glazing unit are moved up and down, the magnets 15 mounted in the U-shaped recess of the sliding block 22 is driven to move up and down, so as to drive the turning pull line 7 and the lifting pull lines 10 and 12 connected to the sliding block 22 to move, thus causing the blades of the venetian blind to move up and down and/or deflect. Because of the rollers on the main surface A and the side B, the sliding block 22 rolls on the glass and the side frame of the double glazing unit, so that the friction forces therebetween is small, and the abrasion is reduced, thus increasing the durability of the sliding block 22 , at the same time, the glass and the side frame of the double glazing unit will not be scuffed by the sliding block 22 . In addition, the operation of the venetian blind is easy and reliable.
Further, the second embodiment of the sliding block of the present invention is described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 5 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the sliding block 22 comprises a main body having substantively a U-shaped cross section, and two extension portions 26 a and 26 b extended outwardly from two sides of a U-shaped recess of the main body respectively. There are provided two first rollers 30 a and 30 b on a main surface A of the extension portions 26 a and 26 b , axial directions of the two first rollers 30 a and 30 b are substantively parallel to a width direction C of the extension portions 26 a and 26 b . The two first rollers 30 a and 30 b are symmetrical with respect to a transverse central line of said U-shaped recess along a length direction of the main body. There are also provided another two second rollers 31 a and 31 b on one side B of the extension portions 26 a and 26 b , axial directions of the second rollers are substantively perpendicular to the main surface A of the extension portions 26 a and 26 b . In addition, an end portion of the extension portion 26 a becomes thinner, and a through hole 27 is provided on the thinner end portion along a width direction of the extension portion 26 a , the through hole 27 is used for mounting the moveable pulley 14 of the venetian blind on the sliding block 22 through a connection member. In the present embodiment, one end of the turning pull line 7 is connected to the sliding block 22 and the other end thereof runs downwardly, passes over the turning tension pulley 16 and then runs upwardly and passes over the turning pulley 6 , at last, the other end of the turning pull line 7 extends downwardly and also be connected to the sliding block 22 . One end of each of lifting pull lines 10 and 12 passes over the moveable pulley 14 and then is connected to a side frame of the double glazing unit, and the other end thereof passes over guide pulleys 8 , 9 and 11 which are perpendicular to the long shaft 1 and mounted in the double glazing unit, then is connected to the counterweight 20 . The sliding distance of the sliding block 11 is shortened by half because of provision of the moveable pulley 14 . The other structures of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5 are identical with that shown in FIG. 4 , so that the descriptions thereof are omitted.
It should be noted that the first rollers provided on the main surface A could be one, or three, four, etc. Also, the second rollers provided on the side B could be one, or three, four, etc. In addition, the roller can be only provided on one of the main surface and the side.
Although a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents.
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A venetian blind provided in double glazing unit, which is mounted in a space defined by two sheets of glass, side frames, a top frame and a bottom frame, the venetian blind comprising a blind body composed of a counterweight, a long axis and a plurality of leaves, a driving unit, and two magnets, one of which being fixed to said sliding block and the other one being located outside the double glazing unit. The venetian blind could be lifted and deflect by the linear movement or rotation of the two magnets, one of which is inside the double glazing unit and the other one is outside the double glazing unit in the case that the double glazing unit is completely sealed. The venetian blind of the present invention is simple in structure and convenient for operating.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an inverter apparatus, and more particularly to an inverter apparatus with an adaptable voltage-to-frequency control.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] An induction motor is commonly driven in a scalar control method, a vector control method, or a direct torque control method. The principle of the scalar control method is to change synchronous speed of the induction motor by changing input frequency of the induction motor. The scalar control method is also called a voltage-to-frequency control (V/f control) method, or a variable voltage variable frequency control (VVVF control) method. In general, the V/f control method is an open-loop control method, namely, a rotational speed of the induction motor is easily changed by using an inverter without feeding back the rotational speed. However, torque of the induction motor will reduce because output frequency of the inverter increases while input voltage of the inverter is not simultaneously changed. Hence, in order to keep magnetic flux of the induction motor constant to generate maximum efficiency, the ratio of voltage magnitude to operation frequency has to be a constant value, namely, the voltage-to-frequency control (V/f control) method is so called.
[0005] Reference is made to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , wherein the FIG. 1 is a structure block diagram of a prior art inverter apparatus, and the FIG. 2 is a block diagram of converting an analog input voltage into an output frequency of the prior art inverter apparatus. The inverter apparatus 1 A comprises a conversion circuit 10 A and a micro-controller unit 20 A. The conversion circuit 10 A includes a first gain unit 10 A, a DC-offset unit 102 A, and a second gain unit 103 A. The first gain unit 101 A provides a first voltage gain P 1 a (P 1 a =+0.5) to transform the analog input voltage Vin (Vin equals −10 to +10 volts) into a first gain voltage Va (Va equals −5 to +5 volts). The DC-offset unit 102 A provides a +5-volt DC-offset voltage Vdc′ (Vdc′=+5 volts) and is connected to the first gain unit 101 A to generate a modified voltage Vx (Vx equals 0 to +10 volts). The second gain unit 103 A provides a second voltage gain P 2 a (P 2 a =+0.5) to transform the modified input voltage Vx (Vx equals 0 to +10 volts) into an analog output voltage Vo (Vo equals 0 to +5 volts). The micro-controller unit 20 A includes an analog-to-digital converter unit 201 A and a frequency operation unit 202 A. The analog-to-digital converter unit 201 A converts the analog output voltage Vo into a corresponding digital output value, and the frequency operation unit 202 A generates a corresponding output frequency according to the digital output value.
[0006] A relation between a voltage variation ΔV of the analog input voltage Vin and the analog output voltage Vo of the inverter apparatus 1 A is shown as following:
[0000] Δ V =(10−(−10))/(5−0)×0.1=0.4 (volts)
[0007] Namely, the micro-controller unit 20 A can receive the analog output voltage Vo in 0.1 volts when the analog input voltage Vin is at least changed in 0.4 volts. Hence, the inverter apparatus 1 A can not provide a high-resolution voltage variation to accurately control a drive apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an inverter apparatus with an adaptable voltage-to-frequency control to provide a high-resolution voltage variation to accurately control a drive apparatus.
[0009] In order to achieve the objective mentioned above, an inverter apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a first circuit, a second circuit, a third circuit, and a micro-controller unit. The first circuit generates a first analog output voltage, the second circuit generates a second analog output voltage, and the third circuit generates a third analog output voltage. The micro-controller unit is electrically connected to the first, the second, and the third circuits; and the micro-controller unit comprises an analog-to-digital converter unit and a frequency operation unit. The analog-to-digital converter unit receives the first, the second, and the third analog output voltages; and the three analog output voltages are converted into three digital output values respectively. The largest digital output value is selected by the micro-controller unit and supplied to the frequency operation unit for generating a corresponding output frequency to control a drive apparatus.
[0010] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING
[0011] The above and further advantages of this invention may be better understood by referring to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a structure block diagram of a prior art inverter apparatus;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of converting an analog input voltage into an output frequency of the prior art inverter apparatus;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a structure block diagram of an inverter apparatus according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of converting an analog input voltage into an output frequency;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of comparing a first digital output value with a third digital output value; and
[0017] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of comparing a first complement digital output value with a second digital output value.
[0018] The drawings will be described further in connection with the following detailed description of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail.
[0020] Reference is made to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 . FIG. 3 is a structure block diagram of an inverter apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of converting an analog input voltage into an output frequency. The inverter apparatus 1 comprises a first circuit 10 , a second circuit 20 , a third circuit 30 , and a micro-controller unit 40 . The first circuit 10 , the second circuit 20 , and the third circuit 30 simultaneously receive and process an external analog input voltage Vin.
[0021] The first circuit 10 comprises a bi-directional clipper circuit 101 , a first gain unit 102 , and a DC-offset unit 103 . The bi-directional clipper circuit 101 provides a first positive voltage and a first negative voltage for the analog input voltage Vin to generate a first clipping voltage Vc 1 . The first gain unit 102 is electrically connected to the bi-directional clipper circuit 101 to receive the first clipping voltage Vc 1 , and the first gain unit 102 provides a first voltage gain P 1 for the first clipping voltage Vc 1 to generate a first gain voltage Vp 1 . Namely, the first gain voltage Vp 1 is equal to the first clipping voltage Vc 1 multiplied by the first voltage gain P 1 (Vp 1 =Vc 1 ×P 1 ). The DC-offset unit 103 is electrically connected to the first gain unit 102 to receive the first gain voltage Vp 1 , and DC-offset unit 103 provides a DC-offset voltage Vdc for the first gain voltage to generate a first analog output voltage Vo 1 . Namely, the first analog output voltage Vo 1 is equal to the first gain voltage Vp 1 added by the DC-offset voltage Vdc (Vo 1 =Vp 1 +Vdc).
[0022] The second circuit 20 comprises a positive clipper circuit 201 and a second gain unit 202 . The positive clipper circuit 201 provides a second positive voltage for the analog voltage Vin to generate a second clipping voltage Vc 2 . The second gain unit 202 is electrically connected to the positive clipper circuit 201 to receive the second clipping voltage Vc 2 , and the second gain unit 202 provides a second voltage gain P 2 for the second clipping voltage Vc 2 to generate a second analog output voltage Vo 2 . Namely, the second analog output voltage Vo 2 is equal to the second clipping voltage Vc 2 multiplied by the second voltage gain P 2 (Vo 2 =Vc 2 ×P 2 ).
[0023] The third circuit 30 comprises a negative clipper circuit 301 and a third gain unit 302 . The negative clipper circuit 301 provides a second negative voltage for the analog input voltage Vin to generate a third clipping voltage Vc 3 . The third gain unit 302 is electrically connected to the negative clipper circuit 301 to receive the third clipping voltage Vc 3 , and the third gain unit 302 provides a third voltage gain P 3 for the third clipping voltage Vc 3 to generate a third analog output voltage Vo 3 . Namely, the third analog output voltage Vo 3 is equal to the third clipping voltage Vc 3 multiplied by the third voltage gain P 3 (Vo 3 =Vc 3 ×P 3 ).
[0024] The micro-controller unit 40 is electrically connected to the first circuit 10 , the second circuit 20 , and the third circuit 30 ; and the micro-controller unit 40 comprises an analog-to-digital converter unit 401 and a frequency operation unit 402 . The analog-to-digital converter unit 401 receives the first analog output voltage Vo 1 , the second analog output voltage Vo 2 , and the third analog output voltage Vo 3 ; and then converts the three analog output voltages (Vo 1 , Vo 2 , Vo 3 ) into a first digital output value N 1 , a second digital output value N 2 , and a third digital output value N 3 respectively. Afterward, the largest digital output value of the three digital output values (N 1 , N 2 , N 3 ) is selected by the micro-controller unit 40 .
[0025] Furthermore, the micro-controller unit 40 also converts the first digital output value N 1 into a first complement digital output value N 1 ′ when the first gain voltage Vp 1 is positive. Afterward, the largest digital output value of the three digital output values (N 1 ′, N 2 , N 3 ) is selected by the micro-controller unit 40 . The first complement digital output value N 1 ′ is equal to a maximum digital value Nm of the analog-to-digital converter unit subtracted by the first digital output value N 1 (N 1 ′=Nm−N 1 ). The maximum digital value Nm is decided according to bit numbers of the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 . For example, if the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 provides a 10-bit resolution, the maximum digital value Nm is 1024 (2 10 =1024). The frequency operation unit 402 is electrically connected to the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 and generates a corresponding output frequency according to the selected largest digital output value to accurately control a drive apparatus.
[0026] Reference is made to FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 . FIG. 5 is a schematic view of comparing a first digital output value with a third digital output value, and FIG. 6 is a schematic view of comparing a first complement digital output value with a second digital output value. The external analog input voltage Vin is between −10 and +10 volts, and is simultaneously received by the first circuit 10 , the second circuit 20 , and the third circuit 30 . The negative clipper circuit 301 of the third circuit 30 provides a −10-volt second negative voltage to generate a third clipping voltage Vc 3 which is between −10 and 0 volt. The positive clipper circuit 201 of the second circuit 20 provides a +10-volt second positive voltage to generate a second clipping voltage Vc 2 which is between 0 and +10 volts. The bi-directional clipper circuit 101 of the first circuit 10 provides a +1-volt first positive voltage and a −1-volt first negative voltage to generate a first clipping voltage Vc 1 which is between −1 volt and +1 volt. Furthermore, the operations of the three circuits ( 10 , 20 , 30 ) are described as following:
[0027] The third gain unit 302 provides a third voltage gain P 3 of (−0.5), and the third clipping voltage Vc 3 is transmitted to the third gain unit 302 to generate a third analog output voltage Vo 3 which is between 0 and +5 volts. Namely, the third analog output voltage Vo 3 is equal to the third clipping voltage Vc 3 multiplied by the third voltage gain P 3 .
[0028] The analog-to-digital converter unit 401 of the micro-controller unit 40 converts the third analog output voltage Vo 3 into a third digital output value N 3 . The first equation shows a conversion relation between the third analog output voltage Vo 3 and the third digital output value N 3 , as following:
[0000] N 3 =2 n ×Vo 3/5 (equation 1)
[0029] Wherein the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 provides an n-bit resolution, and the third digital output value N 3 is between 0 and 1023 when n is equal to 10.
[0030] The second gain unit 202 provides a second voltage gain P 2 of (+0.5), and the second clipping voltage Vc 2 is transmitted to the second gain unit 202 to generate a second analog output voltage Vo 2 which is between 0 and +5 volts. Namely, the second analog output voltage Vo 2 is equal to the second clipping voltage Vc 2 multiplied by the second voltage gain P 2 .
[0031] The analog-to-digital converter unit 401 of the micro-controller unit 40 converts the second analog output voltage Vo 2 into a second digital output value N 2 . The second equation shows a conversion relation between the second analog output voltage Vo 2 and the second digital output value N 2 , as following:
[0000] N 2=2 n ×Vo 2/5 (equation 2)
[0032] Wherein the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 provides an n-bit resolution, and the second digital output value N 2 is between 0 and 1023 when n is equal to 10.
[0033] The first gain unit 102 provides a first voltage gain P 1 of (+0.5), and the first clipping voltage Vc 1 is transmitted to the first gain unit 102 to generate a first gain voltage Vp 1 which is between −2.5 and +2.5 volts. Namely, the first gain voltage Vp 1 is equal to the first clipping voltage Vc 1 multiplied by the first voltage gain P 1 (Vp 1 =Vc 1 ×P 1 ). The DC-offset unit 103 provides a +2.5-volt DC-offset voltage Vdc, and the first gain voltage Vp 1 is transmitted to the DC-offset unit 103 to generate a first analog output voltage Vo 1 which is between 0 and +5 volts. Namely, the second analog output voltage Vo 1 is equal to the first gain voltage Vp 1 added by the DC-offset voltage Vdc (Vo 1 =Vp 1 +Vdc).
[0034] The analog-to-digital converter unit 401 of the micro-controller unit 40 converts the first analog output voltage Vo 1 into a first digital output value N 1 . The third equation shows a conversion relation between the first analog output voltage Vo 1 and the first digital output value N, as following:
[0000] N 1=2 n ×Vo 1/5 (equation 3)
[0035] Wherein, the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 provides an n-bit resolution. The micro-controller unit 40 further converts the first digital output value N 1 into a first complement digital output value N 1 ′ when the first gain voltage Vp 1 is positive. The first complement digital output value N 1 ′ is equal to a maximum digital value Nm of the analog-to-digital converter unit subtracted by the first digital output value N 1 (N 1 ′=Nm−N 1 ). The maximum digital value Nm is decided according to bit numbers of the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 . For example, if the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 provides an n-bit resolution, the maximum digital value Nm is 2 n . The fourth equation shows a conversion relation between the first complement digital output value N 1 ′ and the first digital output value N, as following:
[0000] N′ 1= Nm−N 1=(2 n −1)− N 1 (equation 4)
[0036] Wherein the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 provides an n-bit resolution, and the first digital output value N 1 is between 0 and 512 (as shown in equation 3) when n is equal to 10 and the first analog output voltage is between 0 and +2.5 volts; and the first complement digital output value N 1 ′ is between 511 and 0 (as shown in equation 4) when n is equal to 10 and the first analog output voltage is between +2.5 and +5 volts. The first digital output value N 1 or the first complement digital output value N 1 ′ is transmitted to the frequency operation unit 402 for comparison.
[0037] The frequency operation unit 402 is electrically connected to the analog-to-digital converter unit 401 and to generate a corresponding output frequency according to the selected largest digital output value from the first digital output value N 1 , the first complement digital output value N 1 ′, the second digital output value N 2 , and the third digital output value N 3 .
[0038] Wherein the corresponding output frequency is calculated as following:
[0039] (1) The corresponding output frequency fo of the frequency operation unit 402 is shown in equation 5 when the third digital output value N 3 is the largest digital output value:
[0000] fo=N 3/2 n ×60 (Hz) (equation 5)
[0040] (2) The corresponding output frequency fo of the frequency operation unit 402 is shown in equation 6 when the second digital output value N 2 is the largest digital output value:
[0000] fo=N 2/2 n ×60 (Hz) (equation 6)
[0041] (3) The corresponding output frequency fo of the frequency operation unit 402 is shown in equation 7 when the first digital output value N 1 is the largest digital output value:
[0000] fo=N 1/2 n ×60 (Hz) (equation 7)
[0042] (4) The corresponding output frequency fo of the frequency operation unit 402 is shown in equation 8 when the first complement digital output value N 1 ′ is the largest digital output value:
[0000] fo=N 1′/2 n ×60 (Hz) (equation 8)
[0043] A view of voltage variation is further supplied to make a description:
[0044] (1) A relation between a voltage variation ΔV 3 of the analog input voltage Vin and the third analog output voltage Vo 3 is shown as following when the analog input voltage Vin is between −10 and 0 volts:
[0000] Δ V 3=(0−(−10))/(5−0)×0.1=0.2 (volts)
[0045] Namely, the micro-controller unit 40 can receive the third analog output voltage Vo 3 in 0.1 volts variation when the analog input voltage Vin is changed in 0.2 volts. Hence, the resolution (ΔV 3 =0.2 volts) is better than the voltage resolution (ΔV=0.4 volts) of the prior art.
[0046] (2) A relation between a voltage variation ΔV 2 of the analog input voltage Vin and the second analog output voltage Vo 2 is shown as following when the analog input voltage Vin is between 0 and +10 volts:
[0000] Δ V 2=(10−0)/(5−0)×0.1=0.2 (volts)
[0047] Namely, the micro-controller unit 40 can receive the second analog output voltage Vo 2 in 0.1 volts variation when the analog input voltage Vin is changed in 0.2 volts. Hence, the resolution (ΔV 2 =0.2 volts) is better than the voltage resolution (ΔV=0.4 volts) of prior art.
[0048] (3) A relation between a voltage variation ΔV 1 of the analog input voltage Vin and the first analog output voltage Vo 1 is shown as following when the analog input voltage Vin is between −1 and +1 volts:
[0000] Δ V 1=(1−(−1))/(5−0)×0.1=0.04 (volts)
[0049] Namely, the micro-controller unit 40 can receive the first analog output voltage Vo 1 in 0.1 volts variation when the analog input voltage Vin is changed in 0.04 volts. Hence, the resolution (ΔV 1 =0.04 volts) is better than the voltage resolution (ΔV=0.4 volts) of prior art.
[0050] It follows from what has been said that the present invention has the following advantages:
[0051] 1. The inverter apparatus provides a larger voltage gain in a small-signal portion of the analog input signal and a smaller voltage gain in a large-signal portion of the analog input signal.
[0052] 2. The inverter apparatus provides a high-resolution voltage variation to accurately control a drive apparatus.
[0053] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.
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An inverter apparatus has an adaptable high-resolution voltage-to-frequency (V/f) control. The inverter apparatus receives an analog input signal and includes a first circuit, a second circuit, a third circuit, and a micro-controller unit. The first circuit processes a small-signal portion of the analog input signal with a larger voltage gain. The second and the third circuit both processes large-signal portions of the analog input signal with smaller voltage gains respectively. The three processed analog input signals of the first, the second, and the third circuits are converted into three digital output values respectively. The largest digital output value is selected by the micro-controller unit and supplied to a frequency operation unit for generating a corresponding output frequency.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/896,280, filed Jul. 18, 1997 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,860, and claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/022,198, filed Jul. 19, 1996, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention is pentafluorobenzenesulfonamide derivatives and analogs and their use as pharmacologically active agents.
BACKGROUND
A number of human diseases stem from processes of uncontrolled or abnormal cellular proliferation. Most prevalent among these is cancer, a generic name for a wide range of cellular malignancies characterized by unregulated growth, lack of differentiation, and the ability to invade local tissues and metastasize. These neoplastic malignancies affect, with various degrees of prevalence, every tissue and organ in the body. A multitude of therapeutic agents have been developed over the past few decades for the treatment of various types of cancer. The most commonly used types of anticancer agents include: DNA-alkylating agents (e.g., cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide), antimetabolites (e.g., methotrexate, a folate antagonist, and 5-fluorouracil, a pyrimidine antagonist), microtubule disruptors (e.g., vincristine, vinblastine, paclitaxel), DNA intercalators (e.g., doxorubicin, daunomycin, cisplatin), and hormone therapy (e.g., tamoxifen, flutamide). The ideal antineoplastic drug would kill cancer cells selectively, with a wide therapeutic index relative to its toxicity towards non-malignant cells. It would also retain its efficacy against malignant cells even after prolonged exposure to the drug. Unfortunately, none of the current chemotherapies possess an ideal profile. Most possess very narrow therapeutic indexes, and in practically every instance cancerous cells exposed to slightly sublethal concentrations of a chemotherapeutic agent will develop resistance to such an agent, and quite often cross-resistance to several other antineoplastic agents.
Psoriasis, a common chronic skin disease characterized by the presence of dry scales and plaques, is generally thought to be the result of abnormal cell proliferation. The disease results from hyperproliferation of the epidermis and incomplete differentiation of keratinocytes. Psoriasis often involves the scalp, elbows, knees, back, buttocks, nails, eyebrows, and genital regions, and may range in severity from mild to extremely debilitating, resulting in psoriatic arthritis, pustular psoriasis, and exfoliative psoriatic dermatitis. No therapeutic cure exists for psoriasis. Milder cases are often treated with topical corticosteroids, but more severe cases may be treated with antiproliferative agents, such as the antimetabolite methotrexate, the DNA synthesis inhibitor hydroxyurea, and the microtubule disrupter colchicine.
Other diseases associated with an abnormally high level of cellular proliferation include restenosis, where vascular smooth muscle cells are involved, inflammatory disease states, where endothelial cells, inflammatory cells and glomerular cells are involved, myocardial infarction, where heart muscle cells are involved, glomerular nephritis, where kidney cells are involved, transplant rejection, where endothelial cells are involved, infectious diseases such as HIV infection and malaria, where certain immune cells and/or other infected cells are involved, and the like. Infectious and parasitic agents per se (e.g. bacteria, trypanosomes, fungi, etc) are also subject to selective proliferative control using the subject compositions and compounds.
Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to provide compounds which directly or indirectly are toxic to actively dividing cells and are useful in the treatment of cancer, viral and bacterial infections, vascular restenosis, inflammatory diseases, autoimmune diseases, and psoriasis.
A further object of the present invention is to provide therapeutic compositions for treating said conditions.
Still further objects are to provide methods for killing actively proliferating cells, such as cancerous, bacterial, or epithelial cells, and treating all types of cancers, infections, inflammatory, and generally proliferative conditions. A further object is to provide methods for treating other medical conditions characterized by the presence of rapidly proliferating cells, such as psoriasis and other skin disorders.
Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claims.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides methods and compositions relating to novel pentafluorophenylsulfonamide derivatives and analogs and their use as pharmacologically active agents. The compositions find particular use as pharmacological agents in the treatment of disease states, particularly cancer, bacterial infections and psoriasis, or as lead compounds for the development of such agents.
In one embodiment, the invention provides for the pharmaceutical use of compounds of the general formula I and for pharmaceutically acceptable compositions of compounds of formula I:
or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:
Y is —S(O)— or —S(O) 2 —; Z is —NR 1 R 2 or —OR 3 , where R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C10)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C10)alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C6)alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C2-C6)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C6)heteroalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C6)alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C5-C7)cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C5-C7)cycloalkadienyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C3-C8)cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C5-C7)cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy-(C3-C8)cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C1-C4)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C1-C4)alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C1-C4)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C3-C6)alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy-(C1-C4)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy-(C2-C4)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryloxy, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C1-C4)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C1-C4)alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C1-C4)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C3-C6)alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryloxy-(C1-C4)alkyl, and substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryloxy-(C2-C4)heteroalkyl,
wherein R 1 and R 2 may be connected by a linking group E to give a substituent of the formula
wherein E represents a bond, (C1-C4) alkylene, or (C1-C4) heteroalkylene, and the ring formed by R 1 , E, R 2 and the nitrogen contains no more than 8 atoms, or preferably the R 1 and R 2 may be covalently joined in a moiety that forms a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring with the nitrogen atom of NR 1 R 2 ;
and where R 3 is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl group.
Substituents for the alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl, heteroalkyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, and cycloalkadienyl radicals are selected independently from
—H —OH —O—(C1-C10)alkyl ═O —NH 2 —NH—(C1-C10)alkyl —N[(C1-C10)alkyl] 2 —SH —S—(C1-C10)alkyl -halo —Si[(C1-C10)alkyl] 3
in a number ranging from zero to (2N+1), where N is the total number of carbon atoms in such radical.
Substituents for the aryl and heteroaryl groups are selected independently from
-halo —OH —O—R′ —O—C(O)—R′ —NH 2 —NHR′ —NR′R″ —SH —SR′ —R′ —CN —NO 2 —CO 2 H —CO 2 —R′ —CONH 2 —CONH—R′ —CONR′R″ —O—C(O)—NH—R′ —O—C(O)—NR′R″ —NH—C(O)—R′ —NR″—C(O)—R′ —NH—C(O)—OR′ —NR″—C(O)—R′ —NH—C(NH 2 )═NH —NR′—C(NH 2 )═NH —NH—C(NH 2 )═NR′ —S(O)—R′ —S(O) 2 —R′ —S(O) 2 —NH—R′ —S(O) 2 —NR′R″ —N 3 —CH(Ph) 2 substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy substituted or unsubstituted arylamino substituted or unsubstituted heteroarylamino substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryloxy substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C1-C4)alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C1-C4)alkoxy, perfluoro(C1-C4)alkoxy, and perfluoro(C1-C4)alkyl,
in a number ranging from zero to the total number of open valences on the aromatic ring system;
and where R′ and R″ are independently selected from:
substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C10)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C10)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C2-C6)alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C2-C6)heteroalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C2-C6)alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C8)heterocycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C5-C6)cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C5-C6)cycloalkadienyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C1-C4)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C1-C4)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C2-C6)alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy-(C1-C4)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy-(C1-C4)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C1-C4)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C1-C4)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C2-C6)alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryloxy-(C1-C4)alkyl, and substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryloxy-(C1-C4)heteroalkyl.
Two of the substituents on adjacent atoms of the aryl or heteroaryl ring may optionally be replaced with a substituent of the formula —T—C(O)—(CH 2 ) n —U—, wherein T and U are independently selected from N, O, and C, and n=0-2. Alternatively, two of the substituents on adjacent atoms of the aryl or heteroaryl ring may optionally be replaced with a substituent of the formula —A—(CH2)p-B—, wherein A and B are independently selected from C, O, N, S, SO, SO 2 , and SO 2 NR′, and p=1-3. One of the single bonds of the new ring so formed may optionally be replaced with a double bond. Alternatively, two of the substituents on adjacent atoms of the aryl or heteroaryl ring may optionally be replaced with a substituent of the formula —(CH 2 ) q —X—(CH 2 ) r —, where q and r are independently 1-3, and X is selected from O, N, S, SO, SO 2 and SO 2 NR′. The substituent R′ in SO 2 NR′ is selected from hydrogen or (C1-C6)alkyl.
In another embodiment, the invention provides novel methods for the use of pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds of the foregoing description of the general formula I. The invention provides novel methods for treating pathology such as cancer, bacterial infections and psoriasis, including administering to a patient an effective formulation of one or more of the subject compositions.
In another embodiment, the invention provides chemically-stable, pharmacologically active compounds of general formula I:
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein:
Y is —S(O)— or —S(O 2 )—; and
Z is NR 1 R 2 , wherein R 2 is an optionally substituted aryl or heteroaryl group, and R 1 is selected from:
hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C10)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C1-C10)alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C6)alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C2-C6)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C6)heteroalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C6)alkynyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C3-C8)cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C5-C7)cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted (C5-C7)cycloalkadienyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C3-C8)cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C5-C7)cycloalkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy-(C3-C8)cycloalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C1-C4)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C1-C4)alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C1-C4)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl-(C3-C6)alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy-(C1-C4)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryloxy-(C2-C4)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryloxy, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C1-C4)alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C1-C4)alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C1-C4)heteroalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl-(C3-C6)alkenyl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryloxy-(C1-C4)alkyl, and substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryloxy-(C2-C4)heteroalkyl,
wherein R 1 and R 2 may be connected by a linking group E to give a substituent of the formula
wherein E represents a bond, (C1-C4) alkylene, or (C1-C4) heteroalkylene, and the ring formed by R 1 , E, R 2 and the nitrogen contains no more than 8 atoms, or preferably the R 1 and R 2 may be covalently joined in a moiety that forms a 5- or 6-membered heterocyclic ring with the nitrogen atom of NR 1 R 2 ;
provided that:
in the case that Y is —S(O 2 )—, and R 1 is hydrogen or methyl, then R 2 is substituted phenyl or heteroaryl group;
in the case that Y is —S(O 2 )— and R 2 is a ring system chosen from 1-naphthyl, 5-quinolyl, or 4-pyridyl, then either R 1 is not hydrogen or R 2 is substituted by at least one substituent that is not hydrogen;
in the case that Y is —S(O 2 )—, R 2 is phenyl, and R 1 is a propylene unit attaching the nitrogen of —NR 1 R 2 — to the 2- position of the phenyl ring in relation to the sulfonamido group to form a 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline system, one or more of the remaining valences on the bicyclic system so formed is substituted with at least one substituent that is not hydrogen;
in the case that Y is —S(O 2 )— and R 2 is phenyl substituted with 3-(1-hydroxyethyl), 3-dimethylamino, 4-dimethylamino, 4-phenyl, 3-hydroxy, 3-hydroxy-4-diethylaminomethyl, 3,4-methylenedioxy, 3,4-ethylenedioxy, 2-(1-pyrrolyl), or 2-methoxy-4-(1-morpholino), then either R 1 is not hydrogen or when R 1 is hydrogen, one or more of the remaining valences on the phenyl ring of R 2 is substituted with a substituent that is not hydrogen;
in the case that Y is —S(O 2 )— and R 2 is 2-methylbenzothiazol-5-yl, 6-hydroxy-4-methyl-pyrimidin-2-yl, 3-carbomethoxypyrazin-2-yl, 5-carbomethoxypyrazin-2-yl, 4-carboethoxy-1-phenylpyrazol-5-yl, 3-methylpyrazol-5-yl, 4-chloro-2-methylthiopyrimidin-6-yl, 2-trifluoromethyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-5-yl, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthyl, 4-methylthiazol-2-yl, 6,7-dihydroindan-5-yl, 7-chloro-5-methyl-1,8-naphthyridin-2-yl, 5,7-dimethyl-1,8-naphthyridin-2-yl, or 3-cyanopyrazol-4-yl, R 1 is a group other than hydrogen.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The term “alkyl” by itself or as part of another substituent means, unless otherwise stated, a straight or branched chain hydrocarbon radical, including di- and multi-radicals, having the number of carbon atoms designated (i.e. C1-C10 means one to ten carbons) and includes straight or branched chain groups such as methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, t-butyl, isobutyl, sec-butyl, homologs and isomers of n-pentyl, n-hexyl, 2-methylpentyl, 1,5-dimethylhexyl, 1-methyl-4-isopropylhexyl and the like. The term “alkylene” by itself or as part of another substituent means a divalent radical derived from an alkane, as exemplified by —CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 —. A “lower alkyl” is a shorter chain alkyl, generally having six or fewer carbon atoms.
The term “heteroalkyl” by itself or in combination with another term means, unless otherwise stated, a stable straight or branched chain radical consisting of the stated number of carbon atoms and one or two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, N, and S, and wherein the nitrogen and sulfur atoms may optionally be oxidized and the nitrogen heteroatom may optionally be quaternized. The heteroatom(s) may be placed at any position of the heteroalkyl group, including between the rest of the heteroalkyl group and the fragment to which it is attached, as well as attached to the most distal carbon atom in the heteroalkyl group. Examples include —O—CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 3 , —CH 2 —CH 2 —O—CH 3 , —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —OH, —CH 2 —CH 2 —NH—CH 3 , —CH 2 —CH 2 —N(CH 3 )—CH 3 , —CH 2 —S—CH 2 —CH 3 , —CH 2 —CH 2 —S(O)—CH 3 , —O—CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 2 —NH—CH 3 , and —CH 2 —CH 2 —S(O) 2 —CH 3 . Up to two heteroatoms may be consecutive, such as, for example, —CH 2 —NH—OCH 3 . The term “heteroalkylene” by itself or as part of another substituent means a divalent radical derived from heteroalkyl, as exemplified by —CH 2 —CH 2 —S—CH 2 —CH 2 — and —CH 2 —S—CH 2 —CH 2 NH—.
The terms “cycloalkyl” and “heterocycloalkyl”, by themselves or in combination with other terms, represent, unless otherwise stated, cyclic versions of “alkyl” and “heteroalkyl”, respectively. Examples of cycloalkyl include cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, cycloheptyl, and the like. Examples of heterocycloalkyl include 1-piperidinyl, 2-piperidinyl, 3-piperidinyl, 4-morpholinyl, 3-morpholinyl, tetrahydrofuran-2-yl, tetrahydrofuran-3-yl, tetrahydrothien-2-yl, tetrahydrothien-3-yl, 1-piperazinyl, 2-piperazinyl, and the like.
The term “alkenyl” employed alone or in combination with other terms, means, unless otherwise stated, a stable straight chain or branched monounsaturated or diunsaturated hydrocarbon group having the stated number of carbon atoms. Examples include vinyl, propenyl (allyl), crotyl, isopentenyl, butadienyl, 1,3-pentadienyl, 1,4-pentadienyl, and the higher homologs and isomers. A divalent radical derived from an alkene is exemplified by —CH═CH—CH 2 —.
The term “heteroalkenyl” by itself or in combination with another term means, unless otherwise stated, a stable straight or branched chain monounsaturated or diunsaturated hydrocarbon radical consisting of the stated number of carbon atoms and one or two heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of O, N, and S, and wherein the nitrogen and sulfur atoms may optionally be oxidized and the nitrogen heteroatom may optionally be quarternized. Up to two heteroatoms may be placed consecutively. Examples include —CH═CH—O—CH 3 , —CH═CH—CH 2 —OH, —CH 2 —CH═N—OCH 3 , —CH═CH—N(CH 3 )—CH 3 , and —CH 2 —CH═CH—CH 2 —SH.
The term “alkynyl” employed alone or in combination with other terms, means, unless otherwise stated, a stable straight chain or branched hydrocarbon group having the stated number of carbon atoms, and containing one or two carbon-carbon triple bonds, such as ethynyl, 1- and 3-propynyl, 4-but-1-ynyl, and the higher homologs and isomers.
The term “alkoxy” employed alone or in combination with other terms, means, unless otherwise stated, an alkyl group, as defined above, connected to the rest of the molecule via an oxygen atom, such as, for example, methoxy, ethoxy, 1-propoxy, 2-propoxy and the higher homologs and isomers.
The terms “halo” or “halogen” by themselves or as part of another substituent mean, unless otherwise stated, a fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine atom.
The term “aryl” employed alone or in combination with other terms, means, unless otherwise stated, a phenyl, 1-naphthyl, or 2-naphthyl group. The maximal number of substituents allowed on each one of these ring systems is five, seven, and seven, respectively. Substituents are selected from the group of acceptable substituents listed above.
The term “heteroaryl” by itself or as part of another substituent means, unless otherwise stated, an unsubstituted or substituted, stable, mono- or bicyclic heterocyclic aromatic ring system which consists of carbon atoms and from one to four heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of N, O, and S, and wherein the nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms may optionally be oxidized, and the nitrogen atom may optionally be quaternized. The heterocyclic system may be attached, unless otherwise stated at any heteroatom or carbon atom which affords a stable structure. The heterocyclic system may be substituted or unsubstituted with one to four substituents independently selected from the list of acceptable aromatic substituents listed above. Examples of such heterocycles include 2-pyrrolyl, 3-pyrrolyl, 3-pyrazolyl, 2-imidazolyl, 4-imidazolyl, pyrazinyl, 2-oxazolyl, 4-oxazolyl, 5-oxazolyl, 3-isoxazolyl, 4-isoxazolyl, 5-isoxazolyl, 2-thiazolyl, 4-thiazolyl, 5-thiazolyl, 2-furyl, 3-furyl, 2-thienyl, 3-thienyl, 2-pyridyl, 3-pyridyl, 4-pyridyl, 2-pyrimidyl, 4-pyrimidyl, 5-benzothiazolyl, purinyl, 2-benzimidazolyl, 5-indolyl, 1-isoquinolyl, 5-isoquinolyl, 2-quinoxalinyl, 5-quinoxalinyl, 3-quinolyl, and 6-quinolyl.
Pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds of Formula I include salts of these compounds with relatively nontoxic acids or bases, depending on the particular substituents found on specific compounds of Formula I. When compounds of Formula I contain relatively acidic functionalities, base addition salts can be obtained by contacting the neutral form of compound I with a sufficient amount of the desired base, either neat or in a suitable inert solvent. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable base addition salts include sodium, potassium, calcium, ammonium, organic amino, or magnesium salt, or a similar salt. When compounds of Formula I contain relatively basic functionalities, acid addition salts can be obtained by contacting the neutral form of compound I with a sufficient amount of the desired acid, either neat or in a suitable inert solvent. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts include those derived from inorganic acids like hydrochloric, hydrobromic, nitric, carbonic, monohydrogencarbonic, phosphoric, monohydrogenphosphoric, dihydrogenphosphoric, sulfuric, monohydrogensulfuric, hydriodic, or phosphorous acids and the like, as well as the salts derived from relatively nontoxic organic acids like acetic, propionic, isobutyric, oxalic, maleic, malonic, benzoic, succinic, suberic, fumaric, mandelic, phthalic, benzenesulfonic, p-tolylsulfonic, citric, tartaric, methanesulfonic, and the like. Also included are salts of amino acids such as arginate and the like, and salts of organic acids like gluconic or galactunoric acids and the like (see, for example, Berge, S. M., et al, “Pharmaceutical Salts”, Journal of Pharmaceutical Science , Vol. 66, pages 1-19 (1977)). Certain specific compounds of Formula I contain both basic and acidic functionalities that allow the compounds to be converted into either base or acid addition salts.
The free base form may be regenerated by contacting the salt with a base or acid and isolating the parent compound in the conventional manner. The parent form of the compound differs from the various salt forms in certain physical properties, such as solubility in polar solvents, but otherwise the salts are equivalent to the parent form of the compound for the purposes of the present invention.
Certain compounds of the present invention can exist in unsolvated forms as well as solvated forms, including hydrated forms. In general, the solvated forms are equivalent to unsolvated forms and are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention.
Certain compounds of the present invention possess asymmetric carbon atoms (optical centers); the racemates, diastereomers, and individual isomers are all intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention.
The compounds of the present invention may also contain unnatural proportions of atomic isotopes at one or more of the atoms that constitute such compounds. For example, the compounds may be radiolabeled with radioactive isotopes, such as for example tritium ( 3 H) or carbon-14 ( 14 C). All isotopic variations of the compounds of the present invention, whether radioactive or not, are intended to be encompassed within the scope of the present invention.
In various preferred embodiments of the pharmaceutical compositions of compounds of formula I, Y is S(O 2 ) and Z is NR 1 R 2 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen or methyl, and R 2 is a substituted phenyl, preferably mono-, di-, or trisubstituted as follows. In one group of preferred compounds, Y is S(O 2 ) and Z is NR 1 R 2 , wherein R 1 is hydrogen or methyl, and R 2 is a phenyl group, preferably substituted in the para position by one of the following groups: hydroxy, amino, (C1-C10)alkoxy, (C1-C10)alkyl, (C1-C10)alkylamino, and [di(C1-C10)alkyl]amino, with up to four additional substituents independently chosen from hydrogen, halogen, (C1-C10)alkoxy, (C1-C10)alkyl, and [di(C1-C10)alkyl]amino. Also preferred are compounds of formula I where there is no linking group E between R 1 and R 2 .
Illustrative examples of pharmaceutical compositions and compounds of the subject pharmaceutical methods include:
2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfinamidobenzene; 4-Dimethylamino-1-pentafluorophenylsulfinamidobenzene; 4-Methyl-6-methoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyrimidine; 4,6-Dimethoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyrimidine; 2-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidothiophene; 3-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidothiophene; 3-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine; 4-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine; 4-(N,N,-Dimethylamino)-1-(N-ethylpentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-benzene; 4-tert-Butoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-tert-Butoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-tert-Butoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Isopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Isopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Isopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Methoxy-1,3-difluoro-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Cyclopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Fluoro-4-cyclopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Hydroxy-4-cyclopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Hydroxy-2,3-methylenedioxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Hydroxy-2,3-ethylenedioxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Hydroxy-2,3-carbodioxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1,3-Dihydroxy-2-ethoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonylindole; 1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonyl(2,3-dihydro)indole; 1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonyl(1,2-dihydro)quinoline; 1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonyl(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro)quinoline; 3,4-Difluoro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Trifluoromethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Chloro-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine; 2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-[N-5-hydroxypent-1-yl)pentafluorophenyl-sulfonamido]benzene; 4-(1,1-Dimethyl)ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Bromo-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Bromo-4-methoxy-5-hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Bromo-4-fluoro-5-methoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Chloro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Chloro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Nitro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzene; 4-Methoxy-1-[N-(2-propenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido]benzene; 1-(N-(3-Butenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene; 4-Methoxy-1-(N-(4-pentenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene; 1-[N-(2,3-Dihydroxypropyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido]-4-methoxy-benzene; 1-(N-(3,4-Dihydroxybutyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene; 1-(N-(4,5-Dihydroxypentyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene; 1-(N-(4-hydroxybutyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene; 4-Methoxy-1-(N-(5-hydroxypentyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-benzene; 3-Amino-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Butoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-4-phenoxybenzene; 6-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoquinoline; 2,3-Dihydro-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoindole; 5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzo[a]thiophene; 5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzo[a]furan; 3-Hydroxy-4-(1-propenyl)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Benzyloxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Methylmercapto-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Allyloxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-4-propoxybenzene; 4-(1-Methyl)ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1,2-Methylenedioxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1,2-Dimethoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4(N,N-Diethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Amino-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoindazole; 4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-(N-methylpentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-benzene; 1,2-Dihydroxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3,5-Dimethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 7-Hydroxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidonaphthalene; 3-Phenoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-(1-Morpholino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene; 2-Hydroxy-1,3-methoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1,2-Dihydroxy-3-methoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene; 3-Hydroxy-5-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3,5-Dihydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-(N-methylpentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene; 4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, hydrochloride; 2-Methoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine; and 2-Anilino-3-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine.
Examples of the most preferred pharmaceutical compositions and compounds of the subject pharmaceutical methods include:
4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1,2-Ethylenedioxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, sodium salt; 2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, potassium salt; 2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, sodium salt; 2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, potassium salt; 4-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1,2-Dimethyl-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoindole; 4-Ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Bromo-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Chloro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Bromo-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Bromo-4-methoxy-5-hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Bromo-4-fluoro-5-methoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Chloro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; and 3-Amino-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene.
The invention provides for certain novel compounds of general Formula I that possess one or more valuable biological activities such as a pharmacologic, toxicologic, metabolic, etc.
Exemplary compounds of this embodiment of the invention include:
2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfinamidobenzene;
4-Dimethylamino-1-pentafluorophenylsulfinamidobenzene;
4-Methyl-6-methoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyrimidine;
4,6-Dimethoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyrimidine;
2-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidothiophene;
3-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidothiophene;
3-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine;
4-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine;
4-(N,N,-Dimethylammonio)-1-(N-ethylpentafluorophenylsulfonamido) benzene;
4-tert-Butoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
3-tert-Butoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
2-tert-Butoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-Isopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
3-Isopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
2-Isopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
2-Methoxy-1,3-difluoro-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1-Hydroxy-2,3-methylenedioxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1-Hydroxy-2,3-ethylenedioxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1-Hydroxy-2,3-carbodioxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1,3-Dihydroxy-2-ethoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonylindole;
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonyl(2,3-dihydro)indole;
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonyl(1,2-dihydro)quinoline;
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonyl(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro)quinoline;
3,4-Difluoro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-Trifluoromethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
2-Chloro-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine;
2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-[N-5-hydroxypent-1-yl)pentafluorophenyl-sulfonamido]benzene;
4-(1,1-Dimethyl)ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1-Bromo-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
2-Bromo-4-methoxy-5-hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1-Bromo4-fluoro-5-methoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
3-Chloro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-Chloro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
3-Nitro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-3-(trifluoromethyl)benzene;
4-Methoxy-1-[N-(2-propenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido]benzene;
1-(N-(3-Butenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene;
4-Methoxy-1-(N-(4-pentenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene;
1-[N-(2,3-Dihydroxypropyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido]-4-methoxy-benzene;
1-(N-(3,4-Dihydroxybutyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene;
1-(N-(4,5-Dihydroxypentyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene;
1-(N-(4-hydroxybutyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene;
4-Methoxy-1-(N-(5-hydroxypentyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-benzene;
3-Amino-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-Butoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-4-phenoxybenzene;
4-Benzyloxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-Methylmercapto-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
2-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-Allyloxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-4-propoxybenzene;
4-(1-Methyl)ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1,2-Methylenedioxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1,2-Dimethoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-(N,N-Diethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-Amino-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoindazole;
4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-(N-methylpentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-benzene;
1,2-Dihydroxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
3,5-Dimethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
3-Ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
7-Hydroxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidonaphthalene;
3-Phenoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
4-(1-Morpholino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene;
2-Hydroxy-1,3-methoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
1,2-Dihydroxy-3-methoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene;
4-Cyclopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
3-Fluoro-4-cyclopropoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
6-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoquinoline;
2,3-Dihydro-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoindole;
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzo[a]thiophene;
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzo[a]furan;
3-Hydroxy-4-(1-propenyl)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
3-Hydroxy-5-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
3,5-Dihydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene;
2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-(N-methylpentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene;
4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, hydrochloride; and,
2-Anilino-3-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine.
Preferred compounds of this embodiment of the invention have specific pharmacological properties. Examples of the most preferred compounds of this embodiment of the invention include:
4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1,2-Ethylenedioxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, sodium salt; 2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, potassium salt; 2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, sodium salt; 2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene, potassium salt; 4-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1,2-Dimethyl-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoindole; 4-Ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 3-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Bromo-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Chloro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Bromo-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 2-Bromo-4-methoxy-5-hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 1-Bromo-4-fluoro-5-methoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; 4-Chloro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene; and 3-Amino-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene.
Synthesis
The invention provides methods of making the subject compounds and compositions. In one general embodiment, the methods involve combining pentafluorophenylsulfonyl chloride with an amine having the general formula R 1 R 2 NH under conditions whereby the pentafluorophenylsulfonyl chloride and amine react to form the desired compound, and isolating the compound.
Compounds with the generic structure 1 or 3 (Scheme I) may be prepared by reacting the appropriate starting amine in a solvent such as tetrahydrofuran (THF), dimethylformamide (DMF), ether, toluene or benzene in the presence of a base such as pyridine, p-dimethylaminopyridine, triethylamine, sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate and pentafluorophenylsulfonyl chloride or pentafluorophenylsulfinyl chloride, respectively. Pyridine itself may also be used as the solvent. Preferred solvents are pyridine and DMF and preferred bases are pyridine, triethylamine, and potassium carbonate. This reaction can be carried out at a temperature range of 0° C. to 100° C., conveniently at ambient temperature.
Compounds of the generic structure 1 can also be obtained by treating the starting sulfonamide (Scheme II) with a base such as LDA, NaH, dimsyl salt, alkyl lithium, potassium carbonate, under an inert atmosphere such as argon or nitrogen, in a solvent such as benzene, toluene, DMF or THF with an alkylating group containing a leaving group such a Cl, Br, I, MsO—, TsO—, TFAO—, represented by E in Scheme II. A preferred solvent for this reaction is THF and the preferred base is lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide. This reaction can be carried out at a temperature range of 0° C. to 100° C., conveniently at ambient temperature.
Sulfonic esters (2) and sulfinic esters (4) may be prepared by reacting the appropriate starting phenol in a solvent such as THF, DMF, toluene or benzene in the presence of a base such as pyridine, triethylamine, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate or 4-dimethylaminopyridine with pentafluorophenylsulfonyl chloride or pentafluorophenylsulfinyl chloride, respectively. Pyridine itself may also be used as the solvent. Preferred solvents are pyridine and DMF and preferred bases are sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate. This reaction can be carried out at a temperature range of 0° C. to 100° C., conveniently at ambient temperature.
Compounds of the general structure 5, in which Ar is an aromatic group and x is from one to three, can be obtained from the corresponding methyl ethers (Scheme III) by reaction with boron tribromide in a solvent of low polarity such as hexanes or CH 2 Cl 2 under an inert atmosphere at a temperature ranging from −45° to 30° C. In a preferred embodiment, the reaction is carried out in CH 2 Cl 2 at about 30° C.
Occasionally, the substrates for the transformations shown in Schemes I-III may contain functional groups (for example, amino, hydroxy or carboxy) which are not immediately compatible with the conditions of the given reaction. In such cases, these groups may be protected with a suitable protective group, and this protective group removed subsequent to the transformation to give the original functionality using well know procedures such as those illustrated in T. W. Greene and P. G. M. Wuts, Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, Second Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1991.
The compounds used as initial starting materials in this invention may be purchased from commercial sources or alternatively are readily synthesized by standard procedures which are well know to those of ordinary skill in the art.
Some of the compounds of formula I may exist as stereoisomers, and the invention includes all active stereoisomeric forms of these compounds. In the case of optically active isomers, such compounds may be obtained from corresponding optically active precursors using the procedures described above or by resolving racemic mixtures. The resolution may be carried out using various techniques such as chromatography, repeated recrystallization of derived asymmetric salts, or derivatization, which techniques are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
The compounds of formula I which are acidic or basic in nature can form a wide variety of salts with various inorganic and organic bases or acids, respectively. These salts must be pharmacologically acceptable for administration to mammals. Salts of the acidic compounds of this invention are readily prepared by treating the acid compound with an appropriate molar quantity of the chosen inorganic or organic base in an aqueous or suitable organic solvent and then evaporating the solvent to obtain the salt. Acid addition salts of the basic compounds of this invention can be obtained similarly by treatment with the desired inorganic or organic acid and subsequent solvent evaporation and isolation.
The compounds of the invention may be labeled in a variety of ways. For example, the compounds may be provided as radioactive isotopes; for example, tritium and the 14 C-isotopes. Similarly, the compounds may be advantageously joined, covalently or noncovalently, to a wide variety of joined compounds which may provide pro-drugs or function as carriers, labels, adjuvents, coactivators, stabilizers, etc. Hence, compounds having the requisite structural limitations encompass such compounds joined directly or indirectly (e.g. through a linker molecule), to such joined compounds.
A wide variety of indications may be treated, either prophylactically or therapeutically, with the compounds and compositions of the present invention. For example, the subject compounds and compositions have been found to be effective modulators of cell proliferation. Limitation of cell growth is effected by contacting a target cell, in or ex vivo, with an effective amount of one or more of the subject compositions or compounds. Compounds may be assayed for their ability to modulate cellular proliferation using cell and animal models to evaluate cell growth inhibition and cytotoxicity, which models are known in the art, but are exemplified by the method of S. A. Ahmed et al. (1994) J. Immunol. Methods 170: 211-224, for determining the effects of compounds on cell growth.
Conditions amenable to treatment by the compounds and compositions of the present invention include any state of undesirable cell growth, including various neoplastic diseases, abnormal cellular proliferations and metastatic diseases, where any of a wide variety of cell types may be involved, including cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma, Wilms tumor, lymphoma, leukemia, myeloma, melanoma, breast, ovarian, lung, etc, and others such as cystic disease, cataracts, psoriasis, etc. Other conditions include restenosis, where vascular smooth muscle cells are involved, inflammatory disease states, where endothelial cells, inflammatory cells and glomerular cells are involved, myocardial infarction, where heart muscle cells are involved, glomerular nephritis, where kidney cells are involved, transplant rejection, where endothelial cells are involved, infectious diseases such as HIV infection and malaria, where certain immune cells and/or other infected cells are involved, and the like. Infectious and parasitic agents per se (e.g. trypanosomes, fungi, etc) are also subject to selective proliferative control using the subject compositions and compounds.
Many of the subject compounds have been shown to bind to the β-subunit of tubulin and interfere with normal tubulin function. Hence, the compounds provide agents for modulating cytoskeletal structure and/or function. Preferred compounds bind irreversibly or covalently, and hence provide enhanced application over prior art microtubule disruptors such as colchicine. The compositions may be advantageously combined and/or used in combination with other antiproliferative chemotherapeutic agents, different from the subject compounds (see Margolis et al. (1993) U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,409). Additional relevant literature includes: Woo et al. (1994) WO94/08041; Bouchard et al. (1996) WO96/13494; Bombardelli et al. (1996) WO96/11184; Bonura et al. (1992) WO92/15291.
Analysis
The subject compositions were demonstrated to have pharmacological activity in in vitro and in vivo assays, e.g. are capable of specifically modulating a cellular physiology to reduce an associated pathology or provide or enhance a prophylaxis. Preferred compounds display specific toxicity to various types of cells. Certain compounds and compositions of the present invention exert their cytotoxic effects by interacting with cellular tubulin. For certain preferred compounds and compositions of the present invention, that interaction is covalent and irreversible. For example, exposure of a wide variety of tissue and cell samples, e.g. human breast carcinoma MCF7 cells, to tritiated forms of these preferred compounds, e.g. Compound 7 (Example 72), results in the irreversible labeling of only one detectable cellular protein, which was found to be tubulin. This protein is a key component of microtubules, which constitute the cytoskeleton and also play critical roles in many other aspects of the cell's physiology, including cell division. The labeling of tubulin by the subject preferred compounds is also shown to be dose-dependent. The site of covalent binding on tubulin is identified as Cysteine-239 on the β-tubulin chain. The same Cys-239 residue is selectively covalently modified when present in a wide variety of Cys-239 containing β-tubulin petides (e.g. Ser-234 to Met-267) provided in vitro or in vivo. One embodiment of these preferred compounds provides the binding mechanism shown in Scheme IV, namely, displacement of the para-fluorine atom by the thiol group of Cys-239. Consistent with the ability of these compounds to bind to β-tubulin, treatment of a wide variety of cell and tissue types with various concentrations of the compounds resulted in widespread, irreversible disruption of the cytoskeleton of most cells.
As discribed inter alia in Luduena (1993) Mol Biol of the Cell 4, 445-457, tubulin defines a family of heterodimers of two polypeptides, designated α and β. Moreover, animals express multiple forms (isotypes) of each α and β polypeptides from multiple a and β genes. Many β isotypes comprise a conserved cysteine, Cys-239 (of human β2 tubulin: because of upstream sequence variations, the absolute position of Cys-239 is subject to variation, though Cys-239 is readily identified by those in the art by its relative position (i.e. context within encompassing consensus sequence, e.g. at least 8, preferably 12, more preferably 16, most preferably 20 residue consensus peptide region of the isotype or fragment thereof, which region contains Cys-239). By selective binding to Cys-239 is meant that Cys-239 is preferentially bound relative to all other residues, including cysteins of the protein, by at least at least a factor of 2, preferably 10, more preferably 100, most preferably 1,000. In a particularly prefered embodiment, Cys-239 is substantially exclusively and preferably exclusive bound. By selective binding to or modification of tubulin is meant that tubulin is preferentially modified relative to all other proteins, by at least a factor of 2, preferably 10, more preferably 100, most preferably 1,000. In a particularly prefered embodiment, tubulin is substantially exclusively and preferably exclusive modified.
Compounds may be evaluated in vitro for their ability to inhibit cell growth, for example, as described in S. A. Ahmed et al. (1994) J. Immunol. Methods 170:211-224. In addition, established animal models to evaluate antiproliferative effects of compounds are known in the art. For example, several of the compounds disclosed herein are shown to inhibit the growth of human tumors, including MDR and taxol and/or vinblastine-restistant tumors, grafted into immunodeficient mice (using methodology similar to that reported by J. Rygaard and C. O. Povlsen (1969) Acta Pathol. Microbiol. Scand. 77:758-760, and reviewed by B. C. Giovanella and J. Fogh (1985) Adv. Cancer Res. 44:69-120.
Formulation and Administration
The invention provides methods of using the subject compounds and compositions to treat disease or provide medicinal prophylaxis, to slow down and/or reduce the growth of tumors, to treat bacterial infections, etc. These methods generally involve contacting cells with or administering to the host an effective amount of the subject compounds or pharmaceutically acceptable compositions.
The compositions and compounds of the invention and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof can be administered in any effective way such as via oral, parenteral or topical routes. Generally, the compounds are administered in dosages ranging from about 2 mg up to about 2,000 mg per day, although variations will necessarily occur depending on the disease target, the patient, and the route of administration. Preferred dosages are administered orally in the range of about 0.05 mg/kg to about 20 mg/kg, more preferably in the range of about 0.05 mg/kg to about 2 mg/kg, most preferably in the range of about 0.05 mg/kg to about 0.2 mg per kg of body weight per day.
In one embodiment, the invention provides the subject compounds combined with a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient such as sterile saline or other medium, water, gelatin, an oil, etc. to form pharmaceutically acceptable compositions. The compositions and/or compounds may be administered alone or in combination with any convenient carrier, diluent, etc. and such administration may be provided in single or multiple dosages. Useful carriers include solid, semi-solid or liquid media including water and non-toxic organic solvents.
In another embodiment, the invention provides the subject compounds in the form of a pro-drug, which can be metabolically converted to the subject compound by the recipient host. A wide variety of pro-drug formulations are known in the art.
The compositions may be provided in any convenient form including tablets, capsules, lozenges, troches, hard candies, powders, sprays, creams, suppositories, etc. As such the compositions, in pharmaceutically acceptable dosage units or in bulk, may be incorporated into a wide variety of containers. For example, dosage units may be included in a variety of containers including capsules, pills, etc.
The compositions may be advantageously combined and/or used in combination with other antiproliferative therapeutic or prophylactic agents, different from the subject compounds. In many instances, administration in conjunction with the subject compositions enhances the efficacy of such agents. Exemplary antiproliferative agents include cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, adriamycin, cisplatin, daunomycin, vincristine, vinblastine, vinarelbine, paclitaxel, docetaxel, tamoxifen, flutamide, hydroxyurea, and mixtures thereof.
The compounds and compositions also find use in a variety of in vitro and in vivo assays, including diagnostic assays. In certain assays and in in vivo distribution studies, it is desirable to used labeled versions of the subject compounds and compositions, e.g. radioligand displacement assays. Accordingly, the invention provides the subject compounds and compositions comprising a detectable label, which may be spectroscopic (e.g. fluorescent), radioactive, etc.
The following examples are offered by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.
EXAMPLES
1 H NMR spectra were recorded on a Varian Gemini 400 MHz NMR spectrometer. Significant peaks are tabulated in the order: multiplicity (s, singlet; d, doublet; t, triplet; q, quartet; m, multiplet), coupling constant(s) in Hertz, number of protons. Electron Ionization (EI) mass spectra were
recorded on a Hewlett Packard 5989A mass spectrometer. Fast Atom Bombardment (FAB) mass spectroscopy was carried out in a VG analytical ZAB 2-SE high field mass spectrometer. Mass spectroscopy results are reported as the ratio of mass over charge, and the relative abundance of the ion is reported in parentheses.
Example 1
4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. To N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenylalanine dihydrochloride (3 g, 14.6 mmol) suspended in pyridine (50 mL) at 0° C. under argon was added dropwise pentafluorophenylsulfonyl chloride (2.38 mL, 16 mmol). The reaction mixture was stirred for 30 min at 0° C. and allowed to warm to ambient temperature. The reaction mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 h. The volume of the mixture was then reduced to 10 mL under reduced pressure. The mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate and the reaction quenched with water. The layers were separated and the aqueous layer extracted twice with ethyl acetate. The organic layers were combined and washed with brine and dried with MgSO 4 . The solvent was evaporated and the residue purified by chromatography on silica, eluting with CH 2 Cl 2 . The title product was obtained as a white solid in 63% yield (3.4 g). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.01(d, J=8.9 Hz, 2H), 6.77(s, 1H), 6.59(d, J=8.3 Hz, 2H), 2.92 ppm (s, 6H). FAB m/z (relative abundance): 367(100%, M+H + ), 135(30%), 121(25%). Anal. calcd. for C 14 H 11 F 5 N 2 O 2 S: C, 45.95; H, 3.03; N, 7.65. Found C, 45.83; H, 2.99; N, 7.62
Example 2
3-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.12(t, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.05(s, 1H), 6.57(s, 1H) 6.53(d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 6.40(d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 2.94 ppm (s, 6H). FAB m/z: 366 (100%, M + ). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)aniline.
Example 3
1,2-Ethylenedioxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 6.97(s, 1H), 6.76(d, J=8.6 Hz, 1H), 6.72(d, J=2.6 Hz, 1H), 6.62(dd, J=8.6, 2.6 Hz, 1H), 4.21 ppm (s, 4H). FAB m/z: 381(100%, M+H + ). Anal calcd. for C 14 H 8 F 5 NO 4 S: C, 44.09; H, 2.12; N, 3.68; S, 8.39. Found: C, 43.83; H, 2.19; N, 3.62; S, 8.20. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3,4-ethylenedioxyaniline.
Example 4
1,2-Methylenedioxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 6.8 5(s, 1H), 6.78 (s, 1H), 6.70(d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 6.57(d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 5.97 ppm(s, 2H). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3,4-methylenedioxyaniline.
Example 5
1,2-Dimethoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 6.98(s, 1H), 6.85(d, 1H), 6.74(d, 1H), 6.60(dd, 1H), 3.85(s, 3H), 3.83 ppm (s, 3H). EI, m/z: 383(50, M + ), 152(100). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3,4-dimethoxyaniline.
Example 6
2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 6.93(s, 1H), 6.7-6.8(m, 3H), 5.68(bs, 1H), 3.85 ppm(s, 3H). EI, m/z: 333(20, M + ), 138(100). mp 118-120° C. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3-hydroxy-4-methoxyaniline.
Example 7
2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorosulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (DMSO) 11.15 (broad s, 1H), 7.13 (t, J=9 Hz, 1H), 7.02 (dd, J=9.5 2.5 Hz, 1H), 6.94 ppm (dd, J=8.8 1.5 Hz, 1H), 3.79 ppm (s, 3H). EI, m/z: 371 (20, M + ), 140 (100). Anal. calcd. for C 13 H 7 HF 6 N 1 O 3 S 1 : C, 42.06; H, 1.90; N 3.77, S 8.64. Found: C, 42.19; H, 1.83; N 3.70; S, 8.60. Mp 118-119° C. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3-fluoro-p-anisidine.
Example 8
4-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 6.99 (s, 1H), 6.96(d, J=4 Hz, 2H), 6.88 (d, J=4 Hz, 2H), 3.83 ppm(s, 3H). EI, m/z: 353 (60, M + ), 122 (100). M.p. 102-103° C. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 4-methoxyaniline.
Example 9
3-Hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CD 3 OD): 7.15(t, J=8.1 Hz, 1H), 6.67(t, J=2.2 Hz, 1H) 6.60(dd, J=1.3 Hz, 7.8 Hz, 1H), 6.52 ppm (dd, J=2.4 Hz 8.3 Hz, 1H). EI, m/z: 339 (80, M + ), 256 (50), 81 (100). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3-hydroxyaniline.
Example 10
4-Hydroxy-1-pentafluorosulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CD 3 OD): 6.95(d, J=8.9 Hz, 2H), 6.65 ppm (d, J=8.9 Hz, 2H). EI, m/z: 339 (30, M + ). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 4-hydroxyaniline.
Example 11
1,2-Dimethyl-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.03(d, J=7.9 Hz, 1H), 6.92(s, 1H), 6.85-6.82(m, 2H), 2.18(s, 3H), 2.16 ppm(s, 3H). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3,4-dimethylaniline.
Example 12
4-(N,N-Diethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 6.93 (d, J=8.8 Hz, 2H), 6.78(s, 1), 6.45(d, J=8.7 Hz, 2H), 3.25(dd, J=7.0 Hz, 7.3 Hz,4H), 1.10 ppm (t, J=7.2 Hz, 6H). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 4-(N,N-diethylamino)aniline.
Example 13
4-Amino-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 6.82(d, J=8.7 Hz, 2H), 6.49 ppm(d, J=8.7 Hz, 2H). EI, m/z: 338(7, M + ), 107(100), 80(40). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 1,4-diaminobenzene.
Example 14
Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.30(d, J=8 Hz, 2H), 7.13-7.2(m, 3H), 7.0 ppm(s, 1H). EI, m/z: 323(90, M + ), 92(100). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with aniline.
Example 15
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoindazole. 1 H NMR (CD 3 OD): 7.98(s, 1H), 7.69(s, 1H), 7.47(d, J=8.3 Hz, 1H), 7.23 ppm(d, J=8.3 Hz, 1H). EI m/z: 364(50, M+H + ), 133(100). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 5-aminoindazole.
Example 16
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamidoindole. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 8.2(s, 1H), 7.43(s, 1H), 7.3(d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.22(s, 1H)), 6.98 (d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 6.92 ppm (s, 1H), 6.50 ppm(s, 1H). EI m/z: 362(M + ), 131(100). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 5-aminoindole.
Example 17
4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-(N-methylpentafluorophenylsulfonanido)benzene.
4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-(pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene (100 mg, 0.273 mmol) was dissolved in dry THF (2.5 mL) and to the system was added under N 2 at room temperature a 1 M solution of lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (0.274 mL). The reaction mixture was stirred for 10 min followed by addition of MeI (65 mg, 0.028 mL). The reaction mixture was stirred overnight, the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure and the crude product purified by HPLC using silica as the stationary phase and eluting with 20% EtOAc/Hex (v/v) to afford the product as a white solid in 60% yield (62 mg). EI m/z: 380(35, M + ), 149(100). 1 H NMR (CD 3 OD) 7.05(d, J=8 Hz, 2H), 6.68(d, J=8 Hz, 2H), 3.33(s, 3H) 2.93(s, 6H). Anal. calcd. for C 15 H 13 F 5 SO 2 N 2 : C, 47.37; H, 3.45; N, 7.37. Found: C, 47.37; H, 3.49; N, 7.32.
Example 18
1,2-Dihydroxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene.
1-Hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene (250 mg, 0.678 mmol) was suspended in dry CH 2 Cl 2 (5 mL) at 0° C. under nitrogen. To the mixture was added BBr 3 as a 1M solution in CH 2 Cl 2 (0.746 mmol, 1.1 eq.). The mixture was warmed to ambient temperature and stirred overnight. The reaction mixture was poured over ice (75 mL) and extracted 3 times with 30 mL portions of CH 2 Cl 2 . The organic layer was dried with MgSO 4 , and the solvent was evaporated. The crude product was purified by chromatography over silica eluting with 30% (v/v) EtOAc/Hex to afford the product as a white solid in 41% yield (98 mg). 1 H NMR (DMSO): 10.63(s, 1H), 9.15(s, 1H), 8.91(s, 1H), 6.61(d, J=9 Hz, 1H), 6.58(d, J=3 Hz, 1H), 6.39 ppm(dd, J=9 Hz 3 Hz, 1H).
Example 19
4-Ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. To a stirred solution of p-phenetidine (0.100 g, 0.729 mmol) in dimethylformamide (3.65 mL) at 25° C. was added pentafluorophenyl sulfonyl chloride (0.135 mL, 0.91 mmol), followed by sodium carbonate (0.116 g, 1.09 mmol), and the reaction mixture was stirred for 18 hours. The reaction mixture was diluted with ethyl acetate (50 mL) and washed with 20% ammonium chloride (2×20 mL) and saturated sodium chloride (2×20 mL). The organic layer was dried (sodium sulfite), and the ethyl acetate was removed under reduced pressure to yield a reddish-brown oil. Column chromatography (3:1 ethyl acetate/hexane) yielded the title compound (0.222 g, 83%). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.08 (d, J=9 Hz, 2H), 7.04 (s, 1H), 6.80 (d, J=9 Hz, 2H), 3.96 (q, J=7 Hz, 2H), 1.37 ppm (t, J=7 Hz, 2H). IR (neat) 3000-3600, 1750 cm −1 . EI m/z : 367(M + ), 154, 136.
The compounds of Examples 20 through 26 were prepared by a protocol similar to that of Example 19 by replacing p-phenetidine with the appropriate amine.
Example 20
3,5-Dimethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of Example 19 by replacing p-phenetidine with 3,5-dimethoxyaniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 6.91(s, 1H), 6.32(s, 2H), 6.25(s, 1H), 3.72 ppm(s, 6H).
Example 21
3-Ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of Example 19 by replacing p-phenetidine with 3-ethoxyaniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.35 (t, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.21(s, 1H), 6.92( s, 1H), 6.86(d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 6.83(d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 4.15( q, J=6 Hz, 2H), 1.56 ppm ( t, J=6 Hz, 3H).
Example 22
7-Hydroxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidonaphthalene. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of Example 19 by replacing p-phenetidine with 2-amino-7-hydroxynaphthalene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 8.15 (t, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.55( d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.44 (s, 1H), 7.42 (d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.40 (s, 1H), 6.88 ppm (q, J=8 Hz, 1H).
Example 23
3-Phenoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of Example 19 by replacing p-phenetidine with 3-phenoxyaniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.34 ( t, J=8 Hz, 2H), 7.26 ( t, J=8 Hz, 1H), 7.16 ( t, J=8 Hz, 1H), 6.94 (d, J=8 Hz, 2H), 6.86 (d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 6.82 (d, J=8 Hz, 1H), 6.74 (s, 1H).
Example 24
3-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of Example 19 by replacing p-phenetidine with 3-methoxyaniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.20 (d, J=8 Hz, 1H, ), 6.95 (s, 1H), 6.78 (d, J=8 Hz, 1H,), 6.70 (t, J=8 Hz, 1H), 3.79 ppm (s, 1H).
Example 25
4-(1-Morpholino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of Example 19 by replacing p-phenetidine with 4-(1-morpholino)aniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.09 (d, J=8 Hz, 2H), 6.85 (d, J=8 Hz, 2H), 3.85 (t, J=8 Hz, 4H), 3.15 ppm (t, J=8 Hz, 4H).
Example 26
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene. The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of Example 19 by replacing p-phenetidine with 3,4,5-trimethoxyaniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 8.14 (s, 1H), 6.46 (s, 2H), 3.69 (s, 6H), 3.59 (s, 3H).
Example 27
1,3-Dimethoxy-2-hydroxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene.
1,2-Dihydroxy-3-methoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene.
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene.
1,2,3-Methoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene (269 mg, 0.65 mmol) was suspended in dry CH 2 Cl 2 (5 mL) at 0° C. under nitrogen. To the mixture was added BBr 3 as a 1M solution in CH 2 Cl 2 (3.26 mmol, 5 eq.). The mixture was warmed to ambient temperature and stirred overnight. The reaction mixture was poured over ice (75 mL) and extracted 3 times with 30 mL portions of CH 2 Cl 2 . The organic layer was dried with MgSO 4 , evaporated, and the residue was subjected to chromatography over silica eluting with 30% (v/v) EtOAc/Hex to afford the three products. The compounds of Examples 28 and 29 were prepared in a manner similar to that described above beginning with the product of Example 20 and treating it with BBr 3 .
1,3-Dimethoxy-2-hydroxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 10.85 (s, 1H), 8.31 (s, 1H), 6.41 (s, 2H), 3.66 ppm (s, 6H).
1,2-Dihydroxy-3-methoxy-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 10.73 (s, 1H), 8.31 (s, 1H), 6.27 (s, 1H), 6.26 (s, 1H), 3.66 ppm (s, 3H).
5-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-1,2,3-trihydroxybenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 11.0 (s, 1H), 9.03 (s, 2H), 8.06 (s, 1H), 6.13 ppm (s, 2H).
Example 28
3-Hydroxy-5-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 11.2 (s, 1H), 9.63 (s, 1H), 6.23 (s, 1H), 6.21 (s, 1H), 6.08 (s, 1H), 3.63 (s, 3H).
Example 29
3,5-Dihydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.15 (s, 1H), 6.25 (s, 2H), 6.15 (s, 1H), 5.31 (s, 2H).
Example 30
2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-(N-methylpentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene. Prepared using a procedure similar to that of Example 18 replacing 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene with the appropriate non-substituted sulfonamide (product of Example 7). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 6.97-6.94(m, 2H), 6.89(t, J=9 Hz, 1H), 3.87(s, 3H), 3.35ppm (t, J=1 Hz). EI m/z: 385(20, M + ), 154(100). Anal. calcd. for C 14 H 9 F 6 NO 3 : C, 43.64; H,2.35; N, 3.64. Found C, 43.55; H, 2.38; N, 3.65.
Example 31
2-Bromo-1-methoxy4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.35(d, J=3 Hz, 1H), 7.15(dd, J=9 Hz, 3 Hz, 1H), 6.97 (s, 1H), 6.81(d, J=9 Hz, 1H), 3.88 ppm (s, 3H). EI m/z: 433(35, M + ), 202(100). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3-bromo-4-methoxyaniline.
Example 32
2-Chloro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.19(d, J=3 Hz, 1H), 7.08(dd, J=9 Hz, 3 Hz, 1H), 7.01 (s, 1H), 6.84(d, J=9 Hz, 1H), 3.85 ppm (s, 3H). EI m/z (rel. abundance): 387(10, M + ), 156(100). The compound was prepared by a protocol similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3-chloro-4-methoxyaniline.
Example 33
4-(N,N)-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene hydrochloride.
4-(N,N-Dimethylamino)-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene (2 g, 5.5 mmol) was dissolved in 15 mL of diethyl ether at ambient temperature under nitrogen. Gaseous HCl was bubbled into the reaction mixture for 5 min. The mixture was filtered and the resulting solid washed twice with 15 mL portions of ice cold diethyl ether to afford the product as a white solid (1.89 g, 86% yield). 1 H NMR (CD 3 OD): 7.62(dd, J=9.0 Hz, 1.6 Hz, 2H), 7.44(dd, J=9.0 Hz, 1.6 Hz, 2H), 3.28 ppm (s, 6H). FAB m/z: 367(100%, M+H + ), 135(90%), 121(45%). Anal. calcd. for C 14 H 13 ClF 5 N 2 O 2 S: C, 41.79; H, 3.01; N, 6.97; S, 7.95. Found C, 41.71; H, 3.05; N, 7.01; S, 7.96.
Example 34
3,4-Difluoro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 3,4-difluoroaniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.13 (m, 3H), 6.91 ppm (m, 1H). EI, m/z (relative abundance): 359 (20), 128 (100). Anal. calcd. for C 13 H 4 F 7 NO 2 S: C, 40.12; H, 1.12; N, 3.90. Found: C, 40.23; H, 1.17; N, 3.89.
Example 35
4-Trifluoromethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 4-(trifluoromethoxy)aniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.18 ppm (m, 4H). EI, m/z (relative abundance): 407 (20), 176 (100). Anal. calcd. for C 13 H 5 F 8 NO 3 S: C, 38.34; H, 1.24; N, 3.44. Found: C, 38.33; H, 1.30; N, 3.43.
Example 36
2-Chloro-5-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with 5-amino-2-chloropyridine. H NMR (DMSO-d 6 ): 8.18 (d, J=2.68 Hz, 1H), 7.64 (dd, J=8.75, 2.89 Hz, 1H), 7.50 ppm (d, J=8.75 Hz, 1H). EI m/z 358 (20, M + ), 127 (100). Anal. calcd. for C 11 H 4 ClF 5 N 2 O 2 S: C, 36.83; H, 1.12; N, 7.81; S, 8.94; Cl, 9.90. Found: C, 37.00; H, 1.16; N, 7.78; S, 8.98; Cl, 10.01. White crystals with M.P.=144-145° C.
Example 37
2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-(N-(5-hydroxypentyl)-pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene.
N-(5-hydroxypentyl)-2-hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-aminobenzene was prepared by reductive amination of 5-amino-2-methoxy phenol with glutaric dialdehyde with NaBH 4 in MeOH. 2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-(N-(5-hydroxypentyl)-pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 1 by replacing N,N-dimethyl-1,4-phenyldiamine dihydrochloride with N-(5-hydroxypentyl)-2-hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-aminobenzene. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 6.78(d, J=8.6 Hz, 1H), 6.71(dd, J=8.59, 2.48 Hz, 1H), 6.63(d, J=2.48 Hz, 1H), 3.88(s, 3H), 3.7(t, J=6.8 Hz, 2H), 3.6(t, J=6.39 Hz, 2H), 1.5 ppm (m, 6H). Anal. calcd. for C 18 H 18 F 5 NO 5 S: C, 47.47; H, 3.98; N, 3.08; S, 7.04. Found: C, 47.47; H, 4.04; N, 3.11; S, 6.97. White crystals with M.P.=118°.
Example 38
4-(1,1-Dimethyl)ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene.
The compound was prepared in a manner similar to example 46 by replacing 3-chloroaniline with 4-t-butoxyaniline. 4-t-Butoxyaniline was prepared by the method of Day ( J. Med. Chem. 1975, 18, 1065). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.07 (m, 2), 6.92 (m, 2), 6.88 (m, 1), 1.31 (s, 9). MS (EI): m/z 395 (1, M + ), 339 (28), 108 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 16 H 14 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 48.61; H, 3.57; N, 3.54; S, 8.11. Found: C, 48.53; H, 3.60; N, 3.50; S, 8.02.
Example 39
1-Bromo-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared by bromination of the compound of example 6 with N-bromosuccinimide in dichloromethane. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.28(br s, 1H), 7.21 (d, J=9 Hz, 1H), 6.80 (d, J=9 Hz, 1H), 6.05 (s, 1H), 3.89 ppm (s, 3H). EI, m/z (relative abundance) : 449 (25), 447 (25), 218 (100), 216 (100). Anal. calcd. for C 13 H 8 BrF 5 NO 4 S: C, 34.84; H, 1.57; N, 3.13; S, 7.15. Found: C, 34.75; H, 1.60; N, 3.07; S, 7.08.
Example 40
2-Bromo-4-methoxy-5-hydroxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared by bromination of the compound of example 6 with N-bromosuccinimide in dichloromethane. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ) 7.28 (s, 1H), 7.16 (br s, 1H), 6.91 (s, 1H), 5.63 (s, 1H), 3.85 ppm (s, 3H). EI, m/z (relative abundance) : 449 (25), 447 (25), 218 (100), 216 (100). Anal. calcd. for C 13 H 8 BrF 5 NO 4 S: C, 34.84; H, 1.57; N, 3.13; S, 7.15. Found: C, 34.84; H, 1.57; N, 3.05; S, 7.06.
Example 41
1-Bromo-4-fluoro-5-methoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared by bromination of the compound of example 7 with bromine water. 1H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.49 (d, J=11.72 Hz, 1H), 7.21 (s, 1H), 7.04 (d, J=8.2 Hz, 1H), 3.84 ppm (s, 3H). EI m/z: 449 (20, M + ), 451 (20), 228 (100), 230 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 13 H 6 BrF 6 NO 3 S: C, 34.69; H, 1.34; N, 3.11; S, 7.12; Br, 17.75. Found: C, 34.76; H, 1.29; N, 3.05; S, 7.12; Br, 17.68. White crystals with M.P.=109° C.
Example 42
2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene sodium salt. The compound was prepared by treating the compound of example 6 with an equimolar amount of 1N NaOH (aq) . The mixture was then lyophilized and the residue recrystallyzed from ethyl acetate/ ether. 1 H NMR (DMSO) 8.40 (s, 1H), 6.57 (d, J=9 Hz, 1H), 6.39 (d, J=2 Hz, 1H), 6.24 (dd, J=9, 2 Hz, 1H), 3.62 ppm (s, 3H). Anal. calcd. for C 3 H 7 F 5 NNaO 4 S: C, 39.91; H, 1.80; N, 3.58; Na, 5.88; S, 8.19. Found: C, 39.79; H, 1.86; N, 3.50; Na, 5.78; S, 8.07.
Example 43
2-Hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene potassium salt. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 42 by replacing 1N NaOH with 1N KOH. 1 H NMR (DMSO) 8.30 (br s, 1H), 6.55 (d, J=9 Hz, 1H), 6.36 (d, J=2 Hz, 1H), 6.25 (dd, J=9, 2 Hz, 1H), 3.61 ppm (s, 3H). Anal. calcd. for C 13 H 7 F 5 KNO 4 S: C, 38.33; H, 1.73; N, 3.44; S, 7.87. Found: C, 38.09; H, 1.79; N, 3.39; S, 7.97.
Example 44
2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene potassium salt. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 43 by replacing the compound from example 6 with example 7. 1 H NMR (DMSO) 6.80 (t, J=10 Hz, 1H), 6.72 (dd, J=9, 2 Hz, 1H), 6.54 (dd, J=9, 2 Hz, 1H), 3.68 ppm (s, 3H). Anal. calcd. for C 13 H 6 F 6 KNO 3 S: C, 38.15; H, 1.48; N, 3.42; S, 7.83. Found: C, 38.09; H, 1.51; N, 3.35; S, 7.73. M.P.=202-205° C.
Example 45
2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene sodium salt. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that of example 44 by replacing 1N KOH with 1N NaOH. 1 H NMR (DMSO) 6.80 (t, J=10 Hz, 1H), 6.71 (dd, J=9, 2 Hz, 1H), 6.53 (dd, J=9, 2 Hz, 1H), 3.69 ppm (s, 3H). Anal. calcd. for C 13 H 6 F 6 NNaO 3 S: C, 39.71; H, 1.54; N, 3.56; Na, 5.85; S, 8.15. Found: C, 39.56; H, 1.62; N, 3.49; Na, 5.88; S, 8.08. M.P.>250° C.
Example 46
3-Chloro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. To a solution of pentafluorophenylsulfonyl chloride (0.15 mL, 1.00 mmol) in MeOH (4 mL) was added 3-chloroaniline (260 mg, 2.04 mmol). After stirring at rt for 1 h, the reaction mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure and the residue was taken up in EtOAc and then filtered through a plug of silica gel. The filtrate was concentrated to give a yellow oil that upon chromatography provided 265 mg (74%) of product. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.28-7.24 (m, 1H), 7.21-7.17 (m, 2H), 7.10-7.08 (m, 1H), 7.07 (s, 1H). MS (EI): m/z 357 (42, M + ), 258 (76), 126 (87), 99 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 12 H 5 ClF 5 NO 2 S: C, 40.30; H, 1.41; N, 3.92; S, 8.96. Found: C, 40.18; H, 1.35; N, 3.84; S, 8.90.
Example 47
4-Chloro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 46 by replacing 3-chloroaniline with 4-chloroaniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.30 (m, 2H), 7.20 (m, 1H), 7.14 (m, 2H). MS (EI): m/z 357 (27, M + ), 258 (38), 126 (100), 99 (85). Anal. Calcd. for C 12 H 5 ClF 5 NO 2 S: C, 40.30; H, 1.41; N, 3.92; S, 8.96. Found: C, 40.19; H, 1.37; N, 3.87; S, 8.88.
Example 48
3-Nitro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 46 by replacing 3-chloroaniline with 3-nitroaniline. 1H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 8.14 (s, 1H), 8.06-8.03 (m, 2H), 7.66-7.63 (m, 1H), 7.55 (m, 1H). MS (EI): m/z 368 (54, M + ), 137 (70), 91 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 12 H 5 F 5 N 2 O 4 S: C, 39.14; H, 1.37; N, 7.61; S, 8.71. Found: C, 39.39; H, 1.45; N, 7.46; S, 8.58.
Example 49
4-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-3-trifluoromethylbenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 46 by replacing 3-chloroaniline with 4-methoxy-3-trifluoromethylaniline which was obtained by the hydrogenation of the corresponding nitro compound. White solid, mp 121-123° C. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.43-7.37 (m, 2H), 6.96 (d, J=8.8, 1H), 3.88 (s, 3H). MS (EI): m/z 421 (16, M + ), 190 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 14 H 7 F 8 NO 3 S: C, 39.92; H, 1.67; N, 3.32; S, 7.61. Found: C, 40.17; H, 1.68; N, 3.28; S, 7.67.
Example 50
4-Methoxy-1-(N-(2-propenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene. To a solution of 4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene (448 mg, 1.27 mmol) in THF (3 mL) was added triphenylphosphine (333 mg, 1.27 mmol) and allyl alcohol (0.09 mL, 1.27 mmol). Diethylazodicarboxylate (0.20 mL, 1.27 mmol) was added and the mixture was stirred at rt. After 1 h, the reaction mixture was poured onto saturated NaCl (10 mL) and extracted with CH 2 Cl 2 (3×10 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with saturated NaHCO 3 (10 mL) and dried (MgSO 4 ). Concentration followed by flash chromatography (25:25:1/hexanes:CH 2 Cl 2 :EtOAc) provided 451 mg (90%) of product as a white solid, mp 59-60° C. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.06 (m, 2H), 6.85 (m, 2H), 5.79 (m, 1H), 5.15 (s, 1H), 5.11 (m, 1H), 4.37 (d, J=6.3, 2H), 3.80 (s, 3H). MS (El): m/z 393 (33, M + ), 162 (100), 134 (66). Anal. Calcd. for C 16 H 11 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 48.98; H, 2.83; N, 3.57; S, 8.17. Found: C, 49.13; H, 3.15; N, 3.63; S, 8.15.
Example 51
1-(N-(3-Butenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 50 by replacing allyl alcohol with 3-buten-1-ol. White solid, mp 64-66° C. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.08 (m, 2H), 6.86 (m, 2H), 5.74 (m, 1H), 5.10-5.04 (m, 2H), 3.83 (m, 2H), 3.81 (s, 3H), 2.25 (q, J=6.9, 2H). MS (EI): m/z 407 (13, M + ), 366 (24), 135 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 17 H 14 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 50.13; H, 3.46; N, 3.44; S, 7.87. Found: C, 50.25; H, 3.51; N, 3.43; S, 7.81.
Example 52
4-Methoxy-1-(N-(4-pentenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 50 by replacing allyl alcohol with 4-penten-1-ol. Low melting semi-solid. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.08 (m, 2H), 6.87 (m, 2H), 5.74 (m, 1H), 5.02-4.96 (m, 2H), 3.81 (s, 3H), 3.76 (t, J=7.04, 2H), 2.11 (q, J=6.9, 2H), 1.60 (pentet, J=7.3, 2H). MS (EI): m/z 421 (30, M + ), 190 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 18 H 16 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 51.31; H, 3.83; N, 3.32; S, 7.61. Found: C, 51.44; H, 3.89; N, 3.38; S, 7.54.
Example 53
1-(N-(2,3-Dihydroxypropyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene. To a solution of 4-methoxy-1-(N-(2-propenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene (101 mg, 0.26 mmol) in acetone:water (8:1, 1 mL) at rt was added N-methylmorpholine N-oxide (34.0 mg, 0.29 mmol) and OsO 4 (0.10 mL of 0.16 M solution in H 2 O, 1.60×10 −2 mmol). After stirring at rt for 18 h, the reaction mixture was treated with saturated NaHSO 3 (5 mL) and allowed to stir at rt. After 1 h, the reaction mixture was poured onto saturated NaHSO 3 (5 mL) and extracted with CH 2 Cl 2 (3×10 mL). The combined organic extracts were dried (MgSO 4 ) and concentrated. Flash chromatography (1:1, 1:2/hexanes:EtOAc) afforded 90 mg (83%) of product as a white solid, mp 130-131° C. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.11 (m, 2H), 6.85 (m, 2H), 3.78 (s, 3H), 3.90-3.65 (m, 5H). Anal. Calcd. for C 16 H 13 F 5 NO 5 S: C, 45.08; H, 3.07; N, 3.29; S, 7.52. Found: C, 45.09; H, 3.33; N, 3.27; S, 7.46.
Example 54
1-(N-(3,4-Dihydroxybutyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 53 by replacing 4-methoxy-1-(N-(2-propenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene with 1-(N-(3-butenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene. White solid, mp 126-128° C. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.10 (m, 2H), 6.88 (m, 2H), 4.13 (m, 1H), 3.96 (m, 1H), 3.81 (s, 3H), 3.78-3.73 (m, 1H), 3.64 (dd, 1, J=2.9, 10.7, 1H), 3.47 (dd, J=7.3, 11.2; 1H), 2.67 (bs, 1H), 1.92 (bs, 1H), 1.62 (m, 2H).
Example 55
1-(N-(4,5-Dihydroxypentyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 53 by replacing 4-methoxy-1-(N-(2-propenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene with 4-methoxy-1-(N-(4-pentenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene. White solid, mp 116-118° C. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.07 (m, 2H), 6.86 (m, 2H), 3.80 (s, 3H), 3.78 (m, 2H), 3.71-3.62 (m, 2H), 3.43 (dd, J=7.5, 10.8; 1H), 1.90 (bs, 2H), 1.66-1.49 (m, 4H). Anal. Calcd. for C 18 H 18 F 5 NO 5 S: C, 47.48; H, 3.98; N, 3.08; S, 7.04. Found: C, 47.58; H, 3.95; N, 3.06; S, 6.95.
Example 56
1-(N-(4-hydroxybutyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene. To a solution of 1-(N-(3-butenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene (410 mg, 1.01 mmol) in THF (6.5 mL) at −78° C. was added BH 3 .THF (1.00 mL of a 1 M solution in THF, 1.00 mmol). After stirring at −78° C. for 1 h and at 0° C. for 1 h, the reaction mixture was treated with H 2 O (20 mL) and sodium perborate (513 mg, 5.14 mmol). After stirring at rt for 2 h, the mixture was poured onto H 2 O (20 mL) and extracted with CH 2 Cl 2 (3×15 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with sat. NaCl (20 mL) and dried (MgSO 4 ). Concentration followed by chromatography (2:1/hexanes:EtOAc) afforded 270 mg (64%) of product as a white solid, mp 88-90° C. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.08 (m, 2H), 6.85 (m, 2H), 3.80 (s, 3H), 3.77 (m, 2H), 3.64 (t, J=6.0; 2H), 1.63-1.55 (m, 5H), 1.50 (bs, 1H). Anal. Calcd. for C 17 H 16 F 5 NO 4 S: C, 48.00; H, 3.79; N, 3.29; S, 7.54. Found: C, 48.08; H, 3.76; N, 3.34; S, 7.46.
Example 57
4-Methoxy-1-(N-(5-hydroxypentyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 56 by replacing 1-(N-(3-butenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)-4-methoxybenzene with 4-methoxy-1-(N-(4-pentenyl)pentafluorophenylsulfonamido)benzene. White solid, mp 96-97° C. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.08 (m, 2H), 6.86 (m, 2H), 3.81 (s, 3H), 3.76 (t, J=6.8, 2H), 3.62 (t, J=6.4; 2H), 1.58-1.43 (m, 6H). Anal. Calcd. for C 18 H 18 F 5 NO 4 S: C, 49.20; H, 4.13; N, 3.19; S, 7.30. Found: C, 49.11; H, 4.09; N, 3.14; S, 7.19.
Example 58
4-Methoxy-3-nitro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to example 46 by replacing 3-chloroaniline with 4-methoxy-3-nitroaniline which was prepared by the method of Norris ( Aust. J. Chem. 1971, 24, 1449). Orange-yellow solid, mp 95-97° C. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.64 (d, J=2.7; 1H), 7.51 (dd, J=2.7, 9.0; 1H), 7.09 (s, 1H), 7.09 (d, J=9.0; 1H), 3.95 (s, 3H). Anal. Calcd. For C 13 H 7 F 5 N 2 O 5 S: C, 39.21; H, 1.77; N, 7.03; S, 8.05. Found: C, 39.19; H, 1.73; N, 6.97; S, 7.95.
Example 59
3-Amino-4-methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. To a solution of 4-methoxy-3-nitro-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene (627 mg, 1.58 mmol) in ethanol (10 mL) was added 10% Pd/C (51 mg). The resulting mixture was stirred under an atmosphere of hydrogen gas at 1 atm pressure. After 14 h, the mixture was passed through a pad of celite and the filtrate was concentrated to give a solid residue. Silica gel chromatography (2:1, 1:1/hexanes:EtOAc) yielded 542 mg (93%) of product as a white solid, mp 142-143° C. 1 H NMR (DMSO-d 6 ): 10.64 (s, 1), 6.68 (d, J=8.4; 1H), 6.44 (d, J=2.1; 1H), 6.30 (d, J=2.1, 8.4; 1H), 4.88 (bs, 2H), 3.69 (s, 3H). Anal. Calcd. for C 13 H 9 F 5 N 2 O 3 S: C, 42.40; H, 2.46; N, 7.61; S, 8.71. Found: C, 42.29; H, 2.36; N, 7.52; S, 8.60.
Example 60
4-Butoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. To a solution of pentafluorophenylsulfonyl chloride (203 mg, 0.763 mmol) in MeOH (4 mL) was added 4-butoxyaniline (0.26 mL, 1.53 mmol). After stirring at rt for 1 h, the reaction mixture was poured onto 1 MHCl (15 mL) and extracted with CH 2 Cl 2 (3×10 mL). The combined organic extracts were washed with saturated NaCl (10 mL) and dried (MgSO 4 ). Concentration followed by flash chromatography (25:25:1/hexanes: CH 2 Cl 2 :EtOAc) provided 189 mg (63%) of product. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.07 (m, 2H), 6.86 (s, 1H), 6.80 (m, 2H), 3.89 (t, J=6.5; 2H), 1.73 (m, 2H), 1.46 (m, 2H), 0.95 (t, J=7.5; 2H). MS (EI): m/z 395 (30, M + ), 164 (35), 108 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 16 H 14 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 48.61; H, 3.57; N, 3.54; S, 8.11. Found: C, 48.54; H, 3.53; N, 3.50; S, 8.02.
Example 61
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-4-phenoxybenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 60 by replacing 4-butoxyaniline with 4-phenoxyaniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.36-7.30 (m, 2H), 7.15-7.10 (m, 3H), 6.99 (s, 1H), 6.98-6.90 (m, 4H). MS (EI): m/z 415 (32, M + ), 184 (100), 77 (66). Anal. Calcd. for C 18 H 10 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 52.05; H, 2.43; N, 3.27; S, 7.72. Found: C, 51.78; H, 2.45; N, 3.25; S, 7.53.
Example 62
4-Benzyloxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 60 by replacing 4-butoxyaniline with 4-benzyloxyaniline. 4-Benzyloxyaniline was obtained from the commercially available hydrochloride salt by treatment with aqueous NaOH. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.38-7.37 (m, 4H), 7.36-7.32 (m, 1H), 7.10-7.08 (m, 2H), 7.91-7.88 (m, 2H), 6.78 (s, 1H), 5.01 (s, 1H). MS (EI): m/z 429 (19, M), 91 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 19 H 12 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 53.14; H, 2.82; N, 3.26; S, 7.45. Found: C, 53.07; H, 2.78; N, 3.21; S, 7.35.
Example 63
4-Methylmercapto-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 60 by replacing 4-butoxyaniline with 4-(methylmercapto)aniline. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.17 (m, 2H), 7.09 (m, 2H), 6.89 (m, 1H), 2.44 (s, 3H). MS (EI): m/z 369 (24, M + ), 138 (100), 77 (66). Anal. Calcd. for C 13 H 8 F 5 NO 2 S 2 : C, 42.28; H, 2.18; N, 3.79; S, 17.36. Found: C, 42.20; H, 2.21; N, 3.72; S, 17.28.
Example 64
2-Methoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 60 by replacing 4-butoxyaniline with o-anisidine. 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): d 7.54 (dd, J=1.5, 8.0; 1H), 7.13 (dt, J=1.5, 8.0; 1H), 6.94 (dt, J=1.2, 8.0; 1H), 6.84 (dd, J=1.2, 8.0; 1H), 3.79 (s, 3H). MS (EI): m/z 353 (82, M + ), 122 (100), 94 (95). Anal. Calcd. for C 13 H 8 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 44.19; H, 2.28; N, 3.97; S, 9.06. Found: C, 44.10; H, 2.26; N, 3.92; S, 9.03.
Example 65
4-Allyloxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in manner similar to that described in example 60 by replacing 4-butoxyaniline with 4-allyloxyaniline. 4-Allyloxyaniline was prepared by the method of Butera ( J. Med. Chem. 1991, 34, 3212). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.08 (m, 2H), 6.87 (m, 1H), 6.82 (m, 2H), 6.04-5.94 (m, 1H), 5.39-5.34 (m, 1H), 5.29-5.25 (m, 1H), 4.48-4.46 (m, 2H). MS (EI): m/z 379 (11, M + ), 148 (32), 41 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 15 H 10 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 47.50; H, 2.66; N, 3.96; S, 8.45. Found: C, 47.53; H, 2.68; N, 3.62; S, 8.37.
Example 66
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonamido-4-propoxybenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 60 by replacing 4-butoxyaniline with 4-propoxyaniline. 4-Propoxyaniline was obtained by catalytic hydrogenation of 4-allyloxynitrobenzene. 4-Allyloxynitrobenzene was prepared by the method of Butera ( J. Med. Chem. 1991, 34, 3212). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.09 (m, 2H), 6.82 (m, 2H), 6.78 (m, 1H), 3.87 (t, J=6.5; 2H), 1.78 (m, 2H), 1.02 (t, J=7.4; 3H). MS (EI): m/z 381 (20, M + ), 150 (40), 108 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 15 H 12 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 47.25; H, 3.17; N, 3.67; S, 8.41. Found: C, 47.01; H, 3.20; N, 3.61; S, 8.31.
Example 67
4-(1-Methyl)ethoxy-1-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene. The compound was prepared in a manner similar to that described in example 60 by replacing 4-butoxyaniline with 4-isopropoxyaniline. 4-Isopropoxyaniline was prepared from 4-fluoronitrobenzene in analogy to the method of Day ( J. Med. Chem. 1975, 18, 1065). 1 H NMR (CDCl 3 ): 7.08 (m, 2H), 7.00 (s, 1H), 6.81 (m, 2H), 4.48 (heptet, J=6.1; 1H), 1.30 (d, J=6.04; 6H). MS (EI): m/z 381(7, M + ), 339 (8), 108 (100). Anal. Calcd. for C 15 H 12 F 5 NO 3 S: C, 47.25; H, 3.17; N, 3.67; S, 8.41. Found: C, 47.08; H, 3.18; N, 3.60; S, 8.34.
Example 68
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonyloxybenzene. To a stirred solution of phenol (0.068 g, 0.729 mmol) in dimethylformamide (3.65 mL) at 25° C. is added pentafluorophenyl sulfonyl chloride (0.135 mL, 0.911 mmol), followed by sodium carbonate (0.116 g, 1.09 mmol), and the reaction mixture is stirred for 18 hours. The reaction mixture is diluted with ethyl acetate (50 mL), washed with 20% ammonium chloride (2×20 mL), and saturated sodium chloride (2×20 mL). The organic layer is dried (sodium sulfite), and the ethyl acetate removed under vacuum. Column chromatography (3/1 ethyl acetate/hexane) yields the title compound.
Example 69
1-Pentafluorophenylsulfonylindole. To a stirred solution of indole (0.085 g, 0.729 mmol) in dimethylformamide (3.65 mL) at 25° C. is added pentafluorophenyl sulfonyl chloride (0.135 mL, 0.911 mmol), followed by sodium carbonate (0.116 g, 1.09 mmol), and the reaction mixture is stirred for 18 hours. The reaction mixture is diluted with ethyl acetate (50 mL), washed with 20% ammonium chloride (2×20 mL), and saturated sodium chloride (2×20 mL). The organic layer is dried (sodium sulfite), and the ethyl acetate removed under vacuum. Column chromatography (3/1 ethyl acetate/hexane) yields the title compound.
Example 70
2-Fluoro-1-methoxy-4-pentafluorophenylsulfinamidobenzene. To 3-fluoro-p-anisidine (3 g, 21.2 mmol) suspended in THF (50 mL) with pyridine (1.84 g, 23.3 mmol) at 0° C. under argon is added dropwise pentafluorophenylsulfinyl chloride (5.3 g, 21.2 mmol). The reaction mixture is stirred for 30 min. at 0° C. and allowed to warm to ambient temperature. The reaction mixture is strirred at room temperature and followed by TLC. After the reaction is completed the mixture is diluted with ethyl acetate and the reaction quenched with water. The layers are separated and the aqueous layer extracted twice with ethyl acetate. The organic layers are combined and dried with brine and with Na 2 SO 4 . The solvent is evaporated and the residue purified by chromatography on silica to give the title compound.
Example 71
2-Anilino-3-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidopyridine. To a solution of pentafluorophenylsulfonyl chloride (863 mg, 3.24 mmol) in pyridine (9 mL) at rt was added 3-amino-2-analinopyridine (600 mg, 3.24 mmol). After stirring at rt overnight the reaction mixture was concentrated at reduced pressure and the residue partitioned between 1 M Hcl (50 mL) and CH2Cl2 (50 mL). The organic extract was dried and concentrated to give an oil which was purified by MPLC to give 377 mg (28%) of product as an orange solid. H 1 NMR (CDCl 3 ): 8.50 (bs, 1H), 7.80 (d, J=5.1, 1H), 7.61 (d, J=8.0, 1H), 7.32 (t, J=8.0, 2H), 7.25 (d, J=8.0, 2H), 7.11 (t, J=7.3, 1H), 6.80 (dd, J=5.6, 7.7, 1H), 4.20 (bs, 1H). MS (FAB): m/z 438 (M+Na), 416 (M+H).
Example 72
4-[3H]-1-Fluoro-2-methoxy-5-pentafluorosulfonamidobenzene.
A solution of 1-bromo-4-fluoro-5-methoxy-2-pentafluorophenylsulfonamidobenzene (27.8 mg, 0.058 mmol; prepared in Example 41) in ethyl acetate (2 mL) was treated with 100 mg of 10% palladium on charcoal. The air in the reaction vessel was evacuated and replaced with tritium gas. After 2 h of stirring at room temperature, the catalyst was filtered, the solvent was evaporated, and the crude product purified by preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC) using dichloromethane as the eluent. The sample purity was characterized by HPLC using a Microsorb silica (250×4.6 mm) 5 mm column and 15% ethyl acetate/hexane as the mobile phase. The elution of material was detected using a UV detector at 254 nm and a Beta Ram detector. The chemical purity of this material was determined to be 100%, and the radiochemical purity was 99.3%. The specific activity of this material was Ci/mmol.
Example 73
Compounds were evaluated for their ability to inhibit in vitro the growth of HeLa cells, an immortal cell line derived from a human cervical carcinoma commonly used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of potential therapeutic agents. The following data reflect the cytotoxicity of selected examples of the present invention. The values given represent the concentration of test compound required to inhibit by 50% the uptake of Alamar Blue (Biosource International, Camarillo, Calif.) by HeLa cell cultures, which correlates directly with the overall levels of cellular metabolism in the culture, and is generally accepted as an appropriate marker of cell growth. The test was conducted according to the method of S. A. Ahmed et al. (1994) J. Immunol. Methods 170: 211-224. The following selected examples display potent cytotoxic activity in this assay, with IC 50 values ranging from less than 0.05 μM to 10 μM.
Compound
IC50 (μM)
Example 1
<0.05
Example 2
0.15
Example 3
1.5
Example 4
10
Example 6
<0.05
Example 7
<0.05
Example 8
<0.05
Example 9
1
Example 12
0.15
Example 15
1
Example 17
10
Example 25
10
Example 30
1.5
Example 31
0.5
Example 32
0.1
All publications and patent applications cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the teachings of this invention that certain changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.
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The invention provides methods and compositions relating to novel pentafluorophenylsulfonamide derivatives and analogs and their use as pharmacologically active agents. The compositions find particular use as pharmacological agents in the treatment of disease states, particularly cancer, vascular restenosis, microbial infections, and psoriasis, or as lead compounds for the development of such agents. The compositions include compounds of the general formula I:
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione compounds of general formula I
wherein,
R is selected from CO 2 Y, B(OY) 2 , CHO, CH 2 OY, CH(CO 2 Y) 2 , PO(OY) 2 and CONHZ, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, substituted alkyl, substituted alkenyl, cycloalkyl, substituted alkyl, substituted heteroaryl or tetrazolyl and Z is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, alkyl-sulfonyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl sulfonyl, cynoalkyl and COXM wherein X is selected from S, SO or SO 2 and M is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl;
R 1 and R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, unsubstituted aryl, substituted aryl, unsubstituted heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, substituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyls or substituted cycloalkyls;
R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl;
R 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, heteroalkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl, alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl carbonyl or substituted keto compounds.
The present invention particularly relates to a process for preparation of substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione compounds of general formula I from alkyl carbonyls.
The present invention further relates to substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione compounds of general formula I useful as an intermediate for the synthesis of several biological active heterocycles, natural product analogues, anisoles and aromatic poly phenol derivatives.
The present invention further relates to a convenient, inexpensive, and efficient method for the synthesis of substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione compounds of general formula I.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Cyclohexanone-1,3-diones play an important role in organic synthesis due to their usefulness in the preparation of many biological important compounds. Cyclohexane-1,3-diones refer to an important class of compounds known for their herbicidal activity and anti-inflammatory activity. Cyclohexane-1,3-diols are useful building blocks in pharmaceuticals, and can be easily prepared from cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives (Leijondahal, K.; Fransson, A. L.; Backvall, J. J. Org. Chem. 2006, 71, 8622-8625). 2-(substituted)-1,3-cyclohexanedione (Cain, P. A.; Cramp, S. M. European Patent E0496630) such as NTBC is a triketone with herbicidal activity i.e. potent inhibitor of enzyme 4-hydroxyphenyl pyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) in plants and developed as drug to cure children with a rare inborn error of metabolism (Lock, E; A.; Ellis, M. K.; Gaskin, P.; Robinson, M.; Auton, T. R.; Provan, W. M.; Smith, L. L; Prisbylla, M. P.; Mutter, L. C.; Lee, D. L. J. Inher. Metab. Dis. 1998, 21, 498-506).
The known polyketides, surinone A and oleiferinone, showed growth inhibitory activity against the WI-138, VA-13, and HepG2 cell lines with IC 50 values that ranged from 4.4 to 9.6 micro g/ml (Li, N.; Wu, j.; Hasegawa, T.; Sakai, J.; Bai, L.; Wang, L.; Kakuta, S.; Furuya, Y.; Ogura, H.; Kataoka, T.; Tomida, A.; Tsuruo, T.; Ando, M. J. Nat. Prod. 2007, 70, 998-1001). Humphrey et al. used cyclohexane-1,3-dione (CHD) resin as a solid support for synthesis of amides (Humphrey, C. E.; Easson, M. A. M.; Tierney, J. P.; Turner. N. J. Org. Lett. 2002, 5, 849-852).
Although several methods have been reported for the synthesis of cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives (Ryu, E. K.; Kim, K. M.; Kim, H. R.; Song, J. H.; Kim, J. N.; Kim, J. S. WO/1994/003443) but these methods are lengthy, laborious, time consuming and costly. Few reactions have been published, where acetone under KF-Alumina basic condition gives double Michael product (Basu, B.; Das, P.; Hossain, I. Synlett 2004, 12, 2224-2226) and acetone derivatives under t-BuOK condition gives cyclized products with quaternary carbon at C-4 position (Ishikawa, T.; Kadoya, R.; Arai, M.; Takahash, H.; Kaisi, Y.; Mizuta, T.; Yoshikai, K.; Satio, S. J. Org. Chem. 2001, 66, 8000-8009).
Few studies have been reported for the synthesis of cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives using acetone derivatives. Reactions of substituted acetone derivatives in the presence of t-BuOK (200 mol %) in t-BuOH-THF condition performed double Michael and Claisen reaction to produce 4,4-disubstituted cyclohexane-1,3-diones (Ishikawa, T.; Kudo, K.; Kuroyabu, K.; Uchida, S.; Kudoh, T.; Saito, S. J. Org. Chem. 2008, 73, 7498-7508). Cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives and their herbicidal activities were already known in the art. For example, Alloxidim-sodium (Sawaki, M.; Iwataki, I.; Hirono, Y.; Ishikawa, H. U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,420) and Sethoxidim (Somers, D. A.; Parker, W. B.; Wyse, D. L. Gronwald, J. W.; Gengenbach, B. G. U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,602, Johnson, M. D.; Dunne, C. L.; Kidder, D. W.; Hudetz, M. EP19970953744) have come into the market as grass herbicides. Cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives having phenyl substituent (Serban, A.; Watson, K. G.; Bird, G. J.; Farquharson, G. J. U.S. Pat. No. 4,511,391, Farquharson; G. J.; Watson; K. G.; Bird; G. J. U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,267 and Watson, K. G.; Bird, G. J.; Farquharson, G. J. U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,303) which have structural similarities to our invention. 5-(hetero-substituted) cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives have herbicidal as well as plant growth regulating properties (Conway, R. J.; Watson, K. G.; Farquharson, G. J. U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,132). 5-substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives act as herbicide for the selective control of undesirable grasses in broad-leaved crops (Jahn, D.; Rohr, W.; Becker, R.; Wuerzer, B).
References may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,735, wherein Mesotione i.e. 2-(4-methylsulfonyl-2-nitrobenzoyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione is a new selective, pre and post emergent herbicide for control of broad-leaved and some grass weeds in corn is reported. This compound acts by competitive inhibition of the enzyme 4-hydroxy phenyl pyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) which affects carotenoid biosynthesis ((a) Alferness, P.; Wiebe, L. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2002, 50, 3926-3934; (b) Mitchell, G.; Bartlett, D. W.; Fraser, T. E.; Hawkes, T. R.; Holt, D. C.; Townson, J. K.; Wichert, R. A. Pest. Manage. Sci. 2001, 57, 120-128).
A new Cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivative, EK-2612 shows grass killer herbicidal activity specially in monocotyledons plants like rice and barnyard grass (Kim, T. J.; Kim, J. S.; Hong, K. S.; Hwang, I. T.; Kim, K. M.; Kim, H. R.; Cho, K. Y. Pest. Manage. Sci. 2004, 60, 909-913).
4-Hydroxy-2-substituted-Cyclohexane-1,3-dione i.e. polyketides are responsible for cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory bioactivities (Li, N.; Wu, J. L.; Hasegawa, T.; Sakai, J. I.; Bai, L. M.; Wang, L. Y.; Kakuta, S.; Furuya, Y.; Ogura, H.; Kataoka, T.; Tomida, A.; Tsuruo, T.; Ando, M. J. Nat. Prod. 2007, 70, 998-1001).
2-substituted-Cyclohexane-1,3-diones are attractive intermediates in the synthesis of natural products and in medicinal chemistry as well as pharmaceutical chemistry. They are also excellent starting materials in the natural product synthesis ((a) Gardner, J. N.; Anderson, B. A.; Oliveto, E. P. J. Org. Chem. 1969, 34, 107-111. (b) Eder, U.; Sauer, G.; Wiechert, R. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 1971, 10, 496-497. (c) Newkome, G. R.; Roach, L. C.; Montelaro, R. C. J. Org. Chem. 1972, 37, 2098-2101. (d) Hajos, Z. G.; Parrish, D. R. J. Org. Chem. 1973, 38, 3239-3243).
Wieland-Miescher (W-M) ketone analogue are very good intermediates for the synthesis of steroids. W-M ketone analogue is very substantial intermediate for the synthesis of pharmaceutically acceptable salts or hydrates of spiro-heterocycles, which are disclosed as selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators for treating a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases or conditions (Ali, A.; Balkovec, J. M.; Beresis, R.; Colletti, S. L.; Graham, D. W.; Patel, G. F.; Smith, C. WO/2004/093805).
Cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives are main building block for substituted aromatic compounds synthesis. Aromatization of cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives have been performed using several conditions but most successful results have been observed under iodine in methanol (Kim, J. M.; Lee, K. Y.; Kim, J. N. Bull. Korean Chem. Soc. 2003, 24 (8), 1057-1058). To the best of our knowledge, we have developed a novel protocol for the synthesis of cyclohexane-1,3-diones not related with any methods described in above examples. Further functionalization strategies have been applied for the synthesis of several other molecules having novel structural moiety such as enaminone derivatives of cyclohexane-1,3-dione.
By using acetone, Aldol reaction was widely modified. But not a single report has been published in literature for the synthesis of such a versatile intermediate cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives useful in several value added organic molecules synthesis.
In summary, first time we have developed a new protocol for the synthesis of 3-(2,4-cyclohexanone)-propyl carboxylic acid ethyl ester 3 starting from acetone and ethyl acrylate in one-pot reaction. Compound 3 works as a versatile intermediate in several bioactive, value added organic molecules and natural products analogue synthesis.
OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION
The main objective of the present invention is to provide substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione compounds of general formula I.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a single pot process for preparation of substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione compounds of general formula I which obviates the drawbacks as detailed above.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide 3-(2,4-cyclohexanone)-propyl carboxylic acid ester (CHPC) of formula 3 useful for the synthesis of polyphenolic bioactive compounds.
Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione compounds of general formula I useful for the synthesis of aromatic anisole derivative of propyl ester a very useful intermediate for several biological active molecules synthesis either in synthetic or biosynthetic path way.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, present invention provides a compound of general formula I
wherein R is selected from CO 2 Y, B(OY) 2 , CHO, CH 2 OY, CH(CO 2 Y) 2 , PO(OY) 2 and CONHZ, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, substituted alkyl, substituted alkenyl, cycloalkyl, substituted alkyl, substituted heteroaryl or tetrazolyl and Z is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, alkyl-sulfonyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl sulfonyl, cynoalkyl and COXM wherein X is selected from S, SO or SO 2 and M is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl;
R 1 and R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, unsubstituted aryl, substituted aryl, unsubstituted heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, substituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyls or substituted cycloalkyls;
R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl;
R 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, heteroalkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl, alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl carbonyl or substituted keto compounds.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the representative compounds of general formula 1 comprising:
3-(2,4-cyclohexanone)-propyl carboxylic acid ethyl ester (CHPC) (Compound 3)
Tert-butyl 3-(2-methyl-4,6-dioxocyclohexyl) butanoate (Compound 5)
In another embodiment of the present invention, a single pot process for preparation of compound of general formula I comprising the steps of:
i. mixing ketone compound of general formula A wherein R is selected from a group consisting of hydrogen or (CH 2 ) n X wherein n is a natural number being 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 and X comprises hydrogen, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl
with sodium hydride (NaH) base optionally in presence of a solvent or neat at a temperature in the range of −10° C. to 0° C. to obtain a mixture;
ii. adding α,β-unsaturated ester compound of general formula B wherein R is selected form a group consisting of H, (CH 2 ) n X wherein n is a natural number being 1, 2 or 3 and X comprises hydrogen, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl, R 1 is selected from the group consisting of unsubstituted and substituted alkyl group and R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl
in to the mixture as obtained in step (i) at a temperature in the range of −10° C. to 0° C. and allowed to attain at 20-30° C. for a period ranging between 5 minutes to 2 h to obtain mixture;
iii. acidifying the reaction mixture as obtained in step (ii) with HCl maintaining pH in the range of 0 to 3 followed by extracting with ethyl acetate, dichloromethane or chloroform;
iv. concentrating the solvent the acidified mixture as obtained in step (iii) to obtain concentrate compound;
v. purifying the concentrate compound as obtained in step (iv) by silica gel column chromatography (hexane:ethylacetate, 7:3) or by solvent extraction to obtain compound of general formula I, compound 7 and 9.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, said process is useful for the preparation of compound of general formula II wherein R 6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, unsubstituted or substituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, representative compounds of general formula comprising:
In another embodiment of the present invention, solvent used is selected from the group consisting of toluene, tetrahydrofuran (THF) or benzene.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, molar concentration of sodium hydride (NaH) base is 1.5 to 2 times the number of moles of the ketone.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, molar concentration of α,β-unsaturated ester is 1 to 2 times the number of moles of the ketone or substituted ketone.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, solvent used for solvent extraction are selected from the group consisting of hexane, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane or chloroform.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, said compounds are useful as an intermediate for the synthesis of several biological active heterocycles, natural product analogues, anisoles and aromatic poly phenol derivatives.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, process for the preparation of compound of general formula III wherein R 7 and R 8 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl and whole group OR 7 and OR 8 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl using compound of general formula I
and the said process comprising the steps of; (i) reacting compound of general formula I with iodine in methanol or ethanol under reflux for a period ranging between 10 to 20 hr, (ii) diluting the reaction mixture with ethyl acetate or dichloromethane and washed with NaHSO 3 and brine solution, purifying the desired compound by silica gel chromatography (hexane:EtOAc, 95:5) to obtain compound of general formula III.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, representative compound of general formula III as prepared comprising of:
Methyl-3-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propanoate (Formula 10)
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Present invention provides Substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione compounds, process for preparation thereof and its applications” which comprises double Michael and Claisen type reaction of acetone and substituted acetone with ethyl acrylate and substituted ethyl acrylate under sodium hydride basic condition in toluene solvent and neat condition at −10° C. to 0° C. of the general formula 3.
Present invention provides a method for the synthesis of 3-(2,4-cyclohexanone)-propyl carboxylic acid ethyl ester (CHPC) starting from acetone in a one-pot reaction. Accordingly, the method involves using a strong base sodium hydride (NaH), ethyl acrylate in toluene solvent. In a second aspect, the present invention is also applied for the synthesis of other cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives such as 5, 7 and 9. In a third aspect, the present invention is also applied for the manufacture of methyl-3-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propanoate (10) synthesis which is the main building blocks of several biological active molecules.
Compound cyclohexane-1,3-dione of formula 3 is capable of providing herbicidal active cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivative type of molecules. Compound cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivative of formula 3 is a versatile intermediate for the synthesis of methyl-3-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl) propanoate. Compound cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivative of formula 3 is capable of undergoing conversion into value added organic molecules.
Present invention provides substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione compounds of general formula I, general formula II and general formula III
wherein R is selected from CO 2 Y, B(OY) 2 , CHO, CH 2 OY, CH(CO 2 Y) 2 , PO(OY) 2 and CONHZ, wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, substituted alkyl, substituted alkenyl, cycloalkyl, substituted alkyl, substituted heteroaryl or tetrazolyl and Z is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, alkyl-sulfonyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl sulfonyl, cynoalkyl and COXM wherein X is selected from S, SO or SO 2 and M is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl;
R 1 and R 2 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, unsubstituted aryl, substituted aryl, unsubstituted heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, substituted alkyl, unsubstituted cycloalkyls or substituted cycloalkyls;
R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl;
R 4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, heteroalkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl, alkoxy, substituted or unsubstituted aryl carbonyl or substituted keto compounds.
R 6 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, unsubstituted or substituted aryl, unsubstituted or substituted heteroaryl;
R 7 and R 8 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted alkyl;
Whole group OR 7 and OR 8 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, unsubstituted or substituted aryl.
EXAMPLES
The following examples are given by way of illustration and therefore should not construed to limit the scope of the present invention.
Experimental Part
All reactions were carried out under an inert atmosphere with dry solvents under anhydrous conditions, unless otherwise stated. Toluene was freshly distilled before use and dried over 4° A molecular sieves. NaH (60%) was washed with hexane and dried under reduced pressure. Commercial reagents and solvents were of analytical grade and were purified by standard procedures prior to use. TLC was performed on Silica Gel 60 F 254 (Merck) using UV light detection. Column chromatographic separations have been carried out on normal silica gel 60-120 mesh (Merck). The 1 H and 13 C NMR spectra were recorded at 298 K with a Bruker AM-300 spectrometer; using TMS as internal reference standard in CDCl 3 . HRMS spectra were determined using a Micromass Q-TOF Ultima spectrometer.
Example 1
Synthesis of 3-(2,4-cyclohexanone)-propyl carboxylic acid ethyl ester (CHPC) (formula 3)
A mixture of acetone (4 g, 68.87 mmol) and NaH (3.3 g, 137.74 mmol) was treated with ethyl acrylate (13.78 g, 137.74 mmol) in dry toluene (60 ml) at −5° C. The solution was allowed to attain room temperature (20 to 30° C.) under stirring for 2 h. The reaction mixture was acidified with 1(N) hydrochloric acid, extracted with ethyl acetate (3×15 ml) and washed with brine. The combined organic layers was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and concentrated under reduced pressure using rotary evaporator to evaporate the solvent. The crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography (hexane:EtOAc, 70:30), afforded 3 as a light yellow gummy liquid (6.57 g, 45% yield).
1 H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 1.21 (t, J=7.1 Hz, 6H), 1.68-1.75 (m, 4H), 2.00-2.09 (m, 4H), 2.28-2.58 (m, 10H), 3.38-3.47 (m, 2H), 4.04-4.12 (m, 4H), 5.40 (s, 1H), 6.67 (br, 1H); 13 C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 14.07, 24.26, 24.56, 25.41, 26.19, 29.76, 31.43, 31.94, 39.64, 41.27, 48.25, 58.26, 60.50, 104.01, 173.23, 173.67, 187.73, 195.15, 203.79, 204.06; HREIMS data: m/z calcd. for [M+H] + C 11 H 16 O 4 213.2503 obsd. 213.2502.
Example 2
Synthesis of 3-(2,4-cyclohexanone)-propyl carboxylic acid ethyl ester (CHPC) (formula 3) in neat condition
A mixture of acetone (500 mg, 8.61 mmol) and NaH (619 mg, 15.49 mmol) was treated with ethyl acrylate (1723 mg, 17.21 mmol) at −10° C. for 5 minutes. The completion of reaction was monitor by TLC. The reaction mixture was acidified with 1(N) hydrochloric acid, extracted with ethyl acetate (3×5 ml) and washed with brine. The combined organic layers was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography (hexane:EtOAc, 70:30), afforded 3 as a light yellow gummy liquid (914 mg, 50% yield).
Example 3
Synthesis of tert-butyl 3-(2-methyl-4,6-dioxocyclohexyl) butanoate (formula 5)
A mixture of acetone (500 mg, 8.60 mmol) and NaH (148 mg, 6.19 mmol) was treated with tert-butyl but-2-enoate (2448 mg, 17.21 mmol) at 0° C. in 5 ml dry toluene. The solution was allowed to attain room temperature under stirring for 2 h. The reaction mixture was acidified with 1(N) hydrochloric acid, extracted with ethyl acetate (3×5 ml) and washed with brine. The combined organic layers was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography (hexane:EtOAc, 70:30), afforded 5 as light yellow semi-solid (1016 mg, 44%). 1 H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 1.05-1.09 (m, 6H), 1.37 (t, J=1.8, 9H), 1.51-1.56 (m, 1H), 1.79-1.86 (m, 1H), 2.06-2.21 (m, 2H), 2.42-2.49 (m, 1H), 2.56-2.64 (m, 2H), 3.24-3.48 (m, 2H), 3.24-3.31 (m, 1H), 3.42-3.48 (m, 1H); 13 C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ13.50, 13.61, 17.55, 17.68, 27.72, 32.17, 32.57, 33.09, 34.03, 37.26, 38.28, 44.38, 47.44, 47.97, 58.02, 58.27, 79.96, 175.13, 175.56, 203.28, 203.87, 203.97; HREIMS data: m/z calcd. for [M+H] + C 15 H 25 O 4 269.3566, obsd. 269.3559.
Example 4
Synthesis of 4-methylcyclohexane-1,3-dione (formula 7)
A mixture of ethyl methyl ketone (500 mg, 6.93 mmol) and NaH (415 mg, 10.39 mmol) was treated with ethyl acrylate (693 mg, 6.93 mmol) at 0° C. in 5 ml dry toluene. The solution, was allowed to attain room temperature under stirring for 2 h. The reaction mixture was acidified with 1(N) hydrochloric acid, extracted with ethyl acetate (3×5 ml) and washed with brine. The combined organic layers was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography (hexane:EtOAc, 70:30), afforded 7 as a light yellow semisolid (480 mg, 55%). 1 H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 1.22-1.28 (m, 6H), 1.48-1.77 (m, 2H), 2.02-2.20 (m, 2H), 2.36-2.71 (m, 6H), 3.35-3.49 (m, 2H), 5.4 (s, 1H), 8.40 (br, 1H); 13 C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 14.20, 15.87, 26.65, 29.25, 30.20, 36.84, 39.82, 44.03, 57.89, 103.62, 188.95, 197.06, 204.20, 205.11; HREIMS data: m/z calcd. for [M+H] + C 7 H 11 O 2 127.1610, obsd 127.1602.
Example 5
Synthesis of 4-isopropylcyclohexane-1,3-dione (formula 9)
A mixture of 4-methylpentan-2-one (500 mg, 5 mmol) and NaH (299 mg, 7.49. mmol) was treated with ethyl acrylate (500 mg, 5 mmol) at 0° C. in 5 ml dry toluene. The solution was allowed to attain room temperature under stirring for 2 h. The reaction mixture was acidified with 1(N) hydrochloric acid, extracted with ethyl acetate (3×5 ml) and washed with brine. The combined organic layers was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 and concentrated under reduced pressure. The crude product was purified by silica gel column chromatography (hexane:EtOAc, 70:30), afforded 9 as light yellow semisolid (400 mg, 52% yield). 1 H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 0.86-1.25 (m, 12H), 1.71-2.09 (m, 4H), 2.14-2.74 (m, 8H), 3.33-3.53 (m, 2H), 5.48 (s, 1H), 8.19 (br, 1H); 13 C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 18.61, 19.98, 20.68, 21.58, 26.92, 29.61, 30.39, 39.13, 48.10, 55.43, 58.20, 104.75, 188.19, 196.14, 204.33, 204.95; HREIMS data: m/z calcd. for [M+H] + C 9 H 14 O 2 155.2142, obsd 155.2136.
Example 6
Synthesis of Methyl-3-(2,4-dimethoxyphenyl)propanoate (formula 10)
A solution of 3 (100 mg, 0.471 mmol) and iodine (230 mg, 0.94 mmol) in methanol (5 ml) was heated at reflux for 20 h. The reaction mixture was diluted with EtOAc and washed with aq. NaHSO 3 and brine solution. The extract was dried over anhydrous Na 2 SO 4 . Purification was done by silica gel chromatography (hexane:EtOAc, 95:5) afforded 10 as yellow gummy liquid (44.19 mg, 41%). 1 H NMR (300 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 2.49 (t, J=7.65 Hz, 2H), 2.79 (t, J=7.75 Hz, 2H), 3.58 (s, 3H), 3.71 (s, 3H), 3.72 (s, 3H), 6.30-6.36 (m, 2H), 6.05 (s, 1H); 13 C NMR (75 MHz, CDCl 3 ) δ 25.67, 34.45, 51.61, 55.37, 55.50, 98.67, 103.98, 121.41, 127.25, 128.72, 130.29, 158.52, 159.73, 174.07; HREIMS data: m/z calcd for [M+H] + C 12 H 15 O 4 obsd. 225.2610.
Advantages of the Invention
A simple protocol for the preparation of 3-(2,4-cyclohexanone)-propyl carboxylic acid ethyl ester (CHPC) (3) as a novel product with one chiral center at C-4 using one pot multi component reaction.
A simple process for the preparation of CHPC (3) in gram scale with high yield.
A simple process for the synthesis of cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives of unsubstituted and substituted acetone.
A simple process for the preparation of aromatic anisole derivative of propyl ester a very useful intermediate for the synthesis of several natural products.
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A regio-selective and consecutive Michael-Claisen process has been developed for substituted cyclohexane-1,3-dione synthesis started from unsubstituted or substituted acetone and α,β-unsaturated esters. Substituted cyclohexane-1,3-diones are the basic unit found in several natural products, bioactive alkaloids and acridine dione type heterocycles, polyphenols, and unnatural amino acid synthesis. Most of the potent herbicidal and pesticidal active molecules contain cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives. Such an important intermediate synthesis using a facile, atom economy and one-pot process is a demandable area in organic synthesis.
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RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/328,595, filed on Apr. 27, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
[0002] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. The following notice applies to the software and data as described below and in the drawings that form a part of this document: Copyright 2010, Jake Knows, Inc, All Rights Reserved.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0003] Example embodiments relate to discovering, and determining the value of, referrals from an entity or entities having relationships with one or more people, based on a database that links the entity requesting the referral, such that the requesting entity will be given a list of one or more referrals with a ranked score indicating the relative value of each referral.
BACKGROUND
[0004] In one's business and personal life, a referral to a reliable source for a product, service or skill is frequently needed but often proves difficult to find, resulting in many referrals having undesired outcomes.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a representation of the environment, according to an example embodiment.
[0006] FIG. 2 is a drawing of the cell phone client architecture, according to an example embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 3 is a drawing of an Internet appliance architecture, according to an example embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 4 is a drawing of the server architecture, according to an example embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 5 is a representation of the entity table entry, according to an example embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 6 is a representation of a contact list entry, according to an example embodiment.
[0011] FIG. 7 is a representation of a referral request query, according to an example embodiment
[0012] FIG. 8 is a representation of the communications log, according to an example embodiment
[0013] FIG. 9 is a representation of an attribute descriptor, according to an example embodiment.
[0014] FIG. 10 is a diagram of a representative attribute graph, according to an example embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of the referral selection process, according to an example embodiment.
[0016] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of machine in the example form of a computer system within which a set instructions for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0017] In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of some example embodiments. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an environment in which various example embodiments may be deployed. Elements 101 through 108 are smart phones and feature phones (collectively referred to as phones) which are connected through various wireless networks that are currently in place to support communications with the devices. In an example embodiment, the phone 101 connects, via the most accessible cell tower 106 , to a central office 109 , via a trunk line 107 , using standard technology. Additionally, one or more Internet appliances 113 are connected through the Internet 112 . Each phone 101 - 108 may have a software structure similar to a cell phone client architecture 200 described below. (See FIG. 2 ). As shown in FIG. 2 , a phone may host a client application 204 that collects information about an entity using the phone, and transmits the information through links (e.g., through a cell phone radio transmission link 130 , one or more trunk lines 107 , and the Internet 112 ) to an application server (also referred to as an referral server) 110 connected to a database 111 . The referral server 110 has a server architecture 400 described below. (See FIG. 4 ). As shown in FIG. 4 , the referral server 110 includes a server application 406 that receives the information and adds it to the database 111 . After the information is added to the database 111 , it is processed by a server application (see 406 of FIG. 4 ) by executing the processes describe herein.
[0019] FIG. 2 is a block diagram depicting the cell phone client architecture 200 , according to an example embodiment. The cell phone client architecture 200 includes entity information 210 , client application data 201 , contact information 202 , a call log 203 , a client application 204 , a data manager 205 , a communications control 206 , a database 207 , an operating system 208 , and a cell phone application 209 .
[0020] The operating system 208 provides base hardware control mechanism to applications, tasks, and services running on the phone 101 . In example embodiments, the operating system 208 is provided by the manufacturer of the phone (e.g., 101 , see FIG. 1 ) or, in other example embodiments, by a third party. The services communications control 206 , the database 207 , and the data manager 205 are built on the services of the operating system 208 . The communications control 206 is an interface from the client application to the communications network. In the case of the cell phone based systems, the communications network may be the common carriers network, represented by trunk line 107 and central office 109 , linked to the Internet 112 . For the Internet appliances 113 , the communications network may be the Internet 112 . The communications control 206 interfaces with the client application 204 and acts as the port for the client application's 204 communications with the referral server 110 . The data manager 205 controls the physical storage in the client and controls access, security, space management for various modules of the phone 101 , such as the client application 204 , the cell phone application 209 , and the database 207 . The client application 204 provides an interface to the various services provided by the referral server 110 . The cell phone application 209 is provided by the cell phone vendor to provide cell phone services to a user. The database 207 stores, retrieves, and manages information in the various databases, including, for example, the entity information 210 , the client application data 201 , the contact information 202 and the call log 203 , and provides the query and update services for these data. The entity information 210 includes information describing a user. The entity information 210 may be extended by the client application 204 to further include information useful to support the referral server 110 applications. The client application data 201 contains data structures that support the client application 204 . The contact information 202 supports cell phone or web application contact list features. The contact information 202 is, in some example embodiments, augmented by the client application 204 to support the functions of the referral server 110 applications. The call log 203 is provided by the cell phone or web application. The call log 203 includes information about the user's contacts. The call log 203 may be accessed by the client application 204 to support the functions taught herein.
[0021] FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting an Internet appliance client architecture 300 , according to an example embodiment. The Internet appliance client architecture 300 includes other contact sources' data 310 , client application data 309 , email contact information 301 , email folders 302 , a database 306 , a client application 303 , a third party application 308 , a communications control 305 , a data manager 304 , and an operating system 307 .
[0022] The operating system 307 provides base hardware control mechanism to the modules of the Internet appliance client architecture 300 . The operating system 307 may be provided by a manufacturer of the client system or a third party. The communications control 305 , database 306 , and data manager 304 are built on the services of the operating system 307 .
[0023] The communications control 305 is an interface from the client application 303 to a communications network. As described earlier, in the case of the cell phone based systems, the communications network may be the common carriers network, represented by trunk line 107 and central office 109 (of FIG. 1 ), linked to the Internet 112 . For the Internet appliances 113 , the communications network is the Internet 112 . The communications control 305 is interfaced with client application 303 and acts as a port for the client application's 303 communications with the referral server 110 .
[0024] The data manager 304 controls the physical storage in the client by controlling access, security, and space management for the client application 303 , third party applications 308 and database 306 . The client application 303 provides an interface to the various services provided by the referral server 110 . The third party applications 308 are provided by a number of sources (e.g., third party developers) and share the Internet appliance 113 with the client application 303 . The database 306 manages the information in the various databases of other contact sources' data 310 , client application data 309 , email contact information 301 and the email folders 302 , and provides various database services, such as query and update services for these data 310 , 309 , 301 , and 302 . Other contact sources' data 310 includes information about the user contact such as photograph, likes, dislikes, activities participated in, and other user information. The client application data 309 includes the new data structures to support the client application 303 .
[0025] Email contact information 301 is used by email programs for the entity's contacts. It is augmented by the client application 303 to support the applications hosted on the referral server 110 . Email folders 302 contain the email that has been received and sent by the user. The email folders 302 are the analog of the call log 203 of cell phone client architecture 200 . (See FIG. 2 ). The email folders 302 are accessed by the client application 303 to support the functions taught herein.
[0026] FIG. 4 is a block diagram depicting a server architecture 400 for the referral server 110 , according to an example embodiment. The server architecture 400 includes a conventional operating system 409 like IBM'S Z/OS, LINUX, UNIX, MICROSOFT WINDOWS 7 and other operating systems. From an architectural standpoint, an input/output (I/O) system 408 operates on top of the operating system 409 to provide services to manage I/O devices (e.g., disk storage and communications hardware). The other components of the system may interface with the I/O system 408 to perform these services. Database services 407 provide a repository for data structures of the server application 406 . These data structures may be stored in a variety of forms, such as flat files, relational, hierarchical, and object databases. The web services 405 provide the protocols and controls to connect to the Internet 112 . The web services 405 are used by the server application 406 to communicate with the various client machines. The member portal 404 receives requests for referrals from the clients from the web service 405 and passes them to the server application 406 , which executes the various processes described herein. The server application 406 can be further subdivided into sub-functions including, in an example embodiment: identity services 410 (e.g., registration, login, and verification), contact management 401 (e.g., discovery, validation, and association analysis), query processing 402 , and client data control and analysis 403 . The structure and arrangement of the components of server architecture 400 is one of a number of implementations that one skilled in the state-of-the-art could design.
[0027] FIG. 5 is table showing content of an entity table 500 , according to an example embodiment. An entity table describes an entity or an aspect (of an entity) of either a member or a contact of the member. The entities can be people, companies, businesses, organizations, etc. The entries of the entity table 500 are stored in a database and can be accessed by one or more of the fields. The fields in the entity table 500 shown in FIG. 5 are exemplary.
[0028] Entity ID 501 is the unique ID for an entity table entry. Table entry mode 502 indicates if this is the root entry for the entity, and contains one entity ID 501 that identifies the entity. The entity table 500 further includes:
one or more phone numbers 503 associated with that entity; one or more addresses 504 , postal or street, associated with that entity; one or more email addresses 505 associated with that entity; one or more entity's names 506 that entity uses; aspect IDs 507 , which list the ways in which the entity has elected to be known; attribute list pointer 508 , which specifies a list of attribute names which apply to this entity; a log pointer 509 , which is used to locate log entries; a contact list 510 containing a list of entity IDs for all the contacts of the entity; and an aspect referral value 511 which contains the referral value for the corresponding aspect ID 507 .
[0036] Aspects such as “carpenter”, “machinist”, etc. indicate skills with entities and their attributes describe the services that they offer. For a carpenter, the services include: “furniture”, “framing”, and “restoration” among others. Aspects such as “retailer’, “service station owner”, etc, have attributes indicating the kinds of products they offer. For a retailer the products are quite diverse. For example, a retailer may be in the furniture business, in which case the attributes for the retailer might include: “furniture”, “recliners”, “bedroom sets”, etc. The structure of the aspect allows the rich description of the skills, products, and services that one might need a referral to. The fields in this structure were picked as representative and should not be construed to limit what is taught herein.
[0037] FIG. 6 is a table showing content of a contact list table 600 , according to an example embodiment. As shown, the contact list table 600 includes:
a contact's entity ID 601 , which is the unique identifier of the entity stored in the entity table 500 (see FIG. 5 ), and has a entity ID 501 that corresponds (e.g., is identical) to a contact's entity ID 601 ; a contact type 602 indicates whether the corresponding contact is a direct or implied contact; and a relationship strength 603 , a value that indicates how strong a relationship exists between an entity and the contact.
[0041] FIG. 7 is a table showing a referral query 700 , according to an example embodiment. A referral query, in some example embodiments, may contain:
entity ID 501 indicating the entity requesting the query 700 ; degree 701 which specifies the number of contact links allowed between the requester of a referral and the reference selected by the query 700 ; and one or more query groups 702 with each having one aspect name 703 and the aspect name being modified by zero or more attribute names 704 through attribute name n 705 , if appropriate.
[0045] FIG. 8 is a table showing content of a communications log 800 , according to an example embodiment. The communications log 800 describes the phone calls and other communications made and received by an entity ID 500 from any of the communications devices for the entity. The fields contained in the communications log 800 may include, for example:
comDevice ID 801 is a unique ID assigned to the phone or Internet appliance; start timestamp 802 contains the date and time the communication started; stop timestamp 803 contains the date and time the communication stopped; communication type 804 indicates the type of call, e.g., call out, call in, call missed, voicemail received, text, email, Facebook posting, etc; and event data 805 contains any text, image, or other digital information associated with the communication.
[0051] The communications log 800 is used to identify communications between an entity requesting a referral and the one or more entities or companies that were referred.
[0052] FIG. 9 is a table showing attribute descriptor data 900 , according to an example embodiment. The attribute descriptor data 900 may, in some example embodiments, be composed of an attribute descriptor indicator, which is a fixed value that identifies the data structure as an attribute descriptor. The attribute descriptor data 900 also includes:
attribute descriptor ID 901 , which is a normalized description of the attributes in the field attribute description 902 ; a list of alternative forms 903 of the attribute description 902 . The alternative forms 903 is a list of attribute descriptor IDs 901 that are synonyms for the attribute (e.g., “Dr.” is an alternative to “MD” but not vice versa); and a normalized form pointer 904 points to the attribute descriptor that has an appropriate attribute description.
[0056] An appropriate attribute description is used when adding attributes to the database. For example, when adding the attribute “Baseball Referee” to an entity's profile, the system would substitute “Baseball Umpire”.
[0057] This list is created and updated in the process of adding entities and contacts to the system, and while updating the various entities and contacts information. Attribute descriptors are maintained in a separate table in the database and can be queried by various query languages including SQL. The attribute descriptors are stored in a database table with one entry for each unique attribute. The fields in this structure were picked as representative and should not be construed to limit what is taught herein.
[0058] FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic representation of a representative attribute graph 1000 , according to an example embodiment. The attribute graph 1000 describes how the attribute list pointer 508 (block 1001 ) and the attribute descriptor (see FIG. 9 ) compose a graph structure that represents the person specified in a person table entry (see FIG. 5 ). Each person table entry describes an entity that is a member of the system or is a contact of a member. Node 1020 is a person table entry and is the root node of the attribute graph 1000 . Node 1020 contains the attribute list pointer 508 to a list pointing to the next level of the graph 1000 containing the primary attributes of the individual or persona. These nodes may be described in a node control block (e.g., 1001 to 1016 ). Nodes 1001 , 1004 , 1006 , 1008 , 1009 , 1012 and 1014 are the highest level attributes or personas for the individual. Each of them can be linked to other attributes through additional node control blocks. In the case of node 1008 , there are no subservient nodes. Nodes 1002 , 1005 , 1007 , 1010 , 1013 , and 1015 are second level attributes or personas and are further linked to third level attributes represented by nodes 1003 , 1011 , and 1016 . As many levels as appropriate may be used to represent an individual. This attribute graph 1000 may not be a separate entity, in some example embodiments, but may exist as a result of the IDs and pointers in the various data structures.
[0059] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of the referral selection process 1100 , according to an example embodiment. The flow diagram describes how the aspect referral value 511 (see FIG. 5 ) is developed. Operation 1101 gets control when the referral query 700 (see FIG. 7 ) is received and then passes control to operation 1102 , which parses the query 700 and using entity ID 501 accesses the entity table for that entity. It then traverses the tree formed by the contact list 510 to the depth specified in degree 701 . The process backtracks each time a leaf of the degree 701 criteria is met after recording the contents of the leaf's entity table 500 and the associated attribute graph 1000 . Additionally each entity table 500 traversed and its associated attribute graph 1000 is recorded. Then control passes to operation 1103 , which queries the recorded aspects to find those that meet the criteria specified in each query group's 702 aspect name 703 and attribute name 704 through 705 , producing a candidate table containing the entity IDs, their aspects, degree, referral value for each level of degree, and relationship strength between each level of relationship. Then control passes to operation 1104 , which calculates the referral value for the aspects each entity represented in the candidate table. The calculation of a referral value (RV) is of the form:
[0000] RV= c 1 f 1(degree)□ c 2 f 2(strength)□ c 3 f 3(aspect referral value),
[0060] Where c 1 , c 2 , and c 3 are fitting constants derived by data mining the history contained in database 111 , and f 1 , f 2 , and f 3 are functions derived from the database 111 by data mining. The value RV, entity ID 501 , and aspect ID 507 are recorded in a temporary table and then sorted into descending order by RV; then the topped ranked entities are presented to the entity ID 501 specified in the referral query 700 . The process operations in this diagram were picked as representative and should not be construed to limit what is taught herein.
[0061] Example embodiments may utilize a variety of metrics to indicate the value of potential referrals to a first entity. For example, as described above, the referral value may include a calculation based on degree, strength or aspect referral value, or some combination thereof. Other example embodiments may utilize the call logs to determine a metric based on experience. That is, an entity that communicates often with another entity may have a stronger relationship, for example. Other example embodiments may include actions that are stored in the database that are used to update the second entity's referral value, responsive to a request.
Modules, Components and Logic
[0062] Certain embodiments are described herein as including logic or a number of components, modules, or mechanisms. Modules may constitute either software modules (e.g., code embodied on a machine-readable medium or in a transmission signal) or hardware modules. A hardware module is a tangible unit capable of performing certain operations and may be configured or arranged in a certain manner. In example embodiments, one or more computer systems (e.g., a standalone, client or server computer system) or one or more hardware modules of a computer system (e.g., a processor or a group of processors) may be configured by software (e.g., an application or application portion) as a hardware module that operates to perform certain operations as described herein.
[0063] In various embodiments, a hardware module may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, a hardware module may comprise dedicated circuitry or logic that is permanently configured (e.g., as a special-purpose processor, such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) to perform certain operations. A hardware module may also comprise programmable logic or circuitry (e.g., as encompassed within a general-purpose processor or other programmable processor) that is temporarily configured by software to perform certain operations. It will be appreciated that the decision to implement a hardware module mechanically, in dedicated and permanently configured circuitry, or in temporarily configured circuitry (e.g., configured by software) may be driven by cost and time considerations.
[0064] Accordingly, the term “hardware module” should be understood to encompass a tangible entity, be that an entity that is physically constructed, permanently configured (e.g., hardwired) or temporarily configured (e.g., programmed) to operate in a certain manner and/or to perform certain operations described herein. Considering embodiments in which hardware modules are temporarily configured (e.g., programmed), each of the hardware modules need not be configured or instantiated at any one instance in time. For example, where the hardware modules comprise a general-purpose processor configured using software, the general-purpose processor may be configured as respective different hardware modules at different times. Software may accordingly configure a processor, for example, to constitute a particular hardware module at one instance of time and to constitute a different hardware module at a different instance of time.
[0065] Hardware modules can provide information to, and receive information from, other hardware modules. Accordingly, the described hardware modules may be regarded as being communicatively coupled. Where multiple of such hardware modules exist contemporaneously, communications may be achieved through signal transmission (e.g., over appropriate circuits and buses) that connect the hardware modules. In embodiments in which multiple hardware modules are configured or instantiated at different times, communications between such hardware modules may be achieved, for example, through the storage and retrieval of information in memory structures to which the multiple hardware modules have access. For example, one hardware module may perform an operation, and store the output of that operation in a memory device to which it is communicatively coupled. A further hardware module may then, at a later time, access the memory device to retrieve and process the stored output. Hardware modules may also initiate communications with input or output devices, and can operate on a resource (e.g., a collection of information).
[0066] The various operations of example methods described herein may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily or permanently configured, such processors may constitute processor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more operations or functions. The modules referred to herein may, in some example embodiments, comprise processor-implemented modules.
[0067] Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least partially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of the operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors or processor-implemented modules. The performance of certain of the operations may be distributed among the one or more processors, not only residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number of machines. In some example embodiments, the processor or processors may be located in a single location (e.g., within a home environment, an office environment or as a server farm), while in other embodiments the processors may be distributed across a number of locations.
[0068] The one or more processors may also operate to support performance of the relevant operations in a “cloud computing” environment or as a “software as a service” (SaaS). For example, at least some of the operations may be performed by a group of computers (as examples of machines including processors), these operations being accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., Application Program Interfaces (APIs)).
Electronic Apparatus and System
[0069] Example embodiments may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them. Example embodiments may be implemented using a computer program product, e.g., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable medium for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers.
[0070] A computer program can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.
[0071] In example embodiments, operations may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing a computer program to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. Method operations can also be performed by, and apparatus of example embodiments may be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
[0072] The computing system can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. In embodiments deploying a programmable computing system, it will be appreciated that that both hardware and software architectures should be given consideration. Specifically, it will be appreciated that the choice of whether to implement certain functionality in permanently configured hardware (e.g., an ASIC), in temporarily configured hardware (e.g., a combination of software and a programmable processor), or a combination of permanently and temporarily configured hardware may be a design choice. Below are set out hardware (e.g., machine) and software architectures that may be deployed, in various example embodiments.
Example Machine Architecture and Machine-Readable Medium
[0073] FIG. 12 is a block diagram of machine in the example form of a computer system 1200 within which instructions for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed. In alternative embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be an entity computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a entity Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.
[0074] The example computer system 1200 includes a processor 1202 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) or both), a main memory 1204 and a static memory 1206 , which communicate with each other via a bus 1208 . The computer system 1200 may further include a video display unit 1210 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 1200 also includes an alphanumeric input device 1212 (e.g., a keyboard), a user interface (UI) navigation device 1214 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 1216 , a signal generation device (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device 1220 .
Machine-Readable Medium
[0075] The disk drive unit 1216 includes a machine-readable medium 1222 on which is stored one or more sets of data structures and instructions 1218 (e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 1218 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 1204 and/or within the processor 1202 during execution thereof by the computer system 1200 , the main memory 1204 and the processor 1202 also constituting machine-readable media.
[0076] While the machine-readable medium 1222 is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more data structures and instructions 1218 . The term “machine-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any tangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present embodiments of the invention, or that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with such instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. Specific examples of machine-readable media include non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.
[0077] Transmission Medium
[0078] The instructions 1218 may further be transmitted or received over a communications network 1226 using a transmission medium. The instructions 1218 may be transmitted using the network interface device 1220 and any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), the Internet, mobile telephone networks, Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks (e.g., Wi-Fi and WiMax networks). The term “transmission medium” shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machine, and includes digital or analog communications signals or other intangible media to facilitate communication of such software.
[0079] Although an embodiment has been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, show by way of illustration, and not of limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
[0080] Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred to herein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merely for convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept if more than one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.
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A system comprising a database containing information concerning uniquely identified entities is described. The database further contains a list of attributes describing the entities and describing products, skills, or services provided by that entity. A server compares the desired referral of a first entity to one or more second entities having the desired product, skill, or service, and by evaluating the relationship between the first entity and second entities presents those second entities in the order of their value as a referral.
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TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates, in general, to tools and equipment for completing a subterranean well that traverses a hydrocarbon bearing formation and, in particular, to a retrievable well packer for releasably sealing the annulus between a tubing string and the well casing using a collet member to positively operate a support ring.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the course of treating and preparing a subterranean well for production, a well packer is run into the well on a conveyance such as a work string, a production tubing, a wireline or the like. The purpose of the packer is to support production tubing and other completion equipment, such as a sand control screen adjacent to a producing formation, and to seal the annulus between the outside of the production tubing and the inside of the well casing to block movement of fluids through the annulus past the packer location.
Typically, the packer is provided with an upper and a lower set of anchor slips having opposed camming surfaces which cooperate with complementary opposed wedging surfaces, whereby the anchor slips are outwardly radially extendable into gripping engagement against the well casing bore in response to relative axial movement of the wedging surfaces. The packer also carries annular seal elements which are expandable radially into sealing engagement against the bore of the well casing in response to axial compression forces. The longitudinal movement of the packer components which set the anchor slips and the sealing elements may be produced, for example, hydraulically or mechanically.
After the packer has been set within the well casing, it should maintain its sealing and griping engagement upon removal of the hydraulic or mechanical setting force. Additionally, it is essential that the packer remain locked in its set configuration while withstanding hydraulic pressures applied externally or internally from the formation and/or manipulation of the tubing string and service tools without unsetting the packer or interrupting the seal. This is made more difficult in deep wells in which the packer and its components are subjected to high downhole temperatures and high downhole pressures.
Moreover, the packer should be able to withstand variation of externally applied hydraulic pressures at levels such as 10,000 psi in both directions, and still be retrievable after such exposure for long periods of time such as 10 to 15 years or more. After such long periods of extended service under extreme pressure and temperature conditions, it is desirable that the packer be retrievable from the well by appropriate manipulation of the tubing string, such as a quarter turn of rotation, to cause the packer to be released and unsealed from the well casing, with the anchor slips and seal elements being retracted sufficiently to avoid becoming stuck within wellbore restrictions.
It has been found, however, that in certain packer deployments, the deviation of the wellbore may cause the packer to rest on the inside of the well casing. In these deployments, it is difficult to properly set the upper anchor slips due to a lack of cooperation of the opposed camming surfaces of the upper anchor slips with the complementary opposed wedging surfaces as the force of gravity cannot fully act on the support ring. Therefore, a need has arisen for a retrievable packer that is capable of being properly deployed in a well wherein the packer rests on the inside of the well casing. A need has also arisen for such a retrievable packer that is capable of withstanding the extreme downhole pressures and temperatures without unsetting the packer or interrupting the seal. Further, a need has arisen for such a retrievable packer that is capable of being set, unset and reset in the well casing and remaining in the well for long periods of extended service then be retrieved from the well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention disclosed herein comprises a retrievable packer that is capable of being properly deployed in a well wherein the packer rests on the inside of the well casing. The retrievable packer of the present invention is also capable of withstanding the extreme downhole pressures and temperatures without unsetting the packer or interrupting the seal. In addition, the retrievable packer of the present invention is capable of being set, unset and reset in the well casing and remaining in the well for long periods of extended service and later being retrieved from the well.
The retrievable packer of the present invention comprises a packer mandrel that is adapted for connection to a tubing string. A seal assembly is disposed about the packer mandrel. The seal assembly has a running position, wherein the seal assembly is not in sealing engagement with the well casing, and a sealing position, wherein the seal assembly is in sealing engagement with the well casing. A first slip wedge is slidably disposed about the packer mandrel. The first slip wedge is operably associated with the slip assembly and may include plurality of wedge sections.
The retrievable packer of the present invention also includes a support ring that is slidably disposed about the packer mandrel. The support ring is operably positionable at least partially between the first slip wedge and the packer mandrel to prevent radially inward travel of the first slip wedge and to apply an axial force on the first slip wedge to operate the seal assembly from the running position to the sealing position. A slip assembly is slidably disposed about the support ring. The slip assembly is operably associated with the first slip wedge and has a running position, wherein the slip assembly is not in gripping engagement with the well casing, and a gripping position, wherein the slip assembly is radially outwardly extended by contact with the first slip wedge into gripping engagement with the well casing.
In addition, the retrievable packer of the present invention includes a collet member that is slidably disposed about the packer mandrel. The collet member has a first operating position, wherein the collet member applies an axial force on the support ring to positively position the support ring at least partially between the first slip wedge and the packer mandrel, and a second operating position, wherein the collet member applies an axial force on the slip assembly to operate the slip assembly from the running position to the gripping position.
The seal assembly of the retrievable packer of the present invention may include a mandrel element slidably disposed about the packer mandrel, a second slip wedge slidably disposed about the mandrel element and at least one seal element disposed about the mandrel element such that a compressive force between the mandrel element and the second slip wedge radially expands the seal element. Likewise, the slip assembly of the retrievable packer of the present invention may include a slip carrier and a plurality of slips that are radially outwardly extendable, by contact with the first slip wedge, into gripping engagement with the well casing.
The collet member may include a plurality of collet fingers that are radially retracted when the collet member is in the first operating position and radially expanded when the collet member is in the second operating position. In addition, the collet member may comprise a spring cover.
It should be noted that the retrievable packer of the present invention may be set, unset and reset any number of times. Specifically, the seal assembly of the retrievable packer of the present invention can be repetitively operated between its running position and its sealing position without removing the packer from the well casing. Likewise, the slip assembly of the retrievable packer of the present invention can be repetitively operated between its running position and its gripping position without removing the packer from the well casing.
In another aspect, the present invention comprises a method of setting a retrievable packer to establish a sealing and gripping engagement with a well casing. This method includes lowering the packer into the well casing to a selected location, axially shifting a packer mandrel within the packer, positively positioning a support ring at least partially between a first slip wedge and the packer mandrel by applying an axial force on the support ring with a collet member, operating a seal assembly from a running position wherein the seal assembly is not in sealing engagement with the well casing to a sealing position wherein the seal assembly is in sealing engagement with the well casing, repositioning the collet member to apply the axial force on a slip assembly and operating the slip assembly from a running position wherein the slip assembly is not in gripping engagement with the well casing to a gripping position wherein the slip assembly is radially outwardly extended by contact with the first slip wedge into gripping engagement with the well casing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a more complete understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention, reference is now made to the detailed description of the invention along with the accompanying figures in which corresponding numerals in the different figures refer to corresponding parts and in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an offshore oil and gas platform operating a pair of retrievable packers of the present invention;
FIGS. 2A-2C are successive axial views in quarter section of a retrievable packer of the present invention; and
FIGS. 3A-3C are quarter sectional views of a retrievable packer of the present invention in its various positions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
While the making and using of various embodiments of the present invention are discussed in detail below, it should be appreciated that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts which can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed herein are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not delimit the scope of the present invention.
Referring initially to FIG. 1, a pair of retrievable packers operating from an offshore oil and gas platform are schematically illustrated and generally designated 10 . A semi-submersible platform 12 is centered over a submerged oil and gas formation 14 located below sea floor 16 . A subsea conduit 18 extends from deck 20 of platform 12 to wellhead installation 22 including blowout preventers 24 . Platform 12 has a hoisting apparatus 26 and a derrick 28 for raising and lowering pipe strings such as work string 30 .
A wellbore 32 extends through the various earth strata including formation 14 . A casing 34 is cemented within wellbore 32 by cement 36 . Work string 30 includes various tools including sand control screens 38 , 40 , 42 positioned in an interval of wellbore 32 adjacent to formation 14 between retrievable packers 44 , 46 of the present invention.
Importantly, even though FIG. 1 depicts a vertical well, it should be noted by one skilled in the art that the retrievable packers of the present invention are equally well-suited for use in deviated wells, inclined wells or horizontal wells. Also, even though FIG. 1 depicts an offshore operation, it should be noted by one skilled in the art that the retrievable packers of the present invention are equally well-suited for use in onshore operations.
Referring now to FIG. 2, including FIGS. 2A-2C, therein is depicted a retrievable packer of the present invention that is generally designated 50 . Packer 50 includes a substantially tubular, longitudinally extending mandrel 52 having a substantially cylindrical bore 54 defining a longitudinal production flow passageway. Mandrel 52 is coupled to a substantially tubular, longitudinally extending section of tubing 56 by a coupling 58 . Coupling 58 includes a radially outwardly extending shoulder 60 . Positioned around mandrel 52 is a spiral wound compression spring 62 that is operated against shoulder 60 of coupling 58 .
Slidably positioned around mandrel 52 is a collet member 64 . In the illustrated embodiment, collet member 64 includes eight collet fingers 66 . As should be apparent to those skilled in the art, collet member 64 may have a variety of configurations including configurations having other numbers of collet fingers 66 , such configurations being considered within the scope of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, collet member 64 also includes a spring cover 68 that extends upwardly to cover a portion of spring 62 . It should be understood by those skilled in the art that collet member 64 could alternatively have a spring cover that entirely covers spring 62 or could have no spring cover associated therewith. Collet member 64 has an upper shoulder 70 that is in contact with the lower end of spring 62 such that spring 62 downwardly biases collet member 64 .
While packer 50 is being described using directional terms such as above, below, upper, lower, upward, downward and the like, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the use of such terms is in relation to the illustrative embodiments as they are depicted in the figures, the upward direction being toward the top of the corresponding figure and the downward direction being toward the bottom of the corresponding figure.
Positioned around mandrel 52 in a groove 72 is a snap ring 74 that initially prevents collet member 64 from moving downwardly relative to mandrel 52 . A support ring 76 is slidably disposed around mandrel 52 below collet fingers 66 of collet member 64 . Support ring 76 has radially expanded end portion 78 . Slidably positioned around support ring 76 is a slip assembly 80 . Slip assembly 80 includes a slip carrier 82 and, in the illustrated embodiment, four radially extendable slips 84 . As should be apparent to those skilled in the art, slip assembly 80 may have a variety of configurations including configurations having other numbers of slips 84 , such configurations being considered within the scope of the present invention. Slips 84 each have a gripping outer surface for engaging and gripping the interior of the well casing in which packer 50 is disposed. Positioned around mandrel 52 in groove 86 is a snap ring 88 that initially prevents support ring 76 and slip assembly 80 from moving downwardly relative to mandrel 52 .
Slidably positioned around mandrel 52 at a preselected distance below support ring 76 and slip assembly 80 is a slip wedge 90 . In the illustrated embodiment, slip wedge 90 includes six wedge sections 92 . As should be apparent to those skilled in the art, slip wedge 90 may have a variety of configurations including configurations having other numbers of wedge sections 92 , such configurations being considered within the scope of the present invention. Wedge sections 92 each have a camming outer surface that will engage the inner surface of slips 84 , as explained in greater detail below. The interior surface of wedge sections 92 has a mating profile that matches the mating profile on the outer surface of support ring 76 such that support ring 76 can be received in the recess between wedges sections 92 and mandrel 52 , as explained in greater detail below.
Securably attached to slip wedge 90 and slidably positioned around mandrel 52 is a mandrel element 94 . In the illustrated embodiment, three compressible seal elements 96 , 98 , 100 are positioned around mandrel element 94 . Slidably and sealing positioned around mandrel element 94 below seal element 100 is a slip wedge 102 that has a camming outer surface. Collectively, mandrel element 94 , seal elements 96 , 98 , 100 and slip wedge 102 may be considered a seal assembly. As explained in greater detail below, when a compressive force is generated between mandrel element 94 and slip wedge 102 , seal elements 96 , 98 , 100 are radially expanded into contact with the well casing. Coupled to the lower end of mandrel element 94 and slidably positioned around mandrel 52 is a mandrel element extension 104 .
Slidably positioned around mandrel element extension 104 at a preselected distance below slip wedge 102 is a slip assembly 106 . Slip assembly 106 includes a slip carrier 108 and, in the illustrated embodiment, four radially extendable slips 110 . As should be apparent to those skilled in the art, slip assembly 106 may have a variety of configurations including configurations having other numbers of slips 110 , such configurations being considered within the scope of the present invention. Slips 110 have gripping outer surfaces for engaging and gripping the interior of the well casing in which packer 50 is disposed. Slips 110 each have an inner surface that engages the camming surface of slip wedge 102 as explained in greater detail below.
Positioned around mandrel 52 below slip assembly 106 is a drag block assembly 112 . Drag block assembly 112 includes a drag block mandrel 114 , a retainer 116 and four spring mounted drag blocks 118 . As should be apparent to those skilled in the art, drag block assembly 112 may have a variety of configurations including configurations having other numbers of drag blocks 118 , such configurations being considered within the scope of the present invention. Partially disposed within retainer 116 and slidably disposed around mandrel 52 is sleeve 120 . Sleeve 120 has a housing 122 positioned around its lower end with a spring 124 positioned therebetween.
The operation of packer 50 is now described. Once packer 50 is attached within a work string, including for example tubing section 56 , packer 50 is run downhole and located in the desired position with the well casing. A gripping and sealing relationship is established between the packer 50 and the well casing by mechanically shifting packer 50 . Specifically, mandrel 52 of packer 50 is moved downwardly relative to slip assembly 106 . Initially, slip wedge 102 travels with mandrel 52 until the camming surface of slip wedge 102 engage the inner surface of slips 110 , which causes slips 110 to move radially outwardly into gripping engagement with well casing 34 .
Referring in addition now to FIGS. 3A-3C, once slips 110 are set, mandrel 52 continues its downward travel which is now relative to not only slip assembly 106 but also to slip wedge 90 , mandrel element 94 , seal elements 96 , 98 , 100 and slip wedge 102 . At this time, collet member 64 , support ring 76 and slip assembly 80 continue to travel with mandrel 52 until the radially expanded end portion 78 of support ring 76 engages the inner surface of wedges sections 92 of slip wedge 90 . Specifically, as the bias force of spring 62 is acting downwardly on collet member 64 , collet fingers 66 positively operate against support ring 76 such that the radially expanded end portion 78 of support ring 76 slides between slip wedge 90 and mandrel 52 , as best seen in FIG. 3 B.
Continued downward travel of mandrel 52 now compresses seal elements 96 , 98 , 100 between mandrel element 94 and slip wedge 102 into a sealing engagement with well casing 34 due to the transmission of the spring force via collet member 64 , support ring 76 and slip wedge 90 . When the spring force reaches a sufficient level, for example, 50 to 75 percent of the maximum spring force, collet fingers 66 radially outwardly expand over the upper end of support ring 76 and come in contact with slip carrier 82 . As best seen in FIG. 3C, once collet fingers 66 contact slip carrier 82 , the spring force now downwardly operates on slip carrier 82 causing the inner surfaces of slips 84 to engage the camming surfaces of wedge sections 92 of slip wedge 90 , which causes slips 84 to move radially outwardly into gripping engagement with well casing 34 . In addition, the upper end of support ring 76 is contacted by snap ring 74 . This configuration of packer 50 represents the set position in which packer 50 has a sealing and gripping relationship with well casing 34 .
Importantly, it can be seen that due to the dual function of collet member 64 wherein the spring force of spring 62 is applied first to support ring 76 then to slip carrier 82 , support ring 76 is properly positioned between slip wedge 90 and mandrel 52 before slips 84 engage slip wedge 90 . This result is achieved regardless of the directional orientation of packer 50 as it does not rely on gravitational forces to position support ring 76 within slip wedge 90 but rather utilizes positive operation to assure proper positioning.
Once packer 50 is set within the well casing, packer 50 will provide its sealing and gripping functionality until it is desired to remove packer 50 from the well or reposition packer 50 within the well. The retrieval operation is initiated by rotating mandrel 52 a quarter turn which allows mandrel 52 to be moved upwardly. Specifically, this upward travel retracts collet member 64 which releases slips 84 from their gripping relationship with well casing 34 . Next, snap ring 74 contacts collet member 64 and snap ring 88 contacts support ring 76 causing collet fingers 66 to return to their radially contracted configuration and causing support ring 76 to retract from between slip wedge 90 and mandrel 52 .
This allows seal elements 96 , 98 , 100 to release from their sealing engagement with well casing 34 . Further upward travel of mandrel 52 allows slip wedge 102 to retract from slips 100 , which releases slips 110 from their gripping relationship with the well casing. Additional upward travel of mandrel 52 returns mandrel 52 to it initial configuration such that mandrel 52 may be retrieved to the surface or redeployed within the well following the setting procedure described above.
While this invention has been described with reference to illustrative embodiments, this description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications and combinations of the illustrative embodiments as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description. It is, therefore, intended that the appended claims encompass any such modifications or embodiments.
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A retrievable packer ( 50 ) for establishing a sealing and gripping engagement between a tubing string and a well casing ( 34 ) disposed in a wellbore is disclosed. The retrievable packer ( 50 ) comprises a collet member ( 64 ) that is slidably disposed about a packer mandrel ( 52 ). The collet member ( 64 ) has a first operating position wherein the collet member ( 64 ) applies an axial force on a support ring ( 76 ) to positively position the support ring ( 76 ) at least partially between a first slip wedge ( 90 ) and the packer mandrel ( 52 ) to set a seal assembly ( 96, 98, 100 ). In addition, the collet member ( 64 ) has a second operating position wherein the collet member ( 64 ) applies an axial force on a slip assembly ( 80 ) to set the slip assembly ( 80 ).
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention discloses a method of locating a license plate of a moving vehicle, and more particularly, to a method of locating license plate of a moving vehicle by edge detection, binarization, morphological operations, and calculating edge densities.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] In recent years, with the aid of improved technologies and popularities of computers, a monitoring system for monitoring roads is not merely required to acquire conventional recording functions, but more various applications related to computer networks and image processing, and as a result, information embedded in recorded monitoring images can be retrieved for references in a convenient, simple, popular manner. Besides, with the increased amount of vehicles, various problems about traffic security and related law enforcements also arise, such as parking area management, escapees of freeway charges, tracking of vehicles breaking traffic security codes, searching of stolen vehicles, monitoring of moving vehicles at roads. Thereby, researches on intelligent transportation systems (ITS) are prompted.
[0005] Recognition of a license plate of a moving vehicle is a primary application for the ITS. However, before performing the recognition, locating the license plate becomes a critical issue, i.e., if an outcome of locating the license plate is unclear, recognition of the license plate may fail under a great chance. In the recognition of the license plate, a license plate template is first retrieved by segmenting visual objects, and the image recognition technologies are used for recognizing the numbers on the license plate. However, there are large amounts of researches on recognizing the numbers on the license plate, whereas there are few researches on segmenting (or locating) the license plate template of a moving vehicle. Therefore, moving/visual object segmentation becomes a required prior core technology in developing ITS, on computer visual applications including detection, recognition, counting, and tracking of a moving vehicle.
[0006] For license plate locating, characteristics of the license plate, such as edge, contrast, and colors, are directly used for searching and locating the license plate on an image in certain methods. With respect to the edge, the location of the license plate on the image is assumed to acquire most-significant variation, therefore, edge algorithms may be used for locating edges of the license plate, for example, locating the location of the license plate by using a mask or morphological operations. In “A fast license plate extraction method on complex background”, which is edited by H. L. Bai, J. M. Zhu and C. P. Liu, and is published in Proc. IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems, vol. 2, pp. 985-987, on October 2003, a freeway charging system is proposed. Since the proposed freeway charging system is required to rapidly and correctly recognizing a license plate, the license plate is located by using vertical edge detection, an edge density map, binarization, and dilation. In “A robust license-plate extraction method under complex image conditions”, which is edited by Sunghoon Kim, Daechul Kim, Younbok Ryu, Gyeonghwan Kim, and is published in IEEE International Conference on Pattern Recognition, vol. 3, pp. 216-219, on 2002, a robust license plate locating method is proposed. The proposed method includes two primary steps. In the first step, the location of the license plate is searched according to gradients on an image and by using Sobel's Algorithm. In the second step, characteristics of the license plate are used for directly defining a region of the license plate on the image, and boundaries of the license plate are further found out. By using both the steps, the license plate may be located under various environments. In the thesis “On the study of automatic traffic surveillance system”, which is edited by Yu, at the Graduate School of Electrical Engineering from Yuan Ze University, it is indicated that a luminance contrast between characters on the license plate and background on the image. Morphological operations are used for finding regions fitting contrast characteristics of the license plate, and erroneous blocks are filtered off according to geometric properties of the license plate. Images under various environments are also used for robustness of the proposed monitor system.
[0007] Some technologies perform the license plate locating according to color characteristics. For example, according to “A study of locating vehicle license plate based on color feature and mathematical morphology”, which is edited by W. G. Zhu, G. J. Hou and X. Jia, and published in Proc. IEEE International Conference on Signal Processing, vol. 1, pp. 748-751, on 2002, the location of the license plate image is determined according to specific colors on the license plate with the aid of morphological operations. The proposed method is appropriate for primary colors indicated by red, green, and blue. In the proposed method, images of a moving vehicle are dynamically fetched, and a vehicle image on the fetched images is found according to differences between the fetched images, so as to reduce calculations and to achieve real-time calculations. In “License Plate Detection System in Rainy Days”, which is edited by Yoshimori S., Mitsukura Y., Fukumi M., Akamatsu N., Khosal R., and is published in IEEE International Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Robotics and Automatic, vol 2, pp. 972-976, on July 2003, a license plate automatic recognition system used under complicated environments is proposed, and the license plate image is located with the aid of Fuzzy Theory, color transformation, and color edge detection, in considerations of characteristics including edges and colors of the license plate. About the color transformation, HSI color transformation is used, where H indicates hue, S indicates saturation, and I indicates intensity of luminance. Since hues of a same color on a same image cannot be affected by luminance, and can be immune from shadows, so that HSI color transformation is appropriate for outdoor environments, and for license plate image recognition as well. In “An adaptive approach to vehicle license plate localization”, which is edited by Guanozhi Cao, Jiaqian Chen, and Jingping Jiang, and is published in IEEE Conference of Industrial Electronics Society, vol. 2, pp. 1786-1791, on 2003, a critical value acquiring robustness is determined from various environments with the aid of the real coded genetic algorithm (RGA), and the critical value is used for searching regions acquiring colors similar with the license plate. In “A Threshold Selection Method from Gray-Level Histogram”, which is edited by N. Otsu, and is published in IEEE Trans. On System, Man and Cybernetics, vol. 9, pp. 62-66, on 1979, an adjustable critical value is also determined by using an algorithm similar with RGA, and is used for defining the location of the license plate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The claimed invention discloses a method for locating license plate of a moving vehicle. The method comprises transforming a color image, which films a moving vehicle, into a first gray level image; performing edge detection on the first gray level image by using a Sobel operator, so as to generate a second gray level image, where the second gray level image comprises a plurality of gradients of the first gray level image; determining a first intermediate gradient, which is from the plurality of gradients of the first gray level image, to be a threshold value, and processing the second gray level image according to the threshold value so as to generate a third gray level image, when a first pixel amount, which is corresponding to the first intermediate gradient and is of the second gray level image, is larger than a second pixel amount, which is corresponding to a second intermediate gradient and is of the second gray level image, by a multiple, where the second intermediate gradient is from the plurality of gradients of the first gray level image, and where the first intermediate gradient is higher than the second intermediate gradient; performing a morphological operation on the third gray level image, so as to generate a fourth gray level image; scanning the fourth gray level image by using a rectangular mask, so as to determine an edge density of the fourth gray level image; comparing the edge density with a critical edge density, so as to confirm whether there is a license plate image on the fourth gray level image or not; and locating the fourth gray level image so as to locate the license plate image and to display the located license plate image on a screen, when the license plate image is determined to be on the fourth gray level image.
[0009] These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the license plate locating method disclosed in the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a horizontal Sobel operator and a vertical Sobel operator used for performing required edge detection.
[0012] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart of edge detection and binarization shown in Step 106 and Step 108 in details.
[0013] FIG. 4 illustrates a partial-flowchart of the license plate locating method of the present invention, and indicates details of Step 112 , Step 114 , and Step 116 shown in FIG. 1 .
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The present invention discloses a method of locating a license plate. In the disclosed method, a fixed-disposed camera is used for filming moving vehicle and performing detection. The camera may be disposed at entrances and exits of a tunnel to capture an image of a moving vehicle, and an image of a license plate of a moving vehicle is fetched by processing the image of the moving vehicle by using image preprocessing, edge detection, binarization, morphological operations, and a license plate locating algorithm. With the aid of the disclosed method, the location of the license plate of a moving vehicle can also be retrieved under a normal or a rainy weather when the image of the moving vehicle is filmed. The disclosed license plate locating method requires fewer calculations than conventional license plate locating methods, is easy to be implemented, and acquires high precision in locating the license plate. The disclosed license plate locating method of the present invention may be applied on pre-locating of license plates for digital video recorder (DVR) of security monitoring industries, so as to enhance post-recognition of license plates. Moreover, the above-mentioned traffic-related problems may also be neutralized as a result.
[0015] Please refer to FIG. 1 , which is a flowchart of the license plate locating method disclosed in the present invention, where the disclosed method may be installed on a system for implementation. As shown in FIG. 1 , the disclosed method includes steps as follows:
[0016] Step 102 : Capture an image;
[0017] Step 104 : Preprocess the captured image;
[0018] Step 106 : Perform edge detection on the processed image of Step 104 ;
[0019] Step 108 : Perform binarization on the processed image of Step 106 ;
[0020] Step 110 : Perform morphological operations on the processed image of Step 108 ;
[0021] Step 112 : Perform location of license-plate candidate on the image;
[0022] Step 114 : Confirm whether there is a license plate image on the image. When there is a license plate image on the image, go to Step 116 , else, go to Step 112 ; and
[0023] Step 116 : Perform license plate locating.
[0024] While a system installing the disclosed license plate locating method of the present invention, an image is first fetched in Step 102 . In Step 104 , the fetched image is preprocessed. In Step 106 and 108 , the fetched image is performed with the edge detection and binarization so as to determine at least one candidate license plate image. In Steps 110 - 116 , the license plate locating algorithm is applied for confirming whether a license plate is physically indicated by the at least one candidate license plate image or not, so as to determine a precise location of the license plate.
[1] Preprocessing (Step 104 ):
[0025] Since a conventional license plate primarily shows in white and black, and since significant and concentrated edge variation is aimed to be searched while locating the license plate, colors except for black and white may be ignored during the license plate locating. Therefore, in the preprocessing, the fetched image is first transformed into a gray level image so as to reduce calculations of succeeding processes. The transformation is indicated as follows:
[0000] Gray i,j =0.299 R i,j +0.587 G i,j +0.114 B i,j (1);
[0000] R i,j , G i,j , and B i,j respectively indicate a red pixel value, a green pixel value, and a blue pixel value at a coordinate (i,j) on the fetched image, and Gray i,j indicates a gray level at the coordinate (i,j) on the fetched image.
[2] Edge Detection (Step 106 ):
[0026] Since there are significant and concentrated variations in edge on illustrated characters of the license plate, edge detection is used on the fetched image so as to search for at least one region having such significant and concentrated edge variations on said fetched image, and then the found regions are examined so as to confirm whether there are license plate images on said found regions or not. In the disclosed method of the present invention, Sobel operators are used for performing the required edge detection, where Sobel operators include at least a horizontal mask and a vertical mask, such as the masks 210 and 210 shown in FIG. 2 . Operations and applications of Sobel operators are known for those who skilled in related art of the present invention, so that details about the Sobel operators are not further described.
[0027] Since there are a large amount horizontal edge variations, after processing the fetched image with the aid of the vertical and horizontal Sobel operators, edge-related information of regions having no license plate image is also retrieved. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, merely the vertical Sobel operator is used for performing the edge detection, so that boundaries of the license plate may still be determined and detected without involving the regions having no license plate information.
[3] Binarization (Step 108 ):
[0028] The present invention also discloses a binary threshold retrieving method, which may also be denoted as a gradient binarization method. The gradient binarization method is used for performing binarization of edge detection on the fetched image, where the method may also be applied for images fetched under a normal or a rainy weather.
[0029] With the aid of the masks from the Sobel operators, gradients on the fetched image may be calculated according to pixels on said fetched image, where a higher gradient indicates a significant/concentrated edge variation of a corresponding pixel, and a lower gradient indicates a slight edge variation of a corresponding pixel. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a value of a gradient may range from 0 to 255. Since gradients retrieved by using Sobel operators may have a value higher than 255, the retrieved gradients have to be binarized according to a following equation (2), so that 255 is regarded as an upper bound of the gradient. The equation (2) is indicated as follows:
[0000]
S
(
x
,
y
)
=
{
255
,
if
S
′
(
x
,
y
)
>
255
S
′
(
x
,
y
)
,
Otherwise
;
(
2
)
[0000] S′(x,y) indicates an original gradient, S(x,y) and indicates an adjusted value of S′(x,y).
[0030] A pixel amount corresponding to each value of the gradient is then calculated, and may be illustrated as a histogram with respect to each the value of the gradient. According to the histogram, while there is no vehicle existed in the fetched image, most pixels in the fetched image correspond to small gradients, i.e., the pixels indicate small edge variations; besides, pixels having gradients of value 255 on the histogram indicate reticles on the ground so that such pixels are few on the histogram. In comparison of a first image, which does not fetch an image of a moving vehicle, and a second image, which fetches an image of a moving vehicle, with the aid of the histogram, it would be found that there are significantly more pixels having gradients of value 255 in the second image than in the first image, whereas pixels of gradients having values other than 255 vary slightly in both the first and second images. The difference between the first and second images is caused by strong and concentrated edge variations on the license plate of moving vehicle. No matter it is normal or rainy weather, while there is a moving vehicle filmed by the camera, pixels having gradients of value 255 are increased significantly; therefore, a number of pixels having higher gradients are served as a reference in confirming whether there is a moving vehicle filmed by the camera or not.
[0031] The binarization in the license locating method of the present invention is implemented as follows:
(a) Calculate an amount of pixels for each value of gradients on an image which has been processed by Sobel operators. (b) Confirm whether a pixel amount corresponding to a high gradient is significantly increased or not. If it is confirmed that the pixel amount corresponding to the high gradient is significantly increased, go to Step (c). (c) Denote that N i indicates a pixel amount of pixels having a gradient value i on the fetched image, where i has an initial value of 255. Note that the gradient value i is regarded as an intermediate gradient before determining a threshold T.
[0035] Then a pixel amount corresponding to the gradient value i is confirmed to be significantly larger than a pixel amount corresponding to a gradient value (i−1) or not. If the pixel amount corresponding to the gradient value i is confirmed to be significantly larger than the pixel amount corresponding to a gradient value (i−1), the intermediate gradient value i is assigned to be the threshold T; else, the intermediate gradient value i is confirmed to be larger than a lower bound gradient, which is set to be 100 in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, or not.
[0036] If the intermediate gradient value i is confirmed to be larger than the lower bound gradient, the intermediate gradient value i is decremented by 1, and then the decremented intermediate gradient value is thereby examined again in an iterative manner. The examination is indicated by an equation as follows:
[0000]
{
T
=
i
,
if
N
i
>
N
i
-
1
*
X
i
=
i
-
1
,
Otherwise
,
0
<
i
≤
255
,
(
3
)
[0000] where X indicates a multiple. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a value of the multiple X may be set to 300. In other words, while the pixel amount N i corresponding to the gradient value i is larger than the pixel amount N i-1 corresponding to the gradient value (i−1) by 300 times, the pixel amount N i is confirmed to be significantly larger than the pixel amount N i-1 , and at this time, the gradient value i is assigned to the threshold value T.
[0037] A preferred embodiment about the edge detection and binarization described above, i.e., Step 106 and Step 108 , is summarized as shown in FIG. 3 , which illustrates steps as follows:
[0038] Step 302 : Fetch a sequential image;
[0039] Step 304 : Process the sequential image with the aid of a vertical Sobel operator, so as to retrieve a plurality of gradients on the sequential image;
[0040] Step 306 : Calculate a pixel amount for each value of the retrieved gradients on the sequential image;
[0041] Step 308 : Confirm whether a pixel amount corresponding to an intermediate gradient on the sequential image is increased with respect to a pixel amount of the intermediate gradient on a previously-fetched image or not; when the pixel amount corresponding to the intermediate gradient on the sequential image is increased with respect to the pixel amount of the intermediate gradient on the previously-fetched image is increased, go to Step 310 ; else, go to Step 304 ;
[0042] Step 310 : Confirm whether the pixel amount corresponding to the intermediate gradient i is larger than a pixel amount corresponding to the gradient (i−1) or not, according to the equation as follows:
[0000]
{
T
=
i
,
if
N
i
>
N
i
-
1
*
X
,
i
=
i
-
1
,
Otherwise
;
0
<
i
≤
255
,
when the pixel amount corresponding to the intermediate gradient i is larger than the pixel amount corresponding to the gradient (i−1), go to Step 312 ; else, go to Step 314 ;
[0044] Step 312 : Assign the current intermediate gradient to be a threshold;
[0045] Step 314 : Confirm whether the current intermediate gradient is larger than a lower bound gradient; when the current intermediate gradient i is larger than the lower bound gradient, go to Step 316 ; else, go to Step 304 ; and
[0046] Step 316 : Decrement the current intermediate gradient i by 1, and go to Step 310 .
[4] Morphological Operations
[0047] For clarifying the edges in the fetched image, dilation of morphological operations is performed. Dilation is capable of compensating shattered regions, shapes, interior of objects on a fetched image.
[5] License Plate Locating Algorithm (Step 112 , Step 114 , Step 116 ):
[0048] The license plate locating method disclosed in the present invention is capable of locating a license plate filmed in a fetched image in an effective manner. Assume a license plate acquires a height-to-width ratio of 1:2, then in the method of the present invention, a rectangular is established according to the assumed height-to-width ratio so as to confirm whether there is a license plate filmed on the fetched image, which has been processed by the Sobel operators, or not. As shown in FIG. 4 , which illustrates a partial-flowchart of the license plate locating method of the present invention, and indicates details of Step 112 , Step 114 , and Step 116 shown in FIG. 1 .
[0049] First, a rectangular mask M is established with a height H and a width W. The rectangular mask M is then used for scanning the fetched image which has been processed by the Sobel operators, and is thereby used for calculating a pixel amount sum corresponding to the gradient value 255 within a region covered by the rectangular mask M. An edge density D within the covered region of the rectangular mask M is calculated as follows:
[0000]
D
=
sum
M
height
*
M
width
,
0
≤
D
≤
1
,
(
4
)
[0000] where M height indicates a current height of the rectangular mask M, and M width indicates a current width of the rectangular mask M. A higher edge density D indicates a strong and concentrated edge variation, and on the contrary, a lower edge density D indicates a weak and sparse edge variation. Then whether the edge density D is higher than a critical edge density, which is set to be 0.6 in one embodiment of the present invention, or not. When the edge density D is lower than the critical edge density, it indicates that there is sparse edge variation within the scanning region of the rectangular mask M, and also indicates that there is no license plate filmed within the scanning region. On the contrary, when the edge density D is higher than the critical edge density, it indicates that there is concentrated edge variation within the scanning region of the rectangular mask M, and also indicates that there is at least one license plate filmed within the scanning region.
[0050] The scanning region having a filmed license plate is then further confirmed about whether the filmed license plate physically exits on the scanning region with the aid of a horizontal projection analysis. If the filmed license plate physically exits on the scanning region, horizontal projection of the filmed license plate will be concentrated on middle of the scanning region. Therefore, such a property is used for confirming whether a license plate is filmed on a currently-scanned region or not.
[0051] If no license plate is found to be filmed on the fetched image which has been processed by Sobel operators, the rectangular mask M is shrunk with a certain ratio, such as shrunk by k pixels with k being a positive integer, and then the processed image through Step 110 is re-scanned by the shrunk rectangular mask M. The cause of shrinking the rectangular mask M lies in the condition that an image of a filmed license plate may be variable in its size, since a disposing location of the camera is fixed, whereas a moving vehicle may not be fixed in its moving path. Therefore, a larger rectangular M is used for scanning the fetched image in advance. If the license plate is not found under the larger rectangular mask M, it may indicate a situation that the license plate is filmed in a farer location from the camera so that the license late does not occupy a high edge density D under the larger rectangular mask M, and the edge density D could be high enough for finding the license plate after using a shrunk rectangular mask M. However, if no license plate is found after the rectangular mask M has been shrunk to a certain degree, it may indicate a condition that no license plate is fetched or the supposed-to-be-fetched license plate is sheltered by some obstacle on the fetched image so that no license plate region is found on the fetched image which has been processed by the Sobel operators. After applying the abovementioned processes for locating the license plate, the license plate is clearly located and displayed on a screen so that an observer may recognize the license plate in visual or the fetched license plate image could be used for succeeding recognition on the license plate.
[0052] According to the above descriptions, FIG. 4 illustrates a license plate locating method which includes steps as follows:
[0053] Step 402 : Load an image which has been processed by Step 110 ;
[0054] Step 404 : Scan the loaded image with the aid of a rectangular mask, so as to retrieve a pixel amount of a plurality of pixels having an upper bound pixel value on the loaded image;
[0055] Step 406 : Calculate an edge density D according to an equation
[0000]
D
=
sum
M
height
*
M
width
,
0
≤
D
≤
1
,
where M height indicates a current height of the rectangular mask, and M width indicates a current width of the rectangular mask, and confirm whether the edge density D is higher than a critical edge density or not; when the edge density D is higher than the critical edge density, go to Step 408 ; else, go to Step 412 ;
[0057] Step 408 : Confirm whether the region scanned under the rectangular mask includes a license plate image or not; when the region includes a license plate image, go to Step 410 ; else, go to Step 412 ;
[0058] Step 410 : Perform license plate locating on the scanned region under the rectangular mask;
[0059] Step 412 : Confirm whether the loaded image has been completely scanned or not; when the loaded image has been completely scanned, go to Step 414 ; else, go to Step 404 ; and
[0060] Step 414 : Shrink the rectangular mask by reducing its height and width.
[0061] The present invention discloses a license plate locating method applied for a license plate on a moving vehicle and on a digital image recording system. In the disclosed license plate locating method, a camera disposed in a fixed manner is used for continuously filming and detecting a moving vehicle. Images captured by the camera on a gateway monitoring system may be processed according to computer visuals and image processing so as to retrieve a license plate image from a moving vehicle. The filmed image is first detected about whether there is a moving vehicle image or not. If there is a moving vehicle image on the filmed image, edge detection is performed to retrieve the moving vehicle image with boundaries. The retrieved moving vehicle image is then analyzed so as to retrieve characteristics, which are used for locating the precise location of the license plate image, for succeeding recognition of the license plate mage. With the aid of the abovementioned method, besides under a normal weather, the license plate image can also be located under a rainy weather with the aid of binarization, which indicates a moving vehicle segmentation. The disclosed method requires few calculations, cab be easily implemented, and acquires high precision in locating license plate images. Therefore, the disclosed method is appropriate for a digital image recording system, for preceding license plate locating by using ITS so as to enhance succeeding recognition on characters on the license plate image, and capabilities of digital recording products applying the disclosed method can thus be enhanced.
[0062] Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.
|
While locating a license plate of a moving vehicle on consecutive images, motion detection is first performed on the consecutive images to detect a moving vehicle image, which is segmented using edge detection, and the segmented moving vehicle image is analyzed to retrieve characteristics for locating a license plate image and determining characters on the located license plate image. As a result, a precise location of the license plate is thus precisely located for further recognition no matter what weathers in which the consecutive images are recorded. The above-mentioned technique requires merely few calculations, is easily implemented, and may be applied on an intelligent digital video recording (DVR) system including many computer-vision functions.
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This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 579,075, filed May 19, 1975, now abandoned.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to floating bags, for use, for example, for pollution study.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
It is known to dispose flexible, floating bags in marine or like environments for study of conditions in a confined body of water. Such bags, due to their nature, are also suitable for containing bodies of liquid for a variety of purposes, such as the temporary storage of recovered oil spills, the storage of sewage, or the maintenance of a given life cycle under controlled but natural conditions. The primary value of the use of a floating bag is that the strength required in the bag for the storage of liquid is far less than the strength required for the storage of a similar body of liquid above water level since the pressure of the liquid stored within the bag is equalized by the pressure of the body of water outside the bag.
It is a problem with such bags, for whatever purpose they are used, that they are inherently unstable in that the medium in which they are stored, typically the marine environment, often subjects the bag to considerable stress due, for example, to cross currents and other conditions obtaining in the body of water in which they are stored. Thus, in the case of a bag which may for example be six or seven fathoms deep, if the current on the surface moves in a different direction from the current below the surface, the bag becomes distorted and may lose some of its contents or otherwise become unsuitable for the purpose for which it is intended. This is particularly true when persons operating from the surface are attempting to take samples of the fluid contained within the bag at varying depths.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a method for deploying floating bags that solves the above problems. There is also provided a method for capturing a column of water in such bags in those cases where the fluid to be stored is the same as the fluid in the body of water in which the bags are deployed.
Accordingly to the invention, the bag is formed from a material that is relatively resistant to stretching. When it is deployed, for example in the ocean, there is maintained within the bag a water level slightly higher than the level of the water in the surrounding marine environment. This has the surprising result that the bag becomes turgid and resists distortion such as that caused by the above mentioned cross currents. Bags deployed by the method according to the invention, therefore, are inherently more stable than bags deployed by other methods. According to another aspect of the invention, a column of water may be captured in bags of the above type in a very simple, economical and speedy manner.
Dealing with the last mentioned aspect of the invention, conventional methods provide for the filling of deployed bags with water from the surrounding marine environment by pumping water into the floating bag. This takes a substantial amount of time, and requires the use of expensive pumping equipment and careful supervision. According to the present invention, a bag may be substantially filled with water without the use of pumps and in a substantially reduced time compared with the filling of the bag exclusively by use of pumps.
Given that there is to be filled with water from a marine environment a bag of, for example, forty feet in depth, a collapsed bag provided with floats around its mouth is taken down, for example by a diver, to the point at which the mouth is forty feet or so below the surface of the water. The bag is then released. Due to the floats in the mouth, the bag instantly rises to the surface, expanding as it does so and becoming filled with water. When the bag reaches the surface, it will be substantially filled with water. It can then be attached to a suitable float means and the differential head mentioned above created by the pumping in of a marginal amount of extra water to raise the level of the water within the bag to a level slightly above the level of the surrounding environment.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross section of a deployed bag that has been filled according to the method of the invention; and
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the bag shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Since the present invention relates to methods as opposed to structure, it should be understood at the outset that the illustrations and the following description of the structure are for the sake of illustration only and in no way are intended to limit the scope of the invention claimed herein.
In FIG. 1, there is shown a typical bag that is intended for use in the study of the effects of pollution on a selected portion of a marine environment The bag 10 is shown supported by a flotation module 11 to which the bag 10 is releasably attached by suitable means, such as hooks, or any conventional suitable type of fastening means especially of the type that is capable of absorbing shock. Under certain conditions, a shock-absorbing attachment may be essential to prevent damage to the bag resulting from violent movement of the flotation module caused, for example, by rough seas. Normally, the bag 10 is attached to a module 11 separably such that the two components can be separated from each other, but such detachable attachment is not absolutely essential for the successful operation of the invention.
The flotation module 11 naturally should provide sufficient bouyancy for the whole structure that even though the water level within the bag is higher than the water level of the surrounding environment, there will remain between the top of the module 11 and the surrounding environment sufficient clearance to prevent substantial migration of water from within the bag to the outside or of water from the surrounding environment into the bag. For this purpose there may be provided a weir or the like projecting above the level of the top of the module 11. Further, and for the successful maintenance of the higher water level, of "differential head" between the inside of the bag and the surrounding environment, the bag itself should be sufficiently resistant to stretching that it will not readily deform outwardly due to the increased water pressure within the bag relative to the water pressure outside the bag resulting from the higher water level within the bag. Thus the bag may be, as illustrated, a two layer structure, the inner portion 16 being formed of translucent polyethylene and the outer layer 17 being a woven translucent polyethylene. Other suitable fabrics, obviously can be used so long as the above conditions are met, i.e., of resistance to stretching.
For the purpose of illustration, the bag is shown as a generally cylindrical structure with a conical portion at the bottom. The conical portion 12 is provided, at the apex of the cone, with a sampling means 13 that will permit withdrawal of samples from the bottom of the gab. Also, there may be provided above the module 11 a winch or like structure 14 whereby a sampling bottle may be lowered to various levels within the bag to permit withdrawal of samples.
The module 11, in the illustrated embodiment, is a six sided structure formed from tubular sections of a clear acrylic material, joined together by adhesive, or other fastening means, to form a water-tight unit that is relatively stiff. The use of a clear acrylic material both for the module 11 of translucent material for the bag 10 will prevent shadows that might change the characteristics of the captured column of water in the bag.
As mentioned above, the bag may be detachably attached to the flotation module 11 in such a manner that the bag can readily be separated from the flotation module. Thus, around the neck of the bag, at 15, there may be attached a peripheral rope that enables the fastening of the bag to the flotation module 11. The peripheral rope 15 may, however, be replaced by a bouyant means, such as a sealed tube, that will serve both for achieving the result described below and for attachment of the bag to the flotation module 11.
As mentioned above, the bag may be easily filled with water by a method that does not involve the exclusive use of pumps. Under these circumstances, it is necessary for some type of flotation means to be provided around the neck of the bag. This may be tubular means, inherently bouyant, as described immediately above, or may comprise any means sufficent to give to the neck of the bag a degree of bouyancy sufficient to cause it to rise to the surface.
In deploying a bag of the type illustrated, the bag in collapsed condition is taken below the surface of the water to a depth approximately equivalent to the total length of the bag. This may be done by a diver, or by means responsive to water pressure that automatically release at a selected depth. This is achieved by first locating the flotation module 11 at the surface at the location at which it is desired to sample the water. The bag is then taken down, in collapsed condition, to a depth equivalent at least to the length of the bag. The mouth of the bag is located directly below the flotation module 11, The mouth is then released, and due to its bouyancy, rises to the surface and engages the flotation module 11. By the time the bag reaches the surface, it is substantially filled with water and can immediately be attached to the flotation module by the above-described fastening means. It has been found that when this method is used, approximately 90% of the water required for filling of the bag is contained within the bag. This method has the highly desirable result that the water within the bag represents a true cross section of the water between the flotation module and the point at which the bag was released below the surface. This is particularly useful when it is desired to sample and observe a true cross section of a given body of water. By this means, therefore, the undesirable result is avoided that when water is pumped into a bag of this type, the water that ultimately fills the bag will not represent a true cross section of the marine environment that is being sampled.
After the bag has been deployed in the above manner, it is only necessary to pump in a small amount of water to bring the water level within the complete structure up to the point desired, i.e. slightly above the level of the surrounding body of water. The water level spoken of here is shown in FIG. 1 at 16 and it will be noted that this level is slightly higher than the level of the surrounding body of water 17.
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A method of deploying a floating bag for observing marine life in a natural but controlled environment. The water level in the bag is slightly higher than the level of the water in the bag to maintain turgidity and stabilize the deployed bag. Also, the bag can easily be filled with water, substantially without the use of pumps.
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BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a multiple bioreactor system. In particular, this invention relates to a multiple bioreactor system using pressurized fluid.
[0002] In the biotech industry, most products are generated through some bioprocess involving a bioreactor. A considerable number of process parameters affect the outcomes and therefore the performance of a bioprocess. These include the nature of the production organism, the components and their concentrations and ratios of the growth and production medium, the pH and colligative properties of the growth medium, oxygen mass transfer, etc. In addition, a number of different bioreactor formats are available, e.g. Continually Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTRs), air-lift reactors and membrane bioreactors. Membrane bioreactors are very useful since they are continuous and allow changes of culture conditions over time to provide an optimum and inherently offer better performance in certain circumstances. Most process optimization is done empirically since it is currently not possible to accurately predict the optimal set of conditions from first principles. Thus many experiments are needed to find suitable and then optimal conditions for growth and product formation.
[0003] It would be preferable if these experiments could be done in parallel and/or sequentially without much turn-around time, as well as on a smaller scale to minimize materials used. Typically, multi-parallel studies in small scale systems like flasks or micro-titre plates are used, but they typically do not allow fed batch or continuous operation and are not scalable to production bioreactors. Membrane bioreactors simulate the natural environment of microbes by providing a solid/liquid (air) interface and have been shown to generate significant bio-process enhancements. Thus, small scale, multiple mini-reactors are very useful for rapid screening and optimization of conditions for the operation of lab to large scale units. Scale up is easy from the small to large scale units. Such bioreactors have been reported in literature, but these have been driven by multi-channel pumps. These pump drives have pulsatile and uneven flow for the liquid side and are expensive. The air flow distribution is normally kept constant by trial and error by adjusting back-pressure on each bioreactor/module.
[0004] Alternatively individual air supplies are necessary for each bioreactor/module, which becomes costly.
[0005] A need exists for a multiple bioreactor system which exhibits substantially identical conditions in each bioreactor driven by a source of pressurised fluid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to a first aspect to the present invention there is provided a multiple bioreactor system comprising:
a plurality of bioreactors, a source of pressurised fluid, and distribution means for distributing the fluid to the bioreactors,
wherein the bioreactor system includes backpressure creating means presented by, before or after each bioreactor and the source of pressurised fluid such that each backpressure creating means provides a resistance to the flow of the pressurised fluid which is greater than the resistance to flow between each backpressure creating means.
[0010] Preferably the bioreactors are located in parallel within the bioreactor system. The bioreactors are preferably membrane bioreactors, either single fibre membrane bioreactors of multi-fibre membrane bioreactors. Most preferably the bioreactors comprise at least one hollow fibre membrane, for example a capillary membrane, preferably enclosed in a shell.
[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the backpressure creating means are flow regulating valves, nozzles or frits, as in example 1. However, it will be appreciated that the bioreactor itself may present or be the backpressure creating means. Where the bioreactor is a membrane bioreactor, the membranes themselves may present the backpressure creating means, subject always to the fluid pressure resistance across the membrane being much greater than resistance between membranes, as in example 2.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fluid is a gas, most preferably air. However, it will be appreciated that the fluid may also be a liquid, for example a nutrient medium supplied to the lumen of the hollow fibre membranes. Nutrient medium may pass through the lumen of the hollow fibre membranes and a biofilm may grow on an outer surface of the hollow fibre membranes, sustained by the nutrient medium passing through the walls of the hollow fibre membranes. Biofilm permeate including excess nutrient medium and product of the biofilm can be recovered from the reactor. Product may be isolated from the permeate and so recovered. Nutrients may also be monitored to ascertain growth kinetics of the biofilm. In a most preferred embodiment to the present invention, the gas drives the supply of liquid nutrient to the bioreactors.
[0013] According to a second aspect to the present invention there is provided a method of operating a multiple bioreactor system comprising the steps of providing a plurality of bioreactors, a source of pressurised fluid, and distribution means for distributing the fluid to the bioreactors, wherein the bioreactor system includes backpressure creating means presented by each bioreactor or located between each bioreactor and the source of pressurised fluid such that each backpressure creating means provides a resistance to the flow of the pressurised fluid which is greater than the resistance to flow between each backpressure creating means and operating the system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The system allows for the operation of a number of reactors in parallel under very similar air flow, air pressure and liquid pressure conditions. The advantage of this arrangement is that the system according to the present invention allows:
The ability to determine biological effects of a culture or the system under equivalent conditions across several bioreactors over time, i.e. to observe the changes that occur in parallel over many membranes over extended periods of time or sacrifice individual bioreactors for analysis to determine time course events. The ability to optimize growth media in parallel, thereby significantly reducing process development time. The ability to test different membranes for filtration efficiency and bio- and chemical compatibility.
[0018] According to the bioreactor of the present invention pressure and flow conditions can be changed to optimize process conditions relating to the performance of the culture, inter alia:
To compare a series of species or strains for the production of a certain compound under equivalent conditions in parallel; and/or To produce a number of different products at small scale for example screening applications.
[0021] The system according to the present invention may typically comprise:
A single or multi-fibre bioreactor preferably of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,002. The bioreactor is preferably small enough for limited use of space or materials. A fluid (air) pressure source—typically an air compressor or gas cylinder. A manifold distributing the pressurised fluid to a number of pressure vessels including a pressure vessel containing growth medium, for example a nutrient liquid, which vessel includes a cap allowing correct distribution of pressure and liquid flow. The cap may have three connections, allowing pressurised fluid in, growth medium out and new media or other additives in. Each pressure vessel is attached to the bioreactor either to the lumen or Extra Capillary Space (ECS) in the case of capillary membranes, depending on the operational requirements. The bioreactors preferably contain one or more membranes with essentially equivalent range of resistance depending on tolerable differences in flux. This ensures even flux through the different bioreactors or flux in inverse proportion to the resistance offered. For the growth of aerobic cultures, the air pressure source such as compressed air is required to distribute air through the membrane reactors. This is typically the same air supply that drives the growth medium. If humidification is required, a humidifier may be connected to the air supply, preferably with a sterile filter on the inlet side. This is to allow sterile operation without the need for a special air filter that allows humidified air to pass through. The humidifier can be a pressure vessel that includes a cap adapted to allow dry air under pressure in and pressurized, humidified air out. The fluid distribution means, for example an air line, is preferably manifolded so that air can be distributed through all of the bioreactors. The air line may be connected to each membrane module extra-capillary space. The air and product outlet of each membrane reactor may be connected to a permeate collection vessel. The permeate collection vessel is preferably a pressure vessel, preferably including a cap which may have three connectors, one to direct waste air and product into the vessel, one to remove product as required and one to allow air out. The air outlet of the permeate collection vessel is preferably connected to a backpressure creating device, e.g. a flow regulating valve or a nozzle or frit of a predetermined specification. The nozzles are substantially equivalent thereby allowing even air flow between the bioreactors, or flow in proportion to the resistance of the nozzles. The nozzle specification determines the ratio of air flow rate to pressure. The lumen side of the membranes within the bioreactor preferably has a prime line connected to a priming vessel. This allows the lumen to be primed and medium to be changed. The priming vessel may have a cap with two connectors, one to let medium in, another to let medium out. The air line and liquid lines preferably have in-line sterilisable pressure gauges.
[0040] It will be appreciated that the present invention may be used for pervaporation application with suitable modifactions.
[0041] The invention will now be described with reference to the following figures in which:
[0042] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a multiple bioreactor system according to the invention.
[0043] FIG. 2 is an XY graph showing relationship between pH, glucose and phosphate levels of permeate vs. actinorhodin production.
[0044] FIG. 3 shows time course-profiles for Single Fibre Reactors (SFRs) cultured using LM5-V100-G75 with 200 mM K—PO4 buffer, pH 7.2 and 1/50 th the inoculum concentration.
[0045] FIG. 4 shows time course-profiles for SFR's cultured using LM5-V100-G75 with 200 mM K—PO4 buffer, pH 7.2 cultured with 1× inoculum and fed with medium from either top or bottom manifold inlets.
[0046] FIG. 5 shows time course-profiles for SFR's cultured using LM5-V100-75 with 400 mM K—PO4 buffer, pH 7.2 cultured with 1× inoculum and fed with medium from either top or bottom manifold inlets.
[0047] In FIG. 1 a compressor air supply 1 drives a bifurcated air line A, B, each line regulated by a regulator valve 2 followed by a 0.22 μm filter 3 . Air line B enters a humidification vessel 4 and humidified air leaves the vessel through a pressure gauge 5 which is also located on line A.
[0048] Six single fibre bioreactors 6 are included in the system. Each bioreactor comprises a single membrane hollow fibre comprised of a capillary material, for example Al 2 O 3 (not shown). Air line A through six T-pieces 12 in series enters a medium supply vessel 8 for each bioreactor 6 . Each vessel 8 includes a cap including an inlet for the airline A, an outlet for the medium and an inlet for changing or spiking of the nutrient content of growth medium which, in use, is clamped with a clamp 13 . The pressure created within the vessel 8 on the surface of the medium by the inflowing air drives medium through the hollow fibre membrane, through an open clamp 13 and into a priming vessel 7 which, in use, is clamped off with a clamp 13 . The priming vessel 7 has a cap including an inlet for the medium, a outlet clamped with a clamp 13 for emptying of the priming vessel when full, and an air outlet governed by a vent filter 10 .
[0049] Airline B through a series of T-pieces located in series supplies air to the lumen of each bioreactor, i.e. to the outside of each hollow fibre. The air leaves the shell of the bioreactor through a vent which, in use, is clamped with a clamp 13 or through a second exit which drains to a product collection vessel 9 . Medium which has flowed (permeated) through the hollow fibres, including product of a biofilm growing on an outer surface of each hollow fibre, and air passes into the vessel 9 which includes a cap including an inlet for the product, an outlet for draining the product bottle which, in use is clamped with a clamp 13 and a further vent for the air governed by a vent filter 10 and a flow regulator nozzle.
[0050] In use, both the supply of air and medium to each bioreactor is substantially equal because backpressure creating means creates a pressure from each bioreactor which is greater than the pressure between bioreactors. In so doing, flow rates which vary between bioreactor are limited in the operation of multiple bioreactors in parallel which allows for high throughput under similar conditions (useful in production) and/or process optimisation (useful in research and development operations).
[0051] It will be appreciated that the single fibre reactors illustrated above could be replaced by multi fibre reactors or indeed any other type of bioreactor requiring a supply of fluid(s). Pressure could be controlled either manually or automatically.
[0052] It will also be appreciated that either manual or automated control may be used to adjust or regulate the pressure and/or fluid supply to each reactor.
[0053] The invention will now be described with reference to the following non-limiting examples.
Example 1
Aerobic Mode
[0054] Optimisation of the Production of Actinorhodin by Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2).
[0055] In this example the backpressure creating means are nozzles positioned at the air outlet of each SFR.
[0056] The experiment was designed to assess the effects of nutrient feed rate, nutrient concentration and oxygenation on the production of actinorhodin by S. coelicolor . In addition, the influence of inoculum size on biofilm formation and productivity was also assessed. Altered process parameters were implemented consecutively or concurrently on each of 12 SFRs inoculated with S. coelicolor.
[0057] Actinorhodin levels are reported as total blue pigment, as quantified spectrophotometrically using SOP based on methods described by Ates et a/1997 (E1%, 1 cm=355).
Sterilisation
[0058] SFR's were autoclaved and setup for aerobic operation according to standard operating procedures (SOPs). Autoclaved growth medium was dispensed into each of the medium supply vessels prior to starting the experiment.
Inoculation
[0059] SFRs 1-5 were inoculated with 1 ml of spore suspension prepared from a single agar plate immersed with 10 ml sterile distilled water. SFRs 6-10 were inoculated with 1 ml 4 day flask culture incubated at 28° C. Inoculum was injected directly into the ECS of each SFR module using standard sterile technique. Immobilisation of inoculum on the outer surface of capillary membranes was completed according to SOPs.
Operation
[0060] SFRs were operated under aerobic conditions according to SOPs. Initial pressures were set around 30 kPa. Medium supplied via line A from the lumen side of membrane conduits was manually set such that the pressure differential across the membrane surface from lumen to shell side was used to control the rate of nutrient feed (flux) to the biofilm. Permeate was collected and sampled daily from permeate collection vessels.
[0061] During optimisation of nutrient type and concentration current growth medium was either replaced with a fresh nutrient source by draining old growth medium into the prime bottle and refilling the medium supply vessel with the appropriate new medium type. Further, simple addition of nutrients or additives into initial growth medium was achieved by simply spiking remaining growth medium to give a known final concentration of the desired nutrient.
[0062] When evaluating the effect of increased oxygenation the compressed air was replaced with oxygen supplied using a technical grade oxygen cylinder.
[0000]
TABLE 1
Culture conditions for each of 12 SFRs are tabulated below
Inoculum
Start-
SFR
type
up
Day 13
Day 15
Days 16-20
Day 26
1
mycelial
ISP2
30 kPa
O 2
Spiked with
—
glucose
2
mycelial
ISP2
30 kPa
O 2
Spiked with
—
glucose
3
mycelial
ISP2
30 kPa
O 2
Spiked with
ISP2
glucose
4
mycelial
ISP2
30 kPa
O 2
Ates et al. 1997
medium
5
mycelial
ISP2
30 kPa
O 2
Bystrykh et al.
ISP2
1996 (Low PO 4
medium)
6
spores
ISP2
Increased
Air
—
—
to 60 kPa
7
spores
ISP2
Increased
Air
—
ISP2
to 60 kPa
8
spores
ISP2
Increased
Air
—
—
to 60 kPa
9
spores
ISP2
Increased
Air
Ates et al. 1997
ISP2
to 60 kPa
medium
10
spores
ISP2
Increased
Air
Bystrykh et al.
—
to 60 kPa
1996 (Low PO 4
medium)
Biofilm Development
[0063] Using either mycelial or spore inoculum biofilm growth was apparent within 24-48 hrs as S. coelicolor developed as small yellow coloured colonies along the membrane length. Colonies expanded, changing colour from yellow to orange-red in colour and became interconnected (72-120 hrs), forming a slightly tapering biofilm. Growth with International Streptomyces Project (ISP) 2 medium was rapid. As the biofilm began to differentiate the shiny orange-red colour turned opaque, white and then grey as differentiation and sporulation occurred (240-300 hrs). In all cases differentiation began on sections of membrane near the top of vertical SFRs. This appeared to be a function of medium flux. The appearance of a red pigment indicating actinorhodin in the medium coincided with sporulation. Differentiated biofilm turned blue-black, the pH of spent broth increased and more pigment was released with increased sporulation. Similarly with increased spent broth pH the pigmented medium turned from red to blue-purple due to the indicator characteristics of actinorhodin.
[0064] SFRs inoculated with spores (1-5) did not develop as rapidly or into as thick a biofilm as observed for SFRs inoculated with mycelium (6-10). While operated at the same DP reactors inoculated with spores showed lower flow rates due to the development of a more dense biofilm, facilitating a greater resistance to nutrient flow through the membrane/biofilm and into the ECS. Differences in the extent of differentiation and pigmentation within the same bank are the result of variability in nutrient supply to the developing biofilm (flux) caused by differences in membrane/biofilm resistance and/or reactor history. Under identical inoculation and/or culture conditions inherent differences in membrane resistance may be used to determine the robustness of a production process.
[0065] This may however have been influenced by slower flow rates even though similar ΔP was used for both banks of SFRs. Even within replicates differentiation and pigmentation showed differences that appeared to be dependent on flow rate and/or reactor history.
Productivity
[0066] Actinorhodin concentrations and SFR volumetric productivity, calculated over a 360 hr period (from 14 days post-inoculation), are recorded in Table 2. On average, SFRs inoculated with mycelia showed more rapid biofilm formation and earlier onset of actinorhodin production, while those inoculated with spores and operated at 60 kPa under air showed greater overall actinorhodin production. Actinorhodin production was induced by exposing the biofilm to pure oxygen; however increased actinorhodin levels were not sustained. Of the 3 growth medium selected, ISP2 growth medium containing 4 g/l glucose was the most productive.
[0000]
TABLE 2
Actinorhodin Production by different SFRs.
Actinorhodin
Volumetric Productivity
(mg/l)
(mg/l/h/reactor volume)
SFR
Maximum
mean
SD
Maximum
mean
SD
1
129.27
30.18
28.57
16.50
2.09
3.11
2
119.65
13.16
20.86
13.73
1.17
2.47
3
219.76
68.88
57.56
30.15
6.10
6.86
4
181.64
29.05
33.60
5.78
1.97
1.54
5
67.42
24.01
14.85
6.62
1.82
1.32
6
110.09
17.70
23.34
5.75
1.30
1.55
7
223.62
48.97
56.38
11.33
2.72
3.06
8
206.05
58.44
54.32
15.73
3.61
3.59
9
269.62
69.60
92.24
15.99
3.16
3.79
10
25.23
7.34
7.98
1.17
0.41
0.37
[0067] Kinetic analysis of SFRs showed a trend towards increased actinorhodin production at higher pH and lower glucose or phosphate levels (e.g. FIG. 2 ). This trend was confirmed by statistical analysis. However, these correlations were not significant (Table 3).
[0000]
TABLE 3
Correlation of substrate utilization with actinorhodin production showing
Pearsons Correlation coefficients (+1 > r > −1) below.
SFR
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Actinorhodin
0.543
0.364
0.829
0.411
0.538
0.491
0.517
0.657
0.429
0.402
vs. pH
Actinorhodin
−0.251
−0.065
0.095
−0.304
−0.347
−0.442
−0.392
−0.447
−0.281
−0.270
vs. Glucose
Actinorhodin
Nd
nd
−0.165
nd
nd
nd
nd
nd
−0.243
nd
vs. Phosphate
Example 2
Anaerobic Mode
[0068] Optimisation of β-Lactamase Production in Lactococcus lactis.
[0069] In this example the backpressure creating means are the membranes themselves.
[0070] The experiment was designed to assess the effects of increased buffer concentration in growth medium as a means of stabilising pH and recombinant protein production in SFRs. In addition, the effect of inoculum size on biofilm formation and the influence of Top or Bottom medium feed configuration on nutrient supply and utilisation was assessed. β-lactamase activity was quantified spectrophotometrically using SOP based on the Nitrocefin method (Oxoid).
Sterilisation:
[0071] SFR's were autoclaved and set up for anaerobic operation according to (SOPs). Filter sterilized medium was dispensed into each of the medium supply vessels prior to starting the experiment.
Inoculation:
[0072] SFR's were each inoculated with 1 ml of either 1× or 1/50 th L. lactis PRA290 (β-lactamase) pre-inoculum, cultured in ‘M17-G5 growth medium at 30° C. for 16 hrs. Inoculum was injected directly into the ECS of each SFR according to SOPs. Following inoculation medium was supplied to each SFR at 8 kPa overnight.
Operation:
[0073] SFR's were manifolded in banks of 6 SFR's. Each SFR was supplied with medium from its own supply vessel. Within each bank, replicate SFR's were supplied with either LM5-V100-G75 containing 200 mM or 400 mM K—PO4 buffer (pH 7.2) fed from medium inlets situated either at the top or bottom of the glass manifold. Flux, pH and β-lactamase activity were assessed on fresh samples. Glucose and Protein levels were monitored collectively.
[0074] For each bank medium supply was regulated using pressure control valves. SFRs were monitored every 2 hrs post-inoculation. pH profiles of permeate were used to monitor growth and were also used as a basis for the adjustment of flux. Pressures were adjusted as follows:
[0000]
Time post-inoculation (hrs)
Pressure (kPa)
0
8
16
13
22
18
28
30
30
50
34
70
36
80
Biofilm Development
[0075] 50 hrs post-inoculation a dense biofilm of the consistency of thick yogurt was apparent for all SFRs. This biofilm appears to be formed by the retention of L. lactis cells in exponential growth, by the membrane under high pressure. As the biofilm increases, resistance to flow also increases. Towards the end of the experiment, at pressures approaching 100 kPa, flux was reduced below the critical point required for immobilisation, resulting in planktonic growth.
Productivity
[0076] SFR's cultured using a lower inoculum size showed a delay in pH decline and β-lactamase production by 4-6 hrs ( FIG. 2 ) in contrast to control SFRs inoculated ( FIG. 3 ). Neither maximum enzyme activities nor production stability differed significantly between SFRs cultured with the different inocula.
[0077] Initial growth appeared to be inhibited by 400 mM K—PO4 buffered medium. In these SFRs onset of enzyme production varied from 12-22 hrs post-inoculation in replicates, being most pronounced in bottom fed SFR ( FIGS. 3 and 4 ). However, under high buffer concentrations maximimum β-lactamase levels were recorded (20000-24000 U.L −1 ).
[0078] References set out below are considered incorporated herein by reference.
1. Ates S., Elibol M. and Mavituna F. (1997) Production of actinorhodin by Streptomyces coelicolor in batch and fed-batch cultures; Process Biochem 32: 273-278. 2. Bystrykh L. V, Ferna'ndez-Moreno M. A, Herrema J. K, Malparida F., Hopwood D. A and Dijkhuizen L. (1996) Production of Actinorhodin-Related “Blue Pigments” by Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2); J. Bacteriol. 178: 2238-2248.
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The invention relates to a multiple bioreactor system comprising a plurality of bioreactors, a source of pressurised fluid, and distribution means for distributing the fluid to the bioreactors, wherein the bioreactor system includes backpressure creating means presented by, before or after each bioreactor and the source of pressurised fluid such that each backpressure creating means provides a resistance to the flow of the pressurised fluid which is greater than the resistance to flow between each backpressure creating means. The invention further relates to A method of operating a multiple bioreactor system comprising providing a plurality of bioreactors, a source of pressurised fluid, and distribution means for distributing the fluid to the bioreactors, wherein the bioreactor system includes backpressure creating means presented by each bioreactor or located between each bioreactor and the source of pressurised fluid such that each backpressure creating means provides a resistance to the flow of the pressurised fluid which is greater than the resistance to flow between each backpressure creating means and operating the system.
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CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/461,588, filed Dec. 15, 1999. The disclosure of application Ser. No. 09/461,588 is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the field of archery, and more particularly to arrow stabilizers and rests for supporting an arrow in an archery bow. A simplified and improved apparatus is provided for improving the accuracy and safety of an archery bow.
[0003] Arrows are typically supported within an archery bow by a generally horizontal plate located above a handgrip area of the bow. The rest plate or member is typically integrally formed as part of the bow apparatus. Although the support plate provided as part of most archery bows does support the arrow in a generally horizontal position relative to the ground, such plates do not prevent the shaft of the arrow either from sliding laterally off the plate or from shifting from the generally horizontal position to an angled position when the arrow is nocked, drawn or released. Either type of movement will compromise the safety and accuracy of the bow.
[0004] Arrow rests for archery bows typically perform a number of functions. In addition to providing support for the arrow when it is nocked and drawn, the rest also guides the arrow as it is released from the bow, and may provide a degree of compensation for arrow flex or distortion, which occurs as the energy from the drawn bow is transferred to the arrow. Ideally, an arrow rest should absorb little or no energy from the arrow as it is released. Any energy absorbed by the rest is a loss of energy that could be transferred to the arrow, reducing both the range and accuracy with the arrow may be shot.
[0005] Arrow distortion occurs when an arrow deflects from its rest (i.e., unloaded) shape as it absorbs energy from the bow following its release by the archer. Two types of distortion are known. Inherent distortion is a consequence of how the bow and/or the arrow are manufactured. Applied distortion, on the other hand, is created intentionally by mounting the arrow rest slightly off the optimum line of force for the bow, or by mounting the bowstring nock point above or below the optimum line of force. Applied distortion has been used to ensure that the arrow will clear the rest upon release from the bow. Distortion may occur in either the horizontal or vertical planes, or a combination of the two. Whether created inadvertently or intentionally, however, and regardless of the plane(s) in which it acts, arrow distortion in undesirable because it results in a loss of energy transferred from the bow to the arrow, with corresponding reduction in accuracy and distance for the archer.
[0006] Inconsistencies inherent in aiming and releasing an arrow from an archery bow make the amount of energy lost to a typical arrow rest highly unpredictable. A number of variables affecting energy loss may differ slightly from one arrow release to another. The angle of the arrow in both the vertical and horizontal planes may be different. The archer may draw the bow a few millimeters or centimeters more or less than the prior or subsequent shot. There may be slight differences in when the archer releases the bowstring with the upper and lower fingers relative to one another. Moreover, during a single archery session, the mechanical movement of the bow itself may lead to changes in bowstring tension and other mechanical properties of the bow. The foregoing factors all influence how much energy is lost by an arrow as it contacts the rest during release.
[0007] Because of the unpredictable nature of energy losses to an arrow rest, it is desirable that the arrow rest provide a minimum of contact with the arrow during shooting.
[0008] The present invention provides an archery rest with a simple, non-bulky, light-weight design that reduces or eliminates distortion. Further, the design provides improved safety both in the field and on the shooting range.
[0009] A number of archery rests are known in the art. A first type of archery rest includes a diaphragm member or brushes for closely supporting an arrow shaft around substantially its entire periphery. U.S. Pat. No. 5,460,153 includes a tubular member having a diaphragm at the tube end nearest the bowstring. The diaphragm closely engages the shaft of an arrow and includes three slots to enable the vanes of the arrow to pass through the diaphragm. A bracket connects the tubular member to the riser of an archery bow.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 5,896,849 includes a ring member having a plurality of radially disposed bristles, which engage the shaft of an arrow along substantially its entire periphery. The lower portion of the ring member is supported within a clamp member, and a bracket member connects the ring/clamp assembly to the riser of a bow.
[0011] Rests of the foregoing type are undesirable because of the relatively high level of contact between the support diaphragm or brushes and the shaft and vanes of the arrow during its release from the bow. Such contact results in significant loss of energy transmitted to the arrow. Further, arrow distortion and release inconsistencies by the archer make the amount of energy lost to the rest as a result of the contact highly unpredictable, with a corresponding reduction in accuracy to the archer. Moreover, such rests provide essentially no correction of distortion because no biasing force is provided to the shaft of the arrow.
[0012] Other rests include a tubular member for enclosing or partially enclosing the shaft of an arrow. Some tubular rests include one or more biasing members for reducing distortion. Biasing members contact the arrow and provide a biasing force acting generally normal to the shaft of the arrow to return it to its unloaded, rest state. U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,450 to Jacobson discloses a tubular arrow rest having three resilient fingers attached for contacting the arrow. The fingers are mounted on the end of the tube nearest the bowstring, and they are angled in the direction of arrow travel. Adjustable finger springs may be provided to increase or decrease the force applied to the arrow by the fingers. A bracket connects the assembly to the riser of an archery bow, and a threaded rod connects the tubular member to the bracket.
[0013] U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,633 to Sisko discloses a partially tubular arrow rest in which a slot is provided running the length of the bore. The slot allows an arrow to be inserted into the rest from the side rather than the ends of the tubular member. Three spring-loaded biasing members are provided for contacting the arrow and correcting distortion. The biasing members are mounted in a single plane generally normal to the bore of the tube. The springs of the biasing members may be changed to alter the biasing force applied to an arrow; however, a top biasing member extending generally downward from the top of the tube preferably has a smaller applied force than two bottom biasing members. A pair of adjustable, L-shaped brackets is provided to connect the partially tubular member to the riser of an archery bow.
[0014] Tubular rests such as those disclosed in the Jacobson and Sisko patent serve to protect the hand and arm of the archer from inadvertent contact with the arrow. Tubular rests create a relatively high risk of inadvertent contact of the arrow with the tube because of the increased tube length through which the arrow must pass either before or after contacting the biasing members, depending upon their location along the length of the tube. Contact of the arrow with the tube reduces the accuracy of the arrow, and in cases of severe distortion may actually increase the risk of injury to the archer. The reduction in accuracy and increased risk of injury are greater in the case of highly distorted arrows. Moreover, the risk of contact between the arrow and the tube increases with increasing tube length. For relatively long tubular rests, even a small departure from a precisely coaxial alignment of the arrow with the bore of the tube may result in contact between the arrow and the tube, especially where distortion is present.
[0015] It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable arrow rest that is simple in design and easy to use, yet provides improved safety and accuracy.
[0016] It is a further object of the invention to provide an arrow rest that is lightweight and non-bulky, and which can effectively be used for both hunting and range archery.
[0017] It is also an object of the present invention to provide an arrow rest that avoids the use of tubular members and the associated risk of contact between the tube and the arrow.
[0018] Another object of the invention is to provide an arrow rest that can be easily adjusted with a minimum of parts.
[0019] Another object is to provide an arrow rest with increased clearance for fletches.
[0020] A further object of the invention is to provide and arrow rest with silencers that dampen sounds made as an arrow is being drawn in a bow. These and other features and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] This invention provides an archery rest for improving the safety and accuracy of an archery bow. More specifically, the present invention provides an arrow stabilizer and support apparatus coupled to the riser of an archery bow. The apparatus supports an arrow placed within it, stabilizes the flight of the arrow by correcting distortion following release of the arrow by the archer, and provides protection for the archer from potential injury from the arrow.
[0022] The arrow stabilizer and support apparatus includes a planar ring member coupled to the riser of the bow and adjustably positioned such that the plane of the ring is generally perpendicular to the axis of an arrow placed within the bow. Arrows may be easily inserted into the apparatus through either side of the central opening of the planar ring member. Pluralities of spring-loaded plungers, coplanar with the ring member, are provided for contacting an arrow placed within the ring member. In addition to providing support for the arrow, the spring-loaded plungers correct distortion during the shooting process and protect the archer from possible injury from the arrow. The spring-loaded plungers extend from the interior periphery of the ring along lines passing through the center of the ring member. Accordingly, the spring-loaded plungers maintain the shaft of the arrow generally at the center of the ring member and exert a force upon the arrow generally perpendicular to its shaft.
[0023] The plungers may be constructed as provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,633 to Sisko, discussed above, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. However, the actual construction of the spring-loaded plungers may differ from those disclosed by Sisko without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art.
[0024] A bracket member is provided to couple the ring member to the riser of an archery bow. The bracket member may be adjustably moved with respect to the riser of the bow along the direction of travel of an arrow. The ring member may be moved laterally with respect to the bracket member. The bracket member and ring member together allow the apparatus to be adjustably customized to the position desired by the archer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] The invention may be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements.
[0026] [0026]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the arrow rest of the present invention.
[0027] [0027]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment of the arrow rest of FIG. 1.
[0028] [0028]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an arrow rest according to the present invention showing an arrow inserted through the planar ring of the rest.
[0029] [0029]FIG. 4 is a side view of the arrow rest of FIGS. 1 - 3 .
[0030] [0030]FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the arrow rest of FIG. 3, taken from the rear of the bow and looking toward the front of the bow, and showing an arrow inserted through the planar ring of the rest.
[0031] [0031]FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the arrow rest of FIG. 3, showing an arrow inserted through the planar ring of the rest.
[0032] [0032]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a ring member of an arrow rest according to the present invention.
[0033] [0033]FIG. 8 is a front view of the ring member of FIG. 7.
[0034] [0034]FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the ring member of FIG. 7.
[0035] [0035]FIG. 10 is a side view of the ring member of FIG. 7.
[0036] [0036]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a support bracket of an arrow rest according to the present invention.
[0037] [0037]FIG. 12 is a front view of the support bracket of FIG. 11.
[0038] [0038]FIG. 13 is atop plan view of the support bracket of FIG. 11.
[0039] [0039]FIG. 14 is a side view of the ring member of FIG. 7.
[0040] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in th e drawings a nd are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0041] FIGS. 1 - 6 depict an archery rest apparatus according to the present invention, designated generally as rest 10 . In addition to providing support for an arrow 40 placed within an archery bow (not shown), the archery rest 10 corrects distortion following the release of the arrow 40 , and protects the archer from potential injury from the arrow 40 . Rest 10 is coupled to the riser of an archery bow.
[0042] Rest 10 includes a ring member 11 coupled to a support bracket 30 . As shown more clearly in FIG. 2 and FIGS. 7 - 10 , ring member 11 provides a generally planar ring 12 having a central opening 13 through which an arrow 40 is inserted. Ring member 11 also includes a ring support arm 18 for coupling the planar ring 12 to the support bracket 30 . Rest 10 is preferably mounted to the archery bow such that the plane of ring 12 is generally perpendicular to an arrow placed through central opening 13 . A first side 14 of planar ring 12 is oriented facing the bowstring of the bow, and a second side 16 is oriented to face the riser of the bow. Ring 12 further includes an exterior periphery 15 and an interior periphery 20 .
[0043] Ring 12 is preferably as thin as possible, i.e., the distance D (FIGS. 7, 9) between first side 14 and a second side 16 is preferably minimized to reduce the likelihood of contact between ring member 12 and an arrow released from the bow. Ring 12 is preferably of sufficient thickness D to support spring-loaded plungers 22 , 24 , and 26 within holes 23 , 25 , and 27 provided in ring 12 , although it will readily be appreciated that spring-loaded plungers 22 , 24 , and 26 could be supported by nuts or like structures coupled to first side 14 or second side 16 of ring 12 . In a preferred embodiment, ring member 11 and ring 12 have the same thickness, which preferably ranges from 0.1 inches to 1 inch. In a particularly preferred embodiment the thickness D of the ring 12 is about 0.31 inches.
[0044] Ring member 11 and ring 12 are preferably made from lightweight metal alloys or plastics, although any material may be used so long as the ring 12 has sufficient rigidity to avoid significant flexing during release of an arrow from the bow. In a preferred embodiment the ring member 11 and ring 12 are made from anodized aluminum.
[0045] The ring member 11 further includes a plurality of spring-loaded plungers 22 , 24 , 26 (FIG. 2) coupled to ring 12 . Spring-loaded plungers 22 , 24 , 26 are generally cylindrical in shape, and may be constructed as provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,633, although the specific construction may vary, so long as the plungers are spring-loaded for contacting the shaft of an arrow 40 . The spring-loaded plungers 22 , 24 , 26 extend from inner periphery 20 of ring 12 (FIG. 5) into the central opening 13 of the ring 12 , preferably along lines passing through the center P (FIG. 8) of ring 12 . The plungers 22 , 24 , 26 include tip members 19 (FIG. 2) which contact an arrow 40 held in the archery bow. The tips may be constructed of materials for minimizing noise, friction, and wear contact with the arrow. In a preferred embodiment, Delrin® tips are used for aluminum arrows, and steel tips for carbon arrows.
[0046] As shown more particularly in FIGS. 1 and 2, the plungers 22 , 24 , 26 may be coupled to ring 12 by a threaded connection, although other connecting means may be employed, as persons of skill in the art will appreciate. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1 - 6 , the exterior of spring-loaded plungers 22 , 24 , 26 are provided with threads that engage corresponding threads in holes 23 , 25 , 27 in ring 12 . Holes 23 , 25 , and 27 extend from the exterior periphery 15 of ring 12 to the interior periphery 20 . The holes preferably orient spring-loaded plungers 22 , 24 , 26 on lines passing through the center of ring 12 . One hole is provided for each of the spring-loaded plungers. The plungers 22 , 24 , 26 may be locked in a desired location by locking screws 17 , which engage plungers 22 , 24 , 26 through holes in the first side 14 of ring 12 and prevent the plungers from being moved in holes 23 , 25 , 27 . Preferably the locking screws 17 have deformable elastomeric tips that contact the threads of the plungers 22 , 24 , 26 without damaging the threads of the plungers. For example, stainless steel set screws with nylon tips are available from MSC Industrial Supply Company.
[0047] Although the number of spring-loaded plungers is not critical to the invention, it is preferred that the number of plungers be restricted to avoid excessive contact between the plungers and the arrow, which would adversely affect accuracy and distance. It is preferred that from two to five plungers be provided. More preferably, three such plungers are provided.
[0048] As shown more particularly in FIGS. 2 and 7- 10 , ring support arm 18 of ring member 11 is preferably coplanar with ring 12 , such that ring member 11 forms a single plane. However, it will be readily appreciated that ring support arm 18 may be located out of the plane of ring 12 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, although the ring support arm 18 depicted in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 - 2 and 7 - 10 is illustrated as a straight member having a generally square cross-section, the shape and cross-section of ring support arm 18 may also be altered without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0049] As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, support arm 18 engages support bracket 30 through aperture 36 . Details of a preferred embodiment of support bracket 30 are provided in FIGS. 11 - 14 . Aperture 36 , located near a first end 31 of bracket 30 , is shaped to cooperate with the cross-sectional shape of support arm 18 . Aperture 36 can preferably act as a clamp to securely fasten support arm 18 to support bracket 30 . As shown particularly in FIGS. 1 and 14, a slot 35 , from the aperture 36 to the first end 31 of bracket 30 , provides a clamping action for aperture 36 to engage support arm 18 . Threaded holes 38 are provided transverse to and on either side of said slot, and a threaded screw 37 is provided for engaging said holes to tighten aperture 36 and engage support arm 18 . Although a clamping arrangement has been provided for coupling the support arm 18 to the support bracket 30 , it will be readily appreciated that other means may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0050] Support arm 18 may be securely fastened to support bracket 30 anywhere along the length of the support arm. Accordingly, ring 12 may be adjusted laterally with respect to an arrow 40 held within the rest 10 . Ring 12 may be adjusted in the direction of arrow travel by means of an adjustment slot 32 , provided generally near a second end 33 of support bracket 30 . An attachment bolt 34 (FIG. 2) is provided to adjustably secure the support bracket 30 to the riser of the archery bow (not shown). Attachment bolt 34 fits within adjustment slot 32 and attaches to the riser of the archery bow. By sliding slot 32 relative to attachment bolt 34 before tightening the bolt, the support bracket 30 (and thus ring 12 ) may be adjusted toward or away from the riser of the archery bow. Adjacent the slot 32 , a setscrew 36 extends through the support bracket 30 . The setscrew 36 contacts the riser of the archery bow and prevents the support bracket 30 from rotating around the attachment bolt 34 .
[0051] Support bracket 30 is preferably made from rigid but lightweight metal alloys, but it may also be made from rigid plastics. In a preferred embodiment, support bracket 30 is preferably made from anodized aluminum. Support bracket 30 is preferably sufficiently thick to provide rigidity to rest 10 when in use. In a preferred embodiment, support bracket 30 includes a thickness T (FIG. 13) of between about 0.1 and about 0.75 inches, more preferably about 0.25 inches. Although a slot mechanism is shown in FIGS. 2 and 14 for adjusting the ring 12 along the direction of arrow travel, other means may be used without departing from the scope of the invention.
[0052] Another embodiment of the ring member 11 is illustrated in plan view in FIG. 15. In this embodiment, the interior periphery 20 of the ring 12 has scallops 40 between the plungers 22 . This allows the ring 12 to have sufficient thickness near a plunger 22 to support both the plunger and its associated locking screw 17 . Because the thickness D of the ring 12 is minimized, the locking screws 17 can extend from the first side 14 of the ring 12 to the plungers 22 . A plunger can be locked in place simply by securing one locking screw 17 . At the same time, the scallops 40 provide additional area in the central opening 13 so that arrows with relatively large fletches can pass through the central opening 13 .
[0053] Tubular silencers 42 on the plungers prevent a scraping sound when an arrow is drawn in the bow. When a bow with an arrow stabilizer apparatus is used in hunting it is important to avoid or minimize sounds that might alarm a deer or other animal. Drawing an arrow prior to shooting may cause an unwanted sound when the surface of the arrow is drawn along the plungers. The tubular silencers 42 prevent this unwanted noise. A tubular silencer 42 comprises an elastomeric tube 44 of silicone rubber or other suitable material. Silencer 42 has a diameter d sufficient to allow the silencer to fit snugly on a plunger 24 and a length L such that an inside end 46 can be positioned adjacent the tip member 19 of the plunger 24 . A cut away section 48 extends from about half the diameter d, that is, the cut away section bisects the tube 44 at the inside end 46 , and curves to a side 50 of the tube 44 about halfway along the length L of the tube 44 . The cut away section 48 forms and edge 52 that may be arced, for example elliptical. The edge 52 may also be straight. The inside end 46 is oriented on the plunger so that the end 46 faces the direction the arrow will travel when the arrow is shot from the bow. Thus as the arrow is drawn back, the inside end 46 may be pulled bask against the tip member 19 of the plunger, covering the tip member with a slick, elastomeric, sound-dampening material. When the arrow is released, the inside end bends forward, thereby minimizing any frictional loss of energy as the arrow is shot from the bow. Silencers 42 may be placed on one or more of the plungers. Preferably, silencers 42 are placed on each plunger against which an arrow would ordinarily rest under the force of gravity when the bow is held in a normal shooting position. In the illustrated embodiment, these plungers would be the two lower plungers 24 , 26 . A silencer on the upper plunger 22 would be unnecessary.
[0054] Although the invention has been described in terms of a preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that alterations, deletions and additions may be made to the preferred embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.
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An arrow support for supporting an arrow in an archery bow. The arrow support provides a simple, compact, lightweight and non-bulky apparatus that corrects distortion induced in the arrow upon its release by the archer. Single screws provide secure, non-rotating connections where adjustments are to be made. A planar ring has locking apparatus extending through the ring to lock support members in place using a single adjustment. The planar ring has a scalloped inner surface, accommodating a range of fletches, with a minimal outside diameter of the ring. Silencers are provided on at least some of the support members to suppress sounds as an arrow is drawn into a shooting position.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a division of application Ser. No. 07/568,290 filed Aug. 16, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,099, which is a division of application Ser. No. 07/477,368 filed Feb. 6, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,926.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to catalysts for the reaction of reactive hydrogen-containing compounds or acid anhydrides, particularly phenolic hydroxyl- and carboxyl-containing compounds with epoxides, compositions containing such catalysts, to processes employing such catalysts and curable and cured products or articles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
High molecular weight epoxy resins have been previously prepared by reacting phenolic compounds with epoxide compounds in the presence of such catalysts as inorganic bases, amines, ammonium salts, phosphine and phosphonium salts such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,284,212; 3,547,881; 3,477,990; 3,948,855 and 4,438,254. However, most of these catalysts while being suitable for catalyzing the reaction between phenolic hydroxyl-containing compounds and epoxides, most of these catalysts possess some undesirable feature such as poor reactivity which requires high catalyst levels and long reaction times; poor selectivity to the reaction of phenolic hydroxyl groups with epoxides, difficulty in deactivation and the like.
In a continuous process for the production of advanced epoxy resins such as by the extruder process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,156 it would be highly desirable to have available for use in that process a catalyst which would be highly active, highly selective to phenolic hydroxyl groups, and easily deactivated.
It would also be desirable to have a catalyst which will result in fast cures when an epoxy resin is cured with acid anhydrides.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention pertains to a precatalyzed composition comprising (A) at least one compound containing an average of at least one vicinal epoxide group per molecule and (B) at least one phosphonium catalyst having at least one amino group in the cation portion of the catalyst compound.
Another aspect of the present invention pertains to a process for preparing advanced resins by reacting one or more compounds having an average of more than one vicinal epoxide group per molecule with one or more compounds having an average of more than one, but not more than about two hydrogen atoms which are reactive with a vicinal epoxide group per molecule in the presence of a phosphonium catalyst having at least one amino group in the cation portion of the catalyst compound; with the proviso that the composition can contain minor amounts of one or more compounds having an average or more than two hydrogen atoms which are reactive with a vicinal epoxide group per molecule which amounts are insufficient to cause gellation of the reaction mixture.
By gellation, it is meant that the product of the reaction is not sufficiently crosslinked so as to render it insoluble or infusible.
A further aspect of the present invention pertains to a curable composition comprising (A) at least one vicinal epoxide-containing compound; (B) at least one phosphonium compound having an amino group in the cation portion of the phosphonium compound; and (C) a suitable curing agent for said epoxy-containing compound, which curing agent contains (1) a plurality of hydrogen atoms reactive with a vicinal epoxide group or (2) one or more acid anhydride groups or (3) a combination of hydrogen atoms reactive with a vicinal epoxide group and acid anhydride groups.
A still further aspect of the present invention pertains to the product or article resulting from curing the aforementioned curable composition.
The catalysts of the present invention are highly active, highly selective to phenolic hydroxyl groups, and easily deactivated. They also result in fast cures when an epoxy resin is cured with acid anhydrides in their presence.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In the process of the present invention, the reactants are reacted together in the presence of the catalyst at any suitable temperature and pressure for a length of time sufficient to advance the resin to the desired molecular weight. Particularly suitable temperatures are from about 50° C. to about 280° C., more suitably from about 100° C. to about 240° C., most suitably from about 120° C. to about 220° C. Suitable pressures include atmospheric, subatmospheric and superatmospheric pressures. Particularly suitable pressures are those from about 1 psig (6.9 kPa) to about 150 psig (1,034.2 kPa), more suitably from about 5 psig (34.5 kPa) to about 80 psig (551,6 kPa), most suitably from about 10 psig (68.9 kPa) to about 20 psig (137.9 kPa). The time depends upon the particular catalyst and reactants employed as well as to the degree of advancement desired; however, particularly suitable reaction times include from about 0.5 to about 20, more suitably from about 1 to about 8, most suitably from about 2 to about 5 hours.
Suitable such catalysts which can be employed herein include those represented by the following formula ##STR1## wherein each R is independently hydrogen, a monovalent hydrocarbyl group, a halogen, preferably bromine or chlorine, nitro or --C.tbd.N or OH or alkyl or alkoxy or halogen substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 20, more preferably from 1 to about 10, most preferably from 1 to about 6, carbon atoms, or a R" group; R' is a divalent hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 20, more preferably from 1 to about 10, most preferably from 1 to about 5, carbon atoms; each R" is independently hydrogen or a monovalent hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 20, more preferably from 1 to about 10, most preferably from 1 to about 5, carbon atoms or a halogen, preferably bromine or chlorine, nitro, --C.tbd.N, or --OH substituted hydrocarbyl group having from 1 to about 20, more preferably from 1 to about 10, most preferably from 1 to about 5, carbon atoms; and Z is any suitable anion.
The term "hydrocarbyl" as employed herein means any aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic, aryl substituted aliphatic or cycloaliphatic, or aliphatic or cycloaliphatic substituted aromatic groups. The aliphatic groups can be saturated or unsaturated.
Suitable anions include the halides, carboxylates, carboxylate.carboxylic acid complexes, conjugate bases of inorganic acids such as, for example, bicarbonate, tetrafluoborate or phosphate; conjugate bases of phenols, bisphenols or biphenols such as, for example, bisphenol A, bisphenol F, bisphenol K, bisphenol S; and the like.
Particularly suitable such catalysts include, for example, 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide, 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium iodide, 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium chloride, 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium phosphate, 2-dimethylaminoethyl dibutyl allylphosphonium bromide, 2-dimethylaminoethyl dibutyl allylphosphonium iodide, 2-dimethylaminoethyl dibutyl allylphosphonium chloride, 2-dimethylaminoethyl dibutyl allylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 2-dimethylaminoethyl dibutyl allylphosphonium phosphate, 2-dimethylaminoethyl tributylphosphonium bromide, 2-dimethylaminoethyl tributylphosphonium iodide, 2-dimethylaminoethyl tributylphosphonium chloride, 2-dimethylaminoethyl tributylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 2-dimethylaminoethyl tributylphosphonium phosphate, 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium tetrafluoborate, 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bisphenate, dimethylaminomethyl triphenylphosphonium oxalate, dimethylaminomethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide, dimethylaminomethyl triphenylphosphonium chloride, dimethylaminomethyl triphenylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, dimethylaminomethyl tributylphosphonium oxalate, dimethylaminomethyl tributylphosphonium bromide, dimethylaminomethyl tributylphosphonium chloride, dimethylaminomethyl tributylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 3-dimethylaminopropyl triphenylphosphonium oxalate, 3-dimethylaminopropyl triphenylphosphonium bromide, 3-dimethylaminopropyl triphenylphosphonium chloride, 3-dimethylaminopropyl triphenylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 3-dimethylaminopropyl tributylphosphonium oxalate, 3-dimethylaminopropyl tributylphosphonium bromide, 3-dimethylaminopropyl tributylphosphonium chloride, 3-dimethylaminopropyl tributylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium oxalate, 4-dimethylaminobutyl triphenylphosphonium bromide, 4-dimethylaminobutyl triphenylphosphonium chloride, 4-dimethylaminobutyl triphenylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 4-dimethylaminobutyl triphenylphosphonium phosphate, 4-diethylaminobutyl triphenylphosphonium bromide, 4-diethylaminobutyl triphenylphosphonium chloride, 4-diethylaminobutyl triphenylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 4-diethylaminobutyl triphenylphosphonium phosphate, 2-benzylmethylaminoethyl triphenyl phosphonium bromide, 2-benzylmethylaminoethyl triphenyl phosphonium chloride, 2-benzylmethylaminoethyl triphenyl phosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 2-benzylmethylaminoethyl triphenyl phosphonium phosphate, 2-methylphenylaminoethyl triphenyl phosphonium bromide, 2-methylphenylaminoethyl triphenyl phosphonium chloride, 2-methylphenylaminoethyl triphenyl phosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 2-methylphenylaminoethyl triphenyl phosphonium phosphate, 2-methylisopropylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide, 2-methylisopropylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium chloride, 2-methylisopropylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 2-methylisopropylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium phosphate, 2-diisopropylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide, 2-diisopropylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium chloride, 2-diisopropylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium acetate.acetic acid complex, 2-diisopropylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium phosphate, combinations thereof and the like.
The catalysts employed in the present invention can be prepared by reacting a trihydrocarbyl phosphine with other reagents by several methods described in Phosphorous Sulfur, vol. 13 (1), pp 97-105 (1982), by De Castro Dantas et al which is incorporated herein by reference. Particularly suitable phosphines which can be reacted with the other reagents include, for example, the organic phosphines disclosed by Dante et al. in U. S. Pat. No. 3,477,990 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Some of the catalysts are also available from Aldrich Chemical Company, Inc.
Any epoxy compound having an average of more than one vicinal epoxy group per molecule can be employed to produce advanced epoxy resins by the process of the present invention. While minor amounts of epoxy-containing compounds having an average of more than two vicinal epoxy groups per molecule can be employed, it is preferred that the epoxy compound have an average number of epoxy groups per molecule not in excess of about 2.
Suitable such epoxy-containing compounds include the glycidyl ethers or glycidyl esters or glycidyl amines or glycidyl thioethers of aromatic or aliphatic or cycloaliphatic compounds having an average of more than one reactive hydrogen atom per molecule, such as those compounds having an average of more than one aliphatic or aromatic or cycloaliphatic hydroxyl, carboxyl, thiol, or primary or secondary amino group per molecule and the like. Particularly suitable epoxy-containing compounds include, for example, the diglycidyl ethers of compounds containing two aliphatic hydroxyl groups per molecule or two aromatic hydroxyl groups per molecule or two cycloaliphatic hydroxyl groups per molecule or any combination thereof including such compounds as those having one aromatic hydroxyl group per molecule and the other being an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydroxyl group per molecule. Preferably, the epoxy-containing compound is a diglycidyl ether of biphenol, bisphenol A, bisphenol F, bisphenol K, bisphenol S, or the C 1 -C 4 alkyl or halogen, preferably bromine, substituted derivatives thereof. Also, particularly suitable are the glycidyl esters of aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic carboxylic acids or acid anhydrides. Particularly suitable are the glycidyl esters of those acids or anhydrides having from about 2 to about 30, more suitably from about 2 to about 20, most suitably from about 2 to about 10, carbon atoms per molecule. Preferably, the glycidyl ester compounds include, for example, the glycidyl esters of glutaric acid, phthalic acid, hexahydrophthalic acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, pyromellitic acid, tetrahydrophthalic acid, adipic acid, combinations thereof and the like.
The reaction mixture or precatalyzed composition employed in the preparation of an advanced epoxy resin can also, if desired, contain minor amounts of a compound having an average of more than 2 vicinal epoxide groups per molecule. By the term "minor amounts", it is meant that such compounds are employed in amounts such that the resultant product does not result in a compound which is sufficiently crosslinked so as to render the resulting compound incapable of being further cured with a suitable epoxy resin curing agent, if the advanced resin is terminated in epoxy groups or with an epoxy resin if the advanced resin is terminated in a group containing hydrogen atoms reactive with a vicinal epoxide. Suitable such epoxy resins include, for example, the polyglycidyl ethers of phenol-aldehyde novolac resins, alkyl or halogen substituted phenol-aldehyde novolac resins, alkyldiene-phenol resins, cycloalkyldiene-phenol resins, alkyldiene-substituted phenol resins, cycloalkyldiene-substituted phenol resins, combinations thereof and the like. Particularly suitable such epoxy resins include, for example, the polyglycidyl ethers of phenol-formaldehyde novolac resins, cresol-formaldehyde novolac resins, bromophenol-formaldehyde novolac resins, cyclopentadiene-phenol resins, dicyclopentadiene-phenol resins, higher oligomers of cyclopentadiene-phenol resins, combinations thereof and the like.
Suitable compounds having an average of more than one hydrogen atom reactive with an epoxide group per molecule which can be employed in the process of the present invention to react with the compound having an average of more than one vicinal epoxide group per molecule to produce an advanced resin include those compounds having an average or more than one, preferably an average of about 2 aromatic hydroxyl or thiol groups per molecule or an average of more than one, preferably an average of about 2 carboxyl groups per molecule. Particularly suitable such compounds include biphenol, alkyl or alkoxy or halogen substituted biphenol, bisphenols, alkyl or alkoxy or halogen substituted bisphenols, aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acids, aromatic dicarboxylic acids, or any combination thereof and the like. Preferably the compound having an average of more than one reactive hydrogen atom per molecule is biphenol, bisphenol A, bisphenol AP (1,1-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenylethane), bisphenol F, bisphenol K, bisphenol S, or the C 1 -C 4 alkyl or halogen, preferably bromine, substituted derivatives thereof, glutaric acid, phthalic acid, hexahydrophthalic acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, pyromellitic acid, tetrahydrophthalic acid, adipic acid, combinations thereof and the like.
The reaction mixture can also, if desired, contain minor amounts of a compound having an average of more than two hydrogen atoms which are reactive with an epoxide group per molecule. By the term "minor amounts", it is meant that such compounds are employed in amounts such that the resultant product does not result in a compound which is sufficiently crosslinked so as to render the resulting compound incapable of being further cured with a suitable epoxy resin curing agent when the advanced resin is terminated in epoxide groups or a compound containing vicinal epoxide groups if the advanced resin is terminated in a group containing hydrogen atoms reactive with vicinal epoxide groups. Suitable such compounds include, for example, phenol-aldehyde novolac resins, alkyl or halogen substituted phenol-aldehyde novolac resins, alkyldiene-phenol resins, cycloalkyldiene-phenol resins, alkyldiene-substituted phenol resins, cycloalkyldiene-phenol resins, combinations thereof and the like. Particularly suitable such compounds include phenol-formaldehyde novolac resins, cresol-formaldehyde resins, bromophenol-formaldehyde novolac resins, cyclopentadiene-phenol resins, combinations thereof and the like.
Suitable compounds containing an anhydride group which can be employed herein as a curing agent for epoxy resins include aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic acid anhydrides having suitably from about 4 to about 30, more suitably from about 4 to about 20, most suitably from about 4 to about 10, carbon atoms. Particularly suitable acid anhydrides include, for example, phthalic anhydride, succinic anhydride, hexahydrophthalic anhydride, methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride, glutaric anhydride, methyl bicyclo(2.2.1)heptene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride isomers (Nadic Methyl Anhydride available from Allied Chemical), maleic anhydride, pyromellitic anhydride, polyadipic acid anhydride, combinations thereof and the like.
The epoxy resin and the reactive hydrogen-containing compound are employed in amounts which result in a compound terminated in either an epoxide group or a group containing a reactive hydrogen atom. The compounds are employed in amounts which provide a reactive hydrogen atom to epoxy group ratio suitably from about 0.1:1 to about 10:1, more suitably from about 0.2:1 to about 5:1, most suitably from about 0.3:1 to about 1:1.
When an acid anhydride is employed, it is employed in a mole ratio of acid anhydride to epoxy group suitably from about 0.4:1 to about 1.25:1, more suitably from about 0.5:1 to about 1.2:1, most suitably from about 0.6:1 to about 1.1:1.
Although the process of the present invention for preparing advanced epoxy resins can be conducted in a batch process, it is preferably conducted continuously in an extruder such as described by Heinemeyer and Tatum in U.S. Pat. No. 4,612,156 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Suitable curing agents which can be employed herein in the curable compositions include, acid anhydrides and compounds containing an average of more than one, preferably more than two hydrogen atoms which are reactive with vicinal epoxide groups per molecule.
Suitable compounds containing an anhydride group which can be employed herein as a curing agent for vicinal epoxide-containing compounds or resins include aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic acid anhydrides having suitably from about 4 to about 30, more suitably from about 4 to about 20, most suitably from about 4 to about 10, carbon atoms. Particularly suitable acid anhydrides include, for example, phthalic anhydride, succinic anhydride, hexahydrophthalic anhydride, methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride, glutaric anhydride, methyl bicyclo(2.2.1)heptene-2,3-dicarboxylic anhydride isomers (Nadic Methyl Anhydride available from Allied Chemical), maleic anhydride, pyromellitic anhydride, polyadipic acid anhydride, combinations thereof and the like.
Suitable compounds containing groups reactive with a vicinal epoxide which can be employed as curing agents herein include, aliphatic polyamines, cycloaliphatic polyamines, aromatic polyamines, compounds containing an average of more than two aromatic hydroxyl groups per molecule such as phenol-aldehyde novolac resins, alkyl or halogen substituted phenol-aldehyde novolac resins, alkyldiene-phenol resins, cycloalkyldiene-phenol resins, alkyldiene-substituted phenol resins, cycloalkyldiene-phenol resins, combinations thereof and the like. Particularly suitable such compounds include ethylenediamine, diethylenetriamine, triethylenetetramine, tetraethylenepentamine, isophoronediamine, metaphenylenediamine, methylenedianiline, diaminodiphenyl sulfone, phenol-formaldehyde novolac resins, cresol-formaldehyde resins, bromophenol-formaldehyde novolac resins, cyclopentadiene-phenol resins, combinations thereof and the like.
The curing agent are employed in amounts which are suitable to cure the vicinal epoxide-containing resin or compound. Usually from about 0.75 to about 1.25, preferably from about 0.85 to about 1.15, more preferably from about 0.95 to about 1.05 equivalents of curing agent per epoxide group is employed.
The compositions of the present invention can contain or the process of the present invention can be conducted in the presence of any solvent or diluent which is essentially inert to the composition at ordinary temperature. Suitable such solvents or diluents include, for example, alcohols, esters, glycol ethers, ketones, aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, combinations thereof and the like. Particularly suitable such solvents or diluents include, for example, isopropanol, n-butanol, tertiary butanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, butylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol ethyl ether, ethylene glycol n-butyl ether, ethylene glycol phenyl ether, diethylene glycol n-butyl ether, diethylene glycol ethyl ether, diethylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol ethyl ether, propylene glycol n-butyl ether, propylene glycol phenyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether, tripropylene glycol methyl ether, any combination thereof and the like.
The compositions and process can employ the solvent or diluent in any desired proportion to provide suitable dilution, suitable solution viscosity and the like. Particularly suitable amounts include, for example, from about 0.1 to about 70, more suitable from about 0.5 to about 50, most suitably from about 1 to about 30, percent by weight based upon the weight of the epoxy-containing reactant.
When an extruder is employed in the process for preparing advanced epoxy resins, the amount of solvent will usually be less than about 10, preferably less than about 5, more preferably less than about 3 percent by weight of the combined weight of epoxy-containing compound, compound reactive with the epoxy-containing compound and solvent. In the event that it is desired that the resultant product contain a larger amount of solvent, then additional amounts can be added after the advanced resin has been prepared in the extruder.
The following examples are illustrative of the invention, but are not to be construed as to limiting the scope thereof in any manner.
EXAMPLE 1
Into a one-liter, 5-necked glass reactor equipped with a mechanical stirrer, a thermometer connected to a temperature controller and a heating mantle is charged 398 grams (2.12 equivalents) of a diglycidyl ether of a bisphenol A, having an epoxide equivalent weight (EEW) of 187.6. After purging the reactor with nitrogen and warming the resin to 80° C., 202 grams (1.772 equivalents) of bisphenol A is added and the contents are mixed for 15 minutes at 80° C. Then 0.943 gram of 24.78% 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide in methanol (0.56 milliequivalent) is added to the epoxy resin/bisphenol A slurry and the temperature is gradually increased to 150° C. over a period of 45 minutes.
At this time, the heating is turned off and an exotherm is allowed to take place. After the exotherm, the reaction is maintained at 170° C. for an additional four hours. The advanced product has an EEW of 1735 or 102% of targeted EEW.
EXAMPLE 2
Into a one-liter, 5-necked glass reactor equipped with a mechanical stirrer, a thermometer connected to a temperature controller and a heating mantle is charged 300 grams (1.599 equivalents) of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having an EEW of 187.6. After purging the reactor with nitrogen and warming the resin to 130° C., 105.7 grams of bisphenol A (0.927 equivalent) is added and the contents are mixed until all bisphenol is dissolved at 120° C. Immediately 0.37 gram of 24.78% of 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide in methanol solution (0.22 milliequivalent) is added to the resin/bisphenol A slurry and a timer started (t=0). Samples are taken at time intervals and analyzed for epoxide content. The results are reported in Table I.
COMPARATIVE EXPERIMENT A
The procedure of Example 2 is followed except the catalyst is ethyltriphenylphosphonium bromide. The results are reported in Table I.
COMPARATIVE EXPERIMENT B
The procedure of Example 2 is followed except the catalyst is ethyltriphenylphosphonium acetate-acetic acid complex. The results are reported in Table I.
COMPARATIVE EXPERIMENT C
The procedure of Example 2 is followed except the catalyst is tetrabutylphosphonium bromide. The results are reported in Table I.
COMPARATIVE EXPERIMENT D
The procedure of Example 2 is followed except the catalyst is N-methylmorpholine. The results are reported in Table I.
TABLE I______________________________________ % EPOXIDE AT INDICATED TIME INTERVAL 60 120 180 240 300 min. min. min. min. min.______________________________________Example 2 14.58 12.55 10.88 9.38 8.07Comp. Expt. A* 14.97 13.39 12.02 10.77 9.70Comp. Expt. B* 14.82 13.94 12.33 10.97 9.73Comp. Expt. C* 15.38 13.93 12.65 11.53 10.60Comp. Expt. D* 15.92 14.88 13.92 13.05 12.29______________________________________ *Not an example of the present invention.
The data in Table I shows that 2-dimethyl aminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide is a more reactive, efficient catalyst than other phosphonium or amine catalysts as indicated by the lower epoxide values for a given reaction time.
EXAMPLE 3
A. A mixture comprised of 451.75 grams of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having EEW of 180.7 (2.5 equivalents), 285 grams of bisphenol A (2.5 equivalents) and 184.25 grams of the acetate ester of propylene glycol methyl ether is warmed up to 90° C. and thoroughly mixed. The mixture is then divided into equal small portions of 10 grams each.
B. Into a 2 oz. (59 ml) glass bottle is weighed accurately 10 grams of the above-mentioned resin/bisphenol A/acetate ester of propylene glycolmethyl ether mixture. 0.1811 gram of a 24.78% 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide in methanol (4 milliequivalents) is added and then mixed thoroughly. The 2 oz. (59 ml) glass bottle is capped and placed in a convection oven controlled at 50° C. Samples are taken at time intervals to measure viscosity at 25° C. using an ICI cone and plate viscometer. Results are listed in Table II.
COMPARATIVE EXPERIMENT E
Following the identical procedure described in Example 3, a mixture containing 0.1155 gram of 34.82% of ethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide (4 milliequivalents) is added to 10 grams of the epoxy/bisphenol/acetate ester of propylene glycol methyl ether mixture.
COMPARATIVE EXPERIMENT F
Following the identical procedure described in Example 3, a mixture containing 0.1657 gram(4 milliequivalents) of 27.34% ethyl triphenyl phosphonium iodide catalyst in methanol is added to 10 grams of the epoxy/bisphenol/acetate ester of propylene glycol methyl ether mixture.
TABLE II______________________________________VISCOSITY (CPS) AFTER AGING AT 50° C. 0 24 48 54 (hrs) (hrs) (hrs) (hrs)______________________________________Example 3 500 5,125 21,000 46,000Comp. Expt. E* 500 3,250 9,000 19,000Comp. Expt. F* 500 3,500 9,500 18,000______________________________________ *Not an example of the present invention.
The data in Table II clearly shows that the 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide catalyst is more reactive than the conventional phosphonium catalysts as indicated by the higher viscosities at the indicated time period.
EXAMPLE 4
High Molecular Weight Resin Advancement
Into a one-liter, 5-necked glass reactor equipped with a mechanical stirrer, a thermometer connected to a temperature controller and a heating mantle is charged 322.85 grams (1.72 equivalents) of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, having an epoxide equivalent weight (EEW) of 187.6. After purging the reactor with nitrogen and warming the resin to 80° C., 56 grams of ethylene glycol n-butyl ether is added to the reactor. After mixing for 10 minutes, 177.15 grams of bisphenol A (1.55 equivalents) is added and the content mixed for 15 minutes at 80° C. Then 1.45 grams of 32.44% 2-dimethyl aminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide in methanol (1.13 milliequivalents) is added to the epoxy/bisphenol A slurry and the temperature gradually increased to 150° C. over a period of 45 minutes. At this time, the heating is turned off and an exotherm is allowed to take place. After the exotherm, the reaction is maintained at 160° C. for an additional 4 hours. The advanced product has an EEW of 3172 based on non-volatiles.
EXAMPLE 5
Pre-Catalyzed Resin Preparation
A pre-catalyzed resin mixture is prepared by weighing 800 grams of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A having a percent epoxide of 22.92 and an epoxide equivalent weight of 187.6 into a glass container. 33 grams of xylene is added to the resin and thoroughly mixed. Then 4.93 grams of 32.44% 2-dimethyl aminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide in methanol is added to the resin mixture and mixed. The pre-catalyzed resin mixture is then subjected to heat aging in a convection oven controlled at a temperature of 50° C. for 21 days. After 21 days, the pre-catalyzed resin mixture is removed from the oven and cooled to ambient temperature. 470.6 grams of the pre-catalyzed resin mixture is weighed into a one-liter, 5-necked glass reactor equipped with identical equipments as described in Example 1. After adding 30 grams of ethylene glycol n-butyl ether, 129.4 grams of bisphenol A (1.135 equivalents) is added to the reactor and heated to 150° C. At this point, heating is turned off and an exotherm is allowed to take place. The temperature is maintained at 160° C. for an additional 2.5 hours. The EEW of the advanced product is 490.
EXAMPLE 6
Reaction of acid anhydride with glycidyl ester
5 g (0.03 equivalent) of diglycidylglutarate, 2.77 g (0.034 equivalent) of a mixture of methylhexahydrophthalic anhydride and hexahydrophthalic anhydride (70/30 weight percent respectively) and 5.39×10 -4 equivalents (based on phosphorus) of catalyst in methanol (70% solids) are combined in an aluminum pan. The mixture is heated for 30 minutes at 82° C. on a Tetrahedron hot plate. After cooling to approximately room temperature, the viscosity of the mixture is determined at 25° C. The different catalysts employed and results are provided in Table III.
TABLE III______________________________________ AMOUNT OF CATALYST VISCOSITY equiv. × after 30 min.EXPER- 10.sup.-4 at 82° C.IMENT CATALYST grams ** Cps Pa · s______________________________________A* ethyltriphenyl- 0.286 5.39 3,514 3.514 phosphonium bromideB 2-dimethylamino- 0.319 5.39 27.091 27.091 ethyl triphenyl phosphonium bromideC* n-hexyltriphenyl- 0.329 5.39 3,332 3.332 phosphonium bromide______________________________________ *Not an example of the present invention. **The equivalents of catalyst are based on the amount of phosphorous in the catalyst.
The results in Table III show that 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide is a faster catalyst in catalyzing or accelerating the reaction of an acid anhydride with an epoxide as indicated by the higher viscosity.
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A composition useful as a molded article when cured is obtained from a polyepoxy compound and a catalyst comprising a phosphonium compound having an amino group in the cationic portion of the compound such as 2-dimethylaminoethyl triphenylphosphonium bromide.
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This application is a divisional of and incorporates by reference application Ser. No. 12/343,794 filed Dec. 24, 2008 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,892,908, entitled “Integration Scheme For Changing Crystal Orientation In Hybrid Orientation Technology (HOT) Using Direct Silicon Bonded (DSB) Substrates”, which claims the benefit of and incorporates by reference U.S. provisional Application No. 61/016,543, filed Dec. 24, 2007, entitled “Integration Scheme For Changing Crystal Orientation In Hybrid Orientation Technology (HOT) Using Direct Silicon Bonded (DSB) Substrates”.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of integrated circuits. More particularly, this invention relates to methods to fabricate integrated circuits containing regions with different crystal orientations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is well recognized that increasing the mobility of charge carriers in metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors in integrated circuits (ICs) improves the operating speed of ICs. There are several techniques used in advanced ICs to increase the mobilities of electrons and holes in silicon n-channel MOS (NMOS) and p-channel (PMOS) transistors, including orienting the silicon substrate to take advantage of the fact that carrier mobility varies depending on the orientation of the crystal lattice in the MOS transistor channel. Electrons have maximum mobility in (100)-oriented silicon when the NMOS transistor is aligned on a [110] axis, that is, when the electron movement in the NMOS transistor channel is along a [110] axis. Note that the notation “(100)-oriented silicon” refers to a crystal orientation in which the vector 1·x+0·y+0·z, or its equivalent, is perpendicular to the surface of the crystal, while the notation [110] axis refers to a direction parallel to the vector 1·x+1·y+0·z, or its equivalent. Holes have maximum mobility in (110)-oriented silicon when the PMOS transistor is aligned on a [110] axis. To maximize the mobilities of electrons and holes in the same IC requires regions with (100)-oriented silicon and (110)-oriented silicon in the substrate, known as hybrid orientation technology (HOT). Known methods of HOT include amorphization and templated recrystallization (ATR) which introduces defects adjacent to shallow trench isolation (STI) structures. Reduction of the ATR defects requires annealing at temperatures higher than 1250 C, which introduces wafer distortions, making fabrication of deep submicron MOS transistors difficult and costly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This Summary is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. §1.73, requiring a summary of the invention briefly indicating the nature and substance of the invention. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
This invention provides a method of forming an integrated circuit (IC) which has two types of regions with different silicon crystal lattice orientations, (100)-oriented silicon and (110)-oriented silicon, for forming transistors, in order to optimize performance parameters, such as carrier mobility, for NMOS and PMOS transistors separately. The method starts with a single crystal substrate of (100)-oriented silicon, and forms a directly bonded silicon (DSB) layer of (110)-oriented silicon on the top surface of the substrate. Shallow trench isolation (STI) field oxide is formed to separate the regions for NMOS transistors from the regions for PMOS transistors. The DSB layer is removed in the regions for NMOS transistors and a (100)-oriented silicon layer is formed by selective epitaxial growth (SEG), using the (100)-oriented silicon of the substrate as the seed layer for the SEG layer. The SEG layer is planarized with respect to the DSB layer. NMOS transistors are formed on the SEG layer, in which the (100) orientation maximizes the electron mobility, while PMOS transistors are formed on the DSB layer, in which the (110) orientation maximizes the hole mobility. An integrated circuit formed with the inventive method is also disclosed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1A through FIG. 1G are cross-sections of an integrated circuit during fabrication of NMOS and PMOS transistors according to an embodiment of the instant invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The present invention is described with reference to the attached figures, wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the figures to designate similar or equivalent elements. The figures are not drawn to scale and they are provided merely to illustrate the invention. Several aspects of the invention are described below with reference to example applications for illustration. It should be understood that numerous specific details, relationships, and methods are set forth to provide a full understanding of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art, however, will readily recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details or with other methods. In other instances, well-known structures or operations are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the invention. The present invention is not limited by the illustrated ordering of acts or events, as some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrently with other acts or events. Furthermore, not all illustrated acts or events are required to implement a methodology in accordance with the present invention.
To assist readability of this disclosure, silicon crystal orientations will be referred to using the nomenclature “(100)-oriented silicon” or “(110)-oriented silicon” to avoid confusion with numerical designations of elements in the figures attached to this disclosure, for example “the field oxide ( 100 ).”
The instant invention addresses the need for a robust and cost effective method of fabricating integrated circuits (ICs) with regions of different crystal lattice orientation, known as hybrid orientation technology (HOT), by providing a hybrid substrate in which a layer of (110)-oriented silicon is directly bonded to a (100)-oriented silicon wafer substrate, defining regions for NMOS transistors, removing the (110)-oriented directly bonded silicon (DSB) layer in the NMOS regions to expose the (100)-oriented silicon of the wafer substrate, and forming (100)-oriented silicon in these regions by selective epitaxial growth (SEG), using the (100)-oriented silicon in the wafer substrate for a seed layer.
FIG. 1A through FIG. 1G are cross-sections of an integrated circuit during fabrication of NMOS and PMOS transistors according to an embodiment of the instant invention.
FIG. 1A is a cross-section of a hybrid substrate ( 100 ), which includes a substrate ( 102 ) of (100)-oriented silicon, typically p-type with a resistivity of 1 to 100 ohm-cm, and a DSB layer ( 104 ) of (110)-oriented silicon, typically p-type with an electrical resistivity of 1 to 100 ohm-cm, on a top surface of the substrate ( 102 ). The DSB layer ( 104 ) is 100 to 250 nanometers thick. In one embodiment, the DSB layer ( 104 ) is substantially undoped. In a further embodiment, germanium or carbon atoms may be added to change a material property, such as increase stress in the DSB layer ( 104 ) which can be advantageous by increasing transistor on-state drive current.
FIG. 1B depicts the IC ( 100 ) after field oxide regions have been formed by a shallow trench isolation (STI) process. A layer of pad oxide ( 106 ), typically silicon dioxide 5 to 50 nanometers thick grown by thermal oxidation, is formed on a top surface of the DSB layer ( 104 ). A layer of active area hard mask ( 108 ), typically silicon nitride 50 to 250 nanometers thick deposited by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), is formed on a top surface of the pad oxide layer ( 106 ). Field oxide regions ( 110 ), typically silicon dioxide formed by an STI process, extend from a top surface of the active area hard mask layer ( 108 ) through the substrate ( 102 ) into DSB layer ( 104 ). The field oxide ( 110 ) is typically 200 to 500 nanometers thick. Commonly, a top surface of the field oxide ( 110 ) is within 50 nanometers of the top surface of the active area hard mask after the STI process is completed. Some active area hard mask layer material is removed by the STI process, which includes a chemical mechanical polish (CMP) step.
FIG. 1C depicts the IC ( 100 ) after formation of a photoresist pattern ( 112 ) on a top surface of the active area hard mask ( 108 ) and a top surface of the field oxide ( 110 ) to define regions for NMOS transistors, and removal of the active area hard mask and pad oxide in these regions. The photoresist pattern ( 112 ) is formed using known photolithographic techniques, including depositing a layer of photoresist on the top surfaces of the active area hard mask ( 108 ) and field oxide ( 110 ), exposing the photoresist layer in the regions for NMOS transistors to radiation, typically ultraviolet light, through a mask, or “reticle,” containing the pattern for the regions for NMOS transistors, by means of commonly available photolithographic equipment, also known as a “wafer stepper,” and exposing the photoresist layer to a developing fluid which dissolves the exposed photoresist, leaving a photoresist pattern which has open areas in the regions defined for NMOS transistors. The mask containing the pattern for the regions for NMOS transistors may be a mask used to define p-type wells later in the fabrication process sequence.
Still referring to FIG. 1C , the active area hard mask layer is removed in regions exposed by the photoresist pattern ( 112 ), by known etching techniques, commonly a plasma containing fluorine and oxygen, to expose the pad oxide layer. Similarly, the pad oxide layer is removed in these regions by known etching techniques, commonly a plasma containing fluorine.
FIG. 1D depicts the IC ( 100 ) after the DSB layer ( 104 ) has been removed in regions defined for NMOS transistors. The DSB layer ( 104 ) is etched using known etching techniques, commonly a plasma containing bromine and/or chlorine. A portion of the silicon in the substrate ( 102 ) in the region defined for NMOS transistors is removed by the etching process, in order to provide a suitable surface for selective epitaxial growth (SEG). This results in a top surface ( 114 ) of the substrate ( 102 ) in the region defined for NMOS transistors being lower than an interface ( 116 ) between the substrate ( 102 ) and the DSB layer ( 104 ). In one embodiment of the instant invention, the etching process detects a signature when (100)-oriented silicon in the substrate is etched, allowing tighter control of the vertical offset between the surface ( 114 ) and the interface ( 116 ). In another embodiment, the etch process is run for a fixed time, calculated from known etch rates. The DSB etch process may produce a step in the top surface of the field oxide ( 110 ). After the DSB etch process is completed, the photoresist pattern ( 112 ) is removed by known techniques of etching with an oxygen-containing plasma followed by wet etching. After the photoresist pattern ( 112 ) is removed, the IC ( 100 ) may be annealed to relieve stress in the substrate ( 102 ), densify the field oxide ( 110 ) and improve the substrate surface ( 114 ) for epitaxial growth in a subsequent step.
FIG. 1E depicts the IC ( 100 ) after an SEG layer ( 118 ) is grown on surface ( 114 ) of the substrate ( 102 ). Growth of the SEG layer ( 118 ) is accomplished using known techniques of selective epitaxial growth in the presence of oxide and nitride, such that little or no silicon material is formed on top surfaces of the active area hard mask ( 108 ) or the field oxide ( 110 ), for example by using a mixture of SiH4 gas and HCl gas at a temperature of 1020 C, or a mixture of SiH2Cl2 gas, H2 gas and HCl gas at a temperature of 950 C. The use of other known selective epitaxial growth techniques is within the scope of this invention. In one embodiment, the SEG layer ( 118 ) may be substantially pure silicon. In another embodiment, p-type dopant atoms such as boron or gallium may be added. In a further embodiment, germanium or carbon atoms may be added to improve a material property of the SEG layer ( 118 ), such as increase stress in the SEG layer ( 118 ), which can be advantageous by increasing transistor on-state drive current. Growth rates of the SEG layer ( 118 ) range may from 1 to 100 nanometers/minute, depending on growth conditions and equipment used. The crystal orientation of the SEG layer ( 118 ) is the same as the substrate ( 102 ), namely (100)-oriented silicon. A top surface of the SEG layer ( 118 ) is substantially even with, or higher than a top surface of the DSB layer ( 104 ).
The inventive method continues with optional planarization of the SEG layer, as depicted in FIG. 1F . A silicon CMP process, using known silicon polishing techniques, removes material from a top surface of the SEG layer ( 118 ) until it is substantially even with a top surface of the DSB layer ( 104 ). During the silicon CMP process, material is removed from a top surface of the field oxide ( 110 ). The active area hard mask layer and pad oxide are removed by known etching techniques, including phosphoric acid etching of the active area hard mask layer and HF-based etching of the pad oxide layer. An optional anneal in an O2 gas ambient may be performed to further passivate an interface between the SEG layer ( 118 ) and the field oxide region ( 110 ).
Fabrication of an integrated circuit on the HOT substrate prepared according to the instant invention is depicted in FIG. 1G . A p-type well ( 120 ) is formed in the regions defined for NMOS transistors by known methods of ion implanting p-type dopants such as boron, BF2 or indium, commonly in several steps with doses from 1·10 10 to 1·10 14 cm −2 at energies from 2 keV to 200 keV. Similarly, an n-type well ( 122 ) is formed in regions defined for PMOS transistors by known methods of ion implanting n-type dopants such as phosphorus, arsenic or antimony, commonly in several steps with doses from 1·10 10 to 1·10 14 cm −2 at energies from 1 keV to 500 keV. Formation of an NMOS transistor proceeds with formation of an NMOS gate dielectric layer ( 124 ), typically silicon dioxide, nitrogen doped silicon dioxide, silicon oxy-nitride, hafnium oxide, layers of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride, or other insulating material, on a top surface of the p-type well ( 120 ), followed by formation of an NMOS gate ( 126 ), typically polycrystalline silicon, on a top surface of the NMOS gate dielectric layer ( 124 ), with NLDD offset spacers ( 128 ), typically one or more layers of silicon dioxide and/or silicon nitride formed by plasma etch, with a width from 1 to 30 nanometers, on lateral surfaces of the NMOS gate ( 126 ). N-type medium doped drain regions (NLDD) ( 130 ) are formed in the p-type well ( 120 ) adjacent to the NMOS gate ( 126 ) by ion implantation of n-type dopants such as phosphorus, arsenic and/or antimony, commonly in several steps with doses from 1·10 13 to 1·10 16 cm −2 at energies from 1 keV to 10 keV. Typical depths of n-type dopants in the NLDD ( 130 ) range from 5 to 50 nanometers. Following ion implantation of n-type dopants into the NLDD ( 130 ), NMOS gate sidewall spacers ( 132 ) are formed on lateral surfaces of the NLDD offset spacers ( 128 ), commonly by deposition of layers of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride spacer material followed by anisotropic etchback to remove spacer material from horizontal surfaces of the IC ( 100 ). Typical NMOS gate sidewall spacer widths range from 3 to 100 nanometers. Following formation of the NMOS gate sidewall spacers ( 132 ), NMOS source and drain regions (NSD) ( 134 ) are formed by in the p-type well ( 120 ) adjacent to the NMOS gate sidewall spacers ( 132 ) by ion implantation of n-type dopants such as phosphorus, arsenic and/or antimony, commonly in several steps with doses from 1·10 14 to 1·10 16 cm −2 at energies from 3 keV to 50 keV. Typical depths of n-type dopants in the NSD ( 134 ) range from 10 to 250 nanometers. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the DSB layer ( 104 ) and the etch process to remove the DSB layer are adjusted so that the interface ( 114 ) between the substrate ( 102 ) and the SEG layer ( 118 ) is below a space charge region of the NSD. Anneals may be performed after the NLDD ion implants and the NSD ion implants to repair damage to the silicon lattice of the SEG layer ( 118 ) by the ion implantation processes. The p-type well ( 120 ), NMOS gate dielectric layer ( 124 ), NMOS gate ( 126 ), NLDD offset spacers ( 128 ), NLDD ( 130 ), NMOS gate sidewall spacers ( 132 ) and NSD ( 134 ) form an NMOS transistor ( 136 ). Optional layers of metal silicide may be formed on top surfaces of the NSD ( 132 ) and NMOS gate ( 126 ) to decrease electrical resistance of contacts made to the NSD ( 132 ) and NMOS gate ( 126 ).
Still referring to FIG. 1G , fabrication of the integrated circuit ( 100 ) continues with formation of a PMOS transistor. A PMOS gate dielectric layer ( 138 ), typically silicon dioxide, nitrogen doped silicon dioxide, silicon oxy-nitride, hafnium oxide, layers of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride, or other insulating material, on a top surface of the n-type well ( 122 ), followed by formation of an PMOS gate ( 140 ), typically polycrystalline silicon, on a top surface of the PMOS gate dielectric layer ( 138 ), with PLDD offset spacers ( 142 ), typically one or more layers of silicon dioxide and/or silicon nitride formed by plasma etch, with a width from 1 to 30 nanometers, on lateral surfaces of the PMOS gate ( 140 ). P-type medium doped drain regions (PLDD) ( 144 ) are formed in the n-type well ( 122 ) adjacent to the PMOS gate ( 140 ) by ion implantation of p-type dopants such as boron, BF2 and/or gallium, commonly in several steps with doses from 1-10 13 to 1·10 16 cm −2 at energies from 0.3 keV to 10 keV. Typical depths of p-type dopants in the PLDD ( 144 ) range from 5 to 50 nanometers. Following ion implantation of p-type dopants into the PLDD ( 144 ), PMOS gate sidewall spacers ( 146 ) are formed on lateral surfaces of the PLDD offset spacers ( 142 ), commonly by deposition of layers of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride spacer material followed by anisotropic etchback to remove spacer material from horizontal surfaces of the IC ( 100 ). Typical PMOS gate sidewall spacer widths range from 3 to 100 nanometers. Following formation of the PMOS gate sidewall spacers ( 146 ), PMOS source and drain regions (PSD) ( 148 ) are formed by in the n-type well ( 122 ) adjacent to the PMOS gate sidewall spacers ( 146 ) by ion implantation of p-type dopants such as boron, BF2 and/or gallium, commonly in several steps with doses from 1·10 14 to 1·10 16 cm −2 at energies from 3 keV to 50 keV. Typical depths of p-type dopants in the PSD ( 148 ) range from 10 to 250 nanometers. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness of the DSB layer ( 104 ) is adjusted so that the interface ( 116 ) between the substrate ( 102 ) and the DSB layer ( 104 ) is below a space charge region of the PSD. Anneals may be performed after the PLDD ion implants and the PSD ion implants to repair damage to the silicon lattice of the DSB layer ( 104 ) by the ion implantation processes. The n-type well ( 122 ), PMOS gate dielectric layer ( 138 ), PMOS gate ( 140 ), PLDD offset spacers ( 142 ), PLDD ( 144 ), PMOS gate sidewall spacers ( 146 ) and PSD ( 148 ) form an PMOS transistor ( 150 ). Optional layers of metal silicide may be formed on top surfaces of the PSD ( 144 ) and PMOS gate ( 140 ) to decrease electrical resistance of contacts made to the PSD ( 144 ) and PMOS gate ( 140 ).
Still referring to FIG. 1G , fabrication of the IC ( 100 ) continues with formation of a pre-metal dielectric liner (PMD liner) ( 152 ), typically silicon nitride, 2 to 100 nanometers thick, on top surfaces of the NMOS transistor ( 136 ), the PMOS transistor ( 150 ) and the field oxide ( 110 ). In some embodiments, a dual stress layer (DSL) PMD liner is formed, which applies different levels of stress to different components in the IC, such as compressive stress on PMOS transistors and tensile stress on NMOS transistors. A pre-metal dielectric layer (PMD) ( 154 ), typically silicon dioxide, 152 to 1000 nanometers thick, is formed on a top surface of the PMD liner ( 152 ). Contacts ( 156 ) to the NSD ( 148 ) and PSD ( 134 ) are formed by etching holes in the PMD ( 154 ) and PMD liner ( 152 ) to expose portions of the top surfaces of the NSD ( 148 ) and PSD ( 134 ), and filling the holes with metals, typically tungsten. The contacts ( 156 ) allow electrical connections to be made to the NMOS and PMOS transistors ( 136 , 150 ).
The formation of the NMOS transistor ( 136 ) in the SEG layer ( 118 ) is advantageous because the (100)-oriented silicon in the SEG layer maximizes the electron mobility in an NMOS channel, and thus maximizes the NMOS on-state drive current. The formation of the PMOS transistor ( 150 ) in the DSB layer is advantageous because the (110)-oriented silicon in the DSB layer maximizes the hole mobility in a PMOS channel, and thus maximizes the PMOS on-state drive current.
It is within the scope of this invention to exchange the silicon crystal lattice orientations of the substrate, DSB layer and SEG layer, and form a p-type well and an NMOS transistor in the DSB layer and an n-type well and a PMOS transistor in the SEG layer, and realize the same advantages with respect to maximization of on-state drive currents explained above.
The silicon crystal lattice orientations of the substrate and DSB layer may be altered from the (100) and (110) orientations described in the embodiments above, to suit a particular application, for example a radiation resistant IC, and still fall within the scope of this invention. This invention generally discloses a method to obtain regions with two silicon crystal lattice orientations for electronic components, and is not limited to the (100) and (110) orientations, nor to transistors as the only components formed in the DSB and SEG layers.
Those skilled in the art to which the invention relates will appreciate that the described implementations are merely illustrative example embodiments, and that there are many other embodiments and variations of embodiments that can be implemented within the scope of the claimed invention.
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Optimizing carrier mobilities in MOS transistors in CMOS ICs requires forming (100)-oriented silicon regions for NMOS and (110) regions for PMOS. Methods such as amorphization and templated recrystallization (ATR) have disadvantages for fabrication of deep submicron CMOS. This invention is a method of forming an integrated circuit (IC) which has (100) and (110)-oriented regions. The method forms a directly bonded silicon (DSB) layer of (110)-oriented silicon on a (100)-oriented substrate. The DSB layer is removed in the NMOS regions and a (100)-oriented silicon layer is formed by selective epitaxial growth (SEG), using the substrate as the seed layer. NMOS transistors are formed on the SEG layer, while PMOS transistors are formed on the DSB layer. An integrated circuit formed with the inventive method is also disclosed.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to adjustable support arm assemblies for repositioning items carried at one end in a three dimensional envelope, and more particularly to such assemblies which have the particular application of repositioning a computer monitor to suit the preference of the user.
2. The Prior Art
Computer monitor support arm assemblies are well known accessories for computer systems. An objective of some such assemblies is to support a computer monitor at one end and to provide adjustment means for moving the monitor within a three-dimensional envelope and also to permit tilt adjustment of the monitor about a vertical axis. The arm assemblies are typically used for moving the monitor toward and away from the user, and repositioning the monitor to suit the preference of the user, and freeing up space on the workstation surface.
One such monitor assembly is sold by MicroComputer Accessories Inc. as Product No. 641K. The support arm extends upward from a pivotal base and supports a horizontal beam at a remote end. The beam reciprocally moves back and forth on rollers and includes a plate member at one end for supporting a monitor. In addition, the beam member has a pivoting linkage which adjusts as the support arm is raised and lower to maintain the horizontal beam in a horizontal disposition. Thus the monitor plate can be raised and lowered and rotated 360 degrees by movement of the support arm, and can be adjusted in and out by movement of the horizontal beam.
Other representative assemblies are the MicroComputer Accessories, Inc. Model Nos. 6150 and 6130. The 6150 has a vertical post mounted to a clamp base. The arm has an integral vertical sleeve, and slides down onto the post when the user is assembling the unit. In addition there are three stacking rings which slide down onto the post. The user configures the arm with 0,1,2, or 3 rings under the arm on the post to obtain one of the four height positions. If the arm is placed at any position other than the highest position, the extra rings are slid onto the post above the arm.
The 6130 and 6150 have identical trays attached to the end of the arm. The trays pivot and tilt and there is a slot in the tray similar to that described above for the 641K.
In order to add further adjustability to the assembly, a turntable is mounted on the support plate. The turntable includes a top platform having a semi-spherical center bottom portion, and a stand for supporting the platform. The stand includes a semi-spherical recess in an upper surface for receiving the platform semi-spherical bottom portion, and an aperture extends through the stand bottom to communicate with the stand recess. The platform has an arcuate slot or a series of holes extending through the bottom center portion which aligns with the stand aperture. A lock screw is provided to project upward through the stand aperture and the platform slot (or one of the apertures), and a clamping nut attaches to the lock screw end to hold the assembly together and in a fixed mutual orientation.
The turntable can be adjusted to rotate 360 degrees and/or to tilt forward and backward along the platform slot by loosening the clamping nut, whereby freeing the platform to rotate within the stand recess and to tilt forward and backward. After the desired positioning of the platform has been achieved, the clamping screw is tightened to fix the turntable in its preferred position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,621 teaches a monitor support assembly which includes a pivot axis at the base, a secondary intermediate pivot axis which serves to keep an intermediate arm member level, and a tilting support plate at a remote end of the arm member. The support plate includes a slot adjustment mechanism for tilting the monitor in one direction.
While the aforementioned prior art arm assemblies work well and has been commercially well received, certain shortcomings prevent them from satisfying all of the needs of the market. First, the apparatus are relatively complex, requiring a plurality of pivot adjustment mechanisms to place the monitor in its desired altitude, and rotational and attitudinal positions. The complexity of the arm linkages and associated hardware increases the cost of the assemblies, increases the burden and cost of their manufacture and assembly. Moreover, such assemblies are more complex and time consuming to adjust than desired by the end user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned deficiencies in state of the art monitor arm assemblies by providing a mechanism which accomplishes a substantial degree and freedom of adjustment at substantially reduced cost of manufacture and assembly. The mechanism comprises a pivotal support base from which a support arm extends. A socket member is affixed to a remote end of the support arm, and is configured to provide a central concave cavity. An elongate slot extends through the bottom surface of the support arm and communicates with the cavity.
An adjustable tray, on which a monitor is positioned, is further provided having a concave lower surface that seats within the socket member cavity. The tray lower surface further includes an elongate slot therethrough that overlaps the support arm slot. A friction pad having a planar top surface and an arcuate bottom surface and an arcuate throughslot is affixed to the underside of the support arm. A locking screw extends through both of the overlapping slots and clamps the tray to the socket member and the friction pad in the desired position.
The arm is pivotal about the support base and can be elevated into alternative angular orientations. The user adjusts the pitch and rotational orientation of the monitor by first releasing the clamping screw and then manipulating the tray into its desired position. The clamping screw travels along the overlapping slots as the tray is repositioned. Once the final position is achieved, the clamping nut is reset and the tray and socket are clamped thereby in a fixed attachment.
Accordingly, is an objective of the present invention to provide an adjustable support arm assembly capable of three dimensionally adjusting the position of a monitor.
A further objective is to provide a support arm assembly that comprises relatively few parts and which is economical to manufacture and assemble.
Still a further objective is to provide a support arm assembly that facilitates simultaneous pitch and roll adjustment of a monitor screen.
Yet another objective is to provide a support arm assembly capable of three dimensionally repositioning a monitor screen with relatively few adjustments.
A further objective is to provide a support arm assembly which is readily manufactured of conventional materials, readily assembled, and which requires a low level of maintenance.
These and other objectives, which will be apparent to one skilled in the art, are achieved by a preferred embodiment which is described in detail below and which is illustrated by the accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the assembled support arm assembly.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof.
FIG. 3 is a side elevation view thereof.
FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof.
FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view thereof, taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view upside down of the support arm remote end.
FIG. 7 is a transverse section view through the socket and tray portions of the assembly, showing the components of FIG. 6 in their assembled condition, taken along the line 7--7 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section view through the centerline of the monitor support am remote end shown in a forwardly inclined condition.
FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section view through the centerline of the monitor support am remote end shown in a rearwardly inclined condition.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIGS. 2 and 3, the subject support assembly 10 is shown to comprise the following primary components: a generally square tray member 12; an elongate arm member 14; a U-shaped support bracket 16; a U-shaped mounting bracket 18; a clamping bracket 20; a pivot pin 22 and a lock pin 24. Retention caps 26 are provided to fit over the ends of the lock pin 24. A cylindrical swivel pin 28 is a further component, and spacer bushings 30 are provided to fit over ends of the pin 28. A handled clamping screw 32, washer 34, and clamping nut fastener 36 are included in the assembly. A circular socket ring 38 mounts to the arm 14, and a friction pad 40 mounts to the underside of the arm 14, opposite the ring 38. As shown by FIG. 3, a vertically oriented clamping screw 42 extends through the mounting bracket 18 and is used to clamp the assembly to the edge of a work surface. The primary components are composed preferably from metallic materials, stamped and formed pursuant to conventional methods.
The support tray member 12 is square shaped, and includes an upper surface 44 for supporting a computer monitor or the like. The tray member 12 has upwardly formed edge flanges 46 to confine the monitor to the top surface 44, and a generally planar bottom surface 48. A central concave cavity 50 is positioned centrally within the top surface 44, defined by smooth radiussed sidewalls 51. An elongate through slot 52 bisects the cavity 50 and extends through the tray member 12. The presence of the cavity 50 on the top of the tray creates a convex bearing surface 54 that extends downward from the tray underside 48. The bearing surface 54 is smooth and continuous.
Continuing with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the arm member 14 is generally rectangular in top plan view, having a planar top surface 56 that extends from a first, lower arm end 58 to a second, upper arm end 60. Downturned sides 60 extend from outer edges of the top surface 56 and extend from end to end of the arm. Aligned pivot pin holes 64 extend through the arm sides 60 proximate the lower end 58, and adjacent thereto are aligned lock pin apertures 66 that likewise extend through the arm sides 60. The lock pin apertures 66 are elongate and are defined along an upper edge by a series of lock pin receiving sockets 68. A semi-circular cutout 70 is provided at the lower end 58, within the lower edge of the top surface 56.
Referring now to FIGS. 2, 6, and 7, the upper, or remote end 60 of the arm 14 is defined by a flat terminal portion 72 through which an elongate through slot 74 extends. Slot 74 is surrounded by six mounting holes, two holes 76 located at the ends of the slot 74, and four holes 78 along the sides of the slot 74. The holes 76, 78 extend through the arm 14.
The socket ring 38 is configured, as best viewed from FIGS. 6 and 7, as having inward beveled surfaces 80 that intersect with a center, fiat annular ring portion 82. A central ring hole 84 extends through the fiat portion 82 and four dependent posts 86 extend downward from the ring member. The ring member 38 is composed of a suitably hard plastic material, such as nylon.
The friction pad 40 is configured to include an arcuate outer surface 88, a fiat underside surface 90, and an elongate through-slot 92 which extends through the pad 40. The friction pad 40 has two dependent posts 94 positioned at opposite ends of the slot 92. The pad 40 is composed of suitable plastic material such as nylon.
A screw shaft 98 of suitable length is connected at one end to a handle portion 96 of the clamping screw 32. The screw shaft diameter is slightly smaller than the width of the slots 92 of the friction pad 40, the slot 74 of the arm portion 72, and the slot 52 of the tray member 12 and of a sufficient length to project through all three slots. The attachment nut 36 can be hand tightened over the free end of the screw shaft 98 to thereby clamp the arm end components together.
Referring to FIGS. 2,3, and 5, the support bracket 16 comprises a rear plate portion 100, and side wings 102 extending perpendicularly from edges of the plate portion 100 to form a generally U-shaped body. A pair of cut-out apertures 103 are formed at the corners of bracket 16 and a semi-cylindrical tube portion 104 vertically bisects the plate portion 100 and projects outward therefrom. The side wings 102 each have an elongate aperture 106 therethrough defined along a lower edge by a series of lock-pin receiving sockets 108. It will be appreciated that the apertures 106 and sockets 108 are in transverse alignment and are shaped inversely to the apertures 66 and sockets 68 in the arm sideplates 62. The side wings 102 further include dual pivot pin receiving apertures 110 located in mutual alignment and positioned to align with the pivot pin apertures 64 of the arm side plates 62.
The clamping bracket 20 is shaped in mirror image to the rear plate 100 of the support bracket 16. Bracket 20 includes a vertical semi-cylindrical tube portion 112 and side wing portions 114. Each side wing 114 has an outward projecting edge flange 116 dimensioned for insertion into the cutout apertures 103 of bracket 16. The mounting bracket 18 includes a top aperture 120 and a bottom aperture 122 which receives the clamping screw 42 therethrough. As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, an outer housing shroud 24 encases the support structure and includes lock pin retention cap slots 126 in opposite side arms 128.
Referring to FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the assembly of the subject support arm base proceeds as follows. The lower end 58 of the arm 14 is inserted between the side plates 102 of bracket 16 until apertures 64 align with apertures 110. The pivot pin 22 is then inserted through the co-aligned apertures and thereby pivotally connects the lower end of the arm 14 to the bracket 16. So connected, the arm 14 is free to pivot vertically into alternate angular elevations.
The openings 66 of the arm 14 co-align with the apertures 106 of the bracket 16 and the apertures 126 of the shroud 124. The lock pin 24 is inserted through the co-aligned apertures and the end caps 26 are affixed to the ends of pin 24. The pin sockets 68 at the top and the pin sockets 108 cooperate to encircle the lock pin 24 in one of several socket positions. By moving the arm 14 upward, the user may move the pin along the elongate apertures 66, 106, 126 to the desired socket location, and then move the arm 14 down, whereby encircling the pin by sockets 68, 108. When so held, the lock pin 24 prevents further downward rotation of the arm 14 about the pin 22. To release the lock, the arm sockets 68 are moved upward with the arm by the user, thus freeing pin 24 to be moved to a new location within the apertures 66,106,126 and the arm to a new angle of elevation. Thus, the arm may be repositioned vertically about pin 22 and then locked into alternate angular positions by movement of lock pin 24.
The swivel post 28 is captured between the portions 104 of bracket 16 and 112 of bracket 20 as the bracket 20 is fixed to bracket 16 by insertion of the retention flanges 116 into the cut-out apertures 103. The bottom end 118 of the swivel post is inserted through the lower bushing 30 and into the aperture 120 of bracket 18. End 118 is welded in place to bracket 18. The bushing 30 rests upon the top surface of bracket 18 and the lower edges of brackets 16, 20 rest upon the top of bushing 30. The swivel post 118 preferably is welded to bracket 18 before the arm is assembled. The complete arm sub-assembly is slipped down over the post by the end user after purchase.
The upper bushing 30 receives the upper end of the pin 28 therethrough and bushing 30 rests upon the upper edges of brackets 16,20. The upper end of the pin 28 is inserted through an aperture in the shroud (not shown) and welded into place. So assembled, the brackets 16,20 are free to rotate about the swivel pin 28 and thereby reposition the arm 14 three hundred and sixty degrees. The bushings 30 are positioned to prevent the top and bottom edges of brackets 16,20 from rubbing against the top of bracket 18. As such, the bushings 30 provide a bearing surface on the shaft 28, and a bearing surface on bracket 18.
The base assembly described above permits the elevation and rotation of the arm 14 into alternate locations. The bracket 18 clamps to the edge of a work surface or desk to anchor the assembly, and the arm 14 may be moved toward and away from the user, pivoting about swivel pin 28, and/or raised and lowered about pivot pin 22.
Referring next to FIGS. 2,5,6, and 7, the assembly and operation of the monitor tray will now be described. The socket ring 38 is attached to the top surface of arm portion 72 by insertion of posts 86 into the four mounting holes 78. The slot 74 through the arm portion 72 is thereby position to bisect the ring member opening 84. It will be appreciated that the upper surface of the arm portion 72 and the bottom of the ring member in its assembled position are substantially coplanar.
So situated, the ring 38 presents an upwardly open, generally concave socket that receives the lower convex bearing surface 54 of the tray member 12 therein. The bearing surface 54 rests upon the ring surfaces 80,82 and is concentric with the ring 38. Because of the smooth surface of bearing surface 54, the tray member is free to rotate about the ring socket 38 central axis three hundred and sixty degrees, and may also be tilted upward and downward relative to the plane of the ring member 38 and the upper surface of arm portion 72. The slot 52 of the tray member 12 overlaps the slot 74 of the arm portion 72 to a varying degree as the tray bearing surface 54 is rotated into alternate angular and rotational positions.
Positional adjustment of the tray bearing surface 54 relative to the socket 38 causes the surface 44 of the tray member to be correspondingly changed, and the viewing angle to a monitor carried by surface 54 can thereby be adjusted to suit the preference of the user. The degree of tilt and rotation which is desired can simultaneously be achieved by a manual manipulation of the tray member. As the arm member is raised and lowered about pivot pin 22, the angle of the upper surface of arm portion 72 and the socket ring 38 will change relative to horizontal. Accordingly, a user, in order to restore a monitor carried by the tray member and supported by the socket ring 38 to its preferred view angle, will need to make an adjustment. This adjustment is effected by tilting the tray member relative to the socket ring 38 as described above.
The friction pad 40 is mounted to the underside of arm portion 72 by insertion of posts 94 through mounting holes 76. The slot 92 of the pad 40 is substantially identical in shape and dimension to the slot 74 of the arm portion 72. The pad slot 92 accordingly overlaps the slot 74 in its entirety. The washer 34 is positioned against the arcuate surface 88 of the pad 40, and the screw shaft 98 is inserted upwardly through washer 34, the pad slot 92, the arm slot 74, and the tray member slot 52. The nut fastener 36 attaches to the end of the screw shaft 98, and upon tightening, the tray member 12 and ring socket 38 are held in fixed relative alignment. Loosening of the fastener 36 frees the tray member to be repositioned in accordance with the procedure previously described. The nut fastener 36 resides within the cavity 50 of the tray member 12 below the surface 44. Accordingly fastener 36 does not interfere with or otherwise contact the monitor which is positioned upon surface 44.
It will be appreciated that the screw shaft 98 is linear and extends through the slots 92,74, and 52. As the tray member 12 is repositioned, the shaft 98 travels along two or more of these slots. The purpose of the arcuate shaped bottom surface 88 of the friction pad 94 is to alter the direction in which the screw shaft projects as it moves along the slots 92, 74 so that the shaft 98 is always extending perpendicular to the portion of the bearing surface 54 through which it extends. As best seen by FIGS. 5 and 7, the screw shaft 98 will occupy different positions within each of the intersecting slots 52,74, as the tray member 12 is pivoted and tilted within the socket ring 38. The arcuate surface 88 of the pad 94 acts to rotate the longitudinal axis of the screw shaft 98 to compensate for the rotation of components such that, upon reaching the new desired tray position, the fastener 36 can be tightened and the screw will clamp the tray surface 54 to the ring member 38 through the application of a normally directed clamping force.
The angle of intersection of slots 92,74 can be varied to achieve any particular combination of tilt and list of the tray surface 44 desired. If the slots 92,74 are overlapped in a parallel and coplanar alignment, the tray member 12 will tilt in one direction only; that is, along the direction of the aligned slots. However, as the overlapping slots are rotated out of a coplanar orientation, the tray member 12 can be moved in the two directions in which the slots 92,74 are pointed. Because of the radiussed configuration of the bearing surface 54, the movement of the tray surface is rotational in the direction of the slots. Moreover, since the screw shaft is also moving along an arcuate path represented by the pad surface 88, it will achieve a positive clamping of the bearing surface 54 to the ring member 38 no matter what tilt or list attitude the tray member assumes.
Thus, the tray can be leveled when it is rotated 90 degrees, and the monitor is being viewed from the side of the arm. Changing the height setting on the arm causes the angle of the arm to change. Absent a means for leveling the tray, the monitor would list to one side for several of the height settings. The friction pad allows the clamping screw to be tilted so that it is always at 90 degrees to the tray while still having a tangent surface on the pad to clamp to. The arcuate bottom surface 88 of the friction pad thus maintains the clamping screw in a 90 degree orientation relative to the tray and thereby keeps the monitor thereon in a level condition.
From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the subject assembly can achieve repositionment of the tray top surface within a three dimensional envelope by three simple adjustments, each of which operating independently of the other two for maximizing the user's control of the adjustment mechanism. The first adjustment is to the arm elevation by positioning the lock pin 24 in its desired one of the sockets 68,108. The second adjustment is to loosen the fastener 36 and tilt and rotate the tray member 12 into the tilt and list position desired by the user. Finally, the tray 12 may be swiveled toward and away from the user by the swivel mount of pin 28 and brackets 16, 20.
The relatively few number of assembly parts and assembly hardware, and that such components are of conventional construction and design, make the subject assembly economical to produce and assembly. Moreover, the latitude of adjustment provided maximizes the utility of the assembly to the user. Lastly, the ease and wide range of adjustments possible with the subject invention make it easy and convenient to use.
While the above describes the preferred embodiment of the subject invention, the invention is not intended to be so confined. Other embodiments which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and which utilize the teachings herein set forth are intended to be within the scope and spirit of the present invention.
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A monitor support arm assembly is disclosed comprising a support arm (14), a socket member (38) affixed to a remote end of the support arm, the socket member creating a concave central cavity (84), and an elongate slot (74) extending through support arm and communicating with the socket member cavity (84). An adjustable tray (12), having a concave lower surface (54), seats within the socket member cavity (84) and has an elongate slot (52) extending therethrough that overlaps the first mentioned support arm and socket member slot (74). A friction pad (40) of arcuate shape is affixed to an underside of the support arm (14) and has a through slot (92) that aligns with the support arm slot (74), and a downwardly facing arcuate bearing surface (88). A locking screw shall (98) extends through the friction pad slot (92), and the overlapping support arm and socket member slot (74), and through the tray slot (52) to assemble the components together. Adjustment of the angular position and pitch of the tray (12) is accomplished by loosening the screw, and pivoting the tray concave lower surface (54) within the socket member cavity. The screw shaft (98) travels along the overlapping slots as the adjustment is made and along the friction pad arcuate outer surface (88), which serves to alter the direction in which the screw shaft (98) projects as it moves along the slots (92,74) so that the shaft (98) is always perpendicular to the portion of the bearing surface (54) through which it extends.
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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not Applicable
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not Applicable
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX
[0003] Not Applicable
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0004] The disclosed embodiments generally relate to any process that uses fans and pumps to transport air, gas, water, and/or liquid, and more particularly to the fans of air handling units, the pumps of hot and chilled water systems, condensing water systems, water treatment systems, and city water distribution systems.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
[0005] Many types of buildings require the use of air handling unit (AHUs) systems to supply air at specific temperatures to indoor spaces. Buildings also use chilled water systems to condition rooms at a set temperature but use water as part of the cooling process. Over the years, a variety of configurations and methods for controlling AHUs and chilled and hot water pump systems have been proposed.
[0006] FIG. 1 is an example of one such prior art fan speed control system for controlling single duct variable air volume air handling units. Outdoor air enters into outdoor air damper 134 of prior art air handling unit 100 and mixes with the return air from return air damper 132 . It is then drawn as supply air through AHU 100 by supply air fan 114 . The temperature at which the outdoor air enters AHU 100 is measured by outdoor air temperature sensor 128 . Supply air fan 114 draws supply air through heating coil 108 and cooling coil 110 where it is heated or cooled at the desired temperature so that it can be distributed to end users. Fan 114 also draws air through a device that measures the air flow rate such as flow station 126 shown in FIG. 1 . Eventually, the air makes its way through the ductwork to the zone dampers. Zone Damper 122 is configured in the ductwork and controls the amount of air delivered to the end user (in each zone/building/area). At least one temperature sensor (such as temperature sensor 124 ) is typically installed in the zone served by AHU 100 to measure the ambient temperature of said zone.
[0007] Controller 118 receives signals from outdoor air temperature sensor 128 , static pressure sensor 130 , and flow station 126 . It then uses that information to control air handling unit 100 . In VAV AHUs (variable air volume air handling units), the set point of the supply air temperature is maintained at 55° F. (the temperature is adjustable, and not limited to that stated herein) using the dampers, heating coils, and cooling coils. Static pressure sensor 130 is installed upstream of the zone dampers and measures the static pressure downstream of the supply air duct. Supply air fan 114 is driven by VFD 112 . The supply fan speed is modulated to maintain the static pressure at a constant set point value. VFD 120 controls the speed of return air fan 116 to ensure that the building has a slightly positive pressure.
[0008] Although prior art air handling units have been controlled to cool spaces in building interiors, they are not very energy efficient. In particular, prior art air handling units like the one described are controlled to maintain the static pressure set point at a constant value. As a result, the system over-pressurizes the terminal box dampers. In some cases, the static pressure setpoint is reset based on the outdoor air temperature. Since the outdoor air temperature is not representative of all the factors that could influence the static pressure, this reset often ends quite conservatively or leads to occupant comfort related complaints. Notably, in such systems the static pressure sensor is located downstream of the ductwork above the ceiling inside of the building. This thus makes it difficult to find issues and perform maintenance procedures. Another problem is that under partial load conditions, the static pressure is very high. A high static pressure can lead to over-pressurization and cause the terminal box to malfunction. Excessive air leakage in the ductwork and terminal box dampers may also waste energy (by 20%) and increase fan energy consumption by half. In some prior art systems, the fan speed is controlled through pre-selection of the terminal box damper position. However, the problem with this method is that some zones may not attain the same comfort standard as others and it can't be ensured that the preselected zone is is a critical zone.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a typical chilled water pump system in the prior art. Chilled water pump system 200 as shown in FIG. 2 is comprised of chillers 202 and 204 . The chillers are configured to produce chilled water that is circulated by pumps 206 and 208 throughout system 200 . VFDs 210 and 212 are configured in connection with the pumps and function to modulate the pump speed at partial load conditions. The components of system 200 are controlled by controller 216 . Controller 216 receives signals from outdoor air temperature sensor 218 , loop differential pressure sensor 220 , and flow meter 214 . The collected signal information is used by Controller 216 to control the pump speed at partial load conditions. Outdoor air temperature sensor 218 is often mounted outside the building to measure the outdoor temperature. Flow station 214 monitors the water flow rate of system 200 . Valves 226 and 228 open and close to cool down the air passing through cooling coils 222 and 224 .
[0010] As shown in the Fig., a plurality of sensors and a flow station is included in the configuration of the chilled water pump system. The pump speed is controlled to maintain the set point of the loop differential pressure. Such prior art pump systems activate and deactivate based on the distribution of water in the pump system. If the loop differential pressure is lower than the setpoint when the pumps are running at full speed, for example, controller 216 activates one or more pumps to provide more water to system 200 . When the pump speed is low, the one or more pumps are deactivated. The set point is reset based on the outdoor air temperature or determined according to the prior experiences of the user. It should be noted that since the outdoor air temperature is not the only factor that influences the set point and setting the set point based on knowledge gained through prior experience is not a method that is entirely reliable, the reset in prior art systems tends to be very conservative. The result of this is that the chilled water system consumes more energy.
[0011] Additionally, in prior art pump systems such as the one described, the pump working points are often pushed to the position of lowest efficiency as a result of improper pump staging. Thus, even if the design pump efficiency is 75%, in actuality it operates at a low efficiency of 40%. Under partial load conditions, excessive pressure head is often exerted on the cooling coil control valves as well. The pumps consume an excessive amount of energy as a result of the excessive differential pressure set points. As a result, the control valve either gets stuck open or closed (and wastes energy). Otherwise, the control valve must be manually adjusted into position (resulting in extra labor). Prior art systems also tend to have excessively high differential pressure set points that lead to significant pump energy consumption. Finally, prior art systems use differential pressure sensors. These sensors require a lot of maintenance in order to function properly.
[0012] In order to solve the issues present in the prior art as well as to increase the energy efficiency of air handling unit and chilled water systems, a novel control system and method is proposed. This control system controls the fan speed of air handling units and the pump speed and staging in chilled water pump systems, thus eliminating the need for the installation of sensors and other system components that are used to help perform these tasks in prior art units.
[0013] Accordingly, it is one aspect of an embodiment to improve the energy efficiency of and reduce the costs associated with air handling units and chilled water pump systems. This is accomplished through the addition of a control system that reduces the number of pressure sensors, outdoor air temperatures sensors, flow stations, and static pressure sensors needed.
DRAWINGS REFERENCE NUMERALS
Prior Art
[0000]
100 Prior Art Air Handling Unit
108 Heating Coil
110 Cooling Coil
112 & 120 Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
114 Supply Air Fan
116 Return Air Fan
118 Air Handling Unit Controller
122 Damper (end user)
124 Temperature Sensor
126 Flow Station
128 Outdoor Air Temperature Sensor
130 Static Pressure Sensor
132 Return Air Damper
134 Outdoor Air Damper
200 Prior Art Chilled Water Pump System
202 & 204 Chillers
206 & 208 Pumps
210 & 212 Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)
214 Flow Station
216 System Controller
218 Outdoor Air Temperature Sensor
220 Differential Pressure Sensor
222 & 224 Cooling Coils
226 & 228 Valves
300 Sensorless Fan and Pump Control Device in a VAV Air Handling Unit
302 Sensorless Fan and Pump Control Device
304 & 316 VFDs
306 Supply Fan
308 Cooling Coil
310 Heating Coil
312 Return Fan
314 & 318 Dampers
320 Temperature Sensor
400 Sensorless Fan and Pump Control Device in a Chilled Water Pump System
408 & 426 VFDs
404 & 406 Chillers
410 & 412 Chilled Water Pumps
414 , 416 , 418 Valves
420 , 422 , 424 Cooling Coils
500 Control Logic of the Sensorless Fan and Pump Control Device
502 Input Module
504 AHU Power Module
506 Air Flow, Head, and Fan Efficiency Module
508 AHU Load/Unload Module
510 Fan and Design Efficiency Comparison Step
512 Fan Ratio Comparison Step
514 Pump Power Module
516 Water Flow, Head, and Pump Efficiency Module
517 Chiller Number Calculation Step
518 Pump Load/Unload Module
520 Fan Activation Step
522 Fan De-activation Step
524 Pump and Design Efficiency Comparison Step
526 Pump Ratio Comparison Step
528 Pump Activation Step
530 Pump De-activation Step
532 Fan Speed Control Module
534 Pump Speed Control Module
536 Fan Airflow and High Load Airflow Rate Comparison Step
538 h/Q 2 =hd/Qd 2 Fan Speed Modulation Step
540 Fan Airflow and Low Load Airflow Rate Comparison Step
542 Low Load Airflow Rate Fan Speed Modulation Step
544
[0000]
h
Q
2
=
(
1
+
Q
h
-
Q
α
Q
h
)
h
d
Q
d
2
Fan Speed Modulation Step
[0000]
546 Pump Water flow and High Load Water flow Rate Comparison Step
548 h/Q 2 =hd/Qd 2 Pump Speed Modulation Step
550 Pump Airflow and Low Load Water flow Rate Comparison Step
552 Low Load Water flow Rate Pump Speed Modulation Step
554
[0000]
h
Q
2
=
(
1
+
Q
h
-
Q
α
Q
h
)
h
d
Q
d
2
Pump Speed Modulation Step
[0000]
600 Flow chart showing how control device 302 may be connected and operable to control multiple VFDs.
SUMMARY
[0083] In one embodiment, a control system for controlling at least one fan or pump and at least one VFD is provided. The control system comprises an input module configured to input a plurality of operating conditions from said vfd and predetermined variables for said system comprising a performance curve, a design flow rate, a design low load flow rate, a design high load flow rate, a VFD current value, a VFD power value, a VFD torque value, and a VFD speed value. The control system also comprises a power module configured to calculate for a measured power value based on the VFD power value, as well as a head, flow rate, and efficiency module configured to calculate for a head value based on the measured power value and the performance curve. It is also configured to calculate for a measured flow rate value based on the VFD current value, VFD power value, VFD torque value, the performance curve, as well as an efficiency value based on the measured flow rate and measured head value.
[0084] The control system further comprises a load/unload module configured to stage and modulate a speed of said at least one pump or fan. The control system comprises an identifying step for identifying a working point on the performance curve. It also comprises an activation step for activating the at least one fan or pump when the efficiency value is less than the working point by a predetermined amount and a ratio of the measured head value over a square of the measured flow rate is lower than a ratio of the design head value over a square of the design flow rate. The control system further comprises a deactivation step for deactivating the at least one fan or pump when the efficiency value is less than the working point by a predetermined amount and a ratio of the measured head value over a square of the measured flow rate is greater than a ratio of the design head value over a square of the design flow rate.
[0085] Finally, the control system comprises a speed modulation step for controlling a speed of the at least one fan or pump when the measured flow rate is greater than the design high load flow rate so that a ratio of the measured head value over a square of the measured flow rate is equal to a ratio of the design head value over a square of the design flow rate. The control system includes a speed modulation step for controlling a speed of the at least one fan or pump to maintain the low load flow rate when the measured flow rate is less than the low load flow rate. The control system also comprises a speed modulation step for controlling a speed of the at least one fan or pump when the measured flow rate is less than the design high load rate and greater than the design low load rate so that the ratio of the measured head value over a square of the measured flow rate is equal to one plus said design high load flow rate minus said measured flow rate over said design high load flow rate multiplied by a distribution factor and further multiplied by said design head over said design flow rate squared. For clarity, this is shown in equation form as:
[0000]
[
h
Q
2
=
(
1
+
Q
h
-
Q
α
Q
h
)
h
d
Q
d
2
]
[0086] In another embodiment, a method of controlling at least one fan or pump to optimize the transport of liquids and/or gases through a system having at least one VFD is proposed. The method comprises interfacing a control device with the system. It further comprises inputting a plurality of system operating conditions comprising a VFD power value, a VFD current value, VFD torque value, and VFD speed value from the variable speed drive into said control device. It also comprises inputting a plurality of operating conditions such as a performance curve, a design flow rate, a design high load flow rate and design low load flow rate into the control device. The method further comprises calculating, by the controller, for a measured power value based on theVFD power value. The method also comprises determining a measured flow rate based on the performance curve, the VFD current value, VFD power value, and VFD torque value.
[0087] The method further comprises determining a measured head value based on the measured power value and the performance curve, and determining a design point efficiency based on the measured flow rate and measured head value. The method further comprises identifying a working point efficiency on the performance curve, and activating the at least one fan or pump when the design point efficiency is less than the working point efficiency by a predetermined amount, and a ratio of the measured head value over a square of the measured flow rate is lower than a ratio of the design head value over a square of the design flow rate.
[0088] The method further comprises inactivating at least one fan or pump when the design point efficiency is less than the working point efficiency within a predetermined range and a ratio of the measured head value over a square of the measured flow rate is greater than a ratio of the design head value over a square of the design flow rate. The method comprises modulating the fan and pump to maintain the low load flow rate when the measured flow rate is lower than the design low load flow rate. It further comprises modulating a speed of the at least one fan or pump so that a ratio of the measured head value over a square of the measured flow rate is equal to a ratio of the design head value over a square of the design flow rate when the measured flow rate is greater than the design high load flow rate.
[0089] Finally, the method comprises modulating a speed of the at least one fan or pump when the measured flow rate is less than the design high load rate and greater than the design low load rate, so that a ratio of the measured head value over a square of the measured flow is equal to one plus the design high load flow minus the measured flow rate over the design high load flow multiplied by a distribution factor and further multiplied by the design head over the design flow rate squared. For clarity, this is shown in equation form as:
[0000]
[
h
Q
2
=
(
1
+
Q
h
-
Q
α
Q
h
)
h
d
Q
d
2
]
.
[0090] In some embodiments the system is an air handling unit while in other embodiments the system is a chilled water pump system having at least one chiller. In embodiments in which the system is a chilled water pump system having at least one chiller, the controller calculates for the design water flow rate and measured head of the at least one chiller.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0091] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the following Figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements are exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Advantages, features and characteristics of the present disclosure, as well as methods, operation and functions of related elements of structure, and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become apparent upon consideration of the following description and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of the specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures, and wherein:
[0092] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram embodying the principles of an air handling unit system in the prior art.
[0093] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram embodying the principles of a chilled water pump system in the prior art.
[0094] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram embodying the principles of a sensorless fan and pump speed control device implemented in an air handling unit.
[0095] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram embodying the principles of said sensorless fan and pump speed control device implemented in a chilled water pump system.
[0096] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the the control logic of said sensorless fan and pump speed control device.
[0097] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the direction of communication between control device 302 and the variable frequency drive(s) of the system in which it is implemented.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0098] Before the present methods, systems, and materials are described, it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the particular methodologies, systems and materials described, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing the particular versions or embodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope.
[0099] It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. Although any methods, materials, and devices similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of embodiments, the preferred methods, materials, and devices are now described. All publications mentioned herein are incorporated by reference. Nothing herein is to be construed as an admission that the embodiments described herein are not entitled to antedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.
[0100] In accordance with one embodiment, a sensorless fan and pump speed control air handling unit system is illustrated in FIG. 3 . In the embodiment shown, control device 302 is implemented in air handling unit system 300 . As shown in the Figure, existing air handling unit system 300 is comprised of supply air fan 306 , cooling coil 308 , heating coil 310 , return air fan 312 , temperature sensor 320 , and return air dampers and end user dampers 314 & 318 . Fans 306 and 312 are connected in communication with VFDs 304 and 316 . Based on commands from controller 302 , VFDs 304 and 316 are able to control the speed of fans 306 and 312 , respectively. FIG. 6 (flow chart 600 ) shows how control device 302 may be connected and operable to control multiple VFDs through use of the Modbus communication protocol or other communication channel. In the Fig., the fans are configured in parallel and are powered by multiple VFDs. In other embodiments, however, device 302 can also be configured in communication with a single VFD.
[0101] In accordance with another embodiment, a sensorless fan and pump speed control system 400 is illustrated in FIG. 4 . In the embodiment shown, control device 302 is implemented in chilled water pump system 400 . System 400 is comprised of VFDs 408 & 426 , chillers 404 & 406 , supply water pumps 410 and 412 , valves 414 , 416 , and 418 and cooling coils 420 , 422 , and 424 .
[0102] Chillers 404 and 406 produce chilled water that is circulated throughout system 400 as well as to valves 414 , 416 , and 418 and cooling coils 420 , 422 , and 424 by pumps 410 and 412 . When water passes through cooling coils 420 , 422 , and 424 , it is warmed up by the air. The water is then once again redistributed through the pump system in a cyclical manner and is cooled down by chillers 404 and 406 . VFDs 408 & 426 control the speed of pumps 410 and 412 to maintain the differential pressure across cooling coils 420 , 422 , and 424 . Control device 302 is configured in communication with VFDs 408 and 426 . Said control device controls the manner in which pumps 410 and 412 are staged. It is also configured to control the speed of said pumps. As illustrated in FIG. 4 , the pumps are configured in parallel.
[0103] As shown in FIG. 3 , control device 302 can be installed in both systems 300 and 400 . Before control device 302 can be used, the user must first configure control device 302 with the specific data for the system in which it will be implemented. For example, when the system is implemented in air handling units, the user pre-programs into device 302 data comprising but not limited to the fan performance curve and high and low load airflow rates. When the system is implemented in chilled water pump systems, data pre-programmed into device 302 may include but not be limited to the chilled water pump performance curves and the high and low load water flow rates. Thus, the control method of device 302 differs depending upon the system of implementation. In FIG. 3 , Device 302 is shown to be installed in communication with VFD 304 of system 300 .
[0104] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the control logic of control device 302 . Control device 302 may include a plurality of modules. The modules have different functions depending on whether Device 302 is implemented in a chilled water pump system or in an air handling unit. As shown in FIG. 5 , Device 302 includes an input module 502 that is configured to receive a plurality of digital or analog signals dictating the operating conditions of system 300 or 400 (depending upon in which system it is implemented) from the one or more VFDs. The analog or digital signals may be delivered to control device 302 wirelessly or via wire connection. In a method of the embodiment, the collected operating conditions may include data detailing the current, power, torque, and speed values from the VFD(s) as well as set information that is pre-programmed into Device 302 by the user to include but not be limited to the fan and pump performance curves and the high and low load flow rates. Based on information on the VFD power values, AHU Power Module 504 calculates for the fan power values by removing the VFD loss and motor loss from the VFD power values. If device 302 is implemented in a chilled water pump system, Pump Power Module 514 similarly calculates for the pump power values by removing the VFD loss and motor loss from the VFD power values.
[0105] Using the pump performance curve and the current, power, and torque values collected from the VFD(s), Air Flow, Fan Head, and Fan Efficiency Module 506 calculates for an airflow rate when used in system 300 . Device 302 calculates for a water flow rate for a chilled water pump system such as system 400 in Water Flow, Pump Head, and Pump Efficiency Module 516 using the same method as in Module 506 . Modules 516 and 506 also calculate for the pump head and pump efficiency (in chilled water pump systems) and the fan head and fan efficiency (in air handling units) values, respectively. The fan or pump power values (calculated in modules 504 or 514 , respectively) as well as the fan or pump performance curve (fan curve if device 302 is implemented in system 300 and pump curve if implemented in system 400 ) are used by Modules 506 and 516 to calculate for the fan head and fan efficiency or the pump head and pump efficiency, respectively.
[0106] Using the fan head and air flow rates calculated in Module 506 or the pump head and water flow rates calculated in Module 516 , AHU Load/Unload Module 508 or Pump System Load/Unload Module 518 identifies the equivalent working points on the fan or pump design curves, respectively. The pump design curve is used if device 302 is implemented in a pump system or the fan design curve is employed if device 302 is implemented in an air handling unit. As shown in steps 510 and 512 of FIG. 5 , if the fan efficiency is less than the design efficiency by a predetermined value (about 5% for example, but not limited to this percentage), then AHU Load/Unload Module 508 activates the fans by comparing the ratio of the measured fan head over the square of the measured fan airflow rate to the ratio of the design fan head over a square of the design fan airflow rate. Module 508 activates a fan if the ratio of the measured fan head over the square of the measured fan airflow rate is lower than the ratio of the design fan head over the square of the design fan airflow rate (see step 520 in FIG. 5 ). Module 508 inactivates a fan if the working point is on the left of the design point meaning that the ratio of the measured fan head over a square of the measured fan airflow rate is higher than the ratio of the design fan head over a square of the design fan airflow rate (see step 522 in FIG. 5 ). It should be noted though that AHU Load/Unload Module 508 is only needed in configurations in which the air handling unit is comprised of multiple fans in parallel.
[0107] The control logic of Module 518 follows the same control logic as described for Module 508 [see the prior paragraph] expect that it activates and deactivates pumps rather than fans. Thus, as can be seen in Steps 524 , 526 and 528 of FIG. 5 , if the pump efficiency is less than the design pump efficiency by a predetermined value (about 5% for example, but not limited to this percentage), then Pump Load/Unload Module 518 activates the pumps of the chilled water pump system by comparing the ratio of the measured pump head over a square of the measured pump flow rate to the ratio of the design pump head over a square of the design pump flow rate. Module 518 inactivates a pump if the working point is on the left of the design point meaning that the ratio of the measured pump head over a square of the measured pump airflow rate is higher than the ratio of the design pump head over a square of the design pump airflow rate (see steps 526 and 530 in FIG. 5 ).
[0108] When device 302 is implemented in an air handling unit such as that shown in system 300 , Fan Speed Control Module 532 controls the speed of the fan based on a comparison of the measured airflow rate and design airflow rates. As shown in steps 536 and 538 of FIG. 5 , if the measured rate of airflow is greater than the high load airflow rate (adjustable rate of 80% of the design airflow), Module 532 modulates the fan speed so that the ratio of the fan head over the square of the fan airflow rate equals the ratio of the design fan head over the square of the design fan airflow rate (or the in-situ measured or adjusted value). If the measured rate of airflow is less than the high load but greater than the low load or heating flow rate (50% of the design airflow rate (this rate is adjustable)), Module 532 modulates the speed of the fan so that the ratio of the fan head over the square of the fan airflow is a function of the following equation:
[0000]
h
Q
2
=
(
1
+
Q
h
-
Q
α
Q
h
)
h
d
Q
d
2
Where:
[0000]
h is the fan head as measured by control device 302
Q is the airflow rate as measured by control device 302
Qh is the high load flow, or about 80% of the design airflow (this percentage is adjustable)
Hd is the design fan head
Qd is the design airflow rate
α-flow is the distribution factor [2] (the number is adjustable)
Module 532 modulates the speed of the fan so that the airflow rate is at a low load flow rate (or at 50% of the design airflow rate, though this is adjustable) if the airflow rate is lower than the low load airflow rate (as shown in steps 540 , 542 , and 544 of FIG. 5 ).
[0115] When device 302 is implemented in a pump system such as system 400 as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings, Pump Speed Control Module 534 controls the speed of the pumps. The control method is similar to the method used for controlling the speed of the fans when device 302 is implemented in an air handling unit. Thus, as shown in steps 546 and 548 of FIG. 5 , Module 534 compares the measured and design water flow rates. If the measured water flow rate is higher than the high load water flow rate (adjustable rate of 80% of the design water flow rate), Speed Control Module 534 modulates the pump speed so that the ratio of the pump head over the square of the pump flow rate is equal to the ratio of the design pump head over the square of the design pump water flow rate (or the in-situ measured or adjusted value). However, if the measured water flow rate is lower than the high load flow rate but higher than the low load flow rate (or 50% of the design heating flow rate (this rate is adjustable)), Module 534 modulates the speed of the pump so that the ratio of the pump head over the square of the pump water flow rate is a function of the equation shown previously. If the water flow rate is lower than the low load water flow rate (or 50% of the design water flow rate), the pump speed is modulated to maintain the low load water flow rate as shown in steps 550 , 552 , and 554 of FIG. 5 .
[0116] While the method in which device 302 controls the pumps of chilled water pump systems and the fans of air handling units is similar, device 302 makes an additional calculation before solving for the pump speed ratio when implemented in chilled water pump systems like that shown in FIG. 3 (system 300 ). This is because the number of chillers in operation in a chilled water pump system significantly affects the design head and flow calculations. As such, in order to modulate the pump speed to maintain the ratio of the pump head and the square of the water flow rate as a function of the flow ratio according to the stated equation, it is first necessary to calculate for the design water flow rate and design pump head for each system configuration. For example, chilled water pump system 400 is comprised of two chillers (chillers 404 and 406 ). When both chillers are in operation they process water at a rate of 1000 GPM (gallons per minute). If the design pump head is 100 feet (ft). (60 ft. for the water distribution system and 40 ft. for the chiller and associated pipe), the pump head and water flow design ratio is 100 ft/1000/1000 or 0.0001 when chillers 404 and 406 are in operation. However, if one of the said chillers is not in operation (and the isolation valve closed to prevent the flow of chilled water through the chiller), the design head is instead 55 ft (40 ft. for the chiller and 15 ft. for the distribution loop or 0.025 multiplied by 60). In this scenario, the design water flow rate is 500 GPM. Thus, the ratio of the design pump head and the square of the design water flow rate becomes 0.00022 (55/500/500). It can therefore be seen that the addition of a chiller to the configuration of a chilled water pump system more than doubles the ratio. This additional chiller calculation for the pump system is shown in step 517 in FIG. 5 .
[0117] Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
|
A method for controlling at least one fan or pump of a system having at least one variable frequency speed drive. The method comprises inputting into a controller a plurality of design conditions and VFD operating variables. The controller determines a plurality of measured conditions based on the design conditions and operating variables including a measured head value, efficiency value, and flow rate value. The controller activates or deactivates the at least one fan or pump based on a comparison of a pump or fan performance curve working point and an efficiency value and a comparison of a ratio of the measured head value over a square of the measured flow rate to a ratio of a design head value over a square of a design flow rate, and modulates the speed of at least one fan and pump based on a comparison of the measured and design flow rates.
| 5
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